All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic are set to lose defender Jack Hendry this summer, with Belgian side KV Oostende planning to make his move permanent.

That’s according to an exclusive report from Football Insider, who claimed that Oostende will activate their £1.75m clause to sign Hendry long-term.

Premier League interest in Hendry

The likes of Aston Villa, Brighton, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Newcastle United, West Ham and Wolves have all been credited with an interest in the 25-year-old recently, with a £10m fee being touted.

However, Football Insider believe that the fee would likely be half that sum at £5m, still resulting in a nice profit for the Belgian side.

Transfer Tavern talk

The Hoops signed Hendry for £1.44m back in 2018 from Dundee. It seems as if they’ll make a £310,000 profit on the central defender, but it could have been so much more for the Parkhead club.

It appears as if a £5m move to England could materialise ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, meaning Celtic will have to watch on and miss out on a potential £3.56m profit had they shown more patience with him.

Hendry, who has made 23 Jupiler Pro League appearances this season, was still under contract at Celtic until 2022. However, due to the inclusion of the aforementioned clause, it looks as if he’ll be moving on for good over the coming months.

In other news: Former Celtic director makes bold Desmond ownership claim, find out more here.

Tayo Edun has been voted the FLW Fans’ League One Player of the Month for January.

In a poll run by fan engagement experts Snack Media, the midfielder took 35% of the vote after scoring one goal in Lincoln’s win against AFC Wimbledon and assisting one in their victory against Northampton. Accrington’s Nathan Baxter was in second place with 19%.

In the third of five votes carried out over seven days via Snack Media’s digital and social networks, the Englishman’s performances seemed to win over League One fans up and down the country.

The full list of contenders from the final shortlist polled as follows:

● Tayo Edun (Lincoln City) – 35%

● Nathan Baxter (Accrington) – 19%

● Stephen Humphrys (Rochdale) – 16%

● Taylor Richards (Doncaster) – 14%

● Josh Ruffels (Oxford) – 12%

● Jake Forster-Caskey (Charlton) – 4%

The League Two vote opens at 11am on Wednesday 10th February. To vote go to: http://bit.ly/36EBNZ6

Dean Windass spoke exclusively with Football FanCast and hailed Sergio Aguero as a legend of Manchester City, even if he leaves this summer.

The Argentine is Manchester City’s all-time record goalscorer with 256 goals in all competitions and a staggering 180 in the Premier League.

Aguero scored the goal which won Man City their first-ever Premier League title with a 94th-minute strike against QPR in the famous 3-2 win on the final day of the 2011/12 season.

The striker joined City from Athletico Madrid in 2011 for just £36 million and has easily become one of the club’s most loved and talented players in their history.

Despite being 32-years-old, Pep Guardiola still relies on the striker when fit to be the talisman of the team and in doing so he keeps Gabriel Jesus out the side.

Jesus was signed to be the heir to Aguero’s throne, however, it hasn’t gone to plan for the Brazillian as he’s been unable to show good enough form to dislodge Aguero as the main man at the Etihad.

There have been rumours that City’s leading goal scorer will depart for pastures new as he enters the twilight years of his career after giving his best years to City and helping them become a dominant force in the Premier League.

Dean Windass exclusively told Football FanCast that he believes Aguero has given his all to City, but Jesus would not believe to leave the same legacy.

He said: “He’s not past his sell-by date but I think he’s done enough for Man City to walk away as a legend.

“Jesus can’t walk away as a legend. They’ll say he was a great player, I’m not saying he isn’t a great player because he is, but not in the same bracket as Aguero.

“So, when Aguero leaves the club, like Vincent Kompany, he’ll leave as a legend.”

Aguero, who reportedly earns £230,000-a-week, has been at the Etihad for 10 years now and will turn 33-years old later in June. It may be the right way for both to part ways, especially if City can win the league and their first-ever Champions League.

After David Silva left last year without saying goodbye to the fans in person City will be desperate for fans to get back into stadiums to give their best every striker a good send-off.

When you narrow down the transfer business that every Premier League club is set to do this January, Leeds’ expectations will probably be somewhere near the bottom.

It’s unlikely they will add any bodies but an exceptional circumstance may have presented itself to Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta.

What’s the word?

Last month, it was revealed that former Chelsea striker Diego Costa would be leaving Atletico Madrid on a free transfer.

The forward’s contract was set to expire at the end of the season but he had his terms in Spain mutually terminated.

As a result, a number of clubs have put themselves in the race to land the Spain international. Wolves are one team, but Leeds have now been thrown in the hat by pundit Kevin Phillips.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said:

“They might need someone like Diego Costa, he might be looking at Leeds and thinking: ‘Look at the way they play football, I could score goals in there’,”

“I know he’s been linked with Wolves but he’s a free agent, isn’t he, so it would not surprise me with Bielsa if he pitched up at Leeds.”

Bring him to Elland Road

This is an interesting take from Phillips and it will be interesting to see whether Orta tries to pursue this deal.

Last January, they got things horrifically wrong they brought Jean-Kevin Augustin to the club. On paper, it looked an eye-catching addition. However, what followed was just 48 minutes of football and a legal battle after Leeds refused to pay their obligation to buy the striker from RB Leipzig.

Consequently, Bielsa may think twice before green-lighting a transfer this January. Though, if they do choose to sign anyone, they wouldn’t go too far wrong with Costa.

Patrick Bamford is having a fabulous season with ten Premier League goals in 16 outings, but the man in question here is a proven international footballer. He’s capped 24 times and has enjoyed enormous success throughout Europe.

It would also give Leeds a different option in attack and provide a quality they haven’t necessarily had since the days of Chris Wood. The Kiwi was a brute in the air and used his seismic strength to bully opponents.

That’s exactly what Costa does too. For context, the former Atleti attacker won 3.1 aerial duels this season in La Liga, which is only 0.2 below the number Wood amassed in his final campaign at Elland Road.

Speaking about the 32-year-old in 2019, Diego Simeone typified him perfectly: “Costa is a beast, he’s raring to go, he’s ambitious and as everyone knows, he’s a warrior.”

This would be a brilliant addition, especially on a free transfer. Costa could carry Leeds to a top-half finish.

AND in other news, Forget Rodrigo: Leeds must move for “extraordinary” £30m gem, Orta has found Pablo 2.0…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey has heaped praise on Rangers duo Allan McGregor and James Tavernier for their performances this season.

The former Newcastle and Manchester City centre-back waxed lyrical about McGregor and Tavernier when speaking exclusively to FFC earlier this week.

Veteran goalkeeper McGregor has quickly re-established himself as the first choice between the sticks since returning to Ibrox on a two-year deal.

And Tavernier, who has arguably been one of Steven Gerrard’s best and most consistent players, seems to have found an entirely new level over the past 12 months.

The club captain has now scored 17 goals this season as he continues to rack up astonishing numbers from right-back as Gerrard’s side edge closer to Scottish Premiership title glory.

When asked by Football FanCast to name Rangers’ best player this season so far, Howey went one step further than that, by saying that both players have been immense for Gerrard’s band of merry men.

Here’s what he had to say about McGregor and Tavernier when speaking exclusively to Football FanCast:

“With Rangers, the two players that have stood out for me this season – and all of them really have done very well, everyone’s chipping in – but Tavernier, some of the goals he has scored from set-pieces and Allan McGregor the goalkeeper (stand out) but, I think all of them have done very well.

“If you take Tavernier, for example. He was at Newcastle and this is why I’ve got such admiration for these players because ultimately, they’ve been rejected.

“We’ve seen so many good players who have been at clubs and have been released and not come back because they’ve let the rejection get to them.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, the likes of Adam Armstrong, Ivan Toney and Tavernier have all suffered massive setbacks but they’ve come good.

“And again, I’m delighted for Tavernier, I think he’s been excellent this season.”

Tavernier has even managed to turn his domestic form into two goals and three assists in six Europa Lague appearances, whilst he’s clearly turning heads amid interest from clubs south of the border.

It’s no surprise, then, that his market value has soared, as he is currently valued at £7.2m via Transfermarkt, which is a dramatic increase in his market value last year.

This means that any potential move away from Ibrox won’t come cheap, with Gerrard reluctant to sell any of his key men in the January transfer window as he bids to stop Celtic from ten in a row.

Both men are two of the most seasoned and experienced members of the squad and it’s unlikely that the board would be willing to let both players leave halfway through the season, especially when they find themselves leading the title race at the top of the table.

Rangers fans will hope that the two men picked out by Howey continue to shine and lead Rangers to the title.

AND in other news, Rangers loanee Kai Kennedy showed his class against Hearts…

Dean Smith must unleash Ross Barkley against Wolverhampton Wanderers a week on Saturday amid reports Aston Villa could welcome the Chelsea loanee back from injury.

Barkley missed the Villans’ 2-1 defeat at West Ham United on Monday night after sustaining a hamstring strain inside the opening minute of last month’s loss at home to Brighton and Hove Albion.

The blow was expected to see the 26-year-old miss two fixtures but could sit out just the Irons affair, after Friday’s clash with Newcastle United was postponed amid an outbreak of coronavirus at the Toon’s Darsley Park training facilities.

Smith will gain the short-term benefit of having longer to prepare for next week’s Midlands Derby with Wolves as a result of Friday’s fixture being pushed back, and could receive some welcome news once Barkley undergoes further assessments on his hamstring injury.

According to the Express and Star, there is a chance the Chelsea midfielder will be passed fit to face Nuno Espirito Santo’s high-flying Wolves, who sit two points above the Villans in seventh ahead of visiting Premier League title-holders Liverpool on Sunday night.

Smith is mindful of the risk in rushing Barkley back from injury ahead of Villa’s packed festive schedule, which sees the Birmingham-based outfit play five games in 16 days between December 12’s derby with Wolves and a trip to Chelsea on the 28th.

Villa are hopeful scans over the next week will reveal Barkley has overcome his hamstring strain, allowing the £19.35-rated midfielder to earn his seventh Premier League start in claret and blue.

Barkley had started Villa’s last six top-flight fixtures and provided a hand in two goals (one scored, one assisted), having taken over duties in midfield from Conor Hourihane.

Smith accepts Hourihane was disappointed with being benched and left to play just 15 minutes before replacing Barkley at West Ham on Monday, but his reasoning for switching the Republic of Ireland international out for the Chelsea talent would justify doing so again at Wolves.

“Conversations can be difficult but if you’re just speaking to the players with honesty then you usually find a way through that,” Smith said, via quotes by BirminghamLive. “I wouldn’t say it’s easy but it’s part and parcel of your job.

“We’d played two, won two and Conor had come off in both games. We signed Ross and I felt we needed to go a different way against Liverpool given who we were playing against. I explained that to Conor and, yes, he was disappointed because he had been involved in the first two games, but we felt we’d brought in a real, high-calibre, different type of player.”

Smith will need to go in a different direction against Wolves than he did against West Ham, with Hourihane offering no tackles, interceptions, clearances, aerial duels won, dribbles attempted or key balls at the London Stadium while directing one of his two shots off target, per WhoScored.

Barkley, meanwhile, continues to rank highest among the Villans’ midfielders for his number of successful dribbles (2.18), shots taken (2.0), key passes (3.09) and second-most final third passes (14.55) per 90 minutes in the Premier League, per SofaScore, despite his injury.

AND in other news, Dean Smith must demand more from his “erratic” £75,000-per-week Aston Villa favourite.

Sunderland are currently stuck in limbo, unable to train and also unable to take to the playing field.

They have had their next three games postponed because of an outbreak of COVID-19 and the Academy of Light has been shut until at least the 27th December.

Therefore, perhaps a dose of transfer news could bring supporters some light relief.

What’s the word?

It’ll be interesting to see how Sunderland go about their business once the January transfer window rolls around.

Of course, this is the first market that both Kristjaan Speakman and Lee Johnson have had to attack as a duo. They will, however, need to keep in mind the potential takeover that may happen within the next few weeks.

Irrespective of that, Speakman and the manager will have their own targets, one of which has now been revealed.

According to Gloucestershire Live, Sunderland are interested in signing Barnsley winger Luke Thomas. They face competition from Oxford United and several other League One clubs so it won’t be a straightforward pursuit.

It’s not known whether a permanent or temporary switch would be preferred but Thomas is valued at just £720,000 via Transfermarkt. He also currently earns a wage of £6k-per-week at the Tykes.

Bye-bye McGeady

The Irishman’s future at the Stadium of Light remains unclear since the new manager came in. Under Phil Parkinson he looked destined to leave but Johnson threw the experienced winger into his starting XI at the first time of asking.

However, Sunderland have a tight EFL salary cap to contend with and considering McGeady is still on £31k-a-week, he could be one of the first out the door. Signing another winger in Thomas, therefore, won’t help his cause at all.

Though, this shouldn’t be a bad thing, particularly because the 21-year-old would help give the Mackems something they desperately lack – pace.

Speaking last week about Jack Diamond and the upcoming transfer window, Johnson said: “When I was at Yeovil with my dad, he needed a stretch player and he signed a lad called Adam Stansfield for what turned out to be a bag of footballs, and he just enabled the rest of the players to play.”

Johnson continued: “That was the attribute I was looking for in our team, and it is well-known that we are looking for that type of player but, at the same time, if we have already got it in our ranks then there’s no need to sign one.”

Diamond has already scored under the new coaching team but it would be foolish to ignore the fact that Thomas is available.

He hasn’t netted this season but registered a haul of four goals and five assists in League One for Coventry in 2018/19. Crucially, however, is the youngster’s ability to stretch defences.

During that spell, Mark Robins noted: “He has got a lot of ability, with a lot of pace as well.”

Enough said, Sunderland need to sign Thomas next month. He could be game-changing in the race for promotion.

AND in other news, Sunderland ace with “fantastic strength” is the biggest winner from Johnson’s arrival…

Football Insider have claimed that Marcelo Bielsa will bring in Liam Cooper to replace Ezgjan Alioski for Leeds United against Leicester City.

The Whites have been excellent this term after returning to England’s top flight following a 16-year hiatus, producing some excellent displays such as the draw with Manchester City and 3-0 win at Aston Villa.

Bielsa is now preparing for Monday’s tie with Leicester and the Argentine has the welcome return of Liam Cooper to his squad. The captain had been out injured and missed the game against Dean Smith’s side, but Bielsa revealed that the defender was set to return against Brendan Rodgers’ side.

What have Football Insider said about Cooper’s return?

With Cooper fully expected to come back into the starting XI on Monday evening, Football Insider have claimed that he will replace utility player Ezgjan Alioski. Ex-Leeds striker Noel Whelan, who speaks often to the website, feels that such a move would be unfortunate on the North Macedonian. He said:

“It would be (harsh), it would be but I think all the players now know and realise under Marcelo Bielsa there will be certain changes whether you win, lose or draw.

“To bring certain people in to get round pegs back in round holes, rather than square pegs in round holes. He (Alioski) has done exceptionally well, he knows his role at the club, as does everybody, that if a certain player is to be fit for a certain game, they will be dropped to the bench.

“That is what a team is all about, that is why you have a squad and you have certain players that can understand that role they have to play within the team. It’s going to be a long season, he’s going to be called upon again, no doubt.

“What he has done is shown his professionalism and he’s capable to be at Leeds United and deal with the Premier League.” 

Alioski set for a new deal at Leeds

The 28-year-old North Macedonia international is now into the final months of his current deal at Elland Road. Having featured 138 times for the Whites during his time with the club, Alioski has proven to be a key member of the squad, playing in a variety of positions under Bielsa.

Football Insider broke the news of Leeds’ plans to push for a new deal, also saying that the winger remains a key player for Bielsa.

READ MORE: Alioski set to receive contract offer from Leeds United…

Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard got what he wanted when Ross Wilson signed Bongani Zungu from French Ligue 2 side Amiens on an initial loan deal with an option to buy before the close of play on transfer deadline day.

What’s the word?

After impressing on his Premiership debut in the 8-0 victory over Hamilton Academical, Zungu showed his credentials once again with another strong performance earlier this week.

South Africa returned to winning ways after suffering a shock defeat to Zambia last month by beating Sao Tome and Principe 2-0. A goal from Percy Tau broke the deadlock after the break before the Rangers star came off the bench to secure the victory in the closing stages of the game with a well-timed header.

Coach Molefi Ntseki replaced Kamohelo Mokotjo with Zungu in the second half and he made an immediate impact, popping up in possession and marshalling the midfield. He then put the game to bed by heading home a corner kick from Keagan Dolly. Imbued with new belief, Bafana Bafana bounced back with what turned out to be a comfortable 2-0 win in the end.

Watch out Arfield!

Zungu has recently returned from a self-isolation period and has already been able to hit the ground running for his new club and for his country, having made his first-team debut after replacing Ryan Jack at half-time in the win at home against Hamilton.

Let’s face it, Rangers are blessed with a wealth of midfield options consisting of Scott Arfield, Joe Aribo, Steven Davis, Glen Kamara and Ryan Jack,  but if there’s one underlying weakness, it’s that Gerrard has lacked a genuine goal-scoring, box-to-box midfielder who can put the pressure on the opposition for some time. At least, that’s until Zungu arrived at Ibrox.

Only Arfield and Aribo have managed to score more than once in all competitions so far this season and the goals from the midfield have once again started to dry up, as Arfield has only scored one goal in the past six games, whilst Aribo has been shifted to the right-wing in recent weeks.

Once lauded as a “special” player by Vitoria de Guimaraes sporting director Flavio Meireles, Zungu played 21 games in Ligue 1 last season, whilst he made one clearance and more than one tackle per game, via WhoScored. Ultimately, it came to nothing, but the well-rounded, all-action powerhouse did enough to pique the Gers’ interest.

By comparison, Arfield only managed fewer than one clearance per game in the Scottish Premiership last term, as per WhoScored.

Steven Davis and Ryan Jack have performed admirably in recent weeks, so the 32-year-old may find himself nervously looking over his shoulder as the South African continues to stake a claim for a place in the starting line-up in the not too distant future. Zungu has scored 14 goals and supplied 9 assists in all competitions in his club career so far and Gers fans will be hoping he will be able to find the back of the net after the international break.

AND in other news, Rangers handed huge boost after Steven Davis returns to Northern Ireland training…

As Tottenham Hotspur effectively seal a £27.5 million move to sign Sergio Reguilon from Real Madrid, with personal terms agreed and the player accepting to join Jose Mourinho’s side (Fabrizio Romano), some critics could be wondering where that leaves left-back Ryan Sessegnon. 

The Englishman, who endured a difficult first campaign in north London after completing a £25 million move from Fulham in the summer of 2019, starting just four Premier League games all season, now faces an even bigger challenge as Reguilon enters the fray.

By comparison, the Spaniard enjoyed a stellar breakthrough season on loan at Sevilla while Sessegnon was left languishing on the sidelines – helping Los Palanganas to a Europa League title and a finish in the top four. 

This prompted intense interest from the likes of Man United and Tottenham, with the latter club going on to agree a move, and now Sessegnon may face an even bigger battle to get into the first team.

Left-back Ben Davies had been preferred over the 20-year-old before Reguilon’s developments, with the Daily Mail also confirming that Sessegnon is ‘certain’ to be shipped out on loan once the transfer has been completed.

After splashing a significant investment on the youngster last season, Levy going over that Sessegnon fee to land Reguilon for £27.5m could spell warning signs for the defender.

Now, given the club are reportedly looking for a winger, a slight glimmer of hope would be potentially playing further forward on the left side in coming seasons – with teammate Danny Rose describing him as a ‘big threat’ in the past.

Valued at around £22.5 million by Transfermarkt, it’s also a possibility that Levy could be looking to recuperate the funds spent on Sessegnon whilst cutting the club’s losses – with Reguilon seemingly putting huge question marks around the player’s future.

Spurs fans, does the Reguilon news spell danger for Sessegnon? Have your say in the comments below…