All posts by n8rngtd.top

Tottenham Hotspur have the potential to seal their best signing in recent times this month.

According to transfer expert Max Bielefeld on Sky Deutschland, Spurs are among the sides interested in signing RB Leipzig captain Marcel Sabitzer this window.

And now it has been claimed that the 26-year-old midfielder has rejected contract talks with the Bundesliga outfit as he enters the final 18 months of his current deal, as per Sky (via FussballTransfers).

This surely opens the door for Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to strike, though it’ll cost him in the region of £3om, something that is within their budget, suggests The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare.

The north Londoners have seen his credentials first-hand as he scored twice to knock Tottenham out of the Champions League’s final-16 last season.

Eccleshare also claims that Sabitzer fits the ‘Mourinho prototype’ due to his athleticism and character, and even believes he would slot in nicely alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who has been tremendous since his £15m summer arrival.

Sabitzer is said to hate losing, so that is certainly right up the Special One’s street.

Levy has the potential to eclipse that with a move for the Austrian international – indeed, his arrival could be more important than that and could be their best since Heung-min Son.

Mourinho still lacks that true no.10 behind Harry Kane as neither Giovani Lo Celso nor Tanguy Ndombele have stepped up to plug the void left behind by Christian Eriksen – and Dele Alli is clearly not convincing his manager either having started just once in the Premier League.

Lo Celso and Ndombele have combined for only 11 assists since joining in summer 2019 – Eriksen got that number on his own in five of seven seasons at the club.

Sabitzer seems primed to take that role as he’s managed to deliver 19 goals and 14 assists since the start of 2019/20, per Transfermarkt.

Indeed, Leipzig boss Julian Naglesmann has lauded him as a “goal threat” from midfield and teammate Willi Orban believes he has “great shooting technique.”

He has also been praised for his “remarkable” personality by ex-coach Ralf Rangnick to Kicker (via Bulinews).

Forget Hojbjerg. Sabitzer could well become Levy’s best piece of business since Son, who has delivered 156 goal contributions in 254 appearances since costing £22m.

AND in other news, Dele Alli issued a huge statement to Jose Mourinho in FA Cup win…

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are prepared to send Frederic Guilbert out on loan in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

The Frenchman has been out-of-favour this season at Villa Park, with the arrival of Matty Cash in the summer from Nottingham Forest further sending him down the pecking order.

It’s meant that Guilbert has yet to play a single minute in the Premier League, with his only competitive appearances for the club coming in the EFL Cup.

Despite the lack of first-team action, Football Insider claim that Villa are not prepared to sell him on a permanent basis either in January or in the summer, and are instead keen on loaning him so he can get some first-team football before returning to compete for a starting spot next season.

Sawiris & Edens will be fuming

Just what must the Villa owners be thinking?

Guilbert is about as out of the picture as you can get at a football club, and it’s quite telling that a 33-year-old Ahmed Elmohamady was keeping him out of a place in the match-day squad let alone in the starting eleven.

Cash’s arrival from Forest has given Villa a full-back that could well hold down his position for the next few years to come, so it’s difficult to see where Guilbert fits into the picture, other than as a potential fall-back if he gets injured.

But even then, Elmohamady seems to be the man Dean Smith is keen to rely upon. Earning around £40k-a-week, Guilbert is just a drain on the wages at Villa Park, and the sooner they permanently get rid of him the better.

Johan Lange is making an inexcusable blunder by refusing to make a ruthless call.

Earlier this month, we wrote about one of Crystal Palace’s worst missed chances in the club’s history in the form of Ferland Mendy, but it’s about time we looked at one of the smartest sales Steve Parish has ever sanctioned.

Back in 2019, Aaron Wan-Bissaka was one of the hottest properties in the Premier League, he’d just been named the Palace Player of the Year and had become known for being the most effective defender in Europe.

Wan-Bissaka registered four assists for the Eagles overall as well, which made him a wanted man in the summer, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United reportedly competing for his signature.

Palace weren’t able to fend off interest from the Premier League giants, with the Red Devils winning the race to sign him for £45m plus £5m in add-ons on a five-year-deal, via Sky Sports.

Unfortunately, things haven’t perhaps quite panned out how Wan-Bissaka or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would have imagined when he first arrived at Old Trafford. The 22-year-old performed admirably enough, picking up four assists in the Premier League last season, whilst he averaged 3.7 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 1.7 clearances per game, via WhoScored, but Solskjaer’s side still finished 33 points adrift of league champions Liverpool, whilst they conceded more goals than their arch-rivals too.

It’s arguably been more of the same so far this season, although United have struggled for consistency, as they lost to Palace in a thrilling 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford in September, before being beaten by Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League. His market value has actually decreased over time, as he is currently valued at £36m via Transfermarkt.

The Eagles got rid of the academy graduate at the perfect time, they cashed in him and bought a much-needed striker in Jordan Ayew instead, signing now-first team regular starters James McCarthy and Gary Cahill as well.

Once hailed as a “fantastic” defensive right-back by Gary Neville, Wan-Bissaka is one of the best players to break into the first team from the academy ranks, but Palace can be happy with the fact that they didn’t hold onto him for much longer than they needed to, especially when you consider the fact they recently signed Nathan Ferguson and Nathaniel Clyne.

AND in other news, Former Crystal Palace starlet Victor Moses has thrived since Selhurst Park exit…

Liverpool have been handed a major blow in their reigning title season as Virgil van Dijk could miss the remainder of the term with ACL damage.

The centre-back picked up the injury in the Merseyside derby, following a tackle from Jordan Pickford in the opening minutes. The Reds must now adapt to their backline without the influential Dutchman, but Anfield legend Jamie Carragher has his doubts.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the ex-defender raised his worries over how Liverpool will cope with such a reduced roster (via The Mirror).

“Dejan Lovren went and they didn’t replace him so they only have three centre-backs and one of those, Joel Matip, is always injured,” he said. “There are question marks now about Joe Gomez. So there is no doubt that Liverpool had to go big in the transfer market.”

Can Gomez step up in van Dijk’s absence?

After their 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa, a draw at Goodison Park and now their top centre-back sidelined, hope will be bleak in the red district of Merseyside. With Joel Matip also reported to have picked up an injury, it’s ultimately down to Gomez to command the backline and step up to the plate.

It’s likely Jurgen Klopp will be forced to play Fabinho alongside the Englishman, with fellow Three Lions international Jordan Henderson filling the empty No.6 slot. The versatile Brazilian recently played in defence alongside van Dijk and put in a solid shift, but it may be a lot to ask of him to keep up appearances for potentially the entire season.

Last campaign, the £75million record signing played every minute of Premier League football for the Reds. His influence showed, keeping 15 clean sheets and contributing to six goals (via Transfermarkt). Indeed, it was more than enough to see Liverpool over the line and lift their first ever Premier League trophy – setting a new record for the fastest time, no less.

Tough times for Liverpool ahead

Gomez’s stats for the 2019/20 season were mostly inferior to his defensive partner. Not only did van Dijk look a lot more solid in defence, but he was also much more of a threat going forward. According to WhoScored, the Netherlands international averaged more passes (85.8) and more accurate long balls (5.4) than his teammate, with 71 and 3.7 respectively.

Gomez also fell short with 2.1 clearances to van Dijk’s 4.3 and picked up six more bookings in fewer appearances.

Trusting £36m-rated Gomez to command the same kind of authority as van Dijk is a tall ask. Indeed, he was even criticised by his own teammate Alisson after the Reds’ 3-0 defeat against Barcelona in 2019 after failing to block a Lionel Messi free-kick.

There will be enormous pressure on him to not just perform at the highest standard, but to also ensure he himself doesn’t risk an injury or suspension, which will only further endanger Liverpool’s title chances.

In other news, Michael Edwards may have put clever plan in place with deadline day deal…

When Gareth Bale enjoyed his most devastating season at Tottenham in the 2012/2013 campaign, Andre Villas-Boas began to utilise him in a more central area, and to incredible effect.

In the ten games that he played in a second-striker position, the Wales superstar racked up six goals and five assists. There were a number of occasions where the 31-year-old picked the ball up in the inside right position before driving inside and unleashing a rocket into the top corner.

Ultimately, it was a case of getting the ball to the team’s best player and just letting him do his thing. Whilst Bale may have made his return to Spurs, there’s one man who Jose Mourinho could replicate AVB’s tactic with at the club: Heung-min Son.

The South Korea international, rated at £57.6m by Transfermarkt, has started the new campaign like a house on fire, scoring seven goals in six games, and picking up three assists too – just one of those goals came in the Europa League qualifying games, with the rest all in the Premier League.

The one game that he started the match through the middle came against Shkendija, and he showed his full ability, netting once and setting up two others.

His combination of pace, movement and clinical finishing has been a class above this season, and his outstanding four-goal haul against Southampton will live long in the memory.

The key takeaway from that game was how the 28-year-old didn’t play out wide or just hugging the touchline. Instead, he made a conscious effort whether through a tactical instruction or his own intuition to play more infield, and make those darting dangerous runs inside either the two centre-backs, or the full-back and centre-half.

Son is the man in form at the moment, and Mourinho would do well to strike while the iron is hot. Moving him into a more central position could see him wreak even more havoc.

Next on the agenda for Tottenham Hotspur appears to be a new striker, but Jose Mourinho has been dealt a bitter blow this week…

What’s the word?

According to Dan Kilpatrick at the Evening Standard, Spurs’ transfer plans are being held up by a struggle to offload unwanted right-back Serge Aurier.

It’s thought that funds made through his sale would allow Mourinho to bolster his attacking department with a new forward but neither AC Milan or Bayer Leverkusen are willing to splash the cash on the Ivorian.

He goes on to claim that their attention has now turned to AFC Bournemouth striker Joshua King after being offered the relegated star.

Manchester United failed with a £20m bid for the 28-year-old during the January transfer window.

Versatile foil

A move for King makes a ton of sense for a multitude of reasons.

The Norway international reached double figures for goal involvements once again, even despite the Cherries being relegated to the Championship and prior to this campaign, he bagged at least eight goals in each of the previous three seasons – a best of 16 in 2016/17.

Having come through the system at United, King qualifies as a homegrown talent, which is another benefit to Mourinho.

It’s also no surprise to see the Portuguese boss being a big fan after the 28-year-old gave his Red Devils the runaround in 2017 – not only did King net from the spot, but he also recorded three dribbles, won nine duels and made 7 clearances all whilst playing as a number ten, via SofaScore.

That versatility could prove crucial throughout the season with Spurs having to qualify for the Europa League early doors. He can play out wide or through the middle, so not only will he be a backup to Harry Kane but also a potential partner and extra cover for the likes of Heung-min Son and Steven Bergwijn.

Eddie Howe believes King is “unique” and has also hailed him as a “complete package” in the past due to him being “outstanding physically, technically and mentally.”

Daniel Levy should do everything in his power to secure Spurs the prolific goalscorer this summer.

AND in other news, Spurs target a must for Mourinho after HUGE transfer update…

According to journalist Alex Crook, Tottenham are looking to sign RB Leipzig star Marcel Sabitzer.

What’s the word?

Having taken over the reins in north London mid-way through the season, Jose Mourinho heads into his first summer transfer window in charge of Spurs looking to strengthen his team ahead of the new campaign.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

And speaking on talkSPORT, Crook has claimed that the Lilywhites are aiming to beat a host of other top clubs to the signing of Austria international Sabitzer, who of course was instrumental in Leipzig’s Champions League triumph over Spurs.

The midfielder struck twice in the second leg of the contest as Julian Nagelsmann’s men dumped Spurs out of the competition.

Better than Dele Alli

Aside from delivering a masterclass against Spurs, Sabitzer was the picture of consistency for Leipzig throughout the 2019/2020 campaign.

All in all, he scored 16 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 games across all competitions, and when you consider that Spurs’ Premier League rivals Chelsea are reportedly planning on making a big-money move for Bayer Leverkusen starlet Kai Havertz, there’s a real argument that it’s Mourinho’s side who are getting the better player right now.

Whilst Havertz had a fine campaign himself – he netted 18 times and provided nine assists in 45 games – he was a complete shadow of himself in the Champions League. In the five matches he played in, he failed to score or provide a single assist, compared to Sabitzer who has been instrumental in Leipzig’s run to the semi-finals – he has four goals and three assists in eight matches.

Described as a “leader” by Nagelsmann, Sabitzer is the kind of perfect attacking midfielder that Mourinho would surely love. The Austrian’s current manager said: “He is incredibly ball-safe and a good ball conqueror with a lot of really great actions.” The 26-year-old does just as much off-the-ball as he does with it, and it’s something his boss at national team level has echoed.

Franco Foda remarked: “Marcel is a player who gives everything for 90 minutes, does a lot for the team and works a lot defensively.  He runs a lot, has some good technical moments, and is now scoring goals.”

When you look at just how inconsistent of a season Dele Alli had last year, he averaged a dismal 0.9 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game, a move for Sabitzer makes so much sense. He’s far more of a reliable player in terms of his performances, and as the Lilywhites have seen themselves, steps up in the big occasions. The Austrian is a real live-wire, creating chances for others and putting them away himself. He’s the kind of all-action player Mourinho could build Spurs around.

Tottenham Hotspur are confident of completing a deal for Southampton star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, despite the fact the Saints have accepted a bid from Everton. 

Jose Mourinho has identified Hojbjerg as the signing he needs to rebuild Tottenham’s midfield in the summer and the Dane has made it clear he wants to move to Spurs.

According to Fabrizio Romano via The Guardian, as per @Daily_Hotspur, Spurs are convinced that they can get a deal done.

The Italian transfer guru revealed talks between the two clubs are still ongoing, even though Everton have reportedly submitted a successful bid.

Recent reports suggested Southampton will use their £25m offer as a starting point in negotiations, although Daniel Levy will look to lower their asking price.

Hojbjerg has informed the Saints he will not sign a new deal at St Mary’s, which resulted in him being stripped of the captaincy by Ralph Hasenhuttl in response.

The midfielder has missed out on several occasions since the Premier League restart, although he played the full 90 minutes against Brighton at right-back.

Hojbjerg, 24, who is the same age as Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish, has played 33 games in the Premier League this season, supplying one assist, taking 1.4 shots, winning 2.4 tackles and completing 1.5 clearances per game on average (via WhoScored).

At some point it seemed like the Lilywhites were winning the race to sign the ex-Bayern Munich ace, but things are far from certain.

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti is determined to get his man at all costs, while it looks like Levy is determined to drive down their valuation as low as he possibly can.

Spurs had hoped he would be available for a cut-price deal, as revealed by The Times, although this no longer seems to be the case.

However, it is worth pointing out they should be able to afford him, as Levy paid £53.8m to sign Tanguy Ndombele last year. Whether or not the chairman will be willing to splash the cash is another matter entirely, as he has gained an unsavoury reputation for being notoriously tight-fisted over the years.

Spurs still have an ace up their sleeve, as he is represented by Pini Zahavi, who has a strong relationship with Mourinho, and this may sweeten the deal.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy should sign Hojbjerg in the summer? Let us know in the comments below!

West Ham United are on a mission to somehow offload the deadwood in the ongoing summer transfer window, raise the necessary funds and then re-invest that money back into the squad. David Moyes knows keeping the team competitive going into the next season won’t be an easy task, not least because of the lack of resources.

And not to mention that the transfer market is a tough place and the Hammers may struggle to find bidders for players they want to get rid of. But, someone just might throw them a lifeline after all.

According to the latest update from the Daily Star, Lazio are interested in re-signing Felipe Anderson, a man Moyes is desperate to offload in the ongoing window. The really interesting part is that Anderson is a former Lazio player, having signed from the Italians and joining the Premier League outfit for £36m back in 2018.

Needless to say, his stay in London hasn’t exactly gone as planned and West Ham’s record arrival has more or less flopped in the English top-flight.

The same source claims there is, however, another problem. Yes, Lazio seem interested and may return for their man but as of right now, they have received no official bids. Not to mention that Anderson still has two years left on his current contract and is presumably on more than £80,000 a week.

This could indeed make him quite an expensive target for most clubs from abroad. But West Ham are desperate and they just might sell him for cheap in the end.

Verdict

At this point, it does feel like Moyes would accept almost any kind of deal just to ensure some of the players do indeed leave the club. Anderson is one of those players and Lazio are the Hammers’ best chance of recouping at least a bit of that initial sum they had to pay a couple of years ago.

Despite being repeatedly linked to new attackers ahead of the summer transfer window, the one area that Manchester United seemingly need to improve is their defence.

The Red Devils have had no problem finding the back of the net since the restart, scoring 12 goals in their last four games, but defensive lapses are still there to be exploited.

Handing Bournemouth a route back into the game due to Eric Bailly giving away a silly penalty could have cost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team points had they not been so clinical going forward, and conceding an injury-time equaliser to Southampton is what currently stands between them and a top-four spot.

United fans will be glad to know that they’ve been linked to a £43.2m-rated centre-back this week, with reports circulating that Inter Milan are willing to offer the 20-time champions of England a swap deal involving Milan Skriniar for Anthony Martial.

Skriniar would seemingly bolster the United backline, he’s started 28 league games for a team with the best defensive record in a league famed for its defensive prowess, but is it worth sacrificing their top scorer for him when there could be a player just as good already on the books?

Of course, we’re talking about Chris Smalling.

The 30-year-old has seen a bit of a career resurgence over in Italy, and due to the fact he’s playing in the same league as Skriniar it’s very easy to compare the two.

The Englishman does make fewer tackles per game, but he trumps the Inter man when it comes to interceptions, clearances, catching people offside, making blocks and being dribbled past.

In fact, the 31-cap ace is dribbled past six-times more often than Smalling, and in a league where most teams have incredibly pacy attackers, that could be very costly if United want to bring him in.

Signing defenders from Serie A is always going to be fashionable due to the reputation that league has, but United’s loanee has shown he can hang with the best of them in Italy, and he has more than earnt his chance at another shot at Old Trafford, especially when one of the alternatives is swapping Martial for a defender who has been statistically outperformed by Smalling this term.