All posts by h716a5.icu

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou managed to end his debut season in charge of the Bhoys in a rather successful fashion.

In addition to taking the SPFL title away from Rangers and back to Parkhead, the Hoops also ended the campaign with the best attack and best defensive record in the division.

With 38 games played, Celtic scored 92 goals and conceded just 22, which is 12 more than Rangers scored and nine fewer than they conceded.

One figure in the squad that didn’t contribute that much to Celtic’s impressive season was Christopher Jullien.

Despite missing the majority of the season through injury, the defender – who has had one performance back in 2020 labelled as a “shocker” by Tam McManus – didn’t get that much of a look in when he was available.

He ultimately only played 16 minutes of action for his side, which came during their 4-0 win over Raith Rovers in the Scottish FA Cup back in February.

This, and the fact that a report from The Athletic claimed that the club would be willing to let the £20k-per-week centre-back leave the club this summer, doesn’t make the chances of him featuring much for the Hoops moving forward look particularly high.

With that in mind, if the Frenchman does end up waving goodbye to the Parkhead club this summer, one figure that they have been linked with recently that could be a good replacement for Jullien is Ben Davies.

Last season saw the Liverpool centre-back spend the campaign on loan with Sheffield United in the Championship.

During his time with the Yorkshire club, the centre-back made 22 appearances in total, in which he made 29 interceptions, won 18 tackles and ended the campaign with an average of 2.6 clearances per game.

This shows the sort of defensive credentials the Englishman, who has been described as “outstanding” in the past by Preston North End executive Peter Risdale, has and why he’d be a useful asset for the Hoops.

Moving forward, if Postecoglou wants to add another centre-back to his ranks that can act as some competition for the likes of Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers, then Davies could be the ideal candidate to come in and make a stake for a place in the side, especially if Jullien ends up leaving.

AND in other news: Celtic now given green light to sign “incredibly fast” £5m talent, Ange surely buzzing

After announcing the capture of Jed Wallace earlier on Thursday, West Bromwich Albion are not done there and are now eyeing up a third summer signing.

What’s the word?

That is according to journalist Alan Nixon, who revealed on Twitter that a third summer signing is still “in sights” for Steve Bruce and co.

Nixon was responding to the question: “You reckon West Brom will get any more signings done before season starts Al?”

To which he answered: “Two very good frees so far and the Leicester lad still in sights. Have to say that’s decent business.”

The ‘Leicester lad’ in question is of course none other than Hamza Choudhury, who could make a switch to the Hawthorns after struggling for game time at the King Power Stadium.

Supporters will be buzzing

As if the free signings of John Swift and Wallace were not enough for the Baggies faithful, a third signing is sure to bolster the promotion hopes within the fanbase.

West Brom’s transfer business thus far has been sensational. Despite a disappointing season in the campaign just gone, they have managed to lure quality signings who have shown interest in their promotion project, with a move for Choudhury perhaps the cherry on top.

The Leicester City youth graduate had a breakout season just two seasons ago, making 20 Premier League appearances under Brendan Rodgers back in the 2019/20 campaign.

However, his game time has consistently worsened in the two seasons since, with the former England U21 international making just 16 appearances over the last two seasons combined, with just six appearances coming in the latest campaign.

At the age of 24, he may look to take inspiration from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who managed to break into the Leicester City first-team last season, following a successful loan spell at Luton Town, and instead seize an opportunity to play for Bruce’s Baggies.

AND in other news: “Massive” West Brom transfer development now emerges, supporters will be buzzing

An exciting transfer update has emerged surrounding Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, we can expect many more signings in north London as the Lilywhites close in on a £25m swoop for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma.

The Mali international is merely an announcement away from becoming a new Spurs player and in a fresh 11-word update on Twitter, the transfer guru revealed that it’s not over for the club just yet.

“It’s absolutely not over for Spurs, with more signings to come,” he said.

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Exciting summer ahead

Bissouma is Tottenham’s third signing of the window so far, joining free agents Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan and Fraser Forster from Southampton as Antonio Conte’s latest arrivals.

He’ll add box-to-box steel to an already-packed engine room, with his former manager Chris Hughton waxing lyrical about the signing to The Athletic this week.

“He’s a very talented player on the ball, happy to receive the ball in tight areas, and that’s why he can play in lots of different positions,” he explained. “The fee looks like really good business for Spurs. He has a lovely knack of receiving it and driving past players — whether a bit further forward or in that deeper role.”

And with sporting director Fabio Paratici gaining a £150m cash injection from the board, it’s no wonder we can expect to see more moves in the transfer market.

Spurs’ priority surely now lies at left centre-back, where full-back Ben Davies has done an astute job for Conte. The likes of Alessandro Bastoni and Josko Gvardiol have been linked.

A right wing-back wouldn’t go amiss either, with the Italian head coach seemingly unconvinced by Emerson Royal, and who knows how Matt Doherty will recover from his serious injury.

Elsewhere, the north Londoners could look to sign a forward to either partner or play backup to Harry Kane. He along with the other positions are important to fill as the club will be competing in the Champions League next term.

Strength in depth is crucial towards their chances of competing on all fronts but everyone around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium should be buoyed, if not hugely ecstatic, by this update from Romano this week.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold makes James Maddison claim at Spurs…

Liverpool are now unexpectedly desperate to sign a forward this summer after it was revealed that Sadio Mane wants to leave the club this summer, with a bid already rejected from Bayern Munich and another imminent.

Mane has been the linchpin in Liverpool’s success under Jurgen Klopp, since joining the side in 2016 the Senegalese winger has scored 120 goals and delivered 48 assists to lead the Merseyside club in winning the Premier League title for the first time ever, a Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

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As a result, it will be a hard challenge to fill the boots of the AFCON winner this summer, with not only his attacking output but his diversity and proven effectiveness across the front three positions which is an attribute rarely found in players combined with the goal contributions Mane has delivered in his time.

The Merseyside club have already been linked with a number of replacements and the names keep on coming with Christopher Nkunku one of the names to be added to their shortlist in recent months. That’s for good reason because he has had a phenomenal season for RB Leipzig.

The £64m gem who was dubbed “glorious” by journalist Andrew Dickson and called a “nightmare” by ESPN has impressively scored 35 goals and delivered 20 assists in 51 appearances with a goal contribution every 76 minutes.

However, it’s not just his scoring habits that are attracting interest from the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and the Reds.

Nkunku has created 16 big chances, made 1.9 key passes, won 5.9 duels and taken 2.4 shots on average per game as well as being successful in the large majority of his dribbles (67%), proving that he is an absolute nuisance for his opponents and offers more depth to his game than just goals.

Former Leipzig boss Jesse Marsch hailed the Frenchman in a review of Nkunku’s performances and style of play, saying in a press conference:

“Christopher has no weaknesses. He is young and still wants a lot more.

“Working with him is a lot of fun as he is really intelligent and has a lot of potential.”

Darwin Nunez has been another player who has been heavily linked with a move to Anfield but plays a much more restricted role as an out and out striker for Benfica.

Thus, signing Nkunku could be a much better like for like signing to replace Mane due to his diversity in positioning, something that Klopp likes to exploit when managing in-game.

The 24-year-old can play effectively as an attacking midfielder, striker, left and right winger whereas Nunez produces his best work deployed strictly as a number nine in the striker role with SofaScore rating his passing as a weakness, which could be an issue for Liverpool’s free-flowing forward line.

With that being said, signing up Nkunku could be a huge piece of business in Liverpool’s pursuit to find a replacement for Mane, bringing in a player who can play in the striker role as well as be effortlessly capable of switching positions when needed.

AND in other news: “Will go for…”: Fabrizio Romano drops LFC transfer update that’ll excite supporters

Everton have reportedly now ‘asked for’ versatile Porto midfielder Otavio and are expected to make an official bid soon.

The Lowdown: Liverpool target

Otavio has been strongly linked with a move to Merseyside rivals Liverpool this summer, but given that they are now set to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica, they may put any potential move for the FC Porto attacker on the back-burner.

This would open the door for the Goodison Park outfit, as Frank Lampard looks to strengthen his starting eleven ahead of the new season.

The Latest: Enquiry made

As per O Jogo (via Sport Witness), the Toffees have now made an enquiry over the possibility of signing Otavio and have ‘asked for’ the Portugal international.

They are expected to make an official bid, but Otavio is protected by his whopping €60m (£51.2m) release clause.

The Verdict: Unrealistic

Given that Porto will be playing in the UEFA Champions League next term after winning their domestic title, and that the Blues have reportedly had financial trouble over the last year, it just seems too unrealistic that they would be able to sign Otavio, especially for his asking price.

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He would be a great signing, having scored five goals and made a further 14 assists in total over all competitions last campaign (whole of the frontline and on both flanks would be a valuable asset to Lampard.

However, the club should not be wasting their time here unless they can seriously whittle that release clause down.

In other news, find out what ‘massive’ boost EFC have now received here!

Hearts are keen on making midfielder Ben Woodburn’s loan move from Liverpool a permanent one this summer.

The Lowdown: Productive loan spell

The Welshman joined the Scottish Premiership side on a temporary basis last summer and enjoyed a fruitful campaign away from Anfield.

Woodburn scored three goals and registered one assist in 24 league appearances, also winning one Match of the Match award from WhoScored.

It appears as though Woodburn is surplus to requirements at Liverpool, and with his contract expiring this month, he could well leave the club for good.

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The Latest: Hearts want permanent deal

According to The Scotsman, Hearts manager Robbie Neilsen wants to sign the 22-year-old permanently this summer.

It is also claimed that Woodburn is ‘open’ to the idea of joining the Scottish outfit for good, having enjoyed his time there to date.

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The Verdict: Right time to leave

Woodburn is a talented young player who once threatened to be a future superstar, having become Liverpool’s youngest goalscorer of all time back in 2016.

He has been hailed as a ‘perfect’ talent by Jurgen Klopp, but despite this, now feels like the logical time for him to move on and join a new permanent club.

Woodburn is clearly no part of Liverpool’s future plans, given the number of loan spells he has had, but there is no shame in not making the grade for such a great team.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has made a key Liverpool claim. Read more here.

Manchester United’s era has hardly started with a bang under Erik ten Hag but some key decisions have already been made at Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

On Wednesday it was confirmed that Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard would indeed be leaving United behind at the end of their contracts this summer.

It marks a sad end for the midfield duo but it’s now crucial ten Hag gets to business in the transfer market.

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One player he could sign is Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio with fresh reports dictating that his agent is set to offer the Spaniard to Man United.

That’s according to sources in Spain, via Sport Witness, who report that Jorge Mendes wants to take the 26-year-old to the Premier League in the coming months.

The player has not closed the door on an exit from the Bernabeu but it’s not known at this stage whether United actually want the player.

Asensio has a whopping €700m (£596m) release clause in his Madrid contract but Transfermarkt values the attacker at £36m.

Their own Foden

It will be interesting to see how ten Hag attacks the transfer window after being appointed the new manager of United.

It’s clear that a number of areas need reinforcing throughout the summer and they will need to unearth someone who can not only create more goal-scoring opportunities but also find the back of the net.

Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes surpassed double figures for goals in 2021/21 so Asensio could certainly help improve that.

He found the net 12 times throughout the current campaign, which included ten strikes in 31 La Liga outings.

Capable of playing on the wing or in a number 10 role, his versatility and overall qualities are similar to that of Manchester City’s Phil Foden.

The young Englishman is the very definition of a wonderkid and helped himself to a haul of 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions as Man City won the Premier League title.

According to FB Ref’s similar players model, the pair are comparable and when you look at the stats, it’s clear to see why.

They both score 0.16 goals per shot and have the exact same xG per 90 minutes of 0.39. Furthermore, they are both similarly measurable when it comes to short pass success, with Asensio completing 89.3% compared to Foden’s 90.8%

Furthermore, the Madrid star makes 6.93 passes under pressure per 90 compared to the Man City starlet’s 7.37. There is a small gap but it still makes them incredibly alike.

To further illustrate how similar the offensive duo are, Foden produces 3.51 shot-creating actions per 90 compared to Asensio’s 3.38. Finally, their carries in possession of the ball are almost identical with the former registering 42.8 to the latter’s 42.3.

Although the Spain international is four years older than the Premier League title-winner, he’d still be a superb signing. After all, the attacker has been dubbed “magical” by teammate Casemiro.

This is certainly someone that ten Hag should be looking to build his new team around.

AND in other news, MUFC can sign their answer to Haaland in “magical” £222k-p/w gem who’s “like Maradona”…

Manchester United’s defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday was their 12th of the Premier League season and despite the side finishing sixth and qualifying for the Europa League, incoming manager Erik ten Hag faces a massive rebuilding job in the summer.

Problems lie all over the pitch, the defence is poor and concedes too many goals, and the midfield is lacklustre and needs urgently refreshed, but the main gripe is within the forward areas.

Only Cristiano Ronaldo (24) has scored more than ten goals out of all the Man United forwards and this area needs to be prioritised during the summer.

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With Ralf Rangnick revealing that Edinson Cavani will be leaving the club at the end of the season, Ronaldo will be the only recognised centre forward.

One player that has been linked with the club is Lille striker Jonathan David, and the 22-year-old could be an excellent fit in ten Hag’s new United side.

David has scored 19 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions for the French side as they struggled in the defence of their Ligue 1 title. Although shy of the 24 netted by Ronaldo, there is no doubt the young talent has the potential to succeed in the Premier League.

Lille are reportedly demanding £46m in order for a side to prise their key asset away from the club and it’s a fee that Man Utd could certainly afford, although Arsenal are also in the running.

The Canada international was praised by national coach John Herdman, who dubbed David as “fearless”, so it’s no wonder he has netted an impressive 20 goals in just 30 games for his country.

This is the type of clinical nature that the Red Devils need. Ronaldo is 37 and can’t drag the side along by himself. A duo of David and the Portuguese star would surely get the Old Trafford faithful buzzing, and these are the type of signings ten Hag needs to make in order to get off to a good start.

AND in other news, Ten Hag’s 1st blow: Romano relays transfer news that will have MUFC supporters gutted

Newcastle United ‘would love’ to sign Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin this summer, claims journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Calvert-Lewin links

According to The Telegraph, the Magpies are plotting to make a bid for the 25-year-old in the upcoming transfer window.

Valued at £37.8m by Transfermarkt, the striker has endured a difficult season in Merseyside, having missed 16 games due to a fractured toe at the start of the campaign.

However, it appears that the England international is back to his goal-scoring ways, having netted twice in his last two games, including the winning-goal in Everton’s famous comeback against Crystal Palace, which secured the Toffees’ Premier League safety.

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The Latest: Jones’ claim

Jones has now backed the Telegraph’s report, claiming that Newcastle are keen on adding Calvert-Lewin to Eddie Howe’s ranks.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, he claimed: “I mean, it’s an ideal one for them to look at. Calvert-Lewin’s somebody they like.

“They want to have a British core to them if they possibly can; they want to have players that have got Premier League pedigree. And Calvert-Lewin, as a young player on the fringes of the England side, is somebody they would love to get in.”

 The Verdict: Great signing

The arrival of Calvert-Lewin at St. James’ Park would provide Howe with a lethal aerial threat within the box, who could thus be exploited by the Magpies’ high-pressing wide players.

According to FB Ref, the striker ranks in the 95th percentile for aerials won, for which he averages 5.4 a game in the Premier League (via WhoScored), giving plenty of evidence as to why Alan Shearer once said he ‘absolutely batters’ defenders.

Hailed by former Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti as a “fantastic striker”, and with Graeme Souness’ assertion that the 25-year-old plays with “sauce” and “swagger”, it is clear to see Calvert-Lewin’s quality.

This would be a great signing for Newcastle.

In other news: Newcastle United: Italian source makes Thomas Strakosha claim

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Martin Satriano to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet TuttoMercatoWeb (via Sport Witness), who claim that Antonio Conte is keen to bring the centre-forward who he signed for Inter Milan back in 2020 to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the end of the current campaign.

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The report goes on to cite an interview with the 21-year-old himself, in which the Uruguayan suggested that he was flattered by the interest of the 52-year-old Italian.

Regarding Spurs’ reported interest, the Inter starlet said: “I have heard and read about Tottenham, I am obviously glad that some teams have noticed me, but only because it means that I am doing well. I am young and I have to grow much.”

The next Broja

Considering the sheer amount of potential Satriano quite clearly possesses, it is unsurprising to learn of Conte’s interest in a move to bring the forward to north London this summer.

Indeed, having been sent out on loan to Stade Brestois in January, the £3.6m-rated attacker has highly impressed over his 15 Ligue 1 appearances, scoring four goals and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.81 – ranking him as Michel Der Zakarian’s joint tenth-best performer in the French top flight.

These metrics have led FBref to compare the youngster to a number of exciting talents in Europe’s big five leagues, such as Chelsea’s Armando Broja – who has scored six goals over 32 Premier League appearances while on loan at Southampton this season – Sevilla’s Rafa Mir and Lens’ Arnaud Kalimuendo.

Furthermore, hopes for the £9k-per-week talent are clearly extremely high at Inter, with the Nerazzurri and Uruguay central midfielder Matias Vecino stating of the 21-year-old:

“Already last year he trained a few times with the first team. The truth is that he deserves it because he trains well, he is a serious and humble boy.

“I have no doubt that everything that happens to him will be positive, whether here or playing somewhere else to gain playing time and then come back. He’s a humble boy who understands where he is, who keeps both feet on the ground and trains like a beast.”

As such, should Fabio Paratici be able to convince the 20-goal striker of a move to Tottenham this summer, the Italian sporting director would very much look to have landed an extremely exciting talent – perhaps even one who could go on to emulate Broja’s impact on the English top-flight in the current campaign.

AND in other news: Alasdair Gold drops huge behind-the-scenes Spurs update, supporters will be buzzing