All posts by z3u9t.icu

Rangers had a rather mixed 2021/22 season, having relinquished the Premiership title and losing a European final on penalties before eventually bringing the Scottish Cup back to Ibrox.

One man who ended up being a rather prominent figure for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men throughout the campaign was Ryan Kent.

In 46 appearances across all competitions during the campaign, the Rangers winger scored three goals and delivered an impressive 20 assists in the process, comfortably making him one of Rangers’ main attacking threats.

Now that the Gers’ long season has finally come to an end, the focus for Ross Wilson and Giovanni van Bronckhorst can turn to the summer transfer window and getting the squad ready to take on the next campaign.

In terms of potential incoming transfers, one player with whom the Gers have been linked and who could give Van Bronckhorst the chance to form a deadly attacking duo alongside Kent is Lyndon Dykes.

After scoring 37 goals and providing 44 assists in 172 combined appearances in Scotland with Livingston and Queen of the South, the striker then joined Queens Park Rangers two years ago in a deal worth £2m. Since then, the 26-year-old has found the net 21 times in 80 appearances and supplied eight assists.

To further highlight his attacking prowess, of his 58 shots at goal he had throughout the 2021/22 season with the west London club, 30 were on target, leaving him with the third-highest percentage for shots on target at QPR.

This backs up why his former manager Mark Warburton described the 22-cap Scotland international as having “an eye for goal”, along with “all the physical attributes” needed to be a successful striker.

This also suggests that if Dykes were to have a player like Kent – who has a clear knack for setting up goalscoring opportunities – next to him, this could be a terrifying prospect for Rangers’ opponents to handle next season and beyond.

If Van Bronckhorst feels the need to add another attacking figure to his squad this summer, making an approach to QPR to see if they would be willing to let their star striker return to his homeland and see if he can help the Gers achieve success domestically and in Europe could be a great move for all parties.

In other news: Rangers now plotting bid for “clinical” £5.4m-rated sensation, he’d be a dream for Van Bronckhorst

Former Premier League striker Noel Whelan has made an intriguing claim regarding the future of Glasgow Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo. 

The lowdown: Wanted man

This comes following a report from Football Insider claiming that some English top-flight clubs are ‘keeping tabs’ on the 25-year-old ahead of a potential summer swoop.

Since then, former Gers boss Steven Gerrard has been linked with forming a reunion with Aribo at Aston Villa, despite the 19-cap Nigeria international insisting that he is ‘not thinking about leaving’ in the upcoming transfer window.

With just one year remaining on his deal at Ibrox (Transfermarkt), the Rangers hierarchy certainly have a decision to make over the player’s future, and one onlooker has had his say on what could happen next…

The latest: Whelan sounds Aribo warning

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-Aberdeen striker Whelan has suggested that Aribo could be playing to the gallery with his latest comments.

The one-time BBC pundit said: “I don’t think he’s going to want to overcommit to anything, is he? He’s going to take his time. I think he’s earned that right with the performances he’s put in for Glasgow Rangers.

“Look, he’s in a very good position and he knows that. He’s been looked at by some top English clubs – even his old manager in Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa. It’s not an easy one, but he’s in the strongest position. He knows he’s got a year left.

“He’s in that place, one year left, where he can possibly force Rangers’ hand and get them to sell.”

The verdict: Tough call

With nine goals and 10 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions, Aribo was certainly firing on all cylinders in the 2021/22 campaign, and it’s no surprise that clubs from south of the border would be taking a closer look at the London-born maestro.

However, Rangers either need to tie down the man hailed for a ‘sensational’ strike in a resounding 4-1 victory over Dundee United in February 2021, or else cash in this summer in order to achieve maximum incomings from their £9m-valued asset.

While the 25-year-old is clearly an integral part of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s plans given how much he played this season, keeping Aribo beyond the summer with no new deal would leave the Glasgow giants in a dangerous position, as they then risk losing a healthy influx of money and a key player for nothing in 12 months’ time.

In other news: Alex McLeish has had this to say on Nikola Katic’s Ibrox return

Reporter Jacques Talbot has now made a Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving in-demand Benfica forward Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye striker move?

Spurs boss Antonio Conte seemingly has his eye on a plethora of summer targets after guiding the north Londoners to a top-four Premier League place last season.

Their place in Europe for 2022/2023 is now confirmed with plenty of more good news having soon followed, including the signings of Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster on Bosman deals and a £150 million equity increase.

Tottenham’s financial windfall will be used to back Conte ahead of his first full season in charge with reports claiming a possible striker addition is certainly on the agenda.

The Latest: Talbot makes Nunez claim…

According to reporter Talblot, the Lilywhites are still well in the mix to sign star Benfica striker Nunez with an update now emerging in the last 48 hours.

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Shedding light on the 22-year-old’s situation amid intense interest from England, he explained:

“Been asked about him a lot recently. Was indicated to me his favoured place was Man United. But can see Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal, Newcastle, West Ham, and even Chelsea depending on Lukaku, all with an interest (though to what extent varies).”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Scoring 34 goals across 41 appearances in all competitions last season, it’s little wonder Nunez has garnered a reputation for being a ‘sensational’ striker over the last few years (James Dodd, Fox Sports).

One big red herring for Tottenham and transfer chief Fabio Paratici will be the price tag, especially considering the competition and how Benfica have their star man protected by a staggering £125 million release clause.

In other news: Paratici opens Spurs talks to sign ‘scary’ £183,000-per-week star once worth £130m, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur could swoop for Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer, according to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown

Antonio Conte is intent on strengthening his defence ahead of his first full season in charge at Tottenham. The Italian is particularly keen to recruit a left-sided centre-half for his back three, and while Bremer is right-footed, The Athletic reported that he’s still under ‘serious consideration’.

Torino offered Bremer a route into European football, signing him from Atletico Mineiro for £5.2m in 2018.

The 25-year-old, who has since made 110 appearances for the Serie A club, signed a new contract as recently as February. Howeverm it only runs until the summer of 2024, and his manager Ivan Juric has already confirmed that the defender will be leaving the Turin outfit this summer.

The latest

According to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), Tottenham ‘have strongly entered the race’ to sign Bremer, along with newly-crowned Serie A champions AC Milan.

The report advises readers to ‘watch out’ for a ‘serious assault’ from Conte and Spurs’ managing director of football Fabio Paratici.

The north Londoners are ‘ready to invest’ as much as €50m (£42.6m) to get this prospective deal done.

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The verdict

Spurs do have other options in mind. According to Jack Pitt-Brooke and Charlie Eccleshare, Conte is a big admirer of both Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni and RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol.

However, they claimed that the Italian will cost around £50m, and the Croatian even more, so Bremer could be the cheapest candidate.

The Brazilian is an ‘incredibly aggressive’ defender, even ‘more so than [Cristian] Romero’, in the words of European football expert Alex Barker. He clearly defends on the front foot, ranking in the 98th percentile among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for pressures per 90 minutes.

On top of that, he records exceptionally high volumes of interceptions (98th perecentile), blocks (99th), clearances (96th) and successful aerial duels (99th), as per FBRef. He is also someone who backs himself to carry the ball, slotting into the 79th percentile for dribbles completed.

Bremer won the Serie A Defender of the Year award even though Torino finished 10th, and that’s a glowing reflection of his talents.

Indeed, journalist Maxi Angelo has billed him a ‘monster’, perhaps a fitting summary of how huge a presence the 25-year-old could be in Conte’s defence if he comes to north London.

In other news, a journalist has shared a transfer update on Ronnie Edwards.

According to The Times, there has been another Manchester City transfer update involving Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips as the Sky Blues press for Fernandinho’s heir.

The Lowdown: Champions again

Pep Guardiola’s men performed what many City supporters thought was impossible on Sunday, a near-carbon copy of Sergio Aguero’s 93:20 title-winning drama 10 years on.

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The Premier League champions emerged from the depths of despair to total euphoria, coming back from 2-0 down at home to Aston Villa on the final day with three goals in five minutes. An inspired Ilkay Gundogan grabbed the first and last goal of the stunning comeback as colossal defensive midfielder Rodri also got in on the act with a composed long-range equaliser for 2-2.

Following the Sky Blues’ title parade through Manchester’s grateful streets, attention now turns to the summer transfer market, with City making a good start and already sealing a deal for Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland.

However, as club legend and faithful servant Fernandinho departs after a near-decade long spell, sporting director Txiki Begiristain and Guardiola have allegedly set their sights on a replacement.

The Daily Mail’s Jack Gaughan claimed that City are ‘ready to pursue a deal’ for Leeds star Phillips, as another credible source in The Times now share their own update.

The Latest: Ballus makes Phillips claim…

Indeed, their journalist Pol Ballus has said that the Whites midfielder is indeed top of Guardiola’s list when it comes to Fernandinho’s replacement. The English champions are also ‘considering making a bid’ for Phillips and ‘will press ahead’ with their effort to sign an heir to City’s long-serving South American.

However, Leeds avoiding relegation could make matters complicated, as they’re now in a stronger position to keep hold of their pivotal midfield anchor.

Also, City aren’t alone in their interest, with arch-rivals Manchester United, West Ham, Arsenal and Aston Villa all in the picture.

The Verdict: Standout candidate?

According to The Mirror, Phillips would cost Begiristain and City Football Group around £50m – a third of what fellow target Declan Rice would reportedly cost from West Ham (£150m). Another target in Monaco starlet Aurélien Tchouaméni is apparently rated at around £60m, so economically Phillips certainly seems like the best option.

In terms of quality, we believe that the 26-year-old’s reputation speaks for itself, with no shortage of plaudits for him in recent times.

Leeds defender Liam Cooper even called Phillips ‘one of the best midfielders in the world’ last year, whilst former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has raved over the ‘special player’ and top-flight ‘sensation’ (Football Insider).

If Guardiola wishes to add a world-class rotational partner for Rodri at a fairly reasonable cost, Leeds’ big name may well be the answer.

In other news: ‘Most attractive’ – Man City now the ‘dream’ destination for ‘complete’ and ‘dominant’ player, find out more here.

West Ham United manager David Moyes has been dealt an injury setback ahead of their final Premier League game of the season away to Brighton this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Race for Europa League…

The Irons have already gained a pathway to European football for next season, with at least a place in the Europa Conference League play-off round already guaranteed. However, depending on results elsewhere, Moyes’ side could sneak back into the Europa League for 2022/23 after their unprecedented run to the semi-finals this season.

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If West Ham can beat Brighton at the Amex Stadium and Manchester United fail to gain all three points against Crystal Palace, the east Londoners would secure Europa League qualification for the second season running.

As the final match of the season looms for Moyes, there is still plenty of play for, but it looks like he will be without one man for West Ham’s clash with the Seagulls.

The Latest: Diop setback…

Giving an injury update, whilst attacker Said Benrahma looks set to return, the Hammers boss couldn’t say the same for defender Issa Diop he looks unlikely to recover in time.

Moyes explained (via whufc.com):  “Saïd Benrahma should be fit for the game. Issa Diop, we still don’t think his ankle is quite right yet, but we expect Benrahma will be fit and available.”

The Verdict: Big miss?

According to WhoScored, the Frenchman ranks in West Ham’s top three for clearances (3.2) and successful blocks (one) per game, coming in just behind first-choice centre-back pair Craig Dawson and Kurt Zouma in those regards.

Diop comes with certain strengths, with pundit and former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believing that the 25-year-old is a ‘quality player’, and it could be a slight setback for Moyes not to have him as an option for Brighton.

Qualification for the Europa League is still within reach depending on developments at Selhurst Park today, but West Ham will first need to get their own job done against Graham Potter’s side.

In other news: ‘Close…’ – Sky Sports journalist shares major West Ham development from the last 72 hours! Find out more here.

Manchester United are reportedly close to the signing of Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona in a move which will surely please incoming manager Erik ten Hag.

What’s the word?

According to a report from AS (via The Faithful MUFC), a deal is close for the transfer of the Dutchman from Camp Nou to Old Trafford.

The report stated that if United make an offer of €70m (£59.6m) then the La Liga side will allow the 25-year-old to leave.

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Ten Hag would then reunite with his former Ajax protégé, and this news will surely excite the Old Trafford faithful.

Better than Paul Pogba

De Jong is currently valued at £63m by Transfermarkt and could well be the marquee signing that Ten Hag needs to make to instantly make an impression on United supporters who are desperate for success.

With the likelihood of Paul Pogba leaving the club upon the expiry of his contract this summer, as Juventus seemingly offer the midfielder a deal to return to Italy, then the Red Devils urgently need another central midfielder.

In the 25-year-old, they would get an instant upgrade on the Frenchman. It’s clear that the Netherlands international offers more of a goalscoring threat from midfield, with four goals this season compared to Pogba’s solitary strike.

De Jong also has a higher pass completion rate than the 29-year-old (90.1% to 83.5%), generates more than double the amount of shot-creating actions (104 to 56) and has made significantly fewer fouls over the course of the season (37 to 56).

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These figures clearly prove that signing De Jong would be a shrewd move, and with Ten Hag knowing exactly what he would get from the Barcelona maestro from their mutual time at Ajax, then it’s a transfer that makes absolutely perfect sense.

With Barca manager Xavi dubbing the midfielder a “genius”, it could be a massive loss to the Spanish side in the long-term, but it would be a tremendous coup to kickstart the Ten Hag era at Old Trafford.

AND in other news, Man United plotting bid to sign “complete” £63m monster, he’d be their own De Bruyne

Everton may be able to welcome back defender Ben Godfrey against Brentford on Sunday. 

The lowdown

Everton host Thomas Frank’s side at 16.30 on Sunday in their penultimate home game of the season.

If Leeds United fail to beat Brighton in the 14.00 kick-off, then Everton know that a draw will effectively secure safety and a victory will guarantee it.

But if the Whites and Burnley, who play Tottenham Hotspur at 12.00, both win, then they could kick-off in the relegation zone.

Godfrey sustained an injury while warming up for last month’s Merseyside Derby against Liverpool and hasn’t featured since.

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The latest

Patrick Boyland, Everton correspondent for The Athletic, relayed an update on Godfrey’s fitness on Friday.

He’s said to be ‘close’ and ‘could be in the squad’ against the Bees.

Meanwhile, on-loan Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek ‘also has a chance’ of being involved after missing the last four games with thigh problems.

The verdict

This is an important, and unexpected boost, for Lampard and Everton.

The manager admitted after the initial injury that Godfrey may not be able to play again this season.

But he may be able to return with three games remaining to strengthen his side’s survival chances.

Godfrey has started every Premier League game for which he’s been available this season, the clearest indication of his importance.

Team-mate Andros Townsend believes that the £77,000-per-week Norwich City man is ‘the real deal’ and boasts ‘massive potential’, and that’s why he’s backed him to go ‘to the very top’.

At his best, he’s a high-level defensive option for Everton.

In other news, a wealthy club are set to make a bid for this EFC star.

Celtic currently boast the best attacking record in the Premiership, this season with 85 goals scored in 36 games.

One man who has contributed a lot to this impressive feat is Jota, who has scored seven goals and provided eight assists in 24 league appearances.

Despite the attacker only being on loan at Celtic, Ange Postecoglou has said that the club are looking to secure the Benfica youngster on a permanent deal this summer.

Should that happen, the Hoops would then have the chance to bring in another attacking star who could form a deadly duo with Jota.

Back in February, the Bhoys were linked with a move for Bristol City attacker Antoine Semenyo.

A product of the English Championship club’s youth system, the 22-year-old has made 98 senior appearances across all competitions, scoring 13 goals and delivering 20 assists along the way.

This season has seen the Englishman find the net eight times and provide 12 assists in 31 Championship appearances.

To further highlight his attacking prowess throughout this campaign, with 70 shots registered, no other player at his current club can match the number of shots on target per 90 minutes that Semenyo boasts (1.14).

In addition, the attacker has the highest average for shots (2.3) and dribbles per game (1.2) this season, along with the second highest average for key passes (1.1). This backs up why he was labelled a “dangerous” player by his former manager Phil Parkinson in the past.

As for Jota, with those same three metrics, he ranks in the top five for each at Celtic, which shows just how proficient the two players are in attack and why they could form a terrifying duo if they link up at Parkhead.

Having played in the centre-forward position for all of his appearances this season, the Bristol City star could well line up next to the Celtic loan figure, who normally plays on the wing.

Once the summer transfer window opens, if the Hoops can secure a permanent deal for Jota, adding a player like Semenyo to their ranks could be just what Postecoglou needs in order to keep his squad fresh and raring to go for next season.

However, given how important the Englishman has been for his boyhood club this season, they could well be reluctant to let him go, which may then lead to Celtic having to stump up a significant transfer fee for him.

With a suggested price tag of £15m, this is the sort of money that the Bhoys may have to shell out to secure his services.

In other news: Ange must now axe “appalling” & “pathetic” disaster duo, they’re bleeding Celtic dry

Allan’s mooted Everton exit should not come as a surprise, journalist Paul Brown has told GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

TuttoMercatoWeb journalist Niccolo Ceccarini recently reported (via Sport Witness) that the Toffees could well put the Brazilian midfielder up for sale when the summer transfer window opens.

The 31-year-old is under ‘strong consideration’ at Lazio as they assess potential replacements for exit-bound Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

Allan left another Serie A outfit in Napoli to join Everton in a £21.7m deal in September 2020, reuniting with Carlo Ancelotti on Merseyside. He has gone on to make 56 appearances for the club, including 25 Premier League starts this season.

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The latest

Brown doesn’t believe that it would be wise for Everton to hand Allan a long-term contract extension, particularly if he demands a pay rise.

The journalist told GiveMeSport: “I’m not surprised he’s leaving and it would be foolish to stick him on a longer contract.

“He would probably want more in terms of a salary too, so it doesn’t surprise me that he will go.”

The verdict

To a degree, it would be a surprise to see Allan being sold, given the extent of his involvement in the top flight this season. With three starts in Everton’s last four matches, during which they have picked up seven points, he certainly isn’t out of favour under Frank Lampard.

Indeed, it was only this time last year that BT Sport commentator Darren Fletcher was describing him as a ‘vital’ player for the club.

However, his contract is due to expire in just over 13 months’ time, so Everton may view this summer as their final opportunity to cash in on him. Come next January, Allan will be able to negotiate pre-contract terms with other clubs if he is still with the Toffees.

The Brazilian earns £70,000 per week at Goodison Park and, as Brown says, it may not be regarded as financially prudent to prolong that lucrative contract into his mid-30s.

In other news, Kevin Thelwell is keen on bringing this defender to Everton