All posts by h716a5.icu

Today will represent a huge test for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side.

Swept aside so easily by Real Madrid at Anfield a week and a half ago, they are actually in vibrant form in the Premier League.

Indeed, the Reds have are unbeaten in their last four league fixtures and have not conceded a single goal in that time.

It marks that 5-2 defeat to Carlo Ancelotti’s men as an anomaly but only if they don’t suffer a similar fate against Manchester United.

The Red Devils are one of the most in-form and free-scoring sides around with Marcus Rashford possessing the ability to terrify and terrorise any defence he sets his eyes upon.

For a side so easily undone by the likes of Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema several days ago, they will have to be at their best.

How can Liverpool beat Man United?

Klopp has several selection dilemmas heading into today’s clash with Erik ten Hag’s men.

How he selects his defence will be of particular interest with so many recent clean sheets. Of course, the great Virgil van Dijk is an automatic pick but he could be paired alongside either Joel Matip or Ibrahima Konate.

There are dilemmas in midfield too where Jordan Henderson was only a substitute in the 2-0 win over Wolves.

Whether Diogo Jota keeps his place too is worth a discussion with Cody Gakpo and Roberto Firmino waiting in the wings.

That said, there are two players who must come out of the team if Liverpool are to boost their chances at Anfield this afternoon.

The first decision should be a no-brainer with Andy Robertson being re-called to replace Kostas Tsimikas.

In truth, the Greek full-back barely put a foot wrong in that win over Wolves. Hailed by some as their man of the match, he was “excellent” in the words of prominent Liverpool source DaveOCKOP, having assisted Mohamed Salah’s goal and attempted five crosses on the night.

It was a typical Liverpool full-back’s display as the £50k-per-week earner lost the ball on 18 occasions as a marker of his attempts to be creative.

He may well have made an impact but Klopp’s trusty lieutenant in Robertson simply has to come back into the XI.

The same should be said of Henderson who could well replace Harvey Elliott this afternoon.

He saw a couple of first-half chances go ‘awry’ in the words of GOAL’s Peter McVitie v Wolves, only earning a 6/10 match rating and despite his endeavour and energy, experience could be the order of the day against United.

Henderson, despite his decreasing stock, is still a reliable pair of hands for a match like this and should do a greater job of retaining possession and maintaining the tempo.

For all of Elliott’s willingness to make something happen, the £40k-per-week youngster did lose possession 16 times last time out, a notably high number for a midfield player.

By comparison, Henderson has only lost possession on average nine times per match in the top flight this season.

The middle of the park has been a contentious issue this term and with a battle against the might of Casemiro in mind, is likely to be where the game is won and lost.

Scottish champions Celtic continue to soar under manager Ange Postecoglou, with the title-winning coach having worked wonders at Parkhead thus far as a result of his front-foot play style and astute dealings in the transfer market.

The 57-year-old has notably utilised his J-League connections to secure the signings of the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate over the past year or so, with that trio among a crop of additions who have been pivotal in reviving the club’s fortunes, following the dour end to Neil Lennon’s second spell in charge.

Such success with regard to recruitment has evidently not always been the norm for the Old Firm giants, however, with the Glasgow side likely to have made notable blunders or errors in the transfer market in the recent past.

One such error that may well now sting is the club’s inability to snap up Brighton and Hove Albion starlet, Evan Ferguson, with the Republic of Ireland international currently thriving in the Premier League.

Were Celtic close to signing Evan Ferguson?

The 18-year-old marksman was acquired by the Seagulls from Bohemians back in January 2021, although prior to that the Hoops were one of a handful of clubs who took a close look at the teenager, having brought him in on trial.

As the player himself admitted, despite interest from those at Celtic Park – as well as the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United – he ultimately opted to make the move to the Amex, having seen a potential, clearer pathway into the first-team at the club:

“I have been on a trial to a few clubs but that [Liverpool] was the main one [other than Brighton]. I was on trial with Manchester United, Celtic, and Everton. I think from the outside it was obvious to see that [pathway] and most of the managers here have given chances to young players.”

There will no doubt be frustration that the Bhoys were unable to tempt the striker into making the move to Scotland instead with the promise of a regular role, with the Scottish Premiership side now left to rue that missed chance amid Ferguson’s success south of the border.

How is Evan Ferguson doing at Brighton?

While it is still early days in the 6 foot 2 gem’s senior career, the Irishman has already made his mark for Roberto De Zerbi’s side, having already scored five goals and provided four assists in just 16 appearances for Brighton thus far.

Lauded as “phenomenal” by teammate Solly March, Ferguson only recently powered his side into the FA Cup quarter-finals after scoring the winning goal in the victory over Stoke City earlier this week, showcasing his poacher’s instinct to tap home from close range.

Not just a threat inside the penalty area, however, the towering, physical asset also offers a lot more in attack as a result of his impressive hold-up play, with such traits having seen him receive glowing praise from the aforementioned March:

“He’s strong, he’s quick, he holds the ball up well and he scores goals – so we’re delighted with him. He’s a different player to what we’ve had in recent games. It’s nice to have that big figure in the box who you know when you cross balls in, he’s going to hold it up.”

The two-cap machine has made a smooth transition to life in England’s top-flight with three goals and two assists in just seven league games this season, with that the same tally that ex-Celtic man Odsonne Edouard has produced for Crystal Palace this term, albeit with the Frenchman having made 22 appearances thus far.

That has ensured that young Ferguson boasts a remarkable scoring rate of a goal every 103 minutes in the current campaign, while Edouard – who left the Hoops back in the summer of 2021 – has scored a goal every 377 minutes.

Unsurprisingly the praise has been flooding in for the Brighton man having been lauded as like “Alan Shearer in his pomp” by Sky Sports pundit Tim Sherwood, with it looking as if he is set for a bright future in the game – as the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are now circling for his signature.

With it likely that the Bettystown native will move on for a big fee in the years to come – amid that interest in his services – it will undoubtedly sting that Celtic could have potentially snapped him up when he was just 16.

Chelsea are still interested in making a move for Borussia Dortmund and England ace Jude Bellingham this summer, according to journalist Matt Law.

The Lowdown: Bellingham Europe’s most wanted

The England international is one of the world’s most sought-after players at the moment, having produced a string of influential performances for club and country.

Bellingham is already a star man for Dortmund but he looks likely to leave this summer and Chelsea have been linked with a big-money swoop for him.

The Blues face plenty of competition for the 19-year-old’s services, however, with a number of their Premier League rivals keen on snapping him up.

The Latest: Chelsea still keen on signing

According to The Telegraph‘s Law, Chelsea are still keen on signing Bellingham in the summer, despite landing Enzo Fernandez in January.

The Blues are accepting that they are not necessarily the favourites to get their man, however, with others in front of them in the pecking order currently.

The Verdict: Game-changing addition

Bellingham could be a sensational signing for Chelsea if they managed to entice him to Stamford Bridge, with few players on the planet possessing more potential right now.

At 19, he has already won 22 caps for England and made 119 appearances for Dortmund, being described as a ‘superstar’ by Manchester United legend Roy Keane.

Bellingham could help transform Chelsea’s midfield, dovetailing beautifully with the similarly prodigious Fernandez and forming a world-class midfield for many years.

Despite his tender years, the Dortmund maestro already looks like a complete midfielder, averaging 3.2 tackles per game for England at the 2022 World Cup and also scoring ten times for his club side this term, in all competitions.

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly plotting a potential summer move to try and bring Serbia under-21 striker Petar Ratkov to Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Morelos replacement?

Alfredo Morelos is out of contract with the Premiership giants this summer, with reports that a number of clubs in the Spanish, Italian and Turkish top flights have registered their interests in signing him on a free transfer.

Should he depart, Rangers would need to find a replacement, and it looks as if they have one player lined up already.

The Latest: Ratkov transfer interest

As per Football Insider, Michael Beale’s side are plotting a move for Ratkov this summer and are ‘keeping close tabs’ on his situation at Serbian top-flight outfit FK TSC.

He is on the radar of some top clubs in Europe heading into this summer, and both Anderlecht and Parma had bids rejected for him in the January transfer window.

Rangers have made no enquiries or bids for Ratkov as of yet, but are assessing the player known as the ‘next Mario Mandzukic’.

The Verdict: Get it done

Ratkov will likely be a player in high demand come the summer, so the Light Blues need to try and wrap up this deal as soon as they can.

It is testament to how highly the 6 foot 4 striker is rated that he has been compared to Mandzukic, a Champions League winner with Bayern Munich and a World Cup finalist with Croatia who boasts 230 senior career goals at club and international level.

At just 19 years of age, Ratkov has already played 63 senior matches for TSC, scoring nine goals and supplying three assists, while he has also scored once in four matches at under-21 level with Serbia (Transfermarkt).

He certainly seems to have a bright future, and he could hopefully be a focal point for Rangers for years to come.

Everton are in desperate need to add reinforcements to their squad after a difficult season in the Premier League, and now a potential setback has been revealed from a reliable source.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed more details on the ongoing situation with Everton and Tottenham Hotspur over their interest in signing Richarlison this summer.

Romano took to his Caught Offside column to confirm that Spurs are in talks with the Brazilian winger’s new agents, however, the Merseyside club wants €70-75m (£60.4m – £64.8m).

So far their valuation of Richarlison has not been met according to the report, but Tottenham are interested in the player along with other clubs.

Supporters will be deflated

There is no doubt that supporters will be deflated with the news that Richarlison is looking likely to leave Goodison Park this summer, especially when you consider his importance in the team.

Richarlison was the top goal scorer for the Toffees this season with 11 goals and came to the rescue at the business end of the Premier League campaign to deliver six important goals in the last ten games, making a huge impact on Everton’s survival following a difficult relegation battle.

The 25-year-old’s goal contributions and influence would surely be a huge loss to Frank Lampard if he was to leave ahead of next season, however if the club can earn the transfer fee they have set for the Brazilian it would give Everton the chance to reinvest and identify a worthy replacement.

The Toffees have been linked with a number of potential forwards with Lucas Moura and Armando Broja both named as potential transfer options for the club this summer, and Farhad Moshiri will need to make sure he works hard to identify the right replacement to ensure Everton are not caught short.

Ultimately, Lampard will need to prepare for the worst-case scenario that Richarlison will leave this summer and focus on planning for the season ahead to ensure the Merseyside club does not find themselves repeating the mistakes of last season all over again.

AND in other news: Lampard now “keen” on Everton deal to sign £50m machine, he’s “Kante with goals”

Aston Villa are keen on signing Nantes left-back Quentin Merlin, according to The Sunday Mirror (05/06, p72), via Birmingham Mail.

The lowdown

Steven Gerrard has already completed four signings for the summer transfer window – Diego Carlos, Philippe Coutinho, Robin Olsen and Boubacar Kamara – but his recruitment drive shows no signs of stopping.

Indeed, The Athletic's Gregg Evans reported after the capture of Kamara that a left-back is on the agenda for the 42-year-old.

Merlin has been with Nantes since the age of 11 but only made his Ligue 1 debut this season. He would go on to start 21 of his team's top-flight matches, making seven more substitute appearances.

The 20-year-old, who can also operate as a left midfielder, is contracted to Nantes until 2026 and is valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt.

The latest

The report from The Sunday Mirror (via Birmingham Mail) claimed that Merlin grabbed Gerrard's attention during a Ligue 1 scouting mission a few weeks ago.

The Villa manager travelled to the Stade Velodrome for a match between Marseille and Nantes on 20 April, intending to watch Kamara, but Merlin reportedly impressed him too.

The verdict

Merlin, who has been labelled a 'serious talent' by Jacek Kulig, looks like he could be a strong back-up to Lucas Digne and a potential long-term starter, with Matt Targett's Villa Park future uncertain.

The French youngster ranked in the 86th percentile among full-backs in the top five European leagues for shot-creating actions in 2021/22, notching three assists in addition to his two goals (via FBRef). With high volumes of progressive carries and dribbles too, he's clearly very active up and down the left flank.

He may only have played 20 minutes on the night that Gerrard was in attendance, but that speaks to the strength of his cameo against Marseille. Merlin won three of the four duels that he contested, completed two dribbles and was successful with eight of his 10 passes (via SofaScore).

He also shone against Paris Saint-Germain in February, scoring what sports journalist Josh Bunting called an 'incredible' goal, and he looks like an astute replacement for Targett if the latter has played his last game in a Villa shirt.

In other news, Matt Maher lays out his Villa transfer expectations

Tottenham Hotspur are prioritising the addition of a left-sided centre-back this summer and it’s thought that they have two clear choices…

What’s the word?

According to ever-reliable journalist Alasdair Gold of football.london, the north London outfit have made Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni and RB Leipzig gem Josko Gvardiol their two main targets this off-season.

[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!”]

Both are likely to cost in excess of £51m, though it is the latter who could offer Spurs more, even despite manager Antonio Conte previously working with the Italy international.

In the past, The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke has stated that it could take “as much as £70m or £80m” to prise the Croatian away from the Bundesliga club. Meanwhile, Transfermarkt value him at just £27m, having cost Leipzig around £13.5m plus add-ons.

Better than Bastoni

It’s no surprise that the Spurs boss would be keen on bringing Bastoni over to England, having managed him at the San Siro on their way to the club’s first Serie A title in over a decade in 2021.

He certainly has plenty of attributes which could appeal to Conte, too. However, when comparing them to the former Dinamo Zagreb starlet, there’s evidently only one winner.

The 20-year-old colossus has emerged as one of Europe’s most talented young defenders, enjoying a run in Leipzig’s starting XI this season. Only two other players registered a better seasonal WhoScored rating than him – the free-scoring Christopher Nkunku and his defensive partner Willi Orban.

He has also offered Domenico Tedesco great versatility by also being capable of playing at left-back, being a natural left-footer – the one gap in Spurs’ backline right now.

“Since he was a child, he’s been built like a tank. He can go forward, he can jump, he can tackle – he can do everything you want,” once claimed Germania Sport assistant editor Izak Ante Sucic, who also compared him to a current Premier League monster.

“In Croatia, we like to compare him to Virgil van Dijk, because he’s built that way (6ft 1in). He’s one of his role models in football and he’s also mentioned Thiago Silva and Sergio Ramos.”

Over the course of their respective careers to date, Gvardiol outranks Bastoni in pretty much every metric that Conte should be looking for in a central defender in his system.

As per FBRef, the young colossus is performing greater defensively, averaging more interceptions (3.30 vs 1.07) and tackles (2.01 vs 1.68) per 90, whilst his passing ability is unrivalled, too.

The 6 foot 1 star makes nearly two more progressive passes per 90 than the Inter man, meaning he’s successfully playing the ball forward more, whilst an xG&A of 0.16, compared to Bastoni’s 0.09 suggests that he can be a bigger threat from set-pieces and when attacking the opposition.

That’s also backed up by the fact that Gvardiol also outranks him for aerial duels won per 90 (2.65 vs 1.97). You have to consider just how defensive the Italian top-flight game is as well, making the Leipzig talent’s numbers all that more impressive when comparing the two.

All in all, it could be very worthwhile for sporting director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy to pay up for Gvardiol over the £51m-rated Bastoni, on the above evidence alone.

His form and potential at just 20 years of age is surely too enticing to ignore. He must be the no.1 option between the two main targets.

AND in other news, Conte could land his next Perisic as Spurs now plot bid for “unstoppable” £17m “beast”…

Everton boss Frank Lampard could ‘use his contacts’ to send a ‘big message’ and bring Armando Broja to Goodison Park.

The Lowdown: Interest in Broja

According to a report by GOAL, Premier League sides West Ham and Newcastle, along with Serie A clubs AC Milan, Inter Milan and Napoli, are all in the race to secure the Albania international’s signature.

The 20-year-old made 32 top-flight appearances whilst on loan at Southampton this season, and Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl made it clear that he wanted to keep hold of the talented striker.

However, a recent farewell message on Instagram suggests that Broja will not be heading back to St Mary’s next season.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-5/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: ‘Big message’

Whilst there has been other Premier League interest in Broja, transfer insider Dean Jones thinks Everton should be the club to go all out for the youngster, believing Lampard could send a ‘big message’.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed:

“I’m not sure West Ham have got the interest that they had at one point, so I don’t think there’s the competition level there for Broja anymore.

“Lampard obviously can use his contacts to get into Broja early, speak to him himself, and just try and convince him that Everton is a club that’s going to be in transition but in a good way. That’s going to be the big message that they send out.”

The Verdict: Strong signing

With the ongoing financial fair play situation at Goodison, Lampard may be forced into selling one of Richarlison or Dominic Calvert-Lewin (via 90min).

If the England international were to go, Broja could be a strong replacement due to his similar profile. Coming in at 6 foot 3, the Albanian ranks in the 86th percentile for aerials won when compared with positional peers across Europe (via FB Ref).

Therefore, if Lampard can use his contacts at Chelsea to get a deal over the line, the man dubbed ‘athletic and powerful’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig could be a very good signing for Everton.

In other news: Everton: Oleksandr Zinchenko touted for Toffees move

Morgan Gibbs-White can become a key player for Wolves next season after returning from his loan spell, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Gibbs-White excels away from Wolves

The 22-year-old was deemed surplus to requirements by Bruno Lage last summer, with the manager struggling to promise him regular starts at Molineux. Instead, Gibbs-White joined Sheffield United on loan for the 2021/22 campaign, as he aimed to continue his progress and enjoy regular first-team action elsewhere.

The midfielder did exactly that, scoring 12 times and registering 10 assists in 37 Championship appearances as the Blades reached the play-offs, and he will now return to Wolves this summer riding the crest of a wave.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/all-the-latest-from-wolves-8/” title=”All the latest from Wolves!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Latest: Gibbs-White backed for big season

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Taylor claimed that Gibbs-White could now become a fixture in Wolves’ team from the start of the 2022/23 season and backed him to quickly move on from the disappointment of penalty shoot-out heartache for Sheffield United in the Championship play-offs.

The Daily Express journalist said:

“Morgan Gibbs-White could be a player that sort of really kick-starts his career next season. He’s had an unbelievable loan spell with Sheffield United.

“He missed a penalty in the shoot-out, but Conor Coady’s already said what a player he’s going to become.”

[freshpress-poll id=“388780″]

The Verdict: Will he stay?

While there is great hope that Gibbs-White could become a star at Molineux – he has been described as ‘brilliant’ by ex-Blades team-mate Billy Sharp – there is also no guarantee that he will stay put at Wolves.

The youngster has been linked with a move to newly-crowned Serie A champions AC Milan, further highlighting what a gifted player he is, so he may be weighing up his options.

However, one can certainly hope that Gibbs-White will realise that Lage may now see him as a big part of his plans in the Black Country, so that he ends up committing his future to Wolves, helping to fill the midfield void which could be left by the likely departure of Ruben Neves.

In other news, Bruno Lage has been backed to bring one player to Wolves. Find out who it is here.

A huge Newcastle United injury lift has emerged regarding centre-forward Chris Wood…

What’s the latest?

The New Zealand international was not in the matchday squad for the 2-0 win against Arsenal on Monday night, but Eddie Howe has now hinted that he could be back at the weekend.

An own goal from Ben White and a strike from Bruno Guimaraes sealed the three points for the Magpies as Callum Wilson led the line in place of Wood on the night.

The Athletic’s Chris Waugh tweeted after the game: “Javier Manquillo missed NUFC’s 2-0 victory over AFC tonight with chicken pox, while Chris Wood was absent with a hip injury which Eddie Howe “hopes isn’t too serious”. Wood has a chance of being back for Burnley, his former club, on Sunday.”

Howe will be delighted

The Toon boss will be delighted that the striker’s blow is not a serious one, as it suggests that Wood will be back for the final game of the season on Sunday.

Newcastle are two points off the top half of the table heading into their clash against Burnley, and they have a realistic chance of finishing in the top 10 if they are able to beat the Clarets – potentially consigning them to relegation from the Premier League in the process.

This means that there is still a lot riding on this game for both teams, although the Magpies have already secured their place in the top flight for another year. Therefore, it may be a tense, cagey encounter at Turf Moor as Mike Jackson’s side scrap for their lives to avoid the drop.

With this in mind, having a player with Wood’s physical prowess available will be a big boost to Howe’s team. In the Premier League this season, the striker has won a whopping 6.2 aerial battles per game, which highlights his strength in the air.

The 30-year-old will be a useful option for Howe to call upon as he can win headers to create counterattacks and alleviate pressure from the defence. Burnley may start the game quickly and attempt to load the box with crosses in what could be a must-win clash for them, and this would mean that the Newcastle defenders will need a target to hit when they clear the ball. That is what Wood can be.

Therefore, the Magpies boss will be buzzing by the prospect of having the attacker available and may utilise his strengths against the club that he left to come to St James’ Park in January.

AND in other news, Forget Guimaraes: £59k-p/w NUFC dynamo who won 100% duels was a monster on Monday…