All posts by n8rngtd.top

One of Leeds United’s top priorities this summer was to sign a striker, and they spared no expense in making sure they strengthened in that area, splashing out £27m to sign Rodrigo from Valencia.

The Spaniard cost a club-record fee this summer, and while United can be happy with their striker acquisition, they could have saved that cash if they’d have done the right thing back in 2019.

Nobody needs reminding that Leeds had Eddie Nketiah on loan last season, but his ill-fated spell was cut short as he grew frustrated with his lack of first-team opportunities.

Before Nketiah went back to Arsenal, Marcelo Bielsa expressed his desire to keep the forward on loan at the club for the 2020/21 season, and if United still had Nketiah, they could have saved the £27m they spent on Rodrigo.

Now, we’re not about to argue that Arsenal’s third-choice striker is better than Spain’s number nine, but it is worth considering that Nketiah has more goals in all competitions than him this season and his minutes per goal record in the Premier League last term was better than Rodrigo’s in La Liga.

£27m is a lot of money, and it had to be spent on a striker this summer because Patrick Bamford was the Whites’ only option heading into this season, but that money could have been put towards something else if United still had Nketiah.

Of course, the Yorkshire outfit would still have needed a striker in 2021 in this hypothetical scenario, but they would likely have had another year of Premier League revenue and perhaps a stronger spine behind them to fix their striker woes.

It’s certainly interesting to imagine what Leeds’ squad would look like right now if Bielsa’s original plan to keep Nketiah for the 2020/21 season had come to fruition.

According to Football Insider, Southampton have opened talks to sign Newcastle right-back DeAndre Yedlin.

The Saints are already on the verge of signing Theo Walcott on a short-term basis, and now they are eyeing a loan move for the USA international.

The report adds that the Magpies have given the green light for him to make the switch to St. Mary’s Stadium.

Yedlin has failed to make a single appearance for Steve Bruce’s side this season in the Premier League, whilst he appeared just 16 times last term as well. Prior to that, though, he was a regular, playing 90 times across three league campaigns.

He has 62 caps for his country, and also played in the top tier with Sunderland and Tottenham – albeit fleetingly. This is a man who has a whole host of experience at this level, and at 27 years old, you would not say that his best years are behind him.

With this being a temporary deal, this is a cheap option for Ralph Hasenhuttl and co. The Saints will be hoping that they can get this deal over the line, as it provides competition and cover for Kyle Walker-Peters without the cost of a permanent move.

Let us know what you think below!

Burnley youngsters Josh Benson and Anthony Glennon have been targeted for loan spells by a former Premier League manager now operating in League Two.

Grimsby Telegraph reported that Ian Holloway wants to bring the Clarets duo to Grimsby Town, where the 20-year-old duo both had loan spells last season.

The 57-year-old, who has managed Blackpool and Crystal Palace in the English top flight, told the Mariners’ official media channels: “I’ve made a call to Burnley and those two lads ended up on their bench, and because we used them in level two, they might want to put them into level one or the Championship. I don’t know if I can get them back, but I have asked the question.

“What I am trying to do is to make sure I bring in the right blend, to make a beautiful cake mix that has got every different ingredient in it – so it isn’t boring. I want new and fresh people to come in, and it is really important to start on a positive footing.”

Former Arsenal academy midfielder Benson scored twice in 11 appearances on loan at Grimsby last season, having gone out to Blundell Park in January, and was included among the substitutes for Burnley’s final six games of the Premier League season, albeit without making an appearance (as per TransferMarkt).

Glennon, a versatile defender who can play centrally or on the left and who was previously on Liverpool’s books, netted once in his 12 appearances for the Mariners earlier this year before being included in the Clarets’ matchday squads towards the end of the campaign (as per TransferMarkt).

Indeed, the two players share numerous similarities – both came to Burnley from the academies of high-profile Premier League clubs, both went on loan to Grimsby in January before being recalled for the latter weeks of the Clarets’ league season and both are still awaiting their breakthrough at Turf Moor. Even their birthdays are close to one another, with Glennon just nine days older than his team-mate.

Despite both being included by Sean Dyche in matchday squads towards the end of last season, that neither Benson nor Glennon made it off the bench indicates that they still have a road to travel if they are to get into the Clarets’ first team.

Should they go back to Grimsby on loan, they will return to a familiar environment under an experienced coach in Holloway (more than 600 games in management) who wants them there, hence raising the distinct likelihood of them getting regular game-time.

It’s a move which seems to make perfect sense for the two 20-year-olds as they continue their development and hopefully push for first team inclusion at Turf Moor in the foreseeable future.

Burnley fans, would you be in favour of Glennon and Benson going on loan to Grimsby again for this season? Comment below with your views!

Mark Douglas has claimed in his latest piece for The Chronicle that the latest sanctions by the UK government on human rights abusers will not affect the proposed takeover of Newcastle United.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab addressed the House of Commons with new post-Brexit sanctions for certain events that fall into the category of human rights abuse, including that of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, where as many as 20 Saudi nationals are thought to be involved in his death.

Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of the late Khashoggi, has also accused the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) of being involved in his killing, however, nobody from the Saudi government, including MbS himself, have been found to have been involved as of yet.

The Saudi crown prince and his country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) are set to take an 80 per cent stake in the Magpies if the prospective £300 million deal between Mike Ashley and the buying side, which also includes businesswoman and head of PCP Capital Partners Amanda Staveley and the billionaire Reuben brothers originally from India but based in London, is eventually approved by the Premier League.

The consortium must pass the Owners’ and Directors’ Test (ODT) set out by the top flight, and MbS has been questioned as to whether he fits the criteria of being a fit and proper person.

However, Douglas does not see this as a problem even following the news of the sanctions, as MbS or his PIF were not said to be connected in the ruling over Khashoggi’s murder.

“To the straightforward question: will this have any impact on the bid the answer – surely – is no. Those close to the bid have always denied any link between anyone who has involvement or will have day-to-day responsibilities in any wrong-doings. That includes piracy, the biggest issue they have dealt with, but extends to the brutal murder of Khassogi,” Douglas wrote.

This may be a positive sign for some members of the Toon faithful, as they still await a final decision to be made by England’s highest division.

Geordies, do you agree with Douglas? Comment below!

Tottenham are ready to raid Jose Mourinho’s old club Real Madrid for Lucas Vazquez in the summer.

Vazquez, who moved to Madrid from Espanyol, finds himself below the likes of Eden Hazard, Gareth Bale and Isco in the Bernabeu pecking order.

The former Spanish international has only played 18 games for Los Blancos this season, although he has made more than 200 appearances in total, and has now entered the final year of his contract.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Spurs are keen to sign Vazquez this summer, and such a move may ultimately benefit Son Heung-min.

Although the Spaniard has struggled for consistency this season, as he has registered just two goals and one assist so far, it is worth pointing out that he has won the Champions League three times and lifted the La Liga trophy.

Vazquez has been beset by multiple setbacks in recent years, including a recurring calf problem, and the 28-year-old is working on his recovery from injury.

Real Madrid have held talks with his representatives over an extension but both sides are at a stalemate, which Daniel Levy is eager to exploit.

Meanwhile, Son is Spurs’ second-highest scorer with only two goals separating himself from Harry Kane this season, while he has supplied more assists than the England international.

The South Korean has scored nine goals and created eight assists in the Premier League, taking three shots per game, averaging more than one key pass and completing at least two dribbles per match on average (via WhoScored).

Mourinho previously wanted Vazquez at his old club Manchester United and Tottenham are willing to spend £15m on the right winger, although the Galacticos value him at £23m.

The Spurs manager has been plagued by injuries to his wide options throughout the season so far. Son and Steven Bergwijn have only recently recovered from long-term injury problems, their returns set to boost the Londonders as they had slumped to several poor results in their absence.

Taking this into consideration, Vazquez could provide cover for the wide men as he would share the workload with the 27-year-old Korean to reduce the risk of injury. As his track record shows, he has bags of experience at the top levels of the game, and he has recently revealed he wants to move to England.

However, Spurs have not met Madrid’s asking price, which could prove to be a major sticking point.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sign Lucas Vazquez in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!

This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.

After arriving at Old Trafford all the way back in 2011, it is fair to say David de Gea had a lot of expectations on his young shoulders. Nearly nine years later, he has firmly established himself as the number one goalkeeper at Manchester United.

De Gea joined Manchester United from Atletico Madrid for £18.9m on a five-year-deal, teaming up with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side shortly after the Red Devils had won their 12th Premier League title.

His arrival coincided with Edwin van der Sar’s retirement, and the Spaniard had big gloves to fill, as the legendary Dutchman made over 250 appearances for United, saving 135 clean sheets in all competitions.

Almost immediately, De Gea was thrown in at the deep end, as he faced derby rivals Manchester City in the Community Shield. His performance drew criticism from fans and pundits alike, although Fergie’s men went on to win 3-2. He made his league debut in the 2-1 win away to West Bromwich Albion one week later and allowed a Shane Long shot to go past him into the back of the net (The Sun).

The 20-year-old was subsequently dropped for Anders Lindegaard.

However, he didn’t allow this to deter him, and carried out a vigorous training programme to meet the physical demands of the English top flight.

Following a string of four games on the bench, he earned himself a recall to the starting lineup, and demonstrated his full potential in a 3-3 draw with Chelsea.

Evidently, De Gea hasn’t once looked back, as he settled into the role of Ferguson’s first-choice keeper, and it has remained that way ever since, despite the changes in managers over the years.

In total, the Spanish international played in 80 games under the legendary Scotsman, lifting the Premier League trophy in his final season in charge.

During David Moyes’ infamous time at the Theatre of Dreams, it can be said De Gea single-handedly saved his job more often than not, and he was named Manchester United’s Player of the Year in recognition of his incredible efforts. He went on to earn this award for the next couple of seasons in a row.

Indeed, the shot stopper has consistently produced match-winning performances when the Red Devils have needed him the most, and his displays between the sticks attracted attention from La Liga giants Real Madrid in 2015.

The transfer saga overshadowed the entire summer that year, but he ended up staying at Old Trafford, and, ever the consummate professional, he returned to his posts.

Instead of turning his back on the club, De Gea helped Louis van Gaal’s side win the FA Cup in 2016, before picking up the League Cup and Europa League title under the Dutchman’s replacement, Jose Mourinho (Transfermarkt).

As a result of these heroics over the years, his market value dramatically rose from £16.2m in August 2014 to £63m by December 2018. Admittedly, this has now dropped to £36m, although this can be attributed to the economic uncertainty surrounding pandemic, and is still double the original fee the board paid Los Rojiblancos (Transfermarkt).

The 29-year-old has made 304 appearances in the Premier League so far, keeping 108 clean sheets, making a staggering 848 saves, taking 180 high claims, and successfully completing 84 sweeper clearances.

Despite his long spell with United, the veteran has only made 13 errors leading to goals, whereas former Arsenal and Chelsea keeper Petr Cech racked up 24 errors in total. His loyal service to the club has been rewarded with another contract extension which is set to expire in June 2023.

All things considered, De Gea has more than justified his price tag, as he has continued to help the Red Devils add to their impressive collection of silverware, and been recognised with a number of awards up until now.

United fans, do you think David de Gea is Manchester United’s best goalkeeper of all time? Let us know down below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Sunderland have so far had limited success in attack this season, but bringing Marc McNulty into the side on a regular basis could be the right way to go.

On the chalkboard

Since arriving at the club Phil Parkinson has placed a lot of faith in Will Grigg, at least in the league, but so far the striker has continued to underwhelm, and has just two goals to boast of as a result.

One of those goals came against Tranmere, too, when the game was already won, so it is fair to suggest that the Black Cats could do with a more influential figure in the attacking final third.

McNulty already has more league goals than the Northern Irishman despite starting just six league games, and the energy he provides up-front means he can impact games in a more effective fashion than Grigg, even when he’s off-form.

He has shown previously that he is suited to playing in a lone role or as part of a two, notching 28 goals for Coventry in the 2017/18 season, when he was often partnered with Stuart Beavon in attack.

The Scot has struggled to hit the same kind of form since but if the team was built around him, and he had the confidence from his manager, then he could begin to show why he was brought in over the summer.

Watch Sunderland Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Confidence player

The 27-year-old has shown throughout his career that he has a number of attributes which make him well-suited to League One football.

His hold-up play could be ideal in doing the hard graft up-front, freeing up Grigg or Chris Maguire to take advantage of the space he creates by drawing in defenders.

On top of that, according to Berkshire Live journalist Jonathan Low, he also works tirelessly by running into channels, and when his confidence is up it can be difficult to contain his poaching instinct.

As a result, he is very much the type of forward the Black Cats could do with – someone who can keep the ball in the opposition half and add pressure on the defence, as too often under Parkinson Sunderland have failed to provide an attacking threat.

That is shown by the fact they have scored more than one goal in just one match under him, and until he makes changes to the forward line that looks set to continue.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Philippe Coutinho’s career hasn’t really gone in the direction he probably envisioned after he decided to leave Liverpool.

While the Reds went on to conquer Europe and make punters using their free bets very happy, the Brazilian flopped at Barcelona and was quickly shipped off to Bayern Munich on a loan deal. Of course, the Bavarians have an option to incorporate Coutinho permanently at the end of that spell for a reported sum of €120m (£102.6m).

But seeing how things for the 27-year-old quickly took a turn for the worse after an initial honeymoon phase, maybe his journey across Europe has not yet been completed.

This does, however, bring us to Tottenham Hotspur and their efforts to secure his transfer back in the summer of 2019.

According to the Sun’s recent report, Mauricio Pochettino is apparently a big fan of the Brazilian and is still fuming at the board for letting him slip through their fingers and into Bayern Munich’s embrace.

Watch Spanish Football Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Still, there might be a silver lining in this story for Spurs as we don’t know for sure that the German giants will activate their £102.6m purchase option, especially since Coutinho is currently far from his brilliant best.

But a move to London would actually make more sense for him than staying put in the Bundesliga.

After all, Tottenham Hotspur’s relationship with Christian Eriksen is very much deteriorating and the great Danish playmaker has already experienced a slight dip in both form and game time as he has failed to start three of the north London outfit’s previous five fixtures in all competitions.

Not to mention that his contract is due to expire next summer and all of that combined make his transfer away from Spurs in the near future more than just a distant thought.

And who better to replace an elite playmaker than another one who offers roughly the same skill set, already has Premier League experience and is familiar and trusted by the coach?

Both players are currently far from their best but they still offer similar outputs: Eriksen has registered 1.5 shots and 1.4 key passes per game with one goal and one assist while Coutinho tallied 1.9 shots and 1.5 key passes per game with two goals and three assists.

They are also both attacking-minded midfielders who are good technically and offer a threat from range, which is also evident from their tallies above.

For Spurs, this would almost be a like-for-like replacement for such a big figure as Eriksen and for Coutinho, who can thrive in a system that relies on him and is centred around him, it would be a perfect opportunity to reinvigorate his career.

Before the full emergence of the Salah – Mane – Firmino trident, it was Coutinho who was Jurgen Klopp’s main man as the Brazilian bagged 12 goals and eight assists in his last campaign at Anfield.

Maybe he could do the same for Pochettino if he were to return to England.

On paper, it really does look like a win-win scenario.

And what of Barcelona? In theory, he could also try and reverse his misfortune at the Camp Nou but it’s more likely that the Catalans just leave the European giants to fight for their outcast while rubbing their hands with glee.

Only time will tell.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Sheffield Wednesday once again lacked any form of game management as they saw three points snatched from their grasp against Swansea City on Saturday afternoon.

It’s the second time in seven days that a win has slipped from the Owls’ hands as Blackburn Rovers fought from behind last weekend to snag a victory.

Garry Monk’s side surely thought they had defeated their Welsh opponents when left-back Morgan Fox fired home an effort in the 91st-minute, but just moments later, Ben Wilmot scrambled in a corner to salvage a point at Hillsborough.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 40-year-old has had to face some surprise absentees in recent times – in Lancashire, it was Barry Bannan, and at the weekend, it was both Julian Borner and Sam Hutchinson.

It meant that skipper Tom Lees made his first start since returning from injury while Kieran Lee was handed a rare start having only started six matches until Saturday.

Wednesday, up until this point, had seen their defensive prowess become the strongest and most reliable aspect of their game – four clean sheets from ten league games and before the Blackburn game, just four goals conceded, per WhoScored.

As big as an absence Borner was at centre-back, he did win the club’s Player of the Month award for August after all, the exclusion of Hutchinson was by far most felt as he’s effectively the anchor that holds everything in place.

No player has records more tackle per game (2.2) than the 30-year-old while he also tops the charts in the Owls side for interceptions per match (1.9) too.

The former Chelsea man has also picked up seven yellow cards this season and as bad discipline as that’s been, it has actually helped the side out on a few occasions as it breaks the game up, slows it down, and allows Monk’s men to regroup.

That’s game management. That’s what Wednesday severely lack.

By not even featuring on Saturday, Hutchinson has proved exactly why he should be the first name on that team sheet when fit.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has stated that Manchester City are still the favourites for the Premier League title, despite Liverpool sitting top and six points clear.

What did he say?

City are battling with the Reds once again, having just pipped them by a point to the league title last year. However, the European champions have continued their breathtaking form from last season and remain the only unbeaten side in the division.

Although, despite proving to be the dominant force so far, Merson still believes the champions are the favourites to keep the trophy. He told Sky Sports (as cited by the Daily Express): “It was a big result against Tottenham having also come back against Man Utd to draw 1-1.

“They were also behind against Tottenham and on their day and when they’ve got all their players fit, Spurs are a good team, but Liverpool came back there again.

“That’s four points they’ve won from behind in two hard games so they’re ticking the boxes of champions at the moment.

“But it’s still in Man City’s hands because if they beat Liverpool twice, they’ll win the league and that’s how good this Man City team is as well.

“For me, if I was Liverpool and drew at home to Man City in a few weeks, I’d be doing cartwheels.

“That means then that Liverpool would have to lose three or four games until the end of the season not to win the league because Man City are going to lose one or two and if they do, that means Liverpool can lose another couple on top of that.

“So it’s a massive game coming up in a couple of weeks.”

History on their side

It is tough to disagree with Merson when you consider the events that unfolded last year. Liverpool opened up a five-point lead over City after 24 games last season. However, a handful of draws after the turn of the year combined with a defeat against City themselves eventually clawed Pep Guardiola’s men back to the top.

Despite finishing on 97 points, the Reds fell short after looking like clinching their first Premier League title, similar to what happened in 2013-14. Back then, Brendan Rogers’ men led by three points with three games to go and looked certain to win the title. However, the infamous Steven Gerrard slip and the disastrous 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace ensured City once again pipped Liverpool to the title.

Regardless, things do look different this time around, and the showdown between the two on November 10th is going to be something special.