All posts by n8rngtd.top

Leeds United managerial target Javi Gracia is expected in England this morning ahead of a proposed move to Elland Road, according to Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: U-turn from Leeds

The Whites confirmed last week that caretaker Michael Skubala would continue to lead the first team for the upcoming fixtures, starting against last Saturday’s clash at Everton. However, after a 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park which saw Leeds fall to 19th place in the Premier League, it seems as if there has been a U-turn by club officials.

There was speculation on Monday over former Watford manager Gracia, and it looks as if a move for the Spaniard is gathering pace.

The Latest: Gracia expected at Leeds

Sky Sports News presenter Tom White shared a live update on Tuesday morning regarding Leeds and Gracia, via Football Daily.

He stated: “Right Leeds fans, you’ve been waiting for an update on your new manager for quite a while. It looks like things are getting closer and the name that we can tell you now a little bit more so than yesterday is Javi Gracia.

“We told you that he was a name in the frame to get the Leeds job – well things are moving closer. He is expected in Leeds this morning.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-copy-2/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates (Copy)” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Good move?

Saturday’s performance against Everton was extremely disappointing, with Leeds failing to register a shot on target, so it is good to see that the club have seemingly taken swift action.

Leaving the inexperienced Skubala in charge could have been a gamble and ultimately the end of the club’s Premier League stay, so bringing in Gracia – who has knowledge of the division with Watford – seems to be a wise move.

He led the Hornets to an 11th-placed finish in the Premier League during the 2018/19 season, and if he is to save the Whites from relegation, he’ll need his plans to work immediately, beginning against bottom club Southampton next weekend.

Liverpool could turn their entire season on its head with a victory over Real Madrid in tonight’s Champions League last-16 clash.

They find themselves currently languishing midtable in the Premier League with their defence of both domestic cups ending before the quarter-final stage, it has been a transitional season for the Anfield side that’s for sure.

The enormity of the tie could mean Jurgen Klopp makes a few changes to his starting XI from the victory over Newcastle United at the weekend, and adding in some freshness could give the Reds an ideal chance to secure a positive result under the Anfield floodlights this evening.

What could Liverpool’s starting XI look like against Real Madrid?

The back four will remain unchanged from the confidence-boosting victory at the weekend, with the defence keeping their second clean sheet in a row. Alisson starts in goal and will be hoping to keep his fourth clean sheet in the competition this season.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson will occupy the full-back positions, with Virgil van Dijk once again partnered with Joe Gomez at the heart of the defence. Against Newcastle, the duo made eight clearances and were dribbled past just twice combined, showing their effectiveness as a pairing.

The midfield three will see one change from the weekend, with Stefan Bajcetic dropping to the bench. He has been arguably Liverpool’s brightest spark recently but was statistically their worst performer against Newcastle with a rating of 6.4/10 via Sofascore. Jordan Henderson and Fabinho will retain their places, while Harvey Elliott will come in for the young Spaniard.

Mohamed Salah will be aiming to add to his excellent haul of seven goals in the Champions League this season while Cody Gakpo will start on the left wing as he makes his first appearance in the competition for Liverpool.

Roberto Firmino will come in for Darwin Nunez who could miss out through injury, with the £180k-per-week frontman leading the line instead.

Dubbed “unreal” by This is Anfield’s Jack Sear, he could be a nuisance to the Madrid defence having netted 23 times in Europe’s elite competition throughout his career and this experience will be vital for Klopp’s men this evening.

Chelsea should consider bringing in France and Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane as their new manager, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Potter under pressure

The Blues are having a season to forget currently, initially struggling under Thomas Tuchel and now also doing badly with Graham Potter in charge.

While the Englishman appears to just about have the support of Chelsea’s board currently, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the club were also looking at potential replacements, with the likes of Jose Mourinho and Zidane linked in recent days.

The Blues take on rivals Tottenham in the Premier League this weekend, and one has to wonder what the state of play will look like if they cannot pick up a positive result.

The Latest: Jones reacts

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said Chelsea should indeed think about appointing the 50-year-old Real Madrid legend as Potter’s replacement:

“With Zinedine Zidane, I think you absolutely have to consider whether he could bring something different.

“All of these people need to be talked about on a case-by-case basis internally at Chelsea, to get a clear grasp on what they would bring to the table right now, whether they would be likely to change the situation, why they would be able to change it, and how that compares to what they’ve currently got in place with Graham Porter and what he’s trying to do.”

The Verdict: Proven winner

In many ways, Zidane is actually a hugely underrated manager during this era, at a time where the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp receive far more accolades.

What the Frenchman did during his stint as Real Madrid boss was extraordinary, winning the Champions League three times in a row between 2016 and 2018, as well as taking home two La Liga titles.

Zidane is someone who possesses an aura and who could attract the best players – he is Kylian Mbappe’s hero, for example – and there is every chance that his experience working with big money superstars could allow him to do a better job than Potter.

While it is refreshing to see the current Chelsea manager being given time, results do now have to improve drastically to avoid a change being made, starting at Tottenham on Sunday.

Leeds travel to Craven Cottage on Tuesday evening as they face Fulham in the fifth round of the FA Cup and new manager Javi Gracia must consider ditching Luke Ayling.

Why should Ayling be dropped vs Fulham?

Despite the summer arrival of Rasmus Kristensen from Red Bull Salzburg, Ayling has kept his regular starting spot at right-back in Leeds’ side so far this campaign, with Jesse Marsch often alternating between the two.

The former Bristol City man has made 17 appearances in the Premier League so far this term, ten of which have been starts, and he has earned a disappointing 6.61 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This ranks him as the tenth-best performer at Elland Road this campaign, while Kristensen is rated as the fourth-best with a 6.73 average rating, so it is perhaps something of a surprise that Ayling has featured so often.

Gracia opted to start the 31-year-old in last weekend’s 1-0 win over Southampton, in which the Whites earned a rare victory and clean sheet, although his performance was little to write home about, as he earned a 6.67 rating from WhoScored for his performance.

Despite being a regular in defence, Ayling fails to score in the top ten Leeds players for blocks and interceptions this season, while he also ranks just seventh for tackles.

Why should Kristensen start for Leeds?

Kristensen has registered better scores in all of these defensive metrics, which suggests that he should be given his chance to impress the new manager for the trip to Craven Cottage this evening.

The Danish defender is just 24 so the Whites should surely start to put their faith in the right-back as the main starter at Elland Road if they want to best prepare for the future.

Although Ayling has been an excellent player for Leeds over the years, making 238 appearances across his seven years with the Yorkshire outfit, he has been defensively suspect during his time in the Premier League.

Jamie Carragher labelled him an “idiot” after a sending-off against Arsenal last season, while Shaun Wright-Phillips criticised him for “falling asleep” for Nottingham Forest’s winning goal earlier this year.

That’s a quote that could be aptly applied to several incidences since promotion, with the full-back having made a “hospital pass” – in the words of Beren Cross – towards Liam Cooper against West Ham United earlier this year.

While Ayling did impress in the recent fixtures against Manchester United – earning Sofascore ratings above 7.5 – he has managed above a 7/10 rating from WhoScored on just five occasions this season, which suggests that he is nowhere near consistent enough to be a regular starter in this side.

Therefore, with the focus very much on remaining in the top flight this season, Kristensen deserves to start in the FA Cup on Tuesday night, where an impressive performance could see him reclaim his regular starting spot ahead of Ayling in the Premier League.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag could be set to raid former club Ajax once again this summer, with the 53-year-old reportedly keen to rekindle his interest in promising defender, Jurrien Timber.

What’s the latest on Timber to Man United?

That’s according to journalist Scott Saunders who revealed on Twitter that United are “still in the mix” to sign the exciting Dutchman ahead of next season, with the 21-year-old set to “decide on his future” at the end of the current campaign.

In the attached piece for 90min, the report suggests that the 5 foot 10 titan has asked his representatives to begin exploring the possibility of a potential exit from Amsterdam this summer, with Ten Hag seemingly ready to take his former asset ‘tomorrow’, such is his admiration for the versatile youngster.

The report also goes on to add that while the Red Devils are likely to prioritise a new central midfielder and a centre-forward in the upcoming window, the addition of a new right-back and centre-back could also potentially be on the cards, with Timber offering the benefit of being able to feature in both of those roles.

This follows reports last summer that suggested the Old Trafford outfit were in talks to sign the 14-cap gem – who was valued at £43m at the time – albeit with the Utrecht native ultimately opting to sign a contract extension with the Eredivisie giants.

What does the future hold for Harry Maguire?

Although Ten Hag and co subsequently bolstered their backline by snapping up Lisandro Martinez from the Johan Cruyff Arena instead, there may well be the need to acquire another new centre-back acquisition amid the uncertainty surrounding the future of club captain, Harry Maguire.

As per Manchester Evening News, the 30-year-old is among a handful of first-team players who could be allowed to depart the club this summer, with the £80m signing having started just five Premier League games so far this season.

The peripheral figure – who has been branded a “liability” in the recent past by talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan – may not have been involved in the recent drubbing at the hands of rivals Liverpool, although he does appear at odds with the manager’s approach, with The Guardian reporting back in November that Ten Hag ‘views Maguire’s sluggish pace as a problem’.

As such, turning to the aforementioned £39m-rated Timber could well help to hasten the Englishman’s exit, with the Netherlands international seemingly possessing far greater recovery speed than that of the United skipper, with talent scout Jacek Kulig having previously said of his talents:

“Not the tallest defender but his understanding of the game, anticipation, pace and ball skills are exceptional.”

While Maguire has fallen by the wayside of late – averaging just 0.5 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game from his ten league appearances – Timber has been a key figure for his current side so far this season, notably averaging 1.2 tackles and one interception per 90 from his 24 league starts, while also creating two big chances as a marker of his creative prowess.

Not only does the latter man offer the benefit of having worked under Ten Hag previously, but he also appears far more comfortable in possession as he averages 8.74 progressive passes per game and 2.49 progressive carries, as per FBref, while the former Leicester City man averages just 3.33 and 0.78 for those same two metrics, respectively.

That should indicate that bringing Timber into the fold could well prove to be the Maguire upgrade that the Carabao Cup winners are craving.

Manchester United will be holding further discussions this week with the interested parties over the potential takeover with the next step looking to finalise the possible deal.

Will Man United be taken over soon?

The Glazer family made it apparent they would be open to the idea of selling the club late last year and since they have seen bids arrive at the table.

However, there are still reports suggesting a sale is not necessarily the only outcome with investment also believed to be in place to support the current owner if they choose to remain at the helm.

United currently have offers to potentially take over from the Glazers, but further talks are expected this week to see whether these bids meet the expectation of the current owners.

Speaking to NBC Sports, reliable journalist David Ornstein has claimed presentations are expected to take place this week with the next step looking to complete a deal if they meet the requirements of the Glazer family:

(4:15) "Now we're going on to meetings and presentations. Some happened last week with Elliott [Management], the hedge fund who have offered their services to help finance any potential deal for the club or if the Glazers are going to stay.

"And then we will go [this] week into presentations with representations of the interested parties here in Manchester, where I speak to you, and also from London as well.

"The next stage after that would be a favoured bidder going on to a period of exclusivity and potentially trying to finalise the deal which they would want to do as soon as possible to get in in time for the transfer window."

Could a takeover happen before the summer?

As Ornstein mentioned, the parties who have put forward bids to potentially take over the club would be keen to get a potential deal over the line in time for the summer.

This would obviously be the case so they could be involved over the summer transfer window and provide Erik ten Hag with the tools he feels he needs to take the club forward.

However, it is also important to note that Ornstein suggested the bids which have landed on the Glazer's table to do not actually meet their valuation of the club.

And this is certainly something which could prove a huge issue for the possibility of a takeover let alone getting one done by the summer.

The Glazers reportedly value the club in the region of £6 billion but the offers which have landed are believed to be well short of that asking price.

With this in mind, there could certainly be a situation where the current owners refuse to sell the club when their valuation is so much higher than what is being offered.

And with reports of funding being in place to potentially see them continue at the helm of the club, that may be a worry for some fans.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) are reportedly in the race to sign Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: January target

Ramos was reportedly a target for Newcastle in the January transfer window, after he came back off an impressive FIFA World Cup with Portugal.

Hailed as an ‘incredible talent’ by football content creator Jacob Schneider after scoring Portugal’s opening goal in their 6-1 demolition of Switzerland in the last-16, the six foot one machine went on to score a hat-trick in that game, and also provided one assist.

Ramos has also been enjoying an outstanding season at club level with Benfica, where he has managed to score no fewer than 23 goals and make a further nine assists in 35 games in total over all competitions so far (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, he is sure to be one of the most in-demand strikers in Europe come the summer transfer window.

The Latest: Newcastle in race

As per Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via Sport Witness), the St. James’ Park outfit, as well as fellow Premier League rivals Southampton, are still interested in a move for Ramos ahead of the summer transfer window.

However, they will face competition from both Manchester United and PSG for his signature, while Ramos is also protected by a €120m (£105m) release clause.

His contract also does not run out until 2025, and Benfica are currently in talks to get that renewed, with the report adding that they are ‘calm’ about the whole situation.

The Verdict: Get it done!

Ramos has the potential to take the Magpies to the next level, and so they should be looking to try and get this deal done at all costs.

Both Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak only have 11 goals between them over all competitions so far this term, and the Portuguese boasts more than double that.

It is not just goals that he offers either, as former Russian international Igor Korneev has previously hailed how fast and strong he is:

“Basically he has no weaknesses. It’s fast, strong, we realise you can beat one or two opponents in a small space. In an absolutely unbelievable way it rotates and changes direction completely. And I’m not just talking about his World Cup showing. He plays well with both feet.”

Nonetheless, signing Ramos would be a real coup for the Toon, should they be able to fend off the competition for his signature.

Journalist Chris Waugh has revealed that Sven Botman cannot believe he didn’t score for Newcastle United on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Howe’s side back to winning ways

Newcastle’s summer recruitment looked impressive at the time, but the displays from players such as Botman, Nick Pope and Alexander Isak throughout the season have gone on to show it was far more than that.

One of the most successful recruits from the summer will have been Botman, given that the Magpies wanted to sign him in the prior January window before finally managing to beat off stiff competition from Serie A champions AC Milan.

While Botman has been in impressive form defensively this season – losing just two league games as a Newcastle player – he’s not been able to impose himself as a threat in the final third, and may not get a better chance to open his account than against Wolves on Sunday.

The Latest: Botman yet to find his goalscoring touch

After speaking to people close to Botman, Waugh has revealed on Pod on The Tyne that the Dutch defender doesn’t believe he’ll get a better chance than the one he squandered late on against Wolves.

He said: “I spoke to someone close to Sven Botman today [Tuesday] and they were saying how he realises he’s probably never going to have an opportunity like that to side-foot a finish from inside the area in open play.”

The Verdict: Newcastle can be delighted with Botman

While some goals would have been the icing on the cake for Howe from Botman this season – especially given he got five goal involvements during his time with Lille – as long as he’s performing in the heart of defence, there won’t be many complaints.

Botman has taken to English football like a duck to water and he’s a huge part of the Premier League’s meanest defence this term, which makes his £35m price tag appear an absolute bargain.

In fact, all members of Newcastle’s regular back four and goalkeeper can be viewed as bargain deals, with Dan Burn costing £13m and Fabian Schar a jaw-dropping £3m, while La Liga winner Kieran Trippier was just £12 million and top shot-stopper Nick Pope was a mere £10m signing.

So given how things have started for Botman on Tyneside, we wouldn’t be surprised if he has his moment in front of goal before too long.

Wolverhampton Wanderers well and truly hit the jackpot with their signing of Max Kilman in 2018, as his transfer value has shot up during his time at Molineux.

How much is Max Kilman worth now?

Wolves signed the Englishman from Maidenhead in 2018, with the versatile defender joining for an undisclosed fee after impressing with the non-league side.

Given the relative status of the two teams, and the fact that Kilman had made just 34 appearances in total for The Magpies, it is hard to imagine that the undisclosed fee was a large one, and he has certainly proved his worth in his five years at Molineux.

Initially viewed as a left-back, the youngster made his first-team debut in the 2018/19 campaign, featuring in both the Premier League and Europa League qualifying under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Kilman was perhaps always likely to adapt well to the Premier League, given his physical experience in non-league, and the technical ability he collated with his performances for the England Futsal side.

The 2020/21 season was arguably Kilman's biggest breakthrough campaign at Wolves as he made 18 appearances in the Premier League, and the centre-back has not looked back since then, as he is now a mainstay in the Old Gold's back line.

Tim Spiers, who covered Wolves for The Athletic, was full of praise for the young defender after a performance against Manchester City in 2021.

He said: "The guy has been exceptional this season to the extent he's heading towards the Neves/Jimenez/Neto bracket of players you'd fear Wolves could lose."

In total, the 25-year-old has made 98 appearances for Wolves, contributing one goal and two assists, while his performances this season see him ranked by WhoScored as the third-best performer in Julen Lopetegui's squad, behind only Ruben Neves and new centre-back partner Craig Dawson.

It is perhaps no surprise therefore that the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool have both been linked with the England hopeful in recent months, and the Old Gold may face a battle to keep hold of Kilman this summer, regardless of the division that they find themselves in.

However, Fosun will be delighted if they can get a big fee for the 6 foot 4 colossus, as it naturally will be a huge profit on the fee paid by Wolves just five years ago.

According to Football Transfers, the Wolves fan favourite is now valued at €23.6m (£21m), which represents a meteoric rise given he was playing in the fifth tier of English football back in 2018.

Therefore, Wolves deserve a lot of credit for unearthing a top talent in Kilman, and they will be hoping that he can continue to go from strength to strength at Molineux, thus potentially make them a lot of money in the future.

Journalist Charles Watts has revealed that people close to Thomas Partey believe he will be fit to play for Arsenal this weekend.

What's the latest injury news for Partey and Arsenal?

With just ten games left in the Premier League, the pressure is starting to heat up and the Gunners can ill-afford to lose any key players in the final run-in.

This is why fans may have been fearing the worst when news emerged that Chris Hughton had left Partey out of the most recent Ghana game.

After the match, the international manager explained (via football.london): "Thomas has some small issues, a small injury issue and we felt it was too big of a risk to start him."

Seeing as Arsenal also sent club physio Simon Murphy with the midfielder to monitor his fitness, it may also feel a little ominous.

However, while speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts was at least able to reveal that people close to Partey are feeling quite positive about the situation.

He explained: “My understanding of the situation is that Thomas Partey was training on Sunday ahead of that game against Angola and he felt something in his right leg.

"Now, there are pictures from that training session where you see the physio sort of working on Thomas' leg; he's got some sort of strapping on his thigh around the back of his leg. And my understanding is it is not a hamstring issue.

"That's what I've been told by people close to Thomas Partey. And they believe he will be fine for the weekend. Obviously, that's a very early assessment.

"Partey is due back in London Colney today [Tuesday] where he will be assessed by the Arsenal medical team. And then you think a decision will be taken a little bit later on about whether he can feature against Leeds.”

How important is Partey to Arsenal?

It's safe to say Partey – who earns £200,000 per week – has been one of the most important members of Mikel Arteta's team so far this season.

Indeed, he has actually only lost one game in the Premier League when starting this term – winning all but three of the 23 matches he's featured in – helping Arsenal race to the top of the division with an eight-point gap over Manchester City.

However, he has struggled with numerous injury issues since arriving in north London, missing a series of games due to repeated setbacks – so Arteta won't want to rush him back early for fear of aggravating any minor issue further.