All posts by n8rngtd.top

Some Manchester City fans are unhappy after it was revealed that there is a real possibility Harry Kane could join the Citizens for a fee over £100m.

Last week, Kane dropped a bombshell when he revealed he wanted to leave Tottenham this summer (Sky Sports). Other than a few loan spells, the England international has spent his whole career with Spurs, but he has failed to win a single trophy despite scoring over 200 goals for the club (Transfermarkt).

The news of Kane’s desire to leave has attracted plenty of interest from across the Premier League, including City. According to journalist Ian Cheeseman, Kane leaving Spurs and making the move to the Etihad Stadium for a fee of over £100m is a real possibility.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts but, although this indicates City could get their hands on a world-class striker, many fans felt the potential fee is too high.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Kane news below

“Noo”

Credit: @STERLINGRAZZ7

“Suddenly I don’t like this transfer”

Credit: @cancelo27

“Yeah we’ll pass”

Credit: @its_comando

“No”

Credit: @mohamedamiin2

“NO WAY! Better spend money on Haaland any day!”

Credit: @imshaant

“We are idiots if we pay more than £80m for him. But we are idiots in transfer fees. Our negotiation power is really low”

Credit: @Owaiskhan072

In other news, Man City fans are livid at this Raheem Sterling news.

BBC reporter Kheredine Idessane has shared details on Celtic’s breakdown in talks with Eddie Howe.

The Lowdown: Howe move collapses

It’s safe to say that Friday was a dramatic day in Celtic’s search for a new manager. Stephen McGowan of the Daily Mail was the first to break the news of a deal falling through for Howe, with Celtic later confirming that the Englishman won’t take over at Parkhead.

John Percy of The Telegraph claimed on Friday evening that Australian coach Ange Postecoglou, currently in charge of Japanese club Yokohama F. Marinos, is now closing in on taking over at Parkhead.

The Latest: Idessane shares details

Shortly after the news came out regarding Howe, Idessane took to Twitter to share his information on a move falling through.

The BBC reporter admitted that Howe would have been handed the chance to lead a complete restructure in Glasgow, but ultimately a move didn’t go through due to backroom staff issues. The journalist explained:

“More on the Celtic story; my information is that Eddie Howe had been given free reign to do a complete restructure @CelticFC and they thought they had their man. But he eventually turned it down because it wasn’t possible to assemble the team of back room staff he wanted.”

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The Verdict: A total calamity

In our view, the last week or so has been a total disaster for the Celtic board.

Howe always wanted to bring some members of staff from his previous employers Bournemouth with him to Scotland, and the chances of that happening appeared to be boosted following the Cherries’ Championship play-off exit last weekend.

However, for whatever reason, Howe has now turned down the chance to take over at Parkhead. They first met him at the beginning of April, so really it’s close to two months of communication being completely wasted, with less than that length of time until the Hoops are in Champions League qualifying action in July.

It appears as if Postecoglou will now be their manager, and hopefully the club has done their research on the 55-year-old as they would have with Howe before that move collapsed.

In other news: Celtic closing in on deal for ‘massive’ Hoops fan, find out more here. 

Manchester City’s hopes of signing Atalanta left-back Robin Gosens this summer have taken a blow after Barcelona joined the race to sign the German defender.

Man City have regularly been linked with the 26-year-old ahead of the upcoming transfer window and the latest report from Spanish news outlet Sport claims that he has now attracted the interest of La Liga giants Barcelona.

Ronald Koeman’s side look set to sell back-up left-back Junior Firpo this summer and need a suitable long-term replacement for Jordi Alba, who has maintained a starting spot at the Nou Camp this season but will turn 33 next year.

Gosens could be the ideal fit with the Catalan side, considering he is very much an attacking left-back, who can also feature in midfield, which would suit Barcelona’s long-standing style of attacking full-backs in the mould of Alba and Dani Alves.

However, his performances this season have been sensational at times and he could also prove to be an excellent addition to Pep Guardiola’s side, especially as left-back is one area in which the Citizens could definitely add some more depth.

Whilst Oleksandr Zinchenko has performed extremely well in recent weeks, and Joao Cancelo has performed well as an inverted wing-back at times this season, they both feel like short-term solutions in that position.

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The Atalanta star could be the man to replace Benjamin Mendy in this City side, with his various injury problems meaning he is no longer the player he once was, which has left the Citizens missing a marauding natural left-back such as Gosens.

The most recent season in Serie A saw the former Heracles Almelo man contribute a superb 11 goals and six assists in 32 appearances, averaging an excellent 7.19 rating from WhoScored.

He was similarly impressive last season, scoring nine and assisting eight in 34 appearances in Italy’s top-flight, so it was perhaps no surprise when former Lazio defender Roberto Cravero suggested that he had a “better” season than Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, despite the Englishman being pivotal to the Merseyside outfit’s first Premier League title.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936″]

If the German could match the Liverpool man’s form in the Premier League with City, then he would surely prove to be an excellent addition to Guardiola’s side this summer, so it is unfortunate, therefore, that Barcelona have now entered the race to sign the £31.5m-rated defender, as it may prove to be a major blow to City’s chances of bringing him to the Etihad.

And, in other news… Man City massively missed out on £36m-rated PL beast, Pep dubbed him “one of the best”

Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Burnley striker Chris Wood in recent days.

And, as to be expected, plenty of Aston Villa fans have been reacting to the links on social media.

According to Football Insider, who have been informed by a recruitment source, Villa are one of three Premier League clubs who finished in the top 12 keeping an eye on the 29-year-old.

Burnley would demand a fee of around £30m-plus for Wood, although they would hope that could rise to £40m with a possible bidding war.

Wood netted eight times in the last 11 games of the 2020/21 campaign for the Clarets, and it seems as if that form has caught the eye of Villa.

Villa fans react

Football Insider shared the news on their Twitter page on Tuesday lunchtime, and it didn’t take long for a number of Villa supporters to share their views.

It’s safe to say these Villa fans weren’t happy with the links, with one describing it as ‘ridiculous’.

“I don’t know what’s worse, the supposed 30m or ‘bidding war’…. think it’s safe to say he will remain a Burnley player, especially if they are holding out for more than 5m”

Credit: @Matt_21_Sully

“Football Insider is nonsense and guesses at the best of times but this is just ridiculous. He’s worth half that and turns 30 this year. “bidding war”. Behave yourselves. All credibility fully gone.”

Credit: @swabraUTV

“LOL”

Credit: @BOOMBEEF

“lost any bit of respect you had with a headline like this! Someone has left their phone on the table at the pub! 40 mill for Chris Wood”

Credit: @RattyAVFC

“Makes no sense for Villa as good a player as he is. Put the stirring spoon down.”

Credit: @PeterStevens82

“Hahahaha, never”

Credit: @krh944

“What you lying for?”

Credit: @wst1975

In other news: Many fans slam Tyrone Mings, find out more here. 

Tottenham Hotspur legend Graham Roberts insists that Mauricio Pochettino must be backed in the transfer market if he does return to the club.

The Athletic previously reported that the two parties were in talks over the Argentine making a sensational comeback to north London, and it remains to be seen if they will go back to him after talks with frontrunner Antonio Conte stalled.

Football.London’s Spurs correspondent, Alasdair Gold, has reported that Pochettino has told PSG that he wants to move back to Spurs, though the deal remains a complicated one for chairman Daniel Levy to pull off.

Pochettino spent five years in total at Spurs before his sacking in November 2019, guiding the club to two Premier League title challenges and the Champions League final.

He never managed to win a trophy at the club but Roberts believes that the only thing that stopped the club getting over the line was a lack of investment.

Indeed, under Pochettino, Spurs went an entire summer without signing a first-team player.

And Roberts says that the club need to give him a significant amount of backing if they are to thrive under Pochettino’s management.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he was asked if he were the ideal target and replied: “He is for Tottenham fans. They’ve seen what he’s done. Now the club have to back him and I know I’m saying it again, but it’s a four or five-year plan again.

“It took him five years to get us to the Champions League final but the thing about it was, he played away from the stadium for two, three years.

“You can’t do that, you have to give him the ammunition and the club have to back him now.

“If they’re going to bring him back, they have to back him and they have to make sure it’s the players that he wants, we need a lot of energy in the team so I’m sure he’ll be working on that side of it.”

Paul Robinson has dropped a big Everton manager claim involving Duncan Ferguson.

The Lowdown: Ferguson wants Everton job

As per The Sun, Ferguson has turned down a job at Real Madrid alongside Carlo Ancelotti because he wants to become the next permanent boss at Goodison Park.

The 49-year-old thinks that he is ready to make the step up, and hopes that Farhad Moshiri will pick him, as he has also lined up old teammate Lee Carsley as his new number two if he gets the job.

The Latest: Robinson on Ferguson

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson, who is now a pundit after building a football career playing in the Premier League and for England at international level, does not think that Ferguson stands a chance of becoming the next coach at the Merseyside club, and claims that they will want to hire a proven manager instead:

“I thinks there’s no chance, to be honest.

“They had the opportunity to give it to him before but they chose to go with Ancelotti instead. The direction Everton are going they will want a top-level proven manager to come in.

“Duncan Ferguson is so passionate about the club and I do not think any Everton fans would be disappointed if he was to be appointed but the way the direction the board have taken the club recently I just cannot see them hiring him.

“At the end of the day though, Duncan Ferguson loves that club so much that he would probably rather be on the coaching staff there than at Real Madrid.” 

The Verdict: Everton must avoid Ferguson

Even though it would be a sentimental appointment that may go down very well with a lot of the Toffees fanbase, the Blues must avoid hiring Ferguson as their next permanent manager.

He has very little managerial experience, only taking charge of a mere four matches as interim coach right before Ancelotti came in, and so the job is too big for him at this stage in his career – perhaps we could revisit this one further down the line when he has other experience under his belt.

The Blues have been linked with other managers with much more experience and at a higher level, namely Christophe Galtier, who snatched a Ligue 1 title win off the hands of the previously dominant PSG with LOSC Lille.

Given that the new season is still a couple of months away as well, EFC should be in no rush to appoint a new boss, and instead should wait until the right level of quality comes along.

In other news, find out what manager update has left Toffees fuming here!

Liverpool may choose to act on their reported interest in Inter striker Lautaro Martinez after the latest comments from his agent.

What’s the story?

The 23-year-old’s agent has recently confirmed that his client has rejected the offer of a new contract from the reigning Serie A champions.

In an interview with Spanish outlet Sport, Alejandro Camano claims his client has chosen not to renew his contract with Inter, leaving the door open to a summer exit.

Liverpool must swoop

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Martinez in recent weeks as Jurgen Klopp aims to bolster his options at the top end of the pitch over the coming months.

Underwhelming campaigns from Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have left the enigmatic German manager searching for attacking reinforcements, and this latest update may help him secure one of his top targets.

“Inter have offered us a new contract, but for now, we’re fine as we are,” Camano said, before flirting with the idea of moving Martinez to La Liga giants Barcelona.

“We are very calm, we have to resolve the Inter situation first, but, of course, he would like to join Barcelona. Who would not like to play for Barcelona? It is one of the biggest clubs in the world.”

Some reports have previously suggested that the Nerazzurri would demand £75 million for the prolific forward. However, his agent alleged that the true fee may be significantly lower.

“90 million euros (£75m) is exaggerated. Everyone has a price.”

Barca have been heavily linked with a move for the South American gem in the past, with compatriot Lionel Messi previously labeling Martinez “sensational.”

Therefore, Liverpool must swoop for the prolific forward before the Catalan giants financially recover enough to be able to afford the Inter man.

In just three years in Milan, Martinez has bagged 49 goals and provided 20 assists in 132 appearances, showcasing his top-class ability.

His arrival at Anfield could propel the Reds back to the summit of English football and director of football, Michael Edwards must do everything in his power to secure the diminutive star ahead of Liverpool’s continental rivals as he looks like the ideal player to potentially replace Firmino up front for Klopp’s side.

And, in other news…Liverpool and Spurs set to battle for “phenomenal” £25.8m ace, Reds must push for deal 

News has emerged about Sheffield Wednesday forward Josh Windass, regarding interest from Championship clubs.

What’s the talk?

According to the Sheffield Star, Championship sides Fulham and Birmingham are both interested in signing Sheffield Wednesday forward Josh Windass. Both sides are said to believe that they can strike a bargain deal for Windass due to Wednesday’s off-field issues in regards to their finances.

The report claims that Wednesday manager Darren Moore is a big fan of Windass and would like him to stay at the club next season. However, it does not state Wednesday’s official position on whether or not the club are open to selling Windass this summer, nor does it say what Wednesday believe Windass is worth.

Sky Sports pundit and former England international Sue Smith praised the forward earlier this year, labelling Windass as a constant “threat”. She told Sky Sports, as transcribed by Yorkshire Live:

“He’s just a constant runner and a constant threat.”

Chansiri must avoid mistake

Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri must avoid a grave mistake this summer with Windass. Amongst all the upheaval on and off the pitch, Wednesday should not be looking to sell their top goalscorer from the season just gone.

A number of first-team players will be leaving the club at the end of the month, including Joost van Aken, Elias Kachunga, Tom Lees, Joey Pelupessy, Adam Reach, Jordan Rhodes and Keiren Westwood.

This shows how depleted Moore’s squad already is ahead of the club’s return for pre-season next month. Chansiri sanctioning an exit for Windass would be the icing on a cake that Moore doesn’t want to eat.

Windass scored nine and assisted five goals in the Championship last season, which made him the club’s top scorer and joint-most creative outlet in the second tier. The former Rangers man proved his quality at that level and showed enough to suggest that he could thrive in League One and play a key role in any potential promotion push for the club next term.

The £10k-per-week ace, therefore, needs to stay at the club next season if Wednesday and Chansiri harbour any ambitions of returning to the Championship at the first attempt.

Selling him now could be a major error by Chansiri and he needs to make sure that Windass is still in Moore’s squad next month and that he’s ready to play his part in the 2021/22 League One campaign.

Moore has already lost the aforementioned players due to their contract situations, but Windass still has another year on his deal and Wednesday should be looking to make the most out of him over the next 12 months.

AND in other news, Get it done: Chansiri must seal SWFC swoop for £1.5k-p/w prospect, Moore will love it…

Celtic are interested in a swoop for FC Famalicão defender Riccieli, as reported by Celtic Now and Forever.

The Lowdown: Celtic gear up for 2021/22 as transfer rumours swirl

As Celtic move towards 2021/22, they will be hoping to hit the ground running as they bid to reclaim to Premiership title at the first attempt.

Although Ange Postecoglou hasn’t dipped hit toes into the transfer market as of yet, the Celts have been heavily linked with moves for Charlie Wyke and Mat Ryan respectively [Football Insider].

However, it seems that the Hoops could be interested in an alternative transfer target as their rebuild begins in earnest.

The Latest: Celtic ‘make contact’ with Riccieli’s agency over potential deal

The Hoops are said to have ‘made contact’ with Riccieli’s agency D20 Sports about bringing the centre-back to Glasgow, as relayed by email to Celtic Now and Forever.

Many other clubs are rumoured to be interested in the 22-year-old [Celtic Now and Forever], who has a market value of £1.35m according to Transfermarkt.

Kristoffer Ajer looks set to leave Parkhead this summer amid attention from Newcastle United [Glasgow Times], so the Celts must act quickly in order to secure his prospective replacement.

The Verdict: Riccieli would be a good addition to the Parkhead ranks this summer.

Someone of Riccieli’s ilk would be an ideal addition to the Celtic fold this window. Plying his trade in Liga NOS, he made 26 appearances and contributed one goal to his team in 2020/21 [Transfermarkt].

Strong in the air (2.1 headers won per game last season) and with a match average of 1.6 interceptions matching Celtic’s best performers in that regard, he could be seen as an agreeable fit for the Hoops due to his sell-on value and scope to develop as a player further down the line.

He is also capable of filling in at right-back, potentially providing some depth in what has been a problem position in recent years for the Scottish giants [FotMob].

With Champions League qualifying set to begin for Celtic next month, the Hoops should be doing all they can to push the deal over the line quickly.

In other news, Celtic are in talks to bring a 31-goal striker to Glasgow this summer.

Nottingham Forest have been dealt a further blow to their hopes of keeping Joe Worrall at The City Ground this summer after a fresh twist about his list of suitors was made over the weekend.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Sun on Sunday (via Football League World), who claim that newly promoted Premier League side Brentford are now keeping a close eye on the situation of the Forest centre-back ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

The Bees are the latest of a host of top-flight teams believed to be keen on the 24-year-old, with Burnley, Norwich City and West Ham United all being linked with the former England U21 international, for whom Chris Hughton’s side are reported to be demanding a fee of around £10m to part with this summer.

Hughton will be gutted

Having just witnessed his side endure something of a season to forget in the Championship, with the Reds finishing in a rather embarrassing 17th place in the second tier standings last term, the now very real prospect of losing his star defender this summer is sure to be an eventuality that will leave Hughton gutted.

Indeed, despite Forest’s general poor performances last season, Worrall was one of the few players to come out of the campaign with their reputation intact, if not improved.

Over his 31 Championship appearances for the Garibaldi in 2020/21, the £3.6m-rated man helped his side keep 12 clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.1 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 4.2 clearances and winning 3.5 duels per game.

The £10k-per-week centre-back also posed a threat for Forest in an attacking capacity, scoring one goal, providing one assist and making an average of 0.3 key passes per league fixture.

These returns saw the man Steven Gerrard dubbed an “outstanding” defender earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.94, ranking him as Hughton’s fifth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, with the Nottingham Forest manager undoubtedly hoping for an improved campaign next time around with Forest, should he go on to lose the services of Worrall this summer – a prospect that appears increasingly likely with more and more Premier League interest reported in the 24-year-old – it would come as huge blow for the 62-year-old, who would then have to find a suitable replacement for the home-grown Forest captain in the current transfer window – a rather unenviable task.

The one saving grace in Brentford joining the race for Worrall is that it could drive up his price, but Hughton will be gutted to lose such a key player ahead of what will be a crucial season for Forest..

In other news: Taylor drops Forest update over potential summer incoming, Hughton will be buzzing