All posts by h79snht.top

West Ham United are now ‘open’ to deadline day offers for Manuel Lanzini after a major transfer coup for the club, according to reports.

The Lowdown: West Ham keep busy…

The Hammers have kept busy all summer for manager David Moyes, making a plethora of new additions as they seek to build upon another European finish last campaign.

The Premier League side have already signed Alphonse Areola, Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes, Gianluca Scamacca, Maxwel Cornet, Thilo Kehrer, Emerson and completed a club-record deal for Brazil international Lucas Paqueta.

While there have been plenty of incomings, with reports refusing to rule out more, it appears one man in Lanzini could be going the opposite way depending on developments.

The Latest: West Ham ‘open’ to Lanzini offers…

Indeed, according to reports, the Argentine is a player who could now leave as a result of West Ham’s stunning capture of Paqueta.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-4/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Football Insider claim that the Hammers are ‘ready’ and ‘open’ to letting Lanzini go following the signing’s arrival at Rush Green with the 29-year-old apparently told that he can find a new club.

The Verdict: Right call?

While Paqueta’s arrival could enable West Ham to free up some squad space, we believe that Lanzini could still have his place in the squad as a rotational alternative.

Commentator Martin Tyler summed up the South American’s quality by calling him ‘class’, with form ‘temporary’, and Lanzini is certainly capable of the spectacular and changing games at his best.

Phenomenal strikes against the likes of Tottenham in recent years spring to mind, and he could be of far more use to Moyes as a squad member than not.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta may well be light on midfield options for their Premier League clash with Aston Villa this evening…

What’s the latest?

Mohamed Elneny is the latest name to be struck down by a problem after the Egyptian midfielder suffered what The Athletic’s David Ornstein has described as a “significant injury” during the 2-1 win over Fulham on Saturday.

“Mohamed Elneny suffered significant injury vs Fulham. Arsenal awaiting full extent but 30yo expected to miss considerable spell. Partey also nursing (relatively minor) muscle issue so #AFC may look to recruit in midfield,” the reliable journalist tweeted.

Worrying blow

It would now appear that Arteta will be heading into tonight’s game with just two recognised central midfielders in the form of Granit Xhaka, who divides opinion on and off the pitch, and Albert Sambi Lokonga, who is still hugely inexperienced.

That’s because Elneny, who has been providing the backup to Partey, has joined the Ghanaian international on the treatment table this week, so that will surely leave the Spaniard worried heading into kickoff.

Summer signing Oleksandr Zinchenko could well shift over from left-back, considering it is his natural position, but he too missed the Fulham outing with his a knee issue.

When speaking about the potential of having either available in his pre-game press conference, Arteta did not sound very confident. “I don’t think so. We still have to make another scan, especially on Thomas but I don’t think they will be available,” he said (via the Evening Standard).

Both Partey and Zinchenko have been crucial to Arsenal’s red-hot – and unbeaten – start to the 2022/23 campaign with the pair ranking inside the top-six best performers, per WhoScored ratings.

Elneny, meanwhile, has been a solid replacement whenever called upon – he managed a 98.1% passing accuracy against Fulham and has been described as “really important” by Arteta in the past.

So, heading into tonight, the Spanish head coach will surely be worried by this mounting midfield injury crisis at London Colney and just as Ornstein claims, they may well need to dip their toes back into the transfer window to solve the problem.

AND in other news, Arsenal could land “outrageous” 6th signing with £17m bargain who’s “destined” to join…

Sunderland have had their fair share of transfer flops and successes over the years as they have been stung with big-money signings and rewarded for low-value bargains.

One player the club struck gold with was goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. They brought him in from Belgian side Sint-Truiden for a fee of £2m in the summer of 2010.

At the time of the deal, then-manager Steve Bruce claimed that he would provide competition between the sticks, saying: “Simon is an excellent young goalkeeper and he has a lot more to offer. I’m sure he will push our current goalkeepers all the way next season.”

That is exactly what the Belgian shot-stopper did as he fought for his place in the team and ended his first campaign in England with 23 Premier League appearances, keeping eight clean sheets.

Mignolet then enjoyed a solid second season at the Stadium of Light in 2011/12 as he played 29 games in the top-flight and kept 11 shutouts.

The ‘keeper’s final year on Wearside was a superb one as he was an ever-present in the team in the Premier League and kept 11 clean sheets in his 38 outings. He was voted the club’s Player of the Season for his performances and this highlights just how important he was to the team between the sticks.

His impressive form for the Black Cats caught Liverpool’s eye and they snapped him up for a fee in the region of £12m, worth an initial £9m, in the summer of 2013.

He went on to play over 200 matches for the Merseyside giants before eventually signing for Club Brugge in his home country back in 2018. During his time at Anfield, Brendan Rodgers hailed him for his “dominant” goalkeeping and Reds coach John Achterberg described him as an “all-rounder.”

In the 2014/15 campaign, he was named Liverpool’s Player of the Season for his displays in goal and this shows that he carried his form from his time at Sunderland.

Therefore, former Black Cats manager Steve Bruce struck gold by signing him for just £2m back in 2010 as the Belgian international went on to enjoy a superb Premier League career with two different clubs.

He earned Sunderland a cool £10m profit whilst also providing three years of excellent service at the Stadium of Light, suggesting he was an undoubted success on Wearside.

Bruce deserves credit for bringing him in and current duo Kristjaan Speakman and Tony Mowbray will be hoping that they can unearth similar bargains in the years to come.

Tottenham Hotspur youngster Dane Scarlett could be the man to fill Harry Kane’s shoes when that day eventually arises.

The 18-year-old striking sensation has certainly taken the first-team star’s blueprint like a duck to water as he continues to impress on both the domestic and international stage in 2022/23.

Spurs sent the young gem out on loan to League One giants Portsmouth earlier this season and has subsequently delivered for manager Danny Cowley, scoring four goals and laying on one assist across 12 appearances in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

This form has seen him earn an early call-up to the England U20 squad, where he featured from the bench against Chile U20s before starting the 2-1 win over Morrocco U20s this week.

Those around Hotspur Way have also noted Scarlett’s potential, so give it a few more years and he could well emerge as the next Kane to come out of N17.

The England skipper was shipped out on loan numerous times to the likes of Leyton Orient, Millwall and Leicester City before he made his senior bow and a lot of that experience paved the way for him to become one of the world’s leading no.9s.

Scarlett is very much on the right track, given his early form for Pompey and that international recognition.

“If you ask people around the club, certainly there’s a lot of excitement about Dane. Obviously, he’s younger and they believe he can be [the] very best,” recently claimed football.london reporter Alasdair Gold.

Meanwhile, Cowley was full of praise for the teenager earlier in the campaign. He told BBC Radio Solent Sport:

“For us, Dane can be whatever he wants to be. He is a really talented boy and he has got a fantastic work ethic. Dane can be whatever he wants to be and there is no ceiling on what he can achieve. It is a privilege every morning to wake up and work with him.”

Down at Fratton Park, the Lilywhites prospect is currently the club’s joint-second top goalscorer in the league (three) and isn’t far behind for shots per game (1.7) either, via WhoScored.

Evidently, he’s displaying early signs of the attacking prowess that is at Kane’s disposal – everything could align for him to be the man to take the reins one day, rather than a Troy Parrott or a new signing.

Former Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho was also a huge admirer of the Hillingdon-born talent as he once compared him to Manchester United ace Marcus Rashford.

“He is a diamond, a kid with incredible potential. He has worked many times with the first team and that gives him a different personality,” he said (via The Sun).

“He is a striker, a No 9. But I have been playing him from the sides — similar to Marcus Rashford — and he is already very clever.”

Portsmouth are amongst the promotion favourites in League One this term, so if Scarlett can go onto be a big part of that with his knack for scoring goals, then it could be wise for Spurs to really take him seriously in the coming seasons as Kane, 29, isn’t going to be around forever.

As we’ve seen from the Manchester City saga and recent interest from Bayern Munich, the prolific goal machine will always be a wanted man and currently, Spurs can not offer him the silverware his career so very much deserves.

Scarlett is surely the dream heir to Kane’s throne at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

AND in other news, Spurs are “long-term admirers” of £50m “magician”, he could finally replace Eriksen…

Newcastle United journalist Chris Waugh is delighted to see striker Callum Wilson sign a new contract at the club. 

The lowdown

The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported on Monday that Wilson had penned a two-year extension with the option for a further 12 months.

The Englishman, who joined from Bournemouth in 2020, now ranks among the club’s highest earners.

Newcastle plan to adjust Wilson’s training schedule ‘to try to keep him fit for longer’ and hope that he can mentor the club’s younger forwards.

The latest

Waugh took to Twitter on Monday morning to offer his reaction to the big development out of St James’ Park.

He called it ‘hugely positive news’ for the Magpies, who have something else to celebrate hot on the heels of a 4-1 win over Fulham at the weekend.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The verdict

In some respects, this decision might be surprising.

Wilson, after all, has suffered badly with injuries, missing 42 matches in two-and-a-bit seasons since he made his move.

And in summer signing Alexander Isak, Newcastle would appear to have already recruited a long-term successor to the 30-year-old.

But ultimately, Wilson’s enduring quality shines through.

In 50 appearances for the club, he’s scored 23 goals and provided five assists – a very impressive return.

He’s sufficiently prolific when he does play to justify an extension, even if it remains a gamble given the money involved.

West Ham centre-back Craig Dawson will be ‘high’ on Wolves’ list of potential January transfer targets, according to an update from journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Dawson linked with Wolves move

Wanderers lost a number of key defenders during the summer, with Conor Coady, Romain Saiss and Willy Boly all moving on to pastures new.

One player who has been linked with making up for the loss of those players is Dawson, who is struggling for playing time for West Ham, making just one start in the Premier League this season.

While a summer move didn’t materialise, it could be that a January move is possible, with the player himself thought to be keen on a move to be closer to his family.

The Latest: Fresh update emerges

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed that Dawson could head to Molineux in the next window to play under Wolves’ new manager:

“I think it’s a position that they will definitely look to strengthen again in January. I’m sure Dawson will be pretty high on the list of targets.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“398117″]

The Verdict: Great option for Wanderers

At 32, Dawson may not be at the peak of his powers anymore, but he remains a solid Premier League player who could be an effective squad option for Wolves.

[freshpress-poll id=“399044″]

The centre-back now has a wealth of experience at the top level, playing 239 times in the top flight, as well as winning 16 caps for England’s Under-21s during his younger days.

The fact that Dawson can also thrive as right-back makes him a versatile option, too, so while it is wouldn’t be a game-changing signing, it would be a shrewd one.

Everton will head to St James’ Park tomorrow night in a Premier League clash with Newcastle United, and Frank Lampard’s side will be desperate to pick up points after suffering consecutive defeats in their last two games.

The Toffees have been looking like they had taken huge strides in their form following the previous campaign that saw the side struggling to retain their top-flight status until the penultimate game of the season, but some of the problems of the past are starting to creep up yet again.

Despite sorting out their defensive issues by showing promising improvements in their performances and adding quality signings in the back line, Everton are still struggling to improve their goal-scoring opportunities.

Following Richarlison’s exit and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s unavailability due to ongoing injury problems, Everton needed to identify players during the transfer window that could not only replace the club’s best goal scorers but also add even more quality to the final third.

The Merseysiders signed former Brighton and Hove Albion striker Neal Maupay to add more goal contributions to the team, but after five league appearances the French forward isn’t exactly lighting up Goodison Park with his presence.

The 26-year-old who was dubbed “wasteful” by writer Tom Childs has scored just one goal with no assists or chances created so far, failing to make a single dribble attempt and only converting 10% of his shots. It shows that the player is offering very little to the Toffees and is lacking a creative spark in order to deliver for his fellow forwards.

As a result, Lampard must unleash Calvert-Lewin against Newcastle now that he is fit and available for selection to give Everton their best chance of taking all three points from their clash away from home.

The Toffees striker has scored five goals and delivered one assist in his ten meetings with the Magpies, which is his best offensive record against any other Premier League side so it is a no-brainer for the centre-forward to reprise his role in the starting line up to replace Maupay.

The 25-year-old who was hailed “exceptional” by Sky Sports journalist Pete Graves has featured only twice this season from the bench but now Lampard must seize the opportunity to capitalise on Calvert-Lewin’s hunger for goals against Eddie Howe’s side.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Calvert-Lewin should start in the team over Maupay and is likely the missing piece to improve Everton’s struggle for goals this season.

Aston Villa wasted a plethora of chances against Chelsea last weekend and with Steven Gerrard’s job potentially on the line, he should unleash rarely-seen Cameron Archer from the start against Fulham on Thursday.

The Villans fell to a 2-0 defeat against Graham Potter’s side despite having an xG score of 2.45, with a combination of poor finishing and impressive goalkeeping ensuring that Gerrard’s side would once again fail to find the back of the net.

Villa have managed just seven goals from their opening ten Premier League fixtures – the joint-second worst in the division – which suggests that it is time for Gerrard to look for different options in his attack.

Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins have scored only one goal each so far this season so it is surely time to see Archer get a start, with the 20-year-old having been limited to brief substitute appearances so far this season despite seven goals in the Championship for Preston North End and four in the League Cup for Villa last term.

During his time with Preston, he won the praise of manager Ryan Lowe, who said:

“His quality levels are fantastic, he’s bullish, strong, he can roll, he has got that little burst of pace too.”

Gerrard has already confirmed that Archer will return to the squad after missing the game against Chelsea through illness, saying:

“Cameron Archer’s back today! He’s going to be travelling with us with the squad tomorrow. He’s over his little bug.

“The team news is the same as it was. We’ve had a couple of knocks and tightness from the game but I think they’ll pull through this morning. Cam has trained the last few days and he’ll come back into the squad.

“He’s going to be needed as well because the thing that’s missing from our performances and being so close at the moment is putting the ball in the net. To have him available and to have another option is big.”

Archer certainly showed last season that he knows where the back of the net is and with four goals in two professional starts for Villa he has certainly earned a chance to show what he can do in the Premier League.

If he can score the goals that Villa need on Thursday night, it might just keep Gerrard in the job that little bit longer, with reports suggesting that a poor result in Craven Cottage could spell the end for the Liverpool legend at Villa Park.

Leeds United correspondents Phil Hay and Graham Smyth have relayed news of an injury to Pascal Struijk before the trip to Leicester City.

The Lowdown: Top-rated player

Struijk has been a regular so far this season, playing every minute of Premier League action.

The 23-year-old has been turning out as a left-back due to Junior Firpo’s injury issues and has excelled in the role. As per WhoScored, Struijk is currently Leeds’ top-rated performer in the league and is the only player to average a match rating over 7/10.

However, he looks set to sit out the trip to Leicester as Jesse Marsch looks to get Leeds’ season back on track.

The Latest: New injury

Both Hay and Smyth were at Thorp Arch for Marsch’s pre-match press conference.

Hay stated that Struijk has a ‘minor injury problem’ and will miss the game this evening, while Smyth described it as a ‘fresh injury blow’, hailing Struijk as ‘very good’ this season.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-53/” title=”Latest Leeds United news” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Not ideal

Marsch confirmed that Firpo will make his first Premier League start of the season at the King Power in Struijk’s absence. The Spaniard has played just 32 minutes of first-team action this season, making just two match-day squads.

Therefore, the news regarding Struijk isn’t ideal, especially as it will mean Marsch using Firpo from the off earlier than he may have liked.

However, Firpo has plenty of experience and has been backed at Elland Road over the summer with the club not adding to their left-back ranks, so now is the perfect time to repay that faith.

Everton have been enjoying a much more positive Premier League campaign so far compared to last season when they endured a difficult relegation battle, and Frank Lampard will be delighted with the progress his team have made.

The powers at Goodison Park made eight signings over the summer and thanks to the new additions the side has improved drastically in their defensive play throughout their performances so far.

Conor Coady and James Tarkowski have developed a flourishing centre-back partnership that has been the linchpin in the impressive defensive displays that have secured Everton vital points and clean sheets over their first 13 league outings.

The Toffees have kept as many shutouts this season as league leaders Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, which is incredibly impressive and a credit to the defensive upgrade both the new centre-back’s have provided Everton. However, there is still room for improvement in the attacking third.

Last season’s top goal-scorer Richarlison made a move to Spurs in the summer and Dominic Calvert-Lewin has only recently returned to fitness which has had a clear effect on the attacking threat that the side has displayed over the campaign so far, despite signing Neal Maupay and Dwight McNeil.

Only Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers have scored fewer goals than the Merseysiders, and Lampard will be looking for ways to improve this, something he could achieve by signing Ben Brereton Diaz in January.

Everton were reportedly desperate to sign the talented Blackburn Rovers forward on Deadline Day, but nothing materialised in the final hours and minutes of the window. As a result, the club must try their chance again in January after a struggle for goals.

The £20m-valued goal machine who was hailed “brilliant” by Hull City defender Jacob Greaves has scored 39 goals and delivered 13 assists over 146 appearances with a goal contribution every 175 minutes for Rovers and this season has shown no signs of slowing down.

Over 18 Championship appearances so far, Brereton Diaz – who rather remarkably is the “face of Pepsi” in Chile – has scored eight goals, registered one assist and created four big chances, as well as winning three duels and 3.1 shots on goal per game.

With that being said, it would be a great piece of business if Everton could secure the signing of Brereton Diaz in January. Given their ineptitude in front of goal, the Chile international could be the missing piece of the jigsaw in Everton’s team.