All posts by z3u9t.icu

Blackburn Rovers are set to beat Celtic in the race to sign Tottenham Hotspur’s Dilan Markanday. 

The lowdown

The Evening Standard reported in December that Celtic were among the clubs chasing Markanday ahead of the January transfer window.

Arch-rivals Rangers were also said to be in the frame, along with ‘a number of the Championship’s leading clubs’.

And it seems that Blackburn, currently third in England’s second tier, have seen off the competition to sign the 20-year-old, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the season.

The latest

According to The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, Blackburn are now ‘close to agreeing’ a permanent deal for Markanday.

Rovers will pay £500,000 up front but the fee could rise beyond the £1million mark if add-ons are triggered, while Spurs have also insisted upon a ‘significant’ sell-on clause.

The ‘deal could be announced next week’, he says.

The verdict

Losing out on Markanday is a blow for Celtic. He’s only made one senior appearance for Spurs, featuring in a Europa Conference League group game against Vitesse, but he boasts an exceptional record at youth level.

In 14 Premier League 2 appearances this season, he’s been directly involved in 17 goals (scoring 12 and assisting five more).

European football journalist Alex Barker has also raved about his ‘really clever footwork and dribbling ability’.

All this points to a very bright future indeed, and Blackburn have only paid half a million for a potential star in the making.

In other news, Alan Hutton has dropped this intriguing claim on Stephen Welsh. 

Rangers continued their fine form in the Scottish Premiership as they demolished Ross County 4-2 at Ibrox on Sunday.

The Gers are currently on an 11-game unbeaten run in the league and have only lost one of their 13 matches so far this season, as they sit top of the table.

Joe Aribo, Ryan Kent, Juninho Bacuna and an own goal sealed the win for Rangers after they went 1-0 down early on to a sloppy goal, with County scoring a consolation late on to make it 4-2.

Despite the emphatic victory, one player let Steven Gerrard down during the match as they struggled at both ends of the pitch – Calvin Bassey. The former Leicester defender was given the nod over Croatian international Borna Barisic and was unable to show that he is a better option than his fellow left-back.

Defensively, he was poor. Per SofaScore, he only made one tackle in the game and failed to make a single clearance, interception or block. This would not be a massive concern if Rangers kept a clean sheet and completely dominated the game, but the Gers conceded twice and both goals came from his side.

He was too far up the pitch down the left for the first goal Rangers conceded, as he left Leon Balogun exposed in the left channel, although other players should have come across to cover so it cannot go down as an obvious error by Bassey. For County’s second goal, he was at fault as he was caught on his heels as the ball was threaded through the box and he was not quick enough to track the run – leaving the player free to slot past Allan McGregor.

On the ball, the £6k-per-week youngster left a lot to be desired. Per SofaScore, he lost possession of the ball a whopping 21 times and failed with all seven of his attempted crosses. Despite having 88 touches and crossing the ball a number of times, he only created one chance for his teammates.

This suggests that he was not able to provide quality in the final third for Rangers, whilst also lacking defensively, which is why he let Gerrard down with his display. Barisic may not have to worry about his position at left-back if Bassey continues to produce performances like this but, hopefully, it was just an off-day for the Nigeria international and he can bounce back after the break and show the best of his qualities.

AND in other news, Forget Kent: £17k-p/w Rangers dynamo with 86 touches was the real star vs Ross County…

The potential sale of Newcastle United target Luis Diaz could be the biggest deal in both FC Porto and Magpies history, according to a report from A Bola (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

As it stands, the departure of Eder Militao is Porto’s most lucrative. The Brazilian moved to Real Madrid for £45million ahead of the 2019/20 season.

The Portuguese outfit have somewhat made their name from farming and selling big talents in recent years, including James Rodriguez to Monaco for around £40m, Radamel Falcao to Atletico Madrid for £36m and Pepe to Real Madrid for £27m (Transfermarkt).

Now, Diaz has the suitors queuing up after netting 11 goals in his first 16 appearances of 2021/22.

He’s won some pretty lofty praise from his team-mate Sergio Oliveira, who labelled him ‘extraordinary’.

The latest

The report from the Portuguese newspaper, translated by SW, states that Diaz’s potential sale could eclipse that of Militao.

He has a release clause of €80million – about £67.6million – but Porto may be willing to accept lower offers, and Newcastle are one of a host of clubs in the race to land the Colombian.

Fellow Premier League sides Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea are also named, along with two continental giants in Real Madrid and AC Milan.

Liverpool and Milan have clearly been impressed by Diaz when coming up against him in the Champions League group stages.

The verdict

It may not only be the Militao record that falls here. Newcastle’s biggest signing remains £39.6million buy Joelinton.

It surely won’t be long until they surpass that under their new regime, one of the wealthiest in the game, as the new owners will surely want to make a splash before too long in order to signal their ambition to the Toon Army.

But the bigger challenge comes in persuading Diaz to join, when he might also have offers from sides that have already established themselves in European competition.

In other news, Newcastle are ready to offer this target ‘huge money’.

Celtic have been handed a major boost in their attempts to bring Jota to Parkhead on a permanent basis this winter.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Portuguese publication A Bola (via Sport Witness), who claim that Benfica would be more than happy for Celtic to activate their €7.5m (£6.5m) option to buy clause for the 22-year-old winger in the January transfer window.

Previous reports have suggested that, as a result of the Portugal U21 international’s success in Glasgow, Ange Postecoglou is eager to tie up the permanent signing of Jota this winter, in a bid to ensure the forward is not tempted by a more enticing offer from another club come the end of the season.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how important a part of the Celtic side Jota has become since his switch to Parkhead this summer, the news that Benfica appear to be more than willing to wave goodbye to the winger on a permanent basis is sure to have left Bhoys fans buzzing.

Indeed, over his 11 Scottish Premiership appearances this season, the £3.15m-rated man has scored five goals, registered four assists and created two big chances for his teammates, while, over his five Europa League fixtures, the £7.1k-per-week winger has bagged a further two goals, two assists and created four big chances.

These returns have seen the player, who Postecoglou dubbed an “unbelievable” talent, average a SofaScore match rating of 7.38 in the league and 7.40 in Europe, ranking him as the Hoops’ fifth-best and best performer in the respective competitions.

And, while it is true that Benfica’s stance on the forward’s potential transfer is not overly important – as Celtic can activate their option to buy clause without the Portuguese side’s permission – should the Liga NOS club have informed Jota that he could be in line for a starting spot at the Estadio da Luz next season, this may well have influenced the 22-year-old’s decision as to whether or not he would be willing to accept Celtic’s offer of a permanent deal.

As such, the news that Benfica will not stand in the way of Celtic’s swoop for the player who Postecgolou “wants to keep” is sure to come as a major boost for everyone involved with the club, as the Portuguese starlet remaining at Parkhead beyond the end of the current campaign is something that bodes incredibly well for the Bhoys’ future.

In other news: Ange could unearth Celtic’s new Robbie Keane with swoop for “bright” 18 G/A machine

Carlo Ancelotti has been accused of lying about James Rodriguez and why exactly the Italian boss bought him for Everton in the summer transfer window.

Speaking to ESPN (via Sport Witness), former Colombia star Ivan Valenciano has claimed that Ancelotti is ‘totally lying’ about bringing the former Real Madrid ace to the Goodison Park faithful more for footballing reasons and added that he ‘is more about merchandising than football’.

He also went on to claim that the Merseyside club ‘invested more in advertising than in a player’, given that they would have gained a lot of fans from both his native country and on a more worldwide scale because of his previous pedigree in the beautiful game.

Rodriguez more than just an advertisement

The comments can be perceived as very harsh on Rodriguez’s actual footballing ability, especially given how well the attacking midfield player has done in adapting to the English game.

He has put in some very good performances for the Toffees in his debut season so far, with former Premier League striker Noel Whelan highlighting that the 29-year-old was especially ‘excellent’ in the 3-3 away draw against Manchester United back in February.

Rodriguez, currently valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, scored a very well-taken goal in that game, which is one of five strikes on top of a further eight assists that he has made in 21 matches in total over all competitions so far in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, although his signing has certainly grown the fanbase, the Colombia international certainly offers a lot more on the pitch.

In other news, find out what early news before Burnley has left Blues fuming here!

Andreas Sondergaard has spoken exclusively to Football FanCast about his decision to come to the Premier League and sign for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Wolves’ young shot-stopper has been in and around the first team all season training and recovering with them, but also keeping up his match sharpness by playing for the under 23s.

This sort of environment and feeling involved in the whole club was a huge pull factor for Sondergaard when he made the decision to move to the Midlands at just 17-years-old.

Nuno Espirito Santo has already shown that he wants him to be amongst the first-team squad to gain valuable experience alongside two international keepers in Rui Patricio and John Ruddy.

To feel wanted was a big necessity for Sondergaard when he moved to England at a young age and not knowing anyone at the club so, to be welcomed and included in day-to-day training has helped him grow both on and off the pitch.

The 20-year-old explained to Football FanCast exclusively, what the key factors were in deciding to join Wolves.

“Definitely the environment,” Sondergaard said when asked for the reasons why he joined the club.

He went on to say: “I’d only heard good things about going to England and, that’s where you can learn the most.

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“Especially with the environment, because it is a tough environment. And there are so many other keepers to compete with, and there’s a lot of competition.

“So, it would only make you even better and again, I know the Premier League is the best league in the world. So it did attract me a lot to come here and grab the chance to come over here and yeah, do my best and hopefully, being able to achieve my goals.”

It was a huge decision to make as a 17-year old to move away to a foreign country to play football, especially in such a competitive position as a goalkeeper.

However, to make a young player feel like they belong at the club may go a long way in helping Sondergaard to become a future number one for the club.

New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag wants to be in charge of incoming and outgoing transfers at the club, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: New era at Old Trafford

The 52-year-old will head to Old Trafford at the end of the season, looking to bring the glory days back to United after a dismal few years for the Red Devils.

Ten Hag enjoyed great success during his time with Ajax, winning two Eredivisie titles, along with reaching the Champions League semi-finals back in 2018/19.

It is now nine years since United won a Premier League title and it is imperative that the rot stops sooner rather than later, with the 52-year-old hopefully the man to fix the club’s issues.

The Latest: Ten Hag makes key demand

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke claimed that Ten Hag wants to have a big say in which players leave and which individuals arrive this summer. The journalist outlined:

“He wants to be involved in the incomings and outgoings at Old Trafford, alongside Richard Arnold.

“If Ralf Rangnick is still there in an advisory capacity as well, I’m sure they’ll all be working together to see if they can get the best players to Manchester United because it’s going to take a bit of a rebuild at Old Trafford this summer.”

The Verdict: Makes complete sense

Part of United’s failure in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era is that it doesn’t always feel as though managers have had the final say over new signings.

That is something which simply has to change now, with Manchester City and Liverpool both perfect examples of allowing their managers to have a big say on transfer dealings. Painful as it is to admit for United, those two clubs are proof of that setup working.

It makes complete sense for Ten Hag to have exactly the players that he wants to work with, which could leave quite a few current Old Trafford individuals sweating going into the summer, given this season’s ineptitude.

In other news, United are expected to make an offer for a La Liga star. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has provided an injury update on Polish midfielder Mateusz Klich after he limped off against West Bromwich Albion.

Bielsa’s comments on Klich

Speaking via Leeds Live, Bielsa said: “He received a knock to his thigh and this didn’t allow him to continue, but this hasn’t been evaluated just yet.”

This could be a big blow for Leeds

The Polish midfielder has definitely been a vital asset for Leeds this season. When you break down his stats, you can see that he has been contributing at both ends of the pitch. He has picked up three goals and five assists (WhoScored), managing 1.9 key passes a game. Meanwhile defensively, he has managed an impressive 1.3 tackles per game.

Overall in his career, he has scored 45 goals, with 19 of those coming at Leeds. (Transfermarkt). With players like Klich in the side, Leeds should have enough quality to avoid the drop this campaign. With Tottenham up next, it might be best for Bielsa to rest the midfielder so that he has fully recovered from this minor injury in time for what will be a busy January for the Yorkshire-based club.

In other Leeds news, Simon Jordan has launched a tirade on the club. Have a read of it here!

Former England striker Kevin Phillips believes Patrick Bamford’s recent struggles are down to fatigue, with reinforcements needed this summer.

The Lowdown: Bamford experiences dip

Leeds United have had numerous star performers this season, but Bamford has undoubtedly been one of the key men, scoring 14 goals and registering seven assists in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old has suffered a noticeable dip of late, however, not finding the net in his last five appearances – his last goal came at Fulham on March 19th – and lacking his usual all-round influence.

The Latest: Phillips blames fatigue

Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips claimed a long season has caught up with Bamford, saying it is why Marcelo Bielsa needs to sign another striker this summer:

“Bamford has played an awful lot of football this season and I think fatigue is setting in. He looks a bit tired to me. He has worked his socks off this season so there is no way I am going to criticise him because he has had a fantastic season.

“As a striker, you need to just keep believing. He will be watching videos and putting extra work in on the training ground.

“It is hard because he was on a hell of a run but the goals can dry up. He needs to keep putting himself in good positions and if he does that the goals will come.

“He has played a lot of football though so I think tiredness and fatigues is kicking in. They need to sign somebody in the summer who can share the burden.”

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The Verdict: No worries over Bamford

It is only natural that Bamford has dropped off a little recently, considering the relentless nature of this season and Bielsa’s physical demands of his players.

The Englishman has started all 34 league games, highlighting how much football he has played and why he may now be running on empty, even with Phillips suggesting he may actually be doing extra work on top of all that at Thorp Arch.

Bringing in an extra striker ahead of next season would ease the burden on Bamford, as Phillips alludes to, allowing him more of a breather and keeping him fresh for a whole campaign.

In other news, one Leeds-related transfer deal has reportedly been agreed – find out who the player in question is here.

Sheffield Wednesday returned to winning ways in the Championship on Tuesday evening, and the Owls’ versatile star Adam Reach stole the show on their way to a valuable three points.

The South Yorkshiremen moved out of the dropzone with a crucial victory over rock-bottom Wycombe Wanderers at Hillsborough Stadium, thanks to goals from Jordan Rhodes and the already mentioned Reach.

Sitting 25 yards out from goal, the ball fell to the 28-year-old’s feet before he fired home via a deflection to seal a 2-0 win, and aside from finding the net, the utility man put in an industrious display on all fronts.

YorkshireLive reporter Dom Howson handed out his Man of the Match award to fellow wide man Kadeem Harris, who provided the assist for their opener. He graded him a 9/10 and claimed that Reach was a “real livewire on the right.”

However, Reach arguably outshone him to steal the show on the night.

The former England U20 international was at the heart of it all, recording more touches (75) than any other player on the pitch, either home or away. Usually, you’ll find Owls skipper Barry Bannan (59) taking this acclaim, but for once it was Reach on that left flank, which only shows how influential he was.

That’s even backed up by the fact that the £2.88m-rated wing-back lost possession 24 times, more than anyone in a home shirt.

Indeed, he also top-scored as per SofaScore ratings with an 8.4, nearly one point higher than Howson’s pick for the match.

Reach was a constant threat on the left side of the pitch as he left Chairboys duo Scott Kashket (6.8) and Jason McCarthy (6.1) in his wake, neither failed to win over 62.5% of their duels up against the Owls man.

Similarly, the 6 foot 1 dynamo put in an absolute defensive shift, displaying those versatile qualities to a tee – he made a match-high four tackles and was close behind for interceptions (three) and clearances (three), all via SofaScore.

In the absence of a clear left-sided option in defence, the £20k-per-week Reach stepped up to the plate again to run the show for his interim boss, Thompson.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Palmer drops Sheffield Wednesday manager claim…