All posts by z3u9t.icu

Speaking to the club’s official website, Tottenham Hotspur boss Nuno Espirito Santo has just shared some ‘bad news’ for Lilywhites supporters.

The Lowdown: Spurs injury list so far…

After the torrid September international break, a period of his reign that he would soon like to forget, Nuno has seen a variety of players succumb to injury worries or spend extensive time on the treatment table.

The likes of Steven Bergwijn, Lucas Moura, Son Heung-min and Eric Dier have been sidelined already this season (Eurosport), as well as Matt Doherty and Ryan Sessegnon who have both missed the last few games.

Sharing news on the latter man, Nuno has just dropped a not-so-positive update.

The Latest: Nuno shares ‘bad news’…

Speaking to the press (via tottenhamhotspur.com) ahead of their clash with Burnley tonight, the Portuguese has shared some ‘bad news’ for Lilywhites supporters concerning Sessegnon.

Whilst confirming that Doherty is back available, the same cannot be said for the Englishman.

“He’s [Doherty] back in the group, that’s good news. He’s going to be in the squad,” Nuno explained.

“It’s up to us to decide the right moment to integrate all the players.

“The only bad news that we have at this moment is Ryan Sessegnon – he’s not able to join us yet.”

The Verdict: Blow for Sessegnon…

Signed for £25 million by Mauricio Pochettino in 2019, the starlet seemingly had the world at his feet at one point with pundit Noel Whelan claiming he would go on to become a ‘massive asset’.

That hasn’t quite happened thus far due to a mix of injury problems and spending time out on loan in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim, but the fact Nuno is allegedly a big fan of the player tells you that he is still firmly in the manager’s plans.

In other news: Talks ongoing…Sky Sports journalist says ‘phenomenal’ star could now join Tottenham, find out more here.

Newcastle United are reportedly now eyeing up a transfer move for Rayan Ait-Nouri.

The Lowdown: Lots of potential…

Ait-Nouri obviously impressed Wolves enough to sign him on a permanent deal following his loan spell there last season, during which he won 3.8 of his duels and averaged 1.4 tackles and 1.2 successful dribbles per game in the Premier League, scoring one goal and making one assist, emphasising both his attacking and defensive potential (SofaScore).

Upon signing him permanently, Molineux technical director Scott Sellars claimed that he is a ‘very talented’ player with ‘lots of potential’ and is ‘only going to get better’ (Wolves).

Nonetheless, at just 20 years of age, Ait-Nouri is certainly one for the future.

The Latest: Newcastle hovering

As per Jeunes Footeux, Ait-Nouri is now ‘of interest’ to the St. James’ Park faithful as well as Crystal Palace, who are both ‘closely following’ his situation at Molineux.

However, as he has a contract at WWFC until 2026, he will not be sold for anything less than €25-30m (£21.4-25.7m).

The Verdict: Ritchie upgrade

Ait-Nouri would certainly be an upgrade on Matt Ritchie at left wing-back, given that he is averaging more tackles, interceptions, shots, dribbles and passes than the Scotland international in the top flight so far this term (WhoScored).

The Frenchman has that extra attacking mindset that will be needed from January onwards, as the North East club look to create enough chances and score enough goals in order to escape the drop.

The Express & Star journalist Liam Keen claimed last month that Ait-Nouri is a player who ‘gets the crowd on their feet’, and his runs up and down the flank should give the Toon Army some excitement going into the second half of the campaign.

Nonetheless, he is someone that they and Eddie Howe can get behind straight away.

In other news, find out which former Magpie NUFC are now eyeing here!

Ashley Preece has corroborated reports of Aston Villa being interested in Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips. 

The lowdown

Jonathan Northcroft of The Times claimed in March that Villa were ‘leading the race’ to sign Phillips.

And transfer insider Dean Jones has since described him as Steven Gerrard’s ‘number one target in that area of the field’.

Phillips is approaching the final two years of his contract with The Whites, the only senior side he’s played for.

Manchester United could compete with Villa with his signature, with the MEN reporting that they’ve already begun working on a move.

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The latest

A supporter asked Preece in a Birmingham Live Q & A whether there is ‘any truth’ in the links.

The journalist replied that ‘Villa’s interest in real’ and that ‘they have been quoted £60million’ by Leeds.

His personal prediction is that Phillips will remain at Elland Road ‘for at least another season’, but it remains to be seen as and when The Villans test the waters with a bid.

The verdict

To emphasise just how a big signing this could be, let’s look at Villa’s existing transfer record.

The most they’ve ever paid to sign a player is £34.6million. That’s what it took to sign Emiliano Buendia from Norwich City last summer.

If Villa cave to Leeds’ demands here, and they might have to given the competition, they could nearly double that benchmark.

It’s clear that Gerrard wants to sign a midfielder this summer, with Preece noting that the likes of Ibrahim Sangare, Boubacar Kamara and Geoffrey Kondogbia have all been considered too. But Phillips, an ‘extraordinary’ talent in the eyes of former England boss Fabio Capello, has the advantage of Premier League experience.

In other news, read this journalist’s reaction to a big Villa transfer update.

Celtic have been handed a late injury boost ahead of their upcoming Premiership clash.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claim that, despite being brought off with a knock in the 2-1 win over Alloa Athletic last weekend, Liel Abada looks set to play a part in the Bhoys’ fixture against Hearts this evening.

The report goes on to reveal that the 20-year-old has been included in Ange Postecoglou’s provisional squad for the trip to Tynecastle, as well as stating: “Liel Abada should be available despite limping off against Alloa.”

Ange will be elated

Considering just how impressive Abada has been since his £3.4m move to Parkhead last summer, the news that winger will be available for selection in an otherwise depleted Celtic squad is sure to have left Postecoglou elated.

Indeed, over his 20 Premiership appearances this season, the £4.05m-rated forward has been in remarkable form for the Bhoys, having already scored six goals, registered three assists and created a whopping 11 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.7 shots and making 1.9 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £15k-per-week Israel international average a SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as the Hoops’ joint 11th-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football – of the players who remain a part of Postecoglou’s first-team squad.

As such, the winger’s availability for what is certain to be a challenging test against third-placed Hearts will undoubtedly provide Celtic’s chances of leaving Edinburgh with all three points with a substantial boost – with a victory against Robbie Neilson’s men very much being necessary if the Bhoys are to stand a chance of keeping pace in the title race before the Old Firm clash on February 2.

In other news: Celtic suffer yet another big blow as transfer update emerges that’ll have fans gutted

Rangers youngster Josh McPake is set to return to Ibrox from his loan spell at Morecambe, ahead of a temporary January exit elsewhere.

The Lowdown: McPake on loan at Morecambe

The 20-year-old moved to Morecambe in the summer transfer window but he has been limited to just five League One appearances, with only three starts coming his way.

The hope was that McPake would pick up some much-needed playing time there but it looks increasingly as though he could be a peripheral figure.

A current report suggests it could be all change for the winger ahead of the upcoming January window.

The Latest: Another temporary move on the cards

According to Football Insider, a Rangers source has confirmed that the club are set to recall McPake from Morecambe, prior to loaning him out elsewhere next month.

Oldham Athletic and Hartlepool United are mentioned as possible suitors for the youngster, who was described as ‘fantastic’ by former Morton manager David Hopkin.

The Verdict: Invaluable experience

It is vital that McPake continues to get minutes away from Rangers, so this is a decision that makes perfect sense.

The hope is that the young wide man has a bright future at Ibrox but he may need to prove that he’s got what it takes during these current loan spells – another 6 months struggling to make an impact at the senior level could seriously damage his chances.

Competition for places is always likely to be strong under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, but an eye-catching second half to the season could make him part of the manager’s plans in 2022/23.

Four goals in 23 appearances in League Two is proof that McPake can shine at a good level – now it’s about making another step up.

In other news, three Rangers players struggled against Rangers. Find out who they are here.

Celtic have been dealt a tough hand in Europe with Ange Postecoglou having to withstand the test of some troublesome sides.

The Hoops have already come unstuck against Real Betis and they will desperately need to improve when Bayer Leverkusen arrive at Parkhead.

On the chalkboard

Based on Celtic’s recent form, supporters should be incredibly fearful over what result may occur on Thursday evening.

They have lost to Livingston and drawn with Dundee United during their last two league fixtures so the omens don’t exactly bode well.

Postecoglou’s men did score three times against Betis but it would be a great surprise if the same eventuality occurred tomorrow night.

Celtic will still be missing Kyogo Furuhashi and it’s thought that Callum McGregor will almost certainly be absent again.

He sat out their last Europa League clash with what was thought to be a knock but he hasn’t played since.

Who plays instead of him will be a crucial point of debate for the manager because he simply hasn’t got it right in the last few weeks.

James McCarthy has been abject to say the least, being terrorised for his performances since a first start in the defeat at Livi. During that clash, the Irishman attempted no attacking actions and lost the ball on 15 occasions.

Sadly, the midfielder was average against Dundee United too, winning just 33.3% of his defensive duels last weekend.

The solution

With that in mind, Postecoglou should consider turning to Ismaila Soro on Thursday, especially in a game where the Bhoys are expected to do more work off the ball.

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Like McCarthy, Soro hasn’t been at his best this term and he was fortunate not to be sent off against Betis.

The Ivorian was keen to get stuck in and did make a number of impressive robust tackles. However, he is often caught out with his lack of discipline causing him to throw in challenges even when he’s already been booked.

That being said, the Celtic brute is clearly more dynamic and mean-mannered than McCarthy.

Described as a player with “explosive power” by former coach Ori Guttman, he has been compared to N’Golo Kante and it’s clear to see why.

Soro occupies little pockets of space that enables him to sweep up the play. He reads the game well and is traditionally in the right place at the right time.

The 23-year-old knows what it takes to put in a defensive masterclass in Europe too. When they beat Lille 3-2 last term, he made a mind-boggling ten successful tackles.

The midfielder has failed to replicate that sort of display since but he simply has to step up with McGregor still on the sidelines.

Now feels like his time to really make a name for himself in Glasgow.

AND in other news, Ange may fix one of Celtic’s biggest problems by signing “lightning-quick” 43-cap ace…

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Newcastle United fell to another demoralising defeat on Saturday, as they were beaten 2-0 by Watford in the FA Cup fourth round.

The Magpies are 17th in the Premier League and now have no chance of lifting silverware this season, while they have also yet to invest in the January transfer market.

On the chalkboard

Benitez picked a rotated XI against the Hornets, naming Joselu as his lone striker.

The 28-year-old has scored three goals this season, the last of which came in the FA Cup third round victory over Blackburn Rovers. His other two came in August, in defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.

Perhaps he was picked on the back of his display against Rovers, but there is little about Joselu that marks him out as a first-choice centre-forward.

Check out the video below for Emma Conybeare’s rundown of which clubs need what in the January transfer window…

Salomon Rondon is first-choice at St James’ Park, and he has netted six times already this season. Indeed, he did not play in the FA Cup and now will not get the chance.

Benitez could well be politicking, choosing to play games as he attempts to convince Mike Ashley, the club’s tight-fisted owner, to finally dip into the transfer market this month.

The Magpies have roundly failed to add to their squad and The Telegraph has reported that the former Liverpool boss will leave if Ashley does not sign two players before the deadline.

Desperate times call for desperate measures

If Benitez really did play politics with the FA Cup, supporters are sure to be furious.

Joselu is not, and has never been, a first-choice striker in English football.

During his spell with Stoke City, he scored just four goals in 27 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

Never has a stronger message been sent to a boardroom; playing the player so ill-suited to a role that Benitez may well have sent ten men out to face Watford.

And, yet again, Newcastle will not be winning any silverware this season.

It is not Joselu’s fault, of course; he has been told to do a job and continues to try to do his best, but he finds himself at the centre of an apparent power play.

It remains to be seen if that will pay off and whether we will see any new faces arrive at St James’ Park in the next few days.

Manchester United will be hoping to make it back-to-back victories under the reign of interim manager Michael Carrick when they take on Chelsea in their Premier League clash this afternoon.

The Red Devils look set to appoint Ralf Rangnick as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s successor following successful talks with the German, and they’ll be eager to put on a good show at Stamford Bridge.

However, Carrick could be without a handful of important first team stars for the trip to west London.

Long-term absentees Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane could be joined by Edinson Cavani, Fred and Luke Shaw on the sidelines due to a variety of injury issues, forcing the ex-Red Devils midfielder to change up his starting XI today.

The likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood will be pushing for recalls, though, and Carrick will need his team to be on top form to keep the current league leaders at bay.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects the 40-year-old to line up against Thomas Tuchel’s Blues, with three changes from the side which started against Villarreal last time out…

David de Gea will keep his place between the sticks after making an impressive return to form this season, and he’ll be desperate to keep his second clean sheet in a row.

Ahead of the Spanish shot-stopper will be a back four made up of Alex Telles, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka due to the enforced absences of Shaw and Varane.

In midfield, Fred’s ankle issue may seen the experienced Nemanja Matic make a rare start against his former club alongside Scott McTominay as United look to contain an in-form Chelsea side.

Ahead of the defensive duo will be a front four including Rashford, Fernandes, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo. The former two gave United a much greater impetus against Villarreal following their half-time introductions and both should start today.

Sancho scored his first goal for the club in midweek, and the former Borussia Dortmund star will be looking to cement his place in the starting XI as the £31.5m-rated Anthony Martial is dropped to the bench following a disappointing performance in Spain last Tuesday.

In other news… Huge blow: Man Utd suffer potential double injury setback, Carrick will be gutted

With only one new player signed during the current January transfer window in the shape of Hayao Kawabe, it seems as though Wolves are not looking and letting that deal be their only piece of transfer business this month.

What’s the news?

Speaking on a live Sky Sports programme, presenter Rob Wotton revealed that Wolves are interested in signing AS Monaco centre-back Benoit Badiashile this month.

“Wolves and Newcastle both interested in the Monaco centre-back, Benoit Badiashile. The 20-year-old Monaco academy graduate is among a number of options in this position both clubs are looking at,” he said.

As a product of Monaco’s youth system, the 20-year-old has already made a total of 105 senior appearances for the club, chipping in with three goals and three assists in the process, showing how highly rated he must be there given his fairly young age.

Fans buzzing

In the four Europa League games that he’s played in for Monaco this season, Badiashile’s performances in those games have earned him an impressive overall rating of 7.36/10 according to WhoScored, comfortably making him the highest-rated player in the competition for Monaco, showing how capable he is of playing in a top European competition.

With his young age and vast experience, it’s easy to see why Wolves would be interested in signing a player such as Badiashile as he could potentially be a long-term player for them for many years to come.

Given how two of Wolves’ current centre-backs Romain Saiss (31) and Willy Boly (30) are two of the club’s five oldest players in their squad, it’s easy to see why the Old Gold would be looking at bringing in a young defender like Badiashile to freshen up their team at the back, an idea which would surely leave plenty of supporters buzzing.

Taking into account how Wolves manager Bruno Lage has come out and said that signing a centre-back is the club’s priority at the moment with Saiss away on international duty and Boly out injured, Badiashile could be just what the team needs at this moment in time.

That said, with recent reports from France claiming that Wolves have already had a bid for the Monaco defender rejected, it could prove to be quite difficult or expensive to secure Badiashile’s signature this month.

If a deal for the young defender isn’t viable for the Old Gold, they should turn their attention to some other potential candidates that could do a job for them at centre-back that may not cost so much.

However, the very idea that they’re targeting someone of the youngster’s quality should be music to the ears of fans at Molineux.

In other news: Journalist drops behind-the-scenes January update that’ll have Wolves fans sweating – opinion 

Luke Edwards has dropped a fresh update on Newcastle’s budget heading into PIF’s first transfer window on Tyneside.

What’s the talk?

The Telegraph reporter has claimed that the Magpies “can always spend more” than their pre-set January budget if a “box office” player becomes available in the winter market.

He made the claim in response to his own exclusive stating that they have a £50m transfer war chest for January, as PIF look to make moves to improve the team midway through the season.

Delight

Newcastle fans will surely be left feeling delighted by this update from Edwards. For starters, they will be over the moon with the initial report stating that the club are preparing to splash out £50m in January as Mike Ashley only made one signing, Joe Willock, in the summer for £26.4m.

The midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan from Arsenal, which meant that the Magpies added no fresh senior players to the squad over the summer. Converting Willock’s loan into a permanent deal was the only first-team incoming piece of business, with Newcastle failing to strengthen any area of their team from the one that finished the 2020/21 campaign.

Therefore, fans will be buzzing with the prospect of such a vast sum being spent in January to improve the team. It will give Steve Bruce, or whoever potentially replaces him in the dugout, additional firepower to attack the second half of the season in a bid to avoid relegation and push further up the Premier League table.

The supporters will also love Edwards’ added point about a potential marquee signing. His comment shows that PIF are ambitious and ready to invest the money required to make significant improvements to the team, as they are willing to pay more than they have initially set out if an opportunity arises to bring a big-name to St. James’ Park.

It remains to be seen what defines a ‘box office’ player for PIF, with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Mauro Icardi, Gareth Bale and Timo Werner touted with moves to the club. For example, would they splash out to sign Icardi? What about Sterling? January could be a very interesting, and exciting, window for Newcastle fans and Edwards’ comment will only add to the excitement levels bubbling away.

AND in other news, “Definitely”: Journo claims NUFC want £49.5m-rated star, he’s a huge Joelinton upgrade…