Category Uncategorized

Aston Villa acted swiftly in the transfer market during the summer, with the likes of Boubacar Kamara, Diego Carlos and Philippe Coutinho all arriving on permanent deals.

A couple of late additions in Leander Dendoncker and Jan Bednarek gave manager Steven Gerrard some cover in defence and the midfield but it was his reluctance to sell a few players that might come back to haunt him.

Morgan Sanson is the best example, while sporting director Johan Lange will rue not moving him on and bringing in a current Premier League player in his place…

Aston Villa should have signed Tomas Soucek

Back in June, it was reported that West Ham United were willing to listen to offers of £30m for the midfielder as he was haggling over a new contract.

Newcastle United, Everton, and Villa were all showing interest in the player, but no move ever materialised and it could be something Gerrard regrets.

The 27-year-old has been excellent in this season’s Premier League, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.11, starting every game so far and scoring once.

The Czech titan has contributed well defensively, making 2.8 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, and 2.3 clearances per match, proving that he can get stuck in and do the dirty work too in order to lead his team to success.

These attributes would have worked wonders in the Villa engine room, giving Gerrard some bite in his team.

Sanson hasn’t even played in the league this season, while he currently earns £48k-per-week for contributing nothing.

Missing out on Soucek appears to be a glaring mistake with every passing match, while West Ham manager David Moyes has dubbed the player as “sensational” and he continues to be the heart of their side.

Soucek’s contract doesn’t expire until 2024, but if his performances continue to this high standard, then Moyes might find it extremely tough to keep a hold of him when January rolls around and Gerrard will be kicking himself that he didn’t secure a deal for the player.

Aston Villa were understandably keen to strengthen their squad following promotion back to the top flight in 2019 but a lot of their signings have proven to be a waste of money.

The likes of Ezri Konsa, Douglas Luiz and Tyrone Mings remain key parts of the squad at Villa Park, whereas less successful signings such as Trezeguet, Ally Samatta and Bjorn Engels have been and gone.

One man who stands out as a really poor piece of business from that summer is former Birmingham City winger Jota.

The Spanish attacker joined Villa in a deal worth a reported £4m, as he became Dean Smith’s first signing of that summer’s transfer window, having worked together at Brentford, and was paid £25k-per-week during his time at Villa Park, the majority of which was earned from the bench.

With just 16 appearances under his belt across all competitions before leaving in October 2020 on a free transfer to Spanish club Alaves, the winger ended up costing the Midlands club £250k-per-appearance, while his one goal in all competitions meant that the club paid £4m for the one time he found the back of the net.

In 25 appearances for Alaves, the Spaniard – who described his time with the Villans as “tough” – failed to score even once before being released last summer, and he remains without a club.

It had seemed like a promising signing after he had starred at St Andrew’s the previous season, with three goals and 11 assists to his name in the Championship, but he clearly didn’t adapt to the Premier League.

It seems as if the move has really damaged what was once a promising career in the Championship with Birmingham and Brentford, where he contributed an impressive 23 goals and 11 assists in 78 appearances, as he has been without a club for some time, with an early retirement potentially on the cards unless another side takes a chance on him.

[freshpress-quiz id=“659225”]

It always feels like a risk when a player moves between rival sides and in this case, the divisive move on Villa’s part, did not work out at all.

The Rangers Review journalist Jonny McFarlane could not believe that Sky Sports did not spot a possible offside in the lead up to Glasgow Rangers conceding against Hibs.

The Lowdown: Fiery game

It was a fiery encounter this lunchtime with the Ibrox outfit having not one but two players sent off in the second half in John Lundstram and Alfredo Morelos.

They had also received a penalty at the end of the first half, which James Tavernier managed to convert, before Martin Boyle equalised for Hibernian and Tom Lawrence put the visitors back in front.

Josh Campbell grabbed a late equaliser in the most incident-packed match of the season so far.

The Latest: Possible offside?

Taking to Twitter, McFarlane noted that Thody Elie Youan, who assisted Boyle for Hibs’ first equaliser, looked as if he could have been marginally offside in the build-up.

The commentators on Sky Sports did not seem to question a possible offside, which McFarlane thought was ‘bizarre’.

The Verdict: Fine margins

Of course, there are fine margins for offside decisions, and without VAR in the Scottish Premiership, it is not fully clear whether Youan was offside or not before he assisted Boyle.

VAR will not come into the SPFL until December after the FIFA World Cup in Qatar is concluded, and so these decisions will continue to be debated until the technology is implemented.

The Gers did not manage to hold out in the end after the stoppage time goal from Campbell, and so they will feel greatly aggrieved that the decision for Hibs’ first goal did not go their way.

ExWHUemployee has dropped an update on a West Ham United target that could delight David Moyes.

What’s the news?

Ex has dropped an update on West Ham target Matheus Nunes, writing on his Patreon that the “club are expected to follow up” on their talks with the Sporting Lisbon midfielder.

Portuguese newspaper Record claimed that West Ham made a bid of around £29.5m for the player, although he has a release clause of £51m.

With former target Amadou Onana joining Everton, it’s clear Moyes is still in the market for a quality midfielder.

Moyes aims to bolster his midfield options

With West Ham losing to Manchester City last weekend in their first Premier League match of the season, improvement will be required against tomorrow’s foes Nottingham Forest.

Moyes is currently operating with a paper-thin squad, hence the need for further reinforcements and Nunes could add some much-needed quality to their engine room.

Pep Guardiola referred to the Portuguese player as “one of the best players in the world” proving just how good he really is and a move to England would allow him to continue his development by playing at a higher level.

Nunes can offer both attacking and defensive qualities to the West Ham side. He ranks in the top 1% for assists and dribbles completed compared to positional peers in the top five leagues (0.35 per 90 and 3.19 per 90 respectively) over the last 365 days, showing that pushing forward and contributing to the attack is a key strength.

Defensively, Nunes won possession 0.6 times, won 55% of his total duels and was only dribbled past 0.7 times per game over his 33 Liga Portugal fixtures last season. These stats are better than Thomas Soucek’s, who won possession only 0.4 times, won 49% of his total duels and was dribbled past 1.1 times per match over his 35 outings in the Premier League last term.

Moyes will have to splash the cash to secure a move for Nunes, but these stats prove that not only will he slot straight into the first team, but he is also a better option than what the Scot currently has available to him at the minute – not to mention the fact that Guardiola believes the midfielder is one of the best in the world at present.

A claim has emerged regarding the future of Glasgow Rangers striker Kemar Roofe beyond the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Sheffield Star journalist Alex Miller has claimed that a deal to take the Light Blues attacker to League One in England is not likely to happen ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He tweeted: “Nothing particularly fresh in here, I’m afraid, but understand as per @reluctantnicko that Wednesday have had contact with Rangers over Kemar Roofe. Unlikely as things stand – but as ever, things can change quickly. Owls are keeping tabs.”

Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore was recently asked about a move for the number nine and remained coy, saying: “I can’t be drawn into that because they are simply not our players to discuss at this moment.”

Gio van Bronckhorst will be delighted

This claim will delight the Ibrox head coach, as he will surely not want to lose the Jamaica international heading into next season.

The club sanctioned the sale of Cedric Itten earlier this summer and Ross Wilson acted swiftly to bring in Antonio Colak from PAOK to replace him. However, allowing Roofe to leave would put Rangers back in a tricky situation with two first-team strikers available for 2022/23.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst will be keen to keep the ex-Leeds marksman, as it would prevent him and Wilson from scrambling about in the final weeks of the window – whilst the club play competitive matches – to source a replacement.

The Premiership campaign kicks off this weekend and the head coach may want a settled squad from hereon in order to build consistency within the performances.

He would also be gutted to lose Roofe, who has shown that he has the ability to make a big impact for the Light Blues when he is given an opportunity on the pitch.

Last season, the attacker scored 10 goals in nine league starts for the club, playing 21 times in total. He also scored two goals in four Europa League starts, which shows that the talent is there for him to be a real difference-maker for Rangers.

Roofe has proven that he can score regularly for the Gers domestically and in Europe, and that is why keeping hold of him would be a boost to the squad. Van Bronckhorst will be delighted that a move to Sheffield Wednesday is unlikely and may be hoping that it stays that way for the rest of the summer.

AND in other news, After Ridvan: Rangers make contact to land 8th summer signing, supporters will be buzzing…

Newcastle United have been linked with a summer move for Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi.

What’s the news?

According to The Sun, the Toon are keen on exploring a move for the Chelsea sensation this summer with the Blues greenlighting a pursuit by declaring their willingness to listen to offers.

The news comes amid Newcastle’s failed pursuit of Anthony Gordon with the Magpies now very much pursuing alternative targets.

Saint-Maximin 2.0

As a product of Chelsea’s youth system, the 21-year-old has made 187 appearances in total for the west London club across their senior and youth sides.

In those appearances, the winger has found the net 47 times and delivered 40 assists in the process.

With 15 Premier League appearances to his name last season, the Englishman racked up 17 shots at goal, 51 shot-creating actions, 30 dribbles and 26 crosses, showing the clear attacking talent he has and why he’d be an exciting addition to Eddie Howe’s ranks.

Having played across numerous positions in the midfield and attack last season, this sort of versatility could make the youngster a very useful player for the Toon.

Praised by Thomas Tuchel for a “perfect” pass he delivered during Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Malmo in the Champions League last season, Hudson-Odoi clearly has what it takes to be a goalscoring threat for Newcastle.

If he does make the move to St James, then it could give the Magpies their next version of Allan Saint-Maximin.

With the Frenchman being a huge part of Newcastle’s attacking power by scoring five goals and delivering five assists in 35 league appearances last season, it’s safe to say that he is an important figure for the team.

The similarities between the two players are clear, with both figures achieving ratings in the 70s for the creativity and attacking areas of their game according to SofaScore.

While the current Toon star slightly eclipses the £120k-per-week winger in both categories, the Chelsea youngster certainly has the talent and time ahead of him to get on the same level as Saint-Maximin, which a move to Newcastle would surely help with.

With the Magpies showing during their previous transfer window, and in the early stages of this one, just how effective they can be at signing players from fellow English clubs, a move for Hudson-Odoi is something that they should definitely explore during the next few weeks.

AND in other news: NUFC plotting bid to sign sign “fabulous” £18m “diamond”, he’s a big Shelvey upgrade

Celtic signing Jota on a permanent basis this summer would be ‘huge’ for the club, according to ex-BBC pundit Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Jota close to join Celtic permanently

The 23-year-old enjoyed a brilliant season on loan at Parkhead in 2021/22, thrilling Hoops supporters with his quality out wide.

Jota ended up finishing the campaign with 15 goal contributions (seven goals and eight assists) in just 21 Premiership starts, being hailed as ‘unbelievable’ by Ange Postecoglou.

It is widely expected that the winger’s loan move will be made permanent this summer, with a deal hopefully being agreed in the near future. Indeed, Football Scotland reported last week that the Portuguese gem is ‘extremely close’ to sealing a permanent move to Celtic from Benfica.

The Latest: Whelan excited by possible Jota deal

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan waxed lyrical over Jota, saying that a permanent transfer makes complete sense and would be a significant boon for Celtic.

The 47-year-old stated:

“That would be huge. What an outstanding performer and player. That’s one that the Celtic fans will be licking their lips at. That’s one name they would want straight away back in the club and in the team.

“He was a joy to watch, fantastic and exciting. He fits straight into the methodology of how the manger wants to play.

“If they can’t get that deal done on a permanent then a loan, again, would strengthen Celtic and their push to retain the title next season.”

The Verdict: No-brainer for all parties

It would now be a huge disappointment if Celtic’s permanent move for Jota falls through, considering how much sense it makes for all parties this summer.

Benfica probably can’t promise him regular playing time and they would surely be happy to receive a mooted £6.5m fee for him, whereas the Hoops will see him as a key figure for years to come.

At 23, hopefully this is only the start for Jota, who could end up being one of the next great attacking players to grace Parkhead over a sustained period, assuming there are no late hitches over a possible permanent move.

Manchester United have made an offer to sign Christian Eriksen on a free transfer, according to David Ornstein.

The Lowdown: Eriksen’s impressive Premier League return

Eriksen made a move back to England with Brentford at the beginning of the year, penning a contract until the end of the season.

It didn’t take long for Eriksen to catch the eye with the Bees, with Gary Neville labelling the midfielder’s passing as ‘out of this world’.

The 30-year-old won seven games in 11 starts with Brentford, contributing to five goals mainly from a slightly deeper midfield role than we’re used to seeing him. He is now weighing up his next move, and it looks as if Erik ten Hag is keen to bring the Denmark international to Old Trafford.

The Latest: Ornstein’s reveal

Ornstein took to Twitter on Tuesday afternoon to provide a significant update on Eriksen’s future.

The reliable reporter revealed that United have ‘made an offer’ for the midfielder, with Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong still a priority.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news-3/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Shrewd move

United could do with midfield additions following confirmed exits for Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata, leaving Bruno Fernandes as the only recognised senior attacking midfielder.

Eriksen would give Ten Hag another high-quality attacking midfield option who has plenty of experience in the Premier League and in Europe.

He’d also be able to turn out in a deeper role or out wide, and after showing last season he still has the quality to star in England, a free transfer could turn out to be an excellent piece of business.

In other news: Same agent as Ronaldo: Man Utd now close to ‘special’ signing, move is ‘imminent’. 

Everton are prioritising a central defender in the summer transfer window and they have identified Fenerbahce’s Kim Min-jae as a potential addition, reports Turkish media outlet Ajansspor (via Goodison News).

The Lowdown: Kim profiled

Having arrived at Fenerbahce last summer, the 25-year-old has gone on to make a fantastic impression in European football.

The South Korea international started all of the 31 Super Lig matches that he was available for this season, further playing the full 90 minutes in all six of the Turkish outfit’s Europa League games.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-5/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Everton prepare bid

According to Turkish media outlet Ajansspor (via Goodison News), the Toffees are prepared to make a bid for Kim this summer, and it is reported that the Fenerbahce man has a £19.4m release clause in his current contract.

It is said that the player is keen to test himself in a bigger division, meaning he would be open to a move to the Premier League.

The Verdict: Good signing Frank

Having arrived in Turkey for a fee of £2.7m, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Fenerbahce look to make a quick profit on the defender, despite the club’s desire to keep hold of him.

Kim has received strong interest this season having impressed during his first year playing European football – he has even be likened to Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk, so it is clear that the 6 foot 3 ‘monster’ has the ability to step up another level.

At less than £20m, this would be a good addition to Frank Lampard’s Everton squad, who are in desperate need of an overhaul at the heart of defence this summer.

In other news: Sky Sports drop Everton FFP update…

Southampton are interested in on loan Torino star Josip Brekalo, according to a report from Italian newspaper Tuttosport (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Career so far

Currently on loan in Italy from parent club VfL Wolfsburg, the 23-year-old has so far amassed 192 professional career appearances across spells with Dinamo Zagreb and VfB Stuttgart prior to his most recent moves.

A fully-fledged Croatia international, Brekalo was a reported target for Everton, Liverpool and several La Liga sides in the summer of 2021.

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

And, despite Torino having a reported €13million (£11million) option to buy in the loan deal from Wolfsburg, other potential suitors are now in contention to land the winger.

The latest: Saints eyeing ‘sensational twist’

As per Tuttosport, cited by SW, Southampton are believed to be ‘in the lead’ to sign Brekalo should the permanent move to Italy not be triggered.

It’s claimed that the Saints are ‘ready to throw themselves’ into the mix to sign the man capped on 30 occasions by Croatia.

However, the report states that it would take a ‘sensational twist’ were Torino to pass up the opportunity to sign Brekalo, who has been dubbed an ‘exciting talent’ by journalist Josh Bunting following a brace against Fiorentina this season.

The verdict: Star capture

So far this season Brekalo has scored seven times and provided three assists in 33 appearances across all competitions, earning an impressive 7.10 Sofascore rating in the process. He is completing 1.3 dribbles, taking 1.4 shots and winning 0.7 fouls on average per game.

When using the FBref comparison tool, the versatile Croatian attacker is keeping some esteemed company in terms of playing style, closely matching the likes of Dmitri Payet and Arsenal duo Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard.

With the futures of Theo Walcott, Nathan Redmond and Moussa Djenepo under scrutiny, for anything close to the apparent current asking price, Ralph Hasenhuttl would welcome Brekalo to the St Mary’s ranks with open arms as the Austrian looks to bolster the ranks ahead of next season.

In other news: Southampton join race to sign ‘sensational’ and ‘flawless’ player from major European club! Find out more here.