All posts by z3u9t.icu

When we think of the greatest moments in Premier League history, the same, legendary voice comes to mind. And that’s Martin Tyler’s.The commentary legend recently hung up his mic at Sky Sports, calling an end to 30 years on the gantry as English football’s main voice. Thankfully, he is not retiring completely, however, which means we could still here his famous “and it’s live” catchphrase elsewhere across football.Though occasionally accused of being biased, Woking FC supporter Tyler remains one of the best commentators that the sport has ever seen.Where there was a big moment, there was a famous Tyler line.Things will certainly take some getting used to without him, that’s for sure, as the puns dwindle away – some, admittedly, better than others – and the veteran’s endless knowledge is no longer heard on Sky Sports.With that said, however, we’ve ranked Tyler’s most iconic moment, including, of course, a certain Manchester City title win.

5 2012: Chelsea leave it late in Champions League final

Ah, yes, the combination of a questionable Gary Neville noise and Tyler simply screaming the name of the goalscorer. That’s what we call an underrated duo.

With Chelsea heading for Champions League final defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich, Didier Drogba, as he often did, rose to the occasion to equalise in the 88th minute. The Blues then went onto famously win their first ever Champions League trophy, defeating Bayern on penalties.

A special moment deserved special commentary, and it was exactly that from Tyler.

4 2009: Macheda’s late winner

It’s almost difficult not to laugh at this one, but it’s Tyler’s voice break which makes it so special, as a 17-year-old Federico Macheda turned and unleashed an inch-perfect effort into the corner to secure a 3-2 win for Manchester United against Aston Villa late on.

It may have been a false dawn for Macheda’s United career, but the moment at Old Trafford remains one of Tyler’s best in the gantry.

3 2012: Ji shocks Manchester City

The only thing better than an underdog victory is when there’s commentary to match the league-wide shock at the result we’ve all just seen.

In 2012, Sunderland shocked the rest of England’s top flight to defeat league leaders Manchester City on New Year’s Day of 2012, with Ji Dong-Won wheeling away in celebration as the clock hit the 93rd minute.

The goal signalled a famous piece of commentary from Tyler, who screamed Ji’s name, before shouting: “He’s round the keeper, and he’s done it!”

2 2015: Welcome to the Premier League, Anthony Martial

There’s not many Premier League debuts better than Anthony Martial’s. The Frenchman introduced himself to the Premier League in style, slaloming past Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel who never really looked like standing a chance, before expertly firing home.

Tyler made sure to give him the welcome he had earned, too, screaming, “ohhhh yes”, before saying: “Welcome to the Premier League, Anthony Martial!”

It’s the kind of moment that can still give you goosebumps, courtesy of Tyler’s legendary line.

1 2012: Aguerooooooooooo

It was always going to be this one, wasn’t it? Quite possibly one of the most famous pieces of commentary in football history, let alone just the Premier League. It’s almost as if Tyler had written the script for the perfect climax to an incredible season, himself.

It feels fitting that it was the gantry legend who had the pleasure of voicing the most iconic moment of all time in the Premier League.

It’s a moment that we could watch again and again.

Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements following another hard-fought Premier League relegation scrap and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Wilfried Gnonto?

Everton are in ongoing talks with Leeds United to sign their winger Wilfried Gnonto according to one journalist.

As per a report, it's claimed that Everton are keen to sign the young talent this summer, however, there is a need to compromise on the price of the player with a €30m (£26m) fee touted elsewhere.

Who would Gnonto replace in the Everton team?

There is no doubt that Sean Dyche will be keen to strengthen his attacking threat at Goodison Park this summer after failing to compete comfortably in the top flight last season.

The Toffees finished 17th with just two points saving them from a drop into the Championship and only Wolverhampton Wanderers scored fewer goals than the Everton side over the 38-game campaign, demonstrating a real need to improve the performances in front of goal.

It was reported by Sky Sports last week that Fulham are keen to sign winger Demarai Gray this summer and with just 12 months remaining on his current contract, it could be a real opportunity for the Merseysiders to cash in and earn a profit on their £1.7m signing, especially if they can secure a deal for Gnonto.

Over 24 Premier League appearances last season, the 19-year-old talent scored two goals, registered four assists and created three big chances, as well as averaging one key pass, 1.2 tackles and four duels won per game.

Coincidentally, Gray has been named as one of the most comparable players to Gnonto over the last 12 months – as per FBref – with the pair boasting a number of similarities.

When comparing the attacking duo's output throughout 2022/23 in the top flight, there are several key attributes that they match up on including shot-creating actions per 90 (3.32 v 3.37), goal contributions (6 v 5), shots on target (33.3% v 38.6%) and pass completion (72.3% v 69.1%).

Despite Leeds' troubles, the teenage sensation has attracted a lot of attention in his breakout season, with former Hibernian striker Tam McManus lavishing praise on the Italy international:

"He just looks like a little pocket rocket. He looks like he has a real low centre of gravity and he looks absolutely tremendous."

With that being said, if Dyche is happy to sanction an exit for Gray this summer then the signing of Gnonto would be a major coup and if the Italian can continue to develop his skills with consistent football at Goodison Park next season, there is no reason why he can't have a huge impact on improving the performances in front of goal.

Tottenham Hotspur have offered Barcelona £4.3 million to sign defender Clement Lenglet and are progressing in talks, according to reports out of Spain.

Who will join Spurs this summer?

Spurs and new manager Ange Postecoglou have their eyes on many targets to reinforce key positions of the squad ahead of what will be a crucial 2022/2023 Premier League season.

The north Londoners, lead by chairman Daniel Levy, reportedly want fresh faces for the goalkeeping area, in central defence, attacking midfield and further forward.

For the former, Tottenham are apparently closing in on a deal for Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, with the Italian potentially coming in as a replacement for long-serving number one Hugo Lloris.

Meanwhile, Postecoglou has also given the green-light for Spurs to sign a new centre-back this summer, with the likes of Max Kilman (Wolves) being linked.

Leicester City star James Maddison is being eyed up for the creative playmaker role and reports suggest Postecoglou is keen on a new forward to replace both Lucas Moura and Arnaut Danjuma.

Going back to centre-back, there has been an update on their efforts, with Tottenham keen to re-sign Lenglet on a permanent deal from Barca – after the club confirmed the end of his loan spell.

According to Spanish news outlet Sport, the Lilywhites have made an offer of around £4.3 million to sign the Frenchman, with the move in "progress" after "contacts" on Wednesday.

Barca and Spurs apparently "advance in the transfer" of Lenglet and Xavi's side would like the deal done before June 30. Tottenham had originally wanted to get him on loan for another year, though with the La Liga champions in favour of a permanent deal, they're now attempting just that.

The issue is Lenglet's high wages, which Spurs are currently trying to work around.

How did Lenglet perform at Spurs?

The 28-year-old made 26 league appearances for Tottenham last season, registering two assists, and even got on the scoresheet in the Champions League.

While Lenglet had his critics, Spurs pundits like John Wenham raved over some of his performances to Football Insider, calling him "very reliable".

"I just wanted to give credit because I think his performance went a little bit under the radar," said Wenham after Lenglet's north London derby performance last year.

"I have been impressed with him so far. The fact he has instantly come in for Ben Davies and we don’t look any weaker, that is a huge credit to him really.

“He’s a new signing to the Premier League, I know he has a lot of experience from Barcelona and with France but he already seems very reliable, like we could drop him in for any fixture.“

Arsenal have been linked to a La Liga gem as Mikel Arteta aims to bolster his squad this summer.

The transfer window officially opened on Wednesday, allowing clubs to manipulate their squads in preparation for the new season in August.

The Gunners have been linked with a host of talent already this summer, with the latest name having the potential to be an upgrade for a star expected to depart.

What’s the latest on Nico Williams to Arsenal?

As reported by 90min earlier this week, Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams is a player of interest for Arsenal.

The report follows the narrative of Aston Villa’s push for the winger, with mention of the Gunners being a club that have ‘appreciated’ the player as well as the understanding that they are ‘keeping close tabs’ on his situation.

The 20-year-old has a release clause of €50m (£43m) in place at his current club.

What could Nico Williams offer to Arsenal?

Lauded as “extremely dangerous” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the Spaniard has excelled since graduating from Athletic's academy in 2021.

Deployed predominantly as a right-winger, Williams could prove to be a huge asset to Arteta’s side in years to come by competing with Arsenal star Bukayo Saka for a starting spot.

While Saka’s form has made his place virtually untouchable, the forward could help implement a higher quality of depth in the squad – forcing Nicolas Pepe even further out of the picture in the process.

The Ivory Coast international spent the past season on loan at OGC Nice, making the switch back to Ligue 1 last summer in a bid to relocate his form.

As reported by Sam Hill via football.london, the 28-year-old is ‘no longer’ in the Spaniard’s plans, with the report of the understanding that Arsenal have made ‘plans’ over the potential termination of his contract.

With the £72m forward looking unlikely to feature for Arsenal again, the club could recruit a worthy replacement in Williams, who has excelled Pepe this season in their respective leagues.

When comparing the two via FBref based on their 2022/23 performances, it’s clear to see that the Gunners could snatch a clear upgrade on the £140k-per-week dud.

The Spaniard averaged 5.90 progressive carries per 90 this campaign, placing him in the top 4% of those in his position across Europe's top 5 leagues, with Pepe averaging just 2.77 per 90 at Nice.

The 20-year-old also excelled in terms of successful take-ons via FBref, averaging 2.81 per 90 to the Ivory Coast international’s 2.05 per 90, highlighting why he has been identified as having significant strengths in dribbling by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

While the two scored the same number of goals with six, Williams has also provided four assists, showing the expansion of his game and level of performance at a tender age.

At just 20 years old, Arsenal could sign a player for the future in the Spaniard, who would undoubtedly be an upgrade on Pepe, who has failed to make things tick in north London.

Celtic are considering a move for Club Brugge assistant manager Rik de Mil, who is admired across Europe, according to a report from Football Scotland.

Who will replace Postecoglou at Celtic?

According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg, Celtic have held "talks" with former Borussia Monchengladbach boss Daniel Farke about the manager's job, with the German "ready to take over a new club" in the near future.

Ex-Leeds boss Jesse Marsch and Manchester City coach Enzo Maresca are also in the frame, as is former manager Brendan Rodgers, although sanctioning his return may be a contentious decision, given his decision to leave and join Leicester City.

The Hoops are also thought to be looking at some options from across the continent, with Red Bull Salzburg's Matthias Jaissle under consideration, while they could also make a move for AZ Alkmaar's Pascal Jansen.

According to a report from Football Scotland, De Mil is now on Celtic's radar, as their search for a new manager goes on, and the Club Brugge assistant is thought of as a serious prospect, who has a promising coaching career ahead of him.

The Belgian has been placed on a long list of potential targets, which indicates the Hoops' interest is not serious at this stage, but he is certainly one of the names under consideration.

It is detailed the 42-year-old has a great deal of admirers within Belgian football, as well as across Europe, and he has recently been linked with a number of other jobs.

Who is Rik de Mil?

The Club Brugge assistant took the reins as first-team manager at the back end of next season, overseeing 12 games in charge, during which time he averaged 1.58 points-per match, with his side eventually finishing fourth in the Belgian Pro League table.

That brief stint in charge was the first time the young manager has taken the reins of the first team since a stint with amateur side KSV Oostkamp nearly eight years ago, but he has impressed in his role with the Brugge youth team.

Lauded as "exemplary" by Ebe Verhaegen of the Belgian Football Association, the coach, who most commonly utilises a 4-2-3-1 formation, has risen through the ranks with Brugge, and he could be ready for his first role in management.

That said, De Mil's lack of experience would make him a very risky appointment for Celtic, and they may be better off appointing a manager who has already proven himself in a previous job.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking ahead to the summer transfer window, with a Brazilian full-back linked in the bid to improve Julen Lopetegui’s defence.

Despite being linked with a host of players, the dominant narrative of Wolves’ expected transfer activity is the pressures surrounding issues of FFP.

It’s expected that Lopetegui will be forced to recruit on a budget this summer, as the difficulties of the Premier League season begin to spill into the break.

What’s the latest on Dodo to Wolves?

As reported by Torcedores, relayed by Sport Witness last week, Wolves are in the picture to sign Fiorentina ace Dodo this summer.

There has since been an update regarding the player’s availability, with his club placing a price tag between €30m and €35m (£26m – £30m) on the defender.

Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb relayed the update of the Brazilian’s price tag with reference to Juventus’ interest in the defender.

What could Dodo bring to Wolves?

While Wolves are expected to face financial shortages this summer, the club are also expected to make a number of sales, which could still allow signings to happen.

One player that has been linked with a move away from the club is Rayan Ait-Nouri, who was rumoured to be “ready to leave” Molineux in December.

The Algerian’s potential departure could assist in freeing up finances and leave a vacancy in defence that could be perfectly filled with Dodo, who despite predominantly being a right-back has featured on the left-hand side in his career before.

According to TuttoMercatoWeb’s report, the Brazilian is 'one of the best' defenders on the flanks in Serie A, making him a worthy investment should Wolves have the ability to spend.

While the full-back’s defensive abilities are praised, the 24-year-old is extremely competent going forward, in qualities that are required to be a recognised full-back in the English game.

As per FBref, Dodo betters Ait-Nouri in a range of attributes going forward from defence, averaging 2.83 progressive carries to the 21-year-old’s 2.51 per 90, showing his strength on the ball and going forward.

A similar pattern is evident in the duo’s impact on goal, most obviously through the Serie A defender’s four goal contributions (one goal and three assists) this season to the Wolves defenders’ single goal.

As highlighted by FBref, the Molineux target averages 2.55 shot-creating actions per 90 in comparison to Ait-Nouri’s 1.92, showcasing his desire to get amongst the goals whether it be through assisting or scoring.

The future of the “sublime” Wolves defender, as praised by analyst Jack Fawcett, remains in doubt, however, the club may not need to fret over his departure should they capture the signing of Dodo.

There is little doubt that the Brazilian wouldn’t fit smoothly into Lopetegui’s plans in the Algerian’s expected absence, however with Italian giants Juventus also eyeing the star, Wolves will need to act quickly.

Crystal Palace are believed to be interested in a sealing a summer reunion with Conor Gallagher, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.

How is Gallagher performing at Chelsea?

The 23-year-old made himself a hero at Selhurst Park over the 2021/2022 season, spending a highly impressive year there on a temporary basis. He scored eight goals and chipped in with three assists, standing out as one of the Eagles' best players, before returning to Chelsea once the campaign reached its conclusion.

While Gallagher will no doubt have hoped to replicate that level of influence in a Blues side, he found himself in and out of the starting lineup throughout the 2022/23 season. While he featured in 35 of Chelsea's 38 Premier League matches, only 18 of them were starts, making it difficult for him to find any kind of rhythm week in, week out.

It could be that the west Londoners are willing to listen to offers for the England international once the summer transfer window opens, with plenty of interest in him from fellow Premier League clubs.

Could Gallagher make Palace return?

According to talkSPORT's Crook, Palace are keen on re-signing Gallagher this summer, but they aren't alone in eyeing up a move for him:

"Gallagher is not believed to have done enough this season to convince the Blues hierarchy that he ill be a part of their long-term plans.

"West Ham, Newcastle and Crystal Palace, where he had a successful loan spell, have all been alerted to the possibility of signing the £40million-rated midfielder."

Gallagher returning to Palace before the start of next season could be a hugely exciting signing, given how popular he was during his loan spell at the club.

It could simply be that he isn't quite at the level required to be a regular starter for a club of Chelsea's stature, but there is no shame in that, instead possessing enough talent to be a star man for a team like the Eagles. He showed that last season, during which time he was described as a "massive player" by then-manager Patrick Vieira, as well as "extraordinary and outstanding" by Thomas Tuchel.

Gallagher himself would surely jump at the chance to potentially rejoin Palace, considering he knows the club well and seemingly had a strong relationship with the fanbase when he was last there, although that may depend on whether a club who can offer European football come in for him instead.

Leeds United on-loan midfielder Weston McKennie is not wanted by Juventus beyond this summer, according to a fresh transfer update.

Has McKennie done well at Leeds?

The American joined the Whites back in the January transfer window, coming in on a temporary basis, but with a permanent move a possibility at the end of the season.

In truth, McKennie has been an underwhelming signing, considering his reputation when he came in, doing little to help Leeds' ongoing struggles in the Premier League. The £49,000-a-week midfielder has made 18 appearances in the competition, 15 of which have been starts, but no goals and just one assist have come his way, and his all-round influence in the middle of the park has been lacking, ranking as the club's 18th best performer, as per WhoScored.

The 24-year-old's future is now up in the air, with a new claim emerging over his future that doesn't necessarily bode well for him moving forward.

What does the future hold for McKennie?

According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via Sport Witness], McKennie "must absolutely be sold" by Juventus this summer, with the Serie A giants not seeing a future for him, despite racking up 96 appearances for them in the past. Arthur and Denis Zakaria are in the same boat, with Juve wanting to get a number of fringe players off their wage bill.

The report also states that Leeds are unlikely to retain the USA international's services, with the midfielder highly unlikely to want to be playing Championship football next season, assuming the Whites are relegated from the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

In truth, McKennie has done nowhere near enough to justify Leeds keeping him on, even if he wanted to stay, with his performances so disappointing overall. He has enjoyed nowhere near the influence of Tyler Adams, with his compatriot's absence through injury in recent months an enormous blow.

While it was hoped that McKennie could fill the void left by him – Clint Dempsey has called him "dangerous" in the past – he has generally been unnoticeable and not had the impact so many thought he would, averaging just 0.2 blocks per game and playing just 0.7 key passes per match.

For that reason, the idea of him not joining the Whites permanently may not be seen as a great loss, and he could be looked back on as a poor addition, unless he manages to perform some heroics against Tottenham this weekend, playing a part in Leeds pulling off a miraculous escape act on the final day.

TalkSport pundit Jamie O'Hara has claimed that "a lot of billionaires" will want to buy Tottenham Hotspur if they are put up for sale.

What's the latest Spurs takeover news?

It was a terrible final home game of the season for Spurs on Saturday as they were comfortably beaten 3-1 by Brentford in the Premier League.

This means, the campaign will see Tottenham end without any trophies yet again, while the club don't even have a permanent manager or a sporting director in charge.

It certainly is a mess in North London right now and fans have been furious with ENIC and chairman Daniel Levy for some time, protesting against the ​​​​​​ownership set-up with growing regularity.

However, there is no guarantee that they would be bought by someone who would do a better job of running the club if Tottenham was put up for sale.

Even so, while talking about it all on TalkSport, former player O'Hara insisted there would be no shortage of offers for the Premier League asset if ENIC did opt to sell.

He explained: “I can assure you now if Tottenham went up for sale properly – and Joe Lewis did come out and say we're going to sell the football club – there'd be a lot of billionaires who would want to buy it.

"Are you joking? You've got concerts? You've got Formula One there. You've got NFL matches there. It's one of the most sought-after stadiums in the world."

Who wants to buy Spurs?

It's notable that O'Hara doesn't call upon any footballing achievements when listing while the football club would be a good asset for any prospective buyers.

To be fair to him, though the new stadium is a great venue, with deals struck to host music concerts, boxing and rugby in London N17. And the club have even, somewhat spuriously, estimated that 5.9bn people globally will be interested in events held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

However, even if it is a potentially attractive asset, as we've learnt with the saga that has developed after the Glazer family put Manchester United on the market this season, it wouldn't be simple to get ENIC out and someone else (someone better) in charge.

Still, there may already be a leading candidate to takeover Spurs with Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi – chair of MSP Sports Capital – reportedly working with a consortium ahead of a possible £3b takeover in the near future.

It will certainly be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Adama Traore.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist and transfer insider revealed that Barcelona have no intention of activating their €30m (£25m) option to purchase the Wolverhampton Wanderers winger, meaning the 26-year-old is set to return to Molineux at the end of the current campaign – before potentially being moved on once again by Bruno Lage this summer.

In a further report, The Express claim that this development will come as a boost to Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici, as Spurs attempted to sign the Spain international in the January transfer window, and now appear to have a free run at the forward in the summer market – with it being said a move by Tottenham looks likely ahead of 2022/23.

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

In his tweet, Romano said: “Barcelona have no intention to pay €30m buy option for Adama Traore. The only way to keep him has always been a swap deal, with no money included in the negotiation with Wolves. As of today, there are chances for Adama to come back at Wolves and then leave again.”

Conte will be buzzing

While it is true that Traore’s return to Barcelona has not exactly gone as the winger would have hoped – having started just three of his nine LaLiga appearances for Xavi’s side – the news that Tottenham could have a second chance of landing the Spaniard this summer is sure to have left Conte buzzing.

Indeed, it was widely reported that the Italian had hoped to convert the forward into a right wing-back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and it is easy to see why the Spurs boss believed the £25.2m-rated talent would be suitable for this role.

According to FBref statistics, the £46k-per-week attacker ranks in the top 1% of wingers in Europe’s big five leagues for dribbles completed per 90 minutes, as well as the top 4% for progressive carries, the top 12% for touches in the opposition penalty area, the top 23% for shot-creating actions and the top 29% for aerial duels won over the last 365 days.

As such, it is clear that, if deployed on the right of a back five, Traore’s ability to progress the ball from defence to attack would be a huge weapon for Tottenham when counter-attacking – something that is undoubtedly one of the main reasons for Conte’s interest in the player Jurgen Klopp dubbed “unplayable” this summer.

And, following Romano’s latest update on the winger’s future, it would appear as if Conte and Paratici now have a second chance to land the eight-time capped international, something that is sure to please the Italian.

AND in other news: Paratici plotting £40m Spurs bid for £70k-p/w target, he’d be a “monster” for Conte