All posts by z3u9t.icu

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.”

Liverpool are ready to launch a bid that would see Barcelona’s teenage midfielder join the club in what could be a bargain in today’s transfer market.

Gavi’s current contract with Barcelona is set to expire in the summer of 2023.

His performances this season have put him on a pedestal in which he can negotiate contract details with Barcelona, knowing that he has piqued the interest of some of Europe’s finest clubs.

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With this being his breakout season, Gavi is understandably one of the lowest-paid players at the club, and although the 17-year-old is willing to renew his contract with the Blaugrana, a large stumbling block is that he wants his contract to reflect his value to Barcelona.

Liverpool’s interest has intensified, with the Anfield side looking to test Barcelona’s resolve by offering to pay Gavi’s £41m release clause, according to reports from Sport.

Iniesta revived

If Liverpool can acquire Gavi’s services for around £41m, then that is an absolute bargain for a player who is currently valued at £54m by Transfermarkt.

Perhaps the best thing to happen to Gavi was the financial debacle that Barcelona found themselves in, which meant that they were forced to rely on youth to get them out of trouble.

The scenario meant that Gavi, who has been described as “phenomenal” by The Athletic’s Dermot Corrigan on Twitter, was given the platform to shine in Spain’s top division.

Which has now lead to the 17-year-old having the world at his feet, with pending contract talks bound to worry Barcelona fans.

Comparisons have been made to Andres Iniesta with Jamie Redknapp hailing his performance against France last year and claiming he takes the ball on the half-turn like the great Spaniard. Further compliments come courtesy of reporter David Sánchez de Castro who suggested he is “Iniesta revived.”

The LaLiga Twitter account meanwhile dubbed him a “magician” after his first-team debut, providing evidence that he has been highly rated for a considerable period of time.

As a result, the Reds faithful will be keen for the club to get this deal wrapped up, with the likes of Henderson and Thiago (both 31) not exactly getting any younger.

Liverpool have space in their midfield for Gavi, and his playing style would enable him to slot into Klopp’s set-up seamlessly.

This could be the cheapest Gavi will ever be, and the recent success of Liverpool could persuade the young Spaniard to join one of his idols in Thiago in the Premier League.

In other news: Liverpool plotting bid for £83m “sensation”, he is Klopp’s next “leader”…

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” 

Everton will be going into the upcoming transfer window with the opportunity to patch over the injury crisis they have been suffering throughout the first half of the season, with Rafa Benitez expected to make additions that will help the Toffees climb up the Premier League table and find better consistency in the league.

What’s the word?

According to reports from Italian news outlet, Calciomercato, Everton are in pole position to sign Inter Milan midfielder, Matias Vecino, in the January transfer window.

With the Uruguay international’s contract ending in June 2022, the Toffees could get the player in a cut price deal if Inter should feel that they are interested in cashing in on him mid-season.

For Inter, Vecino has made 119 appearances, scoring thirteen goals and bagging seven assists from his central midfielder role in the side since he joined from Fiorentina in 2017.

The 30 year old was previously praised by former Inter assistant boss Cristian Stellini, who simply said; “Matias Vecino always delivers.”

Everton have some competition in securing the Serie A star’s signature as both Leicester and Betis Sevilla are also both named as clubs interested in the report from Calciomercato.

Solving problems at Everton

The signing of Vecino could be the perfect opportunity for Benitez to inject some experience and reliability into the midfield, with the latter in particular being a huge priority for the Everton side that has been struggling with finding consistency with their first team due to a large number of injuries.

One area that has been decimated in recent weeks and months has been in that midfield position, with the likes of Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan, Tom Davies and Andre Gomes all facing spells out among others.

Despite suffering with a horrific knee injury that side-lined the £4.5M-rated Vecino for eight months and missing 37 games for Inter, since coming back in January 2021, the player has found his form and this season has made 15 appearances for Inter, scoring one goal so far.

The Merseyside club have struggled to establish a run of form in the Premier League this season, with only five wins and a shocking eight defeats from their first 17 games only picking up 19 points out of a possible 51 so far, that has, as a result, now left them in a vulnerable position in 15th.

Benitez can capitalise on the troubling availability of players in his current squad by adding some quality players to his injury ridden team when the transfer window opens in a few days.

In other news, Rafa must axe Cenk Tosun in the transfer window

Craig Hope has revealed what he has now heard about Newcastle United’s move to sign Jesse Lingard in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Midfielder wanted

The St. James’ Park faithful have been linked with the likes of Christian Eriksen and Yves Bissouma, suggesting that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium now want to bring in a midfield player after signing defender Kieran Trippier and centre-forward Chris Wood.

All of the players mentioned above have had previous experience in the Premier League, and so a move for Lingard before the deadline would make sense in this regard.

The Latest: Lingard update

As per The Daily Mail journalist Hope, the North East club are now ‘working’ on a loan deal to sign Lingard, but sources are saying that Manchester United are ‘reluctant’ to let him go at the moment:

“I’m told NUFC are working on a loan deal for Jesse Lingard, as per @samuelluckhurst, but sources say Man Utd are reluctant to let him go, as it stands.”

The Verdict: Sign

Getting in Lingard on loan would be a great piece of business from the new owners, as there would only be a minimal fee involved, plus they may have a chance to sign him for free in the summer when his contract expires, should he impress on Tyneside.

He has already shown what he can do when given the opportunities, scoring diamond’.

Nonetheless, with minimal game time at Old Trafford this season, and having recently been left completely out of the squad in the 3-1 win away at Brentford (Transfermarkt), the Englishman will want to prove his qualities once more, and the Magpies should give him that chance.

In other news, find out what big NUFC transfer news has been dropped live on air here!

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Unai Emery threw away any chance Arsenal had of beating Manchester City by setting his side up to play in a 4-4-2 formation at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

On the chalkboard

An injury to Hector Bellerin and the absence of Ainsley Maitland-Niles meant Stephan Lichtsteiner had to play at right-back on Sunday, which immediately raised concerns over the Gunners’ chances of getting even a point at Man City.

Granit Xhaka’s absence raised concerns too, as the Swiss midfielder is the anchor that connects the defence and attack, and without his presence the midfield needed reshaping.

For whatever reason, rather than including Aaron Ramsey or Mohamed Elneny from kick-off so Arsenal could retain numbers in the engine room, Emery opted for just the two central midfielders, meaning that Alex Iwobi and Sead Kolasinac on the wings had to continually drop back to help out in defence.

A 4-4-2 was never going to work against Pep Guardiola’s side because the current Premier League title holders do not need to drag play towards the byline to open up defences. Instead, they cut between the lines and Arsenal offered no one to occupy this space.

Look away Arsenal fans! American Soccer Fan is back to troll more fans at the London Stadium in the video below…

Losing before a ball was kicked

Emery had to acknowledge the brilliance that City can muster, which is why he deployed Iwobi and Kolasinac as wide midfielders, to try and prevent the creation of chances on the wings.

Unfortunately, by also playing the Gunners’ two best strikers from kick off, it meant that Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi could not cut the space in between the lines as, with no one ahead or behind, they were forced to be everywhere and everything for Emery.

It is also why Arsenal conceded an opening goal within the first minute. Iwobi had to lift his head to try and spot someone to clear the ball to, only to realise he had no one available – that split second hesitation was all City needed to snatch possession back and play a killer pass.

When Arsenal beat Chelsea last month, the Gunners played on the front foot with the attackers applying pressure, and this was the only way they could have challenged City.

But by playing in a 4-4-2, the pressure could never be applied leaving gaps behind, and Arsenal essentially lost the game on this basis before a ball was kicked.

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.

Celtic had a rather enjoyable afternoon back in Premiership action today following their Old Firm victory last weekend.

This time, Ange Postecoglou’s side secured a tantalising 7-0 victory over St Johnstone at Parkhead courtesy of six different goalscorers.

Three first-half strikes from Reo Hatate, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Daizen Maeda gave the home side a comfortable 3-0 lead at the midway point. A penalty from Josip Juranovic, a brace from Matt O’Riley and a clinching goal from Liel Abada gave Postecoglou and the home fans a lot to savour as they take another step closer to the title.On a day when many Hoops players had a lot to smile about, one player in particular lit up Parkhead and stole the show.Having opened the scoring for his team, Reo Hatate had 60 touches of the ball before being replaced by fellow midfielder David Turnbull in the 55th minute. Out of the 47 passes he attempted, 43 found their intended target, including all three of the long balls he attempted.He also had three shots on target in total and won the penalty that Juranovic put away in the second half, in addition to completing both of his dribbles, showing how tricky he was to play against. That was in stark contrast with his fellow countryman Maeda, who failed to complete any of his three dribble attempts.The 24-year-old also did his bit defensively by winning three of his four duels, showing how useful he was in and out of possession for his team.This performance ultimately earned the midfield gem an overall match rating of 8/10 from SofaScore, making him the joint-second highest rated Celtic player to start the game.Labelled an “outrageous” player by Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, Hatate has shown once again today why Postecoglou chose to bring the Japanese maestro to Parkhead in the January transfer window.If the Australian coach can keep getting Hatate and the rest of the Celtic players to deliver performances like this throughout the remainder of the season, they should be a shoo-in to secure the Premiership title.In other news: £2.7m down the drain as Celtic had a howler on “difficult” £450k-rated Parkhead flop

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Pete O’Rourke has made a promising Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho.

The Lowdown: Spurs yearning for attackers?

Since the departure of fan favourite Christian Eriksen to Inter Milan in January 2020, it is arguable that Tottenham have been missing his presence ever since.

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The Lilywhites have been linked with a few signings who can operate in that position recently, as the likes of Dejan Kulusevski and Jesse Lingard emerge among the most recent names.

Another is Coutinho, as Barcelona look to shake his sky-high salary off their books, with O’Rourke now making a promising transfer claim.

The Latest: O’Rourke makes Coutinho claim…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the reporter has said that the Brazil international ‘would be interested’ in a move to Spurs if the Lilywhites and Barca can agree a deal.

O’Rourke outlined: “If they can agree a deal with Barcelona, there’s a real possibility that Coutinho would be interested in a move to Tottenham and a move back to London, which a lot of these top players do like to do.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

While Coutinho has seen his opportunities at the Camp Nou limited of late, there is little arguing that he has the pedigree to become a success under Conte at Spurs, as his displayed by his record with Liverpool.

Scoring 54 goals and setting up 45 others in 201 appearances for the Reds (Transfermarkt), he is already a proven player in England and has drawn plenty of acclaim, including from international colleague and former Anfield teammate Roberto Firmino.

The Brazilian even called his compatriot ‘magical’ and ‘phenomenal’, summing up Coutinho’s obvious ability, with the only drawback to a move arguably coming in terms of finances.

Coutinho would arguably have to take a seismic pay cut on his £380,000-per-week wages if the Lilywhites were to reach an agreement, but if Spurs can hurdle that barrier, there is little doubt that he would be a quality addition.

In other news: ‘Absolute no brainer’…Sky Sports pundit thrilled by ‘exciting’ transfer news out of Tottenham, find out more here.

Aston Villa are set to make a formal approach to Steven Gerrard regarding the vacant managerial post at Villa Park.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to John Percy’s recent report for The Telegraph, in which the journalist revealed that Villa’s owners, Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, view the 41-year-old manager as the perfect figurehead for their project at Villa Park.

Percy continues to suggest that the Rangers manager would be open to the possibility of a move to the Premier League side, who are hoping to appoint a new coach before the club’s next league fixture on November 20.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering the overall level of support the prospect of appointing Gerrard has generated amongst the Villa fanbase, the news that the club look set to make an official approach for the 41-year-old, in addition to the fact that the former Liverpool captain appears keen on a move to Villa Park, is sure to have left Villans buzzing.

Indeed, according to two polls recently ran on Football FanCast, Villa fans would prefer Gerrard to both Belgium national team coach Roberto Martinez and Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl – both of whom are also reported to be leading candidates for the position at Aston Villa.

Furthermore, a number of fans have also been expressing their desire for the former England international to be given a shot at Villa Park on Twitter, with one claiming that Gerrard’s passion and winner’s mentality is “what we need” at Villa, while another stated that they would “love to give Steve Gerrard a go” at their club.

It is not difficult to see why so many fans would like Gerrard to succeed Dean Smith, as, since his appointment in Glasgow, the 41-year-old has highly impressed, steering Gers to the league title last season without losing a single game – and stopping their bitter rivals Celtic securing ten consecutive Scottish Premiership crowns in doing so – as well as guiding the club to the last 16 of the Europa League in back to back campaigns.

As such, Percy’s latest update is sure to be very well received by many of the Aston Villa fanbase, as it would certainly appear as if, at present, all things point to Gerrard’s arrival in the second city in the not too distant future.

In other news: NSWE could seal dream AVFC appointment with 64 y/o tactician dubbed “one of the best”