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…

Writing for 90min, journalist Tom Gott has made a claim involving Tottenham and Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij as he shares an interesting update.

The Lowdown: de Vrij edging closer?

As per numerous recent reports, the Netherlands international is certainly a name on the radar of new Spurs boss Antonio Conte as he plots an overhaul at N17.

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De Vrij shined as a ‘key part’ of the Italian’s 2020/2021 Scudetto-winning side and claims over this past month have hinted that both the manager and player could reunite at Spurs.

Calciomercato.it listed the 29-year-old as one of many Serie A stars being watched by Conte whilst Fichajes, perhaps dropping the most exciting rumour of all, believe it is slightly more advanced.

The Spanish outlet say he is edging ‘closer and closer’ to Tottenham as their manager seeks to solve a ‘severe’ problem in the middle of his defence.

The Latest: de Vrij ‘may relish’ Conte link up…

Writing for 90min, sharing news of Newcastle’s newly-found involvement in the saga of de Vrij’s future, has also made a Spurs claim.

The Magpies have apparently been offered the chance to sign him as both Everton and Tottenham continue to eye a move, but Gott believes the latter team could have one crucial attraction for de Vrij.

Indeed, as explained in the piece, Inter’s colossal centre-back ‘may relish’ a reunion with Conte and there’s also the added ‘bonus’ of Spurs not being in a relegation battle when compared to Newcastle.

The Verdict: Get it done?

We believe Tottenham may well be ahead of their Premier League rivals in the race for de Vrij and managing director Fabio Paratici would be remiss not to take full advantage.

The £116,000-per-week star has been labelled a ‘monster’ by former teammate Mauricio whilst pundits from England also hold him in high esteem.

Speaking to Football Insider, former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan branded de Vrij a ‘worldbeater’ who could become a Spurs ‘legend’ alongside Cristian Romero in the centre of defence – even drawing a comparisons to Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen.

An experienced international with plenty of pedigree, having amassed over half a century of caps, the only red herring to a potential deal could be de Vrij’s age.

Some sectors believe he’s valued at around £40 million, a high price to pay for a player nearing his twilight phase and the end of his contract which expires in 2023.

If Tottenham can whittle down de Vrij’s price tag significantly, it’s certainly a move worth making.

In other news: Conte and Spurs gifted January boost in race to sign ‘explosive’ playmaker who wants to move, find out more here.

David Moyes has plenty of decisions to make as his West Ham side kickstart a busy festive period with the visit of Brighton and Hove Albion to the London Stadium this evening.

The Irons have lost back-to-back Premier League matches but have maintained their place in the top-four, for the time being, having been defeated by Wolverhampton Wanderers and defending champions Manchester City in the last two weeks.

It’s their third game in the space of a week and they’ll continue to come thick and fast, with Chelsea at the weekend, Dinamo Zagreb a week Thursday and another four games before Christmas day.

Therefore, the Scot must be considering rotation, especially as he has been dealing with injuries to one key area of the squad but what sort of lineup could we see in east London tonight?

Here’s what Football FanCast are predicting…

There could be four changes from the side that tasted defeat at the Etihad only a few days ago.

In goal, veteran shot-stopper Lukasz Fabianski is expected to maintain his place, with PSG loanee Alphonse Areola only utilised in the cup competitions, though his backline will look a little different.

Aaron Cresswell is a major doubt ahead of kick-off and it’s unlikely that he will be risked, given how many matches are upcoming. Instead, we could see Ben Johnson switch sides and Vladimir Coufal returning at right-back.

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The £18m-rated Czech international, dubbed a “machine” by skipper Mark Noble, has been usurped by the aforementioned academy gem ever since his injury, so this would be a good opportunity to stake a big claim.

Whilst, Craig Dawson may be rested in favour of Issa Diop, who partners fellow compatriot Kurt Zouma in the middle.

Moyes has a massive decision to make on Tomas Soucek amid his poor and inconsistent form struggles. He may well keep his place for now, alongside vice-captain Declan Rice.

Further up the pitch, we’re expecting to see Jarrod Bowen return to the starting XI, with Pablo Fornals occupying the other flank, whilst Said Benrahma could be axed for Manuel Lanzini after the Argentine’s goalscoring impact up in Manchester.

Michail Antonio has also struggled lately, scoring once in eight games, but as their only centre-forward – one that can flick the switch at any time – he should remain up top.

AND in other news, West Ham eye bargain £12m swoop after injury blow…

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.

Leeds United appear to be closing in on bringing former midfielder Ronaldo Vieira back to Elland Road, according to Italian outlet Club Doria 46.

The Lowdown: Vieira’s injury issues

Marcelo Bielsa has a number of his Leeds United players out through injury at this moment in time, including two of his four midfielders in Kalvin Phillips and Jamie Shackleton.

However, Vieira, once labelled as ‘different class’ by Ian Holloway, has also had his injury issues. The 23-year-old made just four Serie A appearances last season due to hamstring and thigh problems and is yet to turn out for Sampdoria during the 2021/22 season.

Despite this, it seems as if he could be about to move back to the Whites, more than three years after he was sold.

The Latest: Vieira ready to return home

Club Doria 46 provided an update regarding Vieira ahead of the January transfer window, which was relayed by Sports Witness on Wednesday.

They claimed that Vieira is ‘ready to return home’, with a move back to Leeds, owned by Andrea Radrizzani, ‘approaching’.

The report adds that Vieira ‘packs his bags’ ahead of a Sampdoria exit, where Leeds ‘awaits him’.

The Verdict: First January signing?

It seems as if Vieira could well become the club’s first signing of 2022 following this update, but it could well be a risky move due to his injury issues over the last 18 months.

Bielsa needs a midfielder who can come in and hit the ground running in the second half of the season, especially with the Whites short on numbers and flirting with relegation.

Leeds will know all about Vieira’s attributes, however, he’s hardly featured over the last two seasons. Adam Forshaw has proven that you can return from a lengthy spell on the sidelines and become a regular in the Premier League, so should Vieira move back to Yorkshire, the Whites will have everything crossed he can stay fit.

In other news: ‘Unbelievable’ Leeds man may now need an operation after injury and could miss 12 games – expert. 

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have ben left slamming the display of Ianis Hagi in their game away at Lyon in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening.

The Romania international was largely an anonymous figure on the pitch, recording fewer touches (30) than his own goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin before being hauled off by Giovanni van Bronckhorst just after the hour mark for Juninho Bacuna (SofaScore).

Hagi failed to record a single shot on target, dribble, key pass, accurate cross or long ball in the entire match, and was also guilty of giving up possession seven times (SofaScore), in what was a frustrating evening individually for the midfield player.

It means that he is yet to score under the new manager, while he has only managed one assist (Transfermarkt), and will no doubt want to improve on his recent performances.

Rangers fans slam Hagi

These members of the Ibrox faithful slammed his performance on Twitter, with one Light Blues supporter even going as far as to claim that he was a ‘let-down’:

“Hagi was a let-down tonight”

Credit: @DefNotJKen

“Hagi angry about coming off he’s been anonymous”

Credit: @redviper84

“Hagi vastly underperforming tonight, great to see rolling subs for a change though”

Credit: @lnheritant

“Hagi has been very poor under Gio so far imo”

Credit: @EveryOtherSatu1

“Hagi and Roofe are terrible footballers. Doing nothing out there tonight.”

Credit: @Robertc_12

“Hagi frustrating yet again.”

Credit: @RABERTO55

In other news, find out what off-field news has Gers gushing here!

Leeds United have made a big impression since ending their 16-year Premier League exile last term, playing an exciting and entertaining brand of football under Marcelo Bielsa’s guidance.

The Whites secured famous victories over Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur while holding Liverpool to a draw, illustrating that they belonged at the highest level of English football once again.

A huge amount of their success was down to the innovative and excellent tactics of renowned manager Marcelo Bielsa, but the players at his disposal also played their part.

And while the existing spine were key to Leeds establishing themselves as a top-flight force, one summer signing played a particularly pivotal role in their ninth-placed finish.

Raphinha arrived from Ligue 1 outfit Stade Rennais via a £17m deal as a relatively unknown talent and made a slow start to life on English shores.

In his first eight league appearances for Leeds, the Brazil international scored just a single goal, albeit the winner in a 1-0 victory over Everton.

However, Raphinha sparked into life over the festive period, going on to bag five more goals and provide nine assists in his subsequent 22 top-flight outings for Bielsa’s charges.

And the South American sensation has taken his game to another level in the opening weeks of the current campaign.

He’s found the back of the net on five occasions in just ten outings for his club and has scored two goals and laid on two assists in four caps for his national team, highlighting his growing influence over proceedings.

Raphinha’s devastating form of late has seen teammate Dan James label him as a “magician”, while his market value risen to a whopping £28.8m less than 18 months on from his switch to Leeds, further illustrating the Yorkshire outfit’s impressive work in securing his services.

Whether the £63,000-per-week versatile forward’s long-term future lies at Elland Road or not remains to be seen, but if he does depart, then Leeds will surely make a healthy profit on their prized asset.

And, in other news…“I don’t think”: Journo drops big update on £38k-p/w gem, it could be fatal for Leeds 

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

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…

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for Juventus star Paulo Dybala upon the expiry of his contract in the summer, but the north London club are waiting on Fabio Paratici to green-light the transfer.

The Lowdown: Dybala’s situation at Juventus

With just a few months remaining on his Juventus contract, the 28-year-old has been at the centre of various transfer rumours amid his negotiations over a new deal with the Turin club.

However, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Argentine failed to agree terms with the Serie A outfit, so the forward is set to leave in the summer.

This has since sparked huge interest in the player, with many clubs across Europe on full alert for the potential signing of the £36m-rated hitman.

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The Latest: Paratici waiting

According to journalist Niccolo Ceccarini (via Sport Witness), Tottenham are ‘at the window’ for Dybala this summer, as he prepares for a move away from Juventus. However, Ceccarini further reported that there will be a ‘phase of waiting’ before the striker makes a decision over his future.

Spurs have been named as one of the most likely suitors, given that Lilywhites chief Paratici was the man to sign Dybala for Juventus.

Alongside Atletico Madrid, Tottenham remain ‘at the window’, which suggests that Paratici is eyeing up a deal from the outside before committing to making a move for the player.

The Verdict: Quality player

Having totalled a sensational 113 goals and 48 assists in 283 appearances for Juventus, Dybala is certainly not short of talent. Hailed by a group of legends – including the likes of Michael Laudrup and Alessandro Del Piero – as a “special” talent, the Argentine’s contract situation will have alerted some of the biggest clubs across Europe to his availability.

With the fact that he will be available on a free transfer, several clubs appear to be lining up to secure the player’s signature. However, the likes of Tottenham may be wary of his salary demands, as he currently earns a staggering £220,000 per week. By comparison, Spurs’ highest earner Harry Kane takes home £200,000 every week.

Either way, the race to sign Dybala will be a hard-fought battle. For Tottenham, it could all come down to whether or not Paratici gives it the go-ahead.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Conte now wants to keep Lucas Moura