All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic may well go on to win the Premiership crown this summer, a deserved title for Ange Postecoglou in his first year with the Hoops.

However, he might have some tricky dilemmas to work out as he heads towards a summer transfer window where a lot of work will need to be done behind the scenes at Parkhead.

What’s the word?

Celtic are in danger of losing a few players in the upcoming market with Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers both set to see their loan deal expire.

Talks have begun to keep the latter in Glasgow but the future of Jota, their diminutive and skilful Portuguese sensation, is a lot more unclear.

It’s thought Celtic have a £6.5m option to buy the winger but Postecoglou has been rather coy on whether they’ll look to activate that clause.

Should they opt against it, the Bhoys must revive their chase of Kristijan Lovric.

He’s like Mbappe

Celtic have been interested in the Croat now for a number of years with a bid of £4.5m even believed to have been rejected for his services.

Yet, if they still have the NK Osijek man in their services, they must line up another bid even if he has only just moved in the winter market.

A move to British shores would surely be tempting for the player and if Postecoglou’s recruitment team can stump up the cash, his current side would find it difficult to turn it down given their financial status.

Jota will be an incredibly hard player to replace given his 20 goal contributions this term but in Lovric, they’d have someone who is more than capable.

The 26-year-old found the back of the net on 54 occasions for Gorica and has grown an enviable reputation for being one of the most dangerous players in the Croatian top tier.

Indeed, speaking about Lovric previously, HNTV commentator Damir Petravic 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 sounds like an incredibly dangerous attacker, one who judging by his 28 assists, is also capable of creating regular scoring opportunities for his teammates.

Jota has been sublime at points this term but has still had the tendency to run a little hot and cold. In Lovric, however, they may well find a player capable of being more consistent.

It would be a significant deal to complete and a tricky one given his circumstances but it’s evident he’s someone Celtic have admired for some time. This summer could be the perfect chance to head back into the market for him.

AND in other news, Sources: Celtic now in talks over “important” Lennoxtown deal, Ange will be buzzing…

As per RMC Sport, there has been a transfer update out of West Ham United involving Strasbourg defender Gerzino Nyamsi as GSB set their sights on a brand new transfer target.

The Lowdown: Moyes aims for new centre-back signing…

According to recent reports, manager David Moyes has apparently earmarked the signing of a new defender as one of his major summer priorities.

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The likes of James Tarkowski (Burnley) and Nikola Milenkovic (Fiorentina) have recently been linked with recent claims even emerging that West Ham are in pole position for the latter man.

Angelo Ogbonna is currently still sidelined through injury and Moyes has had to make do with just Craig Dawson, Kurt Zouma and Issa Diop as his senior options.

This comes amid their chase for European football next season, and if the Irons make it there again for 2022/2023, they will need more depth in the defensive positions.

The Latest: Hammers officials eye Nyamsi…

According to RMC, a new West Ham target has emerged in Nyamsi, with club officials closely scouting the Ligue 1 ace.

This comes as he could now leave this summer and this report claims we can expect a ‘battle between Italy and England’.

As well as West Ham, Newcastle and Napoli are named as interested parties as Nyamsi stands out in France.

RMC go on to state that English clubs have noticed his statistical superiority as he towers over most central defenders in Ligue 1 – most notably his aerial duels, ball carrying, tackling and recovery (RMC Sport).

The Verdict: Get it done?

While it is unclear how much Strasbourg could demand for Nyamsi, given his meagre £4.5 million Transfermarkt value, it may not be much.

Standing at a colossal 6 foot 5, the 25-year-old is a real presence in defence and would take to the physicality of the Premier League like a duck to water.

As a summer battle looms, it’s interesting to see Moyes and co really cast the West Ham net out.

In other news: West Ham make contact to sign ‘one of the top four’ number eights in Europe! Find out more here.

According to Sky Sports football reporter Keith Downie on Twitter, Sunderland are close to signing two new strikers before the end of the month. 

One striker is long-term target Will Grigg, while the other is believed to be Middlesbrough’s England under-19 international Stephen Walker.

This is very encouraging news for The Black Cats, as these two deals are a sign that the club thinking about the present and the future. In the absence of Josh Maja, Jack Ross will need to quickly find a replacement for the striker to keep the club competitive at the top end of League One this season. Grigg is certainly that man.

Currently plying his trade with Wigan in the Championship, Grigg would surely want to drop down to League One, where he has had a huge amount of success in past seasons. In his last three seasons spent in League One with Wigan and MK Dons, he has scored 64 goals. On the other hand, he only has four Championship goals this season for The Latics. Therefore, he may be able to help Sunderland get back up to the Championship, but may not be of great service once they do.

That is when Walker will come into his own. The 18-year-old is seen as a hugely promising talent, which is obvious seeing as he has represented his country. Walker’s signature will ensure continued success, rather than a potential flash-in-the-pan. This is the clearest sign that Sunderland are starting to make shrewd signings after years of transfer blunders.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been flocking to some transfer news on Danilho Doekhi.

As per Croatian news outlet 24 Sata (via Ibrox Chat), the Vitesse central defender is now set to decide his future, as both the Teddy Bears as well as Dinamo Zagreb have made pre-contract offers for him.

Having already secured John Souttar from Hearts on a pre-contract, the Light Blues do not seem to be messing about when it comes to increasing their centre-back options, especially as  Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun‘s contracts are up in the summer.

Nonetheless, if they both go on a free, then Souttar and Doekhi would be more than adequate replacements, and the latter has already hinted that he would like the move, claiming that he is ‘flattered’ by Gers’ interest, and that they are a ‘very beautiful’ club (de Gelderlander).

Dutch football agent Freddy van der Hoorn believes that his fellow countryman has ‘all the ingredients’ for a good centre-half, as he is ‘aggressive’ at six-foot-three, but also ‘very comfortable’ on the ball (Rangers Review).

Nonetheless, Doekhi would be another solid addition to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad.

Rangers fans on Doekhi transfer news

These RFC supporters flocked to the transfer news as it was shared on Twitter:

“Come on big man, come to Glasgow!”

Credit: @Smudgersmith15

“I beg”

Credit: @SaucyGlen_V2

“Hope it’s us”

Credit: @EducatedOranje

“This would be glorious if we could pull it off”

Credit: @EveryOtherSatu1

“Whatever Dinamo are offering, offer them more.”

Credit: @MattG95

“Ok Doekhi. Better choose the Gers though!”

Credit: @Crypto_Kirk86

In other news, find out transfer update was lauded by Gers here!

Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has pinpointed one key area which has made Celtic so impressive in the 2021/22 campaign so far. 

The lowdown: Domestic domination for Celtic?

Having relinquished a nine-year stranglehold on the Premiership title in 2021, the Hoops have regained their poise under Ange Postecoglou and appear to be heading towards a 52nd top-flight crown.

A mixture of smart recruitment at Parkhead, along with changes in personnel at Rangers, has meant that Celtic sit six points clear of their Glasgow rivals with five games to go, with the Scottish League Cup already in the bag too.

As the Bhoys prepare to do battle with their fiercest rivals in the Scottish Cup semi-finals, ex-Gers boss McLeish believes that the attacking prowess at Parkhead could ultimately be the deciding factor on Sunday…

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The latest: Too much firepower…

Speaking to Football Insider, the 63-year-old claimed that the wealth of options at Postecoglou’s disposal has been crucial to his success so far at Parkhead.

McLeish stated: “With Celtic, you don’t know where the next goal is going to come from. At Rangers, it’s ‘I wonder when Morelos or Roofe will get that chance’.

“That’s not the case at Celtic. There are five or six different goalscorers every week.

“The thing for Furuhashi is he will probably be wondering how he gets back in. I think he’ll either start or he will come on and that will bring the energy he has so much of. I think he’s ready for that.”

The verdict: Goals from everywhere

Going into the Hampden Park showdown, Celtic have nine players with five goals or more to their name this season, including Kyogo Furuhashi, Liel Adaba and Jota with 10 or more.

In addition, January arrivals Matt O’Riley, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate have all hit the ground running in front of goal and will be staking a claim to start in Postecoglou’s side for the crunch semi-final.

Meanwhile, 16-goal top scorer Furuhashi will certainly be in line to make a first start since Boxing Day as Giorgos Giakoumakis faces a race against time due to a hamstring injury.

It’s little wonder, then, that McLeish is in awe of the attacking options at Postecoglou’s disposal.

In other news, one pundit has reaced to Ange Postecoglou’s transfer claim. Find out more here.

Despite securing a deal for 21-year-old winger Chiquinho in recent days, Wolves still have enough time left in the January transfer window to add some more players to Bruno Lage’s squad as they aim to secure a European place in the Premier League this season.

One potential deal that the Old Gold could look to complete is for Barcelona’s 24-year-old winger Ousmane Dembele, who has been mentioned with a move to Molineux recently with current Wolves winger Adama Traore possibly going in the other direction.

With the Spanish club apparently telling Dembele to leave by the end of the month if he’s not willing to sign a new deal at Camp Nou, this is a situation that Wolves could potentially pounce upon to bring the Frenchman to Molineux for a fresh start away from Barcelona.

Having been compared to a young Cristiano Ronaldo by former Rennes sporting director Mikael Silvestre in terms of his characteristics on the pitch, Dembele has shown throughout his career that he is capable of scoring and setting up goals in a similar vein to the iconic Portuguese attacker. The 24-year-old has scored 53 goals and delivered 50 assists in 208 senior club appearances for Rennes, Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona across all competitions.

In addition to his comparison with Ronaldo, the £27m-rated winger has also been the subject of lofty praise from another footballing icon, with Lionel Messi describing his former Barcelona teammate as a “phenomenon” on the pitch.

If Jeff Shi and Wolves see a possibility of being able to secure a financially viable deal for Dembele this month, they should definitely go for it to see if he would be willing to test his game in the Premier League and put what seems to be an unsavoury situation with Barcelona behind him to potentially become Wolves’ own version of Ronaldo.

Given his fairly young age and Traore’s reported intention to leave Molineux, Dembele could also be Wolves’ dream replacement for the Spaniard and offer Lage’s side more of a goal threat going forward, given how Traore has only netted 11 goals in 153 Old Gold appearances across all competitions.

However, with a significant injury record against his name, this could potentially put off Wolves or any other club considering a move for Dembele from actually doing so.

In other news: Sky Sports journalist drops Wolves transfer update live on air, Lage will be delighted

Jurgen Klopp and Julian Ward could bring a new striker to Liverpool this summer in the shape of Lautaro Martinez.

What’s the word?

That’s according to the latest reports from TuttoMercato, who claim that the 24-year-old has decided that he wants a move to a “big club with many titles” and the Reds have him in their crosshairs as a result.

The Italian outlet suggests that Martinez will not be playing his football for Inter Milan next season, with the Nerazzurri looking to free up some budget.

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The fee will of course depend on the way he ends the season but is reported to be around €80m (£67m).

It is said that Arsenal and Atletico Madrid had made their interest known, though the Argentinian striker was not willing to entertain a move to either side, with his sites set on joining a club that has won “many titles.”

Possible destinations suggested by TuttoMercato are Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City or Bayern Munich.

An elite club

Thanks to their historical success and silverware as of recent, Liverpool are in an elite and forthright position to sign the “sensational” £76k-per-week talent.

Klopp would be right to do so, with Martinez notching up some impressive numbers in regards to his goal returns. In 42 appearances this season, the Argentina international has three assists.

Lautaro has demonstrated that he can be more creative, having created 11 assists last season, when Lukaku was the main man in Milan.

Being an out-and-out striker, he would offer a presence up-top that Liverpool have not had since Luis Suarez.

Capable of adapting to the style of Lionel Messi, his teammate in the national team, Martinez could find a new partnership with Mohammed Salah.

Of recent, Salah has established an identity as a top goalscorer, and if he would be willing to collaborate with the 24-year-old in Liverpool’s frontline, we could well see a deadly duo in the Premier League.

This is a transfer that few clubs have the opportunity to pull off, so it would be worth a look at least from the perspective of Jurgen Klopp.

In other news: Julian Ward could now unearth Liverpool’s next Trent in £540k-rated “wonderkid”…

Leeds United are one of the teams interested in Boubacar Kamara…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports, who have named the Yorkshire giants alongside Premier League rivals Manchester United in the race to sign the Marseille midfielder before the January transfer window deadline on Monday.

The 22-year-old gem is out of contract in the summer, so the coming days are the last chance for the Ligue 1 outfit to earn some sort of fee for him and the Daily Mail believe they will sell for just £10m.

Battle for late bargain

Kamara’s versatility to play in the backline or in midfield makes him a very intriguing prospect and one that could be of huge benefit to Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds.

The 66-year-old head coach has seen his squad decimated with injuries throughout the 2021/22 campaign, particularly in the engine room, where he is currently without star man Kalvin Phillips.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-lufc-transfer-rumours-gossip-bielsa-orta-radrizzani-elland-road-updates” title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Leeds have not signed someone in the role since January 2018, four years ago, when Adam Forshaw swapped Middlesbrough for Elland Road. Even he has recently picked up an injury, leaving Bielsa even lighter on options.

Kamara is one of Europe’s brightest talents right now, having been dubbed a “phenomenon” by former Olympiens teammate Rolando. “When he started training with us, he was 15 years old. And from day one, I said, no, but this little one is going to be a great player,” he added.

Since making his debut, the young versatile machine has averaged 2.8 long balls, 2.3 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, putting up some remarkable numbers, via WhoScored.

Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, the Whites could well seal an absolute bargain in Kamara in the coming few days, especially at just £10m, which is well within Leeds’ budget.

Bielsa badly needs midfield reinforcements and the fact that the France U21 international can also play in defence makes him a very useful candidate indeed.

If they can seal a late move for him before Monday, then Bielsa would surely be a very happy man.

AND in other news, Journalist drops exciting Leeds United transfer update…

David Moyes has dropped an update on West Ham United’s business in the January transfer window.

What’s been said?

In recent comments cited by the Evening Standard, the 58-year-old Hammers boss revealed that he is hopeful he can pull off a number of deals for new signings this month, as well as claiming that he and his transfer team at the London Stadium have already submitted some offers for targets in the current market.

Speaking about the Irons’ January transfer plans, Moyes said: “I think sometimes you need things to come, [they] take a bit of time to come to fruition. We’re asking about players and other clubs that are trying to get them are asking about players and it is taking a bit of time for things, the domino effect to really happen.

“We’ve made some offers behind the scenes for players, we’ve tried to look at situations so it’s not as if we’re not doing it at the moment. You just need to look around football and see that there’s not a lot of deals happening at the moment. The general feeling is that it is a bit tougher for whatever reason that may be. I’m hopeful we can pull something off.”

Fans will be buzzing

While West Ham have been linked with a whole host of players this month, the east London outfit are still yet to get a deal over the line for an incoming first-teamer 15 days into the transfer window. That may well worry some of the London Stadium faithful, particularly with the club only having one out-and-out centre-forward in Michail Antonio and seeing first-choice centre-back Angelo Ogbonna being ruled out for the season as a result of injury.

However, following the 58-year-old’s latest update, it would very much seem as if the Hammers are working on a number of deals to bring fresh faces to the club this month, something which will undoubtedly have left fans buzzing.

West Ham currently sit fourth in the Premier League, but if Moyes wishes to give his side the best possible chance of securing qualification for the Champions League next season, it would seem essential that he brings in backup to and competition for the injury-prone Antonio, as well as greater depth in the heart of his defence, before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month.

As such, the 58-year-old’s suggestion that there are a number of players West Ham are currently monitoring ahead of a potential swoop this month is sure to come as music to the ears of Irons fans, as qualifying for the Champions League would undoubtedly be an astonishing achievement for the club.

In other news: GSB must seal West Ham swoop for 19 y/o gem who wants to be “competing for the Ballon d’Or”

Paul Pogba is ‘heading’ for the exit door at Manchester United, The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell says. 

The lowdown

Pogba’s £290,000-per-week Old Trafford contract is due to expire at the end of June.

United bought him back from Juventus in 2016 for a fee of £94.5million, the biggest transfer in Premier League history before Romelu Lukaku (£101.7million) and Jack Grealish (£105.75million) moved to Chelsea and Manchester City respectively last summer.

Pogba has made 232 appearances for the Red Devils in total, winning the Europa League and EFL Cup in 2016/17 before earning a place in the PFA Team of the Year in 2018/19.

On Saturday, as Manchester United scraped past bottom-of-the-table Norwich City at home, United supporters booed Pogba, who responded by cupping his ear.

The Frenchman isn’t the only player poised to walk on a free transfer come the summer, with Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani and Juan Mata all out of contract too.

The latest

Speaking live on Sky Sports News on Sunday afternoon, Whitwell indicated that the ship had sailed.

He says Pogba has shown little interest in signing a lucrative contract, and feels that his reception on Saturday has confirmed the inevitability of his exit.

“It’s heading that way [Pogba leaving at the end of the season],” he said.

“United offered him a very big contract last summer – £400,000 per week – and he’s left that sitting there because they didn’t offer him a contract the year before when he felt like maybe he wanted one.

He later added: “There was some doubt before this [the booing] that he would definitely leave, but I think that puts the underlining score in that situation really.”

The verdict

Will prospective manager Erik ten Hag have played in any role this decision?

Fabrizio Romano reported earlier this month that Ten Hag had asked for ‘100%’ involvement in ‘present and future transfers strategy’, including new contracts.

The Dutchman has since verbally agreed to become the new manager, potentially indicating that those demands have been met.

It’s possible that he’s greenlit Pogba’s exit, or it may be the case that United were already resigned to that outcome.

It now remains to be seen if he intervenes in an attempt to prevent Lingard, Cavani or Mata departing.

In other news, United have held a meeting with this superstar’s agent.