All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham Hotspur have splashed the cash in the hunt to find viable replacements for Kyle Walker and then Kieran Trippier, but perhaps the answer was right under their nose all along.

He just needed a little nurturing.

Since 2017, the north London outfit have spent £23m on Serge Aurier and now £15m on Matt Doherty – a total nearing £40m is a pretty hefty investment and only goes to show how desperately they have missed the aforementioned England duo.

Two years prior to Walker’s mega-money move to Manchester City, former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino sold Ryan Fredericks, then aged 22, to Bristol City for around £175,000, the same fee Fulham paid for him less than a month later.

He made just four senior appearances for the club and enjoyed loan spells in the Championship with Millwall and Middlesbrough between 2010 and 2015.

Where is Fredericks now?

Fredericks has since gone onto become a mainstay for local rivals West Ham United in the Premier League, where he has racked up a total of 45 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

His value now stands at £3.6m having hit a career-high £6.3m just a year ago, so it certainly seems like his exit from N17 was a little premature.

The 28-year-old isn’t as classy as a Sergio Reguilon or a Doherty, but he has proven to be a steady operator in the top-flight and prior to injury, looked to have been one of David Moyes’ best defenders.

Per WhoScored, Fredericks has averaged three key passes, 2.7 clearances, 1.7 interceptions and one tackle per game this season.

This puts him above Doherty, who has only managed 0.7 key passes and 2.3 clearances each appearance. They are both the same age, yet one was sold for £175k and the other cost £15m.

Fredericks’ recent form has led to temporary Hammers boss Alan Irvine praising him as “outstanding” and “fantastic”.

You can’t help but feel that if Pochettino brought him through gradually, then Spurs could have saved themselves millions, not just during the summer transfer window but many more, as he could have stepped up to fill the boots of Walker or Trippier – eventually.

AND in other news, Bruno Fernandes: Spurs truly missed out on a perfect Eriksen successor

Journalist Alan Nixon has said that Sunderland target Jay Spearing will ‘probably’ receive a League One move.

Nixon, who held a Q&A session with his followers over on social media platform Twitter over the weekend, was quizzed by one fan on the future of Spearing and he replied that there is “a lot of interest” in the 31-year-old.

Black Cats manager Phil Parkinson will likely be seeking to bolster his squad ahead of the new season. A second successive failure to gain promotion from League One will likely increase the pressure on him to deliver and he has already been linked with a number of players, including former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Spearing, as per The Sun (5 July, page 61).

Spearing, who is valued at £540,000 by Transfermarkt, began his professional career with Liverpool before embarking on spells with Leicester City, Bolton, Blackburn Rovers and most recently Blackpool.

Having recently left the Tangerines, he is said to be looking for a new challenge and that has now led Nixon to claim that he will ‘probably end up in League One’, whilst the former Liverpool midfielder has also been linked with a move to Tranmere Rovers and Bolton Wanderers (The Sun [5 July, page 61]), both of whom were relegated to League Two this year.

Spearing is likely to sign for a League One club but it remains to be seen if he is what Sunderland need. At 31, perhaps Parkinson should try to target younger players who could build a lasting legacy at the Stadium of Light.

Spearing has plenty of experience, including some at Premier League and European level, but whether he could channel that into a positive if he goes to Sunderland is up for debate.

Do you think Spearing will arrive at Sunderland? Let us know in the comments section below…

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Owen Otasowie remains a target for Coventry City and a transfer breakthrough could happen in the coming days, according to Coventry Telegraph’s Tom Leach.

The young Wolves academy talent, who was born in New York City, has represented USA twice at under-18 level, whilst also featuring for the Premier League club’s under-23 side.

Aside from featuring at under-23 level this term for the Molineux outfit, Otasowie has also made one appearance for Nuno Espirito Santo’s first team, playing in the Europa League against Turkish side Besiktas.

Coventry manager Mark Robins has now been credited with interest in Otasowie along with the likes of Luton and Peterborough.

Leach, who held a Q&A with Coventry fans on Coventry Telegraph’s website, gave an insight into the Wolves academy before claiming that a breakthrough could emerge in the coming days regarding Otasowie’s future.

“This is one that I missed surface as I was on holiday, but looked into it yesterday. He seems a tidy player and, as we know, we are close to Wolves thanks to Chris Badlan who worked there once upon a time.

“Wolves also have an incredible amount of young players, I used to cover Wolves back in the day myself and they keep their academy player really close to their training base as Compton.

“Players like Otasowie often train with first-team players and Nuno and his coaching staff are regularly at the indoor pitch speaking to them.

“It was part of Nuno’s arrival that he asked the young players to be relocated to Compton.

“We’ll see how the Otasowie story develops over the coming days.”

Robins has been busy already this summer in bolstering his squad options, bringing in the likes of Gustavo Hamer, Julien Dacosta, Marcel Hilssner, Callum O’Hare and Ryan Giles (as per Transfermarkt).

Those are intriguing comments made by Leach and it will be interesting to see if any significant developments happen in the coming days.

Otasowie’s international and Europa League experience bodes well for the future and he could be a good coup for newly-promoted Coventry ahead of their tilt at the Championship.

Do you think Otasowie is a good signing for Coventry? Let us know in the comments section below…

Speaking to Football Insider, Danny Mills has suggested that Steve Bruce could be the first to go if Newcastle’s takeover goes through.

What did he say?

The Magpies appear to be on the verge of seeing their takeover confirmed sooner rather than later, and with it, major question marks on Bruce’s long-term future at the club.

Recent reports have touted Rafa Benitez with an emotional return to St James’ Park, and Mills has claimed that with new ownership, one of the first things that often happens is the current manager ends up leaving.

He said: “It is going to be very difficult for Steve Bruce. He has not done a bad job and he is a very capable and very good manager. But big owners coming in with a lot of money will want to put their own person in. They will want the fans onside immediately and the easiest way to do that is to appoint a manager.

“It is unfortunate for Bruce because he has done a good job. We often see owners come in with their own ideas and the first person to go is normally the manager.”

Inevitable

With the likes of Benitez, Mauricio Pochettino and Massimiliano Allegri all being linked with the job at St James’ Park, it seems incredible that Bruce remains in the dugout at Newcastle.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

The current Magpies boss has just been watching on from the side-lines as new reports claim the club have already drawing up replacements for him before the takeover has even been confirmed.

It all seems rather inevitable as Mills suggests, and it would be a major surprise now if Bruce is even given longer than just the end of the season.

Name: Chem Campbell

Club: Wolverhampton Wanderers

Date of Birth: 30 December 2002

Position: Midfielder (Central/Attacking/Wide), Forward (Centre/Second-striker/Winger)

Chem Campbell – his career so far

Even though he is only 17 years of age, Chem Campbell has already managed to make history at Wolverhampton Wanderers, breaking some records and making a mark at the club of his youth. His first footballing steps, however, were made playing for Birmingham City prior to his big move to the Molineux.

Campbell joined Wolves five years ago, slotting right into their academy and immediately cementing himself as one of the best and highest-potential youngsters they had on their books. And needless to say, he’s gone from strength to strength ever since that moment.

He may still be officially registered as part of their U18 squad but the 17-year-old has already had some exposure with the seniors. In fact, when he was only 16, he was already invited to train with the first-team, such is the extent of his incredible talent and the best thing about him is that he’s bound to improve even further as time goes on and he gains more experience.

Another testament of his potential is the fact that he scored four goals in the first four appearances he’s made for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ U18 squad. In total, he could muster 19 games under his belt and even tallying 12 for the U23s, scoring two goals in the process as well.

The highlight of his young career happened when he featured in Wolves’ 2:1 defeat to Aston Villa in the EFL Cup in October 2019, writing his name in the history books as well. With that appearance, Campbell has eclipsed Robbie Keane and Morgan Gibbs-White to become the second-youngest player to pull on Wolves’ shirt in a competitive match after Jimmy Mullen.

Needless to say, that is not only a big honour but also a glimpse of what the future may hold for this extremely talented young player who could go on to succeed at the biggest stages in football.

But of course, he is 17 years of age and a bit of patience and grooming will be necessary on Wolves’ part.

Transfer latest

At the very moment the rumour mill is quite dry when it comes to updates on Campbell and there are no Wolves news giving us any indication of his immediate future. Of course, currently, with football still sidelined and on hold, this doesn’t really come as a big surprise.

But since he is now 17 years of age, Campbell is eligible to sign his first professional deal with the club and we can firmly expect him to do so sooner rather than later. There were some whispers and transfer rumours on that front in 2019 and back then, the youngster was also reportedly a point of interest for some of Europe’s biggest clubs like Borussia Dortmund, Schalke and Leipzig.

It seems that Wolves will have to act quickly if they want to ensure their young star in making stays and develops at the Molineux.

Player profile

Campbell can be best described as a really technical midfielder who’s capable of slotting in various different positions on the pitch, both in advanced and deeper areas of the pitch. Due to his athleticism and composure, he is not easily dispossessed nor does he often give the ball away to the opposition.

This press-resistance is also highlighted by his great dribbling abilities and a knack of progressing the ball from the deep with his runs. And when he’s deployed higher up the pitch and closer to the goal, Campbell can also be a direct threat for the opposition, rattling the inside of the net and assisting his teammates on occasion.

It seems that the 17-year-old has the right skill set to become a great asset for Wolves in the not so distant future.

Loads of Newcastle fans have been reacting to the latest transfer links, as reports claim they are eyeing a summer swoop for Club Brugge forward Emmanuel Dennis.

According to Voetbalkrant, via @NUFC360, the Magpies are highly interested in Dennis and will go to “great lengths” to bring him to St. James’ Park.

Best of the Decade: Top scorers & creators – Can you name them?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

The Belgian Jupiler League opted to conclude their season last week, crowning Brugge as champions early, and it appears one of their stars could be on his way to Tyneside.

However, Dennis’ stats are alarmingly similar to Joelinton’s final season at Hoffenheim, where the Brazilian scored eight goals in 33 games.

Dennis, who is valued at £15.3m by Transfermarkt, bagged nine goals in 33 appearances this season, also adding two assists.

The 22 year-old can play through the middle or on either wing, and you can find some of the best fan reactions to the news down below, where some fans said he is “another striker who can’t score”…

Mark Douglas delivered an exciting takeover update last week…

Newcastle United’s takeover situation continues to rumble on into May, and George Caulkin of The Athletic has given fresh thoughts on the matter.The Telegraph reported yesterday that there was a delay due to BeIN Sports’ objection over Saudi Arabia’s alleged piracy of Premier League matches, although it shouldn’t be enough to see the deal fall through as there have been ‘no red flags’ in the process so far.Replying to a supporter on Twitter, Caulkin said:

He claims that Amanda Staveley’s Saudi-backed consortium were told that the process could take up to four weeks when they initially started the process, which takes us to around about now but did suggest that it may take ‘as long as it needs’ meaning it could yet go on for another week or so.

Has life under Ashley really that bad? Maybe this quiz will change your minds, Newcastle fans…

All the Magpies faithful can do is sit back and await the moment the confirmation comes through, but there is no need to be worried just yet – even if the thought of another day with Mike Ashley at the helm is too hard to bare.

AND in other news,ÂNewcastle fans want 25 y/o’s contract extended…

Trent Alexander-Arnold played the full 90 minutes as England recorded a 7-0 win over Montenegro in Thursday night’s Euro 2020 qualifier at Wembley.

The victory saw the Three Lions book their spot at next summer’s finals, with Harry Kane scoring yet another hat-trick for Gareth Southgate’s side.

Alexander-Arnold was given the nod at right-back, and it will be very, very interesting to see whether the Liverpool ace is Southgate’s first choice in that area moving forward.

The 21-year-old has again been in fine form at club level this season, contributing three assists and one goal in 12 Premier League appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The Liverpool fans are used to paying tribute to the defender as it has happened on more than a few occasions over the last few months.

However, it was the turn of a wide array of football fans on Thursday evening as many took to social media to lavish praise on the gifted full-back.

A selection of the Twitter reaction is available to view below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

The Athletic have indicated that Chris Hughton could take over as West Ham United manager if Manuel Pellegrini is sacked.

What’s the story?

Pellegrini is certainly a man under pressure, with his Hammers side having not won a single one of their last eight games across all competitions.

[ad_pod ]

This has already led to talk around who could take over from the Chilean if he is to be dismissed, with The Athletic stating that Rafael Benitez won’t be heading to East London, but Hughton could.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion manager is said to be interested in the role, while he also has support at London Stadium.

ExWHUemployee has also said that he wouldn’t be surprised to see the 60-year-old in charge of the men in claret and blue at some stage this season.

Watch West Ham United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Early speculation

There are other options available to West Ham, with Sean Dyche having approached the club already, according to ExWHUemployee.

This indicates that there are options for the Hammers, but there should be a reminder that Pellegrini hasn’t actually vacated his role just yet.

Lukasz Fabianski continues to miss out through injury, so any incoming manager would still have one of the Chilean’s biggest problems, which is the goalkeeper situation.

This was highlighted on the weekend, as goals from Son Heung-min and Harry Kane were added to the list of those Roberto has conceded too easily since deputising for the Poland international.

Therefore, it should still be questioned as to whether now is the right time for West Ham to change the manager.

Whether or not it should be done immediately, it doesn’t seem as though discussion surrounding possible candidates to replace him will be going away anytime soon.

Sunderland have won just six times in 14 League One matches this term, and fans are beginning to turn their attention to owner Stewart Donald.

The former Eastleigh owner came in last year and steadied the club, paving the way for some on-field success, reaching both the EFL Trophy final and the play-off final, though both ended in disappointment.

Watch League 1 Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

However, a failure to invest significantly over the summer, according to supporters, is holding the club back. Indeed, it seems that the signing of Will Grigg for £4m in February, a record fee in League One, wasn’t enough for Donald to win over the supporters.

Nevertheless, some fans feel frustrated with their owner and believe he is partly responsible for the poor run of form, prompting a few to call on him to leave the club and sell to someone more able to take the Black Cats in the right direction.

The Sunderland faithful are understandably tired of seeing disappointment at the club, and that has sparked the following reactions…