All posts by h716a5.icu

Giacomo Iacobellis has dropped an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur right-back Emerson Royal.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the TuttoMercatoWeb journalist revealed that, following a number of reports linking the defender with a move to Atletico Madrid this summer, the LaLiga side are now in negotiations with Spurs regarding a deal for the 23-year-old.

Previous reports have also claimed that Antonio Conte would be willing to part with the Brazil international ahead of Tottenham’s 2022/23 campaign, with a figure of €25m (£22m) believed to be enough for Fabio Paratici to sanction the full-back’s sale in the summer transfer window.

In his tweet, Iacobellis said: “Atletico Madrid negotiates with Tottenham for the transfer with the purchase option of Emerson Royal.”

Supporters will be buzzing

While Emerson is undoubtedly a player who boasts a considerable amount of potential, considering his below-par debut campaign at Spurs last time out, in addition to the fact that the defender is more suited to playing on the right of a back four than at wing-back, Iacobellis’ latest update regarding the Brazilian’s future is sure to have left Tottenham supporters buzzing.

Indeed, over his 31 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, the £35m-rated talent offered little going forwards, scoring one goal, registering one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as missing two big chances of his own.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-much-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

The £62k-per-week full-back did return more impressive numbers in a defensive capacity, helping his side keep five clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 0.7 interceptions, 2.3 tackles, 2.5 clearances and winning 5.4 duels – at a success rate of 55% – per game.

However, his overall metrics saw the former Barcelona starlet average a rather underwhelming SofaScore match rating of 6.88, ranking him as Spurs’ joint 10th-worst performer in the league last term.

And, with Conte also having the option of Matt Doherty at wing-back – who scored two goals, provided four assists and created three big chances over 16 fewer league outings than Emerson – as well as Tottenham being reported to be in talks for Middlesbrough right-back Djed Spence – who bagged two goals, registered five assists and created six big chances over 42 Championship appearances for Nottingham Forest last season – it is easy to see why the Italian would be willing to let Emerson leave this summer.

As such, Iacobellis’ claim that Atletico are now in talks for the 23-year-old is undoubtedly good news for both the player and club, as a parting of ways this summer would very much look to suit both parties.

AND in other news: Paratici can land the left-footed Romero as Spurs make move for “dominant” £34m target

Alfredo Morelos’ future at Rangers has been cast into further doubt, with the Ibrox outfit reportedly open to selling him this summer if he cannot agree to a new contract with Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Rangers could cash in on the free-scoring forward this summer if a new contract cannot be agreed upon, as they look to avoid losing him for nothing when his current deal expires in 2023.

The likes of Sevilla, Newcastle United, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Brighton, Fulham and Aston Villa have all been linked with the 26-year-old after another impressive season for the Gers.

Since signing from HJK Helsinki in 2017, ‘El Bufalo’ has gone on to make 224 appearances for Rangers, in which he has contributed a fantastic 113 goals and 51 assists, while he also became the club’s all-time top European goalscorer.

With Champions League qualifying fixtures on the horizon, Rangers must keep their main European man around, and supporters would surely be disappointed to see him leave.

Supporters will be fuming

Perhaps if Morelos were to move to Champions League regulars Sevilla then Rangers fans could understand, but none of the Premier League clubs linked, apart from West Ham last season, have enjoyed any real success in Europe in recent times, so it would perhaps be a step down if he were to leave for England.

After a penalty shootout loss in the Europa League final last season, Rangers fans will be hoping that the club can progress this summer with the aim of establishing themselves in the Champions League once again, and selling Morelos would certainly harm their chances of that.

The striker was at his best in the impressive win against Borussia Dortmund last season, with former Rangers man Mark Hateley saying:

“He looks a lot more comfortable with the ball coming into him, he is making the right decisions now, when to hold on to the ball and when to lay it off first time.”It all seems to have just come with the arrival of Gio. In the Dortmund games, he was unplayable.” [freshpress-quiz id=“712674″]Therefore, fans will be hoping that Morelos can agree to a new deal at Ibrox this summer, otherwise they risk losing one of the best forwards to play for the Gers in recent times.And, in other news… Contact made: Rangers have held talks for £1.7m goal machine, he’d be a Roofe upgrade

According to a Spanish outlet, Liverpool are interested in signing Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio this summer.

The Lowdown: Klopp’s high ambitions

Despite the recent arrival of Darwin Nunez, Jurgen Klopp may feel that he wants to bolster his attacking ranks even further with the imminent departure of Sadio Mane looming, and the boss will need plenty of squad depth if he wants to aim for that unprecedented quadruple again next season.

The 26-year-old Asensio still has just over 12 months remaining on his contract with the Spanish giants, but has reportedly been told that he can leave the Bernabeu, and it looks like Carlo Ancelotti’s side want to cash in now, rather than letting the winger leave as a free agent.

The Latest: Liverpool ‘main bidders’ for Asensio

In a fresh article published by Spanish newspaper Sport (via TEAMtalk), it’s claimed that Liverpool are ‘one of six’ potential suitors exploring the option of signing Asensio, with the Reds, alongside fellow Premier League rivals Arsenal, being the current ‘main bidders’ in the English top-flight.

The source further states that Madrid are seeking £51.7m for the sale of their man, but would be willing to let him go for a fee in the region of £43m if the opportunity was suitable.

The Verdict: Not a necessity

The Spaniard will no doubt find it difficult to sometimes compete with the likes of Vinicius Jnr and Eden Hazard for a place in the Real starting XI, and with just a year left on his deal, it makes sense that he’s edging close to an exit.

Asensio, who was once dubbed a “quality” player by Ancelotti, and has even been likened to Lionel Messi, managed to score ten goals within the space of 31 La Liga appearances last season, as per Transfermarkt, but his price tag will surely be too much for the Reds to afford at this moment in time.

Having just splashed out an £85m club-record fee for Nunez, Liverpool won’t be in a position where they will want to go out and spend big money on attackers unless absolutely necessary, and whilst the 29-cap international is a highly-talented and versatile forward, the front line isn’t an area of the pitch that desperately needs to be added to right now.

In other news… Spanish press believe that Liverpool have already made their move for a new midfield maestro.

West Bromwich Albion have been linked with a move for Luton Town defender James Bree ahead of the summer window.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Express & Star, “Bree is understood to be one of the players under consideration as Albion look to strengthen at full-back.”

The right-back joined Luton on a permanent deal back in 2020 after spending some time there on loan from Aston Villa.

Bruce’s new weapon

During his time at Kenilworth Road, the 24-year-old has gone on to make a total of 114 appearances for the club across all competitions.

In those appearances, the Englishman has scored two goals and delivered 16 assists along the way.

Having played more minutes in the Championship this season than any other Luton player, this shows just how important he is to the side and why the club may be reluctant to let him leave this summer, especially to another side in the division.

With more crosses delivered (272) and tackles won (47) than any of his teammates as well, this shows that he is just as impressive off the ball as he is on it.

Back in March, Sky Sports pundit Kris Boyd described a free-kick scored by Bree as a “thing of beauty,” which further highlights the talent he has.

The defender, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £5.1k-per-week according to Salary Sport, was also described as being a potential “weapon” for Villa back in 2018 by presenter and podcaster Dan Bardell.

However, it seems as though he’s become a rather important weapon for Luton since his move away from Villa Park and could now become one for West Brom should he make a move to the Hawthorns this summer.

Having played 21 times under Bruce during their time at Villa, the Baggies boss will be aware of what Bree is capable of and what he can add to his side.

With the summer transfer window set to open for business tomorrow, if the Baggies can secure a deal for the former Villan as soon as possible, he could be a great asset for the side and give them a good chance of getting closer to promotion.

In other news: Bruce can seal dream Sawyers replacement as WBA plot bid for “very special” £10m star

Manchester United are reportedly lining up a move for Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt this summer, as Erik ten Hag looks to oversee a defensive overhaul at Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

According to reports in Italy (via Daily Star), United consider the Juventus man their main centre-back target this summer, with ten Hag unsurprisingly a big fan of the defender after their time working together at Ajax.

The report also claims that Juventus are unlikely to want to sell the Netherlands international and makes reference to his release clause, which currently stands at £106m, which could perhaps rule out any United move for him.

However, other reports have claimed that the 24-year-old wants any new contract with the Old Lady to include a more realistic release clause, while he has also spoken out about Juventus’ disappointing fourth-place finishes in the last two seasons.

Ten Hag’s dream signing?

De Ligt is well-known to ten Hag, having captained Ajax during their memorable run to the Champions League semi-final in 2019.

The centre-back would make 11 appearances in the competition, averaging a superb 7.17 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which emphasises his ability to play at the very top.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-man-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more-nunez-ten-hag-nkunku-richarlison” title=”Read the latest Man United news!”]

With ten Hag also linked with reunions with Frenkie de Jong and Jurrien Timber, it seems clear that the new United boss will make use of his Ajax connections this summer as he looks to lead a revolution at United.

De Ligt earned high praise from former Juventus centre-back Andrea Barzagli last year, as he said:

“De Ligt is a modern defender who likes physical contact, has incredible potential and a strong professionalism. He has been under pressure since he was very young, yet he is always calm.”

Considering United’s defensive woes last season, which saw them concede more than Burnley, Brighton and Brentford in the top-flight, signing a top-class defender to partner Raphael Varane should be a top priority for ten Hag this summer.

At just 22-years-old, de Ligt would also be a great investment for the future, as he could easily be a key man at Old Trafford for the next decade, so if a deal can be done, then United should do everything they can to sign him.

The new manager would absolutely adore him.

And, in other news… MUFC now edging closer to “unreal” £67m signing, he’d be “absolute magic” for Ten Hag – opinion

After struggling with a relegation battle in the Premier League, Everton will need to make changes to ensure they don’t find themselves in the same situation again next season and are already identifying potential signings that could improve their squad.

What’s the latest?

According to The Mirror, Everton are prepared to fight with other Premier League clubs for the signing of out of contract midfielder Christian Eriksen this summer.

As per the report, the Toffees face tough competition for the player’s signature this summer with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur also keen to add Eriksen to their squad ahead of next season.

Supporters will love him

Eriksen has made an instant impact on Brentford since joining the club on a six-month deal back in January, and his quality is something Everton could really use in their midfield set-up next season, so supporters will surely love him if he did make the move to Merseyside.

When the 30-year-old playmaker joined the London club, the Bees were finding it difficult to get points in the Premier League with seven defeats out of eight games between the end of November and the end of February, however, this quickly changed when Eriksen was introduced in the team.

The £13.5m-rated maestro who was hailed “unbelievable” by Thomas Frank made his first 90 minute performance against Norwich City at the beginning of March and from then on the club went on to win the next five games and drawing one that Eriksen was involved in.

In fact Brentford only lost two of the last 10 games of the season where Eriksen played 90 minutes, with the midfielder scoring one goal, delivering four assists and creating five big chances, as well as making 2.8 key passes, 1.2 tackles and 1.1 clearances on average per game.

With that being said, his positive impact and influence on Frank’s team is in desperate need at Everton next season as they attempt to move on from their joint-worst ever campaign in 2021/22 and compete for a better position in the Premier League.

Signing Eriksen on a free transfer would be a major coup and brilliant business from Farhad Moshiri as he looks to improve the squad whilst working within a tight budget that Everton need to stick to this summer amidst financial troubles.

AND in other news: Everton will compete to sign “top class” £10.8m-rated dynamo, he’s a massive Tosun upgrade

Wolves have been dealt a potential blow in their long-running quest to sign Joao Palhinha this summer, with Bayer Leverkusen now seeing him as a ‘priority’ transfer target.

The Lowdown: Long-term target

Bruno Lage will be eager to bring in new faces between now and the start of next season, especially if he loses key figures such as Ruben Neves.

Palhinha has undoubtedly been the player most commonly linked with a move to Wolves, following an impressive season at the heart of Sporting CP’s midfield.

Recent reports have continued to talk up the move coming to fruition but a fresh update suggests the pursuit which dates all the way back to last summer may have taken a worrying twist.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/all-the-latest-from-wolves-8/” title=”All the latest from Wolves!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Latest: Possible blow emerges

According to A Bola [via Sport Witness], former UEFA Cup winners Leverkusen ‘don’t give up’ on trying to entice Palhinha to the club, with the Bundesliga side considering him a ‘priority’ signing.

On the plus side, they could struggle to stump up the cash to sign the 26-year-old, with it looking as though they are only willing to spend €15million (£12.7m) on him.

Sporting want between €20-25million (£17m-21.2m) for the Portuguese maestro’s services.

[freshpress-quiz id=“398117″]

The Verdict: Competition going to be tough

Palhinha is a Champions League level player who averaged a 91.9% pass completion rate for Portugal in World Cup qualifying, so Wolves were always going to have a fight on their hands signing him.

The lure of playing for one of the Bundesliga’s top teams could sway the midfielder’s thinking, although much looks like it could depend on their lack of financial clout.

It feels like a transfer saga that could rumble on for some time, but if Wolves are to lose Neves, they simply must replace him with someone of Palhinha’s calibre or even better.

In other news, one Wolves player’s future remains uncertain. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Moussa Dembele to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that Fabio Paratici has now added the Olympique Lyonnais centre-forward to his list of transfer targets, with the Ligue 1 side expected to demand a figure of around €25m (£21m) in order to sanction the 25-year-old’s sale this summer.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-news-updates-transfer-rumours-gossip-spurs-thfc-conte-paratici” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

The report goes on to state that Manchester United and Arsenal are also keeping tabs on the former France U21 international ahead of a potential move of their own, while the striker himself is believed to be open to a move away from the Groupama Stadium.

“Perfect” for Conte

Considering just how impressive Dembele was in France this season, in addition to the fact that a backup for Harry Kane is reported to be one of Antonio Conte’s priority targets in the summer transfer window, it is not difficult to see why Paratici would be interested in a deal to bring the Frenchman to north London in the coming months.

Indeed, over his 30 Ligue 1 appearances this term, the £15.3m-rated centre-forward was in blistering form for Lyon, scoring 21 goals, registering four assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.9 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £51k-per-week talent who Rich Fay dubbed both “perfect” and “deadly” average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Peter Bosz’s seventh-best performer in the French top flight.

Furthermore, Dembele’s performances saw him earn a considerable amount of praise, none more so than from Jean-Pierre Papin, who stated of the former Paris Saint-Germain starlet:

“I really like this style of centre-forward. When you have a beast like Dembele in front, you have to play for him, which was not done enough during the first part of the season. He is good in the head, powerful, he has all the panoply of a modern striker and his chance to goal ratio is better than in previous seasons, he is more influential for his team.”

As such, considering his undoubted ability in front of goal and extremely reasonable asking price, it would indeed appear as if the striker would be the perfect addition to Conte’s current attacking options at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, leading us to believe that Paratici must do all he can to beat Arsenal and United to the signing of Dembele this summer.

AND in other news: Paratici could unearth the next £100m talent as Spurs now eye “unbelievable” signing

Henrikh Mkhitaryan could now make a ‘surprise’ move to join Tottenham Hotspur, claims Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Alfredo Pedulla.

The Lowdown: Conte going shopping

The Lilywhites are expected to be busy in the summer transfer market. A point against Norwich City in Sunday’s Premier League finale would book their place in the Champions League next season, meaning Antonio Conte will need to strengthen his squad.

As many as six new signings are likely to come in, and while much of the focus is said to be on acquiring a new centre-back, the Lilywhites are a little light in the playmaker department.

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

The current squad doesn’t actually have a single attacking midfielder, and while it is not a position which fits directly into the manager’s system, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have a creative player who can play through the middle, where the current ranks are mostly combative stars like Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The Latest: Watch out for Spurs

According to Pedulla, writing on his personal Twitter account, Mkhitaryan wants to extend his contract at Roma, which expires this summer.

However, a ‘surprise’ move could be on the cards if that doesn’t happen, as the journalist says to ‘watch out’ for Inter and Napoli in Italy and Tottenham and Aston Villa in England.

The Verdict: Sneaky good signing?

Things may not have worked out for Mkhitaryan during his last stint in England, but he still managed to provide 22 goals and 24 assists across 122 appearances with Manchester United and Arsenal, even drawing praise for ‘dominating’ the competition from Red Devils teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Back in Italy, the 33 year-old has gone from strength to strength, racking up 57 goal involvements for Jose Mourinho’s side in 116 games, and he has also been crowned Armenia’s player of the year a whopping ten times.

Creating over a chance per game in Serie A this season, the experienced 95-cap man, while not a long-term solution, would add a different kind of threat to Conte’s side along with years of experience across domestic and European competitions.

Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa is set to miss the opening weeks of the 2022/23 Premier League season after sustaining a knee injury last weekend against Crystal Palace that will keep the Englishman sidelined for 12-16 weeks.

What’s the latest?

As tweeted by Birmingham Live’s Ashley Preece following Steven Gerrard’s pre-Burnley press conference, the 24-year-old has sustained a “serious” knee injury and will miss all of pre-season as well as the opening stages of the next Premier League campaign.

The Villa boss stated: “We’re quite relieved because we thought we were dealing with an ACL” whilst also revealing that Emi Martinez picked up an injury in training and Robin Olsen could be set for his Villa debut in between the sticks.

The Villans have just two matches left this campaign, this evening’s home clash with the Clarets before a trip to Manchester City on Sunday.

However, the injury has come at an awful time for Konsa who will have to work extra hard to catch up for when the new season comes around given him missing out on pre-season training.

Bad news

Although the West Midlands outfit have been frustratingly inconsistent at times this season, Konsa has had a decent campaign this term.

The Englishman has won 64% of his duels in the Premier League whilst averaging 0.5 interceptions, 0.9 tackles and 2.8 clearances a match in 29 top-flight appearances.

However, the injury could trigger long-term issues for Konsa’s Villa tenure.

There have been reports that the 24-year-old could depart Villa Park this summer with Gerrard planning a major squad overhaul, particularly in defence with his side conceding 50 times in 36 matches this season.

Therefore, Villa may still go ahead and sign new defenders that will beat Konsa to a starting spot whilst the Englishman is now unlikely to be bought this summer given his injury and the uncertainties that could bring.

It’s a major blow for the defender and could lead to an even greater predicament that will surely have supporters gutted.

AND in other news: Signed for £7.6m, now worth £225k: AVFC had a shocker on “hiding” £28k-p/w disaster