All posts by n8rngtd.top

Numerous fans of Manchester City have been reacting to a post on Twitter which relayed an article regarding the wage demands of reported summer transfer target Erling Haaland.

According to David Ornstein’s article for The Athletic, Manchester City – as well as other interested clubs – have been informed that signing the 20-year-old Borussia Dortmund centre-forward this summer would “break wage structures across Europe”, with salary demands way in excess of what City’s top earners currently take home being communicated.

The £99 million-rated striker is undeniably something of a generational talent, having already scored a quite astonishing 49 goals and providing 13 assists over his 52 appearances for Dortmund.

However, after City Xtra relayed the news of Haaland’s reported wage demands on Twitter, some Man City fans flocked to have their say on the matter, with many feeling that the Norway international should not be signed this summer if the reports regarding his demands are indeed true. One irate supporter even blasted the Norwegian as an “overrated fraud” despite his exceptional goal return.

So, what exactly did these Manchester City fans have to say in reaction to the report regarding Erling Haaland’s wage demands?

“Really wanted him but if that’s the case all of a sudden Isak and Ings and Andre Silva are looking really great players.”

@resanemi

“Bro he can rot at Dortmund then.”

@oilfc96

“We’re good. He can go wherever.”

@ngozulumatondo

“We don’t want this overrated fraud.”

@not_aguero

“Honestly don’t want him. Don’t want to sign mercenaries – you can never truly attach yourselves to such players.”

@ManCityKD

“Let’s be real, it is not happening. Andre Silva would be a better option in our budget.”

@SadlyIoan

In other news: Lots of MCFC fans flocked to one recent transfer report – find out more here!

Tottenham Hotspur now have another RB Leipzig star in their sights ahead of the summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to Foot Mercato, Spurs are looking into the possibility of signing Christopher Nkunku, although they are facing major competition from their Premier League rivals, including Arsenal and Manchester United.

Interestingly, the 23-year-old midfield gem is represented by the same agent, Pini Zahavi, who brokered Jose Mourinho’s appointment in north London. He also has Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg on his books.

Spurs have been heavily linked with Nkunku’s current teammate Marcel Sabitzer, so perhaps Daniel Levy and co are assessing their options before next season.

Perfect replacement

Nkunku’s vast skillset makes for great appeal for any interested suitor, although Spurs must ensure they win the race to seal his signature as he could well be the perfect replacement for Gareth Bale, who could return to Real Madrid following his season-long loan.

The young Frenchman is able to play in a wide variety of positions, featuring in no fewer than five different roles this season alone. His best position appears to be behind the striker, so his arrival could see Lucas Moura revert back to his natural wide berth, in turn replacing Bale.

Speaking about his versatility, Leipzig coach Julien Nagelsmann – the reported number one target to succeed Mourinho in the future – told Bundesliga.com:

“Christopher can play as a box-to-box midfielder, No.10, winger, striker. He’s versatile and has real quality in attacking one-on-ones. He also fits perfectly with our transfer DNA as a young player with great potential who can take steps forward, just like us as a club. He’s hungry for success and we’re glad to have him on board.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more” title= Read this week’s latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more…”]

Last season, the former PSG whizzkid picked up a reputation of being an ‘assist king’ as he notched a tally of 15 in the league, and 16 in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt. Nkunku has since added goals to his armoury this term, providing seven strikes and eight assists across the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and the Champions League.

Dubbed “one of the most dangerous players in the league”, the 23-year-old dynamo has certainly delivered, ranking as not only Leipzig’s star performer with an average WhoScored rating of 7.27, but he also sits in the top 15 in the Bundesliga, grading above the likes of Leon Bailey, Serge Gnabry and even Sabitzer.

The £36m-rated Nkunku would surely arrive for a far cheaper outlay than keeping Bale around for another season, especially as Levy is currently paying roughly £240,000 (40%) of his extortionate £600,000-per-week wages, as per football.london.

By comparison, it’s thought that the France under-21 international is earning just €40,000 per week (£34,000-a-week) at the Red Bull Arena, which would currently put him bottom of Spurs’ payroll.

Bale has somewhat delivered in north London, with five goals and two assists in the Premier League, but Nkunku has age and finances on his side here, if not being a complete upgrade for the long-term.

Levy could secure Spurs a perfect replacement for the Welshman this summer by swooping for the RB Leipzig sensation.

AND in other news, £26m-rated Spurs star was hugely anonymous with fewer touches than Lloris in Newcastle draw…

According to a report by reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold, Brighton defender Lewis Dunk has admirers behind the scenes at Spurs – with the Lilywhites eyeing up possible defensive options ahead of the 2021/2022 season. 

Dunk, who has been a mainstay under Seagulls boss Graham Potter this campaign, starting 26 league matches, is apparently on the a list of targets for Spurs as Gold shares news.

Tottenham chiefs eyeing Dunk

Indeed, it is believed that the 29-year-old has admirers within the north London club, coming as Tottenham and the board sound out defensive options.

As Gold explains, Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy are eager to sign a real leader at the back – with Brighton defender Dunk now emerging as a target.

The 6 foot 3 titan has averaged 3.1 clearances per 90 in the league this season and stands out as a composed head on mature shoulders with his 89% pass accuracy out from the back (WhoScored).

While Dunk doesn’t fit the usual age profile of Tottenham targets, Gold explains that his consistent performances in the league have marked him out – not to mention the fact he is homegrown.

Tottenham’s apparent biggest roadblock is his potential price tag considering he signed a new five-year deal for Brighton last summer – but Transfermarkt currently rate him at around £22.5 million.

Transfer Tavern take

Lauded as a ‘genius’ by former Spurs player and ex-Premier League boss Gus Poyet on Sky Sports (via football daily), there certainly are aspects of Dunk’s game to admire, but it remains to be seen whether the Lilywhites shore up this interest with a concrete move.

In other news: Tottenham could be without this ‘phenomenal’ star for Newcastle, find out more here.

After breaking into the Sheffield Wednesday first team, young midfielder Alex Hunt has found himself down the pecking order at Hillsborough, and the club have a big decision to make on him this summer.

The 20-year-old Owls dynamo is out of contract at the end of the season, but according to Yorkshire Live’s Dom Howson, Wednesday have an option to extend his deal for another year.

Given his lack of game-time since Garry Monk’s sacking – he has featured only four times this season – it would be easy for the Yorkshire giants to cast him off on his own, but Darren Moore’s appointment is perfect for situations like this.

As a young, progressive manager, a youngster caught in a career crossroads should be eager to learn under the 46-year-old.

The best-case scenario could be the Owls activating that option – if they stay up, loan him out. If they go down, get him involved regularly. He should be able to adapt far easier at League One level than in the Championship.

Hunt was close to leaving on loan in January but Wednesday were unable to secure a suitable replacement in time. Had that happened, then things may have been very different.

After making his debut last season, Monk waxed lyrical about the Hillsborough graduate, he told The Star: “For me personally I think he’s got a lot of potential,” before adding: “He’s training hard, he’s training well and he’s still got things he can get a bit better at, but he’s growing, he’s young and I want to encourage him. He’s a really good prospect.”

Indeed, many at the Yorkshire outfit spotted that potential from an early age. Hunt captained the under-18 side, and that culminated in the youngster being nominated for the Championship’s Apprentice of the Year award that season.

Perhaps Hunt is a leader in the making, which would suggest he’s capable of one day taking the armband from Barry Bannan, who has been a mentor to him in recent months – only bolstering such a claim.

“I’ve spoken to him and tried to give him advice and he’s on board with that,” said the Owls skipper. “He just needs to play games. I know he’s playing under-23s and that, keeping his fitness up.”

Strong, creative and exciting. That’s just three words used to describe Hunt by The Athletic. They also claim that the 20-year-old has been the ‘player to watch’ from the academy setup, as touted by Bannan, Monk and even former manager Steve Bruce.

“He’s a big part of the future,” Monk added.

Also a boyhood fan of the Owls, there would be nothing better than seeing Hunt emerge into the senior fold in the near future.

Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri ought to sanction his option, and then worry about tying him down for the long-term later down the line.

In Hunt, Moore could have his perfect Bannan heir, and one capable of so much more development.

AND in other news, Sheffield Wednesday handed big injury boost this international break…

Southampton can ease their relegation fears with three points against Brighton at St Mary’s on Sunday but it appears as if Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side will be without Moussa Djenepo for the game against Graham Potter’s side.

The Malian has unfortunately endured a number of injury issues during his time on the south coast and picked up another groin injury during the 5-2 defeat against Manchester City in midweek.

Hasenhuttl suggested earlier this week that they are hopeful he will return to training this week and provide an alternative option against Brighton, so it seems clear that he won’t be fit enough to start, and therefore he might not be risked against the Seagulls.

Although the winger hasn’t had too much impact for Southampton in the final third this season, with one goal and no assists in 21 Premier League appearances, his overall contribution is clearly appreciated by the Austrian manager given his regularity of selection, and he has performed well in recent fixtures against Chelsea and Everton.

It is a shame that he looks unlikely to feature against Brighton in what is an important fixture for the Saints, but thankfully for Hasenhuttl, their injury woes have eased in recent weeks, and they still have the likes of Takumi Minamino, Stuart Armstrong and Nathan Redmond available to play on the wing.

Incidentally, Djenepo’s first goal for the club came in a win against Brighton last season, and Hasenhuttl was full of praise for him after that game, saying: “He wasn’t on the pitch very long before he made the first goal – it’s fantastic for him.

“The fans will love him immediately, but don’t put too much pressure on him. He must learn a lot, especially against the ball, but I like this guy – he’s very positive.”

Hopefully Hasenhuttl doesn’t feel the need to risk Djenepo after he was forced off against the Citizens in midweek, as he could prove to be an important player for the rest of the season if he can stay fit, and rushing him back too early could lead to another setback for the Malian.

And, in other news… Saints’ 4-year nightmare looks set to continue after update on £5.4m-rated disaster

David Sullivan must strive to see West Ham United seal a deal with Watford for Craig Dawson, after David Moyes voiced his intent to retain the defender beyond his loan spell.

What’s the word?

Speaking following Monday’s 2-0 win over Leeds United, via quotes by football.london, Moyes praised Dawson for his performances and confirmed that he is likely to sign with the club on a permanent deal.

Dawson moved to the London Stadium on a season-long loan in October as a last-ditch domestic transfer, in a move long-said to include a £2m option to purchase.

Moyes has stated that the terms struck with Watford also include a clause dependent on the number of appearances Dawson makes throughout the 2020/21 campaign, a total which the £42,000-per-week enforcer is getting close to.

Monday’s affair marked the centre-half’s 14th outing with the Irons across all competitions, having featured in all bar one fixture since making his debut at Southampton in December.

Moyes now hopes to have the 30-year-old to call on next season, regardless of Dawson reaching the set number of games needed for the clause to be activated.

“There is a good chance, although we are not quite there yet, but there is a clause in it after a certain amount of games and we are getting very close to that number. His performances, his attitude and determination are certainly worthy of that anyway,” the Irons boss said.

“We brought him in, it took him a while until the Southampton game – I think it was – before he got a start, but that was because of the form of Fabian Balbuena and Angelo Ogbonna – but he has come in and added goals to us as well and his experience has been really important, and he is playing really well this season.”

Should West Ham retain Dawson?

Moyes has clearly been impressed with what Dawson has brought to West Ham since October, and is rightly keen to retain the Watford enforcer who is not out of contract at Vicarage Road until 2023.

Thankfully for the Irons, they have a clause in their deal with the Hornets to purchase the £3.5m-rated titan after a set number of games. But Sullivan should be lining up a permanent switch even if, for whatever reason, Dawson fails to trigger the terms already agreed.

The Telegraph’s Matt Law lauded the defender for producing an “outstanding” performance against Leeds on Monday, having denied the Elland Road natives a goal despite a result being there for Marcelo Bielsa’s side to take.

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton also praised the impact Dawson has had on West Ham’s defence, telling BBC Radio 5 Live (8/3, 20:56): “West Ham had a dreadful defensive record last season, and I think that shows how important Craig Dawson has been. He is a calming influence on them.”

He offers more than just being a leader to his teammates too, with Dawson doing the gritty work to keep opponents out, such as his goal-line clearance to deny Leeds that BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks claimed “must have sickened” the Whites.

The display Dawson produced was typical of the 30-year-old in claret and blue, as he claimed a sixth Premier League clean sheet in 12 games as well as a third goal – West Ham only kept eight shut outs all season during the delayed 2019/20 campaign.

If Moyes and Sullivan were to suddenly pass up on keeping a player who has helped turn around the club’s fortunes so much, questions would rightly be raised.

AND in other news, West Ham eye summer swoop for £35k-p/w gem with “boundless energy”…f

According to reports, Leeds United are one of the sides interested in signing Real Madrid ace Lucas Vazquez this summer, and he could prove to be the ideal replacement if the linked-away Raphinha does end up leaving Elland Road.

What’s the story?

The Spain international’s contract at the Santiago Bernabeu is expiring come the end of the season, and it appears he looks set for an exit from the European giants.

According to Deportes Cuatro, Marcelo Bielsa’s side are ready to take advantage of the contract stalemate between Vazquez and Madrid, and swoop in on a potential free transfer.

The report claims that Vazquez doesn’t want to decide his next club in the summer, and is keen on making a decision in March, with the likes of Leeds, Everton, Napoli and Milan all interested in signing him.

Bargain replacement for Raphinha

While Leeds fans will undoubtedly be buzzing at seeing Raphinha continue to produce eye-catching displays week-in and week-out following his arrival last summer – his latest seeing him net a stunning free-kick against Southampton on Tuesday night – it’s inevitable that some of European football’s heavyweights are keeping a close eye on him.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that reigning Premier League champions Liverpool have been blown away by his progress, and are assessing him as a target ahead of a potential summer move for him.

If the Brazilian does end up leaving Elland Road after just one season, clinching Vazquez on a free transfer would be a fairly shrewd move to make. Not only would owner Andrea Radrizzani not have to pay a penny in signing him in terms of a transfer fee, but he would be getting someone with tonnes of experience at the highest level with both Madrid and Spain.

Vazquez has played Champions League football year-in and year-out at the Bernabeu, and the £155k-a-week earning speedster would offer this Leeds side plenty of know-how and insight.

If the Whites do have to wave goodbye to Raphinha in the summer, then Vazquez should be considered a serious option to replace him.

Despite Bertrand Traore’s best efforts, Aston Villa suffered their first Premier League home defeat since the 3-1 loss to West Ham on Sunday as they came up short against Leicester City.

The 2-1 defeat to Leicester, courtesy of early strikes from James Maddison and Harvey Barnes in the first half, made it two losses from their last four fixtures for Dean Smith’s side.

Villa lacked any real ambition and courage without the injured Jack Grealish, as the statistics make for grim reading. Smith’s side could only muster two shots to Leicester’s seven on target in the entire game, which is a far cry from the eight they managed against Arsenal.

Grealish’s absence would be a big miss for any side, but it is his confidence in front of goal Villa miss the most when he is absent as, for the most part, they looked rather lost for ideas this afternoon without the 25-year-old.

However, although far from perfect, Traore was one of the very few who could have left Villa Park with his head held high.

Although Villa were torn apart by Leicester’s blistering counter-attacks, the Villans still found some of their own joy down the right flank with Traore.

The 55-cap Burkina Faso international had initially been kept rather quiet by a dogged defence but burst into life shortly after the break, latching onto a cross from John McGinn before rifling the ball into the back of the net.

With a SofaScore match rating of 7.1 for his efforts, the right winger ranked the third-highest out of the entire Villa squad, with only Matt Targett and Ahmed Elmohamady scoring higher, yet he was the only true silver lining to take away from the defeat.

No player from either side completed more dribbles successfully than Traore (3), including Targett and Elmohamady, with the 25-year-old showing a willingness to try and push the Villans up the pitch despite being pegged back in their own half for large chunks of the game.

BirminghamLive also graded the former Saints defender a squad-high 7/10 for his display, but it was the goalscorer who should earn the plaudits instead.

Of all his teammates, only Trezeguet could muster the same amount of shots on target as Traore, who accounted for 50% of the team’s total shots on target, as the likes of McGinn and Ollie Watkins struggled to get a foothold in the game.

In terms of the statistics, the winger was performing at a level far above his usual standards, as he averages just 1.2 dribbles per 90 in the Premier League while also winning more ground duels (7) than his season’s average of 2.6 per game, via SofaScore.

He also made two tackles, that being better than his average of 0.6 per game, whilst he wasn’t dribbled past at all, which shows that he worked hard to win the ball back and try to set his side on the front foot.

Traore may have lost possession 16 times – the third-worst of any player on the pitch – but that merely showed his desire to try and spring a reaction after going behind so early in the match.

Smith has come to rely on Grealish as his main creative asset, so he will have been secretly pleased to see the former Chelsea star step up to the plate and impress on the wing in his absence, even despite the 2-1 defeat.

AND in other news, Tyrone Mings was superb for Aston Villa vs Brighton…

Manchester United were dealt a devastating blow to their Premier League title hopes on Saturday night.

Bruno Fernandes’ best efforts ultimately proved to be in vain as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side threw away a two-goal lead against Everton despite leading twice at Old Trafford yesterday evening.

The 26-year-old doubled their advantage shortly before half-time with a sensational long-range strike past Robin Olsen after Edinson Cavani’s opener.

But the lead was short-lived with the visitors fighting back after the break courtesy of goals from Abdoulaye Doucouré and James Rodriguez.

Scott McTominay then grabbed his second goal in as many games, nodding home Luke Shaw’s excellent cross to restore their lead.

Everton restored parity for a second time, however, with pretty much the last kick of the game as Dominic Calvert-Lewin took advantage of some sloppy defending from United to score from close-range.

Cavani may have opened the scoring but we feel Fernandes deserves plenty of recognition too.

The Portuguese star has often been tasked with being United’s main creative asset in the midfield and last night was no different as he tried to make the magic happen.

A return of 78 touches saw him ranked fourth in the entire game, bettered only by his teammates McTominay, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof, as per SofaScore, implying that he dominated possession and dictated play.

Fernandes made three key passes, that being the most out of any player from either side, and took four shots overall, including one shot on target, which just so happened to usurp Cavani’s tally of two shots in total.

And his effort at Old Trafford, which was ultimately cancelled out by Everton’s remarkable comeback, gained plenty of praise from Jamie Redknapp. The player-turned-pundit waxed lyrical about Fernandes’ goal.

“What a goal. I love this guy. He’s such an amazing player,” he said. “Everything about him, he’s a showman, little bits of skill. He lets the ball run because he knows he’ll get the next one off Wan-Bissaka.

“He looks up to cross it, that’s not on and this is dipping. There’s so much aggression and violence in this shot, it’s just going everywhere. It’s so difficult to stop.

“I knew he was going to be a good player when he came to United. Did I think he’d become great so quickly?”

It marked a return to the kind of form that Fernandes has gained a reputation for following his arrival from Sporting Lisbon as he has now scored in back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since December after experiencing a mini goal drought.

With trips to Chelsea and Manchester City on the horizon, this will come as welcome news for Solskjaer as his side attempt to perform a dramatic turnaround in form.

AND in other news, Manchester United handed huge Jadon Sancho boost as Dortmund reduce demands…

With Celtic stuck in a terrible rut this season, there is surely only one solution; sacking Neil Lennon.

The Northern Irishman has stated that he won’t depart Parkhead unless he’s given the boot which judging by the hierarchy’s support for him, seems far-fetched.

A plethora of names have been linked with the hot seat with Rafa Benitez and Frank Lampard being talked up in recent weeks.

Though, one name mentioned in November was former RB Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick. Derek Rae commented that in order for Celtic to bring him to Glasgow, he needed to be appealed by the project.

He’s already rejected Chelsea so a move to Scotland is surely within the realms of fantasy, certainly for the time being.

Though, if he does eventually replace Lennon, he could be game-changing for Christopher Jullien. The 62-year-old is one of the most meticulous coaches about and was the pioneer behind the modern-day press. His teams must win the ball back within eight seconds of losing it if they are to be successful.

It’s a style of play that has been adopted right across Europe with many of the world’s best teams – Liverpool and Bayern Munich for example – using it to their advantage.

He also has a particular favouritism towards set-pieces. Writing on the Coaches Voice, Rangnick declared that you needed all five elements of football to be the best. One of those elements was set-plays.

“Set-pieces, both in offence and defence. More than 30 per cent of goals are being scored from corners, free-kicks and penalties,” he wrote.

A third of training isn’t dedicated to their practice but with Rangnick that is different. So, why could the manager turn Jullien into a star?

Well, he has a habit of scoring goals from set-pieces. The Frenchman scored seven times last term following his £7m switch and his ability to find the net has been well noted by Lennon.

He said last term: “When we looked at Jullien, scoring goals was something we thought he could do in Scotland and Europe. He’s a threat and he has worked on it as he wants to get on the end of things.”

“He’s brave and puts his head on things in both boxes.”

Celtic have scored the joint-most goals from set-pieces this season (11) and that’s without putting a strict focus on it. Coincidentally, that’s also come in a campaign where Jullien has spent a large portion out injured.

Rangnick may have been described as a “very demanding” coach by former RB Salzburg CEO Jochen Sauer but the intricate details and clever philosophies he uses are phenomenal. The way RB Leipzig have developed, he helped change the face of the football club.

He could very much do the same at Celtic, and in turn, make Jullien even better and help him reach a new level. Rangnick is a must-have coach for majority shareholder Dermot Desmond.

AND in other news, Celtic could fix a big problem by hiring manager who left Rodgers “really impressed”…