All posts by z3u9t.icu

Reliable Aston Villa reporter Ashley Preece has admitted that there is a Plan B for Louie Barry in January.

Barry was one of a number of academy players who were sent out on loan in the summer.

He joined League One side Ipswich Town, however, things haven’t exactly gone to plan for the centre-forward, who is awaiting his first goal under Paul Cook.

The 18-year-old has started just three games in all competitions and hasn’t featured in eight of the Tractor Boys’ 10 third-tier fixtures.

Preece was asked by one Villa fan in a Q&A for Birmingham Live on Wednesday about Barry and if the club were planning on recalling the forward in the winter window.

He revealed that Villa are monitoring Barry closely, with a possible plan to end his Ipswich stay before loaning him to a League Two side in the New Year where he would feature more regularly from the off.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared Preece’s claim regarding Barry on Twitter on Thursday afternoon. This is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply…

“It was an absolutely terrible loan move.”

Credit: @DOUGLASLUlZ

“Knew this would be the case. Not worked out at Ipswich.”

Credit: @AVFCFaithful_

“Jedinak needs to send him to Swindon”

Credit: @MasonUTFV

“Hope so, he’s losing important development minutes on the pitch atm. I say bring him home and loan him to Walsall”

Credit: @MikeKnott10

“Would be sensible. Clearly working well for Kesler Hayden, and even the National League was clearly a good move for Archer last season. If Ipswich don’t want to play ball then there’ll be much better spots for him elsewhere.”

Credit: @rad_nauseam

“Get him to Swindon”

Credit: @ViIlaI_

In other news: ‘When is it gonna end?’ – Many Villa fans react as ‘ridiculous’ news confirmed.

Tottenham Hotspur are now attempting a move for star Villarreal defender Pau Torres as claims emerge from Spain in the last week.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites fail with bid…

Torres, who has been a crucial player under former Arsenal boss Unai Emery at the La Liga side, is absolutely no stranger to Lilywhites supporters.

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Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici has held a serious interest in the 25-year-old before with Torres even confirming himself that the club made a summer approach before 2021/2022.

The Spain international claims Tottenham even offered him a better deal in terms of salary than Villarreal.

However, Torres goes on to say that his club’s presence in the Champions League was a deciding factor in rejecting Paratici’s advances.

Now, as per La Razon (via Sport Witness), as Antonio Conte’s side chase qualification for Europe’s most elite competition, they are back in the picture to sign him.

The Latest: Tottenham attempting Torres move…

It is claimed that Spurs are ‘seem to be trying’ to sign the central defender this summer.

As well as this, Villarreal have decided to green-light the player’s summer sale if any interested side can offer around €60 million (£50m).

The Verdict: Get it done?

An accomplished centre-half is reportedly among many of Conte’s transfer demands this summer with The Telegraph believing he could demand as many as six fresh faces.

Bearing this in mind, Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy will have to operate smartly in the market and offload surplus players like Tanguy Ndombele before making such huge investments.

As Spurs allegedly attempt to sign Torres, there is no denying they have a better chance of doing so than last year as things stand, especially as they chase a top-four finish.

His £50m price tag remains a huge obstacle, but if Paratici can work his way around the finances and Tottenham’s homegrown quota problem this summer, there is little denying he would be a major upgrade.

Spain manager Luis Enrique, calling Torres and Aymeric Laporte ‘sensational’ due to their defensive partnership at international level, is arguably proven right by the player’s impressive La Liga stats this season.

Over his 28 league starts, the colossal defender has averaged more successful aerial duels per 90 (1.9) than anyone under Emery whilst also making the second-most clearances behind Raul Albion (WhoScored).

A crucial mainstay, only goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli has played more top flight minutes over 2021/2022, backing just how integral he is to Villarreal.

If Conte can snap him up, there is no reason why he cannot become just as pivotal in north London.

In other news: Tottenham in pole position to sign ‘unreal’ 6 foot 3 powerhouse for Conte! Find out more here.

West Ham United were not at their best away to Burnley yesterday afternoon as they were held to a stalemate, missing the opportunity to move further clear in fourth place. 

The Transfer Tavern have used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst Hammers players (to have featured for at least 45 minutes) were on the day. Despite having 60% of the possession, West Ham were rather wasteful when they did have the ball; these three lost possession a total of 36 times.

Michail Antonio (6.6)

Playing as the club’s lone striker, Antonio proved to be rather ineffective in the final third. The Jamaica international was unable to produce a shot on target during the 90 minutes, leading to a low 6.6 rating by SofaScore.

The forward lost possession 16 times and made just three dribble attempts, with only one proving successful. He surprisingly lost nine duels out of a possible 16, a disappointing return for a player of his stature.

Manuel Lanzini (6.6)

Starting in an attacking midfield role, Lanzini lacked a creative threat, receiving a 6.6 rating by SofaScore. Despite 94% of his 48 passes finding a team-mate, only two of these were considered key passes.

Having lost possession 13 times, the Argentine ace attempted seven crosses, all of which were inaccurate. He was also poor defensively and was consistently unable to win the ball back for his side, losing five out of his six duels.

Saïd Benrahma (6.6)

Benrahma produced the only shot on target out of the three Irons attackers, but still endured an underwhelming performance for the team with a 6.6 rating by SofaScore.

Losing the ball eight times, the Algeria winger also lost four out of his seven duels. Going forward, he was rendered ineffective, making just one successful dribble, a disappointing return for the technical attacker, whose performance came under fire from numerous West Ham supporters yesterday.

In other news: £21.3m beast on West Ham shortlist resisting new contract, he was ‘incredible’ v Lukaku

With the news of Theo Corbeanu’s departure from Sheffield Wednesday after he was recalled by his parent club Wolves and then sent back out on loan to MK Dons now confirmed, it seems as though there has been a claim made regarding the future of another figure at the Yorkshire club which will interest a lot of Owls fans.

What’s the news?

In a recent Q&A on the Yorkshire Live website, Wednesday journalist Dom Howson was asked if he thinks Josh Windass will still be at the club by the time the January transfer window closes after being linked with numerous Championship clubs in recent weeks.

In response, Howson had this to say on the matter: “Yes, but things can change quickly in football. If a big offer comes in for Windass or another player between now and January 31, then Wednesday would be foolish not to consider it. But Windass is under contract until next summer and is seen as a key component of what Moore is trying to build at Wednesday.”

Windass originally joined Wednesday on a loan deal from Wigan Athletic back in January 2020 before signing for the Owls on a permanent deal the following September.

Overall, the 27-year-old – who is currently valued at £1.8m by Transfermarkt – has made 57 appearances for Wednesday across all competitions, chipping in with 15 goals and seven assists along the way.

Despite only making three appearances for Darren Moore’s team this season in League One, mainly due to injury issues, Windass has still managed to show how useful he can be for the team by scoring two goals and providing one assist.

With this in mind, it’s easy to see why Howson has said that the 27-year-old is seen as a “key component” for Wednesday, and why fans will be delighted to hear that the journalist thinks the player will still be at the club beyond this transfer window.

Moving forward, if Windass can maintain his fitness for the remainder of the season, he could well help the Owls to push for a promotion place if they can go on a run of positive results, which in turn should ultimately improve their chances of keeping hold of the player if they can get back to the Championship next season.

In other news: Howson has dropped another exciting transfer claim at Hillsborough which will surely have fans buzzing

When Steven Gerrard was appointed as manager of Aston Villa, plenty of eyebrows were raised around the country.

The Liverpudlian is clearly a very talented and highly-rated coach but rightly or wrongly, there is always an element of scepticism attached to those arriving on English shores from Scottish football.

What he achieved north of the border was tremendous, as he guided Rangers to the Premiership title last term, doing so in unbeaten fashion.

That was the biggest boon attached to his CV upon arriving at Villa Park but we have quickly discovered there is another hugely appreciated bonus that he brings with him; that of attracting footballers to come and play for him.

The signings of Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne prove that, as two impressive regular internationals joined the club, marking a set of acquisitions that were some of the most impressive in the club’s recent history.

However, there could be arrivals before the window is closed with Johan Lange and Gerrard targeting a certain Luis Suarez no less.

It appears as if the Uruguayan is enthralled by the idea of working with somebody he respects highly from when the ex-midfielder was still a player, and what a signing he’d be.

Boasting 241 goals in Europe’s top five leagues, he is a generational talent, someone who has found the net throughout his career with jaw-dropping consistency.

Yet, he isn’t the only offensive name that could still put pen to paper at Bodymoor Heath before January 31st.

Another player who has been linked with a move is Swedish winger Dejan Kulusevski.

The Juventus star has been touted with switches to the likes of Tottenham Hotspur in recent times but it’s Villa who must secure his services.

After all, the £27m-rated gem could create a destructive and compelling partnership alongside both Coutinho and Suarez in the forward line.

Described as “explosive” by former Villa and Sweden striker Marcus Allback, Kulusevski has attributes in his locker that could scare opposing defenders up and down the country.

Capable of playing all across the front line, he has scored nine times and registered ten assists for Juve, but it was at Atalanta where he was most prolific.

He beat the goalkeeper on 17 occasions while proving himself to be a creative marvel, racking up 26 assists.

Indeed, with that kind of service for Suarez, they’d have the potential to create an awe-inspiring attack under Gerrard.

Admittedly, bringing both of them to the Midlands this winter seems unlikely, but supporters can always dream.

AND in other news, Grealish 2.0: Gerrard must avoid transfer howler on AVFC’s “selfless” £31.5m-rated gem…

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In the 2017/18 season, West Ham had a particularly evident goalkeeping issue in terms of selection.

The Hammers had Spanish goalkeeper Adrian on the books, along with Joe Hart on loan from Manchester City, with the pair battling it out for the number one shirt in intriguing fashion – amazingly, the pair made 19 Premier League starts each last season, meaning they both had a half of the season each in between the sticks (per Whoscored).

What’s changed?

Now, however, there is only one man in contention for the role at the London Stadium – summer signing Lukasz Fabianski, who arrived from Swansea for just £7m (per BBC) in a deal which can easily be debated as one of the signings of the season.

Who should replace Marko Arnautovic if he leaves West Ham? FFC’s James Jones has the answer! Check out the video below to find out…

The Polish international has picked up where he left off at the Liberty Stadium, helping Manuel Pellegrini’s side to tenth in the table as things stand in impressive fashion, having allowed everyone else a head-start with four losses from their first four games.

Impressively, the 33-year-old keeper has managed to save a penalty already for his new club, on his way to keeping four clean sheets from 23 league games and making 86 saves as he has fast become a fans’ favourite in east London.

The former Arsenal man has conceded 34 goals for the Irons in his 23 league starts, and has provided a solid foundation behind the formidable Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena that has allowed the flair players, such as Felipe Anderson, to perform so admirably.

The Verdict 

West Ham needed a settled number one, and they got one. It is always commendable when a club goes out and actively solves a problem position in the side to great, and immediate effect, so the Hammers have to be commended for their proactive approach – for such a minimal fee in today’s market as well, there can be no complaints.

The deal should also have a fair bit of sustainability about it as well, as Fabianski appears to be getting better with age and should still have at least three years left in him as a quality Premier League keeper – as aforementioned, this has to be mentioned in any conversation debating the best signing of the season.

Rangers travel to Fir Park on Sunday afternoon as they look to extend their lead at the top of the Premiership table.

The Gers went into the weekend two points clear at the summit, with seven wins, three draws and one defeat in 11 top-flight matches.

Steven Gerrard’s side came from 2-0 down to draw with Aberdeen earlier this week in their last Premiership match, with Alfredo Morelos and James Tavernier finding the net.

Imagine him & Morelos

One change that Gerrard must make to the XI is the introduction of Fashion Sakala in place of Romanian forward Ianis Hagi.

Imagine a front three of Morelos and Sakala with Kemar Roofe in support. It could strike fear into the Motherwell defenders, as the trio have contrasting styles and different threats which would allow Rangers to mix up how they play going forward.

Whilst the Zambia international has the pace and movement to make runs in behind and stretch the defence, Morelos can hold up the ball and then find space in the penalty box to poach goals.

Ross Wilson previously hailed the pace and power that Sakala is able to provide for Gerrard’s squad upon the 24-year-old’s arrival at Ibrox earlier in the summer. 

The Gers’ sporting director said: “Fashion has had an excellent season in Belgium and we believe he will develop further still working with all of our staff at the training ground. Fashion is a determined, humble and positive guy and we are sure he will fit the group here.

“We wanted to add more pace and power to the group across January and the summer and I am pleased that we have done that, firstly with Scott Wright and now with Fashion Sakala. I know Steven and the coaches are excited to work with Fashion and I am sure that he will further enhance his growing reputation here with Rangers.”

We published an article explaining why Hagi should be axed from the starting XI, and Sakala could be the ideal replacement to come in and form a partnership with Morelos. The Zambian’s aforementioned pace could suit the Colombian’s slower style to create variation in the Gers’ attack, whilst his one goal and one assist in two Premiership starts suggests that he has the potential to make an impact in the final third.

His dynamism could help to unlock the Motherwell defence and create space for Morelos and Roofe to do their damage in the final third. That is why Gerrard must unleash him on Sunday, not least as he has already scored against Graham Alexander’s side this season…

AND in other news, Wilson masterclass: “Determined” Rangers beast has seen value soar 233% in 1 year…

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Josko Gvardiol to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by German media outlet RB Live (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite The Athletic recently revealing that the RB Leipzig centre-back is the first name on Fabio Paratici’s list of targets ahead of the summer transfer window, the chances of the 20-year-old linking up with Antonio Conte’s side this summer are extremely thin.

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The report goes on to state that the Croatia international has himself ruled out a departure from the Red Bull Arena at the end of the current campaign, while it is also claimed that the defender is likely to have a release clause written into his contract that is much higher than the €50m (£42m) figure mentioned as the potential cost of his transfer.

Paratici must act

Considering just how impressive Gvardiol has been following his €16m (£13m) move to RB Leipzig back in the summer of 2020, in addition to Antonio Conte’s well-documented desire to add a top left-sided centre-back to his Spurs side this summer, Paratici simply must do everything in his power to seal the 20-year-old’s signing.

Indeed, over his 27 Bundesliga appearances this season, the £100m-rated Croatian has been imperious in the heart of the Leipzig defence, helping his side keep six clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.7 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, two clearances and winning 6.1 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per game.

The £21k-per-week centre-back has also contributed in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 60.1 passes, 3.5 long balls and taking 0.9 shots per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who Ivica Olic dubbed “extraordinary” and claimed “everyone is talking about” average a rather breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.12, ranking him as Domenico Tedesco’s joint third-best player in the top flight of German football.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Gvardiol would make an excellent addition to Conte’s current options in his Tottenham backline, leading us to believe that Paratici simply must do all he can to land the 20-year-old prodigy this summer – even if it means breaking Tottenham’s current incoming transfer record of £54m.

AND in other news: Conte can finally axe £55m “disaster” as Spurs plot £60m bid for “unbelievable” talent

Graeme Bailey has revealed that Eddie Howe is now personally pushing to sign Hugo Ekitike for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Progressing…

Newcastle’s January business has started in impressive fashion, securing deals for two experienced internationals in the shape of Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood, but there are still over two weeks left to make more additions.

Bailey reported earlier this week that the St. James’ Park faithful are in ‘advanced talks’ to sign Ekitike, and even with the arrival of Wood it seems like the Magpies will push ahead for a deal.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium clearly feel the impact of the injury to Callum Wilson cannot be offset by just one arrival, and the latest update on the Reims forward sounds extremely promising.

The Latest: Howe wants him

As per Bailey, Howe is now pushing to sign Ekitike, and ideally wanted him to be signed before they play Watford at home in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon:

“Told that Eddie Howe is pushing Newcastle hard to get the deal for Reims highly-rated forward Hugo Ekitike done.

“Howe wants the teenager to be signed in time to feature against Watford on Saturday along with Chris Wood.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Ekitike would now not be registered in time to face the Hornets even if talks progress quickly, as the top flight game-week kicks off on Friday night when Brighton take on Crystal Palace.

That said, the North East club can still sign him in time for when they play Leeds United away from home next week, another big game at the bottom of the table.

With Wilson still out injured, Ekitike and Wood should be able to provide sufficient cover for him until he gets back, and the former is perhaps more of a signing for the long-term anyway.

Bailey has claimed himself that Ekitike is an ‘outstanding talent’, and cited that many people in French football believe that he could be the ‘next Mbappe’.

High praise indeed for the 19-year-old, who seems to have the world at his feet.

Nonetheless, with Wood offering the immediate injection of top-flight experience, Ekitike could be signed with less risk and pressure, and he certainly could be an exciting player to watch for the Toon Army, having bagged eight goals in just ten Ligue 1 starts this term.

In other news, find out which ‘powerful’ beast NUFC are now eyeing here!

Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan is wanted by Liverpool and Manchester City, heightening the need for Wanderers to sign him permanently.

The Lowdown: Hwang shines for Wolves

The South Korean joined Wolves on loan from RB Leipzig in the summer and has made an immediate impression at Molineux. He has scored four goals in just six Premier League starts, helping Bruno Lage’s side to find a good run of form as they rose to eighth in the table and becoming their top scorer so far this term.

It appears as though the 25-year-old’s form has not gone unnoticed by some of the country’s leading clubs, though.

The Latest: Premier League giants eye up move

According to The Mirror, both Liverpool and Man City are keen on the idea of signing Hwang, seeing him as a strong player to add to their respective squads.

The report stated that the pressure is now on Wolves to try and sign the striker permanently in the January transfer window in order to avoid any complications next summer.

The Verdict: Potential big blow

Hwang already looks like a hugely exciting player for Wolves – Garth Crooks has described him as ‘devastating’ and he won the club’s Player of the Month award for October – and while Leipzig may not definitely allow him to leave, there is hope that a deal could be struck.

The idea of him moving to Liverpool or Man City instead is a painful one, further strengthening one of those clubs’ attacking options and leaving Wolves lighter in that area in what would be a hammer blow to Lage’s squad.

The hope is that the promise of regular starts at Molineux appeals more to Hwang than simply being a squad player under Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.

In other news, some Wolves fans have reacted negatively to a transfer rumour. Read more here.