All posts by z3u9t.icu

Speaking live on talkSPORT to Jim White and Simon Jordan, as transcribed by their website, reporter Alex Crook has dropped an update on West Ham’s chase to sign Man United star Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: Lingard a top target…

The Red Devils playmaker is also one of manager David Moyes’ top transfer priorities for the January window amid his search for a striker and new defensive signing (The Evening Standard).

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-updates/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Out of contract in the summer, Man United could now be forced to sell for a cheap fee this month in order not to lose Lingard for nothing at the end of 2021/2022.

He is also attracting interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United with the latter club apparently at work behind-the-scenes.

Crook, in a live on air update as West Ham still chase him, has made an encouraging claim.

The Latest: talkSPORT update…

Speaking to talkSPORT, the journalist says Moyes and transfer chief Rob Newman still haven’t given up on signing Lingard this month.

“They’ve not given up hope, I’m told, of prizing Jesse Lingard away from Manchester United,” he explained.

“So West Ham could be one of the busier clubs in the Premier League come the next couple of weeks.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Reports indicate that United are sceptical over selling to a top four rival like West Ham or Spurs in January with Newcastle currently the favourites, but if even Lingard manages to leave Old Trafford on a free at the end of this season, he may well come as a stellar free agent signing.

The 29-year-old enjoyed a fantastic spell on loan at the London Stadium last year, bagging nine goals and four assists, and it is believed that the player favours a move back down south over St. James’ Park as things stand.

This could boost West Ham’s chances of a free summer deal at least and it would most certainly be an astute bit of business.

Former England international Paul Robinson is certainly in agreement, calling Lingard a would-be ‘massive signing’ for Moyes who could add ‘another dimension’ going forward (Football Insider).

In other news: ExWHUemployee backs reports as West Ham now willing to bid for ‘phenomenal’ man, find out more here.

Aston Villa look set to miss out on Erik ten Hag as the club close in on Steven Gerrard instead.

What’s been said?

A claim made by the Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield on GIVEMESPORT this week claimed that luring the Dutchman to Villa Park would be a huge coup.

However, sadly amid speculation that Gerrard is on the verge of becoming the new boss, it looks as though the Dutchman will be staying in Amsterdam at current club, Ajax.

Talking about the potential of Villa making an approach for Ten Hag, Hatfield said: “He’s someone who’s really highly coveted and I think some people see him as the next Manchester United boss.

“But if Villa could go out and get him, what a coup that would be. Is he going to give up European football now for potential European football in a year or two’s time if things go to plan? I’m not too sure.”

Fans will be gutted

Considering just how talented a manager Ten Hag quite clearly is, Hatfield’s suggestion, coupled with the ongoing developments surrounding Gerrard, is sure to have left fans gutted – although perhaps not totally surprised.

Indeed, having led Ajax to three consecutive Eredivisie titles in the last three years, as well as winning two Dutch Cups and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League back in 2018/29, it is evident that the former Bayern Munich II coach is something of a serial winner. On top of that, he’s also been dubbed a “remarkable” manager by Pierre van Hooijdonk, highlighting his wonderful expertise and C.V.

This is perhaps why the 51-year-old has been linked with both the Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur jobs in recent weeks, and could also be a reason for Hatfield’s claim that the managerial vacancy at 16th-placed Aston Villa may be slightly below the Dutchman.

However, considering the fact that, in a recent poll ran on Football FanCast, the overwhelming majority of Villa fans said they would prefer Ten Hag to Gerrard, the news that the Rangers boss is heading to the Midlands instead could well be something the club’s fanbase do not particularly want to accept as the former appears to be a much better coach and tactician.

In other news: John Percy drops big Aston Villa manager update that should have fans buzzing

With 11 Premier League games played, Crystal Palace have found the back of the net on 15 occasions, which is more than several teams above them in the table have managed.

Nevertheless, it seems as though the south London club have their eye on securing a new attacking talent to add to their squad.

What’s the news?

According to Spanish journalist Rocio Rodriguez (via Sport Witness), Palace are interested in making a move to sign Real Madrid striker Borja Mayoral after apparently following the player since the previous summer transfer window.

As a product of Los Blancos’ youth academy, the 24-year-old has made 33 senior appearances for their first team, scoring seven goals and providing four assists in the process.

The Spaniard, who has been praised by former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane after delivering a “complete” performance in the past, is currently on a two-year loan deal with Italian club AS Roma, which is set to come to an end in the summer.

During his time with Jose Mourinho’s side, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £12.6m by Transfermarkt, has scored 17 goals and provided eight assists in 52 appearances across all competitions.

Despite that decent return, his meagre tally of three appearances for them in Serie A so far this season – all coming off the substitutes’ bench – suggests that he is not a crucial player for the Giallorossi. That could potentially allow Palace to make a move for him in the summer when his loan spell comes to an end.

Also, given how current Palace striker Christian Benteke is now 30 and that his current contract at Selhurst Park set to expire in the summer of 2023, Mayoral could well be an ideal long-term replacement for the Belgian if the Eagles can secure a permanent deal for him in the summer.

This could well be a dream transfer move for Palace boss Patrick Vieira to pull off by the time the summer window comes around given the goalscoring experience that Mayoral has accumulated at a fairly young age.

In other news: Palace dealt potential injury setback ahead of Burnley, Vieira would be gutted

Since Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard opted to swap Glasgow for the Midlands last month, the Premier League side have continuously been linked with Rangers winger Ryan Kent.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Villa boss is “reportedly ready to raid former club Rangers for Ryan Kent”. The 25-year-old has been subject to interest from Premier League clubs before, with Leeds United previously interested according to The Athletic, who claimed that the Scottish champions were holding out for £20m in the summer.

The 41-year-old brought Kent to Ibrox on a permanent basis for £7.5m in 2019 after the Liverpool academy graduate impressed on loan the season prior, winning the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year Award.

Kent will offer Villa depth

With Gerrard opting to use a 4-3-3 formation, the performances of wingers are crucial to Aston Villa’s success. In the three games that the new boss has overseen, he has deployed Leon Bailey, Emi Buendia, Ashley Young and Ollie Watkins out wide, with the former two seeing the most game-time on the flanks.

Watkins is predominantly a striker whilst Young won’t be a long-term option at 36 years of age. Therefore, if Kent were to join Villa, he would most likely have Bailey and Buendia as competition for a starting spot.

Neither have set the world alight since their summer moves from Bayer Leverkusen and Norwich City respectively, with both players scoring just once this term and registering a combined five assists.

Furthermore, Bailey has struggled with injuries since arriving in the West Midlands, starting just four Premier League games, which could potentially open a pathway for Kent should he join Aston Villa and the Jamaican’s injury woes continue.

Currently valued at £12.6m by Transfermarkt and reportedly earning £20k per week, the 25-year-old has scored 28 goals and registered 34 assists in 143 appearances since joining Rangers and played a vital role in them winning their first league title in ten years last season, with 21 goal contributions in 37 games en route to that triumph.

Moreover, the new Villa boss knows the player well, having worked with him in the Liverpool youth ranks and at Rangers, which could prove essential should the winger opt for a move to Birmingham.

In the past, Gerrard has labelled Kent “a constant threat”, and there’s surely no doubt that the former Gers boss would welcome a reunion with the winger. Just imagine the thought of him and Buendia providing ammunition from the flanks at Villa Park on a regular basis.

In other news: Aston Villa dealt further injury setback ahead of Leicester clash, Gerrard will be gutted 

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Hull City striker Dean Windass has urged Leeds United to give Marcelo Bielsa what he wants this summer or risk him walking away.

The Whites have enjoyed a superb season and currently sit 11th in the Premier League table.

They are currently nine points clear of 18th-placed Fulham and are likely looking up rather than down as they try to finish the season strongly.

Bielsa, though, has yet to sign a new contract at Elland Road, with his current deal set to expire in the summer, as he only signs 12-month extensions each time he puts pen to paper.

The Daily Mirror have reported previously that he will sit down with the club to thrash out a new deal in the summer.

But Windass has told Football FanCast exclusively that Leeds need to tread carefully and ensure that they give him everything he asks for in the transfer market or risk seeing him walk away.

And he fears such a scenario would see Leeds again plunged into a media circus.

He told FFC: “You know what Leeds fans are like. They’re ruthless, they’re hostile, you see what happened with Dennis Wise, Gus Poyet, Kevin Blackwell. If the supporters are not happy, they’ll let you know about it because they’re diehard fans.

“If Bielsa leaves, of his own accord, then the supporters will go, ‘oh, legend’, if he goes because he doesn’t get what he wants then the board will get it.

“And it’ll be, again, Sky Sports News, talking about Leeds United’s off-field situation again. Which has been going on for the last five or six years. There’s always been a drama off the field.

“It’ll be a drama off the field if Bielsa says, ‘yes, I want to stay but the reason I want to stay is because I want A, B, C, D, and E, and if I don’t get it, see you later.’”

Leeds spent big in the summer transfer window to bring in a number of first-team players and have reaped the rewards this season.

Bielsa may be hoping for similar this summer.

While it is often difficult to predict which signings will and won’t work out, recruiting an injury prone individual more often than not tends to end in disaster for the buying party.

That has seemingly proved the case for Nottingham Forest and defender Carl Jenkinson, with the former Arsenal man having endured a torrid time of it at the City Ground, prior to his loan move away from the club in January.

Signed for £2m from the Gunners in the summer of 2019, the Englishman has since made just 15 appearances in all competitions, with both loss of form and fitness issues having perhaps predictably plagued his time at the club.

During his time at the Emirates, the Harlow-born full-back had failed to ever really nail down a regular starting berth, spending much of his eight-year stint out on loan at the likes of West Ham United and Birmingham City, as well as on the treatment table.

After making just 41 Premier League appearances for the north Londoners, he was eventually snapped up by Forest just under three years ago, albeit while never looking like a convincing option as he made just eight league appearances in his debut season.

The form of current Aston Villa and Poland star Matty Cash – as well as an ankle issue sustained just a month into his Forest career – ensured a tricky start to life in Nottingham, with the 6 foot 1 full-back having never recovered from that early setback.

He made just three more league outings the following campaign, with the arrival of Chris Hughton in the dugout bringing a halt to his already sporadic role, with the former Brighton man informing the defender that he could move on at the end of 2020/21 season.

Despite sticking it out with the second-tier side, the appointment of Steve Cooper was the final nail in the coffin, with the 30-year-old having not featured for the club since an FA Cup fourth-round tie against Swansea City in January 2021.

After a year out in the footballing wilderness, the £450k-rated man secured a surprise temporary move to Australian outfit Melbourne City over the winter, where he has since netted twice in 17 league outings.

In truth, Cooper and co will have been happy to offload some of the player’s hefty £27k-per-week wages, with Jenkinson having cost the club a whopping £5m – including his initial transfer fee – since his move from Arsenal, rinsing the club for a total of 128 weeks.

Thankfully, with just a few months remaining on his existing deal, the one-time Charlton Athletic man will likely be moving on this summer, bringing an end to what’s been a tumultuous and costly last few years for all concerned.

In other news, Forest must seal summer swoop for £2.7m-rated star who has “a touch of Collymore” – opinion

According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United are amongst the club’s in the race to sign Schalke defender Ozan Kabak.

What’s the word?

It’s claimed the Red Devils could face a bidding war for Kabak as Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Liverpool and RB Leipzig are also keen to secure the services of the 6 ft 1-inch colossus.

Schalke are willing to accept a transfer fee in the region of £25m for the Turkish international, 20, who has won six caps for his country so far.

There has been plenty of interest in the young defender, with Ed Woodward trying to bring him to Old Trafford, but he faces stiff competition with Premier League rivals Liverpool and former European opponents Leipzig looking to prise him away from the VELTINS-Arena.

Nemanja Vidic 2.0?

Kabak has been one of the few bright sparks in an otherwise dismal season for Schalke, as they remain rooted to the bottom of the Bundesliga.

The Turk has made nine top-flight appearances this season, while he is averaging one tackle and 3.6 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

While Harry Maguire is United’s first-choice defender, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has struggled to find the right partner for the club captain.

Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof are jostling for position in the starting line-up, but both arguably have their flaws, while Timothy Fosu-Mensah is seemingly reaching the end of his time at Old Trafford.

Kabak would be a significant upgrade on most, if not all, of the options currently available to Solskjaer. Standing at 1.86m tall, he is cut from a similar cloth to club legend Nemanja Vidic in terms of both his physicality and style of play.

Just like Vidic, Kabak has demonstrated an ability to lead by example, as he is a powerful threat in the air.

He’s also drawn comparisons with Real Madrid great Sergio Ramos, which is high praise indeed for someone who is still in the early stages of his career.

You only have to watch Kabak to see how good he is, but the numbers speak for themselves too. Last season, he produced three goals and an assist in 26 Bundesliga games, whilst he averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 3.6 clearances per game, as per WhoScored.

Stuggart sporting director Thomas Hitzlsperger was effusive in his praise for his former charge, saying: “It’s incredible how worldly-wise he is for his age. It’s astonishing. I see him every day and am amazed at how mature he is. He wants to know everything; he wants to learn German right away and understand everything. That’s the kind of attitude we need. He’s already a role model, despite his age.”

This sort of maturity would be most welcome in Manchester and to be able to get a centre-half of his calibre who is capable of covering and competing with Maguire and the others for a place in the starting XI would be a smart bit of business by Woodward.

AND in other news, Manchester United may forever regret not signing Aston Villa star man Jack Grealish…

Fresh off the back of their win over Watford in the FA Cup, Manchester United return to Premier League action when they travel to Turf Moor to take on Burnley on Tuesday night.

A first half-strike from Scott McTominay was enough to give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side an unconvincing victory at home to the Hornets at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Substitute Marcus Rashford looked lively after the break after he replaced Daniel James on the right wing as he came close to scoring on several occasions, only to be denied by the outstretched arms of Watford goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann.

Sir Alex Ferguson recently heaped praise on Rashford for the “fantastic” work he has done away from football after he campaigned for free school meals for children during the holidays.

Despite bursting onto the scene as a striker, the 23-year-old started alongside Anthony Martial on the right wing during the 2-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Manchester City at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer previously admitted he has been impressed by Rashford’s recent displays after he started on the right wing for the first time in 18 month sand scored against Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League last year.

Martial also started on the bench for the FA Cup clash with Watford, which means it’s likely he will lead the line against Sean Dyche’s side.

But Rashford may, in fact, be better suited to starting upfront against Burnley as the games continue to come thick and fast for the league leaders, who currently near the top of the table, tied with defending champions Liverpool on points.

Although Martial did score against Aston Villa at Old Trafford, he has arguably struggled to replicate the form that saw him voted the Players’ Player of the Year last season.

That is also down to game-time, as the 25-year-old has battled his fair share of injury problems over the past couple of years alone, although he seems to have discovered a resurgence in form in recent weeks.

But the fact of the matter remains that Rashford has been in red-hot form, bagging seven goals and six assists in the Premier League this season, via Transfermarkt. Martial has also only recently recovered from a minor knock and it’s surely not worth the risk.

Against Newcastle – who, like the Clarets, can also be difficult to breakdown – the 39-cap England international assumed the role of lone striker and contributed to three goals, scoring once and setting up two others.

Whilst Bruno Fernandes will also be expected to start, having been rested by Solskjaer against the Hornets, redeploying Rashford as a centre-forward could cause Burnley several problems at the back.

AND in other news, Luke Shaw slammed by Carlton Palmer for decision-making during Man Utd’s defeat to Man City…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Paul Stewart, who made over 160 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur, has backed Oliver Skipp to have a big season when he returns from his loan spell at Norwich City.

Skipp has started all but one league game for the Canaries this season having racked up an impressive 6.90 WhoScored rating as he has been an important player in the club’s title-winning campaign.

The 20-year old could look to impress whoever comes in as manager at Spurs this summer with his parent club experiencing an indifferent and unsuccessful campaign this season.

Speaking on if he expects Skipp to play for Spurs next season and how this loan spell has really helped his development, Stewart told FFC:

“I think he comes back to us next season and it’s been a good move for him. Spurs sent him to an ideal club in Norwich because of their style of play and I think what it’s done for Skipp is provided him with game time and allowed him to develop.

“I’ve been watching him so I genuinely think he will be a revelation when he does come back.”

Skipp made his debut for Tottenham in 2018 but this loan spell with Norwich is his first time being away from Spurs in his career having been with the under 23s and on the bench for the first team often.

Spurs are likely to appoint a new manager before deciding on anyone’s future at the club to give the new boss a chance to decide who he wants to keep. That would be good news for someone like Skipp, who barely featured under Jose Mourinho.

Plenty of Crystal Palace supporters have been sharing their positive thoughts on social media regarding teenager David Omilabu after he signed professional terms with the club on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old, who has been with the club’s academy since the age of eight, has been in fine form for the Eagles’ youth sides this season.

Omilabu in free-scoring Palace form

Omilabu has netted nine goals in as many games for the Under-18 side in recent months, while also recording a goal and an assist for the Under-23’s in his opening two appearances.

The young attacker’s displays for the Under-18’s have helped them to top spot in the Under-18 Premier League South, while his first strike for the Under-23’s was the winner against Burnley.

Palace shared the news on Omilabu’s professional deal on their official Twitter page on Wednesday afternoon.

This is what these fans had to say to the update, with plenty delighted and one happy to label it as ‘excellent news’ for the club.

Palace fans full of praise for Omilabu

“Excellent news, got some very talented youngsters coming through at academy level – David is one of them”

Credit: @cpfc7791

“ABSOLUTE SCENES”

Credit: @HLTCO

“great news this, looks the real deal this lad”

Credit: @APftbl

“Yesssssssss”

Credit: @Adam_Palace

“If we can perfect the transition from academy to first team, were gonna mean serious business in a few years time”

Credit: @Beniesta_

“Stick him in the first team now please”

Credit: @Twentyfour7Sanj

In other news: Fans have slammed one Premier League star after his comments on Wilfried Zaha, find out more here.