All posts by z3u9t.icu

Ralph Hasenhuttl has enjoyed a fairly successful period as Southampton manager since arriving at the club in December 2018.

He has helped to keep the Saints in the Premier League in three separate seasons and is hoping to make it four this term.

In that time, he has helped to sign and develop some impressive talent at St. Mary’s. One player who he has helped thrive in England is Polish centre-back Jan Bednarek, who was one of the players he inherited upon taking over in 2018.

The season before Hasenhuttl’s arrival, the centre-back played five Premier League matches and struggled to maintain his place in the side. He is now up to 103 career appearances in the English top-flight, showing how he has become a regular under the Austrian head coach.

Southampton paid a reported £5.4m to Lech Poznan in 2017 to sign Bednarek. Transfermarkt now values the Poland international at £22.5m. This means that his price has soared 317% in the intervening period between his signing and today.

Hasenhuttl has made Bednarek a key cog in his defensive unit and the defender has been able to help his side remain in the division each year. The Austrian head coach has pulled off a masterstroke with the defender as he has been able to develop a player, who was out of the first-team picture when he arrived, into one who is now worth over £20m.

Last season, Bednarek started 36 of Southampton’s 38 Premier League matches and averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.7. He made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game in the division, showing off his defensive qualities at centre-back as he regularly cut out opposition attacks.

Hasenhuttl has shown that he has the ability, as a coach, to help his players progress and this is a valuable asset to have in a manager. It means that Martin Semmens can bring young players to the club in the transfer market with faith that the ex-Leipzig man will be able to get the best out of them and potentially get the player to a point where he can be sold on for a huge profit further down the line.

AND in other news, Ralph masterstroke: Southampton flop has seen value plummet 64% since St. Mary’s exit…

Tottenham Hotspur could look to seal Franck Kessie in January by using Tanguy Ndombele as a makeweight, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Italian outlet Calciomercato.it claim Spurs are keen on signing the 24-year-old midfielder from AC Milan, with his contract set to expire at the San Siro in the summer.

It means he is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with any foreign club in January, though the north London outfit appear to want him then, rather than at the end of the season and could offer the wantaway Frenchman in return in a desperate attempt to shift him out.

The 44-cap Ivory Coast international, who is valued at €40m (£34m) by CIES Football Observatory, has rejected Milan’s proposals of a contract extension – their latest offer being reported at around €6.5m-per-year (£5.6m-per-year).

Bye-bye Ndombele

Ndombele’s future was very much the talk leading up to deadline day.

In August, it’s thought that the former Lyon maestro informed the Spurs hierarchy that he was open to leaving the club, having failed to feature in pre-season under Nuno Santo, as per The Athletic.

But by the time the transfer window drew to a close, Sky Sports News (via the Daily Mail) claimed that Spurs failed to find a ‘suitable deal’ to allow his departure.

If the 24-year-old club-record signing isn’t committed to the club, then it could be wise to utilise him in a potential swap deal for Kessie, especially given his mooted £200k-per-week wages.

It’s not as if he has lived up to expectations either, managing only eight goals and eight assists in 75 appearances as a box-to-box option in the engine room.

By comparison, Kessie found the net 13 times last season alone (and he also provided four assists), a feat that was only bettered by Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the San Siro, via WhoScored.

His form in recent times has earned lofty comparisons to his fellow countryman and former Premier League star Yaya Toure.

“I want Kessie in my team, he scores, he assists, he has personality, he has quality, he doesn’t lose the ball, he is intelligent. I’m watching him carefully, with Roma it was devastating,” claimed former AC striker Antonio Cassano to Bobo TV (via MilanLive.it).

“He reminds me of the Yaya Toure at the best times. He is a different player but in terms of impact, he is holding Milan’s midfield alone.”

In addition to his exploits in the final third, Kessie also averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.2 dribbles per league outing, via WhoScored, proving to be an industrious presence at either end of the pitch.

It’s no surprise to see that he’s also been described as “a complete player” by his current boss, Stefano Pioli. Those numbers certainly reflect that.

All in all, Spurs’ sporting director Fabio Paratici should look to save face on their club-record man by trying to offload him for a direct replacement. On the above evidence, they’d be getting a better player for a fraction of the price.

The Premier League front-runners must secure the titan-like presence of Kessie in January, rather than waiting until the summer.

AND in other news, Spurs handed “frustrating” injury blow ahead of Premier League return this weekend… 

Crystal Palace must be regretting the decision to allow Andros Townsend to depart the club this summer as he has begun life at Premier League rivals Everton in scintillating fashion.

The 30-year-old was allowed to leave Selhurst Park on a free transfer as new manager Patrick Vieira overhauled his first team squad, but he has already gone on to prove his worth on Merseyside.

What was the word?

Townsend was one of many ageing players to be released by Palace following the conclusion of 2020/21, but he revealed back in June that negotiations over a new deal were taking place with the capital club.

“We’re still having brief discussions,” Townsend told talkSPORT (as reported by Football.London).”The club have told all of us that there’s no decisions being made until a manager has been appointed.

“Since then, Christian Benteke has signed a new deal, so… (laughs). So I don’t know. I want to be somewhere on July 1st.

“My agent is in the background now getting as much interest put into an offer, and then I’ll sit down with my agent, and around July 1st (we’ll) see which one is the best for me at this time in my career.”

However, just a month later, the Evening Standard reported that a change in circumstances meant that the former England international would not be returning to Palace, leaving the door open for Everton to swoop.

One that got away?

Although Townsend didn’t accumulate an abundance of goal contributions during his five-year stay in south London, bagging 16 goals and providing 28 assists in 185 appearances for the Eagles, he played a pivotal part in their success under Roy Hodgson.

Last season, as per WhoScored, the former England international’s respectable haul of five Premier League assists was bettered only by Eberechi Eze, while the pair’s 1.1 shots per league game were the joint-third highest totals amongst their Palace teammates.

Townsend’s tally of 1.2 key passes per league game was second only to Eze, while his match average of 1.3 dribbles was the fourth-highest total when compared to his former Eagles colleagues [WhoScored].

Constantly supplying the likes of Benteke and Wilfried Zaha with a stream of quality crosses is where the speed demon really excelled. He recorded 1.6 crosses per league match throughout 2020/21, the highest tally amongst the Palace squad.

There were question marks over whether Townsend could make the step up to Everton, but so far he has done so with ease, bagging two goals and laying on two assists in just five outings in all competitions.

His outrageous long-range strike against Burnley on Monday night was a reminder of just how good he can be on his day and may leave a large section of Palace fans ruing Steve Parish’s decision not to renew the £6.3m-rated wizard’s contract.

In other news… Imagine him and Zaha: Vieira must unleash “magnificent” Palace gem against Liverpool 

In a positive Southampton transfer update, Ralph Hasenhuttl has iterated his strong belief that James Ward-Prowse won’t be sold this summer, despite interest from two Premier League clubs.

What’s the word?

After Danny Ings completed a move to Aston Villa earlier this month, and with Jannik Vestergaard set to join Leicester City, Southampton fans may have been worried that they were set to lose another of their key players this summer due to the interest being shown in their captain.

Both Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are said to be keen on signing the England international but the Saints are in a strong financial position due to player sales and Ward-Prowse being contracted until 2025, and Hasenhuttl seems confident that the 26-year-old won’t be leaving St Mary’s anytime soon.

The manager said: “This is normal I think. Prowsey (James Ward-Prowse) is a guy who everybody wants to have, but I don’t see a scenario for him not to be with us for the next few years.

“He knows he is the captain here, he knows how important he is for us and he feels good here, and we feel good with him. He has four years on a contract here, so the situation with him is a different one.”

A huge boost for Southampton?

Considering that Ward-Prowse was by far and away Southampton’s best performer in a less than consistent 2020/21 campaign for the team, it would have been a massive blow if he were to leave this summer.

The 26-year-old contributed an impressive eight goals and seven assists in 38 top-flight appearances, averaging a solid 7.07 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which comfortably ranked him as the top performer in Hasenhuttl’s squad.

Following Ings’ departure, the Austrian may well be looking towards his captain to be one of the main sources of goals and assists again this season, as it is difficult to know how new signings Adam Armstrong and Armando Broja will adapt to the Premier League.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Therefore, Southampton fans will surely be delighted with this latest update from Hasenhuttl, as keeping a player of Ward-Prowse’s influence and quality at the club could be huge in terms of steering the Saints away from the relegation places next season.

In other news… Tom Leach provides Southampton transfer update, fans will be worried

Tottenham Hotspur are keen on moving for Sporting Lisbon central midfielder Joao Palhinha this summer. [A Bola via Sport Witness].

The Lowdown: Spurs make positive start to life under Nuno Espirito Santo

Starting off 2021/22 with an opening day triumph over Premier League holders Manchester City, Nuno Espirito Santo will have been provided plenty of inspiration to Spurs fans that he is the man to rectify their sub-par league performance last term.

Making smart additions to the squad, the Portuguese boss has elected for quality over quantity, acquiring three bodies in the form of Pierluigi Gollini, Bryan Gil and Cristian Romero [Transfermarkt].

Could he now be set to bring in one of his fellow countrymen following recent reports?

The Latest: Tottenham are ‘attentive’ to Palhinha’s situation at Sporting

As cited by Sport Witness, the Lilywhites are said to be ‘attentive’ to Palhinha’s situation in Lisbon this window [A Bola via Sport Witness].

He is said to have a release clause worth roughly €60 million (£51 million), however the Primeira Liga champions would be willing to accept a bid for his services in the region of €30 million (£25.5 million) to €40m (£34 million).

Should no suitable offer arise, Palhinha could be gifted a 25% pay increase to stay put in Lisbon for the time being.

The Verdict: Palhinha would be a very good signing for Tottenham Hotspur

While the midfield selected by Nuno against Manchester City performed admirably, the fact that 20 year-old Oliver Skipp was thrust straight into one of the toughest contests of the season suggests the new manager could use more depth in that area.

In 2020/21, the Lisbon-born anchor man Palhinha registered two goals in 38 appearances across all competitions [Transfermarkt], but he really shone with his all-round ability, earning nine man of the match awards for his exploits across the season [WhoScored].

With the window due to close in just two weeks’ time, Spurs should look to sign up the enforcer who was once labelled a ‘special player’ by his current manager Ruben Amorim [Record via Football Fancast].

In other news, Tottenham Hotspur are in advanced talks to sign a towering Serie A ace. Find out more here.

Manchester United are reportedly willing to listen to offers for Anthony Martial this summer following a disappointing 2020/21 campaign for the Frenchman.

What’s the story?

According to ESPN, the Red Devils’ hierarchy would allow the 25-year-old to depart Old Trafford over the coming months if they receive an acceptable offer to sign him.

The report claims that the Glazer family have given manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a £100m transfer fund for the current window, but that figure will be topped up by any money raised by the departures of players deemed not to have a future with the club.

Solskjaer will be fuming

Martial has been an enigmatic figure ever since he arrived on English shores for a huge fee potentially rising to £58m back in 2015. His ability and potential has rarely been in doubt, but he’s failed to produce his best form on a consistent basis throughout his six-year stay at United.

It seemed as though the France international had turned a corner in 2019/20, when Martial managed his most productive campaign to date, bagging 23 goals and providing 12 assists in 48 appearances.

However, in true Martial style, he failed to build upon that impressive showing last season, contributing to just 10 Premier League goals before an injury ended his campaign prematurely in March.

With the arrival of Jadon Sancho finally confirmed, the former Monaco ace may see his game-time reduced even further in 2021/22, but it would still arguably be a mistake to cut the 25-year-old loose.

On his day, Martial is a world-class performer capable of bypassing any defender with his magnificent dribbling skills and slotting the ball past any goalkeeping due to his deadly finishing ability.

It’s easy to forget that he’s just 25 and only approaching his peak years due to how long he has been playing at the highest level. Not many players are capable of leading the line week in, week out for a club the size of United in their early or mid-20s – he still has 78 goals for the Red Devils, which is not a meagre tally.

The £40.5m-rated gem still has much to learn and plenty of room to improve further, but the arrival of Sancho alongside the likes of Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood may allow him scope to do so away from the limelight.

Even if Martial can’t force himself into Solskjaer’s starting XI next term, the Norwegian would surely be fuming to see him depart Old Trafford.

To win the biggest trophies in football in the modern era, a squad brimming with top talent is required, and Martial’s departure would leave United short on strength in centre-forward depth. He deserves at least another year to showcase his true ability, but only time will tell whether he gets it.

In other news… Get it done: Woodward must complete Man Utd swoop for “special” £54m-rated gem 

Wolves suffered yet another defeat in pre-season on Saturday afternoon as Bruno Lage’s troublesome start to life at Molineux continued.

The Old Gold now have just a week to prepare for their opening Premier League clash and you sense they need a few more recruits.

On the chalkboard

One area Wolves have been looking at improving is their midfield.

Ruben Neves has been linked with the exit door on a regular basis while Joao Moutinho is growing older.

Tim Spiers revealed last season that he thought it would be Moutinho’s final campaign as a regular starter and thus, they need younger players to come through.

The good thing is that Wolves are no longer actively looking to sell Neves. A move to Arsenal never materialised so it looks as though he’ll stay in the Midlands.

That being said, Neves will be expendable heading into further windows so it would be wise of Bruno Lage and co to consider alternatives.

The solution

Towards the end of last week it became apparent that Wolves were interested in signing Celta Vigo midfielder Okay Yokuslu.

Wolves tasted defeat to the same opposition this weekend but Yokuslu wasn’t actually in action.

That said, the Turk was in inspirational form for West Brom last season while embarking on a loan spell at the Hawthorns.

Yokuslu wasn’t able to prevent Albion from beating the drop but he attracted plenty of admirers along the way.

He’s a tough-tackling player capable of bursting forwards much in the same way as Neves has done for Wolves.

Capped 37 times by his country, the midfielder has been described as “tenacious” by defender Kyle Bartley.

His ability to get stuck in is what sets him apart from many other players in the same position. Last term, Yokuslu won 2.4 tackles per game and made an incredibly impressive 2.2 interceptions per game.

On top of that, he produced 0.8 shots per match and successfully completed 1.2 dribbles over the same metric.

Compare that to Neves and there are clear similarities. The 24-year-old made the same number of tackles – 2.4 – and registered 1.8 interceptions per outing.

The one area where Yokuslu reigns supreme is dribbling, an area that hasn’t been a strong point in the Wolves midfield for a while now.

On that evidence, he’d be a great signing for Lage and Fosun.

AND in other news, Wolves set for huge boost after Tim Spiers update, fans surely buzzing…

Some Everton fans have been left raging as a transfer update emerged on Ross Barkley.

As per 90min, the Goodison Park faithful are one of a number of clubs interested in signing the Chelsea man, along with Newcastle United and West Ham United.

Barkley did not leave the Merseyside club on good terms, after refusing to sign the new deal that he was offered from his boyhood team, and his camp’s decision to pull the plug on an earlier move to Stamford Bridge ultimately cost the Toffees an extra £20m in transfer fees (The Liverpool Echo).

Nonetheless, he has not exactly excelled either since leaving the Blues, as he was shipped out on loan to Aston Villa in the 2020/21 season, where he only managed to score a mere three goals and make just one assist in 24 games in total in the Premier League (Transfermarkt).

Everton fans on Barkley transfer update

These EFC supporters raged as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one even going on to claim that they are ‘really angry’:

“The last few weeks has all just been a nightmare right? #timetowakeup”

Credit: @Curto_Cardiff

“Even if you look past how he left the club, he has no brain. Absolute no for me.”

Credit: @Matt_S_1982

“Hopefully this is false”

Credit: @bluenose1969

“Probably the worst signing we could ever make this. Would make me genuinely really angry.”

Credit: @StueySquires

“No no no no no no no no no”

Credit: @_luke1878_

“NO”

Credit: @latibosani

In other news, find out what transfer update has Evertonians talking here!

Noel Whelan has dropped an exciting claim on Amari Miller after Leeds United confirmed the signing of the former Birmingham City starlet.

The Lowdown: Miller signs

As confirmed by the official website of the Elland Road faithful, Miller has signed from the Blues until the summer of 2025 for an undisclosed fee.

Miller will initially join up with the U23’s, before trying to push himself into Marcelo Bielsa’s plans for the new 2021/22 season.

The Latest: Whelan on Miller

Whelan, who is now a pundit after playing as a striker for the Yorkshire club, has claimed to Football Insider that Miller is an ‘exciting’ addition, and has even went as far as to say that he ‘can be the next Bellingham’:

“He is going to be an exciting signing because he has bags of potential.

“He has made his debut at a very young age which is a promising sign. Hopefully for Leeds he can be the next Bellingham.

“The way I have seen things materialise with Joe Gelhardt, I think Miller will go into the Under-23s next season.

“Bielsa needs a different calibre of player in the first team. He needs senior players who will make an impact straight away.

“That is why I think he will be in the Under-23s for a season or two and then coming into the first team. He would have to be a phenomenon to come straight into the first team.”

The Verdict: One for the future

It will certainly be exciting for the Whites to have a player like Miller in the youth set-up, who is more than capable of earning a call-up to the first team.

Given that he is an 18-year-old English talent coming from Birmingham, obvious comparisons will be made to that of Jude Bellingham, who is now at Borussia Dortmund and with England at Euro 2020 despite his tender age.

Lee Bowyer, a former Birmingham and Leeds midfield player himself, trusted Miller enough to play him in claiming that he has ‘got great potential’ and is a ‘fearless’ youngster.

Nonetheless, Miller is certainly one to keep an eye on for LUFC fans.

In other news, find out which Premier League team have been left ‘stunned’ by Miller’s move here!

Leeds United could sign a new Harry Kewell in Rangers star Ryan Kent as a fresh update emerges on their pursuit of the winger.

What’s the story?

It was first revealed in the summer of 2020 that Marcelo Bielsa’s side had a bid rejected by the Ibrox outfit, and that Leeds’ initial bid was nowhere near their valuation.

Now, The Athletic have claimed that the Whites retain an interest in the 24-year-old as they look to strengthen their wide options ahead of the new Premier League season next month.

Leeds’ new Kewell

When Kewell was in his prime at Elland Road, the Australian flyer was a real breath of fresh air, displaying a real sense of fearlessness.

FootballWhispers noted: “The Australian youngster immediately stood out in Leeds’ youth ranks, exuding a confident swagger that would go on to define his on-field demeanour. With his pace, flair and guile, the young winger looked a natural fit in the immaculate white of the three-time English champions.”

And that “pace, flair and guile” is exactly what Kent has brought to the table with Rangers in the Scottish Premiership – last season saw him bang in 13 goals and provide another 15 assists in all competitions too.

Former Gers striker Kris Boyd has raved about the 24-year-old previously, saying: “There’s Ryan Kent who is phenomenal – he gets you off your seat. His numbers have increased season after season. Even if the team are not at the level we saw at the start of the campaign, he is still a threat. He is so comfortable with the ball – it is like has superglue in his boots!”

The £20k-a-week earning winger has earned rave reviews for his displays, not least from teammate Conor Goldson, who hailed him as “magnificent” and said: “He has got a lot of ability. (He is) 24-years-old, two-footed. It is not nice when he runs at you, I can tell you that personally from training. He has got everything.”

And, Neil Dewsnip, his former coach at England under-17 level, said: “He seems to relish the atmosphere, so I think he’s in the bracket of players who think ‘the bigger the better’. Ryan is very exciting so, when he’s good he’s devastatingly good. But that’s a trait of a lot of wide players. The challenge is to be consistent and I’m sure that’s what Steven and his staff will be working to achieve.”

With reports also suggesting that Leeds could look to offload Costa this summer, and Gabby Agbonlahor’s claim that the Portuguese ace hasn’t done enough at Elland Road and that he’ll “definitely be moved on”, the Whites could get rid of the winger and bring in Kent to offset that departure.

Not only would they be getting someone who could bring a bit of excitement and edge of your seat action like Kewell did, but Kent’s arrival could also spell the end for Costa’s time at the club.

Meanwhile, Alan Nixon has dropped a Leeds United transfer update…