All posts by n8rngtd.top

Leicester City could save themselves millions this summer by gifting Kamal Sowah a chance in the first-team.

What’s the story?

The 21-year-old midfielder has spent the last three-and-a-half seasons with the Foxes’ sister club OH Leuven, impressing throughout 2020/21.

King Power-owned Leuven finished 11th on their return to the Belgian First Division, with Sowah catching the eye after bagging eight goals and providing six assists.

Rodgers could save millions

The versatile Ghanaian has been training with Leicester’s first team at their training base in Seagrave since the season’s conclusion, allowing Brendan Rodgers to assess the youngster first hand.

Sowah started all 34 top-flight fixtures for Leuven in 2020/21, playing a variety of different positions, including the No.10 role and as a winger on either flank.

His form earned the praise of ex-teammate Thomas Henry back in 2019, with the striker waxing lyrical over Sowah’s quality and potential.

“It is good that he is building up more and more confidence. He certainly has the right mentality,” Henry revealed.

“I am happy that I can play with him. His position is good, he can be decisive. He is a very complete player.”

With Leicester narrowly missing out on a place in the Premier League’s top four following a final day defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur, the Midlands outfit already appear to be making good progress in the transfer market.

Lille’s highly-rated box-to-box midfielder Boubakary Soumare is reportedly close to completing an £18 million move to the King Power Stadium, while Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard is also thought to be on the club’s radar.

Therefore, bringing Sowah into the fold could be beneficial to the Foxes in more ways than one.

Not only would he provide Rodgers with cover and competition for places in multiple positions, he would also allow the Northern Irish manager to focus Leicester’s relatively modest resources on their key transfer targets.

Players such as Dan James have previously been linked with the 2016 English champions as the former Liverpool boss looks to add strength-in-depth, but the answer to that particular problem may already be at the club in the shape of Sowah.

And, in other news…Huge LCFC transfer update emerges over “powerful” star, fans will surely be buzzing 

It seems that Tottenham Hotspur have finally got their man…

What’s the word?

According to the ever-reliable Alasdair Gold at football.london, former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is “looking likely” to become the next manager of Spurs following talks with the club.

It’s claimed that the North Londoners pushed hard to bring Mauricio Pochettino back to the club from Paris Saint-Germain but the Ligue 1 giants did not want to lose him, and the 51-year-old was an appealing candidate following his departure from Inter Milan.

Speaking on Twitter on Wednesday evening, the reporter wrote:

“Now looking likely that Antonio Conte will become the next Tottenham boss. Spurs pushed hard to try to bring Mauricio Pochettino back but PSG have fought hard to keep him.

“Conte is one of the top managers in the world and it’s going to be fascinating to see how he will fit into a very different environment at Spurs than he’s previously had elsewhere.

“Conte suddenly becoming a free agent made him a very attractive prospect for Levy, but if he puts pen to paper as expected it’ll be intriguing to see how the two men gel, whether he fits that Levy DNA statement and whether he can settle at Spurs for longer than elsewhere.”

A new era?

It has been nearly seven weeks since Jose Mourinho was sacked from the club, so this news should be rather exciting for many in N17 as it appears that they have finally got their next manager – and not to mention Conte’s successful coaching career.

The Italian has not only cleaned up the Special One’s mess before at Chelsea but across four different clubs, he has amassed nine major trophies, including a Premier League title and an FA Cup at Stamford Bridge.

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Mourinho left the Blues just before they recorded their worst-ever finish since 1996 and in the very next season, Conte delivered the title before earning his second piece of silverware a season later.

His latest success was steering Inter Milan to their first Serie A triumph in 11 years – a familiar situation to the one at Spurs, as they are without a trophy since 2008, so that should only encourage the Lilywhites faithful even more.

Conte has been likened to Sir Alex Ferguson in the past, whilst during his time in England, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola dubbed him a “tactical master” and suggested that he would leave his mark on the English game.

After leaving his post at the San Siro, plenty of supporters were quick to jump on the bandwagon of Spurs potentially appointing the 51-year-old.

As relayed by This is Futbol, one fan claimed it was the “best possible appointment”, whilst another pleaded for it to be true, with a further member of the Tottenham fanbase suggesting he is “what every Spurs fan should want.”

Well, as per Gold, it certainly seems like Conte will be in the dugout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next season, barring any late developments, so these Spurs fans and many more should be buzzing with the news.

The North London giants are certainly about to embark on an exciting new era, and the sooner the Italian is in place, the sooner they can crack on with plans to get this club back on the right path.

AND in other news, Fresh twist emerges on Harry Kane’s future at Spurs, it’ll leave Daniel Levy seething…

It is no secret that West Ham are searching for frontline additions this summer, and boy, do they need them.

The Irons failed to replace Sebastian Haller during the January transfer window, leaving manager David Moyes in the precarious spot of having only one senior forward option – an injury-prone Michail Antonio.

A player who has never played more than 63% of games in a Premier League season since joining the club.

Several names have been mooted as targets in recent months, with Chelsea outcast Tammy Abraham and Czech wonderkid Adam Hlozek seemingly among the top candidates, as per The Athletic.

West Ham’s need for another striker is only going to ramp up after the side sensationally qualified for the Europa League, nearly a year on from avoiding relegation with one game to spare.

Truth be told, Antonio plus one new addition may not be enough to make the Hammers as competitive as they should be next season. Two games a week will quickly become the norm and rotation will be key for Moyes to keep building on his success at the London Stadium.

The Scot could alleviate such worries by dipping his toes into their promising academy set-up and there’s one striker who looks primed for an increased role next season.

Back in February, Moyes hinted towards the 18-year-old getting an opportunity.

“He’s been training with the first team but his biggest problem is he just got back from injury and he had to isolate,” the 58-year-old said, before later adding: “He scored a couple of goals (against Southampton Under-23s). I watched the game and I’ve been pleased with him. If the opportunities came along where I felt there was a chance to introduce him in some way, I wouldn’t be against doing so.”

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It’s been a long, long time since an attacker was promoted from Chadwell Heath to Rush Green, and then subsequently gone onto forge a successful career in East London.

Perhaps in Odubeko, Moyes can finally find a player to follow the path of Jermain Defoe. He certainly has a similar eye for goal as the former England international.

Last season, the teenage prodigy found the net ten times in just eight appearances and has continued that fine form with 14 goals in 12 matches, as per Transfermarkt.

Moyes handed him his debut in the FA Cup this season, featuring from the bench against Stockport County before playing an hour in the defeat to Manchester United.

When clinching his signature, academy chief Ricky Martin waxed lyrical about Odubeko and his qualities.

“He is a promising player we are looking forward to working with and this move is a great opportunity for him to join us and continue his journey,” he said before adding: “It will naturally take Mipo some time to settle in, but we believe West Ham is the perfect environment for Mipo to flourish and fulfil his undoubted potential.”

Similarly, his former coach Bernard Byrne dubbed him a “special talent” in an interview with The Athletic.

That’s a lot of hype to live up to but if he can, then West Ham may well stumble upon their next Defoe.

AND in other news, Sullivan must seal bargain West Ham swoop for £9m-rated gem with “a lot of potential”…

Derby County are considering a move to bring Josh Bowler to Pride Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Hull Live, who claim that Wayne Rooney’s side are interested in speaking with the 22-year-old in the coming weeks, with the winger set to leave Everton upon the expiry of his current contract at the end of the month.

The report also suggests that Hull City could be keen to bring the player back to the KCOM Stadium this summer, with Bowler having spent a year on loan at the club in the season before last.

Roberts 2.0

While Bowler impressed for David Unsworth’s Everton U23 side this term, scoring three goals and providing two assists over his six Premier League 2 appearances, the winger’s returns in professional football have not been overly convincing – with the youth side manager claiming that the youngster has been “frustrated” by his lack of first-team opportunities with the Toffees.

In his aforementioned loan spell with Hull, Bowler went on to make 28 Championship appearances for the Tigers, over which he scored one goal, registered no assists and created no big chances for his teammates, in addition to averaging a mere 0.3 shots on target and 0.2 key passes per game.

These disappointing returns saw the £3.1k-per-week man earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of just 6.31, ranking him as Hull’s worst performer out of all 32 of their players to make an appearance in the league that year – with Grant McCann’s side finishing rock bottom in the Championship standings.

As such, with Derby County barely scraping Championship survival themselves last season, unless Wayne Rooney can bring in a number of quality additions to his side over the summer, next term would not appear to bode overly well for the Rams either.

And, one signing made by the 35-year-old manager who particularly failed to impress for Derby last season was that of Manchester City winger Patrick Roberts, who scored one goal, provided one assist and created one big chance over his 24 Championship appearances, as well as averaging a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.42.

So, if Rooney wishes to avoid a repeat of the mistake of signing Roberts last season, with similar statistics between the two players in their last Championship outings, it would be highly advisable for the former Manchester United forward to turn his focus away from Bowler this summer.

In other news: Rooney must sanction Derby swoop for £24k-p/w beast with who’s “like a Paul Scholes”

Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek has been linked with a move to Arsenal after a difficult first season in English football.

What’s the story?

According to 90min.com, the Gunners have made contact with United over the future of the 24-year-old and have asked to be kept updated regarding his situation at the club.

Van de Beek was forced to withdraw from the Netherlands squad with an injury on the eve of the European Championships, topping off a hugely disappointing 2020/21 campaign.

Woodward heading for a mistake

Things didn’t quite go to plan for the Ajax academy graduate last season following his £40m move from Amsterdam to Old Trafford.

Despite arriving with high expectations, Van de Beek only made four Premier League starts for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side in the recently concluded campaign, registering a solitary goal and assist in all competitions.

The Dutchman’s underwhelming displays have been enough for some people to write the midfield maestro’s United career off already, but doing so would be a potentially huge error.

Many of the English top-flight’s best foreign imports have taken 12 months to settle into their new surrounding and become accustomed to the unique demands of Premier League football. For example, Nicolas Pepe only scored eight goals last term following a £72m move to Arsenal but ended this term with 16 in all competitions.

The fast-paced, physical nature of the division is in sharp contrast to the technical Eredivisie, and therefore, Van de Beek shouldn’t be judged until he’s had a few more months at United to showcase his true ability and potential.

It’s easy to forget just how impressive the former Ajax ace was at the Johan Cruijff ArenA prior to his exit.

A return of 27 goals and 24 assists from his final two seasons in his homeland highlights Van de Beek’s quality, and he played a pivotal part in his boyhood club’s domestic double in 2018/19 when they also reached the Champions League semi-finals.

He managed to show glimpses of that form at the beginning of 2020/21, combining well with Juan Mata in a 3-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion in the EFL Cup back in August.

“It was a very clever assist. He’s a very clever player,” Mata told Sky Sports (as reported by Goal). “I love playing with him because he finds pockets and spaces.

“He understands football in a way that I like, which is playing one-twos, passing and moving, and the goal was like that.”

There’s no reason why Van de Beek can’t get back to his old self at Old Trafford, and United will need significant strength in depth in order to compete for major honours next term.

Therefore, departing chief executive Ed Woodward would be heading for a sizeable mistake if he sanctioned the sale of the Red Devils ace to a domestic rival.

And, in other news…Imagine him and Maguire: Woodward must sanction Man Utd swoop for “complete defender” 

Graham Roberts believes that Tottenham and ENIC are going to need to spend in the region of £150m to improve the team’s defence.

Only the Manchester clubs scored more than Spurs’ 68 Premier League goals last season, but the 45 shipped by Jose Mourinho and then Ryan Mason’s side was one of the reasons their top four challenge proved a failed one.

Mourinho was unable to find a settled back four, with nine different players starting a league game, whilst all bar two of those, Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon the exceptions, turned out at least 15 times in the Premier League.

Generally, Serge Aurier was the first-choice right-back, whilst Davinson Sanchez or Toby Alderweireld partnered Eric Dier, with Sergio Regulion the preferred choice on the left.

But constant defensive errors forced Mourinho and then Ryan Mason into chopping and changing the back four on a regular basis, and Roberts exclusively told Football FanCast that the incoming manager is going to need a complete revamp:

“If you’re buying a centre-half, you need two – there’s £60-£80m. You need a right-back, there’s another £30m.

“I would think you would have to spend up to £150m just on the backline.”

With Ange Postecoglou now sitting comfortably in the Celtic hot seat, their preparations for the new season are up and running.
The Hoops are getting busy in the transfer window and if you believe reports, they have started their activity.

What’s the word?

Defence seems to be the order of the day for the Bhoys at the moment with Celtic opening talks with the agent of Brazilian defender Riccieli.
However, he’s not the only man on the club’s radar, with flying full-back Valentin Rosier now attracting their attention too.
That’s according to journalist Ekrem Konur who has tweeted a variety of updates on the 24-year-old’s future this week.
Konur first reported that Marseille were close to finalising a deal to sign the right-back this summer.
However, they have a battle on their hands to sign the Sporting Lisbon defender for a fee in the region of €7m (£5.9m).
That’s because Celtic have now made an offer for Rosier and are joined in the race by Spartak Moscow, who have also begun talks.

A big upgrade

After losing Jeremie Frimpong last January, Celtic desperately needed to find themselves a new right-back.
They thought they’d aided their cause with the temporary addition of Jonjoe Kenny but his loan spell at Paradise was pretty disastrous.
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Kenny failed to show the sort of form that saw him nominated for the Rookie of the Year award in the Bundesliga with Schalke, proving to be a defensive liability.
The Everton full-back was caught out on a number of occasions, particularly in the Old Firm matches when his lapses in concentration led to Rangers goals.
With that in mind, signing a new right-back this summer was of utmost importance for Postecoglou.
Although they face competition for Rosier, landing him in the coming months would be an astute piece of business.
After all, he has been one of the most promising young players in his position over the last few years.
He learnt his trade in France but following a move to Sporting Lisbon, he spent last term on loan at Turkish club Besiktas.
Rosier not only caught the eye going forward – registering six assists – but he was also adept defensively. Frimpong was often rampant in the final third but Kenny struggled in that department, registering just one goal involvement after penning terms in Glasgow.
Although the Hoops will need a full-back capable of going forward, they will need someone who can clean up their shoddy defence. Fortunately, Rosier could be the man in this department.
He made 2.2 tackles per match last term while producing 2.1 interceptions per game. For context, both of those numbers are higher than any other player at Celtic in 2020/21.
Add a glistening review from his head coach at Rodez, Laurent Peyrelade and the lure of signing him gets greater:
“The first time I saw him was during a trial when I arrived. Every year, we bring four to five young people from the club to test them. He played on the right, I think. He had the athletic qualities of a modern, dynamic footballer, with a great capacity for acceleration,” Peyrelade said.
With his athletic attributes in mind and his capability to defend, he’d be perfect for Celtic.
They conceded 16 more goals than Rangers last term so need someone who is going to improve their backline. Rosier would certainly do that.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Dembele: Celtic may have their new Hooper in rarely-seen 16-goal prodigy…

Many Wolves fans have been left to buzz as a transfer update emerged on Danny Ward.

As per Football Insider, the Midlands club are setting their sights on signing the Leicester City goalkeeper in the summer window.

Ward has been very impressive for Wales at Euro 2020 so far, massively helping his team get through into the knockout stages, conceding just two goals and keeping a clean sheet in the 2-0 win against Turkey (Transfermarkt).

However, with Kasper Schmeichel currently first choice under Brendan Rodgers at the King Power Stadium, he has not really had an opportunity to showcase his talents for the Foxes.

Thus, the Molineux faithful could have a good opportunity to snap the 28-year-old up, but may face increased competition based on his Euro 2020 displays.

Wolves transfer update on Ward

These WWFC supporters buzzed as the transfer update on Ward was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he is an ‘outstanding’ player:

“He wouldn’t come as No2 choice, he’s a no1 all day long. Been top class for Wales since he took over from Hennessey but it seems we’re getting Sa but I’d be more than happy with Danny Ward.”

Credit: @Vaughany1973

“Yes Yes Yes……! Watched him for Wales and have been saying how can he be a reserve keeper. Absolute top class in the Euro’s. Good off the line and shot stopping. Go back and watch if you aren’t convinced”

Credit: @jaffajub

“Please. He’s class for Wales”Credit: @jacknewsome_“Exactly that. Ward is class and proved that on loan at Huddersfield and playing for Wales. Leicester spent £12m on him to sit on the bench, I’d have him at Wolves in a heartbeat.”Credit: @WWFC_OTD“He’s been superb for Wales these euros. Too good to go and sit somewhere on the bench. He’s a no1 keeper.”
Credit: @Vaughany1973
“He’d be a number 1 if Rui goes. Outstanding keeper.”
Credit: @rouseeverywknd
In other news, find out which ace dubbed the ‘new Cristiano Ronaldo’ the Wanderers have bid for here!

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa should make a move for Ben White this summer amid Dean Windass’ transfer claim.

What’s the story?

Reports last year revealed Bielsa’s side were very keen on trying to turn White’s loan deal into a permanent one, but Brighton stuck to their guns and ended up keeping him.

And recently, journalist Duncan Castles has claimed that Leeds are still one of a number of Premier League sides interested in signing the English star this time around, with Arsenal and Leicester also said to be keen on him.

And in response to Leeds’ interest in the England international, Windass said: “I could see that happening but it all depends on money so if they’re happy with the contracts and everything else then yeah, I could see that happening.”

Bielsa’s a big fan

While The Athletic’s David Ornstein has recently claimed that Arsenal are edging closer to agreeing a deal with Brighton for White, Leeds must seriously consider hijacking the Gunners’ move for the centre-back and do so ASAP.

Brighton’s academy coach, John Morling, said: “He’s so calm, nothing fazes Ben. Any hurdles, he just jumps over. He just looks like he’s been there for years. He’s a winner. You’d want him in your team.”

Having also been hailed as a “special talent” and “a warrior” too, White’s performances in his first season in the Premier League saw him named by Gareth Southgate into the England squad for the EUROs.

And judging by Bielsa’s own comments about the £25.2m-rated ace earlier this year, it’s clear the Leeds boss is a big fan of him after the impression he left at Elland Road in his time there in Yorkshire.

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He said: “Ben White has shown he is a Premier League player. All of us here admire him as a player. We respect him and love him as a human being. He was an excellent professional, as well as a team-mate. I hope his career allows him to grow because he deserves it.”

While the Whites may already have signed the likes of Robin Koch and Diego Llorente following their inability to get White through the door, the centre-back would face no adaptation period at all at Elland Road.

He would know all about Bielsa’s methods, and vice versa, and that previous relationship could reap rich rewards for Leeds.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa is eyeing a move for this Premier League starlet…

West Brom could complete the signing of Alex Mowatt in the next week or so, Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield has told The Transfer Tavern.

Mowatt, of course, played under new West Brom boss Valerien Ismael at Barnsley and a reunion now looks like it could be on the cards.

According to The Athletic, Ismael is interested in bringing the 26-year-old midfielder to The Hawthorns, now a free agent after failing to agree a new deal with the Tykes.

And now Hatfield is expecting some movement on that front as the Baggies manager looks to strengthen his side ahead of the new Championship season.

“It makes sense for Albion, it makes sense for Ismael,” Hatfield told TT. “He’ll obviously be an Ismael signing and it does add up.

“They’ll see it as a bit of a coup, a bit of a steal, really. He knows the league, can put in performances and is available fairly cheaply. It just seems to add up. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was done in the next week or so.”

Mowatt was one of Barnsley’s standout performers in the Championship last season, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists.

The former Leeds United man also averaged 1.5 key passes per game, more than any other Barnsley player (via WhoScored), so it is not hard to see why Ismael is so keen on a reunion.