All posts by z3u9t.icu

Crystal Palace are keen on signing Chelsea defender Marc Guehi, according to The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Guehi profiled

The 20-year-old centre-back has 18 months of senior football under his belt.

He joined Swansea City during the second half of the 2019/20 campaign and spent the whole of the 2020/21 season in Wales, making a total of 59 appearances during that time.

Guehi, an England Under-21 international, has over two years remaining on his Stamford Bridge deal, worth £4,900-a-week.

His Transfermarkt valuation has skyrocketed over the last 18 months to £9m, and it seems as if the Eagles are tracking his situation.

The Latest: Woosnam and Fifield’s claim

The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam and Dominic Fifield shared an inside story on Nuno Espirito Santo’s move to Selhurst Park falling through on Wednesday.

In that piece, they suggested Guehi is a target for Palace, though it is not clear whether Steve Parish and co are hoping for a loan or permanent move.

The Verdict: Two manager targets know him well

Frank Lampard and Steve Cooper have both re-emerged as candidates to take over at Selhurst Park, and the pair will know Guehi well.

Cooper described Guehi as ‘brilliant’ last month and he was the man who has handed the Blues ace his first taste of senior football.

Lampard was in charge of Chelsea at the time of Guehi sealing his loan moves to Swansea, so you’d expect he would have agreed to the temporary deals with a view towards utilising the youngster further down the line.

Both managers may well end up targeting the youngster, should they take over from Roy Hodgson, but fans will have to remain patient for transfer activity given the current managerial situation.

In other news: Many Palace fans fume at specific Nuno Espirito Santo details, find out more here. 

Glasgow Rangers fans are far from happy with comments from BBC journalist Chris McLaughlin on Twitter in the build-up to their trophy celebrations on Saturday.

This weekend, the Gers will finally be able to lift the Premiership trophy – the title itself has long since been won. Unfortunately, fans will be unable to be inside Ibrox to take in the trophy ceremony after the clash against Aberdeen, but there is likely to be plenty of supporters celebrating together in Glasgow.

McLaughlin, who is banned from Ibrox after previous negative stories against the Gers (The Daily Record), previously said Rangers are unhappy with other gatherings taking place in the city over the past few days, such as the Solidarity with Palestine protest in Govan Square – Rangers have been forced to implore fans to refrain from meeting up in large groups.

When asked about his comments on Twitter, McLaughlin revealed he had chats and message exchanges with those close to to the story. This attracted plenty of attention from the fans, and they took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

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

“No one at Rangers gives you the time of day, we treat you with the contempt you deserve so you are lying”

Credit: @Sweeney_T_SPB

“Liar.”

Credit: @christywhyte1

“So basically an outright lie then Chris?”

Credit: @pauljpwilson

“That’s about as vague as you can get Chris…..”

Credit: @TommyStark1980

“Just spouting utter nonsense again McLaughlin…. hope you never get the opportunity to darken our door again!”

Credit: @_fadgie_

“No. Chris is just a rangers hater and and negative angle he can put on a rangers story gets him stiff.”

Credit: @mancalledczar

In other news, Rangers eye this Ligue 1 star.

Andy Carroll will learn his Newcastle fate on Thursday, according to Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder.

The lowdown

The 32-year-old is approaching the end of his contract at St James’ Park, having rejoined the Magpies ahead of the 2019/20 season after being released by West Ham.

Carroll has made 22 appearances in all competitions this season, with his only goal coming in a 2-1 defeat to Leicester in March.

The striker is one of a number of Toon players out of contract in June. The group also includes wingers Jacob Murphy and Christian Atsu, centre-back Federico Fernandez and midfielder Henri Saivet.

The latest

Carroll was an unused substitute as Newcastle beat Fulham 2-0 at Craven Cottage on the final day of the Premier League season, and Ryder speculated that his ‘thumbs up towards the stands’ may have been a goodbye.

The Chronicle Live reporter added that the former Liverpool striker will be told whether he is being released later this week, with Mike Ashley possibly having the ‘final word’.

The verdict

Carroll’s time at Newcastle would appear to be up. He hasn’t made enough of a contribution since he returned to Tyneside two years ago, scoring just once in 43 appearances in that time.

Given that he’s now 32, it’s probably in his interests to be playing regular football in a division such as the Championship rather than occupying a bit-part role at Newcastle.

The priority for Ashley should be to extend the contract of Murphy, whose impressive run of form was instrumental in steering Newcastle to safety.

In other news, Newcastle have reportedly held talks with this Championship defender. 

Crystal Palace have been handed a fresh blow in their quest to find their next manager…

What’s the word?

According to former Celtic winger Davie Provan, Eddie Howe won’t be going to the Eagles this summer as his move to Parkhead is a “done deal.” He told Go Radio (via Daily Record):

“I don’t think for a moment Dermot Desmond would have exposed himself to the possibility of being embarrassed by Eddie Howe. And Eddie Howe himself has chosen not to rule himself out. So reading between the lines I think there’s an agreement, I think it’s a done deal,” he said.

Provan later added: “I don’t think for a moment that Eddie Howe is going to take a Crystal Palace, I don’t think Dermot Desmond would leave himself open to that embarrassment.”

Huge blow

Only last month, Football Insider reported that the former Bournemouth manager was on Palace’s three-man shortlist and had even held talks with Steve Parish and the club’s hierarchy. If that’s true, then the Selhurst Park owner and CEO is in line for a devastating blow following these fresh claims that Howe is heading for the Glasgow giants.

The Eagles still do not know who will be in charge next season, as with Roy Hodgson’s contract set to expire, the 73-year-old veteran seems likely to be heading for the exit.

Palace were set to be boosted by the fact that Howe was ‘not close’ to any club and was waiting until the summer to decide his future, but the comments from Provan are hard to ignore.

The 43-year-old was largely the mastermind behind the Cherries’ rise through the leagues – across two stints on the south coast, he took charge of 454 matches, winning 42% of those. That is a better return than Hodgson at Palace, with the former England boss managing a poor win rate of just 33%.

Howe, a three-time winner of the Premier League’s ‘Manager of the Month’ award, managed to keep Bournemouth in the top flight for four straight seasons until their unfortunate relegation last year, but in reality, they were always punching above their weight under him.

To lose out on him is certainly a blow to Parish considering he was amongst his top three options. He will likely be gutted that the 43-year-old appears Celtic-bound.

AND in other news, Fresh twist emerges in Crystal Palace managerial hunt, it’s bad news for Parish…

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer has admitted that he is not Danny Rose’s biggest fan.

This comes after another former Leeds star, Paddy Kenny, suggested that the Yorkshire club should look to re-sign the 30-year-old this summer.

Leeds’ search for a new left-back has been well-documented, with Ezgjan Alioski set to leave Elland Road when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The Whites have been linked with the likes of Ajax’s Nicolas Tagliafico and Crystal Palace man Patrick van Aanholt.

Like Van Aanholt, Rose will be a free agent in the summer and has loads of Premier League experience, so he could be an option worth exploring.

Palmer, though, remains far from convinced. On the Tottenham defender, he told TT in an exclusive interview:

“I’m not a big fan of Danny Rose. As a person, I think he’s a really decent person. But as a player, I’m not a big fan of his, to be fair.”

Rose, who came through the youth ranks at Leeds, is not currently a part of Spurs’ Premier League squad after being excluded by former manager Jose Mourinho.

Even with the Portuguese coach now gone, the England international’s future still looks to be away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as his contract continues to run down.

Speaking to the press before Tottenham Hotspur take on Newcastle United in the Premier League this afternoon (via football.london), Lilywhites manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed that defender Ben Davies will miss the encounter through injury alongside Matt Doherty. 

Mourinho confirms Ben Davies absence

Davies, who was withdrawn from the Wales squad by assistant manager Robert Page, suffered a ‘significant’ blow whilst on international duty – and Mourinho has confirmed he won’t play a part today at St. James’ Park.

The 27-year-old, who the Lilywhites boss recently described as ‘amazing’ to the official Spurs app when he was given the captain’s armband against Wolfsberger in the Europa League (via the Boot Room), will miss Newcastle alongside fellow defender Doherty.

It is not all bad news, however, with Mourinho revealing that both Heung-min Son and Sergio Reguilon are ready to take part against the Magpies.

Transfer Tavern take

Tottenham will be looking to continue their Premier League form overall amid growing pressure on the Spurs boss, with the Lilywhites having won four out of their last five matches domestically.

However, dismal results in the north London derby and Europa League make this clash against Newcastle one of many must-win encounters as Spurs look to salvage a strong end to the season.

In other news: BT Sport pundit left stunned by this Dele Alli development, find out more here.

Carlo Ancelotti could discover his dream midfield pairing by unleashing Isaac Price as the Everton product seemingly nears his senior debut.

The 17-year-old was named on the bench at Brighton & Hove Albion as the Blues were held to a draw on Monday night for his first taste of a first-team matchday, as Ancelotti sought to manage an injury-ravished squad.

But while injuries may have helped his sudden promotion, the Liverpool Echo have claimed that Ancelotti would not have included Price if he did not believe the teenager was ready for the challenge.

Ancelotti is understood to have been impressed by how Price has been performing in first-team training sessions ever since he first joined the Italian’s fold earlier this month, and sought to reward those efforts with a seat on the bench at the Amex Stadium.

It marked the latest step in a continued rapid rise for the Northern Ireland youth international, who only signed his first professional contract just over six months ago.

Price impressed club figures with his efforts in Paul Tait’s Under 18s quickly enough that he was awarded his U23s debut by David Unsworth this January, and is already now pushing the fringes of the first-team fold.

The U17 international, who represented England at U15 level, has only made eight appearances in Unsworth’s side thus far, with his latest coming in a 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers last Friday.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-everton-news-and-views” title=”Latest Everton news and views!”]

Price also has a further keen supporter in Everton legend Leighton Baines, who is noted to have helped the leggy midfielder settle both socially and professionally as he made the step up from U18s to U23s and now the first-team.

Unsworth now expects Price to be given further opportunities to impress Ancelotti, and is excited to see how the youngster continues to develop.

“Isaac is a box-to-box midfielder. He is a great passer, he’s got a bit of everything,” Unsworth said. “He still has to develop physically, as you can see, he’s not the finished article physically, but that will come.

“That’s just time, hours and hours in the gym, which he already does on his own individual programme. That’s something that will come naturally in time.

“Another pre-season will help him, whether that is with us or the first-team, it really doesn’t matter. It’s really exciting and I’m looking forward to working with him next season.”

But Ancelotti looking to unleash Price much sooner than the summer could see the Everton boss begin to discover potentially his dream midfield unit, and realising that his ideal Andre Gomes upgrade is already at Finch Farm.

The characteristics that Unsworth praises Price for in being a box-to-box presence with “a bit of everything” echoes similar claims that Ancelotti has previously laid at Abdoulaye Doucoure, his £20m summer signing from Watford.

“Abdoulaye is a fantastic midfielder, a complete midfielder,” Ancelotti said, via quotes by FourFourTwo, earlier in the season. “He can defend well. He is a box-to-box midfielder. He can bring energy to the club and a different quality.

“We don’t have midfielders with his kinds of characteristics. We have midfielders with quality and midfielders who are tactically good. He is the only one who is box-to-box.”

Ancelotti may soon get the chance to see a pairing of Doucoure and Price in training with the Frenchman expected to overcome his fractured foot to play again this season, which could see the Everton boss discover a box office unit if the youngster is unleashed.

AND in other news, an “outstanding” talent is keen to join Everton this summer, but there’s a hitch…

If you look down at the list of players currently on Wolves’ books, you’ll notice a host of forgotten names.

The number of players they have earning a salary is remarkable with no fewer than 26 loan deals being sanctioned by the club’s hierarchy throughout the current campaign.

One of those players to be shipped out was Leo Bonatini. The Brazilian striker is currently on loan with Swiss club Grasshopper where he’s scored seven goals in 24 outings.

It’s not a poor tally but unfortunately, it’s nowhere close to being prolific; something that tells a sorry tale of Bonatini’s last few years.

Signed in 2017 on an initial loan deal from Saudi side Al-Hilal, he then joined Wolves on a permanent basis for £3.6m in 2018 after scoring 12 goals in their triumphant promotion-winning campaign.

His value rose to £4.5m but he very quickly fell behind Raul Jimenez in the pecking order. Bonatini has still only played seven games since signing on a permanent basis and now aged 26, he is doing little to prove he deserves the wage he’s earning at Molineux.

Bonatini has had three separate loan spells now. The first was with Nottingham Forest where he failed to score in five appearances. He headed to Portugal for the 2019/20 season where the striker beat the goalkeeper on six occasions in 28 outings.

A third temporary move has followed to Grasshopper but he is surely rapidly approaching the end of his Wolves career. Diogo Jota may have left but they have signed both Willian Jose and Fabio Silva this term.

That has only shoved Bonatini further down the pecking order with two years left on his deal in the Midlands.

Having shown such inconsistent form over the last few years, Jeff Shi would be wise to wield the axe on his Premier League stay. Unfortunately, they are unlikely to recoup much of the fee they spent on the Brazilian three years ago.

That’s because according to Transfermarkt, his value has plummeted by a considerable 80%. From being worth £4.5m in 2018, he is now estimated at just £900k.

It’s hardly surprising, though. Bonatini has been nothing short of average and it’s rather peculiar that Wolves even spent a transfer fee on him heading into the Premier League. Like many at the same time; Roderick Miranda and Rafa Mir included, their careers haven’t prospered under Nuno Santo.

It’s time for Bonatini to follow what happened to Miranda in January and leave the club for good; the £35k-per-week earner isn’t good enough.

AND in other news, Shi masterclass: Wolves could finally replace Jota by signing “electric” £27k-p/w star…

Barry Fry has urged Southampton to sell Danny Ings this summer rather than keeping him at the club and letting him leave for free next season.

Fry makes Ings claim

Ings has been heavily linked with Manchester City (Sky Sports) as he closes in on the last year of his contract (Transfermarkt). So far, he is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal at St Mary’s.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Peterborough’s director of football has urged the Saints to let Ings leave rather than losing him on a free transfer. Fry said:

“Well, I think because it’s Manchester City, Southampton will ask for £100 million, but they won’t get nowhere near that.

“Southampton have done absolutely amazing in the transfer market when they’ve sold some of their young players, but Ings isn’t young.

“He’s an established player. And, unfortunately, he’s had a few injuries. He’s a great player, he scores great goals, and he works his socks off, no doubt about that. He could contribute to every team in the Premier League.”

“However, Southampton could ask for more than what Man City is willing to pay. And I hope that doesn’t happen, because he has been a great servant to Southampton. And I think if he’s got a year left, then obviously if he doesn’t sign another contract he can walk out in a year’s time on a free transfer, but that’s a waste of a year.

“It’s a waste of money that Southampton can get, and invest on other players. For what Danny Ings has done for Southampton, he should have the opportunity to move into a top club. They shouldn’t stand in his way. But at the same time, Man City’s got to pay a proper transfer fee.”

Spot on

Since making the move to the south coast from Liverpool, the £19.8m-valued Ings has been a revelation. In 92 games in all competitions for the Saints, he has netted 42 goals, and he has even been picked for England thanks to his performances at St Mary’s.

However, it seems that he may not be eager to stay at his current club for too long. His contract situation is well documented (talkSPORT), and his injuries means Southampton do not have as valuable an asset as they once possessed.

If they do sell him this summer, they will still get their hands on a considerable transfer fee. Otherwise, they could lose him for nothing in 2022 and will find it harder to bring in a replacement. If Ings is not willing to sign a contract extension, Southampton must sell him while they still can, as Fry has hinted.

In other news, numerous Southampton fans react to an update on this 24-year-old.

In a recent interview, Paul Robinson heaped a considerable amount of praise on Glasgow Rangers centre-forward, Jermain Defoe, after footage of the Gers man emerged.

In the footage posted by Rangers TV, an emotional Defoe discussed Rangers’ title win, touching on how much the championship meant to him personally as well as to the club as a whole.

And, in reaction, Robinson – who played with Defoe at Tottenham Hotspur – claimed it was “incredible” to see his old friend win his first league title at the age of 38, before stating his belief that Steven Gerrard will be doing everything in his power to keep Defoe at Ibrox next season.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “It is incredible to see him get a title at this stage of his career. I played with Jermain for quite a bit of my career, I spent a lot of time with him for club and country and let me tell you, he is an infectious character.

“I know he will be loving life up there at the moment. I am sure Steven will be doing everything he can to keep him there for another year after what they have just achieved.”

Transfer Tavern Take

Since joining Rangers on what was originally a season-long loan deal that the club went on to make a permanent move last summer, Defoe has scored 29 goals and provided 10 assists over his 66 appearances for Gers.

And, although the 38-year-old has found his playing time more limited this season, featuring just 11 times in the Scottish Premiership, he has undoubtedly contributed to Rangers’ title win, scoring two goals and providing one assist serving in a back-up role.

Having said that, with Defoe’s contract set to expire at the end of the season and the centre-forward reported to be earning a whopping £65,000 per week at Gers, Robinson’s claim that Gerrard will be doing all he can to keep the striker at the club this summer may depend on the striker’s willingness to take a pay cut.

In other news: some Rangers fans slammed this politician’s comments – find out more here!