All posts by z3u9t.icu

[ad_pod ]According to the deputy news editor at The Guardian, Ed Aarons, on his official Twitter account, West Ham United have agreed terms with Chelsea to sign striker Michy Batshuayi on loan until the end of the season, but they face competition from La Liga outfit Real Betis who also have an agreement in place.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Aarons says that the Hammers have moved a step closer to bringing the Belgium international across the capital to the London Stadium, but that they still have some potential hurdles in their way to get a deal over the line before Thursday’s deadline.

The reliable journalist says that Betis want to keep the 25-year-old in Spain following his unsuccessful spell with Valencia in the first-half of the current campaign, and that barring a late bid from Everton the attacker will soon decide where his future lies.

Sky Sports reported on Wednesday that he Irons were considering making an approach for Batshuayi, who Valencia are looking to offload and cut short his loan spell seeing as he hasn’t played for them since January 8.

Would he be a good signing?

He certainly could be, yes.

While the Belgian has struggled to hold down a regular spot in Chelsea’s starting XI when he hasn’t been away on loan, his record of 19 goals in 53 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt, isn’t too shabby given the majority of those outings came from the substitutes’ bench.

Similarly, he also scored nine goals in 14 matches during a loan spell with Borussia Dortmund last term, according to Transfermarkt, to prove how clinical he can be in front of goal.

With the likes of Javier Hernandez, Lucas Perez and Andy Carroll struggling for goals and Marko Arnautovic suffering an injury against Wolves on Tuesday night, although it might not be as bad as first feared according to The Telegraph, the 25-year-old would be a much-welcomed addition to the frontline before the window slams shut.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Former Premier League Golden Boot winner Kevin Phillips has delivered a damning verdict on the transfer of Dele Alli to Everton. 

The verdict: In the wilderness

Signed from Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent basis in a deal which could rise to £40million if all clauses are met (Sky Sports), the 25-year-old has struggled so far on Merseyside.

Left on the bench for each of the Toffees’ last four Premier League matches, the one-time England regular has failed to recapture his best form so far since arriving at Goodison Park.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-4/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

In fact, Alli has only played 169 minutes under Frank Lampard, starting just once and failing to complete a full match.

The latest: Summer exit pending?

Following a recent report from The Telegraph suggesting that the Englishman could leave the club as soon as the summer, 48 year-old Phillips told Football Insider that the attacking midfielder may indeed need to move on again but called the news he’s heard a ‘surprise’.

“There have been suggestions that his time at Everton is going to come to an end. That’s a real surprise, for me. I thought a fresh challenge would get him back to the level we saw from him before.

“It’s a really difficult period for Dele Alli and his career. He’s got to find somewhere where he can thrive, and it’s not looking like that’s going to be Everton.

“It’s disappointing for player and club, but the reality is that he has been so far from his best.”

The verdict: What happens next…

Under contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt), it’s difficult to envisage that the club would cut ties with the 37-cap England man as early as the upcoming summer window.

Still just 25 and with undoubted quality, Lampard may well give Alli time in pre-season to prove that he can be part of plans moving forwards.

However, should the 43-year-old succeed in retaining Everton’s top-flight status then the manager will be on the lookout for players to take the side to the next level, something Alli has so far proven to be well below in his fleeting outings.

So far, the man once hailed as ‘amazing’ by Jose Mourinho at Spurs has lost possession on 43 occasions during six league outings for the Blues (Sofascore) and is seemingly in dire need of a career reset.

In other news, three players struggle despite victory. Find out who here!

With Fabian Delph’s career slowly winding down, it’s easy to forget that the midfielder actually came through the academy system at Leeds United, and that it was at Elland Road where he really made his breakthrough into senior football.

All in all, he played 58 times for the Whites, before earning a high-profile £6m move to Villa in the summer of 2009.

His time at Villa Park saw him establish himself as a really Premier League quality midfielder, and it was no surprise that he eventually earned a call-up to the England squad, earning the first of his 20 senior caps back in September 2014 under Roy Hodgson.

But perhaps just like he might have seen Leeds, Delph used Villa as a stepping stone to bigger and betting things, with the club captain making a £8m move to Manchester City in the summer 0f 2015 – just a week after insisting he would stay put in the Midlands.

In his time at the Etihad, he won the Premier League twice in 2018 and 2019, and won four domestic cups too (one FA Cup and three League Cups).

It was no surprise to hear Pep Guardiola rave about him whilst the pair were both at the Etihad, hailing his role and influence behind-the-scenes.

The City boss said: “He gives us character. He is a real leader in the locker room, Fabian Delph. That’s why I always give credit to the players for what they do.”

He added: “Some guys, they only want to play in one position, ‘in the other one I am not comfortable’, so he’s a guy who always tries to help. Last season we didn’t play always with his voice in our locker room, so I am so satisfied, so happy for him. Especially for him.”

After slowly being phased out of the City first-team picture, Delph eventually made his way to Everton, where injuries have continued to blight him – he’s played just 36 times for the Toffees since arriving at Goodison Park.

And, with his contract coming to an end in the summer, he looks set for an exit, and there may be doubts over whether another Premier League club chooses to pick him up on a free transfer.

But with a total of seven trophies to his name – all achieved at City – it’s fair to say Delph has enjoyed a fine career since leaving Elland Road.

AND in other news – Leeds must finally offload £15k-p/w outcast who last played at Elland Road in 2018

Crystal Palace are eyeing a move for £4.9m-rated Junior Sambia from French club Montpellier this summer as they look to strengthen their defensive positions.

What’s the story?

According to reports from French outlet Le10 Sport the Eagles are interested in the right-back who is out of contract this summer. He would be available on a free transfer which would be a coup for the South London club.

However, they face competition from Ligue 1 club Marseille who are also interested in signing the 25-year old. He had previously been linked with Premier League club Newcastle United all the way back in 2016.

An upgrade on Clyne

If Sambia were to join Palace then he would be competing with Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward for the right back position at Selhurst Park.

He is also a versatile player, one dubbed a “golden guy” by French commentator Bertrand Queneutt, and can play in a defensive midfield position therefore providing another option for Patrick Vieira.

When it comes to his defensive skills he is in the top 5% in Ligue 1 this season for number of blocks. He also betters Clyne in a number of categories, including shot-creating actions, successful dribbles and progressive carries.

It’s his quality going forward compared to what Palace currently have in that position which is impressive. His average goal creating actions per 90 minutes sits at 0.18 which betters Clyne at 0.14 and Ward at 0.09.

Sambia is also only 24-years old which makes him significantly younger than Clyne meaning he would be a good long term option for the Eagles.

He has a higher number of progressive carries this season at 103 which is more than Clyne and Ward combined.

Vieira has turned Palace into a more aggressive side that’s not afraid to go at opponents and signing Sambia would fit perfectly into this. The fact he is French also could potentially give Palace an edge on signing him due to their manager’s connections.

With all of this considered, especially the fact he wouldn’t cost them anything in terms of a transfer fee, it’s hard to see why Palace wouldn’t make this move in the summer.

It would free up funds for them to spend elsewhere, whilst still improving a key position in their squad.

IN other news: Crystal Palace: Vieira lining up potential Tyrick Mitchell replacement…

Aston Villa have set their sights on signing Rangers centre-back Filip Helander, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Helander profiled

Helander, labelled as ‘very tough’, was brought to Ibrox by Steven Gerrard back in 2019 in a deal worth £3.5m.

Since then, the Sweden international has made 60 appearances for the Scottish giants, however, only 11 of those have come during the current campaign, with Helander missing large parts of the season through injury.

He will be entering the final 12 months of his Rangers contract in the summer, and it looks as if Villa are keen on a cut-price deal for the now £3.15m-rated defender.

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared a story on Tuesday morning regarding Helander after being informed by a Villa source.

They claim that Johan Lange and co. are interested in signing the 28-year-old this summer, but Gerrard is concerned over Helander’s injury record, something which could put a move in jeopardy.

The Verdict: A risk

A number of defensive signings could well be needed this summer, especially with the futures of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa up in the air.

Should the pair move on, bringing in someone like Helander in a cut-price deal could be a shrewd move to bolster the club’s options, however, it would also be a gamble.

The Rangers man has missed 66 games through injury since arriving in Scotland, so Gerrard may feel he could be signing a player he can’t rely on completely heading into his first full season in charge.

In other news: Source: Villa now open to selling 2022 star this summer despite Gerrard being a big fan. 

Crystal Palace confirmed on Saturday morning that youngster Adler Nascimento has signed professional terms with the club.

As to be expected, a number of Eagles fans have been reacting to the off-field news on social media.

Nascimento arrived at the club’s academy ranks over the summer from Championship side Peterborough United, where he made his professional debut at the age of 16 last May.

The Eagles reportedly forked out an initial £531,000 for his services, with the Portuguese teenager already making nine appearances for Palace’s under-18 side this season.

Nascimento has seemingly done enough to catch the eye in those games, despite starting on only three occasions, and he has penned professional terms at Selhurst Park.

Palace fans react

The Eagles’ official Twitter channel retweeted the club’s academy post regarding Nascimento’s contract on Saturday.

Here is what these Palace supporters had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘class news’ and another calling him an ‘absolute beast’.

“Bout time”

Credit: @James_cpfc06

“We must rate him big time”

Credit: @liamb0117

“This guy on Football Manager is an absolute beast”

Credit: @Wheddsta

“Class news but wouldn’t been worried if he didn’t after signing for £500k ”

Credit: @CPFC_Cal

“Well done”

Credit: @keithwhitfieldk

“That’s class”

Credit: @cpfc_sean

In other news: ‘Outrage’ – Many Crystal Palace fans react to club’s ‘pathetic’ update

Manchester United travel to London in a clash against their top-four rivals Arsenal, that could make or break their pursuit for Champions League football next season.

Ralf Rangnick’s side have the opportunity to make some progress in the Premier League if they can seal a victory over the Gunners this afternoon – with the Red Devils currently sitting in 6th, three points behind both Tottenham and Arsenal.

With that in mind, the interim boss must get into the game early and select the right players to give Manchester United the best chance of taking all three points from The Emirates home today, and one player who should not be near the starting line-up is Marcus Rashford.

Rashford was shocking in the midweek clash at Anfield, with the 24-year-old making just 11 passes and having no attempts at goal over the 90 minutes of the humiliating 4-0 defeat – with this performance not being a one-off for the winger this season.

The £180k-per-week flop was dubbed “absolutely terrible” by Glen Waddle following Man United’s exit from the Champions League last month: “Marcus Rashford looked absolutely terrible when he came on. Why do they keep playing him when he doesn’t want to be there, supposedly? I don’t get that.”

Rashford has only managed four goals and three assists in the Premier League this season, while averaging a shocking 0.5 shots on target per game, losing the majority of his ground and aerial duels (65%) and missing two big chances in his 23 appearances, proving that there is no way Rangnick should be relying on the winger in the game today.

Luckily, the German coach confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo will be available for selection and is back in training following compassionate leave, which means Rangnick can deploy a front three of Jadon Sancho, Ronaldo and Anthony Elanga instead – leaving Rashford on the bench.

The return of Ronaldo will surely give this lacklustre Man United team the vital boost they need to have an advantage in getting the victory in North London this afternoon, and the opportunity should not be squandered to close the gap on their opponents in the league table by starting players who can’t be relied on in this important clash.

AND in other news: Ten Hag targeting £42m talent as his first MUFC signing, it could be bye-bye Maguire

Everton will invite Niko Kovac and Rudi Garcia to make ‘presentations’ to their decision-makers, according to The Mirror’s David Maddock. 

The duo will be given the chance to pitch to Farhad Moshiri and Alisher Usmanov as the search for Rafael Benitez’s permanent successor continues.

Moshiri and Usmanov held talks with Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira in Monaco last weekend, and his appointment looked ‘imminent’ before concerned board members talked them out of what they considered a ‘knee-jerk’ decision.

The lowdown on Kovac and Garcia

Kovac would probably be best known as a former manager of Bayern Munich. He earned that job after taking fellow Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt from relegation territory to the top half, and won a league-and-cup double with the Bavarians in his first season before he was sacked the following year.

He most recently worked at AS Monaco in France, where he would have faced Garcia’s Lyon.

Garcia left the Stade Gerland at the end of the 2020/21 season, having won 56.4% of his games in charge.

For context, the last permanent Everton manager to better his record of 1.88 points per game was Howard Kendall.

Fan feed The Toffee Blues relayed the news about Kovac and Garcia, and here’s what supporters made of it.

These Everton fans love Kovac/Garcia news

“This is great to see”

Credit: @P_Fortenberry_

“Now we’re talking”

Credit: @BenAston13

“Please God, just shortlist it to these 2”

Credit: @matti_bigley

“That’s better”

Credit: @onceablue76

“Thank God. Two actual proper candidates”

Credit: @kieran_balmer

“MANIFESTING”

Credit: @fourboars

In other news, fans were left fuming over this injury news.

Many Everton fans have been rejoicing over after the club confirmed some major news regarding their managerial situation.

As per the Toffees’ official website, Rafael Benitez has now officially left Goodison Park, and an update on a permanent replacement for the Spaniard will be made soon.

After Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened Norwich City, which meant that the Toffees have still managed to pick up just one win in the Premier League since September, it is not a surprise to see the 61-year-old getting the sack, and many supporters happy to see the back of him.

Of course, it was always a risk to hire Benitez in the first place because of his connections with Liverpool, and in hindsight it now seems to have been a bad appointment, with a lot of toxicity among the away fans at Carrow Road yesterday.

Everton fans on Benitez manager news

These Everton supporters buzzed as the dismissal of Benitez was shared on Twitter, with one fan describing the news as ‘beautiful’:

“YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS”

Credit: @GeniusChosenOne

“IT’S BEAUTIFUL”

Credit: @danielgeorgee

“FINALLYYYYY”

Credit: @Adz_EFC

“Just got cramp celebrating”

Credit: @james_gavo3

“Get in”

Credit: @jessikamcnab

“Let’s partyyyyyy”

Credit: @imogensilker

In other news, many Evertonians would love to see this man replacing Benitez

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips…

What’s the talk?

According to i News, the Magpies are considering a deal for the Anfield destroyer as they plot a number of defensive additions to improve their squad.

The report claims that he is high on their list of centre-back targets and the Reds are demanding £15m for his services.

Howey 2.0

Eddie Howe could find his own Steve Howey for Newcastle in a deal to sign Phillips from the Premier League giants this month.

Howey was a homegrown defender who played 160 times for the Magpies during his time at the club and 193 games in the Premier League overall in his career. Phillips could follow a similar career path, albeit without starting at Newcastle, as he is an English centre-back who has the quality to play regularly at the top level for a number of years.

The Liverpool man may even end up coming up short on the international front, just like Howey during his playing days. Despite playing week in, week out for the Toon, the 50-year-old ended his career with just four caps for England’s senior side.

Phillips has played 24 times for Liverpool’s first team but has not been called up to represent England at any age level. This suggests that, like Howey, he may be a player who is overlooked by his country despite his performances at club level.

Last season, the 24-year-old averaged a superb WhoScored rating of 7.29 in the Premier League, his match average of 5.6 successful aerial duels the joint-fifth highest in the entire division. This led to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp showering the centre-back with praise for his performances.

The German told Goal.com: “Nat Phillips is just an exceptional career so far, with all the things he did in the past and what he thought about and where he was and all these things. Now playing for Liverpool in the Champions League, Premier League, winning games, winning challenges.

“[He will have] probably the best heading statistics in the history of the Premier League I could imagine at least, it is unbelievable what the boy is doing there, and on top of that playing good football.”

This suggests that Phillips is capable of putting in top-class displays at the highest level, and that is why he could be Howe’s own Steve Howey, as the 24-year-old English destroyer could come in and be Newcastle’s go-to centre-back for the next decade if he remains consistent.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Newcastle United transfer update, fans will be buzzing…