All posts by z3u9t.icu

It is always a gamble when Celtic decide to bring in a new player as there are so many factors at play, whether that be how they adapt to the style of play, how they get on with their teammates, or how they respond to the manager.

This is heightened when a young player comes through the door as all of those issues are questioned whilst they are still in the early development stages of their career. They are being signed on their potential rather than their ability at the time and that can make expectations hard to handle.

One player on whom Celtic took a gamble was right-back Jeremie Frimpong, signing him from Manchester City’s academy for £342,000 in the summer of 2019 when he was 18 years old. He had not played a single senior match in his career and the Hoops decided to splash out almost half a million pounds on his services, but that fee quickly started looking like a bargain for the Scottish giants.

Frimpong made 21 senior appearances for Celtic in the 2019/20 campaign, scoring twice and setting up three goals as he showed off his attacking quality from full-back. This led to his former Hoops manager Neil Lennon lauding the youngster as an ‘outstanding talent’ and admitting that he couldn’t hold him back.

He said: “I’m just delighted what he brings to the game, defensively or offensively and there is as an end product as well. He’s an outstanding talent who looks after himself. Watching him makes me tired, the amount of runs he makes, he wears people down.

“He is an amazing player. Amazing. With younger players, you want to look after them but you can’t hold talent back.”

Frimpong then pushed on further in the 2020/21 season as he started 19 games in the Premiership campaign, with 30 appearances in all competitions, averaging a solid SofaScore rating of 6.81. He helped Celtic to keep eight clean sheets in those games, whilst contributing offensively with one goal and two assists.

This led to Bayer Leverkusen swooping for him in the January transfer window at the start of this year. At the time of the move, Transfermarkt valued him at £3.6m based on his form for Celtic over the previous two seasons.

He spent his first few months adjusting to life in the Bundesliga, starting four of his first 10 league appearances for Leverkusen. This season, he is thriving in Germany with an average SofaScore rating of 7.13 in seven Bundesliga starts, providing three assists for his team.

At the time of writing, Transfermarkt value him at a whopping £13.5m. Not only is this more than the £9.9m Celtic reportedly received for his services, but it is also a 275% increase on the £3.6m at which he was valued upon his exit from Parkhead.

This shows that Celtic endured a disaster by selling him when they did. Had they been able to keep hold of him for another six months, or longer, they could then have sold him for a larger fee based on his progress in the last 10 months. The Hoops could have raked in a bigger transfer fee, which they could then have invested into making the team stronger across the park.

Whilst they will be proud of their work in bringing him to the club for a minimal fee before selling him on for profit, his soaring market value suggests that it was a mistake to cash in when they did as they have potentially missed out on a sizeable payday.

AND in other news, Celtic powerhouse has seen value soar 500% since January, he’s solved key issue…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been criticising the performance of Joe Aribo in their 2-1 win at home to Hibernian on Sunday afternoon.

Despite a red card given to Ryan Porteus after just half an hour after Kevin Nisbet had given the visitors an early lead at Ibrox, it took until the 78th minute before Alfredo Morelos struck the winner to give Steven Gerrard’s men all three points.

While there were some good performances for the Light Blues, Aribo seemed to struggle throughout the game. He lost out on eight of his duels, the most of any of his teammates, while he also failed to record a single shot on goal or key pass, losing possession on 15 separate occasions in the match (Sofascore).

Rangers fans on Aribo’s performance

These Gers supporters on Twitter slammed the 25-year-old’s performance against Hibs, with one fan even going as far as to claim that the Nigeria international is a ‘waste of a jersey’:

“Kamara, Hagi and Aribo shouldn’t be near the team the now. 3 are far too slow, though Kamara is a player.”

Credit: @bg724

“Aribo and Hagi. Not remotely interested”

Credit: @martinsuth90

“Hagi, Wright and Aribo have all been anonymous”

Credit: @SY97Ger

“Aribo can’t even make a simple pass”

Credit: @Davidjmae12345

“25 mins in. No shots on target. Defence a shambles again. Midfield creating nothing again. Aribo…waste of a jersey.”

Credit: @55andcounting55

“Joe Aribo has a good game every 10 games”

Credit: @michaelc_1872

In other news, find out which Ranger player’s display was praised by numerous fans

Some Everton fans have been left fuming as a transfer update emerged involving Rafa Benitez.

As per The Liverpool Echo, the Spanish manager wants to make at least three or four more signings before the summer window shuts, and is keeping a close eye on the likes of Sean Longstaff at Newcastle United and Dwight McNeil at Burnley especially.

While it is good to hear that the Goodison Park faithful are still active in the market, the new 2021/22 Premier League season gets under way on Friday night, and so some Merseyside club supporters have grown frustrated that more new faces have not come through the door so far.

The right-back position was not one mentioned as needing strengthening either, as some Toffees feel as if Seamus Coleman needs to be given competition in that role, and overall is an area that they need to strengthen most of all.

Everton fans on transfer update

These Blues fumed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter:

“Going to be another miserable slog again by the looks of it”

Credit: @lebatman1

“I’m gonna be sick”

Credit: @gromszgrad

“He needs to get his finger out then!”

Credit: @lincolnblue2

“Dusted club”

Credit: @_barneywynne_

“This is worse than Koeman”

Credit: @MaxDwyer2000

“We’re so mid-table it’s painful”

Credit: @alexmiIIer

In other news, find out what Richarlison news has Evertonians gushing here!

Aston Villa have been handed a potential boost ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture.

Whar’s the latest?

According to a report by Birmingham Live, Jack Grealish’s absence from Manchester City’s matchday squad on Sunday would appear to suggest that the 26-year-old will once again be an injury doubt for the trip to Aston Villa on Wednesday evening.

The England international has not featured in the league since October due to a knock, with Birmingham Live adding that the former Villa player’s continued absence would come as a significant boost for Steven Gerrard and his side.

Fans will be buzzing

While many Aston Villa fans could well be wishing their former hero the best in his career after securing a £100m move to the Etihad Stadium this summer, the news that the 26-year-old could miss out on a return to his former club will nevertheless have left much of the Villa Park faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his nine Premier League appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side this season, the £90m-rated man has scored one goal, registered two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 1.8 shots and making a whopping 2.9 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the versatile 26-year-old average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.30, not only ranking him as City’s joint fourth-best performer in the league but also as the joint 17th-best in the entire division.

As such, not only would Grealish’s absence on Wednesday remove the possibility of seeing the former Villa playmaker against them, it would also appear to considerably boost Gerrard’s chances of picking up a result against the second-placed team in the Premier League.

In other news: Bye-bye Mings: NSWE can seal Gerrard’s dream AVFC deal with “exceptional” £75k-p/w gem

Sunderland slammed Will Grigg after his disappointing performance during the Black Cats’ 0-0 draw with Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park.

Grigg spent the second half of last season on loan at Milton Keynes Dons, one of his former clubs, and he managed a solid eight goals in 20 matches (Transfermarkt).

However, that is as many goals as he has recorded in 61 matches for the Black Cats since making that infamous £4m move from Wigan Athletic to the Stadium of Light (BBC).

With Charlie Wyke leaving Sunderland to make the move to the Latics (wiganathletic.com), £1.08m-valued Grigg (Transfermarkt) could have to play a big role to play for Lee Johnson’s side this coming campaign.

His performance against Tranmere will have done little to convince the boss that he is ready to lead the line throughout the season.

The supporters were far from happy with what they saw from the Northern Ireland international, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Grigg below

“Hopefully Johnson will see that Grigg has no intention of ever trying to perform at Sunderland”

Credit: @RobLow_7

“Grigg and OBrien better be gone”

Credit: @KINGMAGUIRE_

“Can you tell him to leave Grigg down there please? THE biggest waste of a shirt I’ve ever seen”

Credit: @76skelly

“Will Grigg is the worst signing in SAFC history.”

Credit: @MJacko1989

“As much as I’ve been hopeful with his pre-season smiles etc. Will Grigg is not the answer and I fear for safc season if we can’t shift him. Just can’t hit a barn door. There are free players out there more capable if we’re skint and Big Vic in the crowd would be an upgrade.”

Credit: @Fantanafest73

“The team is still short with Grigg in man He might as well me non existent, he’s useless. Offloading him frees up wages”

Credit: @lewygsafc

In other news, Sunderland fans were delighted with this man’s pre-season display.

Speaking to Football Insider, a Tottenham Hotspur source has shared that Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain are now ‘close’ to securing a full agreement for the transfer of right-back Serge Aurier.

The Lowdown: Aurier and the exit door…

The Ivorian has been the subject of speculation and widely tipped to be one of the names leaving Tottenham this summer.

Indeed, reliable correspondent Alasdair Gold had touted him as one of the favourites for departure – while the player himself then candidly admitting it is time to move on after reaching the ‘end of a cycle’ (L’Equipe).

Tottenham will need to adopt a sell-to-buy policy this summer to fund marquee additions, with Football Insider now bringing a big development on Aurier’s future.

The Latest: PSG now ‘close’ to securing full agreement…

As explained by FI’s ‘Tottenham source’, PSG are now ‘close to securing a full agreement’ for the player and ‘will meet the conditions of sale’.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

It is also claimed that the 28-year-old has agreed personal terms over a return to the French capital with a Tottenham exit ‘edging closer’.

The defender has been in talks with PSG since last month in a move that would see him reunite with former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino at the Parc des Princes.

Indeed, Aurier has apparently accepted the offer of a ‘lucrative’ four-year deal and will leave regardless of any new stance from an incoming Spurs manager.

The Verdict: Time to go…

Aurier enjoyed a brief spell of brilliant form at the start of last campaign, as highlighted by his particularly excellent display during Tottenham’s historic 6-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The 66-cap international ace also started more Premier League games than 2020 summer signing Matt Doherty at right-back (WhoScored), but we believe his time in north London is definitely up.

Given his age (28) and contract situation, Spurs need to cash-in and fund a major summer overhaul – with a new centre-half desperately required in particular.

In other news: Spurs offered chance to sign ‘sensational’ £120,000-per-week powerhouse, find out more here.

Arsenal have seemingly missed out on one of their mooted transfer targets to their most fierce of rivals…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, the Gunners were keen on signing Barcelona right-back Emerson Royal but the player himself prefers a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

“Arsenal wanted to sign Emerson Royal from Barcelona. Player wants to join Spurs,” he tweeted.

It’s thought that their north London rivals have reached an agreement to sign the Brazilian international for €30m (£25.7m), per Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, though details on personal terms are still to be ironed out.

The La Liga outfit will reportedly target Hector Bellerin after sanctioning the exit of Emerson to Spurs.

Another Edu mistake

This is where Edu Gaspar’s next mistake seemingly lies.

The Gunners’ chief could show exactly what he’s about by offering the player an offer he cannot refuse, or try to use Bellerin as a makeweight in any deal, especially if Barcelona are indeed keen to bring him back to the club.

Instead, it appears as if Arsenal are set to miss out on a key target, one that Mikel Arteta would’ve certainly liked, given that’s the one position he’s believed to want an addition in before tonight’s deadline.

But to make matters worse, he could well be lining up in a Spurs shirt instead. The Lilywhites are top of the Premier League, with Arteta’s squad sat rock bottom. It’s been a stark contrast so far this season and this transfer will only compound their woes more.

It would be merely the latest ghastly blunder from the former midfield-turned-sporting director.

At the weekend, the Gunners registered their third straight league defeat, losing 5-0 to defending champions Manchester City – a game that saw Granit Xhaka sent off. Not a good look for someone that was close to leaving the club all summer before Edu handed him a new deal as a last resort.

Similarly, it may be early days to judge, but the Brazilian has splashed out £24m on a backup goalkeeper in Aaron Ramsdale. Given their defensive issues, these finances could’ve been spent elsewhere.

In addition to that, too, Edu has taken his time to offload much of the deadwood, with the likes of Sead Kolasinac still on the books. Had players like that been moved on sooner, then perhaps Arteta would’ve had more money to spend on his playing squad, which is in dire need of even further additions.

He has spent around £300m, with the club only gaining £80m in return. A woeful job.

So if Edu is to miss out on Emerson, the pressure on his job could mount further. The Express believe the Arsenal hierarchy are already lining up his replacement. Time could be running out and this latest development does him no favours whatsoever.

AND in other news, John Cross reveals big transfer U-turn that’ll leave Arsenal fans fuming…

Sheffield United have potentially been handed a boost in their bid to bring Amad Diallo to Bramall Lane this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Dutch media outlet AD, who claim that the Manchester United winger’s proposed season-long loan switch to Feyenoord has fallen through after the 19-year-old picked up an injury at the weekend.

Previous reports had claimed that Sheffield United were also in talks to sign the Ivory Coast international, with the Premier League side believed to be more than happy to sanction the temporary departure of the former Atalanta forward this summer.

His injury may prevent a move this summer but it would open up the possibility of the Blades signing him in the winter instead.

Fans would love him

While it is unclear exactly how long Diallo will be ruled out for as a result of his injury, the fact that the winger’s move to Feyenoord now appears to be dead in the water is undoubtedly a huge boost for Slavisa Jokanovic’s side – as there would appear to be a way for the Blades to make a deal for the 19-year-old work either now or in the future.

With the Eredivisie side’s technical director Frank Arnesen stating his belief that it would be better for Diallo to spend his recovery from injury at Manchester United, this would seem to open the door for a Sheffield United move, as the Championship club could propose to nevertheless sign the winger on a loan deal in the current transfer window, but only bring the youngster to Bramall Lane upon his return to fitness.

And, considering just how short Jokanovic currently is in the wide attacking positions of his squad, in addition to the £16.2m-rated man’s undoubted ability, signing Diallo now and waiting for his arrival at the club would seem to be a better option than bringing no one in at all.

Indeed, while first-team opportunities have been scarce at United so far, the £25k-per-week 19-year-old nevertheless proved over his 46 appearances for the Atalanta Primavera side that he is an extremely exciting prospect. He scored 13 goals and registered 15 assists for the youth team, in addition to scoring four goals and providing one assist over his three appearances for the United U23 side.

With Jokanovic’s side having scored a league-low one goal over their opening five Championship fixtures of the campaign, the Blades are desperately lacking in both creativity and a clinical edge in front of goal so far this season.

Thus, the addition of the player Daniel James dubbed an “unbelievable” talent would undoubtedly be a signing both fans and the 53-year-old manager would love to get over the line prior to Tuesday’s transfer deadline, regardless of his injury.

In other news: Key club figure drops update on “outstanding” SUFC target, Jokanovic will be buzzing

Many West Ham United fans have been left buzzing as a transfer update emerged on Zambia international Patson Daka.As per Zambian outlet Zam Foot, the East London club are now favourites to sign the RB Salzburg striker once the summer window opens, with David Moyes reportedly keen on securing his signature.Daka, whose current deal expires in 2024, could cost the London Stadium faithful in the region of £25m, but they may face competition to sign him from RB Leipzig, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal.The Zambia international had a simply remarkable 2020/21 season, scoring no fewer than 34 goals and making a further 12 assists in 42 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt), and at just 22 years of age, it is scary to think how good he could be in the future. West Ham fans on Daka transfer update

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

“please let this be true”Credit: @AndrewMonk_”YES. Finally back on the cards. Loved the look of this guy.”Credit: @philosophinator”Please would love him”Credit: @tobigtocarry89″I would give anything”Credit: @ScottysCallinMe”HAHAHAHA I LOOOVE THIS GAME WE’RE HUGEEE”Credit: @SoofoulSZN”I’m on my knees I’ve wanted this guy at the bowl for time”Credit: @whubenbaggedIn other news, find out what big update on one key man has been bemoaned by Irons here!

Aston Villa are on course to seal the permanent signing of goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

What’s the Word?

That’s according to Football Insider, who claim that a source has revealed that Villa are in advanced talks to sign Olsen on a permanent deal from AS Roma – the 32-year-old shot-stopper who has been at the Premier League side on loan since January.

With just over a year left on his Roma contract, Gerrard could secure the services of Olsen on the cheap and he would provide solid cover for Emiliano Martinez next season.

Robin Olsen would provide excellent cover at Villa

During the first half of the campaign, Olsen was plying his trade at Sheffield United in the Championship, turning out 17 times for the Blades whilst only keeping one clean sheet.

This didn’t stop player John Egan from boosting the £13k-per-week keeper’s confidence, stating in the media that the Swede had a “big presence” and that they “were lucky to have him”.

Massive praise for someone who often let in too many goals during his tenure in the Championship. However, his international experience plus his age could well prove to make him a huge coup for Gerrard and Johan Lange.

Despite not making a first-team appearance for the side since his arrival, he has obviously impressed Steven Gerrard and the coaching staff. The Swede does have prior experience in the top flight, however, featuring for Everton on 11 occasions in the 2020-2021 season.

With further progress needed to show the board that he is moving in the right direction; Gerrard will be aiming to utilise his funds carefully and not squander vital cash on poor signings.

European football must be the aim and that is why the board went all out to secure his services from Rangers in November. The former England captain faces a huge summer ahead.

AND in other news: Gerrard now plotting AVFC bid for £46k-p/w “phenomenon”, he’s better than Phillips