All posts by n8rngtd.top

Newcastle United showed during the January transfer window that they are not averse to securing deals for players from fellow Premier League clubs.

For example, the winter window saw the Magpies bring in the likes of Matt Targett, Chris Wood and Dan Burn to St James’ Park to help the club avoid relegation.

However, one man who was brought in from outside the UK during this period was Bruno Guimaraes.

Signed from Lyon on a four-and-a-half-year deal worth an initial £35m, the Brazilian ended the 2021/22 season with 17 Premier League outings to his name. In those appearances, the midfielder scored five goals and provide one assist.

In addition to his effectiveness in front of goal, the 24-year-old also proved to be a useful defensive figure as he made 39 successful tackles, 27 blocks, 19 interceptions and nine clearances (FBRef).

With the current summer transfer window open, this could give Eddie Howe the chance to strengthen his squad even further, as they have done already by securing deals for Nick Pope and Sven Botman.

While the Magpies have already added more options at the back, one midfielder that they could look to bring in who would continue their recent track record of signing players from other Premier League clubs and give Howe the chance to form a scary duo alongside Guimaraes is Tomas Soucek.

Earlier this month, the Toon were mentioned with a potential £30m swoop for the West Ham United midfielder.

Similarly to the Newcastle midfielder, Soucek showed during his previous Premier League season how dangerous he can be in front of goal and how tough an opponent he is in terms of his defensive work.

Having played in 35 league games for the Hammers last term, the Czech Republic international ended up having 45 attempts at goal, five of which ended with him scoring. From a defensive point of view, the 27-year-old won 41 tackles and made 49 blocks, 55 interceptions and 119 clearances.

Praised by Kevin Phillips in the past for his “superb” performances for the Irons, Soucek was also labelled by the former England striker as a “master of arriving late into the box.”

This all suggests that, should Newcastle sign the Hammers star and get him in the same team as Guimaraes, this would give them two midfield options who can cause havoc up front and keep things tight at the back, a potential combination which should spring the Toon into launching a move for the 27-year-old.

AND in other news: Newcastle in the mix to sign “remarkable” £9.9m-rated sensation, he’s Wilson 2.0

A club in the Premier League have reportedly now been given the green light by their owner to pursue a move for Glasgow Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo.

The Lowdown: Uncertain future

The 25-year-old is facing an uncertain future at Ibrox, as he only has one year left on his contract.

It has been reported that the Gers are ‘confident’ that they can make a ‘significant profit’ on the Nigeria international this summer, which suggests that they would be open to selling him at the right price.

The Latest: Aribo transfer latest

As per The Scottish Sun, Nottingham Forest and Steve Cooper have now been given the ‘green light’ by their billionaire owner Evangelos Marinakis to pursue their interest in Aribo, whose representatives have indicated that he is ‘unlikely’ to sign a new contract at Rangers.

However, Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa, along with Crystal Palace and Fulham, are also thought to be interested in the Nigerian’s signature.

The Verdict: Sell at a premium

If the Light Blues are to let Aribo go this summer, then they must sell him at a premium price, especially if clubs from the English top flight come calling.

Hailed as ‘incredible’ by sports performance consultant Allistair McCaw after playing no fewer than 70 times for club and country last season, the 25-year-old is clearly a key player in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side, so he would not be easy to replace.

Indeed, only two players clocked up more minutes for the Teddy Bears last term than Aribo’s 4,482, while he ranked as their third-best performer on WhoScored and posted the squad’s second-highest dribbling average (1.4 per game), so his influence is clear to see.

Rangers should be looking to try and tie him down to a new deal if possible. If not, they must ensure that they get a proper reimbursement for him in the transfer market.

Liverpool are interested in re-signing former Reds midfielder Gini Wijnaldum on loan this summer, according to a surprise transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Wijnaldum struggles after Anfield exit

The 31-year-old was a hugely influential figure at Anfield between 2016 and 2021, winning both the Champions League and Premier League during his time at the club and contributing to 38 goals in 237 appearances, notably being a reliable presence who constantly avoided any long-term injury.

Wijnaldum left to join Paris Saint-Germain last summer but his time in the French capital has been an undoubted disappointment, with Get French Football News even describing him as the Ligue 1 Flop Signing of the Year, claiming that he looked ‘lost’ at times.

With Liverpool arguably in need of a midfield addition this summer, a shock rumour is now doing the rounds.

The Latest: Liverpool linked with shock Wijnaldum move

According to The Irish Daily Star [via Liverpool Echo], there are ‘whispers’ that Liverpool want to bring Wijnaldum back on a temporary basis this summer, with the latter’s report describing it in their headline as a ‘shock loan move’.

It is seen a stop-gap solution ahead of a potential big-money signing of a midfielder next year, with Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham being one possible candidate.

Darwin’s a Red! Get your special edition Darwin Nunez tee here.

The Verdict: Sign him up

This could be an ideal piece of business by Liverpool, seeing how it looks increasingly unlikely that they will be able to sign Bellingham this summer.

Wijnaldum may have struggled at PSG but that arguably has more to do with their use of him than anything else, with the Dutchman a system player who thrives under a manager who uses him correctly – such as Jurgen Klopp, who called him a ‘sensational’ player upon his departure from Anfield 13 months ago.

The midfielder would surely jump at the chance to make a short-term return to Liverpool, who signed him for £25m six years ago, and he remains a force who could add some much-needed extra depth in the middle of the park.

While the Reds have plenty of options in that area, the likes of Jordan Henderson, Thiago and Naby Keita are all too capable of picking up injuries – something which rarely happened to Wijnaldum during his time on Merseyside.

In other news, Liverpool are ready to move for a Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

It would be a ‘big blow’ if Aston Villa were to lose John McGinn this summer, Frank McAvennie has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

The Daily Mail’s Sam McEvoy reported earlier this month that Tottenham Hotspur, who are bound for the Champions League next season under Antonio Conte, are lining up a move for the 27-year-old.

The same publication had also reported in May that West Ham have identified the Scotsman as a potential target.

McGinn joined Villa in 2018 in a £2.8m move from Scottish Premiership side Hibernian. He has since gone on to make 147 appearances for the Midlands club, scoring 16 goals and providing 23 assists.

Valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt, he still has three years left to run on his £70,000-per-week contract.

The latest

McAvennie, who played for Villa in the early 1990s, believes that the loss of McGinn would hurt the club but is confident that his fellow Scotsman is happy in the Midlands, where he has been given a platform to excel.

The 62-year-old told Football Insider about McGinn: “It would be a big blow if he left. Is he going to go? A player starts playing well and you see them linked with every club.

“I haven’t seen too much about it myself. John is happy, from what I can gather. He is playing in the Premier League, he is playing every week and he’s doing very well.

“There aren’t many people who have gone down to England and done that. He has done brilliantly. He’s shining week in and week out even though Grealish isn’t there anymore, they were great together.”

The verdict

Would McGinn jump at the chance to move to Tottenham?

On the one hand, he would have the opportunity to work under a five-time league title winner in Antonio Conte, who may be plotting another title bid in north London.

He’d also have the opportunity to play in the Champions League, which is an undeniable draw, particularly for a player who has yet to sample the competition.

On the other hand, McGinn would be competing with the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur and new £25m signing Yves Bissouma for midfield places at Tottenham.

Is he willing to potentially drop down to a rotational role to improve his prospects of winning silverware? That’s the key dilemma that he may have to confront.

In other news, Dean Smith wants to sign this Villa ace

Graham Smyth has dropped an update on the future of Leeds United goalkeeper Kiko Casilla.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Yorkshire Evening Post’s chief football writer revealed that he would be incredibly shocked if the 35-year-old were to rejoin Jesse Marsch’s first-team squad ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign, despite the former Spain international still having one year remaining on his current contract at Elland Road.

The journalist added that it would appear likely that Victor Orta will look to offload the one-time Real Madrid stopper on another loan deal, a permanent transfer or by mutually terminating his contract by agreeing a settlement for his remaining pay owed, with the latter appearing the most probable outcome.

In response to a supporter asking for an update on Castilla’s future, Smyth replied: “I will be stunned if he returns. Loan, permanent or settlement. Latter seems likely.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Leeds very much seem to have moved on from Casilla over the last two years, with Illan Meslier emerging as the Whites’ undisputed number one in the absence of the 35-year-old.

With the club also signing 21-year-old Kristoffer Klaesson on a four-year deal last July, it now seems evident that the Spaniard is surplus to requirements at Elland Road.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

In truth, Casilla’s career in LS11 was done a little over two years ago, when an independent Football Association regulatory commission found him guilty of racially abusing then-Charlton Athletic forward Jonathan Leko in September 2019, with the £630k-rated stopper being handed an eight-match ban.

Indeed, since this incident, the veteran went on to make just six more first-team appearances for the Whites, before being sent out on loan to Elche in the summer of 2021.

Furthermore, when taking into account that the 35-year-old is reported to be earning a quite ridiculous £40k-per-week at Elland Road, it is clear that getting the goalkeeper’s salary off the club’s books would provide both Orta and Marsch with a handy boost to their available wage budget in the summer transfer window.

As such, considering all of that, Smyth’s claim that Leeds will more than likely tell Casilla to pack his bags this summer is sure to be news which will leave both Marsch and the Elland Road faithful buzzing.

AND in other news – “Sources say..”: The Athletic journalist drops Leeds transfer update, supporters will be livid

Rangers have been handed a hammer blow over Ianis Hagi’s injury, as an insider has dropped a big claim on the Ibrox player’s comeback…

What’s the talk?

Gheorghe Hagi has revealed that his son may not return to action for another four months as he is only halfway through his recovery.

The Glasgow Times quote him as saying: “Ianis is very well, I went to the Europa League Final to see him and I will see him for longer because he is coming on holiday with us too.

“He has done about 50 per cent of his recovery and still has 50 per cent of work to do. His knee is as strong as it was before and actually probably stronger than before the injury.

“He’s on the right track and his rehabilitation has worked very well. But it’s still going to take three or four more months for him to return. Ianis will get over this difficult moment in his career though.”

Gio van Bronckhorst will be fuming

The Rangers head coach will be fuming with this claim, as it suggests that Ianis Hagi may not play for the Light Blues until September or October.

This means that the 23-year-old is now set to miss the start of the 2022/23 campaign and all of the club’s Champions League qualifiers. The Gers need to qualify for the group stage after missing out on the Europa League and Premiership crowns this year, and this latest update has ruled out Hagi’s involvement in those matches.

His absence is a big blow for Van Bronckhorst, as the Romania international is an excellent midfielder who has proven himself in Glasgow, thriving in the Premiership since his move from Belgium.

In the 2020/21 title-winning campaign, Hagi produced seven goals and 11 assists in 33 games as he proved that he can make a big impact in the final third. He has the quality to score and set up goals for the Gers, playing on either flank or in the number 10 position.

He has also showcased his ability in Europe for the Light Blues. In the memorable 2021/22 Europa League run, the 23-year-old provided one goal and one assist in five games, also creating three ‘big chances’, and this shows that he can perform well on the continental stage too.

Van Bronckhorst will therefore be gutted by this latest update. It comes as a hammer blow to Rangers, as they will now be without the talented midfielder’s quality for crucial matches later in the summer, and the head coach will now be hoping that his other players can step up to make sure that Hagi’s absence does not have a telling impact.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Lundstram: Wilson must land Rangers deal for “fabulous” £28k-p/w maestro…

Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma has revealed that Liverpool have shown an interest in signing him and that he would ‘consider’ a move to Anfield.

The Lowdown: Danjuma impresses for Villarreal

The 25-year-old has become a key player for Villarreal in recent times, playing his part in them reaching the Champions League semi-finals in 2021/22.

Danjuma ended the campaign with ten goals and three assists in La Liga, also netting six times in Europe and coming up against Liverpool in the last four.

The Dutchman has been described as a ‘nightmare for defenders’ by Kevin Phillips and the Reds have been linked with a move for him in the past, with that report even naming him as Sadio Mane’s successor.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-34/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Latest: Winger makes Liverpool claim

Speaking to Voetbal Primeur [via Sport Witness], Danjuma confirmed Liverpool’s interest in him and said he would ‘have to consider it’ if a big club comes calling:

“I’m always as honest as possible about it: I’ve never had contact with clubs or anything like that during the season. I always know about my situation after the season; I don’t want to be involved in it at all during the season. But I have been informed that Liverpool were following me closely.

“I will never lie: I think it’s a bad quality if you’re not ambitious. And if a club came along that offered me a higher platform to play on sport-wise, I would always have to consider it.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“398089″]

The Verdict: Great squad option

With speculation continuing to surround Sadio Mane’s future at Liverpool, Danjuma could be a great option to come in as a squad player next season.

He would provide competition for the likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino, bringing direct running and end product to the team. Sixteen goals in 34 appearances for Villarreal is a testament to that.

At 25, he could even be viewed as a long-term regular alongside Diaz and Jota, although whether or not he is quite good enough to be such a key man is arguably up for debate.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has dropped a key Liverpool transfer update. Read more here.

An update has emerged on Oleksandr Zinchenko amid interest from Newcastle United heading into the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, the Magpies and Everton have both been touted as possible destinations for the Manchester City full-back ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that his future at the Etihad Stadium is up in the air this summer, although there is no mention of how much money it would take to snap him up from the Premier League champions.

The player is currently valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt.

Forget Matt Targett

Eddie Howe and Dan Ashworth must forget Targett after his loan spell on Tyneside and instead secure a deal for the Ukraine international.

They can get St James’ Park rocking with excitement by striking a move for the City defender, who is a proven, top-quality Premier League performer who knows exactly what it takes to win trophies.

He has won four league titles since joining the Cityzens in 2017 and racked up 128 appearances for the club in that time, scoring two goals and providing 12 assists.

Pep Guardiola previously heaped praise on the full-back’s understanding of the game, saying: “He knows how to play football. He’s playing at a good level, his consistency especially and he is always tactically smart and defensively, he is so, so smart he doesn’t make mistakes. He knows what he has to do to help the central defenders.”

The City manager added: “For our build up he is fundamental in the way we play. He understands the game perfectly.”

These comments show that the 25-year-old would surely be able to adapt to Howe’s tactical setups, and his ability in the build-up will be crucial in developing an attacking style of play.

In the 2021/22 campaign, Zinchenko averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.07 in the Premier League as he provided four assists from left-back and created 1.1 chances per game.

He has also been outstanding for his country in their World Cup qualifying campaign, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.48 across five games. In those matches, he scored one goal and produced one assist as he made 2.4 key passes per match.

With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that Aston Villa reporter Gregg Evans dubbed him a “frightening” player earlier this season.

Meanwhile, Targett averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.96 in the top flight for Newcastle and Villa combined this season, with one goal and one assist in 33 games. Whilst these are solid statistics from the English full-back, Zinchenko’s ability on the ball can elevate the attack with his build-up play and chance creation.

This is why Magpies fans would be excited by the Ukrainian dynamo’s prospective arrival, so Howe must now secure a deal to sign him from Manchester City.

AND in other news, PIF plotting NUFC bid for “tremendous” £30m “champion of the world”, he’s Ben Arfa 2.0… 

Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has been full of praise for Manchester City star Jack Grealish for delivering a ‘refreshingly honest’ TV interview after lifting the Premier League trophy on Sunday.

The Lowdown: An underwhelming start

The 26-year-old was named on the bench and ended up being an unused substitute in Pep Guardiola’s matchday squad for the Sky Blues’ final game of the season against Aston Villa last weekend, where they secured an astonishing 3-2 comeback victory to clinch the title in dramatic fashion in front of their jubilant home supporters.

The England international made the switch to the Etihad Stadium in a British record £100m move from the Midlands last summer, but he hasn’t been able to make the start that he would have hoped for in Manchester. So far for City, he has only scored three goals and provided the same number of assists in 26 top-flight appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/man-city-latest-developments-3/” title=”Man City latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Robinson praises Grealish

Speaking to Sky Sports immediately after the match on Sunday, the former Villa captain admitted that he has felt ‘nervous’ playing under Guardiola since his arrival at the Etihad, but Robinson believes that there will be a ‘big improvement’ in Grealish ahead of the 2022/23 season.

The ex-England goalkeeper told Football Insider‘s Dylan Childs: “I liked his interview after the game. I thought it was refreshingly honest.

“He has found it tough this season but it’s a different role for him. He has stepped out of his comfort zone into a dressing room full of stars with an expectation to win the Premier League. Man City are expected to win every competition they are in. Grealish hasn’t had that before.

“It is very different playing week in, week out for Villa being the main man. At City he is not guaranteed a game.

“I think the experiences of this season will stand him in good stead for next year though. I expect we will see a big improvement next season. He will only get better.”

The Verdict: More to come from Grealish

Despite his sparsity of goal contributions so far at City, the 20-cap England international has still made a positive impact whenever he has been on the pitch, having averaged two key passes, 1.7 shots and 1.5 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Premier League, via WhoScored.

Grealish is definitely capable of creating more in the final third, which he did with ease during his time at Villa, where he racked up 75 goal contributions. This is something which could come more naturally over time once he has had the chance to properly blend into the City starting XI.

Having just claimed yet another top-flight title, Guardiola will now be preparing for the start of the new term, when the £250k-per-week star could go on to play a pivotal role in maintaining the club’s unprecedented run of success from over the past decade.

In other news… a Sky Sports pundit has backed one of Man City’s first-team stars to put pen to paper on a new contract

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Gabriel Jesus to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Telegraph, who claim that Antonio Conte’s side have now joined Arsenal in the race for the Manchester City forward this summer, with the 25-year-old believed to be keen on a move away from The Etihad in a bid to secure more regular first-team football.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-news-updates-transfer-rumours-gossip-spurs-thfc-conte-paratici” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

The report goes on to state that, while the Brazil international’s agent, Marcelo Pettinati, is known to have discussed the possibility of a move to The Emirates with Mikel Arteta, it is also thought that Fabio Paratici has made Tottenham’s interest clear with the player’s representatives.

Diaz 2.0

While it is true that Jesus has somewhat struggled to hold down a starting spot in Pep Guardiola’s side over the past five years, it is undeniable that the versatile forward is an exceptionally talented player – with it being easy to see why Conte is interested in a deal to bring the 25-year-old to north London this summer.

Indeed, over his 28 Premier League appearances this season – 13 of which came on either the left or right-wing – the £59.5m-rated attacker was in fantastic form for City, scoring eight goals, registering eight assists and creating eight big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.3 shots, making 1.4 key passes and completing 1.6 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £90k-per-week Brazilian who Jack Lang dubbed “stunning” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.18, ranking him as Guardiola’s ninth-best performer in City’s title-winning campaign.

Furthermore, according to FBref data, Jesus also ranks in the top 7% of wingers and attacking midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 4% for npxG, the top 13% for shots, the top 9% for assists, the top 6% for npxG+xA and the top 6% for passes completed over the last 365 days.

These metrics see the 25-year-old compared to some of the most talented wingers in world football, such as Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane, City’s Raheem Sterling, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane.

As such, should Fabio Paratici be able to get a £55m deal over the line for the 25-year-old this summer, the Italian sporting director could well have made up for missing out on Diaz back in January, as Jesus very much looks as if he could be an equally impressive signing as the Liverpool sensation.

AND in other news: “I understand…”: Gold drops huge Spurs transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing