All posts by z3u9t.icu

Everton supporters have become accustomed to rumours linking Idrissa Gueye with a move away from the club, but PSG’s decision to sign Leandro Paredes should have eased their fears somewhat with less than 48 hours to go until the deadline passes. 

Rumours concerning Gueye’s future have persisted despite PSG’s deal to sign Paredes, but the Senegal international’s paramount importance to the club should force the hierarchy to resist any forthcoming offers in the final hours.

Indeed, it is incredibly difficult to find a defensive midfielder who can protect the defence and contribute to the possession-based game as well as Gueye, and his value to this Everton side is comparable to that of Wilfried Zaha at Crystal Palace, according to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth.

Indeed, while speaking on Sky Sports’ Transfer Talk podcast, Sheth suggested that the Toffees were absolutely spot on to reject a recent £21.5 million offer from PSG for Gueye, using Zaha’s comparative importance at Palace to illuminate his point.

“Comparing it to Zaha at Crystal Palace: Some people might say right £50 million wow, that’s amazing, but to Palace he might be worth more than £50 million because of the role he plays for that club, you could say the same for Gueye as well.

“£21.5 million for a 29-year-old on the face of it yes, but what will he take out of Everton? How important is he to Everton?”

Sheth is absolutely spot on in his verdict. While it must be considered that Gueye will never command the same extortionate value as Zaha due to the position he plays and his lack of goal scoring prowess, his importance to the way Everton operate is similar to that of the electric Ivorian.

Losing Gueye mid-season would be a bitter blow for the club and leave them short of a focal point in midfield. Everton have been struggling with Gueye in the side, so removing him from the equation would certainly leave Marco Silva in a precarious situation with pressure already beginning to mount on his shoulders.

It’s unlikely that Everton will be able to resist the advances of Europe’s biggest clubs if they come calling in the summer window, but Gueye’s importance to the club has put the hierarchy in a position to command far more than £21.5 million for his signature.

Zaha, meanwhile, will continue to attract a markedly higher transfer fee due to his talent in the final-third, but that is not to say that the difference in price equates to a difference in importance to Gueye.

Both players are indispensable in their own right and Everton and Palace would be foolish to allow their star players to leave for anything other than a premium price.

Everton fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Steven Gerrard nearly selected Ashley Young as a number 10 for his first game in charge at Aston Villa, The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has revealed. 

The 36-year-old had apparently impressed the new boss in the Bodymoor Heath training sessions leading up to the clash with Brighton.

Gerrard considered rewarding him with a start in the attacking midfield role, but ended up selecting Jacob Ramsey, Marvelous Nakamba and John McGinn as a trio instead. Emiliano Buendia slotted in on the right wing.

Could Young get more minutes in an unfamiliar role?

Young has made seven Premier League appearances since he returned to the club in the summer, three of them starts.

Deploying him as a number 10 would certainly have raised eyebrows, given that over the course of his 628-game senior career, the 36-year-old has only played in that role four times, each of those coming as far back as the 2010/11 season.

Nevertheless, Young will hope to make himself impossible to overlook for the trip to Crystal Palace next Saturday.

Fan feed Villa Report relayed Evans’ revelation, and here’s what some supporters made of it, with a largely negative reaction and a couple of responses drawing unflattering comparisons with Steve Bruce, who was much-maligned during his reign as Villa manager.

These Villa fans baffled by Gerrard’s consideration of Young at number 10

“Had to check this wasn’t a fake account”

Credit: @M10Packed

“What in the Steve Bruce is this?”

Credit: @lukewoodyy

“Good lord, Stevie G or Steve Bruce?”

Credit: @billazor

“Blimey”

Credit: @douglasluiz

“This is not a tweet I thought I would be seeing in 2021”

Credit: @WeDoingAVilla

“Bruh no thanks”

Credit: @Stefan__19

In other news, Gerrard’s latest transfer target has emerged

The previous summer transfer window was a rather busy one for Sunderland that saw the Wearside club bring a number of players in on free transfers such as Alex Pritchard and Corry Evans, as well as loan deals for players like Callum Doyle, Leon Dajaku and Nathan Broadhead among others.

However, it seems as though there could have been another new player at Sunderland this season that Black Cats manager Lee Johnson will now be wishing the club managed to secure.

According to Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley, Sunderland were interested in signing Millwall right-back Mahlon Romeo during the previous summer window before he eventually joined Pompey on a season-long loan deal.

Taking into account how Sunderland have a lot of their current defensive players out injured and the fact that Romeo has managed to play the full 90 minutes in all but one of the 15 League One games he’s appeared in for Portsmouth so far this season as a right-back and right-midfielder, he could have been a really useful player for the Black Cats this season.

In those league appearances, Romeo has shown just what a capable defensive unit he has been for Portsmouth by racking up an average of 2.7 tackles per game, 1.5 clearances per game and 1.3 interceptions per game, whilst winning 62% of the duels he’s been involved in.

Sunderland have managed to concede one more goal in the league than Portsmouth at this point in the season, despite Pompey having played two more games than the Black Cats, Romeo could have added some strength and depth at the back for Sunderland.

Labelled as an “aggressive” player by Millwall manager Gary Rowett, Romeo, who is currently valued at £1.8m according to Transfermarkt, has certainly proved himself to be a solid performer in League One during his time with Portsmouth.

With this in mind, if Sunderland see an opportunity to secure the signing of Romeo when his loan deal at Pompey ends, he’d be an incredibly valuable signing if they are indeed still interested.

If their defensive problems have persisted too, he could just prove to be a worthy solution to the club’s woes heading into a new season.

In other news: Johnson must unleash SAFC’s £3.6k-p/w “leader”, he may be a catalyst for change – opinion

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, there has been a development in Tottenham Hotspur’s chase to sign Juventus forward Dejan Kulusevski ahead of the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Spurs in Kulusevski chase…

The Lilywhites and manager Antonio Conte have been linked with a swoop for the Sweden international over these past few months amid his lack of starts in Turin.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-5/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

There have been suggestions of contact from Tottenham as Juve are reportedly willing to offload their attacker next month.

This comes amid Spurs’ search for reinforcements in an effort to bolster Conte’s options as transfer chief Fabio Paratici apparently sets his sights on one of his former signings at Juve.

The Latest: Conte green lights move…

As per La Gazzetta, Tottenham’s managing director Paratici ‘could take’ Kulusevski to north London and he now has Conte’s ‘full esteem’ to make a move in January.

Meanwhile, it is claimed that the Old Lady are open to selling the 21-year-old, but from a starting point of €35 million-€40 million (£29.3m-£33.5m) – unwilling to negotiate any ‘poorly rewarding loans’ or other conditions.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Still young and arguably possessing bags of potential, Kulusevski is a promising attacker and can even operate as an advanced playmaker – gifting Conte an option through the middle as well as on the wing.

His versatility going forward is one incentive for Paratici to move, even despite Juve’s unwillingness to negotiate a temporary deal, and his Serie A numbers for ex-club Parma over 2019/2020 point to a pretty dangerous threat in the final third.

The Swede bagged a brilliant ten goals and eight assists over 33 starts that season whilst also completing an impressive average of 2.2 key passes per 90 (WhoScored).

By comparison to Tottenham’s squad this campaign under Conte, that’s more key passes than any Lilywhites player has managed so far.

Labelled a ‘phenomenon’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig (Twitter), it is clear that Kulusevski can really devastate going forward when given the opportunity, with the only question being whether Paratici can win the race and give him a chance in the Premier League.

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Statement’…Tottenham pundit thrilled as Paratici eyes ‘big signing’, find out more here.

Leeds United have moved into pole position in the race to sign Lazio striker Vedat Muriqi, as Hull City have reportedly pulled out of the fight to sign him.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Muriqi move

The Whites are yet to make any additions in the January transfer window, and although money is relatively tight, at least one new face is surely required given the injury crisis running through the squad.

Muriqi is one player who has been linked with a move to Elland Road, as Marcelo Bielsa looks to add more firepower to ease the burden on Patrick Bamford, who himself has missed time with ankle and hamstring issues this season.

The towering 6 foot 4 striker has scored 18 goals in just 37 caps for Kosovo, not to mention being compared to legendary attacker Robert Lewandowski, too.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Positive update emerges

According to Corriere dello Sport [via Sport Witness], Hull have dropped out of the race to sign Muriqi, heightening the chances of Leeds acquiring his signature.

It is claimed that the Whites ‘remain standing’ in the battle, with Championship side West Brom also showing an interest.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-32/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Worth a gamble?

In truth, Muriqi has had a tough time of things at Lazio, failing to score or assist in 15 appearances in all competitions this season.

Despite those obvious struggles, the Kosovan’s international record shows what he is capable of, not to mention the aforementioned comparisons with the world-class Lewandowski.

He once produced a stunning display for his nation in a 5-3 defeat to England, scoring once and assisting the other two goals, winning three aerial duels and completing two dribbles, earning a team-high 9.11 match rating (Whoscored).

If Leeds managed to bring him in on loan this month, or potentially sign him permanently on the cheap, it would provide Bielsa with a much-needed extra option, filling the void left by Bamford and taking pressure off the young shoulders of Joe Gelhardt.

In other news, Leeds have also been linked with another signing – find out who it is here.

A number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting with glee to a positive injury update regarding Harvey Elliott.

The Reds picked up a crucial 1-0 win at home to Aston Villa on Saturday, as they stayed one point behind Premier League leaders Manchester City. Jurgen Klopp’s men find themselves in a superb run of form at the moment but one player they are doing it without is Elliott.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

The 18-year-old has been absent since the middle of September after suffering a broken ankle in the 3-0 victory away to Leeds United.

According to The Irish Mirror [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], however, Elliott is nearing a shock quickfire return to action, having excelled in his recovery.

The hope is that the teenager will feature early in 2022 – a January comeback is mooted in the report – as he continues to work hard on the training pitch.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-copy/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans hail Elliott injury update

These Liverpool fans showed their happiness at the news on Twitter, with the teenager having excelled in the early weeks of the season prior to his unfortunate injury setback.

“I can’t believe he has healed this fast, this is amazing”

Credit: @_MrChase

“Starboy”

Credit: @Maxlb77

“Genuinely happy for this lad”

Credit: @Nimz44

“SIUUUUUUUUUUUU”

Credit: @AnfieldPyro

“I can’t wait”

Credit: @Msquared7_

“I’M SO EXCITED”

Credit: @robertorebelo_

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to an exciting transfer rumour. Read more here.

Aston Villa have been dealt a potential blow in their bid to bring Todd Cantwell to Villa Park.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent report by Birmingham Live, who claim that Dean Smith’s appointment as Norwich City’s new manager could prove to be a stumbling block in Aston Villa’s potential move for the 23-year-old, who was heavily linked with a £40m move to Villa Park in the summer.

However, the latest report suggests that, following Smith’s arrival at Carrow Road, the winger could go on to become a central part of the 50-year-old’s plans with the Canaries, something that would appear to all but rule out a January move for the England U21 international.

Huge blow

While it is true that Cantwell has not exactly been in the best of form for Norwich so far this season, having not been included in any of the club’s last six Premier League matchday squads, the 23-year-old has nevertheless proven in previous campaigns that he would make an excellent addition to Steven Gerrard’s first-team squad.

Indeed, over his 33 Championship appearances last term, the £19.8m-rated man scored six goals, registered six assists and created seven big chances for his teammates, returns which saw the youngster earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.17.

Furthermore, the £25k-per-week winger also bagged six goals and registered two assists over his 37 Premier League appearances for City back in 2019/20, demonstrating that the youngster undoubtedly has the ability to perform at the highest level that English football has to offer.

And, the potential signing of Cantwell is also something that would appear to go down very well with Villa fans, as, in a poll ran on Football FanCast, the majority of supporters stated their belief that NSWE should do all they can to get a deal over the line for the 23-year-old.

As such, should Smith indeed be unwilling to part with Cantwell in January, it would not only come as a huge blow to Steven Gerrard, it would also look to leave fans of the club rather gutted.

In other news: Lange could land Gerrard’s next Kent at AVFC with “absolutely phenomenal” £80k-p/w gem

Everton have been offered Inter Milan forward Alexis Sanchez on a free transfer, with the Italian giants looking to offload the former Arsenal and Manchester United man.

What’s the story?

According to The Sun, Inter have offered the Chilean to the Toffees for free amid fears that Rafael Benitez will lose star forwards Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.

Having been a fan favourite at Arsenal, the 33-year-old’s career has taken a major downturn since leaving north London four years ago. Spells at Manchester United and Inter Milan haven’t worked out as planned and the forward is now subject to a potential return to the Premier League.

The report also claimed that, should the Merseyside club fail in their pursuit of Sanchez, they will move for 23-year-old New York City striker Valentin Castellanos.

Everton should sign Sanchez

Signing a player reportedly being paid £175k per-week who has struggled for form over recent seasons would undoubtedly be a risk for Benitez’s side. However, having seen the player the Chilean can be, and considering the lack of options the Toffees may soon have in the attacking department, it would be worth the gamble.

At Arsenal, Sanchez was one of the Premier League’s top performers, with Barcelona legend and current manager Xavi stating that the forward “never stops running”.

In 166 appearances for the Gunners, the Chilean scored 80 goals and contributed a further 45 assists; a goal contribution every 1.33 games. By contrast, in a combined 131 outings for Manchester United and Inter Milan, he has managed 19 goals and 30 assists, which amounts to a goal contribution every 2.67 games.

Moreover, if there is genuine concern that the Toffees could be without both Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison in the near future, Benitez will need alternative options in attack. This is particularly prevalent given the Merseyside club’s current position in the Premier League.

The Toffees have won just one of their last 12 league games and are sat in 15th place, eight points clear of the relegation zone.

If the 33-year-old were to come to the club and be able to replicate similar form to that from his time in north London, it would certainly be worth the gamble from Everton.

In other news, Everton have been linked with this promising midfielder…

Newcastle United’s January transfer window proved to be an enormous lift for Eddie Howe’s side, and it was no surprise to see the club finally pick up the kind of form needed to escape from the Premier League’s relegation clutches.

The likes of Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood added some much-needed battle-hardened top-flight experience, while Bruno Guimaraes came in from Lyon having garnered a real reputation as a bona-fide star in French football.

But while a number of the Magpies’ January signings have played their part in leading the Tyneside club out of trouble, they may look back a little ruefully at one name they didn’t manage to sign: Luis Diaz.

According to A Bola (via Sport Witness), the Magpies were one of the clubs interested in signing the Colombia international in the January window before it was later claimed that the Howe’s side had actually sent scouts to watch Porto’s 1-0 win over SC Braga to see the 24-year-old in action – the winger would end up scoring the winner.

Despite seeing him shine in person and having had interest in him for a number of months, perhaps even longer, Newcastle opted not to act on it, and instead watched Spurs, then Liverpool make big-money bids for him towards the closing stages of January.

In the end, it was Jurgen Klopp’s side who came out victorious in the race to sign him, snapping him up for a reported fee of £37.5m – just slightly more than the initial amount they paid to sign Guimaraes.

And when you look at how Diaz has performed this season, both for Porto and now for Liverpool, not getting him in January seems like a real missed opportunity.

The 31-cap Colombia international was in scintillating form for his former side Porto this season, registering a very impressive 16 goals and six assists in only 29 appearances for the Liga NOS giants.

Following the switch to Anfield, Diaz has netted a further three goals and provided one assist, including nodding across for Sadio Mane in the recent Champions League victory over Benfica in the quarter-finals.

Now valued at £60m by CIES, the 5 foot 10 star has been dubbed a “livewire” and as being “phenomenal” by Portuguese football expert Alex Goncalves

Missing out on Diaz is made all the more difficult given how reports have recently emerged saying Newcastle would be willing to let one of their star men and fellow wide-man Allan Saint-Maximin leave in the summer transfer window.

If that is to be the case, then bringing in Diaz would have off-set that potential departure considerably.

The man with 64 career goals to his name would have been an outstanding signing for the Magpies had they pushed for him before Liverpool came in.

AND in other news, Wood upgrade: PIF will be having NUFC nightmares after missing out on £20m “cult hero”…

Aston Villa winger Jaden Philogene-Bidace has impressed in the Championship thus far after joining Stoke City on loan in January for the rest of the season.

The 20-year-old has scored once in nine league appearances for a Potters side that have seen their form dramatically dip whilst the Englishman has been at the Bet365 Stadium, winning just three of their last 17 league matches.

However, according to SofaScore, the winger is currently averaging a 6.79 rating, a solid figure for the youngster’s first taste of regular first-team football.

Philogene-Bidace has experienced some first-team football for Villa this season though, receiving a brief cameo in the 2-0 Premier League win over Newcastle earlier this season whilst also appearing twice in the EFL Cup and briefly against Manchester United in the FA Cup.

There’s no doubt that manager Steven Gerrard rates the young winger and a strong end to the Championship season with Stoke could see the Englishman involved more frequently with the first-team next season.

In the Pipeline

Having spent heavily on forwards Danny Ings (£25m), Leon Bailey (£25m) and Emi Buendia (£38m) last summer, Aston Villa are still waiting to see any justification for these transfer fees.

Ings has netted five goals in what’s been a mixed campaign for the Englishman whilst wingers Bailey and Buendia have scored a combined three goals with the former facing numerous injury-related setbacks.

The Jamaica international has managed just four Premier League starts in claret and blue since his move from Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen, giving the 24-year-old more of an excuse for his slow start to life at Villa Park.

As for Buendia, the Argentinian has made 28 appearances in all competitions, scoring just twice whilst registering four assists, making each goal contribution worth £6.33m.

The addition of Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona has made an instant impact, with the Brazilian scoring four goals and providing three assists in ten appearances and could make his stay permanent with the West Midlands club reportedly in talks with the Spanish giants.

However, with a lack of output in the final third from both Bailey and Buendia, there could certainly be a squad role available for Philogene-Bidace next term.

The youngster, who scored a staggering eight goals in six U23 appearances before his loan move, has previously been labelled as “the real deal” by reporters when playing for Villa’s youth setup.

Moreover, former coach Ahmed Abdulla explained: “He’s a right footer but he plays off the left. He can come inside or go on the outside. The model winger.

“He hugs the touchline and can beat his man. (He’s) Very confident and very light on his feet and skips past tackles, not one of them that gets hit and goes down. He bounces off tackles.”

There’s plenty of excitement surrounding Philogene-Bidace right now and there’s no doubt that Gerrard will be keeping a very close eye on the 20-year-old winger during pre-season this summer.

In other news: Gerrard may already have his Ings upgrade in Aston Villa gem who’s “some finisher”