All posts by z3u9t.icu

Former Premier League manager Lawrie Sanchez believes that Everton and David Moyes are a match made in heaven.

Moyes made the Toffees top-six regulars during his first spell, leading the club into the Champions League for the first time ever, although they failed to qualify before he left to become the manager of Manchester United in 2012.

He’s managed Sunderland and Real Sociedad since then, and the 58-year-old is now being strongly linked with a sensational return to Goodison Park following Carlo Ancelotti’s recent departure.

The Scot’s contract at West Ham expires later this month but he’s widely expected to pen a new long-term contract at the London Stadium, which would likely end any speculation of him going back to Everton.

Ex-Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez and Nuno Espirito Santo have both been mentioned as possible replacements for Ancelotti, but Sanchez exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that none are better suited than Moyes:

“I think having seen what he’s done at West Ham this year, it’s a match made in heaven. His record at Everton was second to none and on the back of that, got the Old Trafford job.

“That would be a good fit for him. He knows the club inside out and now I think he will have a wage bill, and the launch of a new stadium, for him, I see that as an ideal match, and he hasn’t signed for West Ham yet.”

Leeds United thrashed Burnley 4-0 on Saturday lunchtime to strengthen their grip on a top-half finish in the Premier League.

Mateus Klich’s sumptuous strike on the stroke of half-time put Marcelo Bielsa’s men in front. Jack Harrison’s flick diverted Ezgjan Alioski’s effort past Bailey Peacock-Farrell to double their advantage after the interval.

Harrison then teed up substitute Rodrigo twice in the space of three minutes, with the Spaniard producing a pair of composed finishes.

Leeds have closed to within two points of ninth-placed of Arsenal and are four clear of Aston Villa behind them.

If they win their final two games – a trip to Southampton and a home meeting with already-relegated West Bromwich Albion – they will eclipse Wolves’ record for a Championship-winning side’s points tally in their first Premier League season after promotion.

Diego Llorente was one of the players who shone for the Whites at Turf Moor. The Spaniard, who formed a centre-back partnership with Pascal Strujik, earned a rating of 7.1 from Sofascore.

He came up with two clearances, two interceptions, one tackle and one block against the Clarets, along with winning four duels. Llorente played 43 accurate passes, including four long balls, as per Sofascore.

These Leeds fans gushed over his performance this afternoon, with one supporter hailing him as an “unbelievable footballer”.

Leeds fans delighted with Diego Llorente after Burnley rout

“Diego Llorente is top 3 CB in the league atm, I don’t care what anyone says”

Credit: @Lboxdonn

“If Diego Llorente is not on the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or I’ll be shocked. FACT.”

Credit: @Craigt_93

“I may be in love with Diego Llorente”

Credit: @Psych_Squirrel

“Diego Llorente has been some signing”

Credit: @Jairstone

“Diego Llorente quickly becoming my favourite player. So composed at centre back. Not had a player this good since Rio. Genuinely just want to get down to Elland Road to sing his name. Beautiful footballer.”

Credit: @WarriorLeeds

“Diego Llorente is an unbelievable footballer. Very tight between him and Raphinha for the signing of the season”

Credit: @philhayeveryday

“Diego Llorente is a serious, serious defender”

Credit: @GreggParkhill

In other news, a journalist for The Athletic offered a lowdown on the Bielsa talks.

Tottenham Hotspur are playing with fire amid fresh claims over mooted managerial target Roberto Martinez…

What’s the word?

According to a report from Football Insider, the North London side have held three rounds of talks with the current Belgium national team boss and despite claims from elsewhere that Martinez isn’t on Spurs’ radar, FI report that he is in fact one of three men on their shortlist.

There is also a belief that Spurs are confident in appointing their next manager within the next few days, though it remains to be seen what his involvement in this summer’s European Championships would mean for their chances.

The 47-year-old’s enthusiasm and desire to improve the squad have stood out in the recruitment process but question marks remain over his recruitment record.

Bye-bye Kane?

It’s no secret that Daniel Levy has to get his next appointment absolutely spot-on – there is too much at stake after another season of disappointment.

Much of the Lilywhites fanbase have been protesting against the chairman, as well as the club’s owners, the ENIC Group, in recent weeks and that’s largely down to the culmination of several years of underachievement and a lack of ambition.

Now Spurs have been rocked with the bombshell that leading superstar Harry Kane wants out, which would only add to their woes and set them back even further.

Both Manchester clubs and even Chelsea are just three of the teams eyeing up the £150m-rated striker, and all three would be fantastic destinations for him considering they are all competing in a European final this week.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-managerial-updates-transfer-news-rumours-gossip-and-more-levy-kane-enic” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, managerial gossip, transfer rumours and more!”]

If Levy even wants to stand a chance at keeping him at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, then he must appoint a manager who could genuinely get them a step closer to achieving their first silverware since 2008.

Martinez is not that man.

His overall record in the Premier League, across seven seasons with Wigan Athletic and Everton, is nothing short of abysmal. He has won only 30% of his 265 matches in charge – by comparison, Jose Mourinho won 52% of his matches in charge of Spurs, and was still sacked.

Even Christian Gross had a better win rate in charge of the club (33%).

Martinez promised so much at Goodison Park, too, but ultimately he failed to deliver and the Merseyside giants only regressed under his tenure – leading to Jonathan Wilson suggesting to Eurosport that there were “systemic” problems that have no signs of being fixed, whilst others have brandished him “stubborn” and “pathetic.”

Even with Romelu Lukaku as his top goalscorer, the Spaniard failed to guide the side past tenth place in his final two years in charge – not even Kane would be able to carry Spurs to much improvement under him, surely?

It’s no wonder he wants to leave to achieve his dreams as he’s already got the club on his back, contributing towards a whopping 54.4% of all their goals scored in the Premier League during the 2020/21 season.

The appointment of Martinez could well push Kane closer to the exit door in what would be a devastating blow to Spurs, both on and off the pitch. Levy must approach this situation with caution and look to avoid the Belgium boss at all costs.

It’s a catastrophic disaster waiting to happen.

AND in other news, Levy can land Spurs their next Eriksen in £40m “special talent” who’s a “game-changer”…

Speaking to talkSPORT, host and pundit Adrian Durham has told Tottenham Hotspur and Daniel Levy to target Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte over other linked candidates such as Graham Potter and Scott Parker.

Conte, who has just clinched a Serie A title with the Nerazzurri, possesses no shortage of silverware over his managerial career – having won eight major honours as a coach overall (Transfermarkt).

Durham tells Levy to target Conte for Spurs

This includes a Premier League crown during the 2016/2017 season with Chelsea and the FA Cup one year later, and Durham believes Levy should be trying to lure him to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over the likes of Potter and Parker, who have little experience and silverware by comparison.

In response to Potter’s links to Spurs, Durham explained to talkSPORT:

“I call him Graham Plodder which is a little bit disrespectful. He is better than that, but there is a pedestrian way that Brighton play that some people seem to love.

“I look at the lack of goals and think it’s got to get better than that. Potter, Parker or Eddie Howe – and then I look at Antonio Conte, who’s just won the title at Inter Milan.

“That’s who Spurs should be trying to attract to their football club. If they go with any of the first three, with the greatest of respect to them, there’s no way Kane stays.”

Transfer Tavern take

It is clear that, if Tottenham were targeting Conte, he would stand out as a very illustrious candidate.

Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo waxed lyrical over the €20 million-per-year (£17.2m) boss just last year, heralding him as the ‘best coach’ he has ever worked with and a ‘demon’ who is ‘obsessed with victory (FourFourTwo).

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is another who has heaped praise on the 51-year-old, dubbing Conte a tactical ‘master’ after introducing another way to attack with five in defence (Arab News).

However, despite his plaudits, Conte being targeted is arguably very unrealistic given his reported salary, the fact he has just won a title with Inter and the rumours Tottenham are looking for a ‘young’ and ‘dynamic’ coach (Daily Mail).

In other news: Tottenham register interest in this midfield maestro, find out more here.

Steven Gerrard has been handed a big injury boost to Ryan Jack ahead of next season, with the Rangers midfielder undergoing successful surgery earlier this week, which should hopefully see him fit to return to the Ibrox pitch in the near future.

The former Aberdeen man has been sidelined since February with a calf injury which ended up ruling him out for the season and Euro 2020 this summer due to a number of complications.

He was sent to London to see a specialist, who recommended that an operation was required in order to fix the 29-year-old’s issue and have him back fit in time for next season.

Fortunately, Jack confirmed on Instagram earlier this week that the operation was a success, saying: “Just letting everyone know I had a successful operation yesterday morning and I’m now on the road to recovery. Can’t wait to be back for the start of next season and getting back doing what I love. Thanks to everyone for the messages it’s much appreciated. All focus now is on 56!

The midfielder was very impressive in Gerrard’s side earlier in the season and was one of the main pillars behind their incredible defensive record – in the 19 Premiership games in which he appeared, the Light Blues conceded just twice.

He averaged a solid 7.03 WhoScored rating for his performances, and whilst Rangers were able to seal the title without him, they have definitely looked more vulnerable defensively in his absence, conceding 11 goals in the 16 league matches he has missed this term.

Rangers assistant manager Gary McAllister was full of praise for Jack back in 2019, saying: “For me, he has been unbelievable from day one.

“He has improved no-end, and you are seeing a midfield player gathering loads of information, experience and being given a bit of responsibility he’s maybe not had in the past.”

This has certainly continued to be the case this season, so to have him back in time for next term will be a huge boost for Gerrard and his hopes of securing another Premiership crown in 2022, whilst hopefully also impressing in the domestic and European cup competitions.

In other news… Gerrard handed major boost with 23 y/o dubbed “the best”, Wilson must deliver

Several Crystal Palace fans have been giving their thoughts to the club’s interest in Napoli defender Nikola Maksimovic.

According to Area Napoli, the Eagles have been in touch with the centre-back’s agent ahead of a potential free transfer to Selhurst Park.

The Serbia international, valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, will be a free agent when his contract expires in the summer and it seems as if Palace want to secure his services ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

The report claims that Palace are actually looking to sign three centre-backs in the upcoming window, with Maksimovic firmly on their radar.

Maksimovic, 29, is approaching 100 appearances for Napoli, with 26 of those coming during the current campaign.

Palace fans react

@cpfc_xtra shared Area Napoli’s report on Twitter on Thursday evening.

It didn’t take long for some Palace fans to give their thoughts on a potential deal, with a few addressing the average age of the squad and one describing Maksimovic as ‘awful’.

“He’s a good free agent that frees up money for other areas. Have to remember Kelly, Cahill and Dann are out of contract. Kouyate might also move back to CM next season”

Credit: @ReeceJMT

“Bringing the average age down”

Credit: @s_cpfc

“awful signing given the age mate”

Credit: @cpfcharlie0

“Bring down the squad age una”

Credit: @DrizzyCPFC

“30 in November… I suppose technically it brings the average age down, but not sure it’s exactly what most of us had in mind.”

Credit: @Szuumm

“Nah, too old”

Credit: @TheGoverner99

In other news: Many CPFC fans react as fresh managerial links gather pace, find out more here. 

SL Benfica harbour a ‘strong interest’ in Wolves defender Ruben Vinagre, according to Football Insider.

He started two of Wolves’ first three Premier League fixtures this season, lining-up in the defeats to Manchester City and West Ham, but when Rayan Ait-Nouri came in, Vinagre sealed a loan move to Olympiacos.

Vinagre’s mixed fortunes on loan

That deal included an option to buy, but it didn’t work out in Greece. He made only two league appearances before the loan was cut short at the mid-point of the season.

Another loan move was agreed in January, this time to lower mid-table Liga NOS outfit Famalicao. The 22-year-old has established himself as a consistent starter this time.

Benfica, who were knocked out by Arsenal in the Europa League Round of 32, have seemingly been impressed with his displays in Portugal, as a Wolves source has told Football Insider of ‘strong interest’ in the youngster.

Wolves paid £2million to sign Vinagre from AS Monaco in July 2018 and could more than double their money through a sale, considering he boasts a Transfermarkt value of £4.5million and still three years left on his contract.

Transfer Tavern verdict

It’s clear that Vinagre isn’t part of Nuno’s plans going forward. Jonny, when fit, Ait-Nouri and Marcal are all ahead of him in the pecking order and aforementioned, his contract situation could actually allow Wolves to earn a small profit on a move that simply hasn’t worked out.

The Portuguese Under-21 international failed to show that he has what it takes to be a consistent starter in the Premier League, but his level is surely higher than the 13th-placed side in Portugal, given Benfica’s interest.

Perhaps the Molineux outfit could insert a buy-back or sell-on clause if he does make the move, just in case he starts racking up the accolades with the 37-time Primeira Liga champions.

In other news, fans slammed the display of one of Vinagre’s compatriots on Friday.

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has weighed in on the Trezeguet-El Ghazi debate in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, suggesting that the Dutch winger should be getting the nod at present.

It was Trezeguet who started in the recent 2-0 defeat to Tottenham, and the 26-year-old has since come in for criticism for putting in a subpar performance.

Ex-Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor was highly critical of his display and overall attacking contribution this season, stating Anwar El Ghazi should be in the team ahead of him, a sentiment shared by former team-mate Hendrie.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about the two attackers, Hendrie said:

“I agree with Gabby about that. El Ghazi’s more of a direct player and he’s got a bit more versatility than Trezeguet. He can go down the line or he can cut inside and he’s scored goals this season, so I totally agree.

“I feel that because they’re not scoring goals, you need something of that dimension to try and bring into the side. If I had to choose one, El Ghazi would be my first choice.”

This season, El Ghazi has managed to score six goals in the Premier League, a tally only top scorer Ollie Watkins can beat. Meanwhile, Trezeguet has failed to register at all, so it is not hard to see why some feel that El Ghazi should be getting the nod over the Egypt international.

Southampton’s decision to sign Guido Carrillo in January 2018 will undoubtedly go down as one of the worst transfers in the club’s history after he was allowed to leave on a free transfer last summer.

The South Coast club were keen to reinvest following Virgil van Dijk’s £75 million move to Liverpool and ended up significantly overpaying for Carrillo as a result, with the Argentine joining in a £19 million deal from AS Monaco.

Les Reed, who was the Southampton vice-chairman at the time, said this about Carrillo’s signing:

“Guido represents a very exciting addition to our attacking options ahead of the final months of the season.

“We are confident he will benefit us not only in the remainder of this campaign, but in the years to come.”

Unfortunately for Reed and Southampton, this would not prove to be the case.

The 29-year-old striker would make 10 appearances in the remainder of the 2018/18 season, scoring no goals and providing just two assists before never being seen in a Saints shirt again.

He would subsequently spend two seasons on loan with CD Leganes in La Liga, where he would manage just 10 goals and three assists in 60 appearances for the club, with his market value seriously declining during his time in Spain.

As a result of his poor performances, Southampton made the decision to terminate his contract last summer so that he could join Elche on a free transfer, bringing an end to a nightmare spell on the South Coast.

Although you could argue that Carrillo was never really given an opportunity to impress at Southampton, Ralph Hasenhuttl clearly didn’t feel he had shown enough to deserve a chance in his side, which really makes you question why he was brought in for as much as £19 million in 2018.

Therefore, Southampton’s decision to sign him clearly proved to be a huge error and the fact that his contract was terminated emphasises that as they were clearly very desperate to be rid of him last summer.

And, in other news… Semmens must not be bullied when selling £20m Saints beast this summer

Leeds United have been without Gaetano Berardi for several months due to injury and Phil Hay has discussed his return for the under-23s against Crystal Palace on Monday.

What Hay had to say about Berardi

Berardi was selected in the starting line up for the game and played 45 minutes. Phil Hay tweeted: “The player made his return to a football pitch as he played started for the u23’s. Another step forward for Gaetano Berardi today. He’s in the U23s line-up at Crystal Palace.”

Will he feature for Leeds?

It was his first appearance since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in July and therefore the player himself will surely be very happy that he got some minutes under his belt (Transfermarkt). The 32-year-old Swiss international is now close to getting a glimpse of the Premier League for the first time and, for someone who was key for the club before his injury, this is great to see.

Back when he was fully fit, Bielsa praised the defender, saying: “Berardi is a loyal player and he gives everything on the pitch. When you give everything on the pitch, the players can arrive late, but you have to analyse every red card. Maybe the red card today is different to another.”

It will be good to have the right-back available for selection again in the near future as Leeds have had multiple injury issues this campaign, and so it is a boost for another defender to be nearing availability for first team selection.

However, it could be hard for the Swiss ace to get fully fit after such an injury and it is even harder for Berardi as he doesn’t just need to get used to Bielsa’s intense style again, he will also need to adapt to the quality and intensity of the Premier League.

He won’t get straight back into the side, but it would nice to see him make some appearances for the club before the end of the season as his contract expires in the summer.

In other news, Phil Hay discussed one Leeds star and his current contract!