All posts by z3u9t.icu

When Bruno Lage signed on the dotted line and became the manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers, he knew he needed to do something about the club’s injury problems.

It was a major issue for Wolves last season with Nuno Santo having to make do with countless fitness issues.

Raul Jimenez suffered a nasty fractured skull last November while the likes of Daniel Podence and Marcal withstood several injuries.

Jonny suffered back to back ACL problems and then Pedro Neto was ruled out for an extended period of time after breaking his knee cap.

Those two players remain long term absentees but two more individuals have been added to the treatment table at Compton.

Speaking prior to Wolves’ clash with Southampton on Sunday, Lage confirmed the club had suffered two additional blows.

He commented: “Ait-Nouri will be out for seven days. Mosquera has a muscle injury, not in the same area.”

Reporter Liam Keen then cleared up how long the latter might be out for, saying: “He (Lage) has given a timeline of 1-2 months for Mosquera. Expects it to be closer to 2 months.”

With Wolves’ defensive options extremely limited, this will be a gutting piece of news for the manager to receive.

Ait-Nouri will only miss the next week but it’s a shame that he’ll be absent for the clash this weekend after picking up an important assist against Tottenham in midweek.

Mosquera’s injury is more concerning, however. He signed in the summer as Wolves’ only centre-back recruit but his one appearance – the match with Spurs – ended in disaster as he went off on just nine minutes.

The central defender is a promising player but his ability to adapt and integrate himself into the surroundings at Molineux is being extremely hampered, especially as this is not his first fitness problem since arriving.

Wolves have continued to operate a three-man backline under Lage but the fewer options they have, the less he’ll be able to improve their system.

They tried signing Sven Botman and Duje Caleta-Car in the summer window but ultimately failed in their pursuits. Had one of those players joined, it’s unlikely that Mosquera’s injury would be so concerning.

Instead, Lage will be hoping that he doesn’t receive another injury to his defensive line.

AND in other news, Bruno Lage could soon replicate one of Nuno’s big Wolves blunders from last season…

Aston Villa must land Liverpool starlet Curtis Jones in the January transfer window amid Alan Nixon’s recent claim.

What’s the story?

In a tweet posted just before transfer deadline day, Nixon said: “Aston Villa. Big interest in Curtis Jones at Liverpool. A bit of the Grealish about that talented lad. Might be one for next window. Not in squad yesterday…”

In response to that news, former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell has suggested that Jones could be a very intriguing transfer target for Smith if the club are having a disappointing season.

He said: “It’s going to be an interesting few months, January especially. It depends how Villa do, if they do ok they might wait until the end of the season.

“If they aren’t doing as well as they want to, they will have to really push for Curtis Jones. Villa like young players and Jones is exactly that, he’s got real quality. Villa are looking to buy smart, buy young and looking to buy players with something to prove which is smart.”

He has shades of Jack Grealish

While Jack Grealish may not be Villa’s darling anymore following his big-money move to Premier League champions Manchester City, there’s no questioning that he is a massive loss on the pitch.

In Jones, Smith could get someone who has all the intangibles to bring that same level of excitement that Grealish brought to the table, while he’s already amassed more big-game experience by playing in the Champions League unlike his older counterpart.

Indeed, after Liverpool’s win over Everton in January 2020, when the teenage talent scored a stunning decisive goal, Jurgen Klopp sang the 19-year-old’s praises and tipped him to reach the big time provided that “nothing strange happens”.

He said: “It was an absolutely sensational goal, I love it. Let me speak about Curtis. Unbelievable player, Scouser, very confident, can’t wait to play in the first team. Rightly so. He is in a very good way, I’ve known him for three-and-a half years. He has made big steps, he will be a Liverpool player if nothing strange happens 100%. You sometimes forget, and we forget it in training, that he is only 18. Unbelievable.”

The Liverpool boss went so far as to dub Jones an “exceptional talent”, and that kind of praise is indicative of the kind of lofty heights Klopp expects the talented starlet to reach.

The £27m-rated ace’s ability to come up with something spectacular, like he did against Everton 20 months ago, has real shades of Grealish.

Jones steps up when the spotlight shines brightest, reserving his best performances for Liverpool last season in the Champions League. As per WhoScored, he averaged an impressive 7.37 match rating, scoring one goal and providing two assists in five games – no other Liverpool player bettered his match rating out of those who featured more than three times in the competition.

If Smith goes in for Jones in the January transfer window, they could move quickly to replacing Grealish in this team.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has confirmed a major Aston Villa boost…

An update has emerged on Rangers defender Nathan Patterson, regarding Everton’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to the Scottish Sun, Everton are willing to meet Rangers’ asking price of around £10m for right-back Patterson.

The report claims that Liverpool have now exited the race for the Gers defender, leaving the Toffees as the only club left pursuing him.

Fans will be livid

Rangers fans would be livid if the club opts to cash in on Patterson in the January window. He is a promising young player who could be a key player for the Gers in the future and selling him now could end up being a disaster for Ross Wilson.

The Ibrox chief must resist any temptations to sell Patterson at this moment in time, even if Everton come in with an offer of £10m for his services. He is still under contract until 2024 and that means that there is no need to rush into a sale. his deal is not close to expiring and they do not need to worry about losing him on a free transfer.

Wilson must work hard to keep him at the club as he could be the long-term successor to James Tavernier at right-back. The Gers skipper turns 30 in October and is heading into the final years of his career, whereas Patterson is only at the beginning of his at the age of 19.

Rangers’ head of academy Craig Mulholland lauded the young fullback last year, saying: “Nathan has been fantastic for us this year.

“Again, we started the project five, six, years ago to get a level of player that we felt could go and compete in the Europa League, could go and compete in Old Firm games.

“And if you go and look at Nathan in the last 16 of the Europa League, if you look at him in the Old Firm game, it’s a great example for all the young players in here of what we’re trying to achieve.”

He has already been capped three times by Scotland and made 18 senior appearances for Rangers, which shows that he has been trusted to perform by Steven Gerrard and Steve Clarke despite his young age. Therefore, he HAS the potential to progress further and continue his development, potentially taking Tavernier’s spot in the side as he slows down towards the end of his career.

This is why Rangers fans will be livid if the club cash in on Patterson now. It could deprive them of a potentially excellent player and a homegrown one at that. It would also leave the Gers needing to go out and buy a long-term Tavernier replacement when they already had one in the building.

AND in other news, Gerrard issues update on £27k-p/w “mountain” that’ll leave Rangers fans concerned…

West Ham United could finally be closing in on that centre-back signing…

What’s the word?

The Irons have been left frustrated in their search for a new marquee defender over the past week or so, with Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma rejecting the opportunity to join David Moyes’ squad.

However, they have been given fresh hope after renowned Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano provided an exciting update.

“West Ham are progressing in negotiations with Fiorentina to sign Nikola Milenkovic as centre-back. Details still to be discussed to reach an agreement but talks ongoing,” he tweeted.

“Fiorentina are closing on Matija Nastasić as replacement. No Zouma for West Ham, as of now.”

Encouraging signs

With the new Premier League season just a week away, this latest development should provide some much-needed encouragement as Moyes is finally edging closer to signing a new centre-back, something which has been his priority in recent weeks.

The Hammers need strength in depth right across the pitch, especially in defence, where there is now a void following the departure of Fabian Balbuena, who left after his contract ended this summer.

Angelo Ogbonna, one of the Scot’s first-choice options, has also been dealing with an injury problem and has to be a doubt for their opening clash with Newcastle United, meaning he’ll only have Issa Diop and Craig Dawson at his disposal at centre-back.

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Milenkovic has been coveted by teams like Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in the past, so he could be seen as quite the coup for the East London outfit.

Indeed, he has been compared to Premier League legend Nemanja Vidic and described as “fearless” and as having the “physical characteristics of a beast.”

As per WhoScored, the 28-cap Serbia international averaged three aerial duels won, 1.4 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per league outing, which only further highlights his imposing stature, though he was still equally adept with the ball at his feet, managing an 86% passing accuracy too.

Standing at a whopping 6 foot 5, Milenkovic could be the scary physical presence that the Hammers need going into a campaign in Europe.

Much of the London Stadium faithful have grown frustrated by the lack of transfer activity throughout the summer, especially with the season starting next week, so this news should have them a little more excited over what’s to come.

Milenkovic would be quite the coup with a fee of just €16m (£13.5m) being mooted. That’s quite the bargain.

AND in other news, West Ham can seal bargain swoop for “physical” £18m-rated beast, Moyes would love him…

Leeds United have contacted Burnley over a potential move for midfielder Josh Brownhill, according to TEAMtalk.

The Lowdown: Whites after a central midfielder and a winger

Leeds have made two new first-team addition this summer in left-back Junior Firpo and back-up goalkeeper Kristoffer Klaesson.

Jack Harrison’s loan move was also made permanent, however, it is thought that Leeds are after a central midfielder and potentially a winger before the window slams shut.

Brownhill, on £40,000-a-week, can play as a holding midfielder, central midfielder and on the right-hand side, and it seems as if Marcelo Bielsa is a big fan of the 25-year-old.

The Latest: Source shares update

According to TEAMtalk sources, Bielsa is a huge admirer of Brownhill, and, as a result, the Whites have made contact over a potential transfer.

The report claims that the Clarets would demand a big fee for Brownhill, with Aston Villa and West Ham also credited with an interest.

The Verdict: Avoid

Former Leeds left-back Ezgjan Alioski dealt comfortably with Brownhill during Leeds’ 4-0 win at Turf Moor last season.

The Burnley man was used as a right-midfielder in May but was their third worst-rated starter behind Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Jack Cork, as per WhoScored.

He failed to complete a dribble or an accurate cross, completing just 73.9% of his passes. (WhoScored)

Leeds are also thought to be closing in on Huddersfield Town’s Lewis O’Brien, so perhaps the club should now target an out and out winger instead of a versatile midfielder like Brownhill.

In other news: Source reveals Leeds now plotting move for ‘quick’ 6’1″ ace; most in-form player in his division. 

Many Everton fans have been left delighted following an update on their proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.As per the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, a web camera is set to be installed at the site so that supporters of the Merseyside club can see live images of what is happening during the construction process.The Toffees will also be launching a new project website which will share all of the latest news to do with the stadium, and give an opportunity for Blues to ask any questions they may have.These are certainly exciting times for Evertonians, as now that permission has been granted to build on the site, construction for the new ground can get under way as soon as possible, and they will be able to see it happening in front of their very eyes once the web cam is installed. Everton fans on Bramley-Moore Dock update

These EFC fans lauded the update was it was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it is ‘excellent news’:

“This is excellent news”Credit: @otrochris”Loving every bit of this.”Credit: @djmikepeters”Massive day.”Credit: @seanarundel”Brilliant Blues!!!”Credit: @camoefc84″Love it”Credit: @matt1878″Yeeeessss”Credit: @Howardm37030595In other news, find out what transfer update has Toffees talking here!

A number of Liverpool supporters are unhappy that Andre Marriner will take charge of Saturday’s Premier League opener at Norwich City.

The Reds faced their last game of pre-season on Monday night, beating Osasuna 3-1 at Anfield to finish their summer in style.

It has been a productive spell for Jurgen Klopp’s side, who look refreshed after a tough 2020/21 campaign and appear ready for a title challenge.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

Liverpool’s Premier League season gets underway this weekend, with a trip to newly-promoted Norwich to look forward to on Saturday evening.

It has been confirmed that Marriner will referee the contest at Carrow Road, with his last Reds match the 1-1 draw at home to Newcastle United back in April.

He also refereed the draw at Fulham and defeat away to Southampton last season, meaning Liverpool didn’t win with him in charge during the league campaign.

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Liverpool fans unhappy with Marriner appointment

These Reds fans took to Twitter to react to the news, with many unhappy about the announcement.

“Marriner hates Mane and Salah”

Credit: @LFC1892Juni

“God”

Credit: @veemr_

“Oh my god”

Credit: @AsaanK

“The worst of the lot”

Credit: @Ethangould9LFC

“And so begins my weekly complaining of the refs selected for our game, Knowing full well that there isn’t an option I would ever be happy with”

Credit: @danjones_101

“May as well forfeit the game and let the team have the weekend off”

Credit: @URBANCHIMPY1969

In other news, some Liverpool fans have raved about one player’s performance during pre-season. Find out who it is here.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in a move for FC Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho, according to Spanish publication Sport (via Tutto Mercato Web).

Coutinho has apparently been given permission to leave the Catalan giants, three and a half years on from his £142million move from Liverpool.

What’s Coutinho’s next move?

He’s said to be after some stability after a ‘fluctuating period’. The Brazilian was, of course, sent on loan to Bayern Munich for the 2019/20 campaign.

The 29-year-old made 12 La Liga appearances last season before a serious knee injury in December ended his involvement.

A return to Liverpool is a potential option for Coutinho, but Everton and Wolves are also said to ‘like’ the player. No ‘official offers’ have arrived just yet, though.

Coutinho spent five years at Anfield and played more than 200 games for the Reds. Overall, he scored 54 goals and provided 45 assists (via Transfermarkt).

Fan feed Talking Wolves relayed Sport’s claims, and here’s what supporters made of them.

These Wolves fans keen on bringing Coutinho back to England

“Exact player we need to take us to the next level”

Credit: @Adam11520205

“Wouldn’t say no tbf”

Credit: @joehands_19

“We’ve been crying out for a quality creative attacking midfielder. If we have the budget for him, sign him up!”

Credit: @earlknudsen

“Tbf that’s saucy, let’s see”

Credit: @nocontextkeanee

“If we sell Podence for over 20m & bring in Coutinho do we give Jeff a statue?”

Credit: @haydenbd_

“Imagine Coutinho at Wolves man”

Credit: @WolvesNumber37

In other news, these comments didn’t get a good reception from Wolves fans.

Aston Villa are interested in a move for Manchester United centre-back Axel Tuanzebe as they hunt for defensive reinforcements, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Aston Villa build towards the 2021/22 season

With pre-season fast approaching at Bodymoor Heath, many Villa supporters will be intrigued to see how their team goes about improving on their 11th-placed finish last term.

Already active in the transfer market, Villa have so far acquired the signatures of Emiliano Buendia for a club-record fee from Norwich City [avfc.co.uk] alongside free agent Ashley Young [OTB Sports].

Could they now be set to follow this up with a third signing of the summer window following recent developments?

The Latest: Villa hold “concrete” interest in Tuanzebe

The Villains are said to have “concrete” interest in the 23-year-old stopper, according to a Football Insider source.

Aston Villa are in the market for a new centre-back following the departure of Bjorn Engels to Royal Antwerp, whilst they see the Red Devils defender as someone who can provide cover within the backline and has room for footballing development [Football Insider].

Of course, Tuanzebe is already a familiar face to the Villa Park faithful, having spent the second half of the 2017/18 campaign on loan at the club [Birmingham Mail].

The Verdict: Tuanzebe would be an ideal signing

Signing the former England under-21 international would represent an astute piece of business for Aston Villa.

In 2020/21, he made 19 appearances for Manchester United as he helped them towards a second-placed finish in the Premier League alongside reaching the Europa League final [Transfermarkt].

Comfortable with the ball at his feet, he showed his competency in ball retention across the previous campaign, recording a passing success rate of 89.4% across all competitions [WhoScored].

Possessing previous high-profile experience in the Champions League, he was praised for his “unbelievable performance” by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in United’s famous 2-1 win away to Paris Saint-Germain in Europe’s premier club competition last October [manutd.com].

Tuanzebe could contribute a lot to the Villa cause and they should endeavour to ensure that the deal gets over the line.

In other news, these Aston Villa fans react to a pundit’s Jack Grealish assessment.

Former Premier League striker Gabby Agbonlahor has tipped Sheffield United defender George Baldock to move to Scottish giants Celtic this summer.

The Lowdown: Sheffield United face multiple exits ahead of 2021/22

Looking ahead to 2021/22, newly-appointed Blades boss Slavisa Jokanovic will be desperate to keep the core of his prize assets together in order to mount a promotion challenge this season.

In recent times, Aaron Ramsdale and Sander Berge have been linked with moves to Arsenal as the summer transfer window continues.

However, former Aston Villa icon Agbonlahor has tipped Baldock to be the first Bramall Lane departure this summer in a recent interview with Football Insider.

The Latest: Agbonlahor tips Baldock to leave Bramall Lane

Speaking about whether the right-back could make an impression in Scotland, the 34-year-old stated: “I do.

“I’ve really liked him at Sheffield United since they came into the Premier League. He looks so calm on the ball with his passing, he’s energetic going forwards and backwards.

“He’s passionate so he suits the Scottish league and a big club like Celtic.

“For me, that’s something that I’d definitely try and get it done and over the line.” [Football Insider].

The Verdict: Baldock saga could drag on for quite some time

Agbonlahor rightly points out the calmness and stability which Baldock has brought to the Sheffield United backline. In 2020/21, he made 34 appearances for the Blades, registering two assists [Transfermarkt].

Showing his defensive instincts, the 28-year-old made 127 recoveries across the campaign [premierleague.com] whilst also averaging 1.9 clearances per match [WhoScored].

Expected to be an important player for the Yorkshiremen next season if he stays, Sheffield United supporters may well be praying that Baldock is priced out of any move north of the border. With Celtic ready to pay £5m to £8m for his services [The Star], this saga seems unlikely to die down any time soon.

In other news, this pundit has praised an ex-Sheffield United midfielder after he joined a new club.