All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham Hotspur finally got back to winning ways in the Premier League after they defeated Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.

Nuno Santo’s men had been thumped in each of their last three outings, the last of which being an embarrassing north London derby defeat to Arsenal a week ago but clearly, the Lilywhites put those ghosts in the past to deliver one of their most impressive performances of the 2021/22 campaign.

Heung-min Son was one major catalyst towards the three points as he provided an assist for both of their goals – the first time that Spurs had scored more than one goal in any league game this term.

Although he wasn’t the highest-rated player on SofaScore.

That acclaim went to Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who was graded an 8.0, in comparison to the South Korean’s 7.3.

The 26-year-old even opened the scoring for Spurs with a cool finish from the edge of the penalty box after he received the ball from Son just 27 minutes into the match.

But Hojbjerg’s contribution didn’t stop there as he was a constant thorn in Dean Smith’s side all afternoon.

Only one other player (Emerson, 86) recorded more touches than the £36m-rated powerhouse (84), proving he was an influential figure in the engine room, playing alongside Oliver Skipp and Tanguy Ndombele.

The 21-year-old gem’s involvement has allowed the Dane to have more of an influence in the final third, hence why he was in the right spot at the right time to get himself on the scoresheet.

He made 89% of his 66 passing attempts, which was the best of any Spurs starter, whilst he also managed six successful dribbles from six attempts (100%). It suggests that he played a key role in linking the midfield to the attack.

By comparison, more-attack minded players like Son (three) and Ndombele (one) managed far fewer.

Elsewhere, Hojbjerg still did his defensive duties a lot of justice – as per SofaScore, he managed two tackles, two clearances, one interception and even won nine of 12 duels (75%).

football.london’s Alasdair Gold described the 6 foot 1 midfielder as a “big presence”, whilst the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick claimed he was “tidy on the ball and shielded the back four well from the threat of John McGinn.”

On the above evidence, you could argue that Hojbjerg ran the show for Nuno and Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He was different class and deserves just as many plaudits as Son.

AND in other news, Paratici could sign Spurs’ next Dembele in swoop for “extraordinary” £36m-rated beast…

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.

West Ham United manager David Moyes will be hoping for a return to winning ways when his side face Chelsea at the London Stadium this lunchtime.

The Irons are now winless in their last three Premier League outings, having been defeated by Wolverhampton Wanderers and defending champions Manchester City before a kick in the teeth on Wednesday after Brighton and Hove Albion bagged a late equaliser.

They do still hold fourth place in the standings, though, and that could be bolstered with a result against the title-contending Blues today. Moyes could seriously bolster the east Londoners’ top-four claims by making a bold and brutal call on veteran centre-back Craig Dawson.

The 31-year-old has been hugely underwhelming in recent matches and it’s hardly a surprise that they have struggled to pick up wins, as he has come in to replace injured Italian stalwart Angelo Ogbonna, who will now miss the rest of the campaign with an ACL problem.

Dawson struggled against the Seagulls and was arguably one of the worst players on the pitch – per SofaScore, he lost a whopping 84% of his six duels, which is very poor for a central defender and one of his aerial ability at 6 foot 2.

Meanwhile, his display at Molineux flattered to deceive, with Evening Standard reporter Jack Rosser grading him poorly in his post-match ratings column, as he wrote: ‘Struggled at the back a little in stepping in for Angelo Ogbonna and was poor on the ball.’

Thomas Tuchel has plenty of high-calibre players available at his disposal, especially in the final thrid, where he will look to punish the out-of-form Hammers.

The prospect of the towering Romelu Lukaku or the deft touch and electric pace of Timo Werner is a frightening one up against the former Watford and West Brom defender.

Chelsea currently top the table and have scored the second-most goals in the Premier League thus far, so it would be a massive risk from Moyes to start the defensive liability today.

He must be ruthless and axe the £52k-per-week Dawson from his starting XI, and he could easily do so with Issa Diop waiting in the wings for an opportunity.

AND in other news, Moyes targets £26m-rated “leader” after big West Ham blow…

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.

[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…

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.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has dropped an exciting claim about Leeds United starlet Cody Drameh amid his performance against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

What’s the story?

Despite Marcelo Bielsa choosing a relatively strong starting line-up for the trip to the Emirates, the Leeds boss did hand a rare opportunity to one of his club’s brightest young prospects, Drameh.

And, during a discussion with fans for The Athletic, Hay delivered his take on the young right-back.

He said: “The point about Drameh was that he could be a natural successor to Ayling, who still has time left but is clearly not in his first flush of youth. Drameh is well thought of and I do feel like he’s got a serious chance here if he’s patient.”

Part of Leeds United’s future

While naturally much of the excitement of Leeds United fans will be surrounding Joe Gelhardt – especially after his superb match-saving cameo against Wolves at the weekend – Drameh is another from the U23s group who could really make a name for himself at Elland Road.

At just 19, the teenager has got plenty of time to grow and develop, and while first-team minutes may be more of a premium now that the Whites find themselves out of one of the cup competitions, he’s got all the makings of being a top star for the future.

As Hay hinted at, Drameh could be the perfect natural successor to Luke Ayling at right-back, with the latter now having turned 30 back in the summer.

Eredivisie scout Xander Wilkinson was quick to rave about his potential and how good he is already, saying: “Defensively so impressive! His mind works quicker than most right-backs I’ve seen in a naturally defensive mindset. Tactically very aware of what is being asked of him, times his engagements well, needs to add a little more unpredictability going forward.”

Whether it’s over the course of this season, or the following one, Leeds fans will be hoping to see a lot more of Drameh, and that is sure to excite them.

Meanwhile, this Leeds star was shocking vs Arsenal…

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

An update has emerged on Manchester United gem Dean Henderson, regarding Newcastle’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, the England international has been mentioned as a possible goalkeeper target for the Magpies.

The report claims that a loan deal for Henderson would be costly for Newcastle, with Lazio shot-stopper Thomas Strakosha among their alternative options.

Krul 2.0

Eddie Howe, who is reportedly close to taking over on Tyneside, could unearth Tim Krul 2.0 for Newcastle by signing Henderson in the January window.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-newcastle-howe-ter-stegen” title= “Read the latest Newcastle news!”]

Krul played 185 times for the Magpies after coming through the ranks as a young goalkeeper and kept 53 clean sheets for the club. He established himself as a regular in the Premier League and Henderson could be the newest long-term number one at St. James’ Park.

The 24-year-old has 49 Premier League appearances under his belt to date for Manchester United and Sheffield United and has kept 18 clean sheets in that time. He has played 27 times for the Red Devils in all competitions and kept an impressive 13 clean sheets.

Former United boss Jose Mourinho once hailed the shot-stopper and praised his arrogance. He told talkSPORT:

“I am a Henderson fan. When I was at United he was a kid, and I tell this story because it shows his nature.

“He came to my office asking for a loan, he went to Shrewsbury, but this kid said to me then, ‘When I come back, I want to be number one’. We looked at each other because we had De Gea and this kid never played one game, but he has had incredible development.

“The loans were all very successful. The way United organised them I think United did amazing for him and he did amazing for himself. He has this arrogance in him, this trust and belief which I think an England goalkeeper needs.”

This, along with his statistics in the top-flight to date, highlights the potential the £120k-per-week gem has heading into the rest of his career. 24 is incredibly young for a goalkeeper and Howe could bring in the club’s number one for years to come if he signs him, as he has shown that he has the quality to keep clean sheets in the Premier League.

Therefore, he has the potential to be a top-tier goalkeeper for a number of years and could be the next Tim Krul at St. James’ Park as he could come in and solidify his place in the starting XI if he is able to fulfil his potential and remain consistent.

AND in other news, Forget Hayden: Newcastle gem with 9 duels won was Jones’ real hero vs Brighton…