All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds winger Raphinha made his debut for Brazil during the international break as he featured in their matches against Venezuela and Colombia.

The Whites forward picked up two assists against Venezuela and racked up four chances created over the course of the two games.

Despite this impressive achievement from the former Rennes man, another Leeds forward may have caught Marcelo Bielsa’s eye with his performances on international duty.

Welsh winger Dan James found his best form for his county over the break, with the summer signing from Manchester United excelling against the Czech Republic and Estonia.

In the first match against the Czech Republic, James was given the highest SofaScore rating in the game as he recorded a score of 8.2. He scored a goal in the 2-2 draw with a crisp finish from the right-handside and, per SofaScore, created an eye-catching four chances for his teammates.

On top of that, he also won 50% of his duels and completed 100% of his attempted dribbles – causing constant problems for the Czech defence.

James followed up on that display by putting in another solid showing against Estonia on Monday night. He completed 50% of his attempted dribbles and won four of his seven duels. Once again, he created another four chances for his teammates. This shows that he was sharp in the final third of the pitch and smart with his pass selection as he created multiple openings for other players to score.

Over the course of the two games, he scored once and created eight chances for Wales over the international break, whilst Raphinha failed to score and registered two assists from four key passes.

Therefore, James showed more than the Brazilian in the final third for his country and stole the show for Robert Pages’ men.

Bielsa will surely be delighted with James’ displays for Wales as it could give him a confidence boost heading into the next batch of Premier League matches. The forward is yet to pick up a goal or assist for the Whites since joining from Manchester United, making five appearances, and his superb form for his country could help him get off the mark against Southampton on Saturday.

The thought of him and Raphinha linking up together is now becoming a mouth-watering one.

AND in other news, £11.5m profit: Leeds pulled off transfer blinder with “first-class” £50k-p/w colossus…

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the signing of Sofyan Amrabat this January transfer window…

What’s the word?

Italian journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano delivered a fresh update on Spurs’ pursuit of the Fiorentina midfielder, who is currently excelling for Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations, very early on Wednesday morning.

He said:

“Sofyan Amrabat to Tottenham, advanced but not a done deal yet. [Antonio] Conte and [Fabio] Paratici both want him – he’s also doing great at AFCON.

“But Spurs are waiting to complete [Tanguy] Ndombele deal [to Paris Saint-Germain] before Amrabat (loan with buy option). Player side, not a problem: he only wants Spurs.”

Closing in

At the moment, this would be the Lilywhites’ first signing this month as a swoop for Adama Traore continues to rumble on without much success.

It appears as if Conte’s attentions have quickly turned to sorting out the engine room because you don’t make the likes of Ndombele, Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso all available for an exit if you’re not going to try and reinforce such a key position, especially with less than five days of the window remaining.

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Amrabat isn’t a signing that is going to thrill much of the Spurs fanbase but if the Italian head coach wants him, then he must be backed.

The 25-year-old midfielder has been restricted to only 211 minutes in the Serie A this season but has featured in three full 90-minute games for his country in Group C and the round of 16 at AFCON.

Conte has lacked someone capable of driving the ball forward from midfield and he could well find that in Amrabat. Of the 39 players to have attempted 150 or more dribbles since the start of the 2019/20 campaign,  only one player (Ismael Bennacer, 79.6%) has managed a better dribble success rate than the Viola enforcer (70.3%), per WhoScored.

That is also above every single one of Spurs’ current central options with Oliver Skipp leading the way on 66.7% and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg not too far behind on 62.2%. Ndombele – who is supposed to be the ideal fit for the role – sits down at 55%, which is rather telling.

He is also solid at delivering long balls and is aggressive in the tackle, so whilst his lack of game time is a worry, there are certainly credentials there that make him fit for Conte, who must be absolutely delighted that a deal is very close. to happening.

Somewhat of a perfect signing for the Spurs boss, the north London outfit are in for one busy few days ahead of Monday’s deadline.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold hints at Adama Traore twist for Spurs…

Leicester City have announced that Harvey Barnes has signed a new contract, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2025.

What’s the story?

The rapid winger still had three years remaining on his previous deal, but his impressive performances convinced the club to offer him an extended contract with improved terms.

After the Foxes revealed Barnes’ decision to commit his future to his boyhood club, the highly-rated 23-year-old stated it was an easy call for him to put pen to paper.

“I’ve been here for so many years now; it feels like home. For me, it was a no-brainer. Of course, I wanted to extend my stay here,” Barnes told LCFC TV.

“It’s been something that’s been going on in the background, and to sign now is great. It’s right at the start of a new season as well, which I know everyone is excited about.”

Leicester City fans will be absolutely buzzing

The Englishman was in fabulous form last term, bagging 13 goals and providing a further four assists in 35 appearances for the Foxes until a serious injury picked up in March ended his season.

His impressive displays in the early stages of the campaign earned him his first and only England cap in a friendly against Wales in October, and he was tipped to make Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad for Euro 2020 as a result.

However, his fitness issues ruled Barnes out for contention for a place in the Three Lions squad for the European Championship over the summer, leaving the youngster disappointed.

Barnes has bounced back admirably, though, putting in two solid performances at the start of 2020/21, helping Brendan Rodgers’ charges claim the Community Shield and three points against Wolves over the weekend.

The academy graduates’ show of commitment will undoubtedly have the Leicester supporters absolutely buzzing with excitement, ending any speculation over his immediate future.

Premier League giants Liverpool were said to have a “concrete interest” in Barnes this summer, but his new deal will halt talk of an imminent exit, allowing the club’s fans and Rodgers alike to breathe a sigh of relief.

And, in other news…Talks ongoing: Journo drops major Leicester update that’ll leave fans delighted 

Atletico Madrid could target Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez if Jan Oblak is sold, according to Spanish outlet La Razon. 

The lowdown

Villa paid £17million to sign Martinez from Arsenal ahead of the 2020/21 season and committed him to a four-year contract. Transfermarkt now value the 29-year-old at £31.5m.

Martinez kept 15 clean sheets in his debut season at Villa Park – a tally bettered only by Ederson (19) and Edouard Mendy (16), ‘keepers for the Premier League and European champions respectively (via Premier League).

The latest

The report from Spain states that Atletico find themselves ‘on the brink of the salary limit’ after bringing Antoine Griezmann back to the Wanda Metropolitano from FC Barcelona. As a result, they could be forced to offload one of their ‘stars’ next summer.

Oblak, whose contract runs until 2023, could be the one to go if he doesn’t pen an extension. Atletico are aware that he may be open to the possibility of a ‘change of scenery’.

Martinez is already being considered as a potential replacement, with his performances having caught the eye of Diego Simeone.

The reigning La Liga champions recognise that it would take ‘a significant financial outlay’ to prise him away from Villa, but are confident Oblak’s sale would more than cover the cost.

The verdict

It’s no surprise that Martinez has caught the eye. His displays for Villa, and during his final season at Arsenal, have put him amongst the elite bracket of goalkeepers in the English top flight – some pundits even had him in their team of the season last term.

The prospect of competing for titles and playing Champions League football will surely tempt Martinez, but expect Villa to present Atletico with an almighty price-tag as they look to keep hold one of their best assets.

In other news, fans react to this award nomination. 

Writing in his column for The Daily Star, Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has given Tottenham Hotspur and chairman Daniel Levy a managerial instruction.

The Lowdown: Pressure on Nuno…

Despite a brilliant start to life at N17, even managing to clinch August’s Premier League Manager of the Month award, it has all been downhill for Nuno Espirito Santo since the international break.

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The Portuguese has overseen a trio of humiliating defeats at their hands of London rivals in September and there are now reports of growing unrest behind the scenes at Spurs.

As such, links have re-emerged to former boss Mauricio Pochettino after Levy attempted to re-hire him earlier this year, but Merson has now told the Lilywhites chairman to make a different appointment if Nuno is indeed given his marching orders.

The Latest: Merson makes Potter claim…

Writing in his Daily Star column, Merson has told Levy to hire Brighton and Hove Albion boss Graham Potter as Nuno’s possible replacement.

The pundit believes that the Seagulls manager could bring an ‘entertaining’ brand of football to Spurs and a philosophy which supporters especially would love.

He also suggests that Nuno has ‘lost the players’ at Tottenham and, if they lose against Aston Villa today, doesn’t see how the 47-year-old survives the next international break.

The Verdict: Ideal man?

When Spurs were linked with Potter as a possible replacement for Jose Mourinho earlier this year, reliable reporter Alasdair Gold lifted the lid on what Lilywhites players think of him as a coach.

Their reception of the 46-year-old, according to the football.london journalist, is certainly glowing, with Gold revealing that a ‘number of’ Spurs players had a ‘lasting impression’ left on them by his playing style at Brighton (Twitter).

It is also claimed that a number of them would have been ‘happy’ if the former Ostersunds man was pursued by Spurs during their last managerial hunt.

Taking this into account, and the fact that he has been called a ‘world class manager’ by former England international Adam Lallana, Merson could very well have a point.

In other news: Spurs source claims that Levy is eyeing £115,000-per-week ‘genius’ amid Nuno unrest…find out more here.

Nottingham Forest have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Zian Flemming to the City Ground.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Dutch publication De Limburger, who claim that a deal for the Fortuna Sittard midfielder is looking increasingly unlikely for Dane Murphy to be able to get over the line this summer, with Italian sides Empoli and Napoli having entered the race for the 23-year-old.

It is also reported that Forest and the Eredivisie club have been at something of a stalemate over their respective valuations of the player, with the Reds thought to have already submitted more than one offer for Flemming, all of which have been rejected.

It is claimed that the Championship side feel the youngster is worth around £1.5m, while Fortuna are thought to be demanding a figure much higher than this amount in order to sanction a sale – with Flemming himself stating that his asking price was “a very high transfer fee – too high.”

However, De Limburger claim that, following the interest from Italy, the chances of a move to England and Nottingham, in particular, are fading fast.

Murphy will be gutted

Considering the sheer amount of potential Flemming appears to possess, as well as the fact that, at one point, it looked as if Forest were very much in the driving seat regarding the signing of the midfielder, should the Reds ultimately miss out on a deal for the 23-year-old this summer, it would undoubtedly leave Murphy gutted.

Indeed, over his 33 Eredivisie appearances last season, the £1.08m-rated man bagged 12 goals, provided seven assists and created eight big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots and making 0.8 key passes per fixture.

These metrics saw the attacking midfielder earn a highly impressive average SofaScore match rating of 7.04, ranking him as Fortuna Sittard’s third-best player in the top flight of Dutch football.

As such, with Forest already boasting a number of extremely talented youngsters in the likes of Brennan Johnson, Alex Mighten and Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel, the addition of Flemming would have further transformed Chris Hughton’s side into one of the most exciting outfits in the second tier.

However, with a move now looking unlikely for the 23-year-old, unless the Forest CEO can pull something special out of the bag to beat both Napoli and Empoli to the midfielder, he will have to turn his attention in what remains of the summer transfer window elsewhere.

In other news: Forest dealt blow over “one of the best” ahead of Bradford tie, Hughton will be gutted

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.

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.

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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.

Celtic journalist Kieran Devlin thinks Ange Postecoglou will field an unchanged line-up for Saturday’s Scottish League Cup semifinal against St Johnstone. 

The lowdown

Celtic’s last game prior to the international break was their 4-2 victory away to Dundee.

Postecoglou set out his team in a 4-1-4-1 formation that day, with Joe Hart in goal and Anthony Ralston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Stephen Welsh and Josip Juranovic protecting him.

Nir Bitton slotted into the holding role behind Liel Abada, David Turnbull, Callum McGregor and two-goal Filipe Jota. Kyogo Furuhashi led the line for the Hoops.

Victory over the Saints at Hampden Park could set up a meeting with Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers in the semifinal, provided they get the better of Hibernian on Sunday.

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The latest

Addressing supporters in The Athletic’s matchday discussion, Devlin wrote: “I’d think maybe the starting XI will be the same as against Dundee?”

Carl Starfelt and Tom Rogic may have been in contention had they recovered, but for the umpteenth time this season ‘an injury has taken much longer to heal than expected’.

Devlin does note that James Forrest, who played the last half an hour at Dundee, has a chance of starting if he’s deemed to be fit enough.

The verdict

One aspect of this team that would please ex-Hoop Frank McAvennie is seeing Furuhashi deployed through the middle.

He feels it would be a ‘mistake’ for Postecoglou to play him out wide as he’s done on four occasions so far this season.

With Giorgos Giakoumakis, who came off the bench against Dundee, out injured, the Australian’s centre-forward decision perhaps becomes that little bit easier, with the limited options up front almost making it a no-brainer to start the club’s top scorer through the centre.

In other news, read about Celtic’s January transfer plan.

Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson made a number of moves in the transfer market last summer in an attempt to bolster the squad.

He brought in the likes of John Lundstram and Fashion Sakala, among others, to improve the team in their bid to secure the Premiership title for the second season running.

However, his efforts appear to have failed, as their Glasgow arch-rivals rivals are six points clear after 33 matches. The Light Blues chief was unable to provide the quality needed to close out another title, barring a late comeback this term, but what could he have done differently?

It was reported by 90min in January 2021 that the Gers were one of the clubs leading the race to land Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi at the end of that season.

He was on loan at Union Berlin from Liverpool at the time and Rangers, along with Celtic, wanted to snap him up on a permanent basis.

However, Wilson was unable to secure a deal for his services as the German club struck an agreement with the Reds last summer, with Awoniyi valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt at the time of the switch.

Since signing for Union at the start of 2021/22, Awoniyi has been superb. Bundesliga journalist Stefan Bienkowski recently dubbed the striker’s form “remarkable” and the statistics back that up. He has found the net 12 times in the German top-flight across 24 appearances, showing that he can score on a regular basis at the top level.

Meanwhile, no Rangers player has more than 11 goals in the Premiership, while Alfredo Morelos is one of only two players in double figures. This suggests that the Nigerian would be an upgrade on what Gio van Bronckhorst currently has at his disposal.

Awoniyi is now attracting interest from the Premier League, with the likes of West Ham and Newcastle eyeing him up for a fee in the region of £25m.

This means that Rangers could have had a player whose value has drastically soared in the space of a year, going from £4.5m to potentially £25m if the firm offers come in from those English suitors.

The Gers could have made a quick profit from the gem to boost the club coffers and invest in players across the pitch, whilst also benefitting from his goalscoring talent throughout 2021/22.

Therefore, Wilson endured a big Ibrox howler with the Nigeria international, who is without doubt one that got away from the Glasgow giants…

AND in other news, “I’m told..”: Big Rangers transfer claim will surely delight everyone at Ibrox…