All posts by z3u9t.icu

Liverpool could be set to commit an atrocious transfer error this summer by letting Kostas Tsimikas leave Anfield.

The Greek defender, signed from Olympiakos at the start of the season, has already been linked with a swift departure from Merseyside, with Napoli thought to be interested according to Corriere dello Sport [via Sport Witness].

Despite his limited opportunities and the fact that they already have a potential buyer, it would be a huge mistake for the Reds and Michael Edwards to let the £7.2m-rated left-back go.

First and foremost, Tsimikas was signed to be backup to Andrew Robertson, and that is exactly the role he has fulfilled throughout 2020/21.

The 24-year-old has made just six appearances in all competitions for the Reds but that is simply down to him not being needed to be called upon.

In what has been a dreadful season for Jurgen Klopp’s side, the Scot has remained consistent. He has made 39 appearances in all competitions, only missing out in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup due to rotation as opposed to injury, giving Tsimikas no real opportunity to prove himself.

That does not mean that the former Hull City man won’t suffer a knock or problem at some point, though. If he does, it is important that Liverpool have an able deputy and, with no other senior left-back in the Reds’ squad, the man to step up is surely Tsimikas.

After all, the damaging impact of injures has been clearly displayed at centre-back this season with Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez all being ruled out long-term and the club having to turn to the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to deputise.

Considering those problems from which Klopp has suffered this season, he would be loath for that to happen once again in a different position, and keeping the Greek around would help to eliminate that prospect.

Ironically, he only needs to look at Robertson for inspiration on how to break into the Liverpool squad, with the Scotsman also initially struggling following his arrival at Anfield in 2017, as opposed to angling for a move away.

Offloading Tsimikas would be a costly error which must be avoided.

AND in more news, read why the Reds must not gamble with the fitness of one of their key stars for the remainder of the season…

Many Everton fans have been left to hail a transfer link to Daryl Dike as Eurosport have reported that they are interested in signing him.

As per the news outlet, scouts at the Goodison Park faithful have been impressed with his displays at Barnsley so far, where he has scored a total of five goals in 11 games in the EFL Championship so far in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt), following his loan spell from Orlando City FC in the MLS.

It is believed that the USA international has a valuation of $20m (£14.5m), which may not be a bad price for the 20-year-old striker.

Given that he now has the experience of playing in English football, albeit in a lower division than the Premier League, Dike may be a very handy back-up to have for the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and being just 20 years of age, he can only get better.

Everton fans on Dike transfer update

These Toffees hailed the transfer update on Dike on Twitter, with one Blues supporter claiming that he would be a ‘fantastic’ signing and branded him a ‘beast’:

“Let’s gooooooo”

Credit: @corg1k1ng

“Oh hell yes!!”

Credit: @BazTastic77

“Need”

Credit: @osiannaiso

“Absolute beast. He would be a fantastic signing.”

Credit: @Medwards011

“Absolutely loving it”

Credit: @LilKean1878

“Looks like another big Rom …. get him signed up!”

Credit: @fifasavedmylife

In other news, find out what Liverpool dig from one EFC ace has been lauded by fans here!

Keith Gillespie has urged Manchester United to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United this summer in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

The West Ham United midfielder has enjoyed a sensational season at the base of the Irons’ midfield.

They are currently pushing for Champions League qualification, with Rice playing in every single game prior to the Wolves and Leicester clashes after picking up an injury.

Rice has formed an exceptional partnership with Tomas Soucek, as the club look to gatecrash the top four.

He has also become a cornerstone of the England squad under Gareth Southgate, winning 15 caps and playing in two of their three World Cup qualifiers recently, only missing out against San Marino.

Gillespie believes that United need to strengthen in midfield as they make plans for the summer window and has touted Rice, who is valued at £54m by Transfermarkt, as a potential target.

Speaking to FFC in an exclusive interview prior to West Ham’s game against Wolves, the ex-United academy product said: “I think Declan Rice is exceptional. He would be a fantastic signing for United.”

He has also credited Soucek, and believes that he is another who would add plenty to United’s midfield.

He added: “Soucek, you look at the goals he produces, he’s such a threat in both boxes.

“It is an area where Man United need to strengthen.”

With Raphinha one of the big shining lights for Leeds this season in the Premier League, one thing Marcelo Bielsa will no doubt be searching for is how he could make him even better and even more influential for the Whites.

One way he could do that is by bringing in Ivan Toney.

Reports in recent days have suggested that Leeds are eyeing a move for the Brentford striker in the summer transfer window, although they could face competition for his signature from fellow Premier League side Arsenal.

At Brentford, the striker has been in prolific form all season for the Championship side, already racking up an impressive 25 goals in all competitions.

Speaking earlier last year, Peterborough’s director of football, Barry Fry, said: “He’s turned into a tremendous all-round footballer. It’s important to remember Ivan is not just an exceptional goal-scoring forward, he’s also an outstanding defender.”

One of the key successes behind his goal-scoring record, is his relationship with the Bees’ right-winger, Bryan Mbeumo.

As per Transfermarkt, despite playing only 32 games together, they have already combined for seven goals between each other – Toney’s relationship with the Frenchman is only bettered in terms of goal contributions with former Peterborough teammate Marcus Maddison, although their tally of 14 came in 70 matches.

Mbeumo’s ability to beat players one-on-one but also have the end product at the end of it to actually pick his striker out, or go it alone, is very much reminiscent of Leeds’ own right-winger Raphinha.

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman said just last year: “There are so many talented, skilful players that can dribble and beat players but they play with their head down and they don’t see the big picture. I think he really excels at picking the right time to cross the ball and picking players out.”

At Leeds, the £9m-rated Toney could play with another similar player in Raphinha, and it’s a partnership that could potentially wreak havoc in the Premier League.

Both Mbeumo and Raphinha are predominantly left-footed players who play off the right, usually cutting in with great effect. Toney’s relationship with the former at Brentford suggests he works very well with someone who’s not your typical wide-man who is used to getting to the by-line and crossing it in, instead, he likes those playrs coming off the touch-line and linking up with him.

With Raphinha, in fact, averaging even more key passes per game this season than Mbeumo (two to 1.2), Toney would surely get even more opportunities to score than he already does at Brentford. Just imagine the kind of partnership the duo could build under Bielsa’s guidence at Elland Road.

Meanwhile, this Leeds man is surely facing an uncertain future after Bielsa’s decision…

With ten goals in 19 Premier League games this season, it’s fair to say Patrick Bamford has proven that he can lead the line for Leeds United at the highest level.

There were big question marks over whether the former Chelsea starlet could do the business in the top-flight, especially given how wasteful he was at Championship level – last season saw him miss a staggering 33 official big chances, which was almost double the man in second, Lewis Grabban (18).

But whilst Bamford has done well thus far, his anonymous display against Newcastle United on Tuesday night proved why Marcelo Bielsa’s side desperately need to dip into the transfer market in these final few days to bring in a new centre-forward who can provide them with another option or just add some extra competition.

Bamford struggled massively to get involved in the game against the Magpies, managing just 22 touches of the ball and completing only 13 accurate passes, both of which were the lowest of any starter on the pitch for Leeds, even less than goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

In their post-match player ratings, Leeds Live gave him a measly 5, saying: “Frustration showed with the lack of service coming into him when Leeds were in the box throughout the first half. Drifted out of the game entirely in the second half save for the dallying which gave Newcastle the chance to score.”

With reports linking Leeds with a move for the likes of Fiorentina striker Christian Kouame in this January transfer window, Bamford’s performance at St James’ Park would have left Victor Orta in no doubt about what must be done.

The Whites don’t necessarily need to bring in a new starting number nine, but the fact that Bielsa resorted to bringing on Tyler Roberts – a player whose long-term future at Elland Road remains somewhat unclear and has yet to score in the Premier League – says it all about Leeds’ lack of depth in that position.

Just days remain in this January transfer window, and time is running out for Orta to strike and solve a key Bielsa concern.

Meanwhile, this Leeds monster was Bielsa’s real hero against Newcastle…

Jose Mourinho should unleash Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg on West Ham this Sunday after seeing Moussa Sissoko struggle against Wolfsberger in the Europa League.

The Tottenham boss took the opportunity to rotate and provide some game time for the fringe players after losing Harry Kane, Sergio Reguilon, Giovanni Lo Celso and Serge Aurier to injury in quick succession, but Sissoko struggled to have much of an impact occupying a deep-lying role.

Goals from Heung-min Son, Gareth Bale and Lucas Moura gave Spurs the lead in the first leg of the Europa League last 32. Yet, Sissoko threatened to undo all their hard work after his clumsy challenge in the box allowed Wolfsberger to pull one back by way of a penalty from Michael Liendl.

It was a night to forget for the Frenchman in Budapest and may have damaged his chances of starting again anytime soon. An uncharacteristically lightweight display from the 31-year-old saw Sissoko lose 70% of his duels overall, winning just four out of his 13 ground duels in total, as he struggled to get a foothold in the game.

Compare this to that of Hojbjerg’s with the Dane’s duel success rate a fine 51% this season, and it’s clear just how much they missed out by having Sissoko on the pitch for as long as they did instead.

Hojbjerg burst onto the scene at Southampton after a brief stint with Bayern Munich. Having excelled for the Saints, Spurs took a punt on the versatile midfielder and have been duly rewarded, with the 25-year-old establishing himself as one of the club’s most consistent and reliable performers this season.

In 23 Premier League appearances this season, he has so far averaged a WhoScored match rating of 6.97 for his efforts, that being the best of all midfielders and the fourth-highest overall, bettered only by the likes of Kane, Son and Tanguy Ndombele.

And this is simply why he must start against West Ham on Sunday. “Pierre is, first of all, very intelligent. He reads the game very well. He’s going to be a coach one day, for sure,” Mourinho said after the 2-0 win over Arsenal.

He added:

“Physically, he’s very, very strong, and technically he’s much better than people think. Because sometimes people think the guy that is good technically is the guy that does the backheel. The guy that is good technically is the guy that does something wonderful. But these are not my words. These are words from coaches of 30, 40 years ago. Simplicity is genius.

“And the guy is so simple in everything he does with the ball. And I think he’s a phenomenal player. Congratulations, Mr Levy.”

Having Hojbjerg at their disposal is at least one of the few positives for the Lilywhites, who have otherwise endured a rather frustrating season as they currently lie six points adrift of the top four

No other Spurs star is averaging as many as Hojbjerg’s 2.8 tackles per game, while he also tops the charts for interceptions (1.3 per game) and is third behind Kane and Son for assists this term, as per WhoScored.

That merely shows how big an influence he is on this Spurs team – a game-changer.

Starting the Danish midfielder against David Moyes’ side would be a good step in the right direction and could put them back on track heading into the business end of the season.

He has the ability to change the game in their favour from the anchorman role, especially with Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard in fine mettle in front of Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice.

AND in other news, Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale stole the show in vital Europa League win…

Liverpool could be handed a significant boost ahead of their clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Roberto Firmino’s reported return to fitness.

The Brazilian missed the Reds’ last Premier League clash, the 1-0 defeat to Fulham at Anfield, with a knee injury but he is set to be assessed of the trip to Molineux on Monday.

Should he be fit enough to start for the Reds, Jurgen Klopp has to put him in from the beginning of the match, even with Diogo Jota also returning to contention in recent weeks and gunning to start against his former club.

Put simply, the former Hoffenheim man is a key player for the current reigning Premier League champions.

In 37 appearances in all competitions so far this season, he has 13 goal contributions – six goals and seven assists. Only Sadio Mane and Mo Salah have contributed more to Liverpool.

His statistics also put him right at the top end of Liverpool’s attacking output. According to WhoScored, the 29-year-old averages 2.4 shots, one key pass and 1.6 dribbles per match in the Premier League.

This is some way higher than the player who may likely replace him in starting line-up, Jota. The former Wolves man averages just 1.9 shots, 0.6 key passes and one dribble per game.

It would not make a lot of sense to keep the Portuguese in the starting XI at the expense of Firmino then.

Some will argue that there is no need to reintroduce him so quickly especially after recovering from injury. However, with a player so key to Liverpool, with Klopp even labelling him as “special”, it would seem baffling to leave the £64.8m-rated forward out of the side.

AND in more news, have a look at why a current FC Porto man and former Premier League flop is not what Liverpool should be looking at in the summer transfer window…

If reports are to be believed, West Brom boss Sam Allardyce could be eyeing up an upgrade on Romaine Sawyers…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the 66-year-old has submitted an offer to Stade Rennais midfielder Clement Grenier with the 30-year-old available on a free transfer this January transfer window.

His contract is due to expire at the end of the season but the Ligue 1 outfit are thought to be looking to cut costs due to the drastic drop-off in revenue.

They also claim that several other Premier League teams are keen on signing him, though it is Albion who have offered a contract thus far.

Midfield upgrade?

Grenier, who is predominantly a central midfielder, has found himself in a rich vein of form in recent weeks, contributing to three goals in Rennes’ last four league outings.

He also featured in five of their six Champions League matches before they were knocked out of a tricky group involving Chelsea and Sevilla.

In 14 overall appearances this term, the five-time French international has averaged 1.1 key passes, 0.9 shots and 1.1 tackles per game, as well as a respectable passing success rate just shy of 82%, via WhoScored.

The midfield engine room is certainly a problem for Big Sam, barring the exploits of Blues loanee Conor Gallagher, Albion’s usual options have largely struggled with the increase in quality of opposition.

Indeed, neither Jake Livermore nor Romaine Sawyers have averaged better than a 6.21 rating per WhoScored, which ranks them as the two worst players who have started ten or more matches this term.

Grenier could be earmarked as a replacement for Sawyers as he’s struggled in the final-third big time, averaging just 0.3 key passes and 0.2 shots, via WhoScored.

The veteran maestro could be an interesting option – former Baggies boss Alan Pardew was a fan of his, once chasing his signature whilst in charge of Newcastle, and at the time he claimed Grenier had “tremendous creative technical ability.”

Considering the pursestrings are awfully tight at the Hawthorns, Big Sam could land himself a bargain in the £55k-per-week star as won’t cost stubborn chairman Guochuan Lai a penny in terms of a transfer fee.

AND in other news, £15m West Brom target dubbed a “complete package” would be a dream for Matheus Pereira…

Wolves’ relationship with super-agent Jorge Mendes could bear fruit once again this January if latest reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Polish outlet Sportowe Fakty, the Midlands outfit are interested in striking a deal over Wisla Krakow wonderkid Aleksander Buksa.

It’s claimed that Molineux is his most likely destination amid uncertainty over his immediate future with his agent Pini Zahavi and Mendes looking to secure a move to Wolves.

The 17-year-old’s contract is due to expire in the summer but he could sign a professional deal in January when he turns 18, but it would mean he is available for just €5m (£4.5m) thanks to a release clause.

Generational star?

You could be forgiven for not knowing who the young striker is but after scoring four goals in 21 appearances for Wisla last season, he made the Guardian’s ‘Next Generation’ list.

They have ranked him amongst the 60 best young talents in world football – Maciej Slominski wrote: “Both Buksa brothers are tall, technically proficient, left-footed, blonde strikers. Barcelona are said to have scouted him.”

Whilst FootballTalentScout likened his playing style to that of Arkadiusz Milik, claiming that Buksa is a “determined forward with killer-instinct, interesting technique on the ball, decent dribbling skills and cleverness at his off-the-ball movements,” so perhaps it is no surprise to see him dubbed the ‘new Lewandowski.’

The Old Gold have a track record of paying up for relatively unknown youngsters – Pedro Neto, Rayan Ait-Nouri (if he signs permanently) and Leonardo Campana spring to mind.

So if they believe that the Polish sensation has a genuine chance of transforming into a generational star, then they should be trusted with the decision – even if Mendes is involved.

It is his relationship with Fosun that could see him come to the Midlands instead of the La Liga giants.

AND in other news, Nuno could land a true Traore replacement in £45m-rated destroyer…

West Ham United must swoop for FC Barcelona full-back Junior Firpo in the January transfer window after losing Arthur Masuaku for the foreseeable future through injury.

What’s the word?

According to Mundo Deportivo, Firpo faces an uncertain future at the Camp Nou having featured little for Barcelona since joining the La Liga powerhouse from Real Betis in 2019.

The 24-year-old is now considered surplus to requirements having featured infrequently under Ernesto Valverde, Quique Setien or now Ronald Koeman, who has been particularly loath to field the defender, with Firpo awarded just 29 minutes of La Liga action thus far this season.

Firpo is aware to the fact that if he wishes to play more often, he will have to leave Barca, who are not opposed to sanctioning a winter exit with a handful of potential destinations already emerging.

West Ham, SSC Napoli and Granada are all said to be considering January moves for Firpo, with David Moyes’ Premier League outfit long-time admirers and interested in a loan with an option to buy.

Firpo, who Barcelona signed for €18million (£16.3m), is also thought to be a target for Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan as Barcelona strive to reduce their enormous wage bill.

Perfect Masuaku replacement

West Ham must seize on Firpo’s uncertain future at the Camp Nou to strike a deal with Barcelona this winter, having lost Masuaku for the foreseeable after the DR Congo international underwent career-saving surgery on a knee injury that has plagued him for the best part of two years.

Moyes called on Aaron Cresswell to replace Masuaku against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, but the three-cap England international could not cope with the pace needed for the full-back role after his excellent displays at centre-half this season.

Cresswell was often turned inside out by Andros Townsend, as Moyes’ need for winter reinforcements was laid bare in front of an empty London Stadium.

The Scottish coach may now have the ideal chance to find his solution in Firpo, who former Betis teammate Marc Bartra believes has “a lot of potential” and was tipped to join Liverpool before moving to Barcelona, with the Reds said to have eyed activating his €50m (£45m) release clause.

Firpo may not have featured much in La Liga this season, but has been given frequent minutes in the Champions League with five outings, in which he’s averaged 2.0 duels won with a 67% success rate and offered 0.2 key balls, 0.2 accurate crosses, 0.6 successful tackles and played 29.8 accurate passes with a 93% completion rate, per SofaScore.

AND in other news, a £67k-p/w West Ham dud’s torturous midweek display proved why he cannot be trusted vs Chelsea.