All posts by z3u9t.icu

With Ange Postecoglou now at the helm, Tottenham Hotspur are seemingly set to step up their summer transfer dealings, with the Lilywhites seeking to improve upon a rather turbulent and underwhelming 2022/23 campaign.

As per 90min, the 57-year-old has already given his approval with regard to certain transfer pursuits – including the club's interest in James Maddison – while there are also said to be fears among those at his former club, Celtic, that the Greek-Aussie may return to raid the Old Firm outfit.

The piece notes that among those who the one-time Australia head coach may be keen to reunite with is wing wizard, Jota, with the Portuguese sensation having dazzled under Postecoglou's watch over the last two seasons.

The 24-year-old was originally snapped up by the experienced coach on a season-long loan deal from Benfica back in the summer of 2021, before signing permanently with the Parkhead giants on a £6.4m deal a year ago.

That bargain capture already appears rather astute as the wide man is now said to be valued at around £12m, according to Football Transfers, with that a marker of the meteoric rise he has made of late.

Who is Celtic's Jota?

The £17k-per-week trickster could well prove to be the heir apparent to Heung-min Son on the left flank, with the Celtic star mirroring the South Korean international with his ability to offer quality service and a clinical presence in front of goal.

While Son endured a poor season by his own lofty standards – after scoring 'just' ten Premier League goals – the 30-year-old has typically been a consistent force for the Lilywhites over the years, bagging 145 goals and providing 80 assists in 372 games across all fronts.

Much like Jota would be to most Spurs supporters, the former Bayer Leverkusen ace was something of an unknown quantity after initially making the move to north London in 2015, although has gone on to establish himself as a "world class" talent, according to former boss, Antonio Conte.

While the Bhoys ace may not be quite at that level just yet, the Lisbon native has been something of a "revelation" in Scottish football to date, according to pundit Alex McLeish, having contributed 54 goals and assists in just 83 games in all competitions for his current side.

The 5 foot 9 ace notably showed flashes of his quality during the club's Champions League run having whipped in a delightful free-kick in the defeat to Real Madrid back in November, with pundit Frank McAvennie subsequently stating that it was "scary" that the playmaker could get even better, having not been fully fit at the time.

Evidently a man for the big occasion – having registered five goals and assists in just ten meetings with rivals Rangers – Jota also mirrors Son due to his creative quality having created 13 big chances and averaged 1.9 key passes per game in 33 Scottish Premiership games this season, while the current Spurs ace has created nine big chances and averaged 1.8 key passes per game from his 36 league outings.

Although Postecoglou is unlikely to upset the apple cart by replacing Son in the short term, the incoming boss could well find a suitable, long-term replacement for the long-serving speedster with the signing of his former asset.

Leeds United have found themselves in a precarious position with no sporting director or manager to lead them following relegation back to the Championship, but now a shortlist of potential managers has been revealed by a reliable source.

What's the latest on Leeds' interest in Carlos Corberan?

According to The Telegraph, the Yorkshire giants are interested in appointing West Bromwich Albion coach Carlos Corberan ahead of next season.

As per the report, Corberan is one of three options being considered by the club's hierarchy with Scott Parker and Steven Gerrard also named as potential options for Leeds.

Would Carlos Corberan be a good fit for Leeds?

The former Huddersfield Town boss will seem like a natural selection to the Elland Road faithful as he could inject some of Marcelo Bielsa's incredible influence back into the team, having been part of the Argentinian's set up at the club before branching out on his own managerial journey in English football.

Corberan became a first-team coach after his success with Leeds U23s and worked alongside the popular manager to successfully secure promotion to the Premier League, before making the move to become manager of the Terriers where he continued to thrive.

The 40-year-old attacking-minded tactician famously guided Huddersfield Town to the playoff final against Nottingham Forest at Wembley last summer but fell short at the final hurdle, which led to a short spell with Olympiacos before returning to the EFL via West Bromwich Albion to replace Steve Bruce at The Hawthorns.

Over 30 Championship fixtures with the Midlands club, the Baggies boss has tallied up 16 victories and four draws with an average 1.73 points earned per game, which put them in contention for a place in the playoffs on the final day of the season and led to a ninth place finish despite being in a vulnerable position near the bottom of the table when he arrived.

Corberan boasts a number of attributes that make him potentially the perfect appointment for the West Yorkshire giants including sound experience of Championship football, a philosophy that emulates Bielsa's successful style of play and will have relationships already cemented at the club with the staff and many members of the squad.

The former Leeds boss was full of praise for Corberan when they worked together and revealed how important the Spaniard's opinion was to him:

"Carlos is a good colleague, I have found that," Bielsa told.

"He is very talented. I listen more to his opinion than I give mine to him."

Whites chairman Andrea Radrizzani is heavily under-fire following a damning report that suggested he had explored the possibility of using Elland Road as collateral for a bank loan he was raising to buy Serie B-bound Sampdoria.

He could begin to win some supporters back, provided he sticks around, by swooping for Corberan, who himself will know too well what is required to bring the good times back to west Yorkshire, given the evidence above, his return would surely be a no-brainer.

When Jurgen Klopp decided to take a punt on Liverpool in 2015, Anfield had gone to seed.

Not literally – the chalky-topped stadium was very much in fine condition, though its inhabitants had fallen foul of a loss of identity and deterioration from prominence in the Premier League and Champions League.

The German manager, who had previously enjoyed illustrious success with Borussia Dortmund, winning two Bundesliga titles in succession and the DFB Pokal, took the reins and crafted a dynasty on Merseyside, with Liverpool having now won a Premier League trophy and their sixth Champions League.

While standout stars such as Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson are the salient acquisitions, the likes of James Milner and Joel Matip, both secured on free transfers, illustrate the shrewd moves that rooted the success.

The latter, Cameroonian Matip, was acquired from Bundesliga outfit Schalke on a free transfer in 2016 and has been integral in securing silverware under Klopp's tutelage, having forged 186 appearances.

Klopp could now replicate his success in delving into his homeland's league by signing Eintracht Frankfurt's Daichi Kamada, with the Japanese midfielder set for departure at the end of his contract in a matter of weeks.

According to the Express, the 26-year-old is on the shortlist of the Reds' imminent new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke, and could be a wise addition for a team looking to return to the fore after a wayward year.

Why should Liverpool sign Daichi Kamada?

Granted, Matip and Kamada don't bear many similarities in their respective skill sets on the pitch, but attempting to complete an astute deal for a player available on a free transfer from Germany could prove a fruitful avenue for Liverpool to delve down.

While embroiled in his outfit's issues this season, the 31-year-old has previously been lauded as "dominant" and "confident' by former Reds defender Sami Hyypia.

Notably, Matip provided the assist for Divock Origi's match-clinching strike in the Champions League final, and ranks among the top 3% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 9% for progressive passes, top 1% for progressive carries per 90 and the top 6% for touches in the attacking box, as per FBref.

The £34k-per-week Kamada, a two-footed and dynamic attacking midfielder capable of thriving across a multitude of central and wide positions, could be the perfect answer to Liverpool's woes, with the Merseyside outfit failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons and in dire need of midfield reinforcements with a mass exodus forthcoming.

Liverpool need a new dimension, and with Kamada, lauded as a "hero" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, reaping 16 goals and seven assists from 46 appearances this year – including three goals in the Champions League – the Anfield centre could be rejuvenated with his arrival.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 5% of midfielders for non-penalty goals and the top 20% for assists per 90, mirroring Matip's natural instinct to surge forwards by ranking among the top 10% for touches in the attacking box per 90.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola heralded the "exceptional team" that Klopp has created, and Matip has indeed been a centrepiece to this, with his arrival helping to patch the side up when they needed defensive replenishment.

Now, the midfield needs the attention, and Klopp must mirror his past success in astutely targeting Germany to sign Kamada for free.

Glasgow Rangers followed up their impressive Old Firm derby win last weekend with a 3-1 win over Hibernian away from home on Sunday in the Scottish Premiership.

The Light Blues led 1-0 at half-time thanks to a stunning free-kick from captain James Tavernier. He shaped to cross the ball into the box before whipping a strike into the top corner, which caught out David Marshall at his near post.

Romanian international Ianis Hagi then made it 2-0 in the 55th minute as the attacking midfielder rebounded his own blocked shot to rifle a strike into the bottom corner from just inside the box.

Todd Cantwell completed the scoring for Rangers in the 86th minute. The Englishman followed in after Marshall's save from Tavernier and slotted the rebound into the back of the net before Paul Hanlon scored a consolation goal in stoppage time.

There were a number of impressive performers on the day for Michael Beale and one player who stood out alongside the skipper – who was involved in two of the three aforementioned goals – in a rare appearance was central defender Leon King.

How did Leon King perform against Hibernian?

The Light Blues academy graduate staked a claim for a starting position heading into next season with a composed and efficient display at the heart of the defence in his first start since November.

He was pivotal to what Rangers did, both in and out of possession, as they were able to completely dominate Hibs from start to finish.

Defensively, the 19-year-old gem could not put a foot wrong as he cruised through the game with impressive ease – as per Sofascore, the 6-foot enforcer won 100% (10/10) of his duels and made four clearances, two interceptions, and four tackles – no other Gers player won more individual battles.

King also won all six of his contests on the ground and both of his aerial duels and this shows that King was able to dominate the opposition attackers, who did not get any change out of the Scottish defender, which also increased the number of opportunities his side had to make things happen going forward.

The teenage titan was also key to what Beale's side did in possession of the ball – as per Sofascore, the 96-touch ace completed 85% (67/79) of his attempted passes, 100% (1/1) of his dribbles, and created one chance for his teammates.

This shows that the £4k-per-week tank was not a liability on the ball and was, instead, able to drive the team forward with the ball to find teammates in good positions, which then allowed them to showcase their quality in the final third.

Therefore, King's performance was exceptional at the back as the youngster was able to combine sublime defending with composure in possession to dismantle Hibernian alongside the usual protagonist in Tavernier, who himself created three chances and scored from right-back as he made a huge impact at the top end of the pitch.

Arsenal transfer target sign Declan Rice has sent Bukaya Saka a message of support on Instagram after the winger signed a new contract.

How much is Saka's new contract worth?

It was revealed this week that the England international has signed a new four-year deal with the Gunners which makes him the club's best-paid player. Indeed, as per Evening Standard, Saka will make at least £200k-p/w, but this can rise to £300k-p/w with bonuses.

It's a great moment for the player, the team and the fans and the 21-year-old seemed delighted about the deal, telling Arsenal.com: “I’m just really happy. There’s been a lot of talking and it’s been a while, but I’m here now. I think this is the right club, the right place to make the next step. It’s a beautiful club – look where we are."

And it seems someone else outside of North London is also delighted for Saka. Yes, West Ham United captain Rice sent his England teammate a message on Instagram to show his support.

The midfielder said: "Congrats brother! Fully deserved."

What's the latest on Rice and Arsenal?

The Gunners are in the market for a new midfielder this summer and appear to have identified Rice as a main target – alongside the likes of Brighton's Moises Caicedo, Chelsea's Mason Mount and Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan.

However, the West Ham man looks to be a priority with a bid expected to come in at the end of the season after the Irons have played their Europa Conference League final.

Seeing as Rice has publicly spoken about his desire for Champions League football, Arsenal look to be a great fit for the midfielder. Earlier in the season, he told The Guardian: “One hundred per cent I want to play in the Champions League,” he said. “For the last two or three years I’ve been saying that.

“I’ve been playing consistently well for my club and I feel like I really want to keep pushing. I see my friends here who are playing Champions League and for big trophies.

“You only get one career and at the end you want to look back at what you’ve won and the biggest games you’ve played in.”

Considering Mikel Arteta's men will be in the Champions League next term and Rice has been linked with a transfer already, his latest message to Saka could suggest he's already picturing life at the Emirates next term.

It's certainly something for fans to get excited about.

Tottenham are closing in on a deal to bring Djed Spence to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Sun, who claimed that Spurs are set to steal the Nottingham Forest loanee from under the noses of Arsenal, with the north London rivals both believed to be interested in a £15m move for the wing-back this summer.

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The report added that Antonio Conte has made the 21-year-old his primary target to replace Emerson Royal – who the Italian is said to be happy to offload in the coming weeks – while Tottenham’s qualification for the Champions League is thought to have given them the edge in the race for the England under-21 international.

He’ll give Arteta nightmares

Considering just how exciting a talent Spence has proven to be this season, it is easy to see why Fabio Paratici is targeting the defender in a bid to improve Conte’s options at right wing-back.

Indeed, over his 41 Championship appearances for Forest this season, the £7.2m-rated full-back has been in sensational form, bagging two goals, providing five assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, in addition to making one key pass, taking 0.6 shots and completing 1.8 dribbles per game.

The £4.4k-per-week talent has also impressed in defensive metrics, making 1.5 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 0.2 blocks and winning 5.8 duels per game. These returns saw the player who Danny Green dubbed “unreal” average a WhoScored match rating of 7.06, ranking him as Steve Cooper’s sixth-best player in the league.

Furthermore, Spence also proved his ability against top-level opposition in Forest’s 1-0 FA Cup victory over Arsenal in January, a game in which the 21-year-old made one key pass, four interceptions, two tackles and three clearances. He also completed six dribbles and won 12 duels, with these metrics seeing the youngster earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.7, the highest of any player from either team on the day.

Spence has already given Mikel Arteta nightmares once this season, and should Paratici manage to beat the Spaniard to the signing of the youngster this summer, the prospect of the full-back lining up against Arsenal for their fiercest rivals next season is certain to be a terrifying thought for the Gunners manager.

AND in other news: “Sources have…”: Fabrizio Romano drops huge Spurs update, supporters will be buzzing

Newcastle United take on Burnley on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday, with the Magpies set to come up against a player on whom they had set their sights last summer in Maxwel Cornet.

Fortunately for the St James’ Park outfit, their failure to secure the signing of the Ivorian won’t come back to haunt them this weekend, with Eddie Howe having steered the previously relegation-threatened Toon into contention for a top-half finish after an outstanding second half of the campaign.

Having once looked like a game which could decide the top-flight fate of both teams, the meeting at Turf Moor no longer has much riding on it for the visitors. However, a victory could well bolster their hopes of securing the services of Cornet at the second time of asking, should the Clarets drop into the Championship.

Reports last August suggested that Newcastle, who were then managed by Steve Bruce, were considering a move for the former Lyon forward, although they ultimately lost out as he made the £12.9m switch to Lancashire towards the end of the summer transfer window.

While the Magpies’ recent sparkling form has eased the blow of missing out on the 25-year-old, they will perhaps rue not having snapped him up for what appears to be a relative bargain price when they had the chance.

However, should Burnley finish in the bottom three, the 25-cap Ivory Coast international could become available once mpre for a reduced fee, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealing that there is a £17.5m relegation clause in the forward’s existing deal.

The £44k-per-week gem is likely to be at the centre of a transfer tussle should that scenario occur, with his form in his debut season in England likely to have caught the eye of numerous clubs, both in the UK and abroad.

In what has been a tough campaign for Burnley, the £12.6m-rated Ivorian has netted on average one goal every three league games – with eight in 24 appearances thus far. That is a particularly impressive record considering he had often featured as a full-back or wing-back prior to this season.

Such form has also seen him dubbed “one of the signings of the season” by Owen Hargreaves, while fellow pundit Matt Holland also described the pacy gem as a player who “adds a bit of magic in the final third”.

Not just an asset in an attacking sense, the 25-year-old has also performed admirably for his team in a defensive sense, ranking in the top 10% for tackles and the top 4% for interceptions among positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues.

With doubts over Allan Saint-Maximin’s future on Tyneside and reports of the club being open to a sale, Cornet could well represent an ideal replacement, with the dynamic Burnley gem having already shown what he can do in a far from expansive outfit.

That would duly allow Newcastle to wave goodbye to the mercurial Frenchman, who has struggled for consistency in the black and white shirt, chipping in with just 11 goals and 12 assists in the league since his £16.5m arrival from Nice in 2019.

Gabby Agbonlahor has admitted that the “frustrating” fleet-footed maverick may not totally suit Howe’s style of player due to his often unpredictable nature, with Cornet offering the same electric speed and creativity, but with greater reliability.

PIF need to get the chequebook out this summer and push for the Burnley man’s arrival, righting the wrongs of the previous regime and giving them the license to cash in on the enigmatic Saint-Maximin.

IN other news, Eddie Howe can now help NUFC sign “spectacular” £64m “nightmare”, he’s better than Saint-Maximin

Crystal Palace youngster Nya Kirby is set to be released by the Eagles this summer with Bournemouth, Watford and Club Brugge listed as potential new suitors.

What’s the word?

According to the Bournemouth Echo, via the 72, the Palace academy product is a target for the aforementioned clubs who would each offer the 22-year-old something different.

Bournemouth can now provide Premier League football following their promotion back to the top-flight whilst Watford will be a Championship outfit once again following their relegation.

As for Club Brugge, the Belgian club would provide the midfielder with the opportunity to start fresh abroad, something that has proven to work wonders for young, English talents of late.

Palace must axe Kirby

Although there is still time to offer Kirby a new contract, the south London outfit must stick with their decision and allow the Englishman to depart.

Having worked his way up the youth ranks at Crystal Palace, the 22-year-old has made just one first team appearance for Patrick Vieira’s side, coming under former manager Roy Hodgson last season in an EFL Cup defeat against Bournemouth.

However, the midfielder has impressed for the U23s in Premier League 2 this term, scoring seven goals and providing two assists in 20 appearances.

Besides his one first-team appearance for the Eagles, Kirby has played regular senior football with loan spells at both Blackpool in 2018/19 and Tranmere Rovers last campaign, although he didn’t make an impression at either outfit.

Having been limited to just eight appearances for a League Two side in Tranmere certainly wouldn’t have convinced Vieira that the 22-year-old is ready for Premier League football and therefore the only logical step is to release him.

There is an argument for the Frenchman to give the youngster a chance with numerous midfielders set to depart Selhurst Park this summer.

Conor Gallagher will return to Chelsea upon the conclusion of his loan spell whilst both James McArthur and Cheikhou Kouyate are set to be released.

It will be a ruthless move, with the midfielder labelled as “terrific” by former Blackpool boss Terry McPhillips whilst on loan with the Tangerines.

However, there is little evidence to suggest that the £6.9k-per-week Englishman has what it takes to succeed in the Premier League, at least currently.

AND in other news: Vieira now heading for 1st summer transfer disaster, Palace supporters will be gutted

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, West Ham’s proposed interest in James Rodriguez is unlikely to develop into anything serious.

The Lowdown: Rodriguez eyes European return

The 30-year-old experienced Premier League football during his spell with Everton last season, but following the departure of Carlo Ancelotti, who brought him to the club in the first place, the Colombian ended up leaving Merseyside after just just one year, having fallen down the pecking order under Rafael Benitez.

The Colombian made the switch to Qatari club Al-Rayyan where he has enjoyed a successful campaign so far, scoring five goals and providing seven assists across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Despite that good form, it was recently revealed by transfer insider Fabrizio Romano that Rodriguez surprisingly wants to leave his current club and is eyeing a return to Europe; and Spanish sources have since claimed that the Irons are among several clubs who are interested in securing the playmaker’s services.

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The Latest: O’Rourke doubts Rodriguez to West Ham

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke suggested that the 86-cap Colombia international might not be the right profile of player for West Ham to bring to the London Stadium.

He said: “They’ve also got the likes of Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals, who are quite creative players, and I think obviously they work hard as well.

“So, I think James Rodriguez is maybe a bit of a luxury player in that respect that he might not buy into the Moyes ethos of working hard on and off the ball.

“So, for me, I don’t see this one really happening, even though Rodriguez, on his day, is a top player, and he’s proven that over his career.”

The Verdict: Not the man for the job

One of the main reasons that West Ham have been so successful under David Moyes – especially this season having made it all the way to the semi-finals of the Europa League – is because of their team spirit, togetherness and strong unity. However, as O’Rourke has warned, Rodriguez could be viewed as someone who’s more of an individual performer rather than working as part of a team.

As per FBRef, the £200k-per-week star has only made 250 pressures throughout the entire season, compared to someone like Fornals who has recorded a staggering 618, which just goes to show the difference in effort to win the ball back in the middle of the park.

If Rodriguez wouldn’t be willing to work as hard as his fellow team-mates out of possession, then he isn’t the kind of player that Moyes should be considering adding to his Irons squad ahead of the 2022/23 season.

In other news… this West Ham star has been backed to commit his future to the club

Wolves are interested in signing a new winger this summer and one face you could arrive at Molineux is Allan-Saint Maximin.

What’s the word?

That is according to journalist Josh Holland who raved about the Frenchman and suggested that he was actually trying to impress Bruno Lage’s men when they faced either.

Holland was speaking to GIVEMESPORT and said: “Yeah, of course. I think they’ve got to [sign more wingers]. Looking at their squad, you’ve got Neto, Podence, Trincao and Hwang. But would you say that all four of them have had a telling effect in this season? I wouldn’t say so.

“Saint-Maximin, I think we all know, is such a good player to watch. He gave Wolves so many problems [last month]. It was more like a trial game for him; it had the feeling that he was trying to impress Wolves.”

This comes after 90min reported that Newcastle were open to selling, a piece of news that has put Wolves on red alert. A fee of around £50m is reportedly the asking price.

Podence upgrade

Described as a “jewel” by David Ginola, Saint-Maximin would indeed prove to be an upgrade on Daniel Podence.

For starters, the 25-year-old’s nine goal contributions throughout the Premier League in the form of five goals and four assists better that of the Portuguese winger, Daniel Podence, who has managed just five returns in 25 matches for the Old Gold in the league this season – scoring twice and assisting just three times.

Whilst Saint-Maximin, “who gave Wolves so many problems” in the words of Holland during last month’s game versus the Magpies, could certainly improve his end product.

Podence, however, has a long way to go, with this being his second consecutive season in which he has managed just five attacking contributions.

The signing of the Frenchman would enable the Old Gold to be more direct in their attacking play, with Saint-Maximin’s match average of 8.17 progressive carries making him a dangerous threat who is capable of dragging his team up into the opponent’s final third within the blink of an eye.

Whilst Podence creates opportunities through his passing, Saint-Maximin is less predictable and is willing to drive at the opposition’s defence. That is the stark difference between the two.

It is reported that Wolves will look to sign Saint-Maximin in place of Adama Traore, who is touted to leave this summer.

Though, if Lage could keep hold of both, he would have two of the best carriers of the ball in his side, with Adama ranking first for this metric in the Premier League and completing an average of 7.0 successful dribbles per 90, with Saint-Maximin in second place with a match average of 4.9 successful dribbles per 90.

If this was the case, Wolves would possess one of the most lethal and direct attacks in world football.

Though, Lage would need to knock some consistency and nurture some end product out of the pair.

In other news: Lage must unleash “unplayable” £25 million-rated reject, he’s better than Trincao