All posts by z3u9t.icu

According to a recent report from The Daily Mail (via The Sun), Celtic are interested in a January move for defender Jeremy Toljan. The 24-year-old currently plays his football at German giants Borussia Dortmund and has done so since leaving Hoffenheim back in 2017, although struggles for regular game time this time round has called his future at the Bundesliga outfit into question.

And a recent report from The Daily Mail (via The Sun) suggests that Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic are eyeing up a late January move for the right back in a bid to bolster that particular area of the field, with the £2.7 million-rated defender (as per Transfermarkt) the man to finally give Mikael Lustig something to think about down the right-hand-side.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, Sweden international Lustig has been an excellent servant to the Bhoys following his move from Rosenborg back in 2012, with the defender having since then appeared 263 times for the Scottish giants, helping the club win seven successive Scottish Premiership titles in the process.

However, at the age of 32, it does appear as though things are beginning to catch up with the right back given he hasn’t always convinced down the Celtic right-hand-side this season – but with Cristian Gamboa struggling for game time under Rodgers as well, the Northern Irishman clearly doesn’t fancy the Costa Rica international as Lustig’s regular deputy.

As such, it seems pretty clear that not only is a right back needed in the long-term for life after Lustig, but the 32-year-old may need fresh competition this term to improve his form for the Bhoys – the arrival of Dortmund’s Toljan would surely do just that.

The 24-year-old made the move to the Bundesliga outfit from fellow German side Hoffenheim in 2017 after impressing at the latter, and while he appeared 16 times in the league for Dortmund last time round under a combination of Peter Bosz and Peter Stoger, he has struggled to convince new boss Lucien Favre of his capabilities.

In fact, the Germany Under-21 international has failed to appear even once in the Bundesliga for the current table-toppers to underline just how far down the pecking order he is under Favre – a move away clearly appears to be in Toljan’s best interests if he is serious about playing regularly.

And with a couple of assists for Dortmund last time round, as well as a goal in their 2-2 draw with Freiburg back in January 2018, the 24-year-old clearly has pedigree in the more attacking areas of the pitch in seeking to get forward and create opportunities – and with Kieran Tierney able to do the same down the Celtic left, the duo could be a constant thorn in opposition’s sides.

Importantly though, the arrival of Toljan might just be what Lustig needs to rediscover his best form for the Bhoys, as the lack of competition in that right back ranks may well be playing a part in his struggles this term – quite simply, he isn’t really being pushed.

But the arrival of the younger and arguably more dynamic Toljan would give him that competition, and thus very much something to think about in the second half of the campaign.

Celtic fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks is not a part of Antonio Conte’s long-term plans, according to a fresh report by the Daily Star.

The Lowdown: Winks’ limited playing time

Since he was promoted to the first team in 2016, the 26-year-old has amassed 198 appearances for the north London club.

However, since the arrival of Conte at Hotspur Way, the defensive midfielder has struggled to maintain a regular run of game-time. Out of a possible 19 Premier League appearances under the Italian, Winks has only featured 12 times, coming off the bench for the final few minutes in four of those.

Consequently, a number of rumours have arisen surrounding his potential exit from Tottenham.

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The Latest: Transfer interest in Winks

According to the Daily Star, Conte does not see Winks in his long-term future at the Lilywhites. As a result, Southampton and Crystal Palace are now eyeing a move for the midfielder.

It is understood that Spurs will listen to sensible offers for the 26-year-old in the summer.

The Verdict: Won’t be getting game-time

With the upcoming return of young starlet Oliver Skipp, Winks’ place in the Tottenham team seems even less secure than it had been.

When combined with the arrival of Rodrigo Bentancur, the 10-cap England midfielder will need to look elsewhere if he is to secure regular first-team minutes.

Former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino, who hailed Winks as an “amazing player”, even grouped his style of play with the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta, so it will be a waste to see the former England international rot on Conte’s bench for another number of months.

In other news: Conte wants to keep one of Winks’ team-mates at Tottenham

The Mirror’s David Anderson has revealed that Leeds are not pursuing Norwich City midfielder Todd Cantwell this month.

The Lowdown: Cantwell links

The Whites are thought to be after two midfielders during the January transfer window following an injury-hit season.

Victor Orta is looking to bring in both a defensive and attacking midfielder, with Cantwell reportedly on the Elland Road radar.

Described as ‘incredible’ by Dean Ashton for his role in Norwich’s promotion, Cantwell has made just five Premier League starts this season and is yet to contribute to a goal in 2021/22.

The Canaries have the option to extend his Carrow Road deal by a further 12 months in the summer, and it doesn’t seem as if a move to Yorkshire is on the cards over the coming weeks.

The Latest: Anderson’s tweet

Journalist Anderson took to Twitter on Monday morning to provide an update on Leeds and Cantwell.

This is what he had to say, revealing Leeds have shown interest in the Englishman, however, a move this month doesn’t look likely.

“It is also my understanding that Leeds have not renewed their interest in Norwich’s Todd Cantwell. Leeds have looked at him previously, but the midfielder is not a target for this window.”

The Verdict: Time is ticking…

Leeds could be without 11 players against West Ham this weekend and have limited options in midfield with Kalvin Phillips and Jamie Shackleton sidelined.

We are already over a third of the way through the winter window and there are no serious signs of senior arrivals, which is a worry. Cantwell doesn’t look to be a serious target this month, which shouldn’t be seen as a disaster following his poor form during the current campaign.

However, Orta needs to bring in at least one versatile midfielder before the deadline, and who knows, that could be the difference between relegation and survival.

In other news: Radz and 49ers may now finance Leeds move for versatile ace with ‘great acceleration’. 

Wolves have had an impressive start to the season, with new attackers Francisco Trincao and Hee Chan Hwang, joining the squad in the summer, they have managed to maintain a comfortable position in the top half of the table where they currently sit eighth after eighteen games played.

Hwang has been one of the notable performers in the team making an instant impact on the side since his arrival 4 months ago, with four goals in 14 Premier League appearances, making him the highest scoring player in the side so far this season.

Unfortunately for Wolves, the South Korean forward sustained a hamstring injury in the early stages of the clash against Brighton earlier this month, and it has now been confirmed that he will be out until at least February.

The club officially confirmed the news on the Wolverhampton Wanderers website stating;

“Hee Chan Hwang sustained a hamstring injury in the win over Brighton and is expected to return to play in February.”

Bruno Lage has had to get through the first half of the season with key players missing for large chunks of the campaign, with injury hits over the last few months to not only Hwang, but Willy Boly, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Pedro Neto and many more, with some still out of action.

The Wolves boss will be looking to the upcoming transfer window, which opens in the next few days, to add quality, fitness and availability to his squad as they challenge for a spot in Europe next season, but he may be able to save money by making a bold decision.

Morgan Gibbs White is currently on loan with Sheffield United, and is thoroughly enjoying the first team football he is experiencing with the side after making 16 appearances, scoring five goals and bagging four assists in the Championship already.

The Blades team mate, David McGoldrick, heaped praise on the youngster claiming he has “the world at his feet” after he opened the scoring against Cardiff in a 3-2 win;

“Yeah he’s got the world at his feet. You know, great kid, great player. He’s got all the ability in the world”, McGoldrick said after the win at Cardiff.

Gibbs White also weighed in on his season so far;

“Going to Sheffield United was the right move because I didn’t want to be sat on the bench at a Premier League team. I’m enjoying every minute of it.”

Lage’s big decision

Despite the fact he is clearly thriving with the Championship side, Lage is plagued with virus outbreaks and particularly, an injury to an important goal-scorer in his team.

Which begs the dilemma as to whether the Wolves manager leaves the 21-year-old to continue to build confidence and experience, or recalls him from loan, bringing him back to the West Midlands club to make up for lost goal scoring opportunities in the absence of Hwang.

If Wolves were to bring back Gibbs-White it would free up funds for Lage to spend in other key areas that could use depth like their defensive and wing back positions, so it could be quite a positive move for the club.

But could also really disrupt the progression the forward is having away on loan if the manager can’t offer him enough first team football when Hwang returns.

In the end, Wolves’ need right now is far more pressing, so Lage must seriously consider making that bold call.

In other news: Ruben Neves squashes rumours of a move away

Graeme Bailey says that Newcastle United are now in ‘advanced talks’ to sign Hugo Ekitike in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Wood on his way…

Sky Sports reported on Tuesday night that the St. James’ Park faithful activated the £20m release clause of Chris Wood, and he is now set to undergo a medical ahead of a move from Burnley.

However, their striker search may not stop there, as The Athletic journalist Chris Waugh has suggested that could go for another one before the window closes.

Nonetheless, with the injury suffered by Callum Wilson, the North East club need all the help that they can get up top if they are to drag themselves out of the relegation zone come the end of the season.

The Latest: Ekitike to follow?

As per 90min journalist Bailey, the Tyneside outfit are now in ‘advanced talks’ to sign Ekitike, in what he claims would be a ‘huge signing’ if they can pull a deal off:

“Can reveal that Newcastle United are in advanced talks to sign Reims’ Hugo Ekitike for £30m.

“Outstanding talent – huge signing for Newcastle if they get it done, many in France believe he could be the next Mbappe.”

The Verdict: Worth the risk

With the Wood deal looking all but done, the Magpies have already found a striker with experience in the Premier League.

Thus, they can afford to take more of a punt on a player like Ekitike, and although £30m may be considered excessive considering his current market value, at just 19 years of age, he could easily be worth that in the future.

Any comparison to Kylian Mbappe, who has simply set the world alight since his teenage years at AS Monaco, is obviously welcomed, and highlights just how much potential Ekitike has.

With eight goals and three assists in 18 games in Ligue 1 so far this season (Transfermarkt), he has shown already that he can perform at a high level, and so would certainly be an exciting new addition for the Toon Army.

In other news, find out who NUFC are now set to bid for here!

Aston Villa are one of several clubs to have been approached by Georginio Wijnaldum’s representatives over a possible January move, 90min report.

The Lowdown: Wijnaldum’s PSG struggles

The Netherlands international, who Mauricio Pochettino has described as ‘aggressive’, hasn’t exactly had the best of starts to life at Paris Saint-Germain after leaving Liverpool to join on a free transfer over the summer.

Wijnaldum is thought to be on a salary worth over £300,000-a-week at the Parc des Princes, however, just 10 of his 20 appearances this season have come as a starter.

It now seems as if a return to the Premier League could be on the cards at the start of 2022, and Villa have been name-checked as a possible destination.

The Latest: Villa yet to say no…

90min shared a story on Thursday regarding Wijnaldum’s future, with the player’s representatives sounding out a number of Premier League clubs over a winter window transfer.

Arsenal, Everton, Leicester City, Newcastle United, Tottenham and West Ham have all been approached regarding a move for Wijnaldum along with Villa and are yet to dismiss the idea of a potential loan transfer.

The Verdict: Avoid…

Steven Gerrard is thought to be after a defensive midfielder in the New Year, so Wijnaldum ticks that box, as well as being able to turn out in a central and attacking midfield role.

However, his extortionate salary could be enough to put Johan Lange and co off any temporary move, despite having plenty of Premier League experience.

Villa may possibly be better off looking at the bigger picture under Gerrard and therefore snubbing a move for Wijnaldum in favour of a permanent signing who isn’t the wrong side of 30.

Someone like Glen Kamara could be a more realistic transfer, with the Rangers man linked with a move to the Midlands to reunite with Gerrard.

In other news: ‘Can’t say no to the Villa’ – Many AVFC fans buzz as ‘massive’ January update emerges. 

Aston Villa are interested in a deal to bring David Martinez to Villa Park in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Argentine media outlet Ole (via Birmingham Live), who claim that, following Steven Gerrard’s arrival at the club, Aston Villa have now joined the race for the Defensa y Justicia centre-back, who is currently on loan at River Plate.

The report goes on to state that a number of other European sides, including the likes of Fiorentina, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Inter Milan, are also monitoring the 23-year-old, while River Plate are themselves thought to be attempting to purchase 50% of the defender’s rights from his parent club.

Martinez could solve Villa’s biggest problem

With the excitement that surrounded Steven Gerrard’s recent arrival at Villa Park, it is easy to forget that, after 11 games of the 2020/21 campaign, the Lions find themselves languishing down in 16th place in the Premier League standings, just two points above Burnley in 18th.

Indeed, Villa have already conceded a whopping 20 goals in the league this season, with only 20th placed Norwich City and 19th placed Newcastle United having shipped more than Gerrard’s new side.

As such, defensive reinforcements are likely to be high on the 41-year-old’s list of priorities during the January transfer window, and, considering his impressive form in Argentina so far this season, the signing of Martinez could well prove to solve what is undoubtedly Villa’s biggest problem at present.

Indeed, over his 12 Liga Profesional appearances this term, the £5.85m-rated centre-back has helped his side keep seven clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 1.4 tackles, 3.6 clearances and winning 4.8 duels per game.

These returns have seen the Paraguay international average a SofaScore match rating of 7.19, ranking him as River Plate’s sixth-best performer in the top flight of Argentinian football.

As such, it is no surprise that The Athletic’s Alex Stewart stated his belief that the 23-year-old would make an excellent signing for Tottenham Hotspur on an episode of the TIFO Football Podcast, with the journalist claiming:

“I think Argentine defenders – sometimes they’ve got just that kind of gnarliness. They’re a bit unpleasant. There’s a ruggedness there, which I think Spurs would benefit from that at the back. Martinez has got all of that. He looks to be a very, very complete defensive player. He’s very interesting.”

So, considering his impressive returns for River Plate, Aston Villa’s clear need of defensive reinforcements and it being reported that Martinez would be available for a very affordable £5m in January, it would indeed seem highly advisable for Johan Lange to do all he can to land the centre-back this winter.

In other news: Steven Gerrard dealt potentially huge early Aston Villa setback, fans will be gutted

Ian Doyle has been left ‘disappointed’ by the display of Curtis Jones as Liverpool hosted Watford in the Premier League at Saturday lunchtime.

The Lowdown: Given chance

Jones was given his chance to impress from the start by Jurgen Klopp, ahead of the likes of Fabinho and James Milner in the centre of midfield.

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It was only his ninth start in the top flight this season, but he did not seem to be able to make the most of his opportunity, despite the Reds moving top of the Premier League with a relatively tame 2-0 victory.

The Latest: Doyle reacts

Taking to Twitter, The Liverpool Echo journalist Doyle slammed Jones’ performance after he shot ‘well over’ the crossbar in the second half of the game:

“Jones has a run and although it opens up a little, he shoots well over. It has been a disappointing afternoon so far for the LFC midfielder.”

The Verdict: Not his day

It was clearly not Jones’ day, as that shot was one of two attempts that he put off target, while he was also wayward with three of his crosses (SofaScore).

Defensively, he lost out on five of his duels, and failed to make a single interception or clearance in the match, while he was also dribbled past and made a foul (SofaScore).

However, Jones was perhaps most ‘disappointing’ in possession, as he was guilty of losing the ball a total of 12 times, and given that he came off on the hour mark for Fabinho, statistically he gave the ball away every five minutes.

The 21-year-old Englishman will know that his starting spot is not guaranteed, and he will have to put in better performances if he is to be a mainstay in the side in the future.

In other news, find out what big transfer update Fabrizio Romano has dropped that affects the Reds here!

A number of Liverpool supporters are fuming after a fresh report claimed that the Reds are unlikely to make any new signings in the January transfer window.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have suffered a disappointing run of form, failing to win any of their last three Premier League matches against Tottenham, Leicester City and Chelsea, leaving them 11 points behind leaders Manchester City and arguably out of the title race.

Liverpool have arguably looked a tired outfit in recent weeks, with the pandemic striking down a number of players and other individuals currently out injured.

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The Reds’ decision to only sign Ibrahima Konate last summer may be having a negative impact now, and some will no doubt want new faces to arrive in January, especially with three players away on Africa Cup of Nations duty, including 23-goal top scorer Mohamed Salah.

However, according to the Liverpool Echo [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], no new signings are expected to come in this month, with Klopp making do with the squad that’s currently at his disposal.

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Liverpool fans angry at new latest rumour

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to show their displeasure at the news, with some taking aim at club owners FSG, who have a reputation for being rather frugal in recent transfer windows.

“These kind of quotes are so infuriating… like we know we are finished, stop rubbing it in our face”

Credit: @AC_LFC19

“FSG clearly unserious about competing”

Credit: @momurewa

“We’re a joke”

Credit: @JosephShirley87

“Oh come on”

Credit: @Malekzzzzzzz

“Rinse, repeat, recycle”

Credit: @dzidzorly

“Of course he will. Same old from this mob. Forza Divock and Taki”

Credit: @Daws_21

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has made one Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

With the latest international break now out of the way, West Brom’s next Championship test sees them take on Huddersfield Town away from home on Saturday afternoon.

Speaking ahead of the match in his latest press conference, Baggies manager Valerien Ismael revealed that only Dara O’Shea, Kean Bryan and Kenneth Zohore will be unavailable for the match against the Terriers through injury.

With this in mind, here’s how we feel West Brom will line up for the match and what changes Ismael could make from their 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough before the break. We expect three alterations from that line-up.

In goal, it would be hard to see Sam Johnstone not start for the Baggies after playing in all but one of their league games so far this season.

For the back three, we think Ismael will put Clarke back into the side after recovering from the head injury which forced him off the pitch in the early stages of the clash against Middlesbrough. He starts alongside Kyle Bartley, who replaced him in that game, and Cedric Kipre.

We can see Conor Townsend and Darnell Furlong occupying the wing-back positions, with Adam Reach dropping out after he had a mixed display in a left-wing back role against Middlesbrough.

In midfield, now that both Alex Mowatt and club captain Jake Livermore are back fit again, we imagine that Ismael would want to get them both back on the pitch ahead of Jayson Molumby and Robert Snodgrass, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £24k-per-week according to Salary Sport, dropping down to the substitutes’ bench.

At the top of the pitch, we think Ismael will stick with the same front three which started against Middlesbrough. with Karlan Grant and Grady Diangana, who scored in the 1-1 draw, on either side of Callum Robinson in the middle, who netted in Ireland’s recent 3-0 win over Luxembourg.

In other news: Lai could deliver WBA’s first January signing with “intelligent” £27k-p/w machine