All posts by z3u9t.icu

Manchester United are the frontrunners to sign Real Madrid centre-back Raphael Varane this summer, according to Spanish football journalist Euan McTear.

After losing Sergio Ramos to PSG earlier this summer, Real Madrid won’t want to lose another star centre-back but with only one year left on his contract, the Spanish giants may look to cash-in on him, rather than risk losing him for free next year.

After playing for France at the Euros, Varane will now turn his attention back to club football and where he will be playing this season coming, with McTear telling TT: “At this point, Manchester United seem like the frontrunners”.

Varane has played plethora of trophies in his time at the Bernabeu and McTear thinks there’s definitely a space for the French defender at Old Trafford.

He added: “They’re are one of the clubs that do have a space there, next to Maguire there is a question mark, some of the other clubs have their two settled centre-backs so Manchester United makes a bit of sense”.

It looks like United are ready to make their move for Varane, with The Guardian reporting that the Red Devils are preparing a bid and that Varane would like to play in the Premier League.

Aston Villa would be risking Dean Smith’s wrath by selling Douglas Luiz this summer amid a recent transfer update.

What’s the story?

The 23-year-old has pretty much been a permanent fixture in Dean Smith’s side since making the switch to Villa Park, already making 76 appearances for the first-team, including playing 33 out of the 38 Premier League games last season.

His form even earned him international honours, picking up his first couple of senior caps for Brazil, and so it’s been no surprise then that his market value has absolutely sky-rocketed, now standing at £31.5m according to Transfermarkt.

Now, BBC Sport claim that Serie A giants AS Roma are interested in signing Luiz this summer, amid the Italian side’s offer for Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka being rejected.

Dean Smith would be fuming

While Southampton star James Ward-Prowse would be an upgrade on Luiz, selling the Brazilian outright this summer would be a foolish mistake by the Villa hierarchy.

Speaking last summer, The Athletic journalist Gregg Evans, said of him: “He’s an absolute joy to watch now and I never thought I would be saying that. Villa have got a fantastic player in Douglas Luiz now, he looks like an absolute star, he could have played in that Man United team.

“He was better than (Paul) Pogba, I thought. I thought he was brilliant, hardly did anything wrong, hardly put a foot wrong. He won so many interceptions and made so many important blocks. When he gets the ball, he passes it nicely. He’s the best player in that Villa team at the moment because it’s just not working for John McGinn.”

Given the fact he played such an integral role in Villa’s superb Premier League campaign last season, it would be absurd for the club to let him go, especially without any replacements having been signed first.

If Ward-Prowse does arrive, then perhaps the argument changes about potentially cashing in on him and recouping some money, but the fact is, with the owners supposedly backing Smith to the hilt in the transfer market, there should be no need to sell.

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Luiz has been a regular starter for Smith, and the Villa boss would surely be fuming were the club to sell him to Roma.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has dropped an update on this Villa man…

Erik Lamela is probably best summed up by his derby performance against Arsenal in which he scored an exquisite rabona goal before being sent off later in the game, and his inconsistency is what stops him from reaching his full potential, according to Spurs legend Paul Stewart.

When the winger arrived from Roma back in 2013 as a replacement for Gareth Bale, he was the club’s record signing at £27 million but inconsistent season after inconsistent season even saw Bale, the man he was supposed to replace, ultimately contribute more for Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Reports have claimed that the 29-year old is all but set for a summer exit as Spurs are in desperate need of an overhaul of their squad that failed to even qualify for the Europa League this season, and are still without a manager.

£80,000-a-week man Lamela has rarely been able to maintain a starting spot under any manager and failing to live up to his price tag and he may well not be missed. That’s according to Stewart, who spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern:

“He scored that unbelievable goal and sometimes looks like a world-beater but we don’t see that enough from him.

“I just think his inconsistency is the reason why Spurs can afford to let him go because he just hasn’t been able to do it week in week out.”

Spurs have a young talented winger who spent the season out on loan with Hoffenheim in Ryan Sessegnon, and if the new manager fancies him then that could be the long term future of their left-hand side.

It appears very obvious that Spurs will have to spend big this summer and that may not be difficult to do if they end up losing Harry Kane as that will bring in over £100 million to the club.

With around 40 head coaches from the football sphere all taking an interest in the Everton job, Farhad Moshiri and co have a big dilemma on their hands.

They never expected to lose Carlo Ancelotti in the way they did but they are back at square one with a lack of clarity on their future.

What’s the word?

Everton have been in talks with Nuno Santo over the last few days but it would appear the Toffees are still considering other suitors.

Bill Kenwright has been keen on bringing David Moyes back to Goodison Park and he’s now progressed in his efforts to do so.

According to Football Insider, Everton chairman Bill Kenwright has opened discussions with Moyes about returning to Merseyside.

An informal approach has been made to the 58-year-old who is keen on becoming the new Everton manager. That being said, he is also content to remain at West Ham.

The best candidate?

Everton have a lengthy list of managers they could look to bring to Goodison.

Former Wolves boss, Nuno, has been at the height of their agenda so far but would be an unconvincing choice.

He may have taken the Old Gold from mid-table obscurity in the second tier to European football but his football wasn’t the most attacking and he wasn’t very flexible when it came to tactical decisions.

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Rafa Benitez would also be a gamble from the Toffees hierarchy. He’s won the Champions League and is one of the most highly thought of head coaches in the game but his stock has fallen after a mixed spell at Newcastle and then in China.

Moyes, on the other hand, has proven himself as recently as this season. The Scot took West Ham from relegation candidates to the verge of a place in the Champions League.

The Hammers ultimately fell short of Europe’s top table but it was a stunning season where Moyes’ team looked organised in defence and a threat on the counter.

Gary Neville described him as “exceptional” for the work he’s done this season and with a contract renewal yet to take place at the London Stadium, Everton should be tempting for him.

He knows the club, he knows the senior officials and he is familiar with achieving above expectations.

Everton are desperate for Champions League football and the only manager to give them that in the last two decades is Moyes. For Kenwright and co, he is surely the best candidate.

AND in other news, Brands keen on hiring 46 y/o who Pep dubbed “the best”, he’d be perfect for Everton…

Tottenham legend Graham Roberts has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that his former club should not have sold Kieran Trippier to Atletico Madrid.

Trippier joined Diego Simeone’s side back in 2019 for £20m and has since gone on to help them become La Liga champions.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have really struggled. Following Trippier’s departure, the north London outfit have finished sixth and seventh place in the Premier League, missing out on Champions League football as a result.

Ultimately, for Roberts, letting the 30-year-old right-back go was a mistake. On the subject, he told FFC:

“I wouldn’t have let him go. He was the best right-back we had. When Kyle Walker went, he took over and was very, very good.

“He’s gone on to Atletico Madrid and won the league there, so we just seem to let our good players go and they go and win the league.”

In hindsight, selling Trippier does look like it was a mistake. The England international has been excellent under Simeone, which clearly has not gone unnoticed.

Last week, speaking after his surprise inclusion at left-back against Croatia, Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate claimed Trippier had become a “defensive animal”.

Indeed, in both an England and Atletico shirt, Trippier has undoubtedly proven himself and shown Spurs they have perhaps slipped up.

Many West Ham fans were gutted as Fabian Balbuena confirmed that he will be leaving the club now that the season is over.

A fantastic campaign for the Hammers ended in style on Sunday as they defeated Southampton 3-0 at the London Stadium – the victory means they confirmed a spot in the Europa League next term. That is a wonderful achievement, especially when you consider they finished above Arsenal and Tottenham to do so and only narrowly avoided relegation last term.

Balbuena has been with the Irons since 2018, making 61 appearances in all competitions since then (Transfermarkt), although the 29-year-old has only appeared 14 times in the Premier League this season under David Moyes.

He has confirmed in an Instagram post that he will be departing the club as his contract runs out next month.

The news was shared on Twitter by @WestHamViews_, and it attracted plenty of interest from the club’s supporters. These took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on Balbuena’s announcement.

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

“Real shame this”

Credit: @lewis_wall

“I just don’t understand! Now is the time we need players like him. A massive shame he’s leaving and definitely had a soft spot for him. Good like Fab no doubt you’ll smash it wherever you end up”

Credit: @ChrisConnor93

“Really really liked the General! Gutted to see him leave especially when we are going to need some serious depth for next season!”

Credit: @GetGSBout

“Really need to keep players like this but Moyes knows what he’s doing”

Credit: @HighwaymanX

“A real shame he’s not going to be part of the journey next season. Always did the job when called on. A valuable member of the squad that’ll need adding to for the extra games we’ve got next year. Thanks and all the very best”

Credit: @phillyonskem

“I am gutted that we haven’t renewed his contract tbh. Done a solid job most games and with us having to play even more games next season, Balbuena could’ve done a decent job.”

Credit: @23HPork

In other news, many West Ham fans are delighted by this transfer news.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes that Robin Koch can continue to shine in a midfield role for the Whites moving forward.

Leeds lost 2-0 away to Brighton on Saturday afternoon in what was a rare off-day after an impressive recent run of form. Koch took up a defensive midfield role in the absence of Kalvin Phillips, performing solidly despite the disappointing nature of the result as he won 11 duels and five tackles.

Koch tipped to continue as midfield option

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan claimed that the ‘magnificent’ 24-year-old could carry on being an option in midfield for Marcelo Bielsa, as well as his preferred centre-back position. The pundit said:

“I’ve seen enough from Koch to suggest he could play that role long-term.  Even though he has only played in that position a couple of times you can see that he has the capabilities to do it. I have no doubt about that.

“He was competitive in midfield against Brighton. He was getting on the ball and trying to find space.

“I felt sorry for him though because it is difficult to gauge whether he can play in that role long-term when everyone else is playing below par. I cannot be 100 per cent confident that he can understudy for Phillips on that performance because everyone around him was a six out of 10 and some of them not even that.

“Could Koch step into an international’s role? The signs are encouraging. I think he has all of the attributes.”

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Transfer Tavern take

While Koch can fill in at the base of midfield when required, it is still important that Leeds sign a more natural backup to Phillips, as has been rumoured in recent days. The German has his limitations in that position, only keeping possession 79% of the time against Brighton and playing no key passes on what was his first appearance in defensive midfield for Bielsa’s side this season.

Phillips, in comparison, averages an 84.8% pass completion rate and 1.3 key passes per match this season – if he were to get injured for a long period in 2021/22, Koch wouldn’t really be a reliable enough deputy over a sustained period despite Whelan’s endorsement.

In other news, Leeds are believed to be interested in signing an alternative to one player this summer. Read more here.

Manchester City will reportedly consider a move for West Ham talisman Declan Rice this summer, and the England international could be the ideal replacement for Fernandinho should he depart.

According to The Times, City will consider a move for the 22-year-old midfielder if the Brazilian decides to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The 36-year-old has put in some inspired performances of late and was superb in City’s 2-0 win against Paris Saint-Germain which sealed their spot in the Champions League final in midweek, which emphasises that he still has the ability to play at the very top.

However, the Brazilian, who reportedly earns £150,000 per week at the Etihad Stadium, is currently set to leave in June and it seems clear that Pep Guardiola will want a ready-made replacement for next season.

Although they already have Rodri available in that position and the Spain international has been the first-choice there for most of the season, he cannot play in every game, especially if City are in a similar position next term in competing for multiple trophies and therefore have two games a week regularly.

Therefore, a move for Rice would make a lot of sense, as he has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League in recent years and could prove to be an ideal long-term replacement for Fernandinho.

So far this season, the former Chelsea youngster has made 29 appearances in the top flight, contributing one goal and one assist and averaging a solid 7.02 WhoScored rating for his performances.

Rice has been a driving force in West Ham’s push up the league, which has left David Moyes’ side competing for a Champions League spot with just a few games of the season remaining, which is a remarkable achievement when you consider their struggles last term.

The Englishman also emphasised his class in recent World Cup qualifiers, averaging a 7.72 WhoScored rating across his two appearances against Albania and Poland.

Although he certainly wouldn’t come cheap, with Transfermarkt valuing him at £54m, his performances in recent seasons have suggested that he could definitely establish himself as a world-class midfielder in the future, especially under the tutelage of Guardiola.

Therefore, City sporting director Txiki Begiristain should definitely look to sign the “outstanding” Rice this summer if Fernandinho departs, as he could prove to be the ideal replacement for the former Shakhtar Donetsk man.

In other news… Man City signing beast Pep dubbed “world class” would surely be bad news for “fantastic” gem

Leeds United could sign their new Samu Saiz in Club Brugge starlet Noa Lang as a fresh update emerges on their pursuit of the 21-year-old.

What’s the story?

According to recent reports from The Telegraph, the Whites have been been watching the 21-year-old, although they are set to face intense competition if the try to land him in the summer transfer window.

Now, Football Insider have claimed in recent days that Marcelo Bielsa’s side will open talks with Lang now that the Premier League season is officially over.

A new Samu Saiz

The tricky Spaniard Saiz was a revelation when he burst onto the scene at Elland Road, contributing to 12 goals from midfield in a Whites side that struggled throughout the 2017/2018 campaign, averaging a very impressive 1.8 key passes and 1.6 shots per game.

His final season at Elland Road saw him manage 1.5 dribbles per match in the Championship, being fouled 1.8 times and providing the same number of key passes a match.

Just like Saiz, the £18m-rated Lang is a prolific dribbler, averaging 1.5 dribbles per game in the Belgian top flight, a figure which just ranks him outside the top ten in the entire division.

Dubbed a “phenomenon” by Belgian sports journalist Peter Vandenbempt, Lang made history when he became the first player in 60 years to mark his debut with a hat-trick for Ajax.

That saw Ajax manager, Erik Ten Hag, say: “He showed (his talent) today and I am very happy with that. Noa shows (his ability) it during training and during the reserve matches. And today he has also clearly shown it at the highest level too.”

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Lang is just an inch taller than Saiz at 5 foot 10, and like the Spaniard, has that low centre of gravity to be able to turn away from players with ease, before also having the end product to actually contribute to his team – last season alone has seen him rack up 17 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

If Bielsa is looking for a player to come in and bring back that bit of Saiz magic, then he should look no further than Lang.

Meanwhile, a major update has emerged about Marcelo Bielsa…

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been reacting to footage of the club’s Under-18 side on social media.

Villa’s youngsters turned out at Villa Park on Wednesday afternoon against Burton Albion in the FA Youth Cup last-16.

Sean Verity’s side put nine past their opponents to advance to the quarter-finals where they will now take on Newcastle United.

Louie Barry scored a hat-trick, Carney Chukwuemeka netted twice and Aaron Ramsey, Brad Young and Seb Revan also got on the scoresheet in an emphatic display.

Villa were actually six goals to the good before half time, bouncing back brilliantly from a 7-0 defeat to Chelsea on the weekend.

Villa fans react

The club shared all nine goals on their official Twitter page on Wednesday evening in highlights which lasted close to eight minutes.

This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with many full of praise and one describing the clip as ‘special’.

“Wow”

Credit: @tw1708

“I am so excited for the future of AVFC”

Credit: @_JJ_stone

“Something special about this youth team”

Credit: @CarlvHarris

“Fantastic. Well done lads.”

Credit: @SmokeeLou

“How good are these lads man”

Credit: @danlawlor28

“Poetry in motion”

Credit: @AvfcBoxing

In other news: Many AVFC fans react to Ross Barkley update, find out more here.