Tag Futebol

It could be a painful summer for West Bromwich Albion this year as the club is embroiled in financial turmoil due to owner Lai Guochuan seeming to disappear after taking a £20m loan to help the club with running costs.

This situation is made worse by the fact that the club will no longer receive Premier League parachute payments from now on.

This has meant that a summer of selling key players now looks to be a necessity, and it seems like Dara O'Shea will be the first to depart.

West Brom transfer news – Dara O'Shea

According to Sky Sports News, "a contact" has revealed that the Bagglies and recently promoted Burnley are in "advanced negotiations" for the transfer of Irish international and club vice-captain.

It appears the deal is much further ahead than people might have expected, with one Sky Sports reporter adding: "We understand a medical could take place as early as tomorrow [Thursday]"

The 24-year-old had another great year at the Hawthorns last season, making 37 appearances in the Championship, producing three goal involvements and helping the team keep 16 clean sheets.

How good has Dara O'Shea been for West Bromwich Albion?

Considering that the team managed to pick up the Dublin-born defender on a free back in 2015 from Irish side St Kevin's Boys, he has been a massive success in blue and white.

Before making it into the first team at West Brom, he would spend time on loan with National League North side Hereford FC before spending a second, more substantial loan spell with League Two outfit Exeter City.

It was with the Grecians that the 6 foot 1 titan would develop his game, playing 33 times for the club across the league FA Cup and EFL Cup.

City manager Matt Taylor was a massive fan of the player, telling The Athletic:

"If we'd got up to League One last season, we would have been straight back in for him.

"Wherever Dara ends up, I think he will be a success and that will be as much down to character as to ability."

Upon returning to the Midlands in the 2019/20 season, he quickly established himself in the team and has made 107 senior appearances to date.

It was during this time that former Baggies manager Valerian Ismael lauded the defender, saying: "He has the mentality, he's a warrior."

The campaign just gone has been his best yet for the side, and according to WhoScored, he averaged an impressive rating of 6.97 across his 37 league appearances.

Vincent Kompany has certainly got his hands on an excellent player, and West Brom will be worse off without him.

Chelsea's negotiations for Sporting Lisbon’s Manuel Ugarte are moving rapidly.

What’s the latest on Manuel Ugarte to Chelsea?

According to Dean Jones, who was speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the Blues are keen to get the deal completed for the 22-year-old as soon as possible, with talks having motored on in recent days.

Reputable journalist Dean Jones said: “It's certainly accelerated faster than I anticipated, to be honest. We'll now have to see how quickly it can continue to move forward and what the momentum is.

"We know Chelsea are interested, but the rate at which this has been moving forward makes me think that they're keen to get it done very quickly."

The Guardian has reported that the Uruguayan has a release clause of £52m and Chelsea have allegedly agreed personal terms with the player, who has a desire to compete in English football.

How could Manuel Ugarte benefit Chelsea?

The eight-cap international has been in magnificent form for Sporting CP this season, as he has averaged the most tackles (3.9) and interceptions (1.8) per game, to ruthlessly underline his status as a formidable defensive-minded midfielder.

As well as his tenacity, the pivot also possesses a brilliant athletic ability to glide around the pitch, showcased by his 1.8 dribbles per game.

Despite his spritely age, the South American has emerged as an impeccably well-rounded orchestrator, who is excellent at protecting the backline.

The beauty of possessing a selfless destroyer like this is that his qualities unlock the potential of more attack-minded players.

From a Chelsea perspective, this could be crucial to unleashing the maximum influence of Ben Chilwell and Reece James, who when fit and firing, are arguably the club’s most dangerous assets, providing 65 assists between them throughout their club careers.

Unfortunately for Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, and Frank Lampard, none of them have been afforded the luxury of being able to consistently start these two full-backs in the team together.

Both their seasons have been ravaged by injury, as the pair have started just 29 (15 and 14) Premier League games together. This problem has been one of the primary reasons why Chelsea have only netted 38 domestic goals.

Tuchel has previously lauded the irrepressible quality of his full-backs and their contribution to the attack.

He said: “We can have a bit of freedom with our offensive movements. The wing-backs can adapt to half positions to support our attackers. It's a matter of repetition and understanding. At the moment, they do very well no matter who plays.”

For the incoming Mauricio Pochettino, recapturing the best form of these defenders will be crucial if he is to succeed in west London and the signing of Ugarte, who has been hailed as a "monster" by writer Dave Hendrick, could be the perfect defensive step in doing this.

Newcastle United could be set for another summer of spending to bolster their impressive squad after securing Champions League football next season and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Tino Livramento?

According to The NUFC Blog, Newcastle are plotting a move for Southampton star Valentino Livramento this summer.

As per the report, the club's hierarchy have been in contact with representatives of the talented full-back and are also interested in his teammate Armel Bella-Kotchap.

Livramento is represented by the same football agency – Wasserman – as Eddie Howe and Newcastle stalwart Ryan Fraser, so it is claimed that clear lines of communication have been made in pursuit of the player.

Would Livramento be a good signing for Newcastle?

It is no secret that Howe is a big believer in nurturing young English talent, something he proved during his tenure at Bournemouth and has started to implement in his current team with England U21s international Anthony Gordon the latest to join the fold at St James' Park.

As a result, the signing of Livramento – who has a reported price tag of £40m – would make perfect sense for the Magpies manager and could even be the rightful heir to Kieran Trippier's huge role in the team.

Unfortunately, the 20-year-old – hailed a "great talent" by former Spurs ace Ledley King – suffered an ACL injury in April 2022 but did manage to return to the final two games of the season when Southampton had already confirmed relegation from the Premier League.

The rising star – who graduated from Chelsea's famous Cobham academy – played a key role in his breakout season with Saints over his 28 top-flight appearances, scoring one goal, registering one assist and creating four big chances, as well as averaging 1.7 interceptions, 1.9 tackles, 1.1 successful dribbles and 5.1 duels won per game, proving that when fit he is a consistent all-rounder on the right flank.

Indeed, the youngster is unlikely to come in and steal the starting spot from Trippier next season if he was to join the club this summer, however, with the England international now 32 years old and Livramento easing his way back into football after a horrific injury it could be the perfect opportunity to bring in an understudy who already has huge potential and top-flight experience.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Livramento would be a fantastic signing for the Magpies this summer and would give them a ready-made Trippier heir who can develop his craft and learn from one of the most experienced right-backs in the league to fulfil his true potential.

Despite a sensational season which saw Sunderland narrowly miss out on the Championship playoff final, rumours are rife about Tony Mowbray's future at the Stadium of Light.

What's the latest on Mowbray's future at Sunderland?

The former Blackburn Rovers boss took over in the northeast following Alex Neil's shock move to Stoke City earlier in the season and has delivered far better results than many Sunderland fans would have dreamed of at the start of the campaign.

Last season's promotion from League One, via the playoffs, suggested that this season would be all about ensuring stability in the second tier, especially after losing the influential Neil.

However, Mowbray would go one further and took a depleted Black Cats squad into the top six on the final day, despite missing key players such as Ross Stewart and Danny Batth through injury.

Further injury concerns meant that Trai Hume would partner Luke O'Nien at centre-back in the away leg at Kenilworth Road, with natural wingers Lynden Gooch and Patrick Roberts featuring at full-back, so Mowbray cannot really be blamed for the defeat.

Remarkably, talkSPORT are claiming that the 59-year-old is now fighting to save his job at Sunderland, with three young European managers on a potential shortlist to replace him in the summer.

The same report claims that RB Salzburg boss Matthias Jaissle is currently top of that shortlist, with Francesco Farioli and ex-Barnsley boss Gerhard Struber also options for the Black Cats.

While it would be incredibly harsh to sack Mowbray following such an impressive campaign, the prospect of hiring a top young manager such as Jaissle is surely a hugely exciting one for the Black Cats, with the 35-year-old perhaps reminiscent of former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann.

Who is Sunderland manager target Matthias Jaissle?

The German coach spent time working in RB Leipzig's academy before he was even 30, and he earned a move to Danish side Brondby, where he worked as an assistant manager for two seasons.

He then took on his first role at RB Salzburg as manager of the U18 side, where he earned a remarkable average of 2.78 points per game across 23 fixtures in charge, which saw him earn his first senior management role at FC Liefering in Austria.

Another successful spell would follow, as he averaged 2.12 points per game between January and June 2021, before he was deemed ready to take on the job at RB Salzburg following Jesse Marsch's upgrade to RB Leipzig.

He has since gone on to average a phenomenal 2.27 points per game, winning the Austrian title and cup thus far, which emphasises the winning mentality he could bring to the Stadium of Light.

Winning titles at such a young age is rarely seen in football management but Nagelsmann would achieve it at Bayern, having also made his name at Hoffenheim and another of Red Bull's sides in Germany.

The similarities are apparent and while it would be a big gamble to replace Mowbray, Sunderland could just find themselves a gem if they appoint Jaissle this summer.

Rangers have "definitely had talks" with Malik Tillman about a permanent move to Ibrox in the summer, according to BBC pundit Alan Hutton.

Will Malik Tillman sign for Rangers?

The Gers have the option to buy Tillman for £5m from Bayern Munich in the summer, but the player himself has said his chances of completing a permanent switch to Ibrox are 50/50, with it currently "completely open."

The American has made it clear he enjoyed his season on loan with the Light Blues, saying: "I had a great time here. It might not be the end here so we will see what's going to happen in the summer."

Despite enjoying his time in Glasgow, there have been some reports the 20-year-old is not looking to sign permanently, with journalist Jonny McFarlane claiming that he "views his future elsewhere", despite the deal between Rangers and Bayern Munich being "done".

Hutton is more positive about the Gers' chances of signing the starlet on a permanent basis, although he does not think it is worth reading into the fact he recently flew back into Glasgow.

In an interview with Football Insider, the pundit said: “He flew back after the injury but you know what it is like when you are a loan player. You might have a rented property, you need to sort things out.

“He will have definitely had talks with the club. I am pretty sure he would have had conversations with Michael Beale.

“I am pretty sure there will have been talks going on to see where his future lies.“

Would Tillman be a good signing for Rangers?

The attacking midfielder has certainly done enough to impress his teammates this season, having been hailed as "phenomenal" by John Lundstram earlier in the campaign.

With ten goals and four assists to his name in the Scottish Premiership, the youngster has recorded the fourth-highest number of goal contributions of any Gers player this season, which is a stellar effort, given his age.

There has been criticism of the Bayern loanee's work-rate, with pundit Frank McAvennie also claiming he goes missing in games, saying: "He can be outstanding for 20 minutes then you will not see him for the remainder of the 70 minutes."

However, Tillman has plenty of time to iron out any problems, and his strengths far outweigh his weaknesses, meaning he would be an excellent signing for Rangers this summer.

Leeds United will be looking to bring in a young manager over the summer with Sam Allardyce expected to depart regardless of their fate.

Will Allardyce be made permanent at Leeds?

Andrea Radrizzani has experienced yet another difficult season at the top of Leeds with back-to-back relegation-battling seasons under his belt.

The Whites are now locked into the bottom three of the table on the back of the results over the weekend with Everton pulling two points clear of the drop.

Three games remain in their campaign but there are still some mightily tough games ahead of them as Leicester City narrowly sits above Leeds on goal difference.

Javi Gracia's time at Elland Road was short-lived with Sam Allardyce coming through the doors to replace him with just four games to go.

The 68-year-old's spell at Leeds could not have gotten off to a trickier start as they travelled to the reigning champions, however, they did put up a good fight.

However, speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano has claimed Leeds will be looking to move on from Allardyce for a young manager over the summer:

(22:00) "We have to wait until the end of the season. At the end of the season, they will qualify, for example, Leeds I know for sure they're looking for different manager, a young manager for the future. They had some names in mind, but these managers are not coming now in April or May.

"So I don't see Sam Allardyce staying but I think they will do something different in any case."

Could Allardyce be the right man for Leeds?

There are three huge games lying ahead of the former England manager at Leeds and they are three games which will seriously test the Yorkshire club.

Everton's win on Monday has seriously piled the pressure on but Leeds will have been well aware that the trip to Manchester City was not a game they will have been expecting to take any points.

But now it is a serious uphill task for Leeds, if Allardyce is able to secure their top-flight status, then the mood around the 68-year-old will be incredibly positive.

However, he has been brought in as a short-term fix. And we think the likes of Radrizzani should remember that.

Keeping Leeds afloat now would be a huge achievement, but the vision of the club surely has to be aspiring for more than what they've been handed over the last two seasons.

Looking at Leeds' struggles over the last two years, it feels like they need a long-term manager who can come in and provide the players with a project.

Marcelo Bielsa was able to provide a long-term vision, however, perhaps a young promising manager who could provide similar attributes is the path Leeds should be looking at.

The likes of Vincent Kompany have gone into Burnley and changed the club's philosophy and they have certainly reaped the rewards for doing so.

If Leeds do go down, it will be interesting to see who would be keen to take the reins at Elland Road.

Arsenal reporter Charles Watts criticised midfielder Thomas Partey for his role in Manchester City's opening goal at the Etihad on Wednesday evening.

What did Watts say about Partey?

The Gunners travelled to City looking to end their three-game run without a win in the Premier League and continue their push for the title, with Mikel Arteta giving Partey the nod once again in a three-man midfield alongside captain Martin Odegaard and Granit Xhaka.However, things didn't go to plan for the visitors, who found themselves a goal down early on after Kevin de Bruyne's early effort. John Stones doubled the home side's advantage just before the interval, with De Bruyne netting his second and City's third shortly after the restart and Erling Haaland scoring a fourth in injury time.Partey, who was making his 35th appearance of the season in all competitions, was criticised for his part in the opener, with centre-back Rob Holding also slammed in the media for his display, despite scoring a consolation goal late on.Watts took to Twitter to describe Partey's tracking of De Bruyne's run as "horrendous", adding that Aaron Ramsdale should also have done better with the shot. Members of the media also felt that Partey put in an "embarrassing performance" on the whole for a "fourth game in a row".

How was Partey's performance?

It was certainly an evening to forget for the Gunners, with City now just two points behind the league leaders with two games in hand.As per SofaScore, Partey ended with a match rating of 6.7/10, slightly above Arsenal's player average of 6.48/10. The Ghanaian gave away possession on six occasions, committed three fouls and picked up a yellow card. However, he did make two tackles, registered a key pass, won eight of his 13 duels and completed 100% of his attempted dribbles.It wasn't a performance to shout about, but he did outperform a number of his teammates, but his action in City's opener is what led to plenty criticism from Watts.

Leicester City have former Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl "on the radar" as a potential replacement for Brendan Rodgers, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest Leicester manager news?

Leicester have already received a setback in their pursuit of a new manager, with Graham Potter rejecting the chance to take over at the King Power Stadium. However, there are plenty of other targets still being considered by chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.

Adi Hutter has been shortlisted by the Foxes, although there has not yet been any concrete talks with the former Borussia Monchengladbach boss, while they are also said to be eyeing a move for Rafa Benitez, even going as far as to make an offer for the Spaniard.

However, Romano has since clarified that Leicester's interest is tentative at this stage, saying: "I also heard some rumours of Rafa Benitez but I'm told that at the moment it is not something advanced or that concrete."

Taking to Twitter, the transfer guru has claimed that Benitez has been "in the frame since Sunday", while he also confirmed that Hasenhuttl is one of the coaches that Srivaddhanaprabha has "on the radar" to replace Rodgers.

Romano's phrasing suggests that talks are yet to be held with the former Southampton boss, however it is certainly something to look out for in the coming days.

Should Leicester appoint Ralph Hasenhuttl?

There is likely to be some scepticism surrounding the Foxes' interest in the 55-year-old, given that he was sacked by the Saints in November, leaving them in the relegation zone, however, their performance since his departure indicates the squad is simply not good enough, as they are now four points from safety.

Hailed as "outstanding" by members of the media, the Austrian spent nearly four years on the south coast, taking charge of 173 games, meaning he has the requisite experience of managing a Premier League club, which could be crucial at this stage of the season.

Not only that, but he also oversaw RB Leipzig's rise to become contenders at the top of the Bundesliga, achieving a second-place finish in the 2016/17 season, a remarkable accomplishment, given that it was their first season in the German top flight.

Although Hasenhuttl struggled towards the end of his tenure at Southampton, his previous success indicates he could go on to be a real success somewhere else, and Leicester should undoubtedly consider him as their next manager.

Journalist Derek Clark has praised the turnaround Fashion Sakala has had at Rangers since Michael Beale returned to the club.

How has Sakala performed for Rangers?

The Zambia international arrived in 2021, but took a while to nail down a starting place under Steven Gerrard and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

The 26-year-old has since exploded into life under Beale and has now scored in each of his last three Scottish Premiership games.

He is starting to become a reliable attacker for Rangers and he has now been praised for the remarkable uptick in his performances at Ibrox.

Speaking on The Rangers Review, Clark lavished Sakala with praise for his improvement in end-product, particularly in away games.

"He was brought in when Beale was a coach under Steven Gerrard back in the summer of 2021, and it never quite happened for him under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, but since Beale returned to the club, his numbers have skyrocketed.

"He's had 12 goal involvements, six goals and six assists in 16 starts and two substitute appearances under the new manager. And away from home, he's had nine goal involvements in eight league away trips. He's really come into his own, hasn't he, under Michael Beale.

"Particularly away from home, for me, he's possibly Rangers' most threatening outlet up top at the moment. There's been a remarkable turnaround for him; he wasn't really getting a look-in under Giovanni van Bronckhorst but he's just had a new lease of life under Michael Beale."

Can Sakala be Rangers' main attacker?

The £8.3k-per-week star typically plays on the wing, but has lined up through the middle on occasion. With the future of Alfredo Morelos up in the air, as the Colombian's contract is set to expire amid transfer links, Beale will likely need a new striker in the summer.

Given Sakala's excellent form in front of goal, there is a case to be made that he could step up as the main goalscorer of the team once Morelos departs, and he could either start down the middle or on the wings supporting another striker such as Antonio Colak.

It may be too early to get carried away by Sakala's form, but Beale's remarkable impact on the forward in a short period of time suggests that there could be plenty more to come from him, and if he can develop into a consistent goalscorer and iron out the frustrating elements of his game, Rangers may not need to panic over losing Morelos.

West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh have shared an interesting update on the future of star midfielder Declan Rice.

The Lowdown: Rice exit nearing?

The noises around east London indicate that West Ham appear more and more resigned to losing the 24-year-old this summer.

Indeed, Arsenal, Chelsea and Man City are currently in contention to sign Rice as he enters the final 16 months of his contract under David Moyes.

The England international’s proposed move away looks set to be one of the hot transfer topics of this year, but according to C&H, things aren’t quite as advanced just yet.

The Latest: Insider shares interesting Rice update…

As per the club insider, not a single bid has gone in for Rice yet, coming amid claims that Arsenal are seriously advancing in an agreement.

The report further goes on to state that the midfielder’s father/agent Sean has been ‘in touch’ with a ‘number of clubs’ over a transfer – yet ‘none’ have so far reacted.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-6/” title=”West Ham latest news” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/cropped-david-moyes-premier-league-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Phenomenal player…

The Premier League relegation-battlers appear more likely than not to lose their star player but, at least for now, the focus for Rice is on ensuring his current club survive.

As per WhoScored, the club captain has averaged more successful interceptions per 90 than any West Ham player and currently ranks as their best-performing player overall.

Ahead of this summer window, a real hope for West Ham could be that Rice keeps performing at a high enough level to warrant the largest price tag possible.

As his deal is to expire in 2024, the eventual fee will probably be a far cry below the £150 million quoted by Moyes last year.

It will be very interesting to see how much West Ham can get, but for now, it appears to be very much a summer saga – not for now.