All posts by z3u9t.icu

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been reacting to a post regarding a possible permanent swoop for on-loan midfielder Ross Barkley.

According to Football Insider, Villa chief executive Christian Purslow is spearheading a permanent move for the 27-year-old, with the Blues wanting £35m for his full-time services.

Dean Smith is reportedly yet to be convinced over a potential club-record deal this summer, with Barkley failing to start any of the club’s last four Premier League games, despite Jack Grealish missing those fixtures with a leg issue.

Football Insider went on to add that Villa paid Chelsea a huge £11m fee to take Barkley to the Midlands for the 2020/21 season.

The Blues paid Everton just over £15m for the England international back in 2018 – meaning Villa have handed Chelsea 66% of that deal three years ago just for a loan spell.

@AbsoluteChelsea shared Football Insider’s update, specifically on the £11m reveal, which led to these Villa fans giving their views. One even labelled the fee as ‘farcical’.

Villa fans react

“Farcical…”

Credit: @seb_mannell

“Yikes”

Credit: @_CJAV

“Pain.”

Credit: @georgeprokopa

“Nobody pays that kind of fee without a option too buy which we don’t have, absolute rubbish UTV”

Credit: @Dean41210127

“Nah no way”

Credit: @momoislam96

“It’s called wages….”

Credit: @BandanaSavos

In other news: Many Villa fans have been left fuming with a specific pre-Spurs annoucement, find out more here. 

Tottenham Hotspur enigma Dele Alli dropped a major statement as the north London outfit eased into the last 16 of the Europa League on Wednesday evening.

Jose Mourinho’s side romped to a 4-0 victory over Austrian outfit Wolfsberger AC, taking the aggregate score to 8-1 overall. And at centre-stage of it all was the rarely-seen Englishman as he stole the show with an emphatic display.

The 24-year-old provided two assists, on top of a simply sublime bicycle kick from the edge of the penalty box just ten minutes into the match, but his performance was so much more than that.

It was only the second time that Alli has lasted longer than 80 minutes on the pitch, and quite rightly too, though it only goes to show that perhaps the pendulum is finally swinging in his favour.

If he keeps performing like that, Mourinho simply has to take notice, especially as they have lacked a creative source of goals in recent weeks – only scoring more than one goal in only one of their six league games prior to kick-off.

Indeed, the Portuguese boss is going to be left with an interesting and tough dilemma as he looks to stop the rot in the Premier League, having lost five of their last six domestic outings.

Alli top-scored in terms of ratings across the board – SofaScore handed him a 9.2, 0.7 more than the brace-scoring Carlos Vinicius, whilst he also received a squad-high ten from football.london and a nine from the Evening Standard.

That latter, journalist Dan Kilpatrick, reinforcing the point that it was a ‘reminder of his quality’ on the night.

In terms of touches of the ball, only two players were more involved than Alli (66) in skipper for the night Ben Davies (99) and engine room orchestrator Harry Winks (83) – both also played ten minutes longer than him, too.

But more importantly, it was what Alli did with his possession – simply put, he made it count. The £26m-rated maestro enjoyed a match-high three key passes, which led to two big chances created and two assists, via SofaScore.

This means his input was more valuable. than that of Davies (one key pass) and Winks (0 key passes).

Alli was also prepared to do some of the dirty work that Mourinho usually requires, and having dubbed him “lazy” in the past, the Spurs boss can hold no grudges here as the 37-time international put in two tackles and won a total of six duels – the third-most in the squad and more than the likes of central defender Eric Dier (two) and the more defensive-minded Moussa Sissoko (two).

BT Sport pundit Peter Crouch was quick to wax lyrical over his performance following the match, he praised the England gem as “first-class” because he was “involved in everything good” [24/02, 18:56].

With Giovani Lo Celso still injured, and Mourinho turning to both Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela in that no.10 role recently, we could well see a comeback for Alli in the Premier League.

That performance alone should be enough to warrant a start, though it does pose a tricky headache for the Spurs boss to ponder.

All in all, the long-serving midfielder – once dubbed an “animal” by Mauricio Pochettino – dropped a massive statement to all those at Spurs – he still has that quality and as Dier told BT Sport 1 post-game [24/02, 19:03], he was certainly “back to his best.”

AND in other news, Levy could SOLVE Spurs’ biggest problem by replacing Mourinho with Wenger-esque leader

According to a claim by journalist and Man City commentator Mike Minay, via City Xtra, the Sky Blues only need six wins from their last 11 league fixtures to secure a fifth Premier League title – prompting many City supporters to buzz as their brilliant run of form could soon pay dividends.

Indeed, Pep Guardiola’s men have won a head-turning 21 matches consecutively in all competitions – and the last time City lost an encounter was way back in November during a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

City also haven’t dropped points in the Premier League since a 1-1 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion in mid-December – with the Sky Blues’ excellent run of form setting them apart from the pack and 14 points clear at the top of the table.

The Manchester Derby awaits for City this weekend, and journalist Minay has dropped a claim ahead of the all-important clash at the Etihad Stadium.

He says that Guardiola’s side need just six more victories from their remaining 11, prompting plenty of Sky Blues to buzz about the thought of lifting their third title in four years.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

Man City fans buzz as Premier League wins claim emerges

“this is insane, i fully believed we’d not get top 4 after the spurs defeat”

Credit: @ManCitehzen

“Sealed signed and delivered”

Credit: @Emmanue14991500

“This is crazy”

Credit: @anathalab

“it’s coming home”

Credit: @akiinamax

“Here we goooooo”

Credit: @t_ireni

“It’s over”

Credit: @Head_91

“It’s coming homeeeeeeeeeeeee”

Credit: @Jimbojunior3

In other news: Man City fans flocked to this new transfer link, find out more here.

Steve Bruce must recall Jeff Hendrick to the Newcastle United starting line-up for their FA Cup third round trip to Arsenal on Saturday in order to give Mikel Arteta a scare.

Hendrick has not featured for the Magpies in any of their last five fixtures across all competitions, with Bruce opting against fielding the Republic of Ireland international from the bench for even a second.

Newcastle failed to win any of the matches in which Hendrick did not play a role in the action, despite the 28-year-old providing one of United’s two goals during their 5-2 mauling at Leeds United last month whilst earning his 10th and most recent start of the season so far.

Hendrick had been one of Bruce’s favoured midfield options over the opening months of the Premier League campaign with minutes in 10 of their 12 matches, but now finds himself with a point to prove all over again following his summer arrival as a free agent.

Former Burnley captain Frank Sinclair firmly believed Hendrick would prove to be a player Sean Dyche would miss at Turf Moor following his exit, feeling the £8m-rated ace had been “terrific” during his four-year spell in Lancashire.

Bruce, too, expected big things from Hendrick and described the midfielder as a “big asset” who is entering his peak, and must now turn to him once again to best-place Newcastle ahead of their FA Cup trip to Arsenal.

Arteta will not be scared of facing the Magpies should Bruce opt to name the same central midfield pairing which lost at home to Leicester City last time out, as a dual-axis pivot of Sean and Matty Longstaff was as far from ideal as it possibly could have been.

Sean Longstaff endured a horror show as he was overrun in the engine room against the Foxes, and even the second-half introduction of the experienced Jonjo Shelvey failed to turn the tide as he allowed Youri Tielemans to drift through unchallenged to score his side’s second of the day.

Bruce would risk Newcastle’s position in the FA Cup by keeping his faith in those who were exposed by Brendan Rodgers’ side last week, so must turn to Hendrick and offer the 60-cap international a recall at the Emirates Stadium.

Hendrick had been a creative and combative presence in Bruce’s plans when fielded in the Premier League prior to his festive omission, with the Derby County product providing 0.8 shots, 0.6 dribbles, 1.6 tackles and 1.0 interceptions a game, per WhoScored.

His long-range passing had also been at a higher level than seen from the likes of Isaac Hayden (1.7), Miguel Almiron (0.7) and Matty Longstaff (0.5) with 1.8 accurate attempts a game, and is the only Toon player other than Callum Wilson to have scored more than once in the top-flight this term.

AND in other news, Steve Bruce has no alternative but to perform a U-turn and tie a £4.5m-rated Newcastle star down with a new deal now…

Jonjoe Kenny has been urged to leave Everton and move to a club where he will play week in and week out by Gabby Agbonlahor.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Aston Villa and England striker was asked if the time is right for the England U21 international to leave the Goodison Park faithful on a permanent deal:

“Yes, 100 per cent.

“If Coleman is out injured and you’re not starting and he’s playing Holgate out of position, you know your time is up.

“He needs to definitely look to move on and go somewhere where he will play week in, week out every game, for sure.”

Kenny needs to leave Everton

Kenny definitely needs to leave the Merseyside club if he wants to play more regular first team football.

The 23-year-old has only played in a mere seven games in total in all competitions so far in the 2020/21 term, and has only completed the full 90 minutes on two separate occasions, which were both in the EFL Cup (Transfermarkt).

With captain Seamus Coleman still at the club, and the likes of Mason Holgate being able to fill in at the right-back position in his absence, it is difficult to see where Kenny will get any game time under Carlo Ancelotti.

Thus, it would be a wise idea for the Toffees to cash in on him while he is still at a relatively good age, and being English may add to a potential transfer fee if any clubs come knocking at the door for his signature.

Nonetheless, Kenny needs to leave the Blues in order to kickstart his footballing career.

In other news, find out what update on one star has been lauded by EFC fans here!

Aston Villa must surely consider going back in for Reading midfielder John Swift, after rivals Sheffield United appeared to drop out of the race to sign him.

What’s the story?

The former England U21 international was the subject of intense speculation over the course of the summer transfer window, with reports even going so far as to claim that Villa were ready to make a bid for him.

That however failed to materialise before the end of the deadline, but Villa could be tempted to go back in for Swift given what Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder had to say about possible incomings for the Blades.

He said: “There are conversations. There won’t be permanent transfers. There will be loans. There’s been discussions through agents who represent players and through clubs as well. It’s a fluid situation, as you can imagine. I’d like to use both loans and I’ll be putting my recommendations to the board.”

Potential McGinn upgrade

With John McGinn woefully out of form this season for Villa – he’s managed no goals or assists in the Premier League since mid October – Smith must surely be looking at Swift as someone who could add a bit of dynamism and spark to the centre of midfield.

The Reading ace hasn’t featured much for the Royals this season due to injury, but he does have a track record of being someone who can offer a goal-scoring threat, managing 45 goal contributions in 152 games for the club.

And after he put an impressive performance against Leeds United last season in the Championship, Marcelo Bielsa made it quickly just how much he likes him, saying: “Swift is a great player. I rate him a lot. He is a player who appears suddenly in attack and the same in transition. Especially when he passes from the defence to the attack.”

The £4.5m-rated man could give Villa an extra edge in the middle of the park.

Meanwhile, Villa could land a surprise bargain in this Premier League star.

Tottenham Hotspur legend Glenn Hoddle has dropped an intriguing transfer claim this week ahead of the January window.

The 63-year-old, who managed and played for Spurs, believes Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse would be a perfect target for Jose Mourinho this year.

Speaking on his podcast, ‘The Glenn Hoddle Footy Show’, he said:

“I think his all-round game has come on leaps and bounds, but as a set piece artist there is no-one better.

“He’d be a major asset for Tottenham, for instance. Or he could go and play in Everton’s team tomorrow.

“Whether he has the mentality you don’t know until he goes to a big club.”

Daniel Levy has already raided the Saints once this season, and perhaps, he should indeed listen to Hoddle and swoop for the impressive attacking midfielder.

Spurs’ form has dipped in recent weeks, indeed, they have not won in their last four Premier League outings, and they have struggled to continue their rich vein of goalscoring.

This points to there being a creative issue amongst Mourinho’s squad – they certainly haven’t been able to replace Christian Eriksen as of yet. No midfielder is averaging more than 0.8 key passes per game in the top-flight at the moment.

Both Harry Kane and Heung-min Son have effectively been creating those chances for one another (both managing 1.5 key passes per game or more), and that is something that needs to change to sustain the form that saw them briefly top the table.

And that is where Ward-Prowse makes a ton of sense.

The £22.5m-rated maestro is not just a set-piece specialist having contributed to seven goals in 16 starts so far this term. That is more than Dele Alli, Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele combined.

Ward-Prowse is also managing 1.7 key passes per game, only better by Son, and 1.8 crosses per game in the top-flight this term, as per WhoScored.

Of course, his free-kick ability is what he is most known for with Peter Crouch dubbing him “Beckham-esque” which only echoes the thoughts of teammate Theo Walcott, who claimed he is actually better than the England legend.

Now capped four times by the Three Lions, the Saints skipper is finally getting the recognition he deserves. He’s even impressed talkSPORT’s Adrian Durham, who claimed he’s “got the devil in him” after a win over Iceland.

No one could fault the “machine” for following Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to N17 if any offer were to come about. Levy must strike.

AND in other news, Levy could secure Jose Mourinho his next Essien in £16.5m BEAST…

Wolves are looking to bring Middlesbrough fullback Djed Spence to Molineux when the January transfer window opens, according to reports.

Spence in-demand

The 20-year-old made his move to the North East in 2018 and was recently rewarded with a three-year contract before lockdown kicked in during the midway point of the 2019/20 campaign.

Spence broke through into the first team after a successful campaign playing in the U23s, scoring once from 22 appearances in the Championship (TransferMarkt).

Boro’s previous manager, Jonathan Woodgate, spoke very highly of the defender, describing him as “exceptional” during his debut for the club (via GazetteLive).

According to TEAMTalk, Wolves will join Crystal Palace and Everton in their pursuit to sign the young Englishman, who was labelled as the “next Trent Alexander-Arnold” by Neil Warnock (cited by Give Me Sport).

The report added that Newcastle United have also been ‘doing regular checks’ on Spence, who is apparently being lined up for a call-up to England’s U21s squad.

With his contract not due to expire until 2023, Spence will likely not come cheap but his price tag was not mentioned. TransferMarkt value him at £1.8m but it is expected he will probably go for 10 times that if he is sold.

Huge potential

Spence is a highly-rated player, which has resulted in him being in high demand. This may not necessarily be a good thing as far as the 20-year-old is concerned.

While there may be a lot of pressure on him early into his career, he does possess a lot of potential and could be one for the future.

Once he gets his call-up to the England U21s team, there will be a lot more eyes on him, which could lead to teams in the top six taking more notice if he performs well.

That being said, if Wolves can capture him on the cheap, then he could be another great addition to Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad.

In other news, Wolves midfielder admits Molineux move was ‘difficult’ and was ‘hurt for a long time’.

Manchester City were boosted by the news earlier this week that Pep Guardiola has committed to a new contract that will see him remain as manager of the Citizens until the summer of 2023.

The Spanish manager’s excellent relationship with Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is well-known and with the manager committing his future to Manchester City, perhaps it won’t be too long until the legendary winger follows suit.

City were one of several sides to be linked with the 33-year-old during the summer after he announced that it was his intention to leave Barcelona following a disastrous season that saw them miss out on the La Liga title to rivals Real Madrid, as well as the embarrassing 8-2 loss against Bayern Munich (per Goal).

However, after a dispute over his contract, the Argentinian agreed to stay with the La Liga giants, as they refused to let him leave on a free transfer, meaning his €700 million release clause remained active.

Fortunately for City, and perhaps for Messi, his contract with Blaugrana is set to expire at the end of the current season meaning he will be free to leave then and foreign clubs will also be able to approach the forward in January with the view of him agreeing a pre-contract deal.

Therefore, if Messi is still keen to leave Barcelona, you would imagine that City would be amongst the favourites to sign him, due to their vast funds, as well as his excellent relationship with Guardiola.

During the Spanish manager’s time managing the winger, he contributed an extraordinary 211 goals and 91 assists in just 219 games, so it clear that the two work well together (per Transfermarkt).

Messi praised Guardiola’s influence on Barcelona in an interview in 2011, saying:

“Barcelona would not be the same without Guardiola.” (per Goal)

The respect goes both ways, as the Spanish manager detailed exactly why Messi is a genius in an Amazon prime documentary (via Sport Bible), saying:

“He’s not out of the game. He’s involved. Moving his head. Right, left, left, right.

“He smells who is the weak point of the back four. After five, ten minutes, he has the map.

“He knows if I move here, here, I will have more space to attack. Oh, that’s genius! That is quite incredible.

“We are contemporary of that guy. So enjoy it. Lionel Messi, just simply one of a kind. He is so good.”

Clearly, the two formed a great partnership during their time at Barcelona and following the update on Guardiola’s contract earlier this week, it seems that if Messi does leave Barcelona next summer, he could well end up at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said that the 6-1 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford was the worst of his career so far, so how big a help will new arrival Alex Telles be?

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho returned to his old stomping ground to inflict more misery on his old club, leaving United lying 16th in the Premier League after an unconvincing start to the season.

Speaking after the game, Solskjaer told the BBC “it is the worst day of my career as Man United manager.”

What’s the word?

According to the BBC’s Simon Stone, the Red Devils are set to sign Brazil full-back Telles from FC Porto, who they have been chasing for several months, after reaching an agreement with the Portuguese side.

Recent reports revealed that the two clubs have agreed a fee of £13.6m plus £1.8m in add ons but the 1-cap Brazil international won’t solve all of Solskjaer’s problems.

Solskjaer’s side have leaked 11 goals already with newly promoted West Bromwich Albion the only club who have conceded more. That just simply isn’t good enough for a back four who cost a combined total of £195m.

And one player in particular did not do himself any favours at all.

Other areas of concern?

Harry Maguire will want to forget all about his error-strewn performance while Eric Bailly failed to make the most of the opportunity to play alongside him.

Per SofaScore, the club captain completely lost the plot as he managed to lose possession 11 times, didn’t make a single tackle, committed one foul and made one error leading to a goal.

In fact, Maguire made several mistakes in the build-up to Tottenham’s equaliser, before conceding the free-kick which led to their second only three minutes later.

It is hardly surprising that Spurs went on to score six goals with Mourinho’s men taking 22 shots in total, which suggests that the England international wasn’t doing his job well at all.

While Telles may turn out to be an upgrade on Luke Shaw at left-back, Maguire, Bailly and Lindelof could leave Solskjaer scratching his head for the rest of the season.

The Red Devils have conceded three goals a game on average, which is quite a worrying statistic for a side that have already spent around £18m on Telles and £34m on Donny van de Beek in the transfer window, as it has left Ed Woodward rather empty-handed with very little time to sign any more centre-backs.

Whether or not this will play a part in the race for the top four remains to be seen.

AND in other news, Manchester United must consider Ismaila Sarr as a viable Jadon Sancho alternative…