All posts by z3u9t.icu

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Chelsea progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup with a routine over Championship outfit Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday and, while the victory was against weaker opposition, the performance of one Blues man has got Arsenal fans dreaming of a shock swoop, while others have bemoaned the lack of such a player at the Emirates Stadium.

Callum Hudson-Odoi has been featuring heavily this month, although not in the way he would have hoped – as opposed to getting regular minutes from Maurizio Sarri, the youngster has been a popular name amongst the papers and outlets who have been linking him with a move away from the capital.

The Stamford Bridge outfit could face losing yet another talented youngster and they hardly did themselves any favours in their bid to keep him satisfied that first-team opportunities are to come his way as the club completed a deal for Borussia Dortmund winger Christian Pulisic.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have had a quiet window, but recent reports linking them with a move for Inter’s Ivan Perisic have surely raised the hopes of fans who were told that loan signings were the only possibility in terms of January transfers.

However, as Hudson-Odoi capitalised on a rare start against The Owls on Sunday – he scored and looked threatening throughout – many of the Gunners faithful are calling for the interest in 30-year-old Perisic to be dropped; others commended the Londoner’s performance and compared his quality to players already at the club.

Arsene Wenger is back and he’s not happy with what’s going on at Arsenal. Check out the hilarious parody video by 442oons above…

You can check out the best reaction on Twitter below…

Leeds United are tracking FC Koln defender Timo Hubers ahead of a possible summer swoop, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Hubers profiled

The 25-year-old has established himself as a regular in the Bundesliga over recent months, starting 12 of the last 13 league games for Koln.

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His contract runs until 2023, and the 6 foot 2 centre-back appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high £2.7m Transfermarkt valuation.

He was named as a substitute against Jesse Marsch’s RB Leipzig earlier in the season, and it seems as if the new Leeds manager could be working with the German next season.

The Latest: Leeds interest on Hubers

The Daily Mail shared a transfer story on Hubers on Monday, name-checking Leeds with an interest.

Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham are also tracking the defender, who could be on the move for just £6m over the coming months.

The Verdict: Defensive shake-up?

The Whites have had a season to forget when it comes to goals conceded, shipping 68 in 31 games, so Victor Orta and Marsch could be interested in shaking up the club’s defensive ranks.

Neither Marcelo Bielsa nor Marsch have had a settled centre-back pairing all season, with recent reports suggesting that Robin Koch could be on the way out in the summer.

Should that be the case, Hubers could be viewed as a possible replacement, with the aerially strong Koln brute also capable of covering at full-back and in a holding midfield role.

In other news: ‘Bad news from Elland Road…’ – Big Leeds injury update now emerges on Joe Gelhardt

Rangers will be looking to quickly wash away the pain of their Old Firm defeat at Ibrox on Sunday as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men return to action tonight.

The Gers are now set to turn their attentions away from the Premiership for now as they face the prospect of a European quarter-final.

They are due to clash with Braga in Portugal in the first leg of the last-eight tie before playing them at Ibrox in the second leg next week.

Rangers will have to do so without their star striker, though, as Alfredo Morelos has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a thigh injury.

Forget Morelos

It is now time to forget about the Colombian, as he will not be playing for a number of months, and thus, they will need to work out how best to replace him.

Kemar Roofe produced a dismal display in his place against Celtic and the ex-Leeds man’s failure at Ibrox should convince van Bronckhorst to start Fashion Sakala through the middle.

The Zambia international has often been deployed out wide but is also capable of playing as a number nine and his physical attributes can make him a match-winning player for the Gers tonight.

Journalist Josh Bunting dubbed him a “danger” and claimed that his energy can make a “real difference” on the pitch for the Gers.

Former Ibrox fullback Alan Hutton has also praised the attacker’s pace and work rate in the past, saying: “He’s like a firework, isn’t he? You just light him and watch him go. He’s one of these players who plays at 100 miles per hour, he takes players on, he’s aggressive, he can get shots off.

“Sometimes you just wish he could slow down, but I think that’ll come with time and experience at a new club. As he plays with these players around him with intelligence – he’ll get on that same page. I like his energy and enthusiasm. He loves playing for Rangers and you can see that when he’s trying hard to score goals.”

These quotes suggest that he has the speed to cause real problems to opposition players. He has the movement to run in-behind and turn defences, which not only creates opportunities for himself but also opens up gaps for the likes of Ryan Kent, Joe Aribo and Aaron Ramsey to exploit.

His seven goals and one assist in nine Premiership starts also shows that he has the quality on the ball to be the difference-maker in the final third. Therefore, he can be a quality option through the middle with his physical and technical attributes.

Van Bronckhorst must axe Roofe and start Sakala to give his team the best chance of coming away from Portugal with a win in Morelos’ absence.

AND in other news, Smith endured big Rangers howler over “world-class” £7.5m gem who was “admired by all”…

Pundit Kevin Campbell believes Celtic goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas could seal a late Parkhead exit, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Blades interest

Sheffield United recently showed an interest in the Greek shot-stopper, who has featured just twice under Ange Postecoglou this season.

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However, the Blades pulled out of a possible loan move following talks with the Hoops. Reports suggested that Celtic wanted a loan fee and for Sheffield United to cover the goalkeeper’s £20,000-a-week wage, while they also wanted to place a £2.5m option-to-buy in any loan deal, along with a sell-on clause.

Despite a breakdown in talks, Campbell feels a move to Bramall Lane could still be on the cards.

The Latest: Campbell’s comments

Campbell, who features on Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding Barkas.

He feels a move to Yorkshire could still materialise in the final days of the winter window.

“A decision is going to have to be made.

“Sheffield United and Celtic are going to have to come to a compromise because at the moment Celtic are looking to lighten the load on a signing that hasn’t worked out.

“Watch this space, because that deal could go right down to the wire.”

The Verdict: Unlikely

The Blades were seemingly after a new goalkeeper after loanee Robin Olsen cut his stay in Yorkshire short to join Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa.

Barkas could well have been an option for Paul Heckingbottom’s side, however, they have since signed Adam Davies from Stoke City.

That leaves them with Davies, Wes Foderingham and Jake Eastwood as goalkeeping options, so a move for Barkas doesn’t look likely.

Hopefully, the Hoops can move Barkas and his high wages on before Monday, so it could be one to keep an eye on, but we’re not so sure it’ll be to Sheffield.

Journalist James Pearce has waxed lyrical over Thiago’s superb performance in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Manchester City on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Thiago immense in Liverpool win

The Reds beat their title rivals at Wembley in a pulsating clash, with Jurgen Klopp’s men holding on late in the day to reach their first FA Cup final under the German.

On a day full of outstanding individual performances, Thiago was undoubtedly one of the star men, producing a sensational display in the middle of the park.

The Spaniard enjoyed a 90% pass completion rate, according to Sofascore, and also played six out of seven accurate long balls and won eight out of nine ground duels.

The Latest: Pearce lauds Spaniard

Someone who was clearly impressed with what he saw was The Athletic’s Pearce, who took to Twitter to laud the midfielder:

“Thiago was so good yesterday. You could see what it meant to him after the heartbreak of missing out on Wembley in the Carabao Cup final. Such a special player.”

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The Verdict: Truly special player

Thiago’s performance was a joy to watch all afternoon, with the 31-year-old showing exactly why he is arguably one of the best midfielders of his generation.

The level of control he brought was huge in Liverpool outplaying City and he produced some moments of magic, not least one outrageous pass to Mohamed Salah.

Thiago staying fit is vital to the Reds’ hopes of winning the quadruple this season, with the three-man midfield of himself, Fabinho and Naby Keita beginning to purr together.

In other news, one Liverpool player is reportedly on the verge of joining another club. Find out who it is here.

According to journalist Adam White (via Give Me Sport), Lille attacker Jonathan David would be a ‘statement signing’ for West Ham if they are able to secure his signature in the January window.

The Lowdown: Hammers interested in David

Reliable source ExWHUemployee previously claimed that West Ham are interested in the signing of prolific Ligue 1 striker David, who has netted 12 league goals in 19 appearances this season.

However, he further downplayed this rumour by stating that the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool are also interested in the player.

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Despite this, the Mail on Sunday have reported renewed interest in the signing, which came to excite a lot of Hammers fans, with many having tipped the club to sign another striker to rival Michail Antonio.

The Latest: White thrilled by links

Considering the European giants who are reportedly interested in David, White thinks it would be extremely impressive if the Hammers were to pull off the signing.

Speaking to Give Me Sport, White claimed: “It would be a huge statement signing given the clubs that are interested.”

This arises after Jeunes Footeux have revealed that a move for David would cost £45million; the same fee that the Irons paid for current Ajax star Sebastien Haller.

The Verdict: Incredible but unlikely?

Whilst he was playing in the Belgian league, former Gent manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck described David as ‘a phenomenon’ and further claimed that he was ‘the best player in the country’.

The striker is Lille’s top scorer by some margin this season, having netted eight more than second place Burak Yilmaz. He is as equally prolific on the international stage, having totalled 18 goals in 24 appearances for the Canadian national team.

David’s qualities are evidently clear. However, this has never been a debate for the Hammers. What David Moyes will be worried about is whether they can compete with the European giants, as they set to battle it out for the player’s signature.

Even if they can convince the promising young forward to join, then comes the price tag – can we really expect GSB to shell out another fee similar to the one they spent on Haller after how that went?

In other news, West Ham allegedly have their eyes on a player who Zinedine Zidane rates extremely highly…

Liverpool will be among the clubs interested in signing West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice when the summer transfer window opens, according to transfer insider Dean Jones. 

The lowdown: Contract rebel

A recent report from The Guardian has claimed that the 23-year-old has rejected a third offer a new deal at the London Stadium and is ‘open’ to a move away at the end of the season.

With Rice under contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt), Hammers boss David Moyes has previously placed a £150m price tag on the England international, who previously came through the Chelsea academy.

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Amidst growing interest from Manchester City and Manchester United, the Reds have now been tipped to show their own admiration for Rice…

The latest: Jones makes Rice transfer claim…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that Liverpool will be weighing up a possible swoop for the 29-cap England ace.

The journalist stated: “Of course, they’re going to be interested in Declan Rice because if Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have had that player on their radar, then you kind of at least have got to consider whether you’re going to need him.”

The verdict: An unnecessary expenditure

Currently, Jurgen Klopp has Fabinho as the only recognised senior defensive midfielder within the Anfield squad, although Jordan Henderson, James Milner and youngster Tyler Morton have all deputised in the role at times this season.

Nonetheless, the powerful Brazilian midfield general has enjoyed a stellar campaign, with five goals and four assists in 44 appearances across all competitions; and despite the lack of natural options in that position, spending anything like the mooted £150m on Rice simply isn’t a realistic prospect for the Reds.

Instead, as the two Manchester clubs potentially do battle for the 23-year-old’s signature, Klopp and incoming Anfield sporting director Julian Ward are more likely to set about pursuing an affordable alternative.

Using the FBRef comparison tool, statistically this term, 21-year-old Nice starlet Khephren Thuram-Ulien is the closest match to Rice, whilst Liverpool’s own Fabinho also appears in the top 10.

In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a shock move for one player. Find out who it is here.

Even though Everton are once again in the midst of a search to appoint yet another permanent manager following the sacking of Rafael Benitez, it seems as though the Merseyside club still have eyes on potential player transfers this month.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), Everton are joined by fellow Premier League club West Ham with an interest in signing Chelsea defender Malang Sarr this month.

Since joining the west London club in 2020 on a free transfer from French club Nice, the 22-year-old has gone on to make just nine appearances for Thomas Tuchel’s side across all competitions.

Despite only making two Premier League appearances for Chelsea this season, the centre-back’s performances in those games have earned him an overall season rating of 7.52/10. That makes him the second-highest rated player in their squad this season according to WhoScored, showing that he is more than capable of playing at a decent level in the Premier League.

In terms of a potential move to Everton, with 34 goals conceded in 19 league games this season, it seems as though they could do with having a defender like Sarr – who has been described as being a “strong” and “reliable” player for Chelsea by Tuchel – in their squad to help them stop conceding so often.

Ferguson would love him

If the £5.4m-rated defender were to make a move to Everton this month and manages to hit the ground running, this would surely delight their current caretaker boss Duncan Ferguson and give him some peace of mind regarding their leaky defence.

Also, at just 22 years of age, and with current Toffees defender Yerry Mina being linked with a move away from Goodison Park in recent weeks and also struggling with injuries during his time at the club, Sarr could be a dream long-term replacement for the Colombian on Merseyside.

Moving forward, Everton should definitely make an approach to Chelsea this month to see if they would be willing to negotiate a deal which would see Sarr make the move from Stamford Bridge and give the Toffees a better chance of ending the season without looking nervously over their shoulders.

In other news: Everton must avoid another managerial disaster with “arrogant” 58 y/o, he’d be Rafa 2.0

Glasgow Rangers have reportedly now made a big transfer decision on Amad Diallo.

The Lowdown: High hopes

There were high hopes for when Diallo first walked into the door on loan from Manchester United, as sporting director Ross Wilson described it as a ‘really exciting signing’ when he first arrived.

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He managed to score on his debut in the 3-3 draw away at Ross County in the Scottish Premiership back in January, but has not managed to score or assist since (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Transfer decision

As per Football Insider, a source from Ibrox has revealed that Diallo will now be let go ‘at the first opportunity’ as his bright start fades away.

There are currently ‘no plans’ to extend his deal until next season, or attempt to make it into a permanent one.

The Verdict: Shame

It is a shame that Diallo’s move to the Teddy Bears has not quite worked out how they would have hoped, and so it is the right decision to let him go back to the Red Devils.

There is no doubt that the 19-year-old is a promising talent, but he has just not been consistent enough in a Light Blues shirt, and so needs to move on somewhere else.

Nonetheless, Giovanni van Bronckhorst might as well keep him in the squad for now as an option, until his immediate future gets resolved.

In other news, find out what ‘massive blow’ has now emerged for Gers here!

Before even hitting the halfway point of the month, Aston Villa have been very busy with their transfer activities with a loan deal in place for Philippe Coutinho, negotiations underway for the potential signing of Everton’s Lucas Digne, as well as moving Wesley onto another loan deal and saying goodbye to Axel Tuanzebe.

One other thing the Midlands club have done this month is recall young right-back, Kaine Kesler-Hayden, from his loan spell with Swindon Town after joining on loan back in August in his first loan spell away from Villa.

Described as having “serious talent” by Swindon journalist Jonny Leighfield, Kesler-Hayden made a total of 21 appearances for the League Two club in which he managed to score one goal and provide two assists in the process.

Prior to joining Swindon, the 19-year-old had racked up 43 appearances across Villa’s U18 and U23 sides, scoring six goals and providing two assists, as well as making one senior appearance in the first team in their 4-1 FA Cup defeat against Liverpool back in January last year.

Looking ahead to the immediate future and what it could hold for the £225k-rated defender, there’s an argument to be made that another loan deal, possibly to a side higher up the pyramid than Swindon would be a suitable next step for Kesler-Hayden.

However, his last appearance for the League Two side came during their 4-1 defeat against Manchester City in the FA Cup, where Kesler-Hayden, despite the result, managed to put in a solid performance against the reigning Premier League champions that earned him a match rating of 9/10 from Total Swindon.

They said that he “was brilliant in keeping [Gabriel] Jesus quiet and almost raised the roof as much as Swindon’s goal did with his tracking back tackle on Kevin De Bruyne in the 65th minute.”

This shows that despite his young age and lack of Premier League experience, he can still do a good job against tough opposition when given the chance.

If Steven Gerrard suggested that Kesler-Hayden joins the senior squad at Villa Park so that he could learn from some of the senior players around him and get any minutes under his belt that he can, this could be an exciting alternative for the youngster rather than going out on loan again.

Should that happen, then it’s something that could potentially save the club millions in potential future transfer fees this January and beyond.

In other news: Aston Villa “close” to signing “exceptional” £110k-p/w star, Gerrard would love him – opinion