All posts by z3u9t.icu

Lots of Everton fans have been left gushing over some news that has emerged involving Andros Townsend.

As per the official Twitter page of the Goodison Park faithful, his stunning strike from outside of the box at home to Burnley has now been nominated for September’s Goal of the Month (GOTM) award.

Supporters of the Merseyside club can now vote for Townsend’s goal on the Premier League’s website, as he is nominated alongside Bruno Fernandes, Jesse Lingard, Romelu Lukaku, Naby Keita, Matty Cash and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The goal encapsulates a great start to life at the Toffees for Townsend, who has scored four goals in total and made a further three assists in eight games over all competitions since his arrival (Transfermarkt), and will no doubt be hoping to bag more screamers as the campaign progresses.

Everton fans on Townsend news

These Blues fans gushed as the news of Townsend’s nomination was shared on Twitter:

“Never fails to make me grin from ear to ear”

Credit: @ellieq

“We cannot understate how good @andros_townsend has been for us so far this season! Whether starting or not, he has a big role to play in the next couple of years”

Credit: @DaAlexJohnson

“Cracking goal that really should win”

Credit: @Adamefc95

“Booooooooooooom”

Credit: @Georgie_Redman

“Belter”

Credit: @Bigpoppa1878

“Was an absolutely sensational 10 minutes I thought Gwladys Street Stand was gonna collapse loved absolutely every second”

Credit: @RDW_Engineering

In other news, find out what contract talks have Evertonians buzzing here!

Tottenham Hotspur face rival interest from Atletico Madrid in the race for Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic this summer [Gianluca Di Marzio].

The Lowdown: Tottenham search for reinforcements amid Kane uncertainty

With Spurs set to kick off their 2021/22 season at home to Manchester City on Sunday, speculation about star man Harry Kane continues to rumble on amid links to the Premier League holders.

Even despite this, depth up front has been a concern of Lilywhites supporters for a number of years now.

Could more worry now be induced in regard to the problem position following recent developments?

The Latest: Atletico Madrid close to submitting Vlahovic offer

Atletico Madrid are said to have a firm interest in the 6 foot 3 goalscorer, and could offer around €60 million plus centre-back Nehuen Perez in exchange for the clinical Vlahovic [Gianluca Di Marzio].

A formalised offer is said to be imminent, with a tabled effort to acquire the Serbian colossus from the Spanish giants looking likely to be submitted within the next 48 hours.

London rivals Arsenal are also believed to be ready to join the race for his signature [Guardian].

The Verdict: Losing out on Vlahovic would be a bitter blow for Spurs

In the interest of bringing in quality to contribute this campaign, the rival attention being thrust upon a reported target will come as a bitter blow to the Tottenham Hotspur hierarchy.

In 2020/21, the Serie A frontman enjoyed a fantastic 2020/21, registering 23 goal contributions in 40 appearances; 21 goals and two assists [Transfermarkt].

Furthermore, his constant appetite to get involved in attacking play was a menace to opposition defences, notching an average of 2.3 shots per game across the piece [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘incredible’ by Italian football expert Conor Clancy, Spurs should look to close a deal before more sides like Atletico take notice [This is Futbol].

In other news, Tottenham Hotspur table a bid for a Sky Bet Championship star.

Lots of Glasgow Rangers fans have been blasting Connor Goldson despite their 3-1 win at Livingston in the Premiership at Sunday lunchtime.

The defender was outdone by a simple long ball over the top as Bruce Anderson tucked the ball away for the hosts to make the score 2-1, after Scott Arfield and Joe Aribo had given Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team an early two-goal lead.

Goldson did not have his best game in a Light Blues shirt in general, losing out on two of his duels, while he also failed to make any interceptions and lost possession of the ball on 15 different occasions in the match, the joint-third most of any of his teammates (SofaScore).

Rangers fans on Goldson

These Rangers fans blasted Goldson on Twitter after he made the mistake, with one Light Blues supporter going as far as to claim that the defender was ‘shocking’ today:

“Why Goldson allows that to drop to the man is shocking, show some effort to go and win it”

Credit: @gavincook_66

“When is Goldson going to learn? Caught out again, cannot defend a long ball, every game he’s getting caught now, schoolboy mistakes”

Credit: @Russell0716

“So bad from Goldson there”

Credit: @RSeymourWATP

“Goldson out”

Credit: @ChrisSpenceee

“Connor Goldson again, what a joke”

Credit: @rodneylaidlaw

“Had enough of Goldson. Hope he goes to Villa”

Credit: @RSPCA007

In other news, find out whose display against Livingston was also slammed by some Gers fans

Kevin Phillips has mixed feelings about Leeds United’s potential move for John Swift but has tipped Marcelo Bielsa to get the best out of him.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Swift move

The Whites are reportedly keen on signing the 26-year-old in the January transfer window in order to add squad depth in the middle of the park.

Swift is enjoying a fantastic season in the Championship with Reading, scoring eight goals and setting up another eight and arguably standing out as one of the best players in the division.

Bielsa has called the Reading maestro a ‘great player’ in the past, adding further fuel to the fire regarding a move to Elland Road.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Phillips has mixed feelings

Phillips is a bit unsure about the prospective transfer, telling Football Insider that he would love to see Swift succeed at Elland Road but feeling that it would be a “gamble” to take him to the Premier League. He said:

“I think it would be a slight gamble from Leeds. It’s a big jump, moving from the Championship to the Premier League.

“He is a player who has been around a while now. It makes you wonder why nobody has brought him up to the Premier League already.

“However, we know when Bielsa signs a player, he gets the best out of them. Swift might be one of those players who comes up to the Premier League and really surprises everyone. I would love to see him jump up and make an impression.

“If I’m honest though, I’m dubious as to whether he could do that. Bielsa’s man-management skills could bring out the best in him though. It’s certainly a position Leeds are light in.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-25/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Trust Bielsa?

The idea of signing a Championship player is naturally less enticing than bringing in someone from a top European league, but Bielsa has shown that he should be trusted with signings, given the success he has enjoyed at Leeds. The Argentine can also take credit for moulding the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Luke Ayling and Patrick Bamford from being useful Championship operators to accomplished Premier League-standard footballers.

He may believe that Swift has exactly what it takes to be a key player in his system, most importantly providing him with more midfield options as well. The 26-year-old is averaging 2.8 key passes per game in the Championship this season, with Raphinha (2.2) Leeds’ strongest performer in that area.

With Adam Forshaw still only recently back from a two-year injury absence and Kalvin Phillips’ future up in the air, the need for more bodies in the middle of the park is evident.

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

Southampton fans are far from happy with an update on Mario Lemina, who is said to have travelled to complete his transfer to Nice without permission from the Saints hierarchy.

£9m-valued Lemina (Transfermarkt) recently completed a move to Nice after ending his time at St. Mary’s Stadium (ogcnice.com). He made the move initially to the south coast from Juventus in 2017, but he managed just 52 appearances for the Saints before moving out on loan to Galatasaray and then Fulham (Transfermarkt).

Unfortunately, his attitude appeared to be an issue at Southampton, and his problems in that department have once again reared their ugly head. As per The Athletic, the 27-year-old Gabon international flew to France to complete his transfer to Nice without seeking permission from the Saints higher ups.

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Lemina update

“Lemina proving his attitude problems even on the way out… If only he dropped all of the shenanigans, he could be a seriously good player.”

Credit: @kierangallop00

“Unprofessional until the end”

Credit: @PixelKicker

“Good riddance”

Credit: @olliesaints7

“And that just shows why he could not stay with the club. A good move for all. Hopefully for OGC Nice too”

Credit: @AndrewLeakey57

“Big time Charlie! Exactly the reason why he won’t be a loss ………. no respect for the club or his team mates!”

Credit: @KevanBrown05

“just shows his attitude really they can have fun with that”

Credit: @sfctom_

In other news, Southampton fans were far from happy with these Martin Semmens comments.

A major  transfer update has emerged, one regarding reported Ipswich Town target Martyn Waghorn.

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, Derby County are struggling to pin striker Martyn Waghorn down to a new contract at the club. The report claims that Derby have made no progress in their efforts to keep Waghorn at the club, with his deal due to expire at the end of the month – making him a free agent at the start of July.

Football League World reported last month that Ipswich are considering a swoop for Waghorn to bring him to Portman Road for a second spell. The report claimed that Ipswich will weigh up whether or not to make a move for Waghorn if he becomes a free agent this summer.

Speaking about Waghorn in 2019, former Derby boss Frank Lampard lavished praise on the incredible forward. Lampard highlighted his ability on and off the ball, along with his quality on and off the pitch. He told the Derby Telegraph:

“I get asked (about him) regularly when he hasn’t been playing at times this season. We have competition in forward and wide areas.

“But at the moment, he is in fantastic form. He’s giving everything to the team, on and off the ball, and quality with it.

“He got his goal at Southampton and has shown an incredible work rate – and he’s incredible around the place day in, day out, in how he is in the group.

“I’m delighted with him, and we need to have that and more from everybody.”

Cook needs him

Paul Cook needs Waghorn next season and CEO Mark Ashton must ensure that he can seal a deal for the attacker in the coming weeks. This latest update from the Derby side appears to suggest that Waghorn is due to become a free agent, as he has not made any clear indications that he will be staying in the Midlands, which could be a major boost for Ipswich.

It could now allow the Tractor Boys to snap him up on a free transfer, avoiding the need to lavish out on a transfer fee for the attacker.

The £7.9k-per-week beast enjoyed a sensational season in his one year at Ipswich earlier in his career. During the 2017/18 Championship campaign, Waghorn scored 16 and assisted 13 goals in 44 appearances for the Blues to help them finish in midtable. He then moved on to Derby, where he has scored 30 and assisted 13 in 112 competitive games for the Rams. This proves that he is a quality attacker at Championship level, as he has scored goals at a respectable rate whilst also being a provider for his teammates.

Therefore, Ipswich manager Cook would love him in Suffolk next season. Waghorn should be able to flourish at League One level as it is a step down in the pyramid from the Championship, where he has already shown that he can score goals.

He could be the goalscorer Cook is currently lacking in his squad and Ipswich must seal a deal for the 31-year-old this summer.

Ipswich’s top scorer last season was James Norwood with nine goals, highlighting the lack of threat at the top end of the pitch in Cook’s squad.

If Waghorn is going to be available, as is looking likely, Ipswich must do all they can to sign him this summer.

AND in other news, ITFC dealt major transfer blow with “brilliant” £6.4k-p/w ace, Cook will be livid…

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge says that Arsenal’s priority on transfer deadline day is going to be outgoings rather than incomings.

Mikel Arteta’s side have spent more than anyone else in the Premier League, but their starting line-up hasn’t been massively strengthened, with many of their signings coming in as squad players.

Arsenal’s five summer additions have cost more than £130m, but their business hasn’t helped their early-season results.

Following their 5-0 hammering at Manchester City on Saturday, the Gunners head into the international break rock-bottom of the Premier League table on zero points, with nine goals conceded and they are yet to find the net themselves.

Only one of their five signings in Martin Odegaard was involved at the Etihad Stadium and he was hooked after 70 minutes with Arsenal trailing 4-0.

Despite their need for players, Bridge told The Transfer Tavern that their business today is likely to revolve around moving players on rather than adding to their squad:

“There’s nothing coming out at the moment. They have spent a hell of a lot of money. Unless something comes out of the woodwork, it’s outgoings for them – Bellerin, Maitland-Niles and Nketiah.

“I have not heard anything in terms of incomings since their double signing of Odegaard and Ramsdale.”

Manchester United will not be sanctioning Diogo Dalot’s departure from Old Trafford over what remains of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Fabrizio Romano, with the journalist revealing on a post on Twitter that, despite a number of clubs making an approach for the 22-year-old, United are not willing to part with the right-back this summer.

Romano continues by stating that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer views the Portugal international as a non-transferable player, as well as believing the defender can play a role in the first-team this season, as well as in the future.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “Manchester United have made a final decision: Diogo Dalot will stay. He’s non-transferrable. Club and Solskjaer are very happy with Dalot, they trust him for [the] present and future so he’s NOT leaving. Borussia Dortmund approached Man Utd as [did] many other clubs but no way.”

Get rid

While it is undeniable that Dalot is a player who at 22 still carries potential – Jose Mourinho even went so far as to dub the 22-year-old as “the best full-back in Europe” in his age group upon joining United – whether or not the defender is actually good enough to cement his place as the first-choice right-back in Solskjaer’s side for the foreseeable future is very much up for debate.

Indeed, the £9m-rated man has hardly impressed when given a shot so far in his United career, having earned a distinctly average SofaScore match rating of 6.79 over his 16 Premier League appearances back in 2018/19, as well as an even more disappointing rating of 6.60 over his four top-flight appearances in 2019/20.

And, while the £34k-per-week defender’s performances did improve over his 21 Serie A appearances while out on loan at AC Milan last season – over which Dalot helped his side keep four clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 1.5 tackles 1.8 clearances and winning 3.1 duels per game, seeing him average a SofaScore match rating of 6.95 – the 22-year-old nevertheless failed to make the position his own, with Stefano Pioli opting to start the United loanee in just 10 league fixtures.

As such, considering his below-par returns so far in his spell at Old Trafford, in addition to the fact that there seemed to be a significant amount of interest in his services this summer, it could well prove to be something of a mistake by Solskjaer in not cashing in on the man Mourinho dubbed a “talented” player this summer, and subsequently reinvesting the funds received from his sale in a more proven option in the position.

This summer could have been the perfect chance to capitalise on the amount of interest in Dalot, but instead, they’ve made a late u-turn and decided to hang on to him.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops Man Utd claim which will be music to the ears of fans

Leeds United are reportedly eyeing up a summer move for VfL Wolfsburg midfielder Josip Brekalo, but they face competition for his signature.

The Lowdown: Midfield reinforcements needed

The Whites completed an excellent season last weekend, beating West Brom 3-1 to finish ninth in the Premier League, in their first year back in the top-flight.

Marcelo Bielsa will no doubt be content with the squad he currently has at his disposal, but will also see the need for new signings this summer.

Additions to Leeds’ midfield could be required, whether it be to support Kalvin Phillips or bring more creativity further up the pitch.

The Latest: Brekalo linked with Leeds move

According to Bild [via Sport Witness], Brekalo has emerged as a target for the Whites this summer, with Everton also keen on the 22-year-old.

Napoli, AC Milan and Fiorentina are also mentioned in the report, with the attacking midfielder having a number of admirers.

Brekalo scored seven goals and registered three assists in the Bundesliga in 2020/21 and has netted four times in 22 caps for Croatia.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-4/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Ideal squad player?

At 22, Brekalo is still an emerging player, but he is also an established international who has the quality to be a success at Elland Road.

The youngster averaged 1.3 key passes per game in the league last season, which is superior to Phillips (1.2), suggesting he may bring more guile than the Leeds star, perhaps making them a perfect combination in midfield.

Brekalo may not come in as an immediate regular starter, but he could certainly be a key squad player, developing and becoming more influential as the season progresses, just like Rodrigo did.

In other news, Leeds have been urged to sign a player who could fill a key position this summer. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United moved five points clear of the relegation zone with a hard-fought point at Crystal Palace on Monday evening.

Jesse Marsch’s side were far from their best down at Selhurst Park but few teams have taken anything away from the Eagles on their own patch this season, including the likes of league leaders Manchester City (0-0), Arsenal (3-0 loss) and Spurs (3-0 loss).

It was a pretty disappointing display from the Yorkshire giants, making that point all the more valuable and not to mention the fact that Premier League safety is still firmly in their grasp.

The Whites mustered up only two shots on target, in comparison to Palace’s seven, also managing nine fewer shots inside the penalty area, so you could even argue that they were lucky to return north with a point.

Dan James, Jack Harrison and Raphinha all struggled to make their mark in the attack, though there was one shining light for the American head coach in skipper Liam Cooper, who was an absolute rock at the back.

As per SofaScore, he earned the highest rating of any outfield player for Leeds (7.6) and it’s easy to see why as he won absolutely everything up against their former transfer targets Jean-Philippe Mateta and Conor Gallagher, as well as Wilfried Zaha and co too.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-marsch-raphinha-dest-philhay” title=”Read the latest Leeds news!”]

The 6 foot 2 colossus, 30, won a whopping nine of his 11 duels (81%), both in their air and on the ground, and also registered a match-high seven clearances, two tackles, one interception and one block.

It seems no one was getting past the Scotland international on the day and without his leader-like presence in the backline, the Premier League’s second-worst defence may well have crumbled from the Eagles’ pressure, particularly in the second half where they managed a 56% share of the ball.

Elsewhere, Cooper was among the most active players, registering the third-highest number of touches (69), which was more than Kalvin Phillips and any of Leeds’ attack, whilst one of his 34 accurate passes resulted in a key chance created – the same as James and Rodrigo, and more than Raphinha.

Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Graham Smyth was certainly left impressed by the skipper’s display as he wrote in his post-match ratings column: ‘Solid with few mistakes, lots of full-blooded defending and aerial battles.’

Whilst young goalkeeper Illan Meslier will take plenty of the plaudits for keeping out Palace’s seven attempts on goal, it was the colossal captain in front of him that helped thwart the home side to stop there being way more chances on the night.

As such, the £35k-per-week Cooper was Marsch’s big shining light down in south-east London.

AND in other news, Victor Orta could finally replace Pablo Hernandez in summer swoop for “gorgeous” 24 G/A “top talent”…