All posts by z3u9t.icu

James Tavernier deserves a huge amount of credit for the role he has played in Rangers’ title win this season and considering his current contract is set to expire at the end of the next campaign, Steven Gerrard and Ross Wilson must both make it his priority to ensure that the captain signs a new deal to stay at Ibrox.

Although the 29-year-old has missed the last month of action through injury, he was enjoying an incredible season for Gerrard’s side earlier in the campaign and has been a huge factor in their title win.

In 29 Premiership appearances, the defender has contributed a remarkable 11 goals and nine assists, averaging a superb 7.76 rating for his performances.

This comfortably ranks him as Rangers’ best performer in the league so far this season, with Joe Aribo’s 7.44 average rating the closest to the captain, which again highlights just how important he has been in the title success.

It is not a surprise that Tavernier has been attracting interest from the Premier League, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Newcastle United all reportedly interested in signing him.

Whilst the Gers were able to keep hold of their captain in the winter transfer window, they may struggle if some of the top Premier League clubs come knocking in the summer, especially because they are not in a strong position with Tavernier’s contract.

As it stands, the right-back’s contract with Rangers will expire at the end of next season, meaning he could potentially leave on a free transfer, whilst foreign clubs could potentially negotiate with him in January 2022, with the view to signing him on a Bosman transfer deal.

Considering Tavernier is valued at £7.2 million by Transfermarkt, which is only second to Alfredo Morelos in the Rangers squad, the club will be desperate not to lose him on a free transfer or for a reduced fee.

With the Champions League to come next season, Gerrard will also be desperate to keep his captain around, having described him as “unstoppable” earlier in the season.

Therefore, both Wilson and Gerrard must work hard to try and convince Tavernier to sign a new deal with Rangers, otherwise, you worry that his head could be turned by the prospect of playing in the Premier League on what would presumably be a much higher salary.

And, in other news… Rangers could be set to receive a huge boost on £11k-p/w beast Gerrard dubbed “world-class”

Steve Bruce may rue Newcastle United’s failed January transfer swoop for Sporting CP midfielder Matheus Nunes.

What’s the word?

According to Record, the Magpies lodged a €13m (£11.5m) bid for Nunes in the winter market but they saw the approach immediately turned down.

The Leoes were reluctant to weaken head coach Ruben Amorim’s squad during a Liga NOS title challenge, with the Jose Alvalade Stadium natives presently top of the table and four points clear of rivals FC Porto and a further five clear of SC Braga.

Sporting also believe Nunes, who they signed from Portuguese second-tier outfit GD Estoril Praia in January 2019, will only continue to increase his market value and edge closer to the €60m (£53m) release clause inserted in his new contract penned in October.

Sporting President, Frederico Varandas, additionally believes Nunes’ performances will soon justify the Lisbon outfit’s €10m (£9m) investment in Amorim, after the Leoes head coach successfully promoted the 22-year-old into the first-team fold during the second half of last season.

Nunes has now made 33 senior outings for the Leoes across all competitions, and scored his second goal for the club by heading home a stoppage-time winner over rivals Benfica on Monday night.

Record’s report is the latest to emerge from Portugal citing Newcastle’s interest in the 6ft Brazilian, after claims emerged in the January transfer window of a loan approach that carried a £10m obligation to turn the deal permanent at the end of the season.

Will Newcastle rue missing out on Nunes?

Reports of an improved bid from Newcastle would suggest United carry significant interest in Nunes’ potential, but failing to submit a tempting enough offer to Sporting in the mid-season market may leave Bruce ruing the Toon’s inability to get a deal done.

Sporting appear to have a lot of confidence in the midfielders’ talents and seemingly firmly believe he is worth more than close to a sixth of his release clause, so will be expected to demand even more in the summer should the Magpies revive their pursuit.

Nunes is consistently improving the more he features under Amorim, having gone from a player drifting between being one of the first names on a teamsheet and a substitute for much of the campaign, to scoring his first goal in senior football against Braga last month and regaining a starting role.

He is also recording a higher volume of total passes per 90 (37.2) in the Liga NOS this term than Bruce is seeing from Almiron (36.5) in the Premier League, along with more key passes (0.7) than Sean Longstaff (0.6), Matty Longstaff (0.5) and Jeff Hendrick (0.4), per WhoScored.

Nunes further matches his creative eye with an energetic presence to dart from box-to-box with three successful dribbles per 90, more than any central midfielder to have featured for the Toon in the top-flight this term. But also with close to as many successful tackles (1.2) as Jonjo Shelvey (1.3).

Newcastle returning in the summer with an even bigger offer for Nunes will be a clear admission that the club made a blunder in January by not pursuing a deal any further, and their inactivity could likely lead to a heavy hit to the pocket as well.

AND in other news, Newcastle United faced late enquiries over a £15m deal to sell a Steve Bruce outcast…

Leicester City’s upcoming clash against Burnley appears pivotal in the future of Cengiz Under.

With Harvey Barnes set to be injured for an extended period, the Turk now has a golden opportunity to establish himself in the Foxes’ starting XI and earn a permanent move to the club, something he has expressed his desire to do.

Since joining the club from AS Roma in the summer, the £20.7m-valued winger has found opportunities hard to come by in the Premier League, making just one start.

Upon securing a deal for Under, it was reported that the Foxes held an option to make the deal permanent should he impress sufficiently.

Since then, he has scored twice and provided three assists in 19 appearances in all competitions – form that is not exactly sparkling.

Amidst reports that the Foxes are facing less competition for the signature of Florian Thauvin, Under’s selection, or indeed lack thereof against Burnley on Wednesday, could provide clues as to the Foxes’ transfer business in the summer.

Should he start on the bench as he has done in each of the previous eight Premier League games, it would suggest that Brendan Rodgers is not fully convinced and that he may have already decided to send Under back to his parent club come the conclusion of the season.

Without the purchase of Under, Leicester may reignite their interest in Marseille star Thauvin or FC Porto midfielder Otavio – or indeed, they could even target someone completely different.

With both Thauvin and Otavio available on free transfers come July, signing either of them could then have a positive impact on the available funds that the Foxes would have for the upcoming transfer window.

This, in turn, would have a direct consequence on their ability to spend on other positions in their squad, which again could prove key as they potentially embark on another European campaign.

It goes to show then that whilst an appearance or performance at Turf Moor may not seem all too important on the face of things, it is quite the opposite for Cengiz Under and Leicester on Wednesday.

AND in other news, the Foxes have been linked with a bizarre move for Sporting CP Head Coach Ruben Amorim.

Ross Wilson must sanction a loan move for Glasgow Rangers winger Glenn Middleton in January amid reports Steven Gerrard is willing to let him go abroad.

What’s the word?

Middleton took to life at Ibrox like a duck to water as he burst onto the scene as a fresh-faced teenager after Gerrard replaced Graeme Murty as Rangers manager on a four-year deal in 2018.

The 20-year-old became an integral part of Gerrard’s side during his first few months at a club before he was shipped out on loan to Hibernian and Bradford City last season.

Gerrard lauded Middleton for his “excellent” performance against St. Johnstone after he provided an assist for Alfredo Morelos as Rangers staged a dramatic comeback in the second half at McDiarmid Park back in 2018.

Injuries, however, have hampered his development but he played his first competitive game for the Govan-based Glaswegian giants against Falkirk as Rangers romped to a comprehensive 4-0 victory in the Betfred Cup, albeit at left-back.

It’s claimed the Ibrox boss was impressed by his latest showing but has no qualms about letting him leave on loan to further his development as a player. According to The Daily Record, Middleton has attracted attention from Eredivisie outfits Breda and Den Haag.

Do the right thing, Wilson

With Gerrard giving the greenlight for the youngster to leave on loan for the rest of the season, it’s now up to Wilson to work his magic.

It’s fair to say that Middleton often has his detractors but he is held in high regard by the board with Gerrard dropping a hint about his long-term future at the club.

The ever-reliable Ryan Kent is one of the first names on the team sheet and Ianis Hagi’s recent heroics on the right wing have seen him struggle to move further up the pecking order. With Jordan Jones re-entering the fold, it’s hard to see him getting many minutes under his belt anytime soon.

With this in mind, it’s high time Wilson does the decent thing and sorts out a loan move for the Scotland U21 international, as he has seen just 35 minutes of action across all competitions for the first team so far this season, which is frankly appalling for a player who was once praised by Peter Lovenkrands.

After all, he’s hardly short of suitors at the moment and a bidding war will no doubt ensue if Wilson and co. put his services on the market, as the versatile player clearly has plenty to offer.

Middleton has provided five goals and five assists in 29 appearances for the 54-time Scottish champions, via Transfermarkt.

Maybe a spell in the Netherlands could be just what the doctor ordered for him to work his way back into Gerrard’s favour, as he is evidently an investment for the future.

AND in other news, Rangers chief Ross Wilson must prioritise a move for Sheffield United midfielder John Lundstram…

David Sullivan should re-think Felipe Anderson’s situation before accepting FC Porto’s rumoured decision to retain the West Ham United flop on loan for the remainder of the season.

What’s the word?

According to Record, Anderson will no longer be leaving the Estadio do Dragao after Porto chiefs decided against terminating the Brazilian’s one-season loan spell at the Liga NOS giants.

The Dragoes had been expected to part ways with Anderson this month, with confirmation of his return to east London said to be imminent after seeing the two-time international fail to establish himself under manager Sergio Conceicao.

Anderson has featured in just five fixtures across all competitions after failing to come off the bench during Porto’s 1-1 draw with rivals SL Benfica last Friday, as his wait for a first league outing since October continues.

West Ham were also rumoured to be looking into ending Anderson’s time in Portugal early in order to protect his market value, with a half-season loan move elsewhere seen to be the Hammers’ best route to securing a more lucrative sum in a permanent exit this summer.

But the picture may soon change, as Porto are understood to be struggling to get a deal for Gremio forward Pepe over the line and have been struck by a series of coronavirus cases.

The developments are thought to be offering Anderson a route back into Conceicao’s plans, despite the 27-year-old being remembered at the Estadio do Dragao for the mistakes he made during his early appearances this term.

U-turn needed

Sullivan risks West Ham’s worst nightmare coming true if Anderson does stay in the Liga NOS for the remainder of the season, as Conceicao cannot be trusted to field the 27-year-old any more than he has already despite how the January transfer window is unfolding for Porto.

Anderson is clearly not a valued member of Porto’s squad, having played just 61 minutes against third-tier GD Fabril Barreiro, 45 minutes against FC Pacos de Ferreira and 63 minutes against Olympiacos since last taking to the field for a top-flight game.

He has also been omitted from nine matchday squads across all competitions, to see his Transfermarkt valuation remain at £22.5m – the lowest figure touted since December 2017 – to round out what was a miserable year for Anderson – who was valued at £40.5m just 12-months ago.

Anderson living the remainder of the campaign in the wilderness at Porto will only see West Ham forced to accept a mammoth loss to the former club-record £36m paid to SS Lazio in 2018, like Sullivan was forced to allow with Sebastien Haller who departed for a £25m hit earlier this month.

If West Ham are to avoid that, they should re-consider recalling the forward and sending him out on loan to a side where first-team football will be far easier to secure. That way, Anderson will have a far better chance of rediscovering the form that saw him offer 10 goals and five assists in his maiden year at the London Stadium.

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

Wolves summer transfer window was an eye-catching one to say the least.

Ever since Fosun and Nuno Santo entered the football club, they have never been afraid to spend big sums of money. You only need to look at the £15m investment they made on Ruben Neves when they were still in the Championship.

However, after selling Diogo Jota to Liverpool they took their spending to a whole new level.

They broke their transfer record to sign Fabio Silva for a fee of £35.6m and then landed former Barcelona right-back Nelson Semedo for an initial fee of £26.61m.

However, one man they missed out on was exciting Brazilian winger Pepe.

The Gremio sensation is an electric talent and according to reports, Wolves even submitted a bid for the 23-year-old.

Back in September, it was claimed that the Midlands side were ready to pay €15m (£13.6m) for his services. Negotiations then supposedly began properly in October but nothing came of the talks between the two clubs.

As such, Wolves missed out on someone that could have replaced Adama Traore. The Spaniard was linked with an exit in the summer and it’s now thought that Wolves are growing frustrated over his contract. Thus, it’s not too far-fetched to suggest he may leave.

Compare Pepe to Traore and it’s clear to see why they should regret missing out on the diminutive Brazilian.

Speaking about him back in April, Gremio vice president Paulo Luz said: “Pepe is a young, talented player who has that extra touch of class. He is fast and is a great finisher.”

Talented? Tick. Touch of class? Tick. Fast? Tick. Pepe has everything that Traore has.

In fact, if we’re looking for areas that the Wolves target is better in, it’s undoubtedly in front of goal. He has scored seven goals in just 18 outings in the league this season. For context, Wolves’ number 37 is yet to find the net this term.

That being said, he has still been a huge threat with his dribbling and the ability to beat a man. Traore has performed 3.4 successful dribbles per match in the Premier League this season, a number that Pepe comes close to – registering 2.7 of his own back in Brazil.

At under £20m, Wolves could have had a snip here but such is Pepe’s rapid progression, he’ll now probably cost a lot more. Over to you, Jeff Shi.

In other news, Nuno’s big GAMBLE could be a game-changer for Morgan Gibbs-White…

Leeds United picked up a crucial and emphatic 5-2 victory against Newcastle United at Elland Road on Wednesday. Phil Hay raved over the performance of Raphinha following the match.

What Hay had to say about Raphinha

The summer signing is now a sure thing in Marcelo Bielsa’s starting XI following him having to settle for a place on the bench at first (Transfermarkt). Drooling over his display on Wednesday, Hay, who writes for The Athletic, tweeted out: ‘Raphinha btw. Seventeen million squids. Bargain.’

The Brazilian played brilliantly

He has already put in some very decent performances for the club, with pundit Noel Whelan being thoroughly impressed with his game against Aston Villa. He said: “A fantastic performance and Raphinha was on fire. From what we have seen of him so far, he looks a really good signing.”

The fact that Hay is raving over the Brazilian too, despite him not having a goal or assist in the match, highlights how good he was. He had 59 touches, made two key passes and completed all three of his long balls (SofaScore). The winger also won four ground duels and completed his only dribble attempt.

A goal or assist would have capped of a good night for Raphinha, but he was truly a menace for the Newcastle defence and their failure to contain him led to other players having more space and grabbing the goals for Leeds.  If he can continue to perform like this, there is no doubt Leeds picked up a ‘bargain’.

In other news, Leeds United tipped to go in for £14.4m-rated Premier League winner.

Whilst Arsenal may have secured a deadline beating move for Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey, one area of the midfield that they failed to address over the course of the summer transfer window was the issue with creativity.

The Gunners were in a long-running pursuit of Lyon dynamo Houssem Aouar, but that deal failed to materialise when it appeared the north London side weren’t too keen on matching the demands set out by the French giants.

But, in recent weeks, journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Mikel Arteta’s side are also hot on the trail of another midfield starlet, with RB Salzburg’s Dominik Szoboszlai on their radar amid a potential move in future transfer windows.

And on Wednesday night in the Champions League against Lokomotiv Moscow, the Hungary international proved exactly why Arsenal must forget about Aouar and prioritise him instead.

Aside from scoring a wonderful goal, Szoboszlai was a constant threat for Salzburg, coming in off the left flank and linking up well with the likes of Patson Daka up front.

He was never scared of trying things and always tried to take the lead creatively, and it was no surprise that his total of 78 touches were the highest of any midfield or attacking player for either side.

He provided two key passes, sent in a whopping ten crosses and attempted six dribbles too. It was an all-action display from the 19-year-old, and it was quite telling that even at a young age, he is taking considerable attacking responsibility for a Champions League playing side.

His willingness to take risks saw him concede possession 30 times over the course of the game, and whilst at times he was loose with the ball, his desire to create should be something that is applauded.

Arsenal are crying out for someone to feed the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up front. Szoboszlai proved on Wednesday night that he could help complete Arteta’s jigsaw in midfield along with Thomas Partey.

Matt Targett’s impressive form for Aston Villa perhaps suggests that Southampton were unwise to sell him to the Birmingham-based club in the summer of 2019.

The Saints academy graduate ended his time with the club last year, as he joined Dean Smith’s Villa side in a deal worth £11.5m following Villa’s promotion to the Premier League.

The 25-year-old was in very solid form for the Villans last season, averaging a 6.86 rating across his 28 appearances in the top-flight (per WhoScored).

This was despite Villa only staying up on the final day and having one of the worst defensive records across the season, shipping 67 goals in the top-flight.

Targett’s individual performances have been slightly worse than last season thus far, with the defender having averaged a 6.71 rating across his seven appearances in the top-flight (per WhoScored).

However, he has started each of their seven games in the Premier League, which has seen the Villans win five times, keeping four clean sheets in the process, which suggests that they are a lot more defensively solid than last season, something which Targett should be praised for his part in.

During his time with the Saints, the left-back would make 63 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal and providing six assists (per Transfermarkt).

The 25-year-old also showed his quality in a loan spell with Fulham in 2017/18, as he averaged a superb 7.20 rating across his 21 appearances in the second division (per WhoScored).

Considering Ralph Hasenhuttl’s lack of options at left-back at the moment, with Ryan Bertrand and Sam McQueen out injured, whilst Jake Vokins is perhaps a little too inexperienced to be starting in the Premier League at the moment, Targett could have been the perfect man to challenge Bertrand for a starting spot in the Saints squad.

The left-back was seemingly a popular member of the Saints dressing room too, with current captain James Ward-Prowse full of praise for Targett when speaking to Hampshire Live ahead of their game against Aston Villa in October, with the midfielder saying:

“Matt [Targett] is a great lad, I had lots of good memories and times with him here.

“A new challenge came for him and he has gone there and worked hard and sustained himself in the Aston Villa team, and I am pleased to see him doing so well.”

It will be interesting to see if the ace continues to impress with Villa and whether Southampton end up regretting letting him go in 2019.

Since joining from Nottingham Forest a few years ago, Henri Lansbury hasn’t exactly established himself as a starter for Aston Villa.

The former England U21 international has found himself in and out of the team, and last season played just 15 times across all competitions for Dean Smith’s side.

But having been thrown into the starting line-up for the Carabao Cup third round clash against Bristol City on Thursday night, Lansbury delivered a timely reminder of the quality that he has.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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Villa eased to a comfortable 3-0 win at Ashton Gate, and whilst Bertrand Traore may be the name on everybody’s lips following his first goal for the club, Lansbury’s midfield masterclass would surely have left Smith purring in the dug-out.

As per Sofascore, despite not scoring or even getting himself an assist, he recorded an 8.0 match rating – higher than the likes of Traore, Ollie Watkins and Anwar El Ghazi, who all found themselves on the score-sheet.

Lansbury helped run the game from the middle of the park, boasting an 88% pass accuracy and delivering a game-high six key passes on the night – to put that latter stat into context, the Villa players in joint-second (Keinan Davis and Jacob Ramsey) provided exactly half that.

The 29-year-old also created two official big chances, delivered six crosses into the box, and found his target with five out of the eight long balls that he attempted.

Having come in from the cold like he did – it was his first competitive outing of the season – it was a performance of the highest order. And with Villa making movies in the transfer market and competition for places hotting up, Lansbury’s display would have left Smith raving.