All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury is seeking a move away from the King Power Stadium this summer as he searches for regular game time next season.

What’s the story?

According to the Northern Echo, Newcastle United remain hopeful of concluding a deal for the tough-tackling 23-year-old, and claim sources have told them that Choudhury has instructed his representatives to find him a new club.

The report states that the Newcastle hierarchy are aware of the former England Under-21 international’s wishes, although the club aren’t in a position to sign him on a permanent basis.

He’s not good enough

Choudhury was first linked with a move to St. James’ Park back in January, and Steve Bruce could finally secure his man this summer.

The £6.3 million-rated youngster was tipped for big things following his first-team debut in 2017 and has gone on to make 72 appearances for his boyhood club over the last four years.

However, Choudhury’s progress has been significantly stunted of late, with the likes of Wilfried Ndidi and Youri Tielemans keeping him on the bench for large spells.

He started just four Premier League games throughout 2020/21, and the arrival of Boubakary Soumare from Lille is expected to force him further down the Leicester pecking order.

With Brendan Rodgers’ charges achieving consecutive fifth-place finishes and a maiden FA Cup crown under the Northern Irish tactician’s tutelage, it’s hard to make a case for Choudhury being deserving of more minutes at the Midlands outfit.

And a hugely disappointing 6.19 WhoScored rating from his 10 top-flight outings last term is evidence that he’s not currently good enough to force his way into Leicester’s starting XI.

His departure on loan could be the most beneficial solution for all parties involved. The Foxes would free up funds on their wage bill without permanently losing a promising prospect, Choudhury would get some much-needed minutes under his belt and Newcastle would strengthen their squad whilst working on a very limited budget.

It remains to be seen whether the Englishman has a long-term future with Leicester, but a loan move away from his hometown appears to be the best option at this moment in time.

And, in other news…Leicester register their interest in £12m magician, he has “huge potential” 

A number of Liverpool supporters are unhappy after the Reds were linked with a summer move for Italy winger Domenico Berardi.

Jurgen Klopp will be working hard on potential transfers in the coming weeks and months, as his side try and wrestle the Premier League title back from Manchester City.

Liverpool have already added centre-back Ibrahima Konate to their ranks, but the hope is that more new faces arrive during the transfer window.

One area the Reds could look to add depth in is attack, especially as the likes of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino struggled so much last season.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], Liverpool are interested in signing Sassuolo star Berardi, who is currently on Euro 2020 duty with Italy.

The Serie A side want £42million for the 26-year-old’s services, after he scored 17 goals in Serie A in 2020/21.

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Liverpool fans react to Berardi rumour

These Liverpool fans gave their thoughts on the news on Twitter, with negativity the order of the day.

“Lol. No”

Credit: @Gbemiga_A

“£42million????”

Credit: @LFCSai7

“Wrong Sassuolo midfielder guys”

Credit: @SalahFanV1

“Yeah when you look at that club he’s not the player you should be going for lol”

Credit: @1CraigFisher

“please no”

Credit: @AdamLFC27

“£42m for a bencher. Forget”

Credit: @NewHouse_NM

“He’s 27 soon makes no sense”

Credit: @lfcfelix_

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming at a transfer update regarding a potential Reds target. Read more here.  

Jetro Willems is reportedly keen on a return to Newcastle United – as are some of his former Magpies teammates.

The Lowdown: Newcastle need a new left-back

Jamal Lewis fell out of favour with Steve Bruce towards the end of the 2020/21 campaign, having been left on the bench by the manager in the Geordies’ last 12 matches in the Premier League, and only coming on for just six minutes in total during that time (Transfermarkt).

It seems clear who is going to be the starting left-back at St James’ Park come the beginning of next season, with Paul Dummett also currently in the frame, and so it would perhaps be a wise idea to invest in a new option when the summer transfer window opens.

The Latest: Willems keen on return

As per Football Insider, Willems is ‘very keen’ on a return to Newcastle following his loan spell at the club in the 2019/20 campaign.

A source from Tyneside has told the news outlet that many players in the Magpies’ first team squad still remain in contact with him and want him to rejoin the Premier League side.

The Verdict: Little risk in signing Willems

Given that there is no transfer fee to be paid, as he will be out of contract after leaving Eintracht Frankfurt this week, the prospect of bringing Willems back to the Magpies offers very little risk.

The Netherlands international quickly became a fans’ favourite in his short spell on Tyneside, and so the move would also go down well with many of the Toon Army, who would likely welcome him back with open arms when they are allowed back into stadia.

At 27 years of age, Willems still has a lot that he can offer on the pitch, and so Newcastle should seriously be considering bringing him back, particularly as he already knows the club and would likely settle back in with ease if he returns to St James’ Park.

In other news, find out which Newcastle ace wants to leave the club.

A number of Liverpool fans have been questioning Nat Phillips finishing third in the Reds’ Player of the Year rankings despite his impressive form.

Jurgen Klopp’s side managed to salvage their season, coming third in the Premier League against all odds, despite many obstacles along the way. A superb end to the campaign, which saw 26 points taken from the last 10 games, allowed them to secure Champions League football for 2021/22.

One player who played a big part in Liverpool’s strong end to the season was Phillips, who was drafted in to deal with a centre-back injury crisis. The 24-year-old performed admirably, despite his limitations and inexperience, becoming something of a cult hero with many supporters in the process.

It has been revealed that Phillips finished third behind Mohamed Salah and Fabinho in the Player of the Year stakes in what arguably comes as a surprise despite there not being a huge amount of competition.

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Liverpool fans not impressed with Phillips ranking

These Liverpool supporters believe it is an over-the-top reflection of how good Phillips actually was, providing their thoughts on Twitter.

“Great player but… third????”

Credit: @lucyyloux

“Lol I appreciate what Nat did to come in and play hard in defence, but he’s not better than VVD, Gomez, Matip or Konate. Was usually very hit or miss. Easy to see why fans have grown fond recently hence him finishing 3rd here”

Credit: @HomestyleMelt

“Joke”

Credit: @WWKurdistani

“How many times was he allowed to vote for himself?”

Credit: @Rayted_Are

“We’re ill man”

Credit: @MartinKnowsBall

“Nat Phillips 3rd in POTY loool”

Credit: @arindamlfc11

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been mocking a bizarre transfer story involving the Reds. Read more here.

West Ham United are among the clubs who are keen on Merih Demiral this transfer window, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

JuveLive.it claim that Juventus are prepared to sell the Turkey international this summer and are hoping to receive in the region of €35m (£30m) for his signature.

It’s believed that the Irons have strong interest in Demiral but so do Premier League rivals Everton, so they could go head-to-head in their battle to secure him, although neither club is said to have made a concrete offer yet.

The 23-year-old endured a nightmare at Euro 2020 after his nation were knocked out of the group stages, losing all three of their matches against Italy, Wales and Switzerland.

Moyes’ next beast

It has been widely reported that Hammers boss David Moyes is seeking defensive reinforcements, which may not come as too much of a surprise as he has let Fabian Balbuena leave the club following the expiry of his contract, whilst Issa Diop is courting interest from AC Milan.

Going by Turkey’s performances this month, Demiral is probably not someone who the Scotsman should be targeting, but it shouldn’t be a slight on his qualities. After all, he’s still only 23 and that’s far from being at peak level for a centre-back.

Described as an “absolute beast” by football scout Jacek Kulig, the 6 foot 3 colossus has proven to be a physically imposing presence throughout his career so far, averaging 2.8 aerial battles won per game, via WhoScored.

Furthermore, averages of 4.2 clearances, 1.6 interceptions and 1.4 tackles show that he is well-rounded and has an exceptional ability to read the game and subsequently act on his instincts.

By comparison, this is as many interceptions as West Ham’s box-to-box midfielder Tomas Soucek in 2020/21, and a greater tackling average than Issa Diop, Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson, so he would be in good company at the London Stadium.

Also lauded as a “natural leader” in the past, Demiral is someone who will give the team his all, something which Serie A expert Conor Clancy recently reiterated to Football FanCast in an exclusive interview.

He said of the Turkish defender: “He can pass the ball well and he’s a little bit old school as well so he’s more than happy to go into the trenches and he will go to war with a striker if he needs to, and I think he improves any team he goes into.”

Demiral is said to be in “similar stature” to former Premier League great Nemanja Vidic, so he should have no trouble in adapting to the conditions of top-flight English football, if that is to be believed.

If GSB are to keep Moyes happy, they need to secure him a new defensive beast, and the £26m-rated Juventus star is certainly an intriguing option on the above evidence.

AND in other news,  Moyes could seal West Ham bargain in “complete” 6 ft 4 monster, won’t cost GSB a penny…

It may not have had the beginning or middle that Newcastle United might have been hoping for, but their end to the 2020/2021 Premier League season was certainly something to lift the spirits at St James’ Park.

The Magpies rounded off the campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win away from home against Fulham on the final day of the season, with goals from Joe Willock – his seventh consecutive strike in the Premier League – and Fabian Schar enough to seal all three points.

While Steve Bruce’s side can head into the summer off the back of some promising season-ending form, one man who flattered to deceive on the day was Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Frenchman admitted in recent days that were Newcastle not to match his ambitions, and fighting for something other than avoiding relegation season after season, then he would have to consider his options.

Given the rapport that the star winger appears to have built up with the club’s fans, everyone on Tyneside will be hoping that the clash against Fulham wasn’t his final game in a Magpies shirt.

If it were, then it definitely fell flat.

As per Sofascore, he had fewer touches than goalkeeper Martin Dubravka and made less passes than the goalkeeper too (just ten), and that was a real indication of how hard he found it to just get himself into the game, with Fulham’s back-line doing well to stop the supply line into him.

And then, when he did get the ball, he struggled to do much with it, failing to complete any of his three attempted dribbles – a far cry from the whopping 15 that he completed against Sheffield United earlier in the week.

Whether it was because of the slight injury that Bruce confirmed in his pre-match press conference was plaguing the Frenchman, he just seemed well off the pace, and was far too easily bullied off the ball, losing six of his nine total duels on the day.

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And, writing in his post-match player ratings for The Shields Gazette, Liam Kennedy gave him a five and said: “Nothing working for him. Everyone has those kind of afternoons. His runs were blocked, his skills anticipated and struggled to make the ball stick up top.”

Saint-Maximin is far better than what he showed on Sunday, and the hope will now be that he doesn’t pack his bags to leave St James’ Park over the course of the summer.

Meanwhile, Newcastle could hire a dream Steve Bruce replacement in this man…

Leicester City are seemingly edging closer to the summer signing of Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Foxes are still “leading the race” to sign the midfielder amidst competition.

Whilst the 22-year-old would be an excellent addition to the Foxes’ squad, the latest development could potentially be bad news for current Leicester midfielder Hamza Choudhury.

Competing with the likes of Wilfred Ndidi and Nampalys Mendy for a starting berth as a defensive midfielder at the King Power Stadium, the Foxes academy graduate has made 20 appearances in all competitions this season – with just ten of those being starts.

The addition of Soumare this summer then would certainly see that competition intensify and likely lead to the 23-year-old Choudhury falling even further down the pecking order, despite Brendan Rodgers labelling him as “outstanding” in the past.

It is certainly easy to see why that would occur with Soumare outperforming Choudhury in tackles, interceptions, aerial duels and blocks per game this season, whilst he also racks up more passes, key passes and dribbles than the current Leicester man according to WhoScored.

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So it is easy to suggest that the arrival of the Frenchman would hugely limit Choudhury’s chances of first-team football at the King Power Stadium. However, it could even signal the end of his Leicester career altogether.

Choudhury has been linked with a departure on numerous occasions in the past, the most recent being a potential loan switch to Newcastle United during the January transfer window.

A move never came to fruition but reports have resurfaced in recent days suggesting that the Magpies are once again eyeing the Leicester man, alongside recently promoted Norwich City in the summer window.

Should Soumare arrive at the King Power Stadium, this would certainly allow Choudhury to depart – bringing to an end a Leicester career that he started as a youngster.

AND in more news, take a look at which transfer target Leicester simply must sign this summer…

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to increase the pressure on their Premier League rivals when they head to Leeds United in the Premier League this lunchtime.

A place in the top four is within touching distance, so a win over Marcelo Bielsa’s side would put the Lilywhites to within two points of Chelsea before they face league leaders Manchester City later this evening.

Last time out, Ryan Mason’s men demolished Sheffield United 4-0, and that will leave the 29-year-old interim boss with plenty to ponder in terms of team selection.

What sort of XI could we see from him at Elland Road? Here’s our predicted line-up, as well as the latest team and injury news from N17…

Mason could make just the one change to the line-up which won last Sunday. It’s certainly going to be difficult to tinker with the team after that performance, at least.

He does have two players back from injury as he revealed in his pre-game press conference.

“Ben Davies is the only one that has not been training,” Mason said. “Tanguy and Lucas didn’t train for the majority of last week, they trained the day before the game but this week we have had a fully fit squad.”

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However, just one of the duo is in line for an instant return to the starting XI as Tanguy Ndombele could come in for Giovani Lo Celso in the heart of midfield.

The Argentine took a knock to the head after a questionable stamp from John Fleck and was seen with ice strapped around him following his withdrawal. Although he will likely be fit to feature here, he was perhaps one of the few poor performers last weekend, so Mason may want to freshen it up with the £45m-rated Ndombele instead.

It means that both hat-trick hero Gareth Bale and Dele Alli keep their places in a bold call from the 29-year-old interim boss.

Lucas Moura will need to earn back his place after the Welshman’s exploits, whilst the 25-year-old Englishman impressed with his work rate off the ball (winning three tackles), and more of the same will surely be required against the relentless press of Leeds.

The back four of Sergio Reguilon, Eric Dier, Toby Alderweireld and Serge Aurier, in front of Hugo Lloris, should remain untouched, whilst Harry Kane and Heung-min Son continue to be the focal points of Mason’s attack.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Sanchez: Levy must sanction Spurs swoop for £18m “leader” who’s like Van Dijk…

Celtic have a number of areas they need to strengthen this summer but none are arguably more important than the Hoops’ defence.

Of course, the Bhoys didn’t enjoy a good season in any shape or form but they can go a long way to winning the league again by addressing their backline.

What’s the word?

With Kristoffer Ajer potentially leaving, it only heightens Celtic’s need to find a defender this summer.

However, even if they do find an adequate replacement, they will not improve sufficiently until they find a new goalkeeper.

Celtic tried their best to lure Fraser Forster back to Paradise last summer but he remained in Southampton and will continue to do so next season.

After the failed signing of Vasilis Barkas, the Hoops have been eyeing a move for Dundee United stopper Benjamin Siegrist. The 29-year-old has been on their radar for a while now but the ‘keeper is thought to be keen on a switch.

In a recent interview with Blick (via Daily Record), he refused to rule out a switch to Parkhead. After being questioned about Celtic, he responded: “If there is interest, I’ll take a close look.”

Bullying Celtic

With Scott Bain and Barkas making a number of high profile errors this season, signing a player like Siegrist certainly makes sense.

After all, the Hoops need a goalkeeper who is going to stand tall between the posts, something they’ve not had since the colossal 6 foot 7 frame of Fraser Forster was in Glasgow.

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Siegrist stands shorter at 6 foot 4 but that’s still a gigantic height for a ‘keeper and he’s someone that’s already embarrassed Celtic.

With the Hoops needing to record a win over Dundee United in order to prevent Rangers from prematurely lifting the Premiership crown, they could only draw 0-0 at Tannadice.

They were diabolical in front of goal with Odsonne Edouard spurning three opportunities to score.

However, much of that was down to the inspired Siegrist. He was a man-mountain between the posts when the two teams met back in March, making no fewer than 12 saves.

It was a mammoth performance from someone who’s had an “extraordinary season” in the words of his agent.

Though, we shouldn’t be surprised by this when you consider the phrasing Micky Mellon used to describe him. Speaking earlier in the campaign he claimed Siegrist “trains like a monster.”

With his long reach and ability to frighten attackers, he’d surely offer more of a presence for Celtic than Bain or Barkas have at any point in the last year.

AND in other news, Forget Soro: Celtic already have their Scott Brown heir in 6 ft 6 “man mountain”…

Whist Josh Windass’ time at Ibrox might not have played out in the way he would have hoped, there is no doubt that his signing turned into an excellent financial decision by Rangers, with Steven Gerrard perhaps happy to see him leave when he did.

The midfielder joined the Light Blues on a free transfer from Accrington Stanley in the summer of 2016 after a superb season in League Two for John Coleman’s side, when he contributed 16 goals and five assists in 32 appearances, helping them to a spot in the playoffs.

He would go on to make 73 appearances for Rangers, contributing 19 goals and 13 assists, the majority of which came in the 2018/19 season after a less than impressive debut campaign with the Teddy Bears.

His performances that season were enough to convince Wigan Athletic to pay £2.5m for him in the summer of 2018, which represented an excellent deal for Rangers,, considering he was valued at just £585k by Transfermarkt at the time.

Wigan’s financial troubles would later see him join Sheffield Wednesday and despite a decent return of seven goals and five assists in the Championship this season, the Yorkshire side are in serious danger of relegation to League One.

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Windass is now valued at just £1.44m by Transfermarkt, which again emphasises just how well former Rangers sporting director Mark Allen did to sell him for £2.5m in 2018.

Considering Windass only really showed glimpses of his ability in his second season with the club and they were able to sell him for a significant profit, you would struggle to find too many Rangers fans who were devastated to see him leave back in 2018, especially as he often responded to criticism from Gers’ fans online in a slightly controversial manner.

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Therefore, you could definitely argue that Allen delivered a masterclass in signing him on a free transfer from Accrington Stanley, in the first place, as well as negotiating an excellent deal with Wigan just two years later.

And, in other news… Rangers suffer huge blow as Gerrard confirms £15k-p/w titan won’t feature this season