All posts by z3u9t.icu

Brandon Barker’s loan spell at Oxford United ended in disappointment after they crashed out of the play-offs, and his performances there did little to suggest that he will make it at Rangers next season, so Steven Gerrard should axe the winger from Ibrox this summer.

The former Manchester City man joined the English League One outfit on loan in the winter transfer window and has been a regular in Karl Robinson’s side for the second half of the season as they reached the play-offs.

The 24-year-old made 21 appearances in total for the U’s, contributing three goals and four assists and averaging a solid 7.01 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

However, he failed to impress when it mattered most, earning disappointing 6.29/10 and 6.3/10 ratings in the recent play-off games against Blackpool, which saw Oxford lose 6-3 on aggregate and fail to reach Wembley, where they could have earned the chance to earn promotion to the Championship.

Perhaps Barker was always likely to struggle to reclaim a starting space in Gerrard’s side next season, considering the manager will have the likes of Ryan Kent, Scott Wright and new signing Fashion Sakala available to him as options on the left wing, and this latest setback could be the nail in the coffin for the 24-year-old’s time at Ibrox.

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Since signing from Manchester City in the summer of 2019, the Englishman has made only 26 appearances for the Gers, in which he has managed just three goals and no assists.

His contract at Ibrox is set to expire at the end of next season, which suggests that a summer exit could well be on the cards if Rangers are to recoup any money for him rather than potentially losing him for nothing in 2022.

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Although Barker has shown glimpses of his ability, with Gerrard lauding his “dangerous” style of play in 2020, he has been far too inconsistent and has done little to show that he would be capable of playing in the Champions League next season.

Therefore, after this unfortunate setback for the winger, it seems likely that his time at Rangers could well be up.

In other news… Wilson should seal Rangers swoop for “brilliant” beast who will “only get better”

Mark Douglas has dropped some insight on potential Newcastle United takeover investors which he claims is problematic for Mike Ashley.

The Lowdown: Newcastle valuation drops

As per Sportico (via The Chronicle), the valuation of the St. James’ Park faithful has dropped steeply since the global pandemic, with a new value of £190m being reported.

That is the 11th highest in the Premier League, citing that the ongoing threat of relegation hugely depresses the valuation.

There was a point in the season where Steve Bruce’s team were seriously under threat of dropping down to the EFL Championship, and so this has seen the valuation of the North East club plummet.

The Latest: Insight on potential takeover investors

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Douglas has shared that it is understood that rival investors to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group would value the Tyneside club under the original £350m agreement.

Douglas adds that this is problematic for Ashley, as he wants the value that he has put on the Magpies to be consistent.

If the KSA consortium were to pull out of the deal altogether, then other potential investors may not want to buy at the price that he has set.

The Verdict: KSA consortium deal key

It is key that if there is a takeover of the Toon, then it is by the KSA consortium, to satisfy all parties involved.

For Ashley, he would then be able to sell at the valuation that he has put on NUFC, and the consortium would then be able to take over as per their aim.

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There would certainly be question marks over whether the chief executive of Sports Direct would consider selling to anyone else if the consortium pulled out altogether, especially if nobody is willing to meet his original valuation.

Nonetheless, with Newcastle’s value depreciating, Ashley will want to get the deal done as soon as possible in order to get his money’s worth.

In other news, find out which ‘magnificent’ ace Newcastle are keen on signing here!

Newcastle United enjoyed a fantastic January transfer window as they made a number of key additions to Eddie Howe’s squad.

PIF brought in Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Bruno Guimaraes, Matt Targett and Chris Wood and they have all played a part in the club’s revival in the second half of the season.

The Magpies are now 14 points clear of the bottom three and look set for another campaign in the Premier League, with central defender Burn playing a huge role in their recent success.

He joined from Brighton in January and has averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 7.01 in the top-flight this season for the Toon and the Seagulls combined.

Forget Dan Burn

Whilst the giant Englishman has been an excellent addition to the team, the Magpies now have the chance to sign a player who will make the fans quickly forget about him.

German outlet Bild recently reported that Newcastle are interested in signing Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka, who is valued at £24m (€28m).

The French tank can be the club’s new defensive leader and be an upgrade on Burn or play alongside him as he has proven his quality in Germany this year.

Frankfurt boss Adi Hutter previously showered the gem with praise, saying: “I honestly have to say that I was surprised by his development. Evan has developed phenomenally. He’s very attentive in the analysis of his own game. He’s very modest and always takes a lot on board.”

The centre-back has also received applause from former Frankfurt player Alexander Schur as he claimed the Frenchman “shows no nerves” and “plays with great authority.” 

In the Bundesliga this season, Ndicka has averaged a fantastic SofaScore rating of 7.14. He has made an impressive 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game and won 60% of his duels, showing that he has been putting in consistent performances and dominating opposition attackers throughout the campaign.

Ndicka also ranks higher than Burn for progressive passes, progressive carries, dribbles completed and pass completion per 90 mins over the last 365 days. This means that the Frankfurt man would be an upgrade on the current Toon star in terms of what he offers in possession, whilst his statistics in the Bundesliga in comparison to Burn’s in the Premier League suggest that his all-round displays would also be better.

Therefore, Howe can land a new defensive leader for Newcastle by bringing him to the club this summer. He has shown that he has the quality to be a major player at St. James’ Park and he has the potential to improve further at the age of 22, which means that he would be a sublime signing for now and for the future.

AND in other news, Bid planned: Howe must seal NUFC deal for £30m “monster” whose “simplicity is genius”…

Wolves are interested in signing young Monaco centre-back Benoit Badiashile in the January transfer window, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Badiashile an exciting prospect

The 20-year-old has emerged as an exciting player in Ligue 1, making nine starts in the league and enjoying a pass completion rate of 88.5%. He has also averaged 4.3 aerial duel wins per game in the Europa League this season, which is more than any Wolves player has managed in the Premier League.

Badiashile appears to be a man in demand, and Molineux could potentially be his next destination.

The Latest: Wolves linked with move

According to Sky Sports News [via Talking Wolves on Twitter], Wolves are interested in making a move for the Frenchman, as Bruno Lage looks for centre-back reinforcements.

The £25.2m-rated defender’s current Monaco deal expires in the summer of 2024.

The Verdict: Ideal centre-back alternative

Central defence does look like one area where an addition would be welcome at Wolves this month, with too much reliance on the availability of Max Kilman, Conor Coady and Romain Saiss. Indeed, the latter is currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Willy Boly would invariably be a strong backup for the trio but he continues to be plagued by medical issues, highlighting the need for a new signing at centre-back.

At 20, Badiashile would be considered a long-term acquisition who could fill in when required this season before hopefully growing into a key figure at Molineux over the next few years.

In other news, Wolves have been handed a potential transfer blow. Read more here.

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”…

Tottenham Hotspur have been offered Tammy Abraham in this transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to The Telegraph’s Matt Law, the 23-year-old Chelsea striker has been made available to several clubs, including Spurs, as the Champions League winners look to cash in before committing to a big-money bid for one of their own attacking targets.

The Blues value the England international at £40m and have been linked with Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku and Erling Haaland, so it is expected that Abraham will depart before next month’s deadline.

Arsenal, Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund have also been offered the chance to sign the 6 foot 3 striker.

Forget Ings

It’s believed that new Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo will utilise a two-man attack and is looking for a proven Premier League player to feature alongside Kane.

One name who has been linked as a result of that news, is Southampton star Danny Ings, who has entered the final year of his current contract at St Mary’s; and whilst he is valued at half of Abraham’s asking price, it is the Chelsea outcast who could be the better investment long-term, and not just because of the near six-year age difference.

Abraham has found game-time hard to come by since Thomas Tuchel was appointed as Frank Lampard’s successor in January but that didn’t stop him from being Chelsea’s second top goalscorer in the top flight last season, bagging just one fewer goal than penalty taker Jorginho (seven).

Overall, the 23-year-old has scored 30 goals in 82 appearances for the Blues, with 18 of those coming under Lampard during the 2019/20 season. It’s a pretty respectable record for a player who was perhaps unfairly cast off by the new manager, and unlike Ings, he’s never had to persistently deal with injury troubles.

One game under the former England midfielder saw Abraham compared to one of the Premier League’s greatest modern strikers in Didier Drogba.

Speaking during BT Sport coverage of Chelsea’s Champions League win over Lille, pundit Rio Ferdinand waxed lyrical about his ability and said (via Goal): “His hold-up play, coming to the ball, bringing others into play. There were some balls that came into him that were Didier Drogba-esque. I think he’s developing nicely, he’s scoring goals, he’s scoring different types of goals and I think he’s a threat.”

Also lauded as a “goal machine” by former academy teammate Kasey Palmer, the £36m-rated forward ought to be considered over Ings by both Nuno and Fabio Paratici this summer.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Toby: Spurs could swoop for £16m-rated “leader” who bullied Kane at Euro 2020…

Leeds could land a major bargain by signing Germany international and PSG star Julian Draxler this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports back in the January transfer window suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side were very much interested in both Draxler and Udinese midfielder Rodrigo de Paul.

Now, it’s been suggested that Draxler is set to leave the Parc des Princes in the summer when his contract expires, and former Leeds man Noel Whelan has thrown his backing behind a potential move for him.

He said: “From what I’ve seen from him at PSG, I’d take him all day long. He’s very comfortable on the ball, he’s got a good turn of pace, he’s got international quality. These are the attributes you need.

“It’s a free contract. It’s only going to be wages and not a hefty fee. If you’re looking to strengthen and to bring players in that are going to push us further, then absolutely. If he’s available, you go and get him.”

Bye-bye Rodrigo

While summer signing Rodrigo has come out and publicly declared he is more than happy with life at Elland Road, that hasn’t stopped speculation in recent weeks suggesting he could still be on his way out of the club.

The attacking midfielder has struggled to showcase why Bielsa’s side brought him in from Valencia last summer, with just three goals in 21 Premier League games.

In Draxler, Leeds could land a bargain replacement for the Spain international, and someone who at still only 27, is just in the peak years of his career and could rejuvenate himself with a new challenge.

It was at Schalke, that Draxler was seen as the next big thing, with former sporting director Horst Heldt, declaring: “Julian is very, very young and his development isn’t over yet. That’s what makes him such an attractive proposition. It’s fantastic to have a player with such extraordinary talent here.”

The £18m-rated ace has only been on the fringes of things at Paris, but even despite his limited game-time – just 851 minutes of league football – he has popped up with six goal contributions.

The playmaker’s versatility of being able to play as a number ten or out wide on both flanks would give Bielsa a more than capable replacement for Rodrigo who has struggled to really take things by the scruff of the neck when playing behind Patrick Bamford.

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Draxler, however, may relish that role if given the chance.

Meanwhile, Leeds must unleash this star who’s “got it all”…

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. 

Former Everton and Rangers man Michael Ball believes that the club’s pursuit of Nathan Patterson is a “clever” one ahead of the January transfer window.

The club have been heavily linked with a potential swoop for the young right-back, who is reported to be valued at around £10m.

Patterson has struggled to break into the Rangers side, largely due to the presence of James Tavernier, who is the club captain.

In total, Patterson has made 19 first-team appearances for Steven Gerrard’s side, and has played just three times this term, once in the Europa League qualifiers against Alashkert, and twice in the League Cup, versus Dunfermline Athletic and Livingston.

Ball believes that Everton cannot solely pursue big name acquisitions and need to make sure that they mix youth and experience together throughout the upcoming transfer windows.

Ball said: “I think it’s good that Everton are looking north of the border and trying to be clever.

“We all like big signings, we all like the big name players but moving forward, it’s a mixture of trying to bring in players from the academy, a bit of youth from elsewhere, who can compete in every position, as well as your bigger signings and Nathan is really highly thought of at Rangers.”

Patterson is already a full Scotland international with three caps, and he has a contract at Ibrox until 2024.

Back in 2019, Fosun and Nuno Espirito Santo made arguably one of the strangest decisions during their time at Wolves.

When it comes to recruiting and selling, the Old Gold have often got it spot-on. Think Raul Jimenez, Pedro Neto or Diogo Jota for instance.

However, in the case of Pedro Goncalves, puzzling circumstances arise.

The creative dynamo made just one substitute appearance for Wolves in the Carabao Cup before he hopped on a plane and headed to Famalicao. What followed was a move to Sporting Lisbon, where he has quickly become one of the most sought-after forwards in Europe.

Goncalves found the net on 23 occasions in 37 matches last season, the result of which was mega-money links away from Portugal.

It’s safe to say that Wolves will regret their decision to let him move on two years ago. However, they could make up for that error and sign a like-minded player this summer.

That happens to be someone with Sporting connections himself – Matheus Pereira.

Brazilian-born, it’s those Portuguese links which Kevin Phillips suggested earlier this year could see Wolves make a move after West Brom’s relegation.

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If they do try and land the Baggies magician, it would be an awe-inspiring acquisition. Like Goncalves, he has the ability to score goals on a regular basis but also assist with great frequency.

Last season, Pereira beat the goalkeeper 12 times and set up his teammates to score on six occasions.

With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise to hear that the 25-year-old has been described as “silky” by watching pundits.

The West Brom star has the ability to play out wide and in more central areas, which is another comparable trait to Goncalves.

He picks up little pockets of space and can change the course of a game in an instant. Pereira jinks past players with ease and has quite wonderful vision, while is finishing isn’t bad either.

During West Brom’s promotion-winning campaign from the Championship in 2019/20, only Kevin De Bruyne (20) provided more assists than Pereira (16) in England’s top four leagues.

Goncalves is the definition of one who got away for the Old Gold, but Bruno Lage can stop that sense of regret by signing a new star in the same mould.

With 20 goals in just two season at The Hawthorns, Pereira undoubtedly fits the bill.

AND in other news, Lage could discover his Ruben Neves heir if Wolves unleash rarely-seen “goal threat”…