All posts by h716a5.icu

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed fine partnerships over the years, the latest being Harry Kane and Heung-min Son’s telepathic double-act that has seen them consistently deliver goals.

Indeed, they are on the verge of breaking Premier League records this campaign.

Belgian twosome Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen were the defensive wall for Mauricio Pochettino for many seasons, whilst there has to be an honourable mention for Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele.

And who could forget the ‘David and Goliath’ pairing of Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe?

Now the door has opened for Daniel Levy to seal the next deadly duo in north London.

According to L’Equipe, Spurs have made contact with veteran winger Angel Di Maria over a potential free transfer in the summer as he remains out of contract in the French capital at the end of the current season.

Whilst Paris Saint-Germain, managed by former favourite Mauricio Pochettino, is hopeful of keeping hold of the 32-year-old, Jose Mourinho is keen to bring his old Real Madrid man to N17.

And Levy ought to do what he can to convince the £220k-per-week Argentina international to join.

He’s formed an exciting partnership with Spurs midfielder Giovani Lo Celso for both club and country over the years. By bringing Di Maria to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Levy could create the second coming of Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa.

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When Keith Burkinshaw secured the two World Cup winners in 1978, it transformed the fortunes of Spurs and sent a stark warning across Europe.

The north London outfit had only just been promoted to the First Division, so the £750k swoop for the Argentinian pair was quite the outstanding coup.

They both struggled to hit the ground running, but soon their influence helped Spurs to two FA Cup final wins.

Levy’s team haven’t secured a piece of silverware since 2008, and the wait goes on, so bringing someone in of Di Maria’s calibre would certainly bolster their prospects of breaking that duck.

He has won La Liga and Ligue 1, and the Champions League too, whilst he was part of the Argentina squad to finish runner-up at the 2014 World Cup.

Di Maria can be Villa, whilst Spurs already have Ardiles 2.0 in Lo Celso.

When playing together, the duo have an impressive 76.5% win-rate and combined, they have delivered a total of 21 goals and 23 assists, per Transfermarkt.

Dubbed “exceptional” by new Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel and “extraordinary” by PSG enforcer Marco Verratti, Di Maria would be an incredible free transfer signing irrespective of his poor stint at Premier League rivals Manchester United.

The £25.2m-rated winger could help Lo Celso thrive with the £55m arrival only delivering seven goals and four assists in the 18 months he’s been at the club.

Perhaps the influence of his international and former PSG teammate can be the spark he needs, and in turn, it may well give Spurs another famous duo – one that is certainly shades of Ardiles and Villa mark two.

AND in other news, Mourinho could give Spurs new threat with £36m “exceptional talent” who idolises Ozil…

Carlo Ancelotti faces a continued problem at Everton with Bernard after the Brazilian’s winter transfer to United Arab Emirates outfit Al Nasr collapsed on Deadline Day.

What’s the word?

According to the Liverpool Echo, negotiations between the Toffees and Al Nasr fell through in the final hours of the winter transfer market.

Everton had strived to offload the midfielder throughout the mid-season window as they looked to reduce a bloated wage bill, with Bernard earning £120,000-per-week but failing to establish himself under Ancelotti.

The Blues would have been due a fee as part of the deal for a player they signed for free in the summer of 2018, after landing Bernard following his release by Shakhtar Donetsk.

Bernard had appeared set to leave Goodison Park for Al Nasr after agreeing on personal terms with the Middle Eastern side, who entered into advanced negotiations with The Blues over the weekend, per Fabrizio Romano.

The value of the fee that Everton would have received is unclear, with previous reports claiming the Merseyside club valued Bernard at £9m but had agreed to a loan deal that carried a €5m (£4.5m) obligation to make the deal permanent in the summer.

Ancelotti has only started Bernard in two Premier League games this season and has elected to leave the 28-year-old as an unused substitute in 12 of his side’s fixtures to date.

A continued problem for Everton

Bernard failing to secure his move to Al Nasr on Deadline Day has left Ancelotti facing a continued problem at Everton, as the Italian clearly does not value what the Brazilian can bring to the side at Goodison Park.

But the Blues looked lost of forward vision during their 1-1 draw with Leicester City last month, as the Foxes were able to dominate the majority of the game as Ancelotti’s men sat in deep, trying to protect James Rodriguez’s deadlock-breaking strike.

Yet even once Youri Tielemans found a way past Jordan Pickford, via the England goalkeeper’s gloves, Ancelotti turned to Alex Iwobi and Gylfi Sigurdsson to inject a spark in his side, then introduced defender Seamus Coleman for top-scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Bernard was just left on the bench to watch the game, then was completely omitted from the matchday squad which lost 2-0 at home to Newcastle United on Saturday.

Anthony Gordon, who was a back-up against Newcastle, has now joined Preston North End on loan for the remainder of the season and that decision must see Ancelotti think again over his use of Bernard, as a recall has to be on the cards given the potential impact he could have.

Former England international Danny Mills lauds Bernard for what he is capable of with the ball at his feet, and – now his options are reduced – Ancelotti needs to see it on the pitch.

“He is different to the other attackers at Everton,” Mills told Football Insider. “He reminds me of Bernardo Silva at times. That sort of diminutive player with fabulous ability on the ball. He can pick a pass and dribble, but you have to get him on the ball in the right areas.”

If Ancelotti does not give Bernard the chance to gain a more pivotal role, the midfielder will only prove to be a continued problem and Everton’s Director of Football Marcel Brands will have to spend the coming months searching for a suitor willing who is willing to buy him.

AND in other news, the exit of a £28k-p/w dud is great news for a “gifted” Everton outcast…

Glasgow Rangers return to Europa League action later this evening when they travel to Belgium to take on Royal Antwerp.

Steven Gerrard’s side reached the knockout stages after emerging relatively unscathed from a group including Benfica, Lech Poznan and fellow Belgian Jupiler League outfit Standard Liege.

However, what looks like a straightforward Europa League fixture may, in actual fact, be a potential banana skin for the 54-time Scottish champions.

Not many Rangers fans will have heard the Belgian side’s name crop up in conversation, and in all fairness, Gerrard’s side are favourites to reach the quarter-finals as Antwerp find themselves beset by multiple setbacks.

But don’t let their recent poor run of form fool you. After all, this is the same Antwerp side who caused problems for Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur this season, having beaten Jose Mourinho’s side on home soil back in October.

Gerrard’s men, therefore, should tread with a note of caution.

However, they have been boosted by Alfredo Morelos’s return, who has not featured for the first team since his SFA charge last month.

With both Morelos and Kemar Roofe having missed the past few games due to suspension, Cedric Itten has been given the chance to stake his claim for a place in Gerrard’s starting XI. Yet, the Swiss international has arguably struggled to make the most of the opportunity to lead the line in their absence.

But the Colombian could be a huge threat for Antwerp’s backline, having previously broken Ally McCoist’s all-time European goalscoring record earlier this season.

The 24-year-old’s overall tally for the Gers sits at 88 goals from 168 appearances, which is just shy of a goal once every two games, via Transfermarkt.

Speaking after his record-equalling goal against Lech Poznan back in October, Gerrard said:

“It’s fantastic for him from a personal point of view. Alfredo’s a top-class player, a top-class goalscorer, and it’s fantastic that he’s still here.

“I said it a few weeks back when people are trying to compare them; Ally is a legend at the club, and he’s been here and done it, and he’s got the medals to prove it. Let’s hope Alfredo can continue to follow in his footsteps.”

A return of two goals and an assist ranks him joint-first with James Tavernier in terms of goal contributions in the Europa League out of the entire Rangers squad this season.

Given Antwerp’s injury struggles, Gerrard could give Itten the chance to redeem himself after drawing a blank against Kilmarnock.

However, if he wants to get real when it comes to achieving European success, Morelos is surely his best bet, as his record more than speaks for itself.

The controversial powerhouse has the goalscoring ability to cause Antwerp all sorts of nightmares at the Bosuilstadion tonight, Morelos must start from the off.

AND in other Rangers news, Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack’s goal against Kilmarnock laid bare their problems…

As per Fichajes.net (via Calciomercato), Newcastle United are interested in Valencia attacking midfielder Kang-In Lee.

Toon eye Lee

The Magpies are believed to be interested in the 20-year-old and are said to be preparing an offer of €30m (£26m) for the South Korea international.

Serie A champions Juventus are also in pursuit.

Top talent

This would be a statement of intent from Steve Bruce and co at St James’ Park – Lee is a highly-regarded up-and-coming talent. He has been likened to Spain legend David Silva (Goal.com), who used to play for Los Che, and he has already made 55 appearances for Valencia despite turning 20 only last month (Transfermarkt). Throughout his career, he has six assists to his name.

This season, he has one goal and four assists in all competitions. He ranks highly in terms of both key passes and dribbles among his teammates (WhoScored) and appears to be improving with each passing game. The fact that a European giant such as Juventus are interested in his services shows his potential. Of course, it will be difficult for the Toon to beat them to his signature, but Lee would likely play more regularly in the north-east than in a squad filled with talent in Italy.

It remains to be seen where the youngster ends up.

In other news, Lee Ryder slams this man’s display against Wolves.

It has been suggested recently that Southampton could look to sign Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham in the summer transfer window and if he were to join the Saints, it would be a deal similar to the one that saw Graziano Pelle join the club in 2014.

According to EuroSport, both West Ham and Southampton have made tentative enquiries about signing the England international, who has struggled for game time under Thomas Tuchel since the German was appointed manager of the Stamford Bridge outfit.

The report suggests that with Chelsea targeting Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland ahead of the summer window, opportunities would be few and far in between for Abraham next season.

Therefore, a move away could be on the cards for the £36 million-rated forward, and Southampton would presumably be able to offer him regular football if he were to make the move to St Mary’s.

Southampton have had some great target men strikers in the past decade, with Rickie Lambert and Pelle two of the very best, but it is something they have arguably lacked under Hasenhuttl.

Danny Ings and Che Adams have lead the line for the majority of the past two seasons, and whilst both work extremely hard, neither are particularly strong in the air, so Abraham would definitely offer something different if he were to join.

The 6 foot 3 striker has been prolific in recent seasons, first on loan with Bristol City in the 2016/17 campaign, where he hit 26 goals in 48 appearances for the Robins.

After a disappointing spell with Swansea in the Premier League, he found his shooting boots once again with Aston Villa, notching 25 goals in 37 appearances on their way to promotion.

He then grabbed 15 Premier League goals with Chelsea last season under Frank Lampard and has now made six appearances for England as he continues to impress in the top-flight.

Therefore, there seems little doubt that he would score goals should he join Southampton in the summer, and he could prove to be similarly effective to the 6 foot 4 Pelle, who was superb in his time on the South Coast.

The Italian contributed 30 goals and 10 assists in 80 appearances for the Saints, before moving to China in 2016, so he is fondly remembered by a lot of Southampton fans.

So, if Martin Semmens can convince Abraham to join this summer, then it would be a deal reminiscent of the one that saw them sign Pelle, and hopefully, the 23-year-old would be as impressive as his Italian predecessor was in Southampton colours.

And, in other news… Forget Tella: Saints beast who played 4 key passes was Hasenhuttl’s star vs SHU – opinion

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Giovani Lo Celso has suffered an injury setback ahead of the Europa League clash against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday night.

The Spurs midfielder returned to training ahead of the Premier League game against Crystal Palace at the weekend, with Mourinho suggesting that while he had an “opportunity” to make it in time for the Eagles, he was more likely to be in contention for the game against Zagreb.

However, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the clash tonight, the Spurs boss has now revealed: “Gio is not ready but it’s nothing to do with his previous important injury, from which he’s totally recovered.

“But with his accumulation of work, his feelings are not the best at the moment, a little bit of some back pain so he’s had to stop working the way he was doing. So not for this match.”

It’s fair to say it’s been a strange old campaign for the midfielder, with numerous injuries and niggles restricting the £31.5m-rated gem to just 11 Premier League appearances amounting to only 436 minutes of action – frustratingly for both manager and player, he’s completed the full 90 minutes in just two games all year.

Just last season, Lo Celso’s Spurs teammate Harry Winks waxed lyrical about the Argentine’s ability, saying: “It took him a while to get used to all the intensity and the aggression of the league but he’s flying now and he’s been fantastic.

“He is a technically gifted player. But he is not afraid to get stuck in when he needs to as well.”

Sadly for both him and Spurs, things just haven’t quite panned out as they would have wanted this time around.

Lo Celso’s latest setback will surely just add to Mourinho’s concerns and worries over the midfielder – there’s nothing more frustrating than having an injury-prone player who continues=s to break down just when you think they’re ready to be welcomed back into the fold.

With the north London derby on Sunday against Arsenal, there was every chance that Lo Celso could well have played a part, or even started against Zagreb tonight in order to perhaps rest some of the Lilywhites’ other key stars who have had a busy few weeks.

Instead, Mourinho will be forced into sticking to a familiar eleven, and Lo Celso, who he likely thought was going to be ready to feature tonight, has now just added to his worries.

Meanwhile, Spurs should start this £16.2m-rated gem tonight…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee can’t see Steve Bruce selling Allan Saint-Maximin, even if the budget could be low this summer.

Saint-Maximin is Newcastle United’s star player who gets fans on the edge of their seats and Lee thinks it would be criminal if Bruce moved the Frenchman, who was linked with Paris Saint-Germain last summer, on.

The winger has struggled with injuries and Covid this season which has seen him make just 12 starts in the Premier League, something Lee believes could put teams off making a move for him.

Lee admits he hasn’t seen the best of the £38,000-a-week Saint-Maximin this season but has been impressed when the 23-year-old has been on the pitch, and knows how much the fans enjoy having him as a player at their club.

The former midfielder spoke exclusively to FFC and believes it would be one of the worst things Bruce could do as manager if he sold Saint-Maximin.

Lee joked: “No, I think he’d be hung, drawn and quartered if he sold Saint-Maximin.

“It’s not as though he’s been outstanding you know, he’s been outstanding in fits and starts. He’s been 20 minutes here, 20 minutes there.

“He hasn’t done enough to warrant a big enough fee, for someone to come in with £50-60 million. He hasn’t warranted that yet so no one’s going to do that. There’s no point selling him for anything less.”

Saint-Maximin has been a bright spark in Newcastle’s team over the last two seasons, and Lee knows it would not go down well on Tyneside if Bruce was to sell his star asset.

Especially when a lot of the fans have turned on the manager already.

Fans of Liverpool have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which relayed a report that claims the Reds are interested in the signing of Sander Berge this summer.

According to a report by Eurosport, Liverpool are considering a summer move for the Sheffield United midfielder, who is “almost certain” to leave the Blades upon their impending relegation to the Championship at the end of the season.

It is also said that Aston Villa have been keeping tabs on the £33,000 per week defensive midfielder, who has scored one goal and registered one assist over his 13 Premier League appearances for Sheffield United this season, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.75 – ranking him as the club’s eighth-best performer in the top flight.

However, after Anfield Watch relayed the report on Twitter, fans of Liverpool flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing distraught at the prospect of their club making a move for the player of a side who are currently bottom of the Premier League table.

So, what exactly did these Liverpool fans have to say in reaction to their club’s links with a move for Sander Berge?

“Why are we never linked with big-name players? What’s wrong with us?”

@diego112b

“Why are we looking at players like this? Can we not see we need more quality than a player that’s getting relegated, we need to build a quality 20 man squad. From being so far in front of everyone over the last 3 years we are going backwards in the market.”

@ColinScunner

“What’s the point of him? Isn’t he a CDM? We need a goal-scoring CAM.”

@TheKopEnd_19

“Please no. Every time I see him play he doesn’t seem fit for the Premier League. Too slow on the ball.”

@thelamarvelous

“Pain. A day of celebration when FSG sell up.”

@Anfi3ld1892

“No thanks. Bang average and we don’t need more bench warmers!”

@GarethWilmott

“Depressing.”

@HornbuckleBarry

“Are we that poor?”

@ErnestYap9

“Waste of money.”

@BeefyKieren

“He’s clueless”

@idimitrisg7

In other news: Reds fans reacted to a sensational moment from this starlet – find out more here!

Mario Husillos hit gold far fewer times than he unearthed gems during his time as West Ham United’s Director of Football, and there are few signings he made that were as bad the deal to bring in Andriy Yarmolenko.

Husillos oversaw the arrivals of 15 players during his 18-months at the London Stadium, in deals that set the claret and blue side back around £175m in fees reported at the time of their captures.

One-tenth of that amount went on Yarmolenko as the Ukraine winger was signed from Borussia Dortmund for £17.5m, already £3.5m less than his TransferMarkt valuation of £21m at the time of leaving the Signal Iduna Park.

Unfortunately for West Ham, his market value has continued to plummet in every season that has gone by, and TransferMarkt project that he is now worth just £4.5m, a £16.5m decline over the past 32-months.

No player currently at the London Stadium has seen their TransferMarkt valuation fall as drastically as Yarmolenko has since first adorning the claret and blue jersey, with Pablo Fornals’ £6.5m decrease the second-highest hit.

Husillos was delighted to have been able to unveil Yarmolenko as a Hammer during his and Manuel Pellegrini’s first summer in charge at West Ham, and claimed the club “did not hesitate” when the chance arose to sign him.

“He really is the kind of player that we were looking for,” said Husillos, via quotes by Sky Sports. “He is a left-footed player but can play on the right and is very quick, very good one-on-one against a defender. He gives the team a lot of attacking options and scores goals, is fast on the counter-attack and provides aerial threat with his height.

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“He also has very good experience, of playing for big teams and fighting for titles. At Dortmund, he had some good matches but perhaps didn’t quite show his very best. However, I think Manuel Pellegrini is the perfect coach for Andriy and his style of play.

“I believe he is joining us in the perfect moment. He is 28, the prime age for football, and we have great expectation about what he can achieve with West Ham United.”

But the move has not worked out as Husillos expected, and the drastic decline of Yarmolenko’s market value is just one sign of how poorly things worked out.

In two-and-a-half-seasons at the London Stadium, the 31-year-old forward has amassed just 53 appearances across all competitions, in which he has scored 10 times and provided six assists.

Yet of those strikes, only one has come this term when the attacker netted at home to League One side Doncaster Rovers in the FA Cup, before sustaining the latest in a long line of injuries away to Manchester United in the fifth round.

Surgery for an Achilles tendon injury brought a halt to Yarmolenko’s maiden campaign in England after just nine top-flight games, and his return the following season would only last 16 matches before he was back in the treatment room for an abductor tear.

The pandemic meant Yarmolenko, who is also West Ham’s top-earner on a £115,000-per-week contract, could help David Moyes keep the Irons in the Premier League, but the Scottish coach’s decision to retain his services last summer has backfired.

In 14 league games this term, Yarmolenko has a sole assist to his name and will have little expectations placed on him of offering a greater return once the 92-cap international has overcome his knee ligament injury.

It is no wonder that reports have already begun surfacing claiming West Ham will look to sell Yarmolenko at the end of the season, it just remains to be seen how much they can recoup after Husillos’ horrific mistake.

Buying older players with little resale value has hurt West Ham in the past, such as in this instance, lessons must be learned from it.

AND in other news, West Ham are set to sign a £13.5m-rated titan for free this summer…

According to recent reports, Leeds United have been handed a major setback to their hopes of landing Rodrigo de Paul this summer.

Having been heavily linked with a move to Elland Road last year, Marcelo Bielsa’s interest in the Udinese midfielder is not thought to have subsided over the course of the season, with Leeds once again being touted as a potential destination for the 26-year-old this summer.

However, according to a recent report by Italian outlet CalcioMercato, Inter Milan have now joined the race for the £31,000-per-week Argentina international, something which could represent a huge blow in Victor Orta’s pursuit of the midfielder, as De Paul is reported to be extremely keen on a move to I Nerazzurri, with Inter’s ability to offer Champions League football said to be a major factor.

Transfer Tavern Take

It is questionable whether Leeds are indeed still in the De Paul race, as Udinese are once again thought to be demanding a fee of around €35 million (£30.2 million) to part with the 26-year-old this summer, an amount of money which priced Bielsa’s side out a move last year.

Having said that, with a year of Premier League football very nearly behind them, something which is likely to have had a positive impact on the financial health of Leeds, perhaps the club would have been able to cough up for the midfielder this summer.

However, with Inter now having a seat at the table, in addition to Liverpool reportedly holding an interest, the demand for De Paul would appear rather more significant than 12 months ago.

In other news: Leeds United have been urged to sign this “highly sought-after” £31k-p/w star this summer – find out more here!