All posts by n8rngtd.top

Everton are in desperate need of a striker over the remaining weeks of the transfer window following Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury, and now a reliable source has revealed the player who tops the club’s wish list.

What’s the latest?

Writing in a piece for The Telegraph on Saturday, the ever-reliable John Percy claims that Everton’s top striker target is Southampton’s Che Adams.

As per the report, the powers at Goodison Park are hoping to complete the signing of a new centre-forward this week and will be ramping up their efforts to get a deal done for one of their number one targets this summer.

Frank must act fast

There is no doubt that the signing of a striker must be the top priority for Everton over the remaining days and weeks of the transfer window as the side have failed to pick up a single point or score a goal in their Premier League campaign so far, leaving them 16th in the table at present.

Frank Lampard will be desperately hoping they don’t fall into bad habits and bad form as a result of their weakened forward line, so the manager and his recruitment team must act fast to find the perfect player to come into the team in order to convert chances instantly to get the side scoring and winning points.

Adams could be a great fit for the Toffees in terms of not just providing a replacement for Calvert-Lewin over the next few weeks, but also to offer Lampard the opportunity to have a reliable option coming either off the bench or starting in certain games where he could perhaps be a better option than the current Everton number nine.

The £15m Scotland international who was dubbed a “clever” player by Ally McCoist, has many attributes that could be really advantageous to Lampard as he attempts to pull the Toffees out of their sticky situation and Adams could even outperform his positional peer if he does make the move to Merseyside this summer.

Last season, Adams bettered Everton’s star man in a number of metrics, proving he could not only hit the target more often but also pick out a teammate with greater precision.

Indeed, he scored more goals (7 v 5), had a better pass completion rate (69.6% v 61.6%), a better shot-on-target accuracy (49% v 36.7%), and made more shot creating actions (51 v 30) than Calvert-Lewin, which means he could even push the forward for his place in the team if he can get a good run of games in before the injured forward returns.

With that being said, the signing of Adams would be a great piece of business for Everton as they are in desperate need of a good finisher who can add more creativity in the team as soon as possible.

Newcastle United have been informed that they will have to pay £30million if they want to sign Watford attacker Joao Pedro in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Pedro bid

The Magpies still need to sign a new forward before deadline day ends on September 1, having only brought in Nick Pope, Sven Botman and Matt Targett to date.

There is a lack of genuine firepower behind the injury-prone Callum Wilson and that has the potential to hold Eddie Howe’s team back this season, as they look towards the top half of the Premier League and perhaps even the European places.

One player Newcastle have been linked with signing is Watford star Pedro, with a £20million move for the Brazilian reportedly submitted on Monday.

The Latest: Newcastle need £10m more

Now, a fresh update has emerged, with Football Insider claiming that Watford are demanding £30million for one of their most prized assets this summer.

He is seen as someone who could light up the Premier League for years to come, with Howe seemingly eyeing him up as a long-term acquisition.

[freshpress-quiz id=“389224″]

The Verdict: Is he worth it?

Newcastle have been relatively frugal in the transfer market this summer, only bringing in players they feel will genuinely improve them, so it will be interesting to see what happens with Pedro.

[freshpress-poll id=“404554″]

The 20-year-old is certainly a gifted young talent who has scored 14 goals in 77 appearances for Watford, but £30million is a lot of money to spend on someone who remains relatively unproven at the top level, despite being called an ‘exciting’ player by former boss Xisco Munoz.

The decision should eventually lie with Howe, and if he believes Pedro is a player who can help transform his attack long-term, he should be trusted to acquire his services.

Claudio Ranieri has described the versatile young forward, who can also play on the wing, as ‘very dangerous’, and this is exactly the type of player Newcastle need in support of Wilson.

Tottenham Hotspur have an admiration for James Maddison but may have to wait to sign him…

What’s the word?

The English playmaker has been linked with a move to Spurs throughout the summer transfer window.

Journalist Dean Jones claimed that the north Londoners had “touched base” over potentially signing him and also suggested that the Leicester City star was keen to join them over Newcastle United.

But since then, Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that talks were underway over a new deal, though that won’t stop the 25-year-old from leaving in the future, should the Lilywhites revisit their interest.

“I think that Maddison sees himself in the next year or two, playing regular European football,” claimed CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs to GIVEMESPORT.

“That might be Newcastle, so there’s an element of persuasion there of joining the project from the ground up and help us get there.

“But there’s a sort of vague admiration from Spurs. They’ve not done anything with it, but I think it’s that type of club, if they come in for Maddison in a future window that may make him wait.”

Future Erisken heir

Spurs have long lacked someone in the no.10 mould that is capable of not only providing goals and assists from midfield but also has an immense ability on set-pieces.

Indeed, since the departure of Christian Eriksen to Inter Milan back in January 2020, no one has really stepped up to fill his void.

Over his seven seasons in north London, the £11m Dane provided Spurs with 69 goals and 90 assists across 305 appearances, averaging one direct contribution every 151 minutes, via Transfermarkt.

Dele Alli has since departed as his career hits the rocks, Tanguy Ndombele (one G/A every 272 minutes) has also moved on having joined Napoli on loan and Giovani Lo Celso (one G/A every 326 minutes) has left too.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-paratici-conte-levy-gossip-more” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and so much more!”]

The trio really couldn’t fill the gap left behind by the 30-year-old, who Josh Wright dubbed a “wizard.”

But Maddison could well be that man, even if Tottenham have to wait until next summer.

The England international was impressive last campaign as he provided 18 goals and 12 assists across 53 appearances in all competitions – a rate of one contribution every 120 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

Those returns are instantly better than the aforementioned Spurs failures and not just that, his ability on free-kicks has been likened to one of the best to ever do it in David Beckham.

It’s why he has also been lauded as a “genius” and as a “special talent” in recent times.

At one stage this summer, it was believed that Maddison was available for £50m but if his form continues into this campaign, which looks to be the case after two goals and one assist in their opening three games, then the Liltwhites may have to pay up even more to seal his signature in the future.

Whether it be this week, in the winter, next summer or even beyond, the north Londoners must continue to keep tabs on the £110k-per-week maestro as he could well be the long-term Eriksen heir that they’ve been desperate for all this time.

Paratici shouldn’t give up on Maddison, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Paratici could seal “stunning” 8th signing as Spurs eye £17m “cannon” perfect for Conte…

Crystal Palace are interested in signing Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar this summer, and he could be the ideal man to replace Conor Gallagher in Patrick Vieira’s side.

Both Palace and Nottingham Forest have reportedly been keen on signing the 24-year-old, who is reportedly available for just £13m, as the Ligue 1 side look to sell him before his contract expires at the end of this season.

Vieira will be looking to sign a replacement for Gallagher in midfield after the Chelsea loanee inspired the Eagles to a top-half finish last season, finishing as their top performer across the campaign according to WhoScored.

The England international would also finish as their top scorer behind Wilfried Zaha, with eight league strikes and his goals from midfield will be missed this season, as Vieira is yet to sign an attacking replacement for the 22-year-old.

Aouar could be the ideal solution, as he has contributed an impressive 40 goals and 35 assists during his time with Lyon. Last season saw the former France international manage eight goals and four assists in all competitions, which was very similar to Gallagher’s numbers in the Premier League (eight goals, three assists).

The Frenchman was extremely highly rated a few years ago, with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola singing his praises following a Champions League tie against Lyon.

He said: “Houssem Aouar is a very good player. He is incredible.

“We talk a lot about (Tanguy) Ndombele, but Aouar is also excellent. He’s always very calm with the ball at his feet, with an excellent technical quality.”

While Aouar hasn’t quite lived up to his huge potential, he is still only 24 and could definitely develop into a top midfielder with regular game time at Selhurst Park.

FB Ref suggests that both Gallagher and Aouar score above the 90th percentile for expected goals and assists, dribbles completed and touches in the attacking penalty area, which emphasises that he loves to get forward and contribute in attack.

Vieira has overseen a youthful transformation at Palace but is still reliant on more experienced midfielders such as James McArthur (34) and Luke Milivojevic (31), so he could definitely use a younger midfielder such as Aouar in his squad.

Therefore, with Gallagher looking unlikely to return to Selhurst Park this summer unless Palace pay Chelsea’s reported £50m asking price, Vieira should look to bring in Aouar instead.

After a disappointing start to the Premier League season which sees Aston Villa sit in the bottom three, Steven Gerrard is a man under pressure.

The Villans invested heavily this summer, with the likes of Diego Carlos, Philippe Coutinho and Boubacar Kamara joining the club from Champions League regulars Sevilla, Barcelona and Marseille.

However, the squad looks as if they are struggling to gel in the early fixtures, with their only win coming at home against winless Everton.

While they did pick up an encouraging point against Manchester City in their last fixture, Gerrard has a lot of work to do if he wants to turn things around, and reports suggest that he could be the next manager to be sacked in the Premier League.

In a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, Dean Jones suggested that former Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino would consider a move to Villa Park.

He said:

“I think Pochettino has to be open-minded, himself, about his next job now.

“A club like Villa – which has plenty of room for elevation, a great fanbase and a lot of history – is a club he would have to seriously think about at the moment, given that there aren’t that many jobs out there.”

During his time at Villa, Gerrard has taken charge of 35 matches, winning 12, drawing six and losing 17, with a disappointing points-per-game average of 1.2.

Pochettino has bettered this in each of his last three jobs, averaging 1.45, 1.84 and 2.24 points per game at Southampton, Spurs and PSG respectively.

The Argentine also took Spurs to a Champions League final in 2019 and helped establish the north London club as a top-four outfit, so has far more experience than Gerrard at the top level.

Andros Townsend was full of praise for Pochettino in 2021, saying:

“He’s one of the best managers, if not THE best manager in the world, name me one other manager who can do what he did in a five-year period with Spurs, taking them from mediocrity when he took over to the envy of Europe and to the Champions League final.

“I don’t think any other manager can do what he did so, for me, he is the very best.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“659225”]

There is little doubt that Villa have some high-quality players in their squad, so if Gerrard fails to turn Villa’s form around, then sporting director Johan Lange should turn towards Pochettino as his replacement, because he would represent a major upgrade in the Villa Park dugout.

Arsenal are strong contenders to sign Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk in January, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Mudryk wants to join Arsenal

Fabrizio Romano revealed earlier in the summer that the Gunners had been in contact with the 21-year-old’s agent regarding a potential move, but a deal failed to materialise before the deadline.

The forward recently admitted in an interview with CBS reporter Ben Jacobs that he would be open to joining Mikel Arteta’s side to achieve his dream of playing in the Premier League.

The Latest: Arsenal’s new status

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones insisted that Mudryk’s confession is a ‘promising’ sign for Arsenal, who are now able to attract big-name players. He said:

“It’s definitely promising, not just even in terms of this signing, but I think in general terms. If you go back a year, Arsenal just weren’t sure what type of player they could attract anymore.

“Now, as soon as they’ve got back in that conversation of being in Europe, as soon as they’ve had a good start to the season in the Premier League, everyone’s suddenly open about the idea of joining them again. And this is where they’ve managed to propel themselves in terms of status.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Arteta made it a priority to find a new winger towards the end of the summer window having let Nicolas Pepe join Nice on a season-long loan, and Mudryk could still be the perfect replacement.

The Ukrainian, previously likened to a new Neymar by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, has already recorded four goal contributions in the same number of games this season, carrying on his impressive form from last campaign, when he provided seven assists and netted two goals in 11 Premier Liga appearances (Transfermarkt).

This is no doubt a deal that would suit both parties and one that Edu and the Gunners should look at trying to get over the line as quickly as possible in January.

West Ham United appear to have missed the boat with regards to the signing of free agent, Dan-Axel Zagadou, with the former Borussia Dortmund man looking set to stay in Germany.

What’s the word?

That’s according to journalist Fabrizio Romano, who revealed that the 23-year-old is seemingly set to join Bundesliga side Stuttgart, with the Hammers said to have been “never close” to securing his signature.

The transfer guru stated on Twitter: “Dan-Axel Zagadou is set to sign with Stuttgart on free transfer — he will undergo medical tests next week, the agreement is imminent. Zagadou was never close to joining West Ham despite rumours — he’s prepared to stay in Bundesliga.”

Recent reports had suggested that east Londoners were in “talks” to sign the 6 foot 5 colossus on a free transfer – following his exit from Dortmund at the end of last season – with the centre-back having also been linked with a move to England over the summer.

Moyes needs him

Amid the Irons’ dismal start to the new season – with five defeats from seven in the league thus far – manager David Moyes could well have done with the boost of a new addition, despite having already completed eight major deals in the recent window.

Even with those incomings, the London Stadium outfit have still appeared somewhat short of quality in their defensive ranks, with summer signing Nayef Aguerd having been struck down by injury before even kicking a ball competitively, ensuring a potentially lengthy stint on the sidelines for the £30m man.

Veteran ace Angelo Ogbonna is only just being eased back into the fold after missing the majority of last term with an ACL issue, while there are also concerns regarding a potential degenerative knee injury for regular starter, Kurt Zouma.

Equally, Craig Dawson has made just two appearances so far this term after suffering a thigh injury in pre-season – while he was also close to a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers over the summer – and new signing Thilo Kehrer is still finding his feet after his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain.

That raft of issues has left Moyes and co with a number of defensive concerns that Zagadou could well have helped to ease, albeit with the former France U21 international also having endured injury woes of his own in recent seasons.

When he has been fit, the “outstanding” ace – as dubbed by former boss Lucien Favre – has caught the eye as a result of his impressive stature and strength in the air, as he notably ranks in the top 1% among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues with regards to aerial duels won.

Also comfortable in possession, the £8.1m-rated man – who can also feature at left-back – ranks in the top 9% for progressive carries and the top 8% for progressive passes, showcasing his ability to initiate attacks from deep.

Such a powerful and composed asset could well have provided the Hammers with real additional quality, with the club now likely to have to wait until January, at least, if they are to bolster their defensive ranks sufficiently.

Aston Villa could unearth their next Jacob Ramsey in Travis Patterson.

The 16-year-old attacking midfielder was named in the Guardian’s ‘Next Generation 2022’ list that profiles up-and-coming stars across the Premier League.

Earning recognition from a national newspaper so early in your career is certainly an encouraging sign of what may lie ahead, particularly as the likes of Aaron Ramsey (2019) and Ben Chrisene (2020) were all named on this exciting list in the past.

Patterson could be the next youngster to make the breakthrough at Bodymoor Heath.

The teenager is described by journalist Ben Fisher as an ‘athletic and determined’ playmaker, capable of playing as a no.8 and at full-back, and such an ability has already seen him feature for the U23 set-up at such a young age.

‘He is a dynamic, versatile player who is technically proficient and fluid in possession,’ the reporter added, earning some likeness to Ramsey – the former academy graduate now a big part of the first team.

Having signed a scholarship only in July, the Wolverhampton-born Patterson is playing well beyond his years, racking up eight appearances in the Premier League 2, as well as one outing in the EFL Trophy, thus far.

According to Football Insider, the 16-year-old has also attracted interest from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in recent months too, so his performances aren’t just making soundwaves in Birmingham.

Birmingham Mail writer John Townley has suggested that the Villa gem has been “excelling” through the ranks at Bodymoor Heath, only adding to his incredible potential for the club and maybe one day soon, it’ll catch the eye of first-team boss Steven Gerrard.

In Patterson, the Villans manager could well discover the club’s next Ramsey and whilst such recognition may increase the pressure on such a youthful talent, his versatile ability is evidently a big positive right now.

AND in other news, Better than Douglas Luiz: Aston Villa must rue not signing £25m “Rolls-Royce”,,,

Glasgow Rangers goalkeeper Robby McCrorie has signed a new contract at the club, committing until 2025.

The 24-year-old’s previous deal was due to expire at the end of the current season but Giovanni van Bronckhorst has managed to secure his long-term future at Ibrox.

With Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin, the two senior goalkeepers ahead of McCrorie in the Rangers pecking order this season, signing an extended contract appears to be a show of faith from the Dutchman.

It could well be a wise move from the club, especially with his talent and the player could certainly net the Light Blues a fortune in the near future.

McCrorie can be Rangers’ new number one

The Scot is another product of the academy and enjoyed loan spells at Livingston and Queen of the South before eventually making his Rangers debut last season.

Steven Gerrard’s side were ravaged by Covid-19 ahead of their Europa League playoff tie against Alashkert last August, with McGregor and McLaughlin both absent. McCrorie came in and kept a clean sheet to ensure Rangers qualified for the group stages.

The depleted Ibrox side faced Celtic at Ibrox just three days later and McCrorie kept yet another clean sheet, making a handful of important saves and keeping Rangers in the match as they eventually prevailed 1-0.

These were his only two appearances for the club last season, but he did enough to display his talent, and hopefully learning under McGregor will be a massive benefit to him going forward.

There were hopes that the Dutchman would sign another goalkeeper in the summer transfer window as a new long-term option at number one, but with this decision to award McCrorie a new deal, he has the perfect opportunity to fight for it.

Gerrard dubbed McCrorie and his brother as “model professionals” a couple of years ago and his patience has now been rewarded.

Once he stakes a claim for a regular spot between the posts, the goalkeeper could make Rangers a fortune in the coming years.

Manchester City have made contact to sign Napoli star Stanislav Lobotka, according to journalist Ciro Venerato on live TV.

The Lowdown: Sky Blues soaring…

The Premier League champions have enjoyed a soaring start to the 2022/23 campaign as they seek to retain their domestic crown for a third successive season. City currently top the charts for most goals scored and fewest conceded and are the only team in England’s top flight who remain undefeated.

Pep Guardiola’s men have begun the campaign in brilliant fashion, spearheaded by marquee summer signing Erling Haaland and boyhood City fan Phil Foden, who have arguably been the standout performers at the Etihad Stadium.

Despite the fine balance of this squad, sporting director Txiki Begiristain is still tasked with improving it off the field, and a claim has emerged on a new transfer target.

The Latest: Venerato makes Lobotka claim live on TV…

Speaking on live on TV channel Luna, during the Il Salone del Calcio program, Italian reporter Venerato has now claimed that City have made contact to sign Napoli star Lobotka.

When asked about the Slovakian’s contract situation, he explained (via Area Napoli): “There is confidence between the parties for a successful conclusion of the deal. Lobotka’s agent will have received at least two phone calls: one from Chelsea, the other from Manchester City.”

The Verdict: Is he needed?

Lobotka’s quality is undeniable, with members of the press even claiming that he has become ‘incisive’ and a ‘scandalous midfielder’ under Walter Mazzarri this season.
According to WhoScored, the defensive midfielder stands out as Napoli’s most composed player in terms of passing with an impressive 94.9% accuracy, the highest out of any of his team-mates.
He is also Napoli’s most fouled player on average and boasts their second-highest rate of tackles per 90, highlighting how Lobotka can be a real nightmare for an opponent to handle (WhoScored).
However, the presence of two world-class defensive midfielders in Rodri and Kalvin Phillips does question the need to sign the Napoli powerhouse, not to mention that club captain Ilkay Gundogan can also play in that role when required.