All posts by z3u9t.icu

West Ham United defender Issa Diop will quite possibly be at a career crossroads this summer, and fresh claims cast doubt over his future in east London.

In 2018, the French centre-back cost the Irons a then club-record £22m, and at one stage he looked to be set for huge things as the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United were credited with interest following an impressive start to life in England.

However, he has now found himself in and out of the team under David Moyes and is potentially West Ham’s fourth-choice centre-back heading into next season.

This week, The Athletic’s ‘U Irons’ podcast discussed the 24-year-old, who is soon to enter the peak years of his career, and journalist Sam Delaney hinted that the Hammers could be enticed into a sale this summer.

He said: “I think from West Ham’s point of view, considering that we never have much money to spend, who does? And if we want to make some decent signings, we’re going to have to sell.

“To me, he’s a prime candidate because usually, we sell players who don’t have much value. So really, it’s just an exercise in getting them off of the wage bill. But you look at Diop’s age you sort of think he’s someone who can still fetch a reasonable fee for but he is not first choice.”

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If GSB are to sanction any exit, they won’t be too pleased with how Diop’s value has crashed in recent years. Back in July 2019, he was valued at a whopping £31.5m, so it’s no wonder the aforementioned interest from West Ham’s top-flight rivals were alongside a mooted £60m asking price.

However, due to a lack of game-time and poor form, the 6 foot 4 colossus is now rated at just £16.2m, a drastic decrease of 48%, as per Transfermarkt.

Once lauded a “monster” by Jose Mourinho, Diop has slipped behind Moyes’ first-choice duo Craig Dawson, who signed permanently from Watford earlier this month, and Angelo Ogbonna as well as Aaron Cresswell, who has often acted as a third option in a centre-back three.

It would therefore make sense to cash in on the former Toulouse defender if he’s not going to contribute considering that he’s only 24, but it’ll be a huge blow to GSB that his value has dropped substantially.

AND in other news, Moyes could seal WHU bargain in 62-goal beast who Haaland dubbed “crazy”…

Tottenham Hotspur chief Fabio Paratici could get the club rocking again with an audacious move this January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato (via FourFourTwo), the north Londoners want to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus as the eye him to be Antonio Conte’s first statement signing at Spurs.

Despite costing the Serie A giants around £63m in the summer of 2019, the Dutch international has struggled to make much of an impact at the Allianz Stadium.

The 22-year-old penned a five-year £200k-per-week deal at the time, in which a £125m release clause was included. However, his current value sits around the £63m mark, per Transfermarkt.

De Ligt remedy

This could be quite the statement of intent for the Conte era indeed as de Ligt is widely considered to be one of Europe’s best young talents in his position. That much should be evident from the sizeable investment the Turin outfit made for his signature over two years ago.

Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez, in reality, aren’t reliable enough to be trusted for the long-term and both played their own roles in Spurs having a quite error-prone backline last season.

Meanwhile, it’s clear to see that Italian does not think either Joe Rodon or Japhet Tanganga are ready as he’s utilised left-back Ben Davies in a three-man defence instead.

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And then there is Cristian Romero’s persistent injury problems. He may have picked up yet another knock this international break, so there’s no denying that the new Lilywhites boss could do with an additional centre-back in January.

Spurs have the worst goal difference of any side ranked 14th or above and they have slipped all the way down to ninth in the standings. They could do with a massive spark in 2022 and this signing could do exactly that.

De Ligt currently rates out as Massimiliano Allegri’s fourth-best performer in the Italian top-flight this season, managing a better average WhoScored rating (6.81) than the legendary duo of Giorgio Chiellini (6.73) and Leonardo Bonucci (6.59).

It’s no wonder he has been dubbed an “absolute monster” by European football expert Carlo Garganese as recently as last year.

Meanwhile, his agent Mino Raiola, described his young client as an “oil tanker,” adding: “You can’t expect him to suddenly turn 90 degrees. He goes steadily. But, once he’s on course, he can’t be stopped.”

Also capped 31 times by Holland, the 6 foot 2 colossus would be a signing that Conte would absolutely love to have at the club. His ‘very strong’ ball-playing ability and defensive qualities make him a sure-fire fit to his Italian-based system.

Paratici and co must secure a sensational swoop for de Ligt this January, he could give the whole club a boost with just how huge of a statement it would be.

AND in other news, Kessie and Vlahovic signed? Conte’s terrifying predicted Spurs XI after January masterclass…

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.

While Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side overcame a rather large hurdle in the Premiership title race on Thursday evening, securing a 1-0 win over third-placed Hearts, the victory came at quite a significant cost for the 56-year-old manager and his side.

Indeed, Jota, Stephen Welsh and Anthony Ralston all had to be substituted due to injury, while Carl Stafelt also appeared to finish the fixture with a knock to his knee.

As such, it looks as if Celtic will travel to Dundee United today with something of a depleted squad. However, speaking after the Hearts game, Postecoglou suggested that the injuries picked up by a number of his regular starters will, in turn, provide an opportunity for those who are yet to get many games under their belt this term.

The 56-year-old said: “We saw on Thursday night that Adam Montgomery had to come on and he has not played for four or five weeks. We still have a fair chunk of important games coming up after [Real] Betis so it makes sense to get some minutes into some of the other guys so that when we call on them they will have played in this period.

“James McCarthy, Mikey Johnston, Liel Abada and Nir Bitton all come into that category. There is an opportunity to get some minutes into their legs and have them ready when required.”

Postecoglou must unleash Johnston

One of the players Postecoglou mentions above, Mikey Johnston, would appear to be in more need than most for regular first-team minutes, as, since his return from injury earlier this season, the 22-year-old has started just once for the Hoops.

Indeed, the winger has endured a frustrating last couple of years at Celtic, with the £900k-rated man featuring in just 10 fixtures last season due to injury, as well as missing a large portion of the start of the current campaign with a knock.

However, the former Scotland U21 international has proven that, when he is fully fit, he can be an extremely useful player in the Bhoys’ attack, scoring six goals and registering six assists over 22 appearances back in 2019/20, as well as bagging five goals and one assist over 23 appearances in 2018/19.

Furthermore, Celtic captain Callum McGregor is quite clearly convinced of the £7.9k-per-week forward’s ability, with the 28-year-old midfielder stating: “He’s such a brilliant talent, bags of ability, bags of potential and he’s one as well that the manager’s asking a lot of him physically.

“He’s responding really well and the guys are doing some great work with him in the physio department and sports science to really get him to a level where he can go and make that impact. Against Hibs, I thought he was sensational.”

As such, with it being clear that Postecoglou simply must begin rotating his side more frequently if he is to avoid a catastrophic injury crisis at Parkhead, the 56-year-old must unleash Johnston against Dundee United this afternoon, as the winger could well prove to play pivotal in Celtic’s Premiership push this season – if given the chance.

In other news: Ange must seal Celtic deal for “prominent” £13m-rated beast who “stole the show” in EL

Liverpool slipped to their fifth-straight home defeat in the Premier League as they lost 1-0 to Chelsea on Thursday night.

Pearce reacts

The Reds lost out to a well-taken Mason Mount strike just before half-time, in a game where Jurgen Klopp’s side only managed to register just one shot on target during the 90 minutes.

The German tactician’s substitutions raised some eyebrows on the night – taking off the Premier League’s top goalscorer Mohamed Salah after the hour mark. Despite having Naby Keita at his disposal, he brought James Milner on as his final change as opposed to the more creative midfielder.

This move from Klopp confused Pearce. Replying to a fan on The Athletic’s Q&A session after the full-time whistle, the journalist seemed baffled by the decision not to feature Keita when Liverpool were chasing a goal.

He said: “Naby Keita would have been [a better choice to bring on]. Very odd decision. The subs didn’t improve LFC tonight. Liverpool just don’t attack with the same kind of fluidity and intensity. The structure of the team looks wrong.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Pearce is spot on here. It looks as if Klopp made changes just to go with some fresh legs – as opposed to a shift of tactics.

Keita’s attacking prowess could have provided Liverpool with a different dimension. While they were much better in the second half, the Reds’ number eight may have provided some cutting edge in the final third.

While injuries at the back have been an issue, going forward, Liverpool look incredibly lacklustre and some tough decisions need to be made.

In other news, Emile Heskey believes Liverpool mainstay needs to ‘take a backseat.’

Carlo Ancelotti must recall Allan to the Everton starting line-up for Monday night’s Premier League clash with top four rivals Chelsea.

The Toffees travel to Stamford Bridge following back-to-back wins against Southampton and West Bromwich Albion this week, which saw the Goodison Park natives move fourth in the table before Thomas Tuchel’s Blues beat Liverpool at Anfield on Thursday.

Allan featured from the off in Everton’s narrow 1-0 win at home to Southampton on Monday night before being benched at The Hawthorns, where his energy and determination was profoundly missed throughout the first half.

Ancelotti had sought to afford the £21m summer signing from Serie A side Napoli a rest away to Sam Allardyce’s relegation-threatened Baggies, having been keen to manage his £70,000-per-week enforcer’s workload after the 30-year-old made his first start since December against the Saints.

Allan had been sidelined for two months after sustaining a hamstring injury away to Leicester City on December 16, but showed no signs of rustiness on his return to action at home to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s St Mary’s natives.

“I think he was in good condition, motivated, wanted to play,” Ancelotti said after the game, via quotes in the Liverpool Echo. “We have to take care a little bit after two months out, but his performance was really good, as usual. His consistency is really high and always at the top.”

Ancelotti sorely missed that presence in his engine room during the first half at West Brom on Thursday and wasted little time after the break before introducing Allan from the bench, to see the 10-cap Brazil midfielder do what he always does by keeping it simple and keeping Everton in control.

Only Lucas Digne (32) and Andre Gomes (25) took more touches for the Toffees than Allan (24) during his 32 minutes on the field at The Hawthorns, per WhoScored, as he set out to instigate Ancelotti’s plan to perfection.

“Allan coming on was probably about getting on the ball and getting us playing, sit in there and dictate us going forward – and then probably me to create or score a goal because it was 0-0,” Gylfi Sigurdsson, who assisted Richarlison’s winner, said after the game.

Ancelotti must now recall Allan to his starting line-up for a third appearance in eight days when Everton visit Chelsea on Monday night, as the Italian tactician can ill-afford to allow the Blues a single chance to set the tone in the game.

The Stamford Bridge outfit are resurgent under Tuchel, winning seven of their 10 games played under the former Paris Saint-Germain head coach and drawing the other three, while appearing solid as a rock just two months on from being a side brimming with insecurities under Frank Lampard.

Liverpool found that out the hard way as they became the latest scalp taken after results against Atletico Madrid and Manchester United last month, with the defending Premier League champions restricted to a single shot on target while playing at home.

Chelsea were not perfect at Anfield and did not take their chances to punish the Reds more, but made it count and saw that Tuchel stated: “This is a brave team and in big games, they show up.”

Monday’s clash at Stamford Bridge is a huge game for Everton’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, on a night when Ancelotti needs his biggest, bravest and best players – like Allan – front and centre of the stage pulling the strings in the Toffees’ favour.

AND in other news, Everton can sign a £13.5m-rated brute Carlo Ancelotti thinks is “excellent” for free…

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!

Carlo Ancelotti must unleash Anthony Gordon in Everton’s Boxing Day trip to Sheffield United with the Toffees potentially without Richarlison.

The Blues travel to Bramall Lane looking to match last season’s 1-0 win over Chris Wilder’s Blades but could be without game-winner Richarlison, after he was substituted off during Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester United.

And according to The Guardian, the Goodison Park natives are awaiting the results of further tests to determine whether or not Richarlison can feature against Sheffield United as the club refuses to breach the Football Association’s concussion protocols.

Richarlison has claimed in a message shared on Twitter that “everything is fine” after receiving an accidental elbow to the head in a collision with Eric Bailly, which saw Everton’s club doctor instruct Ancelotti to withdraw the Brazilian from the game.

Everton are yet to win a top-flight fixture without Richarlison featuring at some stage since his £50m arrival from Watford in 2018, including all three Premier League fixtures this season whilst the 23-year-old was suspended after a red card in the Merseyside Derby.

Ancelotti will be eager to avoid a repeat string of results should Richarlison not be eligible to face Sheffield United, and therefore must turn to Gordon and hand the academy product his first league start of the campaign.

Gordon has played just 32 minutes of Premier League football this season, including a sole one-minute cameo since October, despite offering three assists in two Carabao Cup appearances during the early rounds in September.

The 19-year-old was clearly surprised by his limited opportunities to impress after catching Ancelotti’s attention last term, but looked positively on the situation having spoken with the Everton boss to discuss a route back into the Italian’s plans.

“I didn’t go and bang his door down, I went and asked politely: ‘What can I do better to get in the team?’,” Gordon told EvertonTV. “I always want to get better and improve as a player. I just wanted his views on that – he gave me his view and I am trying to work on that every day.”

Ancelotti had noted after a sublime display against Leicester City in July how he felt ready to invest “a lot of trust and confidence” in Gordon, believing the England U20 international is “physically good and has a lot of ability and technical skills”.

That confidence has clearly not returned the chances Gordon would have liked this season, but the potential loss of Richarlison perfectly re-opens the door for Ancelotti to usher the teenage prospect back into the fold.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands will have to ditch his favoured Everton approach to sign a sought-after £18m enforcer.

Numerous Manchester City fans have been reacting to the bizarre news that Sir Alex Ferguson visited the Lowry Hotel, where Paris Saint-Germain are staying, ahead of the Champions League semi-final on Tuesday.

The Citizens face the Ligue 1 champions at the Etihad Stadium tonight as they aim to reach the final of Europe’s premier club competition. They won the first leg at the Parc des Princes last week 2-1, so a solid performance this time around should be enough to see them through.

Ferguson is a Manchester United legend, having won numerous trophies at Old Trafford during a 26-and-a-halfyear spell at the club. It may seem to some that he doesn’t want to see City succeed though, as he just so happened to visit the same hotel at which PSG are staying hours before kick-off.

The news was shared on Twitter by the Manchester Evening News’ official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of interest from City supporters. These fans took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts on the matter.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Ferguson news below

“Disgusting”

Credit: @ThisIsDIR

“This club are sinking deeper than I ever thought was possible”

Credit: @Dylan_Currie01

“This has to be a joke”

Credit: @CjKofi

“they’re so obsessed with us”

Credit: @jessmcfcx

“imagine such hatred”

Credit: @FaraiCharuma

“So weird. Honestly.”

Credit: @CSR2693

In other news, some Man City fans fumed at this Premier League news.

Manchester United will be without one first-team star when they head to Italy this evening…

What’s the latest?

The Red Devils face AS Roma in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final tie, and arguably they already have one foot in the final, having won 6-2 at Old Trafford last week.

However, United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer won’t be able to call upon Daniel James after ruling him out ahead of tonight’s kick-off.

He told reporters, via the club’s official website:

“We didn’t get any injuries at the weekend. We trained well after that but Dan James is not available. He’s still out for a little while.”

Gutting blow

This will come as an annoying blow to the Manchester giants, even if they are in a very strong position.

It would be a massive surprise to see the Serie A outfit turn around a four-goal lead, especially after their capitulation in the first leg, so to not have a player that was in line to start this sort of encounter is certainly a setback.

James has started three of United’s last six league games, when fit and has emerged as an interesting option on the wing in the recent absence of Anthony Martial, who also remains out.

The 23-year-old did not feature in the 6-2 whitewash but was named on the bench, and given Solskjaer is likely to rotate his squad tonight, James would have undoubtedly been in line to start the match.

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He has featured in all but one of their Europa League matches since exiting the Champions League group stages earlier this year, starting five of seven outings, as per Transfermarkt.

Solskjaer may be understandably angry to not have him available here.

Furthermore, United’s crucial game with Liverpool on Sunday was postponed due to a fan demonstration inside and outside the ground, as well as at the team’s hotel.

That game will now be played in a week’s time, meaning they’ll have four games in the space of a week, making the need for rotation tonight all that more important so not having James available is a huge blow.

Without the Welshman, Solskjaer will now frustratingly need to turn to one of his usual starters, one that he would have probably liked to have seen rested ahead of a tough week against Aston Villa, top-of-the-table rivals Leicester City, and now their Merseyside enemies.

In his absence, we could see teenage starlet Anthony Elanga, who could make his senior debut after being named in the 24-man squad, feature whilst Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Juan Mata will also make the trip.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit claims Man Utd youngster can be the best in the world…