All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in Nicolo Zaniolo with sporting director Fabio Paratici eyeing up a swoop this summer…

What’s the word?

Calciomercato.it have once again linked Spurs with interest in the AS Roma midfielder but they face competition from Serie A rivals Juventus and AC Milan, as well as from Atletico Madrid and Sevilla.

It’s believed that the Rome outfit are looking for a fee in the region of €60m (£50m) to €70m (£58m) but they are said to be more likely to receive between €40m (£33m) to €50m (£41.5m).

It also remains to be seen whether manager Jose Mourinho would accept a sale or push for the board to try and renew the 22-year-old’s contract.

Bye-bye Ndombele

Lilywhites manager Antonio Conte recently hinted of his intentions to sign a new no.10-like player during the off-season to help the likes of Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski, so it’s no surprise to see the north Londoners mooted with a move for Zaniolo.

You’d have to then wonder what the future holds for Tanguy Ndombele – Spurs’ disappointing £55m club-record signing – as he is currently on loan to former club Lyon.

During his time at Hotspur Way, the Frenchman has been lambasted as being “very lazy” and as having a “bad attitude” by pundit Alan Hutton, as well as “disgraceful” by Sky Sports man Jamie Carragher last season.

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Meanwhile, despite persistent injury troubles, the Italy international remains one of the hottest prospects in his age bracket with Transfermarkt valuing him at £29.7m, which was higher than Kulusevski, 21, at the time of his departure from Juventus this winter.

The versatile attacking midfielder, who can also play on the wing, has featured in 36 matches this term, where he has delivered seven goals and eight assists, including a recent hat-trick in their Europa Conference League quarter-final win over Bodo/Glimt.

In terms of attacking output, Zaniolo is only tracking 0.1 shots per game behind top goalscorer Tammy Abraham at the Stadio Olimpico, whilst he leads the squad for dribbles (2.2 successive attempts per outing), as per WhoScored.

His ability and form in the Italian capital once caught the eye of legendary Roma striker Francesco Totti, who lauded the young maestro as “explosive” before also suggesting that he “plays like a veteran,” via the BBC.

Some have even likened him to Premier League greats Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, suggesting that he’s a more box-to-box beast that can contribute in the opposition’s penalty box, too.

As such, any Zaniolo arrival could finally force Ndombele out of the exit door at long last – at least, Conte would then have a valid reason to cash in on Spurs’ club-record disaster.

Paratici and co must look to sign the Italian this off-season.

AND in other news, Spurs “keeping tabs” on PL star that would excite the Lilywhites faithful…

After Tottenham Hotspur agreed a new contract for star forward Son Heung-min in July, it appears that another key player in Harry Kane is now ‘ready to talk’ as 90min reporter Graeme Bailey backs news out of N17.

The Lowdown: New deal for Kane?

Indeed, with Son now tied down at Tottenham until 2025, the club have also been linked with securing a new deal for superstar forward Kane, despite his heavy links with a move away in the summer.

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Manchester City courted the England international, even lodging a £100m bid, but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy refused to budge on his £150m valuation of the player.

Reports from Eurosport and TEAMtalk have claimed that a new contract could be on the cards for Kane, with 90min journalist Bailey now backing this news with his own update.

The Latest: Bailey backs Kane development…

As per Bailey for 90min, Kane is ‘ready to talk’ again about a new deal at Spurs after he swiftly rebuffed the offer of fresh terms just after Euro 2020.

He apparently wants a pay rise of around £500,000 and has a ‘number of demands’ which need to be met before he will sign, but Spurs definitely will not bend to a release clause.

The forward’s entourage have apparently proposed the idea of performance-related clauses but the club have no intention of agreeing, despite being open to offering Kane a new contract.

The Verdict: Interesting weeks ahead…

Given the 28-year-old’s apparent lack of options going forward, with City now rumoured not to be in for him next summer, it appears that Kane’s future could now be more dependent on fresh terms.

He is contracted until the summer of 2024 and it is clear to see why he is looking to strike a contract which could allow him to leave Spurs with less hassle in future.

However, with Levy seemingly holding all the cards, it remains to be seen if the ‘phenomenal’ Kane, as he was called by England manager Gareth Southgate, will get his wish.

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘A lot of money’…BBC pundit stunned by exit news out of Spurs, find out more here.

Reliable reporter Kieran Devlin confirmed on Wednesday evening that Celtic are in discussions for VVV-Venlo striker Georgios Giakoumakis.

The Lowdown: Tuesday rumours

Reports on Tuesday linked Celtic with a move for Giakoumakis, suggesting a figure of £2.5m would be enough to take him from the Eredivisie.

Giakoumakis, on just €750-a-week (£639), has just come off the best goalscoring season of his career, netting 26 league goals in 30 appearances.

Ange Postecoglou has personally called the 26-year-old over a potential Parkhead move, and Devlin had his say on the links prior to Celtic’s 2-0 win over AZ Alkmaar.

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The Latest: Devlin confirmation

Devlin, Celtic’s correspondent for The Athletic, ran a Q&A with supporters on Wednesday, where he admitted Josip Juranovic and Liam Scales are pending incomings at Celtic Park.

He was also asked about the links to Giakoumakis, stating Celtic are in discussions for the Greece international.

“There’s definitely truth to them, club are in discussions as far as I’m aware. Think it’s interesting (but welcome!) that the club have gone from two weeks of only seriously pursuing loan deals to looking to spend money again.”

The Verdict: Edouard future to be resolved first?

You’d expect that a possible move for Giakoumakis could be with a view of replacing Odsonne Edouard.

The French forward has been working on a Parkhead exit since his move to Leicester City collapsed, however, he is holding out for £85,000-a-week at any new club.

His situation may need to be resolved one way or the other, ideally quickly, before the club either firm up their interest or pull out of talks for Giakoumakis, but it’s good to see the Hoops are touching base over a move for a free-scoring forward.

In other news: ‘I’m told’ – Anthony Joseph’s negative Celtic transfer update. 

Fulham failed with a deadline day move to bring Jonjoe Kenny to Craven Cottage.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Liverpool Echo, who claim that Marco Silva made a last-minute enquiry regarding the possibility of signing the Everton right-back.

However, the report continues to state that, despite the 24-year-old having been available for loan and transfer for the past three seasons, Rafael Benitez rejected Fulham’s approach for the defender as the Spaniard could not find a replacement for the former England U21 international.

Silva surely fuming

While Silva is not particularly short of options at right-back, with Steven Sessegnon, Cyrus Christie and Denis Odoi all currently available for selection in the position, the injury to Kenny Tete has left the 44-year-old manager without an out and out first-choice on the right-hand side of his defence.

And, considering how highly Kenny impressed while on loan at Celtic last season, it is clear to see why the Fulham boss was keen on a move for the 24-year-old, and why missing out on his signing would have left the Portuguese manager fuming.

Indeed, over his 14 Scottish Premiership appearances for the Bhoys last season, the £5.22m-rated man helped his side keep eight clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.9 tackles, 1.3 clearances and winning 4.2 duels per game.

The defender also impressed for Celtic in a creative capacity, registering two assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 1.4 key passes per league fixture.

These returns saw the man Everton insiders dubbed a “reliable” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.14, ranking him as the club’s eighth-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football.

As such, it is clear to see that Kenny would have made a fine addition to the Fulham squad, as the Everton full-back would have provided Silva with further depth to an already impressive Cottagers backline – which has played a major role in helping their side sit atop the Championship table after five games played.

In other news: Report sheds light on Fulham deadline day disaster, Silva could’ve made a big mistake

Sheffield Wednesday have been handed an injury boost ahead of their League One clash against Oxford United at Hillsborough this afternoon.

After securing a 2-1 win over Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium in midweek, the Owls are now set to welcome Karl Robinson’s men to Hillsborough for their next slice of league action.

What’s the story?

This comes after Owls manager Darren Moore revealed in his press conference on Friday ahead of the Oxford clash that Sam Hutchinson was taken off during the win over Wigan as a “precaution” but has trained alongside the rest of his teammates in preparation for the match today.

That means the 32-year-old could be available to take on the U’s at Hillsborough in what would be a big boost to the manager and his team.

Wednesday fans will be thrilled

Given how Hutchinson missed Wednesday’s league games against Rotherham United and Morecambe after picking up an injury against Fleetwood Town back in August, it’s good to hear that he has not suffered another injury and was taken off against Wigan merely as a precaution.

Taking into account how the 32-year-old has played in numerous positions for Wednesday so far this season such as centre-back, defensive midfield and central midfield, it’s safe to say that he has been an important figure for the team based on his versatility when called upon and the abundant experience he has under his belt.

Wednesday originally signed Hutchinson back in February 2014 on a loan deal from Chelsea before securing him on a permanent basis in the following summer’s transfer window. He joined Pafos FC on a free transfer 13 months ago before returning to Wednesday on a free back in January.

Overall, he has made 184 appearances for the Yorkshire club across all competitions, chipping in with seven goals and five assists along the way (per Transfermarkt). He is the Owls’ second-highest rated player so far this season according to WhoScored performance metrics, with a squad-high two interceptions per game illustrating his importance in stifling opposition attacks.

Looking ahead to the Oxford clash today, we feel that if Hutchinson in fully fit enough to play, he should definitely be in the starting XI, playing in whichever position Moore thinks he is needed.

In other news: Moore must ruthlessly axe £450k-rated dud v Oxford, he’s not good enough 

West Brom forward Kenneth Zohore will feature in Valerien Ismael’s plans for the first-team this season, despite rumours that he could depart the club this summer.

What’s the story?

Zohore has been with West Brom since 2019, and has made 21 appearances in total for the Baggies, although he spent last year’s campaign on loan with Championship side Millwall in search of regular minutes.

It has been reported by Yorkshire Live that Zohore wass attracting interest from the likes of Sheffield Wednesday in the previous transfer windows, with his future at The Hawthorns remaining ‘up in the air’ at this moment in time.

Speaking in a recent interview (quotes sourced from Birmingham Live), West Brom boss Ismael has revealed that Zohore does feature in his plans for the 2021/22 season, as the Baggies look to win promotion back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.

“Ken I have to say, over the last two weeks, has raised his intensity for sure. At the beginning, we had some concerns about whether he can play at that intensity and buy in, but the last two weeks and the game against Birmingham show that we are on the right way with him.

“Strikers of that type you will need in the Championship, he can help us. He can score goals. He has the quality and he is part of the process.

“It’s up to him now to put the performances in on the pitch. My job, with the staff, is to make sure that he has the clarity in his head to know exactly what he has to do. I hope he can confirm what we have seen over the last two weeks.”

‘Powerful’

West Brom are well-equipped in their attacking options in the 2021/22 season, with Ismael having the likes of Karlan Grant and Callum Robinson available to him, as well as Zohore.

With The Express and Star reporting that they’re keeping an eye on both Daryl Dike and Manchester City youngster Liam Delap this summer as well, it is somewhat surprising that Zohore’s immediate future appears to be at the Hawthorns.

The former Cardiff City man has shown that he can perform to a good standard in the Championship, having played an important role in the Bluebirds’ promotion-winning campaign in the 2017/18 season.

Zohore netted nine goals in 39 appearances for Cardiff in that promotion-winning season, but hasn’t had much of an opportunity to impress in the Premier League.

The forward had an average Whoscored rating of 7.00 in the 2017/18 season for Cardiff, and could potentially be a good option to have for Valerien Ismael this term in the Championship.

Speaking in an interview with West Brom News, former West Brom forward Kevin Phillips labelled Zohore as a ‘big, powerful guy’, and predicted that he would want a move elsewhere back in the summer of 2020.

“He’s a big, powerful guy. I think the player himself will want to move on because he knows he won’t play next season. He’ll just want to go and play football. I’m sure of that.”

However, it looks like he’s now going to face a tough battle for his future at West Brom, especially if the Baggies are to add further depth to their squad in the near future.

Ismael choosing to keep the big forward around is a surprising decision, fans will be hoping that it turns out to be the right call.

And in other news, West Brom journalist says he’s expecting a battle for star forward’s signature…

Tottenham Hotspur retain an interest in signing Nikola Milenkovic ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian outlet Calciomercato, who claim Spurs manager Antonio Conte is an admirer of the Fiorentina colossus, though they will face competition from the likes of West Ham United, Manchester United and Juventus.

Valued at £18m by CIES Football Observatory, the Serbia international is a target for the north Londoners this winter, with his current contract set to expire in 18 months time.

It remains to be seen how much a move for Milenkovic would cost.

Conte’s dream defender

The Viola colossus has all the attributes to be a perfect signing under Conte and if sporting director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy can seal his signature, then they could well form a frightening duo in north London.

Spurs could well be in need of additional centre-backs, too, with Cristian Romero facing a pretty long stint on the sideline. There won’t be many better options out there this winter than Milenkovic, and he could well be an ideal option alongside the Argentine in the future, particularly under Conte.

Milenkovic ranks inside Fiorentina’s top six players and is arguably one of their best on the ball, averaging a passing accuracy of 90.8% – the second-best of any player to start ten or more league games.

This would suggest that he’s more than capable of being a reliable ball-playing option in defence for Conte. Furthermore, he offers a ruthless edge, also averaging 1.9 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, via WhoScored.

Once likened to Premier League great Nemanja Vidic, the Serbian should have no trouble in adapting to the English top-flight, especially if he turns out to be half the player of the ex-United powerhouse.

“Milenkovic is better than Vidic with the ball at his feet, and he is much calmer on the field,” Mozzart journalist Dejan Stankovic told ESPN in 2018. “He is the most talented centre-back Serbia have had since Vidic, and they definitely have one thing in common – [they are] both are fearless.”

Meanwhile, he has also been dubbed a “beast” by former Partizan head coach Ivan Tomic.

On the above evidence, Conte would surely love to seal a move for Milenkovic. He had the best defence in Serie A with Inter Milan last season, on their way to the league title, and the Fiorentina star has all the skills to be a perfect fit in his Italian-based system over in N17.

Conte and Milenkovic would be a frightening prospect heading into the remainder of the campaign.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Skipp: Spurs eye “unbeatable” £27m-rated machine, Conte would love him…

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) are set to hold further talks with Jason Wilcox over taking a Director of Football (DoF) role at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: DoF wanted

The St. James’ Park faithful have recently been linked with a number of big names to fill in their new DoF model, including the likes of Luis Campos and Marc Overmars.

It is clearly the direction of where the new owners want to go, following their takeover in the North East.

The Latest: Wilcox frontrunner

As per The Daily Star, Wilcox, currently the Academy Director at Manchester City, is set to hold further talks with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium over potentially taking up their new DoF role.

He is understood to be the frontrunner for the job, and the Tyneside outfit are keen to appoint a DoF before they bring in a new permanent manager to replace the departed Steve Bruce.

The Verdict: Has the credentials

Wilcox certainly has all of the credentials to take up the new role, given the work that he has done with City so far, a club who were in a very similar position to the Magpies when they were first taken over.

The former Blackburn Rovers and England international winger has been praised by none other than Pep Guardiola for the job that he has done with the MCFC Academy, and is even credited with being a key influence on Phil Foden (The Daily Star).

Nonetheless, a DoF role would be a step up for him, and so Wilcox certainly seems attainable for the Toon should the talks go well.

In other news, find out which elite manager Overmars is backed to bring to NUFC if he becomes DoF here!

According to reports out of Spain, West Ham United and by extension manager David Moyes have set their sights on Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic as the Galacticos reportedly make a decision on the player’s future.

The Lowdown: West Ham set for interesting summer?

As the Hammers now become outside contenders for a top four place, with London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal seemingly in better positions, their pull in the next transfer window could hinge on whether they qualify for the Europa League or if they even go on to win the competition this season.

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Moyes has reportedly earmarked the signings of a centre-half and striker as major priorities for the club, with moves attempted in the winter, including for the likes of Darwin Nunez (Benfica) and Duvan Zapata (Atalanta).

As those transfers failed to come to fruition, West Ham must now look to the summer in an effort to boost Moyes’ options for 2022/23, with news now surfacing on a brand-new striker target in Galacticos forward Jovic.

The Latest: West Ham ‘fight’ for Jovic…

As per Spanish sources, West Ham and Moyes are eyeing a move for the Serbia international, who is allegedly ‘fed up’ with life at the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid, who are also eager to see him leave the capital, are ‘looking for the Balkan striker’s exit’ as the Irons ‘fight’ for his signature alongside their Premier League top-four competitors Spurs and Arsenal.

In addition, with both player and club eager to see Jovic depart, this report claimed that ‘all roads reach an imminent agreement’ with any interested club willing to negotiate.

Indeed, it seems that if West Ham take their interest further, a quick-fire summer deal could be on the cards.

The Verdict: Make a move?

Jovic’s return for Eintracht Frankfurt points towards a striker with much ability when at the very peak of his powers. The 24-year-old notched a brilliant 17 goals and five assists over 25 Bundesliga starts in the 2018/19 season, perhaps illustrating why West Ham and Moyes have set their sights on him.

In more recent times, during Jovic’s brief return to Frankfurt on loan last year, their ex-manager Adi Hutter lavished the forward with praise, branding him a ‘world-class’ player after a brace against Schalke 04.

Still fairly young, and reportedly on the market for around €30m (£25m), West Ham could give Jovic a new lease of life in the English top flight and take advantage of Real Madrid’s willingness to strike a quick agreement.

In other news: Blow for Moyes as journalist says ‘underrated’ West Ham ace is now ‘ready to leave’, find out more here.

Kalvin Phillips’ future at Leeds United is unlikely to be resolved until the summer, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Watford start for Phillips?

The 25-year-old made a welcome return on the weekend, coming on in the second half of Leeds’ 1-1 draw with Southampton at Elland Road, and he is now in contention to start against Watford on Saturday.

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Phillips had been missing with a hamstring problem since December, with the likes of West Ham, Aston Villa and Newcastle United all being linked with a move for the England international during his time on the treatment table.

The 26-year-old has informed the club of his desire to pen a new deal at Elland Road, but it doesn’t look as if one will be signed anytime soon.

The Latest: Phillips contract update

The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones shared a story on Phillips late on Monday night, name-checking West Ham, Villa and Newcastle with interest.

The report claimed that Phillips is in the process of changing agents and that talks over the next stage of his career are unlikely to take place until that is finalised.

The Verdict: Worrying for Leeds…

June was named as a possible date for Phillips’ future to be resolved, which could be a worry for the Whites. You’d expect that they would have hoped to have tied down their star midfielder to a new deal before the current season comes to an end.

That doesn’t look likely now, which will give the three interested Premier League suitors fresh hope of luring him from Elland Road under a new representative.

Hopefully Leeds will remain in the Premier League and build a team around Phillips going forward, but it seems as if Whites fans may have to sweat a little longer when it comes to the midfielder’s future.

In other news: Leeds and Marsch handed early injury boost as ‘strong’ player may now return v Watford