All posts by z3u9t.icu

Many Southampton fans are delighted after The Athletic revealed the Saints have given Sam McQueen a new six-month contract.

The Saints are preparing for the new season as they aim to improve on their disappointing 15th-placed finish in the Premier League last term. Ralph Hasenhuttl and co will hope to be busy in the transfer window and have already confirmed the signing of Romain Perraud from Brest in France (southamptonfc.com).

Rather than completing another new signing, though, the Saints have instead move to extend McQueen’s deal at the club. So far, he has made just 29 appearances for the south coast outfit (Transfermarkt), with a lengthy cruciate ligament rupture hindering his development. However, the Saints appear to have given the 26-year-old another chance to prove himself at St Mary’s.

The update was relayed on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from Southampton supporters who are glad that the club aren’t turning their back on the player. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on what one fan described as “encouraging” news.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about McQueen’s extension

“that’s encouraging!”

Credit: @vestergodSFC

“Love to see it”

Credit: @CallumSFC18

“This is great to see”

Credit: @sfcrxbbo_

“Well done #Saints looking after one of our own, let’s hope he manages to get fit.”

Credit: @wsmruss

“Brilliant for Sam. It shows the club hasn’t given up on him”

Credit: @Dixon1970Darren

“Happy about this, he was unlucky with his injuries”

Credit: @AidanCMcMahon

In other news, Southampton want this Premier League midfielder.

Former Rangers star Michael Ball insists there will be plenty of pressure on John Lundstram if he does make the move to Ibrox to join the Scottish club.

The midfielder has left the Blades following their relegation to the Championship and is available on a free transfer this summer.

He has been heavily linked with a move to the Ibrox, where he would join up with Steven Gerrard following Rangers’ Premiership title victory.

Indeed, the Gers are looking to strengthen from a position of real power, having gone unbeaten throughout the campaign and won the title at a canter.

Lundstram made a total of 120 appearances for the Blades, scoring eight goals and laying on nine assists.

Last season, he managed to score five Premier League goals, though he endured a goalless campaign this term.

And Ball believes there would be huge pressure on him to succeed if he did move to Scotland.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “For players like John, it’s one of them where you go to a football club, a huge football club at Rangers, a massive pressure, you’ve got to perform week in, week out.

“Has he got the ability to do that? Only time will tell. But his wages will probably be a lot less and if you’re going up there, you’re going up there to work hard and win titles.”

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes the Whites will bring in a number of new signings during the summer transfer window, revealing a meeting between Marcelo Bielsa, Victor Orta and the club’s owners.

The Lowdown: Keep the good times coming

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are enjoying a richly deserved breather after a relentless season back in the Premier League, in which they finished ninth in the table.

It was a superb effort by Leeds, who never looked like returning to the Championship and even threatened to finish in the European places.

The key now is to keep building from this strong position, adding new faces to the squad and ensuring more good times are around the corner.

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The Latest: Robinson expects numerous signings

Speaking to MOT Leeds News, Robinson says he is in no doubt that Bielsa and Orta will be working on finding reinforcements across numerous positions:

“The recruitment that they’ve done – Leicester get a lot of plaudits for their recruitment, but the prices Leeds paid for Raphinha and Rodrigo and how good they’ve been, you have to trust the plans that Victor Orta and Marcelo Bielsa have in place, and that there are players ready to come in.

“I know that the owners have been in two weeks ago, Orta and Bielsa have been sat with the owners for week-long meetings about what players are going to come in over the summer.

“You’re looking at a left-back, a midfielder, a number 10, and potentially another wide player if Helder Costa goes, plus strengthening the goalkeeping department.”

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The Verdict: Exciting times at Leeds

This is a hugely exciting time to be a Leeds supporter, with the Whites playing superb attacking football and looking at some talented potential signings, like Udinese’s Rodrigo de Paul.

While Bielsa doesn’t need to go mad in the transfer market, it is clear that a number of individuals need to come in, with left-back a pressing area, given Ezgjan Alioski’s imminent exit.

Adding guile to the midfield is also key – something De Paul could certainly bring, averaging 3.4 dribbles per game in Serie A this season – while another winger also wouldn’t go amiss, especially if Helder Costa moves on, as Robinson alludes to.

In other news, a former England striker has talked up the idea of one player moving to Leeds this summer. Find out who it is here.

Speaking to Sky Sports (via Football Daily), journalist Kaveh Solhekol has dropped an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Mauricio Pochettino. 

The Lowdown: Pochettino talks held by Spurs

On Thursday morning, the Athletic broke seismic news of Pochettino’s talks with Spurs whilst also lifting the lid on his desire to make a return to north London.

However, the BBC also report that no such contact has been made with his club, Paris-Saint Germain, with the general consensus being that they will fight tooth and nail to keep him in the French capital.

As such, chairman Daniel Levy may face a serious fight to appoint him.

The Latest: Reporter drops Pochettino update

Sharing an update, Sky Sports reporter Solhekol has claimed he has ‘some more information’ and confirms that ‘this is not a done deal’.

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“We’ve just been able to get some more information in the last ten minutes or so,” he explained to the broadcaster (via Football Daily).

“I’ll just run through it quickly for you.

“First of all Spurs would love to have Mauricio Pochettino back as their manager, but this is not a done deal.

“One source this morning was telling us it very close to being done, another source just now saying that it is still some way off at the moment.”

The Verdict: Managerial merry-go-round…

As reports emerged on Thursday morning of Pochettino’s interest in taking the Spurs job and vice versa, they were quickly followed by reports from France dismissing them entirely. 

This latest claim from Solhekol, whilst offering no encouragement of Tottenham appointing Pochettino imminently, at least reiterates interest from the Lilywhites in his sensational return to north London.

Spurs have apparently been looking for a new boss in the image of Pochettino to put the Jose Mourinho era behind them, and they won’t hire a boss any closer to that mould than the former fan favourite himself.

However, PSG’s firm stance and the fact he still has one year left on his deal at the Parc des Princes mean this move could be difficult to pull off.

In other news: Spurs now want to sign this ‘nearly unplayable’ star, find out more here.

Sharing the latest on Jesse Lingard and his transfer saga with West Ham United, the Sun have now come out with their own update on the situation.

The Lowdown: Lingard and the Irons…

The Englishman was deemed surplus-to-requirements at Manchester United before West Ham came calling to offer him a route out on loan in the January transfer window.

What followed was an absolutely sensational spell at the London Stadium, where he managed a very impressive nine goals and four assists in 16 Premier League over the second half of 2020/2021 (WhoScored).

As a result, West Ham are known to be keen on securing a permanent move for the 28-year-old this summer.

The Latest: West Ham dealt Lingard blow…

Sharing an update on Lingard, the Sun have now come out with a pretty damning claim.

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They believe the midfielder has now done a full U-turn on his stance of wanting to join West Ham this summer.

Indeed, he would apparently ‘far prefer to stay’ at the Red Devils and has ‘admitted to friends’ that his big hope is rebuilding a career at Old Trafford.

After a supposedly candid meeting with United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the player has apparently said he wishes to remain at the club amid West Ham’s interest.

The Verdict: Pinch of salt…

While this comes a blow for West Ham, other sources like ExWHUemployee believe the contrary and there are bound to be numerous sources coming out with different developments over the next few weeks.

West Ham, meanwhile, will certainly be hoping they can secure a move for Lingard given his electric form at the end of last campaign.

It is believed that a move for Lingard is one of the club’s top priorities this summer alongside signing a new centre-back and striker to support Michail Antonio (Claret & Hugh).

As a result, the club will be hoping for more positive updates on Lingard over the window.

In other news: ‘According to some sources…’  – Journalist relays enticing West Ham transfer development, find out more here.

Leeds United are interested in signing Stuttgart defender Borna Sosa this summer as their search for a new left-back continues.

The Lowdown: Left-back needed

With Ezgjan Alioski almost certain to depart Elland Road at the end of the season, the Whites will suddenly have a glaring lack of depth at left-back.

Leeds have been linked with a host of options in that area, but no genuine front-runner has yet emerged to fill the Alioski-shaped void.

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The Latest: Sosa linked with Leeds move

One player who has been thrown into the mix is Stuttgart regular Sosa, who has made 24 Bundesliga appearances this season, with his average of 1.3 interceptions per game superior to Alioski’s tally (0.6) in the Premier League.

According to Kicker [via Sport Witness], Leeds are showing ‘concrete interest’ in signing the 23-year-old this summer, although it isn’t stated whether or not a bid has been made.

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The Verdict: Another strong option

Sosa seems another good alternative to Alioski, being on the verge of making his debut for Croatia and impressing for Stuttgart, registering a hugely impressive nine assists in the Bundesliga.

That suggests that he has the attacking quality to be a success under Bielsa, while also proving to be a solid defender, making an average of 2.7 clearances per match in 2020/21.

It remains to be seen if Sosa will be viewed as the best possible left-back to come in, but there is plenty to point towards him being a shrewd acquisition if he is in Bielsa’s squad by the start of next season.

In other news, Leeds have been dealt a blow in their quest to sign one player this summer. Find who it is here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who spent one season at West Ham, believes Declan Rice should be awarded the Premier League player of the season award, despite being a holding midfielder.

Rice had played every single minute in the Premier League for West Ham this season up until his injury, and his partnership with Tomas Soucek was one of the most formidable in the league.

However, the £62,000-per-week midfielder picked up an injury while on international duty with England which has seen him miss the last few matches, and it could prove to be a big blow to West Ham’s push for the Champions League – they were beaten by Newcastle United last time out.

Speaking on why Rice should be player of the season and how he is now starting to be highly regarded throughout the league, Lee told FFC:

“He should be up there for player of the year but I don’t think you’ll see many holding midfielders win a player of the year award, because players mainly just see skills, goals and assists.

“He is certainly highly regarded, not just at West Ham but throughout the league, and I think everyone knows that he is a good player especially for someone so young.”

David Moyes has done a great job to turn the Hammers’ fortunes around considering they were fighting off relegation last season and some smart signings have certainly helped them.

It may be difficult to keep their star assets such as Declan Rice if they don’t qualify for Europe and Moyes has admitted that they will have to listen to offers for him and Soucek this summer.

According to Sky Sports (via Calciomercato), Nice are interested in signing on-loan West Ham star Jesse Lingard this summer.

Nice eye Lingard

Lingard made the move to the Hammers on loan in the winter transfer window and has impressed in east London, managing nine goals and four assists in 12 games for the club (Transfermarkt).

The Irons want to sign him permanently in the summer from Manchester United (Daily Mail), but it now seems that French club Nice are also eager to capture his services.

Unlikely

Nice have the finances to complete such a deal. British businessman James Ratcliffe is the club’s owner, and according to Forbes he has a net worth of $16.6bn (£12bn). The club is also situated in a picturesque setting on the French Riviera, making it an attractive destination.

However, London is also a desirable location and, from a sporting point of view, there is no reason why Lingard would select Nice over West Ham. The Hammers are currently fifth in the Premier League and are well in contention for European football next term, while Nice are languishing in 10th place in Ligue 1 and will not be playing continental football in 2021/22.

Also, the French top flight lacks the prestige of the Premier League, so while there is no guarantee that Lingard will remain at the London Stadium, West Ham are unlikely to lose out on him to Nice.

In other news, many West Ham fans want this man signed in the summer.

Speaking on Italian television show Si Gonfia La Rete (via Area Napoli), journalist Raffaele Auriemma has dropped a Tottenham Hotspur managerial claim involving Maurizio Sarri – with the reporter claiming he ‘would like’ to join either Spurs or Arsenal.

The Lowdown: Sarri touted as candidate

When it comes to Sarri, the media in England and Italy have two very contrasting views on the 62-year-old possibly being appointed by Tottenham.

On one hand, Football Italia and Calciomercato.it both claim that Tottenham have actually even made contact with the former Chelsea manager.

Sources closes to home, however, like football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, dismiss Sarri as a boss currently attracting interest from Spurs.

The Latest: Sarri ‘would like’ to join Spurs

Bringing another claim from Italy, journalist Auriemma has told TV show Si Gonfia La Rete that Sarri (via Area Napoli) ‘would like’ to join either Spurs or Arsenal.

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The reporter wasn’t alone, either, with another journalist on the programme, Christian Bosco, stating the Serie A-winning boss ‘would prefer’ a move back to the Premier League.

It is also added by Auriemma that Sarri’s agent, Fali Ramadani, was in England ‘until a few days ago’.

The Verdict: Spurs, you know what to do…

The Transfer Tavern has often promoted Sarri as an ideal candidate for the Spurs job and somebody chairman Daniel Levy shouldn’t dismiss so quickly.

He promotes a possession-based, high-pressing style which should be a real incentive for Tottenham to consider making the move.

It is reported that Levy desires a boss who can bring back an attack-minded way of playing and Sarri may be a brilliant candidate to reinstall that exciting brand of football at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Sarri has an admirer, too, in Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

The Spaniard, in awe of Sarri’s managerial style, lauded him as ‘one of the absolute best’ who implements a style of football which is ‘out of this world’ (Planet Football).

He is available, a free agent and allegedly keen on the job – Levy, you know what to do.

In other news: Spurs could be offered this £250,000-per-week ace for Kane, find out more here.

Fabian Schar says that he hopes to feature for Newcastle in the final games of the season after issuing a positive update on his recovery.

The 29-year-old was expected to be out for ‘several months’ after sustaining a torn knee ligament in the 3-2 win over Southampton in February (via nufc.co.uk).

A Sky Sports report at the time speculated that he’d played his last game for the club given that the Swiss international is out of contract at the end of the season.

However, it seems his recovery may have exceeded expectations – Schar initially aimed to return in time for the European Championships in June, but now hopes he can have a say in keeping Newcastle up.

Schar: ‘I will do everything’ to return before the end of the season

“I’m quite happy where I am after seven weeks since my surgery,” he said in a Q&A on Newcastle’s Twitter account.

“The last five or six weeks I was working hard in Switzerland. The only aim I had was to do as many hours for the rehab as possible.

“I think I am on the right way. Still there is a bit to do and it’s going to be tight for some games this season.

“It’s my aim to help the team at the end of the season and I will do everything to try and do that but I can’t exactly say if it is possible or not.”

Schar has made 13 Premier League appearances for the Toon this season. He has averaged 1.6 tackles, 3.1 clearances, 0.8 blocks and 3.6 accurate long balls per match (via WhoScored).

Transfer Tavern verdict

The injury outlook is finally getting brighter for Newcastle. Miguel Almiron returned at Brighton, and Allan Saint-Maximin made his comeback off the bench in the draw with Tottenham at the weekend.

Most importantly, top scorer Callum Wilson looks to be back in contention for a critical visit to Burnley on Sunday.

Schar’s return can’t come soon enough, given that Steve Bruce had to deploy Emil Krafth and Paul Dummett, full-backs by trade, in a back three at the weekend.

In other news, Alan Shearer picked out an ‘excellent’ Newcastle performer against Spurs.