All posts by z3u9t.icu

An update has emerged on Rangers and Gio van Bronckhorst’s attempts to bring a new striker to Ibrox this month…

What’s the talk?

According to TEAMtalk, the Gers are eyeing up a deal to sign an attacker in the January transfer window.

The report claims that Rangers, Norwich, Newcastle and Crystal Palace are among the clubs interested in signing the QPR centre-forward, Lyndon Dykes, although it remains to be seen how much the west London outfit will demand for his services.

Get it done

Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Ross Wilson must get this deal done for Rangers this month, as Dykes could be a superb signing and improve their current options.

The Gers are not blessed with an abundance of physical players who are capable of mixing it up in individual duels against better teams. This is highlighted by Leon Balogun being the only Light Blues player who has won more than 1.8 aerial battles per game in the Europa League this season, whilst Joe Aribo (2.1) is the only midfielder or attacker averaging more than two per game in the Premiership.

Meanwhile, Dykes has won  4.3 aerial battles per game in the Championship this term for QPR, having averaged 4.8 last season. This shows that he offers a physical presence in the number nine role which Van Bronckhorst is currently lacking in his squad.

Scotland boss Steve Clarke previously lauded the attacker, saying: “Lyndon’s a confident lad and so he should be. He knows what he wants.

“He’s not a big-head, he’s nothing like that. He’s done the hard yards in football, from Queen of the South to Livingston and he’s earned himself a fantastic move to London. It’ll be nice to watch him in the Championship next season.

“He’s going to be working with a really good coach in Mark Warburton so Lyndon can only improve now for his club and hopefully his country as well.”

The £3.15m-rated bulldozer has also proven that he can score goals regularly. He has found the back of the net 18 times for QPR since the start of the 2020/21 campaign and has scored four goals in six starts for Scotland in World Cup qualifiers.

Therefore, he could add goals to go along with the physical boost with which he could provide Rangers. This is why the Light Blues must work hard to secure his services this month.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst must ruthlessly axe £900k-rated Rangers dud, he’s a “weak link”…

Manchester United could form a formidable duo after being linked with a move for RB Leipzig defender Nordi Mukiele ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

The Red Devils have struggled defensively in the opening weeks of the current campaign, conceding 24 goals in their opening 14 Premier League fixtures.

Heavy defeats against the likes of Liverpool and Watford ultimately led to the dismissal of former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and his replacement Ralf Rangnick addressed the issue in his first press conference.

“The major target for me is to bring more balance into the team,” said the 63-year-old on Friday. “Even yesterday we conceded two and needed three to win. We concede on average two a game and this is too much.

“I want to bring more balance and more control. Yesterday’s game, for me as the future coach, they are not the games you need. I will try and bring these outstanding, talented players away from their own goal.”

As a result, Rangnick may want to bring in some defensive reinforcements over the coming months, and RB Leipzig’s Nordi Mukiele has been identified as a potential target.

Rangnick previously signed the versatile defender for the Red Bulls back in 2018 and lauded the youngster’s talents.

“Extremely excited to be able to bring in one of Europe’s top defensive talents – despite a lot of competition,” he said, before adding that Mukiele “fits exactly what we’re looking for in a player and in a person.”

According to 90min, the highly-rated 24-year-old could be reunited with the German at Old Trafford as the new man in charge looks to immediately firm up his backline.

“90min understands that Rangnick has identified the player as a target who could not only come in and improve the team straight away but also over the course of the next few years,” reads Graeme Bailey’s report.

With Rangnick renowned for prioritising a high-pressing game revolving around quick, vertical passes and winning the ball back high up the pitch, it’s clear that Mukiele is a perfect fit for his philosophy.

As per FBref.com, the £40,000-per-week gem has produced 5.85 progressive passes, 14.5 pressures and 2.44 tackles per 90 minutes this season, bettering Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s tallies in each metric.

The current first-choice right-back at United has racked up meagre totals of 2.38, 10.8 and 2.08 respectively, highlighting his inefficiencies for Rangnick’s gegenpressing setup.

If United’s football director John Murtough can lure Mukiele to the Theatre of Dreams over the winter window, it will allow the France international the opportunity to strike up a frightening partnership with compatriot Raphael Varane.

Since arriving at Old Trafford over the summer, the right-sided centre-back has established himself as a key player in defence, achieving a WhoScored rating of 6.90.

Therefore, Murtough must make a move for Rangnick’s former player in January, adding some much-needed reinforcements to the Red Devils’ porous backline.

And, in other news…Ralf can get MUFC firing with “intelligent” £42.3m-rated gem, he has “no weaknesses” 

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit Paul Robinson, as seen on Sky Sports, has been left thrilled by West Ham United transfer news involving Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips.

The Lowdown: West Ham ‘lay groundwork’…

As reported by FI recently, West Ham and manager David Moyes are allegedly laying the groundwork to sign Phillips behind-the-scenes amid their central defensive crisis.

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Indeed, it is claimed by the outlet that they are ‘lining up a move’ as the club, and recruitment chief Rob Newman, apparently work on his signing.

Other sources somewhat back this, with football.london correspondent Tom Clark explaining last week that West Ham are indeed exploring an offer to sign Phillips in January.

The Latest: Robinson reacts…

Speaking to FI, former England international Robinson has been left thrilled by West Ham as they eye Phillips whilst insisting he would be a ‘brilliant signing’.

“Phillips will give West Ham the push they need.

“We have seen Moyes rotate the squad over the past few weeks but even then they are struggling in a couple of areas with injuries.

“I think Phillips would be a brilliant signing. In all honesty, I think it would be a move that works for all parties.

“Phillips has not played anywhere near as many games as he would’ve liked having had such a good season last year. He got a taste of it. He clearly wants to leave so it seems a matter of when not if.

“West Ham would be a good fit. Moyes recognises that they need players. He won’t sign anyone for the sake of it though. He would only sign a top player who fits into the system and I think Nat Phillips fits the bill.”

The Verdict: In agreement…

The 24-year-old could leave Anfield for as little as £15 million according to reports, and at that price, he would come as an absolute steal for the club.

Homegrown, still fairly young and proven in the Premier League – he could come as the astute defensive signing which would gift Moyes a big January boost.

Phillips even averaged more clearances per 90 than any Reds player in the top flight last season (WhoScored) – perhaps a sure-fire indicator of his obvious quality.

In other news: ‘Can’t wait’, ‘Best news today’…ExWHUemployee’s ‘amazing’ update has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

West Ham United’s winning run came to a devastating end in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon as they were defeated 1-0 by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

A solitary goals from Raul Jimenez handed David Moyes’ men their first loss in eight games across all competitions.

The Irons were fortunate to be level at half-time after the home side dominated proceedings in the first 45 minutes and soon after the break, the Mexican talisman fired home from the edge of the box, and it was enough to punish the visitors.

There were several underwhelming displays across the pitch – for instance, Michail Antonio looked a little jaded following his cross-Atlantic duties this international break, whilst Tomas Soucek was way off the pace once again.

Even Pablo Fornals looked a shadow of himself this season and arguably, the Spanish attacking midfielder badly let down his manager and the side in the final third.

Despite playing in the no.10 role. the 25-year-old maestro registered ten fewer touches than even goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski (35), as per SofaScore, who also graded him their lowest-rated player at 6.3.

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It’s no wonder he was hooked just before the hour mark as Moyes clearly had enough with what he was witnessing.

Fornals also failed to register a single key pass from just 13 passing attempts – substitute Nikola Vlasic managed the same number of passes, even though he played just 19 minutes.

The £18m-rated Spaniard also failed to record a single dribble or accurate cross and looked rather lightweight in possession, losing 66.6% of his duels. He even lost the ball once every three touches to compound his miserable afternoon at Molineux.

Jack Rosser of the Evening Standard was less than impressed with the Irons star either. In his post-match ratings column, the journalist claimed Fornals was ‘wasteful on the ball’ and ‘had no impact going forward.’

It can hardly be a surprise that Antonio looked terrible in attack when he wasn’t being supplied with enough quality.

Therefore, on the above evidence, Fornals badly let Moyes and co down this weekend. He will have to vastly improve heading into matches against Rapid Wien and Manchester City next week.

AND in other news, “I understand..”: Journo reveals “West Ham interest” in 28 y/o, fans will be ecstatic…

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele…

What’s the talk?

According to Spanish outlet Sport, the Frenchman is not interested in signing for the Magpies due to their current position at the bottom of the Premier League.

The report claims that the €15m-per-season (£12.7m) contract offer on the table from Newcastle is not enough to tempt Dembele to risk relegation to the Championship, with the forward set to explore other options.

Fans will be fuming

Newcastle fans will surely be fuming with this update as it appears to rule out any chance of Dembele arriving at St James’ Park in January.

It highlights how damaging the early part of this season under Steve Bruce has been for the Magpies, with Eddie Howe inheriting a team in a terrible position in the Premier League. They are bottom of the division and the only team without a single win in the league, having picked up just six points from their 13 games.

This means that it could be difficult to attract players in January as they may not want to be involved in a scrap against relegation, irrespective of the takeover by PIF. Dembele’s apparent objection to making the switch highlights this and will bring to light an issue which will leave fans all the more frustrated with the club’s start to the campaign.

They might also be furious because Dembele could have been an excellent addition to the side. His former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi once dubbed him a ‘phenonemon’, with the Argentine saying: “On the pitch he’s a phenomenon. It’s up to him where he ends up, he could be one of the best. He’s young and he is adapting.”

The £45m-rated dynamo has 30 goals and 21 assists in 121 appearances for Barcelona, having managed 10 goals and 22 assists in 50 games for Borussia Dortmund earlier in his career. This shows that he has the quality to provide goals and assists at the top level, which is why he could have been a superb signing for Newcastle.

He could have arrived in England and made key contributions in the final third to help the Magpies stave off relegation. Instead, he looks set to reject the Tyneside club’s advances and either stay with Barcelona or else join another side to progress his career.

AND in other news, Howe could save NUFC’s season with “beautiful” 27-goal beast, he loves St James’ Park…

Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani is showing an interest in buying Serie C Group C side Palermo, according to a fresh report which emerged this week.

The Lowdown: Radrizzani oversees memorable era

The 47-year-old has been a pivotal figure in the recent history of the Whites, during which time they have finally returned to the Premier League.

Radrizzani took sole ownership of Leeds back in 2017, eventually hiring Marcelo Bielsa and ensuring the club remain in a healthy situation currently, despite a disappointing start to this season.

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The Latest: Palermo takeover incoming?

It appears as though Radrizzani is eyeing up buying another club as well, however, with MediaGol [via Sport Witness] claiming he is showing ‘particular attention’ to Palermo at the moment.

They are currently sitting in sixth place in Serie C Group C and are badly in need of investment, following financial issues.

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The Verdict: Hopefully won’t impact Leeds

As long as this update doesn’t have a detrimental impact on Leeds, there is little to worry about from a Whites perspective.

Radrizzani is a businessman at the end of the day who will always be looking to make more money and Palermo fans will hope he can impact things in a similar manner to the way he has at Elland Road.

In other news, a worrying update regarding Bielsa’s Leeds future has emerged. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to announce Antonio Conte as their next manager, just days after handing Nuno Santo the axe following a string of poor results and mounting fan backlash.

The Portuguese served just four months at the helm, so sporting director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy will be hoping that this appointment is not only successful but lasts a lot longer.

Conte has won league titles at Juventus, Chelsea and more recently Inter Milan, and has done so by being versatile in his tactical setup, although these have largely been based around some sort of three-at-the-back system.

At Stamford Bridge, the Italian started out with a 4-2-3-1 – something we’ve largely seen at Spurs recently – before switching between a 3-5-2 and a 3-4-3, with Victor Moses playing a surprise and starring role at wing-back.

That should provide encouragement with the Lilywhites’ current squad, but how might the starting XI look in Conte’s system?

Here’s what Football FanCast think could be his best option…

When taking a fleeting look across Spurs’ squad, a formation involving a back three should be a seamless transition.

In goal, things pretty much write themselves as club captain Hugo Lloris will surely be preferred over backup and loanee Pierluigi Gollini.

At the back, though, the north Londoners have struggled to cement a firm partnership, but it seems likely that the nod is given to the three most senior choices in Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez and summer signing Cristian Romero.

Both Dier and Romero could thrive as ball-playing defenders, whilst the often-erratic Colombian could benefit by having two others next to him in defence.

The wing-back options are straightforward selections, with Sergio Reguilon and Emerson Royal expected to be preferred. If Conte wants to repeat his Moses trick, then both Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn are contenders for the role.

Perhaps the biggest question marks lie in midfield – does he opt for two deep-lying players with one attacking option, or an anchorman with two players who are given license to advance further forward?

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg fulfils the defensive element, so Conte may choose Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso in the middle, meaning there’s no place for young gem Oliver Skipp.

It’s hard to envisage a spot for Dele Alli in this system, so his Spurs career may be dead and buried following this arrival. Only time will tell. Similarly, there’s little to suggest that Conte would bring Harry Winks back into the side.

If there’s any place for him, it could be in the attack as a backup alternative to the front two of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

This system could prove troublesome for aforementioned wingers Moura and Bergwijn, as well as Bryan Gil, whilst the likes of Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon may find it tough to break into the side.

AND in other news, Forget Kane: Shocking Spurs lightweight who lost 80% duels endured a nightmare against United…

Former Leeds United star David Norris insists that Conor Gallagher snubbed the club because he wanted to stay in London, and admits that he has been surprised by his form at Crystal Palace.

Gallagher moved to Palace on loan from Chelsea in the summer transfer window despite also being linked with Leeds.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were reportedly rejected by Gallagher, as he looked to link up with Patrick Vieira’s side at Selhurst Park.

Since his arrival, Gallagher has been pulling up trees in the Premier League, making five appearances and scoring two goals, while also laying on an assist.

He has emerged as a key player under Vieira already, with Palace only losing to Chelsea – in a game for which Gallagher was ineligible – and Liverpool.

Norris is not surprised that the midfielder chose to move to Palace because of the locality of the club to Stamford Bridge, and claims he has already been shocked by how good he is turning out to be.

Norris said: “I think he wanted the London move so it was always going to be a little bit more difficult for Leeds in that sense but he’s surprised me, just with the impact that he’s had so far.”

Craig Hope has dropped a major Newcastle United claim, regarding tension behind the scenes following the defeat to Tottenham.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail journalist, Jamaal Lascelles and Isaac Hayden had a bust-up after the loss and had to be separated by staff.

In the article, Hope revealed that a significant portion of the squad want Steve Bruce to be sacked before their clash with Crystal Palace, with the post-match bust-up leading to some players questioning the 60-year-old’s tactics in the dressing room.

He Tweeted: “Sources say players want new owners to intervene now & change manager as tensions rise.”

Delight

Newcastle fans will be delighted by this update from Hope in terms of the players wanting Bruce to be sacked this week. Whilst it is far from ideal to read that Hayden and Lascelles were scrapping with each other at full-time, it – at the very least – shows that the players are passionate and want to do well on the pitch for each other, although both players must find constructive ways to show it.

The playing squad are seemingly voicing their concerns to PIF about Bruce and their frustration could speed up the process, with Bruce hanging on by a thread as it stands. He was reportedly set to leave last week before the owners opted to keep him on for his 1000th game in management.

A 3-2 defeat to Tottenham at St. James’ Park on Sunday led to multiple chants calling for Bruce to be sacked, which may have been heard by Amanda Staveley and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who were sat in the stands for their first game. This coupled with the unrest amongst the playing squad could lead to Bruce’s departure, which would undoubtedly leave the Toon Army delighted.

A recent survey, prior to the takeover, by the Newcastle United Supporters Trust found that 94.3% of supporters are keen to see him leave, with 95.3% predicting relegation from the top-flight. However, that second statistic could change if the 94.3% of fans are granted their wish and PIF sack Bruce, depending on who is brought in to replace him in the dugout.

What the survey does show is that the majority of fans want to see the ex-Aston Villa coach leave the club and that is why they will be buzzing with the players taking matters into their own hands to make it happen. It is now down to PIF to make the call and ensure that they replace him with the best candidate to lead the side forward.

AND in other news, “I understand”: Pete Graves drops key NUFC transfer claim that’ll leave fans buzzing…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Tottenham defender Graham Roberts believes now was the time for Serge Aurier to move on.

The £18m-rated 28-year-old recently had his contract terminated by the north London club, leaving him without a team.

Aurier has since been linked with a move to Tottenham’s fierce rivals Arsenal, with Sky Sports reporting that he would consider joining Mikel Arteta’s side.

Such a move could disappoint some Spurs fans given the rivalry between the two London clubs, but Roberts is not one of them, with the ex-England international telling FFC that he would drive Aurier to the Emirates himself.

“He had his time at the football club,” Roberts said. “What makes you laugh is all the papers are putting in there that he’s going to Arsenal. I’ll drive him! I don’t mind.”

Even after Aurier’s departure, Tottenham look well covered in that right-back position.

They brought in Emerson Royal from Barcelona and still have Matt Doherty in the ranks after signing the Irishman from Wolves last summer.

Nuno Espirito Santo also has the versatile Japhet Tanganga to call upon, who can also play at right-back, so Aurier is certainly a player the Portuguese manager could afford to let go.