All posts by z3u9t.icu

Glasgow Celtic are interested in a deal to bring Yan Couto to Celtic Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Sky Sports, who claim that Hoops are looking to secure a season-long loan deal for the Manchester City right-back ahead of the new Scottish Premiership season.

However, the report goes on to state that Ange Postecoglou’s side are facing significant competition for the 19-year-old’s signature, with a number of clubs in Portugal also believed to have registered their interest with the Premier League champions.

Sky do not mention whether or not Pep Guardiola is willing to sanction the defender’s temporary departure this summer, although, with the Brazil U20 international having been sent on loan last season, it would seem as if there could well be a deal there to be done for Celtic.

Couto could solve Celtic’s biggest issue

With Celtic’s desire to bring in a new right-back this summer being no secret whatsoever, in addition to the sheer amount of raw potential Couto appears to possess, should Postecoglou manage to get a deal over the line for the defender this summer, he could well have found a solution to the Bhoys’ biggest issue at present.

Indeed, over his 22 LaLiga2 appearances while on loan at Girona last season, the £3.6m-rated man helped his side keep six clean sheets, as well as making an average of 0.7 interceptions, 1.1 tackles, 0.5 clearances and winning 3.5 duels per game.

The 19-year-old also impressed in an attacking capacity for Michel’s side, scoring one goal, registering four assists and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.5 shots and making 0.7 key passes per match.

These returns saw the man dubbed “the new Dani Alves” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.69, playing a key role in Girona’s run to the LaLiga2 play-off final.

As such, the signing of Couto would not only appear to be a huge coup for Celtic, but the youngster also clearly possesses the ability to make a real difference in the club’s bid to retain their Scottish Premiership crown, in addition to curing what is likely to be Postecoglou’s most severe positional headache ahead of next season.

In other news: Celtic could sign 30-goal gem once tipped to become “world-class”, he’s a big upgrade

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have responded to club insider ExWHUemployee’s update on star midfielder Declan Rice. 

Rice was instrumental in West Ham’s push for European football over 2020/2021 and played a key role in defensive midfield – making the most interceptions out of any Irons player with over 15 starts in the Premier League (WhoScored).

As a result of his brilliant form over this past season, many clubs are interested in signing Rice this summer – with Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea all interested in a move for the 22-year-old.

However, ExWHUemployee’s update on the subject (via West Ham News & Views) has many Hammers fans talking amid a development.

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The insider claims that while this trio of clubs are admirers, none of them are willing to match his £100 million price tag needed to prise him away from east London.

The situation, as it stands, is unlikely to change with the Englishman currently looking set to remain at the London Stadium.

Flocking to this update, as shared by West Ham News & Views, many Irons dropped their verdicts – find all of their best ones down below.

West Ham fans flock to ExWHUemployee claim

“Perfect, we don’t want to sell! Every player has a price and ours is a huge price.”

Credit: @dalboyweston

“What I like to see”

Credit: @GetGSBout

“Good!”

Credit: @whu_paul

“Great, that’s that then.”

Credit: @BillHorganTweet

“So jog on then!”

Credit: @bubblemaster3

“Only £100 million, at his age, it should be £150 million.”

Credit: @CLARETnBLUESguy

In other news: West Ham enter talks to sign ‘very fast’ 42-cap forward, find out more here.

Graham Roberts insists that Tottenham Hotspur have to appoint Brendan Rodgers as their next manager, in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

Spurs beat Leicester City 4-2 on the final day of the season on Sunday to confirm a seventh-place finish and deny the Foxes qualification for the Champions League.

Rodgers has reportedly already rejected a move to Spurs already, as he looks to remain with the Foxes, with whom he has won the FA Cup this season.

Still, Roberts is convinced that Tottenham need a new project as they look to rebuild after a dispiriting campaign played primarily under the management of Jose Mourinho.

Roberts believes that Spurs need to appoint “another Pochettino” and he has made the claim that Rodgers is absolutely the best option still out there and has urged Daniel Levy to pull out all the stops to get him to north London.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “I think we do need to rebuild. We need another five year plan, we need another Pochettino and I think Brendan Rodgers would be the ideal person to come in, use some of the youngsters and say ‘we might not finish in the top six next year but we’re building for the next 10 years’.

“I think Brendan Rodgers is the right choice, for me. You have to do everything in your power, if you want somebody, you can get them but you have to go with all guns firing.”

Leicester lost their final two games of the campaign and subsequently missed out on a top four finish for the second successive season.

Many Wolves fans have been left to flock to the latest transfer update on Rui Patricio.As per Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Jorge Mendes has offered the Portugal international as an option to AS Roma ‘for some time’.However, Mino Raiola, who is also a super agent, is ‘ready’ to bring Alphonse Areola to Rome instead of Patricio, prompting a lot of members of the Molineux faithful to send their praise in his direction.Patricio only missed one match in the Premier League in the 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt), and so it would not be wise to let such a key player go without a suitable replacement lined up.Nonetheless, the goalkeeper’s experience is crucial both off of the pitch as well as on it, especially for the younger players coming through like Fabio Silva, and also bearing in mind that a new manager will be taking charge of the team, and will need characters like Patricio around to help them make their mark.Wolves fans on Patricio transfer updateThese WWFC supporters flocked to the transfer update to send their appreciation to Raiola as it was shared on Twitter:”Raiola c’mon save us”Credit: @Gialadesign”Raiola at the back posttttttttt”Credit: @GeorgeTheStud”Raiola coming in clutch”Credit: @_samwwfc_”Love you Raiola”Credit: @bestwolvesfan”Raiola saving our season.”Credit: @Lem_WWFC”Mino you legend”Credit: @WWFCJoelIn other news, find out what Tim Spiers update has been lauded by Wanderers here!

Leicester City have moved on from Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard after they failed to agree on a fee with the Hoops for the Frenchman.

The Lowdown: Edouard told friends he was joining Leicester

It seemed as if the 23-year-old was destined to reunite with former Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers at the King Power Stadium this summer.

Reports last month suggested the Foxes were closing in on Edouard, with the player himself even telling friends he would be signing for the FA Cup winners after agreeing on personal terms.

However, it seems as if a deal is now off following reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano’s Thursday update.

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The Latest: Romano’s post

Transfer expert Romano shared the latest on the Foxes’ summer plans on Twitter.

He claimed they are now working on signing Patson Daka from RB Salzburg and not Edouard after failing to reach an agreement with Celtic.

“To be clear. Leicester are working to complete Patson Daka deal after official bid made to Salzburg – NOT Edouard, they’ve been negotiating for the Celtic striker but no agreement.”

The Verdict: Postecoglou to be delighted?

You’d expect new Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou could be delighted at this update.

He may have been resigned to losing the forward when in discussions with the Hoops hierarchy on taking the job, but it now seems as if he could well stay at Parkhead with a move to Leicester now off the cards.

Of course, other clubs could still come swooping in, but the striker seemingly had his heart set on moving to the Midlands, so perhaps he can now be convinced Glasgow is better than any old alternative that pops up.

Edouard scored 22 goals in all competitions last season but has just 12 months left on his Celtic contract, so should his situation remain the same going into 2022, the Hoops could end up losing the player for nothing.

It’s a risky spot Celtic now find themselves in, but Postecoglou will be buzzing if he has the Frenchman available for selection going into the 2021/22 campaign.

In other news: Forrest, McGregor and Turnbull Celtic updates emerge, find out more here. 

Sunderland midfielder Lynden Gooch had something of a shocker on Wednesday evening as Sunderland slipped up in their play-off semi-final first leg.

Having picked up four points against Lincoln City over their two meetings in the regular League One season, with a thumping 4-0 victory at the LNER Stadium back in December and a 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light in March, Lee Johnson’s Sunderland side could well have gone into Wednesday’s clash against Michael Appleton’s outfit believing they held the upper hand over the Imps.

However, this was far from the case in the fixture itself, with second-half goals from Tom Hopper and Brennan Johnson securing a hugely important 2-0 win for Lincoln, and leaving the Black Cats with it all to do in the second leg of the tie if they are to have any hope of playing Championship football next season.

Perhaps unsurprisingly considering the result, a number of Lee Johnson’s players did not fare particularly well in the match, although, Lynden Gooch’s performance stood out as one of the worst on the night.

Deployed in the middle of an attacking midfield three, just behind centre-forward Charlie Wyke, Gooch was extremely ineffectual for the Black Cats in an offensive capacity, managing no shots on target and completing just one of his four attempted dribbles.

The £5k-per-week midfielder failed to ever really get a foot on the ball either, with his 47 touches over the 90 minutes only being more than that of Charlie Wyke, Jordan Jones and Denver Hume of Sunderland’s starting outfielders – with the latter of this trio being withdrawn after 11 minutes due to injury.

And, on the occasions the £540k-rated man did have the ball at his feet, he was extremely reckless with it, losing possession a whopping 20 times in the match, with no other Black Cats player losing the ball more often than the USA international.

Furthermore, Gooch also committed four fouls – with no player from either side making more – and won just three of his 11 duels – with a 27% success rate – while his overall SofaScore match rating of 6.3 was the joint-worst of any of Johnson’s starting XI.

As such, if Sunderland are to have any chance of overturning their deficit in the second leg of the semi-final, Gooch will undoubtedly have to up his game – if, that is, Johnson opts to stick with the 25-year-old in his starting XI.

In other news: Nixon drops big SAFC claim over £653k-rated “wizard” that’ll surely leave fans gutted – opinion

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that West Ham won’t sign Jesse Lingard permanently next season.

Lingard has been in outstanding form for the Hammers following his January loan from Manchester United, scoring nine goals in 11 matches, whilst laying on four assists.

His heroics have put West Ham in contention to qualify for the Champions League for the first time, leading to reports that David Moyes’ side want to bring the England attacker back to the London Stadium on a permanent basis.

But the likes of Real Madrid and PSG are also reportedly keen on signing Lingard, who’s got just one year remaining on his contract at Old Trafford.

And whilst Windass admires Lingard’s turnaround, having been left out in the cold by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he doesn’t believe he’ll be back in east London.

He told Football FanCast:

“I can’t see him being at West Ham next year, that’s a fact. Will he get in Man United’s team next year? He’s got another year left.

“I admire the kid, he’s been out in the cold, he’s had a few personal problems, he’s kept himself fit.

“He’s took West Ham to the next level. Would I be saying as a player ‘I am too good for this team?’ He probably is, and he’s proved it, so he won’t be there at West Ham.”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer has criticised Dejphon Chansiri for his decision not to hire a director of football.

The Sheffield Wednesday owner recently reiterated to the fan engagement panel that he has no intention of appointing a director of football, adamant that the manager should have the final say on recruitment.

With the managerial merry-go-round that has taken place at Hillsborough this season, though, some may wonder if there is any point in giving a manager total control over transfers when he could be shown the door the next month.

On the topic, Palmer told FFC:

“He keeps reiterating he doesn’t want to get a director of football. He’s put a shedload of money in the football club and he’s on the brink of being relegated to League One when he should have been in the Premier League. And he’s saying he doesn’t want a director of football at the football club? That says it all.

“As far as I’m concerned, whoever is advising him… I’m not knocking the chairman. I get grief for not supporting the chairman and whatever, but I’m just a realist and call it as it is.

“He has put a lot of money into the football club, that there can be no arguments about. But he’s been badly advised, hence why Sheffield Wednesday are in the position they’re in this season.”

As things stand, Wednesday are set to lose a whole host of players this summer due to expiring contracts.

It means a large rebuilding job may need to be carried out at Hillsborough before the start of next season, so perhaps the arrival of a director of football would be useful.

Southampton are the latest side to have been linked with a move for Ryan Gauld ahead of the summer transfer window, and he could be a superb addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Record, the Saints have joined the race to sign the former Dundee United man after his impressive spell with Portuguese side SC Farense.

The likes of Norwich City, Sheffield United, Brentford, Blackburn Rovers, Swansea City and Brighton have all been linked with the 25-year-old, who is available on a free transfer, as his deal at Estadio de São Luís is set to expire in June.

Would he be a good signing?

Gauld has had a very strange career thus far, signing for Sporting Lisbon from Dundee United when he was just 18-years-old and earning comparisons with Barcelona legend Lionel Messi for his style of play.

Whilst things wouldn’t work out for him with the current Liga NOS champions, as he made just five appearances, he has rebuilt his reputation with Farense in recent seasons.

In 71 appearances for the Portuguese side, he has contributed an impressive 20 goals and 12 assists, including nine goals and seven assists in the most recent season, which helped him average a superb 7.19 rating from WhoScored.

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Therefore, it is no surprise that he is attracting interest ahead of the summer transfer window, as he could be a bargain option for any Premier League or Championship side.

There are certainly a lot of similarities between Gauld and Southampton ace Stuart Armstrong, as both were youngsters at Dundee United, both are attack-minded players and both could arrive at St Mary’s in bargain deals, as the Saints paid just £7m for Armstrong from Celtic in 2018, which has certainly proved to be an excellent signing.

Therefore, the potential arrival of Gauld, who has been described as a “top player” by one of his coaches at Farense, could well end up being a repeat of that Armstrong signing, so is one that Martin Semmens should definitely be looking to complete.

And, in other news… £6m down the drain: Southampton potentially cost new signing, Hasenhuttl surely fuming

Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing up a move for Sam Johnstone this summer, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Athletic’s Steve Madeley claims Spurs have already ‘sent out feelers’ to West Brom over a potential deal for the 28-year-old West Brom goalkeeper, who could be available for as little as £10m in the next transfer window.

Jose Mourinho could even be in the market for two new options between the sticks as Hugo Lloris is thought to be a target for former manager Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain, whilst Paulo Gazzaniga is expected to depart, leaving only Joe Hart, who is the current no.2.

Bye-bye Lloris?

Any move for a shot-stopper of Johnstone’s calibre would surely spell the end for the Frenchman’s time in north London, and perhaps quite rightly too.

The 34-year-old veteran may be part of the side that holds the third-best defensive record in the Premier League, but he’s certainly shown signs of regression in the 18 months Mourinho has been in charge.

There have been a few notable clangers in that time, most recently when letting in a whopping five goals to Everton in the FA Cup. Lloris was soon brandished as Spurs’ “weak link” and also dubbed “lettuce wrists” by Trevor Sinclair and Jason Cundy on talkSPORT.

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Another factor is the fact that most of this squad still remain from that Pochettino era, and if Mourinho is to move on and truly contend for titles, then he ought to kickstart a rebuild and that should begin with Lloris.

He has been at the club for nine years and is the current club captain, though his exit would present the perfect chance for the Portuguese to cement his own mark down at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

In Johnstone, they’d be getting a mighty fine successor as, despite all of West Brom’s struggles, the recently-called-up England man has been their star performer.

“He’s one of the best,” lauded Sam Allardyce back in December, echoing the thoughts of his former boss at Villa, Steve Bruce, who once labelled the glovesman a “diamond” to work with.

No goalkeeper in the Premier League has faced more shots on target (168) than Johnstone, and no goalkeeper has made as many saves either (116). His four saves per 90 minutes is far above that of Lloris (2.77), as per FBRef.

With Lloris being slammed for his weak wrists, it certainly seems like the English colossus could be a viable replacement, and for just £10m, this could be a bargain on Levy’s part.

AND in other news, Spurs could land bargain defensive solution in “complete” 6 foot 4 monster…