All posts by z3u9t.icu

[ad_pod ]

Brendan Rodgers has all-but confirmed that Scott Brown is about to sign a new Celtic contract.

What’s the word?

The midfielder is out of contract in the summer and has held talks with Australian outfit Western Melbourne as well as receiving an offer the UAE – according to recent reports from The Daily Record.

Brown was signed from Hibs in 2007 for a record Scottish transfer fee and has picked up eight title winning medals since making the move along the M8.

It was reported on Wednesday that the Celtic skipper is set to sign a new deal, and following a 2-0 win over St. Johnstone, Rodgers appeared to confirm the rumours.

As quoted by The Daily Record, Rodgers said: “He’s an outstanding player and I think the possibilities to go and try something else will come later on. Scott could be a coach here in the future. There will always be a role.”

Priceless Experience

It is easy to overlook or take for granted the influence that Brown has but as well as his experience, his ability to dictate the tempo is priceless.

Last season without their skipper the team looked paralysed but a strange thing happened in November when Celtic suddenly clicked into gear as Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie took charge with Brown out injured.

Having other options and combinations is welcome but it shouldn’t detract from the influence and qualities of the club captain.

Craig Gordon and Mikael Lustig could soon be dropping out of the side creating a vacuum in experience – Brown fills that and much much more.

Liverpool forward Divock Origi is on the verge of joining AC Milan this summer, with a move now reportedly ‘very close’ to being completed.

The Lowdown: Origi’s departure expected

The Belgian has had to accept being nothing more than a bit-part player for the Reds this season, not starting a single Premier League game to date in 2021/22.

The arrival of Luis Diaz in January has only pushed Origi further down the attacking pecking order at Anfield, leading to strong speculation over his future. Milan looks set to be his next destination, with constant reports suggesting as much.

The Latest: Milan move ‘very close’

According to journalist Nicolo Ceccarini [via Sport Witness], Origi is now ‘very close’ to joining the Rossoneri, with ‘great confidence’ that the move will go through.

The 26-year-old’s current Liverpool deal expires at the end of this season, allowing him to move to Milan on a free transfer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-25/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Goodbye to a Liverpool hero

Milan would be a perfect move for Origi, affording him more regular playing time at a top club, with the slight drop-off in standard from the Premier League also working in his favour.

The Belgium international will leave Liverpool as an undisputed cult hero, considering the magnitude of the goals he scored against the likes of Barcelona, Tottenham and Everton, to name just a few.

Despite his iconic status, though, it makes sense for both Liverpool and Origi for him to leave in the summer, bringing an end to one of the more eventful Reds careers, with Jermaine Jenas hailing the 26-year-old as ‘very unique’ after a trademark late winner against Wolves earlier in the season.

In other news, Liverpool are reportedly keen on a move for a Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

According to Spanish news outlet El Nacional, a major update has come to light on Liverpool and their transfer plans involving Real Madrid star Federico Valverde.

The Lowdown: Klopp eyeing midfield additions…

As reported, the Reds and manager Jurgen Klopp have seemingly set their sights on improving the club’s midfield options as they become linked with a host of names.

The likes of Jude Bellingham, Toni Kroos, Denis Zakaria have been linked in the central midfield position whereas Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma is also thought to be on the agenda.

However, in what is a very interesting claim, El Nacional say FSG and Klopp now have a Galacticos star on their radar.

The Latest: Liverpool plotting Valverde bid…

According to their information, Liverpool have started ‘preparing an offensive’ for the 23-year-old and are ‘willing’ to table a huge €80 million (£66.6m) offer for his services.

As well as this, it is believed FSG will ‘insist’ on signing Valverde and ‘squeeze’ to reach an agreement with Real over the player – meaning they will push for his signing.

The Verdict: Major claim…

Scoring Real’s winner in their 3-2 El Clasico win over Barcelona on Wednesday, it’s clear the Uruguay international is playing his part under Carlo Ancelotti.

Starting ten La Liga matches and making six appearances off the bench (WhoScored), Valverde features regularly in a star-studded side and his past plaudits indicate why Klopp and the club are willing to pay.

Casemiro claimed he would become ‘one of the best’ in the world in his position with the €160,192-per-week (£133,000) man clearly possessing plenty of ability.

However, given how short Liverpool are in the forward positions with both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at AFCON, the club could be better placed prioritising more shrewd attacking options instead.

In other news: £210,000-per-week star now open to joining Liverpool as FSG plot eight-figure bid, find out more here.

A number of Wolves supporters have reacted in frustrated fashion to Tim Spiers’ confirmation that the club’s Premier League clash with Arsenal, scheduled for Tuesday lunchtime, has been postponed.

Bruno Lage’s side were also meant to be in action on Boxing Day but their league meeting with Watford at Molineux was called off. It has given Wolves’ players time to recharge their batteries and preparations had been underway to take on the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow.

Unfortunately, Wanderers have now had back-to-back matches postponed, with Spiers confirming the news on Twitter on Monday evening due to a combination of numerous injuries and positive virus cases within Lage’s squad, which is among the thinnest in the Premier League anyway.

It is deeply frustrating for Wolves at a time when they are looking to continue their good form, but their next match now won’t be until January 3, when they make the trip to Manchester United.

Wolves fans fume over Arsenal postponement

These Wanderers fans took to Twitter to show their annoyance at the news, which some supporters dubbed a “shocking” indictment of the lack of squad depth at Molineux.

“Embarrassing, imagine if we actually had a squad and not just 14 first team players anyway. Club is a shambles top to bottom, where’s all the Watford bashers now”

Credit: @TheMolineuxBlog

“Embarrassing from us”

Credit: @adamwwfc03

“This season is fast becoming a farce, looks like teams are taking it in turns to have a week off”

Credit: @Retrowolves1

“Game should go ahead, nobody’s fault other than ours that we have a tiny squad”

Credit: @wwfcltd

“Injuries? That’s embarrassing. That’s our own fault, not Arsenal’s”

Credit: @WiggyWWFC

“Shocking when these blokes are meant to be all vaccinated, work in some of the most covid safe environments etc. Just end the season now otherwise every team soon as they get a few injuries will be crying Covid”

Credit: @jamiehen1

In other news, Wolves are still interested in signing one player. Find out who it is here.

Former Celtic transfer target Fernando Henrique looks set to secure a move in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Goal Brazil, who claimed that the defensive midfielder could be set to leave Gremio this month, with Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates appearing to be closing in on a $5m (£3.7m) deal for the 20-year-old.

Previous reports had claimed that Celtic had opened talks with the Brazilian regarding the potential of a move to Parkhead back in October, with The Scotsman stating that Ange Postecoglou was interested in Henrique as none of Ismaila Soro, James McCarthy or Nir Bitton provided the 56-year-old with adequate cover for Callum McGregor.

Postecoglou must finally move for Henrique

While it is true that Celtic have already secured the central midfield signings of both Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi this month, the fact that Postecoglou was interested in a further deal for Riley McGree would appear to suggest that the Hoops manager still believes he requires greater depth in that position.

As such, with Henrique appearing to be available in the current transfer window, it would seem advisable for the 56-year-old to finally make his move for the Gremio starlet, who would undoubtedly make a fantastic addition to Celtic’s current options in the middle of the park.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/?post_type=web-story&p=664142″ title=”Check out the latest Celtic news!”]

Indeed, over his four Brazilian Serie A appearances last season, the £1.35m-rated man – who Almanaque Esportivo claimed is similar to Manchester United midfielder Fred – made a strong impression, averaging a whopping 2.3 interceptions, 2.8 tackles and 0.5 clearances and winning 5.8 duels (with a success rate of 52%) per game.

These returns saw the youngster earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as Gremio’s eighth-best performer in the Brazilian top flight in 2021.

As such, considering that Henrique only turned 20 last summer, it would very much seem that he is a talent with a very bright future in the game. We believe that Postecoglou must this month reignite his interest in a move for the youngster who Everything Celtic dubbed a “strong” player, particularly if he is available for as little as £3.7m.

In other news: Postecoglou drops transfer claim on £5.7k-p/w dynamo, Celtic fans will be fuming

Manchester United have received a potentially significant boost over striker Edinson Cavani as the January transfer window fast approaches.

What’s the story?

According to well-known journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils appear set to keep hold of the 34-year-old over the coming months, despite interest from abroad.

He tweeted: “There are no talks between Edinson Cavani and Corinthians board, as things stand. Timão dream of Cavani but there’s nothing advanced. #MUFC Many European clubs are interested in Cavani but no decision has yet been made with Manchester United for January transfer window.”

The Uruguay international’s current contract is set to expire at the end of 2021/22, meaning an imminent exit could be on the cards, although new interim manager Ralf Rangnick may have alternative plans.

Man Utd fans will be ecstatic

Although Cavani has featured in just 274 minutes of first-team action this season due to several injuries, a large section of United supporters will be ecstatic at Romano’s latest revelation.

That’s because the South American hitman has the potential to be a crucial player under the tutelage of Rangnick, with their styles appearing to be a perfect match.

Throughout his career, Cavani has developed an enviable reputation as an elite-level pressing forward, never giving opposition defenders a moment’s peace and often profiting from the chaos his work ethic causes.

And with Rangnick renowned for his innovative Gegenpressing system, the possibility for the two experienced campaigners to develop a fruitful relationship is clear for all to see.

On top of that, Cavani also enjoyed an extremely productive season for the Red Devils last term, bagging 17 goals and providing six assists in 39 appearances in all competitions, highlighting his importance to the team.

Therefore, news that the £5.4m-rated star appears set to remain in the red half of Manchester until the summer will be warmly welcomed by everyone associated with United, and the manager, player and fans alike will be hoping for a productive end to the campaign.

And, in other news…Forget Ronny: Man Utd beast who won 92% duels proved he’s no longer “becoming a joke” 

Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Hee-chan Hwang is attracting significant interest ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Mirror, who claim that both Liverpool and Manchester City are plotting moves for the 25-year-old centre-forward ahead of the winter market, as both clubs have been impressed after sending scouts to watch the South Korea international in action for Wolves this season.

The report goes on to state that Wolves are also trying to sign Hwang on a permanent basis in the January transfer window, with Bruno Lage’s side believed to hold an option to buy the forward from RB Leipzig for a fee of around £13m.

Fosun must avoid disaster

Considering just how impressive Hwang has been since his arrival at Molineux back in August, the argument that it would be a disaster for Fosun to miss out on the permanent signing of the 25-year-old in January is a rather easy one to make.

Indeed, over his eight Premier League appearances so far this season, the £9.9m-rated man is the club’s top league goalscorer with four strikes to his name, while he has also taken an average of 0.9 shots and made 0.3 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £71k-per-week centre-forward average a SofaScore match rating of 6.75, ranking him as Lage’s 11th-best performer in the top flight of English football.

However, this rather underwhelming average match rating simply does not reflect Hwang’s true ability, with the striker’s former manager at Red Bull Salzburg, Peter Zeidler, providing much better insight into the South Korean’s talent, stating: “He’s exceptional, has a brutal dynamism. I’ve rarely seen anything like it.”

As such, it is clear for all to see that, should Wolves indeed be pipped to Hwang’s signing by either Liverpool or Manchester City this winter, it would undeniably be a catastrophic outcome for Fosun, as well as one that would leave Bruno Lage furious.

In other news: Shi must seal dream Wolves deal for £25k-p/w dynamo who can “make people look silly”

According to a Tottenham Hotspur source (via Football Insider), head coach Antonio Conte is personally plotting a summer sale behind-the-scenes as some major exit news emerges.

The Lowdown: Crunch summer window looming…

The Lilywhites, buoyed by their most recent Premier League form, are now top contenders for 2022/2023 Champions League qualification – a phenomenal turnaround since that humiliating defeat to Man United in Nuno Espirito Santo’s last game.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Conte’s side have bagged a brilliant 26 goals in their last seven Premier League matches with nine of them coming in their two most previous wins alone (Transfermarkt).

Thumping victories over Newcastle United last week (5-1) and Aston Villa yesterday (4-0) exemplify the confidence running through Tottenham’s team at the moment as they also gear up for this summer’s transfer window behind-the-scenes.

Competition for places under Conte is now potentially more intense than ever and the Italian has allegedly made a major decision already on who he wants to sell at Spurs.

The Latest: Conte plotting Ndombele sale…

As per FI, the former Inter Milan boss is personally plotting to sell club-record signing and Lyon loanee Tanguy Ndombele, regardless of whether or not the French outfit activate his permanent purchase option.

Conte has apparently ‘made up his mind’ with an N17 source explaining there is ‘no way back’ for the 25-year-old.

The ex-Juventus boss allegedly doesn’t regard Ndombele as capable of slotting into the Spurs team, meaning they are now open to summer offers.

The Verdict: Right call?

The France international possesses bags of ability, as evident by spells of form under former Spurs manager Jose Mourinho and rave reviews from certain players at the club.

According to West Ham star Declan Rice, his England teammates from Tottenham have called Ndombele ‘unbelievable’, while N17 live presenter Ben Haines has previously waxed lyrical over the ‘gem’ of a player (Twitter).

However, his temporary exit from Spurs was arguably fuelled by doubts surrounding his application, and it may finally be the right time to offload permanently.

Valued at around £31.5 million by Transfermarkt, chairman Daniel Levy will be hoping he can claw back a far greater transfer sum.

In other news: In recent weeks: Tottenham step up chase to sign ‘incredible’ player as club brace their bid! Find out more here.

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have gone wild for the latest update on their chase to sign Manchester United attacker Jesse Lingard this window.

Manager David Moyes is keen to bring the England international to east London on a permanent deal following a hugely successful 2020/2021 loan spell at West Ham.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-updates/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The 29-year-old bagged nine goals and four assists in just 16 Premier League starts over the second half of last campaign, but despite West Ham’s efforts, he didn’t join permanently in the summer window.

Instead, he chose to remain at his current club, a decision which has resulted in very little game time and broken down new contract talks as he now eyes a move away from Old Trafford.

The Daily Mirror, sharing an update on the situation, have now shared some very promising news out of West Ham.

According to their information, Lingard is now ‘ready’ to to leave United and ‘seal’ a permanent move to the Hammers – with manager Moyes and the club ‘determined’ to get it done before January 31.

West Ham fans go wild…

Flocking to this claim, given Lingard is now apparently ready to join, it’s little wonder some supporters believe this is a ‘very exciting’ development.

The Three Lions ace shone at West Ham last season and has been described as a would-be ‘massive signing’ for Moyes who could gift the club ‘another dimension’ (Paul Robinson, Football Insider).

There is little denying his coup would be a good move for Rob Newman and co with many Irons supporters certainly giving their thumbs up.

Find all of their best reactions from Twitter down below:

“Please please please please”

Credit: @Kayron27

“Tears in my eyes. Finally. Waiting for that certified yes from @ExWHUemployee”

Credit: @ovo_forbes

“COME ON”

Credit: @moyes_boy

“Don’t get me gassedddddddd”

Credit: @H_RICHY

“Very exciting news!”

Credit: @GoFlamesGo89

“Time to come home”

Credit: @DJ_Khalid3112

“PLEASE BE TRUE”

Credit: @ereags2022

“Imagine lingard and digne, what a start to the window”

Credit: @KyleMaccer17

In other news: Sky Sports journalist: West Ham join race to sign ‘big name’ dynamo with club now set to sell, find out more here.

Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino would be open to succeeding Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the Manchester United hot seat following his dismissal over the weekend.

What’s the story?

According to The Telegraph’s James Ducker, the 49-year-old is interested in becoming the Red Devils’ new boss, although would prefer to wait until the summer before switching clubs.

He tweeted: “Pochettino open to taking over as MUFC manager next summer.”

However, a recent update from BBC Sport has claimed that the Argentine tactician would be prepared to depart PSG immediately should he be approached, raising the possibility of his imminent appointment.

Simon Stone’s report states that: “Mauricio Pochettino is open to becoming Manchester United manager, and it is not out of the question they could get the Paris St-Germain boss now.

“The Argentine is held in high regard at Old Trafford, but there was a feeling it might be difficult to prise him away from PSG mid-season.” Man Utd fans will be buzzing

Man United supporters will be delighted with this news as Pochettino is one of the most highly respected coaches in European football after his impressive exploits at Tottenham Hotspur and in the French capital.

He guided Spurs to four consecutive top-four finishes in the Premier League during his five-and-a-half-year reign, reaching the Champions League final in 2019 before being dismissed just a few months later.

Following his move to the Parc des Princes halfway through last season, Pochettino broke his managerial duck, claiming his first piece of silverware via a French Cup success.

Nevertheless, it’s believed that the South American is currently unhappy in Paris, and Stone’s latest revelation reveals how the setup is not completely to Pochettino’s liking.

“It is not thought United have made an approach yet but the 49-year-old is less than completely happy with the setup at PSG, where his role is essentially that of first-team coach, with all broader club and footballing issues handled by sporting director Leonardo,” he wrote.

With United down in seventh-place in the top-flight table and six points behind West Ham in the final Champions League qualification spot, the club’s hierarchy may need to act quickly in order to save their season, and Pochettino could be the ideal candidate judging by his ability to get teams into the top four places. That, understandably so, would leave the United fanbase buzzing.

And, in other news…”I’m told” – Sky Sports journo drops big Man United manager update, fans surely elated