All posts by z3u9t.icu

Many West Ham United fans are desperate for the club to sign Danny Ings this summer after it was revealed he turned down a four-year contract at Southampton.

The Hammers enjoyed a fantastic campaign last time out as they finished sixth in the Premier League, which means they will be competing in the Europa League in 2021/22. However, David Moyes will surely need to add to his striking options – he currently only has one natural centre-forward at his disposal in Michail Antonio, who has had his share of injury troubles.

The Irons should be busy in transfer market as they prepare for the new campaign, and they may have an eye on Ings now that this big development has emerged. Indeed, talkSPORT’s Alex Crook claimed a few weeks ago that West Ham were chasing the 28-year-old.

The Athletic reported that Ings – a scorer of 101 senior career goals – has the rejected a new contract offer at St Mary’s, even though it would have made him the best-paid player in Southampton’s history had he accepted.

As a result, many West Ham fans want their club to sign the former Liverpool striker, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Ings’ contract snub

“Get him and Adam Armstrong and I will be a happy man, Antonio can go back out wide and we will have 2 top strikers fighting it out”

Credit: @AndrewKeavey82

“He has to be on our list of striker targets surely… Would be a great signing if we could get him!”

Credit: @WestHamViews_

“This is the signing we should be going all out for. Proven PL striker, carried that awful Southampton team. Would rather this than taking a punt on someone from abroad who could be another Haller”

Credit: @WestHamJim1

“I’d welcome this signing. Cost too much though?”

Credit: @JonScottClark6

“Gladly take him”

Credit: @VurtIVS

“Given our history of signing unsuccessful strikers who struggle in the Prem, would love to see @WestHam #WHUFC go for Danny Ings now he has rejected a new deal at Southampton. We can offer European football and his fee will be lower with 1 year left on his deal.”

Credit: @Steve_Wood1980

In other news, the Hammers have been linked with this South American.

Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has claimed that Tottenham may be planning a ‘system reboot’, following claims that Antonio Conte is receptive to offers for Tanguy Ndombele (Football Insider). 

The Lowdown: Receptive to offers for Ndombele

Since the Italian’s arrival in N17, Ndombele has played just five minutes of Premier League football. After arriving at Tottenham in the summer of 2019 for a club record fee of £54m, the Frenchman has struggled to establish himself as a key component of this Spurs side, with just six goals and four assists in 61 top-flight appearances.

Despite being under contract to the club until 2025, it is reported that Conte has made it clear to the club’s powerbrokers that they should be receptive to offers for Ndombele. This comes amid reports that Juventus are interested in singing the Frenchman in the January transfer window.

The Latest: Pundit claims system reboot is needed

Speaking to Football Insider in the wake of these reports, former Premier League manager McLeish claimed that Tottenham are right to trim the squad of inconsistent players like Ndombele.

He said: “You have to regroup as a squad at some point. For a pretty long time, there have been players who haven’t quite made the grade at Spurs, who haven’t been able to sustain themselves at the top level.

“The consistency is key. How many times have we said ‘he was great last week’ and then we don’t speak about him for 10 weeks as he isn’t playing.

“So I think there has to be a bit of a system reboot. That will mean some players have to leave and you say goodbye.“

The Verdict: Reboot necessary for top four push

Despite Ndombele being called  ‘magnificent’ by former Tottenham manager José Mourinho, it is clear that Conte does not hold a similar opinion of the midfielder; and with the 24-year-old having a current market value of £40.5m, this could be the right time to offload him. This comes as Spurs are reportedly planning ‘the biggest window in the club’s history’, with suggestions that as many as 10 transfers could be completed between incomings and outgoings.

With a bid for Champions League qualification in mind, Conte will surely not mess about when it comes to dropping players from the squad. The Italian has already called on Ndombele to ‘work much more than the others’, so if he doesn’t see results, we could see the player leave the club in January, as McLeish has seemingly hinted.

In other news: Tottenham lead transfer race for £59.5m-valued beast who’s earned Haaland comparisons

Rangers enjoyed a productive January transfer window as Ross Wilson completed a number of deals to reshape Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad.

Nathan Patterson left for a club-record fee and the sporting director made the most of that sale by snapping up fresh talent.

Aaron Ramsey, Amad Diallo, James Sands and Mateusz Zukowski all came in, with John Souttar also agreeing a pre-contract deal with the Glasgow giants to join on a free transfer at the end of the season.

The Welsh loanee from Juventus, Ramsey, has scored two goals in his last two Premiership outings as he is starting to show why he was brought to the club. However, Sands, Diallo and Zukowski are all yet to make their breakthrough in the first-team.

They may not be at their sparkling best right now but that does not mean that they are all poor signings by Wilson and the club.

In fact, the Gers have played a blinder with the addition of Zukowski at right-back as he is a player who has the scope to develop into a quality player for the club.

Upon the right-back’s arrival, Wilson claimed that he has “high potential” and his soaring market value over the last 12 months reflects that. Transfermarkt valued him at a measly £180k in May 2021 and his form for Legia Gdansk led to him being valued at £2.25m at the time of his switch to Scotland, which means that his value has risen by 1150% in less than a year.

In the Ekstraklasa this season, he averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.84 across 18 appearances. He managed two goals and one assist from full-back, whilst making an outstanding 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game – winning 5.4 duels per match, with these performances causing his stock to rise.

Meanwhile, Tavernier has made 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game in the Premiership. This suggests that, if he can carry his form over to Scotland, he may be more active defensively than the skipper, although it is unlikely that he will match the Englishman’s six goals and 11 assists.

The Gers veteran turns 31 later this year and could be heading into the final throes of his Ibrox career, with Zukowski lined up to take over from him at right-back in the future.

Whilst the Ibrox faithful may not be seeing the full benefits of this move yet, everything indicates that it is only a matter of time before he shows what he is capable of for the club as they have picked up a gem who is on the up and has room to grow. Wilson played a blinder by picking the 20-year-old up as his value continues to soar and, hopefully, he will be able to fulfill his potential in the coming years.

AND in other news, Gvb now plotting Rangers swoop for “exceptional” monster, he’d be a bargain “diamond”…

Crystal Palace will be aiming to extend their six-game unbeaten run when they take on Burnley in the Premier League over the weekend.

The enticing encounter at Turf Moor is set to pit two teams with contrasting styles against each other following the arrival of Patrick Vieira in south London, with the 45-year-old preferring a possession-orientated approach.

As per FBref.com, the Eagles have averaged 51.2% of the ball in their opening 11 top-flight fixtures of the season, compared to Burnley’s 38.7% – the second-lowest total in the division.

Vieira’s charges have also attempted the sixth-highest number of short passes (2020) in the Premier League and the 12th-highest number of long balls (999), clearly illustrating how the Frenchman wants his side to play.

The Clarets, on the other hand, have tried to pull off the fourth-lowest number of short passes (1416) and the third-highest total of long balls (1168).

Therefore, it would perhaps be wise if Vieira didn’t attempt to play Sean Dyche’s men at their own game, instead focussing on the slick interplay that helped them carve open Manchester City and Wolves in recent weeks.

As a result, in-form striker Christian Benteke – who Alan Shearer said was “scared to miss” last season – must be axed from the starting lineup after featuring from the off last time out, changing the game in Palace’s favour.

No side in the top-flight has won a higher percentage of their aerial duels than Burnley (55.2%) this season, and floating crosses into the opposition box for the big Belgian will suit Ben Mee and James Tarkowski down to the ground.

The centre-back pairing have won an average of 3.8 and four aerial duels per league game respectively in 2021/22, as per WhoScored, and although Benteke has bettered those tally’s (4.5), he’s unlikely to receive much support from his teammates.

While the £120k-per-week bully has been dominating defenders with his head, his colleagues haven’t enjoyed anywhere near as much success, with the second-best headers, Marc Guehi and Cheikhou Kouyate, winning just 1.7 duels.

Consequently, Palace’s best opportunity to claim the three points on Saturday would be to avoid pitting Benteke up against the Burnley battering rams and instead opting for the more mobile, elusive and intelligent options at their disposal.

The likes of Odsonne Edouard and Michael Olise have already shown themselves to be genuine threats at this level following their summer arrivals, and attacking prowess could prove pivotal as Vieira aims to secure a third consecutive victory for the first time during his Palace tenure.

And, in other news…“I wouldn’t rule out”: Journo makes bold Palace claim over 21 y/o, fans surely buzzing

Adam Jones has claimed that Everton must now make Burnley ‘regret’ their 2-0 loss at Norwich City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Great results for Everton

After the Merseyside club beat Manchester United 1-0 at Goodison Park in the Saturday lunchtime kick-off, other results at the bottom of the table also went their way over the weekend.

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Watford lost 3-0 at home to Leeds United on Saturday afternoon, while Burnley then went and lost to Norwich. It means that Frank Lampard’s team are now four points clear of the relegation zone with just eight matches left to play.

The Latest: Jones reacts to Premier League results

Taking to Twitter, Liverpool Echo journalist Jones has now given his reaction to the results, claiming that the Clarets dropping off after beating Everton 3-2 in midweek was a ‘real let off’ for Frank Lampard’s side.

He chimed: “Well that is quite the weekend of results for Everton. In some ways, it’s a real let off.

“Burnley really dropped the ball after what seemed like a defining victory in midweek. Everton need to make them absolutely regret that over their next few games, whatever it takes.”

The Verdict: Not over yet

The race to secure Premier League safety is certainly not over yet, but of course the weekend’s results provide a huge step in the right direction for the Toffees.

Some of their next few fixtures look particularly daunting, with a trip to Liverpool in the Merseyside derby followed by a home match against Chelsea to come.

There could be plenty of twists and turns along the way, but Lampard will be hoping that Everton’s win against the Red Devils can install some much-needed confidence in his team, ready for the rollercoaster ahead.

In other news, one Everton ace has been branded ‘disappointing’

A loan move may be ‘the next step’ for Celtic defender Dane Murray, according to The Daily Record’s Mark Pirie. 

The lowdown

Murray came on at half time in the first leg of Celtic’s Champions League qualifier against FC Midtjylland in July after Nir Bitton was sent off, and he kept his place for the second leg.

Celtic were ultimately knocked out after extra time, and Murray hasn’t featured for Ange Postecoglou’s senior side since. His only action has come at reserve level.

Team-mate Stephen Welsh had been impressed with the 18-year-old against the Danes, hailing him as ‘fantastic, both on the ball and defensively’.

Murray could now join fellow Hoops youngsters Luca Connell, Jonathan Afolabi, Kerry McInroy and Ross Doohan out on loan.

The latest

Pirie writes that Murray will be ‘desperate’ for a first-team recall, but his chances look slim, with Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers seemingly the ‘current first-choice defensive pairing’.

‘A loan stint away from Glasgow’s east end’ may be the logical next move, he adds.

The verdict

While Murray wasn’t entirely convincing in the second leg against Midtjylland, it is a little surprising that he’s not even featured in the matchday squad for a league game.

He might be finding it a little dispiriting after a debut which seemed to herald a breakthrough season.

Still, a loan move that will allow to build his experience of top-flight football seems smart, particularly as Christopher Jullien’s return will only push him further down the pecking order.

In other news, Celtic tried to sign this left-back last summer. 

Eberechi Eze has been pictured behind the camera at Crystal Palace’s training ground.

Eze has yet to play for Palace this season, having suffered an Achilles tendon injury at the back end of the 2020/21 campaign.

Injury expert Ben Dinnery told Football Insider this week that Eze will now be ‘in and around those training pitches and moving to the next phase’ of his rehabilitation.

He ‘should be able to go out on the grass and undertake some light jogging’, he adds.

The 23-year-old is predicted to be back in action at some point next month.

Just how big will Eze’s return be?

Based on his performances in his first season at Selhurst Park, it will be a significant boost for Patrick Vieira.

Eze led the Palace squad for assists (six), key passes (1.3 per 90) and dribbles (1.9 per 90) last season (via WhoScored).

Palace fans will be keen to see how he links up with new signings like Conor Gallagher and Odsonne Edouard.

Here’s how supporters reacted as the official club Twitter account posted ‘Ebs content to bless the timeline’.

Palace fans enjoy Eze tweet

“On god he’s the happiest looking guy, makes me smile, he’s funny too, the FIFA card vid is gas”

Credit: @eaglism

“Never been so buzzing for a player to come back from injury”

Credit: @palacejoe_

“He’s always so happy”

Credit: @kimberley_e_

“Gods be praised”

Credit: @EvilSashPioneer

“Gotta be the happiest man on earth he is literally always smiling”

Credit: @C_sharp29

“The most anticipated comeback of all time, honestly can’t wait for it!”

Credit: @J_CPFC

In other news, Eagles scouts have been spotted at this fixture. 

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou is closing in on signing Legia Warsaw’s Josip Juranovic, according to The Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Juranovic’s 2021/22 season

Juranovic has already made eight appearances this season, six of which have come as a starter.

In all six games, the Croatia international has started, he has played as a right midfielder.

The 25-year-old, on £317,200-a-year with Legia Warsaw, is thought to be keen on a move to Parkhead, and it seems as if a Scotland switch is edging closer.

The Latest: Daily Record report

The Daily Record shared a Celtic-related story on Wednesday evening regarding Juranovic and Thomas Henry.

They claimed that Postecoglou is closing in on signing Juranovic in a deal worth £3m.

Postecoglou has reportedly turned his attention to Juranovic after struggling in attempts to sign Aurelio Buta and George Baldock.

The Verdict: Shrewd move

Juranovic has started this season as a right-midfielder, but you’d expect he’ll rival Anthony Ralston to be first-choice right-back, should a move to Celtic get over the line as expected by The Daily Record.

Postecoglou only has Ralston and Lee O’Connor as right-back options at this moment in time, so a £3m deal for Juranovic appears to be a smart move at first glance as he has made over 100 appearances in that area.

It’s good to see that Juranovic will be capable of playing further forward if required, as he has shown in recent weeks, and it appears as if he’ll become Celtic’s eighth summer signing.

In other news: ‘Celtic have started official talks’ for versatile £10,000-p/w ace; he’s ‘incredibly fast’. 

Tottenham Hotspur take a break from domestic action as they look to get back on track in the Europa Conference League with a trip to Slovenia to face NS Mura.

The north London outfit currently occupy second place in Group G, three points behind Stade Rennes, so they have work to do to qualify into the knockout stages but they do now face a side yet to win in the competition.

Antonio Conte’s very first game in charge of Spurs was three weeks ago when his side defeated Vitesse 3-2 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and since then, they are yet to lose under his stewardship.

He will be left with plenty of decisions to make after implementing rigorous training and fitness regime in amongst an international break and settling in at Hotspur Way.

We saw a glimpse of Davinson Sanchez on Sunday as he put in a reassuring and commanding cameo from the bench in the 2-1 win over Leeds United and he is surely in line to start against the PrvaLiga champions.

‘Replaced [Japhet] Tanganga with just over 20 minutes to go and he won some big headers and made some crunching tackles. Won everything that came his way,’ wrote football.london’s Alasdair Gold in his post-match ratings.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-team-injury-team-news-updates-transfers-gossip-rumours-antonio-conte-thfc” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Indeed, the young academy gem struggled to combat Marcelo Bielsa’s side, with the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick describing him as a ‘little clumsy’ and that he ‘did not look comfortable.’

As such, Sanchez deserves the nod over in Slovenia – in just 20 minutes of action, he won 100% of his four aerial duels, made three interceptions and two tackles, per SofaScore.

The £18m-rated Colombian international, who once cost a club-record £42m in 2017, has often been lambasted as a “liability” to the side but in moments like Sunday, he has shown his true potential.

Ex-manager Mauricio Pochettino has previously described him as a “beast”, so he should have no trouble in playing against a side of NS Mura’s quality, with all due respect, they are a team that Spurs should whitewash with very little trouble at the other end of the pitch.

But Sanchez has started only four times in the Premier League and will be in need of minutes, he could well become the ideal replacement for the seriously injured Cristian Romero.

If he plays like he did in the short time he did at the weekend, then he could terrify Mura’s frontline.

AND in other news, Spurs eye “explosive” £34m-rated gem likened to Lampard, he’s way better than Lo Celso…

A prediction has been made by Noel Whelan regarding when he thinks the Newcastle United takeover process may be concluded.

The Lowdown: Arbitration adjourned

As shared by the official website of the St. James’ Park faithful, the arbitration hearing between themselves and the Premier League has now been adjourned until early 2022 because of issues with the disclosure of evidence.

The hearing was expected to take place this month, but now further delays have been implemented, leaving things in limbo for the foreseeable future.

The Latest: Whelan on takeover process

Whelan, a pundit who played as a striker for the likes of Leeds United and Coventry City, has since given his thoughts on the takeover process to Football Insider, claiming that he cannot see it being concluded even next year, leaving a question over just how long it will take:

“I think it’s been a farce ever since it first started, to be quite honest with you.

“This doesn’t surprise me that they don’t want to disclose any kind of findings. They’re going to drag it on as much as they possibly can.

“It’s not good for Newcastle because they want this takeover done. They want the takeover done because it’s going to improve and bring more money into the football club.

“It’ll strengthen their squad and position in the Premier League.

“You can never see this one settling very quickly because there’s two strong personalities at either end of this: Mike Ashley and the Premier League.

“The Premier League will need to make sure they’ve got all their documents in order, as will Mike Ashley.

“The process is going to drag on. I probably can’t see it getting concluded in 2022 either.”

The Verdict: Worrying

These are certainly worrying times for the Toon Army, as they go into yet another season with uncertainty surrounding the North East club.

Even though the arbitration hearing is now set to take place next year, there is a chance that it could be delayed even further as it has done already.

If Whelan’s prediction that the process may not even be concluded before 2022 is right, then a serious question has to be asked over how long the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium will be willing to wait and ultimately, whether a takeover on Tyneside will ever be completed.

In other news, find out which £50,000-per-week target is attracted to a Magpies move here!