All posts by z3u9t.icu

With Valerien Ismael seeing his West Bromwich Albion side struggle in recent weeks, with the Baggies currently being on a run of three Championship fixtures without a win, having scored just two goals over these games, there is one clear area of the pitch that needs improvement at The Hawthorns – up front.

Indeed, while the Frenchman did bring in Jordan Hugill to help bolster Albion’s attack in the summer transfer window, the Norwich City loanee is yet to find the back of the net over his four Championship appearances, while none of Callum Robinson, Karlan Grant, Grady Diangana or Matt Phillips have exactly been in clinical form in front of goal – with the quartet having scored six league goals between them.

As such, considering the 45-year-old West Brom manager is yet to spend any of the £17.17m received from the sales of players this summer, it would appear highly advisable for Ismael to pull the trigger on move for a target the Baggies boss is known to be a fan of in the winter transfer window – Daryl Dike.

Dike could transform West Brom

Having highly impressed under Ismael at Barnsley side last season, Dike is a centre-forward who clearly boasts the ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis in the Championship, as well as one who is accustomed to the Frenchman’s style of play.

Indeed, over his 19 Championship appearances for the Tykes – only 13 of which came as starts – the £9m-rated man scored nine goals, as well as taking an average of 1.7 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player Ismael himself dubbed an “unbelievable” talent earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.15, ranking him as Barnsley’s third-best performer in the second tier.

However, with the Express & Star journalist Joesph Masi recently revealing that Orlando City were demanding £18m in order to sanction the sale of the 21-year-old, it is clear to see why Ismael did not sanction a move for the centre-forward in the summer window.

Although, with this asking price more than likely being a starting point for negotiations – and one that could be lowered in discussions – coupled with the fact that West Brom appear in desperate need of a clinical striker in order to give them the best possible chance of securing promotion, it would seem wise for the Albion boss to do all he can to land Dike in January, as the USA international could well transform the Baggies’ season from disappointment to success.

In other news: West Brom handed double fitness boost ahead of QPR clash, Ismael will be buzzing

Despite making just one substitute appearance in the Premier League for Southampton this season, Jan Bednarek produced a dominant display for Poland in their 4-1 win against Albania earlier this week.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has left the former Lech Poznan man on the bench for each of Southampton’s Premier League fixtures so far this season, with Mohammed Salisu and Jack Stephens getting the nod ahead of him at centre-back.

Whilst he did come off the bench against Manchester United to play at right-back, it looks as if it will be difficult for him to regain his starting spot, especially with the recent addition of Lyanco, who will provide added competition in Southampton’s defence.

However, the 25-year-old is a regular for his country and started at centre-back as they took on Albania in World Cup qualifying on Thursday, producing a superb display at the back for Paulo Sousa’s side.

As per SofaScore, Bednarek earned an impressive 7.5/10 rating for his performance, with only Robert Lewandowski (8.3/10) earning higher from all the players to feature in the game.

During the 90 minutes, the Saints man contributed an impressive eight clearances and six interceptions, which was the most of any player on the pitch. By comparison, his centre-back partner Kamil Glik managed just four clearances and three interceptions, which emphasises just how important Bednarek was to the win.

The 25-year-old cut an imperious figure for Poland as Albania’s attackers struggled to best him, with the centre-back dribbled past just once in the 90 minutes, whilst he also won all six of his aerial duels during the game.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Hasenhuttl will surely take note of Bednarek’s impressive performance and it will be interesting to see who the Austrian selects at centre-back for Southampton’s next match after the international break, which sees them take on West Ham at St Mary’s.

In other news… Southampton could’ve signed Hasenhuttl his ideal number 6 with swoop for £10.3m beast

An update has emerged on Connor Goldson’s availability ahead of Rangers’ clash with Lyon…

What’s the latest?

According to the Scottish Sun, Connor Goldson is poised to return from self-isolation in time to face Lyon for Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The report claims that Goldson has passed the relevant tests and protocols to be able to return to training and he will now be available for selection after missing the 2-1 win over St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.

Fans will be buzzing

Rangers fans will be buzzing with this update on Goldson’s availability as his absence could have been a cataclysmic blow for the club. Filip Helander is set to miss the game after he was stretchered off against St Johnstone and that left Leon Balogun as the only other senior centre-back available to face Lyon.

This meant that left-back Calvin Bassey could have been forced to cover in the middle of the defence against the Ligue 1 outfit, which would have been a blow as it is not his natural position. The 21-year-old has played in the position previously in his career, but throwing him in there for a big European clash would have been less than ideal in comparison to having an experienced option to choose from.

Therefore, Goldson’s return is a welcome one. The former Brighton man not only comes in as a natural centre-back option to partner Balogun, but he’s also a top-quality, proven, defender who will improve the side.

Earlier this year, Gerrard hailed the £27k-per-week beast as a warrior and lauded his qualities on and off the pitch. He told The Scotsman:

“Connor has been an absolute mountain for this team, a warrior.

“I can’t describe to you how well he has done for this team, not just in terms of what you have seen on the pitch but also his leadership on the inside of the club and his availability every single day.”

Last season, Goldson averaged a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.39 in the Scottish Premiership across 38 starts as Rangers won the title. He won an incredible 71% of his duels over the course of the campaign, showing how strong he is in his individual duels and how the opposition struggle to compete against him.

This is why the fans will be delighted with his return against the French outfit. He has proven himself to be a reliable defender for the Gers and they will be buzzing that he is now set to be available to play.

AND in other news, Gerrard must make key Rangers decision over “exciting” gem after deadline day failure…

An update has emerged on Everton target Kurt Zouma, regarding interest from two other Premier League sides.

What’s the talk?

According to Sky Sports, Tottenham and West Ham are both interested in signing the Toffees transfer target from Chelsea this month. He is said to be the Hammers’ priority target as David Moyes looks to bolster his squad.

The French centre-back, who has been linked with a move to Everton this summer, is said to be available for a fee in the region of £25m.

He’s better than Mina and Keane

Rafa Benitez must push Marcel Brands to cough up the £25m required to sign the powerhouse from Chelsea this month. With West Ham and Spurs now sniffing around for his services, the Toffees may not have long to swoop in and get a deal done for Zouma. If they leave it too long then it could allow one of their rivals to snap him up before they have a chance, which is why the Spanish boss should be urging the club to make their move.

Zouma is a rather curious case because his statistics on paper last season had him down as Chelsea’s best-performing centre-back in both the Champions League and Premier League – ranking 1st and 2nd in the entire squad overall. He averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.14 in five European outings and a score of 7.07 in 24 league appearances.

After a draw with Southampton last season, Thomas Tuchel praised the defender for his ‘top-level’ performance on the pitch. He said:

“It is a process and I’ve learnt a lot of positives about Zouma. I was very happy with Kurt’s performance. We decided very late to put him on the pitch but he put in a very good game. I thought he was solid, he was a presence back there and he was very clear in his actions. He performed his role at a top level, which pleased me.”

However, he now appears set to head out of the door at Stamford Bridge, with Thomas Tuchel preferring others ahead of him at centre-back. This may be down to style of play or guarantees needed over playing time, although it is impossible to know without Tuchel or Zouma speaking about it openly.

Whatever the reason, Everton should now look to profit from it. Last season, Yerry Mina and Michael Keane averaged WhoScored ratings of 6.92 and 6.86 respectively in the Premier League, which suggests that Zouma was performing to a higher level than them whilst playing in the same competition. By impressing in the Champions League, he also showed that he can excel at the very top level – should Everton ever make it back to European competition.

Zouma has also been described as a “beast” by one of the Premier League’s greatest-ever centre-backs in former Chelsea teammate John Terry, so it would be wise to listen to someone who has won five top-flight titles, five FA Cups, a Champions League and a Europa League.

This means that he could come in and prove to be an upgrade on both of them if he is able to maintain his form and they do not improve on their previous attempts. Therefore, Brands must get on the phone to Chelsea to bring the French international to Goodison Park to bolster Benitez’s squad.

AND in other news, Everton ready bid for versatile £27m-rated “revelation”, Benitez needs him at Goodison…

Following Toby Alderweireld’s exit from Tottenham Hotspur, Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano has made an exciting prediction which will undoubtedly delight Spurs fans.

What’s the word?

After it was confirmed that Alderweireld had left Spurs to sign for Al-Duhail SC, Romano wrote on Twitter: “Official. Tottenham have reached an agreement with Al-Duhail SC in Qatar for the transfer of Toby Alderweireld. New centre back coming soon for Spurs…”

Spurs have already completed the signings of Pierluigi Gollini and Bryan Gil so far this transfer window, and it seems as if a third incoming is not too far away for the north London club judging by Romano’s tweet.

Although Alderweireld was past his peak and was struggling to replicate the performances he consistently produced under Mauricio Pochettino, he still made 25 appearances (all of them starts) in the Premier League last season, which emphasises that he needs to be replaced.

Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier will likely be given opportunities to impress under the new manager but both have proven themselves to be far too unreliable in recent seasons, whilst Joe Rodon has very little Premier League experience, so it was perhaps always likely that a new top-quality centre-back was going to be brought in.

As it stands, it seems as if that man will be Atalanta’s Cristian Romero, who has been heavily linked with a move to Spurs in recent weeks.

The latest report suggests that Spurs are in talks with the Serie A club over his potential transfer, although they remain quite far apart in terms of his valuation at the moment, with Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kurt Zouma and Nikola Milenkovic other potential options at the back should they fail to agree to a deal for Romero.

Regardless of who they sign, Spurs fans must surely be delighted that Paratici is working quickly to bring in new signings, as a rebuild has been needed for some time given the club’s declining fortunes over the last couple of years. Swapping Alderweireld for a promising young centre-back such as Romero would appear to be a great step towards a better future at the north London club.

In other news… Nuno can save Levy millions with Spurs academy startlet 

David Norris has urged his former club to land Norwich midfielder Todd Cantwell…

What’s the talk?

Ex-Leeds midfielder David Norris has backed his former club to sign Norwich attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell, as he believes that it would be a great deal for the club. He told This Is Futbol:

“I really like him. I’ve seen him over the years and he is a good player who can create chances and score.

“I could see him doing quite well at Leeds, in that attacking line-up. He’s a very good player. If they have a chance of getting him and I saw that Leeds have signed Cantwell, I’d be happy with that.”

This comes after The Athletic’s Michael Bailey ruled out a move to Aston Villa for the Canaries academy product this window.

Bielsa would love him

Victor Orta must sanction a swoop for Cantwell this summer. Leeds were reportedly in talks with Norwich over a deal for the midfielder at the start of last season and ultimately failed to get it across the line, as the player stayed at Carrow Road and helped his hometown team win the Championship title.

With Villa’s interest seemingly cooling in him, it could be the perfect time for Leeds to reignite their flame and enter the race for his signature. The Whites could have no competition to land the Englishman because of Villa’s transfer decision, which could mean that they only need to negotiate a fee with Norwich and would not need to worry about another team coming in to oust them.

Marcelo Bielsa would love to have him at Elland Road for a couple of reasons. For starters, Cantwell has natural talent and is excellent with the ball at his feet. His former Norwich youth team coach, Gary Cockaday, hailed his talents as God-given. He told The Athletic: “Todd looked at one of them in the eye, put his toe under the ball, flicked it back over his head, turned and he was gone. All without looking at the ball.

“He did things every week that were just special. It was God-given. No one taught it. I always believed if you had someone like that, don’t change them or make them conform.”

In 94 league career appearances for Norwich, across the Championship and Premier League, Cantwell has averaged 1.2 key passes and 1.4 dribbles completed per game. This shows that he has the technical ability to beat players with the ball at his feet whilst also providing chances at the end of his runs. Bielsa would love to have a player like this in his team as he could create chances for the likes of Raphinha and Patrick Bamford.

The Argentine coach would also be delighted with this deal as Cantwell is only 23. He has the majority of his career still left ahead of him and Bielsa could enjoy working with him on the training pitch to help him fulfil his potential at the top level.

The ex-Marseille manager would be thrilled with the opportunity to develop another promising young player, whilst improving his Leeds side.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Raphinha: Leeds must land “unplayable” beast to seal terrifying attack…

After getting their first win of the new Premier League season on Saturday afternoon against Newcastle United, Aston Villa turn their attentions towards the Carabao Cup when they take on Barrow in the second round.

Dean Smith’s side ran out 2-0 winners against the Magpies at the weekend thanks to goals from Danny Ings and Anwar El Ghazi, and tonight could represent the perfect opportunity for the Villa manager to change things up with his team selection.

A number of youngsters could be in line to feature, and one academy starlet who should be starting is Jaden Philogene-Bidace.

While much of the talk has been around Carney Chukwuemeka – which is understandable given his superb performances in the FA Youth Cup last season – Philogene-Bidace is also pushing hard to make his mark on the first team.

The 19-year-old was in fine form last season for the club’s under-23s, scoring five goals in just 14 games at Premier League 2 level, as well as providing three assists. That’s not to mention the superb hat-trick he scored on his England under-19 debut last November.

His former coach Ahmed Abdulla has raved about his ability as an out-and-out winger, and judging by the coach’s comments, he seems perfectly ready to grab his opportunity in senior football.

Abdulla said: “He can come inside or go on the outside. The model winger. He hugs the touchline and can beat his man. (He’s) Very confident and very light on his feet and skips past tackles, not one of them that gets hit and goes down. He bounces off tackles. He’s very strong and outstanding in one-v-ones.”

Given that Leon Bailey could be missing again, Philogene-Bidace has the kind of explosiveness and trickery to make up for the Jamaican’s absence, and he could really terrify Barrow if he is let off the leash.

Tonight could be the perfect opportunity for Smith to give him a chance.

Meanwhile, Villa are plotting a late swoop for this star…

Liverpool have been linked with a move for West Ham United forward Jarrod Bowen as Jurgen Klopp looks to bolster his attacking options.

What’s the story?

According to The Athletic’s James Pearce, the 24-year-old features on a shortlist drawn up of potential transfer targets for the summer window.

However, whether Liverpool can afford to strengthen their first-squad in the final third over the coming months will largely depend on whether Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri leave Anfield.

The Reds are open to offers for both players, with Shaqiri reportedly attracting interest from Italian outfit Lazio.

Fans may be concerned

After a hugely underwhelming 2020/21 for Klopp’s charges, the German tactician is thought to be in the market for at least one attacking target ahead of the upcoming campaign.

The normally dependable duo of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino suffered a severe drop-off in form, scoring 11 and nine goals respectively in the league. Their backups, Origi and Shaqiri, failed to adequately replace them.

It left Liverpool extremely lightweight upfront for large sections of the season, and the supporters would have been hoping for a big-name signing to add some extra firepower this summer.

And although Bowen fits the profile for the 19-time English champions in terms of his age, playing style and versatility, his quality and ability to put the ball in the back of the net are arguably not at the standard required.

Bowen scored double figures in consecutive years for Hull City in the Championship but since arriving at the London Stadium in January 2020, the stocky winger hasn’t found consistent form at the highest level. He’s bagged nine goals and provided ten assists in 53 appearances for the Hammers, a respectable return but not one that would usually see a ‘Big Six’ club come calling.

While Bowen’s unquestionable work rate and stamina make him a good fit for Klopp’s unique gegenpressing style, Liverpool fans should be concerned at his lack of end product.

A forward’s job is ultimately to provide match-winning moments on a regular basis, popping up with goals to win big games and fire the club to glory. Bowen is yet to show he can do that for a club as ambitious as Liverpool.

Nevertheless, Pearce’s report claims that Klopp rates him highly and that the club will continue to monitor his development even if they don’t pursue a deal in the current window. Though, the fans may be hoping for someone with a better record in front of goal instead.

And, in other news…Get it done: Edwards must seal Liverpool swoop for “explosive” £27m-rated “revelation” 

A key update has emerged on West Ham midfielder Felipe Anderson, regarding his potential move to Lazio…

What’s the talk?

According to Fabrizio Romano, West Ham midfielder Felipe Anderson has agreed personal terms with Serie A side Lazio as he nears an exit from the London Stadium. The Brazilian forward wants to return to Rome and has spoken with the club about his contract demands.

Romano states that West Ham and Lazio are in talks over a deal to take Anderson back to Italy, although no transfer fee is mentioned. Discussions are said to be progressing, with a transfer potentially in the offing this week.

Fans will be buzzing

West Ham fans will be buzzing with this news as it appears as though Anderson is poised to depart after two rough years at the London-based outfit. He has scored just one league goal since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, finding the back of the net once in the Premier League and then failing to notch in Liga NOS following his loan to Portuguese giants Porto the following season.

After failing to kick on from his debut season in English football, Hammers supporters may be glad to see the back of him. In the 2019/20 campaign, Anderson registered one goal and four assists in 25 Premier League appearances as he was unable to rediscover his touch from the previous season, in which he scored nine and assisted four for West Ham in the Premier League.

Earlier this summer, former Hammers centre-forward Frank McAvennie claimed that Anderson “strolled about” about at the club and believes that he continued to do that on loan at Porto. The retired striker has urged West Ham to let him go and get him off the wage bill.

He told Football FanCast:

“He’s got to go. Let the boy go. They bought him in and he’s a luxury player. I’ve never seen him go into a tackle, never mind win one. Talent in abundance, but he’s gone to Porto on loan, but has done the same there – just strolled about. He can’t come back to West Ham; they’ll want him off the wage bill.”

The 28-year-old is said to be earning £85k-per-week at the club. Only Andriy Yarmolenko (£115k-per-week) and Jarrod Bowen (£96k-per-week) are above him on the wage bill. This means that West Ham will be saving a significant chunk of money, which could allow them to go out and add a new signing to bolster David Moyes’ squad.

Therefore, fans should be delighted by this update.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Ogbonna: West Ham can seal dream duo with £23m move for Vidic-like beast…

Southampton fans are livid after it was revealed that, even if the Saints were to receive a bid of £20m for Danny Ings, they would rather turn it down and let him go on a free transfer when his contract runs out next year.

Ings has been a hugely important member of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad in recent seasons, with him scoring 34 goals in the Premier League in the past two campaigns (Transfermarkt).

However, it has been reported that the 28-year-old has turned down a four-year deal at St. Mary’s Stadium that would have made him the highest-paid player in the club’s history (The Athletic via Sky Sports).

As such, it would make sense to sell him this summer. However, according to journalist Tom Barclay (via Saints Extra), the Saints would not even accept a bid of £20m to let him go this year.

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Ings news below

“This is absolutely ludicrous. We are going to keep a player who DOESNT want to be here, not only preventing his progress but taking up wages and squad space to only let him go FOR FREE next year. He really won’t benefit us that much next season and we need the money”

Credit: @kierangallop00

“Semmens showing his business acumen again”

Credit: @OllieSoton

“What take the 20mill you idiots….”

Credit: @G0DDARD97

“Time to get rid. You can’t have players that don’t want to be there in the dressing room. Take the money”

Credit: @LombardCallum

“If that turns out to be true, then the board st St Marys will need to stand down- that would be madness – recoup his transfer fee and move on”

Credit: @Robsticks7

“I would bite your hand off for £20m for an injury prone player who doesn’t want to play for us anymore”

Credit: @sfcrxbbo_

In other news, Southampton are interested in signing this Premier League defender on loan.