All posts by z3u9t.icu

Nottingham Forest have a decent number of players in their squad that have worked their way through the club’s youth ranks to become first-team figures.

One of those players, in particular, is currently listed as one of Forest’s most valuable assets in today’s market, showing how rewarding it can be for clubs to have a solid youth system and give the right players the chance to develop in the first team.

As a product of Forest’s youth system, 25-year-old Joe Worrall made his senior debut for the Midlands club back in October 2016 in a 2-0 defeat against Reading in the Championship under former manager Philippe Montanier.

Since then, the defender has gone on to make 171 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, chipping in with four goals and providing six assists along the way.

With 30 league appearances under his belt in this campaign, the Englishman has shown just how much of a useful player he is at the back for Steve Cooper by racking up more interceptions (62) than any other Forest player.

In addition to that, the defender has also made an average of 1.8 tackles, 3.4 clearances and 0.8 blocks per game, putting him in the top five for each statistic in the squad.

Praised for his “superb” tackle against Diogo Jota during Forest’s FA Cup defeat against Liverpool last month by journalist Paul Gorst, Worrall has certainly been a critical figure for his club this season.

To highlight how tough the centre-back is, Forest journalist Matt Davies tweeted that Worrall “must be made out of the same stuff as Wolverine,” in regards to the fact that the defender made a surprise early return from injury back in February after he broke three ribs a month earlier.

Back in February 2017, just a few months after making his senior debut, Transfermarkt rated the Englishman’s market value listed at £90k, whereas it now stands at £3.6m, making him the second-most valuable player in Cooper’s squad behind fellow defender Steve Cook.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say the Reds hit the jackpot by unearthing and developing Worral into the prominent figure he is today.

In other news: Nottingham Forest loanee Davis likely to be available permanently…

West Ham United are reportedly interested in signing Mainz defender Moussa Niakhate this summer as David Moyes looks to bolster his defensive options.

What’s the latest?

According to The Telegraph, the Hammers could lure the 26-year-old to east London for just £8m, with Transfermarkt valuing the Frenchman at £16.2m.

The commanding central defender can also play at left-back and has featured in 24 of Mainz’s 28 Bundesliga matches this term, scoring three goals and keeping eight clean sheets.

Currently, the Irons have Kurt Zouma, Craig Dawson, Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop at centre-back, although the Italian has spent the majority of the season on the sidelines with an ACL injury, while Diop could depart this summer amid reported interest from Ligue 1 outfit Lyon.

Therefore, it’s vital that Moyes adds to his defensive arsenal in the upcoming transfer window.

West Ham must swoop for Niakhate

Zouma has done well to establish himself as the clear first-choice centre-back in his first season at West Ham following last summer’s £29.8m move from Chelsea. However, the Frenchman needs a regular partner, with the likes of Dawson, Ogbonna and Diop all taking turns this season to partner the 27-year-old.

Moreover, left-back is also an area which needs addressing, with Aaron Cresswell now 32 years of age. In fact, the Hammers squad is the second oldest in the Premier League, with an average age of 28.8.

With Niakhate, these issues can be solved.

The Mainz captain stands at 6 foot 3 and averages 1.4 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 2.1 clearances per league game. For context, Zouma averages a lower tally of 0.6 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per match but also makes a whopping 5.6 clearances.

In Niakhate, West Ham can find their new Rio Ferdinand in colossus of a defender on whom they can later make a profit, particularly if £8m is the German club’s asking price.

Described as “clever” by Mainz manager Bo Svensson, the £12k-per-week French defender can add much-needed depth and quality to the Irons’ squad, which will be vital if Moyes’ side are to qualify for Europe again for 2022/23.

Having balanced four competitions over the course of the season, the Hammers’ lack of squad depth has been exposed at times, particularly when injuries have stacked up.

The lack of depth makes the upcoming transfer window particularly vital, especially considering that the east Londoners made no signings in January.

With reinforcements needed in essentially every position, Moyes will need to be shrewd in how he spends the transfer kitty provided to him, making a potential £8m deal for Niakhate an undoubted bargain swoop which must be made.

In other news – Fewer touches than Areola: West Ham dud who completed just one pass against Lyon let Moyes down

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Loads of Manchester United fans have been running the rule over their Friday night win at the Emirates, and they’re full of praise for Romelu Lukaku.

Manchester United brushed Arsenal aside in the FA Cup on Friday night, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continued his perfect start to life in charge of the Red Devils.

The boss made some crucial changes to the side that has been ruthlessly dispatching teams in the Premier League though, introducing both Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to the starting XI.

Roberto Firmino has thrown a party themed around the colour of his teeth! Watch the video below to find out what we’re talking about…

The Chilean hotshot got things started early on, rounding Petr Cech and finding the net after a brilliant pass by Lukaku.

The Belgian international then doubled his assist tally when he put one on a plate for Jesse Lingard.

Arsenal fought back as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pulled one back from close range just before half time, but Anthony Martial’s second half strike wrapped up the 3-1 win.

While Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw and Sergio Romero were all superb, Lukaku is the one taking all the plaudits for his selfless display.

The powerful 25 year-old, who takes loads of stick for his quality on the ball, somehow looked more at home cutting in from the right wing with Sanchez operating in the central areas.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans are full of praise for one of the season’s most heavily-criticised players…

Celtic have been warned about a potential disaster in the summer with Cameron Carter-Vickers…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has stated that the Hoops may be concerned about interest from south of the border in the central defender.

Leicester and Wolves have both been linked with a summer swoop for the Tottenham man, who is said to be valued at up to £10m.

O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “They will be worried because if it comes down to finances and money, Celtic aren’t able to compete with these Premier League clubs.”

Disaster

Ange Postecoglou must avoid a major disaster at the end of the season by ensuring that the club splashes the cash to sign him on a permanent basis as quickly as possible.

The Hoops have a headstart on their competitors because he is already in the building and they have a direct line of communication with Tottenham because of his loan. This means that Postecoglou can speak to Carter-Vickers, in person, and convince him to re-join the club in the summer instead of attempting to sign for a Premier League team.

Ex-Spurs man Jan Vertonghen dubbed him an “absolute beast” and his performances in the Premiership this season have lived up to that hype. He has averaged a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.35 across 26 appearances, with the Hoops keeping an impressive 14 clean sheets in that time.

The USA defender has shown that he can consistently deliver quality displays in the Scottish top-flight, winning 68% of his individual duels in the division. Carter-Vickers has made 2.1 tackles and interceptions and 4.2 clearances per game as he has helped the club to the top of the table as it stands.

Therefore, it would be a disaster to lose the centre-back as he has made himself a crucial member of the squad. Postecoglou will not want to go into next season without him, because of his displays, and must now make sure that the board spend the £10m required to sign him from Tottenham on a permanent basis and secure his future at Parkhead.

At the age of 24, he also has the potential to improve further and develop as a player. He has the room to grow and increase his value over time, which means that Celtic would be buying a player who makes their current team tick with his superb performances whilst also keeping him as an investment to potentially sell on in the future for a profit.

AND in other news, Celtic handed huge summer boost on “outstanding” £42k-p/w dynamo, Ange will be buzzing…

A big update has emerged regarding Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos and his future in Glasgow…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, some people inside Ibrox are concerned that the Colombian will not play a competitive game for the club again, having been ruled out for the rest of the current campaign through injury.

The report claims that there are fears that the 25-year-old will be on his way out of Ibrox in the summer, with one (unnamed) club said to be lining up an offer ahead of the next transfer window.

Rangers are reportedly willing to hold out for a fee in the region of £13m for their top scorer, with Ross Wilson bracing himself for bids to come flying in over the coming months.

Disaster

Wilson must now avoid a big Ibrox disaster this summer, as selling Morelos for that fee would be a huge mistake by the club.

The Gers sold young defender Nathan Patterson to Premier League side Everton for a fee of £16m in the January transfer window. Whilst he has potential for the English club paid a premium, he was not starting regularly for Rangers, whereas Morelos has been a key player in Glasgow.

The Colombian is only 25 and still has potential of his own to fulfill, whilst he has 11 goals and seven assists in 25 Premiership starts this season.

To use a more positionally relevant example, Odsonne Edouard left Celtic to join Palace for £14m after he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.17 in 2020/21 and was directly involved in 22 goals in 31 games in his last full campaign for the Hoops.

Morelos has averaged a score of 7.32 in the top flight, which suggests that the overall quality of his performances have been higher than the Frenchman’s were prior to his switch to Selhurst Park, whilst they have both proven that they can score and set up goals.

Therefore, it would be a disaster to sell the South American for £13m when Edouard and Patterson both went for more than that. It would also be a huge blow to Gio van Bronckhorst’s side because of what the forward offers to the team.

The Athletic previously spoke to a number of anonymous Premiership defenders to provide an insight into the Colombian forward, with one dubbing him as “non-stop” and another calling him a “nightmare” to handle.

Along with his aforementioned statistics this term, these quotes illustrate how effective Morelos is for the Gers at the top end of the pitch. He is a constant threat to the opposition and losing him this summer, particularly for £13m, would be a disaster because of the huge hole he would leave in the number nine role.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst can save millions by unleashing Rangers teen who’s “like Theo Hernandez”…

Everton are having a nightmare of a season but Rafael Benitez has been trying to find opportunities to turn it around by getting thoroughly stuck into the winter transfer window.

In an attempt to win over the support of the fans and put Everton in a better position come the end of the season, a fourth January signing is rumoured to be on the horizon.

What’s the word?

Sky Sports journalist Pete O’Rourke has revealed that the Toffees manager could already be working on securing his fourth signing of the month, with a specific position in mind.

O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “They were looking to possibly bring in a new centre-back, and that’s what Rafa Benitez has got his heart set on, he thinks the defence needs sorting out.”

The club has already signed two defenders in January so far, with right back Nathan Patterson joining from Rangers and left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko signing from Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kiev.

Fans will be buzzing

If the performance against Norwich on Saturday afternoon is anything to go by, Everton are desperate for central defenders, after Michael Keane scored an own goal and put on a poor display throughout the game as the Toffees were defeated 2-1 at Carrow Road.

Some fans may be buzzing at the prospect of a potential new centre back at the club, given some of the scathing reactions to Saturday’s horror show in Norfolk.

As for the manager, he is treading on thin ice with many fans, and the signing of a quality centre-back could salvage whatever support he has left at the club, with the team 15th in the Premier League and just six points off the relegation zone.

Despite the desire and intention to turn the season around for Everton, Benitez may have managed his last game for the Toffees as reports suggested that he could be sacked by the club imminently after the embarrassing defeat on Saturday afternoon.

If the unpopular Spaniard can land a new centre-back as a parting gift at Goodison Park, it may well represent good news on the double for the Everton faithful.

In other news: One Everton flop may just cost Benitez his job

Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United face Crystal Palace in Monday evening’s 20:00 kick-off, with the Whites looking to take one step closer to Premier League survival by taking all three points back to Elland Road.

Indeed, a victory at Selhurst Park would see Leeds pull seven points clear of 18th placed Everton, and move to within one point of tonight’s opponent – who currently sit in 14th.

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However, with Adam Forshaw recently fracturing his knee cap in training – an injury which will keep the midfielder sidelined until the start of 2022/23 – and the match coming too soon for both centre-forward Patrick Bamford and attacking midfielder Tyler Roberts, Marsch has some tough calls to make concerning his team selection for the trip to south London.

So, will the 48-year-old make any changes to the team that started the 3-0 win over Watford 16 days ago? Here’s how we at Football FanCast think the Whites could line up against the Eagles…

Taking into account the absences of Forshaw, Bamford and Roberts, we predict that Marsch will make two changes to the side that lined up against the Hornets last time out.

Despite the suggestion that Junior Firpo could make a return to the XI this evening – with the left-back appearing to have recovered from his sideband injury – considering the fact that the 25-year-old has not kicked a ball in earnest since the beginning of March, we expect Leeds’ back five to remain unchanged – with Illan Meslier starting between the sticks and Luke Ayling, Diego Llorente, Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas making up the back four.

In the middle of the park, after a poor showing at Vicarage Road last time out, the £46k-per-week Robin Koch – who Danny Mills dubbed a “fish out of water” earlier this season – makes way for the returning Kalvin Phillips, with Mateusz Klich keeping his place in the midfield two.

In attack, Raphinha, Rodrigo and Jack Harrison start on the right, middle and left of the more advanced midfield trio, while, following a run of seven games at centre-forward without a goal, Daniel James has to make to with a spot on the bench, with Marsch springing something of a “surprise” – in the words of Phil Hay – by handing 19-year-old Joe Gelhardt a start.

AND in other news: Marsch must now unleash Leeds’ “next big thing” vs Palace, he’s “banging on the door”

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa will again make a decision over his future at the end of the season, according to journalist David Anderson.

The Lowdown: Bielsa out of contract

The Argentine has been a game-changing figure at Elland Road since arriving in 2018, transforming the club’s fortunes and guiding them back into the Premier League after a 16-year absence, not to mention being hailed as a ‘genius’ by Mauricio Pochettino.

However, Bielsa has only been signing one-year deals in order to avoiding committing his long-term future to the club, so his current contract expires at the end of the season.

It remains to be seen if the 66-year-old will continue at the Yorkshire club, but Anderson has been discussing the matter.

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The Latest: Journalist expects Bielsa wait

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed that Bielsa will again wait until the summer to make a decision, having been in contact with people at Leeds. He outlined:

“I was chatting to people at the club saying, ‘What’s your feeling?’ (about Bielsa’s future). The thing about Bielsa is they do this cycle every year where, as you know, he operates on a 12-month rolling contract.

“He gets to the end of the season, and he says, ‘I don’t want to talk about the future until we get to the end of the season,’ then he’ll decide if he wants to stay, and usually by then you know if he wants to stay on.”

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The Verdict: Will he stay on?

The current campaign has been a struggle for Bielsa, with injuries affecting Leeds’ form and poor results coming their way, such as the 1-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United on Saturday, so it remains to be seen what his decision will be come the season’s end.

He may feel that he has taken the Whites as far as he can, running out of steam slightly after a consistently upward trajectory until now and potentially losing either Kalvin Phillips or Raphinha, or both for that matter.

On the flip side, another 12-month deal could be signed, which is sure to be the preferred choice of most Leeds fans, even if 2021/22 has been far from ideal.

In other news, a journalist is unsure over Leeds’ potential move for one player. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United have agreed on a deal to sign a new midfielder, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Sunday Mirror (16th January, page 73) claim the Yorkshiremen are on the verge of sealing the 20-year-old’s signature in a £6m move from Belgian outfit Standard Liege.

It’s thought that the highly-rated Belgian U21 international has been brought in to provide cover for the injured Kalvin Phillips, who isn’t expected to return to action until March at the very earliest.

Bielsa will be buzzing

Well, it seems as if United have finally found that engine room enforcer they’ve been desperately looking for – and at just the right time.

Sunday’s game down at West Ham was another reminder of their mounting and persistent injury problems as Adam Forshaw – who has been playing in the Phillips role – went off during the first half with an injury.

It leaves Bielsa hugely light on options in the middle, so signing Raskin should leave him relieved, if not hugely excited about what lies ahead.

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The young 5 foot 10 dynamo has excelled for Liege over the past 18 months. This season, he has provided two assists in 18 appearances from a deep-lying role, whilst also averaging a whopping 2.9 tackles per game.

That builds on last season’s performance, where the £4.5m-rated beast delivered three goals and five assists, and even featured in the Europa League, thus handing Bielsa some valuable experience that he perhaps lacks in his current squad.

“He is a box-to-box midfielder. He can play in every position in the middle of the park. He is technically gifted, but he is also a bit of a pitbull,” claimed Bob Faesen of Belgian newspaper Het Belang van Limburg to The Herald.

“He can run a lot, is powerful and has a good shot. He has been one of the big surprises in Belgium football this season and will be a key player for Liege who Rangers will need to be wary of.”

That sort of review will only make Bielsa even more buzzing to have landed him. Raskin certainly fits the atypical profile – hard-working, powerful and commanding at both ends of the pitch.

If reports are to be believed, then an announcement can’t be far away now. For £6m, it has to be considered an absolute bargain from Victor Orta and co.

AND in other news, Orta could sign his next Samu Saiz in Leeds swoop for “exciting” £10.8m-rated maestro…

Everton are interested in signing Sunderland teenage sensation Chris Rigg who is valued at £1m despite being just 14-years-old.

What’s the story?

According to The Daily Star, Everton are battling with Newcastle to sign teenage wonderkid Chris Rigg from Sunderland.

He has already featured for the Black Cats’ under 18’s side, but despite playing on Wearside, Rigg is a Newcastle fan, so Everton will have to work hard to secure his signature.

It’s not for the first time that the Toffees have been interested in signing a Sunderland prospect, with their current goalkeeper and England international Jordan Pickford coming through the Academy of Light.

He’s the best talent for his age

At just 14 he is deemed the best talent for his age and when he’s already appearing in the under-18 Premier League it’s hard to disagree.

Rigg has made seven appearances this season and has directly contributed in three goals in that time.

Thanks to Pickford’s £25.6m move to Goodison Park in 2017 it might make it easier for Everton to secure Rigg’s services. They will no doubt already have a relationship with Sunderland and they could even use Pickford to help persuade the youngster and his family to choose them.

The Black Cats will also be reluctant to let Rigg head to their closest rivals so could also try and push the player in the direction of Merseyside.

Sunderland won’t want the player to leave the Stadium of Light, but they may have no choice once Premier League clubs come calling. However, they are currently pushing for promotion out of League One and will hope that success could persuade Rigg to stay at Sunderland a bit longer.

Rigg is yet to receive a call up for England at youth level but we suspect that if he continues performing for Sunderland then it won’t be long before that happens.

In terms of if he moves, Everton are historically known for producing good players from their academy with Anthony Gordon one of the latest graduates to shine for the first team.

The prospect of working with Everton manager and Premier League legend Frank Lampard has also got to be a consideration. Whilst Rigg wouldn’t be likely to go into the first team if a move happened, to be able to have a figure like him around would be inspiring enough.

Wherever he goes it’s likely he’ll have a bright future, and this is certainly a name to keep an eye on.

IN other news: Everton could finally axe shocking £69k-p/w “liability” with £9.9m-rated machine – opinion