All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United right-back Luke Ayling has told club officials he wants to spend the rest of his career at Elland Road.

The Lowdown: Busy summer ahead

The Whites will hopefully be gearing up for a third successive season in the Premier League over the summer for Jesse Marsch’s first full campaign in charge.

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There could well be a major summer shake-up though, with the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Raphinha, Jack Harrison and Robin Koch all linked with exits in recent weeks.

Phillips has reportedly told Andrea Radrizzani that he wants to sign a new deal, and Ayling has seemingly now followed suit as he prepares to enter the final 12 months of his current contract.

The Latest: Print newspaper update

MOT Leeds News relayed an update from The Daily Mirror’s print edition [7 April, page 53] regarding Ayling.

Journalist Jeremy Cross revealed that Ayling has told the club he would love to spend the rest of his playing days in Yorkshire, with his future currently up in the air.

The Verdict: Deserved

You could make an argument for Ayling being one of the club’s best-ever signings in recent memory, with Marcelo Bielsa working wonders with the full-back.

He cost just £250,000 from Bristol City back in 2016 and has now amassed 216 appearances for the Whites, coping with the demands of the Premier League and playing a key role in taking the club back to the top flight.

Ayling will turn 31 in the summer, though, so some supporters may well be feeling a new first-choice right-back is needed for the club to progress. However, it could make sense to keep him on over the coming years as a squad player, should he be willing to accept that role.

In other news: ‘Leeds fans won’t be happy…’ – Sky Sports man reacts to major update emerging from Elland Road

Daizen Maeda, Matt O’Riley and Josip Juranovic were the three standout players as Celtic put seven past St Johnstone. 

The Hoops ran riot at Parkhead as Ange Postecoglou’s side seized an opportunity to stretch their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership standings to nine points ahead of Rangers’ meeting with St. Mirren.

There was also a welcome boost to the goal difference column as the rampant Bhoys put seven past their visitors to improve their margin to plus 59, a huge 33 goals ahead of their Old Firm rivals.

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Reo Hatate opened the scoring early on before Georgios Giakoumakis doubled the lead shortly after. Celtic’s lead was 3-0 ahead of half-time when Maeda netted to put Postecoglou’s men in command. After the break came a Juranovic penalty followed by an O’Riley brace as Liel Abada completed the seven-goal rout on 78 minutes.

According to Sofascore, there were three Hoops who stood out on the day, and we’ve taken a deeper look through their numbers to get the lowdown on the star men.

Maeda 8/10

Even aside from the goal and assist, this was the 26-year-old’s best display in a Celtic shirt to date as Maeda added two key passes, 41 touches, one interception and one tackle to a sublime all-round performance.

The Japanese ace’s endeavour, energy and quality when in possession all contributed towards what was a statement victory from the table-toppers.

Juranovic 8.3/10

Juranovic was at his influential best from right-back as the Croatian provided one assist, 92/102 (90%) accurate passes and 119 touches in a stellar display from the 26-year-old.

Overall, the versatile defender completed two key passes and was accurate with 2/3 (66%) of crosses and 4/7 (57%) long balls on what was a perfect afternoon for the Celtic Park faithful.

O’Riley 9/10

The standout performer for the Hoops, despite only coming on as a second-half substitute.

O’Riley enjoyed the freedom of Paraside as the Danish youth international scored twice to seal a stunning 45-minute cameo that included a pass accuracy of 31/35 (89%), 46 touches, one key pass and one interception.

It could’ve been even better for the 21-year-old as O’Riley squandered a big chance to complete a first hat-trick for the club.

In other news, Ange Postecoglou hails club chief. Find out who it is here.

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Aston Villa are willing to let Scott Hogan leave the club on loan before the end of the January transfer window with Championship rivals Bristol City and Sheffield United both interested, according to Sky Sports.

Hogan moved to Villa from Brentford in January 2017 and scored nine times in 41 first-team appearances for the club during the 2017-18 campaign, as per Transfermarkt.

The 26-year-old has only made six Championship appearances for the club this term, however, and his future has been called into question.

Hogan’s only start of the season came against Swansea in the FA Cup earlier this month, whilst he is yet to register a first-team goal this term.

The Villa fans have been on social media offering their views on the transfer report.

It would be fair to say that a number are not too keen on the idea of a loan, whilst the fact that promotion candidates Sheffield United are in the hunt, according to Sky Sports, could well come back to haunt Villa this term.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

Former Premier League striker Noel Whelan has backed Celtic to complete the worthwhile capture of Tottenham defender Cameron Carter-Vickers this summer. 

The lowdown: Carter-Vickers deal pending

This comes after a promising recent report from Sky Sports claimed that the Hoops are in talks with the Premier League club regarding a permanent move for the on-loan 24-year-old.

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Carter-Vickers has enjoyed a superb spell at Parkhead this season, earning an outstanding 7.36 average Sofascore rating from 27 Premiership outings.

The USA international further endeared himself to the Bhoys’ faithful with an Old Firm derby winner last Sunday, and those supporters could be set to receive yet more positive news.

The latest: Whelan approves

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan was steadfast in his belief that the Hoops would be landing a very impressive operator for the mooted £6m fee.

The 47-year-old ex-Aberdeen ace said: “£6million? Worth every penny. He’s been solid as a rock since coming into Celtic, and not only that but he’s been getting on the scoresheet at important times too.

“He gets himself in the right areas, he’s brilliant on the ball, and he’s just someone who is very consistently playing well at the minute.

“He’s a real leader in that Celtic side. I wouldn’t want to see them without him at the back next season, put it that way. I think he’s deserved that £6million tag. That is a very cheap fee for someone with the extensive experience that he’s had.”

The verdict: Would be money well spent

Signing the £2.7m-valued colossus this summer has to be high on the list of priorities for Ange Postecoglou, particularly for the suggested asking price.

Capped on eight occasions by the United States, Carter-Vickers is certainly on an upwards career path, hitting his best seasonal WhoScored rating this term, and Celtic will be hoping to benefit from the central defenders rising stock.

So far this season, the man who Chris Sutton described as ‘immense’ following that win at Ibrox has played every minute of all but one of the Hoops’ top-flight fixtures since joining the club, underpinning the importance of the powerful centre-back and why it would be £6m very well spent to secure his services permanently.

In other news: Celtic scouts watch starlet who has made ‘real strides’ according to one coach; Premier League club also keen

Newcastle United are set to beat Celtic to the capture of Galway United youngster Alex Murphy. 

The lowdown: Celtic eyeing up young talent

Celtic signed Johnny Kenny from Sligo Rovers in January for a nominal fee, clearly looking to build up from the bottom, strengthening the squad of the future.

The Hoops were then linked with 17-year-old defender Murphy in February amidst interest from West Brom and Serie A outfit Torino.

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At that time, the seriousness of the interest from the Premier League club was apparent as an initial report from the Irish Examiner claimed a €100,000 (£83,000) offer had already been made.

Nowm it appears as though Celtic were ultimately unable to land their target, as another English side have swooped in…

The latest: Money talks

According to a report from RTE, newly mega-rich Newcastle have won the race to sign the talented teenager.

It’s claimed that Murphy will move to St James’ Park in the summer after turning 18 on June 25.

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Celtic are once again mentioned as being amongst the interest parties to miss out on the twice-capped Republic of Ireland Under 16 starlet as well as Brighton & Hove Albion.

The verdict: Big blow

After signing a first professional contract with Galway in August 2021, manager John Caulfield described the youngster’s career trajectory as ‘very good’ amidst growing speculation around his future.

Despite his tender years, the teenager has made seven senior appearances in the Irish first division already – completing 90 minutes on five occasions.

Whilst it remains to be seen whether Murphy can make the grade in the English top-flight, the Celtic hierarchy will no doubt be disappointed to miss out on a highly-rated youngster, although this type of attempted capture does show where the Hoops’ upcoming transfer targets may lie.

In other news, pundit pinpoints key attribute that has been crucial for Celtic. Find out more here.

Sunderland missed their chance to go top of League One on Tuesday when they lost 3-1 to Lincoln City at the Stadium of Light, and will be hoping to seize their second opportunity to knock Rotherham off the top spot as they travel to take on 11th place Accrington Stanley this afternoon.

The Black Cats manager, Lee Johnson, took to his pre-match press conference to confirm the return of a number of players in training after injuries and virus outbreaks.

Johnson told the media;

“We’ll have more options [tomorrow], it’s fair to say,”

“Obviously it’s always touch wood in terms of the virus stuff, but at the moment it’s nice to be able to welcome two or three back into the group.”

The manager also added an update on star player, Corry Evans, saying;

“Corry is in good spirits,”

“We have got to be careful because at his previous club, he had a couple of similar scenarios in terms of going through the concussion protocols.

With that being said, this is how Football Fancast expects Sunderland to line up against Accrington Stanley this afternoon…

With three changes to the team, Ron-Thorben Hoffmann, Bailey Wright and Leon Dajaku return to the side for the clash in the North West on Saturday afternoon.

Fans will be happy to see first choice goalkeeper, Hoffmann, back in the side after conceding three goals at home on Tuesday night, the 6ft 4 machine, is returning from testing positive during a virus outbreak in the Sunderland camp.

We expect that Dajaku will also re-join the starting line-up after also testing positive during the virus outbreak at the club, Jack Diamond, who was hailed “powerful” by the Sunderland manager, is predicted to be axed from the team to accommodate the 20 year old’s return, with Dajaku bagging four goals and four assists for the side this season so far.

Wright is predicted to make his return from his minor injury after missing the last two games for the Black Cats, and we expect that the manager will be forced to start the defender whether he wanted to or not, due to Carl Winchester picking up a red card against Lincoln City at the beginning of this week.

Johnson will be hoping that his side can secure their first win of 2022 and their sixth win of the season away from home, putting them top of League One.

In other news: Sunderland eyeing swoop for Cardiff’s Aden Flint

Manchester United are expected to have several outgoings this summer due to contract expiration, but Erik ten Hag could be set to offload even more players as new transfer interest emerges.

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic, Crystal Palace are interested in bringing back Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Selhurst Park this summer.

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The report suggests that there has been no official move made for the right-back, and no decision will be made on his future at Old Trafford until new manager Ten Hag has come in to assess the squad he has inherited.

This comes following the news that fellow defender Harry Maguire may also exit in the summer

Forget Maguire

This new development from Crystal Palace could be a huge benefit to the Dutch coach, who can finally axe the defender from the team as he attempts to rebuild the squad and revive the club when he joins this summer.

The 24-year-old defender who was dubbed “reckless” by Jamie Carragher, has been disappointing in his 26 appearances for the club this season with uninspiring and poor defensive performances throughout.

Wan-Bissaka has had two errors leading to shots, gave away a penalty to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier this season, loses possession 14 times per game on average, has only won 37% of his aerial duels and only wins possession 0.3 times per game.

That proves the right-back is showing no dominance or threat in his position and making costly mistakes that have contributed to Manchester United’s poor season.

The Red Devils are said to be already looking at replacements to fill the boots in the right-back role, with the Daily Mail reporting back in January that they are eyeing up a move for Tariq Lamptey this summer, so this speculation about a move back to London for Wan-Bissaka could be a win-win situation for both the player and the club.

With Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Edinson Cavani all set to leave on a free this summer, Ten Hag will likely have a busy transfer window ahead of him and we could see a number of new faces at Man United this summer whilst many old faces are shown the door to kick off the new manager’s revolution.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Man Utd dealt major injury setback ahead of Chelsea, Ralf will be gutted

Rangers still have a few months left of the season until the summer transfer window opens and Giovanni van Bronckhorst has the chance to make whatever changes to his squad at Ibrox that he sees fit.

However, it seems as though the SPFL giants have been handed a boost in their chase to sign one player that has reportedly been on their radar.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from German media outlet WAZ, Schalke goalkeeper Martin Fraisl is likely to leave the club at the end of the season as a free agent.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Rangers are interested in signing the shot-stopper, which means that this latest update about his potential exit in the summer will be a big boost for the Gers’ chances of securing his signature. It is even thought that the Glasgow giants have already offered him a deal.

Great news for the Gers

Since joining Schalke on a free transfer from Dutch club ADO Den Haag back in the 2021 summer transfer window, the 28-year-old has gone on to make 20 league appearances in which he’s managed to keep seven clean sheets along the way.

With 193 senior and youth club appearances under his belt across numerous clubs, the Austrian, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £5.9k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has kept 49 clean sheets in total and even managed to get himself on the scoresheet on one occasion as well.

In addition to this, with current Gers shot-stopper Allan McGregor now at the age of 40 and having the fifth-lowest save percentage of any goalkeeper in the SPFL this season, as well as conceding 37 goals in total, it would make sense for the Ibrox club to bring Fraisl in as a potential replacement for their veteran ‘keeper.

Hailed for doing an “excellent” job for the club by Schalke sporting director, Rouven Schroder, Fraisl could prove to be a great bit of business from the Gers if they’re able to secure him on a free transfer in the summer and he’s able to be an improvement on McGregor.

Moving forward, securing the Schalke shot-stopper on a free transfer once the summer window opens could be a good first step in seeing the club strengthen their squad and get ready for next season.

With that in mind, this boost is certainly good news for everyone associated with the Gers.

In other news: Huge boost: 3-word Rangers update will leave Van Bronckhorst buzzing…

Leeds United target Noussair Mazraoui has stated that there is just a 5% chance he will remain an Ajax player ahead of the 2022/23 season, according to The Sun.

The Lowdown: Orta keen on Mazraoui

The Whites are looking to bring in a midfielder before the January transfer window slams shut, with Brenden Aaronson a key target.

However, they have been linked with a move for Mazraoui, who progressed through Ajax’s youth system alongside Leeds colossus Pascal Struijk, for even longer.

Reports back in November suggested that Leeds and Victor Orta were weighing up a move for the Adidas-sponsored defender. The full-back’s contract situation hasn’t changed, with the 24-year-old set to become a free agent in the summer as things stand.

The Latest: Mazraoui speaks out

As reported by The Sun on Tuesday evening, Leeds are still keen on a move for the speedster, as are Arsenal and AS Roma.

Mazraoui admitted that he is ‘open’ to a new challenge and revealed there is only a 5% chance he will still be an Ajax player next season.

The Verdict: Pre-contract agreement?

Even though Orta has his hands full in the final days of the January window, a pre-contract agreement for Mazraoui ahead of a free transfer in the summer could be an excellent piece of business.

The Morocco international has plenty of experience at the highest level for both club and country and is clearly an attack-minded full-back, as he has already contributed to eight goals this season.

He can also play in midfield when required, so landing an £18m-rated player for nothing seems to be a no-brainer. It’s just a question of whether he would entertain a move to Yorkshire over Arsenal or Roma.

In other news: ‘People I’ve spoken to’ – Journalist drops Leeds transfer news; Orta busy on more than just Aaronson

Celtic are reportedly in advanced talks with Cameron Carter-Vickers over a permanent move to Parkhead this summer, in what would be a big piece of business.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers excelling on loan

The American joined the Hoops on a temporary basis last summer, coming in on loan from Tottenham in order to enjoy more regular playing time.

Carter-Vickers’ switch north of the border has been a match made in heaven, with the 24-year-old becoming a key part of Ange Postecoglou’s defence in the Scottish Premiership.

The centre-back’s future remains up in the air – a number of other clubs want to sign him this summer – but a promising update is now doing the rounds.

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The Latest: Permanent move close?

According to SBI Soccer, an American source has revealed Celtic are now in ‘advanced talks’ to sign Carter-Vickers permanently at the end of the season, with Spurs still valuing him at £6million.

The report states that Wolves, Leicester City and Watford have all shown an interest, too, but the Hoops appear to be in pole position for his signature.

The Verdict: Huge news for Celtic

Carter-Vickers may already be part of Celtic’s squad but clinching a permanent move for him this summer really would feel like a big signing, given his influence.

The USA international has been an increasingly colossal performer at the heart of the defence, averaging 3.2 aerial duel wins and an 89.8% pass completion rate in the Europa League this season, showing he is more than capable playing at a higher level.

At 24, he is primed to improve in the coming years, becoming an even more formidable player, and he could play a big part in Celtic’s future, potentially then being sold for a hefty profit after some years of sustained success.

In other news, a pundit has bemoaned something that will affect Celtic next season. Read more here.