All posts by n8rngtd.top

According to a report by Football Insider, Joe Lewis and the ENIC Group are ‘actively looking’ for a buyer of Tottenham Hotspur behind the scenes and have allegedly been lining up the club’s sale – coming after a deal fell through at the end of 2020. 

As this major takeover claim emerges, Lewis has allegedly sanctioned brokers to ‘find and assess’ any possibly buyers or investors for the club.

Lewis ‘actively looking’ for Spurs buyer

FI say a deal was in place for a 50 per cent sale of the Lilywhites for around £800 million at the end of last year – but the agreement eventually fell through leaving those involved ‘very frustrated’.

Lewis and ENIC hold the majority shares of Tottenham after acquiring them from Alan Sugar in 2001, but is now allegedly open to offers and ‘actively looking’ for a possible buyer of the club.

Chairman Daniel Levy, for the last 20 years of ENIC’s ownership, has publicly managed and owned Tottenham on their behalf according to Football Insider. 

Levy also has a 29.4 per cent stake in the ENIC group, with it’s owner Lewis ranked as the 574th richest person in the world by Forbes. His wealth allegedly reaches around $4.9 billion (£3.6 billion).

Transfer Tavern take

Amid the coronavirus pandemic and the financial toll that goes with it, we feel that Spurs supporters should take this report with a pinch of salt.

In these uncertain times, it’s unlikely that Lewis will be able to find an investor willing to buy him out of the Lilywhites for a large enough sum.

This is arguably highlighted best by billionaire Joseph DaGrosa’s stance surrounding a Southampton takeover back in February, with the American telling majority Saints owner Gao Jisheng to lower his £200m asking price or he’d look elsewhere (The Athletic).

If Lewis does want to sell the club, he may well have to be very patient.

In other news: Tottenham have made an enquiry for this ‘extraordinary’ star, find out more here.

As per the Daily Record, Glasgow Rangers are in advanced talks to take Fashion Sakala to Ibrox on a free transfer.

Gers close to Sakala signature

The Gers have been linked with a move for the 24-year-old, with the Scottish champions even said to be Sakala’s preferred option ahead of French side Lille (Voetbal via Glasgow Live).

It is now being reported that a deal is within touching distance for the striker, who is out of contract at current team KV Oostende this summer (Transfermarkt).

Bargain signing

Sakala has been enjoying a fantastic campaign in Belgium. In 29 games in all competitions, he has managed 13 goals and three assists, taking his career tally to 38 goals and 10 assists at senior level (Transfermarkt). His goals have helped his side climb to fifth in the Jupiler League table – they will no doubt be gutted to lose him on a free transfer.

Toby Sibbick, the Barnsley defender who played alongside Sakala during a loan spell at Oostende earlier this season, described the Zambian as a “quite tricky” player, adding that he “definitely has a big future” and “would be a great addition for Rangers”. (Daily Record)

There had previously been suggestions Alfredo Morelos could leave Ibrox this summer – he said in an interview with Radio Caracol that he dreams of playing in the Premier League – but a recent report from The 4th Official stated the Colombia international wants to stay with the Gers.

Sakala’s arrival would give Steven Gerrard five centre-forward options in that event, so one of Jermain Defoe, Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten would surely have to depart given the enormous level of competition.

In other news, this ace previously compared to Lionel Messi would be interested in a move to Rangers.

Many Southampton fans were livid with the performance of Theo Walcott during their 3-0 defeat on Monday evening in the Premier League.

The Saints were defeated by 19th-placed West Bromwich Albion in a very poor display at The Hawthorns. Matheus Pereira, Matt Phillips and Callum Robinson were all on hand to net against the visitors’ defence, leaving Ralph Hasenhuttl with plenty of work to do ahead of the FA Cup semi-final against Leicester City next Sunday.

The display of Walcott in particular will have disappointed the Austrian. The 32-year-old landed just 71% of his attempted passses, prevailed in only three of his eight duels (SofaScore) and spent much of the game as a passenger on the right of the midfield four. Given his showing, it was unsurprising to see him hauled off first by Hasenhuttl.

These Saints supporters were far from happy with what they saw, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts. One frustrated fan even branded Walcott as “useless”.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Walcott below

“Sorry to offended all the nostalgia bashers but Theo Walcott is a washed up baller just because he ‘suits our system’ doesn’t mean he plays well in it”

Credit: @JackKnutsen_

“Ask him why he never changed it at half time, also tell him to drop Walcott Sunday, absolutely useless”

Credit: @saintsfcloyal

“Walcott – shockingly bad !”

Credit: @saintcullen70

“Yeah no way we sign Walcott on a permanent, he’s just not it”

Credit: @RahilMajid

“If we give Walcott a contract after his performances this season it just goes to show we have no one at the club with any understanding of how a football club is meant to be run. Good lad, atrocious footballer.”

Credit: @SaintMatt7

“Why sign Walcott! He’s had his day. We need hungry young players. Invisible tonight”

Credit: @COYSaints

In other news, many Southampton fans rage at these Hasenhuttl comments.

After their last swap deal involving Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan ended in disaster, the Red Devils may have been cautious to complete such transfers once again.

However, TuttoSport have suggested that the Red Devils could send the lesser-seen Donny van de Beek to Juventus in order to facilitate a move for current Bianconeri midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

It’s a move which would make perfect sense, albeit in the process admitting that bringing the Dutchman to Old Trafford was a mistake.

When comparing the two players, Rabiot comes out on top in most, if not all, facets of the game.

According to WhoScored, the former Paris Saint-Germain ace has attempted more shots per game this season – 0.8 to 0.1 – than van de Beek. Those numbers are justified in their respective outputs with Rabiot having scored twice to the Dutchman’s once.

Whilst that lack of goal threat could be a direct consequence of van de Beek’s lack of action and the fact that his position is occupied by Bruno Fernandes, there is not a single attacking statistic in which the former Ajax man is victorious.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-man-united-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=” Latest Man United transfer rumours and news!”]

He completes fewer key passes and fewer passes in general, whilst the only positive he has on his Juventus counterpart is that he only has 0.7 unsuccessful touches per game to Rabiot’s 1.3.

Meanwhile, the Frenchman has a far better pass success rate and contributes 3.3 greater defensive contributions per appearance than van de Beek.

They are certainly statistics which could suggest that Rabiot is a fantastic all-around midfielder, a sentiment echoed by Old Lady boss Andrea Pirlo, who has labelled him as a “complete player”.

It appears that Manchester United would be getting a far better player in return, so Ed Woodward should certainly consider jettisoning van de Beek in exchange for Rabiot in a deal which could potentially be far more profitable than the disastrous Sanchez and Mkhitaryan swap.

AND in more news, take a look at which Red Devils legend has saved the club “millions”…

[ad_pod ]

According to Sky Sports, bitter north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are both monitoring Borussia Monchengladbach centre-back Matthias Ginter.

What’s the story?

Both sides are scouting the 25-year-old defender, with Spurs apparently holding a long-standing interest in his services dating back to 2017.

Ginter has been a regular for the Bundesliga outfit so far this season, playing practically every minute of the campaign to date, aside from a spell on the sidelines with injury throughout December. 

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

The 23-cap Germany international has developed tremendously as a defender in recent seasons, improving on the ball and demonstrating greater consistency with his focus and positioning. He is also able to put his 6’2” frame to dominant use in the air.

Premier League interest in his services is understandable, and the Gunners must do all they can to win the race to his signature.

Backing the manager

Arsenal’s need for a new centre-back is becoming increasingly desperate. 33-year-old Laurent Koscielny is coming to the end of his time at the top of the game, whilst Ginter’s compatriot, 26-year-old Shkodran Mustafi, is simply not good enough.

This season, Mustafi has repeatedly proven himself to be an absolute liability at the back and an upgrade is needed at the Emirates Stadium this summer. If Unai Emery isn’t given the funds he needs to build a capable defence then he cannot be expected to bring success to the Gunners.

The signing of Ginter would be the perfect way to replace Mustafi and would also show that the club are willing to support Emery. If Arsenal are serious about becoming Champions League mainstays and Premier League title contenders once more, these are the kind of deals that they must be capable of beating their rivals to.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Tottenham Hotspur captain Graham Roberts has dropped a big hint as to whether Harry Kane will be fit to feature in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley this afternoon.

The England skipper limped off during the 2-2 draw at Everton last week, and was absent from the squad for the 2-1 victory against Southampton on Wednesday night.

Interim manager Ryan Mason confirmed in his pre-match press conference that the 27-year-old hadn’t trained on Friday ahead of the clash against Pep Guardiola’s men, and it remains to be seen whether he featured on Saturday, or has had long enough to be named either in the squad, or in the starting XI, in north London on Sunday.

After sacking Jose Mourinho this week, Spurs are going in search of their first piece of silverware since their 2008 victory in the same competition, and it will certainly be a harder task without their talisman up top against the likes Ruben Dias and John Stones at the back for City.

However, Roberts told FFC that he thinks Kane will be fit to face to the soon-to-be Premier League champions, saying:

“My heart and my fingers are crossed, but I think he’ll be playing on Sunday.”

Celtic’s pursuit of a new manager is set to take an almighty twist at Parkhead.

That’s because a new name has emerged as a candidate to replace Neil Lennon as manager of the Bhoys.

What’s the word?

We’ve seen a number of names linked with the job including Eddie Howe, Roy Keane and Lucien Favre.

However, none are as stand out or have as much star quality as the latest name to do the rounds.

According to The Sun, Jose Mourinho has entered the race to become the new Celtic boss with the Portuguese ‘ready to go again’.

Mourinho lost his job with Tottenham this week and as a result, is now a free agent.

Whether or not the Hoops would be able to afford his wages is one thing but he’d certainly be an eye-catching appointment.

The 58-year-old is past his best but is one of the most iconic football managers on the planet.

Amazing news

Mourinho has become a modern meme but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be a great capture for Celtic.

In fact, it would be one of the most landmark moments for the Bhoys in recent history.

The former Spurs boss has been sacked from his previous three roles with Chelsea, Manchester United and the Lilywhites in rather sad fashion but let us not forget just what this man has achieved.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-lampard-klimala-ajer-gossip” title= “Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

He has a win rate of over 63% in his career and has taken home two Champions League trophies and eight league titles across Europe; namely three Premier League triumphs.

Mourinho has been named Manager of the Season in England’s top-flight on three occasions while he was also awarded the gong for FIFA’s best Manager of the Year in 2010.

This is a coach, who despite his recent frailties, has been there and done it all. If you sample some of the best managers to lead a team, he would undoubtedly make the list.

Meanwhile, if there was any coach who can turn around a rather shambolic Celtic, it’s a man dubbed the ‘Special One.’

Forget Howe, forget Keane and Favre; Mourinho is the man the Hoops need.

AND in other news, Worse than Kenny: Celtic star who made just 15 passes should be finished at Paradise…

Manchester United strengthened their grip on second place in the Premier League table on Sunday evening as they squeezed past Brighton and Hove Albion at Old Trafford.

Former Red Devil Danny Welbeck had initially given the Seagulls the lead but second-half strikes from Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood turned the game on its head.

Whilst the club’s attacking stars will claim the headlines, it was actually Paul Pogba who was a defining influence for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s troops.

Still continuing to find match sharpness following a long injury lay-off, the Frenchman looked back to his best, especially defensively, turning in a more-rounded performance than even the irrepressible Bruno Fernandes.

He contributed three tackles, three interceptions and two clearances throughout the game according to WhoScored, in what was a thoroughly dominant defensive performance in the heart of midfield.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/manchester-united-latest-transfer-injury-news-from-old-trafford” title=”Check out the latest Man United transfer rumours and injury news!”]

Pogba was also extremely effective going forwards as well though. During his time on the pitch, he completed 76 passes – only teammates Fred and Victor Lindelof managing to complete more than the former Juventus midfielder.

Those contributions were not just for the sake of passing from Pogba though as he also managed to generate two key passes, one of those being somewhat of a shot that found its way through to Greenwood, who nodded into the Brighton net. It was the 28-year-old’s sixth assist in all competitions of the current campaign.

Pogba’s evening did eventually end before the end, eventually being withdrawn in the 83rd minute and replaced by Scott McTominay. However, considering his long lay-off and his excellent work throughout the match, it was a well-earned rest for the midfielder.

He was heavily influential throughout, managing 93 touches, a number only beaten by Fred – his midfield partner and one that lasted the full 90 minutes.

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will certainly be hoping he can get a few more performances like the one against Brighton out of his midfielder between now and the end of the campaign.

AND in more news, find out which stunning swap deal the Red Devils must consider…

Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills believes that Helder Costa may have played his last game for Leeds United ahead of a potential summer exit from Elland Road.

The Lowdown: Costa out for the season

The Whites picked up an impressive 3-1 win over Tottenham on Saturday afternoon as their excellent first season back in the Premier League continues. Stuart Dallas, Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo scored the goals for Leeds yesterday to put them ninth place in the table.

Costa was unavailable for the match, having been ruled out for the rest of the season with a back problem.

The Latest: Mills tips Costa to leave

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills gave a bleak outlook on the future of the £32,500-per-week-earning winger, admitting that he might not play again for Leeds:

“When you’re looking at the other players on the scene, the likes of Raphinha if he stays fit, he’s pretty much going to be one of the first names on the team-sheet.

“You’ve got Jack Harrison on the other side who’s been very, very consistent. You’ll be looking to add to the squad. Obviously, when Rodrigo comes back to full fitness, he’ll be there as well.

“My question would be, where does Helder Costa fit into that? And where does he play in the current system that Leeds have?

“I’m trying to work out who he is better than at the moment with a fully-fit squad. Off the back of that, if you bring in better players over the summer that pushes him further down the pecking order. He may not play again for Leeds.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Time to move on

In truth, it may benefit all parties for Costa to move on to pastures new this summer, considering he doesn’t appear to be a key part of Marcelo Bielsa’s plans. He has only managed 13 league starts out of a possible 35 this season, and when everyone is fit, it is hard to envisage that changing.

If anything, he could feature even less should a new signing arrive to provide more competition out wide, such as Leeds-linked winger Noa Lang from Club Brugge.

Costa’s current contract doesn’t expire until 2024, so Leeds should be able to receive a healthy fee for him in the summer, which could then be spent on reinforcements who may have a greater impact.

In other news, some Leeds fans have been heaping praise on one player after Saturday’s 3-1 win over Spurs. Read more here.

Former Manchester United man Keith Gillespie has urged the club to join the bidding for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, telling Football FanCast that he is worried about the potential ramifications of Manchester City signing the star.

Haaland has become one of the best strikers in world football during his time at Dortmund.

The Norway international has scored 33 goals in 31 games in all competitions this season and is set to be at the centre of a transfer tug of war this summer.

Reports claim that City are interested in snapping the 20-year-old up, as are Real Madrid, but Gillespie believes that United need to flex their muscles and attempt to snaffle him away from the German club.

Indeed, he believes City signing him would almost guarantee them next season’s Premier League title.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Gillespie said: “City are so far ahead at the minute, get Haaland, he’s the hottest property probably in world football at the minute, his stats are incredible.

“I’ve seen him playing for Norway at Windsor Park against Northern Ireland and the two finishes he had were just out of this world. You would break the bank to get somebody like that because if Man City get him, you’ve absolutely no chance of competing to win the league.”

Gillespie believes that Haaland will become available – if he does not go this summer, a clause in his contract activates that means he will be available for £66.6m in 2022, per The Athletic – and that he would be perfect for either Manchester club, sending a message to Ed Woodward to act if the opportunity arises.

He added: “He’s a natural finisher, he’s young as well, and he’s going to come into that Man City team and score a lot of goals because of the players he’d have around him, so I think it’s important that United compete with Man City should he become available.

“I think he will become available with whatever clause he has in his contract but I suppose money talks and whatever’s offered, Dortmund might cash in.

“Certainly, they need to be showing that they are interested in a player like him, and obviously there’s been talk about Haaland before with Man United, that he is one that is on their radar.”