All posts by z3u9t.icu

With Celtic set to face their first competitive fixture next week in the Champions League, securing as many new faces as possible in the previous seven days was huge.

Fortunately, that’s exactly what Ange Postecoglou was able to achieve.

What’s the word?

The Hoops have welcomed a host of new faces to Paradise with Liel Abada and Kyogo Furuhashi joining Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide as fresh signings.

Next on Postecoglou’s agenda appears to be strengthening the defence.

Carl Starfelt is believed to be Kristoffer Ajer’s successor as he heads to Brentford but they’re also targeting a right back.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday evening, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano had the following to say about Celtic’s transfer plans:

“Celtic are looking for a new right back after agreement completed to sign Carl Starfelt as centre back from Rubin Kazan. Brandon Soppy is one of the options – talks ongoing also with Royal Antwerp for Portuguese right back Aurélio Buta.”

Brilliant Buta

Although Soppy has bags of potential, Buta would be a great alternative if Celtic found that deal easier to conclude.

The 24-year-old has been on the scene for a while now and has already been linked with a move to British shores.

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After being touted with a switch to Wolves back in 2019, Buta was given the an eye-catching review by journalist, Aster Nzeyimana:

“He’s one of the best full-backs in the Belgium league – that’s a widespread opinion.

“In the last two years he’s grown defensively, he has admitted that himself. He’s quite a small player but he’s technically very gifted. We have a history in Belgium of good attacking full-backs and he really fits right in. He’s instrumental to Antwerp.”

Standing at just 5 foot 8, the £3.1m-rated defender is a similar statute and plays in a comparable way to Jeremie Frimpong.

The Dutchman departed in January as he left for Bayer Leverkusen and they’ve not been able to replace him permanently since.

Buta, however, would be a wonderful capture. Last season he completed 1.2 successful challenges per game which was identical to the tally Frimpong achieved in green and white.

Hugging the right-hand side, the Antwerp defender was extremely creative for a player in his position, providing 0.8 key passes a match.

For context, only Frimpong, Greg Taylor and Jonjoe Kenny managed more from a defensive persuasion at Celtic last season.

However, it’s important to bear in mind that Postecoglou’s team will be a side that enjoy lots of possession.

Consequently, Buta’s statistics from an attacking point of view should rise if he switches Belgium for Scotland this summer.

AND in other news, Celtic already have their Ajer successor in rarely-seen 17 y/o with a “massive future”…

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side head into Thursday evening’s Europa League clash against Real Betis knowing that they cannot finish any higher or lower than third place in the Group G standings – a fixture many would deem a dead rubber.

However, while it is true that the three points available in the match ultimately do not matter, the contest will undoubtedly still prove to be an extremely important one for the 56-year-old manager.

This is not only because a win against a team who sit third in the LaLiga table would provide his side with a substantial boost in confidence, but it is also an opportunity for Celtic to afford a number of their peripheral squad members some much-needed first-team minutes.

Indeed, youngsters such as Liam Shaw, Osaze Urhoghide, Liam Scales, Dane Murray and Mikey Johnston have seen their game time extremely limited so far this season, with the fixture against Betis being the perfect time to unleash at least a few of Celtic’s most exciting up and coming talents.

As such, some of the players who started the 3-0 win over Dundee United last weekend will have to make way, with James Forrest appearing to be a prime candidate for the chop on Thursday night.

Postecoglou must axe Forrest

While it is true the winger is still in the process of regaining full fitness in his recovery from injury, it is unavoidable that Forrest was by far and away Celtic’s most disappointing performer at Tannadice.

Indeed, over his 45 minutes on the pitch, the £5.4m-rated winger struggled to make any real impact on the game, failing to complete any of his three attempted crosses, losing three of his five duels and completing just 16 passes – six fewer than Joe Hart.

These returns saw the £19k-per-week forward earn a SofaScore match rating of 6.9 – the second-lowest of any Celtic player to start the fixture – before he was hooked at halftime after appearing to struggle with the pace of the match.

As such, while Forrest is undoubtedly a talented player – with Kieran Tierney dubbing the 30-year-old’s ability as “scary,” as well as claiming he is “one of the best” players he has featured alongside – in order to provide the likes of Johnston with a much-needed start, Postecoglou simply must axe the Scotland international from his starting XI against Real Betis.

In other news: Ange could unearth Celtic’s new Robbie Keane with swoop for “bright” 18 G/A machine

Kalvin Phillips could potentially return from injury for Leeds United’s Premier League clash with Southampton, as confirmed by The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Phillips out injured

The 25-year-old missed England’s 1-1 draw at home to Hungary in midweek, having been ruled out with a calf problem, with his influence certainly missed as the Three Lions looked stagnant for much of the match.

Phillips is now facing a race against time to be fit for Leeds’ return to action this weekend, with Marcelo Bielsa’s side making the trip to Saints.

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The Latest: Midfielder could return

Bielsa was on press conference duty on Thursday afternoon and he admitted that the midfielder could possibly be back in time, with Hay reiterating the news on Twitter in a short and sweet six-word update:

“Has a chance of being fit.”

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The Verdict: Potentially huge

There is a strong argument to say that Phillips is Leeds’ most important player, considering how much quality and energy he brings to the team.

Granted, he may not have hit top gear yet this season, but his absence was still clear on the opening weekend when the Whites lost 5-1 away to Manchester United.

If Phillips is available on Saturday afternoon, Leeds’ hopes of picking up back-to-back league wins will be noticeably enhanced, with only Liam Cooper (2.7) averaging more tackles more per game than him (2.3) in the competition so far this season.

In other news, Hay has provided another update on a key Leeds player. Find out who it is here.

Noel Whelan has been left shocked by what he has now heard coming from Newcastle United regarding Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Lowdown: £50m price tag

As per The Daily Mail, the St James’ Park club are now willing to entertain offers of around £50m for the 25-year-old once the season ends.

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It has also been reported that the Magpies could look at Moussa Diaby as a potential replacement for the Frenchman, along with Leandro Trossard and Brennan Johnson.

The Latest: Whelan shocked by Saint-Maximin latest

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan – who regularly used to feature as a pundit for the BBC – has been left shocked by the news that the Newcastle board could sell Saint-Maximin for £50m, claiming that it would be a ‘ridiculous’ piece of business.

He said: “Look, I mean you can accept it. But if you’re going to go out there and get somebody with the same quality and love from the fans, firstly, they’ve got to earn that love, which Saint-Maximin has done.

“Secondly, he has put in the performances and been a talisman for a number of years now. £50million is not going to buy you a player of that quality, I don’t believe.

“Then you’d have the backlash from the fans. I’m very sure that they won’t see this as a positive. This is not what they expect after the consortium’s takeover of Newcastle.

“They thought they’d be spending £50million, not bringing in £50million by selling one of their best players.

“Saint-Maximin, for me, is one of these players that’s just unsellable right now to Newcastle, on many fronts. Shirt sales, fanbase and what he brings out there on the field.

“I’m sorry, but I just feel that’d be ridiculous business by Newcastle’s board.”

The Verdict: Hard to replace

As Whelan says, the Newcastle board could scoop a healthy £50m for Saint-Maximin in the summer, but the Frenchman would be very hard to replace.

He has been a mainstay in the team all season, with five goals and three assists in the Premier League so far (Transfermarkt).

Moreover, he currently ranks as the Magpies’ second-best performer in the top flight, and no team-mate comes close to his six man-of-the-match awards (WhoScored).

The 25-year-old also averages more shots and dribbles per game than any of his team-mates, so £50m may not even be enough to replace the quality that he possesses and his overall importance to Eddie Howe’s team.

In other news, find out which three stars PIF are now targeting this summer

An update has emerged on Rangers dud Jack Simpson, regarding his future at Ibrox under Gio van Bronckhorst…

What’s the talk?

According to the Scottish Sun, English Championship side Middlesbrough are preparing a swoop for the Gers defender, with Chris Wilder said to be a fan of his.

The report claims that van Bronckhorst will allow the centre-back to leave the club in the January transfer window and Boro are hoping to snap him up.

Time’s up

Simpson’s time in Glasgow appears to be up and the Dutch head coach must ruthlessly axe him this month. Although Middlesbrough are said to be keen on a loan deal for him, a permanent solution could also work for the Gers as he has struggled to make his mark in Scotland.

Danilho Doekhi and John Souttar have both been touted with moves to the club and that could lessen Simpson’s chances of being able to come back in the summer and win his place in the team.

The potential incoming pair could replace Connor Goldson, with Nikola Katic to return from his loan and Filip Helander due to return from injury in the coming months, leaving the ex-Bournemouth defender in a difficult and vulnerable position.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst must axe him on a permanent basis as his time is up. He has not featured in a single match since Steven Gerrard left the club and was dubbed a ‘weak link’ earlier in the season.

Former Scotland international Frank McAvennie criticised the central defender and suggested that he could be targeted by teams, saying:

“It depends on the opposition. They have a big game on Sunday against Hibs. That’s a massive game, absolutely massive.

“Hibs are on fire and they really know what they are doing. They will fancy their chances. They know Simpson is the weak link. You expect he will start with the Goldson issue.

“He’s not had a great time of it so far, he barely played last season. We’ll see what happens but I expect Boyle will run rings around him.”

The £900k-rated liability has only played 11 times for Rangers since joining in January 2020 and this suggests that he is not a serious first-team contender.

He was sparsely used under Gerrard and is yet to play a single match under the new management team, which shows that two managers in a row have not rated him highly enough to give him regular minutes, which is why he must now be brutally axed from the club.

AND in other news, Deal considered: Rangers must seal swoop for 105 G/A predator who won’t cost a penny…

Fabrizio Romano claimed on Saturday that Poland are ready to approach Aston Villa’s Matty Cash over a possible switch of nationalities.

And a number of Villa supporters have been giving their thoughts to the update on social media.

Cash, who qualifies for Poland through family on his mother’s side, had been reluctant to turn away from England as he has hopes of turning out for England.

The 24-year-old hasn’t featured for The Three Lions at any level, with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker, Reece James and Kieran Trippier all seemingly ahead of him in Gareth Southgate’s right-back ranks.

According to Romano, Cash is ‘open’ to the opportunity of playing for Poland and is waiting for a passport to go through.

Villa fans react

Romano posted the news regarding Cash on Twitter on Saturday afternoon, hours before he netted his first Villa goal in a 3-0 win over Everton.

This is what some Villa fans had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘interesting’.

“I think he should accept it. I don’t see there is much of a chance he would get into the England squad as there are approximately 4178.9 RB that’s capable to be in the England squad right now.”

Credit: @rico_chong

“great move for him he’d be their starting rb”

Credit: @luke1874_

“Hope he goes for it. England are stacked in that position.”

Credit: @JayVtid

“interesting”

Credit: @Kim_UTV

“makes perfect sense really”

Credit: @avbiIly

“Looks like our all English back 4 is coming to an end. Understand why Cash has done it. England has so many good RB !”

Credit: @seanlangley94

In other news: Source says Lange wants 40-goal ace on £25k-p/w for Villa; he’s scoring a goal per game. 

Newcastle United hoped to insert a ‘punitive’ buyout clause into Joe Willock’s contract and it’s unclear if they were successful, The Athletic’s Chris Waugh writes. 

The lowdown

Willock sealed his permanent move to St James’ Park on Friday, signing a six-year contract. Newcastle have shelled out more than £20m to secure the services of the Arsenal man off the back of an impressive loan which saw him score in seven straight matches at the end of last season (via BBC Sport).

Steve Bruce says that the club had to ‘patient and persistent’ in their pursuit of their ‘number one target’. Even when an agreement was reached with Arsenal, personal terms ‘took time’ to be finalised.

The latest

Writing for The Athletic, Waugh explored the possible reasons for the ‘prolonged deliberations’. ‘Some sources’ claimed it was down to money, with Willock hopeful of becoming the club’s top earner, but others have dismissed that version of events.

It may have been down to Newcastle’s preference for a buyout clause, perceived as a safety mechanism after they lost Ayoze Perez to Leicester City for £30m in 2019.

Such an arrangement is ‘unlikely to have appealed’ to Willock, but it’s ‘not clear’ whether the clause was ultimately included in his six-year contract.

Indeed, the player compromised on the length of his deal – he wanted it to be ‘slightly shorter’ – and as a result Newcastle made ‘concessions’ in other areas.

The verdict

It may well have been the case that Newcastle were forced to scrap the buyout clause idea, but we can only speculate at this stage.

The good news for the club is that, even if Willock’s representatives successfully resisted that provision, the length of his contract should still ensure that his value is prohibitively high for the foreseeable future.

Privately, the youngster may well harbour long-term ambitions of another shot at one of the biggest clubs.

In other news, this player was particularly desperate to see Willock join Newcastle. 

Speaking to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur ‘insider’ and club source John Wenham has made a claim involving in-form youngster Dilan Markanday.

The Lowdown: Markanday shining…

Over 2021/22, it’s safe to say that the 20-year-old forward has been in sublime form for Tottenham’s Under-23s.

Indeed, Markanday has been a constant threat for Wayne Burnett’s side this season, notching an incredible 10 goals and two assists in 10 Premier League 2 outings (Transfermarkt).

This academy run prompted Spurs to give him his first senior nod recently, with the player debuting against Vitesse in the Europa Conference League in late October.

Markanday’s form has prompted talks of another new deal after he put pen to paper on a contract extension earlier this year, one which keeps him at Spurs until the end of this season.

Sharing what he knows, Wenham has now made a claim on the starlet’s situation as things stand.

The Latest: Exit talks ‘ongoing’…

As per the insider, speaking to Football Insider, Spurs want to extend Markanday’s deal before potentially sending him out on loan in January, with those talks apparently ‘ongoing’ behind the scenes.

“There will certainly be loan enquiries in January,” Wenham explained.

“Actually, I’m told those talks are ongoing. Tottenham just want to extend that contract before he goes.

“I think if he doesn’t play between now and January, he will 100% leave in January.

“I’m certain League One clubs will already be asking about taking him on loan in January. That would be great for his development. I just want him to be playing.

“I would rather that was in the leagues instead of just in our Under 23 setup. He’s at that stage where he needs proper competitive football on a regular basis.”

The Verdict: Next stage…,

Like Wenham, we believe that a potential loan to England’s third tier could be just what Markanday needs in the next stage of his development as a Spurs player.

Having already dazzled at academy level, as evident by his rip-roaring form, the 20-year-old could now do with more senior experience whilst trying to replicate his fellow N17 graduates.

Troy Parrott has been shining on a temporary spell at MK Dons so far this season (90min), while defender J’Neil Bennett has been a regular at Crewe, starting nine League one matches while getting on the scoresheet and providing one assist (Transfermarkt).

If Markanday can go out on loan and replicate the young duo’s performances, Tottenham could be about to nurture yet another promising talent.

In other news: Spurs now close to signing ‘monster’ as Conte seeks to solve severe problem, find out more here.

Many Wolves fans have been left slamming the display of Francisco Trincao in their game away at Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

The Portugal international was dragged off by Bruno Lage for Daniel Podence in the 68th minute of the match with the score still at 1-0 to the Eagles, summing up his lack of impact.

He lost out on three of his duels, and also failed to record a single shot on target, successful dribble, key pass or cross, while he lost possession of the ball on no fewer than on 14 separate occasions, one of the highest out of his teammates (SofaScore).

With the likes of Podence and Adama Traore left on the bench, Trincao will now feel as if his place in the starting eleven is under threat.

Wolves fans on Trincao display

These members of the Molineux faithful slammed his performance on Twitter, with one WWFC supporter even going as far as to claim that the winger was ‘worse than awful’:

“Trincao has been poor”

Credit: @craigthewolf

“Trincao makes Harry Maguire look like Usain Bolt”

Credit: @dtr2527

“Dreadful from Trincao”

Credit: @WolvesBoiWonder

“Painful watching Trincao in this sort of game”

Credit: @andrewhos

“Trincao has been worse than awful today”

Credit: @w2020plus1

“Trincao off for me offered nothing today”

Credit: @gaztivist18

In other news, find out what Lage comments had Wanderers buzzing here!

Another fresh twist has emerged in Tottenham Hotspur’s managerial search this weekend…

What’s the word?

According to Sportitalia journalist Rudy Galetti, a “surprise” name could become new sporting director Fabio Paratici’s latest target, that being Rangers’ title-winning head coach Steven Gerrard.

It’s thought that the 41-year-old’s qualities are becoming more attractive for the north London club’s hierarchy, as talks with former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo continue on.

This would back up recent claims from the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who suggested that the Liverpool legend is certainly “on their radar.”

Another twist

With Spurs’ hunt for their next manager running into a third month, this latest claim represents another twist in the tale.

Jose Mourinho was sacked in mid-April and it seems like the north London outfit are no closer to finding out who will be in the dugout, a worrying prospect with the squad set to return to pre-season training on July 5.

Several names have been linked and either been ruled out or joined another club, including Julian Nagelsmann, who was widely thought to be Daniel Levy’s first top target before he opted for Bayern Munich.

Spurs were then close to sealing a Premier League title winner in Antonio Conte before talks between the two parties collapsed.

Paulo Fonseca also seemed to be on the verge of being appointed before an 11th-hour blow, while fan backlash stopped the controversial Gennaro Gattuso from being hired.

It seems only a matter of time before Gerrard returns to the English top flight, particularly if he continues to impress at Ibrox, where he has just won Rangers their first Scottish Premiership crown in a decade, ending Celtic’s spell of dominance.

Paratici is said to be ‘pushing hard’ to secure Nuno, according to Football Insider, in a move which would upset much of the fanbase once again as many have voiced their concerns over the Portuguese’s brand of football and the club’s lack of ambition, having been linked with the likes of Conte and Mauricio Pochettino.

If Gerrard is genuinely a contender as these reports suggest, the hunt for Spurs’ next boss may not be done yet in what is an intriguing twist which will likely please the supporters more than Nuno.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Spurs transfer claim which will surely leave fans excited…