All posts by z3u9t.icu

The Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser believes that a loan move with an option to buy for Alphonse Areola would be West Ham’s preferred option this summer.

Areola spent last season in London on loan at Fulham, making 37 appearances in all competitions for the Cottagers and kept ten clean sheets.

The French shot-stopper isn’t the only goalkeeper the Hammers have looked at, as according to ESPN they have been linked with a move for West Bromwich Albion’s Sam Johnstone.

However, Rosser believes that Areola is the preferred choice because he would likely be cheaper, telling TT: “I think a loan for Areola with an option to buy would be the preference, but that one seems to be taking a little bit longer than anyone expected. I think he’d be a fantastic option.”

Areola has an impressive CV that features the likes of Real Madrid, Villarreal and RC Lens on there, and after his parent club PSG concluded a deal for Italian goalkeeper Gigi Donnarumma, Areola may find himself short of game time in the French capital if he chooses to stay there beyond the summer.

After an impressive campaign in the Premier League last season, where the Hammers finished sixth, David Moyes will be hoping to strengthen his squad this summer to help West Ham mount another charge on the top four next season.

Celtic ace Ryan Christie is said to be attracting interest from French Ligue 1 duo Monaco and Nice [Sunday Post via Daily Record].

The Lowdown: Exits expected as Celtic rebuild for 2021/22

As Celtic continue preparations for the 2021/22 season, multiple senior players are expected to leave the Parkhead club in the current transfer window.

Odsonne Edouard has been heavily linked with a move to Leicester City, whilst centre-back Kristoffer Ajer has commanded attention from Bayer Leverkusen and Newcastle United [The Northern Echo].

However, 26-year-old attacking midfielder Christie could be set to become the first casualty of Ange Postecoglou’s tenure following recent developments.

The Latest: Christie could depart for just £1 million

Christie is a target for French clubs Monaco and Nice as his Celtic deal nears its expiration. He is also said to be very keen on a move to Ligue 1 [Daily Record].

Abnormally, the Scotland international’s contract is set to expire in January 2022 instead of next summer.

Celtic would rather recoup a fee for Christie in the present window than lose him for nothing in January and are duly poised to demand a fee of just £1m from prospective bidders to relinquish his services [Daily Record].

The Verdict: Losing Christie for so little will be a bitter blow

Upon reflection, losing one of their key players for a very small fee will surely come as a bitter blow to the Celtic hierarchy.

Despite enduring an inconsistent season in 2020/21 and drawing criticism from fans and pundits alike, Christie still managed 22 goal contributions from 46 outings last term, with seven goals and 15 assists [Transfermarkt].

Previously labelled the ‘complete package’ by former Scotland boss Alex McLeish [Football Insider], the Inverness native made the Premiership WhoScored Team of the Season with an average performance rating of 7.33/10 across the campaign [Sky Sports].

Harshly treated by some within Scotland, Christie’s qualities could flourish in a high-octane top-flight environment in France. Celtic will need to recruit effectively to replace his regular output if indeed he moves to the continent.

In other news, Celtic are locked in talks for a 31-goal frontman.

Lawrie Sanchez is confident that Chris Wilder would get West Brom promoted at the first time of asking, but has revealed he has a concern that the manager wouldn’t have the same “emotional connection” that he had at Sheffield United.

The former Blades boss has been out of management since his sacking at Bramall Lane earlier this year but is the favourite to become the new West Brom boss following the recent departure of Sam Allardyce.

Wilder took the Blades from League One to their highest Premier League finish last term, but paid the price for their struggles this season, which eventually culminated in relegation.

A report from the Telegraph earlier in May said that Wilder was set to hold talks with West Brom about becoming their new manager, although Frank Lampard and Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael are both in the running for the job.

West Brom are going to be amongst the favourites to win promotion straight back to the Premier League, but Wilder has experience of getting a team out of the Championship having led Sheffield United back to the promise land two seasons ago following their second-place finish behind Norwich.

But whilst he wouldn’t have the same ’emotional connection’ with the Baggies, Sanchez told Football FanCast that he would get West Brom promoted.

“If you get the team up you’ve got the golden ticket. It is the Willy Wonka golden ticket getting a team promoted, because what they see it hundreds of millions of quid.

“He’s got to be there or thereabouts. I’m sure he wouldn’t turn it down, but the only difference between Sheffield United and West Brom is that he had an emotional connection with Sheffield United, whereas West Brom is just another job. But I have no doubts that he would take them back up.”

Liverpool are yet to make any contact with Leeds United over the signing of Raphinha, according to Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth.

The Lowdown: Raphinha linked with move away

The 24-year-old is reportedly wanted by Liverpool this summer, following a superb season at Elland Road, having joined from Rennes.

Raphinha was arguably one of Leeds’ best players in an excellent first year back in the Premier League, dazzling supporters with his trickery and enjoying 15 goal contributions (six goals, nine assists).

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The Latest: Journalist provides update

Taking to Twitter to give an update on the current situation, Smyth offered Whites fans some encouragement, claiming Liverpool ‘definitely’ have interest but ‘have never made contact’ regarding signing the Brazilian.

While he does also admit that the Reds will definitely be interested in the idea of snapping up the winger, any potential deal seems a long way off, adding ‘you have to imagine’ a huge bid would be required.

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The Verdict: Exciting

As Smyth alludes to, only a massive offer will be able to prise Raphinha away from Leeds this summer – whether or not Liverpool have those funds remans to be seen.

In an ideal world, the Whites star would remain at the club for many years to come, but unless the team are pushing for European football every season, that seems unlikely.

Raphinha looks to have an incredibly high ceiling, so the sad likelihood is that he will end up moving on to a more successful club.

That said, if the Whites can get a few more good seasons out of him and then cash in for huge profit that would have to be considered a success, so Smyth’s claim that any immediate approach seems unlikely is hugely encouraging.

In other news, Leeds have reportedly set their sights on an established international midfielder this summer. Find out who it is here.

Despite controversially being left out of the England squad, former Hull City ace, Dean Windass, has advised James Ward-Prowse to stay at Southampton amid interest from free-spending Aston Villa.

Many fans were shocked to see Ward-Prowse excluded at the expense of Ben White in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, however, after the performances of both Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips, the England manager appears to have silenced his critics once again.

Something that is less of a surprise is that Ward-Prowse is being linked with a move away from Southampton, with Dean Smith’s Villa reportedly wanting to bring the set-piece specialist to Villa Park this summer.

The £75,000-per-week midfielder’s creativity and dead ball ability would certainly lift pressure off Jack Grealish’s shoulders, but he should reject any advances from Villa to stay with the Saints, according to Windass, who spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“I can’t see Ward-Prowse leaving Southampton for Villa because, in my opinion, I think Southampton will finish above Villa next year.

“Why would he want to leave? He’s captain of Southampton and he’s a big fish in their pond so like I said earlier on, why would he want to go?”

Villa look to be making a big splash in the transfer market this summer having already confirmed the £33million signing of Emiliano Buendia who is coming off the back of yet another title-winning season in the Championship with Norwich City.

Southampton certainly ended up disappointing last season with a relegation battle, but some quality additions on the flanks could turn them into serious contenders in the top-half of the table.

Chris Sutton has suggested Marcelo Bielsa has had his head turned by Tottenham Hotspur as they continue their search for a new manager.

The Lowdown: Spurs interested in Bielsa

Reports have recently suggested Tottenham are interested in hiring the Leeds boss to replace Jose Mourinho as the club’s permanent manager (Football Insider).

Bielsa’s current contract at Elland Road is set run out at the end of the term (The Athletic).

The Latest: Sutton makes Bielsa claim

Speaking on BBC 5Live following a call from a Leeds fan, Sutton suggested the Argentinian has had his head turned by Spurs. He said:

“He’s not signed a new contract with Leeds United. Everybody gets their head turned, everyone gets their head turned. My source is not Marcelo Bielsa, but I will have a word with my source.”

He continued, to Leeds fan Derek: “I understand your point but the fact of the matter is, whether you like it or not, he hasn’t signed a new contract for next season. Is something amiss?”

The Verdict: Why?

Bielsa is a club legend at Leeds United. He was the man to take them back to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years, and they are on course to finish in the top half this campaign. His achievements mean he is adored at Elland Road. He is also a legend across the globe, too – former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has previously admitted to being inspired by the ex-Marseille manager (via Give Me Sport).

Although he has not put pen to paper on a new deal, he has previously said he will wait until the end of the season to contemplate such a move (Sky Sports). While Spurs have more funds and are more established, Bielsa has free reign at Leeds to put the team together as he wishes – whether he would have that freedom at Tottenham is up for debate.

While Levy may be interested, it is hard to see Bielsa making the switch to north London.

In other news, Levy wants to hire this Champions League winner as the new Spurs manager.

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has dropped a ten-word update on Aston Villa’s summer transfer plans.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith’s side have enjoyed a fine Premier League campaign thus far in the grand scheme of things, but have just begun to hit a brick wall in terms of their form – after the weekend draw against relegation-battling West Brom, they’ve now won just once in their last eight games.

Now, Evans has revealed via Twitter that “#AVFC are planning to sign a new striker this summer”, amid a piece reflecting on the impact that Keinan Davis and Wesley will be hoping to make in the closing stages of the season.

Dean Smith will be buzzing

Make no mistake about it, news that Villa are keen on bringing in a new centre-forward this summer to compete with Ollie Watkins, or potentially even usurp him in the starting line-up, will go down very well with Smith.

The Villa boss has surely had his fingers crossed all season that Watkins can stay injury-free and ensure that the club’s glaring lack of depth upfront would not be exposed. Luckily for him and the side, that has proven to be the case, with the former Brentford man having now managed to play every single minute in the Premier League this season.

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While Davis has shown some flashes of promise in recent weeks, he has still only managed five goals in his Villa career thus far, while Wesley is only just coming back off a lengthy lay-off from a knee injury.

A striker signing in the summer will have Smith absolutely buzzing heading into the new campaign.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing this Championship star; it’s not Buendia…

Alasdair Gold has revealed that, while Mauricio Pochettino’s future at Paris Saint-Germain remains uncertain, he has not yet had contact with Tottenham in regards to a potential return to the club.

The Lowdown: Manager search continues

Pochettino was replaced by Jose Mourinho in November 2019, who himself was sacked last month just a few days prior to the Carabao Cup final.

The managerial position at Spurs remains vacant as Daniel Levy continues his search for the next man to step into the hot seat.

The Latest: Pochettino future uncertain but not yet in Spurs frame

As it stands, PSG are three points behind Ligue 1 leaders Lille with just two games left to play (BBC), so it seems unlikely that they will retain their league crown.

In an article for football.london, Gold has said that the 49-year-old’s future at the Parc des Princes is up in the air, but added that there has not yet been any contact between the Argentine and Levy.

The Verdict: Up in the air

Pochettino replaced Thomas Tuchel at PSG in December of last year on an 18-month contract – he will earn £467,000 per month (gentside.co.uk), or about £8.4m overall. The Parisians have won seven of the last eight league titles in France, so to not finish top of the table would be a huge disappointment.

Pochettino remains a hugely popular figure from his time in north London (The Boot Room) and there could well be a contingent of the support who would welcome him back with open arms.

However, returning to his former club, who are further away from success than PSG, could be perceived as a step backwards, so it remains to be seen what the next few months hold for the former Southampton manager.

In other news, Levy is reportedly desperate to hire this man for Spurs.

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. 

According to The Scottish Sun, Glasgow Rangers are interested in signing Morecambe winger Carlos Mendes Gomes.

Rangers eye Gomes

The Gers are said to be interested in signing 22-year-old Gomes, who was previously part of Atletico Madrid’s youth set-up.

The Ibrox outfit are believed to have watched the winger on a number of occasions this season, and have even made an enquiry in regards to his availability. He will be out of contract at the end of this campaign (Transfermarkt).

Another bargain deal

It seems the 55-time Scottish champions are continuing to look for bargain deals as they plan ahead for the next campaign. Scott Wright, Jack Simpson and Nnamdi Ofoborh all joined Rangers during the January transfer window as their contracts were set to run out at the end of the term.

Gomes has been in impressive form for the Shrimps this season, scoring 12 goals in 37 games in League One (Transfermarkt) – he had managed just two strikes throughout his career before that. On a free transfer, this would make perfect sense for Ross Wilson and co, and would allow them to allocate funds elsewhere for bigger-name signings that would be more expensive. Mainly, though, it is positive to see the Gers look to do their business early, rather than panicking late in the summer.

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this journalist’s comments.