All posts by z3u9t.icu

Speaking to the Sun, one club insider has made a Jesse Lingard claim amid the enticing development that West Ham United are ready to step up their bid.

The Lowdown: West Ham and Lingard…

West Ham have been heavily linked with a permanent deal for Lingard since his blistering spell on loan at the London Stadium over the second half of 2020/2021.

The Englishman racked up a brilliant nine goals and four assists in 16 Premier League outings last season for West Ham and left his mark as the Hammers clinched Europa League qualification.

As such, the club want to sign him this summer, with the Sun sharing an enticing development.

The Latest: West Ham insider drops claim

Now, speaking to the outlet, a club insider has explained: “Jesse knows we want him, so hopefully the club will pursue him in the next month or so.”

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This comes as the Irons are now ready to step up their bid to sign Lingard following his omission from England’s 26-man Euros squad.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was withdrawn through injury but manager Gareth Southgate opted to call upon Ben White instead.

This may be a boost for West Ham fans, though, with the club set to step up their pursuit of the 28-year-old as a result.

Indeed, manager David Moyes is apparently now hopeful a move ‘can soon be concluded’.

The Verdict: Good news…

The Hammers have other priorities this window alongside a move for Lingard, with the striking position and a fresh centre-back among the top issues which need addressing (Claret & Hugh).

West Ham fans will be hoping that the club can seal a move as quickly as possible for Lingard though, especially given his exceptional form over 2020/2021.

Adrian Durham was one of his many admirers, with the talkSPORT pundit calling him ‘phenomenal’ – the type of praise which highlights why the club are so eager to get him over the line.

In other news: ExWHUemployee’s ‘huge news’ had some West Ham fans ecstatic, find out more here.

Southampton made it back-to-back 3-1 home wins as they comfortably defeated relegated Fulham on Saturday afternoon, here are our Saints player ratings from the game.

Starting XI

Alex McCarthy: 6/10

Apart from a simple catch from Fabio Carvalho’s tame shot early on, he wasn’t forced into any action in the first half. Dropped a catch late on in the first 45 but wasn’t punished. Could do nothing about Carvalho’s goal.

Kyle Walker-Peters: 6/10

Solid defensively, as usual, and on a rare foray forward, his inch-perfect cross found Nathan Tella to make it 2-0. Poor clearance nearly led to Fulham getting a goal back as Joe Bryan flashed a shot wide.

Jack Stephens: 6/10

Moved back into the middle in the absence of Jan Bednarek. Did well to deny Ivan Cavaleiro from breaking away after a Southampton corner with a strong tackle. Produced an exceptional tackle to deny the Portuguese forward again when he looked odds on to score following Bobby Reid’s pass. It was arguably his mistake for the Fulham goal, as he was drawn towards the ball before being left behind by the youngster.

Jannik Vestergaard: 6/10

Imperious in the air when called upon but rarely troubled from a defensive perspective. Provided some typically accurate diagonal balls and looked assured in possession.

Mohammed Salisu: 6/10

Pushed out to left-back with Stephens partnering Vestergaard in the middle. Solid in the air and gave Fulham very little change down their right-hand side.

Takumi Minamino: 6/10

Saw an early effort cleared off the line after being found by Che Adams. Showed good anticipation to win a free-kick on the edge of the box. Tidy in possession and looked much better going forwards, was replaced by Theo Walcott with around 15 minutes remaining.

Stuart Armstrong: 5/10

Won the free-kick for Southampton’s opening goal. Found Danny Ings through on goal with a lovely reverse ball. Wasted a good crossing opportunity early in the second half. Slow to get forward on a number of occasions and found himself caught in possession. A disappointing performance by his usual standards. Replaced by Ibrahima Diallo for the final 15 minutes.

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James Ward-Prowse: 8/10

Whipped in a superb free-kick for the opening goal, finding Adams inside the area for a comfortable finish. Denied by Alphonse Areola from a free-kick on the edge of the box. Produced another fantastic delivery early in the second half but there was nobody there to meet it. The heartbeat of the team and so dangerous with his set-pieces, as per usual.

Nathan Redmond: 4/10

Took the greedy option when found by Ings shortly before the hour mark, as he saw an optimistic shot blocked when a cross would have been the better option. Hit straight at Areola when found through on goal by Adams. Far too many slack passes from the £16.2m-rated winger, which could have cost Southampton against more clinical opposition.

Che Adams: 7/10

Did well to read a backpass from Ola Aina and feed Minamino but his shot was tame. Opened the scoring by being in the right place at the right time to fire home when found by James Ward-Prowse’s free-kick. Very nearly found Ings with a clever through ball. Lovely through ball to find Redmond shortly before the hour mark. Drifted out of it in the second half but still another strong display from the Scotland international.

Danny Ings: 5/10

Had regular touches inside the box during the first half but couldn’t get a shot away, nearly latched onto a through ball from his Scottish strike partner but couldn’t quite get a touch on it. Rounded Areola after Armstrong’s pass but couldn’t get a shot away. Couldn’t get enough contact after meeting another excellent Ward-Prowse corner. Replaced by Nathan Tella shortly before the hour mark.

Subs

Nathan Tella: 8/10

Scored his first senior goal with what was likely his first touch after being found by a lovely cross from Kyle Walker-Peters. Also provided a lovely touch to assist Walcott for Southampton’s third and later tested Areola after some superb work out wide, in what was a really encouraging performance from the youngster.

Theo Walcott: 7/10

Another to score just moments after coming on as a neat passing move found him on the edge of the box and his deflected effort flew past Areola to make it 3-1.

Ibrahima Diallo: 6/10

Brought on to shore things up and did just that, broke forward well and found Adams with a good pass.

And, in other news… Southampton must swoop for 19 y/o wonderkid likened to Zlatan, he wouldn’t cost a penny

According to an update from The Athletic’s James Pearce, Naby Keita’s Liverpool future will ‘hinge’ on what offers arrive for the Reds midfielder this summer as his frustrating Anfield career continues.

The Lowdown: Disappointing Reds career

The Guinean was deemed an exciting signing when he joined from RB Leipzig back in 2018 in a £52.75m deal, but it just hasn’t worked out for him so far.

Keita has enjoyed some good performances in his time on Merseyside – Virgil van Dijk has hailed him as ‘incredible’ – but numerous injury problems have seen him limited to just 76 appearances in three seasons and only 32 starts in the Premier League. Despite occasional strong displays, he has netted just seven goals for the Reds and only once since the end of 2019, proving to be something of an enigma.

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The Latest: Pearce gives Keita update

It remains to be seen whether the 26-year-old will still be a Liverpool player next season, but Pearce has given an insightful update on the midfielder.

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic after Sunday’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, the journalist admitted that a big offer for Keita could turn the club’s head, outlining:

“It feels like we’re in the same position with him. Flashes of real quality but not sustained and more problems with fitness. Keita wants to stay put. Much will hinge on what offers LFC get. Clearly selling him would involve a big loss on that £52m fee.”

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The Verdict: Time to sell?

Keita is a fine footballer when he is fully fit and in form, as was the case at RB Leipzig, but he has flattered to deceive far too often for Liverpool.

While keeping hold of the midfielder will be no bad thing, his injury record suggests that accepting a hefty offer would generate funds for a stronger, more reliable alternative to come in.

Should Keita stay put next season, he simply has to remain fit and find a consistent run of form, or else he must accept that he will likely be moved on next year, with his current deal expiring in 2023.

In other news, a number of Liverpool fans DON’T want the Reds to sign a world-famous player this summer. Find out who it is here.

West Ham could be looking to repeat their touch of genius in the summer transfer window, if reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, the Hammers are among the teams interested in signing Manchester United youngster Brandon Williams on loan next season.

The 20-year-old is expected to leave Old Trafford on a temporary basis in a bid to gain more game time in the Premier League and the East Londoners see him as a good fit for their system.

Williams can play on both flanks, so could provide valuable backup to Vladimir Coufal on the right and Aaron Cresswell on the left.

Lingard-like masterstroke

The Red Devils gem burst onto the scene under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last season, playing 36 times in all competitions but the form of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw has led to just six minutes of top-flight action all term.

Moyes has benefitted from the relationship with his former club immensely this season. The arrival of Jesse Lingard at the London Stadium has led to the Irons mounting a serious challenge at the top four, with the United loanee bagging nine goals and three assists in just 12 games.

His form has even led to a recall to the England squad and given the success of this move, both West Ham and Man Utd would be wise to sanction a deal for Williams in the summer.

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As already mentioned, he’s a perfect fit to the Scotsman’s system and would be able to provide genuine competition on both wings. Arthur Masuaku has been injured for large parts of the season, leaving Cresswell on his own, whilst Ryan Fredericks may not be good enough for a European berth next season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer likened Williams to his former teammate, Gary Neville.

“I think Brandon has been absolutely outstanding since he came in,” he explained. “Every challenge he has tackled head-on. He’s only 19 and he’s made 12 starts and he reminds me so much of the mentality of Gary Neville.”

Interestingly, the Sky Sports pundit is a huge admirer of his, too.

The former Red Devils captain tweeted in January 2020: “I like Brandon Williams. What I like about him specifically is he has that look in his eye of someone that would eat his opponents’ nose to win the match. Keep going kid! Oh, he can play football to which is always a bonus.”

Valued at €20m (£18m) by CIES Football Observatory, the Irons could very much benefit from signing Williams, even if it is on loan. The blueprint going forward will be Lingard and Moyes has proven it can work.

Also lauded as “another exciting young English talent” by Gary Lineker on BT Sport coverage (via the Daily Star), GSB must sanction a deal this upcoming window.

AND in other news, West Ham dealt another injury blow after ExWHUemployee update…

According to a report by 90min, sharing news on the Tottenham Hotspur manager search, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy remains ‘infatuated’ by Leicester City’s Brendan Rodgers.

The Lowdown: Rodgers heavily linked to Spurs…

The 48-year-old has attracted major interest from Tottenham since Jose Mourinho was starting to feel the pressure, with reports from as far back as February detailing Levy’s interest in Rodgers (Football Insider).

He was quick to play down the reports linking him with Spurs recently whilst openly committing his future to Leicester, but that still didn’t stop speculation in the media. The Daily Mail recently claimed, despite Rodgers’ stance on the Tottenham job, that Levy has no intention of giving up in pursuit of the Northern Irishman.

The Latest: Levy still ‘infatuated’ by Rodgers…

90min disclosed that Levy and Spurs very much remain interested in the former Celtic boss as a top target to replace Mourinho in north London. The report went as far as to say the Lilywhites chairman is ‘infatuated’ by Rodgers and sees him as the ‘perfect’ managerial candidate for Spurs.

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He is also prepared to hand the Foxes boss a huge salary and make him the second-highest earner of any manager in the Premier League bar Pep Guardiola.

However, regardless of his intent, Levy is fully aware that he faces a fight to appoint Rodgers at Tottenham given his public admission over the role.

The Verdict: Rodgers should be number one…

We’re inclined to agree with the Tottenham head honcho on this one, especially given Rodgers’ record of superb man management (Leicestershire Live). The former Liverpool boss apparently has an ‘open door’ policy, with his players free to chat one-to-one at any time.

Rodgers has also been revered by sections of the press for making fringe players feel like they’re more involved, as opposed to a Dele Alli-style shun from the likes of Mourinho.

Five Leicester youngsters have made their debuts under the current manager, with Tottenham said to want someone who has proven experience in developing talent from the academy (The Athletic).

With Rodgers described as one of the Premier League’s ‘outstanding’ manager (Sky Sports), if Levy can pull off this appointment, it could be a real no-brainer.

In other news: many Tottenham fans flocked to this development, find out more here.

Manchester City are unsurprisingly being linked with a host of strikers from across Europe following the news that Sergio Aguero will leave the club when his contract expires this summer and one who should be of interest to Pep Guardiola is Eintracht Frankfurt frontman, Andre Silva.

According to the Daily Mail, the Citizens are considering the Portuguese international as an alternative to Erling Haaland this summer if they cannot convince the Norwegian to make the move to the Etihad.

Despite hitting 12 goals in 25 league appearances for Frankfurt last season, AC Milan were willing to sell the striker to the Bundesliga side for just £2.7m in the summer and he has enjoyed a superb season so far with Die Adler.

So far this campaign, the 25-year-old has contributed an incredible 22 goals in 25 league appearances, resulting in an impressive 7.54 average rating.

This puts him ahead of Haaland in the scoring charts and behind just Robert Lewandowski overall, and he also got the better of the Dortmund sensation at the weekend, as his late goal earned Frankfurt a 2-1 win at Signal Iduna Park.

His performances this season have seen his market value soar, as CIES Football Observatory currently values the striker at £34m, which emphasises just how much of a bargain the Bundesliga side got when signing him last summer.

Silva has also earned comparisons to Lewandowski this season, with his manager Adi Hutter particularly complimentary of his technique on penalties, saying:

“André Silva is the solo forward up top, but he does it really well. He wasn’t rewarded against Leverkusen, today he was. His composure on penalties reminds me of Robert Lewandowski, who always turns ice cold.”

If Silva were able to replicate his form in the Bundesliga this season with City in the future, then he would certainly prove to be an excellent addition to Guardiola’s side, as his performances in recent seasons have emphasised that he clearly knows where the back of the net is.

Therefore, sporting director Txiki Begiristain must sanction a deal to bring Silva to the Etihad this summer, as not only can he replace Aguero, but also his finishing ability immediately marks him out as someone who could be an instant success in the Premier League.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Laporte: Man City should swoop for “top-class” £67.5m-rated beast

As much as you try to deny and admit that it’s the case, Celtic are a selling club. They may be one of the most historically successful teams in Europe but the Bhoys haven’t had much success keeping hold of their prized assets.

It’s a trend that could come back to bite them again this summer. Odsonne Edouard has attracted the interest of both Arsenal and Leicester.

He could be another name to add to the pile of those who have thrived at Celtic but then sought the exit door. Moussa Dembele and Kieran Tierney are two of the latest names but if we go back further, Victor Wanyama, Virgil Van Dijk and Fraser Forster all come to mind.

One player who has rather gone under the radar throughout his career, however, is Derdyck Boyata.

The centre-back struggled to make the breakthrough at Manchester City, an eventuality that has struck down plenty before him. Though, after a move to Glasgow, he found a home in Paradise.

Celtic treated him well and he became a pillar of four straight SPFL wins. Under Brendan Rodgers, the duo were a force, so much so that the Northern Irishman called him “top-class.”

Boyata played 135 times for the Hoops but left under a cloud of smoke in controversial circumstances.

In 2018, the Belgian was called up by his national team for the World Cup. This was a surprise for the centre-half but it was recognition that changed the course of his career.

He returned from Russia a man in demand and as he entered the final year of his contract with the Bhoys, Boyata wanted a move. Fulham reportedly bid £9m for his services but that was knocked back by Rodgers and co.

Speaking last week, he revealed what happened: “I cannot speak for them, but I really did not think they expected me to go to the World Cup, or for me to play. So I go to the World Cup, and I have one year left. So we ended up having a good World Cup, finished 3rd. Come back to Celtic. I had very good relations with Brendan Rodgers. I got mixed up in a situation I’ve never been in. [I had] all these teams coming from left to right.”

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Boyata continued: “That was the year the transfer window was closing earlier than usual. So what happened is, I speak with the guys, I speak with the doctors, the coach, about the situation. Yes, I requested a transfer. I said ‘I have these teams behind me, I don’t know what’s going to happen for me in the future. I need to know what’s going on now’.”

It was a complex situation. Without knowing the full details initially, it looked as though the defender refused to play for Celtic again. Rodgers left him at home for a crucial Champions League qualifier against AEK Athens despite the player being fit. The Glaswegian’s ultimately lost and Boyata was the one who took the blame.

He was understandably rocked by it, commenting: “Brendan Rodgers had an interview where he said ‘it’s difficult to win games when we have fit players at home, who don’t want to help the team’. From this interview, Chris Sutton was so hurtful. Honestly, he was so hurtful that I wrote down everything he said. He said something like “you need to kick him out of the team!”

Boyata concluded: “From that moment, I was finished. I came back the day after and went to speak to [Rodgers]. “How can you do this to me? How can you put me in the situation? You know everything that was going on, you were aware of everything”. He protected himself, he protected the team, and I was the bad guy.”

The 30-year-old did play for Celtic again. In fact, he played 32 matches for the Hoops in 2018/19.

However, he was clearly in no mood to stay. The Belgium international saw out his contract and departed for Hertha Berlin on a free transfer.

The £9m they could have sourced for the defender a year previous had clearly gone begging, but they could have fetched even more.

After all, John Hartson made a remarkable assessment during the 2018 World Cup: “If John Stones is £50m then Boyata is in same bracket. Celtic should be in his hotel room now with a contract offer.”

Since leaving, the former Man City man has become a Bundesliga and Belgium regular. In the process, his value has risen to the £8.1m mark.

Hertha undoubtedly got the better end of the deal here. Celtic should have cashed in when they had the chance.

AND in other news, “I have spoken with him” – Big U-turn could emerge after exciting Celtic manager claim…

Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly looking to bring in a number of stars to Everton in the summer transfer window at a cut-price, according to Football Insider.

As per the news outlet, the Goodison Park faithful are convinced that there are some ‘A-list bargains’ that can be bought in the market, as they are one of a select number of teams in Europe looking to spend big despite the financial impact of the global pandemic.

A source at the Merseyside club has told the publication that they believe that they can sign a number of ‘top-quality stars’ for a cheaper price, and Ancelotti is looking closely at the Serie A given his ‘impeccable’ connections back in Italy.

Everton moving forward

If the Toffees want to compete with some of the best sides in the country, let alone in Europe, then they will need to be backed financially and be able to attract stars to the club.

There has been a report of Ancelotti wanting to bring in Kalidou Koulibaly from his old team in Napoli, who would certainly fit the bill in terms of being a star name and from the Serie A, and could perhaps be available for a lower price tag because of the global pandemic.

Nonetheless, Ancelotti certainly has the pulling capabilities, and it will no doubt be exciting for Blues fans to see who he can attract to the club come the start of the window.

In other news, find out what injury update has been lauded by EFC fans here!

Numerous fans of Manchester City have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which relayed a claim revealing Pep Guardiola’s conversation with outbound City star Sergio Aguero.

On Monday evening, Aguero posted an emotional statement on Twitter, in which the 32-year-old confirmed that, after 10 years at Manchester City, he will be leaving the club at the end of the current campaign.

However, Mike Minay then claimed that, rather than Aguero deciding his future at City alongside the club, as had been suggested previously, Guardiola “told” the Argentine that the latter would be leaving the Etihad Stadium this summer “in a private meeting” between the two of them.

After City Xtra relayed Minay’s claim on Twitter, many fans of Manchester City flocked to have their say on the matter, with several venting their fury with the 50-year-old City manager as they seemed to believe that the Spaniard has treated the club legend in a “disrespectful” manner.

So, what did these Manchester City fans have to say in reaction to the news of Guardiola’s Aguero conversation?

“This is really disappointing from Pep. Aguero deserves more this season, especially with Jesus lacking goals. He could have proved himself then and would have earned an extension.”

@L_Sane_19

“Pep treating Aguero like this is really disrespectful. I have to hate Pep.”

@H_RICHARD5

“It may be better for Sergio to go before Pep ruins his career like he did Joe Hart’s.”

@kateylangridge

“What happened to it being Kun’s choice??”

@FloatedQuickley

“They fed us lies and we believed them.”

@brod_riguez

“Josep Guardiola better have a solid replacement otherwise Khaldoon Al Mubarak will be making another phone call real quick.”

@SheikhManCity08

“Big mistake and sad for those who think we will get Haaland, we will end up with Danny Ings or Lukaku.”

@Revanchist20

“Pep nooooooooo, not in front of no fans.”

@MoNasereldin

“So Pep is the reason?”

@iD7Mi1

In other news: These Man City fans were ecstatic as this transfer news emerged – find out more here!

Premier League giants Arsenal are reportedly eyeing up a move for former Aston Villa player Jordan Amavi.

French outlet Le10Sport have released a report about the situation of Amavi, mentioning interest from Arsenal and Italian juggernauts AC Milan.

Amavi could reject Arsenal interest and stay at Marseille

Le10Sport have stated that, while Amavi’s contract at Marseille runs out this summer of, Arsenal are monitoring his situation and the player is being courted in Serie A too. Stefano Pioli’s AC Milan are also cited as one of the interested parties.

The report added that Amavi and Marseille could soon reach an agreement for the left-back to sign a new contract. A new three-year deal could be penned by the defender so that he can continue his adventure at the Stade Velodrome.

That will come as a blow to Milan and Arsenal, who were following the defender’s progress in Ligue 1 recently. The 26-year-old has previously plied his trade with Aston Villa, who sold him to Marseille  in the summer of 2018 after an initial loan deal in France.

This season, Amavi has made 16 appearances in all competitions, scoring once. Andre Villas-Boas, who had managed him at Marseille earlier in the campaign, hailed the Frenchman as “amazing” and spoke highly of his defending, aerial ability and pace.

Signing Amavi could be a good move for Arsenal

Since Amavi’s contract runs out in the summer, he could be available on a free transfer for Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side currently have just one out-and-out left-back option in the squad in Kieran Tierney. They loaned out Ainsley-Maitland Niles to West Brom over the winter and that move left them threadbare in the left-back department.

They need depth in that position and Amavi, still just 26, would offer them that. The £9m-rated defender could also offer some re-sale value further down the line, so it seems to make plenty of sense for Arsenal to pursue him.

In other news, Tony Cascarino believes one Arsenal player’s future is sealed – read more here.