All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United are stuck in a horrendous rut right now and if they don’t improve in the January transfer window, Marcelo Bielsa could lose his job with the Whites staring down the barrel of a potential relegation from the top-flight.

An added problem for Victor Orta and co is that the winter market is usually a tough one for Leeds to negotiate in with the famed Jean-Kevin Augustin move the nadir of the Spaniard’s work since arriving in Yorkshire.

What’s the word?

One area that Leeds desperately need to improve in heading into the New Year is in the middle of the park.

Kalvin Phillips enters 2022 injured while Mateusz Klich is desperately out of form too.

One player that they could sign is Macedonia international Ejif Elmas. That’s according to Talha Arslan via The Express who claim that Leeds are prepared to bid £15.3m for the Napoli midfielder.

However, that may fall some way short of the Italian club’s estimation of the 22-year-old with CIES valuing him at a mighty £59.2m.

The new Alioski

The comparisons with livewire and former Leeds player, Gjanni Alioski, are all too obvious.

For starters, they both hail from Macedonia, and secondly, they are both goal scoring wide players.

Although Elmas is capable of playing in the middle of the park too, he is a rampant threat when afforded the opportunity to play down the left flank, an area of the pitch that Alioski thrived in for Leeds.

The 29-year-old scored 22 goals and registered 19 assists while in Yorkshire but was never the most consistent of players.

That being said, he was a mainstay under Bielsa for years and developed nicely from an attacking winger into a full-back.

Elmas wouldn’t necessarily make the same transition but his ability to play in a multitude of positions, specifically in the centre of midfield, makes him an appealing proposition this winter.

However, his ability to score goals, like Alioski, is also a major plus point.

The North Macedonia international has bagged six times for Napoli this term while creating three goals for his teammates too.

Speaking about him in April, his agent commented: “I think Napoli have a jewel. A young footballer, a leader of his national team who often scores goals.”

With that sort of attacking threat in mind, he’d be a wise addition from the Leeds hierarchy this term and in the process, Bielsa could just discover his next Alioski; a vibrant and versatile attacking threat from Macedonia.

AND in other news, Orta can finally axe Leeds flop who left Bielsa “furious” by signing 28-goal “rocket”…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Everton defender Michael Ball has hit out at Carlo Ancelotti, suggesting that he failed during his short spell at Goodison Park.

The Italian recently departed Everton to make a shock return to Real Madrid following Zinedine Zidane’s decision to walk away from the Spanish giants.

Given his profile and what he has accomplished in the game, big expectations came with Ancelotti’s Everton appointment at the end of 2019.

He also brought in a couple big-name players in James Rodriguez and Allan, only adding to those expectations. However, in the end, Ancelotti was only able to guide the Toffees to a 10th-placed finish in his only full season with the club.

“I think he’s bottled the whole project,” Ball told FFC. “I feel it was a great opportunity for him to show what a top manager he is. He’s won trophies everywhere, but he’s always had the wealth and he’s always had the players.

“Could he bring Everton from a mid-table team to the European spots? That was his ambition; that was his target. He failed to do that.”

Quite frankly, Ancelotti’s exit was disappointing, especially given that he has been so vocal with his criticism of the failed European Super League, something his new employers were at the heart of.

That being said, understandably, players and managers will always find it hard to say no to a club of Real Madrid’s size.

Tottenham Hotspur’s decision to join the European Super League could have some seriously dangerous consequences, especially when it comes their chances of keeping hold of Harry Kane.

This bombshell was revealed on Monday as Spurs became one of the ESL’s 12 founding clubs, something that has understandably gone down like a lead balloon across the footballing world.

Not only have supporters voiced their concerns but governing bodies like FIFA, UEFA and the Premier League among others have condemned the plans and are set to do all they can to stop the breakaway league from becoming a reality.

UEFA released a statement suggesting that they could pursue legal action over the proposals and insisted that those players involved in the new league would be banned from domestic, European and international competitions, whilst the rebel clubs could be booted out of these competitions too.

In addition to that, Spurs have also withdrawn from the European Club Association (ECA), which will only increase the prospect of them being unable to qualify for the Champions League or Europa League any longer.

The Lilywhites have been involved in one of the two European competitions for 11 straight seasons, and they made the UCL final in 2019. Daniel Levy’s decision to join the ESL takes away this privilege and two potential competitions that they could qualify for, and potentially win.

Kane’s future was already in doubt prior to this announcement, and will surely be in grave danger now, especially as he’s the England national team captain too.

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The 27-year-old continues to break goalscoring records in England but ultimately, he has no silverware to back up what should’ve been an illustrious career so by limiting the competitions that Spurs play in, and potentially even risking their expulsion from the Premier League, Levy is playing a dangerous game if he wants the 219-goal striker to stay in north London.

In addition to that, if Kane stays and plays in the ESL, then his England career could well be over and that’s certainly something he will not want to lose as he has the potential of becoming the first Three Lions skipper to lift a trophy since Bobby Moore in 1966.

Gareth Southgate’s side have a chance to win the European Championships this summer, and barring any qualification issues, they could make a run at winning the World Cup in 2022 too, after reaching the semi-finals in 2018.

“I am looking forward to a really special couple of years with the Euros in the summer and then the World Cup in 2022,” revealed Kane back in October.

So Levy may well have just dealt Spurs a huge hammer blow in more ways than one, this news surely has Kane reeling in fury and that’s not a good thing when considering his long-term future in north London.

Of course, in any scenario where he chooses to leave in order to maintain his place in the England set-up, Kane wouldn’t be able to move to another Super League club as they too could see their players banned from representing their national teams.

However, there are still some huge clubs such as Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain who are not part of the breakaway and who could, in theory, still have the finances to purchase a player as good as Harry Kane. PSG have been linked with a move for Kane in the past too so a move to the French capital isn’t something that is beyond the realms of possibility.

If UEFA and co. get their way, Spurs will only have the ESL to play for and the fact that Spurs are one of the weaker sides of the Super League Founder Members makes it highly unlikely that they can win that competition either, so Kane is looking at a trophyless future, one where he can’t captain his country. Those factors will surely anger the Tottenham superstar and as a result, will put his future with the club in even more doubt.

AND in other news, here’s how Spurs could look under Ryan Mason with three forgotten stars returning…

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

West Bromwich Albion fans were far from happy with the performance of Matt Phillips during their clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The Baggies dropped yet more points to the Eagles in what was another blow to the Midlands outfit’s chances of survival, after Luka Milivojevic scored the opening goal of the game from the penalty spot. West Brom will now likely need at least three wins from their remaining nine matches to even have a chance of reaching safety (Sky Sports) – they are running out of opportunities to pick up points.

On the right side of the midfield, Phillips was particularly disappointing. He prevailed in just four of his ten duels (SofaScore) and was generally far too wasteful throughout the game. Sam Allardyce will have a decision to make in regards to keeping him in the side between now and the rest of the term.

The fans were livid at his showing, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Phillips below

“I have said for years, i don’t see what he offers at all.”

Credit: @htimsAJ

“How does he keep getting picked?”

Credit: @JohnTheBagtist

“Awful from Phillips no quality when it counts.”

Credit: @BiffyBoy1982

“Phillips’ lack of quality is painfully obvious these days. Needs to come off for Snodgrass.”

Credit: @thejonreeve

“Two guilt edged chances in two weeks for Phillips that he scuffed. Been a poor player for us for a long time. Work hard merchant”

Credit: @TheRainbowStand

“Sam there’s a Matt Phillips on the pitch that needs to come off”

Credit: @LJAFinn

In other news, this man discusses his move the Hawthorns.

Lee Ryder has dropped some enticing insight on what Mike Ashley has told those close to the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Arbitration set

The arbitration hearing between the North East club and the Premier League is seemingly not far away at all, as Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has reported that it is expected to begin at the end of June.

Ashley has also launched a separate anti-competition lawsuit against the English top flight over their decision-making process in the failed deal between him and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium, which he is thought to be keeping in his back pocket in case the results of the arbitration proceedings do not go his way.

The Latest: Ashley insight

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Ryder has shared that Ashley has told those close to the potential deal that he remains ‘furious’ that the sale of the Tyneside club was blocked, and added that his ‘endgame’ is still to get the takeover bid to be pushed through.

Ryder also shared some insight into Ashley’s separate anti-competition claim, as the chief executive of Sports Direct will argue that the Premier League’s delaying of last summer’s takeover process was ‘on purpose’, and top-flight officials and CEO Richard Masters ‘knew’ that it would eventually hinder the sale.

The Verdict: Arbitration key

At the end of the day, Ashley’s feelings towards the Premier League over the failed takeover bid do not matter, so long as the St. James’ Park faithful can win the arbitration case.

If the results are positive for the Magpies, then the separate anti-competition claim would no longer be needed, and so the proposed deal between Ashley and the KSA group could be pushed one step closer to completion.

However, they would still need full cooperation from the top flight, and ideally would want to get any deal done as quick as possible, given that the summer transfer window has already begun and the new 2021/22 season is set to start in August.

With that in mind, Ashley will have to keep a lid on his fury – the last thing the club needs is their infamous owner chastising Masters and co any further.

In other news, find out what Lee Charnley’s stance is on the potential takeover here!

A number of Liverpool fans absolutely love a video of Jack Grealish which has emerged this week, showing him joking with Jordan Henderson about the Champions League.

Henderson is currently on Euro 2020 duty with England, as he looks to take his club success with the Reds with him to the international stage.

The 31-year-old will be hoping to feature on Friday’s clash with Scotland at Wembley, in what promises to be a great occasion.

Another player who will be aiming to play a part is Grealish, with the forward standing out as one of the Premier League’s best players last season.

There appears to be a strong team spirit within Gareth Southgate’s squad, with a new video shared by Watch LFC on Twitter highlighting that.

The footage shows Grealish joking with Henderson about losing in the Champions League final, with Manchester City’s Phil Foden awkwardly watching on in the background, having just experienced defeat on that stage.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-copy-2/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans react to Grealish video

These Liverpool supporters found the video hilarious, providing their reactions on Twitter.

“So funny man”

Credit: @KwekuDankyi

“He’s coming to LFC”

Credit: @garysr1980

“Love it”

Credit: @HasanMirza25

“Foden burning insideeeee”

Credit: @JurgennK

“Ruthless, I love it!”

Credit: @LowseyPowerz

“Hahaha this is brilliant, come win it with us again @JackGrealish”

Credit: @_18Robbo92_

“Bit naughty that Jack but very good, well played lol”

Credit: @liverdaz70

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to a transfer link regarding one player. Find out who it is here. 

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…

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…

Norwich City are reportedly interested in signing seasoned Portugal international William Carvalho before the summer transfer window closes.

The Lowdown: Carvalho forges strong career

The 29-year-old has enjoyed an impressive career to date, winning Euro 2016 with Portugal and making 68 appearances for his country overall.

Carvalho, who is a defensive midfielder, is currently plying his trade at La Liga side Real Betis, where he featured in 27 league matches last season.

The Latest: Norwich linked with move

According to Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre on Thursday morning [9:13am], Norwich are in talks with Carvalho over a summer move to Carrow Road.

It is noted that the Canaries are keen to strengthen in the heart of their midfield and see the Betis man as one of a number of potential targets.

The Verdict: Sign him up, Norwich

Carvalho could be an excellent signing for Norwich – he was once hailed as ‘extraordinary’ by former Portugal manager Paulo Bento – following a tough start to their Premier League season.

He possesses a wealth of experience at the highest level and is an expert at sitting in front of the back four and providing a shield for the defence – something that Daniel Farke needs desperately after conceding eight goals in two top flight matches.

Carvalho’s international success speaks volumes and he could have a positive impact on those around him, not to mention hopefully still having a number of years left in him at the top level.

In other news, Norwich have been linked with a move for a Premier League player. Find out who it is here.