All posts by n8rngtd.top

It is no secret that West Ham United need an out-and-out goalscorer to spearhead their attack.

David Gold and David Sullivan, for as much as they have tried to do so, have failed so far to find an individual that is capable of being able to find the back of the net on a regular basis. Trust us, they have had 45 different men come to the club to try and do it and no-one has really been able to be as successful as intended.

However, another summer transfer window is upon us and with Manuel Pellegrini at the helm of the club for another season and Mario Husillos leading the recruitment drive, just maybe the co-owners will be able to get it right this time around.

And, if rumoured reports are to be taken with some belief, then they have identified one attacker who could be perfect for the Hammers moving forward.

The Newcastle Chronicle are claiming West Ham are interested in securing the services of Wesley Moraes this summer; as are Newcastle United (although you probably would have guessed that because of the source) and SS Lazio.

The Brazilian forward has been impressive with Belgian outfit Club Brugge for the last three years, however, his stock significantly rose in the most recent campaign.

Still only 22-years-old, the attacker has been involved in 27 goals this season for the Jupiler League Pro outfit, scoring 17 and providing 10 assists for his team-mates; although that was not enough to help them win the championship.

Yeah, there are doubts whether the South American can translate that form into the Premier League. That’s a given. However, he does appear to have all the attributes to give one a promising impression.

Standing at 6ft 3in tall and possessing all the physical traits to make himself a nightmare for defenders in the box, Moraes could be an exceptional addition to Pellegrini’s side and one that can thrive in the system that the Chilean likes to deploy at the London Stadium.

The striker has admitted that he will be leaving Club Brugge this summer and would like to give the Premier League a crack (Newcastle Chronicle); West Ham should be the side to give him his opportunity.

West Ham fans, what do you think? Can Moraes finally solve your striking woes? Let us know below!

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According to the Liverpool Echo, Manchester United are interested in signing Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye, but have been put off by the £35m price tag slapped on his head.

The Senegalese international enjoyed a phenomenal 2018/19 campaign with the Toffees, where his excellent performances drew interest from French champions Paris Saint-Germain; he was the subject of a January bid from the Parisians and even handed in a transfer request to force the move.

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

Gueye, formerly of Aston Villa, has three years left on his contract at Goodison Park and is arguably one of Marco Silva’s most important players – he would certainly not be allowed to go to a rival such as United easily.

Given his importance to the club, Gueye would not be allowed to leave on the cheap and Everton are entirely within their rights to slap such a big price tag on his head.

The Toffees supporters on Twitter have definitely echoed that sentiment, and have reacted in their numbers to United’s interest…

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Sunderland are staring down the barrel at another campaign in League One, but they already have the division’s greatest weapon going into next season, and the stats prove it.

After a second Wembley heartbreak in the space of a few months, it would be all too easy for Stewart Donald and the new Sunderland leadership to give up on Jack Ross and restart their project.

Plenty of fans criticised Ross for the way he set his team up against Charlton, and rightly so as the Scot was far too conservative, but rebuilding takes time.

And crucially, the Black Cats already have one of the most crucial cogs needed for any club attempting to earn promotion – a goalscorer.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

On the chalkboard

Will Grigg was extremely poor after joining Sunderland in January, mustering up just four league goals and eventually losing his place to Charlie Wyke.

However, the Black Cats’ squad is incomplete, and the likes of George Honeyman and Max Power are not creative enough to feed the Northern Irishman the type of consistent chances he gobbled up at Wigan.

Add to that the fact that the 27 year-old has struggled with injury throughout his time at the Stadium of Light and it’s no surprise he has been well below par.

However, with a full pre-season under his belt and hopefully more playmaking ability on the club’s radar in the transfer market, Grigg should flourish next season.

In the four seasons in League One in which he has played more than 2,000 minutes, the striker has scored 19, 20, 25 and 19 league goals respectively.

That is unbelievable consistency in a physical league that so often stifles top talent. With more playing time, a consistent attacking system and a full pre-season to prepare and gain fitness, defences in the third tier should be terrified.

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Without Fernando Llorente, Tottenham Hotspur wouldn’t be in the Champions League final this weekend.

Spurs have managed to come through a knockout run that has featured games against Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Ajax and, at every turn, Llorente has been integral to their success.

The 34-year-old was signed in 2017 as back-up to Harry Kane and he has performed admirably throughout his spell but it has been in Europe this season where he has truly thrived.

Having laid on a vital group stage assist against PSV Eindhoven, he scored the third goal in the 3-0 thumping of Borussia Dortmund at Wembley, a clever header at the near post.

Against City, his importance was brought into sharp focus. Coming on as a substitute, he netted the vital third goal in Spurs’ 4-3 defeat, diverting a corner past Ederson with a combination of his hip and his arm. A VAR review confirmed the goal, referee Cuneyt Cakir allowing it to stand despite the minor contribution of Llorente’s elbow.

In the semi-finals, it was the former Swansea City striker who changed the game again, coming on as a substitute at half-time as a replacement to Victor Wanyama.

Against Matthijs De Ligt, perhaps the best young centre-back in world football, Llorente was utterly dominant, ultimately winning the knockdown that led to Lucas Moura’s scarcely believable hat-trick goal in the final minute of injury time.

This is a player whose contract expires in the summer and this could well be his swansong.

It is unlikely, actually, that Llorente will play any part. If Harry Kane is fit, he should start, while Lucas is likely to be the sacrificial lamb and, later on, the impact substitute.

There has been much debate over whether or not that is fair on the Brazilian after his sensational display in Amsterdam.

But one also has to ask whether Llorente deserves to sit out the entirety of the final.

It must be said that it is not the biggest game of his career; he was a member of the Spain squad that won the World Cup in 2010 and he also won the European Championship in 2012. But, even so, the veteran striker has been perhaps the best signing Spurs have made in recent years, purely in terms of value.

He could yet play a key role. Manager Mauricio Pochettino could yet decide, if Liverpool are ahead, to roll the dice and throw Llorente on.

He will know that his deal is coming to an end soon and he could well be singing for his supper in Madrid, desperately trying to earn that fresh contract.

If he does it, he’ll deserve a statue too.

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Loads of Manchester United fans are expecting this to finally be the summer that David De Gea leaves, after The Times claimed PSG will bid for the shot-stopper.

According to The Times, PSG have declared their interest in De Gea and are ready to make their bid.

The Spanish international has carried the Red Devils through the last couple of seasons almost single-handedly, barring a lapse in form towards the end of the last campaign.

Now though, after years of links to Real Madrid, it looks like Paris could be his exit route out of Manchester.

The Ligue 1 champions have already announced the departure of 41 year-old Gianluigi Buffon, and the report claims they are determined to finally secure a world-class goalkeeper.

Their goal is of course to turn their domestic dominance into some level of European success, as they seemingly always find a way to crash out of the continent’s biggest competition in dramatic style.

De Gea may go some way to achieving that, and United fans have their hearts set on saying an emotional goodbye to the 28 year-old.

Take a look at some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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With the incredible success Liverpool have had after paying a world-record sum to bring Virgil van Dijk to the club, it’s little surprise rivals are now attempting to do the same and spend big-money on their own centre-backs.

Recent reports have suggested that Manchester United are considering making a move for Leicester defender Harry Maguire, with claims that the Foxes were demanding in excess of the £75m Liverpool paid for van Dijk.

Now, in an update from the Evening Standard, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have seemingly not been put off by Leicester’s huge valuation of around £90m and are hopeful of striking a deal for less than £80m.

The news was met with shock by United fans on Twitter, who felt Maguire was worth nowhere near the amount being quoted for him.

Could Harry Maguire be on his way to Old Trafford? Check out the video below to see why it would make so much sense…

Some felt that the England international would arguably be worth less than half that, and instead suggested the club turn their attentions elsewhere and pursue a move for Napoli’s commanding centre-half Kalidou Koulibaly.

Indeed, a few supporters of the Old Trafford side even urged Solskjaer to place his faith in the club’s academy products with 21-year-old Axel Tuanzebe amongst those they wanted to be given a chance.

Check out some of the stunned reaction of United fans below:

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Tottenham Hotspur fans are keen on selling Kieran Trippier during this summer’s transfer window after he was linked with a move to Juventus.

The Times reported on Sunday that the full-back is a target for the Italian giants should they bite on Manchester City interest in Joao Cancelo.

The paper reckon a fee of £30m could get the deal done, although there’s no pressure on the Spurs side to sell considering the player still has three years left on his contract.

Check out the video below to find out why Arsenal fans aren’t celebrating Spurs’ UCL final defeat as much as they’d like…

Trippier is a regular pick under Mauricio Pochettino but doesn’t have the full confidence of supporters, with plenty feeling like he’s a weak link in the team that could be massively improved upon in the transfer market.

The criticism is at times harsh but a fee of £30m sounds pretty good from a Spurs perspective as Pochettino considers what his Spurs side will look like in the wake of the recent UEFA Champions League final defeat to Liverpool.

These fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on a potential deal…

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Former Wolves man Mel Eves has laid hints at why Wolves will do well in Europe this season, suggesting that the backing of Fosun can prove beneficial in an interview with Express & Star.

What’s he said?

Finishing in seventh place after a truly brilliant first term back in the Premier League, Wolves were the fortunate side to benefit from Watford losing to Manchester City in the FA Cup final as they qualified for continental competition.

But their place among some of Europe’s best is well and truly deserved as they get ready to find out who they face in the second qualifying round on Wednesday.

However, ex-player Eves reckons there is one thing that sets apart the Wolves side he played in compared to the current crop at the club. Speaking to Express & Star, he compared the team of the 1980s to now:

“The difference, comparing the side now to then, is the backing of Fosun because shortly after we were in Europe we went into financial trouble.

“We had a great group of players and manager, but we just did not have the backing at the top.”

Stunning turnaround in evidence

It’s fair to say that Wolves would not be where they are without Fosun, who thanks to their investment have led a quite remarkable turnaround.

The Midlands outfit suffered back to back relegations into League One not so long ago, but after returning to the Championship, Fosun have played a significant part in where they now sit.

If you consider they haven’t been in Europe since 1980, it only goes to show just how far they’ve come.

Fosun are the perfect example of a business that actually cares for their club, rather than those who simply sit in the shadows and provide a lack of investment.

Gareth Bale to Wolves? Wolves Fan TV discuss how ambitious Nuno Espirito Santo will be this summer in the video below…

Yet, Jeff Shi’s recent comments suggest Wolves could become even greater.

He told Express & Star that the club have to invest and as they get set for what they hope will be a full season in Europe, just how much money they spend on new players could be telling.

With that in mind, Eves is right to lay hints that his impact on the club is a real difference from days gone by.

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West Ham United are interested in a move for free agent Emmanuel Adebayor, according to The Sun.

What’s the story?

Adebayor’s exit from Istanbul Bashakshehir by mutual consent was announced last week after three seasons with the Turkish club.

The Sun reckon a number of English clubs, including West Ham, are now exploring the possibility of bringing him back to the Premier League, with him famously playing for Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in the past.

The paper say that the Hammers consider the 35-year-old veteran as a potential replacement for Andy Carroll who will officially leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the month.

Who is your club’s worst ever January signing? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have picked theirs in the video below and they didn’t disappoint…

A viable striking option?

Adebayor’s spell in Turkey was actually half decent, with the player scoring 28 goals in 76 appearances for the club.

However, he managed just four goals last season, form that recalls his final couple of campaigns in the English top-flight when he failed to impress at Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace.

The Togo international managed just two goals in 2013/14 with Spurs before scoring a solitary goal for Palace in the subsequent season.

Now even older and even further away from his peak years at Arsenal, there is little chance of him making the kind of Premier League impact that West Ham will be looking for next season, even as back-up.

The report comes across as a silly season transfer link and that’s exactly how it should be treated at the Hammers, who must eye better quality recruits this summer if they are to move up the table.

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The last few days have been dominated by Jack Clarke’s impending move to Tottenham, and there has now been another update in that saga. Leeds have also had their eyes on a League One player as well as interest to sign a QPR midfielder. Both of these reports are included in Thursday’s Whites transfer roundup.

Clarke passes medical

According to Sky Sports, Jack Clarke has passed a medical at Tottenham ahead of his move to the north London outfit. The two clubs have already agreed a fee for the player, and there are now just a few small details to sort out before the move is complete.

Bristol City beat Leeds to Szmodics

Bristol City are set to sign Colchester United midfielder Sammie Szmodics, according to Bristol Live, after they fended off late interest from Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United. Despite that, however, Szmodics will join Bristol City for a fee believed to be in the region of £750,000.

Leeds to battle for Luongo

Leeds will battle Nottingham Forest for the signature of QPR’s Massimo Luongo according to London Football News. West London Sport reported on Monday that QPR were looking to sell the Australian, who is capped 42 times, and Leeds and Forest are both interested in his signature.