All posts by z3u9t.icu

West Ham will host Lyon at the London Stadium in the first leg of their Europe League quarter-final challenge tonight, and David Moyes must hit the ground running by capitalising on the home advantage, however, there has been a setback in the team ahead of the clash.

What’s the word?

The Hammers manager took to his pre-match press conference to deliver some uncertainty surrounding Coufal’s fitness, despite being on the substitutes bench against Everton last weekend.

Moyes told the press: “Vladimir [Coufal] we’ve brought back and we’re still not totally convinced he’s 100 per cent, so he might just need a bit more time.”

Moyes will be gutted

This European game against Lyon is the biggest clash of the season for the Hammers, so potentially losing out on the opportunity to play one of the most important defensive players in his system will surely leave Moyes gutted ahead of the clash.

Coufal looked likely to make his return in the Premier League last weekend, but the Scottish manager chose to keep him rested and was likely hoping that further time on the bench would make him available for tonight’s game, however it is now looking likely he won’t be selected to start.

The 29-year-old right-back has been out since February after needing groin surgery following an ongoing problem but has been effective in his game-time prior to that with three assists in the Premier League this season whilst averaging two clearances and 1.7 tackles per game, as well as winning the majority of his duels combined (53%) and creating four big chances for the Hammers, according to SofaScore.

With that being said, Ben Johnson has been confirmed available which will surely be a huge boost for Moyes and the team going into the difficult game this evening and the 22-year-old defender should be able to offer enough defensively to make up for Coufal’s absence against Lyon.

West Ham will need to aim to get a good head start against their opponents whilst they have their home advantage in the first leg, with the decider game taking place against the Ligue One side in France a week today.

In other news: Moyes axes £38k-p/w “threat” & “incredible” 22 y/o returns in WHU predicted XI vs Lyon

Alex Neil’s Sunderland side host Shrewsbury at the Stadium of Light on Friday evening, with a win against the Shrews being imperative if the Black Cats wish to keep their League One play-off dreams alive over the remaining games of the season.

The table is incredibly tight around the play-off places, with Sunderland, Wycombe Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday all currently on 73 points. And, with only seven games left to seal their spot in the top six, the Mackems know they cannot afford any slips ups in the run-in.

Shrewsbury have lost and drawn their last two games, whilst Alex Neil’s side remain unbeaten in their last eight league fixtures, and with their opponents safe from relegation in 16th, Sunderland must capitalise on the fact that Steve Cotterill’s outfit have nothing left to play for this season.

With that being said, selecting a team that will prove most effective in their final push for promotion must be a priority for Neil, with one player who has undoubtedly proven he can deliver when needed being Elliot Embleton.

Indeed, Embleton has been the linchpin in Sunderland’s climb back into the top six, bagging two late goal contributions that have won his team their last two games, providing an assist for Nathan Broadhead’s last-minute winner against Gillingham and bagging an 89th-minute goal against play-off challengers Oxford United last weekend.

The 23-year-old was previously hailed a “nightmare” by former Black Cats midfielder Max Power, who was full of praise for his former teammate an episode of the SAFC Unfiltered podcast:

“He’s someone who sees that pass that other players don’t. He’s a nightmare to play against in training because he can go either way, shoot off both feet.”

The midfielder has contributed six goals and eight assists over his 40 appearances in all competitions this season, while also having been a consistent attacking threat over his 33 League One outings – being successful with 56% of his attempted dribbles, creating four big chances and making an average of 1.2 key passes per game.

Embleton competes for a spot in the team with Patrick Roberts and Jack Clarke, however, he has surely proven that he should be one of the first names on the team sheet against Shrewsbury, owing to his contributions of late.

Ultimately, Sunderland must continue their recent run of form and keep the momentum going in order to clear the last hurdle in the push for promotion, and unleashing Embleton in the line-up could reward the Black Cats with a third winning contribution in a row from the 23-year-old sensation.

AND in other news: Neil must avoid disaster on £1.4k-p/w “young Paul Gascoigne”, he’s SAFC’s biggest hope

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Celtic have been rebuffed in their attempts to sign Colin Dagba as they step up their search for a right-back, according to reports from French website RMC.

What’s the story?

The 20-year-old has made three Ligue 1 appearances this season for Paris Saint Germain but appears to have a real fan in manager Thomas Tuchel, who doesn’t want the promising defender to leave.

It’s claimed Celtic would have liked to sign Dagba, although no time-frame is given for the Scottish champions expressing their interest, however Tuchel isn’t interested in parting with a youngster who recently signed a contract until 2023.

Search continues

France has proved to be a great recruiting ground for Brendan Rodgers. Moussa Dembele, Odsonne Edouard and Olivier Ntcham have all advanced their careers as Celtic swooped to a double treble.

That track record no doubt helped Celtic to take Timo Weah on loan earlier this month, so it’s natural the Hoops took a look at what PSG have in reserve for the problem position of right-back.

On this occasion the door seems closed but a lot can happen before midnight on Thursday as Celtic step up their search to bring in a right-back to compete with Mikael Lustig.

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Stade de Reims gem Hugo Ekitike…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the Magpies have made the striker their number one transfer target heading into the summer window.

They attempted to land him earlier this year and failed with an offer in the region of £20m. PIF are now in the driving seat to secure his services at the second time of asking ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Ligue 1 side are said to value him at £25m and Newcastle are now leading the race, ahead of their rivals, for his signature.

Forget Wilson

Chris Wood has not had the best of time in front of goal since making his switch from Burnley in the January transfer window. He has only scored one goal in 11 games for the club and this may be causing Toon fans to be anxiously anticipating the return of Callum Wilson from injury.

The ex-Bournemouth forward is the club’s top scorer in the Premier League with six strikes in 14 starts prior to picking up a knock in December.

However, they should now forget about Wilson as Ekitike would be an upgrade on the Englishman and is a player PIF must ensure that they are able to bring to the club in the coming months.

As you can see in the graphic above, Ekitike has outperformed Wilson in a number of key areas. He has a better goal-to-start ratio, scoring once every 1.55 starts, and has been more involved in the build-up play for his team with more key passes and completed dribbles, with both players playing in the top divisions of their respective countries.

This suggests that he would be an immediate upgrade in the number nine position if he is able to carry over his form to England, whilst he also has 11 years on the Toon forward and can lead the line for many years to come.

Ekitike is proving himself at the top level and Howe will surely love to work with him, whilst having Wilson and Wood as back-up options and competition for the Frenchman.

90min reporter Graeme Bailey previously claimed that he can be “the next Mbappe” and his impressive statistics at the tender age of 19 suggest that it is not a completely baseless prediction. He has an impressive goal return considering his team are 13th in the table, whilst the PSG man has 17 goals in 27 Ligue 1 outings – a strike every 1.58 matches. 

PIF must now get this prospective £25m deal over the line…

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

As per Torino Granata, a possible boost for West Ham United has come to light amid their links to Torino striker and soon-to-be free agent Andrea Belotti.

The Lowdown: Pellegrini fails in 2019 bid…

Multiple reports from 2019 have backed that the Hammers and former boss Manuel Pellegrini lodged a bid to sign the Italy international, but to no avail.

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Football Insider, Calciomercato and TUTTOmercatoWEB all claimed that West Ham made an offer for Belotti nearly three years ago with the striker coming as a name who will be familiar to supporters.

Out of contract this summer, it appears the 28-year-old will finally be on the way out of Turin and for free, gifting David Moyes and co a chance to solve their striker shortage with a long-term target.

The Latest: Belotti open to joining…

Torino Granata, sharing the latest on his future post-Torino, now claim that Belotti is open to joining West Ham this summer.

Indeed, according to their sources, a Premier League move for the forward cannot be ruled out.

It is believed that a move to the Irons or fellow interested side Newcastle ‘could be more attractive’ to Belotti.

The Verdict: Make the move…

An proven threat at both international and club level, bypassing Belotti’s estimated £25.2 million Transfermarkt valuation and snapping him up for nothing would be a very shrewd move.

Torino’s captain and figurehead is one of the Serie A big names set to make a headline-grabbing move this summer and we believe a transfer to West Ham may well be on the cards.

However, with Newcastle, Roma, Atalanta, Inter Milan and Toronto also on his trail, Moyes and co should waste no time making the striker an offer.

In other news: Blow for Moyes: Journalist says ‘underrated’ West Ham ace is now ‘ready to leave’! Find out more here.

With just one win in their past 13 Premier League games and a dismal 2-1 defeat against relegation strugglers Norwich City at the weekend, Rafa Benitez’s time in charge of Everton was brought to an end, leaving the Toffees in 16th place in the league table and on the hunt for a new manager.

In terms of who could come in as the next figure to try and steady the ship, it seems as though Everton owner Farhad Moshiri has one name in mind to come in and replace Benitez and try and get the Toffees’ season back on the rails.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Athletic by Everton journalist Patrick Boyland and Greg O’Keeffe, the Merseyside club have identified former Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre as a potential candidate to take the reins at Goodison Park.

During his stint in charge of Dortmund between July 2018 and December 2020, Favre took charge of 110 matches across all competitions, winning 68, drawing 17 and losing 25, which is an impressive record to have.

The 64-year-old has had spells at other German clubs such as Hertha BSC and Borussia Monchengladbach as well as having a period in charge of French club OGC Nice and FC Zurich in his native country of Switzerland, highlighting the experience he has in management.

Even though he hasn’t had a job since leaving Dortmund, this would give Everton the opportunity to get him to Goodison quicker than potentially any other manager they see as a possible candidate for the job that is currently working at another club.

In his own words, Favre has said in the past that his players “have to be ready to suffer in training,” suggesting just how much he expects from them. That could be just what Everton need to get the right attitude and work ethic in the squad that can deliver strong performances and positive results on the pitch.

After all, Benitez clearly didn’t get the most from his players but a stern coach such as Favre appears to fit the bill.

Moving forward, Everton should definitely make an approach to the Swiss boss in the coming days and weeks if they haven’t already to see if he would be willing to test his managerial abilities in the Premier League with a side that need a big change in fortunes before the end of the current campaign.

In other news: “As things stand”: Fabrizio Romano drops fresh EFC manager claim, fans surely relieved – opinion

Transfer insider Dean Jones believes there could be a shock twist on the future of Liverpool striker Divock Origi. 

The lowdown: Italy bound?

The 27-year-old, who once again endeared himself to the Anfield faithful with another Merseyside derby goal on Sunday, is widely expected to leave the club in the summer when his contract expires.

Recently, reputable journalist James Pearce admitted that an amicable departure was imminent with Serie A giants AC Milan the favourites to sign the popular Belgian frontman, with some reports even claiming an agreement will be found in Milan this week.

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However, a fresh update has emerged claiming it’s not too late for all parties to perform a major U-turn…

The latest: Jones makes claim

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones suggested there remains a possibility that Origi will still be plying his trade on Merseyside next season due to the ‘massive moments’ he produces.

“There’s loads of clubs that are a good potential fit for Origi, but I think it’s also going to depend on what he wants at this stage of his career.

“Whatever you say or think of him and whether he’s good enough to be in that Liverpool team, he has had some massive moments in a Liverpool shirt and he continues to have them.

“Jurgen Klopp absolutely loves him. If Klopp tells him he still has a role for him in that squad, I’d be surprised to see him leave.”

The verdict: Time has come

Seemingly on the brink of an exit for a number of transfer windows now, the prospect of keeping Origi and in turn offering the 32-cap Belgium ace a new deal is surely out of the question.

Albeit a man of multiple memorable moments, not least against the seven goals scored against cross-park rivals Everton, the striker who was hailed as ‘very unique’ by Jermaine Jenas has missed out on five Premier League match-day squads entirely in 2022 alone, suggesting he is not even a major option off the bench.

Despite a noteworthy return of nine direct goal contributions in 16 fleeting outings this season and well-established cult hero status on the Kop, the best option now for all parties would be a move away this summer.

In other news, a key Liverpool update has emerged regarding a superstar player. Read more here.

A number of Liverpool supporters are overjoyed after Harvey Elliott took part in a behind-closed-doors match, potentially the final step in his recovery from injury.

The Reds haven’t always convinced in midfield this season, with the likes of James Milner and Jordan Henderson arguably looking their age, while other key figures like Thiago have been injured.

One player who made an excellent start to the season was Elliott, with the 18-year-old enjoying a real breakthrough and starting three Premier League games in the early weeks.

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Sadly, the creative midfielder suffered a serious ankle injury in the 3-0 win at Leeds United back in September and he has been out of action ever since.

Elliott’s return to the fold is edging closer all the time, however, with journalist Paul Joyce taking to Twitter to confirm that the Liverpool youngster was playing in an Under-23s game against Wrexham on Saturday – he scored and provided an assist.

This is not the first piece of big news the supporters have been greeted with this week, with reliable reports claiming a deal for Porto star Luis Diaz should be wrapped up soon.

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Liverpool fans love Elliott latest

These Reds fans expressed their happiness at the news on Twitter, as Joyce confirmed Elliott could even be back in first-team action next weekend.

“This boy is special and he’s BACK”

Credit: @EmadZafar

“OMG my starboy is back”

Credit: @sweetsadio

“Love it”

Credit: @JamalJilloo

“My life just keeps getting better and better”

Credit: @SawkurGod

“Yesss”

Credit: @LFC_Lewis66

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @ste_malone

In other news, some Liverpool fans have mocked a Premier League rival after a key update. Read more here.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Stephy Mavididi to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Tuttomercatoweb (via TEAMtalk), who claim that both West Ham and Aston Villa are preparing late offers for the Montpellier forward – whom the Ligue 1 side are reported to be demanding a figure of around £15m to part with this month.

“Greyhound”

Mavididi somewhat struggled to make a name for himself after graduating from the Arsenal academy – enduring largely uninspiring loan spells at Charlton Athletic and Preston North End, before once again failing to make his mark after a £1.35m move to Juventus back in 2018.

However, since making a switch to France, the 23-year-old appears to have finally found his feet.

Indeed, joining Montpellier in a £5.67m deal in the summer of 2020, the former England U20 international has since scored 17 goals and registered three assists over his 62 appearances for La Paillade.

A large share of these returns have come this season, with the £8.1m-rated winger – who can also be deployed at centre-forward – having highly impressed over his 21 Ligue 1 appearances, scoring eight goals, providing three assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.1 shots and making 0.9 key passes per game.

These metrics have seen the player who Lee Bowyer dubbed a “greyhound” average a SofaScore match rating of 6.84, ranking him as Olivier Dall’Oglio’s sixth-best performer in the top flight of French football.

As such, should West Ham be successful with a late bid for the winger this month, David Moyes will not only have formed a deadly front three in the shape of Mavididi and Jarrod Bowen either side of Michail Antonio, the 58-year-old manager will also have ticked the box of bringing in competition to and backup for the 31-year-old Hammers’ centre-forward – something that would appear very much needed as the club mount a charge on the top four.

In other news: “Interestingly…”: Sky Sports journo drops big transfer claim, WHU fans will be livid

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte.

What’s the talk?

In a recent video posted on YouTube, the football.london journalist revealed that, despite recent reports claiming that Conte would be interested in taking over from Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain this summer, people close to the 52-year-old have claimed that there is nothing to these rumours.

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Regarding the Italian’s future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Gold said: “We should also talk about Conte and PSG. Reports coming out from one French outlet say that Conte dreams of managing PSG. Look, I’ve spoken to a few people around Conte, and they say it’s not true… his people claim there is nothing to it.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering the extremely impressive job Conte has done since taking over from Nuno Espirito Santo in the Tottenham dugout back in November, the news that the 52-year-old is not currently planning on leaving the club for PSG this summer is sure to have left the Spurs faithful buzzing.

Indeed, while there have been a number of Premier League fixtures against Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in February – it is undeniable that Conte has improved Spurs’ performances on the pitch.

Indeed, having won 13, drawn four and lost six of his eighth in the top flight standings to fifth – just two points behind Arsenal, who currently occupy the last Champions League spot in fourth.

And, with Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy having already committed the best part of £60m on the signings of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur in the January transfer window – both of whom are very much Conte-type players – it would appear likely that the former Inter Milan boss will receive the backing of the Spurs hierarchy once again this summer.

As such, it is clear to see that Gold’s suggestion the club can plan for 2022/23 with the Italian overseeing operations is undoubtedly fantastic news for all involved with Tottenham, as the prospect of Conte having a summer transfer window and a full pre-season to work with his Spurs side would appear to bode extremely well for the club’s chances of success next time out.

AND in other news: Paratici can seal Conte’s dream signing as Spurs plot bid for “stunning” £60m “baller”