All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leicester City will be hoping to build on their midweek victory over Millwall in the Carabao Cup when they host Burnley upon returning to Premier League duties over the weekend.

Brendan Rodgers fielded a much-changed side for Wednesday’s 2-0 win at The Den, but after witnessing a positive and improved performance, the Northern Irishman may be tempted to stick with some of the alterations he made.

One of those who was awarded his first start of the season at Millwall was loanee Ademola Lookman, and the skillful winger certainly grasped his opportunity with both hands.

The 23-year-old was the quickest to react after goalkeeper George Long parried Kelechi Iheanacho’s strike, slamming home the opening goal and his first effort of the campaign.

Lookman will be looking to build on an impressive season-long loan with Fulham last term, where he bagged four goals and provided four assists in 34 top-flight appearances, drawing praise from his former manager Scott Parker.

“You can see the quality the boy’s got. We knew that at the start of the window when he was the main one I wanted in – the main one I was calling for,” Parker revealed.

“I think you can see in a short space of time – at Brentford the other night and now here today – that the boy’s got unbelievable quality. He’s a big plus for us this year, and he’s going to be a big help for us. Hopefully, he can keep playing the way he is.”

Unfortunately for Fulham, Lookman’s exploits weren’t enough for them to beat the drop, but the former England under-21 international did enough to earn a move to the King Power Stadium.

Rodgers now needs to place his trust in the £9.9m-rated youngster and field him from the off for the visit of Burnley on Saturday.

Veteran striker Jamie Vardy is the only Leicester player to score more than one Premier League goal so far this season, and the Foxes have only scored one or more goals against rock-bottom Norwich City in their five top-flight fixtures thus far.

Therefore, selecting Lookman in the starting XI could have a huge impact upon Rodgers’ charges, with the electric winger a constant threat, either through his finishing prowess or ability to create chances for grateful team-mates.

In other news… Bought for £30m, now worth £16.2m: Rudkin has endured a transfer nightmare over Leicester dud 

According to journalist Tom Leach, Southampton’s Yan Valery is set to complete a season-long loan move to Olympiacos in Greece.

The Lowdown: Not long left

It is has been a busy transfer period for the Saints, who have brought in six new arrivals throughout the window (Transfermarkt).

Now, the St. Mary’s Stadium outfit look set to turn their attentions to outgoings instead.

The Latest: Valery close to Olympiacos

As per Leach, £2.7m-valued Valery (Transfermarkt) is set to move on loan to Olympiacos, undoubtedly Greece’s biggest club with more than double the Super League titles of their closest counterpart.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has said he is happy for the 22-year-old to leave the club on a temporary basis and continue his development elsewhere.

The Verdict: Makes sense

This is a deal that makes perfect sense for all involved. Southampton brought in Valentino Livramento from Chelsea which means, along with Kyle Walker-Peters, the Saints have two options at right-back. That has only pushed Valery down the pecking order.

Hasenhuttl has previously called the defender “fantastic” a couple of years ago (via Read Southampton) – he is someone with plenty of ability, but he needs to play. Should the move to Olympiacos go through, this is a move Valery can grab with both hands.

In other news, Southampton fans were far from happy with this contract news.

Southampton defensive midfielder Oriol Romeu turns 30 later this month and is now in the final two years of his contract at St. Mary’s. With the Spaniard heading into his 30’s, the club may start to think about what life starts to look like post-Romeu.

He has played 216 games for Southampton since joining from Chelsea in 2015, establishing himself as a regular in midfield almost instantly. His tally of 21 Premier League appearances last term was the only season in which he has not featured in at least 29 league matches for the Saints, emphasising his importance over the past six years.

All good things must come to an end, though, and there could be a player currently in the Southampton academy who could take the torch from Romeu and burn bright in the middle of the park – Caleb Watts.

The 19-year-old Australian international has already made his first-team debut for Southampton and could be the long-term successor to Romeu. Australia’s technical director, Trevor Morgan, was effusive in his praise of the midfielder earlier this year and backed him to have a career in the Premier League. He said:

“He’s a wonderful talent. He was exceptional for us at the World Cup and showed no fear in the matches we played.

“He’s with a very successful team at the present time, and yeah they’ve got some injuries, but he’s a guy that can attack space quickly, he can score goals, he takes responsibility and wants to be on the ball.”

Morgan added: “He’s got a very high work rate, he’s flexible in that he can probably play anywhere in midfield, and he’s an intelligent player; when you speak to him about the game, he understands the game and he reads the game.

“On top of that, he’s training in a Premier League environment and he’s had to fight his way up into that squad, so I think he can have an excellent career and very likely at the Premier League level.”

As Morgan said, Watts can play in a variety of midfield roles – including holding midfield – and his energy could allow him to screen the defence whilst also having the quality on the ball to pick out passes.

He played three games in the Premier League last season, coming off the bench in all three, and featured in the FA Cup against Shrewsbury. This suggests that Ralph Hasenhuttl, like Morgan, sees potential in Watts and believes he can do a job at the first-team level.

Romeu still has two years left to run on his contract at St. Mary’s and this means that he can take Watts under his wing over the next 18 months or so to help him progress as a holding midfielder. The Australian can learn from the ex-Chelsea man to help make that leap from development football to being a first-team regular.

It is now down to Watts, however, to fulfil his potential and show Hasenhuttl that his Romeu replacement is already in the building and that another signing is not required.

AND in other news, Southampton must sign £28k-p/w beast who’s “one of the best”, he won’t cost a penny…

Carlton Palmer reckons that Wilfried Zaha leaving late in the window could leave Crystal Palace in serious trouble.

For the umpteenth summer on the bounce, Zaha’s Palace future is in doubt, with transfer insider Dean Jones claiming Tottenham are looking at the player as they consider pinching him away from Selhurst Park.

However, with less than two weeks until the window closes, Zaha remains a Crystal Palace player, and the speculation doesn’t appear to have affected him following a productive pre-season campaign.

Patrick Vieira has already bolstered his defence, although the Eagles manager is yet to add any attackers to his squad, meaning Zaha is likely to lead the way in terms of goals and assists once again.

Christian Benteke has been signed up once again, but Ebere Eze is still out with a long-term injury, and Palmer thinks that selling Zaha before the deadline would leave Vieira’s team in a difficult situation.

He exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“Anybody who loses a player so late in the window, who’s important to them, is a huge, huge blow and with Crystal Palace not replacing him as it seems at the moment, they would be in serious trouble.”

Manchester City are said to be really confident of signing Aston Villa star Jack Grealish this summer, as their summer recruitment drive intensifies [Pete O’Rourke via Football Terrace].

Enjoying a superb 2020/21 campaign, the 25-year-old registered an incredible 19 goal contributions in 27 fixtures for the Villains; seven goals and 12 assists [Transfermarkt].

Having been heavily linked with a move to the Etihad this window, the Sky Blues could be about to accelerate the process following recent reports.

O’Rourke, who was speaking in the latest issue of The Football Terrace podcast, claimed that City are ‘really confident’ of striking an agreement for the England international, which would cost around £100 million [City Xtra].

In light of this news, loads of Manchester City fans flocked to Twitter to share their opinions on the recent reports.

Manchester City FC fans react:

Replying to popular Manchester City fan outlet City Xtra, here is what some fans had to say about the update, and they don’t seem particularly confident…

“Next week: Man City are even more confident of signing Jack grealish The week after: BREAKING Jack grealish signs villa extension”

Credit: @7Mcfcmax

“Different day, same story”

Credit: @MB264738

“really confident FC now”Credit: @dekmcfc”BRUV YOU SAY THE SAME THING EVERY DAY ARE WE EVER GONNA SIGN HIM”Credit: @philgoatden3″Just get it done, Damn it man”Credit: @Ziniology”Confidence ain’t enough”Credit: @fredijeh2In other news, Manchester City fans react to a transfer update.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left lauding the display of Joe Aribo in the first half of their away game at Dundee United at Saturday lunchtime.

The Nigeria international showed what he is all about with his tricky dancing feet, often beating his man out on the wing and creating some dangerous opportunities for Steven Gerrard’s men to score, most notably a chance for Alfredo Morelos – the Colombia star put it high and wide in the opening few minutes of the match.

He also got back to help out his defence on a number of occasions, winning the ball on the edge of his box before helping his team get up the pitch with his dribbling ability.

Aribo will be hoping that his second-half performance is as good as his first, with one eye on trying to keep his place in the starting eleven ahead of their crucial UEFA Champions League qualifying second leg against Malmo at Ibrox.

Rangers fans on Aribo display

These Gers supporters lauded Aribo’s performance on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that the 25-year-old is ‘scary’:

“In 10 minutes Aribo has already showed how much we need him Tuesday”

Credit: @38821090G

“Aribo looking lively! The Kent-Morelos-Aribo front three, when they’re all firing, are hard to top”

Credit: @CazNula

“Aribo would win Strictly without even trying.”

Credit: @DRC1872

“Aribo is scary”

Credit: @Rwdh92

“Joe Aribo is unbelievably good at football”

Credit: @Shaun_Dunsmore

“Aribo wow”

Credit: @IbroxGRFC

In other news, find out what Ibrox news has Gers buzzing here!

Manchester United have been handed a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

What’s the story?

The Red Devils have been linked with a move for the highly-rated 18-year-old throughout the summer as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to bolster his engine room options.

And now, the well-known journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Camavinga’s situation, claiming a move away from his boyhood club could still occur before the transfer window closes.

He tweeted: “There are chances for Eduardo Camavinga to leave Rennes in the final 8 days of the transfers market. He’ll not sign a new long-term deal with Rennes, so they’re open to sell Camavinga for €35m fee. #transfers It depends on the offers in the next few days. Open race.”

Solskjaer will love him

The talented teenager has established himself as one of Ligue 1’s most promising young players since making his first-team debut back in 2019, scoring two goals and providing five assists in 86 appearances for Les Rouge et Noir.

Famed for his tackling skills, his ability to drive upfield with the ball and his tactical discipline, Camavinga would be a valuable addition to any top-level squad and Solskjaer would surely love to bring one of the sports most exciting prospects to Old Trafford.

With Paul Pogba’s long-term future at United still up in the air, the chance to bring in a ready-made replacement for just £30m is surely something the club’s hierarchy must be considering.

Although Camavinga is a different player with a different set of attributes to his compatriot, his ability and potential mean he could be the ideal heir to the World Cup-winning dynamo, should he seek pastures new next summer.

Therefore, Solskjaer and United supporters alike will love this news and will surely be hoping that football director John Murtough can pull off a third masterclass of the current window to bring the youngster to the red half of Manchester.

The 20-time English champions are attempting to win their first top-flight title since 2013 this season, and the arrival of Camavinga would be a substantial boost to their chances of doing just that.

And, in other news…Fewer touches than De Gea: £40.5m-rated MUFC dud who lost 60% duels cost Ole vs Saints 

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a setback in their bid to bring Trevoh Chalobah to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that, while the chances of Valerien Ismael getting a deal over the line for the Chelsea defensive midfielder this summer at not quite dead in the water, they are severely receding.

This is likely down to the fact that newly-promoted Premier League side Brentford have been credited with an interest in the 22-year-old, as have a number of top-flight and European teams.

Ismael surely fuming

Considering how few options Ismael currently has in the middle of the park at West Brom, as well as the fact it previously appeared as if the Baggies were close to securing a deal for Chalobah this summer, the fact that the Chelsea midfielder now appears to be slipping out of the club’s grasp is sure to have left the Frenchman furious.

And, having highly impressed during his loan spell at FC Lorient last season, the 22-year-old would appear to have been a fantastic addition to the Albion midfield ahead of next season, particularly as it had been reported Thomas Tuchel’s side are willing to let the former England U21 international leave for nothing.

Indeed, over his 29 Ligue 1 appearances for Christophe Pelissier’s side last term, the £12k-per-week midfielder made an average of 2.4 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 1.9 clearances and won 5.2 duels per game.

The man Paul Lambert dubbed a “complete” player also impressed going forwards, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.5 shots and making 0.3 key passes per fixture.

These returns saw the £3.15m-rated man earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.87, ranking him as Lorient’s joint fourth-best performer in the top flight of French football, playing a key role in his side securing survival in the division.

As such, it is clear that Chalobah would have indeed made a fine addition to Ismael’s options in central midfield, however, unless something drastically changes in the coming days, it seems the 22-year-old will not be playing his football at The Hawthorns next season.

In other news: Ismael facing West Brom nightmare as Madeley makes worrying transfer claim

With Rafa Benitez’s arrival at Everton on the verge of completion, the Spaniard can begin thinking about how he can strengthen this squad for an assault on the top six.

It will be no easy task for a club that has fallen short of qualifying for Europe. Not since the days of Roberto Martinez have they managed to come anywhere close to ending up in the top four.

What’s the word?

With Robin Olsen heading back to Roma after the conclusion of his loan spell, it might be argued by the Everton hierarchy that they need to bring in a goalkeeper.

According to Football Insider, that could well be Sergio Romero.

The Manchester United stopper is out of contract tomorrow and thus, can be acquired on a free transfer by any willing suitor.

The report states that the Toffees have offered him a lucrative contract in order to move to Merseyside this summer.

Everton tried to sign the 96-cap Argentine on loan last summer and have now renewed their interest.

Rafa’s first mistake

At first glance, signing someone like Romero to play back up to Jordan Pickford is a smart idea.

The Argentina international has had a fabulous career at the top level and is still very much a dependable figure between the sticks.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-everton-manager-transfer-nuno-conte-wood-marcelo” title= “Read the latest Everton manager and transfer news!”]

Commenting on the ‘keeper’s qualities, his United teammate Eric Bailly stated: “Sergio has immense talent. Being number two to David [de Gea] is very difficult but in spite of the small number of matches he plays in when he does he proves himself and shows that at any given moment the coach can count on him.

“It’s very important for us to have a keeper who is always ready to take advantage of an opportunity and he does that every time.”

Romero would prove a useful form of council for Pickford as he strives to improve his game after an impressive European Championships.

However, rather than handing out a lucrative contract to someone reaching the end of their career, Benitez must look towards the future when he becomes the new manager.

21-year-old goalkeeper Joao Virginia earned three starts for the Toffees last term and is now in a position where he should be earning more opportunities.

The Portuguese has had an unrivalled football schooling, developing within the Arsenal youth academy and training under Arsene Wenger to learning from Carlo Ancelotti last term.

Though, if Romero arrives then it’s difficult to see how the youngster ever breaks through on a regular basis. Virginia would save the club a hefty sum of money, particularly if the Everton target’s salary is going to be expensive.

Benitez should forget about this deal and focus his attentions elsewhere.

AND in other news, Benitez can make an instant impact at Everton by signing “exceptional” 33-goal monster…

West Ham United fans have been angered on Twitter, after the club posted an official communication regarding their pre-season camp at St Andrews in Scotland.

As 2021/22 pre-season preparations get underway for the Londoners, manager David Moyes has elected to take his squad on a five-day trip to his homeland [West Ham United Official].

During the short break, the Hammers will cross into Tayside as they visit newly promoted Scottish Premiership outfit Dundee in what will be a first ever clash between the sides [West Ham United Official].

Despite the excitement around the inaugural fixture of the new campaign, West Ham have only made one signing in the form of tying up Craig Dawson permanently on a two-year contract [Football London].

In light of the level of inaction on the transfer front, loads of Irons diehards took to Twitter to vent their frustration at recent developments, as footage posted from training dawned the realisation that the new season will soon be upon us.

WHUFC fans react:

Replying to the West Ham United official Twitter account, here is how some fans summarized their thoughts on pre-season beginning with an identical squad to last term:

“All that talk of selling Lanzini at the end of last season, considering we’ve bought absolutely no-one!? We need him. Next season he’ll be our one-man ‘squad depth’.”

Credit: @TheCam01491612″What happened to all the signings David Moyes wanted before pre season… Is this why an ally of Mr. Moyes has been appointed… Reducing the transfer power of Lady Brady and Messrs Gold and Sullivan We shall see”Credit: @stephenfield515″No kits, no signings, nothing at all…”Credit: @RokasWHU”#GSBOUT”Credit: @danielmoore1987″Where are the new signings?”Credit: @katanna72″Buy some players”Credit: @HHickfordIn other news, a pundit exclusively drops a bold claim about a rumoured West Ham target.