All posts by z3u9t.icu

Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in signing Chelsea defender Marc Guehi ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the story?

The 20-year-old enjoyed an impressive loan spell at Swansea City last season, attracting the attention of several sides, including Palace.

That’s according to The Athletic, who claim the Eagles are targeting Guehi as they plan an overhaul of the centre-back positions over the coming months.

Parish masterstroke

It’s not stated whether Palace are hoping to secure the youngster’s services on a temporary or permanent basis, but either way, he would be a brilliant option for the south London outfit.

With the likes of Mamadou Sakho, Gary Cahill and Scott Dann approaching the end of their current contracts with the capital club, chairman Steve Parish is going to have to bring in multiple replacements and securing Guehi would be a masterstroke.

The England Under-21 international made 45 appearances for the Swans in all competitions last season as Steve Cooper’s men reached the play-off final, recording a highly respectable WhoScored rating of 6.90 in the process.

His 1.6 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per league game saw Guehi form a pivotal part of the Welsh outfit’s defence and showcased his potential to play at a higher level in 2021/22.

After Roy Hodgson’s departure from Palace, the Selhurst Park side are embarking on a new chapter where trimming the average age of their squad is set to form a key part of their plans.

Bringing in the £9million-rated Chelsea starlet, therefore, would solve several issues at once.

Despite his tender years, Parish should have no qualms about bringing Guehi in to play in the Premier League on a regular basis as his natural physique lends itself to the physical demands of the English top-flight.

“Easy, Marc Guehi. He’s an absolute tank,” Stoke City goalkeeper Josef Bursik said when asked to pick the strongest player in the England U21 squad.

“It’s like having a brick wall in front of you, he’s massive.”

Hodgson’s successor is yet to be named and is likely to want to have their say on Palace’s transfer dealing this summer, but it’s hard to imagine anyone turning down the opportunity to sign Guehi, and his arrival could mark the beginning of a new era in south London.

And, in other news…Get it done: Parish must sanction Palace swoop for “outstanding” £14.4m-rated prodigy 

This will be an interesting summer full of plenty of dilemmas for Nuno Santo.

On the one hand, he needs to make this Wolves squad bigger but on the other, they need to invest more smartly than they have done in recent years.

On the chalkboard

Much of Wolves’ business in the upcoming transfer window could be dictated by those already on the scene at Molineux.

Nuno has decisions to make over the likes of Willian Jose, Vitinha and Rayan Ait-Nouri. They are all currently on loan but there are options to lure them to Molineux on a permanent basis.

It feels like Jose will pack his bags and never return but the Portuguese duo are more interesting cases.

Judging by his recent performances, Wolves would be foolish not to welcome Ait-Nouri back.

The young Frenchman has played plenty of football with Marcal and Jonny on the sidelines and has made a big impression. One of his best performances in an Old Gold shirt came against Brighton last weekend.

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He was a rampant source of energy and creativity down the left-hand side, providing the assist for Morgan Gibbs-White’s winning goal.

Ait-Nouri completed three dibbles and produced three key passes for his teammates. It was a complete performance that will have Nuno surely thinking of a permanent switch.

What about Vinagre?

Wolves currently have a plethora of left-backs on their books and if Wolves have been left impressed by their teenage loanee, they can wave goodbye to Ruben Vinagre.

The young wing-back has caught the eye on the odd occasion at Wolves without ever truly lifting off. His game time in recent seasons has been hampered by Jonny’s immense consistency and thus, Vinagre has still only ever started 14 Premier League outings.

Having been shipped out on loan this term, it was clear Nuno wasn’t overly impressed with his abilities.

Speaking about his move to Olympiacos last year, journalist Tim Spiers said: “I’d first heard six weeks ago, maybe not that long, that Vinagre was sort of on the ‘endangered species’ list and then I think Marcal’s injury put that on the back-burner.

“If he was going to be out for a few weeks, that might have changed things, but Vinagre came in and was uninspiring and West Ham was probably the final straw, really.”

With Ait-Nouri coming in too, it feels like there could be no way back for the 22-year-old.

He is currently on loan at Famalicao in Portugal but given his age, he should really be making a bigger impression now.

As a teenager, he looked like he had an incredibly high ceiling. Though, that appears to be caving in as the years tick by.

Ait-Nouri, however, has been a relentless ball of energy. To sum things up, the Frenchman has already started as many top-flight games in English football as Vinagre despite being two years his junior.

It would be harsh to axe him from their plans for good but with so many players now ahead of him in the pecking order, it feels like the promising Portuguese won’t ever make it Compton.

Wolves should do their best to sell the £30k-per-week defender and invest in Ait-Nouri instead.

AND in other news, Wolves dealt huge blow after big Molineux news emerges, Nuno surely fuming…

According to a report by Turkish newspaper Sozcu, via Sport Witness, GSB and West Ham United are now interested in signing Beskitas forward Cyle Larin this summer. 

The Lowdown: Hammers striker search continues

Irons boss David Moyes has been on the hunt for a new forward since January, with the Scotsman himself confirming that bids had indeed been lodged in attempts to bolster the forward line.

Now, it is seen as one of the priority positions for West Ham alongside a permanent deal for 2020/2021 loanee Jesse Lingard (Claret & Hugh).

The Latest: West Ham now want Larin

Sozcu, bringing an update from the continent, now believe that West Ham and GSB want to sign 23-goal striker Larin this summer with West Bromwich Albion also interested.

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The Turkish Super Lig club will apparently demand around €10-15m (£8.6m-£12.9m) for Larin which could come as quite a meagre fee given his stellar contributions.

Over 2020/2021, the 26-year-old bagged 19 top flight goals, three Turkish Cup strikes and one in the Champions League qualifying rounds – racking up an impressive total overall. 

As such, West Ham now allegedly want him as Moyes scours the market for a prolific forward.

The Verdict: Bargain for the Hammers?

Lauded as an ‘absolute predator’ by Canada head coach John Herdman (via Total Soccer News), Larin could be exactly what West Ham need despite his lack of experience in a competitive division like the Premier League.

He also averaged an impressive 2.1 shots per 90 for Besiktas over 2020/2021 domestically and won six Man of the Match awards (WhoScored) – potentially highlighting he would be a snip for his alleged price tag.

A dominant force in the air too, winning 2.3 aerial duels per match on average, Larin may be the perfect surprise striking option for West Ham this summer.

In other news: West Ham fans flock to big club announcement, find out more here.

While the Premier League season may not be over just yet, there’s a real argument to be made that Newcastle’s signing of Jeff Hendrick last summer has proven to have been an absolute howler.

The Magpies signed the midfielder back in the summer window on a free transfer after his departure from fellow Premier League side Burnley, and Steve Bruce made it clear just how satisfied he was at pulling off a deal.

Speaking at the announcement of his signing, he said: “I watched him when he was at Derby, then he went to Burnley for a lot of money and (we) couldn’t afford him, so I missed out then!

“He’s an experienced international footballer who can play all across the midfield so we welcome him aboard. He’ll be a big asset to us, on and off the pitch.”

And, after establishing himself as a key part of the starting eleven in the early weeks of the Magpies’ campaign, including scoring on his debut against West Ham, things have just gone downhill for Hendrick.

The Republic of Ireland international has completely fallen out of favour under Bruce, and has not completed the full 90 minutes in the Premier League since the 2-0 win over Everton back in late January.

Since then, Hendrick has spent most of his time on the bench as an unused substitute, and has played just 103 minutes of top-flight football since February 6th.

And, after the Magpies’ defeat to Leeds earlier this year, The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder lambasted him in his player ratings, simply insisting that he “doesn’t seem to be the answer in midfield”.

Dubbed a “liability” by The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson, the £50k-a-week earning Hendrick just hasn’t justified Bruce’s decision to hand him a big-money contract to sign on as a free agent at St James’ Park.

With just two goals and one assist in 21 games in all competitions for the Magpies this season, the Irishman has shown nothing to really say that Newcastle have even got value for money in paying the midfielder that sizeable wage.

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In fact, out of those players who have started more than ten times for Newcastle this season, Hendrick has the lowest average match rating of any player in the entire Magpies squad, as per Whoscored, with just 6.36.

Mike Ashley certainly won’t be happy with how this transfer has played out for Newcastle, given his club have paid a signing fee and given a substantial salary to a player who is seemingly not good enough.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are eyeing a summer move for this Championship star…

Tom Davies put in a solid performance as Everton won away to West Ham United on Sunday.

Having played just four minutes in the win over Arsenal and then watched on from the bench as Everton lost to Aston Villa, Davies was recalled to the starting line-up at the weekend as Andre Gomes dropped to the bench.

How did Davies fare at the London Stadium?

Davies earned a SofaScore rating of 7.0 for his display at the London Stadium, completing 23 of his 26 passes – an accuracy of 88% – and both of his long balls found their target. The 22-year-old won three of his six ground duels and pitched in with two clearances, two interceptions and one block.

The victory, secured by Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s first-half strike, moved Everton to within a point of seventh-placed Tottenham Hotspur with a game in hand, and Davies will be hopeful of keeping his place for their trip to Villa Park on Thursday evening.

Everton’s official account tweeted ‘VIVA TOM DAVIES’ on Monday morning, and here’s how supporters reacted, with many calling out Carlo Ancelotti for overlooking the 22-year-old in recent fixtures.

Tom Davies proves a point to Ancelotti

“Yet Gomes will start over him against Villa. VIVA TOM DAVIESSS”

Credit: @S34nR

“Should never have been dropped recently over Gomes”

Credit: @Neilo_m

“Yep! Shouldn’t have been dropped, especially for Delph. Get in”

Credit: @nikki_harg

“Should never ever ever have Gomes or Delph ahead of him”

Credit: @Bill_adelphia

“Has to start every game”

Credit: @TMRushton1

“Baffling how he’s sat out for weeks while Delph was the midfielder of choice off the bench then Davies starts over him today. Makes no sense”

Credit: @Poggymac87

In other news, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been advised on his Everton future…

David Moyes should ruthlessly axe Said Benrahma and recall Pablo Fornals to the West ham United starting line-up against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Fornals is expected to be passed fit for the Irons’ trip to Molineux on Monday night after two games out with a groin injury, that he had sustained ahead of a likely start away to Manchester United last month.

Benrahma featured as a substitute at Old Trafford before opening his side’s 3-3 draw with rivals Arsenal before the international break, for the 25-year-old’s 11th Premier League start since his arrival at the London Stadium in October.

Benrahma failed to have a direct influence on the scoring against the Gunners as his wait for a maiden goal in claret and blue continues, and is now six games without an assist across all competitions.

The £20m-rated maestro came close to ending his creative drought in the second half when Benrahma delivered a teasing ball across Arsenal’s six-yard box following a driven run between Pablo Mari and Thomas Partey, only for Michail Antonio to find the base of the post.

But the Algerian was the least involved of West Ham’s attacking options overall at home to Mikel Arteta’s north Londoners, while Jesse Lingard pulled the strings and Antonio offered two assists and often held the ball up wonderfully.

Benrahma occasionally displayed the defensive work-rate that has caught Moyes by surprise previously, but his efforts were too insufficient to prevent Calum Chambers from turning in a Man of the Match display thanks to a game-high eight crosses and creating three chances.

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“I’ve had a bit of a laugh with him [Benrahma] because I’m saying to him: ‘I didn’t realise I’d signed a really hard-working midfield player who runs and closes down, and does all the defensive duties,’” Moyes said, via quotes by The Guardian, in February.

“I said: ‘I thought we got someone for assists and goal making.’ They’re the bits which I think he’s probably needed to improve. The other part has been excellent. I want team players here – I don’t want individuals – but Said’s been great for the team.”

With Fornals expected to be passed fit to face Wolves on Monday night, Moyes should now ruthlessly axe Benrahma for the Spaniard as the decision could prove game-changing in helping to shut down the right-wing of Nuno Espirito Santo’s plans.

Benrahma has been touted by Claret & Hugh as the most at-risk player to make way for Fornals, who Moyes has previously lauded for his “incredible” energy and enthusiasm – which was on show front and centre against Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Leeds United before his injury.

Fornals also averages a higher number of successful tackles per Premier League game this season than Benrahma with 1.17 to the Algerian’s 0.76, as well as more interceptions (1.17 to 0.29) and clearances (0.17 to 0.1), per SofaScore.

Wolves favoured the right-hand channel more often during their last top-flight fixture, with four of their six key passes coming through Romain Saiss, Nelson Semedo and Adama Traore. Half of their 10 shots also came from that side, per WhoScored.

It was a similar story the week before away to Aston Villa with four of 10 shots and three of eight key passes coming from the right, where Fornals or Benrahma will likely be tasked with aiding Aaron Cresswell on Monday night.

Thus, if Fornals is fully fit and ready to go from the off, Moyes should see that he starts from the off, even if it means dropping Benrahma to the bench to make space.

AND in other news, West Ham trail a Premier League rival for a five-goal, seven-assist star once labelled an “exciting prospect”…

West Brom recorded back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time this season on Monday evening and it largely was thanks to a blinding call from Sam Allardyce.

The 66-year-old was left with plenty to ponder following his side’s emphatic 5-2 win over Chelsea last weekend. Callum Robinson fired a huge message to the Baggies boss by bagging a brace from the bench at Stamford Bridge, whilst Blues loanee Conor Gallagher was available for selection again having not been able to face his parent club.

However, Allardyce tweaked his backline, reverting to a back four rather than the five which largely kept the Blues at bay. The decision saw Semi Ajayi ruthlessly axed but it certainly paid dividends.

On the Chalkboard

After such an impressive display at Stamford Bridge, you could forgive Big Sam if he stuck with the same lineup, but Robinson had to fit in somewhere and unfortunately for the 27-year-old Ajayi, it was he who made way. Instead, Albion’s commander opted for a central defensive partnership of Kyle Bartley and Dara O’Shea.

Southampton dominated possession (61%) and had had a whopping 14 attempts at goal throughout the 90 minutes, but that pairing stood firm to thwart the threat on offer from the likes of prolific goalscorer Danny Ings and wily veteran Theo Walcott. The Baggies centre-back duo lost just two of 17 duels between them and also combined for ten clearances, as per SofaScore.

Given the lack of height on offer from the opposition, it’s no wonder the 6 foot 4 colossus was axed, but  had the final result gone the other way, Allardyce would’ve undoubtedly come under fire as Ajayi is a hugely popular fan favourite at The Hawthorns.

Many times throughout their promotion-winning campaign last term, the Baggies faithful were quick to laud the Nigerian as an absolute “bargain” and emphasised how he must play every game, as seen in this piece from Football LeagueWorld.

He went on to make the Sky Sports EFL podcast’s Team of the Year, where Keith Andrews said of the 27-year-old: “When you look at Ajayi and what he’s achieved; how quickly he’s settled into the team, he’s become a leader and a massive player for them. He’s been a revelation, the way he’s taken to a team striving for promotion and the partnership he’s built up with Karl Bartley has been very impressive.”

More recently, Ajayi had been a rock for Big Sam, helping keep Manchester United to just one goal whilst he has found the net twice in big occasions. He bagged that all-important equaliser at Anfield and also scored in the West Midlands derby win over Wolves.

“Watched Ajayi a few times and he’s getting better all the time,” gushed West Ham legend Trevor Sinclair in January. “[He] steps in really well and threat in opposition box. Talent.”

To risk dropping the £9m-rated beast was certainly a massive call to make from Allardyce, but on the evidence witnessed on Monday evening, it proved to be a masterstroke decision from the West Brom manager.

Ajayi could well fit it hard to get back into the starting XI after Bartley and O’Shea’s domination against the Saints.

AND in other news, Forget Maitland-Niles: THIS Baggies star stole the show at the Hawthorns…

Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland is arguably the most in-demand player on the planet at the moment, with Manchester City seemingly one of the clubs willing to pay the excessive fee required to prise him away from the Bundesliga this summer.

The 20-year-old sensation has been regularly linked with a switch to the Etihad Stadium, with Pep Guardiola’s side arguably in need of a clinical striker in their side, especially if they lose club legend Sergio Aguero in the summer when his contract expires.

The Norwegian boasts a phenomenal goal record with RB Salzburg and Dortmund in his career thus far and is perhaps regarded by a lot of City fans as the ideal man to take Guardiola’s side to the next level in the coming years.

However, whilst the £99m-rated striker can come off as slightly robotic in his attitude to scoring goals and playing football, particularly in post-match interviews, his latest display emphasises that he is in fact human and therefore capable of mistakes, as he endured a nightmare display for Norway against Gibraltar earlier this week.

As per SofaScore, the wonderkid earned a shocking 5.1 match rating for his display, which was the worst of any player who featured in the game.

He was foiled on a number of occasions by Gibraltar goalkeeper Dayle Coleing, who seemingly made it his personal mission to deny Haaland a goal by pulling off a remarkable 12 saves during the 90 minutes.

The Dortmund striker had four shots on target during the game but failed to score, whilst he also somehow contrived to miss five big chances in his 62 minutes on the pitch before being replaced.

His last game with Dortmund before the international break was also a source of controversy, as he rescued a point for BVB with a late equaliser, which was his second goal of the match, before storming down the tunnel.

This makes you wonder whether the striker would be the saviour City are looking for ahead of next season, as whilst he would undoubtedly score plenty of goals for the Citizens, you could argue that he seems more concerned with scoring himself than winning at times.

His performance against Gibraltar also emphasised that, when he isn’t scoring, he doesn’t offer too much from a build-up perspective, as he managed no key passes, no dribbles and just 10 passes during his time on the pitch, which again doesn’t seem suited to the type of striker Guardiola would want.

Therefore, when you consider the fact that Dortmund reportedly want €180m (£154m) for Haaland this summer, the Norwegian may not be the saviour to City’s centre-forward problems next season.

In other news… Man City must swoop for “outstanding” wonderkid who outperformed Cancelo

Recent reports by Calcio Napoli 24 have claimed that Chelsea will demand €18m (£15.5m) for rumoured West Ham United target Tiemoue Bakayoko this summer, but David Sullivan must prevent David Moyes from reviving any hopes of a deal.

The Irons were heavily linked with interest in the French midfielder last summer before he sealed a last-ditch season-long loan with SSC Napoli, with Transfer20 claiming in June that the London Stadium natives were favourites after pushing hardest for a move.

West Ham ultimately did not strengthen the engine room beyond the permanent arrival of Tomas Soucek, and could again strive to add depth behind the Czech Republic star and Declan Rice this year despite Mark Noble’s recent one-year contract extension.

Bakayoko may emerge as an option for the Hammers once again at the end of the season, as Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis is noted to be opposed to paying Chelsea’s £15.5m asking price to purchase the 26-year-old.

The Serie A side ‘will never accept’ paying the Blues a fee in that region and could return to the negotiating table at some stage, as Bakayoko has started 17 of his 23 league games under Gennaro Gattuso this term and only failed to feature twice in 25 available fixtures.

Bakayoko’s preference would be a return to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium for the 2021/22 campaign if the option presents itself, but is not opposed to taking on a new adventure in hopes of finding a regular role.

He has not featured for Chelsea in a competitive game since his maiden year at Stamford Bridge in 2017/18, having been sent on loan to AC Milan and a temporary return to AS Monaco before joining Napoli in October.

Chelsea paid Monaco £40m to sign Bakayoko in 2017 under Antonio Conte against rival interest from Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United, and handed him a £110,000-per-week contract that is due to expire next year.

West Ham could strive to capitalise on Bakayoko entering the final 12-months of his deal in June to add depth to Moyes’ engine room, but Sullivan must block any efforts to revive the east London outfit’s previous interest.

Bakayoko flopped heavily in the Premier League when signed for more than the £30m that Chelsea paid Leicester for their title-winning hero N’Golo Kante, and has now been passed on by four managers with Thomas Tuchel seemingly opposed to offering a second chance.

It took Maurizio Sarri less than a month of seeing Bakayoko in training before he sanctioned a loan with AC Milan, and it was no wonder that the Italian’s successor Frank Lampard chose against bringing the one-time international back.

Before taking the step into management at Derby County, Lampard was highly critical of Bakayoko after seeing the Frenchman struggle in big games for his former side.

“He sleeps,” Lampard said, via quotes by the Independent, after Bakayoko lost sight of Saul Niguez as the Atletico Madrid midfielder scored in a 1-1 Champions League Group Stage draw with Chelsea in December 2017. “His concentration goes and at this level, if you sleep for a second, and it’s an easy goal for Atletico.

“I don’t know with Bakayoko. I think it’s well documented that he hasn’t settled quickly at Chelsea and English football in the Premier League as well, and he has to come to grips with that.”

Days earlier, Rio Ferdinand had also slammed Bakayoko after offering nothing to protect Chelsea’s backline in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool and instead caused problems for the Blues.

“If I was Gary Cahill out there, I would be screaming at Bakayoko,” Ferdinand said, via quotes by the Daily Star. “I think, defensively, he’s been an absolute disgrace today. He’s doing nothing, he’s letting people run off him [and] he’s leaving Gary Cahill isolated.”

With four Chelsea managers now seemingly passing on offering Bakayoko a chance to show himself in a better light than his initial efforts, it is clear that he has not proven he can improve and Sullivan must block West Ham from reviving their interest this summer.

AND in other news, a £70k-p/w dud with “wonderful feet” intends to quit West Ham this summer…

Leeds United winger Raphinha has shone for the club this season and his performances have clearly not gone unnoticed as Manchester United are reportedly interested in him.

The latest on Raphinha

According to UOL Esporte, the Red Devils have launched an official enquiry for Raphinha as they want to know how much it would take to bring the South American to Old Trafford.

The report added that Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes is ‘one of Raphinha’s best friends, with whom he maintains almost daily contact’, amid the possibility of the duo linking up once more following a shared spell at Sporting Lisbon previously.

Leeds need to keep a hold of the winger

Earlier this season, Hay waxed lyrical about the Brazilian, tweeting: ‘Raphinha btw. Seventeen million squids. Bargain.’ It is easy to see why he said this – in his 21 league appearances (including three from the bench), the 24-year-old has picked up five goals and five assists (Transfermarkt), a fantastic return for a relatively young player in a new league with a promoted team.

His underlying attacking stats show that he is unlucky not to have more goals, too, as he has averaged 2.3 shots, 2.1 key passes and 1.7 successful dribbles per game for the Whites (WhoScored), figures which rank him highly among his teammates – he is second for shots and right at the top for key passes and dribbles among Leeds’ squad.

Therefore, it is crucial that the Elland Road club do everything in their power to keep Raphinha, even amid potential temptation from close friend Fernandes.

In other news, one Leeds player is on the lookout for a new club!