All posts by z3u9t.icu

It’s been a difficult few weeks for Tottenham. Not only have they had some very tough games to contend with, but the Lilywhites have also been the sufferers of a few major injury issues. 

Indeed, ahead of their game with Crystal Palace on Sunday, Spurs have confirmed a big set of concerns, with Ben Davies and Mousa Sissoko joining Dele Alli and Harry Kane on the injury table.

Fortunately, there is some good news for the club – and it couldn’t be coming at a better time. Unfortunately for South Korea and Son Heung-min, they were knocked out of the Asian Cup on Friday, but that means that the attacker will shortly be returning to London and the Tottenham squad.

This is vital for the club, as they’ve really missed him. He’s been one of Spurs’ best attackers so far this season, and he always seems to pop up with big moments and big goals. From offering exciting pace and energy to regularly scoring for the club, it’s no surprise that he’s such a popular player in north London.

Significantly, too, with Dele Alli and Harry Kane out, there’s a lack of attacking flair, and that was evident against Chelsea on Thursday. Despite his goal, Fernando Llorente looked lost at points for the Lilywhites, and a few of the chances that he had would have been easily put away by Son.

So, for Spurs, this is huge news. Losing players is never nice, but the prospect of Son returning gives them fresh hope that they can get through the mini injury crisis that is currently ongoing.

Thoughts?

Newcastle United are reportedly among seven clubs in the Premier League now eyeing up a transfer move for Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: Back of the queue…

It seems like every man and his dog wants to sign the 21-year-old, and the St James’ Park outfit are no exception.

Corriere Fiorentino reported earlier this week (via Sport Witness) that they joined the race to sign the Serbia international, although it will not be easy for them to meet Fiorentina’s demands.

Nonetheless, more clubs seem to be entering the hunt for his signature as the January transfer window draws closer.

The Latest: Premier League interest

As per 90min, Newcastle are one of seven English top-flight clubs now eyeing Vlahovic, with the others being Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Everton, while Juventus are also credited with an interest.

The player’s agents were in England earlier this month to engage in talks with Premier League sides, as their client is likely to be available for around £70m.

A well-placed source told the news outlet that some scouts think he could be a ‘better option’ than Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland, as he is ‘that good’ and ‘really at the top of his game’.

Vlahovic is under contract until 2023 but has rejected an offer to extend it, so Fiorentina now want to cash in and duly maximise the transfer fee they would receive by selling him.

The Verdict: Impossible?

With the sheer amount of competition for his services, coupled with the fact that the Magpies currently find themselves in a relegation scrap, it seems almost impossible that they would be able to attract Vlahovic, even with their new mega-rich owners.

Lauded as an ‘incredible’ striker by Serie A expert Conor Clancy back in June, Vlahovic has scored no fewer than 12 goals in just 14 matches in total across all competitions so far this season, also pitching in with three assists (Transfermarkt).

The 6 foot 3 beast will no doubt have bigger suitors than the Magpies over the next coming months, so it is now up to the new owners to show just how much ambition they have for the long-term project at St James’ Park.

In other news, NUFC are also tracking this famous ‘box killer’

Crystal Palace’s squad looks entirely different to how it did last season, and that is in large part down to manager Patrick Vieira’s recruitment skills.

The Eagles saw seven first-team stars leave the club in the summer at the end of their contract, meaning the former Arsenal captain had a big job of rebuilding the playing squad during his first summer in charge.

Vieira signed Michael Olise, Odsonne Edouard, Connor Gallagher, Marc Guehi, Will Hughes and Joachim Andersen to replenish an ageing side and has earned widespread acclaim for his new-look approach with the side since taking over.

Despite the change of style and good performances though, Palace have been restricted to just three wins in the Premier League this season from 14 games. They’ve only been beaten five times in total, but they’ve seen the points shared on seven occasions – with only Brighton drawing on more occasions than them.

This has led to speculation that the 45-year-old will be keen to invest in the squad further during the January transfer window, with Rangers playmaker Joe Aribo linked with a move to England.

Aribo has so far been in good form for the Scottish champions this season, with five goals and two assists in 16 appearances from the wing, including two strikes in his last three appearances. With just 18 months remaining on his contract, the 25-year-old Nigerian is reportedly available as new manager Giovanni Van Bronckhorst considers letting the £6m-rated man leave.

While he would come into a Palace side and continue their new vision of young, hungry players with a point to prove, this is a signing that Palace and Vieira don’t need right now.

Much of their stuttering start can be considered to be down to, at least in part, the absence of gifted playmaker Eberechi Eze for the start of the season. The 23-year-old missed the back end of last season and the start of the current campaign with a serious achilles injury but has recently returned to action in recent weeks.

He’s clearly not yet fully fit, but the £18m-rated star was a key man last season with ten goal contributions in the Premier League and brings many of the same qualities that Aribo would bring to the squad.

Described as a “great talent” by Steve McLaren, Eze is a tremendous ball carrier, with the ability to beat players one-on-one, deliver a final pass and even score goals. Thus he will fit in perfectly to the system that Vieira has opted to bring to south London.

Palace have got flaws in their squad they can look to fill in January, but a playmaker when you have Eze returning to the team shouldn’t be one of them. By bringing the Englishman back into the fold over the winter, he could just save the club millions in terms of potential transfer fees.

AND in other news, Patrick Vieira must unleash Michael Olise.

According to club insider ExWHUemployee, West Ham are hopeful that Jarrod Bowen will be available for the upcoming clash against Everton next Sunday.

The Lowdown: Bowen’s injury

During the Irons’ 1-0 loss to Liverpool earlier this month, the 25-year-old was forced into a premature exit after sustaining an injury to his foot, cutting his game short in the 53rd minute. The winger has been sidelined ever since, having missed the Hammers’ last four games as a result.

Whilst the club had previously announced that Bowen had not sustained significant damage from the foot injury, varying reports have since arisen to the contrary.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-developments-4/” title=”West Ham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Ex’s news on Bowen

When interviewed for his website The West Ham Way, ExWHUemployee was questioned by the site’s editor Mark Carlaw about Bowen’s eagerly-awaited return.

Shared on Twitter, he responded with: “Well as of now the club are hopeful that Bowen will be back for the Everton game. There is an element of confusion surrounding the injury, but from what I am told, the match against Everton is seen as his potential return. This also goes the same for Coufal.”

The Verdict: Huge boost

This news will come as a huge boost to David Moyes as his West Ham side set to prepare for a congested period over the next few weeks. It begins with a Premier League fixture against a struggling Everton side before one of the club’s most important clashes of the modern era as they host Lyon in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

As the Hammers’ top scorer, Bowen’s return could prove to be massive for Moyes, as the Irons have struggled for goals without their star winger. To supplement his value in front of goal, the former Hull City man also adds a creative dynamic in the final third, illustrated by ranking in the 89th percentile for assists made among positional peers in Europe’s five top-ranked leagues (via FBRef).

Therefore, if the 25-year-old can make his return in time for the upcoming bouts against Everton and Lyon, it would provide the east Londoners with a tremendous boost ahead of the season’s run-in.

In other news: West Ham target has ‘gentleman’s agreement’ to leave his current club

Many Everton fans have been left buzzing over some transfer news on Ronald Araujo.

As per The Athletic, the Goodison Park faithful would be ‘very happy’ to offer the central defender better terms next summer than he is currently getting at FC Barcelona.

Given their financial problems, having just sent Philippe Coutinho out on loan to Aston Villa, there could be a deal to be done for Araujo, who has been described as ‘spectacular’ player by manager Xavi, and ‘has everything’ that a centre-back needs according to teammate Gerard Pique, despite being just 22 years of age.

Nonetheless, he would certainly elevate the quality in the Merseyside club’s backline, and so it is no surprise to see so many Toffees excited by the potential move, especially considering many fans are urging one defender to leave in Mason Holgate, perhaps making space for a new addition.

Everton fans on Araujo transfer news

These Blues were left buzzing as the transfer news on Araujo was shared on Twitter, with one EFC supporter even going as far as to claim that it is ‘massive’:

“Would be a great signing, could do with him this month. Is this another Brands pick we want in future….”

Credit: @AidyDews

“A man can dream”

Credit: @YerayMachin

“Now we’re talking”

Credit: @hmcglash

“Omg imagine”

Credit: @BobbyW1878

“Massive if it happens”

Credit: @Georgie_Redman

“Yessss please”

Credit: @timmy__leyin

In other news, find out what club update has Evertonians fuming here!

Rangers picked up their eighth consecutive win in the Premiership on Saturday as they scraped a 1-0 victory over Dundee United to extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points.

Right-back James Tavernier received the plaudits after his penalty proved the difference in what was a hard-fought victory for the Gers, who maintained their 100% winning record in the league under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Despite the 30-year-old’s winning goal, it was his fellow defender Connor Goldson who particularly impressed and played a vital role in securing the Light Blues’ fifth Premiership clean sheet in a row.

Gold-standard display from Goldson

The 29-year-old won nine of his duels as well as making three tackles, whilst not being dribbled past once as the Gers edged to victory. Goldson also managed an impressive 86% passing accuracy whilst having 112 touches, a significant tally for a centre-back.

The £6.75m-rated defender has been a kingpin for Van Bronckhorst’s side, both before and after Steven Gerrard’s departure for Aston Villa last month.

Having missed just two games in all competitions all season, playing the full 90 minutes for the remaining 30, the Englishman really has been a colossus for the Gers this term.

Rangers’ entire defensive unit has been a marvel this season, conceding just 14 goals in 19 games. However, what is particularly impressive is that they have only shipped four goals in the last eight league matches, going five consecutive matches without being breached.

Following today’s win over Dundee United, Football Scotland writer Euan Robertson stated that Goldson “is getting back to his dominant best”, but admittedly “breezed through the game in second gear” despite the narrow scoreline.

There is no doubt that the 29-year-old is a key fixture in this Rangers setup, and the Scottish champions will need the defender at his best and fully fit throughout the campaign if they are to retain their league title.

In other news – Forget Tavernier: Rangers gem who won 6 of his duels ran the show v Dundee United

As per a report in the paper edition of Tuttosport, via Sport Witness, there has been a development in Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Inter Milan star Marcelo Brozovic.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing move…

The Croatia international is yet another one of Antonio Conte’s former Nerazzurri men who he personally wants to bring to north London alongside defender Stefan de Vrij.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-developments-2/” title=”Spurs developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

As per recent updates, the 52-year-old wants Brozovic at Tottenham with TUTTOmercatoWEB even claiming that he is ‘ready’ to welcome the player with ‘open arms’.

This comes amid his 2022 contract situation at the San Siro, and despite Brozovic himself admitting he would like to extend, Tottenham and many other clubs are waiting in the wings ready to take full advantage if talks break down.

The Latest: Spurs make approach…

As per Tuttosport (via SW), Tottenham are one of the many clubs to make an approach to the player’s representatives alongside Manchester United, París Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich and even Newcastle United.

It is also believed that one of these clubs may have already offered Brozovic an €8 million-per-year (£6.7m) salary, which roughly translates to around £129,000-per-week.

The Verdict: What Spurs need?

Surprisingly, despite being a traditionally more defensive player, the 29-year-old could come as a temporary solution to fill the Christian Eriksen-shaped void.

The 70-cap star was remoulded as a playmaker at Inter last season whilst superstar duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-min were the only Tottenham players to match or better some of his creative stats in their respective leagues.

Brozovic averaged the same amount of key passes per 90 in the final third as Kane (1.4) over 2020/2021 whilst racking up six assists, highlighting how he could make an impact for Tottenham further forward (WhoScored).

Former Inter Milan and Udinese boss Andrea Stramaccioni described Brozovic as a ‘very precious’ player for the Serie A giants and we believe he could become just as important under Conte in the Premier League.

In other news: Journalist says ‘worldbeater’ could now be tempted to join Spurs, find out more here.

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard wants to sign another centre-back, according to The Athletic’s Gregg Evans. 

The lowdown

Villa’s problems are mounting in that position after Ezri Konsa sustained a hip injury in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Saturday, with the club still waiting to discover how seriously the 24-year-old was hurt.

It comes after Axel Tuanzebe’s loan in the Midlands was cut short and Manchester United sent him to Serie A outfit Napoli. That leaves Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause as the only fit senior centre-backs currently available to Gerrard.

The latest

Evans reported for The Athletic that centre-back is now ‘a priority position’ with two weeks remaining in the January transfer window, as Gerrard believes he needs four senior players at his disposal in that area.

Villa want to bring in a defender with experience but have yet to decide whether they’ll pursue a short-term deal to tide them over until the summer. Liverpool’s Joe Gomez is one option that they ‘like’, but they have been made aware that he is not available this month.

Sharing a link to his article via Twitter, Evans stated: “Villa are also looking for an experienced defender to add to the squad this month. Gerrard wants four senior CBs.”

The verdict

If it’s not to be Gomez at this stage, could Villa perhaps look to one of his Liverpool team-mates for a possible centre-back addition?

Alex Crook of talkSPORT told GiveMeSport that the Reds are ‘willing to sell’ Nathaniel Phillips, who would ‘tick a few boxes’ for Villa.

Gerrard, who ranks third in the Merseyside club’s all-time appearances list, may well make use of his ‘connections’ to lure players from Anfield, just as he did at Rangers when bringing the likes of Ryan Kent, Jon Flanagan and Sheyi Ojo to Ibrox.

The £7.2m-rated Phillips, who was nominated for the club’s Player of the Match award following a 2-1 win over AC Milan last month, could compete for a starting place at Villa Park rather than merely providing cover, having already proven himself at Premier League and Champions League level.

If Gomez is unattainable, his Anfield team-mate could well be worth trying for Villa to solve their central defensive need.

In other news, lots of Villa fans have reacted to confirmation of this signing 

Crystal Palace failed to break into the top half of the table on Friday night after conceding a late goal at the Amex Stadium against Brighton, and it seems that there’s some frustration off the pitch for the Selhurst Park faithful as well.

What’s the word?

Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth has revealed an update on the mounting speculation surrounding a potential move to Palace for Eddie Nketiah this month, outlining one scenario which must materialise before the Arsenal striker moves to the other side of London.

Speaking on the Sky Sports News Transfer Show, Sheth claimed: “Discussions ongoing about a proposed move for Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah to Crystal Palace. Any move this month could depend on the future of Jean-Philippe Mateta, who’s on loan from Mainz.”

Jean-Philippe Mateta has been linked with a moves elsewhere ever since the transfer window opened, with a move to Saint-Etienne one of the strongest links for the on-loan Mainz striker, but nothing has materialised as of yet.

Vieira will be fuming

Vieira gave a frustrated response when asked in his pre-match press conference about the potential signing of Nketiah, saying: ‘He is an Arsenal player and his manager makes it clear he will stay at Arsenal.”

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta spoke earlier this week about the young forward, insisting that “he’s going to stay here with us” during his press conference prior to Thursday’s Carabao Cup clash at Liverpool, in which Nketiah featured in the starting line-up.

Vieira will be disappointed with the developments, as it was revealed that the £9m-rated striker has been a long-term target for the south London club. The 22-year-old also fits the profile of the type of player that the Eagles manager is looking to add – when you look at the signings the Frenchman has already made at Palace, young players with experience at the top of their game is a common theme.

Conor Gallagher (21) was already proving himself as a promising young player in the England under-21s, earning plenty of Premier League experience on loan at West Brom from Chelsea, where he had become a standout player through their academy.

Odsonne Edouard (23) was the top scorer in the Scottish Premiership for two years in a row whilst playing for title-challenging Celtic and Marc Guehi (21) was snapped up from Champions League holders Chelsea, excelling on loan when he helped Swansea to secure a spot in the Championship play-off final last year.

Nketiah has made 73 appearances for Arsenal, scoring a goal every 163 minutes for the first team during that time. He also has 17 caps for England under-21s, scoring 16 goals so far and becoming captain of the team last year, so it’s little wonder that Vieira was so interested in him.

However, with Mateta’s future seemingly needed to be sorted first before Palace can entertain any hope of landing Nketiah, the Eagles manager may well be raging over the current state of affairs and could have to wait until the summer, when the Arsenal striker is out of contract.

In other news: Vieira could sign this forward as an alternative to Nketiah

Everton’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham leaves them in a precarious position ahead of a must-win crunch tie against Burnley on Wednesday.

The Toffees disappointed again, with this most recent loss meaning that they have taken just three points from their last five Premier League games. If they are to continue in this manner, their status in England’s top flight will surely expire.

Lampard may now be realising the true extent of the job at hand, with Everton sat slumped in 17th place at the most important stage of the season. The loss against West Ham will no doubt fire up Burnley, who will see Wednesday’s game as an opportunity to seal their own fate in a bid to play Premier League football, come next season.

It goes without saying that Wednesday’s clash between the Toffees and the Clarets will be a real crunch match.

Iwobi’s disaster-class

Unfortunately, since the former Chelsea boss has come in, nothing has seemed to have gone to plan. He yet again made tactical mistakes that ended up costing his team dearly.

One of those mistakes was the deployment of Alex Iwobi as a left-sided central midfielder.

When you’re in the position that Everton find themselves in, you need every player to pull their weight and be willing to do everything they can to ensure a win for their team.

In the case of Alex Iwobi, he did not seem as though he wanted to get stuck in, and cost Everton at times with his reluctance to win back possession. Even though Michael Keane received a red card, it was the ex-Arsenal attacker that cost his team the most in offensive phases of play.

Whilst he was positive in possession, providing four key passes, he had a disaster-class in the out of possession phase and committed zero tackles whilst also losing 100% of his defensive duels. On that evidence, it’s hardly a surprise that the Echo’s David Prentice once labelled him “embarrassing.”

Sadly, he also failed to provide a single accurate cross from the three that he attempted during his time on the field.

At this stage of the season, given Everton’s desperate need of points, he should be doing much better in this aspect of his play.

Lampard should also share some of the blame for putting an attack-orientated player in a position that requires defensive discipline.

Iwobi will need to show more going forward.

In other news – Fewer touches than Pickford: £72k-p/w Everton gem who made just 11 passes failed Lamps.