All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Pau Torres to north London in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication La Razon (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite the Villarreal centre-back having rejected a move to Spurs last summer, Fabio Paratici will once again launch an offensive for the 25-year-old at the end of the current campaign.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-martinez-dybala-spence-conte-2” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

The report goes on to state that, now the Spain international has fulfilled his dream of playing in the Champions League with his boyhood club, Unai Emery will agree to part with Torres in the summer transfer window – as long as an offer of around €60m (£50m) is submitted.

Paratici’s next De Ligt

Considering how impressive Torres has been for Villarreal this season, in addition to it being reported that Tottenham will prioritise the signing of a left-sided centre-back this summer, it is easy to see why Antonio Conte and Paratici would be interested in a move for the Spaniard ahead of 2022/23.

Indeed, over his 28 LaLiga appearances in the current campaign, the £58m-rated centre-back has been imperious in the heart of Emery’s defence, helping his side keep ten clean sheets, as well as making an average of 0.6 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 3.3 clearances and winning 4.1 duels – at a success rate of 65% – per game.

The £126k-per-week defender has also impressed in an attacking and creative capacity, scoring four goals and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to completing 55.2 passes, 4.5 long balls, 3.8 chipped passes, 0.9 dribbles and taking 0.7 shots per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who journalist Simon Collings dubbed “classy” and Javi Calleja labelled an “extraordinary talent” average a fantastic SofaScore match rating of 7.09, ranking him as Villarreal’s third-best player in the Spanish top flight.

The 25-year-old has been equally as impressive over his ten Champions League outings this season, helping his side keep three clean sheets, scoring one goal and creating two big chances, with these metrics seeing the left-footer average a SofaScore match rating of 7.08 – with the centre-back playing a crucial role in the Yellow Submarine’s run to the semi-finals of the competition.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Torres would make an exceptional addition to Conte’s current defensive options at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, leading us to believe Paratici must do all he can to get a deal over the line for the Spaniard this summer – especially if he is available for a figure of around £50m.

And, with the managing director having been the man behind Juventus’ €75m (£67.8m) capture of Matthijs de Ligt back in 2019, Torres could very well prove to be the Italian’s next seismic centre-back signing.

AND in other news: “Tottenham could consider…”: Romano drops huge transfer claim, Conte would love him

Lots of Wolves fans have been left gushing over an early Team News hint for their game at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup third round stage.

As per Birmingham Live, after the 2-0 home loss to Brentford at Saturday lunchtime, a back four consisting of Ki-Jana Hoever, Willy Boly, Yerson Mosquera and Rayan Ait-Nouri worked on their defensive shape in a mini training session with coach Carlos Cachada.

It could be a hint that Bruno Lage is planning to field them in a back four against Spurs, going away from the back three that failed against the Bees.

All of those players were left on the bench as well, and given the need to rotate in the cup in order to keep the squad fresh for their next league game, it is highly plausible that they will all start.

Wolves fans on Team News

These members of the Molineux faithful gushed as the Team News hint was shared on Twitter, with one WWFC supporter even going as far as to claim that they are ‘buzzing’:

“Oh yes please”

Credit: @kai_lloyd_01

“Interesting line up if true. But I’d be more than happy to see it”

Credit: @awaydays_wolves

“Oh my god please”

Credit: @mattp462

“Genuinely buzzing to see this!!!”

Credit: @robbowwfc

“Tears in my eyes if this is actually the back line for tomorrow”

Credit: @sabrinajg11

“This back 4 is my happy place.”

Credit: @TheBoringfollwr

In other news, find out what Brentford statistic has Wanderers fuming here!

Glasgow Rangers fans are not too happy with the news coming out that the club have rejected several bids for Ianis Hagi.

Hagi made the move to Ibrox in January 2020, initially on loan, and has done extremely well since making that switch despite some patchy periods of form.

In 61 matches in all competitions, he has scored 13 goals and provided 18 assists (Transfermarkt), helping the Ibrox outfit win their 55th league title in their history last term. However, he has come in for criticism in the past for some of his performances.

This term, though, the £5.85m-valued 22-year-old (Transfermarkt) has started fantastically, scoring twice in three games.

According to SporX, that kind of ability has attracted bids of €7m (£6m) from both Sevilla and Lazio, which were swiftly rejected, while Galatasaray had an offer of just €4m (£3.4m) also turned down.

The Gers supporters, though, do not believe this news at all, continuing their mistrust of mainstream media sources.

The news was shared on Twitter by The Scottish Sun’s official account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Hagi news

“Anyone else bored of this monstrosity yet”

Credit: @johnmcg1990

“Let me guess another made up exclusive for the MSM”

Credit: @G18BYK

“They are dedicated, more made up drivel”

Credit: @AHW140

“SPOOF !!!!!”

Credit: @ColeraineTB_RSC

“Lies lies lies lies lies………..it’s so boring.”

Credit: @camrankin2

“Papers trying everything to unsettle Rangers players cause they ain’t allowed in. Scottish media absolutely fuming and its great to see.”

Credit: @ScottyTrfc

In other news, Rangers fans were livid with this interview.

Trying to replace a club icon is particularly difficult, and at Celtic that is no different.

As a dismal 2020/21 campaign came to a conclusion for the Hoops, they witnessed their no-nonsense club captain walk away from Parkhead. That man, of course, is a certain Scott Brown.

He headed to Aberdeen to take up a player-coach role and the individual to succeed his captaincy duties is Callum McGregor.

The Scot has had an excellent start to the season and had one of the best outings of his career in his nation’s colours this week when they took on Austria.

However, there is a sense that one of the many players that Ange Postecoglou brought to the club this summer could eventually become the true heir to Brown’s coveted place in the team.

Although yet to play, James McCarthy will be a big presence in the middle of the park once he’s fit enough. Liam Shaw, their signing from Sheffield Wednesday, could eventually star in that role, while Bosun Lawal has looked promising since arriving in Glasgow.

However, it is two players who were signed before Postecoglou walked in that appeared to stand the best chance before the summer’s arrivals.

Ismaila Soro is candidate number one. At various times last season, he looked like the most natural heir. He was composed on the ball and tough in the tackle, making ten successful challenges in one European outing against Lille.

However, the longer his stay at Paradise has continued, the more his form has deteriorated. Soro’s opening matches of the campaign left a lot to be desired as he lost a whopping ten of 14 duels against Midtjylland.

He was also rash in the challenge when he appeared from the bench against Rangers in the Old Firm before the international break.

With that in mind, Postecoglou should consider finally utilising Luca Connell in the first team.

The Irishman was signed from Bolton back in 2019 but he has never made a first-team outing for the Bhoys. He already had EFL experience with the Trotters when he arrived so it’s puzzling to see him make such a minimal impact in Scotland.

Left out of the club’s Europa League squad list, opportunities look as though they’ll be hard to come by for him.

Once again, this feels like a strange move. Connell was in excellent form during a loan spell at Queen’s Park last season, guiding them to promotion. In the process, the defensive midfielder scored three times and registered five assists.

The 20-year-old was a breath of fresh air to the Queen’s Park side and one goal encapsulated him perfectly. After he galloped forward and then found the net against Edinburgh towards the end of last term, the commentator said that he had a “wand of a left foot.”

With defensive nous and offensive abilities in his locker, Connell surely has everything needed to thrive in Postecoglou’s system. That’s precisely why he should be unleashed.

AND in other news, 100% duels won: Ange surely drooling after new Celtic signing’s international display…

Tottenham Hotspur will still be without two first-team players as they return to UEFA Europa Conference League action later this evening…

What’s the word?

Spurs’ form has taken a turn for the worst in recent weeks, losing three straight heavy defeats in the Premier League, whilst they only just salvaged a point against Stade Rennes in their group stage opener two weeks ago.

Nuno Santo will probably be wanting to change things up on the pitch but he’ll be limited in his options as he won’t be able to call upon either Steven Bergwijn or Ryan Sessegnon.

Bergwijn picked up an injury during that clash in France, whilst Sessegnon has been injured since the international break at the start of the month.

“Nothing has changed,” the Portuguese told the club’s official website this week. “Sess and Stevie will not join the group. The rest of the squad is available. We will also bring in some Under-23s to help us, and we go for the game.”

Big setback

This will be hugely frustrating for the 47-year-old and it may leave him a little worried heading into kickoff, even if it is against a team of much lower quality.

Spurs will remember the Dinamo Zagreb clash from last season, which saw the Croatian champions perform a stunning comeback to knock them out of the Europa League, so no team should be taken lightly.

Nuno badly needs to shake things up, so having a player with a point to prove like Sessegnon available would’ve been an interesting option, whilst Bergwijn had started their opening three league games before his injury.

It can’t be that much of a coincidence that the Lilywhites won all three of those games, too.

He is also one of their biggest threats in the final third, having averaged 1.3 key passes and 2.3 shots per game, a feat only bettered by top goalscorer Heung-min Son, as per WhoScored.

Nuno may have to call upon some of the players that have severely let him down in defeats to arch-rivals Arsenal, Chelsea and Crystal Palace in recent weeks.

The Spurs boss is also thought to be under increasing pressure, according to some reports in the press, so it’s crucial that he gets a result and avoids an embarrassing upset against Mura tonight.

Given their recent performances, Nuno may well be gutted to not be able to change his side completely heading into this fixture.

AND in other news, Paratici risking catastrophic Spurs transfer disaster with £40.5m-rated “lightweight”…

Aston Villa have confirmed some major news right before their Premier League season gets underway against Watford this weekend…

What’s the story?

Just a couple of days ahead of the game against the Hornets, the Midlands club revealed via their official website that their assistant head coach Richard O’Kelly has left his position with immediate effect, with Villa manager Dean Smith paying tribute to his work.

The 50-year-old said: “Richard has worked with me for the best part of a decade and we have always had a really close relationship. We are friends as well as colleagues and I will miss him. I would like to thank him on a personal level for the dedication and support he has always given me and on behalf of everyone at Aston Villa we wish him all the very best for the future.”

Responding to the news on Twitter, the Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece said: “Come as a real surprise to all of us; didn’t see it coming. Hoping to find out why it’s happened tomorrow. RoK was still bossing the analysts around on Sunday, telling them to come down for the HT debrief. A total surprise, Son. Points to a big coaching shake-up.”

Fans will be worried

As Preece says, this news on O’Kelly has come as a real shock to everyone associated with Villa, and with the news coming out on the verge of the new season, it is hardly great timing for Smith and co.

Given the fact that he’s worked with Smith for nine years now, and is clearly a big influence in and around the squad judging by the comments from the manager and Preece, Villa will be missing a huge figure in their backroom staff at a time when they really want to hit the ground running.

It comes as a real setback for Smith, and it’s one which may leave fans worried about how much of an impact the exit will have, and how quickly the Villa boss can find a replacement for him – all the more so with the 50-year-old’s assistant John Terry also departing in recent weeks.

Given the success of the summer transfer window thus far, Villa fans would no doubt have been very hopeful of getting a good start in the Premier League, but this latest news may just have thrown a spanner in the works.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has delivered a teasing transfer update on James Ward-Prowse…

Leeds United have been told that Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien “would jump” at the chance to move to Elland Road.

What’s the story?

Reports over the course of the summer transfer window suggested that the 23-year-old featured prominently on Marcelo Bielsa’s side’s shortlist, but a deal failed to materialise before the August deadline, with suggestions that the Whites’ final offer failed to meet Huddersfield’s demands.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has now claimed that the Terriers star would still be interested in making the switch to Elland Road if Leeds came back in for him.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “He signed a new contract at Huddersfield but I’m sure if the opportunity came to go to Leeds, it would be something that he would jump at. Let’s see if Huddersfield are able to turn down any offers for the midfielder.”

Could finally replace Klich

With 158 games played for Leeds, “unsung hero” Mateusz Klich has been a valued servant for Leeds over the years, but at 31, he is one of the players who Bielsa might look to slowly ease out of the side in the near future.

Speaking in February 2020, Bielsa raved: “He cannot do better. Klich is a player with very, very much skills physically. A player who runs more, more intense movements and makes more movements at maximal speed. His values are now linked with how he prepares mentally. This is the fact that makes him run. More hungry he is, the more he runs.”

That same intensity and energy is exactly what O’Brien brings to the table, and he could ultimately replace Klich at Elland Road.

Former Huddersfield shot-stopper Matt Glennon has raved about the 23-year-old’s work rate, saying: “He closes down until the 95th, 96th minute, still running to the corners, stopping defenders, he’s got unlimited energy.

“Lewis O’Brien wants to put the hard yards in and wants to be at the very top of where he can get to. He’s one of those lads who works ridiculously hard which, for me, is your minimum in any league, but he’s got that quality, the drop of a shoulder, that strength to keep people off him, a low centre of gravity to glide past people, arm aloft when they try to knock him off the ball.”

Nearly a decade his junior and clearly a man held in high esteem, O’Brien could well be the man to usurp Klich in the midfield engine room for Leeds.

Meanwhile, Victor Orta could solve a big issue by signing this star…

Celtic have been pretty consistent when it comes to spending money to bring new players to Parkhead throughout previous transfer windows.

However, as happens with a lot of clubs, not just in Scotland but in other leagues across the world, not every deal ends up being a successful one.

One prime example of a less than fruitful transfer from a financial point of view for the Hoops is their 2019 move for defender Hatem Elhamed.

Signed from Israeli club Hapoel Be’er Sheva in a deal worth a reported £1.6m three summers ago, the defender ended up making just 30 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions. In February 2021, Celtic sold the 31-year-old back to his previous club for a fee of £800k, half of what they originally paid for him.

The 2019/20 season saw the Israel international make just 15 appearances then came in the first half of the 2020/21 campaign before his eventual return to his homeland.

His eight Premiership appearances last term saw the defender, who is currently valued at £450k, earn a middle-of-the-road overall performance rating of 6.9/10 from WhoScored. In addition to his underwhelming performances, the former Hoops player was struck with numerous injury issues which resulted in him missing a total of 43 games according to Transfermarkt.

Speaking about Elhamed’s exit from the club, former Celtic boss Neil Lennon said: He said: “He was going through a really difficult time, his wife and son were back in Israel and he was here on his own. He was really struggling with life away from the training ground and stadium.”

Taking all this into account, it’s safe to say that Elhamed’s transfer to Celtic just didn’t work out and was not a good move for anyone apart from Hapoel Be’er Sheva, who ended up banking quite a lot of money for him.

From Celtic’s point of view, it can be said that a grand total of £2.7m from his original transfer fee and £14k-per-week wages ended up going down the drain.

In other news: Ange must now seal Celtic deal for “magic” £21.5k-p/w ace, he’s an “absolute dream”

Many Everton fans have been left buzzing over some comments made by Richarlison.

Speaking to the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, the former Watford ace has now claimed that he wants to become a legend at the Merseyside club: “What I want most of all, is to become a legend here. I’m so proud to see the fans with my banner, with my name on their shirts. It’s been a great start and I hope it continues so I can become an Everton idol.”

Richarlison was subject of speculation by a number of reports that he could leave in the summer transfer window, but now it looks like he has committed his future to Rafa Benitez’s team for the long-term.

The Brazil international has been such a key player for the Blues since he joined them, and his latest attitude is something that has drawn a lot of praise from Toffees supporters.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-6/” title=”Everton news! (6)” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Nonetheless, just coming back to full fitness, he will hope that he can have another successful season with EFC.

Everton fans on Richarlison news

These Evertonians were left buzzing as the comments from Richarlison were shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it was ‘great news’:

“I love him more than my parents”

Credit: @Josh03460489

“The lad has a tremendous attitude.”

Credit: @PeterPapadopo11

“Great news”

Credit: @rmorley74

“NEVER LEAVE”

Credit: @Evanjw57

“Don’t make me cry”

Credit: @KyIeverton

“This man gets Everton”

Credit: @JakeKent1996

In other news, find out what team news had Toffees fuming here!

Newcastle United managed to scrape a narrow 1-0 win at home to Wolves in the Premier League on Friday night, despite the visitors dominating the ball.

Offensively, the hosts did manage to record 12 shots on goal compared to the Wanderers’ five, but both sides were largely wasteful in attack in an underwhelming encounter.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-5/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

As such, The Transfer Tavern have now used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for the North East club at St. James’ Park, should these men be worried after their chances under Eddie Howe?

Miguel Almiron

Given a 6.6 rating, Almiron, who had to come on in the 13th minute for the injured Ryan Fraser, ranked as the Tyneside outfit’s third-worst player on the night.

The Paraguay international lost out on four of his duels, and also failed to record a single shot on target, accurate cross or long ball, giving possession away six times in total.

Linked with a move away this summer and starting just 13 times in the league, might this have been the pacy attacker’s last chance to impress?

Matt Targett

Targett was ranked as the Magpies’ second-worst performer with a 6.5 overall rating.

The left-back lost eight duels, and made no successful dribbles, clearances or key passes, while he was also dribbled past a team-high three times.

He lost the ball on no fewer than on 20 separate occasions in total, the joint-second most out of any player on the pitch, but one would think he’s done enough this year to convince Howe to sign him permanently.

Allan Saint-Maximin

With a 6.4 rating, Saint-Maximin ranked as the Toon’s worst player on the night.

The French winger was unsuccessful in a staggering 15 of his individual duels, by far the most out of any player, while he also failed to score with his four shots at goal, and managed no key passes or accurate crosses.

Dribbled past twice, Saint-Maximin was also guilty of giving the ball away 23 times, again the most of any player on the pitch, in what was a disappointing night for the fan favourite winger.

In other news, find out what ‘huge’ club-record deal NUFC could now complete here!