All posts by z3u9t.icu

Sunderland fans have showered Will Harris in praise after he scored a hat-trick for their U23 side against Wolves on Monday.

The Black Cats’ senior side have enjoyed a fantastic start to the 2021/22 campaign. They are currently second in the League One table, level on points with leaders Wigan Athletic, and have won six of their opening eight league matches (BBC). They have also safely navigated a passage through to the fourth round of the League Cup.

Their development squad have not enjoyed as much success, winning just two of their opening six Premier League 2 matches. However, they put in an impressive display to beat Wolves 3-1, and Harris was in top form as he bagged three times to give his side the win.

Sunderland’s official Twitter account provided regular updates on the match, and they attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Harris below

“MY GOAT”

Credit: @chleclerc_

“Better than Wyke and Grigg”

Credit: @AdamPelech

“Whatta boy”

Credit: @Shay44566595

“Get him in the squad for next Tuesday night”

Credit: @JackOughton95

“What a player”

Credit: @safc28

“what can I say he’s a goal machine”

Credit: @safcreportt

In other news, Super Kev has dropped a verdict on this man.

Crystal Palace enjoyed a stellar summer transfer window, successfully overhauling their ageing first-team squad with a raft of exciting youngsters.

The last-minute arrival of Odsonne Edouard in a £14 million deal from Celtic added to the likes of Marc Guehi, Connor Gallagher and Joachim Andersen, putting the gloss on an extremely productive few months for the Eagles.

And now new manager Patrick Vieira has a selection headache that every football boss craves. The strength in depth at Selhurst Park will leave the Frenchman with some big decisions to make over the international period, with many stars pushing for a place in his best starting XI.

With that in mind, this is how Football FanCast expect the 45-year-old to line up his best XI following the conclusion of the summer transfer window…

The ever-reliable Vicente Guaita will keep his spot in goal after continuing to put in some impressive performances at the start of the new campaign.

In defence, the new centre-back partnership of Guehi and Andersen are set to be flanked by 22-year-old Tyrick Mitchell and the experienced Joel Ward, who will be tasked with bringing some Premier League knowhow to a young backline.

A new-look central midfield partnership of Gallagher and Will Hughes should provide the excitement, goals and energy that’s been missing from the Palace engine room in recent years, while Luka Milivojevic’s presence ensures it remains a solid and stable force.

Ahead of them is set to be an entertaining and skillful attacking trident of Wilfried Zaha, Michael Olise and Edouard, relegating the £8.1m-rated Christian Benteke to the bench as he’s been a liability in recent years due to a lack of goalscoring prowess.

Eberechi Eze’s return to fitness following an Achilles injury will give Vieira even more food for thought, although the former England Under-21 international is set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

And, in other news…Palace suffer major blow in pursuit of “explosive” 19-y/o prodigy, Vieira will be gutted 

West Ham United fans won’t be impressed with the latest claim surrounding PAI Capital’s reported second takeover bid…

What’s the word?

Over the weekend, The Sunday Times reported that the consortium would be preparing another offer for the east London outfit after they saw a £400m attempt rejected by majority shareholder David Sullivan.

A spokesman for the firm told them: “PAI Capital has assembled a top-tier team of respected executives … the group has carefully prepared and submitted a second innovative bid which it believes will be successful and crafts a new vision for the club, stadium and park …We hope to be able to share positive news very soon.”

However, Irons insider Sean Whetstone at Claret and Hugh has poured cold water on this suggestion in a series of tweets.

“Sorry but I guarantee that it will not! The board never considered the first approach as a formal bid & there is no chance that further bids will be accepted, absolutely none! No proof of funds have been provided in the formal legal sense & they have not had full access to books,” he said.

He then added: “Does TC release statements through Central now? I had no idea he had become his spokesman. Internet rumours that a second bid has been verbally agreed are nonsense. Too many people are being misled with misinformation. Time will soon tell but you could be waiting a while!”

Fans won’t be happy

This latest development will certainly leave many around the London Stadium absolutely reeling.

There are mixed emotions about the potential takeover of the Hammers, particularly as ex-players like Rio Ferdinand are involved, and that leaves a sour taste in the mouth of some.

However, the vast majority of supporters have been longing to see GSB out the door.

During back end of the 2019/20 season when West Ham were staring down the barrel of relegation to the Championship, the Irons faithful protested against the board.

In one game against Liverpool at Anfield, fans unfurled banners that were very much anti-GSB – One read: “Run like a circus – Owned by clowns”, whilst another read: “GSB out – Sold a dream, delivered a nightmare.”

Later that summer, after David Moyes pulled off a miracle with one game to spare, the fans were furious with the club’s hierarchy once more. This time, the exit of Grady Diangana on a permanent basis caused another protest.

And it doesn’t stop there as fan group Hammers United are planning another display against GSB ahead of their clash with Manchester United later this month.

It’s clear that people want GSB gone from the club and this interest from PAI Capital poses a very good chance of that happening, so this claim from an inside source is unlikely to go down well.

He suggests that there will be no second bid and that it is all “nonsense”, so that’ll seriously dent the hopes of those that are in the aforementioned camp.

Now with the transfer window over, this saga could well rumble on for the foreseeable future.

AND in other news, Moyes must mercilessly axe West Ham’s forgotten £70k-p/w dud, he’s stealing a living…

Flocking to Twitter, many Tottenham Hotspur supporters have erupted over a claim involving long-time target and Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu.

The 22-year-old has been heavily on Spurs’ radar since the very start of July with Sky Sports detailing a rejected bid of around £12.9 million (€15m) plus an extra £2.6 million (€3m) in add-ons.

Claims then emerged that a deal was close and terms were being finalised on a £15 million swoop for Tomiyasu (The Athletic), but his involvement in the Olympic games had somewhat stalled negotiations according to Alasdair Gold.

Now, The Athletic bring an update on the versatile player’s situation and it is great news for Tottenham.

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

The reliable source (via The Spurs Web) back that Tomiyasu’a arrival is expected at Tottenham this summer following the conclusion of his time in Toyko – with many supporters going wild for this update on Twitter.

After the arrival of Cristian Romero from Atalanta, it appears Spurs fans may have more to celebrate soon depending on next developments – find all of their best reactions to this update down below.

Spurs fans flock to Tomiyasu claim…

“Absolutely massive. You’ll see”

Credit: @davidetumiati7

“What a day”

Credit: @raymder

“This day keeps getting better”

Credit: @tottalfie

“Yesssssss”

Credit: @thfcgr

“Tears in my eyes”

Credit: @DeleSZN_THFC

“We’re winning the league”

Credit: @Albie_thfc

“Another really solid defensive signing, Paratici really is cooking”

Credit: @stavrin

“Paratici the GOAT”

Credit: @xAlexTHFC

In other news: Bid made – Tottenham have already lodged offer to sign player with ‘gigantic buzz’, find out more here.

An update has emerged on Liverpool striker Divock Origi, regarding Wolves’ interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to The Telegraph, Wolves are one of three Premier League sides showing an interest in Liverpool striker Divock Origi.

The report claims that Crystal Palace and West Ham are also keen on the Belgian international, although it does not state how receptive to a deal the Reds are at this moment in time.

Fans would be livid

Bruno Lage must avoid his first howler at Molineux by avoiding a deal for Origi. Wolves should not be looking to sign the Belgian forward this summer for multiple reasons.

For starters, his goal record is less than impressive. He has never scored more than eight goals in a league season since coming through at Lille in the 2012/13 campaign and has not scored more than four league goals since the 2017/18 season for Wolfsburg.

Last term, he failed to score a single Premier League goal in nine appearances after managing four in 28 games the previous year. This highlights his struggles in front of goal and why Wolves, from a footballing point-of-view, should not be interested in signing him. He has no proven track record of scoring consistently, which is why fans would be livid if the club brought him to the club.

This is not to say he is a terrible player. Former Belgian international and Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany previously hailed Origi as a monster. He said:

“He is very gifted and talented. Technically, he’s a monster. More importantly, he is an outstanding worker in training. I see him working like crazy. If he continues in this way, in a few years he will be among the five or ten best strikers in the world.”

Kompany’s comments suggest that there is potential there for him to develop if given the right game time, but it would be a gamble given his form for Liverpool in the last few seasons. But, why would Wolves take a risk on Origi fulfilling his potential when they already have a player in the building who they could work on?

The £77k-per-week dud is 26 now, whereas Fabio Silva is only 19 and Wanderers invested £36m, plus his wages, in his future. Origi coming through the door could stunt Silva’s development, as it could offer him fewer opportunities to get on the pitch and continue to hone his skills in the Premier League.

It could be more beneficial for Wolves to stick with Silva and allow him to spend the season learning from Raul Jimenez and then stepping onto the pitch when needed. Although he had a difficult first season in England, he still managed four goals and three assists in the league, which is more goal contributions than Origi has managed in a Premier League campaign since 2016/17.

AND in other news, Shi must sanction Wolves swoop for 27 G/A maestro, many fans would be over the moon…

Wolves will want a bidding war for Ruben Neves this summer, journalist Luke Hatfield has told The Transfer Tavern.

According to The Athletic, Wolves will have to sell an asset like Neves this transfer window if they want to spend big and Arsenal is a possible destination.

The north London club face serious competition, though, with talkSPORT claiming Manchester United are also interested in signing the 24-year-old midfielder.

In fact, talkSPORT’s Alex Crook claims United are actually leading the race for Neves’ signature in a blow to Arsenal but boost to Wolves, who will be hoping to spark a bidding war, according to Hatfield.

“They will want a bidding war,” the Express & Star reporter said. “You always want a couple of interested parties because you can drive up that price tag.

“I think for Wolves, they’re probably very calm about the whole subject. It’s not an issue of we need to get the guy out I don’t think. It’s very much an issue of if the right money comes in, then it’s one we’ll seriously consider because we can reinvest that money elsewhere.”

While Arsenal did look to be frontrunners to sign Neves, the Portugal international has been linked with United in the past, so it would not be a surprise if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did try to sign him before the transfer window closes.

Everton’s transfer window hasn’t exactly been fireworks and excitement.

They’ve recruited smartly to land the likes of Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend but supporters will be hoping for some marquee additions at Goodison Park in the weeks to come.

What’s the word?

Everton were interested in Leon Bailey this summer but the Jamaican has now signed for Aston Villa, handing the Toffees a crushing blow.

However, they could make up for that shortfall by signing Lazio’s Joaquin Correa instead.

The attacker has caught the eye of the Toffees in recent months and according to recent reports from Tutto Mercato Web (via Sport Witness), they are now leading the race to acquire his signature.

It’s thought that Everton are at the front of the queue to sign Correa but will have to stump up a fee of between €30m-€35m (£25.5m-£30m).

Fans would love him

If you assess the qualities and dazzling ability of Correa then he has the potential to really light up Goodison Park and catch the imagination of supporters.

He can play in a multitude of positions, mainly out wide or through the middle as a number 10, but it’s his capability to score goals and assist teammates that stands out most.

The Argentine has scored 30 times during his Lazio career, 11 of which came during the 2020/21 season.

On top of that, the 26-year-old assisted six strikes, proving he can be a solid supply line for those around him.

Described as a “menace” in an analysis piece by Breaking the Lines, he is an incredibly tricky individual, something that would go down well with fans.

Last season, he produced 1.3 dribbles per game and was fouled on 1.9 occasions per match. For context, only Richarlison, Alex Iwobi and James Rodriguez were more successful when it came to take-ons.

In terms of the second statistic, Correa would have been the second most fouled player in the entire Everton squad.

Now in the prime of his career, this would be an eye-catching swoop from the Toffees, one that would significantly improve their attacking ranks.

AND in other news, Benitez could discover his new Fernando Torres if Everton land 58-goal “nightmare”…

According to a report by Foot Mercato, as translated and shared by Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur managing director Fabio Paratici may now back an exciting transfer swoop for the club.

The Lowdown: Paratici on the prowl…

Since the 48-year-old was appointed as the new managing director of Spurs, there have been no shortage of transfer rumours linking the Lilywhites with a host of exciting players.

Lorenzo Insigne, Manuel Locatelli and Domenico Berardi are just some of the names linked, with that trio shining for Italy at Euro 2020.

Marcus Thuram is another player mentioned with a possible move to Spurs, with RMC Sport reporter Mohamed Bouhafsi lifting the lid on advanced talks last month.

The Latest: Paratici could now back move…

As per Foot Mercato, Tottenham have now made Thuram a priority summer signing. Indeed, transfer guru Paratici ‘would support’ the swoop internally, and the Frenchman’s odds of moving to north London this summer are ‘good’.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-4/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Thuram’s stance is that he very much wants to leave his current club Borussia Monchengladbach, with the report stating he desires a ‘change of scenery’. If Paratici wants to snap up the 23-year-old as a priority, Tottenham will have to pay ‘at least’ €30m (£25.6m).

The French forward started 20 Bundesliga matches last term, netting eight goals and setting up two others (WhoScored).

The Verdict: Get it done

At a minimum fee of £25.6m, Thuram could come as a possible bargain this summer going by his exploits in the German top flight and some of the plaudits which have come his way during the 2020/21 campaign.

The 1.92m (6 foot 4) beast averaged an impressive two shots per match last season for Monchengladbach, bettered only by attacking partner Alassane Plea (2.1). Thuram also completed more dribbles per game (1.6) than anyone in their squad, and at just 23, he could come as a very fruitful purchase by Tottenham.

Highly versatile, he is capable of playing on both flanks and in a central forward role. He has attracted praise from New York Times bestselling author Grant Wahl, who called him ‘phenomenal’ (Twitter).

If Paratici backs a swoop for Thuram, we believe he would certainly be making the right call.

In other news: ‘In recent days’…Spurs make enquiry to sign £34.4m-rated ‘genius’, find out more here.

Manchester City have been linked with a move for Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman recently and the Frenchman could prove to be Pep Guardiola’s next Leroy Sane at the Etihad.

What’s the word?

According to French news outlet L’Equipe (via City Xtra), City have joined Liverpool and Chelsea in showing an interest in the France international, although newly-appointed Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann is ‘determined’ to keep him at the Allianz Arena for the 2021/22 campaign.

City were linked with a move for the winger last summer but opted to sign Ferran Torres instead and despite the Spaniard’s impressive debut season with the Citizens, it seems as if a move for Coman this summer could be on the cards.

Man City’s next Leroy Sane?

Although City were able to bring in Torres as a replacement for Leroy Sane after he made the move to Bayern, the former Valencia man does not possess the raw pace that the German did, and also looks to have a future as a striker after impressing there in the final few games of the 2020/21 season.

Guardiola does have the rapid Raheem Sterling available to him on the left but he often prefers to cut inside, whereas Coman could provide an incredibly quick option down either wing, preferring to run to the byline and cross the ball in rather than going for goal himself.

During his time at Bayern, the 25-year-old has contributed 41 goals and 50 assists in 200 appearances, which suggests that he is more of a provider than a natural goalscorer, which suggests that he is a similar style of player to Sane, who excelled during his time at the Etihad.

Coman is certainly a big fan of the Spanish manager, sanging his praises in 2020, saying:

“I would say Guardiola [was my best coach] because he is the one who made me start playing a little more regularly even if I had played a few matches at Juventus.”

“For a player in my position, a winger who likes to hit and provoke, he is the best coach we can have because that is what demands us the most.

“He creates systems to have one-on-one situations and it’s the system where I can flourish the most. He didn’t ask me to have stats. He just wanted me to take, hit and centre. And that was what I appreciated very much.”

The “extraordinary” winger managed six goals and 12 assists in 35 games under Guardiola, which suggests that if City did have the option of bringing Coman in this summer, it would suit both parties. Txiki Begiristain should definitely look to sign him.

And, in other news… Txiki disaster: Man City heading for huge mistake with “complete” £11m gem

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has made a major claim about Carney Chukwuemeka and his future at Aston Villa.

What’s the story?

The 17-year-old was a revelation for Villa’s youth side last season, scoring seven goals and providing two assists in just six FA Youth Cup games as the club’s young guns went on to lift the trophy.

Preece has now revealed that Chukwuemeka will not be going out on loan and instead is likely to be eased into first team action like Dean Smith has done with Jacob Ramsey.

The journalist reported: “Smith has said himself he’ll have a cluster of academy players in with the first-team this pre-season. I’m expecting Kesler, Chukwuemeka, Philogene-Bidace, A.Ramsey, Louie Barry and others to step up and to be involved in first-team pre-season games. Then, when season begins, Smith will make a call on those players. Chukwuemeka, though, will be around the first team.

“Carney’s not going out on loan. He’s going to be eased in but what’s stopping him from looking really good this season? He’s still a bit of an unknown as he hasn’t been tested at the highest level. He could well be a superstar but Smith will ease him in like he did with Jacob last season.”

Villa fans will love it

At 17, there’s no doubting that Chukwuemeka is one of the brightest young talents at Villa, if not the brightest. The teenager netted a hat-trick in Villa’s 6-1 win over Newcastle to reach the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup last season; a performance which had Preece absolutely raving.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for the Birmingham Mail, he said: “This was a Carney Chukwuemeka masterclass. It was a clinic in how to play an advanced midfield role with the 17-year-old oozing confidence and swagger. The hype’s real surrounding this kid who, as supporters know, has been around Dean Smith’s first team for a long time now. Villa’s No.10 started almost every attack and looked to hurt Newcastle at every opportunity.

“European clubs are hovering looking to take Chukwuemeka and Villa could do with reassuring him that his future’s at Villa Park. He’s ready for some Premier League minutes. A scary talent who assisted Reddin as well. Unreal. He’s got everything.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/aston-villa-dean-smith-transfer-window-premier-league-villa-park-emi-buendia-gregg-evans-gossip-rumours-update-news” title=”Read the latest Aston Villa transfer rumours and news!”]

The teenager made his first team debut for Smith’s side in the closing weeks of the Premier League season, coming on as a late substitute away at Spurs, before getting a more prolonged runout on the final day against Chelsea (Transfermarkt).

Given the superb displays he has produced at youth team level, it would only be natural for Villa fans to be rightfully excited about what Chukwuemeka could do if given the opportunity in the first team.

It’s exactly why Preece’s update will surely have Villa fans grinning from ear to ear.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has dropped a Villa transfer update…