All posts by z3u9t.icu

Southampton fans are far from happy after it was revealed the Saints are set to offer goalkeeper Alex McCarthy a new contract.

The Saints went through a mixed term last time out, reaching an F.A Cup semi-final but also finishing in 15th place in the Premier League table despite a good start. Their defence was particularly disappointing – only West Brom (76) conceded more than their 68 goals in the competition (Sky Sports).

Ralph Hasenhuttl and co have already moved one goalkeeper on this summer, with Angus Gunn completing a move to Norwich City (canaries.co.uk).

However, it appears they are not willing to let £4.5m-valued McCarthy (Transfermarkt) go as well – according to The Athletic, he is set to sign a new long-term contract that will keep him at the club.

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Southampton supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

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

“Pain”

Credit: @sfcJoshhh

“Great.”

Credit: @Saintsfc_8

“meh”

Credit: @JackHStubbs

“Nooooooooo”

Credit: @StevenTribbeck

“Very meh”

Credit: @CDear_

“Preparing for life in the championship already by signing contracts for championship standard players”

Credit: @IngsIsKing

In other news, Southampton are interested in this former Manchester United man.

An update has emerged on Leeds United’s transfer plans, regarding Reading midfielder John Swift…

What’s the talk?

According to LeedsLive, the Yorkshire giants are not actively looking to pursue a deal for the former Chelsea man in the January window.

The report claim that Swift is out of contract at the end of the season and is currently expected to see out the rest of the Championship campaign.

January disaster

Leeds are on course for a January disaster following this update as failing to sign Swift could be a missed opportunity for Victor Orta.

The Whites have struggled in front of goal this season, with Raphinha the only one in the squad who has been a consistent threat in the final third, and could improve their chances of avoiding relegation by improving their attacking options in January. This is why they must make a move for Swift as he has the potential to come in and make an impact.

Raphinha is the only player in the squad with more than two Premier League goals, whilst Patrick Bamford is the only player with more than one assist (two). Swift, meanwhile, has 17 direct goal contributions in the Championship for Reading, with eight goals and nine assists.

Royals boss Veljko Paunovic previously lauded the midfielder’s talents, saying:

“Now he’s back, it is important we keep him healthy and motivated as he is now because that will help us a lot.

“He is super talented and he showed an urgency that he wanted to decide the game.”

Back in November, Athletic reporter Phil Hay dropped this line in a Q&A: “Was interesting to see John Swift linked over the weekend because Swift is someone Bielsa quietly admires.”

This suggests that he is a player Bielsa would love to have at Elland Road, with his statistics for Reading also backing the potential he holds to make it at the top level. He is in outstanding form in the second tier and deserves an opportunity to show that he can perform in the Premier League, which is why Orta must make a move for him.

Bielsa’s squad, based on their stats this season, are in dire need of more creativity in the final third and Swift is a player who has shown – in the Championship at least – that he can score and provide goals at an impressive rate. With his contract up at the end of the campaign, it also seems unlikely that it would take a fortune for Leeds to prize him away.

AND in other news, Leeds could sell “shocking” Christiansen flop by signing “wonderful” £9m-rated star…

Tottenham Hotspur have one final game before Christmas as they welcome Premier League rivals West Ham United to north London for a Carabao Cup quarter-final.

And with a place in the last four up for grabs, it leaves manager Antonio Conte with plenty to ponder in terms of team selection.

Last time out, the Lilywhites were held to a 2-2 draw to ten-man Liverpool, whilst they defeated Burnley and Wolves to make it this far in the competition.

The Italian head coach has a largely fully-fit squad to choose from, so it will be interesting to see what decisions he may make ahead of kick-off, particularly with his midfield, where a rarely-seen trio of Dele Alli, Harry Winks and Tanguy Ndombele all featured on Sunday.

It’s the latter who could make way, surprisingly, as he was the most underwhelming of the three players, who all had a point to prove to Conte.

He was not only the first player to be substituted, coming off for Oliver Skipp in the 64th minute, but he too was their third lowest-rated player (6.4) as the French dynamo struggled to have much of an influence on the game.

Yes, he provided an assist for Harry Kane’s opener but as explained by the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, he was otherwise ‘largely a passenger’ who offered ‘little defensively’ and more than once was caught ‘overplaying in dangerous positions.’

Across his hour on the pitch, Ndombele managed only 11 passes and 30 touches, which shows that he was barely involved. For further context, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris managed more in both regards, and he’s stood between the sticks all game, not in an advanced midfield role.

Once dubbed a “world-beater” and “unplayable” by former Spurs shot-stopper Joe Hart to BT Sport’s Rio Ferdinand (via football.london), the £26m-rated maestro is surely in line for the axe tonight.

Meanwhile, Spurs’ embarrassing defeat to NS Mura last month saw ex-midfielder Jamie O’Hara dub the £55m man “absolutely shocking”, which only goes to show his vastly-contrasting performances in Spurs’ colours.

Conte cannot afford to carry someone in a game of his nature. Having been knocked out of the UEFA Europa Conference League, this tournament could be the north Londoners’ only genuine chance of silverware, so it must be taken seriously.

As such, the 52-year-old must be ruthless with the club’s inconsistent club-record signing. He must be dropped this evening.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Dier: Spurs eyeing swoop for £45m-rated “top player”, Conte “wants” him…

Manchester United could sign their ideal heir to Paul Pogba after being continuously linked with a move for AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie.

What’s the story?

Reports by Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this month (as relayed by Daily Mail), claim the Red Devils have identified the 24-year-old as a possible replacement for Pogba should he decide to depart over the coming months.

The France international has entered the final year of his contract at United and is yet to commit his future to the club, meaning possible replacements are being identified by the Old Trafford hierarchy.

Kessie is in a similar situation to the World Cup winner as his current deal at San Siro is set to expire in under 12 months time, meaning he’s free to negotiate with non-Italian clubs from January.

Previous reports have claimed that the Ivorian wants an €8m (£6.8m) yearly salary – around £132,000-a-week – but Milan are only offering €6.5m (£5.5m), meaning an imminent exit could be on the cards.

Solskjaer would love him

Although Kessie is often deployed as a defensive midfielder and is extremely capable in the position, he is arguably better suited to a more advanced box-to-box role.

The more attack-minded position frees up the £74,000-per-week gem and allows him to maximise his key attributes, while the holding role restricts the influence he can have over proceedings.

And when comparing Kessie’s and Pogba’s underlying numbers for last season, it’s clear there are some striking similarities between the pairs.

As per fbref.com, the Milan maestro recorded 4.4 non-penalty Expected Goals and managed 2.14 Shot-creating actions per 90 compared to Pogba’s tallies of 2.8 and 3.37, respectively.

But the resemblances don’t stop there. While Kessie pulled off a remarkable 76.7% of his dribbles, won 1.23 tackles per 90 and made an average of 5.06 passes into the final third of the pitch, United’s star man put up totals of 61.4%, 1.08 and 5.3.

It’s not just the stats that back up Kessie’s ability to play further up the pitch, though. Former Italy striker Antonio Cassano even compared him to a previous Premier League box-to-box great.

“I want Kessie in my team, he scores, he assists, he has personality, he has quality, he doesn’t lose the ball, he is intelligent. I’m watching him carefully, against Roma, he was devastating,” he said (via MilanLive).

“He reminds me of the Yaya Touré of the best times. He is a different player, but in terms of impact, he is holding Milan’s midfield alone.”

Therefore, United could secure Pogba’s natural successor by snapping Kessie up over the winter window or next summer, providing Solskjaer with a player he would surely love the opportunity to work with.

And, in other news…Rob Dawson reveals worrying Man Utd transfer update, Ole may be concerned 

Newcastle United must prepare for the departure of star man Allan Saint-Maximin this summer – and may need to take a risk on his replacement.

What’s the word?

According to a report by the Daily Mail, Newcastle’s star forward is expected to be sold this summer, with the fee received expected to be pumped back into Eddie Howe’s squad.

Among the Frenchman’s mooted replacements are Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson and Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby, while Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe has also been linked with a switch to St. James’ Park this season.

However, in a recent interview with Football Insider, Ex Leeds United forward Noel Whelan claimed that a move for the Gunners attacker would be something of a risk.

Speaking about the Magpies’ potential interest in the 26-year-old, Whelan said: “A loan move may be something that Newcastle might fancy. These are the sort of players they will be targeting. He could turn his career around and end up being that big-ticket player. But right now, it’s a gamble.”

Bye-bye Saint-Maximin

Saint-Maximin has yet again proved his importance this season in more ways than one.

His five goals and three assists have been imperative in Newcastle’s bid to secure Premier League survival, though it’s his dribbling and ball carrying ability that have been the biggest positive for the Magpies.

It comes as no surprise that the 25-year-old ranks top of the Newcastle squad for successful dribbles per match with 4.3. Quite simply, his ability on the ball is often the catalyst for his side’s counterattacks, with the £28.8m-rated forward by far and away being the most efficient carrier of the ball.

However, while losing a player of Saint-Maximin’s calibre would certainly come as a huge blow to the Magpies, they could employ a like-for-like replacement in Nicolas Pepe – the Arsenal winger who has struggled to live up to his enormous transfer fee since signing from Lille in 2019.

Although he has faced scrutiny, he has not exactly been a flop in England thus far. The potential has always been there, with his end product on display for all to see just last season – when he bagged an impressive 10 goals over just 29 appearances for the Gunners.

Indeed, his £72m fee has arguably been his biggest enemy during his time in England, but a move to Newcastle for a rumoured fee of £25m could release the reins for the 26-year-old Ivory Coast international.

Pepe is a technical player, just like Saint-Maximin, who thrives in possession, more specifically within the attacking third. With around 35 touches in the attacking third per 90, he ranks in the 93rd percentile amongst positionally similar players within Europe’s top 5 leagues over the past 365 days.

For context, Saint-Maximin is ranked within the 81st percentile with around 23 touches in the attacking third per 90.

In this aspect, the £140k-per-week Pepe who Joe Cole claimed “makes things happen” would serve as an upgrade for his composure in the final third.

He may be a risk to some, but the underlying stats suggest that the Arsenal winger has everything it takes to replace Allan Saint-Maximin at Newcastle United – leading us to believe that PIF must take a chance on Pepe this summer.

In other news: Fee agreed: NUFC now already set to seal 1st summer signing, Howe surely over the moon

Celtic may have signed 12 new bodies for the first team after Ange Postecoglou was made their new manager but there have been some riveting stories of former players in recent weeks.

Odsonne Edouard moved south of the border on transfer deadline day and with his very first touch of the ball, scored on his debut for Crystal Palace.

The Frenchman would net another in their win over Spurs on that same day but Olivier Ntcham and Kristoffer Ajer have also thrived.

Ajer was part of the Brentford squad who sealed a win over Arsenal during their first Premier League outing while Ntcham was in sensational form for Swansea last week.

The Swans were losing 3-0 at half time but his introduction saw the game end 3-3 as he registered a goal and an assist.

However, there is a forgotten man out in America who is very much stealing the show.

That happens to be Patryk Klimala, a player Celtic signed for £3.5m in the winter window of 2020.

The Polish striker was extremely average at Parkhead and struggled to find form, scoring just three goals in 28 appearances for the Hoops.

A move away this year was hardly surprising as the 23-year-old kick-started a mass clear out at Paradise.

He is now playing for the New York Red Bulls in MLS where he’s enjoyed a wonderful revival and is certainly showing what Celtic are missing.

Albian Ajeti has had his own mini-comeback at Celtic with three goals in his last three outings but that could so easily have been Klimala.

The Hoops did, at least, recoup the money they paid 19 months ago and for the American side, that’s now looking like a bargain.

During 2021, Klimala has found the net seven times and also picked up five assists for his new club in 20 outings.

That makes for impressive reading, especially when you consider that he’s scored in three successive games now.

What’s also intriguing is that he scored against Ronny Deila in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-celtic-news-duffy-mccarthy-brady-knockaert” title= “Read the latest Celtic news!”]

The ex-Celtic manager is now in charge of New York City FC but he witnessed heartbreak as his team drew 1-1 courtesy of a penalty kick from Klimala in the 12th minute of injury time after a VAR review.

So often used to being the man who was put out to pasture in Glasgow, his fortunes have drastically changed and improved since finding a new home.

Head Coach Gerhard Struber has been delighted with him since his arrival, commenting: “Patryk with his outstanding movements and with his pace, it’s not easy to handle.”

He is now one of the leading lights for the Red Bulls and is relishing his rise to stardom in America.

AND in other news, Celtic may discover their new Ralston in rarely-seen 21 y/o with “excellent pedigree”…

Liverpool have reportedly been keeping track of Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes as manager Jurgen Klopp looks to bolster his attacking options.

What’s the story?

According to Goal’s Liverpool reporter Neil Jones, the Reds’ recruitment team have been watching the 23-year-old’s progress over the last couple of campaigns ahead of a possible move for the speedster.

The Anfield outfit are believed to be in the market for a new forward this summer following underwhelming campaigns for Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino last time out.

Liverpool fans will be delighted

Barnes enjoyed a stellar 2020/21 season, bagging 13 goals and providing a further four assists in 38 appearances for Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes.

He was tipped to make Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2020 given his outstanding displays for the Midlands outfit. However, a serious knee injury picked up in March ruled the forward out for the rest of the campaign.

The electric England international made a winning return to first-team action over the weekend, though, featuring from the off as Leicester claimed just their second Community Shield with a victory at Wembley Stadium.

And now Barnes could be rewarded for last season’s fine form with a move to the 19-time English champions.

With Mane and Firmino beginning to fall below their usual exceptional standards and the likes of Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri heavily linked with an Anfield exit, Barnes could provide the spark to Liverpool’s forward line that it so desperately needs.

He’s made incredible progress since joined West Bromwich Albion on loan back in 2018, where he contributed to 16 goals in 26 Championship outings for the Baggies, and his underlying numbers last term are evidence of that.

As per WhoScored, Barnes recorded 2.2 shots per league game in 2020/21, made one key pass and completed 1.6 dribbles, placing him in the top five compared to his teammates for all metrics.

Therefore, Liverpool fans will surely be delighted to learn the club’s recruitment team are closely monitoring his progress. Barnes is an exciting, young, English prospect with bags of potential and he should only get better under Klopp’s tutelage.

Whether the Reds follow up their reported interest with a formal offer remains to be seen, but his arrival on Merseyside would certainly be welcomed by the supporters. The fact that he’s on Liverpool’s radar should be music to the ears of Reds’ fans.

And, in other news…Report reveals exciting transfer update that’ll have Liverpool fans buzzing 

Rangers are now on the verge of announcing former Ibrox star Giovanni van Bronckhorst as the new Light Blues manager, according to The 4th Official’s latest update on the Gers’ hunt for a Steven Gerrard replacement. 

The lowdown: GVB profiled

Rangers are seemingly acting fast to replace Gerrard, who left to join English Premier League side Aston Villa last week.

Van Bronckhorst is well known to the Gers faithful after spending three years with the Light Blues during his playing career. He fetched a £12.15million transfer fee when he was sold to Arsenal in 2001.

The Dutchman has had two previous stints in senior management, first at Eredivisie outfit Feyenoord and more recently at Chinese Super League team Guangzhou R&F.

He boasted a near-62% win record in the former post, but that slipped to 35% in the latter (via Transfermarkt).

The latest: Matter of hours

The expectation following a ‘really really positive’ Saturday meeting between Van Bronckhorst and Rangers is that the deal would be done relatively swiftly, and that’s now coming to fruition.

“According to my source,” the The 4th Official’s post on Monday evening read, “we shouldn’t be surprised if Giovanni van Bronckhorst is announced by Rangers in the next 24-48 hours.”

The verdict: The one fans wanted

If Rangers can get Van Bronckhorst in within the stated timeline, then he should be able to take the reins for the weekend’s Scottish Cup semifinal clash with Hibernian. That would be something of a baptism of fire.

Still, they deserve credit for moving quickly, having scheduled discussions with a top candidate within two days of Gerrard’s official exit – compare that to Celtic, who spent the entire summer in chaos chasing Eddie Howe and eventually landing on Ange Postecoglou.

And according to The Daily Record’s Keith Jackson, Van Bronckhorst is the appointment most of the fans want too, so this update will be music to their ears and the atmosphere at Hampden at the weekend should be electric if all goes to plan.

In other news, Steven Gerrard wants these two players at Aston Villa. 

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been handed a major boost regarding the recovery of Bruno Jordao.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments made on the E&S Wolves Podcast (via This Is Futbol), the Express & Star journalist, Liam Keen, revealed that the central midfielder, who has not featured competitively for Wolves since July 2020, has finally returned to the grass at the Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground, as the 23-year-old continues with his recovery from a long-term knee injury.

Speaking about the current condition of Jordao, Keen said: “Jordao is back on the grass now, which is good. I don’t think he’s quite in team training… but that’s one I’ll double-check. He’s definitely on the grass, so he’s getting closer.”

Fans will be buzzing

Having made a grand total of just four first-team appearances since his £8.01m move to Molineux back in the summer of 2019, the news that Jordao is finally nearing a return from injury is sure to have left Wolves fans buzzing.

Indeed, the former Portugal U21 international has made more appearances for the club’s U23 side than he has for the first team thus far in his spell with the Premier League club, and, considering how short Bruno Lage currently is in the middle of the park, the 23-year-old’s return cannot come quick enough.

At present, the 45-year-old Wolves boss is limited to the options of Ruben Neves, Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho in central midfield. However, with none of these three players being particularly attack-minded, the Portuguese manager has suffered from a significant lack of creativity in the heart of his side – with the trio having scored one goal and registered one assist between them in the league so far this season.

And, while Jordao is not exactly an out and out attacking midfielder, the £41k-per-week man’s return of one goal over his four first-team appearances for Wolves nevertheless means his return will be a major boost for Lage, especially with the hectic Christmas period soon upon us.

In other news: Shi must seal dream Wolves deal for £25k-p/w dynamo who can “make people look silly”

Conor Gallagher is a player Newcastle like as they look to strengthen in midfield, according to The Athletic’s Chris Waugh. 

The lowdown

Gallagher spent the 2020/21 season on loan from Chelsea at West Bromwich Albion, who suffered relegation from the Premier League.

The Englishman started 28 Premier League matches for the Baggies, scoring twice and contributing two assists (via WhoScored).

Only Aston Villa’s John McGinn (12) picked up more yellow cards than the 21-year-old (11) over the course of the campaign.

It was reported earlier this week that Crystal Palace are also trying to sign Gallagher as they close on the signing of fellow Chelsea youngster Marc Guehi (via The Athletic).

The latest

Newcastle are apparently looking to sign two midfielders of different moulds during the transfer window. They want one ‘box-to-box’ player but also a ‘combative presence’ in the middle of the park.

‘Ideally’ one of their additions would be Joe Willock, who spent the latter half of the 2020/21 campaign at St James’ Park, but Gallagher is a player the Toon ‘admire’.

The verdict

Gallagher probably deserves another shot in the Premier League after a season in what was a desperately poor, ill-equipped West Brom side.

He underlined his talent in a spell at Swansea the year before, playing a key role as they reached the Championship play-offs.

Missing out on Willock would be a pretty huge disappointment and Gallagher would enter St James’ Park under that cloud, but he has the tools to be a decent alternative, registering one shot and one dribble per game last term while completing 81.5 per cent of his passes (Whoscored).

In other news, Ben Jacobs has dropped this claim on Newcastle’s takeover arbitration.