Category Uncategorized

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has slammed Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris after he made a huge blunder in the club’s most recent defeat.

What’s the latest?

It was a day to forget in the Premier League on Sunday for Spurs as they were soundly beaten in front of their own fans by Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.

Goals from Emi Buendia and Douglas Luiz were enough to seal the 2-0 home defeat and the French shot-stopper failed to cover himself in glory for the opening effort.

Indeed, Luiz tried his luck from well over 30 yards but he didn’t hit his strike cleanly as it flew down the middle of the goal. However, Lloris failed to deal with it, fumbling the ball and allowing Ollie Watkins to pounce and set up his teammate.

While talking about it on BBC Radio Show 606, Sutton didn’t hold back on his criticism of the Spurs goalkeeper, highlighting his woeful attempt to prevent the goal

He said of Lloris: “He had a stinker today for the first goal.

“A pretty routine shot, straight at him, which he spilt. And Villa worked it well, Watkins sliding the ball to Buendia.”

Time for a change?

At 36 years of age now, Lloris has been at Tottenham for a over decade having joined from Lyon back in 2012. Since then, he has gone on to become club captain, proving what a great servant he has been.

However, this latest mistake is a reminder that he is getting on a little and it could be time for a change in the near future. Back in December, former goalkeeper Paul Robinson suggested that Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier could be a perfect replacement.

Indeed, he told MOT Leeds News: “From a Tottenham point of view, I’d love for them to test Leeds with a bid and try to sign him.”

Lloris, who was given a 3/10 for his display by Alasdair Gold, was of course recently away in Qatar at the World Cup and lost the final with France and so may still be suffering from some mental and physical fatigue from the tournament.

Even so, at his age, he can’t afford to make many more high-profile errors if he wants to remain at Spurs for the long term.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is unsurprisingly at the centre of transfer attention from one of Europe’s giants following his World Cup-winning campaign with Argentina. 

What’s the word?

Having reached the pinnacle of footballing success at the tournament in Qatar, the 30-year-old has found himself on the Christmas wish list of Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, according to French outlet Mediafoot. 

After signing for Villa from Arsenal in a £17m deal in 2020, Martinez has become a world and continental champion for his country, starring as first-choice ‘keeper during both tournaments while also impressing for the Villans in the Premier League.

The likes of Atletico Madrid and Juventus have also registered an interest across recent weeks, although Villa can rest easy in the knowledge that the player penned a new deal with his club earlier this year, securing his services until 2027. 

Keep at all costs

It would take an astronomical fee to prise Martinez away from the Midlands, with NSWE likely to demand a transfer fee far eclipsing what they paid to bring him to the club two years ago. 

After nearly a decade with the Gunners, Martinez joined Aston Villa having assumed a largely peripheral role across the majority of his senior career, but has since risen to prominence. 

Now managed by Unai Emery, Villa have reaped the rewards, with the Argentina hero an imposing last line of defence.

He has made 91 appearances for the club since his arrival in the Midlands, keeping 30 clean sheets and consequently earning a place within his national squad, now become arguably one of the most sought-after shot-stoppers in the game. 

In Qatar, the €25m-rated (£21.8m) star played all seven matches for his country, keeping three clean sheets, making a host of crucial saves throughout the competition and starring in two penalty shoot-outs, including the final.  

For Villa this season, as per Sofascore, Martinez has recorded a rating of 6.91 in the top flight, saving 69% of shots faced and keeping three clean sheets despite the dismal start to the campaign which saw the dismissal of Steven Gerrard and subsequent appointment of Emery.

Regarding the Bayern interest, it really would take a seismic bid for Villa to sanction the Argentine’s departure, and unless something truly remarkable materialises, there is no logical explanation for allowing such a colossal player to leave.

There is still plenty left in the tank for this “unbelievable” ace – as heralded by team-mate Matty Cash – who could maintain his place between the sticks at Villa Park for years to come.

Having appointed Emery at the helm, who has won four European trophies, Villa must utilise the growing trophy-winning pedigree within their ranks to steer their own ship towards a first piece of silverware since the turn of the century.

Former Glasgow Rangers defender Alan Hutton has backed his old club in their reported move to bring Josh Onomah to Ibrox in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Onomah move plotted

As per Football Insider, new Gers manager Michael Beale is ‘plotting’ a move for Onomah in January, and is a ‘long-term admirer’ of the Fulham central midfielder.

A number of Championship clubs are also thought to be ‘weighing up’ a move for him, as his contract at Craven Cottage expires in the summer.

With just 14 minutes of Premier League football played so far this season, Marco Silva’s side could look to offload him in January for a suitable transfer fee.

The Latest: Hutton backs move

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton has backed the Light Blues in their pursuit of Onomah, singing his praises after playing with him at Aston Villa:

“I know him, I played with him at Aston Villa so I know what kind of player he is, what kind of character he is.

“He is very good. I think he has been unfortunate that he has gone to a team and not played. He is that type of guy that you need to play week in week out so that you can see the best of his ability.

“There is no doubting his talent, I have seen it with my own eyes. He is more than capable of coming to a place like Rangers and handling it. I think he would be a good addition to the team.

“Getting a player of that quality, although he has not been playing regularly in the Premier League this season, I know he would be able to handle the task.“

The Verdict: Get it done

Onomah is clearly a player with ability, but has perhaps not been able to show it often enough.

At Villa, he scored four goals and made a further three assists in 37 games in total over all competitions (1-0 to Fulham.

He is still only 25 years of age, not reaching his prime yet, and with Beale seemingly keen on a move, he could really mould Onomah into a key player for the Teddy Bears for the second part of the season.

Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Joe Donnohue has been reacting to an off-field update involving Leeds United midfielder Mateusz Klich.

The Lowdown: Lack of minutes

Klich has fallen down the pecking order under Jesse Marsch this season and is yet to make a Premier League start. He netted twice in a Carabao Cup win over Barnsley, after which Danny Mills labelled the 32-year-old ‘different class’, but has featured in only 188 minutes of league action.

The Poland international was linked with a move away in the summer but remained in Yorkshire, looking to make the cut for the World Cup in Qatar.

The Latest: World Cup absence

Poland confirmed their World Cup squad on Thursday afternoon, with Klich unfortunately not making the cut.

Donnohue took to Twitter to react to the news, describing it as a ‘bitter blow’ for the midfielder as he shared a corresponding article for Yorkshire Evening Post.

The reporter tweeted: “Bitter blow for Mateusz Klich to miss out on the World Cup. No guarantee he’ll be in a position to make the squad in four years, depending on whether Poland qualify at all. Jesse Marsch felt his reduced role would still be sufficient for a call-up.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-54/” title=”Latest Leeds United news” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Gutted

Klich put side before self at Elland Road by remaining in Yorkshire, providing Marsch with an experienced option from the bench.

However, his lack of game-time this season appears to have played a part in his exclusion from Poland’s squad.

Everyone associated with the club will be gutted for Klich, who – as Donnohue mentions – may not be in a position to line out for his country at the 2026 World Cup (that’s if they qualify), by which time he will be 36.

Leeds United dropped down into the bottom three of the Premier League table as they were beaten 3-2 by Fulham at Elland Road on Sunday.

The Whites have now lost four straight games and are without a win in eight in the top-flight after failing to make the most of taking the lead against Marco Silva’s men.

Rodrigo had given Jesse Marsch’s side a 1-0 advantage in the first half as he headed home from close range after Jack Harrison’s deflected effort looped into his path.

However, goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic, Bobby Decordova-Reid, and Willian ensured that the away side picked up all three points in Yorkshire.

Crysencio Summerville pulled a goal back in stoppage time, his first at Premier League level, but it was not enough to mount a real comeback for the hosts as Fulham were able to hold on for the win.

Forget Rodrigo and his goal, Joe Gelhardt’s contribution off the bench was a huge positive for Leeds and he sent a big message to Marsch with his display.

The young gem made an instant impact as he assisted the second goal for the club after coming on in the 84th minute for Pascal Struijk.

Whites reporter Beren Cross described his play to set up the goal as “magic”, with the youngster avoiding multiple attempted tackles before teeing up Summerville.

Bundesliga social media manager Alex Chaffer also described his lack of game time this season as an “absolute disgrace” and this latest cameo from the young talent is a big message to Marsch, saying that he should be getting more minutes on the pitch.

Luis Sinisterra and Jack Harrison produced one key pass each in 64 and 90 minutes on the pitch respectively. Gelhardt came on and matched their contributions in just 11 minutes, whilst also completing 100% (3/3) of his attempted passes in the game.

Last season, he produced two goals and four assists in five Premier League starts – playing 732 minutes in total – and created four ‘big chances’ for his teammates in that time. This means that he had a goal contribution every 122 minutes, whilst his assist on Sunday means that he has one in 152 minutes this term.

Gelhardt has shown serious quality in limited minutes since the start of the 2021/22 campaign and this latest cameo should be a big enough message to convince Marsch, if the American remains in his post, to hand him more minutes in the coming weeks.

Glasgow Rangers stuttered to a 1-0 victory in their League Cup quarter-final tie on Wednesday evening against Dundee.

After a positive start which saw Steven Davis score what turned out to be the only goal, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men couldn’t find the right intensity or composure to break the Championship side down.

There were few positives to take from the match and Livingston awaits at Ibrox tomorrow in what will be a chance for the home to make amends and put on a display for the impatient Gers faithful.

The Dutchman will make some changes to his starting XI ahead of the tie, but Scott Wright must be unleashed again as he was one of his only bright sparks against Dundee.

On the chalkboard

Wright joined Rangers in February 2021 from Aberdeen and his Rangers career hasn’t really taken off. Before the start of this season, the 25-year-old had won Premiership and Scottish Cup winners medals (scoring the second goal in the final) while registering 13 goal contributions.

The winger has struggled this season, averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.81, grabbing just one assist, and taking just 31.4 touches per match.

Due to the poor performances from Ryan Kent – who has scored just once in the league this term, the £5.6k-per-week man was deployed on the left wing against Dundee, unfamiliar territory for him although he could cut in onto his right foot with good effect.

Wright started off quite well, constantly creating problems for the Dundee right-back and his shot in the tenth minute was parried by the goalkeeper from which Davis headed into the back of the net.

He combined with new signing Ridvan Yilmaz fairly well and was one of the only shining lights from a generally disappointing team performance under the Ibrox floodlights.

Football Scotland journalist Mark McDougall has dubbed Wright “impressive” in the past and while inconsistent at times, he more than deserves another spot in the starting XI against Livingston, this time, unleashed in his usual right-wing role.

Steve Bruce could consider dropping David Button for West Brom’s crucial Championship clash with Preston, according to journalist Joe Chapman.

The Lowdown: West Brom face massive game

The Baggies head to Deepdale for a vital match on Wednesday evening, with Bruce very much under the spotlight after a dreadful run of performances and results.

Saturday’s 3-2 loss at home to Swansea City has left West Brom languishing just above the relegation zone and defeat at Preston is likely to spell the end for the manager.

It could be that Bruce opts to make changes and one key starter has been tipped to face the axe from the starting lineup.

The Latest: Button backed to be dropped

Writing on Twitter, The Birmingham Mail‘s Chapman talked up the idea of goalkeeper Button losing his place between the sticks, having made 11 league starts to date this season:

“Think there’s a genuine GK decision to make at PNE. Button struggled on Saturday. Defence hasn’t helped, admittedly. 17 goals conceded in 11 is alarming – so many of them avoidable.”

The Verdict: Can’t do any harm

While West Brom’s struggles at the back certainly haven’t been solely down to Button, he hasn’t looked a commanding figure of late, so a change could make sense.

At this point, it feels as though Bruce has got nothing to lose, in terms of his selection, and freshening things up in key areas could ultimately make a difference.

Alex Palmer could be handed the opportunity to shine, having been reduced to two EFL Cup appearances to date in 2022/23, and a big performance may end up revitalising West Brom defensively, even though that is far from guaranteed.

Jurgen Klopp hasn’t made many mistakes in the transfer market as Liverpool manager, especially when you look at some of the names he has brought to the club.

The likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho are just a few of the German’s successes when adding players to bolster his squad, and he could well have another in Darwin Nunez if the Uruguayan settles down well following his recent suspension.

This summer represented a few difficulties, however, with some big transfer targets not arriving or joining other clubs.

With Jude Bellingham staying at Borussia Dortmund for at least another year and another target in Aurelien Tchouameni joining Champions League winners Real Madrid, the failed attempt at signing Spanish prodigy Gavi looks like one of the biggest mistakes that Klopp has made.

If it wasn’t clear in the summer, two wins from seven Premier League and Champions League matches have subsequently shown that Klopp badly needs to rejuvenate his ageing and injury-plagued midfield.

With Jordan Henderson (32) Thiago Alcantara (31) and James Milner (36) all on the wrong side of 30, bringing in some youth should have been the manager’s main priority. However, with the performances against Manchester United and Napoli particularly poor, a move for a player such as Gavi has never been more welcome.

The 18-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough campaign for Barcelona in 2021/22, making 46 appearances in all competitions and scoring twice while adding a further six assists to burst his way onto the scene and become the latest youngster from La Masia to thrive at the club.

With the youngster’s contract expiring next season, Liverpool were willing to pay the £42.5m release clause to bring the player to Anfield. However, the Catalan club are confident that a new deal can be agreed with Gavi, and with plenty of clubs sniffing around the player, they will need to act fast.

The Spaniard would be an impressive signing for the Reds, and with his precocious talent and incredible start to his club career, he looks destined for the top. Journalist Charlotte Coates dubbed Gavi as a “wonderkid”, praise which is warranted considering how high a ceiling he seems to have.

Forget Bellingham and Tchouameni, Klopp has made a big mistake in missing out on the Barcelona starlet during the summer transfer window, and it could have deeper implications as the season progresses.

Crystal Palace have been heavily linked with Watford winger Ismaila Sarr in recent days and the Senegal international could form a deadly duo in Patrick Vieira’s side.

Reports have suggested that Palace are extremely keen on signing the 24-year-old, although they will face competition from Premier League rivals Leeds United and Everton.

It will be an expensive deal for the Eagles to complete, as Watford are not willing to let him go for less than the £30m they paid to sign him from Rennes, despite their relegation back to the Championship last season.

However, his pace makes him an ideal candidate for Vieira’s side, as he could provide a serious threat on the counter-attack, which the Eagles played to perfection for their goal in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool on Monday night when Ebere Eze and Wilfried Zaha combined.

Since signing for the Hornets, Sarr has contributed 25 goals and 19 assists in just 95 appearances, catching the eye with his debut season in the Premier League, particularly when he notched a brace in a 3-0 win against previously unbeaten Liverpool in February 2020.

Sadio Mane was not wrong when he sang the winger’s praises upon his move to Watford, as he said:

“He’s rapid. I think defenders will struggle. Last time I was speaking to Robbo [Andy Robertson] I said ‘Watford have a really good player. I will need to help you more otherwise Ismaila Sarr will kill you, because he is a good dribbler and very, very fast.’”

Should he make the move to Selhurst Park this summer, he could form a dangerous partnership with Aaron Wan-Bissaka down the right-hand side.

The 24-year-old right-back has been touted with a return to Palace in recent days after Erik ten Hag seemingly made it clear that he is surplus to requirements at Manchester United by leaving him out of the first two fixtures.

Wan-Bissaka’s pace, power and defensive attributes could lock down the right-hand side and ensure that Sarr has more freedom to stay higher up the pitch, where he can exploit defences on the counter-attack.

Indeed, he is as solid as a rock at the back, only being dribbled past 0.47 times per 90 minutes over the last 365 days, meaning he is impressively in the top 4% of full-backs in that area of the game across Europe’s elite leagues.

With that in mind, the Man United star would be able to cut out attacks with ease before laying the ball on to Sarr to break away with his tenacity and pace.

Signing two 24-year-old players for the right-hand side would also fit in with Palace’s ethos of signing younger players under Vieira, and the French manager could have a superb partnership for the significant future if Dougie Freedman can bring both Sarr and Wan-Bissaka to Selhurst Park before the transfer deadline.

Liverpool will not sign Sporting CP midfielder Matheus Nunes in the summer transfer window, according to journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Midfield issue at Anfield

Thiago’s hamstring injury suffered at Fulham last weekend has rocked the Reds’ early-season plans, with the Spaniard expected to miss at least a month of action.

He joins Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on the treatment table, while Naby Keita has also been absent recently through illness.

It has arguably highlighted the need for Jurgen Klopp to bring in a new midfielder this summer but it now looks as though Liverpool may be making do with what they have.

The Latest: Pearce drops Nunes update

Writing on Twitter on Thursday, Pearce refused to change his stance regarding Nunes, claiming the Reds won’t be signing the Portuguese maestro, despite being strongly linked with a move:

“Reported a few weeks ago when rumour first came up that LFC were not interested and believe that’s still the case.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“398089″]

The Verdict: Big risk

Not signing a midfielder now feels like a huge risk by Liverpool, or Klopp himself for that matter, should the German be genuinely happy with his current options.

[freshpress-poll id=“399042″]

The likes of Jordan Henderson and James Milner are ageing figures, others are too injury-prone and individuals such as Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho are still learning their trade.

All of a sudden, the midfield looks like Liverpool’s problem area of the pitch with Thiago out, and not bringing in someone of Nunes’ quality could ultimately be the difference between winning and failing to win the Premier League title.

The hope is that someone like Elliott could step up and become a key man week in, week out, having just signed a new deal, but it is arguably expecting too much of him at this stage in his career.