All posts by n8rngtd.top

Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Rui Patricio’s proposed move to AS Roma could be in doubt.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the two clubs are still some way apart on the transfer fee. Roma are apparently willing to offer €6m (£5.2m) for Patricio, but Wolves are asking for twice that amount. On top of that, the player’s family are said to have reservations about leaving England.

Patricio had been on Euro 2020 duty with Portugal, but their tournament was ended on Sunday by a 1-0 round of 16 defeat to Belgium.

Patricio has been Wolves’ number one since promotion

Wolves picked up Patricio ahead of their Premier League return three years ago after he terminated his Sporting Lisbon contract (via BBC Sport).

He has gone to rack up 127 appearances for the club, conceding 151 goals and keeping 37 clean sheets (via Transfermarkt) and being hailed by some fans as “massively underrated”.

Wolves have been linked with another Portuguese ‘keeper, Jose Sa of Olympiacos, as a potential replacement for the 33-year-old.

Fan feed Talking Wolves relayed Gazzetta’s claims, and here’s how some fans reacted, with many pleased to hear that the club aren’t willing to meet Roma’s initial offer.

Wolves fans react to possible Patricio twist

“Give the guy a new contract, he’s a decent keeper, not perfect but who is”

Credit: @satsomboon

“The Patricios love the Mander Centre”

Credit: @joehands_19

“Keep him, he’s 33 which he’s still got few years in him still and is massively underrated. Don’t care that he’s on a 100k a week, you want the best you have to pay”

Credit: @harryvenner

“If he wants to stay we should keep him in my opinion”

Credit: @mfleck8

“Keep him @Wolves”

Credit: @neilweav

“Ty, Rui’s family”

Credit: @AdamWWFC_

In other news, Steve Bull has described this Wolves target as a ‘top-class player’ 

Everton have promised new manager Rafa Benitez money to spend in the transfer market and their moves since his arrival suggest their kitty is rather full.

A loan move for Philippe Coutinho has been touted while swoops for Ben White and Denzel Dumfries could both be on the cards at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

The Toffees could lose Dominic Calvert-Lewin this summer with Real Madrid interested in his services.

Haris Seferovic has been suggested as a potential replacement in Merseyside but whether or not the Englishman decides to stay, they need more competition up front.

One player that Benitez should look to bring to Everton is Bayern Munich forward Joshua Zirkzee.

Everton made an attempt to sign him on loan back in January with a £9m option to buy but a deal ultimately didn’t materialise.

The 20-year-old spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Parma instead who had an option of £13m to buy.

Parma didn’t take up that clause and the Dutchman has since returned to Bayern, only to be put on the transfer list according to a report from BILD (via Sport Witness).

Third bite of the cherry

If Everton decide to move for Zirkzee this summer then it would be third time lucky in their pursuit of the promising Dutchman.

He had a trial with the Toffees when he was 16 but they ultimately decided against signing him.

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They reignited their interest at the beginning of the year and if it’s there again, they should lure him to English football as competition for Calvert-Lewin.

Stuck behind Robert Lewandowski in the Bayern pecking order, it’s particularly difficult for Zirkzee to stand out.

That being said, he’s still found the net on four occasions in 17 senior outings.

Standing at a colossal height of 6 foot 4, he’d be a brilliant striker to play second fiddle to Calvert-Lewin. They stand at a similar height and can use their tall frames to dominate a backline in striking fashion.

Despite the 20-year-old’s limited game time at the Allianz Arena, he’s still earned some fabulous appraisals.

Joshua Kimmich once dubbed the forward as “deadly” while former Dutch international Youri Moulder said he’s a “serious talent.”

One of the best reviews comes from Hansi Flick who commented on his training performances, saying: “his development has been remarkable.”

Everton currently have Anthony Gordon coming through their ranks but Benitez cannot pass on the opportunity to bring such a talented young striker to Goodison.

His senior minutes have been limited but the potential is enormous.

AND in other news, Forget Dumfries: Rafa must consider Everton swoop for “unbelievable” £20m “soldier”…

An update has emerged on Burnley defender James Tarkowski, regarding Tottenham’s interest in his services… 

What’s the talk?

According to 90Min, Tottenham have identified Burnley central defender James Tarkowski as a potential target this summer. The report names Tarkowski alongside Conor Coady and Joachim Andersen in terms of centre-backs who the club are currently looking at.

The Telegraph reported last month that Tottenham’s Premier League rivals Wolves and West Ham are both interested in the former Brentford man. He has 12 months left on his contract at Turf Moor.

Forget Toby

As great a servant as Toby Alderweireld has been for Tottenham, it is time to forget about him and move on to Tarkowski. The Sun have reported that the Belgian defender wants to leave Spurs and that the club are willing to facilitate a move if an interested side makes a fair offer for his services, whilst Fabio Paratici is also open to bids for Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier.

We are not saying that Tottenham should be selling Alderweireld or that it would be a good decision by the club if they did, but bringing in Tarkowski would certainly help ease the blow. The ex-Atletico Madrid man has been a mainstay at the heart of Spurs’ defence for six seasons since his transfer to the club in 2015, averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.68 or higher in every campaign – managing a score of 7.00 or higher in two of those Premier League seasons.

This shows the standard of player Paratici will need to bring in to cope with the loss of Alderweireld if it goes through. Tarkowski could be exactly the player Santo requires to freshen up his defence and add some extra steel to the backline. Burnley boss Sean Dyche labelled him as outstanding earlier in his Claret days.

He told the Lancashire Telegraph:

“Tarky’s been absolutely outstanding.”

The £22.5m-rated beast has a fantastic record at Premier League level for Burnley. In the past four top-flight campaigns, Tarkowski has registered WhoScored ratings of 7.22, 7.11, 7.19 and 7.02 respectively, highlighting how incredibly consistent he has been for the midtable side. The 28-year-old has also averaged over 4.5 aerial battles won and more than one block per game across those four seasons, which shows how strong he has been defensively for the Clarets.

Therefore, he could be the defensive pillar Santo needs in North London next term. He has proven at Burnley that he is good enough to be a top-class defender at this level and that his arrival could allow Tottenham fans to forget about Alderweireld, should he leave.

Nuno Santo will need new recruits in defence should the likes of Alderweireld, Dier and Sanchez depart. Getting Tarkowski in would be a great place to start.

AND in other news, Spurs submit official bid to land 16 G/A dynamo, he’s an upgrade on Steven Bergwijn…

Get French Football News writer Adam White insists Duje Caleta-Car would need to be a regular starter if he is to thrive in the Premier League.

The Croatia international has been linked with a move away from Marseille, with England being touted as a potential destination for the central defender.

Caleta-Car made 39 appearances for the French club last season but is expected to depart as Jorge Sampaoli prepares for his first full season in charge.

West Ham United have been long-term admirers of the 24-year-old, but he turned down a move to the London Stadium last September as he wanted to remain in the Champions League.

However, with David Moyes’ side preparing for a return to European football in the Europa League, the Hammers have revived their interest.

While Fabian Balbuena has departed the club following the expiry of his contract, Angelo Ogbonna, Craig Dawson and Issa Diop provide Moyes with plenty of options.

White believes Caleta-Car, 24, would struggle in his new surroundings if he is not in the starting line-up regularly.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, White said: “He’s very physical, he’s a really big bloke, but not particularly nimble or pacey.

“He has improved at Marseille but I think he’s one of those players that would need to be playing every game to get rhythm and consistency. If he was expected to drop in and out, I would worry about his sharpness.

“You could argue that he’s maybe found his level at Marseille.”

Leeds United target Nahitan Nandez now looks all set to join Inter Milan on loan this summer, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Leeds keen on signing Nandez

The Whites will be hoping to improve on their ninth-place finish in the Premier League next season, possibly even pushing for Europe this time around.

Some top players may need to arrive for that to happen, however, and Nandez is one individual who has been heavily linked with a move to Elland Road.

The Cagliari midfielder is seen as someone who can bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s options in the middle of the park with high level experience, having won 41 caps for Uruguay to date.

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The Latest: Romano delivers fatal blow

Unfortunately, Romano seems to have put paid to Leeds’ hopes of signing the 25-year-old, taking to Twitter to confirm that a loan move to Serie A champions Inter is on the cards:

“Inter have opened talks with Cagliari to sign Nahitan Nandez on loan.”

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The Verdict: Shame to miss out

Nandez is a ferocious midfielder who averaged 1.8 tackles per game in the league last season, as well as enjoying four goal contributions (two goals and assists apiece).

It is a blow for Leeds to miss out on such a key summer target and Bielsa will now need to look elsewhere for an alternative.

While the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Stuart Dallas are undisputed key starters, Leeds could do with more depth in midfield, in order for the squad to remain fresh as the season goes on – of the nine top flight matches Phillips missed last term, the Whites lost seven of them.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly still interested in signing one defender this summer. Find out who it is here.

West Ham United could be about to ramp up their transfer plans in the near future…

What’s the word?

According to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee, manager David Moyes has a meeting scheduled with the board this week to discuss likely transfers and targets.

It’s thought that the two parties will decide which central defensive and midfield options to make a bid for and this is duly expected to speed up their business significantly ahead of next month’s deadline.

Football Insider have previously reported that GSB would put money aside for a new centre-back, whilst there could also be a consideration for Mark Noble’s retirement next year.

Moyes to make moves?

Plenty of uncertainty has started to creep around the London Stadium in recent weeks and that’s largely because of their lack of activity in the transfer market up until now.

Euro 2020 has been and gone, and kick-off against Newcastle United on the opening day of the new season is less than a month away, but the Hammers have not brought in a single new player this summer.

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By comparison, Arsenal have already made two additions, whilst Manchester United have made a mega-money splash for Jadon Sancho.

Moyes certainly needs reinforcements right across the pitch if he’s to get the east Londoners contending at the top end of the table once again, especially as they are facing the prospects of a 50-plus game season thanks to their qualification to the Europa League.

Right now, the 58-year-old just does not have the strength in depth to remain competitive across all competitions. For example, an injury-prone Michail Antonio is still his only senior centre-forward, and first-choice midfield duo Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek only have Noble behind them in the pecking order.

Similarly, Fabian Balbuena will need to be replaced at the back.

Therefore, if Ex’s latest claim is to be believed, West Ham are likely to start making their move in the transfer market, and that should appease many of the anxious Irons faithful.

AND in other news, Moyes risks making West Ham disaster as transfer update on £75k-p/w “monster” emerges…

The Athletic’s Crystal Palace writer Matt Woosnam believes that club will be looking for around £40million if they are to sell Wilfried Zaha.

Palace’s star man found the back of the net on 11 occasions in the Premier League last season and began life under new manager Patrick Vieira with a goal in a pre-season friendly against Walsall.

The 28-year-old has two years left to run on his current contract at Selhurst Park and has been the subject of much speculation over the years over his Crystal Palace future, with Arsenal heavily linked with him back in 2019.

After injury to Eberechi Eze, you would think Patrick Vieira would be reluctant to let one of his creative players leave the club, but if they did, Woosnam believes Palace would be able to command a decent fee for Zaha.

“I think we’re looking around £40million at least, which is lower than it was a year ago, but he only has two years on his contract, so in two years’ time he will be a free agent,” Woosnam told FFC.

With Palace re-building under Patrick Vieira, already entering the market to bring in Marc Guehi from Chelsea, the Evening Standard reported that the club are hoping their summer business will convince Zaha to stay.

An update has emerged on Leeds target Dan James, regarding Manchester United’s plans for him. 

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, Manchester United are set to keep hold of Dan James and reject any interest in his services this summer.

The report claims that both Leeds and Brighton are keen on a deal for the forward and would be willing to sign him permanently or on loan. However, United intend to turn away any offers and use him in their first-team squad despite the recent arrival of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund.

Fans will be gutted

Leeds fans will be gutted by this news as it seemingly rules out any chance of James arriving at Elland Road before the end of the window. The attacker has been a long-term target for Lillywhites boss Marcelo Bielsa, which makes this news all the more frustrating as they have been waiting for a number of transfer windows to seal a deal for his services.

Speaking on The Phil Hay Show, the titular journalist said this about Bielsa’s interest in James: “That’s a question for Bielsa because Bielsa is forever interested in Dan James, and you probably remember last summer that before they did the deal for Raphinha, they were looking into the possibility of bringing Dan James in on loan from Manchester United. I don’t think it was ever really a possibility because it didn’t seem as though Solskjaer wanted him to go.”

This shows that missing out on the £15m dynamo would be disappointing for the Argentine coach, as he clearly wants to work with the winger. The supporters will also be gutted as he could be an excellent addition to the squad and strengthen the club’s options out wide.

Speaking to Manchester United’s official website last season, Brazilian midfielder Andreas Pereira lavished praise on the Whites target, labelling him as “explosive and so fast”.

James put that explosive pace to good use at the European Championships for Wales this summer. The 23-year-old averaged an impressive 2.5 key passes and 1.5 dribbles completed per game across four starts at the major tournament, showing that he was able to use his speed to beat defenders before providing a killer pass to set up a chance.

Therefore, he could have been an exciting signing for Leeds as he is a player who is able to make things happen and get supporters up off their seats in anticipation. This is why the fans will be upset that a deal is now reportedly out of the question, for now.

AND in other news, “Poised to fly to England”: Phil Hay drops Leeds transfer update that’ll excite fans…

Southampton have reportedly rejected a £25m bid from Aston Villa for James Ward-Prowse, with Dean Smith clearly keen on adding the Saints captain to his squad this summer.

What’s the word?

Villa were linked with a move for the 26-year-old earlier in the transfer window and it seems as if they are keen to revisit that interest ahead of the new season, with a £100m windfall expected should Jack Grealish complete his move to Manchester City.

However, Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach has provided a promising update on the England international’s future at Southampton, tweeting: “I am told that that reports regarding a £25million bid from #AVFC for James Ward-Prowse are CORRECT. It has been rejected by #SaintsFC who remain adamant that the 26-y/o, who last summer signed a long-term deal until 2025, is NOT for sale.”

Will Southampton sell Ward-Prowse?

Southampton are in a strong position regarding Ward-Prowse, and unless Villa submit a ridiculous bid for the 26-year-old, it is difficult to see him leaving St Mary’s this year.

The Saints academy graduate is contracted until 2025 and is currently valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, so the £25m bid submitted by Villa was somewhat insulting, and it is no surprise that Southampton turned it down.

Ward-Prowse has arguably become the Saints’ most important player in recent years, emphasised by his impressive feat of playing every minute in consecutive Premier League campaigns, as well as his excellent performances last season.

The 26-year-old was ranked as the top performer in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad by WhoScored, with his eight goals and seven assists in the Premier League helping him to average an excellent 7.07 rating across the campaign.

Chris Sutton was quick to sing his praises early last season, saying: “[He’s] such an important player for Southampton. His technique from free-kicks has been so good for a long time. How he can generate the pace to get it up and down over the wall is incredible.

“He’s a really good footballer, isn’t he, a versatile footballer, Gareth Southgate rates him highly. He’s been in the [England] squad now for a while.

“For Southampton, he’s a player now who I think all the players there look to.”

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Therefore, it would be a huge blow to Southampton’s chances of enjoying a positive 2021/22 campaign if he were allowed to leave this summer, and Saints fans will no doubt be delighted with Leach’s update on the influential midfielder.

In other news… Hasenhuttl dealt potential blow with “outstanding” Saints beast

Crystal Palace have been advised to revive their interest in Arsenal defender Calum Chambers this summer by former Premier League striker Marcus Bent.

What’s the story?

The Eagles have been linked with the versatile 26-year-old in recent weeks as Patrick Vieira looks to overhaul his first team squad, while a recent report in The Express has claimed that Chambers is one of several Arsenal fringe players up for sale this summer.

Palace have already bolstered their ranks with several impressive acquisitions, but Bent believes that securing the Englishman’s signature would be another great addition for the south London club.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, the former Everton ace said: “Calum Chambers is a good player, whether Crystal Palace can get him, they have to look at that, but he would be an amazing signing.”

Patrick Vieira must revive Crystal Palace’s interest

With the departures of Gary Cahill, Mamadou Sahko, Scott Dann, Nathaniel Clyne and Patrick van Aanholt leaving Palace’s backline looking rather threadbare, bringing in someone as versatile as Chambers could solve multiple issues at once.

The Southampton academy graduate is comfortable playing either at centre-back or right-back and has even played a large portion of his career as a defensive midfielder, so he could offer cover and competition in various positions.

With 149 Premier League appearances to his name, Chambers has a good amount of top-flight experience under his belt, but after making just eight league starts last term, it’s perhaps time for him to leave the Emirates Stadium in search of regular game-time.

The report in The Express states that Arsenal are set to demand a £10m fee for the defensive beast this summer, but with his contract set to expire in a year’s time, Palace could secure themselves a bargain deal.

His potential arrival may not cause as much excitement amongst the fanbase as the likes of Joachim Andersen and Michael Olise, but Vieira must still revive Palace’s interest in Chambers ahead of the upcoming campaign.

He would be a pragmatic and practical signing, one who could help to plug several gaps in the first team setup and help steer the south London outfit to a solid Premier League finish next term.

In other news… Heir to Townsend: Palace must move for £8.1m-rated wizard, he’s a “big talent”