Category Uncategorized

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been credited with an interest in Sevilla full-back Marcos Acuna recently and the Argentine could be Julen Lopetegui’s own version of Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko.

According to Spanish news outlet Vamos mi Sevilla, Wolves are one of four clubs keen on signing the versatile defender in next month’s transfer window.

They claim that the La Liga side want around €12m (£10m) from his sale, after informing the 31-year-old that he is now surplus to requirements at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.

The former Sporting Lisbon man is well-known to Lopetegui, having made 84 appearances under the Spanish manager during his time with Sevilla, so it is perhaps no surprise that he is keen to reunite with the Argentina international at Molineux.

Should he swap Sevilla for the Midlands in January, he could perform a similar role to Zinchenko’s at Arsenal and Manchester City in recent seasons.

The Ukraine international has struggled with injuries since signing for Mikel Arteta’s side in January but has impressed in his seven appearances in the Premier League, averaging a strong 6.90 average rating from WhoScored for his performances.

According to FBref, the versatile 25-year-old is the seventh-most similar player to Acuna when compared to other full-backs across Europe’s top leagues.

This season has seen the two defenders register similar statistics with regard to goal-creating actions per 90 minutes (both 0.16), progressive passes received (10 vs 11) and aerials won (both 10).

According to WhoScored, both Zinchenko and Acuna excel at passing, holding onto the ball and playing key passes, which is perhaps exactly what you would expect from two full-backs who have featured in midfield on a regular basis in their careers.

Considering how good Zinchenko has been for Arsenal and City since his move to England, Lopetegui would surely be foolish to turn down a player so statistically similar, especially one who he has worked with before and clearly trusts.

Therefore, owner Jeff Shi should definitely look at bringing Argentina’s World Cup star Acuna to Molineux in January as he looks to provide Lopetegui with the signings he needs to turn the Old Gold’s fortunes around and stave off relegation.

Liverpool are currently sixth in the Premier League after a run of inconsistent performances in the top flight, and with so much uncertainty at Anfield, it is hard to predict what could be the next steps for the club.

In the last few weeks sporting director, Julian Ward has resigned from his position just six months after being appointed and reports have revealed that FSG are putting the club up for sale.

Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will be looking for solutions to stabilise the situation on the pitch and will be keen to shift the attention onto improved performances on the pitch.

One way that the manager can achieve this is by identifying players that can become the next generation of success at the club, with many of Klopp’s squad formed over the last seven years either out of contract, moved on or coming to the latter stages of their career.

The midfield is demanding the highest urgency of refreshment, with Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner all entering the last six months of their contract, whilst Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are well into their thirties.

This leaves Klopp with only Fabinho as his most experienced player in the centre of the pitch, alongside the likes of Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, who are only just coming into their own on Merseyside.

Indeed, a youth revolution is desperately needed and one player who has been linked with a move to Anfield is Germany and Bayern Munich attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala.

The talented 19-year-old is one of the hottest young prospects in football at the moment and his performances for Bayern this season have given reasoning for the attention the player has attracted.

Over 14 Bundesliga appearances, the £137m-rated ace – who was hailed a “handful” by journalist Joe Crann – has scored nine goals, registered six assists and created five big chances, as well as averaging 1.8 key passes, 1.1 tackles, 2.6 shots at goal and winning 4.4 duels per game.

Not only that, the youngster was given the huge responsibility of representing his national side at the World Cup in Qatar and showed glimpses of his capabilities and talents.

Over his three appearances in the competition, Musiala registered one assist, created one big chance and tallied up an 82% pass completion rate, whilst averaging 2.7 key passes, 4.0 shots at goal, 6.3 successful dribbles and winning 9.0 duels per game – with the youngster well and truel being Germany’s breakout star, despite their early exit from the competition.

With that being said, although Musiala may not possess the defensive or central profile of a midfielder that Liverpool need to sign immediately, there is no doubt that it will be hard for the powers at Anfield to ignore the player’s growing talent and what he could bring to the Liverpool team of the future.

Leeds United have been dealt a huge injury blow ahead of their Premier League meeting with AFC Bournemouth this weekend.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon (via The Athletic), Jesse Marsch revealed that the injury sustained by Luis Sinisterra – who was withdrawn in the 3-2 loss to Fulham after picking up a knock to his foot – is worse than first feared, with it now looking as if the winger will be ruled out of action until after the World Cup.

Regarding the 23-year-old’s setback, Marsch said: “Luis has a foot injury, more than we originally thought. A specialist looked at it, and they worry that it could be a Lisfranc injury. He is probably out until after the World Cup break.”

Huge blow

While it is true that, as a result of a number of niggling injuries, Sinisterra’s career at Elland Road is yet to fully take off following his summer switch, the fact that the forward has been ruled out for the Whites’ fixtures against Bournemouth, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur will nevertheless have come as a huge blow to Marsch.

Indeed, despite only starting six of Leeds’ 12 Premier League fixtures this season, the £35m-rated forward has nevertheless shown in flashes why Victor Orta paid £21m for his services back in July, bagging a goal in a 1-1 draw with Everton as well as notching in the 5-2 loss against Brentford.

Furthermore, the Colombia international more than proved over his 30 Eredivisie appearances for Feyenoord last season just how big of a talent he truly is, scoring 12 goals, registering seven assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.6 shots, making 2.0 key passes and completing 3.6 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the attacker average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.51, not only ranking him as his club’s second-best performer in the league but also as the joint fourth-best player in the top flight of Dutch football as a whole.

As such, the loss of such an attacking threat for the next three games will undoubtedly come as a major setback to Marsch and his side – who will certainly be looking to pick up where they left off in the 2-1 win over Liverpool last time out when Bournemouth make the trip to Elland Road tomorrow afternoon.

Leeds United will be desperate to return to winning ways today, and there is a clear move that Jesse Marsch can make to boost his chances of securing all three points tenfold.

For their midweek loss against Leicester City, the American opted to start Jack Harrison on the bench in favour of youngsters Crysencio Summerville and Luis Sinisterra.

The former, an academy graduate, failed to make his mark despite being handed the full 90 minutes culminating in a 6.4 SofaScore rating.

However, the Columbian is now relied upon heavily in the absence of Raphinha. It stings more when he puts in such underwhelming displays, as he achieved the same rating as the youngster.

Now that that experiment can be chalked up as a failure, Marsch must return his tried and tested speedster, Harrison, to his left flank.

The 25-year-old has maintained a respectable start to this campaign, with one goal and three assists in his opening ten Premier League games.

Harrison has been a mainstay in the Whites side across his various loan spells and subsequent permanent addition, having featured 176 times, scoring 29 and assisting 25.

Last season in particular, he stood up when his side needed him most, scoring the last-minute goal against Brentford to send the travelling fans into raptures as it secured their status in the top-flight.

He has been a constant threat when featuring, having been labelled “fast” and “dynamic” by journalist Callum Williams.

That kind of threat makes him akin to an old-school winger, who can beat a man and put in a wicked delivery.

This season, the £15k-per-week man is averaging 2.1 key passes per game, as well as successfully completing 1.1 crosses per match.

With Patrick Bamford now back in the lineup, he will hopefully be able to start feasting off his creativity.

Bringing Harrison back in could reignite a Leeds side that has won just once in seven league games.

They certainly need something, and perhaps the dynamism aforementioned could be just what is needed to spark the rest of the side into action – especially when they currently sit 16th, only out of the relegation zone due to goal difference.

Marsch needs a spark, and with so much talent in one man patiently waiting on the bench, he must now be unleashed against Fulham.

Liverpool are interested in signing Benfica star Enzo Fernandez, with a fresh report claiming the midfielder is being actively ‘targeted’ by the Reds.

The Lowdown: Reds’ midfield struggles

Jurgen Klopp’s side have had a tough season to date, with many things going wrong from continuous injuries to some dire performances on the pitch.

Liverpool’s midfield has arguably looked like their most jaded and ageing area, with the likes of James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho looking past their best and struggling for energy.

Barring Arthur, who himself is now injured for several months, there was a complete lack of midfield depth signed during the summer, although Fernandez has been linked with a move to Anfield.

The Latest: Fernandez being eyed up

O Jogo [via Sport Witness] now claim that the 21-year-old is ‘already being targeted’ by Liverpool for a move in 2023, but Barcelona are also in the mix.

Described as Benfica’s ‘engine’, Fernandez has enjoyed an 89.8% pass completion rate in the Primeira Liga this season, as well as an average of 1.9 tackles per game.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/https-www-footballtransfertavern-com-liverpool-fc-news-liverpool-premier-league-mohamed-salah-news-updates-klopp/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Superb long-term option

Fernandez is exactly the type of player that Liverpool are crying out for, possessing young legs, an ability to cover ground and a versatile skill-set in midfield, ranking highly in the Portuguese top flight in terms of shots, key passes and tackles.

[freshpress-quiz id=“398089″]

He has already made a huge impact at Benfica since joining from River Plate back in January, with manager Roger Schmidt describing him as a ‘complete’ player, and he should only improve further.

If Liverpool could snap up Fernandez in January it would be an added bonus, but if not, a summer switch in 2023 could be the first step towards rebuilding Jurgen Klopp’s midfield. Others would be needed, too, however, and Jude Bellingham would be a dream partner for the Benfica man.

Glasgow Rangers return to action in the Champions League tonight as they go in search of their first win in the group stages of the competition.

The Light Blues have lost all three of their opening matches, against Liverpool, Napoli and Ajax, and will now be hoping to put points on the board for the first time this season.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men come up against Jurgen Klopp’s Reds at Ibrox and head into the match off the back of a 4-0 win over St. Mirren in the Premiership.

Antonio Colak scored twice, with goals from James Tavernier and Fashion Sakala rounding off the scoring, and the Dutch manager will be hoping that his side can use some of the confidence gained from that game to inspire a positive performance in Europe.

One player the boss must brutally ditch from the starting XI, however, is attacking midfielder Scott Arfield, after a string of disappointing displays on the pitch.

The former Canada international has started four of the club’s last five matches in all competitions and the Light Blues head coach must now drop him from the team as he has not offered enough on or off the ball to warrant a place in the XI.

In those four starts against St Mirren, Napoli, Dundee United, and Hearts, he lost 23 of his 28 individual duels and failed to provide a single assist or goal. This means that he did not offer much quality in the final third and struggled out of possession as he was dominated in physical duels by all four teams that he faced.

These are not new issues for the former Burnley man as he lost 64% of his battles and produced four goal contributions in 29 appearances, whilst missing nine ‘big chances’ from midfield in the Premiership last season.

Journalist Josh Bunting previously lamented his “dreadful” finishing earlier this term and the aforementioned statistics suggest that he is likely to be found wanting in a similar fashion in front of goal if he is presented with a chance against the Reds.

The £16k-per-week midfielder is, therefore, a liability to the team as he is too easily bullied in individual duels and does not provide a consistently reliable end product in the final third. He is unreliable at both ends of the pitch and Liverpool could expose his weaknesses on both sides of the game in the match tonight.

This is why van Bronckhorst should consider ditching him from the starting XI for this game as his statistics do not suggest that he has the ability, or current form, to make a positive impact in the game from the start.

Nottingham Forest had a very busy summer transfer window with 21 new players joining the newly-promoted Premier League side, and now an update has emerged on the potential signing of a free agent.

What’s the latest?

According to Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), Nottingham Forest are set to miss out on the signing of out-of-contract Djibril Sidibe this summer.

As per the report, the Frenchman is headed for AEK Athens in Greece instead despite being in advanced negotiations with Forest throughout the transfer window.

No problem for Forest

Cooper won’t lose sleep over the deal not being completed as his current right-back options have been outstanding so far in 2022/23.

Although Forest are currently in the relegation zone sitting in 19th place, there are some players in the team that have been outstanding performers with Neco Williams in particular delivering a great output throughout the current campaign.

According to SofaScore, the Wales international is the highest rated player in the Nottingham Forest squad over their six outings so far with a rating of 7.10, and it’s hardly surprising when you take a look at his hard work in the side.

From an attacking point of view, the 21-year-old has created two big chances and made 1.5 key passes per match. Meanwhile, in a defensive capacity, Williams has made 1.8 interceptions, 4.5 tackles and 1.7 clearances per game, as well as winning 53% of his duels combined.

All of that proves the dynamic full-back is offering solid defensive play as well as progressing the ball forward for attacking opportunities.

Sidibe would likely not be needed in the team even if Williams was not available to start for Forest as they have also signed Giulian Biancone in their pursuit of adding more quality to their backline over the season ahead.

There is no doubt the World Cup winner who was hailed “unbelievable” by Duncan Ferguson would have added depth and Premier League experience to the team following his time at Everton, however, it is unlikely he would get into the team over the up and coming Biancone and Williams.

With that being said, Cooper will be hoping that both his right-backs can offer enough strength and quality over the season ahead to ensure the Tricky Trees have retained their Premier League status this time next year.

At the moment, it looks like no Sidibe, no problem for Forest.

Newcastle United have only seen two new faces make their way to St. James’ Park during this current summer transfer window.

After securing a permanent deal for Matt Targett, the Toon brought in Nick Pope and Sven Botman to help strengthen their defence.

With some time left before the transfer window closes, this period could see the Magpies do what they haven’t done so far and add some strength and depth to their midfield or attack.

One figure that has been mentioned with a move to St. James’ Park that could arguably do both is Lucas Paqueta.

With 186 combined appearances for Flamengo, AC Milan and his current club, Olympique Lyon, to his name, the Brazilian has scored 34 goals and provided 21 assists along the way.

A move for the 24-year-old could see the Tyneside club secure what would be their own version of Manchester United midfielder, Bruno Fernandes, who is included on a list of similar players to Paqueta according to Football Transfers.

To compare the duo from their previous domestic campaigns, both midfielders managed to rack up 87 shots at goal as well as over 100 shot-creating actions, which highlights how dangerous they are in attacking situations and how similar they are in terms of what they offer their sides.

Hailed as an “extraordinary” player by his manager Peter Bosz, Paqueta also managed to make more successful tackles, successful pressures and blocks than the United star, showing that he can do the hard work off the ball as well as on it.

To further highlight his attacking talent, the Brazil international ended his previous Ligue 1 campaign with the second-highest average for dribbles per game (2.3) in Lyon’s squad, which would also be the second-highest in Newcastle’s squad for last season in the Premier League behind Allan Saint-Maximin (4.3).

Bearing in mind how the Lyon figure has reported price tag of £55.4m, it would certainly be a big move from the Toon to bring him to Tyneside this summer.

However, given the clear talent he has, this could be an investment worth making for PIF and show that they can really flex their financial muscles to help push Newcastle forward.

Moving forward, if an opportunity to sign the Brazilian arises before the end of the window, this would be a great way for Eddie Howe to add some extra strength and quality to his midfield ranks.

Southampton right-back Kyle Walker-Peters has been identified as a summer target for Premier League rivals Chelsea, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Attracting interest

The 25-year-old still has three years remaining on his contract at the St. Mary’s Stadium, but recent reports have suggested that the Saints would be willing to let him leave this summer if they received an offer in the region of £40m.

The defender has been attracting interest from both Manchester United and Arsenal throughout the transfer window, but another name from the top-flight now appears to have emerged as a new potential suitor, and it comes in the form of the Blues.

The Latest: Chelsea plotting Walker-Peters move

Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that Chelsea have held talks inside the club regarding a potential move for Walker-Peters. He wrote:

“Chelsea are considering many options for right-back position, to be discussed after Cucurella. Kyle Walker-Peters, one of the options alongside Denzel Dumfries.

“Dumfries top of the list but Inter want to keep him, still no bid.

“Walker-Peters, discussed internally.”

The Verdict: Would be a huge loss

Walker-Peters has been an integral part of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s starting XI since arriving from Tottenham Hotspur two years ago, and so it would be a huge loss if the south coast outfit were to lose him now.

The two-cap international, hailed for having an ‘immense’ spirit by sports journalist Josh Bunting, averaged 1.8 tackles and two successful dribbles per league game last season, via WhoScored, highlighting his ability to affect the game at both ends of the pitch.

There’s no doubt that Southampton will want to keep hold of Walker-Peters, hence why they’ve put the £40m price tag on his head, but if an offer in that proximity were to be presented, it might just be too good to turn down.

Celtic have been potentially handed the green light to launch a move to sign Maccabi Haifa midfielder Mohammed Abu Fani.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Daily Record, the Israeli club ‘have left the door open for a potential summer exit, admitting that they would accept a “suitable offer” for the player once they had complete their Champions League second round qualifiers.’

It was reported in June that the Hoops had their eye on the midfielder, who has spent his entire career in Israel.

A product of Haifa’s youth system, the 24-year-old has gone on to make 101 senior appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring 11 goals and delivering seven assists along the way.

With 44 appearances and 12 goal contributions to his name last season across all competitions, this highlights just how useful he can be in front of goal at times.

On the international stage, Abu Fani – who is currently valued at €4m (£3.3m) – has made 46 appearances for Israel across their youth and senior teams, scoring six goals in the process.

Back in January, Sanny Rudravajhala quote-tweeted a now-deleted clip of the Haifa figure keeping possession of the ball during a game against Maccabi Tel Aviv when his side won 3-2 after being 2-0 down, with the journalist lauding Abu Fani’s efforts as a “thing of beauty”.

Bearing in mind how the Bhoys have seen the likes of Nir Bitton, Tom Rogic and Ismaila Soro leave Parkhead since the end of last season, despite seeing Aaron Mooy arrive on a free transfer, launching a move for Abu Fani should definitely be under consideration before the window closes.

Having also missed out on the chance to sign Vinicius Souza and Fausto Vera, this highlights Celtic’s eagerness to bring a new midfielder in alongside Mooy.

Now that it has been revealed that the Israeli club would be willing to entertain offers for their midfield star, this should prompt the Parkhead hierarchy to get the chequebook out and see what it would take to secure Abu Fani’s signature.

If they can pull it off and get him embedded with the rest of Postecoglou’s players, this should put to bed any concerns that some Celtic fans may have about heading into the new season without the likes of Rogic, Soro and Bitton.

AND in other news: Ange can now axe £3.6k-p/w flop in Celtic bid for £6.8m target with “great potential”