All posts by z3u9t.icu

Swansea City could be set to face a truly devastating transfer deadline day with Leeds United edging closer towards a deal for Daniel James, while Leroy Fer and Jefferson Montero are both likely to depart.

Marcelo Bielsa has been in hot pursuit of James in the second half of the transfer window and it looks like his persistence is set to pay off.

Leeds United supporters may not have been feeling completely optimistic about their chances of clinching a deal first thing this morning, but their prayers appear to have been answered.

Indeed, according to Guardian journalist Stuart James, Daniel James is set to sign for Leeds, with the player personally expressing his desire to depart before the deadline.

The respected journalist revealed the news via his Twitter account and he poured more misery on Swansea by suggesting that there is a strong possibility both Leroy Fer and Jefferson Montero will follow James out of the exit door.

Oh dear, oh dear. Swansea supporters will be feeling absolutely incensed by the scenario they could be facing, as the aforementioned trio represent three of the most integral players residing within Graham Potter’s squad.

To lose them at this stage in the season without ample time to source replacements would be deflating to put it lightly, but Swansea’s loss could well be Leeds’ gain.

The Whites are short of strength in depth and the injection of a fresh dynamic in midfield could provide them with a priceless boost ahead of the final months of the season.

Samu Saiz’s departure will guarantee a regular role for Pablo Hernandez in the number ten role, thus paving the way for James to battle with the likes of Ezgjan Alioski, Jack Harrison and Jack Clarke for a place in the starting eleven.

The form James has demonstrated on his maiden Championship campaign hints that he could offer an extra burst of pace and touch of flair in the final-third to unlock sturdy defensive units when they need it most at the business end of the season.

It appears that Leeds’ interest has turned James’ head towards Elland Road, and the 21-year-old prodigy looks more than likely to be on his way to Yorkshire to conclude a deal today following Stuart James’ Twitter update.

Leeds fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe will be plotting his targets for the summer transfer window and some names have started to slip through the cracks.

FCInterNews recently reported that the Magpies are one of a number of teams interested in a deal to sign Argentine international Paulo Dybala at the end of the season.

He is out of contract at Juventus this summer and Newcastle, along with Arsenal, Inter, PSG and Atletico Madrid, are eyeing up a swoop for the £36m-rated phenomenon’s services.

The new David Ginola

The Toon must complete a deal to sign Dybala as they can find their new David Ginola in the mercurial playmaker.

Ginola played 76 games for Newcastle during his time on Tyneside and produced seven goals and 16 assists for the club. He also played for Tottenham in the top-flight, scoring 19 times and assisting 18 in 119 matches for the London giants.

The Frenchman was able to score and assist goals in the Premier League and was capable of coming up with special moments, once scoring a minute into a game against Arsenal for the Magpies.

ITV noted that he was renowned for his “magical touch” on the pitch and current Spurs attacker Kulusevski once claimed that Dybala has a “magical left foot”, which illustrates the similarity between the two players – with both of them operating out wide or through the middle.

As you can see in the graphic above, with statistics via Transfermarkt, Dybala has enjoyed a terrific time with the Italian giants as he has directly contributed to a goal every 1.77 games for them in all competitions over the course of his career in Turin.

Ex-Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey previously showered the midfielder with praise, saying:

“I can just confirm that Dybala is an unbelievable player. He’s very gifted — a team player — and some of the things he’s done in training and some of the games this season has been quite breathtaking.”

These comments, along with his impressive statistics in Italy, suggest that he has the requisite quality to come in and be the club’s new magic man in the final third, just like Ginola did when he arrived at St. James’ Park.

At the age of 28, Newcastle can still get a lot out of Dybala and that is why PIF must splash the cash to convince him to make the switch to England this summer. Just imagine him weaving past opposition players before beautifully curling the ball into the back of the net, something his record for Juventus suggests he will be able to do on a regular basis.

AND in other news, Huge boost: Newcastle handed key injury lift that’ll leave Eddie Howe ecstatic…

According to a report from Ajanspor journalist Salim Manav, Tottenham Hotspur are set to scout two Turkish talents in the upcoming round of Super Lig fixtures. 

The lowdown: Targets collide

It will be a mid-table battle when Besiktas face Kasimpasa on Monday night (April 25), but there could be a sub-plot to proceedings as two opposing left-backs – Ridvan Yilmaz and Eren Elmali – vie for superiority on the night.

Yilmaz of Besiktas is the younger of the two at 20-years-old and has already represented Turkey at the senior international level, whilst 21-year-old Elmali remains an Under 21 representative.

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As they prepare to do battle, it’s been suggested that eyes from the Premier League and Serie A could be watching with intent…

The latest: Spurs send scouts

As per the report from Ajanspor which has been cited on Twitter by Manav, Tottenham and Atalanta are believed to be preparing to watch the Turkish top-flight encounter.

“Tottenham and Atalanta officials will watch Eren Elmali and Ridvan Yilmaz in the Beşiktaş-Kasımpaşa match,” the journalist tweeted.

Expanding in the article, it’s claimed Spurs officials ‘will report’ on both Yilmaz and Elmali as Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici begin to earmark potential summer transfer targets.

Yilmaz – who made a come-and-get-me plea to Arsenal in 2021 – has been capped six times by the Turkey national team and was previously given a reported £8.35million asking price amidst interest from Leicester City, Torino and VfB Stuttgart.

The verdict: Smart moveWhilst neither youngster can boast a plethora of top-level experience with a combined 124 career outings in the Super Lig, both would represent value for money given the respective ages and likely affordable transfer fees.Elmali holds a perceived market value of just £1.62million (Transfermarkt), making the Istanbul-born starlet the more attainable financial option compared to his compatriot.But, with three goals and four assists in 30 appearances this season, Yilmaz’s ability to play as both a conventional left-back and in a more advanced role makes the Besiktas ace a preferable choice to suit Conte’s chosen 3-4-3 formation at present.When comparing the youngster to current Lilywhites star Sergio Reguilon, Yilmaz actually outperforms the Spaniard in every available aspect on average per 90 minutes (Fbref), albeit in a weaker league.Described as a ‘very smart’ operator by national team manager Stefan Kuntz, early indications would point to the Besiktas starlet being the preferred option to arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer.In other news: ‘That’s for sure’ – Sky Sports reporter backs big transfer news out of Tottenham, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered a major blow in the race for a top-four finish as the Lilywhites lost 1-0 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon, with Leandro Trossard bagging a last-minute winner.

Antonio Conte’s men were lacklustre in front of goal, managing just five shots all game, none of which were on target, whilst Brighton managed to get five of their 12 shots on target.

Despite staying in fourth, the defeat will provide an opportunity for Spurs’ rivals in the top four race to make up ground as we enter the final weeks of the season.

No player in a Tottenham shirt can hold their head up high after the defeat, with Emerson Royal, Heung-min Son, Eric Dier all being well below-par.

However, it was undoubtedly left wing-back Sergio Reguilon who was the worst of the bunch against Brighton.

According to SofaScore, the Spaniard enjoyed just 46 touches all afternoon, as well as lost possession on 12 separate occasions – meaning he gave away the ball with every 3.8 touches.

Moreover, the 25-year-old failed to complete a single dribble, attempting just one.

Furthermore, there was also little defensive prowess from the wing-back, who failed to make a single interception, clearance or block, in addition to making just one tackle all afternoon.

Most of all though, Reguilon’s passing was well below par, with the Spaniard’s 62% accuracy – completing just 17 of his 28 attempted passes – being the worst out of Spurs’ starting lineup.

The left wing-back has had a decent season – for the most part – this term, averaging a 6.92 SofaScore match rating. However, against Brighton, the 25-year-old mustered a 6.6.

Against the Seagulls, Reguilon made his sixth appearance in Spurs’s last seven in the league – having missed the 5-1 win over Newcastle with a knock – and had certainly been earning his place in the side back after falling down the pecking order.

Following Tottenham’s 3-2 defeat to Southampton in early February, the wing-back who John Wenham claimed is the “worst of the bunch” and Tom Young labelled “pathetic” went a month without game time in the league before being reintroduced against Everton last month as the Lilywhites won 5-0, with Reguilon scoring.

What is for certain is that lacklustre displays as Tottenham pick up poor results won’t pass the grade for Conte, and Reguilon will certainly have to produce better performances over the remaining weeks of the season to ensure that his place in the side is a certainty going into next season.

AND in other news: Source: Insider drops major Spurs claim on £30m maestro, it’s great news for Conte

Newcastle United have reportedly now ‘agreed’ to sign Didier Ndong on June 30th, according to reports in the player’s homeland.

The Lowdown: Sacked by Sunderland

Ndong’s career took a turn for the worse when he was signed by Sunderland back in the 2016/17 season for what is still a club-record fee for the Black Cats (£18m).

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After relegated from the Championship the campaign after, and they eventually decided to sack Ndong after breaching his contract by going AWOL.

Now, he is playing his football with Dijon in the French Ligue 2.

The Latest: Transfer ‘agreed’

As per Gabonese news outlet L’Union, (translated by Sport Witness) a ‘reliable source’ from Dijon has revealed that the St. James’ Park faithful have now ‘agreed’ to sign Ndong for a fee of €2m (£1.7m) in two separate instalments.

The Gabon international will reportedly sign for the Tyneside outfit on June 30th on a three-year deal, and will earn €100,000-per-week (£84,000).

The Verdict: Strange

It seems very strange that the Magpies would make this kind of signing, especially with the kind of riches that they now possess, added to what happened to Ndong at North East rivals Sunderland.

They already have plenty of options in the centre of midfield, and with the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Jonjo Shelvey still there, it is hard to see where Ndong would get his game time.

Nonetheless, at least he has the experience of playing in the top flight before, and at 27 years of age, he will still hold a sell-on value should it not work out on Tyneside.

In other news, find out what exciting Harry Kane to NUFC update this transfer insider has now revealed here!

Tottenham are ‘confident’ of signing Wolves winger Adama Traore this month, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Conte transformation

The 26-year-old has made the majority of his appearances during his career as a right winger for the likes of Barcelona, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and now Wolves.

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However, should the Spaniard move to north London, it seems as if Antonio Conte has a specific plan in mind. According to The Athletic, the Italian is looking to mould Traore into a right wing-back, in a similar way to how he redeployed Victor Moses at Chelsea.

Spurs are yet to make any first team signings this month, but it appears as if that may change with Traore.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano took to Twitter on Monday morning to provide an update regarding Tottenham’s pursuit of the Wolves speedster.

He revealed that Fabio Paratici and co are now ‘confident’ of completing a deal, outling: “Tottenham are prepared to push on Adama Traore deal starting from today. Talks will re-start with Wolves to enter into final details & reach the agreement. Club confident to complete the new signing.”

Sky Sports added later in the day that a £20m transfer is moving closer.

The Verdict: First of many?

It seems as if it could be a busy final few days for Conte and Paratici, and Traore could be the first of several through the door.

The Spurs boss wants three players signed in the final days of the month in what could be a pivotal week regarding his future at the club.

Should he get what he wants, the second half of the season could be viewed as a building block ahead of a successful 2022/23 campaign. However, if Conte doesn’t get his wish, he could start to lose faith in the project, which may spell the beginning of the end for him despite only being at the club since November.

In other news: Spurs now ‘considering’ new attacking target in 18 y/o prodigy – journalist. 

Sky Sports have provided an on-air update regarding the future of Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.

The Lowdown: Exits galore

Pogba is out of contract at Old Trafford at the end of the season and looks likely to leave the club ahead of Erik ten hag’s arrival.

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The French midfielder could follow Nemanja Matic and Edinson Cavani out the exit door, and the 29-year-old may have already played his last game in a United shirt.

Ralf Rangnick admitted last week that an injury Pogba picked up against Liverpool looks likely to rule him out for the remainder of the season, and an update on his future has now emerged.

The Latest: Sky Sports claim

Sky Sports presenter Mike Wedderburn shared more news on Pogba on Tuesday, saying:

‘We at Sky Sports News have been told that his final choice will be a football decision and Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Juventus are all interested.

‘Staying in the Premier League has not been ruled out either. There has been no new offer from Manchester United since last summer.’

The Verdict: Interesting

Sky Sports also added that a possible wage he’ll pick up in Europe wouldn’t match the offer he had from the Red Devils last summer.

He may now be regretting the decision to snub a new United deal in 2021, which could have given him the opportunity to play a key role under new manager Erik ten Hag next season in a major Old Trafford rebuild.

It looks as if a departure is inevitable over the coming months though, so it will be interesting to see where the central midfielder ends up ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. He may not be short of offers but it seems they won’t be as big as the one United made last year.

In other news: Man Utd now leading race to sign ‘absolute beast’ in club-record deal following Ten Hag request. 

During his post-match press conference following the victory over Burnley, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was full of praise for midfield general Ilkay Gundogan. 

The lowdown: A Pep favourite

Signed for £21million from Borussia Dortmund (Sky Sports), Gundogan was the Spanish manager’s first signing when taking over at the Etihad.

Since then the experienced German has made an astonishing 244 appearances for the Citizens, scoring 43 times and providing 33 assists in that time.

Therefore, it’s perhaps of little surprise that Guardiola would hold the midfielder in such high esteem after he became the highest-scoring German in Premier League history on Saturday.

The latest: record-breaking exploits

Gundogan volleyed home City’s second goal on the afternoon, overtaking Mesut Ozil’s previously tally of 33 English top-flight strikes.

Speaking after the comfortable 2-0 success at Turf Moor, Guardiola sang the praises of the 31-year-old’s display.

As quoted by City Xtra on Twitter, the Spanish boss stated: “Wow! He’s an exceptional human being first. So intelligent, you can talk with him about everything, and it’s nice to have players like him. I’m so glad, happy he could make this record.”

The verdict: High praise indeed

Receiving such high praise from any manager, let alone Guardiola must be music to the ears of any player.

In truth, goal aside this was another performance right out of the top drawer from the £31.5million valued Gundogan (Transfermarkt), who completed 5/5 long balls, 50/55 passes and made one successful tackle in an all-important victory for the Sky Blues (Sofascore).

This latest strike took the German to eight goals for the season, combined with another six assists from 34 appearances across all competitions, as the once defensive midfielder continues to defy conventional wisdom with his goalscoring prowess in recent seasons.

In other news: Man City linked with move for La Liga star. Find out more here.

Leeds United are heading for something of a transfer nightmare this summer, if emerging reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

Not only is star winger Raphinha drawing interest ahead of the transfer window but first-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier too.

According to the Daily Mail, the Yorkshire giants are braced to lose players before next season and both the Brazil international and the French shot-stopper are amongst their most attractive options.

It’s thought that the club’s recruitment team are already on the lookout for a replacement for Raphinha, with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona keen, though little is mentioned about a successor to the 22-year-old gem.

Transfer nightmare

Whilst the 25-year-old dynamo is undoubtedly United’s best player, leading the squad for goals (nine) and creativity (three assists, 2.1 key passes per game), via WhoScored.

But a winger is easily replaceable, especially given the options available at Jesse Marsch’s disposal already and the fact that they already appear to be planning for life without him.

Club-record signing Daniel James is one name that could fill the void on a more permanent basis, whilst the Premier League side have been linked to many alternatives in the past, including Club Brugge’s “phenomenon” Noa Lang and Georgian wonderkid Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

However, finding someone capable of shielding the goal for many, many years is harder to come by – not since their stint in League One (2006/07 to 2009/10), have they had a long-serving no.1 – that being Casper Ankergren.

Raphinha has often provided crucial input in the final third during Leeds’ few wins this campaign but the 6 foot 4 colossus has stopped many a goal at the other end of the pitch.

When compared against the rest of the Premier League and those goalkeepers that have started in at least 50% of games played, the £42m-rated Meslier leads the league for shots saved per 90 (3.68), via FBRef.

His shot-stopping abilities have been lauded as a “rare talent” by The Athletic’s Phil Hay in the past, whilst also claiming that “the potential in him is vast.”

Indeed, at just 22, the France U21 international has a bright future in the game and Leeds will be hoping that it’s in west Yorkshire for the foreseeable, though given these reports at this stage of the season, that seems rather unlikely.

As such, Marsch and director of football Victor Orta could be heading towards an absolute nightmare. They’ll be dealt a gutting blow if they have to try and find a new no.1 for next season.

AND in other news, Marsch dealt another gutting injury blow this international break…

Sunderland managed to rescue a point late on at home to Rotherham United as they drew 1-1 in League One on Tuesday night.

An own goal from Michael Ihiekwe spared their blushes after the central defender scored at the right end for the visitors in the first half, in a game that saw Alex Neil’s team dominate possession, but create very few chances (SofaScore).

As such, The Transfer Tavern have used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for the hosts on the night, as this trio lost the ball a combined 37 times from 123 touches, or roughly every three touches.

With such a crucial final game of the season coming up this weekend, could any of these men be fearing for their place in the XI?

Nathan Broadhead

Admittedly tied with second in terms of overall rating (6.4/10), Broadhead ranks in third here as he did not complete the full 90 minutes.

The Everton loanee lost out on four of his duels in total, and also failed to record a single shot, dribble or key pass, managing a mere 19 touches of the ball and giving it away with nine of those.

Callum Doyle

Also given a 6.4 rating, Doyle ranked as the Stadium of Light faithful’s second-worst player.

The central defender lost eight duels, more than any of his teammates, and also made no clearances, interceptions or key passes, while he was dribbled past once and lost the ball 13 times from 62 touches.

Jay Matete

Matete ranked as the Wearside club’s worst performer with a 6.2 rating.

The centre midfielder got off to a bad start with a booking inside the opening eight minutes, and struggled to really recover from that, as he was unsuccessful in five of his duels, and recorded no shots, dribbles, clearances, interceptions or key passes, making two fouls and giving possession away a total of 15 times from 42 touches.

In other news, find out what Black Cats update has Roker Report buzzing here!