All posts by z3u9t.icu

Mega money deals are seldom heard of when it comes to Leeds United. Their current record signing is the £26million they paid for Rodrigo, who joined the club during the summer from Valencia. Still to this day, their sale of Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United for £30million is their most expensive departure, after the transfer broke the British record.

But these deals are few and far between, often the Whites are subject to lot of free transfers – both coming in and going out. One player particularly of note is Andy Lonergan, who has been subject to a lot of loan moves over his career. And despite being passed from pillar to post, Leeds would benefit from someone of his seniority this season.

Andy Lonergan’s fascinating career

The goalkeeper first joined the Yorkshire outfit in 2011 for a reported fee of £293,000. He spent just 12 months at Elland Road before being sold for a cut price of £288,000 to Fulham (via Transfermarkt). But Lonergan returned to Leeds in 2017 on a free transfer, signing under then manager Thomas Christiansen.

The 37-year-old made a total of 47 appearances for the Whites during his two separate stints. He has also enjoyed brief spells with the likes of Rochdale, Middlesbrough and Wolves. Although he has never really established himself at the clubs he has joined, his experience of the game would be a valuable asset to Leeds this season, who are currently struggling with 20-year-old Illan Meslier in between the sticks.

Lonergan joined Liverpool as an emergency back-up option to Alisson last summer and despite not making a single appearance, now boasts a Premier League title, Club World Cup and Super Cup.

He may not have played a part on the pitch, but he will have sat in on Jurgen Klopp’s team talks, participated in intense training sessions and shared the passion felt by the entire team as they closed in on their first ever Premier League title. This is experience than no money can buy and Lonergan could still play a part in this Leeds side. The veteran could pass on untold wisdom to the likes of Meslier and ensure the Whites cling onto their first season back in England’s top flight.

In other news, Bielsa must unleash Joe Gelhardt to bolster Leeds’ attack this season…

Carlo Ancelotti can end the Goodison Park career of Everton product Tom Davies with a swoop for Atalanta BC’s lethal and highly sought-after midfield goal machine Ruslan Malinovskyi.

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato, Ancelotti is eagerly scouting the Italian market for midfield reinforcements ahead of the winter market and has set his eyes on the potential availability of Malinovskyi following his stellar form with his Serie A side Atalanta.

Malinovskyi has torn up the Italian scene since moving to the Gewiss Stadium in 2019 for €13.7million (£12.2m), with the 27-year-old boasting nine goals and nine assists across all competitions, including a hand in 13 top-flight efforts last term.

The Ukraine star is yet to strike home his first of the current campaign, having started three of seven appearances, but penned his sixth international goal in UEFA Nations League defeat to Germany last month before earning his 32nd-cap at the Red Bull Arena on Saturday.

His form, and ability to play anywhere along the spine of a side, appears to have caught Everton and Leicester City’s attention, though the Premier League duo could face added competition from Inter Milan in Atalanta’s £18.9m-rated gem.

Malinovskyi has previously been a target for Chelsea, Leeds United, West Ham, Fiorentina and SSC Napoli, as well, with Blues legend Claude Makelele leading the Stamford Bridge outfit’s interest having filed a glowing report upon personally scouting the midfielder.

Davies’ Goodison nightmare

Atalanta are unlikely to want to part ways with their star midfielder just a year-and-a-half on from his arrival, so Everton could face a lot of reluctance should their Director of Football Marcel Brands open discussions with the Serie A side.

Ancelotti can deal Davies a grave nightmare by landing Malinovskyi, though, as there will be no doubt in the Ukraine international being an instant upgrade on the Toffees product.

Malinovskyi has never hidden his admiration for the Premier League or dream of one day playing in the English top-flight, stating amid the links with Chelsea last year how he would not rule out leaving the Gewiss Stadium.

“For England, I can say that we played some games there with Atalanta and the atmosphere is wonderful,” he told the Ukrainian FA’s YouTube account via quotes by Football Italia. “I like the Premier League, but it’s not worth talking about it. There are no conditions at the moment.”

But things can change fast, and Malinovskyi’s performances are right to attract an array of suitors, having offered 1.3 shots, 2.0 key balls, 1.7 successful dribbles, 4.0 duels won and 0.9 tackles as a right-sided central midfielder per Serie A game this season, per SofaScore.

His debut campaign with Atalanta last term similarly featured 1.7 shots, 1.4 key balls, 1.7 successful dribbles and 4.2 duels won, showing his initial form was not just a flash in the pan upon his arrival from a 16-goal, 16-assist season with KRC Genk.

Ancelotti acquiring Malinovskyi would be a hammer blow to Davies’ hopes of establishing himself under the Italian, having struggled to break into the Everton line-up this term with just one start from three Premier League appearances and being omitted from one matchday squad.

Davies had only featured for two top-flight minutes before starting at home to Brighton & Hove Albion with Allan out with a groin strain, too, while benched in the EFL Cup win over West Ham having featured for 118 minutes against lower league opposition in the earlier rounds.

The arrival of another midfielder would surely spell the end for Davies at Goodison Park.

AND in other news, seriously naïve comments from a Premier League hero show a “fantastic” Everton ace is criminally underrated.

It has been suggested recently by talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook that Southampton are now close to agreeing a new deal with left-back Ryan Bertrand, which would be a huge boost for Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The 31-year-old has been a mainstay in Southampton’s side so far this season, having made 10 appearances in the top-flight, averaging a solid 6.63 rating.

Since joining from Chelsea in 2015, the former England international has gone on to make 217 appearances for the Saints, in which he has contributed eight goals and 19 assists.

However, there was some concern that Bertrand’s time with the South Coast club could be coming to an end, as his current deal is set to expire at the end of this season.

Therefore, the report that he is close to signing a new contract with the club can only be good news for Hasenhuttl and Southampton, as it now seems likely that the left-back could finish his career at the top with the Saints.

The defender certainly seems to be enjoying life under the Austrian at Southampton, as earlier this year he told CaughtOffside:

“Football under Ralph [Hasenhüttl] has been great, it’s modern-day high intense with quick transitions. It’s perfect for my style of play.”

Southampton are also currently low on left-back options, with Sam McQueen still sidelined with a ligament injury, whilst young Jake Vokins has just three senior appearances to his name, so it was vital that the Saints agreed a new deal with Bertrand ahead of next season.

You imagine that the 31-year-old could be a perfect role model for Vokins, who may well be the man to replace Bertrand in the Saints first-team when he eventually does leave the South Coast club.

For the immediate future though, it seems as if Hasenhuttl is securing the final piece of his jigsaw, following the contract renewals of Jan Bednarek and Oriol Romeu in recent weeks, as it should ensure that no regular member of the Saints first-team squad is set to leave the club this summer.

And, in other news… Southampton can bring an end to three-year nightmare by taking a loss on £15m flop in January

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho went for broke in their crucial Europa League match with LASK Linz on Thursday evening, naming a near full-strength side.

Aside from the absences of Hugo Lloris and Harry Kane, and the presence of Eric Dier on the bench, it was a line-up that could do Spurs justice in a competitive Premier League fixture.

However, it also provided some clues over the long-term futures of some players, namely Dele Alli, who too was named as a substitute as well as Harry Winks.

The England midfielder was snubbed entirely and it’s not been the first time either as he has started just three of their top-flight league matches this term.

Winks hasn’t even been in the squad for their last three Premier League outings.

The Hotspur Way academy graduate, who is currently valued at €40m (£36m), has even admitted his concern over his position at Spurs ahead of next summer’s European Championships, he told Sky Sports:

“Definitely, my situation at Tottenham is difficult at the moment.”

With Winks earning around £75k-per-week in north London, it may be wise to move him on this January for the good of his career. It’s evident that Mourinho does not fancy him to start matches regularly like he once did.

The form of Tanguy Ndombele and the arrival of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has certainly contributed to that since the summer too.

He was a long-time favourite of Mauricio Pochettino’s with the ex-Spurs manager once dubbing the engine room maestro a “perfect midfield player” before comparing him to Spanish greats, Andres Iniesta and Xavi.

“His characteristics are perfect. When we talk about midfielders like Xavi and Iniesta, he’s like this type of player. He has this capacity but he needs to take my words in a very positive way — he needs a lot of work.”

Given his value and the fact that he’s under contract until 2024, Spurs could get a pretty penny from his departure. A bold but much-needed call next month.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit issues bold Harry Kane claim amid “worries”…

Tottenham Hotspur advanced into the Carabao Cup semi-finals as they managed to escape an upset on Wednesday evening.

Jose Mourinho’s men made the trip to Staffordshire to face Championship outfit Stoke City and returned to north London with the prospect of being just two more victories from clinching their first piece of silverware since 2008.

Spurs superstar and fan-favourite Gareth Bale headed home an opener before Ben Davies and Harry Kane goals were needed to put them back on course following the Potters’ early second-half equaliser.

With the encounter broadcast live on Sky Sports, the commentary team handed the ‘Man of the Match’ award to Harry Winks in what was a rare start for the England international.

And whilst he quite rightly deserves some plaudits, we believe that Matt Doherty shone the most with an underrated display at right-back. He just like Winks made the most of his return to the starting XI.

Per SofaScore, the 28-year-old was heavily involved, recording a whopping 109 touches, which was only bettered by central midfielder and engine room orchestrator Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

He also accurately made 73 of 87 passing attempts, recorded two interceptions and provided one clearance.

In addition to that, the Irishman, who is valued at €50m (£45m), was strong in his battles, winning a total of eight duels, which included a win rate of 77% on aerials, and Doherty even successfully pulled off 75% of his longballs, so he was much safer than his full-back counterpart, Davies, in that sense.

The £15m addition from Wolves has been usurped by Serge Aurier in the pecking order under Mourinho in the Premier League so far this season, but with a performance like that, he is surely back on Mourinho’s radar.

He has now given the Portuguese boss an interesting conundrum ahead of Doherty’s return to Molineux on Sunday night.

Aurier has started each of their last six top-flight outings but was hooked for his horror-show against Leicester at the weekend, which is further reason to why Doherty may have raised his game tonight.

If you’re Mourinho, you’re surely not going to ignore the 6 foot 1 monster after that display, regardless of how big a headache he’s been dealt.

AND in other news, Levy can land Spurs their next Eriksen in £45m swoop for massive “goal threat”…

Celtic are back in action thanks to their positive run of form across the last five fixtures. Their most recent win came on the road against Hamilton, thanks to a solid performance from the whole team.

Neil Lennon has taken some risks over recent weeks, dropping senior personnel and taking chances on lesser seen players. The likes of David Turnbull and Ismaila Soro have grabbed their chances with both hands and have delivered a positive impact to the Celtic midfield.

The duo started against Hamilton and the former bagged himself another goal. He joined Leigh Griffiths and Odsonne Edouard on the scoresheet to breeze past the Accies at their ground. Another who impressed but went under the radar was Jeremie Frimpong, who was blistering down the right flank.

Jeremie Frimpong vs Hamilton

Despite being just 20 years of age, the Netherlands youth international has been a key part of Celtic’s season so far. He has featured in every Premiership match this term and despite being a defender, the £8,000 per week right-back is a force to be reckoned with going forward.

According to Sofascore, Frimpong put in a solid performance across the backline with his four tackles, one interception and one clearance. He also won ten of his 12 duels and drew five fouls thanks to his pace down the wing.

Hamilton struggled to cope with his presence down the right-hand side and his performance will have seriously impressed Lennon. The gaffer will be relieved with Celtic’s recent form, as speculation has recently surrounded his future at the club.

Winning to Scottish Cup and the chance to recruit in the January window could be enough to save Lennon’s job. If he is to remain the Hoops boss, promising young players like Frimpong will be key moving forwards.

In other news, Signing David Turnbull was a stroke of genius from Hammond…

Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has revealed that Kemar Roofe will not be available this weekend at Aberdeen, and that he is likely to miss a couple of games.

Since signing from Anderlecht during the summer, the former Leeds United man has been a revelation for the Ibrox outfit. So far, he has scored 12 goals in 21 matches and has produced some stunning moments – in particular, his goal from the halfway line against Standard Liege in the Europa League.

However, he has already had several injuries, and Gerrard has confirmed that he will once again have to spend some time on the sidelines. The news, which was tweeted by the club’s official Twitter account, has attracted the attention of the Gers supporters, as you would imagine, and it does not seem to have gone down well at all.

The supporters took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the matter, as one even called the news a full scale ‘crisis’.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Roofe news below

“No Roofe again man, brutal. I’d bring in 1 or 2 players this window because we seem to keep getting quite lengthy injuries.”

Credit: @ggh1992

“An absolute injury crisis this.”

Credit: @SpeckyRSC

“pain”

Credit: @j_1690

“No way”

Credit: @55incoming

“Time to mske 1 or 2 signings before we regret it”

Credit: @mkrfc72

“Roofe is a huge blow ………now we need the goalscoring Wee buffalo to re appear and keep the heid”

Credit: @theboysof609

In other news, Rangers fan hammer this pundit’s Old Firm claim.

David Sullivan should avoid lodging an improved offer to sign Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri to replace Sebastien Haller at West Ham United.

What’s the word?

According to Marca, the Hammers remain interested in pursuing a deal to lure En-Nesyri to the Premier League this month after seeing their opening offer knocked back.

Sevilla are said to be relaxed over the prospect of losing their 23-year-old frontman this month as they know January is not the ideal window to sign a starting striker, and will only look to cash-in should they receive offers worth at least €40m (£35.5m).

The Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium natives also demand that the fee is excluding any add-ons, which would be included on top, having only signed En-Nesyri for €20m (£18m) a year ago and seen the forward strike 18 goals in 51 games across all competitions to date.

It remains to be seen if West Ham do increase their offer but negotiations are understood to be continuing, after reports by The Athletic claimed the Irons opened talks with a formal bid worth €25m (£22.5m) plus €5m (£4.5m) in add-ons.

The sum has been described as being ‘clearly insufficient’ by Estadio Deportivo for a player enjoying their best run of form in front of the net, having scored eight goals in 17 La Liga fixtures this term after netting a hat-trick to beat Real Sociedad 3-2 earlier this month.

En-Nesyri is considered to be West Ham’s top target to replace Haller in January, as the Ivory Coast international’s £20m move to AFC Ajax left an injury-prone Michail Antonio as David Moyes’ only recognised senior centre-forward.

Javier Hernandez 2.0

West Ham returning with an improved offer to sign En-Nesyri would see Sullivan land Moyes a striker who his current boss Julien Lopetegui lauds as a “very complete player”, but one whose consistency has recently been questioned.

En-Nesyri is building a reputation in Spain for scoring important goals for Sevilla yet then struggling to find the back of the net, and was even dropped to the bench for his side’s 1-0 defeat at Real Madrid last month even after scoring three goals in his previous four games.

West Ham can ill-afford to have an inconsistent frontman on the books if he sets the Irons back what would have been a club-record fee two years ago, with Felipe Anderson’s £36m arrival and Haller’s £45m move the only transfers to have cost the Hammers more.

The London Stadium natives have already been through more than their fair share of toothless hitmen, with £223m spent on 49 strikers since the arrival of owners David Gold and David Sullivan, including Javier Hernandez, who bled the club dry on a £140,000-per-week contract.

Hernandez hit out at West Ham’s inconsistency during the 2018/19 Premier League season, yet was a large part of the problem with just seven goals in 25 games including failing to score for two months on two separate occasions.

The Mexican is a player West Ham would be wise to avoid finding a repeat of, but may be heading down that route with a costly deal to bring En-Nesyri in despite the setback of having to offer an additional €10m (£8m) as an outright sum.

AND in other news, West Ham can secure David Moyes’ dream Mark Noble heir in a £25m January target.

David Sullivan could land David Moyes a West Ham replacement for the Marseille-linked Manuel Lanzini by securing the services of Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard.

What’s the word?

According to talkSPORT, the Irons are in a queue of Premier League sides chasing the signature of Lingard during the January transfer window.

The Hammers, Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield United have all expressed their interest in a mid-season deal, while Ligue 1 outfit OGC Nice and Liga NOS giants FC Porto have also been keeping track of his situation.

Manchester United remain reluctant to part ways with the 28-year-old this month as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer strives to contend for Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League honours, but Lingard’s long-term future remains in doubt.

Reports by ESPN recently noted Lingard and Solskjaer are in a tug-of-war over his situation, with the 24-cap England international desperate to find regular first-team action and the Red Devils boss keen to retain his services as cover.

Manchester United are yet to offer a definitive answer in response to any approach for the £9m-rated man, also monitored by Olympique de Marseille and Inter Milan, as Solskjaer’s side could play as many as 33 fixtures between now and May.

Lingard has featured just three times across all competitions this season and is yet to play a single second in the Premier League, with the Warrington-born playmaker’s only outings of the term thus far coming in the EFL and FA Cups.

Bye-bye Lanzini

Sullivan putting together a package that will convince Manchester United to part ways with Lingard this month could definitively spell the end for Lanzini at the London Stadium.

West Ham are said to have offered Lanzini to Marseille during discussions over Morgan Sanson, who Aston Villa have had a “pathetic” bid rejected for after claims of an €18m (£16m) offer as the Ligue 1 outfit hold out for €25m (£22m).

The Irons have also been shopping Lanzini’s services around on the transfer market since last summer, but have struggled to attract any interest in the £70,000-per-week midfielder who held Moyes’ side back during Tuesday’s 2-1 win at home to West Bromwich Albion.

Part of the issue in West Ham’s hopes of selling Lanzini may stem from the Irons valuing the 27-year-old at £15m, but securing Lingard’s services may see Sullivan prove more receptive to lower offers with the Argentine under contract for a further two years.

Lingard has been lauded for his ability to score important goals for club and country in recent years, having netted the extra-time winner during the 2016 FA Cup Final as well as key efforts for England against the Netherlands, Croatia and the United States.

Few have sung his praises more in recent years than former England and Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick, who once labelled Lingard as “unique”.

Lingard’s importance at Old Trafford may have dwindled of late, but his title-winning and international experience would likely be welcome at the London Stadium where Moyes has West Ham just two points below the top-four places.

AND in other news, West Ham are considering a £15.5m-rated striker without a goal since October to replace Seb Haller…

Leeds United are set to take on Leicester City in their next Premier League fixture. The Whites will be hoping to come away with three points off the back of their narrow 2-1 win over Newcastle.

Raphinha and Jack Harrison were the difference for the recently promoted Yorkshire outfit, breaking their three-game losing streak. Whilst the duo will more than likely be deployed on either wing against the Foxes, one man is set to miss the clash at the King Power Stadium.

Phil Hay provided a recent fitness update on Diego Llorente after the centre-back was forced off after just ten minutes last time out. The Athletic reporter tweeted that the summer signing is set to be out of action for three to four weeks with a hamstring injury.

Marcelo Bielsa was arguably the man at fault here. The boss was reported to have doubled up on his Murderball sessions during training in the lead up to the Newcastle clash. The added pressure on Llorente, who has made just two appearances for his new club, was unnecessary and could now set Leeds even further back.

The threat of Jamie Vardy is alive and well. He currently has the fourth highest amount of goals to his name this season, level with Bruno Fernandes and behind only Son Heung-min, Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah, via BBC Sport.

However, the England international will be absent against Leeds due to an operation he recently underwent on his groin. This will more than likely see Kelechi Iheanacho take to the stage to show Brendan Rodgers he still has fire in him.

The second-string striker will be looking to grab this opportunity with both hands due to the fact he has made just two starts in the league this season. His other eight appearances have come as cameos and he is still yet to find the back of the net, according to Transfermarkt.

With a weakened Leeds backline, Iheanacho will be rubbing his hands together and hoping that he can capitalise on Bielsa’s injury nightmare.

In other news, Leeds set to finally offload Bielsa reject Rafa Mujica…