All posts by z3u9t.icu

Graham Roberts believes Tottenham miss Christian Eriksen after the Denmark international moved to Inter Milan in January of 2020.

The Lowdown: Eriksen departure

Eriksen made the move to Spurs from Ajax in 2013 and ended up becoming one of the side’s best players, scoring 69 goals and providing 90 assists in 305 games (Transfermarkt).

However, he made it clear he wanted to depart, and moved to Inter in January 2020.

The Latest: Roberts thinks Spurs miss Eriksen

On Twitter, a Spurs fan said the club miss Eriksen.

Roberts answer was short but sweet and straight to the point. He simply said:

“Agree”

The Verdict: Never replaced

It is hard to disagree with this statement. After all, the £36m-valued 29-year-old (Transfermarkt) was an integral part of the side for seven years and even helped Spurs reach the Champions League final in 2019, which they ultimately lost to Liverpool 2-0 in Madrid.

It was after that match that he stated his desire to seek a new challenge (The Guardian).

Since then, things have not gone well for either. Spurs have only played one more Champions League campaign, while Eriksen has managed just eight goals in 60 games for Inter. Unfortunately, the Lilywhites fan favourite has not played since he suffered a cardiac arrest playing for Denmark this summer (Sky).

Perhaps a reunion of the two parties would not be the worst thing in the world if the playmaker’s health allows him to return to action.

In other news, this man has been urged to leave Tottenham.

West Ham have missed out on signing West Brom playmaker Matheus Pereira, first reported by ExWHUemployee. 

The midfielder chipped in with 12 goals and six assists from his 34 appearances for the Baggies last term, although his efforts weren’t quite enough to avoid relegation into the Championship.

West Ham were interested in a deal to sign Pereira, as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of the 2021/22 campaign and find a suitable alternative to Jesse Lingard.

But they have now missed out on the Brazilian’s signature as he has penned a deal with Saudi-Arabian side Al-Hilal.

Ex-WHUemployee first shared to Hammers fans that they were no longer pushing to sign the 25-year-old, and it’s fair to say they didn’t take it well.

Take a look at the best of the reaction from Twitter below, where Irons supporters are growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of transfer activity this summer…

Hammers fans react

“This club is such a joke. Until we get no ownership there is no point is us being excited. Our best season ever is followed with the areola signing I love and sales and nothing else. Can’t wait for them to sell rice for a cheap fee also because they just see $$$ coming in.”

Credit: @HubVikings

“We are actually embarrassing at times.”

Credit: @Borzenii

“What are we doing.”

Credit: @RB_Younger

“At this point…… Who is going to join us, we have become a club that people don’t want to join, and who can blame them with the chuckle brothers and girl blunder at the helm.”

Credit: @DrTWarley

“I believe in the squad, I think we will have a good season, it just could have been better, westham will never be a consistent top table team with the poor investments!”

Credit: @RossFright

“Why do we always leave things so late, I’d of taken Danny Ings in a heartbeat.”

Credit: @gavin_stanley

“I think we are in some serious trouble. Can’t maintain presence in two competitions with our paper-thin squad.”

Credit: @MrshllClrke

“This club is so embarrassing.”

Credit: @AnthonyDRegan1

A transfer expert has revealed that Thomas Strakosha now ‘wants’ a move to Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Too many goals conceded

Saturday’s 3-3 draw against Brentford at St James’ Park meant that the Magpies have now conceded no fewer than 27 goals in their first 12 Premier League games, the joint-worst record with Norwich City, as they sit bottom of the table (Premier League).

Karl Darlow was guilty of a bad mistake for Ivan Toney’s equalising goal to make it 1-1, as he let the ball slip through his fingers, suggesting that either he needs to be dropped, or the Tynesiders need to bring in a new first-choice goalkeeper in the January transfer window.

Newcastle have recently been linked with a move for Barcelona and Germany shot-stopper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but given that they currently find themselves in a relegation battle, it could be very difficult to lure him away from the La Liga giants.

The Latest: Strakosha ‘wants’ move

As per journalist and transfer expert Ekrem Konur, Strakosha now ‘wants’ to move to the Magpies from Lazio.

He is out of contract in the summer and therefore can leave on a free transfer, but the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium may want to explore a potential cut-price deal in January.

The Verdict: Not a priority

As Eddie Howe already has Darlow, Martin Dubravka and Freddie Woodman already in his squad, signing another ‘keeper should not be a priority for now.

However, if they can offload a couple of those, then signing Strakosha – potentially on the cheap – would represent good business.

Once dubbed a ‘phenomenon’ by former Lazio goalkeeper Silvio Proto, the Albania international is playing at a high level in the Europa League, while he has also featured in the Champions League and Serie A (Transfermarkt).

His 6 foot 4 frame makes him a colossus, and possibly imposing to Premier League strikers, while he is only 26 years of age as well and will likely get better as he matures in between the posts.

Nonetheless, other clubs will surely be interested in an established ‘keeper who can leave for free in just a few months’ time, so the Magpies would need to pounce fast if they want Strakosha.

In other news, these were Newcastle’s three worst performers against Brentford

According to Italian news outlet Corriere Fiorentino, as relayed by Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur chiefs have held a meeting with the entourage of striking target Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Vlahovic deal…

It is no secret that Spurs and new boss Antonio Conte wish to sign the talented 21-year-old amid his precarious future at current club Fiorentina.

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Club president Rocco Commisso recently confirmed that the player has rejected offers to make him the highest paid player in their history, perhaps indicating that Vlahovic has one eye on a move away.

His current deal expires in 2023, meaning Fiorentina are under some pressure to sell, with Spurs, Conte and managing director Fabio Paratici apparently in agreement to target him (TUTTOmercatoWEB).

The Latest: Spurs meet with Vlahovic reps…

As per Corriere Fiorentino (via SW), Tottenham chiefs have met with the player’s entourage in London as the Lilywhites table a ‘proposal’ to sign Vlahovic.

However, it has been deemed ‘insufficient’ by his agents and, according to the Italian source, ‘no one has given the feeling of being able to get close to the almost €80m (£67.1m) that Rocco Commisso is asking for’.

The Verdict: Blow for Spurs…

Vlahovic stands out as one of Tottenham’s, perhaps, most crucial targets over the next year given their need for a striking back up to Harry Kane.

The 28-year-old is no stranger to the occasional injury at Spurs and one period on the sidelines could spell disaster in the forward areas.

As well as this, Vlahovic is a proven marksman and one of the most in-form strikers in Europe right now – having netted 12 goals and three assists in 14 appearances already this season (Transfermarkt).

Lauded as ‘incredible’ by Serie A expert Conor Clancy (This is Futbol), we highly recommend Spurs return to the table with an improved bid.

In other news: Spurs agreement to sign £200,000-per-week star possible as Paratici makes exciting plea to club chiefs, find out more here.

Flocking to Twitter, some West Ham United fans have reacted to an ExWHUemployee update involving Chelsea striker and transfer target Tammy Abraham.

The 23-year-old, who has been heavily linked with a move to east London this summer as his club eye a sale, remains on the radar of manager David Moyes as he seeks a new striker.

Journalist Ekrem Konur even claimed that he is the priority summer target for West Ham with the club set to open talks ‘next week’.

The Irons need to sign a new forward given Michail Antonio’s concerning injury record over 2020/2021, with ExWHUemployee now dropping another update on their pursuit of Abraham.

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He explained, via his West Ham Way Podcast, that the forward is their number one striker choice this summer and is actually very keen to join the club.

In reaction to this update, some Hammers fans had their say on social media with the majority seemingly eager to land Abraham as their new striker signing.

Find all of their best verdicts, in reply to West Ham Central, down below.

ExWHUemployee’s update has some West Ham fans talking

“Get it done!”

Credit: @louiefootball

“Serious player”

Credit: @ellisreidwhu

“To come home to all this news from @ExWHUemployee what a day”

Credit: @joshcaine9

“On my knees”

Credit: @whuryan_

“PLEASE”

Credit: @NathKHart

“Tammy and Pereira”

Credit: @_thejacobc_

In other news: Talks opened – West Ham source shares news as Moyes transfer-lists yet another player, find out more here.

When it comes to replacing Carlo Ancelotti as Everton manager, it will be a particularly hard task.

The Italian is one of the most decorated managers of the modern era so his exit from Goodison Park will be felt hard by Farhad Moshiri and the club’s hierarchy.

They have shortlisted former Everton bosses David Moyes and Roberto Martinez as they eye a successor while they’ve also considered figures synonymous with the red side of Merseyside.

Rafa Benitez has been linked with the vacancy but a fierce rival of the Toffees down the years is also under consideration from the top brass; Steven Gerrard.

The former Liverpool skipper played 33 times in the Merseyside derby, ending on the losing side in just five of those clashes. He tormented Everton with ten goals and four assists but it’s hard to deny he wouldn’t be a good appointment.

Supporters may not approve of such a rival joining their club but there is one area where the ex-midfielder has thrived since becoming a manager.

Gerrard is currently in charge of Rangers where he recently led them to their first Scottish Premiership crown in ten years. It was a historic triumph for the 41-year-old who guided his team through an entire league season without tasting defeat.

At the same time, he steered Rangers to the latter stages of the Europa League as he proved he can fight on multiple fronts.

It was a season that saw Sir Alex Ferguson turn against his loyalties to call the Englishman “magnificent.”

It’s hard to argue against that assessment. After all, the defensive record the Gers put together under Gerrard was nothing short of sensational.

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This would prove beneficial for an Everton side who shipped 48 goals this term, the third-worst record in the Premier League’s top ten.

Defensive mistakes littered their play, particularly towards the back end of the campaign where Mason Holgate slipped up against Aston Villa and then Ancelotti watched Manchester City dispatch the Toffees 5-0 on the final day.

However, Gerrard could revive Everton in this department because he turned Rangers into a defensive powerhouse.

The Liverpudlian saw his backline concede just 13 league goals as they kept an extraordinary 26 clean sheets. As for their record across every competition, they managed to achieve 34 shutouts.

Compare that to the Toffees and the difference is night and day. They only kept 12 clean sheets from their 38 league outings this term, a respectable but fairly ordinary tally.

They’ve held talks with Nuno Santo to be their new manager but if they’re looking for a defensively sturdy coach, he cannot be considered. Wolves kept even fewer clean sheets than Everton this term with only ten in the Premier League.

As the Goodison Park outfit harbour ambitions of qualifying for the Champions League, they will need to shore up their backline to have any chance. Gerrard could well elevate their hopes if given the opportunity by Moshiri.

AND in other news, “Exciting” 43 y/o keen on landing Everton job, he’s a better option than Nuno Santo…

Many Everton fans have been left fuming as a transfer update emerged on Nathangelo Markelo.

According to the official website of the Merseyside club, the U23 player has completed a permanent move to PSV and will now link up with their U23 team, managed by Manchester United and Premier League legend Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Markelo played in a total of 59 games for the Blues’ U23’s over all competitions, scoring two goals and making a further four assists, but never made a senior appearance at Goodison Park (Transfermarkt).

Still, with the departure of promising youngster Thierry Small to Southampton this week as well, the anger of some Toffees supporters that they keep on losing players from the Academy without looking like replacing them is understandable, as they represent the future of the club.

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Everton fans on Markelo transfer update

These Blues were left fuming as the exit news was confirmed by the club on their Twitter page:

“The pathway from the U23’s to the first team has all but vanished in the last 6-7 years.”

Credit: @JamesBrownEFC

“Did you get a fee? Suspect not. Are you not looking across other youth set ups who flog players produced for £ or actually make the first team and wondering what you are doing wrong? You should be. Rhino was a great servant but come on wake up to the abject failure”

Credit: @toffee5000

“Getting rid of our youngsters again why why why?”

Credit: @garrybutter

“Another brilliant signing that done absolutely nothing, that’s my club”

Credit: @DC_1878_

“Another failed youngster by Unsworth. Get him out!!”

Credit: @PaulKershaw0555

“Loyalty to Unsworth in the U23s is just pathetic. Nothing is coming out of this group”Credit: @CJ27__In other news, find out who else’s exit has Evertonians talking here!

Tottenham Hotspur have entered the race to sign highly-promising central midfielder Ilaix Moriba…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Daily Mail, who claim Spurs are exploring a potential move for the 18-year-old Barcelona prodigy before next week’s transfer deadline.

It’s thought that the north London outfit has held talks with representatives of Moriba in the past week but are cautious over their prospects of sealing him due to the competition vying for his signature.

Arch-rivals Arsenal, as well as fellow Premier League sides Chelsea and Manchester City have been mooted with interest, whilst the youngster rejected the La Liga giant’s initial offer of a new deal.

Moriba’s contract runs out in a year’s time, so the Catalan outfit may be forced into a sale sooner rather than later.

Get it done!

After the signing of Bryan Gil and links to another young midfielder in Pape Sarr, it seems as if the club’s hierarchy, led by new sporting director Fabio Paratici, are planning for an exciting future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The arrival of Moriba would add an interesting dimension to Nuno Santo’s midfield and following his breakthrough last season, he could compete for a first-team place right off the bat.

Already valued at £22.5m, the teenage wonderkid made 14 league and four European and domestic cup appearances, in which he scored one goal and provided three assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Whilst these numbers hardly jump off the page, the glowing endorsement over the type of player he is, should do.

“He’s physically very strong, but he’s also a very intelligent player,” claimed Denis Silva Puig, who coached Moriba on Barcelona’s Juvenil A team. “Most people don’t appreciate this. Here he’s called the ‘[Paul] Pogba of Barca’ because he’s like a young Pogba, but also he is very, very intelligent—and that is his big potential. He is a top player, no doubt.”

Also lauded as a “box-to-box” no.6 by another former youth coach Oscar Hernandez, Moriba is likely to be the next big thing to emerge from Barca’s famed La Masia academy.

His sort of presence alongside the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and the re-emerging Dele Alli could be one exciting prospect – especially for the latter, who could do with a box-to-box sort to allow him to thrive in a more advanced role, something that was executed every so well under Mauricio Pochettino.

Moriba and Alli could spearhead the engine room for several more years to come.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Ndombele: Paratici could find Spurs’ next Dembele in £26m “outstanding talent”…

Manchester United’s hopes of Europa League glory were ended in dramatic fashion as Villarreal triumphed 11-10 in a thrilling penalty shootout.

After Gerard Moreno put the La Liga outfit ahead, connecting with a well-taken Dani Parejo free-kick, United struggled to break down their organised and compact opponents.

The Yellow Submarines had been well-drilled by former Arsenal boss Unai Emery, but a deflected shot fell kindly into Edinson Cavani’s path early in the second half for the Uruguay international to slot into an unguarded net.

However, the Red Devils failed to build any momentum on the back of their fortuitous equaliser, and in a game lacking in quality where only three shots on target were recorded, the game meandered through extra time without any incident of note.

After 20 successful penalties from both teams, it was down to the respective goalkeepers to decide the tie, and after Geronimo Rulli cooly tucked his spot-kick into the top corner, the Argentine keeper got down low to keep David de Gea’s tame effort out and a lot of focus post-match has been on De Gea’s performance.

Whilst questions can be asked of De Gea’s shootout showing, it’s hard to pin all the blame for the loss on him. No United player covered themself in glory bar the impressive Scott McTominay, although one man, in particular, let his teammates and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer down with an extremely underwhelming performance.

As per SofaScore, Marcus Rashford won just six of his 19 duels on Wednesday evening, epitomising his desperately poor showing in Gdansk.

The lightweight display meant the Old Trafford outfit struggled to keep hold of the ball in the attacking third of the pitch, with him often losing out to a Villarreal defender before any meaningful progress had been made and allowed the Spanish side to regain possession far too easily.

Rashford has had a fairly impressive season for his boyhood club, scoring 21 goals and providing 15 assists for his teammates in all competitions, yet the £76.5m-rated forward (as per Transfermarkt) was unable to find his best form in the biggest game of the campaign.

The England international is often very effective at dragging his team up the pitch and creating havoc with his direct nature and dazzling dribbling, but even that side of his game let him down in midweek.

Only three of Rashford’s nine attempted dribbles were successful as attack after attack was broken down with the ball at the 23-year-old’s feet.

We’re sure the young winger will come back stronger next season for his shocking experience in this European final, but it was certainly a night to forget for Rashford and on a night where he was needed to stand up and be counted, Rashford was a shadow of himself and he let his manager down with his poor showing.

And, in other news…James Cooper drops huge Man Utd transfer claim that’ll surely have fans buzzing 

Renowned Glasgow Rangers podcasters Heart & Hand have been left reacting to some injury news that has now emerged on Kemar Roofe.

The Lowdown: Team news

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, Giovanni van Bronckhorst revealed that Aaron Ramsey has been ruled out for the next few games through injury, but should be back for their home leg against RB Leipzig in the UEFA Europa League semi-final.

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The Dutch manager confirmed that they also have a ‘problem’ with Roofe after he injured his knee last time out, and the club now hope that he too will return for the home leg.

The Latest: Podcasters react

Taking to Twitter, Heart & Hand gave their immediate reaction to the news on Roofe, claiming that it is a ‘huge blow’ for the Ibrox faithful:

“Huge blow losing Roofe but it is what is. Fingers crossed he’s back for 2nd leg.”

The Verdict: Not ideal

It is certainly not ideal to be losing Roofe for the next few matches, especially given that Alfredo Morelos is already out.

The striker has come off the back of four goals and two assists in his last three appearances in all competitions, including a hat-trick away at St. Mirren last time out in the Scottish Premiership (Transfermarkt).

He has made an impact not just in the SPFL, but the Europa League and Scottish Cup as well, and has certainly stepped up to the plate in Morelos’ absence.

Nonetheless, his injury now leaves the Teddy Bears a little light up top.

In other news, find out what fresh transfer update this Gers insider has now dropped here!