All posts by z3u9t.icu

A number of Manchester United supporters are pleased after Dean Henderson was linked with a loan move to Eredivisie giants Ajax in January.

A new era has got underway at Old Trafford, with Ralf Rangnick winning his first game in charge against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

With a winnable run of fixtures coming up, there is a feeling that United could build some momentum and get themselves back in the Premier League top four.

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One player who hasn’t featured much at all this season is Henderson, with the goalkeeper finding himself behind David De Gea in the pecking order and making just one solitary Carabao Cup appearance.

According to Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst on Twitter, the Englishman could move to Ajax on loan next month in order to enjoy more playing time.

Man United fans react to Henderson rumour

These United fans have been reacting positively to the rumour on Twitter.

“This would be class for Deano, he needs it”

Credit: @MufcKeaneo

“Would be very good for him”

Credit: @Fergie1boy

“This is perfect for him”

Credit: @ezxreal_

“Will be a good move for him imo”

Credit: @UtdSwizz

“Then we can get Ten Hag next year”

Credit: @Abhishek_Utd31

“YESSSSS! Very good for his development. Just on loan please. He can definitely at some point become the United number 1.”

Credit: @nerdz_am

In other news, one United player could reportedly remain at Old Trafford. Find out who it is here.

Manchester United have not been making much progress in terms of incoming players during this transfer window so far, but that could all be about to change with a fee reportedly agreed with Ralf Rangnick to bring a star player to Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

The Mirror have reported that interim manager, Rangnick, has verbally agreed a £33m fee with RB Leipzig for Amadou Haidara, who is currently away at AFCON representing Mali.

According to the report, Manchester United are not the only club chasing down the Bundesliga star, with Newcastle United interested in securing his signature by the end of the transfer window.

With that being said, Rangnick is reportedly keen to sign the player from his former club and is high on his wish list, as the German coach remains keen to bolster his midfield options at Old Trafford this month, according to The Mirror.

However, the Premier League giants are yet to make an official bid for Haidara, and as a result run the risk of losing the player to another club.

Fans will be buzzing

The fact that any progress, even a verbal agreement, has been made for new players to join Manchester United this month will come as a huge relief to fans of the club, with the side dropping points in their last two games that has now made their race for a top four spot seem even further out of reach, with West Ham United currently five points ahead in fourth and if they win this afternoon, the Hammers could go eight points clear of them.

Fans have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the potential signing of Haidara, with many desperate to welcome the 23 year old to the club, one fan tweeted: “Haidara is such a beautiful talent man. Man United need him I swear.”

Haidara offers versatility in his position which is something Manchester United desperately need from their players, especially in Rangnick’s 4-2-2-2 formation.

From his defensive midfield position, he offers fantastic offensive attributes, scoring two goals in 13 appearances, and has been successful in 72% of his dribbles this season so far in the Bundesliga, proving that he is effective in being progressive in his play, which is essential for the pressing style Rangnick adopts at Man United.

With Newcastle also reportedly keen to sign the young Malian midfielder, it is imperative that Rangnick moves fast to secure his signature at Old Trafford during this transfer window. Should he move then fans will be delighted.

In other news: Offer rejected for Andreas Pereira from Flamengo

Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a huge blow in their bid to bring goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to Ibrox this summer.

What’s the Word?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that sources close to Johnstone have revealed that the shot-stopper wants to join Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur on the expiration of his West Bromwich Albion contract at the end of the current campaign.

This is sure to come as a huge blow to Rangers, as Giovanni van Bronckhorst is looking at a replacement for Allan McGregor – who himself looks increasingly likely to be leaving Ibrox this summer.

The Light Blues have shown interest in the England international who has kept 15 clean sheets in 36 Championship matches so far this season as West Brom has struggled.

With the likes of Newcastle United, West Ham United, and Southampton all linked with the highly-rated stopper in recent weeks, it’s clear to see why missing out on Johnstone could send Rangers into panic mode.

A potential replacement for McGregor?

Allan McGregor has so often been the saviour for Rangers over the years, producing big moments and penalty saves exactly when the side needs them, but this campaign has looked like a step too far.

There have been far too many mistakes as the Ibrox side has slipped behind in the title race, and the keeper has cost the club a fair few points since January.

As such, signing Johnstone on a pre-contract would be an excellent move. With three caps for England and still just 29 years of age, Giovanni van Bronckhorst could do no wrong in making a move for the shot-stopper.

Indeed, with the ‘keeper having been omitted from West Brom’s previous two matchday squads due to his contract running down, Rangers are in as good of a position as any to offer him terms.

With a market value of £7.2m, any side that secures the services of the 29-year-old could also make a solid profit in the future if they decide to sell him on, making this move an absolute no-brainer.

AND in other News: Wilson could land new £13m talent as Rangers plot bid for £180k-rated sensation

Recent reports have linked Manchester City with Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz and if he were to join the Citizens, he could potentially be the club’s next David Silva.

According to reports from Italy (via Sport Witness), the Citizens have ‘never stopped following’ the Spanish midfielder and the summer could be the ideal time to make a move for him.

The report suggests that whilst the 24-year-old hasn’t enjoyed the best season will Napoli, Pep Guardiola has not forgotten about him, and the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid are also well aware of the potential he showed during his time with Real Betis.

City have been linked with the Spanish international in the past and after a difficult season under Gennaro Gattuso, perhaps the upcoming summer transfer window will see him move on from the Serie A side.

Ruiz joined Napoli from Betis in 2018 and has gone on to make 115 appearances for Gli Azzurri, in which he has contributed 13 goals and 10 assists.

Last season saw the midfielder average an impressive 7.03 rating for his performances in Serie A, as he managed three goals and six assists in 33 appearances but his performances this season have been far less impressive.

In 20 league appearances, he has managed just one goal and one assist, resulting in a 6.80 rating, although Napoli have struggled as a whole, as they currently sit sixth in the Serie A table.

Despite his indifferent club form, Ruiz continues to impress for his country, which suggests that he could drastically improve his form if he were to join a side better than Napoli.

WhoScored suggests that the 24-year-old’s main strengths are his passing and his through balls, which certainly suggests that he could fit in well in this City side, and potentially be a replacement for David Silva, who departed to join Real Sociedad last summer after a decade with the Citizens.

The 35-year-old’s strengths are described as his passing, through balls and key passes, which suggests that the two share a lot of similarities, and with them both being Spanish, you would imagine that they have been instructed to play in a certain way when playing for the national side.

The Napoli man earned a lot of praise from Hoffenheim star Diadie Samassekou last year, as he said:

“It was incredibly difficult to defend against him because he is extremely agile and only ever needs two touches.”

Therefore, Ruiz could end up being the ideal man to replace Silva should he join City this summer, so Guardiola should encourage the club to bring in the £43.2 million-rated midfielder.

And, in other news… £99m-rated City star’s place could be under threat after 23 y/o’s super display

Queens Park Rangers were left with a share of the spoils on Saturday afternoon after battling out a frustrating, but otherwise, entertaining draw against Reading in the Championship.

It means Mark Warburton’s side have lost just one of their last five league outings, though he should be concerned as usual talisman, Charlie Austin, was way off the pace on the day.

The 31-year-old veteran, on loan from West Brom, has been enjoying life back at Loftus Road having scored five times in 23 appearances. However, against the Royals, he was anonymous, lightweight and rather poor.

As per SofaScore, Austin was Warburton’s lowest-rated player, bringing him a 6.4. Only one other started from the 22 on the pitch managed to be graded worse.

He just could not get into the game whatsoever. The 6 foot 2 striker was hauled off in the 65th minute after making only 25 touches – the lowest of any QPR starter. Even Geoff Cameron, who played a good 20 minutes fewer than Austin managed to match that number, and goalkeeper Seny Dieng (36).

Austin also made just nine passes – that’s just one every seven minutes and was comfortably the worst return of any player on the pitch.

West London Sport were particularly scathing in their review, grading him as QPR’s lowest-rated outfield player, They wrote: ‘Missed two presentable chances in the first half and was loose in possession far too often.’

Indeed, it is hard to argue with that.

The £1.8m-rated loanee lost possession ten times, which means he handed the ball back to the opposition every 2.5 touches – hugely wasteful.

In addition to that, Austin even lost five of his eight duels (62.5%), both on the ground and in the air, meaning more often than not he was beaten all ends up by the Reading defence – only adding to his, and probably Warburton’s, frustrations.

It’s no wonder he was hooked with just under half an hour to play. He badly let his manager down, and will need to improve substantially after the international break to keep his place, with Macauley Bonne waiting in the wings for that golden opportunity.

AND in other news, Forget Dykes: QPR monster who had 92 touches stole the show for Warburton on Wednesday…

According to a report by Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, writing on Twitter, Tottenham Hotspur target Nicolas Gonzalez is ‘intrigued’ by their interest and now ‘wants to see’ if a bid arrives.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing Gonzalez

Tottenham have been linked with a move for the VfB Stuttgart forward for a while now, with reports as far back as January detailing interest from the Lilywhites.

Recently, amid Brighton’s heavy interest, Spurs have re-emerged as possible suitors for the Argentine and reliable sources believe chairman Daniel Levy and managing director Fabio Paratici are planning to make a move.

The Latest: Gonzalez waiting for Spurs bid…

As per Taylor, writing on his social media, Gonzalez is ‘intrigued’ by the interest from Tottenham as Brighton weigh up a club record swoop for the attacker.

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The player is said to be focused on his Copa America tour with Argentina as clubs negotiate behind the scenes over where he will be plying his trade next season.

While Brighton are seriously interested, Tottenham are still in the running according to Taylor.

Gonzalez hasn’t made his mind up yet and it is even said that the 23-year-old ‘wants to see’ if a bid arrives from the Lilywhites this summer.

The Verdict: Still hope, but need to move…

Brighton appear overwhelming favourites to sign Gonzalez as things stand, but this update provides fresh hope as he contemplates his future.

Lauded as ‘amazing’ by Fabrizio Romano, it’s little wonder Spurs are interested given his very threatening 3.3 shots on goal per 90 over 10 Bundesliga starts last season (WhoScored).

He did miss a portion of 2020/2021 due to injury, 19 games to be exact, but his performances when available showcase a real potential coup for Spurs if they can pull it off.

In other news: Spurs will now swoop for £31.5m-valued ‘leader’ with Paratici calling, find out more here.

Newcastle United claimed a vital win in their fight for Premier League survival by beating West Ham 3-2 on Saturday afternoon.

Here are our Magpies player ratings from St James’ Park…

Starting XI:

Martin Dubravka: 6/10

Enjoyed a quiet first half with West Ham playing on the backfoot despite dominating much of the possession. Positioned well to keep out a Vladimir Coufal header midway through the second period and confidently commanded his box. Little more he could have done for either of the visitors’ goals.

Jacob Murphy: 7/10

Involved in a handful of promising attacking moves before the break, but failed to beat Lukasz Fabianski with an early effort and chose the wrong decision when a pass was on to Sean Longstaff. Could have sealed the game when Ben Johnson cleared off the line.

Federico Fernandez: 5/10

A couple of spicy moments with Jesse Lingard gave the visitors chances to get forward, and was caught ball-watching when Issa Diop stayed up top to head West Ham back into the game.

Ciaran Clark: 5/10

Never put a foot wrong in the first half as Newcastle weathered an almost relentless West Ham storm and ended the day with a game-high 10 clearances. But Left referee Kevin Friend with little choice but to point to the spot when he challenged Tomas Soucek in the air with his arm in a very unnatural position.

Paul Dummett: 5/10

Gave the ball away a handful of times in the first half and lost possession a joint-high 16 times for the home side. Misjudged the flight of the ball and gifted West Ham a free-kick in a dangerous position shortly after the interval but the visitors could not capitalise for a route back into the game. A poor day from Newcastle’s £3.6m-rated ace.

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Matt Ritchie: 7/10

A passionate player for the Magpies, calling for the ball and getting into promising positions at both ends of the field. Delivered a wonderful cross for Joe Willock to score the winner.

Miguel Almiron: 7/10

Plenty of drive from Newcastle’s Paraguayan playmaker to run at the West Ham defence in the first period. Kept pushing after the break and produced a clever through ball for Callum Wilson, but arguably should have scored before Willock headed home.

Jonjo Shelvey: 6/10

Had to play much of the game on a yellow card after a needless foul on Jarrod Bowen near to the halfway line after just a quarter of an hour as the West Ham winger drove across the field. Kept things tidy in the engine room and moved the ball nicely.

Sean Longstaff: 6/10

Produced a nice tackle to deny Lingard in the penalty area on the quarter-hour mark and saw one shot deflected wide in the first half. Eventually taken off for Willock, who made the difference from the bench.

Joelinton: 7/10

A very quiet start but was alive to Lukasz Fabianski dropping the ball inches from his line from a late first half corner to tap home, what was only Joelinton’s fifth Premier League goal in 64 games. Needed better quality with his delivery to find Wilson unmarked in the box after the summer signing’s introduction.

Allan Saint-Maximin: 8/10

A real positive presence in attack for Newcastle on his return to the starting line-up for the first time in six games after a groin injury, and saw his shot open the scoring after driving at the West Ham backline. Taken off just after the hour mark having taken a few knocks which Steve Bruce will hope are nothing serious.

Substitutes:

Callum Wilson: 6/10 (on 64th min)

Clearly not 100% match fit following seven games out with a hamstring injury but held the ball up well following his introduction and saw a late shot blocked.

Joe Willock: N/A (on 81st min)

Made an immediate impact from the bench after replacing Longstaff to head home minutes after West Ham drew level from the spot.

Andy Carroll: N/A (on 90+7)

Unused subs: Mark Gillespie (GK), Jamal Lewis, Emil Krafth, Javier Manquillo, Jeff Hendrick, Dwight Gayle

AND in other news, Newcastle undecided on St. James’ future of £25,000-per-week star Steve Bruce wants to keep…

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

Leeds United have been boosted in their efforts to sign Hertha Berlin star Matheus Cunha this summer, according to reports in Germany.

The Lowdown: Attacking signing needed

The Whites have been superb in their first season back in the Premier League, looking every bit a mid-table side and playing some of the best football in the division.

Marcelo Bielsa’s men have been too reliant on the goals of Patrick Bamford, however, with the 27-year-old the only player to reach double figures in the league.

For that reason, Bielsa could be eyeing up attacking reinforcements in the summer transfer window and Cunha has been linked with a move in the past.

The Latest: Leeds given Cunha boost

According to Kicker [via MOT Leeds News], the fact that the £27million-rated Brazilian has signed a new deal at Hertha makes no difference to the current situation.

It is believed that Leeds have upped their efforts to bring in Cunha at the end of the season, having scored seven goals and registered four assists in the Bundesliga in 2020/21.

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The Verdict: Snap him up, Marcelo

Cunha looks a player of enormous promise, already shining in a top league at the age of just 21, so Leeds should do all they can to bring him in, despite Hertha wanting around £30million for his services.

It would ease the burden on Bamford, especially if Rodrigo moves on this summer, and an average of 1.3 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game suggests he would suit Bielsa’s pressing from the front style, too.

Cunha’s versatility could also stand him in good stead, allowing him to thrive across the front-line and dovetail with those around him, and who could forget the outrageously skilful wonder-goal he scored back in 2019, winning the Bundesliga’s goal of the month with a sublime spin past a defender and audacious chip over the goalkeeper.

In other news, Leeds have been tipped to sign an exciting attacking player this summer – find out who it is here.

When Rafa Benitez first stepped foot in Merseyside again, he wasn’t exactly greeted very nicely by some Everton supporters.

Banners were hung outside his home and there were considerable protests against his appointment.

Therefore, the Spaniard needed to start quickly and impress from the off. The club’s transfer window wasn’t exactly a fair indication of what Benitez can do but their form has been superb.

Everton have taken seven points from their opening three league games but they do now have a problem on the cards.

On the chalkboard

That issue happens to revolve around James Rodriguez.

The Colombian looked a dead certainty to leave Goodison Park behind this summer and his lack of action in the opening few weeks of the season indicated that he was heading for the exit door.

Rodriguez hasn’t played a single minute of competitive action under the new manager but a move unfortunately fell through on deadline day.

Everton were confident of agreeing a swap deal with Porto to bring Luis Diaz to the club in exchange but Rodriguez ultimately didn’t move. His agent Jorge Mendes tried to engineer a move to Italy but he ended up staying in Merseyside.

Benitez has a dilemma on his hands now. Rodriguez has made his feelings clear and doesn’t exactly want to play for the Toffees again. He wasn’t even aware of who their opponents were a few weeks ago, for instance.

That being said, he clearly possesses immense talent. The former Real Madrid star contributed to ten Premier League goals last term and provided more key passes per match than anybody else in the Toffees’ squad.

However, their new signings look ready and raring to go. Demarai Gray has opened up his Everton account with two goals and a Player of the Month nomination after signing from Bayer Leverkusen.

Alongside Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the Everton attack looks vibrant.

Add Anthony Gordon into the equation and their forward line could become even more mouth-watering.

The 20-year-old has very rarely started for the Everton first team, featuring on just 21 occasions since breaking through. That being said, he’s clearly in Benitez’s plans, with the youngster earning minutes from the bench against Southampton on the opening day of the season.

Possessing the ability to play behind the striker and on the flanks, he feels like a player who is more deserving of game time in Rodriguez’s role. Although he’s not scored a senior goal yet, the future is bright for Gordon.

Greg Cunningham, his teammate on loan at Preston last season, said that the youngster was set for an “exciting” career, while David Unsworth was even more complimentary.

Speaking to The Athletic, he commented: “His balance sprinting with the ball and his balance going past people is something you don’t see every day. He’s got unbelievable pace and he’s a Scouser too, so he’s tough.”

With a rare set of traits in Gordon’s armoury, Benitez would be foolish not to unleash him.

AND in other news, “Being monitored”: Journo makes Celtic transfer claim, their next Ajer may arrive soon…