All posts by h716a5.icu

Southampton have reportedly been scouting Bristol City striker Antoine Semenyo this season ahead of a potential summer move for the 21-year-old and, if he were to make the move to St Mary’s, it could be a repeat of the deal which saw Che Adams join the south coast club in 2019.

According to the Bristol Post, Southampton scouts have been in attendance at Ashton Gate in recent weeks to take in the performances of Semenyo, who is also reportedly attracting interest from Wolves, Norwich City and Bournemouth.

The young striker is a product of Bristol City’s academy and has only this season established himself as a regular with the Championship club, having spent previous seasons on loan with Newport County and Sunderland in League Two and League One respectively.

Although his goal record isn’t anything to write home about, with just 11 senior goals in his career thus far, his general performances with the Robins this season have clearly attracted the interest of some Premier League and top Championship sides.

In 37 appearances in the second tier, Semenyo has managed two goals and five assists, whilst he also has a further three goals and two assists in cup competitions.

Semenyo can feature up front but also on both wings, which suggests that he is very versatile and would fit in well at Southampton, with Ralph Hasenhuttl a big fan of players who can feature in multiple positions.

WhoScored also suggests that his main strengths include his through balls, dribbling and defensive contribution, and considering the defensive work rate the Austrian manager demands of his players at the south coast club, it seems that he would love to have a player such as Semenyo in his side.

If he were to join, it could prove to be a repeat of the deal which saw Adams join Southampton in 2019 after he impressed in the lower leagues with Sheffield United and Birmingham City.

Adams was just 22 when he joined and, like Semenyo, had struggled to find the back of the net with much regularity before discovering his shooting boots and hitting 22 goals in the Championship for Birmingham the season before his move to the Saints.

Therefore, Southampton could jump the gun and sign Semenyo before he starts hitting the back of the net on a consistent basis, as that will only see his market value rise further after his impressive 2020/21 campaign.

If they do bring in Semenyo this summer, there seems no reason why he can’t follow in Adams’ footsteps under Hasenhuttl’s guidance and become a regular goalscorer in the Premier League.

And, in other news… Hasenhuttl suffers huge potential Southampton blow with “outstanding” £19.8m-rated beast

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire polished off his international break with an all-dominant display for England on Thursday evening.

Deployed alongside John Stones at the heart of the Three Lions’ defence against Poland in a FIFA 2022 World Cup qualifier, the former Leicester City man turned in a hugely impressive performance as Gareth Southgate’s men secured a third consecutive victory.

According to WhoScored, the 28-year-old was the second highest rated player on the entire pitch, earning a score of 7.75. Only opening goalscorer Harry Kane was awarded a higher score of 7.79.

Specifically, Maguire was a hugely influential figure defensively by contributing two tackles, two interceptions and accumulating a further two clearances. Meanwhile, the former Leicester City man also won four aerial duels.

This defensive solidarity certainly kept the visitors at bay with starting attacking pairing Arkadiusz Milik and Krzysztof Piątek not able to generate any real goalscoring threat and only managing to contribute two shots between them throughout the game.

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Maguire’s influence for the Three Lions did not just end by attempting to keep the ball out of his own net – he was also a hugely useful asset as the hosts attempted to build attacks of their own.

He had 97 touches of the ball, only Ben Chilwell having more in the entire Three Lions’ squad, whilst he completed 85 passes during the match, more than any other player.

Maguire also proved pivotal in the closing stages to score the all-important winning goal for England – showing fantastic instincts to latch onto John Stones’ knockdown before lashing home past Wojciech Szczęsny and into the back of the net for his third international goal.

With Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praising Maguire’s “strong” performances and character throughout the season, he will certainly hope to see similar displays from his defender as the international break draws to a close and club football returns this weekend.

AND in more news, take a look at which Red Devils is proving former boss Jose Mourinho wrong…

Although Gabriel Jesus’ time at Manchester City has been filled with ups and downs, there is no doubt that signing him for just £27m in 2016 has proven to be an excellent decision from both a footballing and financial perspective.

The Brazilian forward joined City from Palmeiras in a £27m deal in the summer of 2016 but only joined up with the squad at the end of the year.

Since then, the frontman has made 184 appearances for City, in which he has contributed an impressive 81 goals and 33 assists, having established himself as a regular in Pep Guardiola’s side.

Although Jesus has never been particularly prolific in the Premier League, with his best goalscoring tally coming in the 2018/19 season when he hit 14 goals in the top-flight, his intelligent runs and work rate are clearly appreciated by Guardiola, as it often leaves more space for teammates to score.

Earlier this season, when the Brazilian international was enduring a difficult run in front of goal, his Spanish manager was full of praise for him, saying:

“We are delighted with him, we need his goals but his contribution was fantastic in many ways.”

And that’s not the first time this campaign that Guardiola has lavished him in praise either.

Jesus was lauded for his “incredible” influence in the dressing room after the win over Liverpool, despite not featuring, whilst just last month, he suggested that the forward was an ‘unsung hero,’ suggesting he had been “amazing” this term.

His performances on the pitch with City have seen his market value rise significantly during his time in the Premier League, and the 24-year-old is currently valued at £54m by Transfermarkt.

Although that has dropped from 2018, when he was valued at a career-high of £72m, the progression during his time at City has been clear to see, and if his recent form continues, then it would not be a surprise to see his value rise again in the near future.

Jesus has five goals in his last seven appearances for City after a difficult start to the season and Guardiola will be hoping that, in the absence of Sergio Aguero next season, the Brazilian will be able to step up and start finding the net consistently in the Premier League.

Although his finishing has been questioned at times, there is no doubt that sporting director Txiki Begiristain delivered City a bargain back in 2016 with the signing of Jesus, as if he does ever leave the club, it seems clear that the Citizens will make a significant profit.

And, in other news… Txiki must sanction City swoop for “ice cold” £38m-rated beast likened to Lewandowski

Aston Villa were beaten at the death by Liverpool on Saturday, and the fans were far from happy with the performance of Marvelous Nakamba.

The Villans travelled to Anfield to face a team that had scored just once at home this calendar year (Sky Sports), and they took the lead towards the end of the first 45 minutes through Ollie Watkins, who slotted home calmly past Alisson.

However, Mohamed Salah was on hand after the break to level things up, and Trent Alexander-Arnold scored late on to win the game for his side.

The Villa fans were far from happy with what they saw from Nakamba. Although the Midlands outfit took the lead, it was far from a good display from the Zimbabwe international, who was often guilty of giving the ball away easily. Also, his poor marking contributed to the goal that saw his side pegged back.

Nakamba managed just 31 touches in total, which was actually 18 less than his own goalkeeper, Emi Martinez, who was in fine form as always (Sofascore).

The supporters took to social media platform Twitter in their droves to share their thoughts on his showing.

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

“Take Nakamba off please not completed a pass yet”

Credit: @leebavfc

“Inevitable equaliser but poor from Martinez that. Awful tracking from Nakamba before that too.”

Credit: @Valentine06

“Nakamba switched off”

Credit: @SotcAvfc

“Nakamba been off it today”

Credit: @jemail97

“Douglas Luiz and nakamba absolutley shocking”

Credit: @Jasonmoss1995

“Nakamba looks to be a bit of a passenger today.”

Credit: @TallieJ

In other news, Villa fans are livid at this latest injury news.

Leeds United centre-back Pascal Struijk has been tipped to be a regular starter for the Whites next season, as he continues to develop impressively.

Leeds snapped up the centre-back from Ajax back in January 2018 and he has since gone on to become a key part of Marcelo Bielsa’s plans at Elland Road.

Struijk has made 27 first-team appearances for the Whites to date, including 20 in the Premier League this season, where he hasn’t looked out of place.

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Struijk tipped for starring role for Leeds

Still only 21 years of age, the future looks bright for the centre-back and that’s certainly the way former Leeds striker Noel Whelan sees it.

Speaking to Football Insider, the ex-Whites man went as far as to say that Struijk will be a key starter for Bielsa’s men in 2021/22:

“I mean he’s getting recognition from the Belgian national side under Martinez. That shows enough progress and potential to the manager and Leeds United to how important this kid is to us.

“He’s got a great future ahead of him. He’s aggressive, he’s dominant in the air and he’s got two good feet. He keeps getting better and better in that position.

“Struijk’s only going to get better as well now that Koch and Llorente are fit.

“He’s training next to them and he’ll be having a look at them. They’ll be getting to know each other a little bit better on the training ground. That will then progress on to first-team level on match day.

“There are lots of positives with him. He’s definitely, for me, one, that should be pushing to start the season next year.”

Transfer Tavern take

Struijk is a hugely promising young defender – one who former Leeds man Dominic Matteo recently claimed has ‘got it all’ as a player.

He has enjoyed an 85.7 percent pass completion rate in the league this season, showing that he can thrive in Bielsa’s ball-playing style, not to mention also averaging 1.9 tackles and interceptions apiece per match, excelling in his defensive work.

Struijk will have to keep working hard in order to oust the likes of Diego Llorente, Liam Cooper and Robin Koch, but Whelan’s comments suggest the club have a ready-made replacement for Cooper in the long term, who is set to turn 30 this year.

In other news, one Leeds favourite is set to be offered a new deal at the club. Find out who it is here.

Fans of Glasgow Rangers have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which Rangers relayed footage of central-midfielder, Joe Aribo, in action at Ibrox.

So far this season, Aribo has been one of Steven Gerrard’s stand out players in the club’s title-winning campaign, with the 24-year-old scoring six goals and registering four assists over his 26 Scottish Premiership appearances, as well as averaging a highly impressive WhoScored match rating of 7.40 – ranking him as Gers’ joint second-best performer in the Scottish top flight, behind only James Tavernier.

In the club’s recent 2-1 win over Hibernian, the midfielder displayed his talents admirably once again, particularly in one phase of play, in which Aribo plucked a high ball out of the sky with an incredibly deft touch.

And, after Rangers shared footage of the touch in question on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many heaping a considerable amount of praise on the midfielder.

So, what exactly did these Rangers fans have to say in reaction to the footage of Joe Aribo?

“I used to think Dennis Bergkamp had the best first touch. Not so sure anymore!”

@Xero1982

“Honestly, I’d drop a baby out of a burning building to Joe Aribo with 100% confidence he would caress it to safety with his feet.”

@Jock_Rangers

“Velcro feet.”

@nathrfc1

“His first touch is worth £10m.”

@kyle__55

“Beautiful.”

@Jack64527644

“Feet like pillows.”

@sagahansenOF

“It is simply sensational.”

@J_Munro98

In other news: Sources lift lid on ‘strong interest’ in Gerrard; chief executive has link with the Gers boss – find out more here!

According to a report by Calciomercato.it, contacts have started to warm up with former Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri as Tottenham Hotspur begin the search for Jose Mourinho’s replacement.

Tottenham contacts heat up for Sarri

Previous reports have shed light on Tottenham and their interest in Sarri, but other sections of the media aren’t entirely convinced Spurs are tracking him.

In a new update from Italy, Calciomercato say that contacts with the 62-year-old are starting to heat up and that Tottenham are in frequent back and forth with Sarri over his possible appointment. The outlet say he could well now become Mourinho’s heir.

Transfer Tavern take

Sarri is a very credible candidate, with former player Jorginho calling him ‘magnificent’ and AS Roma boss Paulo Fonseca saying he is ‘one of the best in Europe’.

Praise like that from a rival manager doesn’t come around all too often, and the veteran boss’ story from banker to manager is certainly indicative of his work ethic and just how much he loves the game (BBC).

However, we believe Nagelsmann should still be the number one target due to the fact he is the more exciting younger coach (Goal.com) and viewed by those within Tottenham as the perfect choice (Daily Mail). 

As well as this, players who have worked under the 33-year-old describe him as a ‘fearless’ coach – and that is arguably what Spurs need right now after the largely forgettable Mourinho era in north London.

In other news: Spurs make Cakir enquiry, find out more here.

Writing on Twitter, ESPN reporter Archie Rhind-Tutt has dropped an enticing Julian Nagelsmann claim involving Tottenham Hotspur, with one of his sources explaining that the RB Leipzig manager has always held an ‘active interest’ in the club as a fan.

Nagelsmann has been heavily linked with the vacant managerial position at Spurs and those rumours have only elevated since Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties on Monday.

Indeed, the German, Brendan Rodgers, Erik ten Hag and Graham Potter are on the list of possible new managers at Spurs according to reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold.

ESPN journalist drops enticing Nagelsmann claim

Dropping an update in regards to Nagelsmann, Rhind-Tutt has relayed some enticing information from one of his sources close to the man himself. While the 33-year-old is allegedly a fan of Spurs as his English club, the source also believes that he would be ‘tempted’ to take the job at Tottenham.

“Source close to Julian Nagelsmann tells me that he has previously had ‘an active interest’ in Spurs as his English club (just as a fan I’m told). It would be ‘a perfect match’ in their words,” the journalist explained on Twitter.

“Source thinks Nagelsmann could be tempted by a move to Spurs. Can understand why – Bayern aside, where else could he go?

“The Bayern job would come up for him again. The expectations there for him would be sky high. If Nagelsmann is playing the long game, Spurs makes more sense.”

Transfer Tavern take

This could come as a rather exciting update given that he is currently viewed as one of the most exciting coaching talents in Europe, as well as being described as ‘fearless’ by players who have worked under him.

For this reason, we believe that Nagelsmann should be prioritised above all other managerial candidates given his prestige and glowing reputation across Europe.

In other news: Gold has backed reports linking Spurs to this managerial ‘genius’, find out more here.

Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard has rejected a move to Liverpool, who would have paid him more than three times the amount of his Hoops deal.

That’s according to a report from Anfield Central, who suggested that the French forward turned down a Merseyside move following a phone call with Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

Edouard, who earns £19,000 per week at Celtic Park, would have been on a contract worth £60,000-a-week at Anfield.

The 23-year-old’s Parkhead deal expires in just over 12 months’ time and he wants to leave the Hoops this summer regardless of who comes in as Neil Lennon’s successor.

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Transfer Tavern take

To us, this latest update may spell trouble for new Celtic CEO Dominic McKay. If Edouard were keen on a move to Liverpool, they may have been willing to fork out a substantial fee for the striker, whose contract is running down.

However, with a move to Anfield no longer on the cards, that is one less club now in the running for the Frenchman. That may prove to be bad news for the Hoops, as it could tempt other interested suitors into offering a lower fee, or worse still, happy to wait until January 2022 when they could discuss a possible free transfer.

Celtic also owe Paris Saint-Germain 40% of any deal involving Edouard, so to us, it’s crucial that the Hoops receive as much as possible in seeling him, or they could make a loss on the striker for whom they paid a club-record £9.27m fee back in 2018.

In other news: Hoops keen on £50,000-a-week midfielder, find out more here.

According to the Daily Star, Tottenham are interested in signing Yves Bissouma from fellow Premier League outfit Brighton.

Spurs eye Bissouma

Spurs are among a number of clubs interested in the 24-year-old, with Arsenal, West Ham and Everton also mentioned as potential suitors.

The Gunners are believed to be confident in getting a deal done for the £15.3m-valued Mali international (Transfermarkt), with the Seagulls demanding £30m for his signature.

Interesting option

Bissouma has been a key player for Brighton this season, playing in all but two of their 34 Premier League matches to date (Transfermarkt). Given the interest from other clubs, it is clear he has plenty of talent and could have a big future in the game.

The former Lille man is an all-round midfielder. For example, he has managed more tackles per game (2.8) than Tottenham enforcer Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (2.6) this season, while he has also averaged more dribbles per match (1.5) than Son Heung-Min (1.2).

With him in the middle of the park, Spurs would have a real driving force. If Daniel Levy were able to beat Arsenal to his signature, that would make his signing all the sweeter.

In other news, this Champions League winner is interested in managing Tottenham.