Tag Futebol

David Norris has exclusively told Football FanCast that he doesn’t expect Tyler Roberts to leave Leeds this summer.

The 22-year-old was used as a bit-part player in the early parts of the season, but has worked his way into Marcelo Bielsa’s plans, starting Leeds’ previous 12 Premier League matches, although he was hooked off early in the second half against Spurs last weekend.

Having been mainly restricted to appearances for the Under-23s pre-Christmas, Roberts was linked with a loan move away from Elland Road in January, but ended up staying in Yorkshire and has improved, even though he’s been unable to register a goal or assist in the league.

Roberts was then sent home early from international duty with Wales after breaking a curfew in March, which threatened to put his Leeds career at risk.

But the attacker has started all six games since that incident, and former Whites midfielder Norris believes that Roberts has earned Bielsa’s trust and doesn’t see him being sold.

He told Football FanCast:

“He’s 22 and has had some really good games in terms of more recently. I’ve heard he’s been a bit unlucky, but in terms of the amount of games he has played, I’d be surprised if he does end up going elsewhere.

“He is only young, Bielsa does seem to have a bit of trust in him, so I think we might see more of him.”

Former Premier League midfielder and Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie has exclusively suggested to Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that Chris Wilder would be a better fit than Eddie Howe for Celtic.

The Glasgow club are yet to appoint a permanent manager following Neil Lennon’s resignation back in February, though Howe is said to be the leading candidate for the post.

According to journalist Alan Nixon, the coaches that the 43-year-old would like to bring with him are still contracted to Bournemouth, complicating things.

As far as alternatives go, however, Hendrie believes Celtic should be looking at Wilder, suggesting the former Sheffield United boss could actually be a better fit than the current frontrunner for the Celtic gig.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about the two managers, the ex-Aston Villa player said:

“I think most Celtic fans, they’d probably go with Eddie Howe I just feel for the football side of things. But I feel for the part and passion and the whole round circumference of Chris Wilder, I’d be looking at him. 

“I feel he’d get the club rocking again – I really do. And I just feel he’s got that temperament and that mentality to do that.”

In terms of managers who are available, Wilder, 53, definitely looks like he could be a good option given what he managed to achieve at Sheffield United.

Under his leadership, the Blades went all the way from League One to the Premier League. Last season, they were quite the success story, finishing in ninth place following their return to English football’s top flight.

According to recent reports, Southampton now face a huge battle to keep hold of Saints centre-back, Jannik Vestergaard, this summer, after Tottenham Hotspur stepped up their interest in the St. Mary’s man.

The report by The Express claims that, with Spurs being concerned that Inter Milan will no longer be willing to part with Jose Mourinho’s long-term centre-back target, Milan Skriniar, this summer, the north London side have now fast-tracked a move for Vestergaard.

The Express continue by stating that if Tottenham wish to pry the Denmark international away from Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this summer, then Daniel Levy will have to stump up a figure of around £18 million in order to get the deal done.

Transfer Tavern Take

Tottenham’s increasing interest in Vestergaard is likely to come as something of a blow to Hasenhuttl, as the 28-year-old has been a crucial part of his Southampton backline so far this season, with the defender scoring three goals, as well as making an average of 1.6 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 4.3 clearances per match, culminating in an average WhoScored match rating of 7.09 – ranking him as Saints’ second-best performer in the top flight.

However, considering the Denmark international’s contract is due to expire in the summer of next year, perhaps it would not be the worst idea in the world for Southampton to cash in on Vestergaard at the end of the current season, thus minimising the risk of losing a player Hasenhuttl himself has dubbed as a “role model” for nothing at the end of his contract.

In other news: This £70k-p/w Southampton star may not be at St Mary’s next season as news emerges; it’s not Ings – find out more here!

Football.london writer Rob Guest has suggested Moussa Sissoko could leave Tottenham this summer.

Sissoko could depart

France international Sissoko has struggled to work his way into Jose Mourinho’s starting XI in the Premier League on a regular basis this term, with him playing from the start on just 14 occasions in the top flight (Transfermarkt).

As a result, Guest has suggested he could be on the way out of north London this summer.

Right time

Since signing for Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs from Newcastle in 2016, Sissoko has been an important player. Criticised at times (Football FanCast), he has still managed 198 matches for Tottenham, with his energy and strength proving to be valuable qualities in the middle of the park.

However, at 31, he is now approaching the end of his career, and Mourinho clearly feels other options are better than the 67-time France international. A wage of £79,000 a week (salarysport.com) is considerable, and his departure may well allow Spurs to allocate funds elsewhere as they look to strengthen their squad. With two years left on his contract, as well, this may be the last possibility for them to earn some real money from his sale. Here, Guest may well be right about his potential exit.

In other news, Mourinho slams this Spurs star.

According to a report by Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho ‘doesn’t survive’ in north London after having played ‘all his credits’ – with the Italian outlet explaining that chairman Daniel Levy is still keeping tabs on Julian Nagelsmann to ‘immediately’ replace him should he be sacked.

Nagelsmann, who has been very heavily linked to the potential manager’s job at Tottenham, coming amid mounting pressure on Mourinho, is now at the centre of another update linking him with the position – this time from Italy.

Tottenham eyeing immediate Jose successor in Nagelsmann

Corriere dello Sport explain that Serie A giants AS Roma ‘would have preferred Nagelsmann’ when commenting on their links to Massimiliano Allegri, but their fondness for the exciting RB Leipzig boss is thwarted by both Bayern Munich and Tottenham’s interest.

Sport Witness relay this report that Spurs are indeed still keeping tabs on the 33-year-old, recently hailed as ‘fearless’ and a ‘trailblazer’ in an ESPN profile, and it is shared that his appointment would be ‘immediately’ post-Mourinho.

Providing a bleak view on the Portuguese boss’ future in north London, this report believes he ‘doesn’t survive’ after having played ‘all of his credits’ – with these phrases painting a serious picture amid the pressure on Mourinho.

Transfer Tavern take

Tottenham are already out of the Europa League after a humiliating Last 16 second leg defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, blowing a fairly comfortable two-goal cushion as they crashed out 3-2 on aggregate.

There is hope for the Lilywhites, however, as they remain in contention for a Champions League qualifying place and have a Carabao Cup final against Manchester City in April.

A strong finish to 2020/2021 could turn the tide, but as it stands, reports continue to link Nagelsmann with Mourinho’s seemingly tenuous Tottenham position.

In other news: Levy is also plotting this Vinicius replacement for Spurs, find out more here.

Carlo Ancelotti should strive to recall James Rodriguez at home to Burnley on Saturday in a vast shake-up to his Everton midfield.

The Colombian has missed his side’s last three Premier League fixtures with a minor injury sustained following last month’s Merseyside derby win away to Liverpool.

Rodriguez had helped to open the scoring at Anfield, with his perfectly weighted through ball finding Richarlison in the Reds’ box for an eighth assist in all competitions this season.

Everton have scored just twice in the top-flight affairs that Rodriguez has missed so far in March, with the Blues beating Southampton and West Bromwich Albion 1-0 before falling to a 2-0 defeat at Chelsea on Monday night.

Ancelotti’s side struggled to break down the Saints, Baggies and Blues’ backlines in each match played without summer signing Rodriguez pulling the strings, with Everton scoring from their only shot on target against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s St. Mary’s natives.

The Toffees struck home away to Sam Allardyce’s Hawthorns outfit from one of three shots on target, while failing to find the back of the net at Stamford Bridge last time out, with Andre Gomes’ 25-yard strike in first-half stoppage-time being their sole on-target effort.

With Everton also having lost each Premier League tie with relegation-threatened Newcastle this season, as well as dropping points to Fulham, Leeds and West Ham – who often sat back to absorb the pressure – former Blues defender Michael Ball is concerned by how Ancelotti’s men will unlock a route to goal against Burnley this weekend.

“The big question for me heading into this run of games is who is going to be the player to change the game? Who is going to be the one to unlock the opposition’s defence? And who ultimately is going to win us the game?” Ball wrote in his column for the Liverpool Echo.

“We have seen this season that we are really good at defending deep and then hitting sides on the counter-attack. But when asked to take the game to sides, we have really struggled to. However, starting this weekend, I would really like to see us take the game to Burnley and play on the front foot a bit more.”

Ancelotti can look to grant Ball his wish of seeing Everton play on the front foot against Sean Dyche’s Burnley by recalling Rodriguez to the starting line-up, should the Colombian be passed fit in time.

Rodriguez has been one of the Toffees’ most-creative players in the Premier League since moving to Goodison Park from Real Madrid in the off-season, with only Lucas Digne (6) providing more assists than the ex-Galactico (4), albeit having played 339 more minutes.

The midfield maestro also offers the highest volume of chances created per game with 1.7 key passes to Digne’s 1.4 and Gylfi Sigurdsson’s 1.1, who also boasts four assists, per WhoScored.

Lining Rodriguez up centrally beside Sigurdsson and with Digne to their left and Richarlison on the right, rather than in the centre-forward role the Brazilian has recently occupied, could be Ancelotti’s best route to unlocking the maxiumum potential of his options, given he will be without Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Digne has featured on the wing six times this season in all competitions, and returned half of his six assists in the role with two chances created helping to beat Fulham 3-2, as well as playing in Alex Iwobi to open the scoring during a 2-1 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Having his most creative weapons playing further up the field together may also help Dominic Calvert-Lewin return to form, having cut an isolated and often invisible presence during Monday’s loss to Chelsea.

Much will naturally depend on Rodriguez’s fitness, but Ancelotti should not leave the £31.5m-rated playmaker out against Burnley if the 29-year-old is ready to pull the strings again.

AND in other news, Everton will listen to offers for a £16m-rated ace who has failed to live up to his price tag…

According to France Football, Tottenham Hotspur are one of the sides eyeing up a summer swoop for Sven Botman…

What’s the word?

It’s claimed that the north London outfit will try to convince the Dutchman into a move to the Premier League, though nothing has been agreed with either the player himself or his representatives.

Liverpool and Inter Milan are also mooted with interest in the 21-year-old defender.

Having signed Botman from Ajax for just €9m (£7.8m) as per De Telegraaf, via GFFN, it is thought that he’s now valued in the region of €30m (£25m).

Is Botman worth it?

If a new centre-back isn’t the top priority for Jose Mourinho and co this summer, then something is seriously wrong at Hotspur Way.

Last season, the club held the second-worst defensive record of any top-seven team in the Premier League and that problem has continued into this season, where a catastrophe of errors in the backline has been Spurs’ major Achilles heel.

Mourinho’s men have leaked more goals (27) than Aston Villa (26) and even Chelsea (25), who sacked Frank Lampard amid a run of poor form – how things change.

The Spurs boss has frequently chopped and changed his central options, though one player has remained constant in Eric Dier, who has started 21 of their top-flight outings, including four of their last five defeats as per Transfermarkt.

Botman, who has played only four more domestic matches than the Englishman this term, would be a major upgrade and should be signed at all costs this summer.

The Dutch gem, rated at £22.5m, is enjoying quite the season for the Ligue 1 leaders – indeed, according to WhoScored, no centre-back has contributed towards more clean sheets than Botman (13 total).

By comparison, Dier has only guided Spurs to six clean sheets in the Premier League, the last of which coming nearly two months ago at the turn of the year.

And when breaking down Botman’s defensive returns, he outranks the Spurs star considerably too.

In terms of work-rate off the ball, the 21-year-old is beyond clear, averaging more tackles (one) and interceptions (1.7) per game. At a tackle-success rate of 77%, it’s clear that many of Ligue 1’s attackers find Botman a difficult man to get past – the same cannot be said for Dier (0.8 tackles per game).

Whilst his positioning is ten times that of Dier, who only manages 0.9 interceptions per game.

This is often what lets the Englishman down – having moved into defence from midfield last term, he still cannot get in the right places at the right time, meaning his spatial awareness is actually quite shocking.

The Lille colossus is also a bigger and better threat in the air, managing 0.5 more aerial duels won per outing, via WhoScored.

Spurs rank 11th for this ability while six of their 27 conceded goals have come from set-pieces, so clearly there’s work to be done and Botman can help alleviate such a weakness.

At 6 foot 4, that’s hardly a surprise but given Dier is the same height, you can see why the Tottenham star should be doing better and it’s also no wonder that ex-PL defender and current Lille partner, Jose Fonte, “describes him as a machine and a man who doesn’t make mistakes,” according to The Times’ Duncan Castles on the Transfer Window Podcast.

That should be music to Spurs supporters’ ears as Dier has been as calamitous as anybody in the English top-flight this season, as seen by him conceding a clumsy penalty to Chelsea and then being caught out of position against West Ham at the weekend.

Also dubbed a “leader” by Les Dogues boss Christophe Galtier, it’s evident that Botman would not only be an instant upgrade but a massive one at that too for Spurs.

Mourinho desperately needs a new centre-back and the Lille sensation should, quite rightly, sit atop their shortlist ahead of the summer transfer window.

AND in other news, Levy can kill two birds with one stone in Spurs swoop for “insane” £40m-rated colossus…

أكد أديمولا لوكمان، لاعب ليستر سيتي، أن فريقه أظهر شخصيته أمام ليفربول، خلال المباراة التي جمعت الفريقين ليلة الثلاثاء بمنافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وسجل لوكمان هدف فوز ليستر سيتي على ليفربول، عقب ثلاث دقائق من مشاركته كبديل، خلال الجولة العشرين للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وقال لوكمان في تصريحاته لـ”أمازون برايم” عقب المباراة: “إنها ثلاث نقاط مهمة للغاية بالنسبة لنا وأداء كبير كفريق أيضًا”.

وأضاف: “لست متأكدًا مما إذا كان هذا ما خطط له [بريندان رودجرز]، ولكن بالنسبة لي كان الأمر هو الحضور ومساعدة الفريق، لقد فعلنا ذلك وحصلنا على النقاط الثلاث”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رودجرز يعلق على تألق شمايكل وفوز ليستر سيتي أمام ليفربول

وعن هدفه، أفاد لوكمان: “أعتقد أنني تلقيت الكرة وفعلت شيئًا غير معتاد قليلًا عندما دخلت منطقة الجزاء، سددت الكرة مبكرًا وتمكنت من تخطي حارس المرمى”. هدف لوكمان في مباراة ليفربول وليستر سيتي بالدوري الإنجليزي

وأكد: “كان الأمر يتعلق بإظهار شخصيتنا، المدرب يتحدث كثيرًا عن الشخصية وأظهرنا الكثير الليلة للحصول على النقاط الثلاث لإظهار قدراتنا الدفاعية والهجومية”.

لوكمان يلعب لليستر سيتي معارًا من لايبزيج، وحول ما إذا كان سينتقل بشكل دائم، أفاد: “أنا هنا وأنا في ليستر سيتي، يتعلق الأمر بالتواجد في الوقت الحالي والبقاء وعدم التفكير في المستقبل، أحتاج إلى مواصلة العمل الجاد كل يوم”.

وعن تلقي رسائل من زملاء سابقين في فريق إيفرتون، أتم موضحًا: “نعم، بالتأكيد، خاصة من عامل غرف الملابس، أنا سعيد اليوم”.

With a few hours to go before the January transfer window closes, Glasgow Rangers remain locked in talks with Derby County over the loan transfer of George Edmundson.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Football Insider, who claim Rangers are only willing to allow Edmundson to leave Ibrox on a temporary basis providing they can sign Jack Simpson from Bournemouth permanently before the transfer market shuts its doors tomorrow.

The 23-year-old has emerged as a surprising candidate to provide cover and competition for the likes of Matt Clarke, Curtis Davies and Lee Buchanan, having been restricted to just one appearance in the Europa League this season.

The report adds that Edmundson has been subject to interest from clubs south of the border after falling out of favour with boss Steven Gerrard for breaching Covid-19 regulations with his teammate Jordan Jones.

Last chance saloon?

It sounds almost obvious but it makes no sense for a top team like Rangers to have a prospect sat idle for the rest of the season, especially when you consider their strength in depth.

Last summer, the Light Blues added veteran centre-back Leon Balogun as emergency cover for Nikola Katic, which took their central defensive options up to five: Connor Goldson, Balogun, Edmundson, Filip Helander and the injured Katic. Of course, that’s without even mentioning Calvin Bassey, who can also play that role if required.

With only two spots up for grabs, Edmundson’s chances of breaking up the Goldson-Balogun-Helander triangle – central to Rangers’ success this season thus far – are slim.

On his day, his ability is unquestionable, as the former Oldham man has shown glimpses of his obvious talent and vast potential, with Gerrard hailing his “faultless” performance following his long-awaited league debut for Rangers two years ago.

It has been a frustrating season so far for Edmundson at Ibrox but a loan stint with Wayne Rooney’s side would present him with  the chance to start afresh and rediscover the form that saw him named in the EFL League Two of the 2018-19 season.

AND in other news, Rangers handed Wigan Athletic striker Kyle Joseph transfer blow after injury update…

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!