All posts by h716a5.icu

Carlo Ancelotti is set to finally enjoy Jean-Philippe Gbamin, after the Everton midfielder stepped up his recovery from a major Achilles injury ahead of a potential return to Finch Farm.

The Ivorian enforcer is currently working with coaching and fitness company Odysium in a suburb of Paris, per the Liverpool Echo, as he bids to build fitness ahead of reuniting with his Toffees teammates on Merseyside.

Ancelotti is said to be hopeful that Gbamin will soon be able to take part in training sessions at Finch Farm ahead of a comeback appearance between November and December, having so far been without the 25-year-old since his appointment as Marco Silva’s successor through a relentless string of injuries.

Gbamin managed a mere 135 minutes of action across all competitions last season, having developed a quadriceps problem in training just days after his full Everton debut in August last year and later went under the knife after suffering a serious Achilles injury this May.

Gbamin, a £25million signing from 1.FSV Mainz 05, will be eager to put his tainted debut season long in the past once he unites with Ancelotti’s squad, and finally begin his Everton career in the manner he had hoped for in 2019.

The issues that have plagued the defensive midfielder ensured Silva and later Ancelotti have been unable to utilise his physicality in the engine room, taking away a player capable of overpowering opponents and chasing down strikers before they can attack the last line of defence.

Gbamin’s presence in the holding role just ahead of the backline saw his former boss Sandro Schwarz hail his talents, telling the official Mainz website: “He is highly talented. He has a physical presence on the field; he is dynamic, charismatic and technically gifted.”

Ancelotti could finally soon tap into those abilities, and allow Gbamin to enjoy the career sources close to the midfielder felt fell to the side due to Silva’s mismanagement last season.

“The first mistake was made by Marco Silva,” a source told The Athletic of Gbamin’s early quadriceps issue that ensured the 25-year-old could not fulfil his aspirations of taking his career to the next level following the Toffee’s £25m deal.

It was felt Silva had mismanaged Gbamin, having only afforded the midfielder five training sessions before handing the Ivorian his Premier League debut at Crystal Palace, after giving him five weeks off following an appearance at that year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

An injury to Andre Gomes and the suspension of Morgan Schneiderlin then ensured Gbamin started against Watford the following week, much to the surprise of those close to the player, in what remains his last Toffees appearance.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti has landed a big break but it comes as an unfortunate blow for a “talented” Everton ace.

Carlton Palmer has hailed West Bromwich Albion winger Grady Diangana as a “fantastic talent” who is “one for the future” in an exclusive with Football FanCast.Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast correspondent Tom Ward, the former England international is backing Diangana to cope with the pressures and demands of life at the Hawthorns.Diangana burst onto the scene at West Brom as the Baggies battled their way to Premier League promotion last term, before he left his boyhood club West Ham for the final time for a fee that has risen to £18m in the summer.Last season, the 22-year-old scored eight goals and supplied six assists in 30 games in the Championship, whilst he averaged 1.6 shots, 1.4 key passes and 2.4 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.After struggling to break into West Ham’s first team with Andriy Yarmolenko, Robert Snodgrass, Jarrod Bowen, Manuel Lanzini and Pablo Fornals for competition, he moved to the West Midlands in the end instead, which didn’t go down well with his former teammates, with Mark Noble tweeting:

He is highly-rated by Baggies chiefs – and Hal Robson-Kanu has insisted the excitement is shared by the rest of the squad.

However, Palmer believes Diangana needs to be protected from overzealous Baggies fans, as he told FFC:

“He is a fantastic talent, I think it’s a great acquisition for West Brom.

“You can’t put huge pressure on a 22-year-old who has never played in the Premier League.”

“But he’s definitely one for the future, he’s a talented, talented boy.”

Diangana has given fans a glimpse of things to come as he scored his first goal in the top flight in the 5-2 defeat at home to Everton in September.

Since he first arrived at the Hawthorns, the 1-cap England U21 international has scored nine goals and supplied seven assists in 40 games in all competitions for the Baggies, which is a pretty impressive return by any player’s standards, especially when you consider the fact that at one stage he seemed destined to become a fringe player at West Ham.

However, he seems to have run out of steam in recent weeks, with only one goal in his last nine outings so far this season.

But, given his young age, the youngster cannot be expected to shoulder the burden of responsibility alone.

Whilst there is obviously still room for improvement, age is on his side.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Carlton Palmer tips Grady Diangana to become a £40m+ player…

What are the options for the Reds now that Van Dijk’s chances of returning this season have vanished? The Dutch centre-back suffered a Grade 3 cruciate ligament tear at the end of October.  He underwent knee surgery and is looking at a long rehabilitation period. The earliest he can make an appearance is next season.

Van Dijk played a big role in landing Liverpool’s Premier League title and the Champions League last year. Football pundits are wondering how Liverpool will fare this season. With one of their best players out, will that affect their chances of doing the double? Bookies seem to think so! Take a look at the newest betting sites to find the best odds for Liverpool winning the league.

Fans and rivals are also watching keenly to see whom the Reds will pick to replace Van Dijk. There have been strong rumours lingering: Alaba, Kobak, Upamecano, Konate, and Diego Carlos. Who is most likely to step into Van Dijk’s big shoes?

Ozan Kobak

The 20-year old Turkish international is a strong candidate for Van Dijk’s position. He has made a big impression in his short career. As the current center-back for German club Schalke, he has shown very promising talent and solid defending skills.

Kobak has a solid footballing background, joining Galatasaray’s youth academy at the tender age of 11 years.  He spent seven years with the top Turkish club before the German club Stuttgart came for him.  He spent only six months there before Schalke made a bid for him.

Kobak has shown confidence on the ball and quick reading of the field with efficient tackles.  Schalke was demanding £31m (€35m) for him, but have dropped the price to £22m (€25m) making him a more valuable pick for Liverpool.

Perr Schuurs

There have also been strong rumors that fellow dutchman Perr Schuurs is a desired replacement for Van Dijk. The 20-year old CB is currently with the top-flight Dutch club Ajax.  His role in keeping rivals away from Ajax’s goalposts this season has been impressive.

Schuur has started in Keuken Kampioen Divisie with Jong Ajax.  He later moved to Fortuna Sittard in the KNVB Beker, and finally to Ajax Amsterdam.

Schuur is not a stranger to Liverpool. He was at Merseyside on trial in 2018 before he signed up with Ajax. He also impressed Klopp in the tangle against Liverpool in October’s UEFA Champions game.

Dayot Upamecano

The 22-year old Frenchman has attracted top clubs’ attention, including Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, and Manchester United.  Liverpool fans are also rumored to be rooting strongly for him as a replacement for Van Dijk.

Upamecano is currently with Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg.  He started with VS Angers at the age of 14 years. He then moved to FC Prey and Evreux FC 27. He moved up to French Ligue 2 with Valenciennes FC from 2013-2015.  He moved to the Austrian Bundesliga club FC Red Bull Salzburg from 2015-2017, before joining RB Leipzig in 2017.

However, it seems that Upamecano is content to stay where he is. He signed a new contract with RB Leipzig, running up to 2023.

Diego Carlos

The 27-year old Brazilian CB has allegedly caught Klopp’s eye because of his physicality and bullying tactics that intimidate opponents.  He was part of Sevilla’s squad that won the UEFA Europa League in 2019/2020.

Carlos started playing at 19 years with Desportivo Brasil. He was on loan to Sao Paulo, Paulista, and Madureira, before he transferred to Estoril, who loaned him to Porto B. He later moved to Nantes and finally Sevilla.

Some critics say that he has not mastered the aerial game despite his intimidating stature on the field. His game has also been described as a bit loose for his penchant to give away penalties.

Ibrahim Konate

This 21-year old Frenchman style of play has been likened to that of Van Dijk. He is dominant in the air, winning over 70% of aerial duels. He is dominant on the ground as well, with a liking to dribble a lot. He is on a 5-year contract with RB Leipzig.

Konate started playing as a 10-year old in the junior team of Paris FC. He later played for both junior and senior Sochaux teams before transferring to RB Leipzig in 2017. But Konate has not been very lucky on the field, picking up injuries that have cost him many games since the 2018/2019 season.

Jurgen Klopp has to fill Van Dijk’s position ASAP if he intends to claim the top position again.  The good thing is that he does not lack for choice.

Speaking exclusively to FootballFanCast, former Tottenham ace Gary Mabbutt has delivered his verdict on Aston Villa star Jack Grealish.

The England international has been the heartbeat of Dean Smith’s side for a number of seasons now, and has been in impressive form throughout this new Premier League season, notching five goals and providing six assists in only nine games.

Speaking to FFC, Mabbutt said: “He’s a player that once you get him full of confidence, and you get him fully focused on what he needs to do – I thought he was outstanding in the England games. Even in midfield against Belgium, he was doing tricks that you’re like ‘wow, where’s that come from?’

“Players like that who can create something from nothing, players who can dictate games at times. He’s a player that’s still a youngster, still learning the game and has got a great future.”

Grealish was of course linked with a big summer move a few months ago, with reports suggesting that sides like Manchester United were chasing his signature. In fact, it was claimed earlier this month that the Red Devils’ city rivals Manchester City have identified him as a top target too.

Speculation over his long-term future will persist, and all Grealish can do is do his talking on the pitch. And he’s been doing exactly that for Smith, and Villa fans won’t care one bit what the rumours are outside the club if he keeps it up.

Still only 25, the England star has yet to even hit his prime yet, and given the kinds of prices that are getting bandied about in the modern day, if his club were ever going to let him go, then he’ll surely go for well over £100m.

Forget Dele Alli or Harry Winks.

Tottenham Hotspur need to resolve the future of Danny Rose as their top priority this January…

What’s the situation?

The long-serving left-back has been frozen out in north London ever since Jose Mourinho took over from Mauricio Pochettino in November 2019.

He was initially shipped out on loan to Newcastle United for the latter part of last season, but on his return this summer, was not given a squad number and has been forced to train and play for the U23 squad.

There hasn’t been any firm interest in Rose since the summer, though his former club Leeds United have been tipped to make a move. Kevin Phillips told Football Insider:

“In my opinion, a natural left-back would be on the priority list for Leeds next year.

“I imagine Leeds would look at Danny Rose. It will not be about money for him at this stage.

“He will want to play football and I am sure he would love to play in a Marcelo Bielsa side.”

Waste of a wage

The 30-year-old has featured 214 times for Spurs over 13 years at the club, but appears to have already played his final game for the club barring any shock comeback in 2021.

It’s thought that Rose is on around £70k-per-week in N17, which is more than the likes of Matt Doherty and Giovani Lo Celso, and is similar to that of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Ben Davies, who are all contributing regularly in the first team.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Marlon Harewood revealed his surprise over Rose’s situation, claiming that he’s a “top-class player” who “can do a job.”

By sitting away in the reserves, he is merely robbing Daniel Levy blind, so finding him a new club or coming to an agreement over the cancellation of his contract should be sorted before any other move next month.

This money can go straight towards funding a new signing’s salary in January as Mourinho reportedly wants a centre-back as well as a box-to-box midfielder, as per Duncan Castles.

Since Spurs’ first-team returned to pre-season training on July 8th, Rose has ransacked a little over £1.5m from Levy having been forced out of the senior setup and featuring just twice for the U23 squad.

Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane once labelled the Englishman “dreadful” and along with Serge Aurier, he dubbed the pair “dumb and dumber” whilst The Athletic journalist Roshane Thomas believes Rose is “on the decline” (via This Is Futbol).

He must leave the club as soon as possible.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit wowed by what Dele Alli did in Spurs draw with Palace…

The good times have finally returned to Celtic.

It’s been a long season but Neil Lennon bought himself further time in the Parkhead hot seat by engineering his side to a Scottish Cup final victory over Hearts on Sunday.

However, all attention must now turn to the SPFL and indeed, the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

Where Celtic look to strengthen next month will be fascinating considering their woeful season to date.

The Hoops are 16 points behind Rangers and thus, surely need bodies all over the pitch. Judging by the 19 goals they conceded in six Europa League matches a couple of defenders certainly wouldn’t go amiss.

However, the target in question here is actually a midfielder.

According to The Scottish Sun, the Bhoys are interested in signing West Bromwich Albion’s Rekeem Harper.

Harper came close to joining the Glaswegians in the summer of 2019 but signed a new deal at the Hawthorns to keep him in England. Lennon has scouted the player previously and it’s thought that the £2m-rated midfielder could join on loan.

The report also specifies that Celtic are pursuing his teammate Kyle Edwards – a winger by trade.

The new Ntcham

If Celtic are looking to bring in a midfielder in January it will surely spell the end of the line in the starting XI for Scott Brown.

The Hoops captain started the final on Sunday but his place has come into question, especially with Ismaila Soro’s emergence against Lille and Kilmarnock sparking consecutive victories.

Crucially though, Harper could walk through the door at a time when Olivier Ntcham may leave. The Frenchman has been linked with the Premier League but considering he’s been reduced to just seven SPFL starts, could force his way out.

Harper, however, would be a brilliant like-for-like replacement. Dubbed a “powerhouse” by former West Brom boss Slaven Bilic, he possesses all the ingredients that Ntcham has. He can gallop forward with a lung-busting change of pace and influence things both offensively and defensively.

Furthermore, he’s also been compared to one of the great midfielders we’ve seen. Harper revealed in January 2019: “Academy manager, Mark Harrison, said to me ‘we see you as a midfielder called Patrick Vieira. He said he saw that in me potentially. At first I was naive, I didn’t really want this but then I thought I like this and I can be involved and I took to it.”

The 20-year-old has been restricted to just three first-team appearances this term but he does have a goal to his name.

Even as a temporary piece of business, this would be an astute capture from Nick Hammond.

AND in other news, Celtic ace who was “dodgy” all game has given Lennon a HUGE problem…

One of Marcelo Bielsa’s trusted lieutenants in his time at Leeds United, Mateusz Klich has been an ever-present for the Whites in their return to the Premier League this season.

The 30-cap Poland international hasn’t missed a single game in the top-flight, and that maybe why he seems to have hit a brick wall in terms of his form in recent weeks.

Despite picking up an assist in a 5-0 thrashing of West Brom at the Hawthorns last time out, Bielsa must surely consider axing Klich for the clash against Tottenham on Saturday afternoon, and giving him a much-needed breather.

As per Whoscored, only three of his past nine games have seen him earn a match rating of above seven, whilst he was particularly shocking against Burnley and Manchester United in recent weeks – he got a 6.75 and a 5.82 rating respectively.

In fact, the game against Sean Dyche’s side saw a couple of Leeds fans slam him as a passenger, with one supporter in particular saying it’s been like that for a while now.

In fact, after the Burnley game, The Guardian journalist Charlie Phillips admitted that Klich appears to be “having a weird time at the moment”.

The festive schedule seems to have taken its toll on Klich, and it’s no surprise that the 30-year-old appears to be suffering from a bit of burnout.

Bielsa must take a ruthless decision ahead of the match against Jose Mourinho’s men on Saturday, and drop Klich to the bench, and try and re-energise his side in the middle of the park.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United player Steve Howey has urged James Tavernier to stay at Glasgow Rangers in the January transfer window.

Reports in recent times have heavily tipped Tavernier for the Ibrox exit after his staggering 17-goal haul this season.

More recently, Football Insider have reported that the 54-time Scottish champions are well aware of growing interest in the right-back, who joined Rangers from Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed fee in 2015.

But Howey believes the in-demand Rangers ace should stay at Ibrox as he is an integral part of Steven Gerrard’s side.

Speaking to Football FanCast’s James Beavis, he asked: “Does he want to leave? Rangers are undergoing a resurgence right now.

“And I think if fans were there and they were doing what they’re doing now – can you imagine the atmosphere at Ibrox? It would be absolutely bouncing.

“There’s not many grounds better than Parkhead or Ibrox. For me, he’s at a huge club, and they’ve got a great future ahead of them.

“That’s as long as the manager stays and he stays. But how long is he [Gerrard] going to stay there? Because without a doubt, there’ll be other people looking at him as well.”

Tavernier, who is the club’s top scorer this season, has provided 17 goals and 14 assists in 33 appearances across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

In total, he has played 148 Scottish Premiership games, and added another goal and assist to his tally in the 2-1 win at Dundee United in December.

Gerrard recently described the 29-year-old as a “powerhouse” after the Rangers captain received the Player of the Month award last year.

His potential departure would be a devastating blow for the Light Blues, let alone the Ibrox boss, as it’s safe to say that his understudy Nathan Patterson isn’t ready for the big stage quite just yet.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must sign KV Oostende striker Fashion Sakala…

Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard could leave the club this summer because the club’s majority shareholder Dermot Desmond has not put any money into the club for an “awfully long time.”

Edouard to leave?

This is what football finance expert Kieran Maguire has said, in light of the 22-year-old switching his agent and with his asking price lowered by the Bhoys.

Real Madrid have reportedly joined the race to sign Edouard on the back of interest from Arsenal who are keen to sign him in 2021.

Speaking with Football Insider, Maguire believes Desmond is looking for a self-sustainable model and Edouard’s sale will help balance the books.

“If you take a look at Celtic, the owners haven’t put any money into the club for an awfully long time,” he said. “So to a large extent, Celtic have been self-sufficient financially.

“Now, if that’s going to be the case, they are losing money on a week-by-week basis, and the only way you can cover those losses is through player sales. Dembele, Tierney, other players of that standard, they’ve been clever in selling in recent years.

“If the owner (billionaire Desmond is the majority shareholder) doesn’t want to put any money in, there’s no alternative but to sell someone like Odsonne Edouard.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

This will be understandably a huge blow for Celtic, especially after everything that Edouard has helped Neil Lennon’s side achieve over the past three years.

Since his loan move from Ligue 1 giants in 2017 and his permanent transfer a year later, Edouard has gone on to score 72 goals from 151 appearances and clocked up over 10,000 minutes of game time (TransferMarkt).

Time will reveal how developments at the club unfold from now until the end of the season, in what has been a wretched campaign from start to finish.

In other news, Peter Lawwell hit with further scathing amid Celtic’s Dubai fallout.

Robin Koch has just handed Leeds United fans a huge boost with his latest social media post. The Germany international posted a photo of himself on his Instagram along with the caption “Comeback sessions” which has sparked a lot of excitement in the comments.

Koch picked up a knee injury back in December and the club confirmed it would see him sidelined for up to three months, as per BBC Sport.

The news came as a huge blow to the Whites, who have since seriously struggled with their defending. Since the centre-back picked up his injury, Leeds have won just three of their eight games played across all competitions. In that time, they have conceded an alarming 17 goals, which averages out at 2.1 goals per match, via Sofascore.

With fellow summer recruit Diego Llorente also out of action, Marcelo Bielsa has been forced to deploy Luke Ayling at centre-back to make up the numbers. The constant re-jigging of his backline has taken a toll on Leeds and they are struggling to find positive results.

Llorente has made just one appearance for his new side since he joined during the summer window. Pascal Struijk has also fallen down the pecking order – despite being a natural centre-back, Bielsa has overlooked him on several occasions. He featured as a defensive midfielder last time out, taking his amount of appearances to nine in the Premier League.

The 21-year-old has also been demoted to the U23s on four difference occasions, seemingly not living up to Bielsa’s expectations, via Transfermarkt.

With Koch back in the gym and working hard on his recovery, Leeds fans will undoubtedly be counting down the days until their £50,000 per week defensive ace returns.

The German has already received praise in abundance for his performances in the heart of the defence. Noel Whelan recently waxed lyrical about the 24-year-old, labelling him a “magnificent” defender.

In other news, Leeds target Louie Sibley can put huge pressure on Jamie Shackleton…