All posts by z3u9t.icu

Erik ten Hag remains in contention for the vacant Tottenham Hotspur job despite Paulo Fonseca being in advanced talks with the club…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who delivered a major update on the situation to the Guardian on Wednesday evening.

He claims that the North London outfit have been recommended the 48-year-old former AS Roma boss by their incoming sporting director Fabio Paratici and the two parties are in negotiations over a three-year deal.

However, it’s also suggested that the Ajax head coach is still in the running to take over from Jose Mourinho, despite the Eredivisie giants having triggered a one-year extension to his deal.

After recent blows to Mauricio Pochettino and Antonio Conte, this saga appears to be far from over.

It’s not too late, Levy

And that could be fantastic news for the Lilywhites faithful, who have been less than impressed with news of Fonseca becoming their next manager.

It’s not too late for chairman Daniel Levy and the club’s hierarchy to gauge the reaction here and make amends, with ten Hag the clear favourable option if it’s indeed between the two coaches.

The reaction to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold’s tweet on the bombshell speaks volumes – even if it is a small sample size, it does highlight how the vast majority are feeling in N17 right now.

For example, the arrival of Fonseca was described as the “cheap” option. Another wondered whether he could get a refund on his season ticket as he felt the fanbase were being “mugged off,” whilst a further fan went as far as suggesting that Spurs would be in a relegation battle next season.

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That’s merely three responses but when trawling through hundreds more, it’s hard to find anyone behind the potential appointment.

It’s hard to disagree with them either. After all, going from the likes of Pochettino and Conte to a man that failed at Roma is not only uninspiring but it lacks ambition.

The Portuguese was replaced by none other than Jose Mourinho too, only fuelling supporters with further ammunition.

By contrast, there would be a lot to be excited about with the 51-year-old Dutchman, not at least because his brand of football has been inspired by the likes of Pep Guardiola and Johan Cruyff.

According to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, he’s “one of the most exciting coaching talents in world football” right now.

As relayed by This is Futbol, much of the Spurs faithful were behind ten Hag becoming their next manager, with one fan even claiming that he would rather him than Pochettino.

Fonseca struggled to surpass fifth place during his time in charge of the Stadio Olimpico outfit and was embarrassed when he accidentally made six subs during a defeat to Spezia in a Coppa Italia Round of 16 clash.

The fact that Romano says ten Hag is still in contention is one small glimmer of hope for the Spurs fanbase. Let’s hope Levy changes his mind before it’s too late.

AND in other news, Paratici can deliver instant Spurs masterstroke by axing £120k-per-week “absolute liability”…

Sheffield Wednesday stalwart Sam Hutchinson is set to stay at Hillsborough for another season, having triggered a clause in his contract.

The Lowdown: Great servant for the Owls

The  31-year-old has been a great servant for the Owls, making 176 appearances and scoring seven goals for the club, impressing with his tenacious style, both in midfield and at centre-back.

With Wednesday relegated to League One, they could lose a number of key figures in the summer transfer window, acting as a further blow to their hopes.

The Latest: Hutchinson set to extend stay

Hutchinson looks set to remain at the club, however, with the Sheffield Star reporting that the one-year option in his contract has been triggered.

The clause relates to the midfielder playing an unspecified number of game since re-joining in January.

The Verdict: Key to promotion push

At 31, Hutchinson may not represent the future for Wednesday, but his experience will be key in League One, as Darren Moore’s side look to return to the Championship as quickly as possible.

His professionalism, quality and leadership all need to come to the fore, especially if the Owls potentially lose other influential figures, such as Barry Bannan.

Hutchinson will now hopefully reach a milestone of 200 appearances for Wednesday, assuming he can remain injury-free – something that has been such an issue in the past.

In other news, one Sheff Wed player is being tipped to leave the club this summer. Read more here.

West Ham’s failure to sign one of their mooted transfer targets during the January window has come to light this week…

What’s the word?

The Irons were linked with a move for Spezia striker M’Bala Nzola throughout the winter, with Tuttosport (via Sport Witness) leading the claims as early as November.

It has now been revealed by the 24-year-old’s agent that the East London outfit failed with a bid for him. He told GrandHotelCalciomercato (via Football Italia):

“We received offers from three Premier League and three Serie A clubs and a club from the Bundesliga sounded out M’Bala. We were in advanced talks, we even discussed his possible salary, but then we asked ourselves if that made sense. Nzola needed stability and it was in a very good moment, so we thought it was better to stay at Spezia.”

Shades of Drogba

It’s now time for the Hammers to reignite this interest as their search for a new forward rumbles on.

The Angolan powerhouse has continued to light up the Serie A despite playing for one of the struggling teams and suffering from injuries. He has found the net 11 times in 24 appearances, including strikes against the giants of Napoli and Lazio, as per Transfermarkt.

Nzola has been described as a “very fast central striker who manages to attack space with absolute effectiveness. He is also difficult to deal with because he has enviable physical strength which makes him an extremely uncomfortable customer.”

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In some ways, this draws some nice similarities to Michail Antonio, who is David Moyes’ only current option upfront but it is his comparisons to a Premier League legend that should have fans excited if he were to arrive at the London Stadium.

West Ham insider ExWHUemployee spoke about the club’s links to the 6 foot 1 colossus earlier this year, and claimed: “He’s meant to be a bit like Didier Drogba in his physique and playing style.”

He would only need to be half the player of Drogba to be an instant hit in the English top-flight. The four-time Premier League winner bagged 164 goals in 381 appearances for the Irons’ local rivals Chelsea, primarily displaying a mix of explosive pace and brute strength.

On the above evidence, Nzola is cut from the same cloth and given Antonio’s success under the Scotsman, he would surely fit right into his system.

It remains to be seen how much Spezia would command for their star performer, especially as Fulham were said to have a €12m (£10m) bid rejected for him, too, whilst CIES only value him at €7m (£6m).

Whatever the price, Nzola could well be a massive bargain, so David Sullivan and co must do what they can to secure him this summer.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Rice: GSB could form dream West Ham duo by signing £30m “total animal”…

Leeds United have reportedly reignited their interest in Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez, with Marcelo Bielsa rating him highly.

The Whites are believed to have made an offer for the 25-year-old last September, but he ended up staying put at the Serie A club.

It appears as though Bielsa is still potentially keen on acquiring Nandez’s signature, though, with a fresh report suggesting as such.

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Leeds eye up Nandez move

According to Cento Trentuno [via Sport Witness], Leeds could be willing to trigger Nandez’s €36m (£31.35m) release clause at Cagliari, with Roma also believed to be interested in the midfielder.

Bielsa thinks that the £22.5m-valued Uruguayan (per Transfermarkt) ‘would fit perfectly’ into the Whites’ system, with his agent Pablo Bentancur once describing him as a ‘great player’.

Transfer Tavern take

Nandez seems to be a tailor-made Leeds player given his tenacious style, with the Uruguayan averaging 1.7 tackles per game in Serie A this season. He is also effective on the ball, averaging 1.2 dribbles per match, which is more than Kalvin Phillips (0.8) and bettered only by Raphinha (1.9) among Bielsa’s current squad.

At 25, Nandez is also at a good age, enjoying plenty of experience in Italy with 62 Serie A games under his belt, but still arguably having the best years of his career ahead of him.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly ‘not expecting’ one player to stay at Elland Road beyond this summer. Find out who it is here.

Glasgow Rangers are interested in Coventry City midfielder Gustavo Hamer according to Football League World.

The Lowdown: Gers plan for the future

With the Premiership title already wrapped up, the Gers can plan ahead for the future. As they prepare for a Champions League campaign next season, there are likely to be upgrades made to the playing squad.

In midfield, the likes of Glen Kamara are being linked with a move away (via The Daily Mail), while Ryan Jack is recovering from surgery (via Sky Sports). As such, a new midfielder could be on the radar.

The Latest: Gerrard eyes Hamer

It has therefore been reported that the 55-time Scottish champions are interested in signing Coventry’s Hamer.

They are one of a number of clubs said to be in pursuit, with Norwich, Brentford and even Premier League side Brighton also mentioned.

The Verdict: Plenty of talent

Hamer has enjoyed a good season with the Sky Blues this campaign, managing five goals and three assists in 43 games in all competitions (Transfermarkt). With 1.5 key passes and 1.4 tackles per game (WhoScored), he has proven to be a versatile midfielder and has even been compared to Steven Gerrard’s assistant manager Gary McAllister thanks to the quality of his deliveries (via The League Paper).

Currently valued at £1.8m (Transfermarkt) and with two years left on his contract, it could take a substantial bid for the Gers to prise him away from the Ricoh Arena. If they were able to capture him, though, they will be getting a player with plenty of ability – Ali Maxwell said on the EFL on Quest highlights show that Hamer is a ‘class act’ (via The Coventry Telegraph) – and who has plenty of years ahead of him at just 23 years of age.

In other news, this pundit believes Steven Gerrard will be delighted at transfer interest in one Rangers man.

In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, Rob Lee, who spent one season with West Ham, believes David Moyes will need £100 million to spend this summer to keep the Hammers challenging next season.

Moyes has turned the Hammers’ fortunes around this season after steering them clear of relegation last term, and West Ham now have their eyes fixed on qualifying for Europe after moving into the top four on Monday night.

In January, the club sold Sebastien Haller to Ajax but failed to replace him, putting their trust in the likes of Michail Antonio and Jesse Lingard to get the goals for West Ham.

Speaking on how much Moyes will need to keep the Hammers competitive and what he can expect to pay for a player this summer, Lee told Transfer Tavern:

“Well, I think if you look at the team they’ve got a good side, but as I said before if you get a few injuries then it’s different.

“You’re looking at spending £100 million because the average player costs £20-30 million and they’ll be average, so they might not get into the team.

“Hopefully Gold and Sullivan are now in a place where they trust David Moyes’ judgement on players to sign.”

West Ham have been linked with a host of players, which include Championship duo Ivan Toney and Adam Armstrong who have both impressed in the Championship, much like Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma did.

The Hammers will look to keep hold of their star assets in Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek this season with Moyes confirming they will have to listen to offers.

Crystal Palace continue to be linked with Olympique Marseille’s Florian Thauvin.

According to The Sun, the Eagles are interested in swooping for the Frenchman on a free transfer this summer with his contract continuing to run down with his current employers.

A World Cup winner with France in 2018, Thauvin’s arrival could signal the end of Andros Townsend’s career at Selhurst Park with the former Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United winger also seeing his current deal tick down.

When comparing the two players, it’s clear that Thauvin continues to come out on top.

The 28-year-old Thauvin is currently in the midst of another extremely productive campaign having netted eight goals and provided seven assists, whilst Townsend only has one goal and four assists to his name throughout 2020/21.

This is a trend that has continued throughout the two wingers’ respective careers.

Having ironically joined their current employers on a permanent deal at the same time – the summer of 2016 – Thauvin has had a bigger impact than the former England international.

In the time, he has racked up 67 goals and 47 assists in all competitions for Marseille. That is form that saw current Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani suggest that the former Magpie has “something different”.

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Whatever that “something” is, Townsend appears to be missing it having only scored 16 times and provided a further 27 assists in the same time period.

That alone then would suggest that should Thauvin become a Palace player, he would not only usurp the £7.2m-rated Palace man in the pecking order at Selhurst Park but he could also potentially nudge him out of the exit door.

It would surely be unfeasible to offer a new deal to the former England man when there is already better options at the club.

So, as Townsend continues to see his contract tick down to its expiry at Palace, he should certainly be worried about the potential arrival of Thauvin if he’s got any desire to stay at Selhurst Park.

AND in more news, find out why the departure of Patrick van Aanholt could be hugely damaging for the Eagles…

David Moyes should urge West Ham United to sign Blackburn Rovers striker Adam Armstrong and acquire the perfect weapon to pair with Jesse Lingard this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Claret & Hugh, Armstrong has been identified as West Ham’s primary option to fill the void Sebastien Haller left after his £20m move to AFC Ajax in January.

The Irons are expected to focus their efforts on bringing Armstrong to the London Stadium at the end of the season, having opted against a move for the 24-year-old during the winter market.

Moyes weighed up an £8m approach but held off in favour of continuing to build a scouting report on the forward, who Rovers are said to value at £25m after scoring 20 goals in 32 Championship games this season.

Blackburn believe Armstrong is worth a figure in that region after Ollie Watkins sealed a £28m move to Aston Villa last September, having ended the 2019/20 campaign as the second-tier’s joint top-scorer with 26 goals in 49 games.

Rovers may have to accept a slightly lesser sum as Armstrong will enter the final year of his £17,000-per-week contract in the summer, but cannot go too low as Newcastle United will be due 40% of any profit on the £2m they paid the Magpies in 2018.

Moyes has previously been claimed to have carried out personal checks on Armstrong’s progress at Ewood Park, and does not appear to have been put off by his run of four games without a goal before missing Blackburn’s last three with a hamstring injury.

Should West Ham sign Armstrong?

Armstrong emerging as West Ham’s top striker target would suggest Moyes has been pleased with the forward’s efforts despite Blackburn’s downturn in form, which has seen only six of the Championship’s 24 sides claim fewer points since the turn of the year.

That record would be just five of the 24 sides without Armstrong’s winning effort at home to Luton Town on January 30th, the last win the West Denton-born forward was involved in before losing six of the following seven league games.

Rovers boss Tony Mowbray has continued to praise Armstrong’s efforts, despite his side’s result, noting last month that the 5 ft 8 forward is “really special” and has “Premier League quality”.

Mowbray has previously lauded the attacker for his “speed and dynamic movement” that allows Blackburn to play into space, knowing he can attack the ball and create problems for opposing sides to try and contain.

West Ham taking that on board next season could see the Irons acquire the perfect weapon for Lingard to operate in-behind, should the Manchester United talent remain at the London Stadium beyond his loan deal as Moyes currently hopes will be the case.

Only Aaron Cresswell has averaged a higher number of key passes (1.5) per Premier League game for the Hammers this term than Lingard (1.2) has since his winter arrival, but 0.8 of the defender’s chances created have come from corners or free-kicks, per WhoScored.

Of Lingard’s, just 0.2 have come from set-pieces, while Michail Antonio has offered the second-most shots per game (2.2) under Moyes with fewer attempts on goal than Armstrong (4.7) is producing in the Championship as the division’s third-top scorer.

If Moyes can pull off deals with Blackburn and Manchester United this summer, then, West Ham could have an exciting attack next season in Armstrong and Lingard.

AND in other news, West Ham face a £51.5m asking price to sign a dynamic star who grew up learning from Frank Lampard…

Frank McAvennie has backed Eddie Howe to take over at Celtic and says it’s time John Kennedy left the club to ‘cut his teeth’ elsewhere.

Kennedy is currently in interim charge at Parkhead after Neil Lennon resigned in late February.

He has overseen three matches so far, following-up a win over Aberdeen with draws against Dundee United and Rangers.

Over the weekend, though, Howe emerged as the new favourite to be Lennon’s long-term replacement.

The 43-year-old left Bournemouth at the end of last season following their relegation to the Championship.

He had, of course, taken them from the depths of League Two to the Premier League, where they impressively remained for five seasons.

McAvennie says ‘Celtic need a total clearance’

For him to have the biggest impact in Glasgow, McAvennie says the slate would have to be wiped clean.

“I think Eddie Howe is a great coach, he’s done wonderful at Bournemouth, but he would have to bring his own backroom staff,” the ex-Hoops striker said in an interview with Football Fan Cast.

“Celtic need a total clearance. John Kennedy is up there with one of the favourites, but I don’t think the fans will want John to be the manager.

“He’s been there for four managers, but I think it’s time John went away and got a manager’s job. Celtic is too big a club for him to cut his teeth on.”

Transfer Tavern verdict

What’s interesting here is that McAvennie has taken a different line to former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, who worked of course with Kennedy.

Rodgers said earlier this month: “One thing is for sure, John being in the club is very important. If he didn’t get the job and another manager went in there, to have John Kennedy by your side is a great move.”

The Leicester City boss did go on to express his confidence that the 37-year-old would ‘go on and manage one day’ though, ‘whether with Celtic or another club’.

And it may be that Kennedy, now in the spotlight, sees an opportunity to launch his managerial career elsewhere rather than retreat into the background at Celtic.

In other news, Rodgers also weighed in on the captaincy debate at the club.

Ex-Liverpool defender Jose Enrique wants to see Curtis Jones line-up alongside Fabinho and Jordan Henderson at the back-end of this season, with Thiago dropping to the bench.

Jones netted his fourth goal of the season to give Liverpool the lead at Sheffield United on Sunday and his overall performance was hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher (via The Boot Room).

The local midfielder has made a meaningful first-team breakthrough this season, grabbing the opportunity presented to him by injuries with both hands.

He has started 11 Premier League matches and four of Liverpool’s six Champions League ties (via Transfermarkt).

Enrique explains his bold Jones call

“In our current formation, I like him on the left of the midfield three,” he wrote in his Empire of the Kop column.

“This way he can cut in and shoot with his right-foot. He also helps out Robbo defensively and opens spaces for other players.

“I’d love to see him with Fabinho holding and Hendo on the right at the end of the season – even though I also love Thiago – who I still think is better at no.6.”

Transfer Tavern verdict

There is no doubt that Jones has made enormous strides this season, but there is much more to come from Thiago.

In fact, when he played alongside Fabinho and Henderson away to Everton – in close to a full-strength Liverpool side – he was man of the match. This was a glimpse of what he will be able to do when the team regains its balance.

Fabinho, Henderson, Thiago will likely be the first-choice trio going forward, but Jones has climbed high enough in the pecking order to ensure he will still get plenty of minutes.

In other news, fans rule out Oxlade-Chamberlain turnaround!