All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to right their midweek wrongs when they return to Premier League action this evening.

Jose Mourinho’s side head to the Midlands to face an Aston Villa side who are just one place behind them in the standings ahead of kickoff.

The north London giants embarrassingly crashed out of the Europa League on Thursday night, so now a desperate push for the top four is required if Spurs are to get back into the Champions League.

But tonight’s encounter is no mean feat, and Mourinho has plenty to ponder…

On the Chalkboard

Individual defensive mistakes were once again the root cause of much of Spurs’ woes, so the Portuguese boss ought to make some changes to his backline, especially as Villa now have a prolific option in Ollie Watkins.

Mourinho was reportedly interested in signing the 25-year-old as a back-up to Harry Kane during the summer window, but he was always playing a losing game – firstly, no one wants to be a second choice, and secondly, he cost a whopping £33m with add-ons.

But boy, has that transfer paid off for Dean Smith. Watkins has bagged 12 times in all competitions this season, including a hat-trick against Liverpool and a brace against arch-rivals, Arsenal. Clearly, the “lethal” talisman likes to turn up for the big occasion.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-spurs-news-mourinho-levy-gossip” title=”Read this week’s latest Spurs news, rumours and more!”]

Given the number of issues Spurs have had at the back, it seems like a recipe for disaster if Mourinho were to start both Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier – the pair were dubbed the worst partnership in the league by ex-Spurs midfielder and talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara.

On the latter, he added: “As a centre-half, he just looks lost around the box. In my opinion, he needs to be dropped.”

And we’re inclined to agree. As we outlined after the Europa League game, the long-serving star badly let down the fanbase. Evening Standard reporter Dan Kilpatrick claimed the 27-year-old endured a ‘wretched’ night, claiming: ‘Defensively all over the shop and passing was poor. Gave away silly fouls.’

Watkins averages 2.8 shots per game and is fouled an average of 1.3 times per outing too, via WhoScored. So based on his midweek display, £85k-per-week Dier has no place to be starting as he’ll get torn apart, especially as he has only managed 0.8 tackles per match, too.

Another key ability of Watkins is his pace and acceleration, something that isn’t on Dier’s side either – speaking to Football Insider this week, pundit Alan Hutton claimed the Spurs centre-back “gets exposed at times with a lack of pace.”

Often lambasted as a “liability” amongst the fanbase, the £26m-rated calamity should be axed from Mourinho’s starting XI tonight. If he starts, he could well be haunted by Watkins all night, and then the pressure will only mount on the likes of Harry Kane and Gareth Bale to deliver.

AND in other news, Levy’s genius: Spurs struck dream deal over £45m-rated gem dubbed “phenomenal” by Gold…

Liverpool are continuing to be linked with a move for Udinese midfielder Rodrigo de Paul ahead of the summer transfer window, and if he were to join ahead of next season, he would arguably be an upgrade on Curtis Jones in Jurgen Klopp’s side.

According to reports from Italy, Klopp wants to rebuild his Liverpool side around the Argentine international next season, as he is a big fan of the Udinese ace.

De Paul has been attracting a lot of interest from across Europe with his performances in recent seasons, with Leeds United heavily linked with a move for him last summer.

During his time with I Bianconeri, the 26-year-old has made 170 appearances, contributing 30 goals and 29 assists in that time.

However, it is only in the last few seasons where he has started to emphasise his goalscoring potential, and he has continued that form into the current season, as he has contributed five goals and two assists in 22 Serie A appearances, resulting in a superb 7.34 rating.

This season has seen the playmaker average 2.4 shots, 2.5 key passes and 3.5 dribbles per game, so he is clearly an attacking threat, and would perhaps be better suited than Jones in Klopp’s side, with the Reds’ lack of creativity in midfield having been increasingly evident in recent fixtures.

For comparison, Jones has averaged 0.8 shots, 0.5 key passes and 1 dribble per game in the Premier League this season, resulting in a less than impressive 6.60 average rating.

Of course, the academy graduate is still just 20-years-old and is undoubtedly destined for a great career with the Reds, it is perhaps unfair for Klopp to be so reliant on the youngster, especially when he is often paired with more defensive-minded midfielders such as Jordan Henderson and James Milner.

De Paul’s former manager Julio Velazquez suggested in 2020 that the midfielder “lacks absolutely nothing”, so it certainly seems as if he is destined to move away from Udinese in the near future, considering they currently sit 13th in Serie A.

Therefore, signing someone such as De Paul could significantly increase Liverpool’s attacking output next season, and take some of the pressure off Jones in the Reds’ midfield.

AND, in other news… Edwards can rectify January mistake by bringing 21 y/o centre-back to Anfield this summer

It’s fair to say that Tammy Abraham in an Aston Villa shirt was an absolute revelation.

The England international fired Dean Smith’s side into the Premier League with his goals – 26 of them to be precise – and has since emerged as a key part of Chelsea’s first-team squad after returning back to Stamford Bridge.

But, reports in recent days have suggested that both Villa and West Ham both like the striker amid his possible departure from London this summer.

While Abraham’s goals alone are good enough to warrant Villa to consider making a move for him, his actual partnership with Jack Grealish is something that should have the Midlands club all over a potential deal.

Speaking earlier this season ahead of a Premier League clash against Chelsea, Smith said: “He’s a top player and a top person. We loved having him here and playing a part in his development and you know he’ll always have a strong affinity for Aston Villa.

“I think he is the real deal, everything about him. He sets standards and maintains them and tries to push them even more. To be a top drawer player, you have to have those standards but you have to be driven.”

Grealish himself has previously spoken about his partnership with Abraham during their campaign together in the Championship. In a Q&A session on his Instagram (via The Chelsea Chronicle), the Villa talisman wrote: “Unbelievable. Couldn’t believe how good he was with the ball for how tall he is. Loved playing with him.”

And, it wasn’t just Grealish who’s spoken highly of Abraham, with the opposite being the same too. The Chelsea man said: “He is a fantastic player and you don’t question why he is a leader. His ability says it all.

“He always believes and tries to encourage everyone – even until the last minute. It is always nice to have that behind you.”

According to Transfermarkt, Abraham and Grealish had five joint goal participations during their time together, which is quite impressive given that those above the Villa man on that list (excluding Kasey Palmer who played with the striker at youth level) are just one ahead on six goals but in considerably more matches.

The duo clearly had an understanding together in their time at Villa Park, and Smith could rekindle that magic partnership by signing the £36m-rated star in the summer.

Meanwhile, Villa must make a ruthless call on this star…

Liverpool are reportedly one of the sides interested in signing David Alaba from Bayern Munich in the summer when his contract with the Bundesliga side expires and if his recent performance against Mainz is anything to go by, he would be a superb signing for the Reds.

According to Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano in The Guardian, the Reds are pushing hard to sign the Austrian international this summer, although Real Madrid are currently leading the race, as they seek a replacement for the seemingly outgoing Sergio Ramos.

Whilst Romano suggests a January move is unlikely, which is a blow for Jurgen Klopp’s side due to their current injury crisis in defence, they should still be doing everything they can to sign the £58.5 million-rated centre-back on a Bosman transfer next summer.

Alaba’s superb ability on the ball was exemplified by his excellent performance in Bayern Munich’s 5-2 win against Mainz recently, with the 28-year-old helping to build attacks from the back with his world-class passing ability.

As per SofaScore, Alaba would have 108 touches of the ball against Mainz, completing an impressive 97 passes from the 105 he attempted, resulting in a pass accuracy rate of 92%.

He is also willing to take a risk with his long balls, something Liverpool have arguably been lacking in the absence of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, and eight of the 12 he attempted during the 90 minutes would find a Bayern Munich shirt.

Although Hans Dieter-Flick’s side found themselves 2-0 down at half-time, this was more to do with Jerome Boateng having a nightmare than Alaba being poor defensively, as they fought back to win 5-2 once Boateng was replaced by Niklas Sule at half-time.

During Pep Guardiola’s time managing the Austrian international, he was full of praise for him, saying:

“He’s an unbelievable talent. He can play anywhere. He’s quick, good in the build-up and always 100 per cent focused. Without doubt he can be one of the best centre-backs in the world. He’s a huge gift for Bayern.”

Therefore, with Alaba’s versatility and experience, he would be a world-class addition to Klopp’s side in the summer and would work superbly alongside the more physically dominating Van Dijk.

AND, in other news, Edwards can solve LFC crisis by signing £16.5m “leader” likened to Vidic…

Glasgow Rangers could be heading for a monumental king-sized changing of the guard – with seven players out of contract in the summer.

Steven Gerrard has some tough decisions to make as he faces the prospect of losing some of his key men having entered the last six months of their current deals.

It could lead to a mass exodus from Ibrox which means several players will need replacing. Rangers have midfielders Steven Davis, 36, and Bongani Zungu, 28, whose contracts are set to expire in the summer.

The former Southampton man has re-established himself in Gerrard’s first-team plans and forged an excellent partnership with Glen Kamara in the midfield.

Gerrard has made it clear he wants to tie the 36-year-old down to a new deal but Zungu could return to his parent club Amiens after a difficult start to life in Glasgow.

Whilst the spirited Davis may be in a resurgent mood this season, he can’t go on forever, and the Light Blues need to lay down a succession plan for the Northern Irishman. And they may not have to look much further than Bournemouth midfielder Nnamdi Ofoborh, who has been heavily linked with a move to Ibrox.

According to The Sun’s Andy Devlin, Rangers are close to completing a deal for Ofoborh and his teammate Jack Simpson as the pair edge closer to agreeing Bosman moves with Gerrard’s side.

It’s fair to say that the 21-year-old could be the perfect successor for Steven Davis, who has been in such fine form since the start of this season – against Celtic, SofaScore graded him as one of the best players on the pitch with a high 7.3 rating in the Old Firm clash at Ibrox.

Per WhoScored, Ofoborh spent the majority of last season on loan with Wycombe Wanderers, winning promotion to the Championship, whilst averaging at least one clearance and one tackle per game, which is more than Zungu has currently managed in the Scottish Premiership this season, via WhoScored.

Bournemouth development squad manager Shaun Cooper previously heaped praise on his young charge after he made his competitive debut for the Cherries against Crystal Palace. He said: “Nnamdi had a fantastic season with Wycombe last year, experiencing first-team football and winning a promotion.

“He was probably a bit more ready for it in that respect, but I still thought he did really well playing on the right of a back three. His passing in the first half was good and as a character he is solid and reliable.”

Ross Wilson needs to prioritise signing a new defensive midfielder and Ofoborh could be the perfect successor for Davis in the future.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers handed Kemar Roofe injury boost…

According to The Daily Mail, Arsenal will have scouts present for Bayer Leverkusen’s Europa League clash against Slavia Prague, in order to watch Leon Bailey.

What’s the story?

The Jamaica international has been one of the stand-out performers for the Bundesliga side this season, scoring five goals and providing six assists in 14 games.

Now, The Daily Mail claim that some of the biggest sides across Europe will be keeping an eye on Bailey’s development, with scouts from the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United, Everton, Inter and PSG all watching his performance against Slavia on Thursday night.

The report adds that Leverkusen currently have a £36m valuation on his head at the moment, but that price could well be hiked in the future as they look to get big money for him.

Problem for Pepe

The Gunners of course already have a multi-million pound winger in Nicolas Pepe, but it’s fair to say the Ivory Coast international just hasn’t managed to live up to expectations in his year and a half at the club.

His foolish red card against Leeds United, in which he earned a three-game suspension in the Premier League just summed up his Arsenal career.

In Bailey, Mikel Arteta can find a genuinely dynamic and exciting right-sided winger who is also comfortable playing from the left-hand side. His arrival would put immense pressure on Pepe to perform, and if he doesn’t, then he can just settle for a place on the bench or even out the door completely.

Ajax’s former youth coach, Ronald de Boer, once said of Bailey: “He’s so fast it’s not normal. His speed, combined with his technique, is very rare. Exceptional. He has no weak points.”

If the Gunners can fend off competition from north London rivals Spurs in order to sign Bailey, then it could be yet a huge Edu masterclass in the transfer market.

Meanwhile, Arsenal must surely bring in this play-maker who was a “revelation” in the Premier League.

After brushing aside Crystal Palace 3-0 on Saturday, and that too after playing with ten men for an entire half, Aston Villa look ahead to facing Chelsea in the Premier League on Monday night.

Dean Smith’s side have been in imperious form to start off the new campaign, having won eight of their opening 13 games. But with the club in the midst of a very busy festive schedule – they play Chelsea just over 48 hours after their win over Palace – changes will surely have to be made to freshen things up and ensure they don’t run out of steam too early.

And with that in mind, Smith may look to hand exciting teenager Jacob Ramsey the chance to start from the off at Stamford Bridge.

The 19-year-old has featured three times in the Premier League this season, but has only started once, and that came in a 1-0 victory over Wolves when he actually played the entire 90 minutes.

Since then, he has been an unused substitute for two out of the last three games in the top-flight, whilst he was brought on for the final few months at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

If Smith decides to rest one of his attacking stars on Monday night, then Ramsey surely has to be one of the first names he thinks of to replace them.

Able to play in central midfield or further forward, the teenager could offer Villa a measure of unpredictability to their attacks, and leave Chelsea guessing about how best to deal with him.

Villa’s academy manager has previously gone on record to say about Ramsey: “If he continues to match his undoubted technical ability and eye for a goal with the desire and energy to reach the next level, he will have a bright future in the game.”

The 5 foot 9 starlet could be the key to unlock Chelsea’s defence, and ensure Villa’s superb run this season continues.

West Bromwich Albion manager Slaven Bilic has backed goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to be a key player for the Baggies in the Premier League this term.

The Hawthorns outfit sealed promotion to the Premier League this summer but they have found life in England’s top flight difficult thus far. Conceding 13 goals in their opening five games so far this season, the Baggies have gained just two points in that time.

Despite previous criticism of his performances, Johnstone has been a consistent presence in Bilic’s team in the early weeks of the season.

What has Bilic said about Sam Johnstone?

Speaking ahead of his side’s game against Brighton on Monday, Bilic backed his ‘keeper, saying in his latest press conference:

“Without a good keeper, nobody has got a chance. We have good goalkeepers but I am extremely happy with him (Johnstone).“At the beginning, because this is his first season playing in the Premier League, it was a new challenge for him.“You would read it’s Sam’s first time in the Premier League how is he going to do?“They (the players) read it all, it all goes in their head.“Then after the Everton and Chelsea games there were a few comments – could he have saved this one or that one.“Then he had a couple of good games, a few good saves against Southampton.QUIZ: What do you remember from Slaven Bilic’s first season in charge of West Brom?“A couple of good saves against Burnley and he is confident.“And that is what we need. We need that kind of performance week-in, week-out if we are going to stay up.“Hopefully he is going to give it. He is in a good way. He is very confident now.“We are going to do everything so that he is challenged by our other goalkeepers.“But we want him to be confident, to maintain this level and even improve.”Johnstone has featured in all five of West Brom’s Premier League games this term, with an average rating of 6.54 out of ten from WhoScored. Should Johnstone be number one? What other options does Bilic have?

David Button and Jonathan Bond are the other two first team ‘keepers at West Brom but it is fair to argue that Johnstone fully deserves his place in the team.

A key member of the Baggies side last season in the Championship, playing every minute of their promotion-winning campaign, the former Manchester United man will be keen to maintain the recent form to which Bilic alluded in his comments.

West Brom are likely to find this season challenging, and fighting off relegation could be the simple aim. As Bilic has said, Johnstone should be a key part of their survival bid, so the 27-year-old will need to justify his manager’s faith.

Are you happy with Sam Johnstone’s performances for West Brom so far this season? Let us know in the comments section below…

West Ham United must flip their decision not to recall Felipe Anderson from his failing loan spell with FC Porto, amid reports that David Moyes has already decided the Brazilian’s future.

What’s the word?

According to reliable insider ExWHUemployee, the Irons have no interest in recalling Anderson from his season-long loan during the January window, despite Porto being far from impressed with the winger’s early efforts.

Anderson joined Sergio Conceicao’s side in October after the market for English clubs to sign players from abroad closed, having failed to start a single league game for the Hammers this season.

Moyes had favoured the £22.5m-rated Brazilian in each of the London Stadium’s EFL Cup ties, returning one goal and two assists, and did not expect to lose Anderson once the international market closed to English sides.

West Ham would have hoped to see Anderson revive his career with the Portuguese champions having been signed for a then-club-record £36m in 2018 but, instead, they have seen the 27-year-old feature for just 110 minutes across all competitions.

Anderson has started only once for Porto, coming in last week’s Tace de Portugal trip to third-tier G.D. Fabril, while Conceicao has also omitted the one-time Brazil international from three of his matchday squads – including his last two in Liga NOS.

Yet, despite Anderson being an outcast at the Estadio do Dragao, West Ham have no interest in recalling the forward this winter and as such, they will allow him to see out the season in Portugal.

U-turn needed

With Porto not overly impressed by Anderson’s performances and Conceicao showing a recent preference to omit the 27-year-old from his matchday plans, West Ham must make a U-turn on their decision not to recall the winger Moyes once lauded as a “technically gifted” player.

While the Irons’ deal with Porto saw the Liga NOS outfit pick up Anderson’s £85,000-per-week contract and pay a sizable loan fee to obtain his services for the season, West Ham will be in a far worse position next summer than they were this year with his current terms due to expire in 2022.

The east London club will be left in an awkward state of limbo were Anderson to stay away until the end of the campaign, as a torrid year in Portugal will see his market value continue its drastic decline that has seen TransferMarkt devalue the Brazilian by £18m since last December.

However, Anderson returning to the London Stadium this winter will afford Moyes and the Hammers hierarchy an opportunity to find a new home for the former Lazio star, one where he will be given the chances to find his best form again and hopefully help him maintain some of his value.

AND in other news, a pundit has exclusively claimed a 26-year-old ace would have been a “very good” West Ham signing.

Celtic are set for a busy day of activity as the transfer window draws to a close this evening and it appears they are close to another signing…

What’s the word?

According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the Scottish champions are set to sign AC Milan defender Diego Laxalt on loan in what will be quite a coup for the club.

It’s claimed that the Hoops’ bid is the most ‘credible’ offer and that he’s set to leave the San Siro today to complete the move.

The 27-year-old is now valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt having once hit the £16.2m mark back in 2018 whilst at Serie A rivals Genoa.

Perfect fit

Neil Lennon’s shift to a three-at-the-back system has meant there has been a greater need for a left-sided player who can play as a wing-back, and this is where Laxalt fits like a glove.

The 24-time Uruguayan international has played 127 times in the role, providing seven goals and nine assists. He was most successful at Genoa, where in his final season he averaged 1.7 tackles, 1.3 dribbles, 1.2 clearances and one shot per game, via WhoScored.

This only goes to show the sort of impact he can have at either end of the pitch and if he can refind that form, he’d be an upgrade on Greg Taylor, who is only managing 1.4 tackles, 0.3 dribbles and 0.1 shots per game in the Scottish Premiership.

Laxalt himself notes his strengths as “speed and endurance” as well as his versatility to fill a number of positions.

It’s his offensive threat that could take the Bhoys onto a new level as he’ll be feeding Alban Ajeti and Odsonne Edouard with balls from out wide, making him a far better fit for Lennon’s tactics than the defensively-minded Taylor.

Shane Duffy also knows all too well about his abilities as he helped nullify his impact as he was subbed off after just 45 minutes.

Overall, this would be a fantastic move from Nick Hammond and co.

AND in other news, £8.55m-rated man puts in lightweight display as Celtic remain unbeaten