All posts by z3u9t.icu

First and foremost, Newcastle United have no pressing concerns relating to finances and the ever-ominous profit and sustainability rules in the Premier League.

Furthermore, technical director Ross Wilson is now settled into his chair in the St. James’ Park offices, and have formed a good early relationship with Eddie Howe as they look to tackle key areas of the squad.

Now is the time for action. It’s been a wobbly start to the season after a summer of upheaval, but United are beginning to show green shoots in their bid to cement themselves as Champions League contenders and a multi-trophy-winning outfit.

Defensive positions are being examined, but with Joelinton’s form lacking in stages this season, Howe wants a new midfielder.

The question on everyone’s lips: Will it be Elliot Anderson?

Newcastle chasing elite midfielder

Howe spoke at the start of October about his desire to bring Anderson back home. The 23-year-old was sold to Nottingham Forest in 2024 and he has since become a top-class midfielder. It was not a happy sale for the Magpies, whose hand was forced by PSR.

Now, United want him back. The problem? Manchester City and Manchester United are also keen, and the Tricky Trees have priced their gem in excess of £100m.

This is a superstar in the making. Already, he is ranking favourably against the likes of Sandro Tonali in the Newcastle midfield; the Italian is widely regarded as one of the best in the Premier League.

If Newcastle are fruitless in their bid to sign Anderson, they could do worse than fall back on Scott McTominay, who was named the Serie A MVP last season after leading Napoli to the Scudetto.

As per Chronicle Live, McTominay is reportedly unsettled in Naples and is considering a return to the Premier League. Newcastle would be right there, offering the Scotland star a chance to take his career to the next level.

Valued at £70m, McTominay, 28, will not be short of suitors in 2026, but sources close to the player suggest that he would be open to moving to Tyneside and working under Howe’s stewardship.

What McTominay would offer Newcastle

It’s a testament to McTominay’s meteoric rise in Italy that had Newcastle signed him from Manchester United, it would have been a move met with indifference.

But now, he is revered as a hero for both club and country, 18th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings and regarded as a “true superstar of European and world football”, as said by content creator Adam Joseph.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær, his former boss at Old Trafford, also hailed him as a “physical monster” once, and this is why McTominay could be such an interesting Anderson alternative.

He is capable of show-stopping moments, but the Tartan Army hero also has the athleticism and defensive attributes to dovetail right into Howe’s engine room.

His high duel success bespeaks his tenacity, and his eye for goal makes him an intriguing option to place just ahead of Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, both elegant and combative players with excellent passing ranges, sure to pick out the Napoli star’s surges into the danger area.

Matches (starts)

37 (33)

34 (33)

Goals

2

12

Assists

6

4

Touches*

54.2

43.1

Accurate passes*

28.7 (82%)

22.7 (85%)

Chances created*

1.0

0.8

Dribbles*

1.0

1.1

Ball recoveries*

5.6

4.2

Tackles + interceptions*

2.5

2.0

Duels (won)*

6.5

6.1

Anderson has since raised his level, but McTominay has hardly regressed himself, instrumental in a title-defending Napoli team that trail first-placed AC Milan this season by only a single point.

There is a winning mentality about McTominay that Newcastle need to take their project to the next level, and while the 23-year-old Anderson would be a fantastic addition, this would provide Howe with the instant effect he and his team need.

Newcastle need a new midfielder, and that won’t change. Either of these stars would mark stunning acquisitions.

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1 ByDan Emery Dec 1, 2025

Manchester United have joined the race to sign Borussia Dortmund centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck, and the Bundesliga club’s stance on cashing-in has now been revealed.

Man United have taken major strides over the past month or so, having taken 11 points from their last five matches, but it would be fair to say their defensive record still needs major improvement.

Ruben Amorim’s side have shipped 18 goals in their opening 11 games, the joint-highest number of any side above 16th in the Premier League table, failing to keep a clean sheet since the 2-0 victory against Sunderland at the beginning of October.

Both Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt have impressed in an attacking sense, with the former scoring the winner at Anfield, while the Dutchman recently received high praise from Rio Ferdinand, who said: “De Ligt’s been our best defender this season”

“I think he’s been outstanding for us. He’s even adding goals like the last-minute equaliser the other day.”

That said, Amorim clearly needs to tighten things up at the back, given the sheer number of goals his side have conceded, and the Red Devils have now set their sights on a new target.

Man Utd join race to sign Nico Schlotterbeck

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Man United have now joined the race to sign Borussia Dortmund’s Schlotterbeck, who is about to enter the last 18 months of his contract with the German club, meaning a bidding war could be on the cards.

Liverpool have also emerged as potential suitors for the centre-back, who has earned comparisons to Virgil van Dijk, in light of his composure under pressure, which has been on display in the Champions League.

Dortmund may need to cash-in due to their financial situation, as they are currently at risk of losing the 25-year-old on a free transfer, and there is no shortage of interest, with Barcelona currently believed to be leading the race for his signature.

The defender’s ball-playing ability, coupled with the fact he is left-footed, is said to make him perfect for Amorim, and the Dortmund star has earned high praise from former Premier League chief scout Mick Brown.

Brown said: “He’s a dominant centre-back, a regular for Germany, and a very defensive option who likes to win tackles, win headers and take charge of the back line.”

Impressively, the German is also very comfortable in possession of the ball, as displayed by his performance across some key passing and dribbling metrics over the past year.

Nico Schlotterbeck’s passing and dribbling statistics

Average per 90

Passes attempted

84.06 (97th percentile)

Progressive passes

7.43 (99th percentile)

Progressive carries

1.29 (89th percentile)

Successful take-ons

0.48 (92nd percentile)

Schlotterbeck is experienced at the top level, having amassed 22 caps for Germany and 35 Champions League appearances, and he could be the ideal option for Amorim at left centre-back.

What Man Utd plan to do to hijack Real Madrid's move for Marc Guehi What Man Utd are ready to do to hijack Real Madrid's move for Marc Guehi

He could be a superb signing for the Red Devils.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 4, 2025

West Ham United manager Nuno has now commented on the ownership protest, which took place after the 3-1 victory against Newcastle United on Sunday.

West Ham picked up just their second Premier League victory of the season at the weekend, defeating Newcastle at the London Stadium, courtesy of a long-range Lucas Paqueta strike and a Sven Botman own-goal, before Tomas Soucek put the game beyond doubt in injury time.

Nuno managed to get his first win on the board despite a backdrop of discontent, with supporters planning a sit-in protest against the board, having reached the end of their tether with David Sullivan and Karren Brady.

The players seemed unaffected by the off-field issues, however, with Alfie Potts, who had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside in the second half, praising his teammates after the match, saying: “We all fought for the shirt, and we came away with three points, which I think was deserved.”

“I feel like everyone today showed that we’ve got the character and the challenge to come back from positions that we have been in the past, and we can win games, especially against teams like Newcastle who attack really well.”

Nuno directly asked about West Ham fans' protest

The West Ham manager was directly asked about what he thought of the supporters’ protest on Sunday, and he took the time to praise the Hammers faithful, saying: “I think the fans saw something in the team today and this is what we want, this is how we should look at the situation.

“How can we as a team, show to our fans that we want to fight, we want to change [the] situation.

“We want to make things tough for our opponents. We want to change our game, we want to improve our game. The fans [we] cannot thank them enough.”

Of course, the 51-year-old can’t directly criticise the ownership, especially considering some of his recent experiences, with the former Nottingham Forest manager being dismissed after admitting his relationship with Evangelos Marinakis had deteriorated.

However, Nuno’s assessment that the supporters were buoyed on by an encouraging performance is certainly accurate, with the Irons showing signs they are more than capable of getting out of relegation trouble.

West Ham were more than deserving of their victory, as despite the visitors dominating most of the possession, they failed to create any big chances in the match, while the hosts crafted two.

Nuno will be hoping his side can now start to build momentum, with an early six-pointer at home against Burnley pencilled in for next Saturday.

West Ham player ratings as Nuno secures first victory West Ham player ratings v Newcastle United as Nuno secures first victory

The Hammers returned to winning ways with a 3-1 win against Newcastle this afternoon.

ByDominic Lund Nov 2, 2025

Weeks do not come much bigger than this for Arsenal.

On Sunday, Mikel Arteta’s team return to action, following the international break, with a bang, hosting Tottenham in the North London derby.

Then, on Wednesday, the top two in this season’s Champions League will go head-to-head, with Bayern Munich and Arsenal both putting their 100% records in the competition on the line, before the Gunners face the small matter of another London derby against Chelsea next Sunday.

If the Premier League leaders are going to still be sitting pretty at the top in ten days time, Arteta will need his key figures to perform at their best, but is sporting director Andrea Berta already putting plans in place to sign a “monster” hybrid of two of Arsenal’s most pivotal players?

Arsenal targeting a midfield monster

Two of Arsenal’s most important signings in recent seasons have inarguably been Declan Rice and Mikel Merino.

The former has been transformational in midfield, potentially now the best in his position in the Premier League, while the Spaniard has been integral in a completely unforeseen way, excelling as the emergency makeshift striker even since he was thrust into the role off the bench at Leicester in February, poised to lead the line again against Spurs on Sunday.

Now, according to TEAMalk, the Gunners and Andrea Berta are targeting another midfield star, reporting that Arsenal are one of many Premier League clubs interested in signing Scott McTominay from Napoli.

They add that the Gunners are exploring a move for a star who is valued at €80m (around £70.5m), by the Partenopei, noting that it would take an ‘astronomical’ fee for them to sell the ‘linchpin’ in Antonio Conte’s team, while noting that the Scotland international would like to return to the Premier League one day.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

In history, only 15 men have ever made a senior appearance for both Arsenal and Manchester United, Robin van Persie, Alexis Sánchez, Danny Welbeck and Henrikh Mkhitaryan among the recent high-profile examples, so could McTominay soon join this exclusive list?

What Scott McTominay would bring to Arsenal

McTominay was in the news this week by virtue of scoring this jaw-dropping overhead kick to help Scotland qualify for a first World Cup in 28 years, breaking the deadlock as his side beat Denmark 4-2 at Hampden in ultra-dramatic fashion; if you somehow haven’t seen this goal, it is well worth your time!

Well, if you think McTominay is popular in Scotland, he holds god-like status in Naples, having been the key figure in their Serie A triumph last season, clinching only the Ciucciarelli’s fourth Scudetto, named the league’s player of the season, with the statistics below underlining why.

Goals

12

7th

Headed goals

3

4th

Shots

76

11th

Shots on target

33

6th

Non pen goals – xG

+4.6

2nd

Goal-creating actions

10

26th

Successful take-ons

39

12th

Ground duels won

141

11th

Aerial duels won

67

25th

Ball recoveries

143

20th

Touches in box

106

20th

Average rating

7.27

8th

As the table documents, McTominay is the complete all-rounder, ranked highly for a wide variety of metrics.

He scored 12 goals from just 33 shots on target, thereby behind only Capocannoniere winner Mateo Retegui in terms of non-penalty goals – expected goals, including this strike on the final day against Cagliari to secure the Scudetto, a goal recently relegated to the second-best bicycle kick on his showreel.

As well as his goal-scoring exploits, McTominay ranked in the top 20 for successful take-ons, ground duels won and ball recoveries, further emphasising his all-action nature.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær, his manager at Manchester United, labelled him a “physical monster”, while Adam Joseph described him as a “true superstar of European and world football”.

So, McTominay appears to have combined all the best attributes from both Merino and Rice.

Like Merino, the Scotsman has harnessed his goal-scoring instincts, as well as being excellent in the air, as underlined by the fact he scored three headers and won 67 aerial duels in Serie A last season.

Meantime, just like Rice, McTominay is an asset all across the pitch, able to cover a lot of ground and help win back possession when his team do not have the ball, while contributing driving dribbles and goal-scoring actions in the final third.

Thus, the World Cup-bound 28-year-old has flourished into one of the planet’s very best all-round midfield players, so would surely be an exceptional addition for Arsenal.

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Nov 20, 2025

Now we have a crisis. West Ham United are not doomed, but a little over two months into the season, there’s a real sense of foreboding as the relegation-threatened Hammers struggle to climb out of the drop zone.

Leeds United were well worth their win as they saw off Nuno Espirito Santo’s side on Friday evening at Elland Road, with shaky West Ham lacking any of the principled, well-drilled defensive solidness that Nuno sides come to be defined by.

Early days yet, but it’s concerning that the Portuguese tactician has failed to structure his squad effectively across his opening Premier League matches at the London Stadium, drawing at Everton on his debut but since losing three on the bounce.

Journalist Jacob Steinberg commented on the issues, criticising the manager for fielding “inexplicable line-ups” and even saying he has “botched both games this week”, having slumped to a home defeat against Brentford on Monday.

But, equally, the players needed to step up against the newly-promoted Whites, and that they did not do.

West Ham's biggest villains at Leeds

West Ham didn’t turn up. Though Mateus Fernandes claimed his first goal for the club when heading Jarrod Bowen’s whipped cross into the net late on, it wasn’t enough and the Londoners retreated with none of the spoils, and the knowledge that they have just four points from nine fixtures thus far.

Bowen was as lively as ever, nearly sealing a show-stopping moment when his bicycle kick was saved in the first half, the Hammers 1-0 down.

But this was about the extent of the positives. Tomas Soucek was particularly poor. An industrious player and one of the finest stalwarts from the illustrious David Moyes era, the 30-year-old’s lumbering limitations were exposed, and aside from that chance which went begging, he was too high too often, leaving Andy Irving exposed.

Crysencio Summerville also flattered to deceive against his former side, but in fairness, he was a victim of tactical confusion, starting on the right and then moving to the left following Ollie Scarles’ first-half injury. There was a lot of huff and puff without any end product.

The 23-year-old has looked bright this term after an injury-hit 2024/25 campaign, but he remains inconsistent and needs to be more outgoing in front of goal.

Electric and inventive, he adds something different, and though the Netherlands-born talent shouldn’t be dropped, there’s little question that he needs to offer more.

However, there’s another member of the starting line-up who has proved he’s not cut out for the task at hand, and Nuno must surely think about dropping him soon.

The West Ham star who must be axed

After the full-time whistle screeched in Leeds, it was made known that West Ham have suffered their worst start to a top-flight campaign in 52 years. Nuno has yet to win a game since replacing Graham Potter.

What, then, needs to be done? Well, for one thing, United’s messy defending needs sorting out – and quickly. And to achieve this, it might be worth pulling Jean-Clair Todibo from the starting line-up, with the Frenchman putting in another poor performance on Friday.

Todibo, 25, spent last season on loan in east London before completing a permanent £35m transfer earlier in 2025. He had been coveted by Juventus and was regarded in France as one of the most athletic and exciting ball-playing defenders in the business.

But the Premier League is a different beast, and after lacking clarity and conviction in his performances last year, Todibo has now fallen by the wayside, with West Ham Fav TV contributor Nick Marsh saying after the match that he and Max Kilman are “comfortably the two worst centre-backs in this league.”

One website even saw it fit to brand Todibo with a lowly 3/10 match rating, and this was echoed across social media, with supporters fed up with the limp and unconvincing defensive displays.

Todibo’s quality in the air must be questioned, and he leaves so much to be desired when dealing with whipped deliveries. Herein lies the crux of West Ham’s issues, and Todibo is very much a part of the problem.

Looking at it across the span of the season, he doesn’t win enough duels – albeit proving strong in the few ground battles he has won – while failing to muster the creativity and initiative on the ball that drew such acclaim while with OGC Nice in France.

Matches (starts)

4 (4)

Touches*

60.0

Clean sheets

0

Accurate passes*

43.8 (88%)

Key passes*

0.0

Recoveries*

3.0

Tackles*

2.0

Interceptions*

0.8

Clearances*

3.5

Ground duels won*

2.8 (73%)

Aerial duels won*

1.5 (38%)

Standing at 6 foot 3, to be averaging success in just 38% of his aerial duels is inexcusable. Todibo must be dropped. But who comes in?

Former Brighton & Hove Albion defender Igor Julio continues to languish on the sidelines, though there are suggestions that the 27-year-old has impressed in training and could be in line for a debut soon, having only made one substitute appearance so far this term.

Meanwhile, Soungoutou Magassa has played in central defence before and has already been shown some trust by Nuno, starting twice in the Premier League this year.

In any case, changes are needed in east London. West Ham boast plenty of quality in their squad and cannot allow themselves to tumble from the first tier. If dropping Todibo is a means toward this goal, then so be it.

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1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 23, 2025