All posts by h79snht.top

Derby County are plotting a move to sign Cardiff City defender Curtis Nelson in January, according to journalist Alan Nixon.

The Lowdown: Bluebirds exit likely

The centre-back has fallen out of favour under interim boss Mark Hudson in south Wales, having made just seven league appearances this season, so an exit during the winter may well be on the cards.

The 29-year-old’s contract with the Bluebirds is set to expire at the end of the season, which has alerted potential suitors to his situation, and it appears that the Rams are keen on bringing him to League One.

The Latest: Derby eyeing Nelson

According to Nixon (via Football League World), Derby are ‘interested’ in getting Nelson to Pride Park in the New Year, with Paul Warne wanting to ‘capitalise’ on the player’s circumstances by ‘striking a deal’.

The report states that the Rams boss is ‘looking to add more depth’ to his defensive ranks as a result of not being ‘keen’ to rely on the experienced partnership of Curtis Davies and Richard Stearman to remain fully fit for the remainder of the season.

The Verdict: Davies’ long-term successor?

Davies isn’t getting any younger (37) and is likely to be coming towards the end of his career, so if he doesn’t commit to a fresh deal at the end of the campaign, Nelson would seem to be an ideal successor.

Dubbed ‘excellent’ by former Cardiff manager Steve Morison, the defender currently averages 3.3 clearances and two successful aerial duels per 90 minutes in the league (WhoScored).

Nelson would likely be rewarded with more game-time in the Midlands, and with him in need of minutes and Derby in need of reinforcements, this is a prospective move which would appear to suit both parties.

Celtic striker Giorgios Giakoumakis might not ‘want to sign’ a new contract with the Premiership champions amid a lack of game-time, according to former Hoops marksman Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: Negotiations ongoing

The Greek forward arrived at Parkhead from VVV Venlo in 2021 but has found minutes hard to come by this season , having made just four league starts under Ange Postecoglou.

Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas recently revealed that the Bhoys are holding discussions with the 27-year-old regarding an improved contract, even though his current deal is not set to expire until 2026.

The Latest: McAvennie’s comments

However, speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie suggested that Giakoumakis may not want to put pen to paper at Celtic if he wants to be a guaranteed starter every week.

The 62-year-old said: “I think it would be good to keep Giakoumakis. I do [not] know whether or not he will want to sign.

“He wants to play all the time, I think he is the kind of guy who wants to play every week. I do like him but I think the manager is going to address that, I think he has to address it.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-9/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: More minutes deserved

Postecoglou clearly isn’t starting Giakoumakis regularly enough, and there’s reason to believe that the 27-year-old should get the nod from the off more regularly given his record in the final third.

Described as ‘dangerous’ by journalist Josh Bunting, the forward has eight goals and one assist to his name in 19 appearances across all competitions this season, and he currently averages 2.5 shots per league game, the joint-most of any Hoops player.

Celtic are already seven points clear of arch-rivals Rangers at the top of the league table so there isn’t any great risk in rotating the squad, which could in turn present Giakoumakis with more frequent opportunites moving forward.

Having been dumped out of the EFL Cup by Derby County earlier this season, West Bromwich Albion got a much-needed rest during midweek whilst the majority of their rivals faced the next round of the competition.

As such, their last game remains their impressive 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers last weekend, which was the first time this season the Baggies had won two games in a row.

They now host Stoke City, knowing that a win could finally lift them out of the Championship relegation zone.

For once the Spaniard boss has few new injuries to report and actually could welcome back some new faces into the fold.

With that in mind, Corberan can be expected to make just two changes from that side that downed the Rangers on the road.

Alex Palmer will once again continue in goal, behind a back four bolstered by a big injury boost.

Whilst Erik Pieters and Darnell Furlong will remain in the full-back positions, Semi Ayayi is poised to make a return to the starting lineup after it was detailed nearly two weeks ago that he and two others were in the “last step of their recoveries”.

The “powerful” £16.5k-per-week stopper – as dubbed by Kevin Phillips – will be a welcome return to partner the resurgent Kyle Bartley. Young Dara O’Shea will be an unfortunate casualty of this recall.

Given their return to The Hawthorns, a midfield shuffle can be expected to allow West Brom to play more on the front foot.

As such, Taylor Gardner-Hickman will replace Jayson Molumby, whilst Okay Yokuslu will remain the sole enforcer in the engine room.

That, therefore, leaves an unchanged front four, which once again sees them start without a recognised striker.

John Swift will be hoping to continue his fine form in the number ten role, flanked by the talents of Jed Wallace and Grady Diangana.

Matt Phillips will remain up front, with his relentless running and experience sure to be imperative to maintaining an efficient press that could win them the game.

This game may come just too soon for the returning Daryl Dike.

Predicted West Brom XI: Palmer; Furlong, Bartley, Ajayi, Pieters; Yokuslu, Gardner-Hickman; Wallace, Swift, Diangana; Phillips.

Liverpool have not had their best start to a Premier League season and could turn to the January transfer window to fix some of the problems in the team, with a reliable source revealing a new potential transfer target.

Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has revealed that Liverpool have shown “interest” in RB Salzburg sensation Noah Okafor, a player who could cost £35m.

Plettenberg tweeted: “Okafor: Transfer in winter is possible! No negotiations now but there’s is an interest from clubs like MCFC, LFC & AC Milan.

“Been told that United is not in. World Cup very important now. Price tag could be around €35-40m. Top season with Salzburg so far.”

Their next Salah?

There is no doubt that there is room for improvement at Anfield with the side now sixth in the league table and 15 points adrift from Arsenal at the top of the tree, which will surely be extremely frustrating for Jurgen Klopp.

Indeed, the centre of the pitch has been noted as the most crucial area to strengthen in the squad but with several ageing key players it will be important for the powers at the club to start planning for the future of the team otherwise they could find themselves in even worse circumstances over the next two seasons.

Mohammed Salah is undoubtedly been the catalyst to much of the success that has been brought to the red side of Merseyside during the Klopp era, however, the Egyptian goal machine will be 31 years old this time next year and finding his replacement rapidly will be essential to keeping Liverpool in contention for trophies.

As a result, the signing of versatile forward Okafor could be the perfect solution for Liverpool as he has been displaying this season exactly why he could be the Reds’ next Salah.

Over 14 Bundesliga appearances so far, the 22-year-old – who was hailed “magnificent” by Mauro Lustrinelli – has scored seven goals and delivered one assist, as well as averaging 1.3 key passes and 1.9 shots on goal per game, proving that he is a real threat in front of goal.

Just like Salah, Okafor is versatile in his position in the forward line with a wealth of experience on the left wing, right wing and the centre forward role, an attribute that will catch the Liverpool manager’s eye as he values players that can offer flexibility in their roles.

Furthermore, the Swiss sensation is equally devastating with the ball at his feet, carrying with him the ability to operate cleverly in tight areas. He ranks in the top 12% of players in his position throughout Europe’s top five leagues for dribbles attempted per 90 minutes for instance.

Combine that with his ruthless efficiency in front of goal and the 22-year-old certainly has the makings of another Salah.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Klopp and the recruitment team at Liverpool will be keeping a close eye on Okafor when he represents Switzerland at the World Cup this month and if he continues to flourish, they must try and seal a deal in January.

West Ham United have reportedly joined the race to secure a transfer deal for Chicago Fire striker Jhon Duran. 

The Lowdown: West Ham’s recent transfer business

The previous summer transfer window saw the Hammers show that they are not shy when it comes to signing players from foreign clubs.

Figures such as Gianluca Scamacca, Nayef Aguerd and Lucas Paqueta, among others, all made moves to the east London side from a variety of different clubs abroad.

However, with the January transfer window approaching, it appears that West Ham have set their sights on signing a player who is currently making a name for himself outside of Europe.

The Latest: West Ham join the race to sign Duran

According to a recent report from The Sun’s Alan Nixon, West Ham and Everton have joined the race to sign Duran, alongside fellow Premier League clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-5/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”] 

The report also adds that the Hammers have made contact with the player over a potential transfer deal.

The Verdict: A good investment for West Ham

Despite only starting 14 of the 27 MLS appearances he made throughout his club’s latest league campaign, Duran still managed to score eight goals, which made him the club’s top goalscorer.

In addition to that, the Colombian racked up more shots at goal (60) and shots on target (24) than any other player at the club.

This show just how much of a handful the 18-year-old, who has been described by his manager Ezra Hendrickson as a player that has “all the tools” to succeed, can be for opposition goalkeepers and defenders.

Bearing in mind how West Ham have the second-lowest percentage for shots on target in the league this season (26.6%), this shows how adding a player like Duran to their side could be a massive benefit for them.

With all of that in mind, we feel that the Hammers should do all they can to beat their top-flight rivals to the striker’s signature once the January transfer window opens for business.

Leeds United are in the transfer market for attacking reinforcements in January and you’d imagine that director of football Victor Orta and his recruitment staff have been keeping a close eye on proceedings in Qatar.

While several key members of Jesse Marsch’s squad have been competing at the World Cup in recent weeks, there are numerous mooted transfer targets that have also been in action.

One obvious one has been Cody Gakpo, who has excelled for the Netherlands as Louis van Gaal’s main protagonist. Given just how much of a statement he has made on the world’s biggest stage, it seems rather unlikely that the Whites will stand a chance at signing him, despite coming close in the summer.

Instead, Orta should turn his attention to another star in Qatar – Mohammed Kudus.

Leeds have been linked with interest in the Ajax sensation before and he certainly announced his arrival at the tournament by being the Black Stars shining light.

Ghana won just one game, in which Kudus bagged a match-winning brace against South Korea, and lost their two other group games to Uruguay and Portugal. Despite this, the 22-year-old didn’t register a Sofascore rating of below 7.4, which is ultimately impressive for a team that finished bottom of their group.

Aside from scoring twice, some way above his xG of 0.83, the Ajax starlet also averaged 3.3 dribbles per game and even did his defensive duties, with an average of 1.7 tackles and 1.3 recoveries per game, too. Kudus even completed more take-ons than anyone else at the tournament.

Such performances had many watching glowing in praise for the Ghana hero – journalist Rahmen Osman claimed that he was “alongside Bellingham and Musiala the stars of the World Cup,” whilst BBC reporter Mimi Fawaz suggested he had let “the world know he’s arrived on the biggest stage.”

The attacker, who can also play in a deeper midfield role, was keen to make the switch to the Premier League in the summer, with Everton leading the race for £15m. That did not come to fruition but Leeds could well provide him with a place to fulfil that desire at Elland Road.

Kudus, who has also been lauded as a “special talent”, must be high on the Whites’ shortlist heading into 2023 as Gakpo will be a mere afterthought the longer the Dutch remain in the competition, due to the likely European giants now courting his signature.

As such, the 5 foot 9 dynamo could be the perfect remedy to the unachievable PSV man and one that could solve Marsch’s needs in the final third.

AND in other news, Orta must launch Leeds move for “ice-cool” 49-cap menace who has “stepped up” in Qatar…

Everton are reportedly considering two potential replacements for Frank Lampard amid recent pressure on the Toffees manager according to transfer insider Dean Jones. 

The Lowdown: Pressure on Lampard

Having only won three of their 15 games in the Premier League so far this season, pressure has been piled on Lampard and his position at Goodison Park.

Following Everton’s 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth last month, some Toffees supporters booed the players and manager, which highlights their exasperation towards the team.

With things going so badly for the Merseysiders, it seems as though some behind-the-scenes details have emerged regarding the club’s hierarchy and the possibility of sounding out potential replacements for Lampard.

The Latest: Everton eyeing Lampard replacements

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones shared some insight on Everton and what could be going on behind-the-scenes in terms of the managerial situation.

He said: “In the background, of course, they’re having to consider who else they would turn to.

“I have heard that [Roberto] Martinez is one that they would be willing to consider, but I’ve also heard that Nuno [Espirito Santo] is one that they like and he is certainly someone that they might be looking to explore next.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-8/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”] 

The Verdict: Time needed for Lampard

While results this season will undoubtedly be a worry for everyone connected to Everton, the current hiatus in domestic football due to the World Cup could be a blessing for Lampard and his players.

If they use this time to reflect and readjust ahead of when the campaign resumes at Christmas, this could put them on track to get some consistently positive results.

Also, with the January transfer window around the corner, this is also something Lampard could look to exploit in terms of potentially strengthen his squad.

Regarding the two potential replacements that Jones mentioned, the fact that Martinez has already been sacked from Everton once before may not make him a suitable option should Lampard find himself being shown the Goodison Park exit door.

With Nuno, his short-lived spell with Tottenham Hotspur – where he lost seven of his 17 games in charge – also doesn’t make us think that many Everton fans would be too enamoured with him being appointed.

New Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale is set to face his first big test against Hibernian next Thursday, with the Premiership season resuming following the World Cup break.

Having been in charge since November 28 and with his prior experience at Ibrox, he will have had a solid few weeks of preparation time before the tie against Hibs.

The 42-year-old will also be keeping an eye on a few potential transfer targets as the January window looms into view, and he will surely want to refresh a stagnating playing squad.

One player that must be looked at again is Sheffield United striker Oliver McBurnie, especially considering his contract expires at the end of the season.

The 6 foot 2 machine was first linked with the club in the summer of 2021 and considering he is a massive fan of the club, a move would surely make sense.

Indeed, the 26-year-old is similar in style to that of Portuguese hitman Goncalo Ramos, who burst onto the World Cup scene by scoring a wonderful hat trick against Switzerland.

According to FBref’s similar player model, Ramos is the ninth-most similar player to McBurnie across Europe’s top five leagues, and given the 21-year-olds recent form, it isn’t a bad comparison.

This season has seen the two strikers register similar statistics with regard to goals (both nine), shots per match (4.87 to 4.06), goal-creating actions per match (0.34 to 0.23), and dribble success rate (45.8% to 40%).

They are both clearly dangerous players in the final third and McBurnie even ranks in the top 5% over the previous year for total shots (4.11 per 90) and touches in the opposition penalty area (7.02).

The Scot was even described as “unplayable” by former national team striker Chris Iwelumo back in 2020, and although McBurnie suffered a dip in form last season – scoring just once – his improvement this season may justify Iwelumo’s praise.

With the chance to secure the player on a pre-contract agreement in January, Beale should be wasting absolutely no time and McBurnie could be Rangers’ own Ramos, which will no doubt please the Ibrox faithful.

Newcastle United would need to stump up a “massive” transfer offer if they want to land James Maddison in January, according to journalist Ryan Taylor. 

The Lowdown: Newcastle linked with Maddison

The Tyneside club, who are a lofty third in the Premier League, have been heavily linked with the Leicester City midfielder and even had two bids for him rejected during last summer’s transfer window.

Since then, the 26-year-old has gone on to score seven goals and provide four assists in 13 Premier League appearances for the Foxes, whose recent good form has seen them move away from the relegation zone.

Looking ahead to January, one journalist has made a claim regarding what it could take from the Magpies to sign Maddison in the coming weeks.

The Latest: Taylor drops Maddison claim

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Taylor discussed the likelihood of Newcastle signing Maddison next month.

He said: “James Maddison is obviously a player they really like, but Leicester are not really rolling over for a sale.

“Maddison has probably been the difference between being in the relegation zone and being where they are this season, so I don’t see that coming off, certainly in this window unless there’s a massive, massive offer. But that’s not to say that Newcastle won’t look at strengthening.”

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

The Verdict: Worth the wait

In addition to his goals and assists, the Englishman has also played more key passes (31) and taken more shots at goal (39) than anyone else at Leicester in the current campaign.

In fact, his form this season earned him a place in England’s squad for the World Cup, only for him to not get the chance to play even a minute of action in Qatar.

With Maddison’s contract at the King Power Stadium set to expire in 2024, next summer’s transfer window could be the best time for Newcastle to try and sign him, especially if Leicester feel that this would be the best time to cash in on their midfield star.

If the Foxes are adamant that they won’t be selling the 26-year-old in January, Newcastle shouldn’t waste their time trying to sign him then, instead biding their time for another few months.

Leeds United are still in the race to sign Atletico Madrid attacker Matheus Cunha but Wolves could play a key role in the saga, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Cunha off to England?

The Brazilian’s future at his current club certainly feels up in the air at the moment, having clearly fallen down the attacking pecking order under Diego Simeone.

Cunha didn’t make a single start in the Champions League group stage earlier in the season, while only two have come his way in La Liga in 2022/23.

He has been linked with a move to several Premier League clubs, including Leeds, and it would now arguably be a surprise if he didn’t head to England in January or next summer.

The Latest: Jones’ update

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones reported that the Whites may need Wolves to fall away, but revealed there are some ‘interesting’ things happening behind the scenes that make a move to Elland Road ‘doable’:

“If Wolves can’t tie it up, then it will be one to look out for. I was sceptical of Leeds’ interest at first, but there are actually some interesting factors that could make this doable.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-12/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Could be a great signing

Cunha is someone who could be an extremely exciting signing by Leeds, adding a sprinkling of stardust to an attack that hasn’t always fired this season.

Granted, his time at Atletico hasn’t necessarily gone to plan, but he is still someone who has won eight caps for Brazil and been described as ‘amazing’ by journalist Maxi Angelo, who tipped the forward as a ‘terrific successor to (Roberto) Firmino at Liverpool’.

Cunha is capable of playing down the middle and on the flanks, which will no doubt appeal to Jesse Marsch, and at 23, he is still someone whose best years should be ahead of him.