All posts by z3u9t.icu

Ange Postecoglou’s first season in charge of Celtic will be an interesting one to oversee.

The Hoops are no longer the dominant force in Scottish football as they find themselves caught up in a huge transition period.

What’s the word?

The ongoing window will be absolutely imperative to Postecoglou who will be keen to hit the ground running.

He’s already identified a number of defenders alongside his recruitment team, but with Scott Brown departing for Aberdeen, they need new faces in midfield as well.

According to Alan Nixon, the Bhoys are still interested in securing a deal to bring Ali McCann to Parkhead.

The St Johnstone midfielder was one of the best young talents in the Premiership last term and as a result, has found no shortage of suitors.

Nixon claims that Stoke are keen on signing the 21-year-old, while Swansea and Hull are also attracted by the idea of acquiring him.

Must sign

With Celtic stuck in a rut, they could do with planning for the future and bringing through some younger talent.

McCann would tick all of the boxes in that regard, particularly after his form in 2020/21.

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Celtic are thought to have scouted him on a number of occasions and they must have been impressed with what they saw.

After all, the midfielder was among the nominees for the PFA Young Player of the Year beside David Turnbull.

Last term, he showcased a plethora of attributes that would ensure a seamless transition into the Celtic side.

Adept going forward – he registered four goal contributions last season – he is a ruthless defender as well.

McCann produced 2.7 successful tackles per game for his club, a number that added to the impressive 3.5 challenges per match in the Nations League for Northern Ireland. For context, both of those numbers are higher than any other player at Celtic over the last 12 months.

Furthermore, he is a strong reader of the play, registering 1.5 interceptions per outing. The only players who registered larger numbers in that area were Jonjoe Kenny and Nir Bitton.

With that in mind, it’s hard to deny the midfielder wouldn’t be an upgrade for Postecoglou this season.

Calm in possession, the all-action McCann is somebody the Australian could build his team around for years to come. With so much potential, supporters should be mightily excited if Celtic can lure him to Glasgow.

AND in other news, Ange can fix big Celtic issue by signing £4m gem who’s been “outstanding” at Euro 2020…

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Newcastle United have now ‘started’ contacts over a potential move for Jesse Lingard in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Developing story…

The Times claimed last week that the St James’ Park club have offered a record deal to the 28-year-old would make him the highest earner in their history and have duly made the Manchester United midfielder their priority signing next month.

His current contract at Old Trafford is set to expire in the summer, meaning that he can leave as a free agent in just a few months’ time.

As such, January may present the perfect opportunity for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium to pounce, as the Red Devils will surely want to cash in at the risk of losing him for nothing.

The Latest: Contacts have ‘started’

As per Italian football journalist and transfer expert Romano, contacts have now ‘started’ with Newcastle over a potential move for Lingard, although ‘nothing’ has been agreed as of yet.

They are ‘seriously interested’ in bringing him to Tyneside, although it is an ‘open race’ for his signature.

The Verdict: Get it done

The fact that Lingard can leave for free in the summer means that the Magpies could get him on the cheap in the winter window, and he could seriously help in their push to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Described in complimentary fashion as a ‘joke’ and a player who ‘has four lungs’ by former United youngster Angel Gomes recently, his energy and work rate would be much appreciated among the Toon Army as they bid to avoid the drop. The 28-year-old has also shown his quality on the ball, with nine goals and a further five assists during a very successful loan spell at West Ham United last season (Transfermarkt).

With Newcastle needing to get out of trouble and Lingard not getting much of a look-in at Old Trafford, failing to start a Premier League game this season, it seems like a move which would suit all parties involved.

In other news, find out which Premier League ‘huge talent’ NUFC are eyeing

Sunderland boss Alex Neil picked up another win in the third tier over the weekend as his side beat Gillingham 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.

Nathan Broadhead’s diving header in the last minute sealed the three points to keep the Black Cats in the race to land a play-off spot.

They are currently two points behind 5th-placed Sheffield Wednesday in the table as they attempt to land a top-six place between now and the end of the regular season.

If the Black Cats end up in the play-offs and Neil is able to guide them to the Championship this term, Kristjaan Speakman will be facing the daunting prospect of sorting out the club’s striking options heading into next season.

Ross Stewart has been linked with a move to Premier League side Norwich and Nathan Broadhead is set to return to Everton this summer. They have scored 28 goals between them in League One and losing both of them ahead of a campaign in the second tier would be a disaster, especially if they fail to bring in a player of the requisite quality to replace them.

One striker they have been credited with an interest in is 18-year-old Guiseley forward Josh Stones. The youngster has caught the eye this season with his goals at youth level and Sunderland are one of the clubs keen on a deal for him.

However, Football Insider recently reported that Wigan have agreed terms with the striker ahead of a summer switch to the DW Stadium. This means that, as it stands, Speakman is set to miss out on a deal for the teen as Wigan have swooped in ahead of them.

Stones has scored nine goals in his last five youth games for Guiseley, whilst he recently scored a hat-trick at youth level for England’s schoolboys team against Scotland. This means that he has found the back of the net 12 times in his last six matches in development football, which highlights his incredible potential as a player.

Therefore, missing out on a deal for him would be a big disaster for Speakman. Not only would it be to a League One rival, but it could also be at the same time they lose both Stewart and Broadhead – leaving Neil’s squad threadbare at the top end of the pitch.

The Stadium of Light supremo must do everything in his power to convince the 18-year-old phenomenon to turn Wigan down and sign a contract with Sunderland. His statistics at youth level suggest that he would be an excellent addition to the club’s ranks and they cannot allow their rivals to snap him up ahead of them.

AND in other news, SAFC made huge £600k blunder over “outstanding” machine who aged like “fine wine”…

Everton have received a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek.

What’s the story?

According to Dutch publication De Telegraaf (as relayed by Metro), the 24-year-old has decided to change his agent in order to secure an Old Trafford exit ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

Van de Beek was heavily linked with a move to the Toffees over the summer, with director of football Marcel Brands openly admitting that the engine room operator was on his list of potential targets.

“We had him on our list. At the beginning of the transfer window, we enquired at United, then it was impossible,” Brand told Dutch outlet NOS.

“At the end of the window, I received a call from Guido Albers, his agent, that he might be rented out after all. But at the last minute, it was cancelled. Stopped again.”

However, Van de Beek has now replaced Albers with Ali Dursun as he desperately attempts to end his 18-month Manchester nightmare, with Everton, Newcastle United and Juventus all believed to be monitoring the situation.

Rafa Benitez will be buzzing

After scoring 41 goals and laying on a further 34 assists for his teammates in 175 games for Ajax, as well as winning a domestic double in 2018/19 as they reached the Champions League semi-finals, Van de Beek arrived on English shores with an enviable reputation.

However, the physical demands and fast-paced nature of the Premier League often seemed to overwhelm the technically gifted midfielder last season, limiting him to just four starts in the top flight throughout 2020/21.

It was reported that the Netherlands international had bulked up over the summer, though, after missing Euro 2020 through injury, and United teammate Bruno Fernandes lauded Van de Beek’s extra efforts during pre-season.

“As a professional player you always prepare for your season before you come back for training, you always do something before, and I think everyone was doing their jobs at home,” the Portugal star told the official Manchester United website.

“Yes, he’s (Van de Beek) working hard and working hard in the gym. Obviously, he is one of the quality players we know, and now he’s building up,” he added.

Nevertheless, the £22.5m-rated gem has found opportunities hard to come by at the Theatre of Dreams once again in the current campaign, starting just two games in all competitions under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Van de Beek’s current predicament and his desire to depart United will surely leave Everton manager Rafael Benitez buzzing with excitement as he searches for a creative talent to replace James Rodriguez, and he’ll likely be asking Brands to revive his interest in the Dutch midfielder over the winter transfer window. The 24-year-old’s change of agent might help to get a move pushed through.

In other news… Everton receive boost in pursuit of “unique” £75-p/w dynamo, fans will be buzzing

Sunderland have seen plenty of players come and go from the Wearside club over the years during several transfer windows.

However, as has happened with many clubs, they don’t always end up securing every player that they get linked with.

One prime example of a player that the Black Cats were looking to sign and will now be having nightmares over is Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

According to the Sunderland Echo, the striker “was a target of Peter Reid during his formulative years at Ajax.”

However, a deal for the Sweden international “couldn’t be sealed” before he eventually joined Juventus in August 2004.

Throughout an impressive and very long career, Ibrahimovic has played for clubs such as Malmo, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Barcelona and LA Galaxy.

With a total of 811 club appearances under his belt, the 40-year-old has scored 492 goals, provided 201 assists and won numerous team titles and individual awards, highlighting just how much of an icon he is.

On the international stage, Ibrahimovic has been a vital figure for his country by scoring 62 goals in 121 appearances.

This season has seen the veteran score eight goals and provide two assists in 19 Serie A appearances for Milan, showing that despite his advanced age, he still has the knack for finding the back of the net in one of Europe’s top divisions.

Labelled as an “unstoppable” player by Gianfranco Zola, as well as having the “technique of Lionel Messi, the character of Muhammad Ali, and the strength of Mike Tyson,” by Mino Raiola, Ibrahimovic could have been an incredible asset for Sunderland had they been able to strike a deal for him all those years ago.

With the benefit of hindsight, securing a deal for the centre-forward should have been a top priority for the Wearside club, no matter what the cost implications would have been.

While there would have been no guarantee over how long he would have been at Sunderland had they been able to sign him, it still would have been a great sight for the fans to see such an exciting and talented goalscorer in their squad.

In other news: Cost £13.6m, now worth £1.8m: SAFC had a nightmare on dud who “lacked professionalism”

West Ham United will throw the chequebook at Declan Rice in a bid to keep him at the London Stadium for the foreseeable future, according to Irons hero Frank McAvennie…

What’s the word?

During an interview with West Ham Zone this week, the former Hammers striker – who enjoyed two spells in east London – claimed the club were prepared to pay “big bucks” to tie him down for the long-term.

“Listen, from what I’m hearing the club want to keep him and they’re willing to pay big bucks.

“Now, I don’t know if he’s wanting to go somewhere. [But] I think this team [and] this squad of players, could be challenging for the Champions League for the next two or three years. I think they’ve got a decent squad, keeping everyone fit. They’ll buy more players in.

“From what I’m hearing, the owners are willing to give Declan pretty much on a par with everyone else in England, so that’s a good thing.”

Encouraging news

The 22-year-old midfielder has been continually linked with a move away in recent transfer windows, with the likes of Chelsea and both Manchester giants mooted with interest.

All three of these teams made a final of last season’s European competitions. The Blues defeating City in the Champions League, whilst United were beaten by Unai Emery’s Villarreal in the Europa League.

They can clearly offer Rice a better chance of achieving silverware sooner than West Ham can, so it would be no surprise to see him keen to join any of these teams.

During the summer, the £63m-rated star was said to have rejected fresh contract advances from the Irons’ hierarchy and according to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee, this was because his salary was not in line with some of the club’s highest-earners, such as the rarely-seen Andriy Yarmolenko, who is thought to earn a whopping £115k-per–week in east London.

However, offering the England international a new deal that would see him match similar quality players in his position is certainly a positive step in the right direction, especially after Ex’s revelation.

Rice is believed to be on just £60k-per-week at the London Stadium, which is poor considering he has now amassed 26 caps for the Three Lions since his debut in March 2019, whilst he continues to be a major influence for West Ham under David Moyes.

Last season, he ranked amongst the Hammers’ four best performers and he has continued that form into the new campaign, where he has already registered two assists in seven starts and averaged a squad-high two interceptions per game, via WhoScored.

He’s also managing the best passing accuracy in the team (92.7%), by quite some margin, too.

If the club are indeed prepared to pay him what he wants and deserves, then it should leave much of the Irons faithful absolutely buzzing as there is the intention to put right their previous offers.

Whether he wants to stay or go remains to be seen, though given he is under contract until 2024, he’s likely to remain for at least the next season or so.

AND in other news, Newman could become an instant hit at West Ham by signing £36m-rated “world-beater”…

Celtic may have scored ten goals in their last two games but that hasn’t stopped Ange Postecoglou from considering attacking recruits.

The Hoops have already signed Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada who have hit the ground running at Parkhead but there is further work required in the transfer window.

What’s the word?

A player that Celtic have considered signing for a while now is Gorica forward Kristijan Lovric.

The Bhoys were interested in recruiting him during the winter window of 2019/20 but nothing materialised.

A further attraction in the player has been registered this summer but they may have to pay in the region of £4.2m to prise him away from Croatian shores.

Now, according to the Daily Record, they understand that Lovric is indeed on Celtic’s radar ahead of a possible switch.

Must sign him

Postecoglou’s side hasn’t struggled for goals this season but with the threat of Ryan Christie and Odsonne Edouard departing still hovering over their shoulders, they must consider adding Lovric to their ranks.

Possessing tricks, creativity and more importantly goals, he’d be an excellent signing for the Australian if the manager can secure a deal.

He already has two goals in four appearances for Gorica this term, taking his tally for the club to 46 strikes in just 100 outings.

On top of that, the winger has racked up a haul of 24 assists on his way to being linked with Celtic.

Speaking about Lovric’s style of play, HNTV commentator Damir Petravic once said: “He dribbles and scores in the style of Robben, shoots free throws like Pirlo or Pjanic, and knows how to sprint like Mbappe.”

That’s a particularly glowing review for a player who has been capped just once by his country.

At the age of 25, he is rapidly approaching his prime and if he can show this type of form in Scotland, he’d be a roaring success.

Abada has hit the ground running with two goals and two assists in five outings while Furuhashi already has a hat-trick to his name since signing.

Add a player with Lovric’s qualities to the equation and they’d surely be in the conversation to win the Premiership crown again.

After all, Postecoglou loves an attacking brand of football and the Croat would undoubtedly improve Celtic’s ability to play that in that manner.

AND in other news, Celtic prepare bid to sign “very gifted” £4.5m beast, fans must be buzzing…

As per Calciomercato, Tottenham may now have been handed a boost in the race to sign Juventus attacker Dejan Kulusevksi.

The Lowdown: Spurs enter contention…

As per recent updates, Spurs have joined the fight to bag Kulusevski amid his unrest in Turin, with a report from TUTTOmercatoWEB claiming new boss Antonio Conte sees him as a ‘gem’ with great potential.

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Fabio Paratici apparently shares this ‘esteem’ for the 21-year-old according to TMW, so much so that journalist Daniele Longo followed up their report with another enticing claim.

He says that Spurs have made contact to sign the Sweden international and Calciomercato may have now shared news in another boost for Spurs.

The Latest: Conte handed Kulusevski boost?

According to the Italian outlet’s information, as Spurs and Conte chase his signature, Juve may now allow Kulusevski to go out on loan in January.

Coming as potentially good news for Spurs, it seems they could bypass a transfer fee entirely and boost Conte’s options going forward over the second half of 2021/2022 at least.

In another boost, Calciomercato believe he ‘wants a change of scenery’ and the Premier League is his most likely destination.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Signing him on loan to see how he would fare under Conte in England could be a move worth pursuing, especially taking into account just how highly he is rated by the Italian according to reports.

Given his status as an ‘advanced playmaker’ as well as being able to play out wide according to Football Talent Scout, could Spurs finally sign a player to replicate the long-missed influence of Christian Eriksen?

According to WhoScored, over his most impressive Serie A campaign for Parma in 2019/2020, Kulusevski managed a noteworthy 2.2 key passes and 2.1 completed dribbles per 90 in the final third.

These numbers replicate Eriksen’s during his time at Tottenham and the club have long been crying out for his eventual heir.

Lauded as ‘explosive’ by former Sweden striker Marcus Allback, Kulusevski could be the unexpected answer to Spurs’ prayers.

In other news: ‘World class’, ‘Perfect’, ‘Winning already’…Sky pundit in awe of transfer news out of Spurs, find out more here.

Leeds have faced struggles at the top end of the pitch this season as they sit on 11 goals scored in 11 Premier League games.

Patrick Bamford has only played five league matches due to injury, scoring once in those games, and summer signing Dan James is yet to score his first goal for the club since his summer move from Manchester United.

In order to solve this issue, Marcelo Bielsa could look to the younger players in the squad to burst onto the scene and inject some fresh energy and enthusiasm in the final third instead of going into the transfer market to buy a new player.

Forget Gelhardt

One youngster who has been given a taste of Premier League action this season is the talented Joe Gelhardt. He has played twice in the top-flight, winning one penalty, and showed signs of promise. However, forget Gelhardt, there is another young player in the academy who plays in a similar position who could come through and make a big impact on the first-team – Sam Greenwood.

The 19-year-old is capable of playing across the front line, as a striker, second forward and winger, and could be a versatile, energetic, option for Bielsa to call upon.

Ex-Whites forward Noel Whelan once hailed the youngster’s ‘immense’ ability and compared him to Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse. He told Football Insider:

“Free-kicks are his forte. Immediately you think about someone like James Ward-Prowse and what an unbelievable dead ball specialist he is. When you see the goals Greenwood has scored from set pieces you put him up there on that mantle.

“It took him a couple of attempts but he got his range right in the end yesterday.

“Another player who possesses an immense amount of ability. To have a weapon like that in your side is great.

“You can see the ability he has but the free-kicks are about the hard work he puts in on the training ground and for that he deserves to be praised.”

In the Premier League 2 this season, Greenwood has five goals and three assists in 10 matches. He also scored in his one EFL Trophy appearance, showing that he can do it against senior opposition. This, along with Whelan’s comments, suggests that he could have the potential to make the step up to first-team football.

If Bielsa unleashes him and he shows a similar run of form in the Premier League and is able to find the back of the net then it could save Orta millions ahead of the January transfer window. That is why the Argentine should unleash Greenwood in the coming weeks and offer him the chance to show that he can make a difference in the top-flight to reward him for his form in the academy.

AND in other news, Possession lost 103x: “Headless” Leeds flop who’s lost 62% duels has let Bielsa down…

According to a report by Italian news outlet Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness, Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is ‘close’ to joining Tottenham Hotspur – but there’s one caveat involving Fabio Paratici.

The Lowdown: Tomiyasu in talks, still…

Tottenham have been in talks to sign the Japan international since the start of this month, with Sky Sports first revealing that Spurs had an offer of around £12.9m (€15m) plus an extra £2.6m (€3m) in add-ons rejected.

Since that point, Spurs have been working to come to an agreement over Tomiyasu and the Athletic’s update last week looked very promising.

It was claimed that the Lilywhites are ‘closing in’ on the 22-year-old with both Bologna and Spurs ‘finalising terms’.

The Latest: Spurs ‘close’, but there’s been a Paratici twist…

According to Corriere dello Sport (translated by Sport Witness), Tottenham are still ‘close’ to signing Tomiyasu but there may be one caveat which involves managing director Paratici.

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As per the Italian news source, Spurs’ new transfer guru, as it stands, is unwilling to reach Bologna’s €25 million (£21.6m) asking price ‘between fixed part and bonuses asked for’.

It seems Tottenham’s move to sign the versatile defender rests on Paratici’s shoulders and whether or not he will increase his bid, with the 49-year-old seemingly prioritising other transfers at this point.

The Verdict: On the back burner…

Whether or not Spurs reach £21.6m for the 23-cap ace remains to be seen, but he could certainly be worth the trouble based off his stats and accolades from last season.

Tomiyasu was a key player for Bologna over 2020/2021, averaging the joint-most clearances per match in their squad over 31 Serie A starts (WhoScored).

Lauded as a ‘giant’ by the Italian press for his performances, while this move could be placed on the back burner for now, Tottenham definitely shouldn’t give up the chase.

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘No way’, ‘This can’t be true’…Tottenham fans erupt as Harry Kane news emerges, find out more here.