All posts by z3u9t.icu

[ad_pod ]

Loads of Sheffield United fans have been reacting to their big deadline day signing, as Scott Hogan has joined the club on loan.

Hogan has joined the Blades on a temporary deal until the end of the season, the club confirmed on Thursday.

The 26 year-old has made just seven appearances in all competitions for Aston Villa this season, per Transfermarkt, due partly to the incredible goalscoring form of Tammy Abraham.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

While he hasn’t found the net in his limited playing time this season, Hogan’s work rate and versatility will be a huge boost for Chris Wilder.

The three-cap Irish international is of course primarily a centre forward, but he can play on the wings as well, and his tireless running down the channels and constant harrying of the opposition defenders will add another element to Wilder’s arsenal.

He will be an brilliantly shrewd signing if he can rediscover his Brentford form, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions to the signing down below…

According to a report by TUTTOmercatoWEB, there has been a crucial update on the future of Marcelo Brozovic at Inter Milan – and it involves Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Brozovic wanted…

According to a variety of reports over this last week, the Croatian is one of many big Serie A names linked with a move to Spurs since Conte’s arrival in north London.

Calciomercato explained that he is one of a flurry of Italian top-flight stars attracting the 52-year-old’s interest as the Spurs boss demands a €280m (£239m) transfer war chest to overhaul the squad.

Meanwhile, TUTTOmercatoWEB also claimed last week that Conte is personally eyeing a move for him after remoulding Brozovic into a playmaker during his time at Inter.

That same outlet has now brought more news on the Croatia international’s future and his contractual uncertainty, namedropping Tottenham again.

The Latest: Conte ready to welcome Brozovic…

According to their sources, Brozovic’s future at the San Siro is set to be decided over crunch talks as both the player’s entourage and Inter arrange to meet at a ‘decisive summit’.

His current deal expires in 2022, which means that he could leave as a free agent at the end of this season, and his renewal is now ‘concretely in the balance’.

While Brozovic’s priority is to renew, despite the disagreements over salary at things stand, TMW also explained that there is ‘no shortage’ of suitors for the 28-year-old, and Conte is ready to ‘welcome him with open arms’.

The Verdict: Get it done?

If Conte can finally strike a long-awaited replacement for Christian Eriksen in Brozovic, especially considering how he was ‘reborn’ as a playmaker at Inter last year, we believe this could be an astute purchase for Tottenham on a free transfer.

Highlighting his creativity at some points, he averaged the same amount of key passes per 90 as Spurs superstar Harry Kane last season (1.4) – more than any Lilywhites player bar the Englishman and Son Heung-min (WhoScored).

The 68-cap ace also managed more league assists over that period (six) than any Tottenham squad member apart from Son and Kane, who both made the PFA Team of the Year.

Brozovic’s 89.6% pass accuracy in midfield over that time also eclipses that of every Spurs player (WhoScored), perhaps indicating that he would instil some class and composure in a more advanced role under Conte.

Lauded as a ‘very precious’ player by former Inter Milan and Udinese boss Andrea Stramaccioni, the Croatian could come as the Eriksen heir nobody predicted.

In other news: Conte also tells Spurs to sign 183-goal star as journalist drops big live TV transfer claim, find out more here.

The future of Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore lies away from Molineux.

What’s been said?

That’s according to the Express & Star’s Luke Hatfield, with the journalist stating his belief in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, with the 25-year-old winger being heavily linked with a move away from the club this January, it would appear more than likely that the Spain international secures a move away from the club sooner rather than later.

Speaking about the current situation of the Wolves forward, Hatfield said: “If I was a betting man, I would probably say that his future lies away from Molineux.”

Shi must act

While it is undeniable that Traore has become an integral part of the Wolves side since his £18m move to the club back in 2018, considering just how much of an impact the 25-year-old’s reported contract negotiations are having on his playing time this season, Jeff Shi simply must call time on the Spaniard’s spell at Molineux this winter.

Indeed, the winger scored one goal and provided one assist over his 25 Premier League appearances back in 2018/19, bagged four goals and nine assists over 37 league fixtures in 2019/20 and netted two goals and three assists over 37 top-flight games last season – with his returns playing a key role in reestablishing Wolves as a Premier League side.

Even in the current campaign, despite yet to contribute directly to a goal, the £17m-rated man has impressed over his 11 Premier League appearances, averaging 5.4 successful dribbles per game – the highest amount of any player in the league – while also taking an average of 1.5 shots and making 1.3 key passes per fixture.

These metrics have seen the man who Jurgen Klopp dubbed “unplayable” average a SofaScore match rating of 7.13, ranking him as Wolves’ second-best performer in the top flight.

However, over the club’s last three league fixtures, the £43k-per-week forward has featured for a grand total of just 36 minutes, with reports suggesting that, while his contract discussions are at a stand-off, Bruno Lage is less inclined to afford the 25-year-old game time ahead of Wolves’ other options out wide.

As such, with no resolution close regarding the contract discussions between him and the club, it would seem a very good idea for Shi and Wolves to cash in on Traore while interest in the winger is high, as the club will more than likely make a very tidy sum on the Spanish international.

In other news: Lage can save Shi millions by unleashing “magnificent” 19 y/o Wolves gem, “he’s ready”

Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick could sign a major upgrade on Harry Maguire with Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger.

What’s the story?

According to reports from Sky Deutschland (via Sport Witness), United are one of a number of top European sides who are chasing the Germany international.

It’s claimed that the likes of PSG and Bayern Munich have joined Real Madrid in the race to sign the central defender, and that Rangnick’s side have now emerged as an additional contender for his signature.

Better than Maguire

While Maguire may be established as a cornerstone of this United defence, Rudiger’s arrival would see the club land a genuine upgrade on the England international.

As per Whoscored, the £100k-per-week German has averaged an impressive 7.00 match rating over the course of the Premier League this season, which far betters Maguire’s measly 6.56.

And, when you look at the key underlying numbers, it’s easy to see why.

Rudiger averages almost double the number of interceptions that Maguire does, while he also boasts a far higher average number of passes and key passes per game – the kind of ball-playing centre-back that could thrive under Rangnick.

The Chelsea man also wins more offsides per game too, a pointer of how his pace and reading of the game is slightly superior to that of Maguire.

Rudiger’s performances for the Blues has earned rave reviews from a number of people, not least former United man Rio Ferdinand, who waxed lyrical about just how good he has been in the top-flight.

He said (via the Metro): “Look at Rudiger, he’s arguably, since Tuchel has been there (at Chelsea), been the best defender in the Premier League. Him or (Ruben) Dias in that time. He’s been unbelievable, he’s like an animal.”

And, speaking to BILD, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was similarly effusive in his praise, saying: “Toni has established himself exceptionally since the first day we arrived. He is an absolute leader and plays at an incredibly high level.”

The £31.5m-rated star could bring some proven Premier League experience and quality to this United back-line, and a real upgrade on Maguire.

Meanwhile, Man Utd must move for this Serie A midfielder…

With a loan move for Philippe Coutinho and a permanent deal for Lucas Digne already secured this month, Aston Villa and Steven Gerrard have been making no qualms in terms of flexing their finances and ability to attract players.

Looking ahead to the remainder of the window, one player that the Villans have been linked with in recent weeks that would certainly be an attractive prospect for Gerrard to have in his team and improve them is Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez.

Gomez joined Liverpool back in the 2015 summer transfer window from Charlton Athletic in a deal worth a reported fee of £3.5m.

Since then, the Englishman has made a total of 131 appearances across all competitions for the Merseyside club, winning the Premier League and Champions League along the way.

Labelled as an “unbelievable” player by fellow Reds defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gomez has found regular game time hard to come by this season, particularly in the Premier League with just three substitute appearances under his belt.

This suggests that should Villa make an approach to Gomez and his representatives this month over a potential deal, perhaps the promise of regular playing time under Gerrard’s guidance would be tempting for the defender.

From Villa’s point of view, they have a space in their squad for a player like the England international given how they recently said goodbye to Axel Tuanzebe after his loan deal was cut short by Manchester United.

Someone of Gomez’s calibre could well rival the likes of Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause for a place in the starting XI, thus sealing Gerrard a dream deal. He has already sealed one player who used to be at his former employers and bringing in another individual well known to him would surely be ideal, especially when it comes to building a working relationship.

Speaking of Mings, in a recent poll ran by Football FanCast, 66% of Villa fans think the England international is a liability for the team after his shaky performance in their 3-1 defeat against Chelsea, where he was at fault for Romelu Lukaku’s goal, further highlighting the need for a new defender to come in this month.

As for Gerrard, someone with obvious connections at Liverpool, it would undoubtedly be a dream move for him to have someone like Gomez in his side that has experience of playing at the top level under a manager such as Jurgen Klopp to potentially improve him even further.

Before the window closes, Villa should definitely test the waters to see if Gomez would be willing to make the move to the Midlands and if the Anfield outfit would be willing to let their £22.5m-rated centre-half go halfway through the season.

In other news: Imagine him & Coutinho: Gerrard can form scary AVFC duo with “clever” £43k-p/w gem – opinion

Following on from their impressive 4-1 win over Merseyside rivals Everton in midweek, Liverpool are back in Premier League action once again this afternoon with a clash against Wolves at Molineux.

With the Reds still having Harvey Elliott, Roberto Firmino and Curtis Jones out injured, and Naby Keita and Joe Gomez only just returning to first-team training after recovering from injuries, here’s how we feel Jurgen Klopp could line up his side to take on Wolves. We anticipate that there will be two changes to the starting XI from Wednesday night’s derby triumph.

Unsurprisingly, we think Klopp will stick with Alisson Becker in goals considering that he has played in the majority of Liverpool’s league games so far this season. 

Similarly, given how he’s played in all but two of the Reds’ league games this season, scoring one goal and providing seven assists in the process, it seems a near-certainty that Trent Alexander-Arnold will take the right-back spot. 

For the left-back position, even though Andy Robertson – who has been described as a “complete player” in the past by Fabio Aurelio – impressed in the match at Goodison Park, we can see Klopp giving the Scotland international a rest today to see if Kostas Tsimikas has what it takes to prove himself against Wolves’ attacking players. 

At centre-backs, we can see Ibrahima Konate – who is currently earning a weekly wage of £71k-p/w according to Salary Sport – coming back in for Joel Matip alongside Virgil van Dijk as Klopp looks to make the most out of his entire squad to rest some players at the start of their busy winter schedule. 

In the midfield, with the injuries and midweek performances in mind, we think Klopp will stick with the same trio of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara. 

For the front three, with 28 league goals between them this season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Klopp go with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah on the wings with Diogo Jota through the middle to see if the Portuguese star can haunt his former side and secure another win for the travelling Reds on his 25th birthday. 

Whatever starting XI Klopp picks today, this will be a great opportunity for Liverpool to pick up another win and keep their streak going, with Wolves winning just two of their six previous league games, as the Reds seek to keep pace in the title race alongside Chelsea and Manchester City. 

In other news: Klopp given major LFC boost as transfer claim emerges, fans surely buzzing

Manchester United’s struggles on the pitch continued over the week after they fell to a lacklustre defeat at the hands of local rivals Manchester City, and their issues off the field appear to be mounting too.

What’s the story?

Following the Red Devils’s third defeat in their last four Premier League games on Saturday, speculation regarding manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s future began to escalate.

Christian Falk, the head of football for German outlet SportBild, sparked rumours of Ralf Rangnick’s potential appointment, tweeting: “Ralf Rangnick is still interested @ManUtd.”

However, well-known journalist Fabrizio Romano has now provided a worrying update over the current head of sports and development at Lokomotiv Moscow.

The United Journal relayed Romano’s information online, writing: “‘#mufc would be a big dream for Ralf Rangnick.

“I heard he had talks with the board long back but the board changed his mind as he wasn’t an easy person for them to work with. I’m not sure if United will come back for him.’ #mujournal [@FabrizioRomano twitch]”

Fans should be gutted

Adding to Romano’s latest update, The Independent have also claimed that United are considering installing the 63-year-old on an interim basis, although he would want a boardroom position subsequently.

“The German would be interested in any such role, but The Independent has been told that one issue is that he would also want some kind of football position afterwards,” wrote Miguel Delaney.

While ESPN reporter Rob Dawson has also relayed some intriguing developments. He claims that while Solskjaer’s position is safe for now, he could be replaced by Rangnick on a short-term basis due to his relationship with the club’s hierarchy.

Dawson wrote: “Sources have told ESPN that the club’s preference is to keep Solskjaer in position until at least the end of the season, but there is a growing feeling that stance would have to change if United’s place in next season’s Champions League was threatened.

“Former RB Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick is considered a viable short-term option.”

However, Romano’s information has now thrown Rangnick’s potential arrival into doubt, something United fans will no doubt be gutted about.

Not only does it quash the possibility of the much-maligned Solskajer being given the boot, but it dampens the chances of a phenomenal tactician arriving at Old Trafford.

The experienced campaigner is the forefather of the gegenpressing style that has so heavily influenced the likes of Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel and Julian Nagglsmann, and he’s widely regarded as the founder of German football’s modern-day tactical approach.

He took Schalke to the Champions League semi-finals in 2011 before moving to RB Leipzig, fulfilling the roles of both manager and sporting director, discovering players such as Timo Werner on his travels.

Rangnick is undoubtedly one of the most influential figures in 21st-century football, and United would surely benefit from his appointment, either as Solskjaer’s replacement or advisor from above. It’s a great shame to learn that United might not be able to work with him.

And, in other news…Forget Shaw: Man Utd lightweight who lost 87.5% of his duels had a shocker vs MCFC

Liverpool are set to launch a big-money move for Villareal star Arnaut Danjuma in this January transfer window as they look to try and cover for Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish publication Fichajes, Jurgen Klopp’s side are preparing a £37.5m bid for the Netherlands international this month as they look to try and cover for their two AFCON-bound superstars.

The report adds that there is doubt over whether Villareal would be willing to sanction a sale for the winger, but such a deal would represent a significant amount of profit from when they signed him from Bournemouth.

He can replace Salah and Mane

Speaking to This is Futbol about Danjuma, former Leeds man Carlton Palmer simply said: “He’s an exciting player. He’s got flair, he’s got pace and he scores goals” – exactly what he showcased in his time with Bournemouth.

The former Cherries speedster netted 17 goals and provided another eight assists in all competitions last season, and it was no surprise that his performances earned rave reviews.

No categories

Speaking on The Official EFL Podcast, former Bournemouth boss Jonathan Woodgate said: “He’s an exceptional player, in a really good place at the minute, Arnie. He’s another one who I’ve always done a lot of work on him at his previous clubs, so I knew all about him coming into this role, I knew what type of player he was.

“He made an unbelievable run for one of the goals, I showed him that, but then I showed him what he did winning the ball back, when he had to sprint 50 yards and get the ball back. That’s what makes a really good player, for me, getting that work rate in because we know, with the ball his feet, he’s a top player. Can he do the rest going the other way? And he’s starting to show that now, so yeah, he’s doing well.”

His debut campaign at Villareal has seen him hit the ground running, scoring nine goals in just 18 games in all competitions, proving he is the kind of goal-scoring winger that could try and fill the boots of Liverpool’s much-vaunted wide-men.

The Villareal star is exactly what Liverpool need given that the likes of Salah and Mane are off to AFCON, and can help ensure they don’t miss the sheer number of goals and assists they produce.

Meanwhile, Liverpool must make a swoop for this Bundesliga midfielder…

Aston Villa look set to pip Liverpool to the signing of Rangers forward Rory Wilson, according to The Scottish Sun.

The Lowdown: Academy additions at Villa

Despite winning a first FA Youth Cup since 2002 last year, Villa have continued to bolster their academy ranks with a number of signings.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-developments/” title=”Aston Villa latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Kerr Smith, Finley Thorndike, Finn Azaz, Caleb Chukwuemeka, Declan Frith and Tim Iroegbunam have all made the move to Bodymoor Heath in the last 12 months.

Iroegbunam has been the standout youngster to catch Steven Gerrard’s eye, with the midfielder now regarded as a first-team player after signing a new deal.

The Latest: Wilson next for Villa?

The Scottish Sun shared a story on Monday morning, revealing that Villa look set to pip Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United in the race for Wilson’s services.

The 16-year-old has been labelled a goal machine, with Villa needing to pay a compensation fee to Rangers, believed to be in the region of £300,000.

The Verdict: Exciting move

Wilson looks like he could be a star in the making, going by the widespread interest that he is receiving from elite clibs.

Therefore, he looks set to be another exciting addition for Villa’s academy, with Rangers now resigned to losing the youngster despite offering him professional terms and Gerrard set to cause frustration for his former club Liverpool.

Hopefully a deal will go through soon and Wilson will settle into life in the Midlands relatively quickly, and over the coming years, we could see him break into the first-team squad.

In other news: ‘Monster’ – Source reveals Villa now want to hijack major Tottenham move; same agent as Pogba

Spanish outlet Sport have provided an update regarding Aston Villa loanee Philippe Coutinho.

The Lowdown: Phillips and Saint-Maximin links

Steven Gerrard is gearing up for his first full season in charge at Villa Park, with a summer shake-up seemingly on the cards.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-developments/” title=”Aston Villa latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Reports over recent days have claimed that Villa are set to offload both Morgan Sanson and Anwar El Ghazi in the summer, and there have also been plenty of rumours when it comes to incomings.

Villa are believed to be readying a £60m offer for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips and also have their eye on Newcastle United forward Allan Saint-Maximin, who is valued at around £50m.

NSWE may well splash the cash over the coming months, including on Coutinho, who joined from Barcelona in January with an option to make the move permanently this summer.

The Latest: Coutinho update

Sport Witness relayed an update from Sport regarding the 29-year-old on Tuesday morning.

They claimed that Villa are ‘very satisfied’ when it comes to the Brazilian, and that financially the Midlands club will have no problems in meeting the €40m (£33.4m) option agreement.

The Verdict: Now for a salary agreement…

There had been talk that Newcastle were looking to land Coutinho, but it’s good to know that Villa chiefs are happy over paying a big-money fee.

All that needs to happen now is for there to be an agreement when it comes to a full-time Villa contract. The playmaker has proven his quality back in the Premier League with seven goal involvements in 11 Villa appearances, but the elephant in the room could be his salary.

Coutinho is currently on 65% of his £300,000-a-week contract, so you’d expect that he may need to take a pay cut in order to sign permanently in the Midlands.

In other news: Newcastle now keen on signing another Villa player as advanced update emerges