All posts by z3u9t.icu

Rangers have recently been linked with a move for Sheffield United striker Oliver McBurnie ahead of the summer transfer window, but his record in recent seasons suggests that he would not be a good addition to Steven Gerrard’s side at Ibrox.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Gers are plotting a summer swoop for the Scotland international, who is expected to leave Bramall Lane following Sheffield United’s relegation to the Championship.

The report suggests that, despite his less than impressive form this season, the Blades value him at £15m, which would mean that Rangers would have to surpass the £12m paid for Tore Andre Flo in 2000, which remains their record transfer fee.

Would he be a good signing?

Considering the fee Rangers would need to pay for McBurnie, it seems that he would not be a good addition to Gerrard’s side this summer.

This season has seen the former Swansea City man contribute just one goal in 23 Premier League appearances for the Blades, averaging a less than impressive 6.67 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Although he was much better last season when Sheffield United enjoyed an excellent first campaign back in the Premier League under Chris Wilder, his six goals hardly mark him out as a prolific striker who could oust Alfredo Morelos or Kemar Roofe in Gerrard’s side next term.

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Scottish pundit Michael Stewart was less than complimentary about the 24-year-old earlier this season, saying: “For a £20m striker he can’t run, he can’t hold up the ball, he doesn’t link well, he doesn’t shoot. He’s simply not strong enough to play that role.”

The striker’s frustrations also boiled over recently as he was arrested after being filmed during his involvement in a brawl on the street, which suggests that he isn’t the sort of character Gerrard would like to have in his squad at Ibrox.

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If the £15m fee is accurate, Rangers could spend their money a lot more wisely this summer, especially in a position where they are already well-stocked, so hopefully Ross Wilson sees sense and decides against signing McBurnie, who could prove to be a disastrous signing.

In other news… Wilson can deliver Gerrard a Rangers “masterstroke” with swoop for 21 y/o gem

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

Many Sunderland fans were far from happy with Josh Scowen following his post-match interview on Saturday.

The Black Cats’ already faint hopes of automatic promotion were all but ended this weekend. Lee Johnson’s side were in action against Accrington Stanley and should have secured all three points after going 2-0 up early on through a Charlie Wyke brace. However, Stanley levelled things up at 2-2 and, although Sunderland once again took the lead, they could only come away with a 3-3 draw.

After the match, 28-year-old Scowen spoke to the club’s in-house media team to discuss the game. He appeared to give a balanced view of the performance, stating that the Wearside outfit started well but were poor after the break.

However, Scowen does not seem to be particularly popular with the supporters, and many Sunderland fans were quick to share their thoughts on the midfielder after a clip of his comments was shared on the club’s official Twitter account.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the comments from Scowen

“Please leave my club and never come back.”

Credit: @igfield73

“Joke”

Credit: @paulhun7276

“Is catastrophic”

Credit: @Templet69197880

“Bottled it as usual, prob do same if in playoffs.”

Credit: @Terence147

“The players are simply not good enough also pleased many of them are out of contract”

Credit: @AndrewsPhilip7

“Not only do we have to suffer Scowen on the pitch every game because he is an LJ favourite they put him up for interview. Absolute rubbish performances on a regular basis”

Credit: @Mcewan1320David

In other news, many Sunderland fans slammed this man’s performance against Accrington.

The uncertain future of West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is causing problems at The Hawthorns.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Steve Madeley’s report for The Athletic, with the journalist claiming that the number of permutations regarding whether Johnstone stays or goes this summer is creating something of a headache for the Albion goalkeeping department.

Indeed, with it appearing unclear if Johnstone will still be in West Bromwich come September, the futures of David Button, Alex Palmer and Josh Griffiths are also up in the air, with the club not being able to plan exactly who will be their number one next season, or who they are be willing to loan out.

Madeley added that Valerien Ismael’s side are indeed keen to sanction the sale of the 28-year-old this summer, as they would like to secure a sizeable fee for a player whose contract is set to expire at the end of next season.

It is then reported that West Ham United are believed to have made an offer of around £6m for the England international, but despite initially setting an asking price of £20m for Johnstone at the start of the window, the Hammers’ bid was still well short of the £12m that it is now believed the Baggies would accept for the shot-stopper.

Fans surely worried

While it would be difficult to argue with West Brom sanctioning the £20m sale of a player with the ability of Johnstone – with it now appearing as if this asking price has quite significantly dropped and with the potential of it doing so even more – there is plenty of reason for West Brom fans to be worried about Madeley’s update on the situation of the goalkeeper.

Indeed, over his 37 Premier League appearances last season, the £7.2m-rated man kept six clean sheets, made an average of 4.5 saves per game and stopped a total of 166 shots over the course of the club’s campaign.

These metrics saw the man Sam Allardyce dubbed a “magnificent” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as the Albion’s second-best performer in the top flight.

Considering just how impressive the 28-year-old was last time out, should the Baggies begin to get desperate as the transfer window nears its conclusion and start to consider the idea of sanctioning his departure for an amount around £10m, the argument could easily be made that it would actually be worthwhile holding onto the ‘keeper for the final year of his contract.

With Johnstone in the side, Albion’s chances of going on to secure an immediate return to the Premier League – and the windfall of cash this achievement would bring – appear significantly greater than what they would be without the England international between the sticks.

While losing the shot-stopper for nothing at the end of his contract would undoubtedly be a bitter pill to swallow for West Brom and their supporters, in the long run this outcome could well bring in a significantly greater amount of money than selling the £28k-per-week man for around £10m this summer.

In other news: Ismael could be heading for his biggest West Brom error to date over £1.35m-rated flop

A number of Manchester City fans are delighted with news that talks with Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish are at an advanced stage.

The Citizens are ramping up their preparations for the 2021/22 campaign as the kick-off edges ever closer. Last season, Pep Guardiola’s side won the Premier League and Carabao Cup but missed out on the Champions League after losing to Chelsea in the final – they will duly be hoping to go one better next year.

City have not spent money on any incomings so far this summer, but they have been heavily linked with moves for both Harry Kane and £58.5m-valued Grealish (Transfermarkt). It has now been reported by The Athletic journalist Sam Lee that negotiations in regards to the latter are ‘at an advanced stage’.

The 25-year-old excelled for Aston Villa last season, with seven goals and 12 assists in all competitions, and also made his mark at Euro 2020 during England’s run to the final.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra and it attracted the attention and excitement of numerous Man City supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the development.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Grealish update

“YESSSS”

Credit: @bdeanMCFC

“This is exactly what I like to wake up and see”

Credit: @AnklesCollected

“OH MY DAYS”

Credit: @FavelaFlair

“C’mon Sheikh Mansour”

Credit: @Hamza41085118

“They just confirmed it to me… it’s happening”

Credit: @FinisherNana

“Release the floodgates, let the tears flow”

Credit: @BlueWolf_09

In other news, a number of Man City fans slammed this man’s comments.

Leeds United star Raphinha has lauded Robin Koch on social media following an excellent performance in the Whites’ impressive 3-1 win over Tottenham on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Leeds see off Spurs

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were looking to bounce back from their 2-0 defeat at Brighton last weekend and they did so in eye-catching fashion.

Leeds added Spurs to their recent list of big-name teams from whom they have taken points, with Stuart Dallas, Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo all finding in the net.

Koch started in midfield in the absence of Kalvin Phillips, shining in the role and playing his part in another brilliant result for the Whites.

The Latest: Raphinha hails Koch’s performance

Raphinha was absent through injury, but he was clearly impressed by what he saw from Koch, giving a perfect three-word response to the German’s performance on Instagram:

“What a player.”

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The Verdict: Koch stakes a claim for midfield role

There has been plenty of talk surrounding Leeds signing an alternative to Phillips this week, with others in the squad seemingly not deemed good enough to fill in for the England international whenever he’s unavailable.

Koch is certainly showing Bielsa that he can be a force in that position, though, even if centre-back remains his strongest role moving forward.

He enjoyed an 83% pass completion rate against Spurs, also winning seven duels, two tackles and nine recoveries, as he shone both on and off the ball. It’s little wonder that Raphinha was so glowing in his praise of the 24-year-old.

In other news, some Leeds fans have been hailing one specific player after the win over Spurs. Find out who it is here.

While a number of clubs in the Premier League will have their transfer strategy firmly in place, Everton’s will be in disarray.

Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to flee Merseyside three weeks ago has meant that their plans have had to be ripped up and thrown away. After all, seemingly incoming manager Rafa Benitez may want to focus on other targets.

On the chalkboard

Ancelotti may have brought Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure to the club last summer but signing a midfielder or two should be near the top of the new manager’s agenda.

Tom Davies has been linked with the exit door, while they could do with improving upon Andre Gomes. The former Barcelona midfielder is tidy on the ball but, when it comes to the physical side of his game, he is often bullied by the more aggressive players in the English top flight.

His form against the bigger clubs was particularly questionable as the Portuguese won just one of his 12 duels against Liverpool back in February. He then won only three of 14 duels against Chelsea in March.

Gomes suffered a horrendous leg fracture during the 2019/20 campaign but he’s arguably not been the same player since. That’s not Everton’s fault but they should look to provide him with some extra competition to help him improve his game, especially if Davies leaves.

The solution

Everton have had a profitable relationship with Barcelona in recent years, not only signing Gomes but also luring Lucas Digne and Yerry Mina to Goodison Park from Catalonia.

They could use that to their advantage again this summer to sign Miralem Pjanic.

Reports towards the beginning of the month suggested that Everton were interested in his services. That said, Marcel Brands will have to cough up a decent sum, with the Spanish giants refusing to sell him for anything less than €35m (£30m).

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The Bosnian playmaker has been described as “world-class” by Raphael Honigstein in the past but appears to be surplus to requirements under former Everton boss Ronald Koeman at Camp Nou.

Barcelona’s loss would be the Toffees’ gain, however, as he’s an exceptional midfielder capable of adding extra spice to their central options. Last season, the Bosnia international completed over 91% of his passes, a tally which easily usurps every single player the Merseysiders own.

Pjanic failed to contribute to a goal in his opening campaign with Barca but he was a passing master during his time in Italy with Juventus and Roma, capable of unlocking the sternest of defences.

The 31-year-old provided 12 assists during his final two seasons with Juventus, playing 2.3 key passes and then 1.9 key passes per game over those terms (WhoScored). Those numbers top every player at Goodison Park over the course of the 2020/21 season, including the aforementioned Gomes and James Rodriguez.

With that in mind, he would be a superb addition to the Everton squad this summer.

AND in other news, Greg O’Keeffe issues big Everton manager update, fans must be livid…

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!

Many Everton fans have been left buzzing as some news emerged from the Goodison Park outfit.

As per the official website of the Merseyside club, a mental health wellbeing group set up by a lifelong Toffees supporter is now giving men the chance to join a special walk ahead of their game in the Premier League against West Ham United on Sunday 17th October.

There will be a 2.2 mile ‘Walk and Talk’ from the Bramley-Moore Pub on Regent Road to Goodison Park ahead of the match, which will give men the opportunity to open up and talk about any issues with mental health that they may have.

It is a nice initiative that the Blues are supporting, and one which could certainly lighten up the mood and bring more positivity to the fan base ahead of their clash with the Hammers.

Everton fans on mental health walk

These EFC supporters buzzed as the news was shared by the club on their official Twitter page, with a couple of Evertonians even going as far as to claim that it is ‘amazing’:

“Boss this, amazing work from @deakefc @TALKHUB_. Get involved lads”

Credit: @Hannahlmm_xx

“Absolutely brilliant!! Nice one @deakefc and @TALKHUB_”

Credit: @_PabloGuy_

“Lovely to see, anyone who needs to talk or even just feel safe around people that have the same issue I encourage you to turn up, if I can get it off work I’ll do there”

Credit: @XXXCloutistic

“This is amazing. Anything we can do virtually from the US?”

Credit: @JCFutbolCoach22

“Brilliant”

Credit: @davem1878

“Amazing work”

Credit: @benjaminjh92

In other news, find out which Premier League club are now eyeing Rafa Benitez here!

Liverpool are not currently close to signing Renato Sanches but the player has long been ‘appreciated’ by the club, transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has told Anfield Watch.

The lowdown

Sanches made 23 Ligue 1 appearances, including 14 starts, for Lille last season as they beat Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title. The former Bayern Munich midfielder averaged 1.7 dribbles, 3.5 successful long balls and 0.8 key passes per game (via WhoScored).

Sanches then made four appearances for Portugal at the European Championship and caught the eye, with BBC Sport’s Jermaine Jenas hailing him as ‘terrific’.

It was reported in regional newspaper La Voix du Nord this week that Liverpool are ‘very interested’ in the 23-year-old. Encouragingly, one ‘experienced agent’ says that any ‘decent talent’ outside of PSG ‘has a value right now’ amid a financial crisis in French football (via The Athletic).

Liverpool may therefore be able to strike a cut-price deal for a player who could replace Paris-bound Georginio Wijnaldum.

The latest

Romano says that recruiting a midfielder is not Liverpool’s current priority, and as such a deal for Sanches isn’t thought to be imminent. Instead, he urged any Reds fans keen on Sanches to be patient.

“From what I know, it is not a done deal,” he told Anfield Watch, adding: “It is not yet at an advanced stage because, what I have been told, the strategy for Liverpool is not going immediately for a midfielder.

“He has always been appreciated but at the moment, it is not advanced yet. So we need to wait a bit on this deal.”

The verdict

Sanches is a gifted player, and his ability to glide through challenges as he drives forward makes him particularly easy on the eye.

However, this isn’t a deal Liverpool should pursue. Wijnaldum was hardly ever injured, but Sanches’ fitness record makes for worrying reading, so he doesn’t fit the bill as a replacement for the Dutchman.

After a succession of injuries decimated their Premier League title defence, the Reds ought to proceed with caution with regards to the Lille maestro.

In other news, there’s one surprise omission from Liverpool’s pre-season squad.