All posts by z3u9t.icu

Crystal Palace have joined Brentford in the race to sign free agent Christian Eriksen.

That’s according to 90min, and their claim has had a number of Eagles fans talking on social media.

Eriksen is currently without a club after leaving Inter Milan last month and has been offered a return to the Premier League with Brentford.

The Bees have tabled an initial six-month contract with the option of a further year for the 29-year-old, however, Palace are also circling.

90min suggest that the Eagles and Championship leaders Fulham have also made contact with the attacking midfielder, who has made 226 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 51 times and providing 67 assists.

Eriksen left Tottenham in 2020, but it seems as if a return to England is on the cards with multiple clubs keen on his services.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared the update regarding Palace’s interest in Eriksen on Twitter. This is what these Eagles supporters have had to say in reply, with many surprised at the links.

“Please @CPFC”

Credit: @joshstoneham03

“Maybe Eriksen is coming? Seems interesting”

Credit: @byson_matrix

“I’m going to pretend this is happening and have a fantastic Monday night”

Credit: @erictwigs

“Let’s get him!”

Credit: @SidViscous9

“Beautiful player, who I would LOVE to see in red n blue, BUT – can he really be allowed on a pitch after his last appearance? There’s a reason why his last contract was annulled…”

Credit: @Promo_man

“Erm”

Credit: @matthew_poole30

In other news: Crystal Palace now move for Celtic defender with transfer on the cards – journalist. 

Dean Smith’s time as Aston Villa manager was severely under pressure heading into this weekend’s Premier League action but sadly, it ended up being his last in the dugout.

As the Villans slipped to a 1-0 defeat against Southampton, Smith left the stadium and was then handed his marching orders less than 24 hours later.

What’s the word?

Villa are now without a point in their last five matches but the club’s hierarchy have used the upcoming international break to make a much-needed change.

With the club in no danger of improving their form, they told the 50-year-old to pack his bags and head out of the exit door.

Consequently, NSWE are now looking for a new manager.

The Sun revealed on Saturday evening that they may consider Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand but fresh reports dictate there are other irons in the fire.

John Percy of The Telegraph shared on Sunday afternoon that Steven Gerrard was on Villa’s shortlist.

Fans buzzing

This is a piece of news that should leave the Villa supporters buzzing.

Gerrard might not have very much experience under his belt but the fact of the matter is, he could improve them in multiple facets.

He has installed a gritty and never-say-die attitude within his players at Rangers, a mentality that helped them end Celtic’s nine-year stronghold over Scottish football as the Gers won the Premiership last season.

The Liverpudlian ensured that happened by combining a swashbuckling offensive approach with a sturdy backline.

His team scored 78 goals and conceded just ten times in 33 outings, suggesting he could improve Villa’s leaky backline.

So far this term, the Midlands outfit have shipped 20 goals, the highest volume outside of the relegation zone.

First and foremost, the new manager must make Villa harder to beat and in Gerrard, a manager who already knows how to win things, they’d definitely discover that.

Of course, the Premier League is a completely different beast to the SPFL but if he comes in and manages to revive Villa, as he did Rangers, the supporters at the club would undoubtedly be delighted to see him in the hot seat.

AND in other news, Forget Buendia: Villa must sign £18m-rated star who “every coach would love to have”…

Paddy Kenny has given his reaction to some transfer news involving Newcastle United and Kieran Trippier.

The Lowdown: Trippier targeted

As per AS, the Atletico Madrid right-back is now a transfer target for the St James’ Park club following the completed takeover by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

Journalist and La Liga expert Guillem Balague revealed earlier this month that the Tyneside club have already ‘started negotiations’ with Tripper’s representatives over a potential move, as they are ‘really interested’ in signing him.

It is unclear whether the new owners will target the 31-year-old in the January transfer window or whether they will wait until the end of the season, depending on what their fate is in terms of potential relegation from the Premier League.

The Latest: Kenny reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League goalkeeper Kenny has since given his reaction to the transfer news, claiming that it would be ‘big’ for Newcastle if they were to sign Trippier. The 43-year-old said:

“This is big for Newcastle if they can get away with it.

“He has been linked with a move back to England a couple of times now. He’s been away for a couple of seasons and he’s done really well in Spain.

“Obviously, he won the title and he seems to have impressed a lot of the fans over there. It’s no surprise really because he’s a top talent.

“I really like him, always have. His crossing is top-drawer, and his free kicks are amazing too. He’s a proper specialist when it comes to those two.”

The Verdict: No-brainer

There is little doubt that Trippier would elevate the quality of the squad that Eddie Howe currently has at his disposal at St James’ Park, given that he helped win the La Liga title with Atletico Madrid ahead of the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona last season.

As Kenny mentions, the defender also offers a threat from crosses and free kicks, which would be a very handy weapon to have in Howe’s armoury.

The Newcastle boss is fond of the England international from his time managing him at Burnley and claimed that the 31-year-old is ‘one of the best crossers of the ball’ that he has ever worked with (The Bournemouth Echo).

Trippier had a great relationship with Howe back then too, expressing his admiration for his former boss by claiming that he is a ‘great manager’ who helped him personally (The Burnley Express).

This relationship could work wonders on the pitch if the Magpies bring him in, so it seems a bit of a no-brainer to get a deal done.

In other news, NUFC are ‘keeping a close eye’ on this Champions League gem ahead of a potential transfer

Celtic have been linked with a winter window move for Stade Brestois striker Jeremy Le Douaron, Homme du Match report.

The Lowdown: Le Douaron profiled

Le Douaron is 23 years of age and is primarily a centre-forward who can also play as a left or right midfielder.

The 6ft 2’ French forward has been with his current employers since July 2020 and has scored seven times in 46 appearances, three of which have come in his last three Ligue 1 appearances.

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He appears to be at the peak of his powers with his career-high £1.08m Transfermarkt valuation, and it seems as if he could be on Ange Postecoglou’s 2022 radar.

The Latest: Hoops links

Homme du Match shared a story on Wednesday, suggesting Celtic are ‘desperate’ to add to their attacking ranks in the January market.

Celtic have ‘ticked’ Le Douaron’s name when it comes to attacking targets, with the forward valued at €2m (£1.7m).

The Verdict: Avoid?

Even though Le Douaron could cost less than Josip Juranovic’s £2.7m move in the summer, it could make sense for the Hoops to look elsewhere.

He hasn’t exactly been prolific in France, with Giorgos Giakoumakis 26 Eredivisie goals last season.

A player like Daizen Maeda, who Celtic are thought to be confident of signing, could be a smarter option in January as he is a player who Postecoglou will know from his time in Japan.

Maeda has netted 22 times in 2021, considerably more than Le Douaron, so perhaps Michael Nicholson should avoid moving for the Stade Brestois man.

In other news: Possession lost 43x, 70% of duels lost, only 3 tackles: Celtic’s worst 3 players in Hearts win. 

According to Football Insider, West Ham United are keeping tabs on yet another Slavia Prague sensation in Jan Kuchta – with the attacking hotshot now entering the Irons’ radar as they send scouts to watch his recent performance against Rangers.

Kuchta, who has bagged a prolific 11 goals and five assists in the Fortuna Liga for Slavia Prague, scoring two and assisting two more in the Europa League also (Transfermarkt), is now on GSB’s watchlist as he enters the list of players who have been linked from the Czech Republic side.

West Ham eyeing Kuchta

West Ham have previously been eyeing more signings from Slavia Prague after the successful acquisitions of both Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek – with goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar, known as ‘The Rock’, and Abdallah Sima touted with moves to east London (Claret & Hugh).

Now, Football Insider have revealed that West Ham are also monitoring Kuchta after his impressive campaign – but the Irons may face competition this time.

Transfer Tavern take

Indeed, scouts working for Newcastle United, Southampton and Brighton were also in attendance to watch the 24-year-old in action against Rangers in the Europa League.

Kuchta is Slavia Prague’s second-top scorer in all competitions, and as West Ham potentially have their eye on a striker search in the summer, he could be a prime candidate from a familiar side.

In other news: West Ham are in talks for this 6 foot 2 gem, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are now eyeing a move for Inter Milan right wing-back Denzel Dumfries, according to a report by Sport Mediaset (via SportWitness).

The Lowdown: Conte’s search for a RWB

It was heavily reported that Spurs boss Antonio Conte wanted to bring in a new right wing-back in January.

Fabio Paratici was initially negotiating with Adama Traore over the proposition of playing in the position, having come close to agreeing a £20m fee with Wolves.

However, Spanish giants Barcelona swooped in at the last minute, snatching the 26-year-old out of Conte’s grasp.

As a result, the Lilywhites manager has been left with just Emerson Royal, following the season-ending injury sustained by Matt Doherty.

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The Latest: Dumfries rumours

According to a report by Sport Mediaset (translated by SportWitness), Inter may need to sell players to manage the books this summer. Therefore, Dumfries could be an option which would make significant money.

It is claimed that Bayern Munich and Tottenham would be “in the front row” for a summer transfer, as both sides are “watching him very carefully”.

Sport Mediaset further report that it would take in the region between £29.5m and £33.7m to secure the Dutchman’s services.

The Verdict: Good signing

After a shaky start to his Serie A career, Dumfries has gone on to earn comparisons with that of Inter legend Maicon, after a string of “brilliant” performances.

The Netherlands international’s underlying stats certainly illustrate this; he ranks in the 99th percentile in his position for non-penalty expected goals, non-penalty expected goals plus expected assists, touches in the attacking penalty area and progressive passes received (Europe’s top five leagues via FB Ref).

His attacking threat would complement Conte’s play-style perfectly, as he would slot in as an overlapping wing-back in Spurs’ back five.

If Paratici can get this deal across the line, we feel this would be a perfect signing for Conte.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Sky Sports man drops Steven Bergwijn claim

Sam Allardyce needs crucial additions at West Brom this January if he’s to even stand a chance at upholding the impressive feat of never being relegated from the Premier League, though one target is far from the answer next month…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s Steve Madeley, the 66-year-old has former centre-back Mamadou Sakho high on his shortlist going into the transfer window.

The Frenchman is a player Big Sam signed for Crystal Palace from Liverpool in January 2017 for £26m, despite reported interest from then-Baggies boss Tony Pulis.

It’s claimed that he would command a sizeable loan fee as well as a commitment to pay the majority of his £100k-per-week wages, and there is even a prospect to buying him permanently after the loan should they stay up.

Transfer disaster?

It’s no secret that a new central defender should be among the top priorities for Allardyce in January, but perhaps he should be looking elsewhere to the hardly-seen 30-year-old.

Over the course of the past 18 months, Sakho has only managed to start 14 times for Roy Hodgson – for good reason too, he’s failed to average over 0.8 tackles or even 1.5 aerial duels won per game, via WhoScored.

For someone that is 6 foot 2 and was once a first-choice under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, that is a shocking return.

Earlier in the current campaign, Sakho came under fire from the Exiled Eagles podcast. One of the pundits dubbed the veteran a “liability,” he said via This is Futbol:

“At the time we signed him, I remember saying that that was not a signing the manager wants, that’s a signing [Steve] Parish made to appease the fans after the loan spell – simple as. He’s a liability, he’s gone downhill – another one – we cannot give him away. Who is going to sign him?”

Sakho is far from your conventional defender, a maverick who is more reckless than not – something backed up by his poor disciplinary record – and that is exactly what the Baggies need to steer clear of if they are to survive this current plight.

If Luke Dowling has any sense, he’ll reject this suggestion at the first point of asking.

AND in other news, West Brom exclusive: Sam Allardyce tipped to sign forgotten PL man in January…

With over 200 games for Celtic, Tom Rogic has played a key role in the club’s domestic success over these past few seasons.

But this campaign has seen the Australia international really struggle to match anywhere near the kind of form that he’s shown previously – he’s managed just one solitary goal in 18 appearances and hasn’t even completed the full 90 minutes in the Scottish Premiership.

It is a far cry from his 2016/2017 season when he bagged 12 goals and provided six assists in all competitions, and his lack of form should have Neil Lennon act immediately.

Against Hibernian last time out in the Scottish Premiership, he was hugely disappointing. Having been restored to the starting line-up following a raft of enforced changes, Rogic let his big opportunity slip through his hands.

Playing in that all important number ten role, the Australian just couldn’t provide the Hoops with any sort of creativity or cutting edge. He provided no key passes whatsoever, a stat made worse by the fact that both of Celtic’s full-backs on the day, Diego Laxalt and Jeremie Frimpong, managed one each.

Rogic also had just the one shot on target, something that holding midfielder Ismaila Soro matched. It was no surprise that in the 67th minute, and the scores still locked level at 0-0, he was taken off for a Celtic youngster in Ewan Henderson.

Glasgow Live gave him a match rating of 5, saying that whilst he had “some nice touches here and there”, he was “sloppy on the ball for the most part”.

And former Aberdeen striker Noel Whelan admitted that Rogic just hasn’t been near his usual self this season, saying: “Rogic has struggled this season, he really has. He used to be the player you could rely on to produce a moment of magic, to do something special.

“But we haven’t seen much of that recently, even though the whole team has been terrible. You look at him and he’s a shadow of his former self, like quite a few of them. He’s not fit to wear that famous jersey, and he’s not the only one.”

When it comes to choosing the team for Saturday afternoon’s clash against Livingston, Lennon shouldn’t be putting Rogic into the starting line-up. The midfielder’s time as a bona-fide star is well and truly up.

Meanwhile, Celtic face a transfer battle for this young striker…

Daily Record reporter Keith Jackson has provided a major update in regards to Celtic’s pursuit of Eddie Howe.

The Lowdown: Celtic and Howe

Links between Howe and the Hoops first began in April, with the 43-year-old reportedly meeting Dermot Desmond in London for talks.

Howe verbally agreed on a move to Parkhead, however, a deal is still yet to be announced, with the Englishman thought to be having second thoughts.

It seems as if a move is back on the cards, though, with a recent story suggesting Howe is finalising his Celtic Park backroom staff.

The Latest: Howe’s appointment is when, not if

In an in-depth piece on Celtic detailing the stories of both former manager Neil Lennon and Howe, Jackson appeared to drop a hugely positive claim on the situation.

The Daily Record man said:

“The informed word is, it’s only a matter of when Desmond lands his top target as opposed to if.”

Jackson went on to describe the situation as a ‘calculated gamble’ by the Hoops hierarchy, but it appears as if it may well pay off going off his latest comments.

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The Verdict: McKay and Desmond surely delighted

In our opinion, New Celtic CEO Dominic McKay and Desmond will be delighted, should Jackson’s recent claim be accurate.

Celtic only have two league games remaining and the summer window is edging closer, so the board could do with agreeing on a deal for Lennon’s long-term successor relatively soon ahead of the 2021/22 season.

Going into a crucial transfer window without a Director of Football or a permanent manager in place could be a disaster, so the sooner that ‘when’ comes the better.

It seems as if a move for Howe is under control, though, so, hopefully, as well as working on his backroom staff, he is beginning to work out who he wants to remain at the club, as well as potential areas to strengthen, giving new chief McKay a head start on the summer rebuild.

In other news: Raman Bhardwaj drops late-night Celtic post; could be helpful to McKay, find out more here. 

Rangers’ Europa League campaign continues on Thursday as they take on Slavia Prague away from home, and Steven Gerrard should consider unleashing striker Cedric Itten for the game.

The 24-year-old striker has been limited in his game time this season but has impressed at times; having contributed four goals and one assist in 23 Scottish Premiership appearances, of which 19 have come from the bench.

He has also done well in his rare appearances in the Europa League this season, with two goals to his name in just three appearances, as he starred in the 2-0 win against Lech Poznan, before adding a late goal as a substitute in the 5-2 win against Royal Antwerp recently.

Whilst Gerrard will surely be tempted to keep faith in Alfredo Morelos because of his excellent recent form, he has also played a lot of football recently and perhaps deserves a rest ahead of the game against Celtic at the weekend.

Itten has found himself on the fringes of Gerrard’s squad since joining from FC St. Gallen last summer, with the likes of Morelos, Kemar Roofe and Jermaine Defoe all competing for the striker role in Gerrard’s squad.

However, with Defoe looking likely to depart in the summer, it seems likely that Itten may get more opportunities next season, so Gerrard should start putting his faith in the Swiss international, as his return of six goals and three assists in 30 appearances is fairly impressive when you consider how many of those appearances have come from the bench.

The striker’s work rate could be vital against Slavia, especially in the away tie, and Gerrard is clearly a fan of his efforts, as he praised him against Motherwell earlier in the season, saying:

“Ceddy does what he does. He’s a bit of a pest, he’s a bit of a nuisance, he chases lost causes.”

Therefore, with Roofe out injured, and Morelos perhaps in need of a rest, Gerrard should definitely consider unleashing Itten against Slavia Prague on Thursday, as he deserves a chance to show what he can do from the start, and he could prove to be a game-changer against the Czech side with his immense work rate.

And, in other news… No time for niceties: Gerrard should axe 30 y/o Rangers flop; he’s just not good enough