All posts by z3u9t.icu

Frank McAvennie has been left fuming at what he has now heard from Newcastle United’s recent takeover case.

The Lowdown: Newcastle threatened

As cited by The Daily Telegraph, the St. James’ Park faithful were threatened with expulsion from the Premier League during the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) hearing on Wednesday.

This is one of two legal battles Mike Ashley is fighting the top flight over, as the separate arbitration case between the two parties over the stalled takeover deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium is now set to take place on January 3rd.

The Latest: McAvennie on threat

Speaking to Football Insider, former Celtic and West Ham United striker McAvennie, 61, has now expressed his fume at the division after hearing about their threat to the North East club:

“It’s ridiculous they would say that.

“Why would they clamp down that hard on that? They can’t just kick clubs out of the league. They can’t do that.

“I’m sure they can threaten it but there is so much legality in kicking someone out. I don’t know if they can.

“I’m glad it sounds like this will all be done soon because the Newcastle fans need answers.

“We need to know what happened and why this has taken so long. It’s a disgrace from the Premier League.”

The Verdict: Pressure mounting

For the Premier League to threaten the Tyneside outfit with expulsion suggests that the pressure is now mounting on them as the takeover saga develops.

It is a threat that was and is certainly not needed going into the arbitration process next year, as the two parties need to come to an agreement over the direction of where the bid is likely to be heading.

Nonetheless, if the top flight were to go through with their threat, then there would no doubt be yet another legal battle brewing between them and the Magpies, as tensions are seemingly never going to stop rising.

In other news, find out what ‘positive news’ on arbitration emerged here!

Leicester City have been linked with a shock move for Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu as manager Brendan Rodgers looks to bolster his defensive options.

What’s the story?

The Japan international has been the subject of heavy interest from fellow Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur throughout the summer, but the Foxes may now attempt to hijack the deal following Wesley Fofana’s injury, according to The Telegraph.

Previous reports have claimed Bologna are set to demand  €25 million (£21.5m) for Tomiyasu, who is capable of playing at either centre-back or right-back.

Jon Rudkin must swoop

Tomiyasu has established himself as one of Serie A’s most promising young defenders since arriving from Belgium outfit Sint-Truidense back in 2019, making 63 appearances for Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side in all competitions.

His impressive performances have caught the eye of several admirers, including current teammate Mitchell Dijks. The Dutch full-back dubbed his colleague a “warrior” in a previous press conference, and it’s easy to understand why.

As per WhoScored, Tomiyasu recorded an average of 1.5 tackles per league game last term, 1.7 interceptions and 0.6 blocks, placing him in the top three players at his club who made over three outings.

The youngster recently shone for his nation at the Tokyo Olympics in his homeland too and could be set to take the next step in his career over the coming weeks.

Leicester were believed to be in the market for a new central defender already following Wes Morgan’s retirement, but Fofana’s fractured fibula has now accelerated their search.

Tomiyasu’s versatility could be a huge bonus for the Foxes, making him an extremely attractive option for Rodgers. The Northern Irish tactician is currently without both James Justin and Timothy Castagne through fitness issues of their own, meaning the Asian defender could plug multiple gaps across the backline.

It remains to be seen whether director of football Jon Rudkin follows up his reported interest with a formal offer, but if the transfer budget allows, it’s certainly a move he should consider given the player’s flexibility, quality and potential.

And, in other news…Imagine him and Daka: Rudkin must sanction LCFC swoop for “intelligent” £30m magician

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

West Ham United are set to reignite their interest in Sparta Prague gem Adam Hlozek this January…

What’s the word?

That’s according to 90min journalist Toby Cudworth, who delivered a fresh update on the situation to social media this week.

“#WHUFC want to sign Adam Hlozek in January and also a centre-back to cover the injured Ogbonna,” he tweeted.

“Hlozek could be an initial loan with conditions to make an obligatory purchase, similar to Soucek’s 2020 deal. Kretinsky could be key.”

In an accompanying article, it’s claimed that the Irons are preparing a loan-to-buy agreement to sign the 19-year-old forward in the winter transfer window, which will be a similar type of deal used to sign Tomas Soucek in 2020.

The Hammers now have Sparta Prague co-owner Daniel Kretinsky on their board following his investment this month, so that is expected to stand them in good stead when negotiating a deal both clubs will be happy with.

Imagine him and Antonio

The Czech Republic international can play upfront – a position that manager David Moyes really does need to bolster – but he has predominantly been deployed on the flanks until this season.

Hlozek has provided four goals and eight assists in 20 appearances this season, all coming in a central role. It builds on last season’s tally of 15 goals and nine assists, where he averaged a direct contribution every 75.9 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-west-ham-news-transfer-updates-gsb-kretinsky-moyes” title=”Read the latest West Ham news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Michail Antonio has had his fair share of injury woes over the years and at 31, you can’t expect that to improve in the future. Moyes has been left with just one senior option in the centre-forward position for nearly two years now, so a new frontman is certainly a priority in 2022.

The 6 foot 2 dynamo, valued at £15.3m by Transfermarkt, is a hugely encouraging long-term prospect and one that should leave many around the London Stadium buzzing with delight.

Pavel Paska, who is the agent of both Hlozek and Tomas Soucek, believes his client is an “extraordinary talent” who “has everything an attacker needs,” whilst scout Jacek Kulig has described Hlozek as “an incredible talent” and Czech’s best talent since the emergence of Tomas Rosicky.

Just imagine him alongside Antonio or him providing the perfect foil for the 31-year-old talisman as the season goes on.

On this evidence, he’d be a signing that would leave the fanbase absolutely buzzing, especially given the success stories of Soucek and Vladimir Coufal and the recent involvement of Kretinksy, who should help them tenfold in any likely deal.

AND in other news, West Ham receive Declan Rice fitness boost ahead of Wolves clash…

Part of Crystal Palace’s transfer strategy this summer will include bringing in a couple of players on loan, The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam has revealed.

Palace recently secured the services of Marc Guehi from Chelsea and it looks like they could turn to the west London club once again as they aim to bolster their squad further.

According to The Athletic, there has been persistent interest in midfielder Conor Gallagher and Palace are now attempting to bring in the 21-year-old in what would likely be a loan deal.

Speaking to FFC about Palace’s summer, Woosnam said:

“In terms of who they actually get, I would expect there to be at least one loan, maybe two.

“They always seem to sort of take that option up of bringing someone in on loan. It’s a bit more flexible than buying them.”

From Gallagher’s perspective, joining a side like Palace makes a lot of sense.

Last season, the England U21 international played a lot of football during his loan spell with West Brom. In total, he made 32 appearances, scoring two goals in the process.

After having a good taste of Premier League football, Gallagher will surely want to get out again and play rather than settle for Chelsea’s bench, which would be the likely scenario given Thomas Tuchel already has the likes of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho.

A major update has emerged in Charlton’s reported transfer pursuit of Preston North End centre-forward Jayden Stockley.

What’s the talk?

According to Hampshire Live, Stockley has decided to sign for Nigel Adkins’ Charlton. The striker spent the second half of last season on loan to Charlton and is now set to return to The Valley for a second spell.

The report claims that Portsmouth had agreed a fee with Preston for the attacker, but Charlton are now in pole position to land Stockley on a permanent deal in the coming weeks. Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and Ipswich are also named as teams who have been interested in Stockley.

Charlton appear to have beaten off competition from Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and Ipswich, who could all be rivals for the Addicks in the promotion race next season. The sought-after attacker, Stockley, has seemingly chosen Charlton ahead of the others and may get the chance to explain his decision if the deal is officially announced this week, as expected.

Fans will love it

Charlton fans will love this latest update on the race to sign Stockley. The Preston man enjoyed a successful loan spell at The Valley and Charlton fans could now get a chance to see him play for the club in person if supporters are allowed back in grounds from the start of next season in League One, as expected.

This report suggests that Charlton fans will get that chance and Adkins could get a major boost to his squad heading into the 2021/22 campaign, as Stockley was exceptional for the club during his loan spell.

The £5.1k-per-week ace averaged a sublime WhoScored rating of 7.41 in League One during his loan spell as he scored eight and assisted two goals. This shows that he was able to perform to a consistently high level and that he suited Adkins’ style of play, which may be why he wants to come back to the club for a second spell instead of sealing a transfer to Pompey.

He also won an unbelievable 9.8 aerial battles per game, as he was able to provide a focal point for the Addicks at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, Stockley signing for Charlton on a permanent deal should be a massive boost for Adkins. He has proven that he is a top-quality player at League One level and understands what Adkins wants from his number nine, which means that he should not need any time to settle in.

Stockley could arrive for pre-season and hit the ground running as he will already know everyone at the club and will not need a period of adaptation that other potential signings may need. This is why fans will surely love this deal, as they know that a proven, quality addition is coming through the door.

AND in other news, Fresh twist emerges on “immense” £5.4k-p/w star that will leave Charlton fans relieved…

Rangers winger Ryan Kent has been the subject of regular interest from Leeds United in the past, but it seems as if he will be remaining with Steven Gerrard’s side at Ibrox for another few months at least.

What’s the word?

Leeds were regularly linked with the 24-year-old following their promotion to the Premier League last year and were widely tipped to return for Kent this summer after an impressive debut season from Marcelo Bielsa’s side back in the English top flight.

However, the Elland Road club look set to complete the signing of Daniel James from Manchester United today, and The Athletic’s Rangers correspondent Jordan Campbell seems confident that the move will bring an end to the Whites’ interest in Kent.

He tweeted: “A couple of loans out the way will happen at Ibrox today but it’s looking like Rangers will hold on to their top players. Morelos & Barisic both staying. Dan James to Leeds has killed prospect of Kent, while Kamara is expected to extend & Patterson to Everton won’t happen now.”

A huge boost for Rangers

Kent has established himself as a key player at Rangers since joining from Liverpool on a permanent basis in 2019 and will undoubtedly be a hugely important player in Gerrard’s side this season as they aim to retain their Premiership title.

The 24-year-old winger has made 135 appearances for the Gers in total, contributing 27 goals and 30 assists for the club, whilst he enjoyed his best-ever goalscoring season in the 2020/21 campaign with 13 goals and 15 assists in all competitions.

Paul Robinson was full of praise for Kent last season, saying: “He’s the modern-day footballer as he can play in a lot of positions, he is very comfortable with the ball at his feet, and his pass accuracy is outstanding and as I’ve said before if Steven can keep hold of him, he’ll be a very good asset in the years to come.”

After the Gers blew their chance of reaching the Champions League group stage with a disappointing home defeat against Malmo three weeks ago, which reportedly cost them £40m, it had been widely reported that the likes of Kent and Alfredo Morelos could depart.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

Fortunately for Rangers fans, Leeds clearly weren’t willing to meet Kent’s asking price and turned to James instead. That should help the Gers keep hold of the English winger until January at least, which will surely delight Gerrard as well.

In other news… Jordan Campbell drops exciting Nathan Patterson update

Celtic have enjoyed a fabulous start to the season with Ange Postecoglou relishing his new role as the Hoops’ new manager.

He and Dominic McKay have built a fabulous young side in the transfer window but there are still six days before the market slams shut.

On the chalkboard

An area of the pitch that the Bhoys desperately needed to improve in this summer was in defence.

Last season they conceded 16 more goals than Rangers in the league as some diabolical defensive errors ruined their campaign.

That became even more important when Jonjoe Kenny headed back to Everton after his loan move.

With Jeremie Frimpong no longer in Glasgow either, it left Anthony Ralston as their sole representative at right-back.

Although he’s had a flying start to the season by scoring twice, the addition of Josip Juranovic from Legia Warsaw should strengthen them significantly.

He is capped by Croatia and looks a wonderful player both offensively and defensively. For example, no player committed fewer fouls per game than him in the Polish top-flight in 2020/21.

However, they are still a little light in central areas.

The solution

Postecoglou began the season with Nir Bitton at the heart of his backline but after some shaky moments, he’s been taken out of the starting XI.

Stephen Welsh has come back into the team alongside new signing Carl Starfelt. However, judging by Bitton’s form, it would be a wretched blow if one of the aforementioned names found themselves on the treatment table.

As such, Celtic should spend the last week of the window trying to conclude a deal for another centre-back.

One player on their radar is Lausanne’s Moritz Jenz.

He was linked with a move to Glasgow last month but rumours of him arriving in Scottish football have since died down. Instead, he’s now in advanced talks to join French side Lorient.

Yet, with other targets moving elsewhere, namely Ko Itakura and Ben Davies, they should revive their hunt for Jenz.

Standing at 6 foot 3, he is a colossal defender who powers above most players when the ball is in the air.

Described as “very dominant” by the Celtic Analysis, he ranks in the 88th percentile for aerial battle won. On top of that, the 22-year-old is successful with 79% of his tackles. That puts the German in the 94th percentile.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/postecoglou-hoops-bhoys-jenz-larsson-nisbet” title=”Check out the latest Celtic transfer news!”]

If you combine that with someone like Juranovic, another prolific tackler, it would surely create a devastating right-hand side, one that would be incredibly difficult for opposing teams to break down.

As a result of that, Postecoglou’s defensive line should improve significantly. They do, of course, have a like-minded player in Christopher Jullien to return but another cost-effective signing would go down a treat.

AND in other news, Ange can discover Celtic’s new Turnbull by unleashing “first-class” rarely-seen 19 y/o…

Speaking to the press (via football.london), Tottenham Hotspur interim boss Ryan Mason has confirmed that Japhet Tanganga is set to miss their clash with Leicester City at the King Power Stadium today.

The Lowdown: Tanganga taken off against Aston Villa

The 22-year-old was stretchered off in the closing stages of their 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in midweek, with right-back and 2020 signing Matt Doherty taking his place.

Tottenham fans were waiting for an update on the promising, versatile defender after what looked like a serious knock, coming after he was seemingly one of the bright sparks on an evening to forget.

Indeed, he was one of the five highest-rated Spurs players on SofaScore during their encounter with Villa, winning four of his six ground duels and making five clearances over the 83 minutes he played.

The Latest: Mason confirms Tanganga injury blow

Speaking ahead of Tottenham’s clash with Leicester today, a hugely important showdown given that Spurs could still qualify for the Europa League if West Ham lose against Southampton, Mason has confirmed that Tanganga will indeed miss out.

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“Japhet and Ben are the only two at the moment,” explained the 29-year-old to football.london.

“Japhet sustained a naughty ankle injury I think to his ligament so he won’t feature at the weekend and hopefully it isn’t too long for him out.

“Ben resumed some light training today so there the only two at the moment who aren’t available for selection.”

The Verdict: Blow for Tottenham

Tanganga has occasionally deputised at right-back as an alternative option to the likes of Doherty and Serge Aurier, with the latter pair arguably not displaying great form consistently over the 2020/21 season.

It’s also another blow for the player personally after an injury-ridden season, with the youngster missing 19 games in total over a combined 104 days this term after various problems (Transfermarkt).

Whenever he does play, Tanganga usually impresses, as highlighted by former Spurs defender Michael Dawson’s glowing reference. Speaking to the Spurs Web YouTube Channel, he lauded the young defender as a ‘breath of fresh air’ and ‘fantastic’ when he broke on to the scene.

However, Tottenham are set to be without him this afternoon, which is not what Mason would have wanted ahead of a tough assignment which could decide their European fate for next season.

In other news: Levy approach made for this boss who is ‘perfect for Tottenham’, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a huge boost in their bid to bring Sam Johnstone to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that sources have revealed the West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper has informed his inner circle that he has chosen Tottenham as his preferred destination this summer.

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This is sure to come as a huge boost to Spurs, with Antonio Conte’s side having been heavily linked with a move for the 29-year-old upon the expiry of his current contract at The Hawthorns at the end of the season.

Further reports had claimed that the likes of Manchester United and West Ham United were also keen on a move for the England international ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, however, it would now appear as if Tottenham are in pole position to land the in-demand shot-stopper.

Paratici coup

Considering the undoubted ability Johnstone possesses between the sticks, the fact that Spurs now look closer to landing the goalkeeper ahead of their top-four rivals represents yet another huge coup by Fabio Paratici.

While it is true that the £7.2m-rated shot-stopper and his Albion teammates have struggled in the Championship so far this season, the 29-year-old more than proved that he is capable of doing a job in the top flight of English football last season.

Indeed, over his 37 Premier League outings last term, the £32.5k-per-week stopper was one of the Baggies’ most important players, keeping six clean sheets and making 4.5 saves per match – the most of any goalkeeper in the league.

These returns saw the player who journalist Kieran Doody dubbed an “unreal” talent average a rather remarkable seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as West Brom’s second-best player in the division – a quite extraordinary feat considering Albion’s 19th place finish.

As such, with Pierluigi Gollini looking set to return to Atalanta following his failed loan spell at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season, replacing the Italian with a ‘keeper as talented as the Englishman would undoubtedly be a fantastic piece of business by Paratici – particularly considering the interest in his services and the fact he will not cost Spurs a penny.

AND in other news: “100%” – Fabrizio Romano drops Spurs transfer claim that will leave supporters buzzing