All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli has been tipped as a possible shrewd addition at Aston Villa.

A number of Villa supporters have been sharing their thoughts on comments from pundit Dean Windass on social media regarding this potential transfer.

Alli has three years remaining on his Spurs contract, but he has fallen out of favour in north London over the past 12 months. The England international started just seven Premier League games last term under Jose Mourinho and Ryan Mason, five of which came in the final five fixtures of the campaign, having been a scorer of 18 league goals in 2016/17, the best season of his career so far.

Nuno Espirito Santo is the new man in charge at Tottenham and Villa have made the signing of a number 10 their transfer priority; and Windass feels that Alli could shine in the Midlands if he makes such a move.

Speaking to Football FanCast, the former Hull striker believes that the Spurs playmaker could fit in at Villa, saying:

“The new manager might want to keep Alli, but I don’t think Kane will be staying so their main focus will be trying to get another centre forward quickly.

“I think Dele would fit in well at Villa and he needs to start playing again.

“He needs to start being a bit more confident as well because it does demoralise you when you don’t play and the manager doesn’t rate you.”

Villa fans react

@AVFC_News shared their story regarding Windass’ comments on Alli multiple times on Twitter.

Here is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with many in favour of a possible swoop. One describing him as ‘quality’, while another alluded to the off-field friendship between the 25-year-old and Jack Grealish.

“Yes please!! Dele is a quality player who’s been wronged by his club! He looked quality when he came in towards the end of the season and he’s just coming into peak age!! Good pals with Jack too so bonus there too”Credit: @danskyba”I think it’s worth a gamble”Credit: @Sean_2431″Yes, simple answer”Credit: @mattym1985″Did see sparks of his former self after Mourinho left and he’s still only 25. Who knows what the issue has been but surely there’s still a class player in there. It’s possibly still a risk but coming to a positive environment and at the right price – maybe? Jack might like it too”Credit: @JamieChesterman”People comparing Dele to Barkley are jumping the shark imo. Dele is spectacular and can win a game on his own. If the teams struggling Ross switched off. Don’t see Dele doing so”Credit: @DarthVaDan”Unfair to put him in same bag as Barkley….. don’t believe his attitude would be the same…Yes of course we’d prefer Smith Rowe but if we don’t get him I think Dele Alli would be a great addition”Credit: @CliffRoberts1

In other news: ‘Absolute madness’, ‘Leave us alone’ – Many AVFC fans erupt at ‘garbage’ transfer news, find out more here.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s interest in Freiburg centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck…

What’s the talk?

According to reporter Dharmesh Sheth on Sky Sports’ transfer show, via Bavarian Football Works, the Magpies are looking at the defender as a possible alternative to Lille’s Sven Botman as the Ligue 1 side are demanding £60m for the Dutchman this month.

The report claims that German giants Bayern Munich also have Schlotterbeck on their radar and could compete with the Toon for his signature.

Treat

Eddie Howe could seal an “absolute treat” for Newcastle by bringing Schlotterbeck to the club this month as he could be an excellent signing for the club.

The 22-year-old German has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.31 in the Bundesliga this season, showing that he is capable of delivering consistently high-quality performances on the pitch. This could make him a dream signing for the Magpies as they have conceded the most goals (42) in the Premier League this term and are in need of defensive improvements.

Writer Jacque Talbot has commented on the defender’s statistics this season, comparing him to a German legend in the process. He Tweeted: “The absolute state of Nico Schlotterbeck. Some Franz Beckenbauer level attacking percentiles. Newcastle would be in for an absolute treat if they can persuade Freiburg to let him go.”

Talbot accompanied his Tweet with a screenshot of the Freiburg man’s percentile ranks in a number of statistical categories across Europe’s top five leagues, per FB REF. He is in the 92nd percentile or higher in dribbles completed, progressive passes and touches for centre-backs, whilst he is in the 91st and 92nd percentile for tackles and interceptions respectively.

He is also naturally left-footed. This means that he can add balance to Newcastle’s possession game by being able to comfortably play on the left side, opening up more options on the ball instead of needing to shift it to his right foot before playing out from the back.

Therefore, the monster could be a sublime addition to Howe’s team as he has the quality in defending to improve the team whilst his capabilities on the ball could help the side to play more expansive football to entertain the fans.

The ex-Bournemouth boss must now ensure that he can get a deal over the line for Schlotterbeck before Bayern are able to make their move, if they are to make one at all.

AND in other news, Howe can brutally axe £40k-p/w NUFC dud by signing “deceptive” gem who’s a “nightmare”…

Newcastle United have seen many players join the Tyneside club over the years on permanent transfers or loan deals.

The previous January transfer window showed just how capable the Magpies and their new owners are when it comes to spending significant amounts of money to bring in new faces to try and strengthen their squad and push the team forward.

Taking a look back down the years, one figure that the club were supposedly pursuing on two different occasions that they will undoubtedly regret not buying is Luka Modric.

According to Planet Football, former Toon boss Kevin Keegan was eager to sign the midfielder back in 2008 when Modric was at Dinamo Zagreb. They also claimed that Sam Allardyce wanted to sign the Croatian a year prior during his tenure at St James’ Park.

The former Magpies and Everton manager said: “I was then on the way to getting Luka Modric from Dinamo Zagreb, but by then, Mike saw the scale of the full debut and put the clamps on, so I had to make do with Geremi from Chelsea.”

After scoring 22 goals and providing 21 assists in 73 appearances for Dinamo Zagreb, the midfielder did end up making a move to England, but it was Tottenham Hotspur who secured his signature in the summer of 2008 rather than Newcastle for a fee of around £20m.

Having played in 160 games for the Lilywhites across all competitions, finding the net 17 times and delivering 26 assists, the midfielder found himself on the move again, this time to his current club Real Madrid in 2012.

During his time in Spain, the 36-year-old has scored 31 goals and provided 69 assists in 427 appearances, winning four Champions League titles among many other trophies including numerous individual awards such as the Ballon d’Or and UEFA’s Best Player in Europe, both in 2018.

Labelled an “extraordinary” player by Carlo Ancelotti and a “mental monster” by journalist Dermot Corrigan, Modric has been sold for a combined total of just over £51m throughout his time in football according to Transfermarkt and racked up 186 goals and assists throughout what has been a shining career.

Taking all this into account, it’s safe to say that Keegan and Allardyce both had howlers over not convincing the hierarchy at Newcastle to launch a substantial move for the midfield maestro when they were pursuing him before his move to Spurs.

In other news – NUFC dealt yet another crushing injury setback; it’s bad news for Howe

Many Southampton fans have been slamming the performance of Ibrahima Diallo in their 2-1 loss at Norwich City on Saturday.

After a promising start with Che Adams giving the Saints the lead inside the first four minutes, the visitors were almost immediately pegged back by Teemu Pukki, before Grant Hanley gave the hosts all three points with a header from a second half corner kick.

Diallo started the match well but badly tailed off in the second half. Asked to play as a right midfielder by Ralph Hasenhuttl, he failed to record a shot, lost six of his 12 duels and made only one accurate cross throughout the match, while he was also guilty of losing possession 12 times, the joint-sixth most out of any of his teammates at Carrow Road (SofaScore).

Southampton fans slam Diallo

These Southampton supporters slammed the 22-year-old’s performance on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he was ‘hopeless’ against Norwich:

“Our squad is still not good enough. Theo Walcott coming onto the pitch in 2021 is a horrifying indictment of the state of the club. So is not having a single option to switch a Diallo who had an absolute nightmare of a second half”

Credit: @DanJean09

“McCarthy is the first player who needs to be dropped, closely followed by Bednarek and Diallo. I hope Walcott never puts a #saintsfc shirt on again. Can’t wait for his contract to end”

Credit: @miserygutscoop

“Walcott, Broja, Diallo all hopeless in 2nd half”

Credit: @L1minus10

“#saintsfc undoing all of their good work from the first half. KWP neutered, Diallo not getting it right, too many misplaced passes. Norwich have wanted it more and will get the result. Also, how Theo is stealing a living is beyond me. Poor Nathan Tella”

Credit: @TomParker81

“Diallo’s passing today has been some of the worst I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure how he’s still on the pitch”

Credit: @wilcoryce

“#SaintsFC pushing our luck again in the 2nd half – same against Villa. Someone remind Diallo we’re playing in red.”

Credit: @RedondoSaint

In other news, find out whose display against the Canaries was also slammed by many Southampton fans

Everton have had a difficult season which can be partially blamed on their poor transfer business at the club ever since the arrival of Farhad Moshiri, and lessons must be learned with new manager Frank Lampard heading into his first full transfer window this summer.

It has been reported that the Toffees will need to axe up to 10 players this summer to recoup some of the financial losses incurred during Moshiri’s reign at Goodison Park, and there are many candidates that are worthy of the chop following a series of poor performances over this season.

One player who has seen a revival in his Everton career since Frank Lampard took over is Alex Iwobi, who has had a less than positive impact since he joined the club back in 2019, with the winger offering up just seven goals and six assists in 89 appearances over the last three years.

Despite the Everton boss giving the Nigerian international his opportunity to redeem himself in the second half of this season, it is too little too late for the player who has been part of a squad that has led to the demise of the club, putting them in a position to be relegated for the first time ever from the Premier League.

In one of Moshiri’s biggest transfer howlers to date, Iwobi cost the club up to £34m and following his unsuccessful spell at Goodison Park has seen his market value diminish to over half that amount, as the attacker is now worth just £16.2m.

Indeed, over his two and a half seasons at Goodison Park, the £100k-per-week flop who Michael Ball claimed plays in “panic mode” has earned seasonal SofaScore ratings of 6.75 in 2019/20, 6.74 in 2020/20 and 6.73 so far this term, ranking him as Everton’s 11th-best, ninth-worst and 14th-best player in each respective Premier League campaign.

And, when you consider that the 25-year-old winger is on one of the highest wages at the club, selling up this summer could save Everton millions on the two years left on his contract – something which could be reinvested into players who can offer something more influential on the pitch.

Lampard has some big decisions to make this summer and must be ruthless with rebuilding his squad if the Toffees are to improve upon their incredibly disappointing campaign this time out.

AND in other news: Everton must launch move for “outstanding” 25 y/o “Wolverine” as insider claim emerges

A source from Tottenham Hotspur has revealed that Cristian Romero, Giovani Lo Celso and Emerson Royal all flew up to Newcastle for today’s Premier League clash.

The Lowdown: Uncertainty

Nuno Espirito Santo revealed to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match that he would make a late decision on the selection of Romero, Lo Celso and Emerson, as well as Davinson Sanchez, following their exploits during the international break with their respective South American countries.

They had reportedly been expected to miss out because of the travelling involved, and the fact that some of the games in which they played were in the early hours of Friday morning UK time.

The Latest: They travelled

Speaking to Football Insider, a Spurs source has revealed that Romero, Lo Celso and Emerson all flew up to St James’ Park with the rest of the squad on Saturday evening.

That now puts them in contention to play against the Magpies when the fixture kicks off at 4:30 this afternoon.

The Verdict: Big boost

It will certainly be a big boost for Spurs to have all three players available, especially if they can play from the start.

Emerson is currently averaging the most tackles (three) per Premier League game out of his teammates, while he also averages a mammoth five clearances per match, exceeded only by Joe Rodon (seven) in his one appearance so far (WhoScored).

Romero also ranks highly in terms of tackles (1.7) and clearances (2.7) (WhoScored), and the Lilywhites will no doubt be eager to see more of their summer signings in action.

Lo Celso offers a creative spark in midfield, averaging one key pass per game and an 81.5% passing accuracy rate (WhoScored), and he could well be the difference in unlocking what may be a stubborn Newcastle defence.

In other news, find out who has called Daniel Levy ‘pathetic’ after one recent development

Leeds United winger Raphinha may have become even more crucial for the Whites than Kalvin Phillips, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Raphinha excels on Brazil debut

The 24-year-old has been superb for Leeds since arriving from Rennes in 2020 and he has taken his form with him to the international stage.

Raphinha registered two assists on his Brazil debut on Thursday evening, helping them to a 3-1 victory away to Venezuela in a World Cup qualifier.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Hay hails winger

It was a performance that summed up Raphinha’s brilliance, and taking to Twitter on Friday morning, The Athletic‘s Hay admitted that he could be the first name on Leeds’ team-sheet, ahead of even Phillips:

“One of the questions in the mailbag was ‘Is Raphinha Leeds’ most important player?’ and even though Phillips is the player Leeds really miss, you could easily make an argument for Raphinha.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-19/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Phillips still the key man

Raphinha is a wonderful footballer who is unquestionably one of Leeds’ star men, but Phillips is still the player they miss the most when he isn’t there, losing seven out of the nine fixtures he was absent for in the top flight last term.

That was highlighted in the 5-1 defeat at Manchester United on the opening weekend of the season when the Whites’ midfield fell apart without him in the team.

Phillips has averaged 2.3 tackles per game in the Premier League this season – only Liam Cooper (2.7) has more – as well as an 84.6 percent pass completion rate.

The England international brings so much energy, quality and all-round influence in the middle of the park that he has the edge over Raphinha, which isn’t to diminish his own class as a footballer.

In other news, one Leeds player has been tipped to make a ‘breakthrough’. Find out who it is here.

Manchester United have reportedly ended their interest in Eduardo Camavinga, Saul Niguez and Ruben Neves, with Paul Pogba now set to remain at the club, but it could be another midfielder who has the biggest impact at Old Trafford in the years to come.

What’s the story?

According to the Daily Mail, French giants Paris Saint-Germain can no longer afford to sign Pogba this summer following their shock move for six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi.

However, the report claims that the highly-rated 28-year-old is expected to depart United as a free agent for the second time in 12 months’ time, meaning current understudy Donny van de Beek should have an ideal opportunity to shine.

The Netherlands international arrived in Manchester for £40 million prior to the 2020/21 campaign following two standout seasons with boyhood club Ajax, yet he struggled to settle on English shores, limiting him to just four Premier League starts.

Now though, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must place his faith in the technically gifted maestro, potentially saving the club millions when it comes to finding Pogba’s successor.

Fans would love to see him flourish

After scoring 41 goals and providing 34 assists in 175 games for Ajax, as well as winning a domestic double in 2018/19 as they reached the Champions League semi-finals, Van de Beek arrived at Old Trafford with high expectations.

Nevertheless, the new environment and physical, fast-paced nature of the Premier League often looked a bit too much for the midfielder to take in last term, although he did show his true potential on occasions.

One such time was against Istanbul Basaksehir while on European duty, and his impressive showing drew praise from former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves.

“I thought Van de Beek was close to perfect. He is so unselfish, he can just fit in and play the right balls everywhere,” said the BT Sports pundit.

The technically gifted midfielder has embarked on physical transformation over the summer months after injury meant he had to pull out of Hollands Euro 2020 squad, improving his strength, balance and agility.

“He’s put on a bit of muscle,” Solskjaer said of the Van de Beek “He’d had last season to learn about English football, and he’s used the summer well.

“You never know how players from abroad come in. Some players need a year. You see Fred’s development, but there are other players that just come in and take to it straight away. It depends.”

And now it’s time for Solsjaer to reward Van de Beek’s dedication with a string of regular starts, allowing him to showcase his true, top-class quality on a consistent basis.

With Marcus Rashford sidelined until October through injury and Jesse Lingard unavailable after testing positive for Covid, Pogba could take up residency on the left-wing for the first few weeks of the new campaign, allowing the Dutchman a chance to prove that he can be the World Cup-winning star’s natural heir.

Every club’s fans love a comeback story, but no side is more associated with them than United, and the fanbase would surely love to witness Van de Beek begin his this season.

And, in other news…Journalist drops intriguing Man Utd transfer update, fans will be delighted

A behind-the-scenes update has emerged on Newcastle United’s attempts to land a director of football…

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Magpies may wait until after the January window to make an appointment in the role. Michael Emelano is ready to start and has told the club what he would do, but the club are said to be making slow progress in their efforts to get a deal done.

He Tweeted: “Newcastle might not appoint director of football until after January window. #NUFC process making slow progress as concerns grow over urgency of situation. Reported leading candidate Michael Emenalo has submitted plans & is ready to start.”

Infuriated fans

This big blow from Ornstein will surely infuriate fans ahead of what could be a season-defining transfer window for the club in January. It remains to be seen whether or not Eddie Howe can get a tune out of the current first-team squad, following their 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Toon Army are bottom of the table and the only team in the entire division who are yet to win a single league match – having played 13 times. They face off against 19th-placed Norwich on Tuesday night and a defeat would see them move six points behind the Canaries, which could be a difficult gap to close if their troubled form continues.

This shows the magnitude of the task Howe is facing at St. James’ Park in the coming months and suggests that the current squad is not good enough – based on the evidence so far – to keep them in the division, which is why signings will be crucial in January.

Football FanCast published an article explaining why Emenalo would be a good appointment for Newcastle, citing his background at Chelsea in particular as a key reason. Therefore, bringing him in as quickly as possible would surely be beneficial to the club, especially given their dire situation in the league and how important the upcoming market is.

The signings they make over the winter could prove the difference between survival and relegation and they may have to make them without a director of football in place. This is why supporters will be infuriated by this update from Ornstein and will quite rightly be livid with PIF for not moving at a faster pace with a deal for Emenalo, as it could be a big blow ahead of the coming months.

AND in other news, Ashley’s legacy: NUFC had transfer howler with £21m dud accused of creating “problems”…

Newcastle United will lose out on signing Nat Phillips, claims former Premier League striker Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Phillips eyed

According to The Athletic, the St. James’ Park faithful, in addition to West Ham United, Brighton and Hove Albion, Burnley and Bayer Leverkusen, are all eyeing up a potential move for Phillips in the summer transfer window.

Liverpool currently value the central defender at £15m, and it is not yet clear whether the North East club would be willing to pay that kind of money.

The Latest: Whelan prediction

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan, who played for the likes of Leeds United and Coventry City, has predicted that Phillips will sign for the Hammers, and so the Tyneside club would be set to lose out on his signature:

“I think Phillips would choose West Ham over the others, definitely.

“David Moyes has assembled a really strong side there.

“There is a focus on British based players, you can see what he is thinking. He has got rid of the players who did not give their all for the club. They have got a lot more honesty in that squad now and it shows because they have been much harder to beat over the past 12 to 18 months.

“They have great harmony in that dressing room and it comes from a great core group. Why wouldn’t you be interested in a move to West Ham if you’re Phillips?

“I think he’d be another great addition to West Ham’s squad as well.”

The Verdict: Would be a shame

It would certainly be a shame if Steve Bruce’s team were to miss out on the signing of Phillips, especially if he ends up joining a rival of theirs in the Premier League.

Described as a ‘monster’ by Jurgen Klopp after a match against RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League back in March, he is certainly capable of playing at the highest level, and his six-foot-two frame means that he could be a key threat for the Magpies in both boxes.

Phillips won no fewer than 7.5 0f his duels per match in the top flight in the 2020/21 season, in addition to averaging 4.8 clearances, 1.3 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game (Sofascore), covering the injuries suffered by Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez well.

The Toon would be getting a very good player on their hands if they were to win the race for his signature.

In other news, find out what Mike Ashley has recently told the takeover consortium here!