All posts by z3u9t.icu

Stoke City look set to allow Badou Ndiaye to leave the bet356 Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Stoke on Trent Live, who claim that the 30-year-old midfielder looks set to join Adana Demirspor in the upcoming transfer window.

Fans will be buzzing

With the £3.15m-rated Ndiaye having last played for Stoke back in 2019, the news that the Potters could finally be free of the midfielder is likely to leave fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, following his £14.4m signing from Galatasaray in January of 2018, when the Senegal international was given a £25k-per-week contract until the summer of 2022, it would be a fair claim to make that the 30-year-old has not quite lived up to his price tag during his time at Stoke.

The midfielder joined the club in the window prior to their relegation from the top tier of English football, making 13 appearances in the club’s doomed Premier League campaign back in 2017/18.

Ndiaye was then loaned back to Galatasaray in August of 2018, spending the 2018/19 season with the Super Lig side, before playing a further 13 fixtures for Stoke in the club’s 2019/20 Championship season, prior to being sent on a number of further loan deals at clubs such as Trabzonspor, Fatih Karagumruk and Al-Ain.

In total, the man who Stuart Taylor dubbed a “top class” player featured just 27 times in all competitions for the Potters, scoring two goals and providing one assist along the way.

As such, it would appear an extremely wise move for Michael O’Neill to indeed allow the midfielder to leave the bet365 Stadium this summer, as, if the club were unable to find another loan deal to send Ndiaye on, it could cost a further £1.3m in wages for a player who appears highly unlikely to play much, if any, first-team football under the Northern Irishman next season.

In other news: Stoke dealt transfer blow over £5.9k-p/w “leader” which will leave O’Neill sickened

Tottenham Hotspur are now vying to sign in-form Valencia midfielder Carlos Soler as manager Antonio Conte eyes yet more fresh faces, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Conte seeks major overhaul…

The Telegraph, sharing some pretty big news this week, lifted the lid on a scheduled Spurs sit down at the end of 2021/2022 between Conte, managing director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy.

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In the report, it is stated that Tottenham’s head coach wants as many as six major signings – including a reserve goalkeeper, right-wing-back, centre-half, two midfielders and a forward.

Conte’s ambition on the pitch is backed even more off it going by this latest update with there being no shortage of targets for his midfield.

Leicester City star Youri Tielemans and Brentford playmaker Christian Eriksen are both on the Lilywhites’ agenda as they aim to maintain their climb up the Premier League (The Times).

The Latest: Spurs competing for Soler…

TUTTOmercatoWEB, sharing yet another midfield man on Conte’s radar, now claim Tottenham are one of the teams competing to sign Valencia’s star man Soler.

The 25-year-old has bagged a brilliant 12 goals and five assists in all competitions this season, attracting interest from both the north Londoners and West Ham.

Valencia’s number 10 could also leave for nothing in 2023 with his contract expiring next year, potentially making his 2022 summer transfer ‘cheaper’.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Soler is still young, a proven final third threat and an alleged ‘highly respected’ figure in the Mestalla Stadium dressing room according to Radio Taronja journalist Alvaro Benzal (via La Liga Lowdown).

Bearing this in mind, the Spaniard comes as a seriously underrated option for Spurs.

According to WhoScored, only Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min have averaged more key passes per 90 in the final third than Soler over 2021/2022 – while Son and Harry Kane stand as just two Spurs players with a greater amount of league goals.

Taking into account his quality, it’s little wonder Valencia slapped a mammoth €150 million (£126m) release clause into his current deal, as the La Liga giants confirmed back in 2019.

Reports out of Spain, via Sport Witness, also back that he would be perfect for Conte – with claims emerging that Soler ‘fits the profile’ Spurs’ head coach wants in north London.

As time runs down on his contract, Paratici could also be in a strong negotiating position, so we advise Spurs to seriously consider a formal approach this summer.

In other news: Source: Tottenham edge closer to ‘top signing’, he really wants to join Conte! Find out more here.

Many Sunderland fans were far from happy with comments from Lee Johnson following their draw with Accrington Stanley at the weekend.

The Black Cats’ automatic promotion hopes were all but officially ended as they could only manage a 3-3 draw with Stanley despite leading both 2-0 and 3-2. Even a victory would only have been delaying the inevitable, but they are now nine points behind Peterborough in second place with three games left to play (BBC) – they would need to win every match, hope Posh lose all of theirs, and also make up the seven-goal goal difference between the two teams.

Following the draw, Johnson spoke to the club’s media team. Obviously he was frustrated, describing his team’s collapse was unacceptable, but that didn’t appear to please some of the fans at all, with a few saying that he sounds like a broken record. This isn’t the first time that a number of supporters have taken umbrage with the manager’s words.

A video of his latest comments were shared on Twitter by the club’s official account, and it attracted plenty of attention from Sunderland supporters, one of whom disparagingly called him a “walking cliché”. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Johnson’s post-Stanley comments

“Lee Johnson… The walking cliché.”

Credit: @Ginty85

“Joke”

Credit: @paulhun7276

“Lets be honest this bloke doesn’t have a clue – we are shocking and he doesn’t know how to sort it!”

Credit: @NigeSmith550

“It’s unacceptable that I’ve heard the word unacceptable so many times in the past four weeks!!”

Credit: @shdontsayaword1

“Unacceptable and disorganised without mentioning that actually his own contribution to the game was unacceptable and we were disorganised because he made one of the his strangest subs so far, and there have been a few of them.”

Credit: @Dave_Rowntree

“Can’t even be bothered to listen, fed up with his monotones about philosophy, data, world class, basics etc, he has to shoulder some of the blame, more strange substitutions today, time he realised we’re not world class, we’re L1 and will still be L1 next season.”

Credit: @MackemRon1951

In other news, many Sunderland fans react to this club statement.

Gary Cahill has rejected a new contract from Crystal Palace, according to The Sun’s Tom Barclay.

The news was shared on Twitter, which had a number of Eagles supporters giving their thoughts to the update.

Cahill was one of 11 senior Palace players at the beginning of the month who became a free agent after his previous contract at Selhurst Park expired.

The 35-year-old made the move to Selhurst Park back in 2019 on a free transfer after leaving Chelsea and spent two seasons with the club, making 47 appearances.

He scored his only goal for the club in a 2-1 win over Newcastle United last season, and it now seems as if he won’t be returning under Patrick Vieira.

The centre-back’s previous Palace contract was worth £65,000-a-week, and according to Barclay, Cahill has turned down a new deal as his wage demands were too high.

Palace fans react

Barclay’s post on Cahill on Thursday morning had these Palace fans talking, with one describing the situation as ‘weird’.

“Snake”Credit: @g10eob”Disappointing if true. Whilst it’s not up for debate that he is “seasoned” the guy is a proven winner and we still that experience in the squad after losing the likes of Dann and Sakho. That said I’m all for reducing the inflated wage bill.”Credit: @CPFC_Adam”I would have loved Cahill to stay 1 more season but if he’s asking for too much money I rate Parish for not budging. I would rather see the Club spend the wages on a younger centre half.”Credit: @LiamBro86″Weird honestly didn’t see him leaving but oh well. Rather spend the money on a young CB”Credit: @Bunds_”Big loss”Credit: @samstoreycp”You can go”Credit: @Sumo08112

In other news: ‘My god’ – Many Palace fans erupt at Ed Aarons’ transfer post.

Tottenham Hotspur’s mooted interest in Scott Parker is increasing, according to emerging reports this week…

What’s the word?

Football Insider claimed that Spurs’ former midfielder, who is now in charge of Championship-bound Fulham, is a potential candidate to replace Jose Mourinho in north London, with Daniel Levy hugely keen on bringing him back to the club.

Spurs have reportedly put the feelers out to gauge the 40-year-old’s interest in the job, whilst the Lilywhites chairman is said to “think the world of” of him and is now pushing to secure him as his next manager.

Parker began his coaching career at Hotspur Way, taking charge of the under-18s in 2017 before making the switch to the Cottagers as first team coach under Slavisa Jokanovic. He was then promoted to the manager’s job following the Serbian’s departure, leading them to the Premier League last year.

Shades of Hoddle

Levy ought to be careful in his next appointment and there have to be major question marks over whether or not Parker is ready for this step up. Fulham are very likely to be going straight back down to the second tier, despite vast improvements in form and performances under the 40-year-old in recent months.

The Daily Mail waxed lyrical about how his ‘defensive rebuild’ had been key for the west London outfit. When they were relegated from the top flight last time, they had leaked a whopping 81 goals but now they’re set to head down having conceded only 45 times so far – the second-fewest of any team below 11th.

Parker has even earned the praise of Pep Guardiola, who dubbed him “incredibly good”, whilst ex-Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson recently lauded him as “bright, young and intelligent”, although he did suggest that the Fulham boss would be a “big gamble.”

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A big gamble, indeed.

Levy should know all about appointing former players and how badly that can turn out. After sacking George Graham, he looked to Glenn Hoddle, who as a player was one of the best in his generation but delivered two seasons of pure underachievement as a manager.

Poor judgement and arrogance were two factors attributed to his downfall, according to The Guardian, whilst Levy himself claimed he was “very difficult” to work with.

That’s not to say Parker is anything like this, because he’s not, but it does go to show that a good player doesn’t necessarily make a good manager.

The 40-year-old could probably benefit more from further time at Fulham, or at a ‘bridging’ club in between one being relegated and one challenging for Europe.

Hoddle’s fatal reign as Tottenham manager should never tarnish his ability as a player but it probably did damage his reputation, and many in N17 may still have nightmares about his stint in the dugout.

The Spurs job is just too soon for Parker, and Levy must now look elsewhere for Mourinho’s successor.

AND in other news, Levy’s “criminal” decision could deal Spurs huge hammer blow as fresh update emerges…

Everton have been on the case of a new manager for three weeks now as they desperately try to replace Carlo Ancelotti.

Unfortunately for supporters, it looks as though they’re heading towards a name they don’t want.

What’s the word?

Everton have now been close to appointing two coaches with Nuno Santo initially in advanced discussions with the Toffees.

However, after proceedings began to stall with the Portuguese, they’ve focused their efforts on Rafa Benitez.

A number of managers have been linked with the vacancy at Goodison Park but one man who looks as though they’re now out of the running is Christophe Galtier.

There’s been a fresh twist in the Everton manager hunt as, according to RMC Sport (via Sport Witness), the 54-year-old is set to reject Everton’s advances and head to Nice instead.

The Merseyside outfit had made him one of their priorities but the report states that Galtier perhaps expected better.

Fans should be gutted

It’s got to a stage at the moment where Everton supporters would seemingly accept any manager besides Benitez.

The Goodison Park faithful have been on the backs of the hierarchy over the last few days in a desperate protest against the Spaniard.

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The 61-year-old famously dubbed Everton a ‘small club,’ something he has since apologised for but it doesn’t look as though fans have forgiven him for that jibe.

As a consequence, they should be gutted that Galtier is set to reject them this summer.

After all, he would have been a fabulous appointment for a number of reasons. Not only did he steer Lille out of the shadows to beat PSG to the Ligue 1 title last term, but his style of football would have been perfect.

Speaking to Sky Sports earlier this month, former Lille director Luis Campos said: “Christophe has all the qualities to coach in England, technically he is very astute and is extremely detailed in his planning when preparing a team.”

Campos added: “He likes a 4-4-2 system, which would fit with the Premier League and he is a fantastic motivator in the dressing room.

“He likes to build a side with quality and youth, he is someone that can develop a team ethic, and he is also a fantastic human being.”

The job he did with Les Dogues was incredible. When he first took over, they finished 17th in the French top-flight but they have now finished in the top four three years in a row.

That has long been the ambition at Everton but they’ve missed out on that elusive Champions League spot for decades now.

Galtier, had he accepted the Toffees’ advances, may have been able to finally guide them to that position in the league table.

Instead, supporters will be left to vent even frustration in the direction of Benitez. This is not a good situation for Everton fans.

AND in other news, Bye-bye DCL: Everton must swoop for “spectacular” £24m gem with “blistering pace”…

Nahitan Nandez is not on Victor Orta’s shortlist for new Leeds United signings this summer, according to journalist Graham Smyth.

The Lowdown: Nandez continually linked with move

The Cagliari midfielder has been one of the players most strongly linked with a move to Elland Road in the coming months following a string of impressive performances in Italy.

Midfield is an area of the pitch where Marcelo Bielsa could look to strengthen, giving his squad more quality in the middle of the park.

Nandez has won 39 caps for Uruguay, highlighting his level of experience, but it is beginning to look as though he won’t be joining Leeds.

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The Latest: Smyth provides key update

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Smyth said: “Nandez wasn’t on the shortlist last time I checked.”

Given the journalist’s reliable nature when it comes to Leeds-related news, it looks as though Bielsa may need to consider looking at an alternative to Nandez.

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The Verdict: Looking increasingly unlikely

With fellow transfer target Rodrigo de Paul seemingly heading to Atletico Madrid, this is another blow for Leeds as they look to go up another level.

Despite the Whites excelling last season, there were times when Kalvin Phillips felt a little too important – they lost seven out of nine games without him at one point during the campaign. Nandez could be the perfect candidate to take some of the burden off the England international, with the Uruguayan described as “tireless” in a FIFA profile [via HITC].

Should the 25-year-old end up staying put at Cagliari or going elsewhere, it is important that Leeds bring in a midfield alternative, bolstering their options before the new season gets underway in August.

In other news, Leeds are interested in signing an international forward this summer – find out who it is here.

At this point in the season, Liverpool have had more shots at goal in the Premier League than any other top-flight side with a total of 147, a full 20 more than second-placed Manchester City in that regard.

This shows that Jurgen Klopp’s side have not been struggling to attack their opponents so far this season, but it seems as though the Merseyside club have their eye on potentially signing one of Europe’s top attacking talents.

What’s the latest?

It has recently been reported by Spanish media outlet Fichajes that Liverpool is a potential destination for Atletico Madrid attacker Joao Felix during the upcoming January transfer window, alongside Italian clubs Juventus and Inter Milan, on an initial loan deal.

Felix, who was described as an “exciting” player by Portuguese journalist Jose Delgado, signed for Atletico back in the 2019 summer transfer window from Benfica for a massive £113m fee.

Since then, the 21-year-old, who is currently valued at £72m by Transfermarkt, has made 81 appearances for the La Liga champions across all competitions, scoring 19 goals and providing nine assists along the way.

Felix won the Golden Boy award for 2019, beating the likes of Erling Haaland, Jadon Sancho and Kai Havertz and securing his status as one of Europe’s best young players.

The next Jota?

In terms of a potential move to Liverpool in January, if the Merseyside club are willing to take him on loan in January with a potential permanent move on the cards further down the line, we feel that Felix could be a good investment for the Reds based on his young age and the experience he has under his belt playing in La Liga and the Champions League.

Additionally, with the Portuguese star being able to play in a number of roles across the attack such as second striker, centre-forward and on the left wing, he could well be a younger version of Diogo Jota, who is also Portuguese, has spent some time with Atletico and is able to play in the same positions as Felix.

Furthermore, the 21-year-old has racked up a similar number of dribbles per game (1.3) in La Liga this season to what Jota has in the Champions League (1.5).

Also, with Roberto Firmino’s contract at Liverpool set to expire in 2023 when he will be 32, there’s every chance that Felix could be his long-term replacement at Anfield if he ends up joining on a permanent basis and the Brazilian leaves when his contract runs out.

With Liverpool set to take on Atletico in their next Champions League game next week, it will be interesting to see whether or not Felix plays a part in the match and shows why the Reds should make a move to sign him in January.

In other news: Possession lost 15 times: Klopp must ruthlessly axe £140k-p/w LFC ace, he’s a liability

Juventus attacker Federico Chiesa would cost Premier League clubs upwards of £100million this summer, according to Forza Italian Football editor Conor Clancy.

Chiesa shone as Italy broke England hearts by winning the Euro 2020 final at Wembley earlier this month.

The former Fiorentina man, who joined Juventus last October for a potential fee of £54million, scored two goals in seven appearances at the international tournament and his performances caught the eye of numerous clubs.

German media outlet Bild, via The Mirror, reported Chelsea have already seen an offer worth £85million pushed back by the Italian giants.

Meanwhile, Italian newspaper Repubblica – via MailOnline – revealed Juventus have rejected an £86million bid from Liverpool as they look to reclaim the Premier League title next season.

The 23-year-old scored 15 goals and contributed 11 assists in 46 Juventus appearances last season and Serie A expert Clancy insists the Turin-based club will do everything they can to ensure Chiesa does not depart.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “It would take all of the money. Juve are playing hardball with Chiesa because he is their star now.

“Forget about Cristiano Ronaldo. Chiesa is the guy that’s going to take them forward to the next generation.

“It’s going to take a lot of money, probably £100m, to make Juve part ways with him and I’m not sure that’s going to happen this summer.”

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba will not be leaving Old Trafford over what remains of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Fabrizio Romano, with the journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that, despite reports suggesting otherwise, the Frenchman will not be leaving United this summer, and the central midfielder was never discussed as a potential makeweight in the club’s proposals to Juventus in their signing of Cristiano Ronaldo.

In his tweet, Romano said: “Paul Pogba is also staying and he’s never been involved in any proposal to Juventus.”

Further reports have claimed that Paris Saint-Germain have been considering a move for the 28-year-old, who has just one year remaining on his current contract at Old Trafford – with no agreement reached between the club and the player concerning a new deal at present.

Music to the ears of fans

While it would indeed appear something of a priority to ensure that Pogba does put pen to paper on a contract extension this season, as the possibility of the midfielder leaving the club for nothing next summer is currently a very real one, Romano’s claim that the France international will remain a United player beyond Tuesday’s transfer deadline is sure to be music to the ears of fans.

Indeed, since his return to Manchester back in 2016, the 28-year-old has consistently been one of the club’s most consistent performers in the Premier League, earning seasonal SofaScore match ratings of 7.66, 7.40, 7.21, 7.13 and 6.98 over the past five top-flight seasons respectively.

And, the £54m-rated man has already highly impressed over his two Premier League appearances for the Red Devils this term, having provided a whopping five assists and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of three shots and making three key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £290k-per-week midfielder average a SofaScore match rating of 7.55, ranking him as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s third-best performer in the league.

As such, it is evident that Pogba is a crucial component within the Manchester United side, who will undoubtedly play a key role in any success the club manage to achieve this season.

So, Romano’s claim that the Frenchman does not look likely to leave the club over what remains of the summer transfer window is sure to delight Solskjaer and fans of the club alike.

In other news: Man Utd make contact over £27m-rated “complete midfielder”, Ole would love him