All posts by z3u9t.icu

Southampton’s transformation under Ralph Hasenhuttl has seen a clear shift towards a high-press philosophy with Shane Long and Nathan Redmond preferred to press from the front, leaving Charlie Austin surplus to requirements and edging towards the January exit door. 

There was a point when Austin was regarded as the club’s most potent goal scoring threat, but Hasenhuttl seemingly prefers the presence of a quick and diligent centre-forward rather than a natural goal scorer.

The arrival of Danny Ings in the summer had already placed Austin’s place in the team under serious threat, and developments in recent weeks suggest he would be wise to leave before the deadline passes on Thursday.

But Austin’s exit may not leave Hasenhuttl short of an extra option in attack, as Sky Sports journalist Pete Hall has suggested Southampton are hoping to sign Birmingham City’s Che Adams this week.

Recent reports have linked the Saints with a move for Adams and Hall’s comments while speaking on Sky Sports’ Transfer Talk podcast added a further weight of legitimacy to those reports.

“Southampton are in talks with Birmingham’s Che Adams, who’s scored 14 goals this season, a number of Premier League clubs are interested, so they’re lining up a replacement.

“It certainly makes sense for Austin to go and, while his stock is still high, there are clubs who could do with a striker like Charlie Austin.”

Birmingham signed Adams from Sheffield United for a measly fee of just £2 million in 2016 and he has blossomed into a fine goal scoring talent in the Championship ever since.

Now 22-years-old, Adams has already bagged 15 times and provided three assists in the Championship this season from 29 appearances.

With his prolific record in mind and his scope for potential at just 22, it is absolutely no surprise that Southampton are in talks over a potential deal.

It’s unlikely that Birmingham will be anything other than incredibly reluctant to let him leave midway through the season, especially while they sit just six points behind Derby in the final playoff position.

But if Southampton are able to pull off a deal which would allow them to replace Austin with Adams it would represent another fantastic progressive step forward under Hasenhuttl,

Southampton fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Liverpool are plotting a move for Swedish star striker Alexander Isak this summer and he would be a perfect partner to Diogo Jota.

What’s the story?

Manager Jurgen Klopp is said to be willing to break the club’s transfer record in order to land the striker from Real Sociedad for a whopping £77m, according to reports in Spain, via Liverpool.com

The player is highly rated having been linked with a number of moves in recent transfer windows, including Premier League rivals Manchester United and Arsenal.

He could partner Jota perfectly

While Liverpool usually play Jota in the middle of a front three, they have many talents to choose from with Luis Diaz and Roberto Firmino also available.

Isak could also easily slot into that central role and link up with Jota out wide, or Klopp could opt to play a more traditional partnership of just the two of them.

Jota has proven he can excel when working with a strike partner, before he made the move to Anfield the Portuguese striker had an ‘amazing’ partnership at Wolves with Raul Jimenez.

In their final season together they had a combined average of just over three shot-creating actions per 90 minutes played.

Isak is great on the ball and his stats when it comes to goal and shot creation are on par with Jota – both players rank in the 90th percentile in Europe’s top five leagues this season for dribbles that lead to a shot attempt.

On that evidence, it’s clear to see why he’s been described as a “special talent” by ESPN FC.

At only 22-years old he still has a lot of time to develop, and with Jota 25 years of age, they could forge a long-lasting partnership that could naturally succeed the Reds’ pairing of Salah and Mane.

Currently playing his trade in La Liga for Real Sociedad Isak moved to Spain from Borussia Dortmund in 2019 for £13.5m.

However, Liverpool need to be willing to pay much more than that to land him. His contract doesn’t run out until the summer of 2026 so Sociedad have the bargaining power here.

His goal scoring form has been good at all of his clubs and so far he’s scored 41 times in 122 appearances for the Spanish club.

Isak also stands at 6 foot 4 which means he would be a threat in the air as well, something which Liverpool currently lack in their attacking line.

All three of Jota, Mane and Salah are no taller than 5 foot 8 so he’d certainly provide a different but exciting new dimension to the forward areas.

IN other news: Another blow: Liverpool suffer huge injury setback, Klopp surely gutted – opinion…

Newcastle United fans may have a new heroic right-back in town in Kieran Trippier, but had things panned out slightly differently a few years ago, they may well have been watching Kevin Mbabu maraud down the flank at St James’ Park instead.

The Magpies signed the Switzerland international back in 2013 when Alan Pardew was boss, giving him a three-year deal after seeing him impress in a trial.

At the time, reserve team manager, Willie Donachie said: “Kevin is strong, confident, skilful and a very good prospect.”

But after making just five appearances for the first-team, Mbabu was sent out on loan, before completing a permanent move back home to Switzerland to BSC Young Boys for just over £100k.

Mbabu himself meanwhile has gone on record to say that his departure from St James’ Park has fuelled his desire to showcase his talents, saying just last year: “I had an offer from Young Boys and I didn’t want to go back to Switzerland, but then I thought: ‘OK, go back, get back on track. Take a little step back but maybe one day, you’ll get rewarded for that’. So I just did it.

“When I left Newcastle, I had it in my head that, ‘I’m going to prove them all wrong, to show them it was a mistake to let me go’. That’s what I’ve been trying to do this whole time.”

His problems with injuries of course didn’t help his cause, but his fine performance against Chelsea back in 2015 showcased the kind of potential he had.

The Independent gave him a seven match rating, and said that he enjoyed “an impressive starting debut”, praising him for his “series of threatening runs down the flank”.

But, if Mbabu thought the display would lead to bigger and better things, then he was sadly mistaken following the arrival of Rafa Benitez as manager.

He said: “I knew it wasn’t going to work with the new manager. When I really understood it was going to be difficult for me was when Vurnon Anita got injured (against Crystal Palace in April 2016) and I was the only full-back on the bench. An assistant said, ‘He’s injured, you’re coming on’. Then Benitez said, ‘No’. Instead, Jonjo Shelvey came on and Moussa Sissoko played right-back.

“That really hurt me. I felt really sad and disappointed.”

While Mbabu has certainly followed through with his own personal desire of proving the Magpies wrong since his exit, Newcastle perhaps have finally managed to solve that problem position this past January with the arrival of Trippier.

But, had the Magpies stuck with Mbabu, they may not have even ended up signing the England international now, such has been the fine rise the Swiss flier has enjoyed in his time away from Tyneside.

When you look at the fact the Magpies have mixed and matched with the likes of Emil Krafth, Javier Manquillo and DeAndre Yedlin in recent years for the starting right-back slot, it’s a painful reminder of how if they had just kept the faith and ridden out the bad times, they could have had a star in the making in Mbabu.

AND in other news, Wood upgrade: PIF will be having NUFC nightmares after missing out on £20m “cult hero”…

Everton have undeniably spent significant amounts of money on bringing new players to the Merseyside club over the past few years.

Despite their hefty spending, the Toffees have had a difficult season in the Premier League this time around.

With 30 games played, Frank Lampard’s side have lost 18 of them, putting them in 17th place and just four points above the relegation zone.

One shining light for the Toffees throughout this campaign has been Anthony Gordon, who the club have undoubtedly hit the jackpot on.

As a product of Everton’s youth academy, the winger made his senior debut back in December 2017 in a Europa League clash against Apollon Limassol under former Toffees manager Sam Allardyce.

With 52 senior appearances to his name, 32 of them have come during this season across all competitions.

In those 32 appearances, the Englishman, who has been labelled as a “fearless” player by Alan Shearer, has found the back of the net four times and provided three assists in the process.

In terms of his overall performances in the Premier League, WhoScored currently list him as Everton’s joint-fourth highest rated outfield player currently in Lampard’s squad with a rating of 6.72.

Back in April 2020, Transfermarkt rated the youngster’s market value at £1.17m, whereas it now stands at £14.4m, highlighting a massive increase based on what he’s delivered on the pitch for his club over the past weeks and months.

Labelled as a player that “has got everything,” by Ben Godfrey, Gordon certainly made a difference for his side last time out by scoring the winning goal in their 1-0 win over Manchester United, which could end up being a crucial result in terms of their chances of avoiding the drop.

To highlight how impressive the 21-year-old has been for Everton in an attacking sense, only Andros Townsend (45%) has a better percentage for shots on target than the Liverpudlian (44.4%) out of players to have more than three attempts at goal.

Also, no other Toffees player has made more dead-ball passes that have led to a shot at goal than Gordon (10), highlighting just how much of an attacking nuisance he can be for the opposition.

Taking all of this into account, the Merseyside club have certainly proved with the emergence of Gordon that they don’t always need to go out into the transfer market and spend significant sums of money on new players.

In other news: “I know for a fact..”: Insider drops big Finch Farm claim, it’s bad news for Everton

West Bromwich Albion legend Ally Robertson has called for the club to prioritise attacking reinforcements during the summer transfer window. 

The lowdown: Blunt Baggies

Under the stewardship of Valerien Ismael and more recently Steve Bruce, the Baggies have struggled to score freely throughout the course of the 2021/22 campaign.

Currently sat in 12th in the Championship standings, eight points adrift of the play-off places, West Brom have scored 45 goals in 41 matches so far – less than every club above them in the table aside from Milwall.

Robertson believes that the departure of creative midfielder Matheus Pereira to Al Hilal has been the biggest factor in the decline of attacking flair at the Hawthorns…

The latest: Pereira 2.0 needed

Writing his column for the Express & Star, the 69-year-old suggested that the disastrous defeat to Stoke City revealed where Bruce must strengthen at the end of the season.

“They were compact and organised and difficult to break down. But we didn’t have anyone who could make something happen. We didn’t have anyone who could change the game.

“And the truth is we haven’t had that player ever since Matheus Pereira left. Adding more flair to the squad is absolutely imperative this summer. I think we need more creativity in central midfield and also in the forward positions. We need players who are better on the ball and who make better runs.”The verdict: Spot onThere is a genuine dearth of creativity in the West Brom ranks at present, with the likes of Grady Diangana, Adam Reach and Matt Phillips all struggling to fill the void left behind by Pereira.The Brazilian creator finished the 2020/21 Premier League season with 17 direct goal contributions from 33 outings, whilst summer signing Diangana currently has just two goals and one assist from 37 second-tier appearances.

With striking firepower such as Andy Carroll, Daryl Dike, Karlan Grant and Callum Robinson all in situ in the Midlands, getting the right players in behind could see the Baggies become a much improved attacking force next term.

In other news, pundit discusses future of West Brom star. Read more here

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of Aleksandr Golovin from AS Monaco in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

According to Russian outlet MetaRatings, the Magpies are set to join Everton and West Ham in the race to land the 25-year-old’s services this month.

The report claims that the player is keen on a switch to St James’ Park, which could give them an advantage in their efforts to bring him in during the January window.

Cabaye 2.0

Eddie Howe must secure Golovin’s services, as he could find Yohan Cabaye 2.0 for Newcastle with a deal for the playmaker this month. The 25-year-old is a midfielder who can have a telling impact on games with his ability to make things happen in the final third.

The Russia international has enjoyed a strong spell in Ligue 1 and proven his quality at the top level in recent years. Since joining Monaco in 2018, he has produced 13 goals and 18 assists from a midfield position in the French league, with Golovin capable of playing in a number of roles across the middle of the park.

Last season, he managed five goals and nine assists in 21 Ligue 1 appearances (12 starts), averaging a goal contribution every 1.5 games. He averaged 1.7 key passes per match as he showed off his creative quality from midfield, regularly providing his team-mates with chances to score.

Niko Kovac, his former manager at Monaco, previously heaped praise on the talented Russian, saying: “Golovin is a fantastic player. For his first start since August, he’s scored three goals. He’s a world-class player. He delivers delicious passes. I know the quality of his passing. That’s why I asked him to take the free-kick that led to the third goal.”

In 93 games for Newcastle, Cabaye managed 18 goals and 14 assists for the Magpies, which shows that – like Golovin is for Monaco – the Frenchman was a midfielder who could score and create goals in the Premier League. He was also known to score some sublime free kicks from time to time, and Golovin has shown that he too can be a threat from a dead ball situation.

Therefore, the 25-year-old could be a terrific signing for Newcastle, as he has shades of Cabaye to his game and could be Howe’s midfield maestro for years to come, which is why the Magpies boss must try to get a deal over the line for him in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Newcastle transfer update, fans will be buzzing…

Liverpool reportedly have a first agreement to sign Benfica’s Uruguayan striker, Darwin Nunez.

What’s the word?

According to the latest report from Journalist Brahian Kuchman: “There would be a first agreement for Darwin Nunez to be a new English Liverpool player.”

Taking to his Twitter page, Kuchman also stated: “Jurgen Klopp has grown tired of praising the Uruguayan to such an extent that he will end up hiring him.”

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Klopp’s final straw

If the latest reports are anything to go by, Klopp will most certainly have the 22-year-old goal machine at his disposal next season.

Described as a “proper talent” by freelance football writer Amos Murphy on Twitter and as a “diamond” by Steve McManaman, Nunez is having the season of his life in Liga Portugal this year.

His both legs of their Champions League showdown earlier this month.

Of course, Klopp will have subtle confidence about picking up players from Liga Portugal, with his recent coup of former Porto star Luis Diaz demonstrating the amount of value that is scattered all over Portugal.

25-year-old Diaz has transitioned seamlessly into English football, with his five goal returns from nine appearances serving as great evidence of that.

The 54-year-old Liverpool boss Klopp will also be aware of the potential partnership that could blossom between Diaz and Nunez. With the trio of Mane, Salah and Firmino all in the final year of their contracts, Liverpool may be thinking about the future.

Those at Anfield will be urging the club to sign the out-and-out striker who possesses limitless potential at just 22-years-old, though it will not be cheap.

Whilst the Anfield side may reportedly have a “first agreement” to sign the 6 foot 2 goal-machine, he is valued at a mighty £83m by some sources.

In other news: “I get the sense”: Exciting behind-scenes Liverpool claim will leave fans buzzing…

West Bromwich Albion are not interested in a deal to bring Vedat Muriqi to The Hawthorns in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Dean Jones, with the transfer insider revealing in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, despite reports linking the Baggies with the SS Lazio centre-forward this month, Valerien Ismael’s side do not look as if they will make a move for the 27-year-old any time soon.

Speaking about Albion’s reported interest in the Kosovo international, Jones said: “It would be a strange one because [Daryl] Dike was a big signing that took a lot of financing. Unless West Brom are about to give the green light to some outgoings, I can’t see Muriqi signing, to be honest.”

Fans will be buzzing

While it is undeniable that the arrival of Muriqi to The Hawthorns would be an attention-grabbing move this winter, considering the striker’s recent record in Italy, West Brom very much look as if they are dodging a bullet by not sanctioning a swoop for the Kosovan.

Indeed, over his 27 Serie A appearances for Lazio last time out, the £5.4m-rated striker scored one goal, provided no assists and missed four big chances for his side, as well as hitting the target with an average of just 0.3 shots per game.

These returns saw the £52k-per-week man earn a disappointing seasonal SofaScore rating of just 6.69, ranking him as his club’s 12th-worst performer in the league.

This season, Muriqi has once again been in abject form over his 11 league appearances – only one of which has come as a start – with the 27-year-old failing to directly contribute to a single goal, in addition to missing two big chances.

These metrics have seen the Kosovan somehow average an even more disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.52 this time around, ranking him as Maurizio Sarri’s fourth-worst player in the Italian top flight.

As such, with West Brom already paying the wages of a centre-forward who has not exactly been in breathtaking goalscoring form this season in the shape of Jordan Hugill, the last thing Ismael needs is another striker who has struggled to hit the back of the net in recent campaigns – something that leads us to believe that Jones’ recent update will have Baggies fans buzzing.

In other news: Ismael could solve a major issue as WBA begin talks for “outstanding” £27k-p/w machine

Sharing yet more exit news out of Tottenham Hotspur, reliable reporter Dan Kilpatrick of The Evening Standard has made a big claim on Twitter involving Dilan Markanday.

The Lowdown: Markanday on the move…

Tottenham’s promising young forward seemingly has one foot out the N17 exit door, with Championship side Blackburn Rovers now close to sealing an agreement (Sky Sports).

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Markanday’s contract expires in the summer, meaning he can leave for free at the end of this season, potentially prompting transfer chief Fabio Paratici and manager Antonio Conte to cash in now.

The 20-year-old isn’t the only Lilywhites player to be linked with a move away from the club, with reports claiming that Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli and Steven Bergwijn could all be on the way out (Sky Sports).

As more exit news emerges out of north London, Kilpatrick has made a major Markanday claim on social media.

The Latest: Deal ‘could be announced next week’…

According to his information, Blackburn and Spurs could announce the agreement ‘next week’ in a deal which could rise to more than £1m including add-ons.

He tweeted: “Per @SkySportsLyall, Blackburn & Spurs close to agreeing permanent deal for Dilan Markanday. Fee around £500k up front but could rise to over £1m with add-ons & includes significant sell-on clause. Deal could be announced next week. @standardsport”

The Verdict: Right call?

Conte’s three-at-the-back system arguably limits Markanday’s chances of first team football given that the homegrown ace is an out-and-out winger.

Therefore, we believe this move is best for all parties, as the Spurs starlet seeks to gain first team experience and kickstart what should be a promising career.

He has come on leaps and bounds for Tottenham this season, making his senior debut in the Europa Conference League whilst racking up a brilliant 12 goals and five assists in just 14 Premier League 2 appearances.

Lilywhites supporters may be wondering what could have been with Markanday, and it will be interesting to see how he develops under Tony Mowbray in England’s second tier.

In other news: ‘This will get Tottenham fans excited’…Sky Sports drop major N17 transfer update on live TV, find out more here.

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas has dropped an exciting five-word transfer hint as he makes a claim on Tottenham Hotspur’s activity in January.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye moves…

As reported elsewhere, it appears manager Antonio Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici have their eyes on strengthening key areas of the squad this month.

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Reliable football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold, for example, says the Lilywhites wish to bolster central midfield, the right-wing-back area, the left-side of central defence and further forward.

There have been no shortage of links to some big name players, either, with claims varying from lucrative pre-contract offers to big bids being made.

Thomas, dropping a transfer hint on Twitter, has now told Spurs fans to expect activity out of N17.

The Latest: Thomas drops transfer hint…

Sending a five-word message to Lilywhites supporters when asked for the latest updates out of their club, the Sky journalist stated that Paratici and Conte will definitely make moves this month.

Taking to social media, he explained: “Will do business, almost certainly.”

The Verdict: Exciting claim…

Over recent seasons, it’s safe to say the January transfer window hasn’t exactly been a busy one for Spurs – so news that they will indeed be active this month should come as music to the ears of Lilywhites supporters.

Conte needs backing in the transfer market if he is to make a success of his tenure in charge with managing director Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy tasked to do just that.

The latter man has apparently met with Tottenham owner Joe Lewis in the Bahamas to discuss transfer strategy in what could be a key factor to Conte’s plans this month.

Adding Thomas’ transfer hint on top of that news, it’s safe to to say this is shaping up to be the most interesting Lilywhites winter window in some time.

In other news: Tottenham ‘working strongly’ for ‘phenomenal signing’ as reporter drops Twitter message, find out more here.