All posts by z3u9t.icu

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.

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.

Michael Olise was Crystal Palace’s standout performer in the Eagles’ 2-1 comeback win away to Millwall in the FA Cup third round on Saturday afternoon.

The Premier League outfit had gone 1-0 down after Benik Afobe capitalised on a Jack Butland howler before Patrick Vieira’s side turned their fortunes around to secure their place in the fourth round, with the 20-year-old at the heart of the comeback.

Having signed from Championship outfit Reading last year for a fee of around £8m, the Frenchman has endured a mixed start to life in south London, managing just two starts in the Premier League thus far.

However, Olise has made 13 appearances in the top flight, scoring two goals and registering three assists. Having played 460 minutes of league football, the youngster is averaging a goal involvement every 92 minutes, an impressive return for him in his debut campaign at that level.

Palace’s cup tie with their London rivals proved to be an opportunity for the talented Frenchman to make a real impression on his manager, and that opportunity was grabbed with both hands.

Olise proved himself to Vieira

The winger equalised almost immediately after half-time, scoring with a spectacular curling finish off of the far post after cutting in from the right-hand side, netting his third goal of the campaign in his third senior start.

Just 12 minutes later, he produced an excellent delivery into the box for an unmarked Jean-Philippe Mateta to head home and ultimately settle the contest in Palace’s favour. Moreover, Olise could’ve had a brace of similar goals, having struck the woodwork with another audacious effort from the right flank.

Conor Gallagher may be Palace’s best player of the season so far according to WhoScored figures, but according to SofaScore, he was outshone today by the 20-year-old. Olise was the website’s man of the match as he earned a standout rating of 8.5/10, although it wasn’t just his goal contributions which marked him out as the pick of the bunch at The Den.

The £34k-p/w talent also had 48 touches down the right flank before being withdrawn in the 88th minute, as well as successfully completing two of his three dribbles. Defensively, he won five duels and two tackles, so he also pitched in with his share of work out of possession.

Today’s match was was certainly an opportunity for Olise to prove a point to his manager, who may now believe that he was mistaken to give the 20-year-old so few chances from the start during the season so far.

The question now is whether will we see more of the French youngster in the Eagles’ starting XI during the second half of the campaign.

In other news, Palace have been linked with this promising forward…

There has been plenty of change at Crystal Palace this year. Manager Roy Hodgson’s four-year tenure came to an end with Patrick Vieira coming through the door. Plenty of new players also joined, with the Eagles now boasting an exciting handful of young prospects.

A famous win at the Etihad will arguably be the highlight, with a success over Tottenham also up there with Palace fans’ favourites from 2021 whilst heavy defeats against the likes of Manchester City and Burnley will be pushed to the back of their minds.

The South London club is certainly a work in progress under Vieira, but there will certainly be hope at Selhurst Park that next year will see the Eagles spread their wings.

Take our big, fat Crystal Palace quiz of 2021 and see if you can get 100% – only real fans will be able to!

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.

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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…

Newcastle United may now have received a big boost in their pursuit of Luis Diaz in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: In the race

A Bola (via Sport Witness) reported last month that the St. James’ Park faithful were one of a number of clubs in the race to sign Diaz in January, along with the likes of Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea, Real Madrid and AC Milan.

He is a player that is having somewhat of a breakout season at FC Porto, with no fewer than 12 goals scored and three assists made in 21 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Teammate Sergio Oliveira even went as far as to claim that he is ‘extraordinary’ after a match-winning display against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League, and there is no doubt that he has a big future ahead of him.

The Latest: Financial trouble

As per Record (via Sport Witness), the North East club may now have received ‘good news’ in their hopes of signing Diaz, as Porto failed to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages.

It has made a big impact on their financial situation, and the ‘fastest solution’ is to sell some of their big stars next month, including Diaz.

Porto will now listen to any offers that come in for the Colombia international in January, and their ‘dream scenario’ would be to sell in the winter, but for him not to actually leave until the summer.

The Verdict: Unrealistic

Given the calibre of clubs that seem to be in for Diaz, it may prove too difficult for the Tyneside outfit to persuade him to join them at this moment in time.

Of course, they currently find themselves in a relegation battle, and a player of Diaz’s quality, who has just played in the Champions League, will surely want to move to other teams still in the competition ahead of them.

Still, with the financial backing that they have from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium, it will not hurt the Magpies to at least try to sign the 24-year-old, but it may well be an uphill battle.

In other news, find out which ‘warrior’ Eddie Howe is now targeting here!

An update has emerged on Newcastle gem Joe White regarding interest from Glasgow giants Rangers…

What’s the talk?

According to The Chronicle, the Gers and their city rivals Celtic are both weighing up a swoop for the teenage midfielder, along with unnamed clubs from the Premier League and Bundesliga.

The report claims that he is out of contract at the end of the season and can be spoken to from January onwards by clubs from outside of England.

Davis 2.0

Ross Wilson must secure a deal to sign White on a pre-contract agreement in January. With his deal expiring in 2022, the Gers will be able to secure a move in the winter window before officially bringing him in on a free transfer next summer, giving them the upper hand on any English clubs wanting to sign him.

Steven Davis is out of contract next summer and they could land his natural successor in White. The Northern Ireland international is a steady performer in the middle of the park, completing 88% of his passes this season and making 2.1 tackles and interceptions per game.

The 36-year-old is able to control the tempo of the game as Rangers’ midfield metronome and White could come in to fill a similar role. The teenager has completed 82% of his passes in the EFL Trophy this season and former Magpies boss Steve Bruce previously hailed his strength, claiming that the youngster has become ‘bigger and stronger’.

Bruce said: “He caught the eye, didn’t he? We brought him up about 18 months ago before Covid, and he quietly impressed us.

“And, all of a sudden, they grow all of a sudden, and find a yard of pace, and look bigger and stronger. And he’s certainly done that. Over the last couple of games in particular, I’ve been very, very pleased with what I’ve seen.

“Well done to him. The good thing is pre-season’s given me a chance to see him in a game. He can be really pleased with himself. He catches everybody’s eye with his strength, physicality – and the way he handles the ball.”

These comments from Bruce suggest that White could also have the ability and strength on the ball to control the midfield and be the Davis-esque metronome that Rangers need in the middle of the park. Of course, he would need to show it at first team level, but it is a worthwhile gamble to take on a free transfer for a player who could be the club’s replacement for the Northern Ireland veteran in the long-term.

AND in other news, Talks underway: Major Rangers development emerges on 46 y/o which will leave fans excited…

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”

Official Rangers media partner Heart & Hand have revealed some the details involved in the proposed sale of Nathan Patterson to Everton.

It emerged on Sunday evening that the English Premier League club were closing in on a deal for the Gers’ right back.

Everton had made two unsuccessful attempts to land Patterson in the 2021 summer transfer window, but Rangers’ insistence on a sell-on clause had apparently been a ‘stumbling block’ in negotiations.

However, according to a new claim from Heart & Hand, the Toffees have now agreed to that provision.

The Merseyside club will pay £12m for the Scotland international, most of it up front, and the fee could rise to £16m if add-ons are triggered.

Patterson has only made two starts in the Premiership this season, but his sale could become the most lucrative in Rangers’ history, surpassing the £12.15m they fetched from current Ibrox manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s move to Arsenal in 2001.

Here’s what these Rangers fans made of the information from Heart & Hand regarding the 20-year-old’s proposed exit.

These Rangers fans applaud Patterson business

“Will be sad to see Paterson go, but this is money that can kickstart Gio’s era and our player trading model without upset the first 11. Paterson will also be set for life, no brainer for all parties.”

Credit: @tagsbo

“good deal for both parties, would have liked to see him develop here but too much to knock back for a substitute”

Credit: @parkovanbasten

“As most are saying, great business for a player who has only started a handful of games. Perhaps he could have played a bigger part in years to come, but wasn’t fair on him being stuck on the bench. Hope some money gets put back into the team, right wing and centre half please.”

Credit: @Lawrence0Hunter

“Good move for everyone. Great money for us for a benchwarmer, and he’ll find it far easier to get a game at Everton instead of trying to dislodge Tav. The very best of luck to him. Once a Ranger etc”

Credit: @R1130_

“Some bit of business for us btw”

Credit: @RyanLawless93

“That’s unreal business for a guy who has barely played any first team football”

Credit: @Fahdy824

In other news, lots of Gers fans erupted over this transfer news

Flocking to Twitter, a number of Manchester United fans have erupted over news involving Ajax manager Erik ten Hag.

It is now official as the Red Devils parted company with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this morning following a run of dismal results, with a 4-1 humiliation at hands of minnows Watford seemingly cementing the Norwegian’s fate.

United severed ties with Solskjaer more than two-and-a-half years after they appointed him on a permanent basis to succeed Jose Mourinho.

The club legend vacates the Old Trafford managerial seat having guided United through 168 games in all competitions, winning 92 of them, drawing 35 and losing 41 – averaging around 1.85 points per match (Transfermarkt).

As such, their search seems set to begin as club chiefs decide best how to take the Red Devils forward whilst making the most of their star-studded squad.

Links to Zinedine Zidane, Mauricio Pochettino and Brendan Rodgers have surfaced in recent weeks but it is the latest update on Ten Hag which has fans excited.

According to CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs, writing on his personal Twitter feed, Ajax’s boss is ‘in the mix’ to succeed Solskjaer as Red Devils manager. Jacobs added that United ‘made contact’ with ‘multiple candidates’ even before their loss to the Hornets on Saturday – including Ten Hag.

Man United fans go wild for Ten Hag…

Taking into account his plaudits, style of play and managerial record, it’s little wonder that so many United fans have raved over this news.

A title winner in the Netherlands and a Champions League semi-finalist in 2019, Ten Hag’s impressive points average of 2.08 per match eclipses that of Solskjaer and the 51-year-old even has admirers in some high profile Premier League coaches.

For example, Jurgen Klopp branded him ‘one of the most exciting coaching talents in world football’ (Planet Football) – perhaps evidence that the Dutchman could be just what United need.

Plenty of Red Devils fans certainly believe so judging by these excited Twitter reactions, with one supporter even calling him a ‘perfect fit’.

Check out more of their verdicts below:

“Ten Hag timeeeeee”

Credit: @Ixrisldn

“Ten Hag, I’m on my knees”

Credit: @casperorace

“Tears in my eyes”

Credit: @_M0J

“Bring him home”

Credit: @Showman_ke

“Get this man inside!”

Credit: @KgosiAkeem

“YEEEEEESSSSSSS”

Credit: @RASHYFORDSZN

“Perfect fit”

Credit: @juxkwabena

In other news: ‘Needs transfer listing’, ‘Shocking’ – These Man Utd fans slam ‘awful’ player who lost the ball 15 times v Watford