All posts by z3u9t.icu

Everton have promised new manager Rafa Benitez money to spend in the transfer market and their moves since his arrival suggest their kitty is rather full.

A loan move for Philippe Coutinho has been touted while swoops for Ben White and Denzel Dumfries could both be on the cards at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

The Toffees could lose Dominic Calvert-Lewin this summer with Real Madrid interested in his services.

Haris Seferovic has been suggested as a potential replacement in Merseyside but whether or not the Englishman decides to stay, they need more competition up front.

One player that Benitez should look to bring to Everton is Bayern Munich forward Joshua Zirkzee.

Everton made an attempt to sign him on loan back in January with a £9m option to buy but a deal ultimately didn’t materialise.

The 20-year-old spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Parma instead who had an option of £13m to buy.

Parma didn’t take up that clause and the Dutchman has since returned to Bayern, only to be put on the transfer list according to a report from BILD (via Sport Witness).

Third bite of the cherry

If Everton decide to move for Zirkzee this summer then it would be third time lucky in their pursuit of the promising Dutchman.

He had a trial with the Toffees when he was 16 but they ultimately decided against signing him.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-everton-news-benitez-kamara-romero-dumfries” title= “Read the latest Everton transfer news!”]

They reignited their interest at the beginning of the year and if it’s there again, they should lure him to English football as competition for Calvert-Lewin.

Stuck behind Robert Lewandowski in the Bayern pecking order, it’s particularly difficult for Zirkzee to stand out.

That being said, he’s still found the net on four occasions in 17 senior outings.

Standing at a colossal height of 6 foot 4, he’d be a brilliant striker to play second fiddle to Calvert-Lewin. They stand at a similar height and can use their tall frames to dominate a backline in striking fashion.

Despite the 20-year-old’s limited game time at the Allianz Arena, he’s still earned some fabulous appraisals.

Joshua Kimmich once dubbed the forward as “deadly” while former Dutch international Youri Moulder said he’s a “serious talent.”

One of the best reviews comes from Hansi Flick who commented on his training performances, saying: “his development has been remarkable.”

Everton currently have Anthony Gordon coming through their ranks but Benitez cannot pass on the opportunity to bring such a talented young striker to Goodison.

His senior minutes have been limited but the potential is enormous.

AND in other news, Forget Dumfries: Rafa must consider Everton swoop for “unbelievable” £20m “soldier”…

Everton have already been linked with signing a number of players in the January transfer window, and Rafael Benitez will be hoping to add quality to his struggling side over the next few weeks, with another name being put into the conversation to join the squad at Goodison Park in 2022.

What’s the word?

Fabrizio Romano took to his Twitter replies to make the bold claim that the club are interested in signing Phillipe Coutinho during the transfer window.

Replying to a tweet, the transfer insider confirmed that the Toffees are in among many other clubs considering a move for the Barcelona player, claiming: “Everton are among clubs considering Coutinho. Not the only one. I think he plans to stay in Europe as priority. We’ll see.”

The £16.2m-rated star has been a hot topic of transfer speculation, as he has failed to make an impact at Camp Nou since joining the La Liga giants in 2018, scoring just two goals so far this season, which is a far cry from the expectations when the club signed him for £142m. However, he did show glimpses of talent at Bayern Munich, where he played his part in winning the Champions League on loan in 2019/20.

Despite the rumours of interest from Arsenal, Everton, Newcastle and Tottenham, it has since been reported by Mundo Deportivo that the 29-year-old could go back to Brazil amid interest from both Atlético Mineiro and Palmeiras, which the reports suggest could benefit Coutinho’s chances of getting into the national squad for the World Cup at the end of 2022.

Would it be the right move for Everton?

There is no doubt that Coutinho has talent, with Brazil team-mate Roberto Firmino gushing: “You simply can’t say that he’s not a magician. He has magical powers. He produces plays that don’t exist, that you couldn’t make up.”

However, Everton have a habit of overspending in the wrong places, and the fans will be fuming if the transfer budget is blown on a player like Coutinho, instead of investing in a number of younger prospects who can elevate the team for the future, with Demarai Gray a perfect example of the type of signings the Merseyside club need to be making.

One Everton fan took to Twitter to react to the potential signing of Coutinho, venting: “Moshiri actually cannot help himself. It’s an insane addiction he has to overpriced washed players than are nothing more than short-term solutions that don’t help us in the long run.”

Gray was signed for £1.7m in the summer and has since become Everton’s joint-top scorer this season, making an impact far beyond his market value when he joined the Blues. That has set the bar for the kind of signings Benitez needs to be making, instead of buying a player coming to the end of his peak with wage demands of £383k-p/w, a sum could easily spread across multiple other signings.

Were they to splurge on Coutinho rather than investing a similar amount across several new signings, Everton fans would surely be raging at the club, much like the example above.

In other news: This transfer target could solve one big issue for Benitez

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Michael Bridge of Sky Sports has dropped a claim involving Tottenham Hotspur star Tanguy Ndombele.

The Lowdown: Ndombele pushes for move?

After all the drama surrounding Harry Kane and his eventually failed exit from Spurs in the summer, some news then emerged of another big name wanting to leave north London.

Indeed, as per reliable reports, Ndombele told Tottenham chiefs he wanted to depart N17 before August 31 with the club record signing seemingly unsettled.

Now, a few months down the line, Bridge has made a claim whilst urging the Frenchman to do one thing.

The Latest: Ndombele ‘not massively happy’…

Following his stay at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with no exit coming to fruition, Bridge says the 24-year-old is still ‘not massively happy’ as a Lilywhites player.

However, given his move failed to materialise, the reporter has urged Ndombele to knuckle down and play his way back into top form.

“We all know he wanted to go and he’s not massively happy,” the Sky reporter told GMS.

“But he needs to knuckle down, for the benefit of him if he wants to be seen on the world stage.

“He’s not even in the French squad, there’s a reason for that.”

The Verdict: Time to cut losses?

It is pretty apparent from spells of form last year that Ndombele has frightening ability.

At one stage under former boss Jose Mourinho, it looked like the Spurs star had totally revitalised his Premier League career with praise from senior players at the time, like ex-Tottenham man Joe Hart, who apparently called him ‘unplayable’.

He also finished the 2020/2021 campaign as Spurs’ best dribbler in the English top flight, completing 2.2 of them on average per 90 and eclipsing the rest of his teammates (WhoScored).

Ndombele was even hailed by Martin Keown as ‘underrated in what he does’ and a tireless worker out of possession at one point (talkSPORT), which seems unbelievable given his reputation for not running as hard as some Spurs players.

If Nuno Espirito Santo can nurture the very best out of Ndombele and rekindle his happiness at Hotspur Way, there may just be hope for the club record signing yet, but it’s all down to him.

In other news: Nuno personally tells player he can leave as Spurs green light another January exit, find out more here.

Leeds United are ‘very likely’ to sign Brenden Aaronson this summer, with the Whites readying a £25m offer.

The Lowdown: January bids for Aaronson

The 21-year-old emerged as a key transfer target for Leeds in January, with the club making two offers for the attacking midfielder.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-41/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-04-02T155252Z_391313781_UP1EI421841M9_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-SOU-REPORT.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The second was thought to be worth £20m, but as we know, Aaronson remained with Red Bull Salzburg, which left Leeds with no senior signings in January.

However, it looks as if he is still a key target and could reunite with fellow countryman Jesse Marsch over the summer, having made 25 appearances under the 48-year-old during the Leeds manager’s time in Austria.

The Latest: Twitter claim on Aaronson

Leeds Radar, a Whites news feed, made a claim regarding Aaronson on Twitter. They suggested that the 21-year-old is ‘very likely’ to make the move to Elland Road, with a £25m bid to RB Salzburg now ready.

Aaronson already shares the same agent as six Leeds players – one of whom is Adam Forshaw, who penned a new deal in January – so you’d expect that they will already know Andrea Radrizzani well.

The Verdict: Aaronson is needed

Providing that Marsch steers Leeds to safety, the club need midfield reinforcements, and Aaronson appears to be a smart target.

He starred under the 48-year-old in Austria, contributing to 12 goals in 25 games and can also play in a deeper role or on the left. Aaronson ranks in the top 1% of players in terms of distance covered, so should slot right into Marsch’s pressing system and attempts to catch opponents on the break.

A £25m move would make him the club’s third most expensive sighing of all time, but this season has shown that Leeds could do with more numbers and quality in midfield, especially with Kalvin Philips sidelined for large periods of the campaign.

In other news – 5 key passes, 1 goal: Leeds target produces stunning midweek display as Orta eyes move

A number of Everton fans have reacted in disbelief following the club’s announcement of further first-team staff departures.

Rafael Benitez left Goodison Park on Sunday after being relieved of his duties as first-team manager.

Following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to relegation-threatened Norwich City, the Toffees have still only managed to pick up one win in the Premier League since the end ofSeptember. As a result, it is no surprise to see the former Newcastle boss get the sack, with Everton a dismal 16th place in the table.

Following on from Benitez’s departure, an official club announcement revealed that a further four Everton coaches have now parted ways with the club following Benitez’s dismissal. As reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Francisco de Miguel Moreno, Antonio Gomez, Jamie Harley and Cristian Fernandez have left the club’s “first-team technical staff with immediate effect”.

De Miguel Moreno worked as Benitez’s assistant manager, alongside first-team coach and senior analyst Gomez, head of sports science Harley and first-team rehabilitation fitness coach Fernandez.

Many Everton fans react to further departures

Following an official tweet from the club announcing the four coaches’ departures, many Everton fans flocked to the comments to express their disbelief with the whole situation.

Here’s what these fans had to say:

“How about a statement in regards to the direction of this club that we all love? Why is that so hard for anyone, in any senior role at the club, to understand that’s what we as fans demand?”

Credit: @jdhein13

“lads we have no staff or anything, get Danny Donachie back and get some of the best staff out there”

Credit: @jayefc_

“So we sacked all of ours for his, now we have nothing, ahahahahahah nice one”

Credit: @EFCAaron1

“When is Bill Kenwright leaving and Moshiri selling?”

Credit: @PatrickDrohan

“can we get a club statement that explains the actions of our leadership?”

Credit: @gromszgrad

“Thought this was going to be something telling us your intentions going forward, but that’d actually be transparent, so why would you?”

Credit: @Gazzz1995

“Is there anyone left who actually works there?!?! My word.”

Credit: @efc_alex

In other news: ‘Top professional’, ‘I’d be very happy’ – Many Everton fans purring as club ‘great’ could return to Goodison Park

Kevin Phillips has given his reaction to some Newcastle United injury news involving Callum Wilson.

The Lowdown: Back training

Speaking in his pre-game press conference before the Magpies lost 2-1 at Wolves on Saturday, Steve Bruce revealed that the 29-year-old is due to start training ‘in the next couple of days’, and hinted that he could make a return to the squad after the upcoming international break.

The former Bournemouth striker has not played since he scored in the 2-2 draw at home to Southampton in the Premier League in late August.

The Latest: Phillips reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League Golden Boot winner Phillips has claimed that Wilson being back in training is a big boost for Newcastle. He said:

“That’s a massive boost. They’ve missed him hugely. When he plays, he guarantees you goals, guarantees you a threat.

“That’s what Newcastle have lacked. It’s great news for him to be back in training.

“I’m sure they can’t wait for him to get out there and get going again.”

The Verdict: Huge

It certainly is huge that Wilson is back in training, as he could be back in a black-and-white-striped shirt after the international break has finished.

There is no doubt that Newcastle have missed him, having not being able to win any of the last four Premier League games without him, only managing to score four goals in that time (two in three matches prior to his injury.

He is such a key player for Bruce’s team and gives them a focal point up top from which the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almiron and Joe Willock can thrive.

In other news, find out what controversial beIN reveal has been dropped on the potential takeover

Ralph Hasenhuttl has been boosted by the news this week that James Ward-Prowse is back in Southampton training and is in contention for today’s game against Everton.

What’s the word?

There were doubts that the club captain would be fit enough to feature at Goodison Park for the Saints’ Premier League opener after he missed much of pre-season with a knee injury.

Despite missing the friendly games against Levante, Cardiff City, Swansea City and Athletic Bilbao, the 26-year-old looks likely to start against Rafa Benitez’s side on Saturday after making his return to training earlier this week.

Hasenhuttl confirmed that the England international has proved his fitness in time for the game, saying: “He is going to be okay. I am looking forward to seeing him back on Saturday.”

A huge boost for Hasenhuttl?

Considering that Ward-Prowse has played every single minute in consecutive Premier League seasons for Southampton, it would have been a huge blow to have him missing for the opening fixture, as the Saints look to win their opening game of the season for the first time since 2013.

The 26-year-old was the Saints’ most consistent performer last season, continuing to impress despite their slide down the Premier League table in 2021, and it seems clear that he will be hugely important once again this campaign, especially following the departures of Danny Ings and Jannik Vestergaard.

Ward-Prowse contributed eight goals and seven assists in 38 Premier League appearances in 2020/21, averaging an impressive 7.07 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which was comfortably the best of any Saints player.

Therefore, it is vital that he stays fit this season, as without him you’d worry that Southampton could get dragged into a relegation battle should they continue their woeful form from the second half of last season.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

However, it seems as if he will be starting Saturday’s game against Everton, and Southampton fans will surely be delighted to see him feature and will count on him to help them earn a rare win at Goodison Park.

In other news… Hasenhuttl should unleash “brilliant” Saints gem vs Everton

Newcastle United are reportedly now ‘on the prowl’ to sign Philippe Coutinho in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Remembering his Liverpool days

Coutinho is a name that will be very familiar to Premier League fans from his time at Liverpool, where he was quite simply sensational, scoring 54 goals and making a further 45 assists in 201 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

His performances earned him a big-money move to FC Barcelona back in the 2018 winter window, in which he left Anfield for a whopping £121.5m.

His form allowed him to work his way into the Brazil national team as well, as the great Pele admitted that he liked Coutinho back in 2015, calling him an ‘excellent’ and ‘intelligent’ player.

The Latest: Newcastle ‘on the prowl’

As per Sport, the St. James’ Park faithful are now ‘on the prowl’ to sign Coutinho in January, and the North East could be one of his ‘possible destinations’.

He will be given a chance to impress new manager Xavi, who has recently described him as having an ‘innate talent’, otherwise he could well be sold in a couple of months.

The Verdict: Risky?

Coutinho has struggled to settle into life at Barca, and so signing him would be risky business for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

There is certainly a question mark over whether he can recapture the form that he had when he was in England before, as that was over three years ago now.

However, as Xavi recognises, Coutinho still has talent, and at 29 years of age, still has plenty of time to prove that he is still one of the best.

Nonetheless, he could add some ‘creative flair’ and ‘pace in attack’ that Eddie Howe himself noted when Liverpool thrashed his AFC Bournemouth side 4-0 in 2017 (The Liverpool Echo), and could turn out to be the difference between relegation from the Premier League and staying up.

In other news, find out which six-foot-one powerhouse NUFC are eyeing here!

Giovanni van Bronckhorst officially started his reign as Rangers manager earlier this week and will now have the chance to run the rule over the first-team squad.

Not only will he be able to sit down and assess the options currently available to him in the team, he will also be able to check up on the players who are out on loan at other clubs to see whether or not they are worth bringing back to Ibrox in January.

Not good enough

One player who could make his way back to Glasgow in January for the wrong reasons is winger Glenn Middleton, who is currently out on loan at St Johnstone in the Premiership.

He has endured a difficult season on the pitch and has now suffered a blow off the field, with Saints boss Callum Davidson confirming that the forward will be out until Christmas. The 45-year-old said: “Glenn will be out for four to six weeks. Which will take us up to Christmas time.”

His injury could allow Van Bronckhorst to have a tough conversation with him at the training ground, presuming that he returns to Rangers to undergo his treatment. Middleton’s form has been poor in the Scottish top flight and the Dutchman must ruthlessly axe him from the squad and allow Ross Wilson to cash in on the youngster in January – recalling him from his loan to do so.

As per SofaScore, he has failed to produce a single goal or assist in 11 league matches this term. He has averaged a dismal 0.6 key passes per game despite playing in a forward role and has 0.5 shots on target per game, whilst losing possession 8.3 times from 19.2 touches per match.

Off the ball, he has been a lightweight. As per SofaScore, he has lost a whopping 76% of his duels on the pitch – on the ground and in the air. This shows that he has not been strong enough to hold his own in the physical side of the game, whilst also faltering in the final third when in possession.

Therefore, the £495k-rated dud is not good enough to make the breakthrough at Rangers any time soon on the evidence he has provided to date. Van Bronckhorst should ensure that he is sold in January whilst he still has potential as the club can maximise value for him, rather than allowing him to continue to play poorly and decrease his value to possible suitors.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst set for big behind-the-scenes Ibrox boost which should leave Rangers fans delighted…

Speaking live on air (via Football Daily), broadcast giant Sky Sports have now dropped a West Ham United takeover update.

The Lowdown: West Ham prospective buyers attempt swoop?

As first reported by the Daily Mail, a group of investors based in the United Kingdom have made a takeover bid for West Ham – reaching around £400 million.

Sources close to this development say the prospective takeover bid would’ve injected much-needed transfer funds into the club and hugely benefit manager David Moyes, all while transforming the surrounding area with outside investment.

After having their offer rejected by majority shareholder David Sullivan, the consortium which includes former QPR chief executive Philip Beard apparently remain determined to strike a deal.

The Latest: Sky Sports drop takeover update live on air…

Sky Sports, speaking live on air, have now dropped their own update after this development and shed light on the situation.

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

According to the broadcaster, GSB still ‘do not want to sell’ and any interested party must prove they have the finances to take West Ham to the next level.

“West Ham’s owners have turned down an informal approach to buy the club,” they explained (via FD).

“The offer lead by the former QPR chief executive Philip Beard was rejected because it was vague and not in the best interests of the club we’re told.

“David Gold and David Sullivan bought West Ham in 2010 and have regularly been approached by prospective buyers, now we’re told they do not want to sell, and anyone wanting to make a bid would need the finances to take West Ham to the next level.”

The Verdict: Disappointing?

Friction between West Ham fans and the club’s owners is no secret and there have been large protests past seasons over their decision making and how the Hammers are run (Evening Standard).

In particular, a large section of fans were disappointed at West Ham’s progression since they were asked to leave their spiritual home of Upton Park for the London Stadium – with the board previously promising a world class team and failing to deliver (The Guardian).

While they have qualified for the Europa League group stages next campaign, it was arguably very unexpected given the lack of investment and more a real overachievement by manager David Moyes.

As such, there may be a fair number of Irons fans who are disappointed by this latest update from Sky.

In other news: West Ham in contact to sign 23 y/o, lucrative five-year contract already discussed…find out more here.