All posts by z3u9t.icu

When Crystal Palace parted ways with seven first-team stars in the summer at the end of their contracts, one of the most noticeable names was Dutch left-back Patrick van Aanholt.

After four-and-a-half seasons at Selhurst Park, the two parties couldn’t agree a new deal and the 31-year-old former Chelsea man opted to join Turkish outfit Galatasaray on a free transfer. That opened the way for Palace academy graduate Tyrick Mitchell to step into the first-team on a regular basis.

Last season Mitchell made 19 appearances in the Premier League and played 90 minutes in each of them, while Van Aanholt struggled with injury and form. That was clearly enough for Palace chairman Steve Parish and new manager Patrick Vieira to put their belief into the 22-year-old to be an instant replacement.

He hasn’t let them down either, so far being an ever-present in the Premier League team for Palace and playing every minute available to him. But more than his availability, it’s his performances that have been enough to convince Palace fans that they made the right decision in refusing to give Van Aanholt a pay-rise on his £55k-per-week deal last summer.

According to WhoScored, Mitchell currently ranks first for successful tackles per game at the club with 3.0, ranks second for interceptions per match with 1.4 and ranks fourth for most clearances with 2.5. He is also averaging 0.9 successful dribbles an outing, the same amount as Wilfried Zaha, and earned himself an assist in the 1-1 draw with Newcastle in October to show he can be an offensive threat too.

The £5.8m-rated Van Aanholt was great during his time with the Eagles, even being labelled as “spectacular” for his performances during the 2019/20 campaign with the club. But his exit was absolutely the right decision.

It has created an opportunity for another young player to come in and establish themselves, while also freeing up cash to spend elsewhere and getting the average age of the squad down. Mitchell is repaying the faith shown in him by the club, and the fans are buzzing to have him at the club.

The club certainly gambled by letting so many regular first-teamers leave at once, but Vieira has rebuilt the team and while they are still a work in progress there is no work needed at left-back because Mitchell has stepped up expertly. Clearly, Parish struck gold with his decision-making here.

AND in other news, Patrick Vieira must unleash Michael Olise.

Jacob Murphy is set to sign a new long-term deal at Newcastle United, ending speculation linking with him moves to Leeds United and Rangers [Shields Gazette].

The Lowdown: Newcastle strive towards the 2021/22 season

Moving into 2021/22, the Toon will be hoping to improve on their 12th placed Premier League finish last campaign [BBC].

Despite not yet plunging into the summer transfer market yet, Steve Bruce’s men have been linked with moves players like  Kristoffer Ajer and Matheus Nunes.

However, keeping hold of their key assets will also likely be a priority to the St James’ Park hierarchy, something which they seem to have successfully enacted in the form of the 26-year-old.

The Latest: Murphy set to pen new long-term deal at St James’ Park

Excelling in his newly defined role as a right-wing back, Murphy is set to commit his future to the Geordies on a lengthy new contract [Shields Gazette].

Though the finer details of his signature are yet to be finalised, he will now bring the curtain down on interest in his services from Premier League side Leeds United and UEFA Champions League qualifiers Rangers [Shields Gazette].

In recent months, European attention from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen and Turkish Super Lig Galatasaray had also come to the fore [Football Insider].

The Verdict: New Murphy contract is welcome news for the Magpies supporters

Unquestionably, this news will come as a timely boost to the Newcastle United support. Playing a key role in the Magpies’ upturn in form towards the end of 2020/21, the versatile right-sider registered seven goal contributions in 31 appearances; three goals and four assists [Transfermarkt].

Labelled as ‘outstanding’ by The Times editor Henry Winter back in April [Football Fancast], he has shown a commendable desire to adapt as a footballer over the last year, winning 106 duels over the course of the campaign in his new defensive role [Premier League].

In other news, an Italian side are interested in a Newcastle United midfielder.

If you thought Celtic’s season couldn’t get any worse then you only need to look at the events that transpired when the Bhoys were knocked out of the cup.

This has been a troublesome campaign for the Hoops and if anything summed up their current rut, it was the way they were swept to one side by their biggest rivals.

Sunday marked a fantastic opportunity for Celtic to silence their doubters and make the point that they were still very much able to trouble Rangers.

Unfortunately, John Kennedy’s men were beaten 2-0 in rather disastrous fashion. After that defeat, there is no longer anything up for grabs this term.

With that in mind, how will John Kennedy play out the rest of the season? Will he choose to hand out new chances and axe players?

Here’s the XI we’re predicted when Celtic face Aberdeen in the SPFL on Wednesday evening.

We’re tipping Kennedy to make as many as four changes to the side that lost to the Gers last weekend with a slight change in formation too.

The first replacement is at left-back where Diego Laxalt is taken out of the firing line after a terrible display at Ibrox. He was at fault for both goals and as such, is replaced by Greg Taylor in defence.

We’re also tipping Ismaila Soro to get a rare run out in the middle of the park, replacing the £25k-per-week Scott Brown.

Brown has played a lot of football lately and a midweek clash gives Kennedy the opportunity to rest him. The club captain, of course, is set to depart for Aberdeen in a player-coach role at the end of the season.

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There is another change where Mo Elyounoussi is dropped on the left flank in favour of Tom Rogic. The only time he’s played in that role this season, he registered both a goal and an assist.

The final switch is in attack where Ryan Christie is also axed. He is replaced by Leigh Griffiths who has been short on starts since Kennedy was named interim manager.

Odsonne Edouard keeps his place despite missing a penalty last time out while James Forrest remains on the sidelines.

He failed a late fitness test ahead of their clash against Rangers and Kennedy has ruled him out of their midweek fixture now too.

AND in other news, Exciting twist emerges in Celtic manager hunt, Desmond could now perform a big U-turn…

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.

There is a feeling that the Netherlands believe Virgil van Dijk could be fit for Euro 2020, alleging that Jurgen Klopp is currently holding him back.

The 29-year-old continues to recover from the cruciate ligament injury he suffered back in October following a shocking tackle by Jordan Pickford in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.

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Van Dijk’s absence has been an almighty blow in a season which has slowly fallen part, with the Reds’ Premier League title defence fizzling out because of injuries and poor form.

The centre-back has been pictured various times in recent weeks as he works on his return to action, with the Dutchman back in the gym and also jogging on the training pitch.

Netherlands believe Klopp is holding Van Dijk back

According to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf [via Sport Witness], the Netherlands national team believe Van Dijk is closer to a return than Klopp is claiming and the player knows that his boss cannot make the decision on whether he plays a the Euros.

They reported: ‘Klopp has put the brakes firmly on in England, but Van Dijk knows that the German coach cannot forbid him to travel to the Oranje training camp at the end of May or the beginning of June for the final round of the European Championship. There is a good relationship between the player and Klopp and the Dutchman will not do ill-considered things.’

Klopp is reportedly hesitant to allow his key man to play a part in the Euros this summer, no doubt wanting to keep him wrapped in cotton wool ahead of next season.

It is stated that there is a ‘good relationship’ between the Liverpool manager and Van Dijk’s national setup, though, so the right decision will likely be made in terms of what is most beneficial to the Reds superstar.

Transfer Tavern take

From a selfish Liverpool perspective, Van Dijk will hopefully not feature at the Euros, avoiding the risk of another injury setback ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

It could be that the defender still features for the Reds late this season, which would then make it difficult to deny him the chance to represent his country at a major tournament – a dream for so many players, and one which the defender hasn’t experienced even at 29.

Van Dijk needs to be managed extremely carefully by both club and country, ensuring he gets back to being the world-class footballer he had been before his injury.

In other news, many Liverpool fans have been begging the Reds to clinch the signing of one centre-back this summer. Read about who it is here.

Paulo Fonseca will have a new coaching staff around him at Tottenham Hotspur, according to emerging claims…

What’s the word?

In a recent Q&A with Spurs fans on football.london, the ever-reliable Alasdair Gold dropped a fresh update on the 48-year-old’s imminent arrival. He said that Spurs could announce the appointment of Fonseca in the very near future, via Zoom. He aldo claimed that the club were going over the ‘final details’, in which the make-up of his coaching staff would be decided.

He said:

“There’s some suggestion that it might be next week due to travel restrictions etc, but you’d hope Spurs might just announce it with an interview via Zoom as they did with [Fabio] Paratici.

“I understand, from within Fonseca’s camp, that he held further talks with Paratici in Milan yesterday as they go over the final details of his arrival, including that new-look coaching team.”

Can he still be as good?

It was recently reported that some of Fonseca’s most trusted counterparts may not be coming to North London with him this summer in what could be perceived as a massive blow and Gold’s latest update seemingly confirms this.

It means the Portuguese coach will have to work with an entirely new set-up, one that wasn’t there for his successes in Ukraine and Portugal, nor at his latest job, AS Roma.

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As revealed by Gold earlier in the week, football.london understands that the 48-year-old will not have his 15-year long assistant Nuno Campos or fitness coach Pedro Moreira, who has also worked with him for over a decade, with him at Spurs.

This is a group that saw Fonseca guide Shaktar Donetsk to three successive league and cup doubles, whilst more recently, they steered the Serie A giants into the Europa League semi-final.

It begs the question, can he do the same without them? And as such, is he still the right appointment for Spurs?

The Lilywhites are in dire need of a rebuild, which is in part why Fabio Paratici has been hired as their first director of football since 2015.

He’ll have to sort out their defensive problems, resolve Harry Kane’s questionable future and guide the club back into the top four. No easy task, especially when the fanbase has been against your arrival from day one.

Fonseca’s previous successes came with his trusted staff memebers by his side and we have very little evidence to suggest he can be successful without them, so this is definitely a bit of a gamble by Daniel Levy. Time will tell if it works out for the best but many supporters in North London should be rather worried that Fonseca’s right-hand men won’t be by his side as and when he takes over.

AND in other news, Spurs were dealt another gutting manager blow over pre-Fonseca target…

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that he’s expecting a busy summer at Leeds United – with Marcelo Bielsa’s stature the catalyst for some “quality” signings.

The Elland Road outfit have enjoyed an impressive first season back in the Premier League, and despite just two victories from their previous seven matches, are looking good for a top-half finish.

Following their promotion back to the top-flight after a 16-year absence, Leeds were productive in the summer window – with the likes of Illan Meslier, Robin Koch and most notably, Raphinha, having a significant impact for the Yorkshire outfit this season.

Leeds have already been linked with a host of names, including Sevilla winger Lucas Ocampo and Brentford striker Ivan Toney as they look to build on what is already looking a successful first campaign back at Premier League level.

And Windass believes that another good transfer window for Bielsa’s side could see them make an unlikely push towards the Champions League places next term, providing the Leeds boss extends his stay at Elland Road.

He told Football FanCast:

“I think all over Europe he’ll be looking, not just in the Premier League, everywhere. I think they’ll be a lot of foreign imports especially with Bielsa’s contacts in the game. If he brings in five of six quality £40million players, they could be in the top-four next year.

“If Bielsa stays, there could be a lot of incomings and outgoings at Leeds in the summer.”

Liverpool kept their top-four hopes alive in remarkable fashion as Alisson headed an injury-time winner for Jurgen Klopp’s side against West Brom on Sunday afternoon.

The Reds found themselves 1-0 down against Sam Allardyce’s side after Hal Robson-Kanu’s impressive finish but levelled before half-time from an equally well-taken goal from Mohamed Salah.

Despite dominating possession, the Merseyside outfit were struggling to find the breakthrough against a resolute Baggies defence in the second half and looked on track to drop a costly two points, until Alisson popped up with a superb header from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s last gasp corner.

The result leaves Klopp’s side just one point behind fourth-placed Chelsea with two games remaining, so there is plenty for Liverpool fans to celebrate after the late winner, but this must not shift the focus from what was another disappointing display from Sadio Mane.

As per SofaScore, the Senegal international would earn a shocking 6.3/10 rating for his performance, which was comfortably the lowest of any Liverpool player to feature in the game.

The former Southampton man was left out against Manchester United in midweek, much to his disgust, and would have perhaps have been left on the bench again at the Hawthorns if not for Diogo Jota’s season-ending injury.

During the game, Mane would fail to register a single shot on target or successful dribble, as he failed to test Sam Johnstone from Thiago’s cut back in the first half, a chance you certainly would have expected him to take last season.

The 29-year-old has just three Premier League goals in 2021 to his name and has recently spoken about his disappointing return in front of goal this season, but showed little improvement against Sam Allardyce’s side.

Mane, who joined Liverpool for £34m, looks completely devoid of confidence and was incredibly wasteful in possession, losing the ball on 17 occasions during the game, whilst he also would win just two of his 15 duels during the game, suggesting that he was very much second-best against the West Brom defence.

It was another worryingly poor performance from the winger, and he certainly proved Klopp’s recent decision to leave him out to be right, but in the absence of Jota, he will need to perform a lot better in the final two league fixtures, or he risks costing the Reds a Champions League spot for next season.

And, in other news… Liverpool dealt another injury setback to key Anfield figure

A surprising new name has emerged in Tottenham Hotspur’s manager search this week…

What’s the word?

According to Rai Sport journalist Ciro Venerato, Daniel Levy has put Gennaro Gattuso on his list of potential candidates, as it’s widely expected that the 43-year-old will leave Napoli this season.

Speaking on Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli (via CalcioNapoli24), he said: “Gattuso will not be the Napoli coach from Monday, the Napoli players have known for months that Rino will no longer be the Napoli coach. Lazio and Juventus are on Gattuso, but the news of the day is that Tottenham have put Gattuso on the list of candidates for the next coach.

“The English club have been dealing with [Antonio] Conte for a month but now also like Gattuso. Tottenham president Daniel Levy has seen many Napoli matches and has watched Gattuso closely. He was impressed by the quality of the game and the quality of the ideas, seeing the matches against Milan and Roma.”

Watch out Spurs stars

Spurs have been linked with plenty of candidates since the sacking of Jose Mourinho just over a month ago and this one certainly comes out of left-field.

Most recently, The Athletic suggested that there were four names on the shortlist – Graham Potter (Brighton), Erik ten Hag (Ajax), Roberto Martinez (Belgium), and Ralf Rangnick (unemployed) – whilst the reliable Alasdair Gold has suggested that strong new names are emerging all the time.

Could Gattuso be one of those?

Many in North London will know all about the former AC Milan midfielder, as he was involved in a controversial incident during a Champions League tie in 2011. The skipper headbutted Harry Redknapp’s assistant Joe Jordan on the sidelines following a 1-0 win for Spurs at the San Siro.

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“Gattuso had a flare-up with Joe Jordan. I don’t know why,” claimed the former Spurs manager, via The Guardian. “He obviously hadn’t done his homework. He could’ve picked a fight with somebody else. Putting his head into Joe’s face, it was crazy. He lost his head.”

This sort of attitude has hardly changed as he’s transitioned into a coaching career. Back in November, Corriere dello Sport (via Daily Mail) reported that the Italian had clashed with his Gli Azzurri squad.

“I’ve been talking about this for months now. I see an attitude I don’t like and it hurts me. We need to sort this aspect out as soon as possible,” Gattuso fumed.

It was thought that this remark left the players furious and that’s hardly a surprise given his previous comments on the ‘modern-day footballer,’ once claiming: “When I lost a match I broke down in frustration. Today players lose, take a selfie and put it on the Internet. They make me sick.”

His record is actually quite respectable, but it has mostly been his time in Naples which has drawn success, clinching the Coppa Italia last season and registering a 58.75% win rate in charge.

In fact, former Milan superstar Kaka described him as “a phenomenon”, as he demands the best from his teams in training and tries to motivate them with the same sort of energy his displayed on the pitch, as per Football Italia.

What is clear, though, is that his potential appointment could certainly fire a rocket right through this Spurs squad – players like Dele Alli, who was dubbed “lazy” by Jose Mourinho, and Erik Lamela, who has done very little in the eight years he’s been here, should be worried if Gattuso gets the gig.

The same players who let Mauricio Pochettino down in those fateful few months after their Champions League heartbreak in 2019 are pretty much the ones which saw Jose Mourinho face a premature departure from north London.

If there isn’t much of a squad overhaul in the coming months, then Gattuso could be the man to get Spurs back on the straight and narrow.

AND in other news, Levy could secure Spurs’ perfect Kane replacement in “unplayable” £45m-rated “beast”…

The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder has dropped an intriguing Newcastle United transfer claim that may excite the club’s fans.

What’s the story?

The Magpies have had a fairly quiet summer window thus far, with only Joe Willock arriving on a permanent basis from Arsenal.

Now, Ryder has claimed on Twitter, that the “club’s chief scout spotted (was) at (a) Championship clash” at the weekend.

Then, in a follow-up article for The Chronicle, Ryder delved in a little deeper, saying: “And notably, Bruce’s head of recruitment Steve Nickson was spotted at Hull City’s bore draw with Bournemouth at the KCOM Stadium at the weekend.

“Nickson may have been running the rule over sought after midfielder David Brooks, who has also been subject of interest from Crystal Palace and is represented by the same agency that the Magpies use regularly for deals.”

Fans may be excited

Given the kind of disappointment that Newcastle fans have endured, not just in terms of their on-pitch performances but their off-the-pitch recruitment, it’d be easy to understand why they may not be overly excited until a new player or two arrives through the door and holds up the famous black and white shirt.

However, news that the Magpies’ chief scout is still very much out and about on scouting missions ahead of deadline day should reassure them and leave them both hopeful and excited over a potentially frantic deadline day finish.

And if Ryder’s theory is right that Nickson had his eye on Bournemouth’s Brooks, then they would be getting a superb player if they do make a move for him.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, former Villa man Lee Hendrie waxed lyrical about the versatile attacker, saying: “I’m a big fan of David Brooks. I’ve seen a fair bit of him this season and he’s an absolute talent, he really is.

“He reminds me of Jack (Grealish). He’s very slight, he’s very mobile and, again, he’s another player that could set the Prem on fire if he’s given a chance.”

He has managed eight goal contributions in 24 Championship games this campaign, and quite appealingly for Smith, he is able to play anywhere behind the striker.

In the £55,000-a-week earning Brooks, Bruce would be getting someone who is able to play both in the number ten role and out wide, with the Welshman’s low centre of gravity and quick turn of pace something to really change the game – his former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe hailed him as someone who “turns well with the ball” and has “creative flair”.

Last season saw him bag six goals and provide a seven five assists, while he’s enjoyed a fine start to this campaign too, netting three times in just six games.

It’s no wonder then that Chris Wilder, his former boss at Sheffield United, declared him a “match-winner” and someone he wanted to bring back in October last year.

If the Magpies are to make a last-gasp swoop for a player following Nickson’s scouting mission, and Brooks is a man they are indeed targeting, then they could be getting a very fine player indeed with previous Premier League experience to boot.

Ryder’s claim is surely an exciting one for fans.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are eyeing a move for this Premier League star…