All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic’s transfer window is hotting up with Ange Postecoglou already welcoming two new faces at Parkhead.

Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide have both arrived from south of the border but the Hoops must press on ahead of an important European qualification phase.

What’s the word?

One player on Celtic’s radar at the moment is Sheffield United defender George Baldock.

The wing-back was relegated with the Blades last term and could be on the move early in the window.

Baldock has attracted the interest of the Bhoys since 2019 but they are now stepping up their pursuit.

Sheffield Star reported last week that Celtic were willing to put £8m on the table after the transfer was sanctioned by Postecoglou.

However, in a fresh update from journalist Alan Nixon, he claims that Baldock might not come at a hefty price.

Responding to a supporter who was querying the price tag, he said; “it’s not fortunes.”

Exciting news

This is a double whammy of good news for Celtic supporters. The Hoops desperately need a right back and they need to find a way of saving funds.

Last week, the Star suggested that an £8m bid from the Glaswegian club would fall way short of the evaluation necessary before the Yorkshire club even contemplated doing business.

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However, Nixon’s claim appears to contradict the previous report. Celtic’s record transfer was the arrival of Odsonne Edouard for £9m from PSG back in 2018 and it would be difficult to see a deal usurping that.

Baldock to Celtic would surely surpass that fee and for a defender, it would be surprising if they made that outlay.

Possessing Premier League experience, the thought that he won’t cost a great deal should make fans excited.

At the moment, the club’s only right-backs to choose from would be Lee O’Connor, who spent last term on loan at Tranmere, or Anthony Ralston. He only played once in the entirety of 2020/21, meaning he shouldn’t really be first choice.

Baldock, on the other hand, would surely thrive in the Premiership. During his first campaign in the top-flight of English football, he contributed to five goals which built on an impressive Championship promotion-winning season.

Strong in the tackle, Baldock has completed 1.8 successful tackles per match throughout his career. That tally tops every player at Celtic last season excluding the tough-natured Ismaila Soro.

On that evidence, this should be stirring news for supporters. He is evidently an upgrade on the current options they have at their disposal.

AND in other news, Forget Griffiths: Ange must unleash “powerful” rarely-seen Celtic beast next season…

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham fans have erupted over an injury update from ExWHUemployee regarding Aaron Cresswell, with many shocked at the severity of the injury he has sustained.

The 32-year-old has proven to be a critical component of David Moyes’ side this season, having started all 13 games in which he has appeared. However, in the Hammers’ 2-1 loss to Manchester City a month ago, the left-back was substituted on the hour mark after slamming his back into the goalpost.

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It has not been made clear just how severe the injury is, with Moyes originally claiming that Cresswell was a doubt for the Irons’ following game, refusing to provide a return date. West Ham have won just one of the seven matches they have played in all competitions since that fateful afternoon at the Etihad Stadium.

Hammers fans react to Cresswell’s injury news

ExWHUemployee took to Twitter to provide fans with an injury update on the defender. He claimed that the player has chipped a bone in his back which is causing him a lot of pain, and that no recovery date has been given by either Cresswell himself or the club.

These Irons fans took to the replies on that tweet to provide the 32-year-old with their sympathies, as many were left gutted by the “horrific” news on the injury.

It leaves Arthur Masuaku as the squad’s only recognised left-back and comes at a time when some other defenders are also sidelined.

“Ouchie !!! Poor Cress”

Credit: @Els_ie

“Wow, didn’t expect it to be that bad.”

Credit: @AlexThomsonWHU

“that sounds pretty horrific”

Credit: @BoogersWestHam

“Hope he recovers well. Just sums up our luck. Best 4 defenders we’ve had in years all out for months at some point this year. Cress, Zouma, Ogbonna and Vlad”

Credit: @camwestham

“Yikes, that’s Cresswell out for the season then”

Credit: @Bielsalmighty

“This is such a blow. A new LB is massively needed, Masuaku can’t be our LB in a flat back four”

Credit: @antoni_dad

In other news – ‘I think’: Journalist drops claim on ‘special’ West Ham target tipped to become ‘world-class’

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

Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray has confirmed that Leeds United loanee Ian Poveda is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after picking up a serious leg injury.

The Lowdown: Poveda on loan at Blackburn

The 21-year-old was sent out on loan to the Championship club during the summer in order to enjoy more regular football, but it has not quite gone to plan.

Poveda, who has been described as ‘incredible’ by Pep Guardiola after his spell at Manchester City, has been limited to just four league starts so far at Ewood Park.

On Saturday, the youngster unfortunately left the field injured in his side’s 1-1 draw away to Bristol City with what looked like a serious issue.

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The Latest: Serious injury confirmed

On Tuesday, Blackburn’s official Twitter channel confirmed the news using quotes from Mowbray, who said that the midfielder looks set for a lengthy spell out of the team. The Rovers boss outlined: “The news isn’t particularly good, he’s broken his fibula and has some ligament damage.”

As per Blackburn’s official website, Mowbray added: “It’s a fracture and it’s not good news for him or us. We’ve been in touch with Leeds United and it looks as if he’ll have an operation to insert a plate. We’ll see what Leeds want to do because he’s their player, but he will be out for a significant period of time.”

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The Verdict: Big blow for Poveda

It is a cruel blow for Poveda, especially as he tries to force his way into Mowbray’s starting line-up more regularly, and he now faces a mental challenge to overcome following such a huge personal setback.

The hope is that the Leeds youngster can make a swift enough recovery to get some more game-time at Blackburn before the season is out, ideally returning to Elland Road more rounded player next summer.

At 21, he still has a long future ahead of him, so this will hopefully be a minor speed bump in his career rather than a prolonged setback like the one suffered by Adam Forshaw.

In other news, Phil Hay has discussed Leeds’ potential January transfer business. Read more here.

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”…

Kevin Campbell believes Luke Ayling’s lengthy injury absence is a huge blow for Leeds United, after news emerged that the defender required surgery.

The Lowdown: Ayling missing for Leeds

The 30-year-old hasn’t featured for the Whites since the 1-1 draw away to Newcastle United last month, having picked a knee issue.

Ayling is to be missing for a considerable period after the news broke last week that he needed surgery, with an absence of around six weeks expected, meaning it will be well into the hectic winter fixture schedule before he returns.

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The Latest: Pundit bemoans absence

Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell, a regular on Sky Sports, highlighted Ayling’s importance to Leeds, outlining why he will be such a big loss in the coming period:

“He’ll be a big miss if he’s out for that long. Leeds have some crucial fixtures coming up after the internationals.

“Ayling is Mr. Reliable and you will only ever see him out of the side if he’s got a bad injury. He’s been brilliant for them over the past couple of seasons and has been virtually ever-present.

“Injuries happen to everybody though. It is so important to have a player who can plug the gap until he is back.

“Shackleton has been very good but I still think they will really miss Ayling. He is a fantastic player who can chip in with a goal or two as well. He’s so consistent at right-back and consistency is the key. He gives you a seven or eight out of 10 every week.”

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The Verdict: Huge loss for Whites

Ayling has been a fantastic servant for Leeds and there is no denying that they lose a lot when he isn’t in the team.

The 30-year-old possesses a big character and leadership from right-back, but he also brings so much energy and quality, both in an attacking and defensive sense.

Ayling’s screamer at Manchester United on the opening weekend of the season showed what he is capable of ability-wise, but he has averaged 2.2 tackles and 1.2 clearances per game in the Premier League this season, too, which is really where he shines.

In other news, a pundit has been critical of one Leeds player. Find out who it is here.

West Bromwich Albion have spent the last five years yo-yo-ing between the Premier League and the Championship, with two relegations and one promotion since 2017/18.

There have been several factors behind their inability to remain a consistent force in the top-flight of English football, but arguably the most pivotal aspect is their poor record in the transfer market.

Many players have been brought into the Hawthorns for relatively large fees before failing to live up to expectations in recent years, heavily contributing to the club’s struggles at the elite level.

And one of those who has arguably flopped for the Midlands outfit is Karlan Grant. The 24-year-old striker was brought to West Brom in a £15m deal back in October 2020, making him one of their most expensive purchases.

During his unveiling, technical director Luke Dowling lauded the youngster’s ability to put the ball in the back of the net, claiming he was ready for the step-up that the Premier League would undoubtedly provide.

“We are confident we have signed a young player who has proved he is ready for the challenges of the Premier League,” said Dowling. “He has scored goals throughout his career, including the few months he had with Huddersfield at this level two years ago.”

However, things have not gone to plan for Grant. The former England U18 international scored just a single goal as West Brom finished 19th last term, immediately returning to the Championship as a result.

His underwhelming performances upfront saw him fall out of favour when Sam Allardyce took over from Slaven Bilic halfway through the season, with his last league start coming at the beginning of February.

Although Grant has started the current campaign well, bagging four goals and providing two assists in 11 Championship outings, his inability to produce at the highest level has seen his market value plummet to just £7.2m, less than half the total that West Brom paid for his services just last year.

While the £30,000-per-week dud may yet come good for the Baggies, it appears the club’s hierarchy made a big mistake in placing their trust in a striker unproven in the Premier League, contributing heavily to their eventual relegation.

And, in other news…Signed for £8m, now worth £1.8m: Ismael must wield axe on 27 y/o West Brom liability 

Many West Ham United fans have been angered on Twitter, following a post from The Athletic writer Roshane Thomas detailing some of David Moyes’ comments on transfer activities at the London Stadium this summer.

With the Premier League set to kick-off for the Hammers this Saturday away to Newcastle United, the Londoners go into the tie having made just two signings in the form of Craig Dawson and Alphonse Areola [Transfermarkt].

Now, West Ham fans have been thrust into further anxiety over recruitment activity after input from the manager, who stated the following (via Thomas’ Twitter account): “We’ve got offers in but not everything is coming to fruition.”

As you can imagine, loads of West Ham United diehards took to social media to vent their fury at the recent communication, with the transfer window due to shut in a matter of weeks.

West Ham United fans react:

Replying to Thomas’ Twitter page, here is what some Irons fans had to say about recent developments:

“Nothing is coming to fruition! And it’s not good enough”

Credit: @cheersthough

“I predict last minute loan deals will form the basis of our summer ‘activity’”

Credit: @teepee61

“Moyes Out”

Credit: @whufctom_

“This guy is an embarrassment”

Credit: @JayWHU

 “Fake bids, 3 weeks on one bid and player still hasn’t signed, no intentions to sign, publicity stunts #EnoughIsEnough #GSBOUT”

Credit: @ChrisBetts82″Moyes Out”Credit: @whufctom_In other news, West Ham fans react to a transfer update.

Everton are expected to have a sizeable transfer budget at their disposal over the January window as Rafa Benitez aims to add multiple additions to his struggling first-team squad.

What’s the story?

That’s according to journalist Paul Brown, who claims that Benitez is likely to have a minimum of £30 million to spend as he plots the Toffees’ path up the Premier League table.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “There should be £30million or £35million to spend in this window, if not more.”

Fans surely buzzing

If Brown’s latest revelation is accurate, then Benitez will have significantly more room to maneuver in the winter window than he did during the summer, allowing him to make the necessary additions that excite supporters.

The Blues were the lowest spending Premier League club just a few months ago, spending only £1.6m in order to prise Demarai Gray away from German outfit Bayer Leverkusen.

In fact, Gray was the only acquisition that the Merseyside club spent any cash on, with Andros Townsend, Salomon Rondon, Asmir Begovic and Andy Lonergan all joining on free transfers.

Benitez admitted Financial Fair Play guidelines resulted in Everton being unable to spend big during his first transfer window in the Goodison Park dugout after the club posted enormous losses of £139.9m for the last financial year.

However, with Everton’s books beginning to look healthy after James Rodriquez’s departure back in September, the Spanish tactician can start planning ahead.

According to the Liverpool ECHO, director of football Marcel Brands and co. are understood to be looking for two new additions in particular, with a winger and a box-to-box midfielder at the top of their wishlist.

The likes of Jesse Lingard, Luis Diaz and Donny van de Beek have been named as targets by several reports, and it’s clear that Benitez is in need of players of that quality.

Everton have picked up just a single point from a possible 15 after losing just one of their opening seven top-flight fixtures, meaning Benitez and the Goodison faithful will be buzzing to see more cash ready to spend in January.

And, in other news…Huge blow: Everton suffer big injury setback, Benitez will be gutted 

Everton are interested in a deal to bring Joaquin Correa to Goodison Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Calciomercato, who claim that Rafael Benitez’s side are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Lazio attacking midfielder ahead of a potential move in the summer transfer window.

However, the report goes on to state that Inter Milan are also in the race for the 26-year-old, with Simone Inzaghi believed to be keen to set up a reunion with his former player at the San Siro next season.

It is then claimed that Inter are preparing themselves for a tussle with the Toffees in order to secure the services of the Argentina international, for whom it is believed Maurizio Sarri would be demanding at least €35m (£30m) in order to part with this summer.

Bernard upgrade

Considering just how impressive Correa was for Lazio last season, in addition to the fact that Bernard has recently moved onto pastures new, it is easy to see why Benitez is considering a move for the attacking midfielder ahead of next season.

Indeed, over his 28 Serie A appearances for I Biancocelesti last term, the £27m-rated man scored eight goals, registered three assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making one key pass per game.

These returns saw the man Rahul Warrier dubbed a “menace” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.96, ranking him as Lazio’s joint fifth-best performer in the top flight of Italian football.

The former Sevilla man also highly impressed over his eight Champions League appearances last time out, bagging three goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances, seeing him earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.11.

Furthermore, with Correa also being able to operate comfortably from the left wing, the signing of the £81k-per-week forward could be viewed as a replacement for the recently departed Bernard.

And, with the Brazilian having scored just one goal, as well as failing to provide an assist or create a big chance over his 12 Premier League appearances last season, it is not a difficult argument to make that the Argentine would be a huge upgrade on the £130k-per-week man.

Finally, it would also appear as if the 26-year-old would be open to a move to England, with it being reported that the Lazio gem has expressed to Sarri that he would like to leave Rome this summer, as well as the attacker previously claiming that he would “like to play in the Premier League.”

As such, it would very much appear as if the opportunity is there for Benitez to land Correa ahead of next season, all that would seem to remain is the Toffees coughing up the money to begin talks with the Argentine.

In other news: Bye-bye Rodriguez: Benitez must seal Everton swoop for “exceptional” 33-goal wizard