All posts by z3u9t.icu

Arsenal are sweating on the availability of Bukayo Saka heading into tonight’s Premier League clash with Manchester United…

What’s the latest?

The 20-year-old limped off after scoring a goal during the Gunners’ 2-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon with a suspect thigh problem.

He has since been assessed at their London Colney training base and manager Mikel Arteta provided a worrying update in his pre-game press conference this week.

“We have the doubt with Bukayo and another few knocks that we got against Newcastle,” the Spaniard revealed (via the Evening Standard). “I am hopeful, but we don’t know [if Saka can play]. It is a really short turnaround and the player has to be comfortable playing with a little injury.”

Would be a big miss

Saka is an integral member of Arteta’s starting XI in north London and he has played a crucial role in their recent upturn in fortunes on the pitch.

Only fellow Hale End academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe (six) and striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (five) have delivered more direct goal contributions than the England international (four) in the Premier League in 2021/22.

Despite only two assists from 12 starts, Saka leads the way for creativity, having averaged a squad-high 1.6 key passes per game (21 in total), per WhoScored.

Back in February, Arteta waxed lyrical about the young gem’s influence on the pitch and how it was hard to leave him out of the starting XI.

“It is (difficult) at the moment because he’s been a real threat. He’s involved in a lot of goals all the time and his consistent performances make him a starter obviously,” he told the club’s official website.

The 14-time England international, who is valued at £58.5m by Transfermarkt, would be a huge miss for the Gunners up at Old Trafford, particularly as there is a lot at stake and three points would seriously bolster their claims to qualify for a place in Europe next season.

Arsenal are sat in fifth place, just one point behind West Ham, so a victory would see them move into the top-four for the first time in what seems like a very long time. Meanwhile, the Red Devils are down in tenth position and could go to within just two points of the north London giants.

Arteta must be hugely concerned about the availability of his star man. Yes, his side went on a ten-game unbeaten run but they were exposed against a big side in Liverpool, before getting back on track against the rock-bottom Magpies.

United, despite their poor form, can pose a big threat and have plenty of big-name stars at their disposal, so without the talents of Saka, the Gunners boss may be a little scared heading into kick-off.

AND in other news, Arteta may have another Saka in “sensational” teen who can help save Arsenal millions…

Leeds United appear to be very active this week after a reliable journalist issued an exciting transfer claim…

What’s the word?

Reports emerged suggesting that the Yorkshire outfit had a £15m offer knocked back for RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson, though the club are said to remain keen on signing him this month.

However, it’s not the only player that they have submitted a bid for.

“Victor Orta is being busy and Leeds have also tabled a bid for a second as of yet unidentified player,” revealed the Daily Mirror’s David Anderson to Twitter on Tuesday night.

It remains to be seen who the second player could be as United have been linked to many names in many different positions throughout the last two to three weeks.

Signings soon?

Whilst we may not know who Orta and co are targeting now, the point that they are now looking to conduct business is hugely exciting and encouraging news for the Elland Road faithful.

This window was quickly heading down the same path – a bleak one with no signings, nothing to help manager Marcelo Bielsa and the problems within his squad.

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Often, his side have been decimated by injuries and that was epitomised by the fact that he could only name one senior professional on the bench during Sunday’s 3-2 win over West Ham United. That being Rodrigo, who has only just returned from injury himself.

Leeds have long been on the lookout for a midfielder, with the last signing in the role being Adam Forshaw nearly four years ago. It has left the head coach awfully short on options.

With Kalvin Phillips on the treatment table, it is only Forshaw and Mateusz Klich available as clear-cut central midfielders. The likes of Stuart Dallas and Jamie Shackleton, who often play anywhere they are asked to, can fill in but they have largely been utilised at full-back.

It certainly seems as if Orta is trying his best to find solutions, having submitted two offers for two different players this week, and that should leave many supporters buzzing heading into the rest of the window.

With less than two weeks to go, the Yorkshire giants must accelerate plans to get at least one deal over the line.

AND in other news, Enquiry made: Leeds now eye £10m gem with “enormous ability”, Bielsa badly needs him…

Leicester City have been linked with a surprise move for Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Foxes are interested in the England forward and could potentially make a move should Chelsea be interested in selling in the near future.

He could actually be Brendan Rodgers and Jon Rudkin’s perfect solution to the Jamie Vardy conundrum.

Despite having scored 14 goals in all competitions this season, the forward has shown signs of slowing down. He has scored just once in the entirety of 2021 and at the age of 34, thoughts of replacing him could already be on the minds of the hierarchy at the King Power Stadium.

That is where Abraham comes in.

The Chelsea man has already displayed his eye for goal in the Premier League having netted 15 times last season under Frank Lampard, whilst he has also managed to find the back of the net on 12 occasions in all competitions this time around.

At just the age of 23, Abraham, who was once hailed as “exciting” by record Premier League goalscorer Alan Shearer, there is certainly potential to improve those numbers even more.

Whilst it could be argued that any deal for the Chelsea man would be unnecessarily costly with the six-time England international being rated at £36m and still having two years left to run on his current contract at Stamford Bridge, it could actually be easier getting him to move to the East-Midlands than first thought.

Since Thomas Tuchel arrived at Chelsea, Abraham has been restricted to the sidelines in favour of the likes of Olivier Giroud and Timo Werner. He was also left out of the Blues’ squad to face Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final.

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Should he express a desire for first-team football and indeed to leave Chelsea, then Leicester could well profit by making a move.

The Foxes then should certainly be pursuing a switch for Abraham this summer.

AND in more news, take a look at how we rated the Leicester players in the FA Cup semi-final win against Southampton…

BBC Scotland pundit Marvin Bartley has been full of praise for the performance of Celtic forward Jota over the weekend. 

The lowdown: Celtic one step closer

The Hoops took another significant stride toward the Premiership title with a 2-0 victory over Ross County at Victoria Park on Sunday.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are now six points clear at the top of the table with four matches remaining after an opening goal from Kyogo Furuhashi and a late strike from Jota sealed the points in Dingwall.

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After the match, there were plenty of plaudits for the Portuguese ace in particular…

The latest: Bartley praises Jota

Speaking to BBC Sportscene (April 24, 19:31), Bartley was full of praise for the display of the 23-year-old on loan from Benfica.

The Livingston defender gushed: “His all-around game is absolutely brilliant. If you’re a Celtic fan you want him signed up as soon as possible. He’s a striker’s dream, isn’t he? If you go in the right areas, he’ll find you. His head is up all the time.

“He can play left, he can play right, he’s pro-active, he’s constantly on the move. He’s got that belief he can go past anyone.”

The verdict: Top-drawer display from Jota

This was a performance right out of the top drawer from Jota as the Portugal under-21 starlet took his tally for the season to 11 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.

Overall, the youngster earned a standout 8.90 rating for his display, which contained four key passes and two further big chances created, along with the goal and assist (Sofascore).

Performances such as this will only further increase the clamour for the club to pay the reported £6m required to make the loan sensation a Celtic player on a permanent basis over the summer.

In other news, an expert has made a key claim regarding the ownership of Celtic. Read more here.

Newcastle United are reportedly still in talks to sign Radu Dragusin from Juventus on a free transfer, according to Calciomercato.

As per the news outlet, discussions are continuing between the two clubs, as well as both RB Leipzig and Atalanta, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

At this current moment in time, the negotiations are at a stand-by phase, with his deal at the Serie A club set to expire on June 30th.

Dragusin one for the future

Dragusin is certainly a player for the future, having already broken into the senior side at the Old Lady despite being just 19 years of age, with four games under his belt in total over all competitions so far in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt).

With a frame of over six feet and two inches, the central defender should have no worries at all coping with the physical demands of the Premier League should he make the move to the St. James’ Park faithful, and his manager Andrea Pirlo was quoted as claiming that the he is ‘very strong’ back in December of last year.

On a free transfer, there would be very little risk in the North East club signing Dragusin up, and so they should be doing all that they can in order to secure the signature of the Romania U21 international.

In other news, find out what timeframe has been put on the takeover arbitration case by a sports law specialist here!

Speaking in a Q&A for football.london, reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has made a promising claim involving Fabio Paratici and how his appointment can benefit for the club.

The Lowdown: Paratici arrives…

The Italian transfer guru has now been officially appointed as managing director of Tottenham and has a major say in overseeing all sporting operations at the club in terms – including facilities and football infrastructure (tottenhamhotspur.com).

Of course, the aspect of his role drawing most excitement is his reputation for facilitating big transfers in the market.

At former club Juventus, Paratici garnered a reputation for being an astute operator and played a key role in signing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo for the Turin club (The Daily Mail).

The Latest: Gold makes promising Paratici claim…

Speaking in a Q&A, when asked exactly what Paratici will bring to the table at Tottenham in terms of landing youngsters or immediate impact signings, Gold dropped a promising claim.

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“His history at Juventus suggests both,” the reporter explained.

“He was very good at getting free transfers over his 11 years, although there has been the odd recent one that hasn’t hit the spot like Ramsey and Rabiot, while he has also spent the money when required on immediate impact players.

“One thing is clear and that is that he has a huge network of contacts and good relationships with clubs across the game and he’ll be able to help deliver what Tottenham require within the parameters the club’s finances dictate.”

The Verdict: Promising…

Gold’s behind the scenes claim on just how well connected Paratici is will come as music to the ears of some supporters.

Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy also recently heralded the 48-year-old as a ‘tough negotiator’ and that is something Spurs will definitely need in this odd transfer landscape struck by the financial implications of Covid-19.

Spurs will need to operate astutely given their sell-to-buy transfer policy and Paratici may just be the man for a tough summer task ahead.

In other news: Spurs now want to sign this 6 foot 2 powerhouse with Levy told to pay eight figure fee, find out more here.

Rangers were one of several clubs reportedly interested in signing Ivan Toney last summer and, after his hugely impressive season, it was clear that Steven Gerrard missed out on a top-quality player.

However, sporting director Ross Wilson can amend this error by bringing Jonson Clarke-Harris to Ibrox ahead of next season.

According to Football Insider, Rangers scouts were in attendance at the Weston Homes Stadium at the weekend to watch the Peterborough United striker and were treated to an incredible performance from the 26-year-old, as he hit a hat=trick in a 7-0 thrashing of Accrington Stanley.

The former Bristol Rovers man, who incidentally joined the Posh as Toney’s replacement, has managed to outscore his predecessor, hitting 25 goals in 37 league appearances so far this season.

Toney managed 24 goals in 32 league appearances last term before the season was ended early due to the current viral outbreak, and completed a move to Championship side Brentford last summer despite reported interest from Rangers.

The 25-year-old has gone on to enjoy a superb campaign with the Bees and has been the driving force behind their promotion push, contributing 28 goals and nine assists in just 36 Championship appearances this season.

Therefore, it seems fair to suggest that Toney would have been a hit in Gerrard’s side this season and that Wilson made an error in not bringing him to Ibrox.

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Their reported interest in Clarke-Harris looks to be the ideal second chance for Wilson this summer and he should avoid making the same mistake again, as the Englishman could prove to be an excellent addition to Gerrard’s squad.

Earlier in the season, the striker was heavily praised by his manager Darren Ferguson, who said:

“Jonson’s goals have been valuable, but he’s more than just a goalscorer. He is a leader, a winner and a real focal point for this team.“He was our number one target when Ivan Toney left and we had to work hard on his fitness when he first got here, but he’s been an outstanding signing and a real pleasure to work with.”[freshpress-quiz id=“588789″] After the striker’s impressive showing in front of Rangers scouts at the weekend, Wilson will be aware of Clarke-Harris’ talent, and will hopefully realise that he can amend last summer’s transfer failure with Toney by ensuring that, if the 26-year-old leaves Peterborough this summer, it will be to make the switch to Ibrox.And, in other news… Bye-bye Edmundson: Rangers signing £1.08m-rated beast would surely be bad news for 23 y/o

Many Everton fans have been reacting to an update from Patrick Boyland saying that the Toffees passed up on the chance to sign Daniel Jebbison in 2018.

The Toffees were defeated 1-0 at Goodison Park on Sunday by Sheffield United as their hopes of qualifying for European football next term suffered a huge blow. Jebbison scored his first goal for the Blades in the victory on what was his first start for the club (Transfermarkt). With six goals in six FA Youth Cup games across the past two seasons, it is clear that he possesses plenty of talent.

It appears that Everton had the chance to sign him in the past. According to Boyland, Jebbison was on trial with the Merseyside club in 2018, but Everton passed up on the chance to capture his services.

Boyland shared the news on his official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from Everton supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Everton missing out on Jebbison

“You couldn’t make this stuff up. At this point all we can do is laugh because the other option is to cry.”

Credit: @UpperGwladysBlu

“Not helpful Patrick!”

Credit: @JustinLang

“Now that’s a full house of Everton bingo!”

Credit: @mattwyatt1

“Thanks for that. Really needed to read this first thing this morning.”

Credit: @Nedd_Stewart

“Not now, Paddy.”

Credit: @nsno_83

“Why are you like this”

Credit: @_lauraaj96

In other news, some Everton fans were livid with this man’s performance against the Blades.

Daniel Farke’s Norwich City are interested in a summer move for Mehdi Zerkane.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by La Gazette du Fennec, who claimed that both the Canaries and Aston Villa are keeping a close eye on the Bordeaux winger ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report added that, while the 21-year-old would like to stay in Ligue 1 for a further year to continue his development, Les Girondins could be tempted into parting with the £1.8m-rated youngster if a significant offer is made due to their troublesome financial state.

Mahrez 2.0

With Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber having an extraordinary amount of success in recent seasons with signing lesser-known and under-appreciated talents, such as Emi Buendia’s £1.35m signing from Getafe and Teemu Pukki’s arrival from Brondby on a free transfer, Zerkane could well fit the bill for the sporting director once again this summer.

The winger, who is a product of the youth setup at AS Monaco, has yet to truly burst onto the scene at Bordeaux, having featured just 27 times for the Ligue 1 side, scoring one goal and registering one assist. However, it seems that a number of clubs believe the 21-year-old possesses a considerable amount of talent, with Marseille, Lyon, Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid all attempting to sign Zerkane upon his departure from Monaco.

Indeed, there are obvious comparisons which can be drawn between Zerkane and Riyad Mahrez, with both players being left-footed right-wingers who like to cut inside, both being Algeria internationals and both starting their footballing careers in France.

As such, with Bordeaux reportedly open to offers for the highly-rated youngster this summer, it would seem a highly advisable move for Webber to pursue a deal for the 21-year-old. If he goes on to fulfil the potential that a number of Europe’s biggest clubs clearly believe he possesses, Norwich could indeed have the next Mahrez on their hands ahead of next season.

In other news: Forget Skipp: Webber must seal Norwich deal for “fantastic” £6.3m-rated star – opinion

The Nuno Santo era could not have got off to a more perfect start for Tottenham Hotspur.

They sit top of the Premier League standings heading into the first international break of the season and have made it through the qualification stages of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

After sacking Jose Mourinho in mid-April, chairman Daniel Levy was reportedly on the lookout for an attack-minded head coach – one that can develop the club’s young prospects at the same time.

It’s still early days but Spurs are the lowest scorers in the top ten, though they are yet to concede a single goal after three successive wins. Nuno has also given an opportunity to payers like Japhet Tangana and Oliver Skipp, so there is that balance that Levy was looking for, in some respect.

You could argue that the Portuguese is lacking the sort of creative presence that can elevate Spurs’ game even more and perhaps he can kill two birds with one stone by looking to one of their more promising youth products.

Once again, it’s Harry Kane that sits near the top of the creativity charts, despite being their striker and only starting one game. Only one other player has averaged more than one key pass per game, as per WhoScored.

Nuno has trusted Dele Alli to start in a more advanced role in midfield but he’s yet to provide a key chance and is still some way off his 2016/17 form that saw him register 18 goals and seven assists in just one season.

Spurs’ next Alli could be found in Dilan Markanday, who just last week scored a hat-trick for the U23 squad.

According to the club’s official website, the 20-year-old gem is a ‘clever attacking midfielder who normally plays on the right’ – in some ways, this is similar to the Englishman under Mauricio Pochettino.

Furthermore, Markanday has earned a comparison to former academy star Marcus Edwards.

“Markanday has looked bright today. Have always felt he has a very similar running and dribbling style to Marcus Edwards,” football.london’s Alasdair Gold said. He also praised him when Spurs’ U19s faced Inter Milan in 2018.

“Inter are struggling to deal with Dilan Markanday. His dribbling and passing ability is pulling their defence and midfield all over the place.”

Spurs have only scored three goals in their opening three games, so it’s this sort of presence that is required in the no.10 role. Nuno should consider unleashing the U23 sensation and in doing so, he may well discover the next Alli in north London.

AND in other news, Paratici masterclass: Spurs eye “extraordinary” £34m-rated gem, he won’t cost a penny…