All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani must avoid making a massive mistake by selling Raphinha amid a recent transfer claim.

What’s the story?

The Brazil star has been in scintillating form for his country during the international break, including a game-changing performance against Venezuela when he came on as a substitute and helped set up two goals in a 3-1 win.

That has since seen former Premier League striker Gabby Agbonlahor drop a major claim that Marcelo Bielsa’s side will find it difficult to keep hold of Raphinha in the long-term, and that he could look to push for a move away sooner rather than later.

He said: “I think it’s going to be very hard. Leeds need more investment in their squad, they need to start buying players that can keep them fighting even further up the table.

“Over the next year, year and a half, people like Raphinha will leave, his head will get turned by other clubs. Raphinha is getting into Brazil squads, he’s playing for Brazil now. He’s not going to want to play for Leeds, he’s going to want to move and play for a bigger club that’s playing in the Champions League. Someone of Raphinha’s quality should be playing in the Champions League.

“It’s just the reality of football. If Leeds can’t invest and get a better squad that’s challenging to get into Europe he will want to leave. That’s just normal.”

Time for Radrizzani to act

After embarking on a spending spree in their first transfer window after clinching promotion to the Premier League – the club broke their transfer record to sign Rodrigo and also snapped up the likes of Robin Koch and Diego Llorente among others for decent amounts too – they were far quieter this summer.

The Whites spent almost half of what they did last year, bringing in Jack Harrison on a permanent basis from Manchester City, signing Barcelona ace Junior Firpo, and clinching a late deal for Manchester United’s Dan James.

With The Athletic’s Phil Hay already admitting that some of European football’s heavyweights could make a big bid for Kalvin Phillips sometime soon, losing him and/or Raphinha would be a monumental blow for Leeds.

If the Yorkshire club are intent on making progress and eventually closing the gap to the Premier League’s ‘big six’, and pushing for a potential European spot too, then continuing to spend money on reinforcing the squad is key to convincing the likes of Raphinha and Phillips that they can achieve their goals here at Elland Road.

It’s now become imperative for Radrizzani to put his money where his mouth is over these next couple of transfer windows, and show his star players and the fans as a whole that he wants this club to take that all important next step.

Selling Raphinha would leave fans absolutely fuming. It would be an unforgivable mistake on the part of the Leeds supremo to do so. He is too good a player to lose.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has delivered his take on Kalvin Phillips’ future…

Reliable Arsenal reporter Charles Watts shared a post on midfielder Matteo Guendouzi on Tuesday lunchtime.

And a number of Gunners fans have been interacting with the news that the 22-year-old could make his France debut this week.

Guendouzi sealed a move to Marseille during the recent transfer window, joining on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy next summer.

That means the midfielder is still technically a Gunners player until the end of the campaign. Guendouzi has been a regular for Marseille in a number of different positions, captaining the Ligue 1 side prior to the international break.

He’s now away with France ahead of a UEFA Nations League semi-final against Belgium on Thursday evening.

Arsenal fans react

Watts quoted a tweet from Guendouzi, claiming he could make his senior debut for his country this week.

This is what these Arsenal supporters had to say in reply, with one believing it is ‘criminal’ the midfielder didn’t remain in north London.

“Wow finally some positive Guendouzi news from Charles”

Credit: @hawt_red

“His what? Hmm”

Credit: @Matteo_Olie

“Cue meltdown in 3…2…1….”

Credit: @therealemjaypea

“Criminal that he isn’t at Arsenal”

Credit: @John3attersby

“Guendouzi is far better than Elneny. And right now he is obviously better than Lokonga. So we gave away a player for almost nothing just because Arteta’s ego can’t stand him. In 2-3 years time Marseille will sell Guendouzi for 50-60mil”

Credit: @luisbunuel3

“Arsenal is cursed I swear as soon as players leave us they’ll get the best for their career”

Credit: @FiliusIllyrico

In other news: ‘What’s wrong with this club?’ – Many Arsenal fans erupt at Ornstein news.

Former Premier League striker Nigel Jemson, a Liverpool fan, insists that the Reds need to aim higher with their new signings than Nat Phillips.

The 24-year-old defender has been linked with a move away from the club this summer as the Reds restructure their squad.

Phillips has been seen as a potential option for both Southampton and Newcastle United, along with West Ham United.

The centre-back has come through the ranks at Anfield and has made a total of 21 appearances for the club.

Phillips stepped into the breach after both Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk were struck down with injuries last season and made 17 Premier League appearances, even scoring in the 3-0 win over Burnley at the back-end of the campaign.

And Jemson believes that Liverpool likely need to move him on in this transfer window, and expects the Reds to include a buy-back clause in any deal.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “I’m sure if they do let him go, there’ll be a buy-back clause or something like that if it progresses.

“If I’m being perfectly honest, if Liverpool want to win Premier Leagues or Champions Leagues, then we’re going to look a little bit higher than Nat Phillips.”

Southampton have yet another away clash on their hands today against Liverpool after losing 2-1 to Norwich City at Carrow Road last weekend.

Speaking ahead of the clash against Jurgen Klopp’s side in his latest press conference, Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl revealed that Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Redmond will be available for the match at Anfield after missing the Norwich defeat. The Austrian added that Jack Stephens and Stuart Armstrong will be unavailable through injury.

With this in mind, here’s how we feel the Saints could line up against Liverpool this afternoon, with two changes from the loss to the Canaries.

Having played in every league game so far this season, we can see Hasenhuttl sticking with Alex McCarthy in goal, despite conceding twice to a struggling Norwich side.

Similarly to McCarthy, even though he had a shaky performance last weekend, we think the Austrian will keep Valentino Livramento in the team at right-back given how he’s played in every league game for Southampton so far.

As for the two centre-backs, we think Jan Bednarek and Mohammed Salisu will partner each other again to see if they can stop Liverpool’s attacking players from running riot.

In the left-back position, we reckon Hasenhuttl could axe Kyle Walker-Peters – who is currently earning a  wage of £50k-per-week according to Salary Sport – after he failed to impress against Norwich, to see if Romain Perraud would have a better chance of keeping Mohamed Salah quiet.

In midfield, we think the Saints boss will stick with his trusty duo of Oriol Romeu and James Ward-Prowse in the central roles and keep Ibrahima Diallo in on the right-hand side to see if he can give some extra defensive stability to the team.

On the left, however, we can see Hasenhuttl putting Redmond back in the starting XI ahead of Mohamed Elyounoussi to see if he can pose more of an attacking threat. Worryingly, the Norwegian has gone nine league matches with a goal contribution, while the English winger comes back into contention following the birth of his child a few days ago.

Up top, we think Che Adams and Adam Armstrong will start together once again to try and cause some issues for Liverpool’s defence.

Whatever team Hasenhuttl picks today, Southampton will need to ensure they stay strong defensively if they are to have any chance of coming away with a positive result, given how Liverpool have scored more league goals (35) than any other team in the league.

In other news: Hasenhuttl can unearth Southampton’s new Van Dijk in £9m-rated tank, he’s a “big talent”

Celtic have been linked with a move for former Leeds striker Jean-Kevin Augustin by French outlet Homme du Match.

The Lowdown: Augustin’s last 18 months

Augustin has had a rather bizarre 18 months after Marcelo Bielsa brought him to Leeds back in January 2020.

The 24-year-old was signed by the Whites on loan from RB Leipzig with a reported obligation to buy for £18m, should they earn promotion to the Premier League.

Leeds did just that but went back on their agreement to sign the Frenchman on a permanent basis.

Augustin has since joined Nantes but has been at the centre of a legal dispute between Leeds and Leipzig, a case the Whites lost last month.

The Latest: Celtic links

Homme du Match, who linked Diego Costa with a move to Parkhead last week, have suggested that Celtic are closely interested in Augustin.

They claim that the Hoops want to relaunch Augustin’s career and he is viewed as a potential replacement for Odsonne Edouard.

Turkish side Fenerbahce are also in the running for Augustin, who has been sent to Nantes’ reserves by manager Antoine Kombouare.

The Verdict: Avoid

Augustin is on £21,000-a-week with Nantes and would be a huge gamble by Celtic to replace Edouard.

Over the last 18 months, he has made just six appearances, three for Leeds and three for Nantes.

He didn’t score in any of those games and Celtic may have to make him their top earner ahead of Callum McGregor on £20,000-a-week.

His wages, lack of game time and lack of goals in recent years all show warning signs over a possible move, so hopefully, the Hoops avoid this one.

In other news: Offer made: Celtic launch bid for 147-goal ace on £53k-p/w; selling club need the cash. 

Swansea City have initiated talks with Russell Martin regarding the vacant managerial position at the Liberty Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that Jason Levien and Steven Kaplan have made an approach to Milton Keynes Dons for the 35-year-old, who has one year remaining on his contract with the League One side.

As such, it is reported that the Swans would be required to pay MK Dons a compensation fee if they were to appoint the former Scotland international as Steve Cooper’s successor this summer.

The club’s interest in Jody Morris is also mentioned in the report, however, it is suggested that Martin now appears to be Levien and Kaplan’s favourite for the position.

Martin could transform Swansea

Having taken over an MK Dons side in the League One relegation places back in November 2019, over the course of his two-year spell at Stadium MK, Martin has worked something of a minor miracle at the club.

Indeed, in his first season, the 35-year-old impressively guided his side to survival in the third tier, eventually finishing the season in 18th place.

Last season, the upward trajectory continued under the Scot, as, after making a number of astute signings on loan deals and free transfers in the summer transfer market, the club solidified their status as a League One side, finishing the season in 13th place.

However, perhaps the reason why Swansea appear so keen to appoint the exciting coach is down to the way the former Norwich City defender has his MK Dons side playing, having implemented a very distinct style of football.

Indeed, the Dons approach every game with the intention of dominating possession of the ball, as well as always looking for a progressive pass – with the club ranking by far as the League One leaders in Possession x Progressive Passes per 90 last season.

In defence, Martin’s side press intensely, allowing the attacking side an average of just 9.28 passes before attempting to win the ball back – with their PPDA (passes per defensive action) ranking as the fifth-lowest in the league.

In Layman’s terms, this makes for an attractive, fast-paced and attack-minded brand of football, something that – in general – football fans tend to appreciate more so than a boggy, slow-paced game.

And, with Cooper not exactly winning many plaudits for his win-at-any-cost style during his time at Swansea – despite being undeniably successful with this method –  should the Swans go on to land Martin this summer, fans would be witnessing a much more free-flowing and attack-minded team in action at the Liberty Stadium, with the Scot’s appointment bringing with it the possibility of a transformed Swansea City side.

In other news: Swansea in crisis as McGrath drops manager claim, but there could be a silver lining

West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Jack Hendry to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by TEAMtalk, who claimed that Club Brugge, Anderlecht and Royal Antwerp have all made a move for the KV Oostende centre-back, while Aston Villa are also thought to have joined the race for the 26-year-old’s signature.

A host of Championship clubs, including West Brom, Sheffield United and Fulham, were previously reported to be keen on a move for the former Celtic defender in the summer transfer window, although the relegated trio could now be gazumped by teams offering the prospect of top-flight or even European football.

Ismael will be gutted

With Ismael typically operating with a system which utilised three centre-backs during his time at Barnsley, it would seem highly likely that the Frenchman will implement this setup at The Hawthorns next season.

With the 45-year-old not having a great deal of choice in that position at Albion, the heart of defence would very much appear to be an area where the Baggies manager will look to strengthen in the summer transfer window, with Hendry appearing to be an excellent candidate for the role.

Indeed, over his 30 Jupiler Pro League appearances for Oostende last season, the £3.15m-rated man helped his team to keep six clean sheets, along with averaging 0.6 interceptions, one tackle and 4.1 clearances and winning 4.8 duels per game.

The £8,000-per-week defender also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals and providing one assist, as well as averaging 0.2 key passes per league game.

These returns saw the man Alex McLeish dubbed a “confident” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.01, ranking him as Alexander Blessin’s third-best performer in the Belgian top flight.

As such, it would very much appear that the signing of Hendry would have been a perfect fit for Ismael. However, with a number of clubs interested in the centre-back who boast considerably greater pull than the Baggies, it would seem as if a deal for the Scotland international does not look overly likely at present, an outcome which will surely leave their manager gutted.

In other news: Get it done: Major update emerges on “fantastic” £8m West Brom target, Ismael must act

The vast majority of the transfer window for Everton has revolved around James Rodriguez.

Will he or won’t he be a part of the Toffees’ plans for the season is a question on everyone’s lips, but we may have just received an answer.

What’s the word?

For so long it looked as though Rodriguez had played his final game for the Merseyside outfit. His agent Jorge Mendes was speaking to other clubs and he could have been on his way to Italy.

A move to Porto nearly materialised too with the attacking midfielder potentially heading back to his former club in exchange for winger Luis Diaz.

However, a major twist has occurred on deadline day, according to the Liverpool Echo.

They now report that, with James unable to agree on personal terms or find a suitable club in the final hours of the window, he is now willing to stay at Everton.

Rafa must be delighted

Rafa Benitez will know James well from his time at Real Madrid, and once he penned terms at Goodison Park, he will have been keen to utilise him.

However, the Colombian hasn’t been seen all season, so the Spaniard hasn’t actually been able to put him on the team sheet yet.

It’s difficult to work out whether he’d have wanted to initially, though. James infamously declared that he didn’t even know who Everton’s next opponents were during a Twitch stream a few weeks ago.

That being said, it’s difficult to ignore his qualities, and with Everton struggling to sign new players, he is still a key part of their squad.

You only need to assess his remarkable CV and his performances during a debut campaign in English football.

The Colombia international had a hand in ten Premier League goals, while he was their most creative player in the top-flight. Rodriguez provided 1.7 key passes per game, which was more than anybody else in the squad.

With that in mind, the manager will surely be delighted to see him wanting to stay at Goodison Park. He could be vital in their chase for European football.

AND in other news, “Talks progressing” – Insider delivers exciting Everton claim, Benitez surely elated…

David de Gea did not look comfortable during the penalty shootout in Manchester United’s Europa League final defeat to Villarreal, claims Peterborough director of football Barry Fry.

Fry, an apprentice at United during his youth, recently discussed the Spaniard’s showing and the Red Devils’ heartbreak in Gdansk in an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern.

De Gea was unable to save a single penalty before going on to miss his own spot-kick, which proved decisive, in the epic shootout that ended 11-10.

It means United have now not won a major honour since their own Europa League triumph back in 2017.

On the role De Gea played in Ole Gunner Solskjaer side’s disappointing defeat in Poland, Fry said:

“Penalties is a lottery unfortunately and everybody took marvellous penalties. But I just thought David didn’t look comfortable in stopping anything and he didn’t look comfortable taking the penalty, to be honest.”

Since then, it has emerged that the Spain international has now failed to save the last 40 spot-kicks he has faced, a truly damning statistic.

Still, given his quality, you would expect De Gea to bounce back, while supporters will surely be quick to forgive him after everything he has accomplished at the club.

Former Crystal Palace and Brighton frontman Glenn Murray has announced his retirement from football, as reported by Sky Sports.

An outstanding servant to the English game, the Cumbrian has decided to call time on a career which has spanned over 19 years featuring for 12 different clubs [Transfermarkt].

Most recently at Sky Bet Championship club Nottingham Forest [BBC], he will undoubtedly be sorely missed by every club he played for.

In recent years especially, not many footballing issues have harmoniously bound together the fans of Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion. Fierce rivals on the pitch, they also have their fair share of tensions off it.

Nevertheless, Steve Parish’s tweet on Murray was quick to unite Seagulls and Eagles fans – a fitting tribute to a man who is still loved by both sets of the divide to this day.

Parish encapsulates his feelings in an honest manner, saying: “A fantastic player, wrote his name in our history for ever – but perhaps his greatest achievement is to be loved by the fans of two fierce rivals.”

Albion fans responded with hordes of positive messages, testament to how well their former hero is still received both on the south coast and in south London to this day.

Fans praise Parish post

 “couldn’t agree more. And as a Brighton fan that’s hard to admit. The word Legend is used a lot. But

@GM_83 fits that word and then some #bhafc”

Credit: @AlexxODonnell

“Absolutely Steve Massive mistake by Poyet to sell Muzza & as much as we hated it at the time, he was only doing what was right by his family signing for you lot and getting the best deal he could So much respect for Glenn, even if he did score too many goals against us”

Credit: @Brighton_Peer

“Didnt ever want to agree with parish but totally agree. Ultimate professional.”

Credit:@Brighton11Sarah

“Absolutely Steve, I may be a Brighton fan, but very well said sir.”Credit: @MissyMo38043964″You only have to look at how he reacted at both clubs when he scored against them. Completely respectful and clearly a gent.”Credit:@robin35311″About the only thing both sets of fans will ever agree on”Credit:@Azzer1989221