All posts by n8rngtd.top

Former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer thinks Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles could push for a move to Everton in January if he struggles to find regular game time at the Emirates.

Everton were interested in signing Maitland-Niles on loan during the summer transfer window, a move he was seemingly keen on, but were unsuccessful in their pursuit of the 24-year-old.

Since his failed move to Goodison Park, Maitland-Niles has gone on to make one start in the Premier League for Arsenal, a 1-0 win against Norwich City, so he does look to be in Mikel Arteta’s thinking.

However, should that be an exception and not the norm, Palmer believes a transfer to Everton could be revisited.

“If he’s not playing regularly for Arsenal and he can’t get in the side, I would assume in January he’d want to go on loan or he’d want to leave permanently,” the ex-Leeds United player told FFC when asked if he could see Maitland-Niles joining Everton in the future.

“Like I’ve said, Saturdays and Wednesdays are for playing football, they’re not for sitting on the bench and not for sitting in the stand.”

Maitland-Niles is obviously a very versatile footballer – something his former manager Arsene Wenger raved about after he first burst onto the scene – so it is hardly a surprise that Arteta wanted to keep him at the club.

Liverpool have received another big selection setback ahead of their Group B clash with Porto in the Champions League this evening after it was revealed that Trent Alexander-Arnold hasn’t travelled with the first-team squad.

What’s the word?

According to the Liverpool ECHO, the 22-year-old right-back is out of the Estadio do Dragao clash after picking up an unknown issue.

The report states that: “Alexander-Arnold was not part of the Reds’ squad that flew to Porto on Monday ahead of their Champions League Group B clash on Tuesday evening.

“The right-back had taken part in open training at Kirkby earlier in the day only to not be among the party that disembarked the team coach at their hotel in the evening.”

Liverpool have not released any details on Alexander-Arnold’s absence, but it’s likely to mean either James Milner or Neco Williams will fill in on the right-hand side of defence.

Jurgen Klopp will be gutted

News that Alexander-Arnold will play no part in this evening’s fixture against Porto will leave manager Jurgen Klopp feeling gutted.

The Liverpool boss had already confirmed that Thiago Alcantara would miss the game due to his calf injury, so the news that another one of his stars will now be unavailable is a big blow.

The England international has started the season in impressive fashion, recording three assists in just six appearances in all competitions, playing a pivotal part in Liverpool’s unbeaten start to 2021/22.

Fellow academy graduate Williams, sidelined for the past month through injury, is fit again and was part of the 22-man squad that travelled to Portugal, meaning the 20-year-old could pick up his first minutes of the campaign.

Klopp could also turn to experienced campaigner Milner, who put in an eye-catching performance when he deputised for the ill Alexander-Arnold against Crystal Palace earlier this month.

However, as capable as those two players are, they’re not of the same standard as Alexander-Arnold, so Klopp will not be happy that he has to play his first European away game of the season without his first-choice right-back.

And, in other news…Bought for £4.4m, now worth £27m: Liverpool sealed masterclass over “sensational” gem 

Crystal Palace posted footage of Eberechi Eze joining in with first team training on Saturday.

As to be expected, it didn’t take long until a number of Eagles fans went wild at the official club update on social media.

The attacking midfielder has been sidelined since May following a freak Achilles injury in training but he appears to be edging closer to a Palace return.

Reports back in August suggested that Eze was well ahead of schedule with his recovery, and it appears as if he could return before the year is out.

He is yet to feature under Patrick Vieira, but after posting an individual drill on his personal Twitter profile last week, he has now joined in with group training.

The 23-year-old was all smiles and participated in a passing drill, which was shared on Palace’s official Twitter channel.

Palace fans react

Here is what these Eagles supporters had to say in reply, with many sharing their excitement over the footage.

“Best day of my life icl”

Credit: @CPFCMax9

“Tears in my eyes”

Credit: @BludOnTheLeaves

“oh my days”

Credit: @MATTT046

“Oh myyyyy”

Credit: @Phillyconcarne

“Can’t even begin to describe how happy this makes me.”

Credit: @pnm1979

“Oh man I can’t wait for this young man to be back balling.”

Credit: @Scrivum

In other news: Palace keen on midfield prodigy with 35 goals and 24 assists at youth level. 

Former Premier League star Carlton Palmer believes that Raphinha will be wanted by a variety of top clubs if he keeps playing as he has been.

The Brazilian has been a shining light for Leeds United this season despite their poor beginning to the campaign.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have yet to win in the league this season and are currently marooned in the bottom three.

Raphinha, though, has been excellent at the start of the season and is continuing to tear defences apart with his direct running and dribbling.

The Brazilian made six appearances in the top-flight and had scored three goals prior to the visit of Watford, with the Brazilian even earning a call-up to the national team as a result of his performances.

And Palmer believes that there will be clubs who want to bring him in, although he does believe that his agent may be trying to plant stories in order to drive up interest.

He said: “If you’re a player that’s playing well, clubs are always going to be talking about you and you’re always going to be linked with clubs, whether that’s newspapers, whether that’s your agent putting it out there, that’s what they do, that’s how agents get their players a move, they put it out there that he’s making his debut for Brazil and try to raise his profile to get him a move.

“That’s par for the course now. What he’s got to do is keep playing consistently well for Leeds United.”

West Ham United could secure their next Carlos Tevez over the coming months after being linked with a move for Inter forward Alexis Sanchez.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb (as relayed by SportWitness), the Hammers are eager to bring the 32-year-old back to English shores, although they’re set to face competition from Marseille and interest from Spain.

The report states that: “The Chilean striker is playing little and the idea of ​​a goodbye also in January is taking shape. Marseille and West Ham have tested the waters, but in the end, some opportunities could also arise in Spain.”

Sanchez’s current contract at San Siro doesn’t expire until the summer of 2023, but the reigning Serie A champions are eager to get the versatile attacker off their books due to his high wages.

West Ham’s next Carlos Tevez

West Ham’s history is littered with top-class stars who have either fired their club or country to glory throughout their career while entertaining the masses in the process.

However, the last South American do to so in a claret and blue shirt was arguably Carlos Tevez during the 2006/07 season.

After a tricky start to life in the English top-flight, the Argentine bagged an incredible seven goals and provided a further four assists in the east London outfit’s final ten league games of the campaign, firing Alan Curbishley’s charges to safety in dramatic fashion.

The likes of Felipe Andersen, Manuel Lanzini and Enner Valencia have attempted to replicate Tevez’s influence since, although none have come close to making as big an impact as the stocky forward.

That could be about to change following speculation regarding Sanchez’s potential imminent arrival at the London Stadium, though.

During his three-and-a-half-year stay at Arsenal, the £130k-per-week Chile international bagged 80 goals and provided 45 assists in 166 appearances for the Gunners, winning the FA Cup twice along the way.

His outstanding performances at the Emirates Stadium caught the eye of several impressed onlookers, including Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

“He is a player that can play in several positions: left, right, central. He is a fighter with character and spirit, and he is a winner,” said Guardiola back in 2016. “He is a class, class player, but now I think he is playing really well. With Chile he has won two South American cups, that shows what a good player he is.”

Things have not quite worked out for Sanchez since leaving north London, though. Spells at Manchester United and Inter have failed to bring out the best in the £6.75m-rated beast, but West Ham manager David Moyes could be the ideal man to revive his career.

The Scotsman has already brought out the best of ageing players such as Craig Dawson and Michail Antonio, and therefore, GSB must back their manager to do the same with a potential superstar in the shape of Sanchez.

And, in other news…West Ham gifted huge January transfer boost, Newman could seal an instant masterclass 

Many Everton fans have been left fuming over some early team news ahead of their game at home to Watford in the Premier League this afternoon.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match against the Hornets at Goodison Park, Rafa Benitez has revealed that Yerry Mina will now miss it, as he has to follow COVID protocols after coming back from international duty with Colombia, while he also felt a tight hamstring in training.

This comes after separate injury setbacks to Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, meaning that the Merseyside club will now have to try and find a way to get all three points without three key members of their squad.

Mina’s importance can be highlighted when the Toffees conceded a goal from a set piece against West Ham United at home last time out to lose 1-0, as the six-foot-five-inches tall central defender certainly gives them a threat in both boxes.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-6/” title=”Everton news! (6)” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Everton fans on Mina injury news

These Blues supporters fumed as the team news was shared on Twitter:

“We’re actually gonna get hammered”

Credit: @blue_toffees

“It goes from bad to worse to even worse”

Credit: @victoriacarlin_

“Can’t wait for a 3-0 drubbing against Watford”

Credit: @Day89

“Circus. The club is a joke.”

Credit: @SteveDow1

“Hands up if your club’s a joke”

Credit: @EFCTanya

“Hate my life”

Credit: @morganxcollins

In other news, find out what club news has Evertonians buzzing here!

Arguably the best way for Crystal Palace to compete with their more affluent rivals is to maximise the abundance of talent available to them on their south London doorstep.

And it appears as though the Eagles outfit are finally starting to capitalise on the local prospects that have so regularly slipped through their fingers in the past.

Despite the likes of Jadon Sancho, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Emile Smith Rowe growing up within close proximity of Selhurst Park, they have all learned their trade elsewhere due to the below-standard facilities at Palace.

However, with the capital club now being awarded a Category 1 status for their academy following significant investment, a new era is just around the corner.

One potential star who could play a pivotal part in Palace’s next chapter under Patrick Vieira is 19-year-old Malachi Boateng.

The versatile midfielder was named the club’s Under-23 Player of the Season last term, and earned high praise from academy coach Shaun Derry.

“This young player has brought so many highs to this training group; he is a pleasure to work alongside. Hopefully, he can develop more and more as the years go by, and we can hear a lot more about him,” said the 43-year-old.

Boateng’s eye-catching performances for the youth teams have seen the versatile youngster regularly train with the first-team squad, too, and Derry went into further detail regarding what makes him such a special player.

“A midfielder who has so many strings to his bow… He shows aggression, he shows quality on the ball, he can get around the pitch – wins the second ball and can dictate play.

“He’s a fine young man and one that represents the football club in a way we want the football club represented,” Derry concluded.

The club’s official website describes the Englishman as a “central player with a good range of passing” who is also “comfortable with both feet”, giving Palace supporters ample reason to be excited over his future prospects.

With current midfielders Luka Milivojević, Cheikhou Kouyaté and James McArthur all in their 30s and approaching the twilight of their careers, Vieira may be tempted to reward Boateng with his first senior appearance for the Eagles, potentially discovering yet another gem in the process.

And, in other news…Imagine him and Olise: Parish must revive Palace interest in £18m-rated magician 

With Valerien Ismael’s West Bromwich Albion side heading into Wednesday evening’s Championship clash on the back of a resounding 3-0 defeat last weekend, the 46-year-old Baggies boss will undoubtedly be hoping for a much better result when Hull City visit The Hawthorns.

And, considering the fact that the Tigers have picked up just two wins all season and currently occupy one of the spots in the Championship relegation zone, the Frenchman will know that his side have a fantastic opportunity to get back to winning ways against Grant McCann’s men.

So, will Ismael make any changes to the team which started the 3-0 loss against Fulham on Saturday? Here’s how we think West Brom could line up against Hull, along with the latest team and injury news…

With Ismael recently confirming that Alex Mowatt will once again miss out due to injury, while Darnell Furlong is unavailable as a result of his red card against Fulham, we predict that the Frenchman will make four changes to the side which lined up against the Cottagers.

The first of these alterations is a forced one in the West Brom back five, with the aforementioned Furlong watching from the sidelines, highly-rated 19-year-old Taylor Gardner-Hickman is handed his league debut for the Baggies at right wing-back.

In the middle of the park, the £24k-per-week Robert Snodgrass drops out of the XI after a disappointing showing against Fulham, being replaced by Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Jayson Molumby.

The final two changes come in Ismael’s front three, with Jordan Hugill – who has scored just one goal over 11 Championship appearances for the Baggies – making way for Callum Robinson, while Matt Phillips – who has not contributed towards a goal over his last five league fixtures – is left out in order for Grady Diangana to make his first Championship start since September.

In other news: Journo drops fresh West Brom January transfer claim that will devastate Albion fans

Guillem Balague has revealed the four managers who have rejected the chance to manage Newcastle United so far.

The Lowdown: Manager scramble

The St. James’ Park faithful’s search for a new permanent manager to succeed Steve Bruce has been a bit of a mess so far, as Graeme Jones is set to take charge of another game at the weekend as it stands.

There have been so many names thrown around in recent days, including the likes of Paulo Fonseca and Zinedine Zidane, but it certainly begs the question whether any truly elite boss wants to take charge of a team currently locked in a relegation battle.

The North East club have a mere four points and no wins from their 10 opening games in the Premier League so far this season, sitting in 19th spot, just above Norwich City (Premier League).

The Latest: Four rejections

It is openly known that Unai Emery has now rejected the chance to manage the Tyneside outfit in favour of staying at Villarreal following a statement that he released yesterday, and it has also been widely reported that Antonio Conte rejected them as well, and is now the manager of Tottenham Hotspur

However, two names that may have gone under the radar are Joachim Low and Xavi, both of whom journalist Balague has now revealed have also said no to the Magpies job, among others.

The Verdict: Desperation

With so many rejections, these are desperate times now for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium, who are clearly struggling to sell the long-term project amid a relegation battle.

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

A true legend of the game as a player, Xavi now reportedly looks set to manage his former club FC Barcelona, which should in turn rule him out of any chance of managing the Toon, certainly in the short-term.

Having left his post as Germany manager following Euro 2020 after 15 years in charge (Sky Sports), Lowe is unlikely to want to get back into management straight away, leaving NUFC in a very difficult position as they scrap to see who is available at this moment in time.

In other news, find out which ‘phenomenal’ manager was Newcastle’s top choice here!

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa finally got his man in the summer but it’s safe to say, things have not gone to plan for Daniel James at Elland Road.

The 23-year-old nearly joined the Yorkshire giants from Swansea City in January 2019, having successfully completed a medical. He was even pictured holding up the Whites shirt ahead of an official announcement.

However, the move fell through at the last minute after Swans chairman Huw Jenkins blocked it. He would have cost just £10m but 18 months later, Victor Orta and co have had to fork out triple that at a club-record £30m, meaning Manchester United doubled their money.

Truth be told, the Red Devils were probably laughing their way to the bank as the Wales international never looked like setting the ground alight at Old Trafford, nor has he made any sort of improvement at his new club.

Leeds’ season has hardly gone to plan with Bielsa’s men sat 15th in the standings, only three points above the drop zone. An early worry because they finished inside the top ten last season and chairman Andrea Radrizzani has ambitions to challenge for a place in the top-six.

The Yorkshiremen have only managed to average one goal per game despite sitting inside the best six clubs for number of shots per game (14.3), so that only goes to show where their problem may lie.

Attacking players like James aren’t doing their job at all and that much is evident in the fact that he currently ranks as one of Bielsa’s three-worst performers in the squad (five or more league starts), as per WhoScored.

Only Jack Harrison (6.33) and fellow summer signing Junior Firpo (6.29) have a worse average rating than the Welshman (6.36).

His returns are pretty disastrous, too.

James has only averaged 0.8 dribbles per game, meaning he isn’t getting up and down the flanks to great success at all. Similarly, four other players are managing more shots per game (1.6) and he’s not being very creative, having recorded only 0.4 key passes per game – the lowest of any attack-minded star, as per WhoScored.

There’s certainly a case to be made that Bielsa’s summer arrival is holding them back right now and the decision to let Helder Costa leave is becoming quite questionable.

The £16.2m-rated dynamo was once lauded as “explosive” and “so fast” by former United teammate Andreas Pereira, but he has failed to show why Leeds invested heavily in his services so far this season.

All pace with little end product and a severe lack of creativity, the lightweight just isn’t good enough to start right now. He must be brutally axed after the international break.

AND in other news, 49ers could be targeting full Leeds United control, says reliable journalist…