All posts by z3u9t.icu

Fulham are interested in a deal to bring Dwight Gale to Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Chronicle, who claim that Scott Parker is considering a move for the Newcastle United centre-forward in the upcoming transfer window.

However, it is also reported that the Magpies are set to announce that the 31-year-old has signed a new three-year deal with the club, a move that is believed to be a bid to increase the player’s value ahead of a potential transfer.

Parker must move

Despite the fact that Gayle has found regular game time hard to come by at Newcastle in recent seasons, the £4.5m-rated man has a proven track record of being a clinical goalscorer at Championship level.

In United’s 2016/17 campaign in the second tier of English football, a season in which the club went on to win the league title, Gayle scored 23 goals, registered two assists and created two big chances for his teammates over 32 appearances, earning a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.22.

More recently, the £32k-per-week striker was also in remarkable form in the Championship during a loan spell at West Bromwich Albion, bagging 23 goals, providing eight assists and creating four big chances over his 39 league appearances, seeing him earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.25.

As such, considering the player whom Alan Shearer dubbed as “magnificent” has scored a whopping 46 goals over his last 71 appearances in the Championship, his addition to Parker’s attacking arsenal at Fulham would appear to significantly increase the Cottagers’ chances of going on to secure an immediate return to the Premier League next season.

So, it would appear an extremely wise move for the 40-year-old to do all he can to convince the Newcastle United hitman of a move to west London this summer, as he could easily prove the difference between promotion and a further unwanted season languishing in the second tier of English football.

In other news: Fulham confirm transfer news on “valuable” £24k-p/w flop which will leave fans furious

Rangers face Aberdeen at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon, with Steven Gerrard’s side safe in the knowledge that a draw will be enough to see them finish the season with 100 points and unbeaten in the Premiership.

The Gers have enjoyed a superb campaign thus far and look set to earn invincible status when they take on Stephen Glass’ side in their final fixture of the 2020/21 campaign.

Gerrard’s men produced an excellent display against Livingston in midweek, with goals from James Tavernier, Ryan Kent and Ianis Hagi securing a comprehensive 3-0 win, whilst Aberdeen lost out 1-0 against Hibernian, which ensured that they would finish the season in fourth.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Gerrard to line up at Ibrox this weekend, with two changes from the side which started against Livingston on Wednesday night…

After Jon McLaughlin filled in between the posts on Wednesday, it seems likely that the “outstanding” Allan McGregor, as Gerrard has called him, will return to the starting lineup for the season finale.

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Rangers are low on defensive options, so the back four stays the same for this one, with Joe Aribo in particular impressing his manager with his performance as a left-back in midweek.

There is one change in midfield, as Scott Arfield adds some experience after Gerrard confirmed that the Canadian could make his return from injury in time for the fixture, and he starts alongside Steven Davis and Glen Kamara.

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This allows Ianis Hagi to move back out to the right wing in place of Kemar Roofe, who wasn’t at his best on Wednesday, with Ryan Kent on the opposite flank supporting Alfredo Morelos.

In other news… Bye-bye Hagi: Wilson should seal Rangers swoop for 16 G/A dynamo

Tottenham Hotspur are among the clubs keen on signing Emi Buendia this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports, who claimed that several top-flight clubs are eyeing up a swoop for the Norwich City sensation ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

It’s thought that enquires have been made for the 24-year-old midfielder, with Aston Villa and Spurs’ arch-rivals Arsenal also mooted with interest in the report.

Buendia will not come cheap, though, as the promoted Canaries value him in the region of £35m to £40m, a claim which has been backed up by The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

Writing in his usual Monday column, the ever-reliable journalist claimed that the Norfolk outfit are expected to lose the Argentine this summer but will not accept less than £40m for him.

Eriksen-like playmaker

Despite the eye-watering price tag, this is a move that Daniel Levy absolutely must make, regardless of who is taking charge in the dugout next season. A player of Buendia’s quality could be paramount, with the Lilywhites’ next boss likely having to navigate through a squad overhaul.

Truth be told, Spurs have been lacking in the number 10 role for well over a year now, with none of Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso or Dele Alli adequately stepping up to fill the void left behind by Christian Eriksen.

For example, this Premier League season alone, the trio have combined for a paltry four goals and four assists, as per WhoScored.

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By comparison, Eriksen delivered at least six goals and eight assists in all but one of his six full top-flight campaigns in north London. The same goes for key passes per game, with the Dane managing an average of 2.2 per game in all but one season.

The best from Spurs’ three current number 10 options is Lo Celso (0.8), with Heung-min Son (two) topping the charts, so that speaks volumes.

This is where Buendia could be the ideal fix, off the back of what has been a career year for the midfielder. As per Transfermarkt, he registered a whopping 15 goals and 17 assists, returns which have seen him win the Championship’s Player of the Season award.

Furthermore, the Argentine maestro averaged 3.1 key passes per game, more than the Spurs trio of Ndombele, Lo Celso and Alli combined, so there’s no denying that he’s a major source of creativity behind the striker.

It is no wonder that Norwich teammate Ben Gibson once lauded him as a “very special talent,” whilst Buendia’s manager Daniel Farke believes he is a “game-changer.”

His experience in the Premier League is an added bonus, as he’s done it before in the big time, delivering seven assists in Norwich’s relegation side in 2019/20.

If there’s one signing Levy needs to make this summer, it’s Buendia.

AND in other news, Forget Ten Hag: Fresh twist emerges in Spurs manager hunt, Levy can right big mistake…

Rangers take on their Old Firm rivals at Ibrox on Sunday, with Steven Gerrard’s side hoping to continue their unbeaten run in the Premiership this season by avoiding defeat.

After being knocked out of the Scottish Cup last weekend, the Gers will be fully focused on finishing the league season unbeaten, with just three games between themselves and an invincible campaign.

Although they have largely had the better of Celtic this season, the Parkhead club will undoubtedly be out to seek revenge after Rangers denied them a 10th successive title, so they would take great pleasure in handing the champions their first league defeat of the campaign.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Gerrard to line up for the Old Firm derby, with two changes from the team which started against St Johnstone last time out…

Allan McGregor unsurprisingly keeps his place in goal and he will be hoping for a repeat performance of the last time Rangers faced the Hoops, when he saved a penalty and kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 win.

There’s one change in defence as, after Filip Helander was ruled out for the season, Jack Simpson starts alongside Connor Goldson at centre-back, with Leon Balogun also sidelined.

Steven Davis and Glen Kamara start together in midfield, with the £5.4m-rated Kemar Roofe earning a start ahead of them after some strong recent displays.

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Joe Aribo moves to the right wing in place of Ianis Hagi, who has struggled recently, whilst Ryan Kent starts on the opposite flank, supporting Alfredo Morelos up front.

In other news… Bye-bye Kamara: Wilson should seal Rangers swoop for “very good” 22 y/o

West Ham United will be looking to continue their late-season push to qualify for a European berth when they welcome Everton to the London Stadium this afternoon.

Last time out, David Moyes’ side came from behind to defeat Burnley thanks to a brace from the returning Michail Antonio, and those three points have put them in a very strong position to feature in UEFA competition in 2021/22.

The Irons could maintain the pressure on capital rivals Chelsea and keep their opposition at bay with another victory here, so it will be interesting to see what sort of line up the 58-year-old deploys.

Here’s the XI we’re predicting, along with the latest team and injury news…

Moyes could make just three changes from the side that tasted victory on Monday night, with a pair of first-choice starters in line to return from injury.

Antonio got through the full 90 minutes unscathed and should be fine to feature once again. He could be joined in the team by returning defender Angelo Ogbonna, who missed the trip to Burnley with a hamstring problem, and Declan Rice, who could be a surprise starter having missed their last five outings.

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ExWHUemployee claimed that the 32-year-old “should be back”, whilst Moyes said he was “hoping to have” the England international available ahead of kick-off in his pre-match press conference, so that’s an encouraging sign.

Ogbonna should come straight back in for Issa Diop, with Manuel Lanzini likely to face the chop in midfield. It means we may see a back four of Aaron Cresswell, Craig Dawson, Vladimir Coufal and the Italian, in front of Lukasz Fabianski.

In midfield, Rice would be likely to join Tomas Soucek, with loan sensation Jesse Lingard and Pablo Fornals keeping their places, although we could see Said Benrahma drop to the bench despite the £18m-rated star’s impressive showing at Turf Moor.

Jarrod Bowen would be the obvious replacement for the Algerian in attack after the 24-year-old was axed against Burnley.

AND in other news, 63 mins, 0 goals in 2021: GSB played a blinder with WHU call on £13m-rated “nightmare”…

In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, Rob Lee, who made 280 Premier League appearances, has claimed that Declan Rice is the best holding midfielder in the league and West Ham could put a £100 million price tag on his head.

Rice has been a standout player for both West Ham and England this season as the Hammers have made a push for the Champions League, and the holding midfielder earned two out of three Man of the Match awards in the recent international fixtures.

Having been released by Chelsea when a youngster, Rice was linked with a move back to Stamford Bridge under Frank Lampard, however, it now appears Manchester United could look to sign him as part of a deal to keep Jesse Lingard at the London Stadium.

Speaking on how much Rice is worth to West Ham and why he is so important to what the Hammers do each game, Lee told Transfer Tavern:

“You’re looking at £100 million, maybe £80 million. It sounds ridiculous for a holding midfielder, but he’s the best at it.

“I always say that Kante was the best at it from both his Leicester and Chelsea days, so for someone so young to do that is unusual, but he’s a good player. West Ham have got to command a huge fee because if they lost him it would be a major blow.”

The £62,000 per week midfielder has been West Ham’s regular on-field captain this season with Mark Noble seeing his minutes significantly limited given the partnership Rice and Tomas Soucek have struck up.

David Moyes has admitted, however, that the Hammers will have to listen to offers for their star midfield duo this summer.

According to recent reports from Germany, Tottenham Hotspur have made contact with Bayern Munich centre-back Jerome Boateng ahead of a potential summer switch.

According to Sky Deutschland transfer expert Max Bielefeld, as cited by Sport Witness, Tottenham are the only club who are currently in the race for the defender, who is set to leave Bayern at the end of his contract this summer.

The journalist went on to claim that Jose Mourinho’s side have already held “concrete talks” with the £210,000-per-week defender, who has made 356 appearances for the Bundesliga side since joining Bayern from Manchester City back in 2011.

Finally, Bielefeld dismissed reports of Borussia Dortmund being interested in making a move for the 32-year-old centre-back this summer.

Transfer Tavern Take

With Mourinho making it abundantly clear that he would like to sign a top-class centre-back in the upcoming transfer window, and with Boateng becoming available on a free transfer, it is hardly surprising to hear that Tottenham are considering a move for the Germany international.

However, considering that when a player arrives at a club on a free transfer they tend to demand a higher wage, it could be argued that spending a figure of around £210,000-per-week – or potentially even more – on a 32-year-old might not be the most sensible idea in the world, particularly if this amount would eclipse the wage of a crucial player such as 29-goal top scorer Harry Kane.

In other news: Asking price of £24k p/w Tottenham target revealed; Mourinho backed to seal summer deal – find out more here!

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who scored 360 goals for Wolves, believes Joao Moutinho could keep playing despite turning 35-years-old later this year, and he should use Zlatan Ibrahimovic as an inspiration.

Moutinho has been a mainstay in Wolves’ midfield since he joined them in 2018 from AS Monaco and despite being 34, Nuno Espirito Santo has handed him 23 starts in the Premier League this season.

If the midfielder needed an inspiration to carry on he only has to look at AC Milan striker Ibrahimovic who, at 39-years old is the fourth top scorer in the Serie A and has just come out of international retirement to play for Sweden at this summer’s European championship.

Speaking on whether the club should bring through youngsters to learn from Moutinho and then replace him, Bull told FFC:

“I think it’s all about youth at the moment and bringing people through. I’ve heard big shouts coming out of the academy saying there are loads coming through.

“If Moutinho is going to be 35 this year and Zlatan Ibrahimovic wants to be in the World Cup at 41-years-old, then anything is possible.

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“As long as he keeps himself fit, because Moutinho’s not the most mobile but he’s the one that gives the ball away the fewest amount of times. He just needs the people around him to go forward.”

Moutinho was a statement signing for Wolves when they first won promotion back to the Premier League as he arrived with Champions League experience and a winner’s mentality having won 16 trophies in both Portugal and France.

Wolves have been linked with Josh Brownhill recently who has impressed through his work rate and enthusiasm at Burnley this season.

According to Asist Analiz (via Sussex Live), West Bromwich Albion are interested in signing Trabzonspor goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir.

Baggies eye Cakir

Cakir is currently on international duty with Turkey and has played an important part in his nation’s early 2022 World Cup qualifying success – they have won their first two matches and the 24-year-old saved a Memphis Depay penalty to help Turkey defeat Netherlands 4-2 earlier this week.

The report from Asist Analiz claimed that The Hawthorns outfit are interested in the shot-stopper, as are Brighton and Liverpool.

Too ambitious

It is at least a positive from West Brom’s perspective that they are linked with an in-demand, up-and-coming talent. Cakir was called “one of the best goalkeepers I have seen” by Leicester City’s head of recruitment Lee Congerton last year (Karadeniz Gazete) and he has been in impressive form for Trabzonspor this term – only Fernando Muslera (81%) has a higher save percentage rate than Cakir’s 79.5% in the Super Lig (fbref.com).

With Sam Johnstone being heavily linked with a move to Tottenham (Football Insider), West Brom could well need a new goalkeeper next term. Unfortunately, £14.4m-valued Cakir is likely to be out of their reach – the Baggies are currently 10 points from safety in the Premier League and look like they will be playing in the Championship next season.

Given the Turkey international’s ability, it is hard to see him making a move to the English second tier, so the Midlands side’s move for him could well depend on their ability to stave off relegation.

In other news, many West Brom fans were delighted with this club update.

The games are coming thick and fast for Swansea City in the Championship at the moment, and Steve Cooper’s side are still in with a good chance of securing an automatic promotion spot this season, as they look to seal a return to the top-flight.

The Swans are currently just one point behind second-placed Watford, with two games in hand on the Hornets, and have the opportunity to overtake them when they face Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday evening.

Two goals from Andre Ayew, including another late penalty, secured the points against Middlesbrough last time out, although it wasn’t a top performance from the Swans.

A poor run of form has seen Tony Mowbray’s side drop down the table after they were pushing for a playoff spot earlier in the season, so Swansea should be looking to pick up maximum points when they make the trip to Ewood Park.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Cooper to line his side up against Blackburn, with two changes from the side that started against Middlesbrough…

There’s one change in the defence from Cooper, as although Ryan Manning has done a decent job filling in at left wing-back recently, Jake Bidwell is perhaps likely to come back in for this one, especially after he won the late penalty as a substitute against Neil Warnock’s side.

The rest of the defence stays the same, although the Swans haven’t looked anywhere near as secure as they did earlier in the season, shipping nine goals in their last five games.

After deploying two attacking-midfielders against Middlesbrough, perhaps we will see Cooper revert to a 5-3-2 formation for this away trip, with Connor Hourihane dropping back into midfield alongside Jay Fulton and Matt Grimes.

This sees Korey Smith drop out, with Jamal Lowe restored to the lineup in the hope that he can rediscover his shooting boots at Ewood Park.