All posts by z3u9t.icu

Aston Villa are now set to sign Rangers forward Rory Wilson, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Wilson links

Wilson, a 16-year-old striker, has been on Villa’s radar for some time now, with Steven Gerrard keen on beating Liverpool to the youngster’s services.

Regarded as one of the best young players in the United Kingdom, Wilson has already signed a boot deal with Adidas. The Scot netted a ridiculous 49 goals at youth level this season, and it looks as if he’ll be plying his trade in the Midlands next season.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Transfer expert Romano took to Twitter on Monday morning to provide a further update regarding Villa and Wilson.

He revealed that Villa are officially ‘set to sign’ the forward, who has ‘now agreed’ on personal terms. Gerrard has been the ‘main factor’ in Villa winning the race for his services, with a move to officially go through on July 1.

The Verdict: Good news

NSWE have already brought in four first-team additions this summer, so Wilson will now become the fifth but the first academy arrival.

Villa have been active over the last 12 months when it comes to adding to their academy talent, so bringing in Wilson is yet another exciting move.

The club have reaped the rewards of signing some gifted teenagers, with Tim Iroegbunam already a full-time member of Gerrard’s first-team squad less than a year after swapping West Brom’s academy for Villa.

Hopefully, Wilson will continue his fine goalscoring form at Bodymoor Heath, which could result in him being fast-tracked through to Gerrard’s plans over the coming years.

In other news: Villa now receive ‘official proposal’ for player with ‘unbelievable’ work rate. 

Wolves have been linked with a move for Hull City winger Keane Lewis-Potter ahead of the upcoming summer window.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from 90min, the Old Gold are one of the Premier League clubs interested in signing the 21-year-old this summer.

As a product of Hull’s youth system, the attacker has already made 121 senior appearances for the club, which goes to show how highly they rate him.

Better than Podence

In those appearances, the Englishman has scored 30 goals and delivered 12 assists along the way, highlighting the clear attacking talent he has.

His latest season with the Championship club saw the youngster find the net 12 times and deliver four assists in 45 league appearances whilst playing across numerous positions.

To further highlight his attacking prowess, the winger ended the campaign with the highest average of shots per game (2.5) and the third-highest average for key passes per game (1.1) in Hull’s ranks.

Labelled as a player who has “got all the tools to be anything he wants,” by Grant McCann, Lewis-Potter reportedly has a rather hefty price tag of £18m.

In terms of a potential move to Molineux, the Hull star could be a better attacking option for Bruno Lage than current Wolves winger Daniel Podence.

With 26 Premier League appearances under his belt this season, the 26-year-old only scored two goals and delivered three assists.

In comparison to Lewis-Potter, the Portuguese attacker ended his season with a lower rate of shots per 90 minutes as well as a lower rate of goals per shot.

This shows just how much of a constant attacking threat the youngster is and why he’d be a great signing for Wolves given how they finished their recent campaign with fewer shot-creating actions than the likes of Watford, Brentford and Crystal Palace.

Moving forward, with the Old Gold in clear need of adding some new attacking players to their side, securing a deal for the Hull prodigy could be a good way to start.

However, with the likes of Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth and Southampton also reportedly vying for his signature, the Midlands club may have to work fast to get him through the door at Molineux.

In other news: Lage can seal “exceptional” transfer as Wolves plot bid for “complete” £17m dynamo

Leeds United winger Raphinha is now personally attempting to find a new club ahead of the summer transfer window, according to a report from Spain (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Rife speculation

Despite retaining Premier League status on the final day of the 2021/22 season, Raphinha continues to be linked with a big money move away from Elland Road this summer.

Having been heavily indexed to La Liga giants Barcelona, recently Liverpool have seemingly returned with their own admiration for the Brazilian attacker.

However, as all goes quiet from the Spanish front, the 25-year-old may now have taken matters into his own hands…

The latest: Move sought

As per Spanish reports, translated by SW, the Leeds star is now ‘looking for alternatives’ to Barcelona and Liverpool is a possible destination.

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It’s claimed that Raphinha – who was lauded as ‘sensational’ by South American football expert Tim Vickery – is ‘offering himself to other clubs’ as he attempts to secure a place in the Brazil national team squad for the Qatar World Cup later this year.

The report states that the prospect of a switch to the Catalan club is ‘losing strength’ due to the priority of taking Bayern Munich superstar Robert Lewandowski to the Camp Nou instead.

The verdict: An inevitable exit

Unfortunately, it appears highly improbable that Raphinha will still be with the Whites at the start of the 2022/23 campaign and at this stage, it’s questionable as to whether Jesse Marsch would want the Brazilian to stay.

Actively seeking a departure from Elland Road puts the skilful magician in an invidious position that would likely allow enough water pass under the bridge to see Andrea Radrizzani sell should an acceptable offer be forthcoming.

On that note, valued at £40.5million and with two years remaining on a deal in Yorkshire (Transfermarkt), Leeds should expect to boost their own transfer coffers to the tune of at least £50million as Marsch and Victor Orta eye a possible replacement in the shape of Takumi Minamino.

In other news: Leeds now eyeing move for lethal and sublime’ gem, read more here

Manchester United have discussed the idea of signing Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres along with Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Torres profiled

Torres has progressed through Villarreal’s academy and has made 134 senior appearances for the La Liga side, 47 of which came during the 2021/22 campaign.

The Spain international, who was hailed as ‘sensational’ by his national team boss Luis Enrique, is at the peak of his powers, holding a career-high £45m Transfermarkt valuation. The 25-year-old is entering the final two years of his contract in the summer and holds a release clause in the region of €55m-€60m (£46.8m-£51m).

The Latest: United discussions

Romano took to Twitter on Monday lunchtime to share a transfer update from Old Trafford.

He said that, alongside Timber, Torres has also been ‘discussed internally’ by United chiefs and Erik ten Hag ahead of a possible move.

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The Verdict: Ten Hag’s priorities clear

Ten Hag is yet to add to his United squad since taking the reins, but it seems as if defensive reinforcements are top of his wish list, something which doesn’t exactly come as a major shock with the Red Devils conceding 57 times in 38 league games this season.

The Dutchman appears to pride himself on making his teams hard to beat at the back, with his Ajax side conceding just 19 goals in 34 league games in 2021/22. Therefore, potential swoops for Timber (who he knows well from Amsterdam) and Torres (who appears to be at the top of his game) could be wise first moves for the 52-year-old at Old Trafford.

In other news: Reliable journalist leaks Man Utd talks as Ten Hag now eyes ‘terrific’ Englishman

West Ham United are keen on signing Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer.

What’s the story?

That’s according to Irons insider ExWHUEmployee [via This Is Futbol], who claimed that the 26-year-old is one of David Moyes’ midfield targets for the summer transfer window.

Writing on the West Ham Way Patreon page, Ex said: “The manager is also said to fancy Kalvin Phillips of Leeds.”

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Despite Leeds’ Premier League survival, Phillips is subject to plenty of interest from other top-flight clubs, with both Manchester City and Aston Villa also named as potential suitors for the England midfielder.

Therefore, securing a move for the 26-year-old could prove a tall order for Moyes and the West Ham hierarchy.

West Ham must sign Phillips

Despite an injury-plagued season, there is no doubt that Phillips would be an excellent addition for the east London outfit.

Named England men’s player of the year for 2021 after his efforts at the European Championship, the midfielder has been restricted to 18 Premier League starts this term, having missed three months with a hamstring injury.

However, that hasn’t hindered his progress as an England international, with the Leeds star – who has been nicknamed the Yorkshire Pirlo – included in Gareth Southgate’s latest squad.

There is plenty of uncertainty regarding the future of Phillips’ England team-mate Declan Rice at West Ham, with the 23-year-old the subject of a plethora of speculation regarding a potential departure from east London this summer.

If Rice were to move on, then the Hammers would undoubtedly need to fork out for a quality replacement, and Phillips would certainly fit the mould.

The Leeds colossus has averaged 62 touches per Premier League match this term, whilst completing 38.9 passes per game at an 82% accuracy. Moreover, the defensive-minded midfielder has contributed an impressive 1.2 interceptions, 2.7 tackles and 0.9 clearances per match.

Even if Rice remains an Irons player, signing the Leeds star would be a huge statement of intent from West Ham and would certainly excite supporters at the London Stadium.

AND in other news – “Interested in signing…”: Ex drops huge West Ham transfer claim that supporters will love

Rangers suffered an agonising defeat on penalties in the Europa League final on Wednesday night, and the players will now have to regroup ahead of today’s Scottish Cup final.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst could make a few changes as the Ibrox club look to end their 13-year wait to lift the domestic knockout trophy, although one player is definitely out of the Hampden Park clash.

Borna Barisic will be missing for the match due to an injury sustained against Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek, as Van Bronckhorst confirmed in his pre-match press conference on Friday: “Borna is not available for tomorrow, all other players who featured are available.”

This will result in a tactical change from the manager, as with the Croatian missing, Calvin Bassey will be required to revert to the left-back spot, which will open up a berth at the heart of defence.

With first-team mainstay Connor Goldson being more or less certain of a place, it will be up to the Dutchman to pick between Leon Balogun or give 18-year-old Leon King a start in a major cup final.

Rangers will miss Barisic

Whilst Barisic hasn’t been up to his usual high standards this term (his Sofascore rating in the Premiership is 7.29, compared to 7.4 last season), his absence will nonetheless be a big blow to Rangers’ chances of winning the trophy. His attacking threat is always a bonus, as he offers excellent support to Ryan Kent on the left-hand side.

As per WhoScored, only James Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos have exceeded the Croatian’s 1.9 key passes per game in the Premiership among Van Bronckhorst’s starters this season, while just four Gers players had more than his three assists in the league.

With there being transfer interest for Barisic during the January window, this season could be his last at the club. It would be a shame if the Europa League final defeat is his final match for the Ibrox giants, and his manager will no doubt be gutted not to have the 29-year-old’s creative spark to call upon today.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst must unleash “invaluable” £26k-p/w “Duracell bunny”, Rangers need him

Luke Edwards has now revealed some exciting plans for Newcastle United in the summer.

The Lowdown: Pre-season in USA

The St James’ Park club are set to go to the USA for pre-season, a few weeks after their 2021/22 Premier League campaign ends away to Burnley on Sunday afternoon.

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They are not the only club in the top flight set to go to Stateside, with Arsenal set to play both Chelsea and Everton across the Atlantic.

The Latest: Edwards update

Taking to Twitter, Daily Telegraph journalist Edwards has revealed that Newcastle are due to announce a pre-season training camp in the USA in July and will play some friendlies in Cincinnati.

He tweeted: “#nufc are due to announce a pre-season training camp in the USA in July, with friendly games; in Cincinnati. Expect things to be confirmed this week.”

He added that he has had it confirmed from Stateside, but not from the Tyneside club itself, stating: “I’ve had this confirmed from the USA. Nothing yet from #nufc other than they are going to States this summer for pre-season.”

The Verdict: Exciting

It is always exciting to hear where your club is going to go for pre-season, and it will be good for the Magpies to train in the United States, with the view of potentially playing some of the best teams from the MLS.

The climate should also be nice and warm for them to relax after confirming their place in the Premier League for another season, and the players should enjoy themselves as they prepare for what looks to be a busy 2022/23 campaign ahead.

The new owners will no doubt want to stamp their authority on the market, so some big names could well come through the doors at the Toon.

In other news, find out who NUFC are now ‘confident’ of signing this summer

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been dealt a fitness worry ahead of his team’s crucial clash with West Ham United today in the Premier League title race.

The Lowdown: Huge day for Man City…

The Sky Blues could take one gigantic leap towards retaining their top-flight crown and besting rivals Liverpool by beating David Moyes’ side at the London Stadium this afternoon.

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City currently sit three points clear at the top of the table with a superior goal difference of seven compared to the Reds, and victory over the Hammers today would cement their place as overwhelming favourites to win the title heading into their last match of 2021/22.

After brushing aside both Newcastle United and Wolves in the last seven days, scoring 10 goals in total over the two matches, arguably their toughest remaining test looms at 2pm in east London .

Guardiola has been forced to cope without star defenders Ruben Dias, John Stones and Kyle Walker recently as the trio are ruled out for the rest of their title run-in.

To make matters more complicated, in their last match at Molineux, other crucial members of the squad in Aymeric Laporte, who was forced off due to a knee problem, and Fernandinho (muscle) came away with injury issues.

The Latest: Guardiola gives Laporte update…

Speaking to the press before his team’s trip to the capital, Guardiola has now confirmed that City could be without Laporte alongside their Brazilian veteran, with both doubtful to facve West Ham (Evening Standard).

A worry for City, the English champions could be without a plethora of first-team defensive options, but their manager refused to completely rule out their availability, claiming that they will be subject to checks today.

The Verdict: Potential major blow…

Being without Laporte in particular comes as a potentially major blow given just how crucial and reliable he has been this season.

The Spain international has even managed to keep Stones out of Guardiola’s starting XI time and time again this season despite his phenomenal partnership with Dias over the 2020/21 campaign.

Lauded as a ‘sensational’ defender by national team boss Luis Enrique, Laporte has been a mainstay domestically, racking up the fifth-most league minutes out of any City player and starting on 31 different occasions (WhoScored).

A supreme ball-playing centre-back, the 27-year-old also has the highest passing accuracy (94.9%) in Guardiola’s squad – no easy feat in one of the world’s best tiki-taka teams.

Cityzens up and down the country will be hoping that he is indeed given the green light to play in what will be a pivotal game in this epic title race.

In other news: Man City set to move for ‘unbelievable’ star who’s turned Pep’s head, played his last game on Saturday night…find out more here

Newcastle United could make a summer swoop for Barcelona attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones. 

The lowdown: Coutinho back in England

On loan at Aston Villa until the end of the season, the playmaker is attempting to rebuild a stuttering career, having been much-maligned following an eye-watering £142m switch to Spain in 2018 (BBC).

Things didn’t go to plan for the Brazilian maestro after leaving Liverpool and the 29-year-old has managed just 106 appearances for the Catalan giants four years on from the move, struggling with injuries and spending time on loan at Bayern Munich since leaving the Premier League.

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A stay in England could now be on the cards, although not necessarily at Villa Park…

The latest: Newcastle eyeing Coutinho

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that Newcastle are ready to make a move for Coutinho, with Magpies reportedly prepared to offer a seven-figure bonus in an attempt to lure him to St James’ Park.

The journalist explained that the Tyneside club are monitoring the situation in the Midlands, saying: “Steven Gerrard still wants Villa to sign Coutinho, but Newcastle are watching this with interest.

“At the end of the month, Villa have to tell Barcelona whether they intend to take up the option to buy him – and if they hesitate I’m told Newcastle will look to make a proposal to the player.”

The verdict: Would be a statement signing

As the new-look Newcastle begins to take shape over the forthcoming transfer windows, Eddie Howe will almost certainly have an abundance of big-name players linked with a move to St James’ Park.

Identifying the players who best fit into the system and the project will be imperative, decisions that the Englishman got right in January with the captures of Matt Targett, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier.

Upon his return to the Premier League, Coutinho – who was once described as possessing ‘magical powers’ by compatriot and former Liverpool team-mate Roberto Firmino – has scored four times and provided three assists in 15 outings, proof of a continued ability to thrive at the elite level.

Combined with a mooted £33m purchase option for Villa, that form makes the skilful Brazilian an exciting proposition to strengthen the attacking ranks, and Newcastle would be wise to pay close attention to his situation in the coming weeks and months.

In other news, this journalist reacts to one NUFC starlet’s weekend heroics

Liverpool “really like” French midfielder Aurélien Tchouameni and are interested in bringing him to Anfield this summer, according to journalist James Pearce.

What’s the latest?

The Athletic’s Pearce provided an update on The Reds’ interest in Tchouameni.

French website Foot Mercato were one of the outlets reporting Liverpool’s interest late last month and it now seems that Klopp is determined to bring him to the Premier League.

The journalist was speaking in his Q&A for the Athletic and said: “Liverpool really like him. Big talent. But price tag could be an issue and Real Madrid also very keen. Be interesting to see what happens with that one.”

He would make a great addition to the Liverpool midfield alongside Thiago and Fabinho.

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He’s better than Henderson

The man he would likely replace in the starting line-up for The Reds would be captain Jordan Henderson. Dropping your skipper might sound like a bold move, but if Liverpool are to keep up with rivals Manchester City as well as other European giants, they need to be constantly improving their squad.

Tchouameni is an improvement on Henderson, he may not possess the same leadership qualities as the 31-year old, but he’s younger and has been making his mark this season in Ligue 1.

He currently plays for Monaco who he joined in 2020 from Bordeaux and is rated at £36m by Transfermarkt. He has made 33 appearances in the league and has been a key player in his club’s challenge to secure a place in the Champions League next season, they currently sit second.

If you compare him to Henderson this season it’s easy to see why Klopp wants him on Merseyside. Tchouameni, who has been dubbed “extraordinary” by Paul Pogba, has made more progressive passes this campaign with 176 to his name compared to the Liverpool captain’s 162.

He also performs better with the ball with 27 more progressive carries this season than Henderson.

Liverpool need to start thinking ahead, and at just 22-years old Tchouameni is the future. He’s the perfect eventual successor to Henderson, and if he moves now he will be able to learn from not just his experience but from Thiago and Fabinho too.

Nicknamed the “octopus”, his impressive numbers mean it’s not surprising that The Reds want him, but they’re not the only ones. If they’re to secure his signature they need to beat off competition from their opponents in the Champions League final Real Madrid.

IN other news: Klopp must finally axe Liverpool “cheerleader” who lost possession every 5 mins on Sat…