All posts by z3u9t.icu

It’s hard to remember the last time that Glasgow Rangers had one of the best players in the world on their books. Former Gers midfielders Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne are probably the last truly world-class players to play in front of the crowds at the Ibrox Stadium. These days they have the likes of James Tavernier, who is playing well at the moment, but could never be put on the same pedestal as the Dane and his fellow Englishman.

However, things could have been very different for the Gers if they had managed to get their hands on one player from across the border.

Since the Premier League was first introduced in 1992, scores of strikers from all over the world have set foot on the not-so distant shores. The likes of Didier Drogba, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Sergio Aguero and Thierry Henry have all plied their trade in the EPL. But one name stands out from the rest: Alan Shearer.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Shearer is still the Premier League’s all-time record scorer since retiring as a player in 2005. Indeed, the Gers missed the opportunity to sign him back in the summer of 1998, with Steven Harrigan saying that Dick Advocaat’s side weren’t willing to spend £20m on the former Southampton man.

Newcastle had signed him for a world transfer breaking-record fee of £15m in 1996, so their asking price wasn’t unreasonable, especially when you consider the fact that wasn’t far away from what the Gers gave Chelsea for Tore Andre Flo two years later. And we all know what a disaster that transfer turned out to be in the end…

Known for his physical stature, power and heading ability inside the box, Shearer was cut from a similar cloth to the classic English centre-forward, and he had already established himself as a highly prolific goalscorer. He had begun his career with Southampton, where he scored 23 goals in 188 games, but he joined Blackburn Rovers for a British record fee at the time, before bagging 112 goals in 138 appearances in the Premier League.

Whilst we can’t be absolutely certain, it’s fair to say that the Gers would’ve scored goals galore with Shearer in the side, but sadly the deal collapsed as he ultimately decided to stay at his hometown club. He was already one of the best strikers in the world by the time he moved to the Magpies as his incredible record speaks for itself.

You only need to watch some of his highlight reels on YouTube to remember how good he was, but it is the fact that he is still held in such high esteem by professional footballers that speaks volumes. Sheffield United striker Billy Sharp insisted that the former England international is his “idol” in an interview with talkSPORT. This isn’t just an average Joe, this is a Premier League striker who is still in awe of Shearer.

Imagine what might have happened had Shearer joined the Gers instead of staying at the Magpies. Sadly, it’s one of those you can only dream about and the Ibrox outfit may still be regretting that they never paid the money to take him to Glasgow.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers winger Jordan Jones has given Steven Gerrard a selection headache before Old Firm Derby…

Tottenham have been linked to some of the best players in the world as Jose Mourinho prepares for his first summer window in charge of Spurs.

Mourinho has made it clear that Southampton star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is his top transfer target, but now another name has entered the mix.

According to The Daily Mail, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, the Lilywhites are interested in signing Newcastle United ace Allan Saint-Maximin this summer.

The Portuguese is desperate to add more firepower in the transfer window as he looks to close the gap on Premier League champions Liverpool before the start of next season.

Tottenham have scored fewer goals than Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City this season.

Spurs have now joined Paris Saint-Germain in the list of suitors who have shown an interest in signing Saint-Maximin in the summer.

The 23-year-old, who is currently valued at £18m via Transfermarkt, has played an instrumental part in lifting Newcastle to twelfth in the Premier League table.

Steve Bruce has insisted the Magpies have no intention of selling him but that has not stopped the growing amount of interest in the winger.

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer described the Frenchman as “brilliant” for his performance against Bournemouth last week.

Saint-Maximin has scored 3 goals and created 4 assists in 22 Premier League games this season, taking 1.8 shots per game, averaging 1.3 key passes, and making 4.6 dribbles on average (via WhoScored)

However, it seems this may be wishful thinking for Mourinho, as it is highly likely PSG will be able to out-muscle Spurs if a transfer battle ensues.

Although the Lilywhites are reportedly the richest club in north London, the Ligue 1 giants are one of the wealthiest clubs in the world.

Furthermore, Levy has insisted Spurs will not be spending “rivers of money” in the summer, and it is unlikely Saint-Maximin would come cheap.

Indeed, Mourinho will have to rely on sorting out swap deals, hunting for bargains and free agents if he wants to make improvements to his squad.

Levy is willing to offer players like Danny Rose and Juan Foyth as part of an exchange for the speedster, but it is hard to imagine that will be enough to persuade the Magpies to let him leave.

Tottenham fans, should Levy splash the cash to sign Allan Saint-Maximin this summer? Let us know down below!

Tottenham defender Serge Aurier has agreed to move to AC Milan, according to reports.

Italian journalist Gianluca di Marzio has claimed, as cited by Football.London, that Aurier has told Milan that he wants to join the Serie A side this summer.

Both clubs now need to sort out a deal but personal terms are reportedly not a problem.

Recent reports revealed that Tottenham have held talks with Milan over a potential transfer for the 60-cap Ivory Coast international, who is valued at £14.4m by Transfermarkt.

The Rossoneri want to reach an agreement with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy as quickly as possible as they view Aurier as their top priority to fill the right-back position. However, Stefano Pioli’s side must sell either Davide Calabria or Andrea Conti to raise funds, while the Lilywhites need to find a suitable replacement for the Ivorian before they let him go in the summer.

The 27-year-old has often divided opinion in north London despite the fact that he has established himself as Jose Mourinho’s first choice at right-back.

His conduct was scrutinised by the club after a string of infractions circumventing the government’s lockdown guidelines, although he earned widespread praise for his performances in the Premier League following the tragic death of his brother last month.

Spurs will not stand in his way if he wants to leave, as he has shown no interest in signing a new deal. The Lilywhites couldn’t sell the Ivorian last year as a move failed to materialise, although they are more likely to listen to offers this summer.

While Aurier seems to have his heart set on a move to the San Siro, Levy wants to recover the majority of the £23m he paid Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 to sign the defender (Daily Mail).

The Lilywhites have lacked genuine quality at right-back for a while now and Mourinho needs time to find an upgrade, rather than splashing the cash on a quick fix.

It will be a tough task for the Portuguese to fill the position in such a short space of time and it may be best for everyone involved if Aurier stays for at least another year.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sell Aurier this summer or hold firm for another while? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Manchester United have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Kai Havertz. 

According to the Manchester Evening News, Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes has revealed that Havertz’s future is “still not decided” amid rampant transfer speculation. The youngster has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich but is also considering a move to the Premier League.

Earlier this week, Manchester Evening News revealed that the 20-year-old is open to the idea of moving to Old Trafford in the summer. Last month, The Times reported that he is being tracked by Ed Woodward, as well as Bayern, Barcelona and Premier League rivals Liverpool.

After breaking into the first team, the youngster has made a name for himself at the BayArena, as he has scored 11 goals and supplied five assists in 23 Bundesliga games for Peter Bosz’s side this season, taking 1.9 shots per game, averaging 2.1 key passes and successfully completing two dribbles on average (via WhoScored).

Given his performances so far, it is hardly surprising he has attracted attention from a number of clubs across Europe.

Rolfes admitted to Marca that “his future is not decided at all yet” despite the fact that Havertz signed a contract which could keep him at the club until 2022.

This should give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a confidence boost going into the transfer window. The Norwegian has made it clear that he is keen to add to the growing pool of young prospects at the Theatre of Dreams and the German international seems to fit that bill.

Admittedly, United also remain in the race to sign Jadon Sancho, and it is unlikely that the board will be able to afford to buy both young prospects in the summer, given the economic uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. It is worth pointing out that Sancho is valued at a staggering £105.3m and Havertz is priced at £72.9m via Transfermarkt.

Solskjaer clearly has a dilemma on his hands and fans will have to wait and see what deals can be made in these unprecedented circumstances.

United fans, do you think the board should sign Kai Havertz in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!

With the league title all sewn up, one would imagine that Liverpool might take their foot off the gas for the remaining few games of the season.

While the Reds weren’t at their brilliant best during the 1-1 draw with Burnley on Saturday, the desire to win was still as strong as ever.

Unfortunately, that manifested itself in quite a negative way after the final whistle at Anfield as Andy Robertson was caught on camera giving the referee a dressing down, using some rather colourful language while lambasting the official.

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With no crowd in the stadium, it was very easy to hear exactly what the Scot thought of David Coote’s performance on Saturday, and it’s fair to say that he wasn’t full of praise for him.

Robertson was clearly aggrieved that his side didn’t get a penalty in the second half, and he let his emotions get the better of him.

Understandably, the wider footballing world has taken issue with Robertson’s behaviour, with many calling for him to be banned, while others branded him as disrespectful.

The critics certainly have a point.

Football is an emotive sport, especially at the top level, but Liverpool have already won the league, and while this sort of reaction may have been slightly more justified had Coote’s failure to award the Reds a penalty have cost them the title, Roberston’s tirade just came across as immature and over the top on this occasion.

The left-back wasn’t the only man to confront the officials after the game.

The clip also shows Jurgen Klopp having a word with the referee, and while he kept his cool more than Robertson did, some viewers still weren’t happy to see the German talking to the officials, with many pointing towards other managers who’ve received sanctions for similar behaviour.

What a career Liverpool legend Fernando Torres had.

He won the Champions League, the Europa League and the FA Cup during his time in England, whilst he also got his hands on two European Championship trophies and a World Cup with Spain – he was arguably one of the best strikers of this century.

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Whilst he came through the youth system at Atletico Madrid, it was at Liverpool where he truly blossomed into a world star.

Here, we walk you through his career at Anfield with the help of five symbolic pictures.

Signing for Liverpool

Torres made his debut for Los Rojiblancos as a 17-year-old, and soon became a hero at the Vicente Calderon. In 184 matches in all competitions in his first spell with Atletico, he scored 81 goals, soon reaching a point where he was too big for the club. It was in 2007 when he finally departed, joining compatriot Rafael Benitez at Anfield for £20m. That was a big fee at the time, but he would prove to be worth every single penny.

Gerrard partnership

Steven Gerrard was the top dog when the Spaniard arrived on Merseyside, but there was no in-fighting to become the star man at the club – they worked perfectly in tandem.

Gerrard assisted the striker’s first goal for the club, against Chelsea, and they would end up playing 117 times together. The England international assisted Torres 14 times, whilst the former AC Milan forward returned the favour on 10 occasions – he has not linked up for more goals with any other player during his entire career.

Manchester United record

Torres did enjoy playing against Manchester United, Liverpool’s fiercest rivals.

He scored three goals and provided one assist in eight matches against the Old Trafford outfit for the Reds, but it was often his all-round play that was too much for the 20-time English champions to handle.

Nemanja Vidic is one of the best defenders in Premier League history, but he always struggled against Torres. He said of the Reds’ number nine: “Torres was a top player. At the time he was probably the best striker in the league. He scored a few goals against United”. High praise indeed.

Euro 2008

Torres was brilliant for Liverpool, but he was pretty special for Spain, too. All in all, he scored 38 times in 110 caps, and arguably his greatest moment for La Roja came in the Euro 2008 final against Germany.

In a tight affair, he scored the only goal of the game as Spain triumphed 1-0, with the victory setting them off on a period of domination that would see them win the next two major tournaments as well – that kind of performance only added to his reputation.

Injuries

Here, Torres is seen leaving the field dejected after picking up an injury against Blackpool. Unfortunately for him, that was to become too common a theme. A recurring knee problem saw him miss 15 matches during the 2009/10 season, and a previous thigh issue didn’t help either.

He would never rediscover his top form at Anfield, or indeed ever again, even after joining Chelsea for £50m in January 2011. Still, 81 goals in 142 games for the Reds was a wonderful return, and he is no doubt one of the best to pull on the liver bird this millennium.

According to Foot Mercato, Newcastle are eyeing up a stunning move for PSG striker Edinson Cavani this summer.

What’s the word?

As reports continue to indicate that the Magpies could finally be set for an end to the Mike Ashley era, Newcastle fans may be forgiven for beginning to start dreaming of a summer of high-profile signings.

And as per French publication Foot Mercato, the Tyneside club want to be “very offensive” in the transfer market, and that they have earmarked PSG marksman Cavani as a potential option up front.

The report claims that with the Uruguayan set to be out of contract this summer at the Parc des Princes, the Magpies “dream” of being able to lure Cavani to St James’ Park, and that to try to convince him of the move, they are ready to offer him a “gold contract”.

Statement of intent

Newcastle of course have got history when it comes to bringing one of the world’s most lethal goal-scorers to St James’ Park – Alan Shearer’s arrival back in the mid-1990s was certainly a major coup for the Magpies.

Shearer would go on to bag an incredible 182 goals in 374 games for the club, and is the Premier League’s all-time top goal-scorer.

Whilst Cavani may not be arriving at Newcastle with plenty of years left in the tank like Shearer, his prowess for scoring goals hasn’t deserted him. He has big-game experience with his time at PSG and Napoli, playing in the Champions League for numerous years now scoring 35 times in the competition.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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Reports in previous months had even suggested that Manchester United were looking at potentially signing him, and there can be no question that Cavani has been one of the most prolific goal-scorers in European football – he has a career total of 341 goals in 556 games.

Bringing him to Newcastle would be the kind of marquee move that would be reminiscent of Shearer’s arrival – a major sign that the Magpies are intent on dining at the top table again, and competing for the best players on offer.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Arthur Masuaku has spoken to Manuel Pellegrini about his role and future at West Ham United, according to Football Insider.

The 26-year-old is said to have been left frustrated by his lack of game time in recent months, after being omitted from the side in all of their last six league games, apart from the Everton match which Aaron Cresswell missed through injury.

Pellegrini has reassured the Democratic Republic of Congo international about his status at the club, indicating he can be reinstated into the team if he impresses in training.

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While there is a chance Masuaku could find himself back in the starting lineup, Pellegrini has been right to leave him out due to the events following the careless red card picked up against Aston Villa.

This is the case even if his performances before then, specifically the Man of the Match performance against Norwich City in which he assisted Sebastien Haller, are taken into account.

Cresswell, who hadn’t played in the league since the 5-0 mauling against Manchester City, came in against Manchester United and made himself undroppable.

Upon his return, Cresswell beat David de Gea with a sublime free-kick to secure a 2-0 win and he followed that up with a volley against AFC Bournemouth to steal a point.

His level has since dropped in tandem with the rest of the team, but the 29-year-old still has an average of 1.6 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 1.1 clearances per game, while maintaining a pass success rate of 81.4%.

Since the two yellow cards at Villa park saw Masuaku given his marching orders, he has had two opportunities to impress Pellegrini but slipped up both times.

The first of those was in a literal sense, as he lost his footing, allowing Tarique Fosu-Henry to run through and score Oxford United’s third goal on what was a humiliating evening for the club.

His other chance came against Everton, but he didn’t cover himself in glory there either, as his weak attempt at a tackle on Bernard allowed the Brazilian to skip through and score the game’s opener.

When all of the above is considered, it is very difficult to argue that Masuaku has deserved to start ahead of Cresswell.

Leeds United made it a sixth game unbeaten as they defeated Luton Town 2-1 on Saturday afternoon.

Marcelo Bielsa needed a 90th-minute own goal from Matty Pearson to ensure all three points returned to west Yorkshire.

The Whites overtook Preston North End to move into second place, two points behind league leaders West Bromwich Albion, who also won 2-1 at the weekend.

Patrick Bamford opened the scoring with his sixth goal of the season before James Collins headed home an Izzy Brown cross just a few minutes later to tie things up.

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The 26-year-old then got the final touch before the Luton defender put the ball into his own net.

Despite the victory, some members of the travelling support weren’t thrilled, with centre-back Gaetano Berardi coming in for quite a bit of flak.

His lack of pace in defence was the main issue pointed out as one fan claimed that the club would not gain promotion this season if the 31-year-old is playing regularly.

Another member of the Elland Road faithful believes that Berardi’s legs have gone while one more supporter said the defender looked like he was playing in treacle.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

We might now have officially reached ‘panic stations’ amongst the Leeds United fan base.

The Patrick Bamford v Eddie Nketiah debate really kicked up another notch this week after the latter’s late equaliser against Preston North End but by the sounds of it, it doesn’t look as if boss Marcelo Bielsa is ready to make that change just yet.

Speaking in his press conference ahead of their game with Sheffield Wednesday, Bielsa revealed that Bamford would indeed be starting yet again for the Whites, and that didn’t sit well with the supporters.

With Championship rivals Bristol City pushing for him to be recalled by parent club Arsenal and sent to them on loan, fans fear that more minutes on the bench for Nketiah is just going to push him further and further towards Ashton Gate.

Indeed City boss Lee Johnson confirmed earlier this week that they would be interested in looking at January if ‘the situation changes’, likely referring to whether or not Nketiah will stay at Elland Road.

And many Leeds fans thought that this was likely to be one more nail in the coffin of Nketiah’s time in Yorkshire, with some already predicting that he’s going to come back and bite them later in the season.