All posts by z3u9t.icu

It seemed a sensible decision by Crystal Palace to allow a 30-year-old Patrick van Aanholt to leave for nothing but after impressing for the Netherlands at the Euros, that decision may come back to haunt them according to Carlton Palmer.

Van Aanholt has often divided opinions during his time at Selhurst Park with his mistakes and inability to defend effectively, often being overlooked because of how good he was going for, which makes it no surprise that he has been such a force at the Netherlands as a left wing-back.

The Dutchman is set to be a free agent this summer after Palace failed to offer him a competitive new deal and with reported interest from Arsenal, it would appear unlikely that managerless Palace could match whatever the Gunners will offer him.

After arriving during Sam Allardyce’s tenure, after the manager worked with him at Sunderland, Van Aanholt became a regular making 134 appearances for the Eagles but they may have caused their own problem by not offering him a good enough deal before the Euros and Palmer spoke extensively about this issue to Football FanCast:

“I think he’s having a good Euros and the problem they’ve got now is that it’s going to be very hard for them to re-sign him.

“Clubs will be looking at him and knowing he’s available for little or no money so they can afford to pay his wages. So it’s a problem for Crystal Palace now.”

Van Aanholt has been a mainstay in the Netherlands side which won all three of their group games and looked incredibly effective going forward with the pace they both moved the ball and progressed into the final third.

Frank de Boer was heavily criticised for his decision to play with three centre backs but their two wing-backs, Van Aanholt and Denzel Dumfries have arguably been their most influential players at both ends of the pitch.

Liverpool target Christoph Baumgartner dropped a transfer hint regarding a potential switch to Anfield this summer.

What’s been said?

In a recent interview with German publication SportBild (via Sport Witness), the TSG 1899 Hoffenheim attacking midfielder suggested that, despite being linked with a move to Jurgen Klopp’s side in the summer transfer window, he has no intention of leaving the Bundesliga team in the near future.

The report went on to state that, even if the 21-year-old was keen on a move to the Premier League this summer, it would take an enormous offer for Sebastian Hoeneß to sanction the attacking midfielder’s sale.

When questioned about his future, Baumgartner said: “I definitely extended my contract in March with the intention of playing here next season. I see the best opportunity here to develop myself further. For me, that means continuous performance at a high level, with even more upward strides.”

Klopp will be gutted

Considering how much potential Baumgartner appears to possess, if the midfielder is indeed unmoved by the idea of a move to Liverpool this summer, it is an outcome that will undoubtedly leave Klopp gutted.

Indeed, over his 31 Bundesliga appearances for Hoffenheim last season, the 21-year-old scored six goals, registered three assists and created seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of two shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £19.8m-rated man earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as Hoeneß’s eighth-best performer in the top flight of German football.

As a result of his impressive campaign in the Bundesliga, Baumgartner earned himself a place in Franco Foda’s Austria squad for Euro 2020, where the midfielder proved a key part of the country’s run to the round of 16, scoring one goal and featuring in all four fixtures.

So, at just 21 years of age, the man Alexander Rosen dubbed a “dangerous” player would appear to be someone with an extremely bright future in the game, however, if the £8.4k-per-week midfielder’s latest comments are anything to go by, this future does not appear to be at Anfield.

In other news: Liverpool make an official offer for 26-year-old, Jurgen Klopp would love to have him

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass has told The Transfer Tavern in an exclusive interview that Jesse Lingard could still have a massive impact at Manchester United despite the arrival of Jadon Sancho.

Competition at United was already fierce, hence Lingard’s decision to spend the second half of last season on loan at West Ham, where he absolutely thrived. In 16 league appearances, the 28-year-old scored nine goals and provided four assists.

Following Sancho’s signing, that competition in attack is now likely to be even more fierce, but Windass is still backing Lingard to have a similar impact at Old Trafford this upcoming campaign.

The ex-Hull City star told TT:

“You can play [Marcus] Rashford as a nine, you can play Lingard as a nine, you’ve got Sancho who can play as a seven and 11 in the wide areas.

“So, yeah, I can see Jesse staying and making a massive impact for Man United next year.”

Whatever happens, United will surely end up playing a blinder. If Lingard stays and can replicate the sort of form he showed at the London Stadium, then that is some player Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has on his hands.

If not and the England international is sold to the east London club, then United should receive a hefty fee given the season he has just had.

Ultimately, it is hard to see how the Red Devils can lose here.

Southampton’s hopes of signing Billy Gilmour on loan from Chelsea this summer have been dashed after he agreed to a season-long stay at newly-promoted Norwich City, which is undoubtedly a blow to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side ahead of next season.

The 20-year-old midfielder’s move to Carrow Road has now been completed after an agreement was reached between the two clubs which will see him join the Canaries until June 2022 as Thomas Tuchel’s side look to further his development away from Stamford Bridge.

Southampton are one of the clubs who had been linked with a move for the Scotland international ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and given his superb performance for Steve Clarke’s side against England recently, he could have been an excellent addition at St Mary’s.

His performance in the 0-0 draw at Wembley in the European Championship earned the youngster a lot of praise, with his former manager Frank Lampard dubbing him a “top, top player”, whilst Dutch defender Patrick Van Aaanholt likened him to fellow Chelsea star N’Golo Kante.

Whilst Gilmour has only made 22 appearances for Chelsea’s senior side since joining from Rangers as a 15-year-old, he has regularly shown his class for the west Londoners when called upon, winning man of the match awards on his debuts in every competition in which he has played for both club and country.

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Southampton’s lack of squad depth last season was clear to see as injury problems derailed their impressive start, seeing them drop down the Premier League table and becoming embroiled in a relegation battle due to a shocking run of form in the second half of the season.

Due to long-term injuries to Oriol Romeu and Will Smallbone, Hasenhutll was left with just James Ward-Prowse, Ibrahima Diallo and Stuart Armstrong, who is much more comfortable on the wing, as his central midfield options for much of the campaign.

Therefore, adding a central midfielder ahead of next season should be a priority for the Austrian this summer, and Gilmour would have represented a quality young option who could have provided a different style to Romeu and Ward-Prowse in the middle of the park.

It is undoubtedly a blow for Hasenhuttl that Gilmour has opted to join Norwich City, as he could have proven to be an excellent addition to the Saints’ squad this summer.

In other news… Bundesliga outfit join the race for Saints-linked winger

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa must ruthlessly sell Kiko Casilla this summer as news emerges on his future at the club.

What’s the story?

According to Football Insider, the Spaniard has been given the green light to make his exit from Elland Road this summer, and that he has already agreed personal terms with a La Liga club on a return to his native Spain.

It’s added that Casilla is not training with the first team, and is “packing his bags ahead of a move back to his homeland”.

Time for Casilla to go

The Spaniard had been on the fringes of things for Bielsa’s side last season, with Illan Meslier firmly established as the club’s undisputed number one goalkeeper.

In fact, he only had the one Premier League outing to his name during the 2020/2021 campaign, with his appearance in a 1-0 defeat to Brighton back in mid-January being the only time Whites fans have seen him in action in the top-flight.

And, speaking after Leeds’ FA Cup loss to Crawley Town earlier this season, journalist Daniel Storey even questioned whether’s he good enough to play for the club, slamming: “I think Kiko Casilla was the other game-changer in a negative sense because I don’t think he should be playing for Leeds for non-football reasons, but he probably shouldn’t be playing for Leeds for football reasons after today.”

Leeds TV podcaster, Oscar Mario, meanwhile, simply labelled him a “complete liability”.

Given his off-the-pitch controversy, and Meslier’s emergence onto the scene as Leeds’ number one, Bielsa must surely look to offload the £40k-a-week earning Spaniard this summer.

It would be a ruthless call to get rid of someone who is the club’s number two, but given Meslier’s superb performances and his reasonably high wages, it’s a chance to get his salary off the books and ease the financial burden on Andrea Radrizzani.

Freeing up Casilla from the wage bill would give Leeds that little bit of extra flexibility when it comes to potential new signings or even contract extensions for key first-team players, but in any case, it would certainly help a lot in the short-term.

Meanwhile, Alan Nixon has dropped a Leeds United transfer update…

An exciting transfer update has emerged that is sure to delight many Tottenham Hotspur supporters…

What’s the word?

According to the Telegraph’s Matt Law, the North London outfit will once again target Southampton striker Danny Ings – to come in and play alongside Harry Kane – as new boss Nuno Santo looks to switch up their system.

It’s claimed that the Portuguese coach favours a two-man attack and desires the addition of a proven Premier League goalscorer to start next to the England captain, who the club remain determined to keep hold of.

The Saints talisman turns 29 this month and is entering the final year of his £75k-per-week contract at St Mary’s Stadium. He has made it clear that he will not sign their offer of a four-year extension, leading to the club into a likely sale – they are said to value him at around £20m.

Kane staying?

There is a lot to take from this latest update.

Firstly, the struggling Lilywhites are looking for another striker to bolster Nuno’s frontline and in Ings, they’d be getting a very compelling option as he’s been a regular source of goals for Southampton over the last few seasons.

Indeed, the 28-year-old hit 25 goals in all competitions during the 2019/20 season and followed that up with 13 goals last term, despite all of the club’s struggles on the pitch, as per Transfermarkt.

Ings is certainly someone who could have fans on the edge of their seat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next month.

Secondly, it suggests that Spurs will be keeping hold of Kane, which would come as a huge boost to Nuno and his chances of success in N17.

Before Euro 2020, there were reports claiming that the Englishman had requested to leave the club during this transfer window, alerting several of their top-flight rivals, including Premier League champions Manchester City and Champions League winners Chelsea.

Considering Kane accounted for 54.5% of all their Premier League goals scored in 2020/21, he’d obviously be a major miss in the side.

Nuno could form a lethal-looking frontline if he’s able to secure Ings to play alongside the prolific Spurs star.

This news should leave many around North London absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news, Paratici could sign Nuno’s next Neves in Spurs swoop for “special” £16.2m-rated beast…

Ben Jacobs has dropped a promising claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United involving the upcoming arbitration case against the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Newcastle protest

As per Jacobs, some members of the Toon Army have gone out on a protest to call for more transparency over the whole takeover situation.

This comes after similar calls from Amanda Staveley in an interview with Sky Sports and from the St. James’ Park faithful themselves after releasing a statement on their official website.

The Latest: Jacobs on arbitration

Citing the forthcoming arbitration hearing as ‘specifically about separation’, moreover whether the North East club can prove that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) is a separate entity to the Saudi state, Jacobs has given his latest verdict on what the results could mean.

The sports journalist, who has been following the latest developments in the takeover saga very closely, has claimed that a takeover is ‘still likely’ if the Tyneside club can win arbitration.

The Verdict: Still hope

There is still very much hope that a takeover can be completed for the Magpies, especially if they can win arbitration.

With the protests going on and more calls for transparency, including from consortium members themselves, the Premier League are clearly under a lot of pressure, and so NUFC may well take advantage of this when the proceedings begin.

Nonetheless, the results are set to be pivotal in determining the direction of where the takeover is heading, and the club will obviously be hoping that they go in their favour so we can find out if Jacobs’ ‘still likely’ prediction comes true.

In other news, find out what ‘end game’ claim Lee Ryder has made on the potential takeover here!

Carlton Palmer believes it should be a no-brainer for Newcastle United to fork out £3million for Kyle Bartley.

Magpies boss Steve Bruce is looking to beef up his defence after conceding 62 Premier League goals last season – nine more than relegated Fulham.

Florian Lejeune has also departed for Alaves having spent last season on loan with the Spanish club.

That means Bruce only has four senior central defenders at his disposal – Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar, Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez.

Newcastle have been heavily linked with making a move for 6 ft 4 Bartley, who impressed despite being unable to stop West Bromwich Albion suffering an immediate return to the Championship last season.

The 30-year-old made 31 appearances and also showed he is a threat in the opposition box by scoring three goals, but it was not enough for the Baggies to secure their Premier League status.

Palmer, who has kept a close eye on Bartley during his time at the Hawthorns, believes signing Bartley for a cut-price fee would be a shrewd piece of business by Newcastle.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “He is absolutely worth a punt at £3million. His salary is not going to be huge compared to what you would normally pay.”

Crystal Palace are closing in on a £20m deal for defender Joachim Andersen, according to The Daily Mail.

And, as to be expected, a number of Eagles fans have been sharing their positive thoughts to the update on social media.

The Daily Mail report that Palace are hopeful of concluding a deal for Andersen, who spent last season on loan at Fulham.

The 25-year-old made 31 appearances under Scott Parker last season, captaining the club on multiple occasions.

Patrick Vieira has already bolstered his defensive ranks with the acquisition of Marc Guehi from Chelsea and it seems as if Andersen will be the next through the door.

The report also adds that Palace remain in talks for Schalke centre-back Ozan Kabak, despite the development with Andersen.

Palace fans react

Both @cpfc_xtra and @CPFCtransfersHQ shared The Daily Mail’s update on social media.

This is what these Palace supporters had to say in reply, with one describing a likely move as ‘unreal’.

“Holy moly”Credit: @Kevbartleyy”Oh my god”Credit: @unknownbald”Yessss”Credit: @CPFCH10″Would’ve preferred a loan to buy given how much he’ll cost, but still an unreal signing”Credit: @unIocaIpIa9tic”We’re actually cooking”Credit: @w_cpfc”Oh yes”Credit: @PrideOfSouthLDN

In other news: Alan Nixon’s 4-word admission in Palace and Leeds’ battle for Conor Gallagher; favours one club. 

Southampton look set to announce their third signing of the summer transfer window after Dynel Simeu confirmed on Twitter that he had left Chelsea.

What’s the word?

It has been widely reported in recent weeks that the Saints are set to sign the 19-year-old defender from Chelsea, with Fabrizio Romano suggesting: “Dynel Simeu has turned down Chelsea proposal to sign a new contract and he’s now set to join Southampton on a free transfer.”

He also claims that Southampton will pay £1.5m to the Champions League holders in order to bring him to St Mary’s, which suggests that he is someone they have scouted heavily and believe will be an excellent acquisition for the future.

The Saints have already confirmed the signings of Theo Walcott and Romain Perraud so far this summer, and Simeu looks set to become their third acquisition after he confirmed on Twitter that he would be leaving Chelsea.

He wrote: “Unfortunately, it’s time to say my goodbyes to Chelsea FC. I have spent 6 great years at the club. Grown from a young boy to a man.”

Will Simeu be a good signing for Southampton?

Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach has suggested that the young centre-back will initially join the under-23 setup at Southampton, which suggests that it may be some time before we see him make his debut for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s first team.

The Austrian is already well-stocked at centre-back, with Jannik Vestergaard, Jan Bednarek, Mohammed Salisu and Jack Stephens all likely to be regulars in the 2021/22 campaign, which leaves little room for Simeu.

However, if the 19-year-old can impress in David Horseman’s B team, then perhaps we will see him progress to the senior setup in the near future, as we have seen with Nathan Tella, Will Smallbone and Jake Vokins in recent years.

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If Southampton have found another potential gem, then Saints fans will no doubt be excited about his future with the club, with his signing likely to be confirmed in the coming days.

In other news… Semmens can sign Hasenhuttl a Redmond upgrade with swoop for “brilliant” gem