All posts by n8rngtd.top

Everton are reportedly willing to make an offer for Atletico Madrid left-back Renan Lodi this summer, who is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest.

The Lowdown: Adapted well

Lodi has adapted fairly well to playing in the Premier League so far this season, as Steve Cooper has started him Forest’s last ten games in the division.

He ranks highly among his team-mates for average tackles, interceptions and crosses per match (WhoScored), and has been a key player in keeping Forest outside of the relegation zone.

The Latest: Everton interest

As per Spanish sources, the Toffees are ‘interested’ in signing Lodi this summer, when he returns to Atletico after his loan spell.

Forest will reportedly not activate the €30m (£26.4m) option to buy that they have, paving the way for the Goodison Park outfit to make a potential move.

Atletico would be ‘open’ to negotiate selling him for less, and the Merseyside club would be ‘willing to make a competitive offer’ for him.

The Verdict: Get it done

With Ruben Vinagre set to return to Sporting after his loan spell, Sean Dyche will only have Vitaliy Mykolenko to call upon in terms of senior left-back options in his squad.

Thus, signing another left-back to compete with the Ukrainian is imperative this summer, and Lodi would provide that.

The Brazilian would have a season of Premier League experience under his belt, while he has also played for a top European club in Atletico, with whom he helped win the La Liga title in the 2020/21 season.

Hailed as ‘hard-working’ by Atletico boss Diego Simeone, Lodi has the right attitude to play under Dyche, and at 24 years of age, he is only going to get better.

Anfield was in cacophonous rapture; Manchester United felled by a Liverpool effort so blistering, so devastating in its intensity one would be forgiven for mistaking the home side for a ceaseless storm.

It was a result of former glory, a reminder of the head coach at the helm of the Reds ship: Jurgen Klopp.

Granted, Liverpool have crumbled like sand this season, a disparate world from the formerly robust and unwavering bundle of energy that obliterated the most formidable of outfits, enjoying success unforeseen at Anfield during modern history and winning a wealth of major honours including the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup – and now securing top-four and a place in Europe’s coveted continental competition next term is the most illustrious recipe for success.

Liverpool have been mired with mediocrity this season, and have incredibly not spent a single match-week inside Champions League contention after 25 matches, only recently returning to form with a blistering purple patch that has indeed been iced by the recent dismantling of the Red Devils, Carabao Cup champions a week prior.

It all came together with seamless splendour, and the offensive fluidity might just rekindle the fire that has waned this year, no doubt exacerbated by the absence of Luis Diaz, who has spent the majority of the campaign confined to the medical room.

When will Luis Dias return from injury?

Diaz suffered a detrimental injury against table-toppers Arsenal in October, and has not graced the pitch since, missing 26 matches, but a recent tweet from Colombian journalist Diego Rueda stated that the wily winger “could return” to face Bournemouth this weekend.

Despite missing the bulk of the campaign, the 26-year-old started strongly with four goals and three assists from 12 appearances, and there is a sense that Liverpool’s woes might not be so profound had he avoided an extensive layoff.

How does Dias fit into Liverpool’s current team?

Signed from Porto for £37m in January 2022, Diaz has scored ten goals and served eight assists from 38 appearances for his Merseyside outfit, lauded as “exceptional” by Klopp for his abilities and seamless integration into the Liverpool attack.

As per FBref, the £55k-per-week phenom ranks among the best 14% of wingers in Europe’s top five divisions for goals, the top 20% for assists, the top 10% for pass completion and the top 7% for successful take-ons, and his transitional nature could have paid dividends for a stagnant Reds attack devoid of confidence for the majority of the term.

With his return, he could link up with £35m winter signing Cody Gakpo, who has started to blossom after a troubling start and netted two emphatic strikes against United in the recent goal-laden victory.

Gakpo, now with four goals from seven Premier League outings, is a “fleet-footed” – as lauded by The Times’ Hamzah Khalique-Loonat – and dynamic forward, capable of flourishing as a centre-forward and on the left wing, and with Diaz’s progressive approach and Gakpo’s imposing presence, it could be the inception of “something special” at Anfield, as Gakpo was proclaimed by Fabrizio Romano.

Indeed, the Dutch attacker ranks among the top 9% of positional peers throughout the continent for goals, the top 15% for shot-creating actions and the top 7% for assists, and with such versatility in creative threat, Diaz, who similarly flourishes from multiple dimensions.

The triad of doubles from Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Gakpo in the incredible victory over Man United suggests that Klopp might have landed a winning formula on the offensive front, but given Diaz’s impact since his arrival from Porto, he could just be the final cog to get the machine whirring with consistency and conviction.

Just imagine the dynamic partnership he could forge with Gakpo, whose skill set complements Diaz’s perfectly…

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester City have offered Julian Alvarez a new contract and a payrise less than a year after joining, as they see him as a big part of their plans.

How has Alvarez performed for Man City?

The Argentina striker joined from River Plate in the summer and has since won the World Cup, but is second-choice at centre-forward behind Erling Haaland.

Nevertheless, the club view him as an integral part of their plans going forward and have now offered him a new contract despite him joining less than 12 months ago.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano gave insight into the details of the contract on the table.

He said: “Now what’s going on is that Manchester City have sent a new proposal to the player.

“So on the table of Julian Alvarez and his agents, there is a fresh proposal from Manchester City to extend the contract, and especially to have a new salary.

“From what I understand, the new proposal is on the table, Manchester City have improved their bid. And now it’s on Julian Alvarez, but there is optimism on both the player’s and club’s side to get the agreement reached and done as soon as possible.

“This could be important news for Man City, for the present and future, as we had many rumours, but let me clarify that for City, Alvarez is absolutely part of the project and an important player for the team and for Pep Guardiola.”

Where can Alvarez play for Man City?

Given Haaland’s astonishing form this season, with 33 goals in 34 games, it is unlikely that Alvarez will be able to displace him from the starting XI any time soon.

Alvarez has started just six of his 19 league appearances as a result, and has either played alongside Haaland as a second striker or on the wing.

Guardiola does have the option of switching to a two-striker formation, but given that this has not happened in his tenure when the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero were battling for the same position – the duo only shared time on the pitch for as much as 45 minutes on 21 occasions – it seems unlikely that this could happen soon.

Haaland has described Alvarez as “amazing”, perhaps indicating that despite competing for the same spot, that the two can co-exist in the same side.

Alvarez may therefore have to settle for a wide role for the time being, but this prospective new contract indicates that City have no intention of letting him go, and could offer him more playing time in order to convince him to sign a deal.

Arsenal are considering an approach to bring Inter Milan defender Denzel Dumfries to the Premier League, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Gunners join the race

Mikel Arteta has predominantly been fielding Ben White out of position at right-back this season so the boss could do with securing an out-and-out player in that role during the upcoming window.

The Dutch international’s contract at the San Siro isn’t set to expire until 2025, but with Simone Inzaghi’s side currently in the midst of a financial crisis, they could be forced to sell some of their most prized assets at the end of the season.

The Gunners were first credited with an interest in the 26-year-old back in February, joining Manchester United and Chelsea in the race for his signature, but it sounds like Edu could be about to take it a step further to beat his fellow competitors.

The Latest: Arsenal plotting Dumfries move

According to Football Insider, Arsenal are one of several potential suitors that are ‘considering’ making a move for Dumfries ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Arteta is believed to be on the hunt for a natural right-back and has identified the Inter Milan star as someone he’d like to try and entice to the Emirates Stadium.

The Italian outfit are ‘struggling financially’ and therefore could be forced to accept any kind of offer that arrives at their door within the region of £40-50m which is a lot lower than what they were hoping to receive.

The Verdict: Splash the cash

Dumfries has been dubbed ‘deadly’ by reporter Marco Messina and Arsenal should absolutely splash the cash to secure his signature should Inter be willing to part ways with him in the summer.

Indeed, the Dutchman has also been called ‘exciting’ by other members of the media.

The 6 foot 2 colossus is an attack-minded full-back which is proven by his numbers having recorded 46 assists and scored 29 goals throughout his career (Transfermarkt).

The Rotterdam native also ranks in the 99th percentile for three various statistics, including total number of shots per 90 minutes, which will be an extremely attractive attribute to Arteta.

The Serie A star would bring plenty of versatility having operated in five different positions, including higher up in the midfield and at centre-back, so would be comfortable wherever the boss put him.

Finally, Dumfries has won four major trophies since emerging onto the scene so already has the winning mentality that the rest of the current Gunners squad will be used to, making this a match made in heaven for both parties.

Antonio Conte and Spurs?

In their latest Premier League fixture, Spurs were unable to make the most of a two-goal lead as they conceded late on to drops two points in a 3-3 draw away at Southampton.

Indeed, Tottenham had led 3-1 thanks to goals from Pedro Porro, Harry Kane and Ivan Perisic but goals in the final 15 minutes of the match from Theo Walcott and James Ward-Prowse were enough to rescue a point for the Saints.

Speaking to the press after the match, a furious Conte delivered a few heated words aimed at his players and the club, saying: “They don’t play for something important, yeah. They don’t want to play under pressure, they don’t want to play under stress.

“It is easy in this way. Tottenham’s story is this, 20 years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here. I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench."

While talking about these claims on the BBC radio show 606, Sutton didn't seem to have too much sympathy for the Spurs manager as he said this poor form "is on him".

He explained (14:36): Basically, Antonio Conte says that he sees selfish players, players that don't want to help each other and put their heart into it.

"Hang on a minute, though, he's been there a while now he's not been in five minutes. He's been able to build a team, has brought a lot of signings in. This is on him."

After explaining what Conte had said, Sutton then added (15:46):

"I think his interview tonight, the words which he says tonight, stinks of a guy who wants out, who doesn't want to be there.

"I think a lot of Spurs fans feel the same way but, you know, it's coming to an unhappy ending, isn't it?"

Why did Conte seem so upset about Spurs?

Sutton certainly does have a point about Conte needing to take plenty of responsibility for the result. After all, he has been backed in the transfer market to shape the squad as he likes with Richarlison, Ivan Perisic, and Pedro Porro all involved against the Saints after relatively recent moves to north London.

And if the Italian can't help his team control a two-goal lead against the team sitting bottom of the league, questions should be asked of the manager.

However, it's also true that many other top coaches such as Jose Mourinho and Mauricio Pochettino have spent time with Spurs but nobody has been able to win a trophy since 2008.

All in all, it looks like there is plenty wrong with the club from top to bottom. But after these quotes, it's hard to see Conte staying on as manager for much longer.

After such a vicious attack on the club that employs him, you can't help but half wonder if he's trying to get fired.

Newcastle United have had a complete transformation since the Saudi-led takeover in 2021 and now find themselves competing for a Champions League spot under the management of Eddie Howe this season.

The Magpies' most recent success and improvements all over the club are a far cry from the 14-year nightmare the supporters, players and managers had to endure under the ownership of Sports Direct tycoon Mike Ashley – a period of time that many won't forget in a hurry when enjoying the spoils of becoming one of the richest clubs on the planet.

One of the biggest changes seen on Tyneside since the club's takeover is the outstanding recruitment set-up that has been rapidly built with the highly-respected genius behind Brighton and Hove Albion's fantastic transfer business, Dan Ashworth, joining the club last year.

Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and Alexander Isak are just some of the massively influential signings that have transformed Newcastle from a relegation-battling side to a team comfortably competing for European football in just one season.

Indeed, as every Newcastle fan will know this is a complete contrast in comparison to the business completed under the former owner, with profit being the main priority over success and players often offered a place in the squad as a stepping stone to bigger and better clubs in the future.

The sour turning point in Ashley's reign can be easily identified with the £12m sale of James Milner back in 2008, a piece of transfer business that would cause the club to unfold in front of the St James' Park faithful's eyes.

Just days after Milner's exit, the manager at the time Kevin Keegan left his job at Newcastle after a promise to replace Milner not being kept became the final nail in the coffin of his fractured relationship with Ashley.

Where is James Milner now?

Of course, there won't be many English football supporters who don't know who James Milner is and what he has achieved in his illustrious career since leaving Tyneside.

The 37-year-old midfielder – hailed a "revelation" by Terry McDermott – is still playing at an elite level in Liverpool's midfield, well and truly moving on to bigger and better things despite his initial move being to the Midlands via Aston Villa for two years.

It was in August 2010 that Milner set out on his journey to becoming a legend in English football, joining Manchester City where he tallied 203 appearances, 45 assists and 19 goals – earning him two Premier League titles, a League Cup and an FA Cup over the next five years.

Often renowned as one of the best free transfers in Premier League history, the former England international made the near move to Merseyside in 2015 – just three months ahead of Jurgen Klopp's arrival.

Over the next seven years to the present day, Milner won another Premier League title, FA Cup and League Cup but also added new silverware to his collection with a Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and a FIFA Club World Cup – boasting more than one of each domestic trophies and the most prestigious European accolade.

Only Frank Lampard, Ryan Giggs and Gareth Barry have tallied up more Premier League appearances (608) than the respected £60k-per-week stalwart with only 45 appearances standing in the way of him breaking the all-time record of 652 held by his former Man City teammate.

With that being said, it is without a doubt that Ashley made a mistake with the sale of Milner and with the controversy surrounding the move it will likely be one of the transfers Newcastle supporters won't forget.

Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing a move for AZ Alkmaar forward Vangelis Pavlidis.

What’s the latest on Villa and Pavlidis?

Unai Emery appears to be on the hunt for a new striker over the coming months, with Ashley Preece previously stating that ‘a new No.9 to partner Ollie Watkins is at the top of Villa's shopping list this summer’.

The club have been heavily linked with a move for former Villa Park loanee Tammy Abraham, however, Pavlidis also seems to be of interest.

Hailed as a "difference maker" in the media for his goal involvements this season, the 24-year-old is primarily a centre-forward but can also turn out as an attacking midfielder or left-winger. Valued at a career-high €12m by Transfermarkt, the Greece international has enjoyed a successful stint in the Netherlands, previously with Willem II.

Pavlidis, sponsored by Nike, netted 33 times for Willem II which resulted in a move to AZ Alkmaar back in 2021, and he has continued to reach double figures in front of goal in the Eredivisie, netting 40 times in 80 appearances for his current employers.

Jeunes Footeux provided an update regarding Pavlidis in the last 48 hours, where Villa were named. They said that the Villans and Premier League rivals are closely following the performances of the forward ahead of a potential move. The report cites a €25m (£22m) fee for Pavlidis, a figure which is within the reach of officials at both Villa Park and Elland Road.

Should Villa bring Pavlidis to the Midlands?

You can see why Emery is after a new forward ahead of his first season in charge, especially after parting ways with Danny Ings back in January.

Ollie Watkins has stepped up to the plate, enjoying a purple patch in front of goal in recent months, however, Villa have been outscored by nine of the 10 teams above them in the table.

Therefore, looking at a potential move for someone like Pavlidis could be a shrewd move, with the forward scoring 10 or more league goals in each of his last four seasons. He appears to be at the peak of his powers with his market valuation and would also provide an option out wide or in behind the striker, should Emery stick with Watkins as his main man in attack.

Adding proven quality in the final third would be a good move, and it looks as if Pavlidis could be the one to come in and rival Watkins and youngsters Jhon Duran and Cameron Archer next season.

Manchester United's latest triumph at home to Brentford saw Marcus Rashford prove the match-winner yet again for the top four hopefuls, with the Englishman having now scored 28 goals in all competitions this season – 18 more than any other United player.

The 25-year-old's remarkable hot streak has perhaps helped to mask the goalscoring deficiencies of those around him, with the centre-forward duo of Wout Weghorst and Anthony Martial, for instance, having scored just eight goals between them this season across all fronts.

That limp return is simply not good enough for a side who are likely to harbour title ambitions next season, hence the recent reports that the Old Trafford outfit are weighing up a potential move for Tottenham Hotspur talisman, Harry Kane or Napoli sensation, Victor Osimhen.

For those leaning towards the latter man – who could reportedly cost as much as €150m (£132m) – the 24-year-old would represent a potential long-term fit due to his age, acting as an attacking figurehead whom Erik ten Hag could build his side around for the years to come.

That being said, however, the signing of the Nigerian would not be without its risks, with the Red Devils unable to afford to make another costly mistake in the transfer market.

Would Osimhen be a good fit for Man United?

The recent win over the Bees saw the aforementioned Martial make yet another cameo appearance off the bench following his recent return from injury, with the 27-year-old seemingly still not ready to feature from the start despite having been welcomed back into training a few weeks ago.

The Frenchman's fitness woes have been a constant source of frustration this season as he has been restricted to just 16 appearances in all competitions, with Ten Hag's patience looking like it is wearing thin amid reports that the former Monaco man could be part of a squad clearout this summer.

The concern will be that while Osimhen has been in red-hot form this season – after scoring 21 Serie A goals for Luciano Spalletti's side – the highly-coveted menace is also rather injury-prone, having repeatedly spent time on the treatment table during his spell in Naples.

As per Transfermarkt, the former Lille machine has been out for 209 days due to a variety of fitness and injury woes since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, with that totalling around 46 games in which he has been unavailable for selection, while Kane, by contrast, has missed just five games at club level in that time.

As The Athletic's James Horncastle noted on the recent Totally Football Show podcast, there is a perception in Italy that the 6 foot 1 marksman is somewhat "brittle", with United wise to have doubts over splashing the cash on a player who could prove rather unreliable.

Of course, injury woes can rarely be helped, although Osimhen's recent track record should have alarm bells ringing at the Theatre of Dreams, with United desperately needing to avoid signing another Martial.

Arsenal have held preliminary talks with representatives over signing Leicester City star Youri Tielemans this summer, according to reports.

Who could Arsenal sign this summer?

Mikel Arteta is currently leading Arsenal's charge for a first Premier League title in nearly 20 years, yet off the field, it is sporting director Edu's task to help maintain their status as one of England's most imperious sides right now.

Reports have suggested that the central midfield area is a serious priority for Arsenal, where West Ham captain and England international Declan Rice is continuing to attract real interest. The Gunners are apparently willing to pay north of £100 million to capture him, meanwhile the likes of Brighton's Moises Caicedo and even Barcelona midfielder Raphinha are also believed to be on their radar.

In other areas, recent claims state that AC Milan star Theo Hernandez is a player wanted by Arsenal, with Italian sources even saying that they could try and tempt Paolo Maldini with a swap deal offer.

Now, adding fuel to the fire, a report by TEAMtalk has shared news on the north London club's alleged interest in soon-to-be free agent Tielemans. The Belgium international looks likely to leave on a Bosman deal this summer and Arsenal have held preliminary talks with his representatives over joining them.

Indeed, they've apparently held discussions with Tielemans' camp, and while Arsenal are admirers of the 25-year-old, it is also believed Arteta's side have backed away for now – coming after the player's extortionate wages demands.

Tielemans has apparently requested a deal which would put him in the top earners bracket at Arsenal, something which could be a roadblock for them, with Newcastle adopting a similar stance on the midfielder.

Should Arsenal sign Tielemans?

If the Gunners can find a good compromise in negotiations over personal terms, Tielemans would be a good back-up signing for zero transfer fee.

As per WhoScored, the midfield ace ranks in Leicester's top six for attempts at goal and key passes made per 90 this season – and he also stood out as one of their top performers last year.

Fabrizio Romano also claimed last summer he 'would love to join' Arsenal, with Tielemans targeted at the time, and now Edu could have an opportunity to snap him up for nothing.

Called 'magnificent' by journalist Robert Lusetich for his performances in the last two years, it certainly wouldn't hurt to have him as an option from the bench.

West Ham United face Gent in the Europa Conference League tonight, with David Moyes' side hoping to put one foot in the semi-finals with a positive result against the Belgian side.

The east London side are considered one of the favourites to bring home the trophy, having won every game in the competition so far this season, and they will want to continue that trend against a side that currently sits fourth in the Belgian Pro League.

The Hammers bounced back from a heavy defeat against Newcastle United with a vital 1-0 win over Fulham last weekend but with Arsenal to come on Sunday, Moyes will surely be tempted to rest some of his squad for the game at the Ghelamco Arena today.

How should West Ham line up against Gent?

Here is how Football FanCast expects Moyes to line his side up for the first leg, with seven changes from the side that started in the 1-0 triumph at Craven Cottage.

(4-2-3-1): Areola (GK); Coufal (RB), Zouma (CB), Aguerd (CB), Emerson (LB); Rice (CM), Downes (CM); Paqueta (CAM), Cornet (RW), Benrahma (LW); Ings (ST).

Lukasz Fabianski may have returned from his recent fractured eye socket injury but Alphonse Areola has been the starter for West Ham throughout the Europa Conference League campaign and the Frenchman should start in between the sticks tonight.

Although the Hammers kept an impressive clean sheet against Fulham, Moyes may choose to rest Angelo Ogbonna and restore Nayef Aguerd to the starting line up in the hope that he can regain some confidence after his nightmare against Newcastle where he was caught on the ball for Callum Wilson's second of the clash.

Similarly, Emerson comes back in for Aaron Cresswell at left-back, as it wouldn't be a surprise to see the experienced Englishman get the nod against Arsenal, while Vladimir Coufal and Kurt Zouma complete the back four.

Tomas Soucek will surely finally be dropped by Moyes having produced some woeful recent displays, earning Sofscore ratings of 5.9 and 6.3 against Southampton and Newcastle respectively.

As a result, summer signing Flynn Downes partners Declan Rice in the middle of the park, with Lucas Paqueta returning to the side in a more advanced midfield role.

It's all change on the wing as Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals are rested, with Maxwel Cornet handed a rare start on the right, while Said Benrahma, who has proven himself "unplayable" in Europe before in the opinion of Joe Cole, replaces Pablo Fornals on the left.

Michail Antonio is rested up top, with Danny Ings keeping his starting role as the lone striker, in the hope that he too can regain some confidence having scored in just one match since his January switch from Aston Villa.