All posts by n8rngtd.top

Southampton are conducting their transfer business quietly this summer, talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has claimed.

The Lowdown: Three signings so far

The south coast club have already strengthened their squad in the current transfer window, having made three signings so far.

With a rearrangement of goalkeeping options towards the end of last season, the Saints made a fantastic swoop, securing the signature of highly-rated 20-year-old Gavin Bazunu from Manchester City, also adding Mateusz Lis from Altay SK to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s ranks.

More recently, Southampton announced the arrival of young defender Armel Bella-Kotchap from Bochum, who joined the club for £8.6m.

The Latest: Crook’s claim

Crook believes that deals are being done behind the scenes, but the Saints are keeping their cards close to their chest.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed: “I haven’t been able to get any firm information out of Southampton yet, but I do know they’re working on lots of targets that haven’t come out yet.”

The Verdict: Additions will be crucial

Hasenhuttl’s team visibly declined towards the end of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, having lost their last four games, including a 4-1 annihilation at the hands of Leicester on the final day of the season.

Finishing in 15th, Southampton came close to dropping down to the relegation zone, ending the season just five points clear of Burnley in 18th.

Therefore, if the Saints are to see a big change next term and realise ambitions of a top-half finish, it is imperative that the club look to bring in a number of additions, whilst keeping hold of prized, in-demand assets like James Ward-Prowse.

Otherwise, a relegation battle could be on the cards if they are unable to strengthen their squad or keep hold of key players.

Liverpool will be well aware of just how important pre-season can be. If they get up to scratch from the off, shaking off the cobwebs from last term’s Champions League final disappointment in the process, then starting the Premier League season with a bang is more than likely. The Reds also have a chance to earn small bragging rites before the campaign even gets underway.

Their clash against Manchester United on Tuesday 12th July represents a pre-season fixture with a little more spice than usual and the chance to claim some early psychological dominance over their rivals. For Jurgen Klopp’s side, that will mean defeating Erik ten Hag’s version of the Red Devils at the first time of asking. 

Liverpool are in action a total of five times in pre-season – not including their Community Shield battle against Manchester City. Here’s how you can watch every game.

Liverpool’s pre-season schedule

Tuesday, 12 July 2pm: Liverpool vs Manchester United 

The first game of Liverpool’s pre-season comes against Ten Hag’s United side at the Rajamangala stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The game will be free to watch on UK TV, and can be streamed on either MUTV, which requires a monthly subscription, or LFCTV. Both club websites are also streaming the game.

Friday, 15 July 1:35pm: Liverpool vs Crystal Palace 

Live on LFCTV, Liverpool take on Crystal Palace in their second game of pre-season. The game itself takes place at the Singapore National Stadium on Friday, July 15. Kick off is set for 1:35pm BST.

Thursday, 21 July 6:15pm: RB Leipzig vs Liverpool 

The third game of Liverpool’s pre-season sees the Reds travel to Germany, where they will face RB Leipzig on Thursday, 21 July. The game will kick off at 6:15pm BST, and is set to take place at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig. You can watch the game on LFCTV.

Wednesday, 27 July 7pm: Red Bull Salzburg vs Liverpool 

Continuing the Red Bull theme, Liverpool will then travel to Austria for their clash against Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday, 27 July, with the game scheduled to get underway at 7pm BST. The game will be shown on LFCTV.

Sunday, 31 July 7:30pm: Liverpool vs Strasbourg 

Coming a day after the Community Shield clash against Manchester City, Liverpool’s pre-season will end at Anfield, where they will face Strasbourg. The game is set to get underway at 7:30 BST, and takes place on Sunday, 31 July, and will be live on LFCTV.

How to watch Liverpool’s pre-season games online

For Liverpool fans who want to watch the pre-season action, LFCTV is clearly the way to go. It’s the only place to watch every game of the Reds’ preparation for the forthcoming campaign. As of right now, fans can sign up and get two weeks free to witness Klopp’s side shake off the rust and take on a number of opponents. 

Sevilla are now in talks to re-sign Tottenham defender Sergio Reguilon on loan this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Not involved in pre-season

The Spaniard first arrived in the Premier League when he joined the Lilywhites from Real Madrid two years ago, but has recently fallen out of favour under Antonio Conte.

The left-back was omitted from the club’s pre-season tour of South Korea alongside teammates Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Harry Winks, suggesting that an exit could be imminent.

Reguilon previously played for Sevilla whilst on loan from Madrid, and it now looks like he could be set to follow Lo Celso back to La Liga.

The Latest: Sevilla in talks with Reguilon

In an article published by 90min, it’s claimed that Sevilla are ‘interested’ in bringing Reguilon back to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, with talks over a potential move ‘already underway’.

The source reports that the 25-year-old has been made ‘other offers’ from clubs around Europe, but ‘would prefer’ to rejoin the La Liga outfit.

It’s stated that Julen Lopetegui’s side are ‘initially trying to engineer a loan deal’ for their target, and have ‘already freed up space’ for him in their squad following Ludwig Augustinsson’s move to Aston Villa.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Bit-part player

The summer arrival of Ivan Perisic has likely pushed Reguilon even further down the pecking order, so a Hotspur Way exit, albeit a temporary one, would be the best option for both parties at this moment in time.

The six-cap international, who was once described as ‘one of the best’ left-backs in Europe by Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold, has only made 16 appearances in the top flight since Conte’s arrival, so needs to make the switch to a club where he knows he will be guaranteed more game time.

Reguilon still has three years remaining on his contract in N17 so the benefit of a loan is that he will be able to return next summer and assess his options to fully decide where he wants the next stage of his career to be moving forward.

Everton are reportedly in contact over a move for Burnley forward Maxwel Cornet, according to The Athletic. 

The lowdown: Attacker wanted

Following the sale of Richarlison to Tottenham, the Toffees have already been extensively linked with a number of attacking options this summer, including Chelsea starlet Armando Broja and Inter Milan veteran Edin Dzeko.

The Brazilian’s departure has left a significant hole in the Goodison Park squad, with only Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Salomon Rondon currently at Frank Lampard’s disposal as senior centre-forward options.

However, after Burnley were relegated to the Championship, Ivory Coast international Cornet could seemingly be edging towards a move to Merseyside…

The latest: Everton ‘in contact’ over Cornet

As per The Athletic, Everton are believed to be ‘working on a deal to sign’ the 29-cap forward.

It’s claimed that the two clubs are ‘in contact’ regarding the transfer, with Goodison Park currently the ‘most likely destination’ for the 25-year-old.

The report added that there is ‘interest from other clubs’ in the player, who was hailed as a ‘different class’ by new Everton signing James Tarkowski during their time together as team-mates in Lancashire.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-7/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The verdict: Shrewd move

Signing Cornet for the mooted €21m (£17.5m) release clause would represent a superb piece of business from the Everton hierarchy, particularly given the current financial constraints brought about by Financial Fair Play.

During his debut Premier League campaign, the former France youth starlet scored nine times and provided two assists in 29 appearances across all competitions for a Burnley side who struggled for the most part last term.

Predominantly operating as a centre-forward, Cornet – who showcased an eye for the spectacular with a long-range volley against Crystal Palace last November – can also play on either wing and as a makeshift full-back, supreme versatility which would be a welcome addition to Lampard’s ranks.

Sharing a close stylistic match with the likes of Che Adams, Kasper Dolberg, Callum Wilson and reported Everton target Broja (FBRef), the Ivorian’s impressive range of attributes and affordable fee, along with the Toffees’ need for a powerful striker, make this potential move a no-brainer for Kevin Thelwell this summer.

West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh have shared a big transfer update for supporters involving left-wing-back target Filip Kostic.

The Lowdown: Hammers eye move…

Hammers boss David Moyes has already seen a fair few Premier League additions in east London so far and there is still over a month of this summer transfer window remaining.

West Ham have sealed agreements for defender Nayef Aguerd, midfielder Flynn Downes, goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and, most recently, Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca.

The latter man represents the end of a long, drawn out search for a new striker and alternative to Michail Antonio, but despite the club’s great success in finally signing a fresh forward option, Moyes is by no means finished.

The Latest: West Ham make offer for Kostic, talks ongoing…

Indeed, club insider C&H have shared a major update on West Ham’s attempts to sign defender Kostic from Eintracht Frankfurt.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-updates-2/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

They claim the east Londoners have made their opening offer, lodging a ‘first official bid’ for the 29-year-old amounting to around £12million.

While the Bundesliga side are holding out for a fee closer to £18m, West Ham are apparently ‘hopeful’ of agreeing a £15m deal and finding middle ground.

C&H add that talks ‘continue’ over signing Kostic for Moyes.

The Verdict: Make the move…

Lauded as a ‘phenomenal’ wing-back by journalist Ryan Taylor, the Serbia international was a revelation for Frankfurt last term and played a key role in their Europa League triumph.

He also grabbed an impressive 15 assists in all competitions over 21/22, backing why Moyes is very keen on his signing at the London Stadium.

With Aaron Cresswell reaching the twilight years of his career, snapping up the versatile Kostic to a deal anywhere around the £12-18million price range seems like good business.

Reliable journalist Christian Falk has revealed that Newcastle United are now ‘interested’ in signing Timo Werner.

The Lowdown: Chelsea struggles

Werner has not enjoyed the best of times at Chelsea, despite winning the UEFA Champions League.

Paid a whopping £268,000-per-week at Stamford Bridge, the Germany international has scored just 23 times in 89 games in total over all competitions for the Blues (inferior to what he was managing at previous club RB Leipzig.

Nonetheless, with the arrival of Raheem Sterling from Manchester City, Werner’s game time could be limited this season, and so it would not be a surprise if Thomas Tuchel’s side decided to part ways.

The Latest: Newcastle interest

Taking to Twitter, BILD Sport reporter Falk has revealed that the Magpies are now ‘interested’ in Werner:

“TRUE Newcastle is interested in @TimoWerner @ChelseaFC.”

The Verdict: Risky

Given his struggles in English football, along with his huge wages, signing Werner would be very risky, but could well pay off.

Nicknamed ‘Turbo Timo’ for his frightening pace, the 26-year-old offers a potentially deadly counter-attacking option for when Eddie Howe’s team need to sit back and soak up the pressure against the top sides in the Premier League.

Having scored once and made one assist in three games against the Tynesiders, winning all three matches (Transfermarkt), the Toon defenders will no doubt be aware of his threat in behind, and would be relieved if he lined up alongside them next term instead.

One of those – Fabian Schar – actually shares the same agent as Werner, and so perhaps he could play a part in speeding up the attacker’s arrival.

West Ham United are ‘pretty optimistic’ about their chances of signing Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski and Eintracht Frankfurt defender Filip Kostic, according to transfer insider Dean Jones. 

The lowdown: West Ham eye double swoop

The Hammers have been extensively linked with a move for Zielinski in recent days as Rob Newman attempts to further strengthen the options available to David Moyes ahead of the new campaign. In fact, reports from Italy have claimed that the east Londoners are on the verge of striking a deal for the 28-year-old Poland international.

Meanwhile, the Irons face late competition from Inter Milan and Juventus for the capture of versatile 29-year-old left-back Kostic. Despite the issues potential issues in bringing the Serbian to the London Stadium, one well-informed insider has had his say on the current status of both transfers, delivering positive news…

The latest: ‘Pretty optimistic’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones – a journalist for Eurosport – claimed that West Ham fancy their chances of adding both players to the ranks at Rush Green before the end of the transfer window.

He said: “[They’re] pretty optimistic about Zielinski and Kostic and the way that talks have gone so far. They think that if they can get these players through the door, then they’ve had a very positive summer.”

The verdict: Hopefully

Boasting a combined 821 club career outings and 120 international appearances, adding such a wealth of top-level experience to Moyes’ squad would be a sensational piece of business to top off what has already been an impressive transfer window until now.

With West Ham having lost Mark Noble to retirement and after deciding not to retain the services of loanee Alex Kral, the central midfield department in particular looks stretched with only Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and the Premier League-unproven duo of Flynn Downes and Conor Coventry in situ as genuine senior candidates.

Predominantly utilised in an advanced role in the centre of the park, Zielinski – who shares a close stylistic likeness to the likes of Martin Odegaard, Emil Forsberg and David Silva (FBRef) – scored eight times and provided five assists in 42 appearances across all competitions for Napoli last season.

That form, class and experience would make the Polish ace a superb prospective addition, whilst Kostic would also provide much-needed support for Aaron Cresswell, particularly as Arthur Masuaku appears to be on his way out of the London Stadium.

Derby County are ‘showing interest’ in West Ham United winger Armstrong Oko-Flex, according to a report from insider ExWHUemployee.

The Lowdown: Forwards wanted

On Wednesday, the Rams announced the signing of Everton forward Lewis Dobbin, but Liam Rosenior appears to be keen to bolster his attacking ranks even further.

With money still tight, the League One outfit’s best chances of bringing in fresh faces is to look to the loan and free agent markets, just like they did with the Toffees teenager, and the Rams are now once again eyeing a deal for a young, talented prospect from the Premier League.

The Latest: Derby monitoring Oko-Flex

Writing on his Patreon (as quoted by West Ham Zone), ExWHUemployee revealed that the Irons are likely to allow Oko-Flex to make a temporary exit this window, with Derby a possible destination.

“As reported before we have heard a number of academy players could be about to go on loan too with Derby County showing interest in Oko-Flex for example.”

The Verdict: Next up after Dobbin?

Derby will be hoping to bounce back up to the Championship at the first time of asking, and it’s apparent that they are targeting new additions in the final third to try and help them achieve that.

Alongside Dobbin, Oko-Flex, once labelled a ‘very dangerous’ player by former West Ham’s U23s coach Dmitri Halajko, would be an energetic and pacy fit in the Rams’ starting XI given he’s still only 20 years old.

The Irishman netted 11 goals and provided two assists in 21 Premier League 2 outings last season, via Transfermarkt, showing that he can contribute in the one area of the pitch that matters most, making him the profile of player that Rosenior needs to look at getting in the building as soon as possible.

Aston Villa may have made the wrong decision by sending Kaine Kesler-Hayden out on loan, Birmingham Live journalist Ashley Preece says. 

The lowdown

It was confirmed on Friday that Villa had sent Kesler-Hayden to Championship outfit Huddersfield Town on a season-long loan deal.

The right-back made two temporary moves last term, spending the first half of the campaign with Swindon Town and the second with MK Dons.

Steven Gerrard has two out-and-out right-backs in his squad – Matty Cash and Frederic Guilbert – but the latter’s day at Villa Park look to be numbered after he was sent to train with the Under-23s.

The latest

Writing on Twitter, Preece said he is ‘disappointed’ that Villa have decided to loan Kesler-Hayden out rather than integrating him into the first-team set-up.

Having ‘watched a lot of him’, he reckons he’s ready ‘to push for game time at AVFC’.

The verdict

Does Preece have a point?

Well, the young starlet did a decent job in League One last season, winning the majority of his ground duels (53%) and creating just under one chance a game (0.8).

He’s earned international recognition too, featuring six times for England at Under-20 level.

Swindon Town reporter Jonny Leighfield has raved about his ‘brilliant turn of pace’ and his ability to ‘do damage’ going forward.

He even went as far as to claim that he has ‘got everything’ to play ‘Premier League football regularly’, including ‘the out-and-out quality’.

Perhaps he viewed the potential departure of Guilbert as a potential opportunity, but clearly Villa don’t see it that way.

Leeds United target Wilfried Gnoto was benched on Thursday because of transfer speculation, according to The Scotsman (via MOT Leeds News).

The lowdown

Gnoto’s FC Zurich faced Scottish Premiership side Hearts on Thursday in the first leg of their Europa League qualifying play off tie.

The Italian had started three of his side’s first five domestic games, and three of their four European ties, but was restricted to a 20-minute cameo in the 2-1 victory.

Leeds manager Jesse Marsch has publicly admitted that the Whites are admirers of Gnoto and may well pursue a deal.

The latest

The newspaper report on Saturday that Gnoto was left on the bench at the Stadion Letzigrund as a result of ‘transfer talk’.

He’s still expected to travel to Scotland next week for the second leg, and is ‘highly likely’ to play a part.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-49/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The verdict

Leeds fans probably didn’t expect to be invested in Zurich’s team selection for their cup tie against SC Cham on Sunday, but a few may be keeping their eyes peeled now.

If Gnoto is being left out of the side, it could suggest he’s not in the right frame of mind to start, perhaps because his head has been turned.

Should he get the opportunity to play, the 18-year-old will hope to demonstrate what he’s capable of.

National team boss Roberto Mancini has already billed him a ‘quality’ player who’s ‘very quick’.

After he netted ten goals and provided five assists in just 1,532 minutes of action last season (a direct contribution every 102 minutes), he’s established himself as one of the biggest teenage talents to watch in Europe.