All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa could land a dream Gjanni Alioski successor in Stuttgart’s Borna Sosa.

What’s the story?

With reports in recent weeks suggesting that Alioski is on his way out of Elland Road once his contract expires, it’s no surprise to see the Whites eyeing a new left-back.

And, according to Sosa’s agent, Franjo Vranjkovic, the Yorkshire club have actually submitted a bid to Stuttgart to sign the Croatian in the summer transfer window.

He added: “The most important thing for him is to make a transfer to England because he has an offer from Leeds United.”

Bye-bye Alioski

With Alioski seemingly on his way out, the arrival of Sosa would be the absolute perfect situation for Bielsa, with the left-back well suited to the Leeds boss’ style of play.

Sosa does his best work going forward, being a real attacking outlet for his side, and has registered a remarkable ten assists in the Bundesliga alone – which is more than any Leeds player has managed, and five times that of Alioski (2).

His ability to deliver pin-point crosses into the box has become a real trademark of his, and it’s something that Stuttgart’s sporting director, Sven Mislintat, has raved about.

He said: “Borna’s said himself that David Beckham is his role model, and I think he has the same qualities. He puts in crosses from every angle: sometimes chipped, sometimes drilled, sometimes flat, sometimes in behind, sometimes to the front post, other times to the back post. His left foot is a real weapon.”

And it isn’t just his attacking instincts and technical ability that marks him out as perfect for Bielsa-ball, with the left-back also rugged in the challenge too.

As per Sofascore, he wins exactly 50% of his total duels (just one per cent lower than Alioski), and makes more than double the amount of interceptions and clearances per game than the current Leeds left-back.

And, at only 23, he’s got plenty of time to grow, and his manager at Stuttgart, Pellegrino Matarazzo, has declared that he’s got “huge potential”.

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He said: “Borna has blossomed. We all knew about his huge potential – now he’s delivering over 90 minutes on a consistent basis.”

If Bielsa is looking for a left-back to really nail down a place at Elland Road for the next few years at least, then the £13m-rated Sosa is the man he needs.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa is interested in this star who’s side just got relegated…

Former Leicester City striker Brian Deane has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that his old club are in a position to demand any fee for Wesley Fofana.

Fofana has been one of the success stories of the season for Leicester after joining from Saint-Etienne last October.

The young defender has been a rock at the back, ranking near the top for interceptions made per league game in Brendan Rodgers’ squad (via WhoScored), and is now seemingly attracting interest.

According to Grand Hotel Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), Manchester United are keen on signing a new centre-back this summer and have identified Fofana as a potential target.

Deane, however, has warned the Red Devils and any other potential suitors that Leicester are under no pressure to sell and can demand whatever they want for the player.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about the reported interest in Fofana, the retired forward said:

“I think Leicester can demand whatever they want for him because they’re in no rush to sell. If you want one of their players and he’s not on the market, then you have to pay a premium, so they’d have to be looking at that [Harry Maguire] money.”

Fofana joined Leicester in a deal that could reportedly rise to £30m. Bearing that in mind, and the season he has had, you would expect the Foxes to demand the kind of fee that would scare clubs off.

As the Premier League draws to a close this week, plenty of decisions will need to be made at Tottenham Hotspur – not at least over their vacant managerial position.

But there are also many players who could be playing for their futures, even if 29-year-old caretaker Ryan Mason isn’t going to be around next season.

One of which is Harry Winks, who did himself no favours during Spurs’ disappointing 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on Wednesday evening.

The 25-year-old midfielder has struggled for minutes, particularly in the top-flight, where he has only started eight matches whilst he is also out of contention for England right now.

Last month, reports emerged linking Winks with an exit from North London this summer. The Mirror claim Atletico Madrid are keen on him but they face competition from La Liga rivals Villarreal and Sevilla, all of whom could offer the Englishman a fresh start.

And this week, he endured another difficult outing, raising question marks over whether he should ever play for the club again, especially amid the uncertainty over his future.

There were plenty of players at fault against Villa, as big names like Dele Alli, Heung-min Son and Sergio Reguilon all looked hugely underwhelming but it once again became apparent that Winks really doesn’t offer Spurs much – if anything at all.

The £26m-rated midfielder is passenger-like and laborious in possession at times.

Spurs were crying out for a midfielder with a bit of quality that could bring the game to Villa – strangely, Tanguy Ndombele was sat on the bench, with Winks being preferred.

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He was hooked after 74 minutes, however, having failed to provide any sort of influence on the game.

As per SofaScore, Winks failed to register a single key pass from 38 attempts, made just one of his three long balls, and committed three fouls.

In addition to that, the Lilywhites academy graduate was dribbled past twice and committed one error leading to a shot, only further showing that he struggled to combat the attacking threat on offer from Dean Smith’s side.

Winks even lost possession once every six touches – or once every 7.4 minutes, and lost 50% of his duels – not what you’d expect from someone who should be dominating with the ball at his feet.

Alasdair Gold questioned his selection in his post-match ratings column, where he claimed that the 5 foot 10 dynamo failed to justify his selection, and that was backed up by Dan Kilpatrick in the Evening Standard as he suggested that Spurs looked the better side when the Frenchman came on in his place.

Once lauded as a “perfect midfielder” by Mauricio Pochettino for his ability to play box-to-box and in a holding role, the struggling £75k-per-week star has looked off it for quite some time.

He has failed to manage above a 6.57 average WhoScored rating in any of his five Premier League seasons, including a career-low of 6.33 this term.

Winks is shockingly average and should have no future in North London, regardless of who Daniel Levy hires as his next manager.

The 25-year-old must never play for the club again after that shocking display.

AND in other news, Get rid: Levy must perform U-turn on £100k-p/w Spurs “liability”, he’s a “weak link”…

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit and BBC regular Noel Whelan has spoken of his excitement over the development of West Ham United manager David Moyes closing in on a new deal.

The Lowdown: Moyes edging towards extension

As he revealed to BBC, Moyes let supporters know that contract extension talks are now ‘well down the line’.

In providing details of the new deal, The Telegraph claimed that the Scotsman will put pen to paper on a three-year contract after an overall season of defying expectation.

West Ham finished 16th at the end of the 2019/20 season but improved vastly on that in 2020/21 in what has been a great campaign for Moyes.

The Latest: Whelan excited by Moyes contract news

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has dropped his take on the development and claimed that it is ‘brilliant news’ for West Ham. He said:

“You have to get your foundations in place. Keeping them solid is important to any football club.

“The players will love the fact the manager’s saying. It seems they’ve got the right blend there of player, manager and coaching staff. He’s getting the best out of the players and they seem to be enjoying the football.

“I’m sure the fans are extremely happy with what he’s done since he came into the club. The players he has brought into the club, what he is getting out of them, the style of play, you can’t really complain.

“You look at the league table, it doesn’t lie. He’s been successful where he is and rightly so he gets a new contract. Brilliant news.”

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The Verdict: Big, big news…

Tying down the 58-year-old is imperative after this season, and many West Ham fans must be be ecstatic that Moyes looks set to commit his future to the club.

After succeeding Manuel Pellegrini at the London Stadium, the former Everton boss built a solid Irons side for 2020/21 as shrewd signings such as Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal and Jesse Lingard all impressed.

West Ham supporters will now be hoping they can build upon this season and continue to defy expectations, and keeping Moyes at the club to continue his good work should be central to that.

In other news: Many West Ham fans were horrified by one development, find out more here.

Some Everton fans have been buzzing as an update emerged on James Rodriguez.

As cited by the Daily Mail, the Colombian FA released a statement claiming that the former Real Madrid ace was ‘not at optimum level to compete’ in this summer’s Copa America and was subsequently  dropped from the squad with question marks over his fitness.

Rodriguez missed numerous games for the Goodison Park club through injury in the 2020/21 season, which ended up proving costly as they missed out on European qualification for next term.

While it is a shame that the 29-year-old will be missing out in playing for his country in the Copa America, some Everton supporters have taken a positive view from the update, as it means that he will now be able to fully focus on getting himself 100% fit in time for the new club season.

Everton fans on Rodriguez update

These Toffees were buzzing as the update was shared on Twitter, with a couple of fans branding it as ‘good news’:

“Gutted for him but that’s really good for us. He can a proper rest this summer now and hopefully have an excellent run at next season”

Credit: @AshleyAbbott09

“Good news for Everton and everyone”

Credit: @Jesudian15

“Remarkable. Looks like he’s gonna have to put a shift in for us to get back into Colombia. Might work out for us.”

Credit: @Jaypers3

“A mega plus for us this one!!!”

Credit: @croupier1970

“Good news for Everton, not so much for James and Colombia.”

Credit: @petduff

“This is good for Everton”

Credit: @nickweinstein27

In other news, find out who some Everton fans have been pleading for the club to sign!

According to a report by the Evening Standard, Tottenham Hotspur and chairman Daniel Levy could now turn to Ajax boss Erik ten Hag after suffering a big blow in their pursuit of a new manager.

The Lowdown: Spurs suffer big manager blow…

As reported by numerous outlets, including the BBC and the Telegraph, Tottenham have suffered a blow in their pursuit of a new boss with talks for Antonio Conte breaking down.

Indeed, the Lilywhites have been without a new boss since sacking Jose Mourinho in late April – with the search carrying on for over six weeks now.

Numerous candidates have been mentioned over that time and now Spurs will have to keep on looking for more names.

The Latest: Spurs could now turn to ten Hag

As explained by the Evening Standard, Spurs could now turn to Ajax boss ten Hag after the big Conte blow.

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Despite just signing a new deal with the Eredivisie giants, reports suggest that Tottenham can still swoop for the 51-year-old this summer.

Over his managerial career, spanning 389 matches in total so far, ten Hag has arguably impressed with a very solid record on paper.

Indeed, according to Transfermarkt, the Dutchman has averaged 2.07 points per 90 – an even better number than Conte.

The Verdict: The most likely option…

Talks have stalled with Conte and reports suggest it is unlikely they will resume any time soon.

Meanwhile, Paris-Saint German have dug their heels in when it comes to fellow Spurs manager target Mauricio Pochettino – making a return for the Argentine extremely difficult.

Therefore, we believe ten Hag is now the most likely option Levy.

Spurs fans should be optimistic when it comes to the Ajax gaffer, though, especially considering correspondent Alasdair Gold has described him as ‘similar’ to Pochettino (football.london).

He has also attracted praise from Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who recently branded ten Hag as ‘one of the most exciting coaching talents in world football’ (Planet Football).

In other news: BBC pundit thrilled by this ‘great news’ for Spurs, find out more here.

Liverpool must axe midfielder Marko Grujic this summer as Jurgen Klopp looks to rebuild a title-winning squad.

What’s the story?

According to German outlet Berliner Kurier, Klopp wants to get rid of the 25-year-old talent over the upcoming transfer window, opening the door to a permanent exit.

Grujic has been with the Reds since signing from Red Star Belgrade in January 2016. The Serbia international made just 16 appearances in all competitions, though, enjoying loan spells at Cardiff, Hertha Berlin and Porto.

Klopp surely buzzing

With Liverpool’s reign as Premier League champions last just a single season, their enigmatic German manager has already begun preparations to wrestle back the Anfield outfit’s crown.

Highly-rated centre-back Ibrahima Konate has already arrived on Merseyside in a £34 million deal. However, with key midfielder Gini Wijnaldum expected to depart imminently and attacking reinforcements required, the Reds may have to offload some fringe players before making any more moves.

Bit-part players such as Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi have already been linked with a move away, and now Grujic is expected to join the duo in walking out the exit door.

Two of the 6 ft 2 powerhouses’ previous clubs are reportedly interested in acquiring his services on a permanent basis.

Hertha Berlin and Porto are said to be keen on Gruijic, with Liverpool’s director of football Michael Edwards understood to have set an asking price of around £12m.

The German outfit wanted to buy the box-to-box midfielder last summer, but the report claims Liverpool refused to sell the Belgrade-born player. Twelve months on, though Liverpool have made Porto aware that Grujic is available after he made 39 appearances for the Dragons last season.

Any addition to Klopp’s transfer budget would be greatly welcomed by the 53-year-old tactician as he looks to bring the sport’s biggest stars to Liverpool on a limited budget.

The pandemic has affected every club’s finances, and many will find themselves having to generate money through player sales in order to secure their top targets.

Selling the likes of Grujic this summer will be a logical solution to the financial barriers Liverpool face, and this latest revelation will surely please the club’s supporters as they look for Klopp and Edwards to get the club back in the hunt for major honours.

And, in other news…Liverpool handed huge boost over “very promising” 34-goal gem as update emerges 

The last 12 months have been a perplexing nightmare for everyone associated with Celtic Football Club.

The 2019/20 campaign drew to a close with the Hoops being handed the league crown but since that moment, everything has gone downhill at Parkhead.

Their stadium has been the polar opposite of Paradise, instead depicting a hellish landscape of obscurity and terror.

It’s not often the Bhoys end a season without a trophy to their name but that was the unfortunate eventuality that fell on the shoulders of Neil Lennon and co in 2020/21.

Now without a manager, the farcical situation that played out in their chase for Eddie Howe has finally come to a conclusion.

However, in typical Celtic fashion, it ended in disaster with the club having to U-turn. A move collapsed at the 11th hour, leaving the Hoops to pursue a move for Ange Postecoglou instead.

Their chase of Howe continues to unravel with fresh information coming to light on a regular basis.

Despite his backroom staff proving to be an issue, it was his interest in Southampton that provoked him to have second thoughts on the vacancy in Scotland.

Though, such were the stunning turn of events that played out that even the playing staff will be left dazed and confused.

The Athletic claimed this week, in a fresh update, that certain players had even been told that Howe was going to become the new manager.

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This may show a level of incompetency from the board but we shouldn’t really be surprised judging by what’s happened this term. The board have come under fire on a regular basis with protests taking place outside Parkhead.

It’s worrying that so many supporters have rallied against Dermot Desmond and the top brass at Celtic but what’s even more of a concern is how badly this has impacted the players.

Those in the dressing room have an affinity with John Kennedy but the last thing they needed after such a lacklustre campaign was more uncertainty.

A number of players have been linked with a move away and they’re hardly going to see Glasgow as a place to develop if they’re being told things that aren’t true.

Odsonne Edouard looks set to join Leicester in what feels like an inevitable switch to the Premier League but there are also concerns over the future of David Turnbull and Ismaila Soro.

Those two should have the squad built around them in the coming years but instead, they’re being linked with Aston Villa and Tottenham.

A sense of stability would convince them to remain at Celtic but it feels like the football club is far from that at this moment in time.

Supporters will have every right to be confused by events going on behind the scenes. Celtic have issued statements to appease the fan base but there is still a distinct lack of clarity; that simply has to improve.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Postecoglou: Celtic can forge dream duo by signing “breathtaking” 29 y/o…

Former Rangers defender Michael Ball has backed Steven Gerrard to bring Sheffield United midfielder John Lundstram to Ibrox this summer.

Rangers were heavily linked with the former Oxford United man in January and they could now sign him on a free transfer after it was announced that he will leave Bramall Lane on the expiry of his contract this summer.

Ball seems to think that he would be a stellar addition to Gerrard’s squad ahead of next season, as he told ThisisFutbol:

“He’s had an up and down career for a long time. But he has that drive and willingness to do it at Rangers at that level, and he’s got the work rate to go with it.”

Reports in January claimed that Lundstram would want £40k per week at Rangers, which would comfortably make him the highest-paid player at Ibrox, with Alfredo Morelos’ £33k per week reportedly the highest of any player in Gerrard’s current squad.

However, a lack of offers ahead of the summer may well cause the £6.3m-rated Lundstram to lower his expectations ahead of next season, as he will be keen to find himself a new club ahead of pre-season and after a less than impressive campaign with relegated Sheffield United, he may well need to lower his salary expectations.

The 27-year-old made 28 appearances in the Premier League last season, contributing no goals and two assists, which helped him to average a disappointing 6.23 rating from WhoScored.

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That represents a sharp decrease from his performances in the 2019/20 season when his five goals and three assists helped the Blades to a top-half finish in what was their first season back in the top-flight following promotion the previous season.

That form led Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp to sing his praises last year, saying:

“He’s got all the attributes. He runs so much in a game, he provides assists and goals. He’s a real menace to other teams and a great player to have.

“He gives us a lot of energy and he got an assist as well, which is important.”

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If he were to rediscover that form at Rangers, then he could be an excellent addition to Gerrard’s squad next season, so, if he does reduce his wage demands, signing Lundstram on a free transfer would be a gamble worth taking for Ross Wilson his summer.

And, in other news… Wilson signs Veerman in £19m spending spree, no Kent: How Rangers could look next season

According to a report by Football Insider, West Ham United are now weighing up whether to reignite their interest in Odsonne Edouard, with many fans on Twitter flocking to the transfer claim. 

Edouard, who bagged 22 goals in all competitions for Celtic last season, has attracted plenty of interest for his proficiency in finding the net.

At one point, Leicester City seemed favourites to secure his signature this summer and were in advanced talks to seal a deal at one point (Fabrizio Romano). However, with Patson Daka now looking likely to join the Foxes, that has seemingly opened the door for West Ham to return for Edouard, as Football Insider claimed that the Hammers are now weighing up a move for the 23-year-old.

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Flocking to this transfer claim, many Irons fans had no shortage of opinions on social media, with the majority appearing excited. Given his 83 goals in four years for Celtic, it’s little wonder there was plenty of reaction.

Check out a flavour of the fans’ verdicts in reply to West Ham Fan Zone and West Ham Central below.

West Ham fans flock to Edouard claim…

“£15m get him in”

Credit: @arrrrrrrrchie

“PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD @WestHam THIS MAN IS TOP CLASS ‼️”

Credit: @kbrumby_

“Just sign a striker I beg”

Credit: @Landsy2710

“Please @WestHam x”

Credit: @reders_66

“£10-15m would be clever buy”

Credit: @1bbyWHU

“I’m all for this”

Credit: @whualfie_

In other news: ‘Have started negotiations’…Journalist drops exciting West Ham transfer claim, find out more here.