All posts by z3u9t.icu

Everton ended the 22/23 campaign at Goodison Park, roaring in adulation, basking in a seasonal culmination that so easily could have written a different narrative.

The Toffees had defeated Bournemouth 1-0, Abdoulaye Doucoure the hero after unleashing a venomous volley during the second half, and needed to do so after Leicester City beat West Ham United – the Foxes would have secured survival themselves had Everton failed to win.

A shrewd move which could be taken to ensure the pit of the Premier League becomes a fugacious memory could be found in Middlesbrough striker Chuba Akpom, with the one-time Arsenal starlet enjoying a tremendous campaign in the Championship, and TEAMtalk state that the 27-year-old is of interest to Dyche and co, alongside a lengthy list of suitors.

Akpom has just one year left on his current deal, and Boro boss Michael Carrick is expecting several departures to fund the summer market.

Given Akpom is valued at roughly £20m, he seems to be the optimum choice for departure.

Should Everton sign Chuba Akpom?

Toffees boss Sean Dyche, who assumed the reins in January, will be delighted that his outfit crafted a successful end to the season but will be all too aware that the jubilance stands upon pillars of strife, with the club now seeking to avoid a third successive relegation dogfight.

To do so, signing a centre-forward is surely paramount; with just 34 goals scored in the top-flight this term, Wolverhampton Wanderers are the only club to have produced fewer net-bulging moments, and the crux of the club's malaise lies in the attacking potency – or lack of it.

Having signed for Middlesbrough for £3m from Greek outfit PAOK in 2020, Akpom scored just five goals in his maiden campaign and was subsequently loaned back to to PAOK.

Returning to the Riverside Stadium this summer, the 27-year-old whiz finally harnessed his prolific prowess and plundered 28 goals from 40 Championship appearances as his side reached the playoff semi-finals and has been hailed as "remarkable" by BBC contributor Oluwashina Okeleji for his exploits.

At Goodison Park, however, he would bring an imposing threat and a ball-playing assurance to coincide with his goal-scoring aptitude, with FBref ranking him among the top 3% of forwards across Men's Next 8 divisions – preceding the established European top five – for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 4% for pass completion, the top 9% for progressive passes and the top 4% for progressive carries per 90.

He could form a deadly partnership with dynamic midfielder Alex Iwobi, who has been resurgent at Goodison Park this season, having found a home in a new, more central role, scoring twice and registering nine assists over the course of the season.

The £120k-per-week Nigerian ranks among the top 13% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for rate of assists, the top 15% for progressive carries and the top 14% for successful take-ons per 90, and could work very well alongside his former Gunners teammate, both players heaping emphasis on surging into the final third and instigating promising pieces of play.

Akpom clearly has a striker's instinct to succeed, on top of his progressive presence and knack at keeping things slick and secure in the offence, he could be just what Dyche needs heading into next season.

Leeds United attacker Brenden Aaronson could seal a quickfire exit from Elland Road in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh update.

How has Aaronson performed for Leeds?

The 22-year-old joined the Whites last summer, coming in from RB Salzburg and being considered an exciting signing, with Jesse Marsch knowing him well from their time together at the Austrian club.

As it turns out, Aaronson has endured a really tough first season in a Leeds shirt, though, never really coming close to matching to expectation levels of him. In 36 Premier League appearances, 28 of which were starts, he scored just one goal, with a further three assists coming his way.

The £45,000-a-week American has seemingly struggled with the pace of English football and he ended up being powerless to prevent the Whites from being relegated to the Championship last weekend, after the 4-1 loss at home to Tottenham.

While the deal he signed last year runs until the summer of 2027, the idea of playing second-tier football is unlikely to appeal to him ahead of next season, leading to serious doubts surrounding his future at Elland Road.

Could Aaronson quit Whites this summer?

That certainly seems to be the case, with Football Insider reporting that Aaronson is "set to quit the club this summer", and that a "move to Germany could be an avenue available to the 22-year-old following his impressive spell at Red Bull Salzburg in neighbouring Austria."

He is thought to be "highly regarded" by a number of Bundesliga teams, with a return to the Premier League with a different club not looking likely, following just one year in the division.

It is hard to see Aaronson still being a Leeds player when the 2023/24 campaign gets underway in August, in what has ultimately been a hugely underwhelming transfer.

Despite being called "impressive" on his debut by Steve Nicol, he hasn't had anywhere close to the impact so many hoped he would, having registered 28 goal contributions (13 goals and 15 assists) in 66 appearances for Salzburg, and he should shoulder some of the blame for the Whites' relegation.

The key now is to ensure that Leeds earn as much as possible for the 29-cap USA international's signature – his contract situation does at least put them in a strong bargaining position – in order to use the funds for new signings in the summer, boosting their chances of returning to the top flight in the process.

Newcastle United owners Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) would be keen on bringing Al Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo to Tyneside this summer despite a potential move being 'against the principles', according to journalist Alex Crook.

What's the latest transfer news involving Cristiano Ronaldo?

Earlier this year, shortly after Ronaldo completed his historic move to Al Nassr, Marca via The Mirror reported that the Portugal international is said to have a clause in his contract at the Saudi club that would allow him to make a temporary loan move to Newcastle United if they qualified for the Champions League in 2022/23.

Of course, that feat has been achieved, as Eddie Howe's men secured a return to the competition for the first time in 20 years, finishing fourth in the Premier League having amassed 71 points from 38 fixtures, as per BBC Sport.

90min revealed earlier this month that PIF want to make a 'marquee' addition at St James' Park in the summer and the prospect of bringing Ronaldo to the North East 'has also been discussed', though Toon Army boss Howe is not keen on pursuing the £3.4 million-a-week ace.

Howe has spoken about links to Ronaldo and also Paris Saint-Germain attacker Neymar, as per, stating in an interview cited by The Independent: “We could not be able to come close to affording those players as they are the best players in the world. We are never going to be in a position currently to afford those transfer fees and wages, so we need to go underneath and find them young and develop them into the players they can be.”

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Crook has stated that PIF would be open to signing Ronaldo this summer; nevertheless, expects Howe to be allowed to conduct transfer business in his own way.

Crook said: “I think PIF are quite keen to bring in big names. They would like to bring in Ronaldo but that goes completely against the principles.

“I think Eddie Howe has enough credit in the bank to be allowed to do it his own way probably with the likes of Harvey Barnes, James Maddison, Scott McTominay, I think, is a big target as well. He’s a James Ward-Prowse type manager rather than a Neymar.”

How has Cristiano Ronaldo fared since moving to Al Nassr?

Funchal-born football legend Ronaldo has been a typically potent goal threat since moving to Al Nassr following his controversial exit from Manchester United in 2022.

Since joining the Saudi outfit, the 38-year-old has featured 19 times in all competitions, racking up an impressive 14 goals and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Nevertheless, the veteran forward was left disappointed as Al-Nassr's title bid to win the Saudi Pro League was ended last Saturday, as a 1-1 draw against Ettifaq enabled Al-Ittihad to win the league with a game to spare following a 3-0 victory over Al Feiha in a game he was substituted off in, as per The Sun.

As per talkSPORT, Ronaldo has went two seasons without winning a major trophy, which is something he will be desperate to rectify next term. However, it looks unlikely that he will have the chance to do that at Newcastle United in current circumstances, despite rumours swirling over a dream Premier League return.

Leeds United are interested in rivalling Nottingham Forest in the race to sign Morgan Gibbs-White, according to The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Sheffield United loan

Gibbs-White spent the 2021/22 season on loan with Sheffield United and turned out in a number of attacking positions.

The 22-year-old played as a centre-forward, on the right and in a deeper role, scoring 12 times and providing 10 assists in 37 games for The Blades.

Defender Chris Basham hailed Gibbs-White as a ‘breath of fresh air’ who ‘glides past players’ and is ‘powerful’, and it seems as if he is a man in demand following his successful loan spell.

The Latest: Leeds interest

The Athletic’s Paul Taylor provided an in-depth story regarding Forest’s transfer plans on Wednesday.

The reporter stated that Gibbs-White is one of Forest’s ‘primary targets’ and is valued at around £20m, but added that Leeds are ‘also interested’.

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The Verdict: Get it done

Gibbs-White showed his quality in the second tier last season and seems to be a ready-made player for Jesse Marsch.

The Leeds head coach prefers to use a narrow 4-2-2-2 formation and has already made his intentions clear by signing Brenden Aaronson, who is set to be used as an inverted winger.

Gibbs-White could be the next piece in Marsch’s Elland Road attacking jigsaw as he can turn out as a centre-forward, out wide or in behind the striker, meaning he could perhaps occupy the opposite attacking midfielder spot to Aaronson.

Still just 22, you’d expect that the Wolves man will only get better over the coming years, so it will be interesting to see if the Whites firm up their interest.

In other news: Cheeky bid tabled: Radz and 49ers now open talks to sign international ‘goal threat’ for Leeds. 

Journalist Conor Clancy has made a transfer claim involving Manchester United and their pursuit of Napoli forward Victor Osimhen. 

The lowdown: United interested in Osimhen

After Erik ten Hag officially took over the helm as the club’s new manager, a major rebuild of the squad is expected over the course of the summer.

It has recently been reported that the Red Devils are desperate to bring the highly-rated 23-year-old Nigeria striker to Old Trafford as the Dutchman attempts to kickstart the transfer window with fresh faces coming in.

Looking at the possibility of making Osimhen part of the new era in Manchester, one journalist has suggested that such a move isn’t out of the question, but with one significant obstacle to overcome…

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The latest: Osimhen could cost £100m+

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Clancy claimed that the Glazers will have to exceed United’s club-record transfer expenditure in order to sign the 18-cap Nigeria predator.

He said of Osimhen: “I think he’s the next £100million sale from Serie A, whether it’s this summer or next summer. He’s not going to go cheap. Napoli signed him for £70million and that was very much with a view to selling him for more than that.

“A £10million profit on a player like Osimhen is not enough. He’s a superstar.”

The verdict: At all costs

A nine-digit transfer fee is eye-watering, but Osimhen boasts an outstanding 66 goals in 152 senior outings in what has been a rapidly rising career trajectory to date, and he would certainly offer a longer-term option than United’s current primary goal-getter Cristiano Ronaldo.

During the 2021/22 campaign, the powerful Nigerian centre-forward scored 18 times and provided another six assists in 32 appearances across all competitions, boasting an impressive 7.13 Sofascore rating whilst taking 3.4 shots per Serie A game in the process.

As Ten Hag attempts to oversee a revamp of the squad at Old Trafford, Anthony Martial appears a likely candidate to leave the club altogether, so Osimhen would seem the ideal man to become an instant replacement for the out-of-favour Frenchman, given his enviable track record.

In other news: Man Utd and Ten Hag launch ‘important offer’ to sign ‘the future’ of football along with De Jong

Manchester United have had nothing short of a terrible season. With a managerial change, failing to mount a title challenge or even finish in the top five and nowhere close to claiming any of the domestic cups, it has been a campaign to forget for the Old Trafford faithful.

New manager Erik ten Hag faces a massive job in the summer with rebuilding the squad and getting the players to buy into his ideologies ahead of what could be their most important season in recent memory.

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One area of the squad which urgently needs prioritising is the defence. United have conceded 56 goals in the Premier League alone, the second-highest total of the teams in the top half of the table.

A rejig of the defence during the transfer window will likely be the main aim for Ten Hag, and the club have shown interest in the Inter Milan centre back Milan Skriniar, according to Italian news outlet Calciomercato. It’s worth noting, however, that Chelsea and Tottenham are also interested in the player.

The 27-year-old would be a major upgrade on Eric Bailly – who has been dubbed “rash” by Trevor Sinclair in the past – and also has the experience of winning trophies at Inter over the previous couple of seasons.

Axe Bailly, sign Skriniar

Bailly has spent a lot of the past two years sidelined through injury, but comparing the two players on last season’s performances shows that Skriniar would be the much better option.

The Slovakian registered more tackles, blocks and interceptions (55, 48 and 27 respectively) in 2020/21 compared to the United defender (nine, 17 and 22 respectively), although Bailly played fewer matches during the season.

Skriniar is the highest-rated Inter defender on WhoScored this season, with an average rating of 6.82, and someone of his presence at the heart of the Red Devils’ defence is exactly what Ten Hag will be after, especially with Graham Roberts lauding the 27-year-old as “absolutely brilliant” during Euro 2020 last year.

This seems like the ideal opportunity for the new United manager to axe the unreliable Bailly for good and instead replaced him with a tank of a centre-back in Skriniar.

AND in other news, Man United nearing the signing of “magic” £58m “unicorn”, he’s Modric 2.0

Aston Villa have endured some turbulent seasons of late with the football club being relegated from the Premier League in 2016 for the first time before making two consecutive play-off final appearances, winning the second and surviving relegation from the top-flight on the final day of the 2019/20 campaign.

However, now the West Midlands club is a stable outfit under Steven Gerrard and it appears as though exciting times are ahead with the Villans learning from past transfer errors.

One recent colossal error was the signing of Rudy Gestede from Blackburn Rovers in 2015.

The former Benin international swapped Ewood Park for Villa Park for £7.6m ahead of the season that would eventually see Villa relegated.

Christian Benteke, who scored 49 goals in 101 appearances for Villa, had joined Liverpool that summer for £32.5m with one of the striker’s replacements coming in the form of Gestede.

The then 27-year-old on £28k-per-week started his Villa tenure excellently, scoring a late winner on his debut against Bournemouth as well as a brace at Anfield against Liverpool that September.

However, the striker would go on to score just two more goals that season as the West Midlands outfit finished bottom of the league and was claimed to be “hiding” by Blackburn Rovers legend Alan Shearer.

Gestede went on to score four goals in the Championship the following season before returning to the Premier League when Middlesbrough signed him for £6m, 22% less than what Villa paid.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and the now 33-year-old’s career since leaving Villa Park suggests that it was a woeful decision to gamble on the Benininian.

Having been worth £6.3m when leaving Villa, the striker was worth just £2.7m within two years before being released by Middlesbrough in 2020 at a valuation of £720k.

Since November 2020, Gestede has played for three clubs abroad, Melbourne Victory in Australia, Panetolikos in Greece and is currently playing in Iran for Esteghlal.

Moreover, the veteran forward is now worth just £225k.

It could be argued that Aston Villa were right to cut their losses when they did before losing more money, however, Gestede’s downhill career proves that the Villans had a disaster when seeking new strikers following the departure of Benteke.

AND in other news: Imagine him & Ramsey: NSWE must complete Villa swoop for “dynamite” £125k-p/w gem

Wolverhampton Wanderers may face a battle to keep hold of Barcelona-loanee Francisco Trincao for next season, should Bruno Lage consider him part of his plans.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from Sport Witness  (via TEAMtalk), who claim that the West Midlands side face competition from Liga Portugal side Sporting CP, who have made the former Braga man a “priority.”

As per the report, Sporting manager Ruben Amorim is the man who has made Trincao the club’s priority signing, with the 37-year-old having managed the Barcelona-loanee when the pair were at Braga.

Sporting understand that Wolves have an option to buy clause as part of the loan deal that saw him make the temporary switch to Molineux, though reportedly remain confident in completing a deal for the 22-year-old with Wolves undecided on activating the option to buy clause.

According to Transfermarkt, the loan cost Wolves £5.4m with the option to buy clause set at £25m.

Goncalves 2.0

Trincao’s future at Wolves is entirely dependent on Lage’s decision. Whilst he has managed just two goals and one assist in 27 Premier League games, there have been glimpses of the player that struck eight assists in 27 appearances for Braga just two seasons ago.

Going by the expected goals tally, Trincao, who has been described as a player who can make a “massive impact”, should have four goals this season, which whilst is still not exceptional for a player of his talent, would see him rank as the Old Gold’s third-highest goalscorer behind Hwang-hee Chan and Raul Jimenez who have notched five and six goals respectively.

With Trincao being one of two left-footed forwards at the club, he offers Lage an unorthodox option throughout the role of an inverted winger, and with the recent switch in tactics to a counter-pressing 3-5-2 system, the Portuguese attacker could massively benefit from such a direct approach.

As it stands, the Barcelona loanee has just two more games to prove his worth, with Lage yet to make a formal decision on the matter. He will have to decide pretty soon though amidst the expiring loan deal and severe interest from Sporting.

However, judging by the impact Pedro Goncalves has made since swapping Wolverhampton for Lisbon, the Old Gold could be staring down the barrel of another disastrous transfer decision.

Since moving away from Wolves, the fellow Portuguese star has scored 38 times in just 77 outings. The last thing Lage would want is a repeat scenario of that.

In other news: Wolves plot bid to sign “terrific” £12m-rated gem who “runs the show”, Lage needs him 

Former Scotland and Premier League manager Alex McLeish believes Aberdeen right-back Calvin Ramsay would pick Liverpool over Leeds United in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Ramsay linked with Liverpool move

The Reds have been linked with a move for the 18-year-old in recent times, following a string of impressive performances for Aberdeen, with the reliable Paul Joyce naming him as a target.

Ramsay has made 22 Scottish Premiership appearances this season and is someone who is in the ‘elite upper bracket’ of young right-backs, according to Dons chairman Dave Cormack.

Leeds could rival Liverpool for the Scot’s signature this summer, as he potentially moves south of the border.

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The Latest: McLeish gives his verdict

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish claimed his compatriot would surely opt for a move to Anfield over Elland Road, given the differing fortunes of both clubs currently:

“I would imagine, if I was in that position right now, I want to go to Liverpool.

“Because of the magnitude of the club, because of the lack of any chance of relegation. Even though I’d be an understudy to Trent Alexander-Arnold for a couple of years, I’ll get in and out.

“You’ve got a timeframe to develop yourself. Then if you end up cutting it at Liverpool, you’ve almost won the World Cup, haven’t you?

“I would expect a young player to be thinking that. Not thinking: ‘Well, Leeds are on the verge of relegation in the Championship. Maybe I’ll play more games in there.’

“That is a blooming hard league, the Championship. Any team can win on any given day. Even the bottom teams can beat the top teams. If Liverpool and Leeds are in for him, I would think he’d, all day long, choose Liverpool.”

The Verdict: Perfect Trent deputy

While Trent Alexander-Arnold clearly isn’t going to be ousted any time soon at Liverpool, Ramsay could come in as a hugely exciting backup option, getting opportunities in the domestic cups.

With Neco Williams possibly moving on, that space in the squad could open up for the Aberdeen man and he could then be loaned out immediately, in order to continue his growth.

Ramsay is clearly a special talent, and with Liverpool always planning for the long-term future, he is someone who should be viewed as a shrewd summer signing.

In other news, James Pearce has dropped a key Liverpool injury update. Read more here.

West Bromwich Albion bowed out of their disappointing Championship season on a high at The Hawthorns, in an impressive team performance that will give fans new hope for next season.

The Baggies put on a four-goal show in the final game of the season in front of their home fans following a difficult campaign of highs and lows for the club, showing resilience and a taster of what is to be expected when they return to chase promotion back into the Premier League in August under new manager Steve Bruce.

West Brom dominated on all fronts throughout the game with 65% possession, five more shots on target, more big chances created and over twice as many accurate passes than their opponents on Saturday afternoon.

Karlan Grant found the back of the net twice to bag a brace, with Adam Reach and Matthew Clarke in an attacking display that Barnsley just couldn’t cope with and one player, in particular, gave an incredible all-round performance despite not getting on the scoresheet.

Jayson Molumby put on a phenomenal display after securing his future permanently at the club earlier this week in a three-year deal and certainly showed the West Brom faithful exactly what he is capable of offering over the time he has in the future.

The Baggies midfielder had an astonishing 104 touches of the ball against Barnsley, completing 76 passes, winning nine out of his 15 duels, making two interceptions and three tackles, proving that the 22-year-old was intent on making his presence known on the pitch and became a complete nuisance for his opponents.

Bruce spoke out this week about the former Brighton player’s new deal (via BBC Sport);

“We’re really pleased to have Jayson on board permanently.

“He’s managed to force himself into our XI recently and now his challenge is to stay there by continuing to show improvements in his game.”

Following the West Brom manager’s comments, Molumby clearly wanted to show his boss exactly why he deserves to be included in the team going forward and show that he can continue to improve at the club, which will surely put him in good stead to regularly feature next season.

Despite Bruce securing this masterclass signing, there is still a huge amount of work to do to ensure that West Brom doesn’t suffer another season of disappointment and can challenge throughout to secure Premier League promotion at the end of their next campaign.

AND in other news: West Brom eyeing summer swoop for “brilliant” 19 y/o “cheat code”, Bruce needs him