All posts by z3u9t.icu

Arsenal are reportedly ready to break the bank in order to land RB Leipzig striker Christopher Nkunku, according to the latest reports.

What’s the word?

As per the Independent, the Bundesliga side have set an asking price of around £100m for the exciting Frenchman, with the Gunners – as well as Paris Saint-Germain – believed to be ‘willing’ to match that figure.

That potential deal would eclipse the £72m, club-record fee that the north Londoners paid to prise Nicolas Pepe from Lille in 2019, with the Emirates outfit in need of new forward additions following the recent departure of Lyon-bound Alexandre Lacazette, having already allowed former skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to join Barcelona in January.

Premier League rivals Manchester United are also named by the report as another potential suitor, although the Red Devils are ‘unlikely’ to cough up such a sizeable fee with other areas of the squad still to address.

Superstar signing

Having only brought in backup goalkeeper Matt Turner and promising Brazilian, Marquinhos, so far this summer, Gunners supporters will no doubt be impatient for more high-profile additions, with these latest links to Nkunku likely to set pulses racing.

Dubbed a “superstar” by journalist Robin Bairner earlier this season, the versatile 24-year-old would no doubt be able to make an instant impact in the Premier League, fresh off the back of an explosive, breakthrough campaign in Germany last time out.

In 50 games in all competitions in the 2021/22 season, the former PSG gem fired in a truly staggering 35 goals and 19 assists, notably netting a goal every 117 minutes in what was a simply breathtaking and relentless scoring spree.

That haul also included 20 league goals – the fourth-best record in the German top-flight – while he also fired in seven goals in just six games in the Champions League, despite Leipzig having crashed out in the group stage.

That tally – which included a devastating hat-trick in the matchday one defeat to Manchester City – ensured he was the joint-fifth highest scorer in the competition, while he also went on to add a further four goals after dropping into the Europa League.

Such a prolific nine months has come somewhat out of the blue, with the £72m-rated man only having scored 12 goals in all competitions across the last two seasons combined, yet that will do little to temper the excitement regarding a possible link-up with Mikel Arteta’s side.

Arsenal are undoubtedly in need of a new focal point in attack, with Nkunku seemingly the superstar attraction who can help fire them back into top-four contention.

IN other news, Arsenal now have “genuine interest” in signing £45m “baller”, it would be a huge coup 

Manchester United are now the leading contenders to sign Villarreal defender Pau Torres, according to reports in Spain (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Career so far

Coming through the ranks at Villarreal, Torres spent time on loan at Malaga before becoming an established member of the first team with his hometown club.

The 25-year-old has now made 134 senior outings for the La Liga side and was an integral part of the run to Europa League final glory as Unai Emery’s charges overcame Manchester United on penalties.

He was then impactful in Europe again this season as the Yellow Submarine made a surprise breakthrough into the semi-finals of the Champions League, as Torres registered the most clearances of any of his teammates in that competition.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-updates-3/” title=”Latest Man Utd updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Despite being heavily linked to Tottenham and Chelsea, the Red Devils are now emerging as frontrunners to sign the Spain international…

The latest: United in pole position

As per La Razon, translated by SW, United are now the ‘great favourite’ to land Torres this summer ahead of their domestic rivals.

It’s claimed that the Old Trafford club are ‘willing to put’ a €50million (£42.5million) offer on the table to bring the man recently hailed for an ‘outstanding’ performance against Bayern Munich in that famous UCL run.

The report also makes mention of the interest from Tottenham, with Giovani Lo Celso potentially being used as a makeweight in any deal.

The verdict: No brainer

The defensive department is well stocked in terms of numbers with Eric Bailly, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane in situ as senior options. However, a combination of poor form and injuries last season saw the various central defensive partnerships leave a lot to be desired.

Torres meanwhile, dubbed ‘sensational’ by Luis Enrique, continued to flourish in Spain this year, earning an impressive 7.09 Sofascore rating whilst winning 4.0 duels, making 3.1 clearances and making 51.4 accurate passes on average per game in the Spanish top flight.

In that time the 19-cap ace also scored six and provided one assist in 47 appearances across all competitions, highlighting the threat that the imposing 6 foot 2 star can provide in both penalty areas.

At the mooted price this is a deal that makes an abundance of sense as Erik ten Hag desperately attempts to strengthen the entire squad in Manchester.

In other news, Erik ten Hag could be key in luring this star to Old Trafford

Everton struggled this season following a tight relegation battle in the Premier League, and Frank Lampard must improve the squad if they want to do better next time around.

To that effect, a new Goodison Park transfer target has now been revealed.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, the Toffees have joined the race to sign former Manchester United star Jesse Lingard, who is now a free agent.

As per the report, the attacking midfielder is a potential target for not just Everton – his former Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho could try to tempt him with a move to Roma, or he could rejoin his former loan club West Ham United this summer.

Imagine him & Gordon

Everton are desperate to add new attacking threats to enhance their goalscoring opportunities following a lack of goals last season, which ultimately led to the Toffees struggling in the bottom half of the table, and signing Lingard could be a great solution to that problem ahead of next season.

The Merseyside club conceded 23 goals more than they scored in the 2021/22 Premier League, with Richarlison leading the way with 11 in all competitions. However, they will need to find a few more reliable scoring outlets if they want to break back into the top half next term.

Lingard has never been a consistent starter at Old Trafford, but during his time at his boyhood club, he has scored 35 goals and delivered 21 assists in 232 first-team appearances, with one goal contribution every 224 minutes. However, he has proven elsewhere that regular game-time enables him to offer a consistent attacking threat.

The £80k-p/w star, who was dubbed “infectious” by Manchester United legend Andy Cole, enjoyed a successful six-month loan spell at West Ham last year. He displayed his talents effectively in east London, scoring nine goals and contributing five assists in just 16 appearances, proving that he could be a very astute signing for any Premier League club this summer.

Lampard is already a huge fan of the 29-year-old and spoke out about him in 2018 on BT Sport (via The Sport Review), saying: “What I like about him is his game intelligence. You never see him linger on the ball when he doesn’t need to. He has the right amount of touches and knows when to arrive in the box at the right time.”

With that in mind, the Toffees manager could tee up a formidable attacking duo if he can secure the signing of Lingard and deploy him in the team alongside Anthony Gordon, who chipped in with seven goal contributions this term. The pair couldlink up to create more goal-scoring opportunities in the final third, ideally leading to Everton enjoying a more fruitful 2022/23 season.

AND in other news – Worse than Klassen: Journo claims Everton are now tracking “really slow” 31 y/o dud

Manchester United’s move for Ajax defender Jurrien Timber is ‘practically closed’, according to Portuguese journalist Pedro Almeida.

The Lowdown: Timber talks

Erik ten Hag has seemingly made the 20-year-old his first major target as United manager. The Red Devils first made contact over a possible move at the end of April, and a transfer has slowly gathered pace with the defender’s representatives in England last weekend.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-updates-2/” title=”Latest Man Utd updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Timber, described as a ‘top talent’, as per the official UEFA Champions League Twitter channel, can play anywhere across the back four and is valued at a career-high £27m by Transfermarkt.

The Latest: Almeida’s update

Almeida took to Twitter on late on Friday evening to provide a Manchester United transfer update.

He revealed that a move for Timber is ‘practically’ done, adding that the club are now turning their attention to Villarreal’s Pau Torres.

The Verdict: New partnership?

Although Timber can play as a full-back, Ten Hag mainly used the Netherlands international at centre-back last season. He made 38 appearances at the heart of the defence and just five at right-back, helping Ajax to the Eredivisie title, conceding just 19 times in 34 games.

It looks as if he will become the club’s first major signing of the Ten Hag era, and with United now looking at a move for another centre-back in Torres, that could spell trouble for the likes of Harry Maguire, who was heavily criticised last season.

In other news: Reliable journalist leaks Man Utd talks as Ten Hag now eyes ‘terrific’ Englishman. 

Newcastle have been hit with a frustrating injury setback as an update has emerged regarding Ryan Fraser…

What’s the latest?

Eddie Howe revealed in his pre-match press conference that the Scotland international is set to miss out this weekend.

The Magpies travel to face Burnley in their final Premier League match of the campaign later today, and it appears as though they will have to make do without the 28-year-old.

After the press conference, journalist Jordan Cronin tweeted: “Ryan Fraser felt his hamstring again versus Arsenal and is unlikely to feature.”

Supporters will be gutted

This injury update will surely leave Newcastle supporters gutted, as it means that they will now have to wait until next season to watch the winger in action again.

Fraser has not started a game for the Magpies since 8 April against Wolves, while he came on as a substitute in the recent 2-0 win over Arsenal. This latest claim means that his next start will not be until August at the earliest, hopefully after a strong pre-season without any fitness issues.

After a difficult start to the campaign under Steve Bruce, the ex-Bournemouth man then found his feet on Tyneside and showed signs of promise out wide. He has averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.86 across 27 appearances this term, chipping in with two goals and three assists along the way.

The winger was not at his blistering best all the way through the campaign, as shown by the statistics, but he came alive in flashes. This indicates that the potential is there for him to play a big role for the club next season if he is able to maintain his fitness.

In the 2018/19 campaign, Fraser managed seven goals and 14 assists in the Premier League for Bournemouth. This proves that the talent is there and that Howe has previously been able to unlock it on the south coast, which is why there may be hope that the 44-year-old can do so again.

Newcastle supporters will be keen for the Scottish wide man to hit the ground running next season so that they can see him scoring and setting up goals on a regular basis. That is why this latest blow for the 28-year-old is a frustrating one which will leave the Toon Army gutted ahead of today’s clash, as he will not be able to go into the summer on a high.

AND in other news, “Sources at Newcastle”: Huge transfer update emerges that’ll leave supporters gutted…

Henrikh Mkhitaryan could now make a ‘surprise’ move to join Tottenham Hotspur, claims Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Alfredo Pedulla.

The Lowdown: Conte going shopping

The Lilywhites are expected to be busy in the summer transfer market. A point against Norwich City in Sunday’s Premier League finale would book their place in the Champions League next season, meaning Antonio Conte will need to strengthen his squad.

As many as six new signings are likely to come in, and while much of the focus is said to be on acquiring a new centre-back, the Lilywhites are a little light in the playmaker department.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The current squad doesn’t actually have a single attacking midfielder, and while it is not a position which fits directly into the manager’s system, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have a creative player who can play through the middle, where the current ranks are mostly combative stars like Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The Latest: Watch out for Spurs

According to Pedulla, writing on his personal Twitter account, Mkhitaryan wants to extend his contract at Roma, which expires this summer.

However, a ‘surprise’ move could be on the cards if that doesn’t happen, as the journalist says to ‘watch out’ for Inter and Napoli in Italy and Tottenham and Aston Villa in England.

The Verdict: Sneaky good signing?

Things may not have worked out for Mkhitaryan during his last stint in England, but he still managed to provide 22 goals and 24 assists across 122 appearances with Manchester United and Arsenal, even drawing praise for ‘dominating’ the competition from Red Devils teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Back in Italy, the 33 year-old has gone from strength to strength, racking up 57 goal involvements for Jose Mourinho’s side in 116 games, and he has also been crowned Armenia’s player of the year a whopping ten times.

Creating over a chance per game in Serie A this season, the experienced 95-cap man, while not a long-term solution, would add a different kind of threat to Conte’s side along with years of experience across domestic and European competitions.

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has backed Liverpool to complete a surprising swap deal involving Sadio Mane and Serge Gnabry this summer.

The Lowdown: Both players out of contract next year

The 30-year-old is approaching the final 12 months of his current contract at Anfield, and according to Sky Germany, Bayern Munich are interested in signing the Reds forward during the upcoming transfer window.

Gnabry’s deal with the German giants at the Allianz is also set to expire at the end of next season, and following reports that he is considering a Bundesliga exit amid interest from potential suitors around Europe, this has created the possibility of an exchange between clubs, if both players do indeed leave their current teams.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-33/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Swap deal on the table?

When asked during an interview with Football Insider whether or not there could be any good value in a swap deal for the Merseyside outfit, Campbell said it would be a ‘great signing’.

“That could be worth pursuing.

“Gnabry is going to be a sought-after player this summer. I know there is a lot of clubs who like him.

“He is a player who will be hotly pursued because he is still relatively young. We are talking about a Germany international who can play on either side, score goals, is quick and direct.

“He would be a great signing for Liverpool. There will be a lot of competition for Gnabry though. I think Arsenal would like to speak to him if there is an opportunity.”

The Verdict: Would be a shock to lose Mane

There’s no doubt that Gnabry would be a great signing for any team considering how much of a threat he can pose in the final third, having already found the back of the net 17 times and registered ten assists across all competitions for Bayern so far this season, as per Transfermarkt.

However, despite not getting any younger, Mane would be a huge loss to Jurgen Klopp, as he has been part of the furniture in the Reds’ starting XI since joining in a £34m move from Southampton back in 2016.

During his time at Anfield, the Senegalese superstar has made a staggering 267 club appearances and has recorded 167 goal contributions, and even though the likes of Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota have now provided serious competition for places upfront, Mane still has a hugely integral role to play in leading the line for Liverpool for at least a few more years to come.

In other news… an exciting Reds youngster looks set to leave the club this summer.

Leeds United are falling behind in the race to land Boubacar Kamara in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that Aston Villa have now entered into negotiations with the Olympique de Marseille defensive midfielder concerning a switch to Villa Park on a free transfer at the end of the current campaign – with this news likely to come as a blow to Victor Orta and the Whites, who were linked with a move for the 22-year-old back in January.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more” title=”Read the latest Leeds United news and rumours!”]

The report goes on to state that Steven Gerrard’s side are also interested in the possibility of signing the likes of Atletico Madrid’s Geoffrey Kondogbia, Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yves Bissouma and Leeds’ own Kalvin Phillips this summer.

Dream Phillips replacement

Considering the sheer amount of potential it is clear Kamara possesses, in addition to the fact that Phillips has been heavily linked with a move away from Elland Road this summer, the argument that Orta must sanction a swoop for the former France U21 international at the end of the season is an easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 32 Ligue 1 appearances this term, the £22.5m-rated midfielder has been in sensational form for Jorge Sampaoli’s side, scoring one goal and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, 63.5 passes and winning 4.9 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per game.

These returns have seen the £46k-per-week talent who Rolando dubbed a “phenomenon” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.14, ranking him as OM’s second-best player in the French top flight.

In comparison, over Phillips’ 17 Premier League fixtures this season, the £60m valued midfielder has registered one assist and created one big chance, in addition to making an average of 1.1 interceptions, 2.7 tackles, 38.1 passes and winning 4.6 duels – at a success rate of 45% – per game.

These returns have seen the £38k-per-week England international average a SofaScore match rating of 6.82, ranking him as Jesse Marsch’s ninth-best performer in the English top flight.

As such, while it is undeniable that injury has hampered Phillips’ campaign severely this season, after looking at the respective midfielder’s stats, it is clear to see that Kamara would be something of a dream replacement for the potentially outbound 26-year-old, leading us at Football FanCast to believe that Orta must do everything in his power to beat Aston Villa to the signing of the Frenchman on a free this summer.

AND in other news: Leeds now plotting bid for “fabulous” £45k-p/w target, Orta should “take him all day”

Wolves are reportedly interested in making a move for Rangers winger Ryan Kent this summer as Bruno Lage looks to strengthen his squad.

The Lowdown: Kent shines for Rangers

The 25-year-old has been one of the Gers’ star players in recent years, providing endless quality from what is invariably a left-sided attacking role.

Kent has scored 30 goals and registered 47 assists in 171 appearances for the Scottish Premiership giants, once being hailed as a ‘constant threat’ by Steven Gerrard.

It may be that the former Liverpool winger feels that a new challenge is required this summer, and a return to England could be on the cards.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/all-the-latest-from-wolves-5/” title=”All the latest from Wolves!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Wolves eye up move

According to 90min, Wolves have expressed an interest in snapping up Kent in the summer transfer window, with his current deal expiring in 2023.

Leeds United are seen as the front-runners to sign him, though, with Everton and Fulham also mentioned in the report.

[freshpress-poll id=“388780″]

The Verdict: Is he good enough?

While Kent has clearly shone in Scotland, the one concern over Wolves signing him is whether or not the step up to the Premier League is too great for him.

He probably wouldn’t come in as a regular starter if he joined the Old Gold, with Pedro Neto arguably a higher calibre of player, but he could be a strong squad option off the substitutes’ bench.

Kent’s direct running and end product could be a nightmare for tiring legs in games and it is this depth that Wolves need if they are to go up another gear this season. Signing him would therefore be shrewd business, as long as Wanderers don’t pay over the odds.

In other news, Wolves are the front-runners to sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Manchester United are reportedly interested in bringing Ajax striker Sebastien Haller to Old Trafford this summer.

What’s the word?

That is according to reports by the Daily Mail, who claimed that the former West Ham striker could be given another crack at the Premier League under his current Ajax boss Erik Ten Hag.

A report from The Sun stated that the Ivorian would be available for around £35m if Ten Hag opts to bring Haller to Old Trafford with him.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-man-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more-nunez-ten-hag-nkunku-richarlison” title=”Read the latest Man United news!”]

Berbatov 2.0

Haller was dubbed a flop after his spell at West Ham was not as prosperous as he would have liked, although he still scored goals in his first season in a team which did not play to his strengths.

His move to Ajax in 2021 shocked some, with many perhaps believing that he did not possess the calibre to play for such a prestigious club.

Ten Hag knew exactly what he was doing, though. He was bringing in an accomplished poacher who had bagged 16 for fellow Eredivise club Utrecht across 98 appearances in three seasons.

Ten Hag placed him up top and has not looked back since, with the 27-year-old putting in some outstanding performances for Ajax over the past season-and-a-half.

Haller – who has been dubbed a “hero” by journalist Yaw Ampofo Jr on Twitter – has netted 152 goals in his career, with third-highest scorer in the competition for 2021/22 just behind Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema.

His 20 goals and seven assists in 27 games this season would suggest that he could be United’s new Dimitar Berbatov-type figure.

Playing in an Ajax side which has averaged 67.3% possession this season, the Ivorian has proven that he is comfortable with the ball, averaging around seven touches per game in the opponents penalty area and completing a successful dribble percentage of 60%. The latter percentage places him in and around the elite category compared to positionally similar players in the top 5 leagues, according to FBRef.

His ball control is not quite as prestigious as what Berbatov offered in his heyday, but not many have matched the Bulgarian’s touch.

What will delight fans, and what represents a difference between Berbatov and Haller, is the Ivorian’s work rate in the attacking third.

Operating in a high-pressing Ajax side, it was always a given that the latter would be expected to press from the front, and he has established himself as one of the best in the world at doing just that. Haller averages around 17 pressures per 90, with ten of these pressures coming in the attacking third.

The former West Ham flop has rejuvinated his career at Ajax and proven himself to be a creative and well-rounded goal machine.

It is no wonder that Ten Hag is reportedly interested in signing what could be United’s new Berbatov-esque presence in attack.

In other news – Fewer touches than De Gea: Man Utd flop with just 12 passes must never play again