All posts by h716a5.icu

While it is undeniable that both Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta pulled off an astonishing feat in getting Leeds United back into the Premier League after a 16-year absence, since the Whites’ promotion back in 2020, the club have had something of a hit and miss record in the transfer market.

Indeed, spending just shy of £100m in the summer before their return to the top flight, Orta very much hit the jackpot with a few of his deals, with the likes of Raphinha, Illan Meslier and Joe Gelhardt undoubtedly being fantastic acquisitions by the Spanish sporting director.

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However, the same cannot be said for some of the big-money signings completed in the same window, with the likes of Rodrigo, Helder Costa, Robin Koch and Diego Llorente all already having varying levels of question marks hanging over their respective futures at Elland Road.

It was a similar case last summer, with both Kristoffer Klaesson and Jack Harrison – despite the former Manchester City winger enduring something of a below-par campaign this time out – looking to be solid longer-term investments, while the likes of Junior Firpo and Dan James have both struggled following their big-money moves to LS11.

However, it is undoubtedly the latter of the aforementioned players who has been the biggest transfer disappointment, with the £30m signing from Manchester United very much failing to live up to his incredibly hefty price tag.

Indeed, over his 34 Premier League appearances in the current campaign, James has struggled to find any real level of form for the Whites, scoring four goals, registering four assists and missing eight big chances, as well as completing an average of just 9.9 passes, ceding possession of the ball 9.4 times and winning a mere 2.9 duels – at a success rate of 39% – per game.

These returns have seen the £16.2m-rated man who Darren Bent dubbed “headless” average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.64, ranking the 24-year-old as Jesse Marsch’s ninth-worst player in the top flight of English football.

As such, considering the fact that the £52k-per-week forward is now worth roughly 46% less than the £30m fee Orta paid for his services last summer, in addition to the fact that the Wales international has endured an incredibly torrid season at Elland Road, it is clear for all to see that the Spaniard had a nightmare when bringing James to the club.

AND in other news: Marsch must place trust in “unbelievable” Leeds sensation, he thrives “under pressure”

A major Newcastle United transfer claim has emerged on PSG winger Neymar heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Jacque Talbot has revealed that the Ligue 1 superstar is keen on the Magpies and that he held the information back because of how unlikely a deal is.

Talbot Tweeted: “Two months ago I heard noise about Neymar fancying Newcastle but didn’t release it as the club would just never go for a player like him – not to mention his ridiculous wages.”

This was in response to a Sports Witness article link that reads: “Neymar | ‘Only Newcastle…’ – Magpies pushed forward as possible destination, with it thought other clubs won’t be keen.”

Supporters will be delighted

Toon supporters will be delighted by this claim for multiple reasons.

Firstly, they will be buzzing with the suggestion that Neymar is potentially interested in a deal to join Newcastle from PSG. It shows how much of an attraction PIF have made the club with their ambitions and this is hopefully a sign of things to come in the future.

If a player of the Brazilian’s ability and pedigree is keen on the club then who would not be? The winger has enjoyed a stellar career and would arrive at St. James’ Park as a certified star.

In 186 games for Barcelona, he produced 105 goals and 76 assists before leaving to join PSG. Since moving to France, he has scored 100 goals and provided 60 assists in 144 matches, showing that he has consistently scored and assisted goals at a stunning rate throughout his time in Europe.

This is why fans will be delighted to learn that a player of his quality is open to the switch. Although, they will also be pleased with Talbot’s claim that he is not someone PIF will want to bring in.

SalarySport report his wages to be £606k-per-week in Paris, whilst they report Newcastle’s top earners to be Chris Wood and Kieran Trippier on £100k-per-week each respectively. This means that the club would be obliterating their wage structure by bringing him to the club and taking on a huge financial commitment that would impact their ability to spend in other areas due to Financial Fair Play.

Neymar is also 30 and heading into the final years of his career instead of being a player who can grow alongside the club in the years to come. This is another reason why the fans will be delighted with the club from Talbot as it shows that they are sticking to their project and will not blow it up just to land a big name.

AND in other news, PIF plotting Newcastle swoop for “scary” £30m “freak”, he’s a major Almiron upgrade…

Leeds United could reignite their interest Chelsea winger Kenedy this summer, as Jesse Marsch looks to bring in squad reinforcements.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Kenedy move

The Whites were linked with a move for the Adidas-sponsored Brazilian back in January but the transfer failed to materialise in the end.

Kenedy has experienced a nomadic career to date, joining Chelsea in 2015 but being loaned out to the likes of Watford, Newcastle United, Getafe, Granada and Flamengo.

He played for 59 minutes of the Blues’ 2-1 win at home to the Hornets in the Premier League last weekend, with Thomas Tuchel putting him in the shop window before his contract expires next year.

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The Latest: New report emerges

According to The Daily Mail, as rumours circle of Raphinha’s exit, Leeds could now ‘make their move’ for Kenedy after a good performance against Watford, in which he provided an assist.

He has no future at Chelsea and it could be that a permanent move elsewhere is finally sealed, rather than another loan switch.

The Verdict: Good for squad depth

While Kenedy isn’t the same calibre of player as Raphinha, he is certainly someone who could help fill the likely void left by his compatriot this summer.

Left-footed and possessing quick feet and pace, the Chelsea man could prove to be a good squad option for Marsch, providing competition for the likes of Jack Harrison and Dan James.

There is a slight risk element in signing Kenedy, considering he has struggled to tie down a permanent club over the years, but at 26, he could just be coming into his peak years.

In other news, two clubs have reportedly joined the race to sign one Leeds player. Find out who it is here.

Everton had one of their worst campaigns in the Premier League this season embroiled in a relegation fight throughout and now Frank Lampard has the chance to repair the issues and make positive changes to improve their situation during the summer transfer window.

The Toffees boss did make two signings on the same day that he arrived at Goodison Park on Deadline Day with Dele Alli and Donny van de Beek joining the Merseyside club, but the pair have made little impact since their arrival.

Van de Beek was only brought in on a loan spell and will now return to Manchester United following the appointment of his former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford so there was nothing to lose for Everton. On the other hand, Alli was brought in on a permanent deal.

The Toffees signed the midfielder from Tottenham Hotspur with a number of performance-related clauses worth up to £40m put in place that would dictate what the club would pay in a transfer fee, but the terms of that deal are now up in the air as he has only made 11 appearances so far with no goals or assists.

During those 11 appearances, the 26-year-old who was dubbed a “waste of space” by Simon Jordan has only averaged 29 minutes per appearance so it is clear that Lampard doesn’t see him as a key player in his plans for Everton going forward.

With that being said, the club has been linked with Conor Gallagher due to his relationship with Lampard who worked with the player during his time as the manager at Chelsea, and the young midfielder would be without a doubt a huge upgrade on Alli.

The £50m ace who was hailed as “Kante with goals” by Tony Cascarino has had a phenomenal breakthrough Premier League season on loan at Crystal Palace scoring eight times and contributing five assists in all competitions, but it’s not just his attacking threat that has seen the youngster become a standout player this season.

Gallagher has created five big chances, made 1.1 key passes, 51.6 touches and 2 tackles on average per game, as well as successfully completing the majority of his dribbles (57%) and a 90% pass accuracy in his own half, proving that he is a huge presence in the centre of the pitch and dominates in his position.

If the Toffees’ manager could convince Chelsea and the 22-year-old that joining Everton would be a great next step for his career, it would be a major coup for Everton and would add a great fresh perspective on the advanced midfield role that Alli has failed to impact in.

AND in other news: Sky Sports journalist drops big Everton transfer twist that’ll have supporters buzzing…

Steven Gerrard appears to have made a head start for next season already by securing some excellent players ahead of what promises to be a busy summer transfer window for Aston Villa.

With the signings of Philippe Coutinho, Boubacar Kamara, and Diego Carlos, the 42-year-old has assembled a pretty solid spine for his new-look team as he aims to get Villa into the European places next year.

There will surely be some outgoings too, with the manager keen to free up some of the wage budget and make room for other new arrivals.

One player who surely needs to leave the club is Morgan Sanson, who hasn’t quite made an impression on Gerrard.

Sanson has flopped at Villa

Since arriving at Villa Park in January 2021 for an initial £14m, the Frenchman hasn’t set the world alight and could be set for a quick exit out of the Premier League.

The midfielder has had a “frustrating” time in England, in the words of former Villa boss Dean Smith, and he only made ten appearances in the most recent top-flight campaign.

If Gerrard can recoup the majority of the fee that Villa spent on the 27-year-old, then he should be looking to sign Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as a replacement.

James Pearce has stated that the Reds could be open to offers of around £10m for the 28-year-old, and this could be a bargain for Villa.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has been dubbed “unreal” in the past by journalist Joel Rabinowitz, and although he only played 29 matches in all competitions during 2021/22, he still contributed more than Sanson at Villa.

The Englishman netted twice and registered one assist in the league, compared to the French flop, who didn’t contribute to a single goal for Villa in the most recent campaign.

Oxlade-Chamberlain offers a greater attacking threat, generating 21 shot-creating actions (2.41 per 90) compared to Sanson’s three (0.76 per 90)

Defensively, the 28-year-old was also by far the better player this season, winning more tackles (14 to eight) and recording more pressures (172 to 135) than Sanson.

These statistics clearly show that Gerrard could get a major upgrade on the Frenchman with a move for Oxlade-Chamberlain, and at £10m, it could well be a gamble worth taking.

AND in other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior

West Ham United have been urged to sign Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins this summer.

What’s the word?

That is the recommendation of journalist Pete O’Rourke, who has stated that the mooted signing of the seven-cap England international would be an exciting one for the east London club.

The Daily Mail reported that Watkins is a striker that David Moyes would consider this summer, although it is reported that a deal could be difficult to pull off due to the 26-year-old’s prominence as Villa’s top scorer in the 2021/22 campaign.

Meanwhile, The Guardian claimed that Villa are likely to demand at least £50m if they decide to sell Watkins, so luring him from the Midlands could well be a tough ask.

Nonetheless, O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “I think he’d be a really exciting signing for West Ham and all their fans. He’s really proved at Aston Villa over the last couple of years that he is a top player, who I think can only get better as well.

“West Ham, obviously they’ve needed a new striker for the last few transfer windows and haven’t been able to bring the right one in.”

Imagine him and Bowen

Whilst it will surely be tricky to prise Watkins from the clutches of Villa, it would indeed make for an exciting move and a mighty statement of intent from the Hammers.

The 26-year-old, who has been dubbed a “work-force” by CBS Sports’ Luis Miguel Echegaray, has maintained consistency in the English top flight. In helping himself to 11 goals this season, he has scored ten or more in his first two Premier League campaigns.

Whilst Antonio is similarly consistent with three consecutive seasons of exactly 10 league goals, the 32-year-old isn’t getting any younger. If anything, he would likely benefit from the arrival of Watkins, who could reduce the goalscoring burden that the Jamaica international has carried at the London Stadium over the last few seasons as the Irons’ one reliable centre-forward.

However, the most fruitful aspect of this move would be the scarily promising link-up between the England international duo of Watkins and Bowen.

The latter has been a lot more direct this season, with his efforts paying dividends for both himself and the Hammers. His ten assists have been just as important as his 12 goals scored, and with his ability to cut inside, the prospect of a partnership between prolific pace merchants Watkins and Bowen would serve as a huge threat to the rest of the league.

Watkins would surely suit Moyes’ counter-attacking transitional style down to a tee.

In other news: Journalist drops 7-word West Ham transfer claim that’ll leave supporters buzzing 

Manchester United have held internal talks over a move for Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: De Jong a priority

The Red Devils are still yet to make a marquee signing under Erik ten Hag, despite being linked with a number of high-profile players. Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong is still the ‘priority’ target, with well-placed sources believing that a move will eventually go through.

Another Dutch star who Ten Hag knows well is Timber, who has been labelled as a ‘top talent’ by the official UEFA Champions League Twitter channel, and it looks as if the 21-year-old is also of interest to United.

The Latest: Romano’s comments

When asked by GiveMeSport about any other deals that United are considering alongside De Jong, Romano said that the club have held ‘conversations’ regarding Timber but are yet to make an ‘official bid’.

The Italian outlined:

“These are possibilities that Manchester United are exploring. So for example, for Jurrien Timber they have had some conversations but there is still no official bid to Ajax.”

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The Verdict: Get him in

Timber is primarily a centre-back who can also line out at right-back, and he has been described by Ronald de Boer as a player who ‘dominates’ on the ball.

He was a 19 times in 34 Eredivisie games and he even contributed to five goals. Therefore, he could come in and provide Ten Hag with a solid long-term option in an area where United struggled massively last season – Brentford and even relegated Burnley conceded fewer goals than the Red Devils’ 57.

United chiefs appear to be busy at this moment in time looking to reach an agreement with Barcelona for De Jong, but after that, they may well turn their attention to Timber.

In other news: ‘Really huge’ – Fabrizio Romano has more news on Man Utd move for De Jong after ‘direct contact’

Liverpool’s incredible history has almost always included a serial goalscorer in their side, from Ian Rush, King Kenny Dalglish and Fernando Torres, to Luis Suarez and Mohamed Salah. Where there is a Liverpool squad there is a world class striker, a couple of anomalies aside.

In the last decade, the Reds have been particularly blessed, having had the privilege of watching Suarez torment the rest of the Premier League, with Norwich City feeling the most of his wrath, before Salah followed in his footsteps a few years later.

Of course, there was a brief spell in which Brendan Rodgers lined up the likes of Rickie Lambert, Mario Balotelli, and Fabio Borini. But that has been discreetly put into the past now, never to be seen again, with Jurgen Klopp’s heavy metal football writing a new chapter in the Liverpool history books.

It has been a chapter full of success, too, and a front three worthy of the number of honours. The transition from Lambert, Balotelli, and Borini to Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mane epitomises just how far Liverpool have come since 2015.

Stats from TransferMarkt revealed one dominant attacker when it comes to goal contributions since 2012, however. Below we’ve listed the player with the most goals and assists from the last ten Liverpool seasons.

12/13: Luis Suarez – 43

When Fernando Torres left on Deadline Day of January 2011, not even the most optimistic of Liverpool fans would have expected a quick fix. Yet, in came Luis Suarez – an unfamiliar name at the time that would soon become the thorn in every Premier League team’s side.

The 2012/13 season is when things really began to take off, with the forward scoring 30 goals, and assisting a further 13 in all competitions.

13/14: Luis Suarez – 50

If the 2012/13 version of Suarez was impressive, then the Suarez we saw a season later was out of this world. After missing the first five games through suspension for biting Branislav Ivanovic, the Uruguayan went on to score 31 goals in 33 league games to pick up the Golden Boot, and assist 17 goals in all competitions.

With 48 goal contributions in the league, Suarez single-handedly dragged Liverpool into the title race at times, before eventual heartbreak, with Manchester City winning the title following Steven Gerrard’s famous slip against Chelsea.

14/15: Jordan Henderson – 22

Can you tell that this is the season after Luis Suarez left? Because we certainly can. Jordan Henderson is by no means a goalscoring midfielder, either. Yet, with an impressive 15 assists and seven goals, topped Liverpool’s goal contributions list in a campaign to forget.

It’s no surprise that the Reds finished sixth, with their highest contributor going from 50 to just 22 in the space of a year.

15/16: Roberto Firmino – 22

Back to a more positive outlook, the 15/16 season saw the arrival of Klopp and the beginning of turning the doubters into believers. And what better player to highlight that change in attitude than one of the best to play for Klopp? Firmino proved an instant hit in his first season, with 11 goals and 11 assists.

16/17: Philippe Coutinho – 24

Speaking of Liverpool’s Brazilian players, Philippe Coutinho had a season to remember under Klopp in 2016/17, with 24 goal contributions.

With Mane and Firmino alongside him, the midfielder flourished, with particularly impressive performances against Arsenal on the opening day and West Ham away, in which he scored two braces.

His last full season at Liverpool, it’s fair to say that he went out with a bang, having helped Klopp’s side to a Champions League return.

17/18: Mohamed Salah – 60

If you’re not a fan of Mohamed Salah, it’s probably best to look away now, because from 2017 onwards, he has been dominant in a Liverpool shirt.

Starting with his debut campaign, the Egyptian instantly proved any doubters wrong, and in some style, too. By the end of the season, he had broken the record for most goals in a 38-game Premier League season by scoring 32 to seal his first Golden Boot.

A season of 44 goals and 16 assists led Liverpool to the Champions League final, where they suffered heartbreak against Real Madrid, as Salah was forced off with injury early in the first-half.

18/19: Mohamed Salah – 39

Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Here’s Salah once again at the forefront of Liverpool’s attacking exploits. This time, there may have been no record for the former AS Roma man, but he did, at the very least, end the season with another Golden Boot to his name, with 22 league goals.

In all competitions, meanwhile, Salah netted a total of 27 goals, and assisted a further 12 as Liverpool bounced back from Champions League heartbreak the season before to defeat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the final, partly courtesy of Salah penalty in the first minute.

19/20: Mohamed Salah – 36

Guess who? Yep, the Egyptian King is out of this world, isn’t he? And, this time, his contribution led to Liverpool’s first-ever Premier League title. With 23 goals and 13 assists in all competitions, Salah once again shone at Anfield.

Salah’s Most impressive performances came in the 3-1 win over Manchester City and the 2-0 win over Manchester United, in which he scored late on to cue the famous celebration at the Kop end and all but confirm the title.

20/21: Mohamed Salah – 37

Now onto Salah’s most difficult season yet in a Liverpool shirt.

With the Covid-19 pandemic forcing games to be played behind closed doors, and Klopp left with Nat Phillips, Ozan Kabak, Rhys Williams and makeshift centre-back Fabinho to turn to after a flurry of injuries, it was Salah’s goals, at times, which kept Liverpool in the hunt for top four.

31 goals and six assists in all competitions gave the Reds hope. And, by some miracle, an Alisson Becker header put them on course for a third-placed finish to end a nightmare campaign.

21/22: Mohamed Salah – 47

Salah’s best season numbers wise since his debut campaign, there was a period of time throughout last season when a Salah goal became an expectancy rather than a possibility.

He ended the season with disappointment, of course, having lost the Champions League final after missing out in the title race. But with a Golden Boot, Playmaker award, League Cup and FA Cup medal to provide comfort, we think he’ll be alright.

With 31 goals and 16 assists in all competitions, Salah was more than worthy of the PFA Premier League fans’ Player of the Year.

Rangers have lined up two new pre-season friendlies against English opponents in July, according to popular insider The 4th Official. 

The lowdown

Rangers finished runners-up behind Celtic in last season’s Scottish Premiership and lost the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties.

That means they missed the opportunity to qualify for the Champions League group stages automatically and they’ll instead have to come through a pair of two legged-ties.

Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst is preparing for his first full season at the helm, having taken over from Steven Gerrard last November.

The latest

T4O, the insiders who first broke news of GvB’s move to Ibrox back in November, shared the update on Rangers’ summer plans on Twitter on Monday afternoon.

“Rangers will play friendlies vs West Ham United and Blackpool next month,” they wrote.

And in a snippet from a post on their Patreon page, they added that fans should ‘expect the announcement to be made official soon’.

The verdict

Facing West Ham could be particularly valuable for Van Bronckhorst’s side. It’s a smart move.

The Hammers, who reached the Europa League semifinals themselves and finished seventh in the Premier League to earn a Conference League spot, will represent a tough test physically and technically.

The third qualifying round is pencilled for 2/3 August and 9 August, so these July games should align nicely with their preparations.

And they will double as a fitness-building exercises for the start of the Scottish Premiership season too, with Rangers due to travel to Livingston on Saturday July 30.

In other news, Rangers are battling Celtic for this forward signing. 

Celtic have received no offers for right-back Josip Juranovic and have no intention of selling him this summer, reliable journalist Anthony Joseph has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Juranovic linked with Hoops exit

While the Hoops are focusing on making signings in the summer transfer window as they prepare for life in the Champions League group stages, they could also struggle to keep hold of certain players.

One of those is Juranovic, with the Croatian linked with a move to Atletico Madrid in recent days, as Diego Simeone looks to bring in a new right-back after the January departure of Kieran Trippier.

Despite the rumours of a switch to one of Europe’s elite however, it appears as though the 26-year-old could yet stay put at Parkhead.

The Latest: Joseph provides positive update

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports reporter Joseph claimed that no bids have come in for Juranovic and that Celtic want to keep hold of him beyond the summer:

“UPDATE: Celtic are aware that many clubs are interested in signing right-back Josip Juranovic. However, they have not received any offers for the Croatia international and they do not want to sell him this summer. It would take a huge bid from a club for that stance to change.”

The Verdict: Key player moving forward

Juranovic has been such a steady performer for Celtic since arriving from Legia Warsaw last summer, playing his part in their Scottish Premiership and Scottish League Cup triumphs.

He scored three times in 26 league starts as well as two strikes in European action, while defensively he excelled even further, finishing the 2021/22 campaign with an average of 1.4 tackles and 1.5 clearances per game.

The hope is that Celtic hold firm with Juranovic and don’t allow him to leave – if not, Ange Postecoglou will need to look at bringing in fresh competition for Anthony Ralston for next season.