All posts by n8rngtd.top

Some Wolves fans have been left to buzz as a transfer update emerged on Vitinha.

As cited by Record, Fernando Gomes, who is an administrator at FC Porto, has confirmed that the attacking midfield player will not be returning to the club, and that he would be sold to the Wanderers on a permanent deal if they stayed up in the Premier League, which they have done.

At 21 years of age, Vitinha still has a lot of promise, and has been a bright spark at times in what has been a pretty dull season for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men.

The Portuguese ace has the highest pass success percentage (90.4%) out of any of his teammates to have played 10 or more games in the top flight so far this season, which is impressive considering the way he plays on the front foot. (Whoscored).

Nonetheless, with Nuno’s squad looking fairly thin, it would be a wise move to take Vitinha back next campaign, and fans won’t be forgetting his wonder-goal against Chorley any time soon.

Wolves fans on Vitinha transfer update

These WWFC supporters buzzed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter:

“Hope this is true”

Credit: @colsphoto

“Nice”

Credit: @rylandavies16

“Some good news”

Credit: @68_jets

“Next season is ours”

Credit: @wwfcglover

“Happy days la”

Credit: @Suan3J

“Vamos”

Credit: @RyanEvans_11

In other news, find out whose display versus Tottenham Hotspur was slammed here!

Former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has told The Transfer Tavern in an exclusive interview that Sheffield United hiring Philippe Clement would be a big risk.

The Blades are yet to appoint a permanent manager following Chris Wilder’s Bramall Lane exit back in March, with Paul Heckingbottom stepping in on an interim basis.

The current caretaker boss is now in contention for the job full-time but, according to reports coming out of Belgium (via Yorkshire Live), so is Club Brugge’s Clement.

Clement has done an excellent job at the Jan Breydel Stadium this term, guiding his side to the top of the Jupiler Pro League table during the regular season.

Palmer, however, is not entirely convinced, believing his lack of Championship experience would make him a gamble for United.

Speaking exclusively to TT about Clement, the ex-England international said:

“I think he’s a big risk. I think you’ve got to go tried and trusted, I really do. You know, it’s a tough, tough league to get out of.

“I think Sheffield United have the players to get out of that league next season. They just need to get the right person at the helm to do that.”

Clement’s contract at the Jan Breydel Stadium is up next summer, so his future could very well be away from Belgium.

Daniel Levy edged closer to finding his next Tottenham manager this week.

After suffering quick blows in his pursuit of RB Leipzig head coach Julian Nagelsmann, who opted to join Bayern Munich in the summer instead, and Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers, who doesn’t want to leave the Champions League-bound Foxes, Spurs are set to hold talks with another mooted target.

Reporting in The Guardian, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano revealed that the north Londoners will speak to Ajax’s Erik ten Hag in the coming days and the 51-year-old is keen to hear what the Lilywhites hierarchy has to offer.

A fresh update emerged on Friday which saw the Dutch boss sign a one-year extension with the Eredivisie champions but according to Romano, he has not turned down Spurs, and it was always their intention to make that decision, presumably to increase his value if any team is to prise him away.

The Dutchman has earned an impressive reputation at the Eredivisie giants, where they are on the cusp of clinching the league title once again. Since his appointment in December 2017, he has accrued a phenomenal win rate of 73%.

Ten Hag learned the bulk of his trade under Pep Guardiola when the pair were at Bayern Munich, with the former Twente centre-back taking charge of the ‘B’ team.

“I learned a lot from Guardiola,” Ten Hag said in February 2019. “His philosophy is sensational, what he did in Barcelona, Bayern and now with Manchester City, that attacking and attractive style sees him win a lot. It’s this structure that I’ve tried to implement with Ajax.”

At Ajax, the “exciting” manager has tinkered between a 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 system in a similar vein to Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs. “When it comes to Ten Hag’s favoured style of play, the Cruyffian influence is unavoidable,” claimed Will Magee for iNews. “There is a reason that his approach has been dubbed ‘Total Football 2.0’.”

This brand of football has allowed many a young talent to thrive, including the likes of Frenkie de Jong, who swapped Amsterdam for Barcelona in a £65m deal, and Donny van de Beek, who is now at Spurs’ top-flight rivals Manchester United.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-managerial-update-transfer-rumours-levy-mourinho-sacked-gossip” title= “Read the latest Spurs manager updates, transfer news, gossip and more!”]

With an average squad age of just 24 at Ajax, it’s clear that Ten Hag is the perfect candidate if Levy is wanting to see the next crop of academy stars make it into the big time. This could be a game-changer for Oliver Skipp, perhaps more than any other Spurs prodigy.

The 20-year-old has enjoyed a successful loan spell at runaway Championship leaders Norwich City, where he has played in every single league game and earned serious praise.

Speaking to Sky Sports, his current Canaries teammate Kenny McLean said: “He makes my job a hell of a lot easier, I’ll tell you that. He’s been outstanding all season and we’re lucky to have him to be honest. For this level, he’s very outstanding and he’s got a huge career ahead of him.”

Norwich manager Daniel Farke has dubbed him everything ranging from “perfect” to being a “top player and also a top character.”

It’s widely thought that Skipp can become a real leader in Spurs’ midfield in the next few years. Jose Mourinho touted him for a huge role back in the summer, saying: “I see this kid being one day a future captain here by his character, by his personality.”

Therefore, appointing a coach like Ten Hag could be game-changing for his chances of achieving just that. He should be buzzing amid these latest developments, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Spurs should fear Jose Mourinho 2.0 amid worrying Jorge Mendes claims…

A number of Liverpool fans have been lauding the performance of youngster Joe Hardy ahead of Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa, following an impressive showing for the Under-23s.

While the senior side are plotting to seek revenge for the 7-2 embarrassment at Villa Park, the Reds’ youth team were facing Man City on Friday evening, with the two sides meeting in a Premier League 2 clash.

Unfortunately, Liverpool’s young players were beaten 3-2 by their opponents, allowing them to pull further clear at the top of the table, while the Merseysiders sit fifth.

There was plenty to admire about the performance, however, not least from Hardy, who continues to catch the eyes at the club’s academy.

The 22-year-old scored both of Liverpool’s goals on the night, meaning he has now bagged a total of nine in 13 games for the U23s, having joined from Brentford in January 2020.

Liverpool fans laud Hardy’s performance

It was a display that again outlined the potential that Hardy has in his boots, as he looks to kick on and further make the grade at Anfield.

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the striker, with one even suggesting he be given minutes by Jurgen Klopp between now and the end of the season.

“JOE HARDY THE GOAT”

Credit: @ThePortugoat

“Hardy been great. His first goal was so well taken”

Credit: @CaroleAnne1487

“A really solid goalscorer Liverpool U23 has in Joe Hardy. Great anticipation, good composure, clinical finisher. 6 goals in 9 games this season, 9 in 13 for the U23s since signing. Probably won’t make the first team, but could generate a nice fee to reinvest into the academy”

Credit: @MaaxiAngelo

“He needs a few cameos in our final games, then they’ll come scrambling for him”

Credit: @pite12c

“Football League teams should be all over him. Verge of 23 and yet to taste any senior minutes aside from 8 minutes in the cup tie against Shrewsbury. Agree with the points you make and aside from the points you make, he’s a ridiculously hard worker. I like him”

Credit: @LewisBower2021

“Joe hardy for Liverpool number 9 I say”

Credit: @_18Robbo92_

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been sticking up for an under-fire Reds player – find out who it is here.

If you were asked to write down all of the problems with Celtic right now, you’d probably run out of paper and ink.

The Hoops have an endless supply of issues that the hierarchy and coaching staff are struggling to amend.

They can’t find a new manager and neither can they address issues at board level where they’re seeking a new director of football.

The biggest thing they need to resolve is the playing squad. The likes of Kristoffer Ajer, Odsonne Edouard and Ryan Christie to name a few have all been linked with the exit door.

Though, when it comes to addressing the team, it’s the defence they’ll need to sort out quickly.

The Bhoys conceded a grand total of 19 goals in just six Europa League outings while they have shipped 13 more than Rangers in the Premiership.

Individual errors have plagued their campaign, no more so than between the sticks.

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Scott Bain is the preferred choice at the moment but he’s not been shy of mistakes this term. Neither has Vasilis Barkas.

After Celtic failed to secure the services of Fraser Forster again, it was the Greek stopper who Nick Hammond turned to.

A fee of £4.5m was agreed with AEK Athens but he’s had a disastrous first year in Glasgow.

Like Bain, he has been guilty of poor goalkeeping, something that particularly shone through in Europe. Barkas was at fault when the Hoops were inexplicably knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages at the hands of Ferenvaros and didn’t cover himself in glory against AC Milan either.

With that in mind, signing a goalkeeper in the summer should be right at the top of their agenda.

Dundee United ‘keeper Benjamin Siegrist has been touted with a move but another name mentioned in the last few weeks is Aston Villa’s Tom Heaton.

He’s slid down the pecking order with the Premier League club after they signed Emi Martinez from Arsenal but despite that, he’d be a great addition for any new manager at Paradise.

Speaking to Football Insider, Paul Robinson said: “Tom Heaton is a possibility. Logistically, would he be willing to move to Glasgow? I’m not sure. He might be very settled with his family.

“It would be a great signing for Celtic. Heaton would be a great signing for any club. He is a top-class, reliable goalkeeper who would be perfect for Celtic next season.”

The words reliable and top-class should be music to the ears of supporters at Parkhead.

Those are two attributes that have been completely redundant when assessing the club’s goalkeepers this term.

Heaton, on the other hand, is a proven international. Standing at 6 foot 2, he knows how to command his area and like Forster who was such a hit in Glasgow, he’s capable of producing extraordinary saves.

What Celtic need is someone proven with plenty of experience and leadership skills. The 35-year-old would be that player in a nutshell.

AND in other news, Forget Howe: Desmond could revive Celtic by hiring 58 y/o Rodgers dubbed “world-class”…

Jake Hesketh was once considered a bright young prospect at Southampton who looked capable of breaking into the first team, but the midfielder is now 25 years old and is struggling on loan in League Two with Crawley Town, so he must be shown the door this summer.

The Saints academy graduate scored on his full debut in a League Cup win against Crystal Palace in 2016, having made two substitute appearances in the Premier League in the 2014/15 season.

He was rewarded by Claude Puel with another appearance in the Europa League in a 0-0 draw against Hapoel Be’er Sheva later in the season, but this was the last time he played for the Southampton first team, meaning he hasn’t made a senior Saints appearance in nearly five years.

In December 2016, the attacking midfielder was rewarded with a new four-and-a-half-year deal, which runs until the summer of 2021, so they clearly had a lot of faith in his ability and his potential to become a first team regular in the future.

However, after spending some time in the Southampton B team, Hesketh was sent out on his first loan spell to Burton Albion, where he contributed three goals and one assist in 23 League One appearances.

Two more loan spells at MK Dons and Lincoln City followed, although he struggled to have much impact at either club and was sent on loan to Crawley Town for the 2020/21 campaign.

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It represents a serious decline for the midfielder that he was sent on loan to a struggling League Two side having previously been in League One, although his performances this season suggest that even the fourth tier might be a stretch too far for him.

In 15 league appearances this season, the 25-year-old has managed no goals and just one assist, averaging a disappointing 6.45 WhoScored match rating for his performances.

It is clear that Hesketh is never going to make it at Southampton and it seems almost remarkable that he has been kept on their books for so long; and you could definitely suggest that he has been stealing a wage with the south coast club for the past few seasons.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431″]

Fortunately for Ralph Hasenhuttl, the midfielder’s contract is finally set to expire this summer, so the Austrian must ensure that Hesketh finally leaves the club and hopefully finds his feet somewhere else. Sadly, after a promising start with Southampton, his career has seriously declined.

In other news… Semmens should seal Saints swoop for £3.15m-rated beast dubbed “the next Kompany”

Naby Keita’s Liverpool career hit what could be perceived as new low on Tuesday evening.

The Guinian midfielder, signed from RB Leipzig in 2018 to great excitement, was granted a start against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League but lasted just 42 minutes before being hauled off for Thiago Alcantara.

Linked to Leicester City over the past few days by Football Insider, it now might be time for Michael Edwards and Liverpool to take a hit on the midfielder and get him sold.

Having cost the club an eye-watering £54m, the third-highest fee in the Reds’ history, Keita has not justified that considerable outlay at all.

Due to a combination of poor form, competition at Anfield and injury problems, the 26-year-old has played just 76 matches for the club in all competitions, with just 47 of those being starts.

Even when he has been on the pitch, he has barely contributed. Keita only has seven goals and four assists to his name at Anfield.

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For context, the midfielder managed the same amount of goal contributions in his final season at the Red Bull Arena.

Considering that sheer lack of involvement, Liverpool really seem to have wasted a considerable fee on Keita. However, it takes on a completely different complexion considering the wages that the midfielder has earned at Anfield so far.

Paid approximately £6.2m per year, this means that he has already scooped £18.7m in wages since his arrival at Anfield, producing a total cost of £62.7m.

Even worse, Keita’s value only continues to plummet. Since his signing, he is now rated at just £34.2m.

With just two years left on his contract, Liverpool must sell in order to avoid any more depreciation on the player.

Considering the new low he hit in Madrid, it would potentially be wise to take advantage of Leicester’s interest in the 37-cap midfielder.

AND in more news, take a closer look and Andrew Robertson’s awful performances against Real Madrid…

According to a report by Italian news outlet Tuttomercatoweb [via Sport Witness], Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has made some sort of approach to sign Juventus and Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey – possibly enquiring over financial details.

Indeed, as per the Italian outlet, Spurs, Everton and Liverpool have all made ‘some sort of contact’ over his potential signing, with Juventus aiming to offload the £18m-rated ace this summer along with Adrien Rabiot.

Tottenham make Ramsey approach

Another report by Calciomercato claimed that the Serie A champions wish to sell Ramsey and Rabiot to free up wages and fund potential summer acquistions, with Tutto now throwing Tottenham into the mix as an interested party.

A former Arsenal player, it is believed that the Lilywhites have now joined the race for his signing as the 30-year-old attracts plenty of suitors. He has made 26 appearances in all competitions this season, but has rarely completed a full 90 minutes and is currently out with injury again.

Transfer Tavern take

Ramsey’s quality as a player is evident, especially considering that Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo hailed him as ‘very intelligent’ and a ‘great player’ in an interview with the press (The Athletic).

Based on his past form in the Premier League, he has also attracted praise from Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle, who labelled him an ‘excellent player’ in 2018 on BT Sport [via Daily Express].

Time will tell what comes of this update, but Spurs are now mentioned as possible suitors for Ramsey and have even made contact over a potentially sensational return to north London.

In other news: Alasdair Gold has dropped a claim on this talent, find out more here.

Reports by Gol Digital earlier this week claimed that Sevilla are holding out for Joan Jordan’s full release clause, but David Moyes should urge West Ham United to break the bank to sign a second Tomas Soucek-type this summer.

Jordan is one of the key pillars of Julen Lopetegui’s side in La Liga, with his ability to connect the midfield and offence unparalleled at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.

But his efforts have sparked European-wide interest ahead of the summer transfer window, with the Irons one of five clubs understood to be presenting serious curiosity.

Serie A title-hopefuls AC Milan are said to be Jordan’s best option should he leave Andalusia at the end of the season, as the Rossoneri are likely to remain keen despite seeing a €30m (£25.5m) approach snubbed as they strive to build a squad ready for the Champions League.

Sevilla would be expected to reject a similar approach in the future, with the side who were eliminated from the Champions League in the Round of 16 earlier this month now intent on demanding that Jordan’s full €60m (£51.5m) release clause is triggered.

A sum in that region is expected to force only the top clubs to show a formal interest in the next transfer window, yet Inter Milan, AS Roma and the Irons are all listed as potential destinations for the 26-year-old.

Jordan has been a mainstay of Lopetegui’s plans so far this season, starting 20 of his 25 La Liga outings and featuring in a total 40 games across all competitions.

The RCD Espanyol product has offered Sevilla two goals and seven assists over his appearances to date, to register his highest single-season return of goals created in his career and help to take his goal contribution for the club to 14 in the past two seasons combined.

West Ham triggering Jordan’s release clause would see the midfielder become the London Stadium natives’ new record signing, eclipsing the £45m paid to Eintracht Frankfurt for Sebastien Haller in 2019.

But Moyes should urge David Sullivan, Karren Brady and David Gold to fund a lavish outlay to bring Jordan to West Ham, as the Sevilla star would offer him a second Soucek-type after the Czech Republic international’s successful adaptation to the Premier League.

Jordan is recognised for his ability to make late and dangerous runs in the opponent’s box to offer a forward threat, much more akin to the traditional English style of a box-to-box option that the tiki-taka template that has flourished in Spain, after growing up watching and learning from the way Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard operated.

“I remember watching quite a lot of Lampard when I was growing up, he was a top, top, top player,” Jordan told The Athletic in December. “What really sticks is how the way he arrived late into the box, that was spectacular. It is something very difficult, that he made look easy.

“I remember Steven Gerrard, too, talking about the Premier League. He and Lampard were standout players, especially when they got forward, arriving from the second line. I always looked at all the little details I could, from many different players, to become a more complete player myself.”

“I like to have plenty of space and freedom, to help in attack but I always like to defend and help my teammates,” he added. “Football is evolving, and everyone has to run, everyone has to sacrifice themselves and adapt to different functions that a coach asks for.”

Making those intelligent runs into the area and offering a box-to-box presence is just what Moyes gets from Soucek, who is West Ham’s top-scorer in the Premier League this season with eight goals.

The 26-year-old is also lauded by Jamie Carragher for being the best at what he does, as “there’s nobody better in the Premier League right now than Soucek”, but he could face competition for that honour with Jordan also in the squad.

AND in other news, West Ham in four-way Premier League battle for 13-goal striker who is “annoying to the defender”…

After pulling off an impressive comeback victory over Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday, Arsenal return to Europa League action when they take on Olympiacos.

Mikel Arteta’s side secured bragging rights in the north London derby thanks to goals from Martin Odegaard and Alexandre Lacazette, and appear to have picked up a bit of momentum at a crucial time in the season.

And, with a 3-1 advantage to their name against Olympiacos, the Gunners look all set to progress into the next round of the competition, as they host the Greek giants at the Emirates tonight.

With West Ham on the horizon at the weekend, Arteta may consider freshening things up for Thursday’s game given their lead from the first leg, but it should remain a strong starting line-up.

And with that in mind, below is a look at how the Gunners might line up.

In goal, Bernd Leno will be hoping to fare better than he did in the first leg, where he played a huge part in the Gunners’ awful defensive gaffe for Olympiacos’ goal.

The defence could see one key change with Hector Bellerin coming in for Cedric, with Arteta potentially looking to rest the Portuguese man ahead of the clash against the Hammers on Sunday.

In midfield, the £200k-a-week earning Thomas Partey may find himself back on the bench after starting the past few games for the north London side – Mohamed Elneny is surely pushing for a recall, especially after his long-range screamer over in Greece.

Further forward, Nicolas Pepe has also made a good case to start, after coming on at half-time for the injured Bukayo Saka and playing the pass leading up to Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty.

And up front, Arteta may give Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the opportunity to make amends for his mistake at the weekend, which saw him dropped from the starting line-up against Spurs.

In total, the Arsenal boss could make five changes from the starting line-up against Spurs with Willian also coming in for the rested Emile Smith Rowe.

Predicted XI: Leno; Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney; Elneny, Xhaka; Pepe, Odegaard, Willian; Aubameyang.