All posts by z3u9t.icu

New Forest manager Martin O’Neill must want to add to his squad on transfer deadline day after replacing Aitor Karanka.

The Reds possess one of the largest squads in the Championship but O’Neill should move to bolster his ranks after replacing the Spaniard. The Northern Irishman hasn’t had much time to assess his current options but incomings and outgoings can always happen on deadline day. Still, funds may be limited so loan moves will be their best course of action.

O’Neill sould look to the Premier League for some new recruits after enjoying plenty of success at his former clubs.

One man he could target is Liverpool wonderkid – Ben Woodburn. Valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, the Wales international has long been considered one of the brightest talents on Merseyside after becoming the club’s youngest ever goal scorer against Leeds United. With his route to the first-team blocked, Woodburn was loaned to Sheffield United in the summer but failed to make an impact with Chris Wilder’s men and was sent back to Anfield.

The 19-year-old remains one of the top prospects in the country and could have a big impact at the City Ground. Woodburn is a versatile forward who can play through the centre or on either wing making him a useful option for O’Neill to have at his disposal. Once he rediscovers his confidence, Woodburn would add another quality option in the final third. His time with the Blades should not be indicative of his abilities.

Klopp will be eager to see the starlet get some regular playing time under his belt in a competitive division – this is a move that would benefit all parties involved on deadline day.

Nottingham Forest fans, thoughts?

It wasn’t long ago that Tom Rogic’s Celtic career looked in significant doubt.

The attacking midfielder was only a bit-part player at Parkhead during various points of Neil Lennon’s tenure and was linked with a regular exit from the Hoops.

Yet, step forward Ange Postecoglou, who has revived his fellow countryman’s career in Glasgow, with the Australian playing 44 times this term and contributing to 16 goals in the process.

Rogic is now a key player again and in the words of The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin, he is becoming a “Celtic great.”

It’s hard to argue against that considering his 266 outings in the green and white but he does have competition from David Turnbull, someone who has spent plenty of time on the sidelines this term.

He will also have to look further behind him in Matt O’Riley, who has very quickly become a fan favourite at Celtic Park.

The Denmark U21 international signed from MK Dons for a bargain fee of £1.5m in January and he has been a revelation since penning terms.

The 21-year-old already has three goals and three assists in Celtic colours and that tally will surely rapidly improve.

His performance off the bench in the 7-0 drubbing of St Johnstone was one of his best performances yet, with the £405k-rated attack-minded player finding the net twice.

Capable of playing in central areas or on the flanks, the youngster is starting to show shades of a certain Stuart Armstrong, someone who stood out in a similar position before being snapped up by Southampton.

Armstrong scored 28 times and supplied another 25 for his teammates in Glasgow and the more intricate stats suggest how alike they are.

In 2021/22 so far, the Scotland international has recorded 1.7 shots per, 1.1 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per match in the Premier League.

O’Riley on the other hand has registered 1.4 shots, 2.5 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per match, although that final statistic was better at 1.3 while he was still playing in England’s third tier.

With those stats in mind, they both appear to glide past players with ease, while they’re also extremely dangerous in front of goal.

Celtic’s new recruit does appear to be more creative but it’s clear to see why this comparison is being made.

Described as “silky” and “classy” after yesterday’s win by pundit Michael Stewart, the future is a hugely exciting one for O’Riley in Glasgow.

AND in other news, Forget Jota: Ange must clinch huge Celtic signing in 54-goal gem who is “like Mbappe”…

Leeds United return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon when they take on Southampton at Elland Road.

Jesse Marsch’s side went into the international break off the back of a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory over Wolves at Molineux, and since then they have been handed some further boosts on the injury front.

While the Whites did confirm that Patrick Bamford would be out for a minimum of six weeks due to injury, they can welcome the likes of Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips back into the fold after the duo remained as unused substitutes against Bruno Lage’s side a fortnight ago.

Marsch will have some big calls to make ahead of the match, and below is a look at how Leeds might line up when Southampton come to town.

In goal, Illan Meslier is likely to be fit for the game at Elland Road despite being forced off midway through the second half against Wolves following a collision with Raul Jimenez which led to the Mexico international’s sending off.

The back-line could see one important change, with club captain Cooper ready and available for Marsch to call upon and shore up a leaky Leeds defence which has already conceded 67 goals this season – the most of any side in the Premier League.

Cooper could come in for Pascal Struijk, with the £25k-a-week ace having struggled of late, perhaps no surprise given that he remains only 22 and is playing in a high-pressure environment like the one in which Leeds find themselves right now.

Another huge call for the Leeds manager to make is in midfield, where Phillips is no doubt pushing to make his first start of the calendar year. If Marsch does opt to go that way, then Mateusz Klich could be the man to drop out, with Adam Forshaw partnering the England international in the engine room and offering a bit more control on the ball.

Further forward, Bamford’s injury is likely to mean the likes of Jack Harrison, Rodrigo and Dan James all keep their places from the game against Wolves, while Raphinha’s recovery from his virus means that he is likely to come straight back in too.

AND in other news – Leeds could unleash Thorp Arch’s breakout star in “fiery” 18 y/o who’s “got an edge”

Liverpool are plotting a move for highly rated Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby, and he could be the perfect replacement for Mohamed Salah if he leaves.

What’s the story?

According to reports in Italy,  Liverpool are plotting a move for Moussa Diaby as a potential replacement for Salah should the Egyptian fail to sign a new contract.

Diaby currently players in the Bundesliga for Leverkusen and has a great record for a 22-year old, and is rated at £49.5m.

The Reds are one of several Premier League clubs interested in the player with reports saying that West Ham United also want to sign the youngster.

He could be the perfect replacement for Salah

Liverpool have still failed to reach an agreement on a new contract with their star man Mohamed Salah. Negotiations broke down last month but have since restarted, however there are no guarantees that he will decide to stay which has led to Liverpool planning for life without him.

Diaby could be the ideal replacement and with the Frenchman so young it would be a worthy investment. He may not be at the levels of Salah just yet, but Klopp is known for developing good players into world class players so there’s no reason he couldn’t do the same here.

He has made 28 appearances in the league this season and been directly involved in 21 goals. He’s also shone in Europe with his performances in the Europa League earlier this campaign described as “special”.

It’s not a surprise he’s attracting a lot of interest as he is one of the best players in the Bundesliga, ranking in the top 3% for expected non-penalty goals.

When it comes to goals and assists combined for his club this season nobody beats him, he’s been key to the clubs battle for a Champions League place.

It’s hard to directly compare him with Salah given the age and experience difference, it’s more his potential that raises eyebrows. If you compare their stats when they were both 22, they’re remarkably similar.

Their goals per shots on target were the same at 0.46, with Diaby’s number of assists per 90 minutes being more than Salah’s at the time.

If he continues on the same trajectory then he could turn into one of the world’s best. Even if Salah decides to stay put an Anfield, this is a transfer race Liverpool need to be winning.

IN other news: Liverpool in talks over Karim Adeyemi…

Manchester City are set to rival Manchester United in the race to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice this summer.

The Lowdown: Transfer interest in Rice

A recent report from The Guardian has claimed that the 23-year-old has rejected a third contract offer with the east London club and is therefore ‘open’ to a move away in the summer.

However, Irons manager David Moyes has previously put a staggering £150m price tag on his vice-captain, following reports claiming that the Hammers would let him leave for £100m. This comes as Manchester United have frequently been linked with a move for the England international.

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The Latest: Man City join the race for Rice

According to a fresh report by the Daily Mail, Manchester City are also ready to launch themselves into the race to sign Rice in the summer.

The Premier League champions have asked the Hammers to keep them informed on the 23-year-old’s future as he evaluates his options, although it is claimed that the Irons’ demands could prove to be problematic for Pep Guardiola’s side.

The Verdict: Huge blow for West Ham

Rice’s refusal to sign a third contract offer will come as a huge blow an anxious sign of things to come for Moyes and everyone at the London Stadium.

With the likes of Manchester City joining the race to secure his signature, the midfielder’s pursuit of silverware could become far more attainable.

Therefore, West Ham must do anything they can to keep hold of their “outstanding” star man – in the words of Gareth Southgate – for as long as possible as they look to cement themselves as part of the top six. If even three contract offers can’t persuade Rice, it looks increasingly as if the Irons could lose their grip on the 23-year-old.

In other news: West Ham are in the race to sign this Championship gem

Journalist Pete O’Rourke says that he ‘could see’ Celtic bringing in further attacking reinforcements before the window is out.

He was discussing The Hoops’ January transfer business with GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

Celtic have made four signings so far this month, shelling out a total of £2.2m. In addition to midfielders Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi, they’ve recruited Daizen Maeda, who can play as a left winger and through the middle, and centre-forward Johnny Kenny.

It is worth noting, though, that the latter is only 18 years old and is making a step-up from the League of Ireland (ranked 40th in Europe) to the Scottish Premiership (ranked ninth), so he may not be expected to make an impact at first-team level straight away.

The latest

O’Rourke alluded to how Celtic’s plethora of injuries, particularly among their forward players, has perhaps led to summer signing Jota being overburdened, but he believes the club could address that by doing further business in the remaining two weeks of the transfer window.

He told GiveMeSport: “I could see that being the case, that Celtic are looking to strengthen (in attack). Obviously, we know that they’ve had lots of injury problems this season.

“James Forrest has been in and out of the side, Mikey Johnson struggled as well. So, a lot of it’s been down to Jota, who is just recovering from injury himself.”

The verdict

Who could the next attacking addition possibly be?

One name to have been linked with a move to Celtic is Shabab Al-Ahli’s Mehdi Ghayedi. Varzesh Seh have reported that Ange Postecoglou is very keen to land the Iranian forward, who has been labelled an ‘extraordinary killer’.

The 23-year-old, who is valued at just shy of £1.1m by Transfermarkt, can play across the frontline, offering tremendous versatility. Also, with 41 career goals to his name, he could be a smart signing for the club if they can bring him in.

Given the injury issues that O’Rourke has mentioned, Celtic could do worse than further reinforcing their attacking ranks while they are getting the chance this month.

In other news, Celtic have taken this bold contractual step

Finance expert Kieran Maguire has given his reaction to some news that he has now heard from Newcastle United involving their takeover.

The Lowdown: Takeover investigation

As per The Times, a law firm run by interim Premier League chair Peter McCormick conducted preliminary checks on the Saudi-backed takeover at St. James’ Park last year.

This has led to some teams in the top flight accusing the division’s decision-makers of having a vested interest, with implications of impartiality.

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According to The Times, the FA board is now set to investigate McCormick’s alleged conflict of interest.

This follows calls of potentially introducing an independent regulator for football by the government, after controversies surrounding the Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) takeover.

The Latest: Maguire reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire, a Sky Sports pundit and expert in football finances, has now given his reaction to the news of the investigation, claiming that while the North East club have ‘nothing to worry about’, it does look ’embarrassing’ for them after wrapping up the deal:

“There’s nothing to worry about for Newcastle because they have done nothing wrong.

“But it does look embarrassing if this investigation goes ahead. You can understand the optics of it in that respect.

“The club has, however, been completely vindicated in their eyes and indeed in their fans’ eyes with regards to the PIF takeover.”

The Verdict: Move on

The takeover is a done deal, and whatever disagreements and conflicts remain surrounding it, football simply has to move on.

The investigation can be launched, but as Maguire claims, they will likely find nothing that the Tyneside outfit have done wrong with regards to the takeover, and so it just seems a frustrating waste of time.

Nonetheless, introducing an independent regulator should remove all controversies for future takeovers of football clubs, but for now the Toon Army should be allowed to look forward to what lies ahead for them.

In other news, find out what the Magpies have now been ‘told’ about their ‘special’ transfer target here!

Manchester United star Marcus Rashford has told those close to him that he wants to quit Old Trafford over the coming months, Football Insider have reported.  

The Lowdown: Barcelona and Liverpool links

The 24-year-old has struggled this season under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, scoring just four Premier League goals.

He was recently labelled ‘absolutely shocking’ by talkSPORT pundit Micky Gray and is thought to be ‘concerned’ over his lack of playing time.

Barcelona and Liverpool have both been linked with a move for the forward this year, with Rashford out of contract in 2023.

The Latest: Source drops update

Football Insider shared a major update regarding Rashford after being informed by a source with knowledge of his situation.

They claimed that the Englishman has told friends that he wants to quit Old Trafford and a new challenge could be the best option.

The Verdict: Big…

It looks as if Erik ten Hag could come in to replace Rangnick in the Old Trafford dugout after ‘positive talks’ last week, but it seems as if Rashford will still want out regardless.

This summer may well be the last chance for the Red Devils to receive a respectable fee for the 24-year-old’s services, so an exit and a fresh start could be best for all parties.

Plenty of change off the pitch looks set to materialise over the coming months, and Rashford leaving could be a big part of a summer shake-up at United.

In other news: ‘Agreement in place’ – Fabrizio Romano drops huge Man Utd news after Old Trafford ‘breakthrough’

Arsenal came into 2022 with their tail between their legs, buoyed by a renewed sense of both purpose and optimism.

However, as supporters at N5 will be quick to tell you, the roof at the Emirates Stadium can cave in as quick as you can say Edu.

The Brazilian technical director is currently taking a considerable amount of flack from the fanbase in Islington and it’s hardly a surprise when you consider the position the Gunners find themselves in.

Cast your minds back just a matter of weeks and it looked as though Arsenal were in the driving seat to seal a top-four place.

They had won five games on the spin in all competitions and headed towards the New Year looking rather rosy.

However, 2022 has been desperately unkind to Arteta and his team. They are yet to win this year, have scored just once for their troubles and have been dumped out of both domestic cup competitions. All hope of silverware has been evaporated and their transfer plans for January have been thrown into disarray.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s exile from the team initially appeared to be a masterstroke but it is now biting Arteta where it hurts most; results on the pitch.

Long-term, it’s a decision that’s proving detrimental to Arsenal and until they sign a new forward, it will continue to be the elephant in the room.

Alexandre Lacazette has benefitted the club’s young players phenomenally well, complementing Emile Smith Rowe, Buyako Saka and Gabriel Martinelli’s pace. Yet, when the big moment arrives, the Frenchman is often found wanting.

You cannot fault Lacazette’s determination, nor can you fault his will. What you can criticise, however, is his ability in front of goal.

The striker latched onto a lovely ball over the top from Albert Sambi Lokonga against Liverpool in midweek, only to send his effort haplessly over the bar. Then again, when a big opportunity came against Burnley, he failed to take it. Smith Rowe darted to the byline and then pulled the ball back for his forward but a simple tap in was fired wide of the far post.

Arsenal may have games in hand but a place in the Champions League next season is now out of their hands.

What makes the situation even more frustrating is that a move for Dusan Vlahovic – the key missing piece of the jigsaw – is now unlikely to arrive in January.

As a result, Arteta and Edu will need to consider alternatives. Alexander Isak of Real Sociedad is under consideration, as too is Everton livewire Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Yet, if the club wants to continue their youthful revolution, signing RB Salzburg’s Karim Adeyemi could bear fruit.

Arsenal were linked with a move for the 20-year-old late last year and it’s thought he could set the club back €40m (£34m), considerably cheaper than any deal for Vlahovic this winter.

The young attacker may not boast the power or aggression of the Fiorentina striker, but his left foot is just as dangerous and he’s a very tricky customer to deal with.

Adeyemi is currently enjoying a breakthrough campaign in Austria, starring for the same team and in the same division that Erling Haaland enjoyed so much success in and made his name.

The former has 14 goals in 17 league matches this term, taking his tally in all competitions for the campaign to an impressive 18 strikes.

That kind of composure in front of goal is what Arsenal are desperately missing right now and given his potential, he’d be a wonderful acquisition to Arteta’s side.

Two appraisals from talent scout, Jacek Kulig, perfectly summarise Adeyemi’s qualities. Taking to Twitter at the start of the term, he said that the German was having an “atomic” campaign.

Then, in September, Kulig commented: “Pace, acceleration, movement, flair, agility. Top. He’s such a nightmare for defenders.”

All of that should be music to the ears of Arsenal supporters, especially when you compare him to Lacazette, a striker who isn’t as mobile as he once was, somebody who lacks flair, agility and the prospect of tormenting centre-backs.

Thus, if Vlahovic cannot be brought to the Emirates, it’s Adeyemi who Arsenal’s hierarchy must consider instead.

AND in other news, “My information is”: Ornstein drops huge Arsenal transfer claim, fans will be buzzing…

As per 90min, a promising Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has now come to light involving Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye move…

Reliable reports indicate that the Spain international is a firm target for Spurs and manager Antonio Conte with journalist John Percy of The Telegraph claiming last week that they were weighing a move.

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Updates have started to ramp up since then with another solid source, The Athletic, backing that Tottenham are indeed considering his signing as they map out a specific first team role.

Conte is apparently plotting to convert the Molineux forward into a right-wing back for his system, akin to how he transformed winger Victor Moses during his time at Chelsea.

Now, in a promising update, 90min have shared the latest.

The Latest: Spurs ‘lead the queue’…

As per 90min’s sources, Tottenham now ‘lead the queue’ of interested clubs to sign Traore as they enter pole position.

As well as this, Fabio Paratici and co are ‘set to launch’ a £22 million bid after ‘making contact’ – with the player’s stance also reason to become optimistic.

The outlet say that Traore is now ‘willing’ to join Tottenham and play at right-wing back in Conte’s system.

The Verdict: Exciting times…

It will be interesting to see how Traore fares at RWB, but if he is anything likes the Moses success story at Chelsea in that role, there is reason for Lilywhites supporters to be excited.

You surely cannot rule out the possibility of Conte using the 25-year-old in a more advanced role from time to time either, especially considering his plaudits and statistics.

According to WhoScored, Traore has averaged a highly impressive 4.5 completes dribbles per 90 in the Premier League this season – almost double that of Lucas Moura with Tottenham’s best take-on rate (2.5).

Pundit Noel Whelan certainly believes he would be the right fit, branding Wolves’ star a ‘game-changer’ and the ‘perfect fit’ for Conte’s side (Football Insider).

Indeed, he would come as a brilliant first capture of the January transfer window.

In other news: Tottenham ‘working strongly’ for ‘phenomenal signing’ as reporter drops Twitter claim, find out more here.