All posts by z3u9t.icu

Transfers expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed the latest information regarding Wolverhampton Wanderers’ pursuit of signing young Portuguese forward Chiquinho.

What’s the story?

According to Romano, Wolves are close to making the 21-year-old winger their second signing of the January transfer window.

The transfers expert tweeted: “Wolves are closing on Chiquinho deal with Estoril, final details to be completed next week. Portuguese striker’s set to join on a permanent move for €3.5m fee plus €1.5m add ons.”

Valued at £900k by Transfermarkt, is set to depart Primeira Liga side Estoril, who are flying in the Portuguese top-flight this campaign as they currently sit sixth, and join up with his fellow countryman Bruno Lage at Molineux.

The Portuguese youngster has scored four goals and provided six assists in 18 appearances across all competitions in what has been his breakthrough campaign in top-flight football after Estoril were promoted last season.

According to The Athletic, the 21-year-old is set to be part of Wolves’ first-team group. Moreover, the West Midlands club have done business with Estoril before, signing defender Toti Gomes from the Portuguese outfit in September 2020 who was handed a shock debut on Saturday in the 3-1 win over Southampton.

Wolves fans will be buzzing

Although not a household name, Chiquinho offers a great deal of potential and, for a small fee in today’s market, the deal appears low risk, something that will no doubt delight supporters.

Wolves have become a hub for Portuguese talent with the likes of Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Jose Sa and Nelson Semedo some of the names who hail from Portugal that have been lured to Molineux in recent years as well as former manager Nuno Espirito Santo and current boss Bruno Lage.

The 21-year-old mainly operates as a left-winger but is flexible and can also play on the right-hand side of a front-three, ideal for Wolves who tend to operate with a 3-4-3 setup.

Compared to the other wingers in Lage’s squad, Chiquinho would boast the most league goals so far this season, although the Premier League is a significant step up from the Portuguese top-flight. Currently, Adama Traore is the only wide man to have netted in the league this campaign.

There have been murmurs of the Spaniard departing Molineux in the near future and therefore the Portugal U21 international could prove to be a long-term replacement.

Moreover, Lage is yet to welcome back the injured Pedro Neto, who has been out since April with a serious knee injury.

He may be an unknown name, however, the stats back up the suggestion that Chiquinho could be an exciting prospect for Wolves. Seeing a Portuguese talent excel at Molineux isn’t unheard of.

In other news – £33k-p/w Wolves gem, who created two big chances, stars in victory over Southampton

An update has emerged on Rangers defender Borna Barisic, regarding interest from an English team…

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, Steven Gerrard is eyeing the Croatian international as a potential January target for his new Aston Villa side.

The report claims that the ex-Liverpool man is not afraid of raiding the Gers for some of their top players, as he believes they are good enough to play in the Premier League.

Instant stitch-up

The club are reportedly closing in on the appointment of Dutch boss Gio van Bronckhorst to replace Gerrard and Rangers chief Ross Wilson must avoid stitching him up instantly. It would be a difficult situation for the 46-year-old to deal with if one of the better players in his squad is taken away from him half-way through the campaign.

Rangers are fighting for the Scottish Premiership title and will need their top performers to be available week-in-week-out to give themselves the best chance of pipping Celtic to the crown. Therefore, selling one of them could dampen their chances and leave van Bronckhorst with a harder job than it would be otherwise.

Barisic has averaged a terrific SofaScore rating of 7.18 in the Premiership this season, providing two assists from the left-back position. This is after he averaged a score of 7.40 last term, as he produced one goal and six assists for the club.

Former Gers player Alex Rae previously hailed the Croatian’s ‘terrific quality’ on the ball, saying:

“He performs at good level week-in, week-out and has terrific quality in the final third of the park.”

Mark Wilson added: “He’s the best left-back in the country. He’s improved his defending and supplies assists and is a threat at set pieces.”

This shows that he has the ability to be a top player by Premiership standards and could be a vital cog in the machine van Bronckhorst wants to build at Ibrox.

Therefore, Wilson cannot allow him to leave in the January window as the club are in the midst of a title challenge. It could disrupt their plans and leave the Dutch coach stitched up and left scrambling to solve a problem position.

Worst comes to worst, Rangers should attempt to see out the season with Barisic in the side before allowing him to leave, should he want to, at the end of the campaign. This would then give van Bronckhorst and Wilson the entire summer to source a replacement and prepare them for the 2022/23 season.

AND in other news, Behind-the-scenes: Report delivers Rangers manager detail that’ll leave fans buzzing…

Everton have been linked with a move for Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey as manager Rafael Benitez looks to bolster his engine room options at Goodison Park.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Toffees are interested in securing the 30-year-old’s services in the January window, with fellow Premier League club West Ham United also listed as potential suitors.

The report claimed that both Everton and the Hammers are weighing up a move for Ramsey as the Serie A giants are eager to offload his sizeable wages as soon as possible.

Ramsey’s current contract doesn’t expire until the summer of 2023, but rumours suggest the Italian giants are eager to get the former Arsenal man off their books much sooner due to his lack of output on the pitch.

Marcel Brands must sanction Everton swoop

Everton’s director of football Marcel Brands must sanction a swoop for the £12.6m-rated Ramsey over the winter window, adding some class and technical ability to Benitez’s industrial midfield.

The Wales international has bags of Premier League experience under his belt from his time at Arsenal, where he continually impressed throughout his seven-year stay. Ramsey scored 65 goals and laid on a further 65 assists in 371 appearances for the Gunners, winning three FA Cups along the way and earning praise from several impressed onlookers, including Martin Keown.

“He continues to mature as a player and develop. He’s a real leader now in this Arsenal team,” the Gunners legend claimed back in 2019.

“Playing in a deeper role, as he did under Arsene Wenger – I think that’s the best role for him. If you want Ozil and him in the same team. He’s so important to everything Arsenal do. It’s the energy – the box-to-box energy. He’s become an outstanding technician.”

However, following a contract dispute, Ramsey departed the north London outfit on a free transfer ahead of the 2019/20 campaign, joining Juventus in a search for silverware.

Although he has claimed a Scudetto and a Coppa Italia during his time in Turin, the creative talent has only started 25 league games to date for the Bianconeri, highlighting his peripheral role within the first team squad.

Therefore, a move back to English shores appears likely over the coming months, and Everton’s hierarchy must make Goodison Park Ramsey’s next destination, aiding their push for a top six finish.

In other news… Everton could find their new Marouane Fellaini by signing “exciting” 6 foot 4 weapon 

After an impressive run of seven games without defeat, Crystal Palace find themselves in a blip, having lost their last three in the Premier League.

Next up for Patrick Vieira’s side is a home game against Everton, who go into the contest fresh from their first win in ten against Arsenal on Monday night.

The Eagles have scored 19 league goals in 15 games this term, but the goals have appeared to dry out recently, netting just once in their last three outings.

The regular inclusion of Jordan Ayew hasn’t helped, with some Palace fans labelling the Ghanaian a “liability” having not scored yet this season.

It’s time for Vieira to tinker with his frontline and the return of 23-year-old winger Eberechi Eze after a lengthy spell on the sidelines could prove exactly what the South London side needs.

On the Chalkboard

The winger signed from QPR in the summer of 2020 and impressed instantly last season, scoring four goals and registering six assists in 36 top-flight appearances.

However, Eze suffered a “freak” training ground incident in May, suffering serious damage to his Achilles. However, the £18m-rated forward made his return to first-team action last month as he was included on the bench against Burnley and has made cameos against Aston Villa and Manchester United since.

Now fit, the Englishman could offer his manager a much-needed alternative out wide with the Eagles set to play six league games in under three weeks.

Described as “ridiculous” and a “star boy” by sections of the Palace fanbase, Eze can play on the left, but has also been deployed as a “creative, dynamic” number ten which could offer Vieira versatility should the Frenchman opt to set up with an alternative to his much-used 4-3-3.

Supporters aren’t the only ones who have waxed lyrical about the young forward with Steve McLaren hailing his “great talent” and Gary Cahill calling him “phenomenal.”

Furthermore, the 23-year-old is an impressive set-piece taker, scoring a free-kick against Leeds United last season and delivering quality balls for his teammates on occasion. That would supply Vieira with yet more armoury and further reason to select him against Everton on Sunday.

In the past, there have been concerns about the average age of Crystal Palace’s squad, suggesting it’s too old. However, the South Londoners now have a handful of bright, young talents and Eze is certainly one of them; he deserves a chance.

AND in other news, Vieira must seal Palace swoop for “crazy” £10.8m-rated beast likened to “LeBron James”…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Southampton midfielder Carlton Palmer gave his verdict on whether Che Adams could replace Danny Ings as the Saints’ main man.

Ings, who will have just a year remaining on his contract in the summer, continues to be linked with a move away from St. Mary’s.

Tottenham are one club who are said to be interested in acquiring the services of the England striker, and a move to White Hart Lane could put the wheels in motion for Adams to become Southampton’s leading No.9.

Palmer, however, feels his old side will need to dip into the transfer market if Ings does end up departing.

When asked whether Ralph Hasenhuttl should turn to Adams or sign a direct replacement in an exclusive interview with FFC, the retired England international said:

“They’re going to have to dip into the transfer market. You know, goalscorers are a special breed. You’ve either got that natural talent of goalscoring or you haven’t, and Danny Ings has certainly got that. So to replace his goals, I think they’re gonna have to go and buy.”

After a difficult debut campaign in the Premier League where he was only able to score four times, Adams has shown promise this season, already surpassing that tally. The 24-year-old alone, however, is unlikely to be enough for Hasenhuttl in a post-Ings era.

Ings scored 25 goals in all competitions for Southampton last season, showing the kind of firepower the Austrian manager will need to replace down on the south coast.

With Celtic’s season now more or less done and dusted, the preparation can begin for next term at Parkhead.

It will be one of the most important in the club’s recent history as they strive to achieve parity with their biggest rivals and reclaim their dominance of Scottish football.

On the chalkboard

There aren’t many positives to take from this season. The defending has been diabolical and errors have littered their play.

They have conceded 14 more goals than Rangers and have been left to rue some poor recruitment last summer.

Though, if we are looking for salvage points from a torrid campaign, look no further than Ismaila Soro.

The Ivorian arrived in January 2020 but had to wait until the end of the year to really make his mark in a Hoops shirt. He burst onto the scene during the win over Lille in the Europa League, a match where he produced a colossal ten tackles.

For a period of time, he was irreplaceable in the Bhoys side. When Soro has started this term, Celtic have lost just twice in the league.

Though, with Neil Lennon brutally moving him back to the bench, he has now only started just once since the end of January. Soro is also struggling to appear from the substitute’s bench.

That being said, he has caught the eye when he’s featured, making 2.3 tackles per game on average this term. With that in mind, he feels like the most natural successor to Scott Brown if he winds down his contract.

A sticking point

Soro might well be viewed as the internal heir to Brown’s throne but Celtic’s recruitment team could take things in a different direction.

That’s because the Hoops have consistently been linked with a move for Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy. Their interest initially arose last summer and then it re-emerged in January.

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James McFadden even recently told the media that he could come in and replace Brown. On a grand total of £50k-per-week at Selhurst Park, he’d presumably have to take a considerable wage drop to move to Glasgow.

That being said, he is out of contract in the summer and available on a free transfer. Soro, however, will have every right to be fuming with the Celtic hierarchy if they sign another midfielder, especially one of McCarthy’s calibre.

Dubbed a “class player” by Roy Hodgson, the 30-year-old has 42 caps for Ireland to his name and 267 Premier League appearances under his belt.

With that in mind, he’d surely come to Paradise in a bid to start ahead of Soro. For someone who has been so impressive whenever he’s played, this would be an almighty blow to his aspirations.

The 22-year-old immediately came in and made the Bhoys look like a better defensive outfit. When he started his first game of the season in the 2-0 win over Kilmarnock in December, he helped Lennon’s men keep their first clean sheet since early October.

He has been the glue that binds this team together at stages this term. That being said, in recent months, he has been dislodged by the wise old head in Brown. Thus, if McCarthy arrives, it would only further hinder his chances of regular football at Parkhead.

Considering how impressive he’s been, this would understandably be a bitter pill to swallow.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Ajer: Celtic must unleash rarely-seen “tower” next term, he’s a big “weapon”…

Liverpool are looking to achieve an unprecedented feat this year that would see them become the first English side to lift the quadruple.

Mohamed Salah is a major component for the Reds in their chase for glory and some interesting news has broken over the future of the Egyptian.

What’s the news?

Last week, an exclusive interview between FourFourTwo’s Chris Flanagan and Mo Salah was made public, with the Premier League’s top scorer offering words on the status of his contract talks with Liverpool.

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Chris Flanagan shared his verdict in the latest report via ThisisAnfield.com:

“He seemed very relaxed about everything, including his future.

“I got the sense that his number one aim is absolutely to stay at the club, but that he was prepared to wait a little longer to get the best deal possible if that’s what it takes.”

Fans on edge

Salah’s future at the club has been an overshadowing worry for Liverpool fans this season, with the Egyptian proving to be a talismanic figure for Klopp’s side since his transfer from Roma back in 2017.

The now 29-year-old has bagged 13 assists in 43 appearances for Klopp’s side this term, yet again proving his value to a side who are capitalising on his performances and setting their sights on an unprecedented quadruple trophy swoop.

Salah has remained composed throughout the contract debacle and has already equalled his goal tally of last season in six games less.

The £90m-rated sensation insisted his contract issues were not about monetary gain, as he told Flannagan: “I think the fans know what I want, but in the contract, it’s not everything about the money at all.”

Asked by ThisisAnfield, Flannagan gave his verdict on the quote from Salah: “His added quote that it wasn’t all about the money was interesting, as it was unprompted – I’d asked him how he saw his future, but my question hadn’t mentioned money.”

Either way, with the clock ticking on his deal, supporters will be on the edge of their seats about whether or not he’ll pen new terms in Merseyside. This claim certainly seems to suggest that he might, however.

In other news: Insider: Liverpool consider move for “world-class” £150m gem, imagine him & Fabinho…

Southampton centre-back Mohammed Salisu has recently been linked with a loan move back to Real Valladolid but Ralph Hasenhuttl has suggested that he will be staying with the South Coast club, something that the Austrian should reconsider.

What’s the word?

According to a report by GhanaWeb, via Hampshire Live, the 21-year-old has been linked with a loan move back to Real Valladolid, having joined Southampton from the Spanish side during the summer.

However, Hasenhuttl has seemingly rubbished these rumours, reiterating that the Ghanaian is the ‘future’ of Southampton, saying:

“He has so much potential and I think it was important for me, as I said, to not bring him in because the team is not really settled and it would be too difficult I think.

“But at the moment we are calm, I am happy he’s here and he shows with every session that he can help us.

“Sali is the future at this club and this will take time.”

Hasenhuttl U-turn?

Whilst the young centre-back might be seen as the future of the club, he is yet to make a single appearance for the club since joining, as he struggles with fitness and injury issues.

Salisu was ruled out of the game against Liverpool recently after picking up a muscle injury, so it doesn’t appear that he will be making his first appearance in a Saints shirt any time soon.

It had seemed as if he might get his chance when Jannik Vestergaard was injured in December but since Jack Stephens has come in, Hasenhuttl’s side haven’t conceded a goal.

Saturday’s planned game with Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup had seemed the ideal time for Salisu to start before his injury, so perhaps when that game is rearranged after being called off due to the current viral outbreak, we will see the Ghanaian finally get his chance.

However, it seems clear that on current form, Salisu is not going to be starting Premier League games for Hasenhuttl’s side this season and with Vestergaard potentially set to return in late January, he will surely fall further down the pecking order.

Therefore, even though Hasenhuttl has suggested that he won’t be leaving, the South Coast club should definitely consider loaning him out this month, as it can’t be helping his potential or his confidence being sat on the bench at the very best every week for Southampton.

And, in other news, Southampton academy sensation can take advantage of “horrible” Djenepo blow…

Southampton were heavily linked with Heerenveen midfielder Joey Veerman last year and his superb performances in the Netherlands have now attracted the interest of Champions League clubs ahead of the summer, which suggests that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side seriously missed out on the 22-year-old.

The Saints were seemingly keen on completing a deal for the Dutch midfielder before October’s transfer deadline in 2020 but he ended up staying with the Eredivisie side, where he has continued to demonstrate his quality this season.

In 29 appearances in the Dutch top flight this term, Veerman has contributed seven goals and nine assists, earning an impressive 7.44 average rating from WhoScored.

If he had replicated those performances at Southampton this season, he would have comfortably been rated as their best performer in the Premier League, which emphasises that the St Mary’s hierarchy should have done more to bring him in.

The 22-year-old’s overall goals and assist tally of 18 this season is also more than any Southampton player, despite him featuring as a central-midfielder in the majority of his appearances.

It is no surprise that Veerman is now attracting interest from across Europe ahead of next season, with the likes of Rangers and Atalanta linked with him recently, both of whom look set to be playing in the Champions League next season given their performances in the Premiership and Serie A respectively.

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Veerman earned a lot of praise from former Rangers striker Michael Mols recently, with the Dutchman saying: “He is perfect with the ball and in possession, he’s a really great player. His passing and movement with the ball is really relaxed in a good way.”

He certainly sounds like the sort of player who Hasenhuttl would appreciate having in his midfield, especially this season when a lack of squad depth in the middle of the park has been cruelly exposed following long-term injuries to Oriol Romeu and Will Smallbone.

Certainly, Veerman looks like a fine player who is destined for a bright future away from Heerenveen, but unfortunately it looks as if Southampton have blown their best chance of bringing him to St Mary’s.

In other news… Better than Bednarek: Semmens should seal bargain Saints swoop for £4.5m-rated beast

According to reliable club insider ExWHUemployee, via West Ham Fan Zone, the 2021/2022 home kit will be based on West Ham’s 1999/2000 strip in which club cult hero Paolo Di Canio scored his famous volley against AFC Wimbledon.

Depending on how David Moyes’ men finish what has been a brilliant 2020/2021 campaign overall, with European qualification still firmly in reach, next season could be set to become very interesting.

Six points off fourth-placed Chelsea with a game in hand (BBC), West Ham were gifted a big lifeline in the Champions League race by London rivals Arsenal on Wednesday after their 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge.

Even if qualification for Europe’s most coveted competition could be too much to ask in the end, Europa League is still a very strong possibility.

ExWHUemployee, sharing news on how West Ham will turn out for what could be an exciting 2021/2022 season, has dropped a kit revelation that their 2021/2022 strip will be based off a favourite from the late 1990s.

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Indeed, the Irons will apparently turn out in a home kit akin to the one in which Di Canio scored that wondergoal against Wimbledon – an arguably fitting tribute.

As a result, many Hammers supporters have been left excited – find all of their best verdicts down below.

West Ham fans excited by ExWHUemployee news on kit

“That kit + europa league? I’m dreaming”

Credit: @ryanwhitfield97

“Gassed”

Credit: @dantweetr

“PLEASE”

Credit: @whugabes

“The best kit we’ve ever had”

Credit: @robbiemorgz

“Dear God, those will be beautiful”

Credit: @dznnvc

“Absolutely love this kit”

Credit: @KFranklin_x

“Beautiful”

Credit: @JamieWHU_

In other news: ‘Better than Lingard’… These West Ham fans flock to alleged GSB transfer plan, find out more here.