All posts by z3u9t.icu

Whilst Liverpool have done well to patch up their leaky defence with young fringe players, a more permanent solution still needs to be considered. Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips have done a good job of stepping up to the plate, but in order to keep title chances alive, the Reds can’t be too cautious.

A few names have cropped up on the radar, including Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger and major money target Kalidou Koulibaly. But one man who is looking like a strong January contender is Ozan Kabak of Schalke.

Jochen Schneider, the club’s sporting director has handed the Premier League champions a potential boost in their interest. Speaking to WAZ (via Sport Witness), he said: “We are still in economically challenging times, which you can see from the fact that this season may have to be played to the end without any spectators. I cannot and do not want to rule out anything.”

Why Liverpool should move for Kabak

The current financial climate has hit a lot of clubs hard. Many summer deals fell through due to the lack of funds and clubs, including Schalke, are now being forced to sell some of their best players in order to balance their books.

The Mirror recently reported that Schalke’s initial asking price of £40million has been slashed. Liverpool are currently working on paying an initial £20million for Kabak with some further payments to be owed in add-ons. Should Michael Edwards negotiate this kind of deal, it will work extremely well for the Reds.

Frugal Fenway Sports Group will be keen to sign off on a smaller fee like this and they could encourage the club to move for the centre-back.

The Turkey international made a total of 26 Bundesliga appearances last season and contributed five clean sheets and three goals (via Transfermarkt). Whilst his defensive presence can be improved, he will benefit from playing alongside Joe Gomez, who has looked solid since the absence of Virgil van Dijk. The Englishman is not much of an attack-minded defender either, which will give Kabak more freedom to contribute to the fun.

He could potentially become full-time partner to van Dijk once he returns from injury, or at least provide competition for the rest of the centre-backs on Klopp’s roster.

In other news, Neco Williams put in solid offensive shift in short Atalanta cameo…

Some observers were surprised when Emiliano Martinez made the move from Arsenal to Aston Villa. However, with Dean Smith’s side thrashing the Gunners 3-0 and having a good start to the season, it looks like the goalkeeper has made a wise choice.

His latest comments on the move have seen many fans of the club fall in love with him even more.

Speaking to the Mirror, Martinez said: “They were all saying it was a step down in my career, but I always said it was a step up. I decided to come to Villa because I trusted the manager & the ambitions, & I knew how big Villa are. Some people do not realise how big Aston Villa are.”

The Argentinian has had a great start for his new club, featuring seven times in the Premier League, keeping four clean sheets, and making 22 saves. This has even led to one fan calling him a ‘hero’.

The club have won five of their seven games, and having a confident goalkeeper with a lot more quality has seemed to make a ‘huge difference’ as one fan pointed out.

Villa currently sit in sixth place in the table, and even though it is only early in the season, it is a big change from last season which saw them only stay up on the final day.

Here is what Villa fans have said about Martinez following his latest comments:

What a brilliant attitude this man has. Such a huge difference he’s made to us!

— Kieran Woodruff (@k1eranw) November 10, 2020

In other Villa-related news, one player has been highly praised by a Premier League manager. Find out who it is here!

Tottenham Hotspur could look to bolster their defensive line in one of the next two transfer windows, and if reports are to be believed, Daniel Levy is eyeing a freebie…

What’s the word?

According to Sport Bild (via the Daily Mail), Bayern Munich centre-back Jerome Boateng is set to become a free agent in the summer as the Bundesliga giants will not renew his contract at the Allianz Arena.

It’s already sparked a potential three-way Premier League battle to secure his signature with Spurs in the hunt alongside London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea.

The 32-year-old is currently valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt and is thought to be on around £205k-per-week in Germany.

Next Carvalho?

Spurs’ major Achilles heel is their leaky defence, having only kept two clean sheets in their last 14 matches in all competitions, which follows on from having the second-worst defensive record inside the top seven last season.

We’ve seen down the road at Stamford Bridge what the addition of an illustrious and experienced defender can do, Thiago Silva’s presence among the backline has seen the Blues keep six clean sheets in their last eight games.

Indeed Boateng could make a similar impact given he’s been a regular for the Bundesliga champions and at international level for Germany for the best part of nine years.

Back in 2004, Mourinho brought Ricardo Carvalho to Chelsea with him on the back of a Champions League win and that’s something the 6 foot 4 monster has just won, making him a two-time winner of Europe’s top prize, so that would bear some similarities to why the Special One would be genuinely interested in signing Boateng.

Throw in a World Cup and eight domestic titles; you’ve got yourselves a major winner here.

Bayern teammate Thomas Muller once dubbed him a “quarterback” who “has developed into a world-class player” whilst former boss Niko Kovac also waxed lyrical, claiming: “his concentration and quality is exceedingly good.”

Unlike Silva, Boateng has plenty more to give in terms of longevity and would surely be a most welcome addition in north London, especially as he’d arrive on a free transfer.

That’ll surely have Levy’s mouth watering already.

AND in other news, Spurs dealt potentially huge blow over Tanguy Ndombele…

It looks as if Southampton got a great deal in selling academy graduate Sam Gallagher for around £5 million to Blackburn Rovers in 2019, with the striker having struggled to find the back of the net in his time at Ewood Park.

The forward progressed through the Saints academy, having joined from Plymouth’s U’18 side in 2012 and enjoyed loan spells with the likes of MK Dons, Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City during his Saints career (per Transfermarkt).

He would go on to make 26 appearances for the first-team at Southampton, in which he was only able to score two goals, suggesting that he is not the most prolific of forwards.

However, a promising spell on loan at Blackburn in the 2016/17 season saw him grab 12 goals in 47 appearances in all competitions and he clearly did enough to convince those at the Lancashire club that he was worth paying around £5 million for in the summer of 2019.

Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, scoring goals has continued to be a problem, as he has now made a further 53 appearances for Rovers, in which he has managed just nine goals, taking his tally to 21 for the club (per Transfermarkt).

This has seen his market value tumble to just £1.8 million, suggesting that Southampton got a great deal in selling him for as much as they did.

Much of the credit must go to chief executive Martin Semmens therefore, as he has joined the club in June 2019, with Gallagher departing less than a month later, so selling him will have surely been one of his first points of action as CEO of the South Coast club.

However, Gallagher has made a fairly promising start to the 2020/21 campaign, having contributed two goals and an assist in nine Championship appearances (per Transfermarkt).

Still, this is nowhere near the level of Danny Ings or Che Adams, and when you consider the young talent Southampton have available to them up front, with Michael Obafemi and Daniel N’Lundulu both pushing for minutes in the first-team, it could definitely be argued the Saints made the right decision in letting Gallagher go.

And, in other news… Southampton can sign long-term Salisu partner in wonderkid compared to Vincent Kompany

Carlo Ancelotti can redefine Everton’s attack by signing Brentford’s “hungry” marksman Ivan Toney, who compares himself with Swedish icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato, Toney has emerged as a potential option for Everton to target following his stellar form this season as their Director of Football Marcel Brands considers bolstering Ancelotti’s strike force.

Toney joined Championship side Brentford from Peterborough in the summer on a five-year contract, in a £5million deal that could reach a maximum fee of £10m through add-ons.

Posh had slapped a £13m asking price on the forward last winter amid interest from Burnley and AFC Bournemouth, feeling the former Newcastle United man was the best young striker outside of the Premier League with Middlesbrough, Cardiff, Bristol City and Derby County also keen.

Toney ultimately joined Brentford for less than half what Peterborough had hoped for, despite netting 26 goals and penning seven assists across all competitions last term, and has already started to hit home in the Championship with a hand in 15 goals (13 scored, two assisted) and counting this season.

Bees boss Thomas Frank was full of praise for Toney when he unveiled the 24-year-old at the Brentford Community Stadium this summer, claiming: “We are adding a hungry, ambitious, hard-working striker to the group here.

“He fits what I want in a striker; he is a goalscorer, he gets into good positions in the box, he is good playing on the last line, and will contribute to our link-up play. Our strikers are a big part of our pressing game, and Ivan, with his work ethic, will help us with that.”

Chance to redefine Everton

Ancelotti would have the chance to redefine Everton if Brands were to target Toney in an upcoming window, as the Toffees have become vastly reliant on wide players to carry the Goodison Park outfit in recent months.

The Blues’ reliance on wide players was evident most while without Richarlison following the Brazilian’s red card in the Merseyside Derby, with Everton creating just two on-target shots at Southampton, four on-target efforts at Newcastle and just one on-target strike at home to Manchester United in three straight defeats.

Richarlison’s return for last month’s trip to Fulham instantly saw a change of fortunes as Everton directed seven of their nine shots on target, with the others blocked, while the Brazilian provided one key ball and accounted for three of his side’s efforts, per WhoScored.

Toney’s ability to harry opposition defences would also allow Ancelotti to free Dominic Calvert-Lewin and open spaces for James Rodriguez to occupy, and have little fear the Newcastle flop – who left St. James’ Park after four goalless appearances – will struggle.

The Bees star is confident to the edge of arrogance, claiming his self-belief is to the same degree as Sweden icon Ibrahimovic, whom he sees similarities with on the field.

“I’ve always liked Zlatan. I just love his confidence. Some people see it as arrogance, but you must be like that to succeed,” he told The Sun.

“I’m similar to Zlatan in both my confidence and the way I play. When he wants to do something, he just does it. I have some of that in my game and personality. And I believe I’ll be a Premier League striker.”

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti could unearth his ideal James Rodriguez heir in an Everton sensation David Unsworth loves.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League striker Dean Windass has backed West Brom centre-back Kyle Bartley to become a focal point for Sam Allardyce’s Premier League survival bid.

The 66-year-old dubbed the ‘firefighter’ has an almighty task on his hands if he’s to steer this sinking Baggies ship to the shore.

He was appointed last week on an 18-month contract and was dealt a cruel lesson at the weekend as Albion were defeated in his first game in charge, losing 3-0 to arch-rivals Aston Villa.

And the upcoming test of defending champions Liverpool is by no means any easier.

Big Sam replaced Slaven Bilic after the Croatian managed to pick up just seven points from their opening 13 matches, though Windass believes the 29-year-old defender could hold the keys to any immediate transformation…

He told FFC:

“Yeah, [he is] a big centre-half – [he will] head it and kick it, as Sam would say.

“That’s what Sam did when he played, head it and kick it.

“I think that’s how Sam builds his teams. I know Phil Brown really well, who has been under Sam [before] and that’s where he basis his teams.

“Defend first, then try and win the game next.”

The former Leeds United colossus is currently on the sideline through a calf injury but is expected back before the New Year.

Bartley had started eight of a possible 11 matches, keeping a clean sheet on just one occasion, before this latest setback.

He was also a regular for the Baggies during their promotion campaign last term, playing a total of 38 times in the Championship.

Big Sam utilised a central defensive partnership of youngster Dara O’Shea and Semi Ajayi for the Villa thrashing – a defeat that condemned them to the second-worst in the Premier League for goals conceded.

The £13.5k-per-week ace, who cost just £4m in 2018, could come straight back in very soon.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Big Sam tipped to sign £50k-per-week TITAN in January…

Transfer Tavern Verdict

This is great news for Liverpool. While Shaqiri tends to be overlooked, Diogo Jota’s injury could be his way back into the team.

The Swiss attacker has been unfortunate since his move from Stoke City in 2018, with several calf injuries hampering his progress under Jurgen Klopp.

That being said, if he can stay fit from now until the end of the season, Shaqiri could become a vital asset for Liverpool in their hunt for a second Premier League title.

In other news, Chris Sutton makes huge claim about Jurgen Klopp’s attitude after Liverpool draw with West Brom.

After being called into the starting line up against Everton just minutes before kick-off, after usual number one choice Lukasz Fabianski had suffered an injury in the warm-up, stand-in shot-stopper Darren Randolph has opened up over his first Premier League appearance of the season (West Ham United). 

Randolph, who put in a solid display as West Ham snatched a 1-0 victory at Goodison Park, with Tomas Soucek clinching a late winner for the Irons, was inserted at the very last second as David Moyes called upon the barely-seen ace when Fabianski was injured warming up.

Despite his lack of match action, Randolph looked assured with little sign of rustiness – explaining to the club’s official website that he was ready to answer when he was surprisingly called upon.

Brought in as a reinforcement last season from Middlesbrough, re-signing for the Hammers in a £4 million deal, many supporters have hailed the ‘very smart signing’ after his showing against Everton.

Flocking to his message, here’s what Irons had to say.

West Ham fans praise Randolph

“Fantastic keeper. If we’d have never let him go, last season would have gone very very differently.”

Credit: @LocksmithDuude

“Very smart signing”

Credit: @StephenTJourno

“You did a great job mate”

Credit: @SESmotorsport

“Loved seeing him in goal again.”

Credit: @JOSHLOVESAYS

“Love this guy. A reliable back up who never complains”

Credit: @mattggibbons

“Darren Randolph is a more than abled understudy to Fabianski- would be number one choice at majority of other teams in the league. Seems to be the model professional – never complains about game time and when called upon very rarely lets West Ham down. Solid clean sheet yesterday.”

Credit: @WestHamJoshV

In other news: West Ham fans want GSB to swoop for this ‘class signing’, find out more here.

Sunderland fans have been reacting to the news that Chris Waters of the Supporter Engagement Department will be returning to work imminently.

Over the past few years, things have not gone well for Sunderland. They have dropped down to League One from the Premier League, and have had to put up with some frustrating owners. The current man in charge is Stewart Donald, one of the stars of the second series of the Sunderland Til I Die Netflix documentary, which followed the club during the 2018-19 campaign, although he is in the process of selling the club.

Sunderland have appeared to be out of touch with the supporters at time. Now, though, it seems that the importance of the fans has been recognised by the return of Waters to his job, on a part-time basis, after being on furlough.

The Sunderland fans were delighted with this news, which was relayed by Waters himself on Twitter, and they took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

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

“Hope it’s not too long and you are back full time Chris, best liaison officer ever thinking of you all from Florida”

Credit: @Dmcditsy

“Excellent, Chris! That’s important! Buena suerte!”

Credit: @dpgroves6

“Great news”

Credit: @JoanneYougson

“Good to hear Chris, although as the only person communicating with fans, I’m not sure why you are furloughed at all.”

Credit: @DPatz79

“Could it be that the club is slowly getting back on track.”

Credit: @Johnwatson0212

“Yayyyy welcome back Chris. Glad to see you back.”

Credit: @Charl_H79

In other news, Sunderland fans hammer this man’s performance against Hull.

Manchester City are reportedly taking an interest in Brighton right-back Tariq Lamptey and if signed, he could prove to be the ideal long-term replacement for Kyle Walker in Pep Guardiola’s side.

The young defender signed a new long-term contract with the Seagulls last week, which sees him contracted there until 2025, but a report from The Athletic suggests that Manchester City, Arsenal and Everton are unlikely to be deterred by this, in their hopes of signing the 20-year-old.

Since signing from Chelsea in January 2020, Lamptey has been something of a revelation in Graham Potter’s side, first establishing himself in the first-team following project restart last season and he has now made 19 appearances, contributing one goal and four assists in that time.

The youngster has quickly become renowned for his incredible speed, which naturally makes him a potential replacement for Kyle Walker, who has consistently been one of the quickest players in the Premier League in his time with Spurs and City.

However, the England international will turn 31 this year and his pace won’t last forever, so perhaps the Citizens should be starting to look for a long-term replacement for the right-back.

So far this season, Walker has averaged a 6.81 rating for his performances in the Premier League, contributing one goal and one assist in 13 top-flight appearances.

Lamptey, meanwhile, has averaged a 6.73 rating, also contributing one goal and one assist but in two fewer appearances.

The City man has averaged 1.2 tackles and 0.8 interceptions in each game, whereas Lamptey has averaged 1.5 tackles and 1.7 interceptions, which suggests that the 20-year-old is arguably already outperforming Walker from a defensive perspective.

The Brighton man also averages more key passes and the same amount of dribbles per game when compared with Walker, despite playing in a team that is likely to be doing less attacking than Manchester City, which emphasises his attacking potential.

During his time with Chelsea, manager Frank Lampard dubbed the youngster as “fearless” and you feel that if it wasn’t for the emerging Reece James at Stamford Bridge, Lamptey would have been afforded more first-team opportunities.

However, with the Brighton man now valued at €20 million (£18 million) by the CIES football observatory, it looks as if Chelsea made a mistake in letting him go to Brighton.

Therefore, considering the similarity in style of play, and the fact that Lamptey is only 20 and already impressing in the top-flight, Manchester City sporting director Txiki Begiristain must try and sign the defender in the future.

AND, in other news, Forget Stones: MCFC beast who played 3 key passes was Pep’s hero vs CPFC…