All posts by z3u9t.icu

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…

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.

Newcastle United have reportedly now joined the transfer race to sign Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: A man in demand

With the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Juventus all reportedly keeping a close eye on Vlahovic, it is clear that the Serbia international is a man in high demand.

He has scored no fewer than 12 goals in just 14 games in total over all competitions so far this season, and has even chipped in with three assists (Transfermarkt).

The crazy thing is that Vlahovic is only 21 years of age, and so promised to become one of the hottest strikers in Europe over the next few years.

The Latest: Newcastle in race

As per Corriere Fiorentino (via Sport Witness), the St. James’ Park faithful have now joined the race to sign Vlahovic, although it will not be easy for them to meet Fiorentina’s demands.

The Serie A club currently reportedly want a transfer fee of €80m (£67.1m) for his signature, which could even be a stretch for their new mega-rich owners.

The Verdict: Get it done

The North East club may have to do a lot to sell Vlahovic the long-term vision on Tyneside, given that they currently find themselves in a relegation battle.

However, if a deal is to be done, then the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium must be the first ones to pounce, given his high demand.

Described as ‘really crazy’ by former Manchester City striker Valeri Bojinov back in March, Vlahovic is a player with fire in his belly, and so would surely be hungry for success in the Premier League.

His six-foot-three frame makes him a beast in both boxes, as emphasised by him winning 2.2 of his aerial duels per match in the Serie A so far this campaign (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, Vlahovic would certainly be a statement signing by the Magpies, that could then help attract other big names to the club.

In other news, find out which enforcer in the mould of Fabinho could sign for NUFC 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

Liverpool may find that a move for Paris-Saint Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe could now be off the cards.

Mbappe on the rocks?

The 22-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Anfield over the past 12 months and has achieved a huge amount in football during his short career so far.

Mbappe was recently described as “unplayable” by compatriot and international teammate Antoine Griezmann, who says he “will be like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo” – two of the greatest footballers of all time (via talkSPORT).

However, Eurosport have revealed that the World Cup winner will be demanding around £500,000-per-week for his next contract, either with PSG or with his next club.

Liverpool’s joint-top earners are currently Thiago Alcantara and Mohamed Salah who both take home £200,000-per-week, according to Spotrac, which is not even half of what Mbappe is looking for.

Transfer Tavern Verdict

With the current climate that the world finds itself in, and with the Reds not receiving any matchday income, there will of course be significant revenue losses.

Crucially, this will have an effect on their transfer plans and will surely put a spanner in the works of the Merseysiders’ attempts to pull off a blockbuster move for Mbappe.

Check out the latest Kylian Mbappe transfer news on the dedicated GMS Kylian Mbappe Transfer hub

There is no doubt that speculation will continue to grow as time goes on. But whatever happens, it is difficult to see how Fenway Sports Group (FSG) will sanction such a move.

In other news, Liverpool fans furious as Reds suffer new injury ahead of Fulham clash.

Despite Liverpool having recruited two centre-backs in the January transfer window, the Reds continue to be linked with yet more defensive stalwarts.

The latest named in whom Jurgen Klopp is reportedly interested is Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.

In completing a deal for the Senegalese international, then they would be securing one of the best centre-backs in Europe at the current time.

The defender, now aged 29, has been with the Serie A giants since 2014 and, in that time, he has forged a reputation as a ferocious and dominant figure at the back.

He has gone on to make 274 appearances for the Partenopei, winning the Coppa Italia with the club last year.

His defensive statistics are also extremely impressive this season despite having missed part of the campaign after testing positive for COVID-19.

He is averaging 1.6 tackles, one interception, 1.7 clearances and 0.8 blocks per game in 2020/21, according to WhoScored.

When compared to Joe Gomez, who Koulibaly would presumably replace in the Liverpool starting XI when every player is fit, the Napoli man comes out on top in every facet besides clearances – the Englishman averaging a huge 4.4 per game throughout 2020/21 before his campaign was curtailed due to injury.

Some could make an argument that the Napoli defender’s age could be a negative factor, and to some extent that could be true – Koulibaly turns 30 in June.

However, age brings considerable experience, with him having made 26 appearances in the Champions League throughout his career, which of course would become extremely useful as the Reds attempt to continuing challenging on multiple fronts under Jurgen Klopp.

A deal would also not come cheap. Rated at £54m, it could take a considerably larger fee to bring him to Anfield.

Nevertheless, with no other glaring weakness in the Liverpool squad besides the centre-back position next to the dominant Virgil van Dijk, a big-money swoop for Koulibaly could see Liverpool regain their defensive resolve and once again challenge at the very top.

AND in more news, take a look at why Houssem Aouar could be the perfect addition to the Reds’ midfield…

Everton are in a vulnerable position this season and have now found themselves in the relegation zone following their defeat in the Merseyside Derby, however, despite the struggles the club are still linked with transfer interests this summer.

What’s the latest

According to La Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Calciomercato), there are several Premier League clubs interested in signing Torino player Wilfried Singo, including Everton.

The report suggests that the club could make an offer for Singo, competing with Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and Leicester to secure his signature this summer.

Better than Iwobi

The 21-year-old has been performing at a high level for his Italian club, and has been deployed in predominantly a right midfield position this season but can also play right-back.

Singo, who was hailed a “revelation” by journalist Matteo Bonetti, has become more of an attacking threat for his Serie A team this season scoring three goals and contributing four assists, winning the majority of his duels (58%), making 1.6 tackles and 1.4 clearances on average per game, proving he can impose an attacking threat as well as providing defensive qualities.

With that being said, the Ivorian national could be the perfect upgrade for Alex Iwobi this summer following a disappointing stint at Goodison Park over the last three years.

Iwobi has only scored seven goals in 91 appearances for Everton, and despite playing on the left compared to Singo on the right, the impact in comparison that the latter could provide for the club would be huge if he can emulate his performances for Torino on Merseyside next season.

Frank Lampard has been giving Iwobi his second chance in the team since arriving in January, becoming a consistent player in the team and despite scoring the winner against Newcastle United last month has otherwise not positively impacted the team to secure safety from relegation this season so far.

Everton may have competition to sign the in-demand £13.5m-rated star, and it could be much harder to add Singo into the team if they drop into the Championship this season and Premier League clubs make a move for him. Therefore, the Toffees boss will need to work hard to make sure that he can secure top-flight football in the remaining games.

AND in other news: Frank set for disaster on “fabulous” £5.1k-p/w gem, EFC supporters may not forgive him

Celtic have been handed a major boost in the race to sign QPR winger Bright Osayi-Samuel, as reports claim the Championship side are ready to sell him in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Reports back in December suggested that Neil Lennon had made the 23-year-old his priority target, and that whilst the winger’s contract is coming to an end when the season finishes, he is keen on bringing him in before then.

Now, TEAMtalk claim that QPR are ready to sell Osayi-Samuel after failing to tie him down to a new contract, and that they are willing to move him on in January in order to at least receive some kind of transfer fee for him.

Lawwell masterclass

Make no mistake about it, Peter Lawwell has got the perfect chance to deliver an absolute bargain for Celtic by signing Osayi-Samuel this month.

The 23-year-old has got tonnes of ability, and whilst his record of just three goals and three assists in the Championship this season doesn’t exactly reflect that, his manager at QPR knows exactly what he brings to the table.

Speaking after a 6-1 win over Cardiff, Mark Warburton said: “I’m not sure many teams have that blistering pace. As long as he knows how to use it and that’s the key for him learning the game. He’s working so hard. He’s got that sheer pace which terrifies defenders and when he uses it wisely like he did today he looks a real handful. I’m delighted for him and it’s good for the crowd to see a player who gets them off their seats which is what you want.”

With the fact his contract is running down, Lawwell should be confident of clinching a cut-price deal for Osayi-Samuel, and it’s one Lennon will be absolutely buzzing with given that he identified him as a major target for the club.

Pep Guardiola could be set to receive a huge boost at Man City in the coming weeks, with reports suggesting that Phil Foden is close to signing a new contract with the club.

According to Daily Mail journalist Ian Ladyman (via City Xtra on Twitter), the 20-year-old sensation is on the verge of signing a new deal at the Etihad, which will see him earn a six-figure-a-week salary.

The England international has been in superb form for the Citizens so far this season, contributing seven goals and five assists in 28 Premier League appearances, which has helped him average an impressive 7.07 rating from WhoScored.

In all competitions, the City academy graduate has managed 14 goals and eight assists this season, which is comfortably his best season to date, and also emphasises just how important he has been for Guardiola’s side so far this season.

According to Sportrac, Foden is currently the lowest earner in the Manchester City senior side, earning £12k per week, so this new contract definitely feels deserved for the youngster, and should also secure his long-term future at the Etihad, which will undoubtedly be a huge boost for Guardiola

After a superb display against PSG in midweek, which helped City reach their first-ever Champions League final, England teammate Declan Rice was full of praise for Foden on social media, dubbing him “very, very special”.

Whilst Foden’s current contract isn’t set to expire until the end of the 2024 season, City are clearly keen to tie him down for the significant future with a new bumper contract, which will surely see him spend the majority of his career with his boyhood club, unless City are presented with an extraordinary transfer offer.

Foden’s performances this season have certainly warranted a new contract, and City fans will be hoping that he can celebrate this news by helping them secure the Premier League title and the Champions League trophy in the coming weeks, to add to his already significant trophy collection with the Citizens.

And, in other news… Txiki should seal Man City swoop for “world-class” striker who left Pep speechless

Liam Kennedy has dropped some insight from sources on a potential timescale for Mike Ashley’s latest Newcastle United takeover case.

The Lowdown: Ashley launches another legal case

As per the Shields Gazette, Ashley and the St James’ Park club have launched another legal case against the Premier League, this time accusing them of what they believe to be anti-competitive behaviour in their decision-making process on the proposed deal from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

This is separate to the other case that the chief executive of Sports Direct has held against the league over the failed takeover, which is pending an arbitration hearing.

The Latest: Potential timescale for case

Writing in his latest piece for the Shields Gazette, Kennedy has outlined that proceedings for the case could reach a court date in less than six months, depending on the outcome of an impending hearing, according to sources.

The legal representatives of Newcastle, along with those of the Premier League, will also take part in a case management conference to determine whether their case will be expedited, and this should happen within the next seven to 10 days.

The Verdict: Premier League under pressure

The Premier League have certainly been put under pressure by Ashley and the Tyneside club in what is now two legal cases being launched against them relating to the failed takeover bid.

Nonetheless, the results of both cases should be quite interesting to see and will surely give a clearer understanding over where the potential takeover of Newcastle United is heading.

In other news, find out what Lampard-likened ace is wanted by Newcastle!