All posts by z3u9t.icu

According to Corriere dello Sport (via Lazio News 24), West Ham are interested in signing Joaquin Correa from Lazio this summer.

The Lowdown: West Ham prepare for Europa League

Last season was a magnificent one for the Hammers as they finished in sixth place in the table, meaning they qualified for the group stages of the Europa League.

As such, they will need to get their squad ready for the continental competition, and that is likely to mean new arrivals at the London Stadium.

The Latest: Hammers eye Correa

It is being reported that David Moyes and co are interested in signing Correa from Serie A outfit Lazio.

The 26-year-old is also being targeted by Everton, with the Biancocelesti said to be looking for a fee of €30m (£25.8m) for his services, according to Corriere dello Sport (via Lazio News 24).

The Verdict: Interesting option

Correa has been a solid option for Lazio since making the move there from Sevilla. In 117 games for the Biancocelesti, he has racked up 30 goals and 18 assists (Transfermarkt), highlighting his attacking threat. In 2020/21, he managed 11 goals and six assists as the Rome-based outfit competed in the Champions League.

Correa’s versatility may also be something which interests Moyes. He can play anywhere across the front line, while he has even been known to play slightly deeper in left or right midfield (Transfermarkt).

Given his relatively young age, the sum demanded does not appear to be too high, although that may depend on who else the Irons would like to bring in.

In other news, many West Ham fans want the club to sign this 29-year-old striker.

At long last, Celtic supporters can crawl into hibernation and hide for the next few months.

Their long gruelling campaign has come to a close with little fight from the Hoops, drawing their final game 0-0 in a match that typified their woeful season.

This has been a shambolic term from start to finish for the Bhoys as they failed to lift silverware for the first time in a decade.

You can blame Peter Lawwell for the appointment of Neil Lennon or you can blame Nick Hammond for his shoddy transfer policy.

Whatever way you look at it, negativity has found a way to engulf Paradise. Celtic’s home hasn’t lived up to its name this season, housing languid football and toxic protests.

That said, there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Eddie Howe looks set to arrive as the next Celtic boss and with him, he’ll bring a number of new coaches with fresh and vibrant ideas.

After all, the backroom staff he hopes to bring in has been part of a Bournemouth team who have earned a place in the Championship play-offs.

Howe had great success at Bournemouth, a stint that embodied a Football Manager simulation in the real world. He took the Cherries from League Two to the Premier League and then managed to sustain their top-flight status for five years.

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Playing an aesthetically pleasing brand of football, the south coast side liked to play with the ball on the deck and with lots of possession.

By doing so, the 43-year-old manager developed Nathan Ake into one of the eye-catching central defenders in England.

Previously of Chelsea, the Dutchman found a home for himself under Howe, developing astutely before Manchester City paid £40m for him last summer.

Ake was a key cog in the machine at the Vitality Stadium, playing out from the back and starting attacks with his incisive passing. During his final season with Bournemouth, he completed over 87% of his passes, a number that’s only improved since joining the Premier League Champions.

At Man City this term, the defender has completed 93.1% of his passes; a particularly impressive number.

With that in mind, it wouldn’t be a great surprise if Howe wanted his defenders to play out from the back at Celtic.

This would be perfect for Kristoffer Ajer, someone who registered a pass success rate of 97% against Hibernian last weekend. It would also be ideal for the Norwegian’s protégé; Leo Hjelde.

Dubbed the next Virgil van Dijk by Ross County boss John Hughes, the 17-year-old has caught the eye while on loan at Dingwall during the second half of the season.

He is a special talent, a player that Howe simply has to turn to if he’s handed the reins at Paradise.

Hjelde is a centre-back by trade and plays in a very similar way to Ajer, pressing relentlessly and marauding forward.

Speaking earlier this season, the teenager commented: “Kristoffer is a very good player and he had the same career path like me too.”

He added: “I like to be on the ball and try to create things too but my main priority always has to be defending. I keep in contact with him still. He has been very good to me and he still gets in touch and gives me advice.”

With this in mind, Howe would be foolish not to unleash him at Parkhead next season.

His style of football and the way he developed a promising centre half like Ake suggests he could turn Hjelde into something special too.

In the words of Hughes, he’s got a “massive future.” Celtic need to nurture him and ensure he lives up to the Van Dijk billing.

AND in other news, Celtic can axe Griffiths by landing “terrific” 18-goal gem, he once embarrassed Bitton…

Sheffield United’s hopes of signing Ryan Gauld this summer have taken a blow after it was revealed that SC Farense have triggered an extension in his contract, meaning he won’t be available on a free transfer as initially thought.

According to TEAMtalk, a number of Premier League and Championship clubs including Sheffield United are considering a move for the former Dundee United youngster this summer.

It had appeared as if the 25-year-old would be free to join any interested side on a Bosman transfer but it has been reported by Portuguese news outlet O Jogo that SC Farense had an option to extend his contract by another year, which they have unsurprisingly triggered ahead of the summer.

However, it still seems extremely likely that Gauld will depart considering Farense were relegated from the Portuguese top-flight this season, with the report from O Jogo suggesting that his release clause is just €4m (£3.5m).

Gauld moved from Dundee United to Sporting Lisbon when he was 18-years-old and whilst things wouldn’t work out for the youngster at Estadio José Alvalade, as he made just five appearances, he has emphasised his quality during his time with Farense.

In 71 appearances for the Lions of Faro, the Scottish midfielder has contributed  20 goals and 12 assists, so it is easy to see why he is attracting interest from the Premier League.

His performances this season were particularly impressive, as he managed nine goals and seven assists in 33 league appearances, helping him earn a superb 7.19 rating from WhoScored.

Given that Sheffield United were the lowest scorers in the Premier League this season with a shocking 20 goals in 38 league fixtures, it is clear that they will need to add some serious attacking quality this summer if they want to secure an immediate return to the top-flight and Gauld could have been the perfect link between midfield and attack.

Unfortunately, now that the “fantastic” 25-year-old is not available on a free transfer, it will be much harder for Blades sporting director Jan van Winckel to do a deal for Gauld this summer, which is a big blow to their hopes of improving the squad ahead of next season.

And, in other news… Sheffield United handed huge boost with “shining light”, Blades fans will be buzzing

Get German Football News editor-in-chief Daniel Pinder believes that RB Leipzig star Marcel Sabitzer would be an excellent signing for Tottenham Hotspur, and has told Football FanCast that he could be a long-term replacement for Christian Eriksen.

Spurs sold Eriksen to Inter Milan in January of last season, banking £16.9m as his contract ran down, but they have yet to truly replace the Denmark international.

The signings of Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele have helped add some guile and hard-running to the midfield but neither of the players are genuine playmakers, as Eriksen was.

Spurs have been heavily linked with a move to sign Sabitzer from RB Leipzig, with the player capable of playing in a wide variety of roles, and Bild, via Sport Witness, report that he’d cost them €42m (£35m).

This season, he has scored seven goals and laid on three assists in 24 appearances in the Bundesliga and Pinder, who is the editor of Get German Football News, thinks he would be a worthy successor to Eriksen.

Indeed, he believes that, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg already in the midfield, he could form an excellent partnership with the Denmark international.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Pinder said: “I think he’d bring a lot to Tottenham. He’s very similar to Christian Eriksen, he’s that sort of player that Spurs have been missing in midfield.

“During his time at Leipzig, Sabitzer played much further forward but this season he’s played deeper, been creating from deep but with that, he’s very versatile, whether it’s central midfield, attacking midfield, winger, he’s even played striker this season, so I think for Spurs he’d be an excellent signing.

“I think he’d slot straight into that starting XI, and alongside players like Hojbjerg I think that partnership could be a decent pairing in the middle.”

In total, Sabitzer has scored 51 goals and laid on 41 assists in 222 appearances.

Derby County have been handed a huge financial blow following the EFL’s verdict regarding Richard Keogh’s compensation claim.

What’s the latest?

According to a report by The Guardian, Derby will have to pay their former defender £2.3 million after the 34-year-old won both of his appeals to the EFL’s Player Related Dispute Commission and the League Appeals’ Committee regarding his unfair dismissal by Derby for gross misconduct.

An EFL statement read: “The LAC has heard and dismissed an appeal under the regulations of the EFL by Derby against the decision of the PRDC in the case of Richard Keogh. The PDRC held that Mr Keogh had not committed gross misconduct, that he had not brought the club into serious disrepute and that he had been wrongly dismissed by the club.”

Morris disaster

The news regarding Keogh is the latest in a series of blows that fans of Derby have seen their side endure this season, with the club having a miserable Championship campaign on the pitch, seeing the proposed takeover by the Bin Zayed International group fall through and witnessing a second takeover attempt, this time by Spanish football agent Erik Alonso, appearing to also be on the brink of collapse.

Furthermore, it has also been reported that Mel Morris is personally paying the Derby County playing staff’s £1.2 million monthly wages as a result of the club’s dire financial situation.

As such, the fact that the club now owe Keogh a further £2.3 million due to his unfair dismissal is only going to cause more disruption to the running of the Rams – and is something that is likely to leave Wayne Rooney livid, as the money paid to the defender – which is due to a direct result of Morris’ error of judgement – could have been spent on improving the 35-year-old’s squad in the summer transfer window.

All in all, it really has been a miserable season for the Pride Park faithful, who will surely be hoping that their club can sort themselves out in the boardroom, which, in turn, could help the side get back on track on the pitch – although this seems a long way off as things currently stand.

In other news: Alan Nixon delivers encouraging Derby County update, fans will surely be buzzing – opinion

Celtic’s search for a new manager has taken on an exciting lease of life over the last week or so with the Bhoys really stepping up their hunt to replace Neil Lennon.

A number of managers have been touted with taking over but there is one name that’s now seemingly at the top of their list.

What’s the word?

Journalist Alan Nixon reported earlier this week that Eddie Howe was a serious candidate to become Celtic’s new manager.

That information has now also been reported by The Scottish Sun. They claim that Howe is indeed in the frame to take over, but they have also revealed the 43-year-old’s stance on heading to Parkhead.

They state that the former Bournemouth boss is seriously interested in succeeding Lennon in Glasgow.

Howe has even started his own due-diligence on the behind-the-scenes structure of the club and has sounded out contacts within the game who have close ties to Celtic.

Having sought advice from those connections, he is ready to return to management and become the new Bhoys manager.

Fantastic news for Celtic

Over the last week or so the Hoops hierarchy haven’t particularly had an easy time of it when trying to find Lennon’s replacement.

Jesse Marsch has been ruled out of the running to come to Scotland while Chris Wilder is facing pay-off issues and interest from Burnley.

As for Roy Keane, he now looks less likely to arrive after seemingly being the favourite a week ago.

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However, they have received a few boosts in the last few days with Lucien Favre and now Howe reportedly interested in becoming the next Celtic boss.

If those two names are at the forefront of Dermot Desmond’s thinking then fans should be completely delighted. Celtic podcaster Paul John Dykes revealed last week that Keane’s potential arrival had gone down like a led balloon among the supporters.

However, Favre and Howe have achieved a lot more and they’ve also not had ten years away from management.

Favre had a win rate of 61.82% before losing his job with Borussia Dortmund in December while Howe’s achievements make for impressive reading.

In two separate spells, he took Bournemouth from League Two to the Premier League, cementing themselves in England’s top-flight.

He is meticulous on the training ground and is known for developing and using young domestic talent; something that would undoubtedly benefit the Hoops.

Should Desmond bring him to Parkhead, he’d be a brilliant appointment, one who could breathe fresh life into a decrepit think tank.

AND in other news, Celtic could land Kenny upgrade in 32 y/o who’s “up there as a captain with Maldini”…

Everton have a decision to make regarding Jonjoe Kenny’s future at Goodison Park as the defender nears the final year of his contract.

The Toffees had sought to sell their academy product in January but failed to find a suitor willing to spend £10m, with Burnley claimed to have baulked at paying out big on a player who was not a part of Carlo Ancelotti’s plans.

Kenny eventually sealed a last-ditch loan to Celtic where he has proven to be a pillar of the Hoops backline, but his efforts have failed to see a rise in the 24-year-old’s TransferMarkt valuation which has plummeted by 41% over the past 16 months.

Riding high on a wave of form with Bundesliga outfit FC Schalke 04 during a loan spell at the Veltins Arena last season, the reputable transfer market analysis website graded Kenny at a value of £10.8m in December 2019.

It was the highest that Kenny had ever been valued at throughout his career with a previous best while on Merseyside of £4.5m, and remains a personal high having hit a rapid decline in the year that followed.

By the end of his time in Germany, Kenny’s value had already fallen to £8.5m and continued to drop to its current fee of £6.3m in the subsequent months in line with Ancelotti looking elsewhere in his squad for his first-choice right-back.

Even when Seamus Coleman was unavailable, Ancelotti often turned to Mason Holgate – a natural centre-back – to slot in and even awarded minutes to midfielders Tom Davies and Alex Iwobi in the role.

It meant that Kenny joined Celtic having only played 313 minutes over eight appearances in all competitions this season, while starting just four of his outings – one of which in the Premier League coming between ankle and knee injuries.

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Game time has not been an issue for Kenny to secure at Parkhead with 11 outings to his name already, having not missed a single fixture, and he is keen to now use that platform as a chance to settle down at one club.

“Personally, I haven’t heard anything about my future. There are a lot of games to go and things to sort out. I just want to take it week-by-week,” he said, via quotes by the Glasgow Times.

“I’ve got to stay focus on what I’ve got to do, which is performing to the maximum of my ability every week. I think I’ve done okay on my loan spells. I’ve been to some great places and enjoyed it and had some good seasons.

“But as a player you want to have a home for the long-term, wherever that may be. I want to get the head down and really push on. The discussions will go on, but I need to go out and perform.”

It is unlikely that Kenny will find his long-term future at Everton and his desires of finding that home could now put suitors on alert, giving the Toffees’ Director of Football Marcel Brands room to work with and avoid losing the right-back on a Bosman deal next year.

Celtic pundit Colin Watt may have claimed Kenny has been “very impressive” in the Premiership, but Ancelotti clearly did not see enough from the defender during his time at Goodison Park and now has eyes on a host of alternatives.

Reports by the Daily Mail have also suggested that the Liverpudlian is expected to be moved on in the summer in what is surely a must, for a player whose value will only continue to dwindle the longer he remains under contract.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands could deliver Everton’s own Virgil van Dijk with £17.5m summer swoop…

Mike Ashley must block Steve Bruce from awarding Dwight Gayle a new contract as the striker is stealing a living at Newcastle United.

Gayle is one of six first-team players who are due to become free agents at the end of the season, at a time when funds for new signings are expected to be limited.

Newcastle could be left with a daunting summer if too many of those walk out the door as replacements would have to be sought, making new deals a key order of business.

Bruce revealed last month that talks were still “ongoing” with Gayle, Andy Carroll, Jacob Murphy and Federico Fernandez over new terms, but no player is yet to put pen to paper.

Gayle’s situation has long been a point of focus for Bruce, with the United boss declaring in December that the club would “do everything we can” to keep him at St. James’ Park.

Since then, little progress has been made and Gayle’s impact on the pitch has often been questionable, when the £40,000-per-week attacker has managed to get on the field.

Gayle has only started two Premier League fixtures all season with opening calls against Chelsea and Aston Villa in the past five weeks, while left an unused substitute on seven occasions and missing 10 games through injury.

His uncertain future has already begun to attract interest with Galatasaray linked with a potential move to reunite the 31-year-old with DeAndre Yedlin, while clubs in Qatar and Saudi Arabia are also said to be monitoring developments.

Championship outfits are thought to be keen if Gayle hits the market for free, as well, which should be how the forward’s time on Tyneside meets its end.

Gayle has now been a Newcastle player for five years after joining the club in a £10m deal with Crystal Palace in 2016, but has rarely shown top-flight skill in black-and-white.

In 66 games over three Premier League seasons, Gayle has only struck 11 goals with six coming in the 2017/18 campaign and four last term.

His only goal of the current season came against West Bromwich Albion in December, in what was his first appearance of the term after entering the action as a second-half substitute.

For that goal to steal three points against the Baggies, the Toon have effectively paid just over £1m in wages, with it now 27 weeks since Newcastle’s season began with a 2-0 win at West Ham.

Gayle’s £40k-p/w contract also breaks down to £540,000 a start, £98,000 per appearance or £3,500 a minute in the Premier League this season, and the £4.5m-rated dud is set to make a further £560,000 with 14 weeks remaining on his current terms.

With all that in mind, Newcastle should scrub their hands of the London-born forward and look to go their separate ways, as Gayle – who reportedly stormed down the tunnel at the full-time whistle against Brighton on Saturday – would only continue to steal a living next season.

AND in other news, Newcastle are ready to bring a “special” talent back to St. James’ for eight-times what they sold him for…

Frank McAvennie has exclusively told Football FanCast that Celtic’s failure to sign a goalkeeper cost them the chance of winning 10 in a row.

In each of the previous eight seasons, the Hoops have had either Craig Gordon or Fraser Forster as their main shotstopper, but the latter’s loan deal expired last summer, whilst Gordon rejected a new contract offer before joining Hearts.

Celtic did bring in AEK Athens goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas, leaving Scott Bain and youngster Conor Hazard to compete for the number two spot.

But Barkas and Bain have both been in and out the team, whilst Northern Ireland international Hazard enjoyed a brief spell in the side around Christmas when Bain was injured.

McAvennie revealed that Celtic did try and bring Forster back to Paradise, although the England shotstopper ended up staying with parent-club Southampton, where he’s started three of their previous four Premier League matches.

And the former Hoops striker admitted that not replacing Forster allowed Rangers to cruise to their first league title since 2011.

He told Football FanCast: “I think they wanted him in the summer and he wouldn’t come. So I don’t know if the fans would be too happy about it.

I think that was the biggest problem going for 10, they didn’t have a goalkeeper. Somebody went out and bought Barkas, but no disrespect to the boy, he’s not good enough for Celtic. And Bain has not done it, he’s not brave enough.

“Look at what Allan McGregor has done for Rangers, he’s basically won the league for them, and I’m not being disrespectful to the rest of the players.

“But Forster won the league for Celtic last season, he won the cup – they were battered by Rangers and Celtic won it 1-0. When you have got a good goalkeeper, that’s what happens. He was worth the money, I don’t know why they didn’t spent it.”

Celtic’s defensive issues have been a major reason for their struggles this season. The managerless Hoops have already conceded more than they shipped throughout the previous two campaigns, not helped by the amount of chopping and changing between the sticks.

According to a report by ‘transfer insider’ Dean Jones, writing for Eurosport, West Ham and Southampton have both tentatively enquired over Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham – coming after recent reports suggested that he was on GSB’s radar (ExWHUemployee).

Abraham, who is currently at the centre of a contract debacle at the west London club, with Chelsea apparently unwilling to match his wage requests following recent discussions (ExWHUemployee), could leave Stamford Bridge this summer.

West Ham have made tentative Abraham enquiry

Jones, writing for Eurosport, has followed on from these claims by offering an update – with West Ham having tentatively enquired about his availability along with Southampton.

Building on the reported interest in Abraham, while there has been nothing ‘concrete’ according to Jones, the Hammers are one of only two clubs to enquire over his potential availability.

However, given he is demanding around £120,000-per-week, he could become West Ham’s highest earner if he were to make the move to east London.

Transfer Tavern take

GSB failed to replace Sebastien Haller when he left at the start of January, with the summer window coming as an opportunity to supply much needed strength in depth.

Time will tell who West Ham turn to, but these recent claims indicate Abraham has emerged as a candidate.

Rio Ferdinand once labelled him ‘Drogba-esque’ for a brilliant piece of skill in the Champions League against Lille (BT Sport via the Sun), and if West Ham do end up signing him, Irons supporters may hold hope he can replicate that kind of form.

In other news: West Ham lead the race for this highly rated defender, find out more here.