All posts by z3u9t.icu

Gini Wijnaldum has reportedly agreed to become Barcelona’s first signing of Joan Laporta’s second stint as the club’s president this summer.

The 30-year-old has been a fantastic player for Liverpool, arriving during the summer of 2016 and being a key man almost from the moment he joined.

Wijnaldum’s understated performances in the Reds’ midfield have played a huge role in their success under Jurgen Klopp, with the Dutchman making 226 appearances to date.

The Netherlands international’s contract expires at the end of this season, however, and his failure to agree a new deal has seen him heavily linked with a move to Barca.

[freshpress-quiz id=“313155″]

Wijnaldum reportedly agrees Barcelona move

According to The Sunday Times, Wijnaldum has opted not sign a new contract and will instead join the Laporta revolution at the Nou Camp, becoming his first addition following his presidential win.

It is stated that the Liverpool superstar has agreed a pre-contract deal, having been a ‘priority target’ for Barca manager Ronald Koeman for some time.

Transfer Tavern take

Wijnaldum’s seemingly imminent exit is a huge blow for the Reds, considering what a consistently strong performer he has been over the past five seasons. Rio Ferdinand has been among those singing his praises, telling BT Sport [via TEAMtalk] back in December: “I got to be honest: I love this player. He’s very selfless, his intelligence, he’s underrated completely because he can play every single midfield position in that central area.”

That being said, Liverpool will move on from him eventually, and at 30, his peak years are unlikely to be around for too much longer.

In other news, some Reds supporters have been hailing one special talent at the club – read about who it is here.

Marcel Brands must strive to seal a loan exit for Everton prospect Rhys Hughes this summer amid mounting Championship interest.

What’s the word?

According to the Liverpool Echo, several second-tier sides are eying moves to sign Hughes for the 2021/22 season following his breakthrough in Everton’s Under 23s.

The 19-year-old has proven to be a key aspect of David Unsworth’s plans this term, and earned his first call-up for Wales’ U21s during the current international break.

Everton are undecided on sanctioning a temporary move away for Hughes, and could instead look to keep the attacking midfielder at Finch Farm until the January window.

Hughes has two goals and five assists to his name over 18 appearances in the Premier League 2 this season, while starting 14 of his outings and only failing to feature once.

Unsworth has utilised the Wrexham-born playmaker as a versatile weapon in his arsenal, with the set-piece specialist given minutes across the forward line and in all midfield positions bar a holding role.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-everton-news-gossip-and-views” title=”The latest Everton news and views!”]

The youngster had provided 12 assists and three goals in 42 appearances for Everton’s U18s before his promotion, while captaining Paul Tait’s side for much of the curtailed 2019/20 campaign.

Liverpool and Manchester United had displayed an interest in Hughes’ potential as a six-year-old, and he has since developed into an all-action midfielder who links the defence and attack, does not shy from a tackle and is comfortable playing with either foot.

Should Everton send Hughes out on loan?

Everton are noted to be undecided on sending Hughes out on loan at this stage as they may look to replicate the move secured by Ellis Simms, who joined Blackpool in January and has gone on to score three goals in 11 League One appearances.

But another academy graduate, Beni Baningime, has struggled since departing Merseyside and joining Derby County on loan in the winter market, having featured just twice, been left an unused substitute six times and omitted from four squads by Wayne Rooney.

Everton had hoped to send Baningime out on loan to Blackpool last summer before a deal collapsed following advanced negotiations, and he stuck around to play a key role and occasionally captain Unsworth’s U23s.

Baningime’s struggles to follow that junior role with first-team minutes at Derby should raise enough concerns at Goodison Park over holding out on sending Hughes out on loan, as he will enter the final year of his current contract in June.

Everton would be able to gain a stronger gauge of where Hughes’ talents are by sealing a loan exit as soon as possible, and discovering how far away the 19-year-old – who Unsworth claims is “very, very good” – is from a senior role under Carlo Ancelotti.

If he proves ready for the first-team, Brands can work on tieing Hughes down to a long-term deal but if he struggles, Everton will have an easy out over committing to a contract that they could otherwise live to regret.

AND in other news, a Carlo Ancelotti target once valued at £89m “would be interested” in joining Everton 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!

Leeds United had a noticeable name missing from the squad on Monday night in Pascal Struijk, and Phil Hay has revealed why he was not involved against West Ham United.

The latest on Struijk

The Athletic journalist spoke to Whites manager Marcelo Bielsa following the defeat at London Stadium and updated followers on Twitter that “Struijk had a knock”.

This is a worrying update from Bielsa

Struijk brings versatility to the squad and we saw this during a time when Diego Llorente and Robin Koch both suffered injuries (the latter is not back yet), as the young Dutchman provided Leeds with cover and showed he could do a job in the back line. He has also played in defensive midfield when Kalvin Phillips was injured (Transfermarkt).

In his 17 appearances in the Premier League this term, he has been a solid defensive-minded player as he has averaged two successful tackles, two interceptions and 2.7 clearances per game (WhoScored). His averages for the latter two metrics are beaten only by Liam Cooper among his team-mates (WhoScored).

Gerry McNamee from the LS11 podcast piled praise on Struijk a few weeks ago as he said: “I think with [Marcelo] Bielsa, you’ve got to earn your place back and we probably don’t mention him so much because he doesn’t put a foot wrong, his passing, his interceptions everything else in the last two games, he’s been excellent.”

With the Dutch youngster impressing so highly, it is worrying to hear Hay’s update about him having a knock, with no indication of the nature or duration of the injury. Hopefully it does not see him ruled out for a lengthy period.

In other news, one Leeds prospect has seen his good performances receive notable recognition – have a read here!

After really tearing into his players following a dismal 2-1 defeat to St Mirren last time out, Neil Lennon will be hoping to have inspired a reaction in his Celtic players when they take on Kilmarnock tonight.

The Hoops slumped to an awful home defeat at the weekend, with Lennon making it clear just how much of a disappointment it was.

Asked if his players were letting him down, he said: “Honestly, at this minute I think yes, they are. And they have done for quite a while this season. Too many of them have been insipid this season, to say the least. Whatever walk of life you are in, you need to have a form of professional pride. Especially at a club like this.”

That outburst may just be the sign that Lennon appears to have gotten fed up with some of his under-performing senior stars, and as such, it could well be a moment for some new faces to come into the team.

With that in mind, below is a look at how Celtic might line up when they travel to Kilmarnock for their Scottish Premiership clash.

In goal, Scott Bain should keep his place after coming into the starting line-up for Vasilis Barkas last time out.

The defence could see some key personnel changes, however, with new signing Jonjoe Kenny in line to make his debut at right-back, and Stephen Welsh surely now pushing for an opportunity in the side – it would only be his third start in the league this season.

In midfield, Mohamed Elyounoussi could be the one man to drop out, with Ryan Christie making his return to the team after being dropped from the line-up for the clash against Hamilton a week ago.

And after Leigh Griffiths’ dismal showing against St Mirren that eventually saw him hooked at half-time, Lennon may look to bring in Albian Ajeti to partner Odsonne Edouard up front.

If Ajeti does make the line-up, then it would be a rare chance to impress from the off for him, with the 23-year-old not starting a game in the league since November.

Predicted XI: Bain; Kenny, Ajer, Welsh, Taylor; Soro, McGregor, Christie, Turnbull; Edouard, Ajeti.

Many Sunderland fans have been left slamming the display of Lynden Gooch despite them going through on penalties against Lincoln City in the EFL Trophy on Wednesday night.

The game was tightly poised at 1-1 after normal time, with Charlie Wyke equalising for the Stadium of Light faithful after Anthony Scully had initially put Lincoln in front.

Lee Johnson’s men ended up winning 5-3 on penalties in the end, but while there were some very good performances in a red-and-white-striped shirt, Gooch flattered to deceive.

The 25-year-old lost no fewer than 15 of his duels in the game, the most out of any player to have set foot on the pitch, and was also unsuccessful in nine of his dribble attempts (Sofascore).

He also failed to record a single key pass or accurate cross, and lost possession of the ball 20 times, again the most out of any player, earning him a very measly 6.1 overall rating on Sofascore.

Sunderland fan reaction to Gooch display

These Black Cats slammed his performance on Twitter, with one SAFC supporter even going as far as to say that the winger was ‘awful’:

“Gooch been poor of late, has to be an option to play there if he isn’t going to start JJ”

Credit: @safc25_john

“Diamond and Maguire changed the game IMO. Maguire brings people out and creates space down the wings. Gooch had a shocker.”

Credit: @marrs_jordan

“Gooch was very disappointing last night imo. Didn’t seem able to beat his man. Diamond helped turn the game our way when he came on.”

Credit: @kevindefty1

“Glad to see Gooch come off although I think it should have been earlier, he was very wasteful with the ball & clumsy in the tackle all game.”

Credit: @mackemjohn7

“Gooch is actually the worst player on the planet”

Credit: @plaistowcabbie

“We are poor to be fair. Gooch and Leadbitter awful”

Credit: @DavidMcKeever8

In other news, find out what news about Ross Stewart Sunderland fans are unhappy with here!

Speaking to the press, via football.london, West Ham United manager David Moyes has reacted to Jesse Lingard’s absence for the Manchester United clash, with the Scotsman describing it as a ‘big loss’ as the January signing is ineligible to play against his parent club.

Lingard has starred for the Hammers since signing on loan at the London Stadium, scoring four goals and providing one assist in just six Premier League starts (WhoScored), but he will not feature against the Red Devils this evening as the 28-year-old is ineligible for the clash.

Moyes reacts to Lingard absence

Moyes has described it as a ‘big loss’ for West Ham as they aim to mount a late assault for a top four finish, coming as the Irons boss also explained there are some ‘slight doubts’ behind the scenes for a couple of players (West Ham United official website).

“A big loss because he has had a big impact on the team and how we have played,” said Moyes to reporters (via football.london).

“He has been a positive signing for us since coming in in January so it is a loss to us but we have got other people.

“What we wanted was competition for places, sort of around the number 11 and number ten roles, we wanted good competition and Jesse has given us that but we have other people who can do that so hopefully we can go there and who them what we can do.”

Transfer Tavern take

Lingard’s fine start to his Hammers stint has been emphasised recently by former Premier League striker Ian Wright, who told Premier League Productions (via HITC) how ‘devastating’ he can be.

Time will tell who Moyes will have at this disposal for the Old Trafford clash, but who he chooses to replace Lingard in the team will be interesting to see.

In other news: West Ham are eyeing this 19-goal ‘phenomenon’, find out more here.

Many Liverpool fans believe that Taiwo Awoniyi is not the right man to replace Divock Origi if the Belgian decides to leave.

The 23-year-old is currently on loan from at FC Union Berlin over in Germany, where he is certainly catching the eye.

From 13 Bundesliga appearances, Awoniyi has scored five goals and provided two assists, getting regular first-team football under his belt in a competitive league (TransferMarkt).

The Nigerian centre-forward has had an array of loan spells since arriving at the club in 2015, spending time at the likes of FSV Frankfurt, NEC Nijmegen, Mouscron, KAA Gent, and Mainz last season. In total, he has scored 38 times from over 100 outings combined.

Awoniyi has never made a first-team appearance for Liverpool. With speculation surrounding Divock Origi’s future still unclear, Anfield Edition presented the facts for supporters to stick their teeth into.

Despite this, supporters were convinced that Awoniyi is not good enough to play for the club, and that his Belgian teammate is a better player.

Fans not convinced by Awoniyi

“I’ve watched him and can say with confidence that he’s not good enough. Not even close to Origi. The best that could happen is we get a nice offer for him”

Credit: @SilverDeGeneral

“He won’t ever be a Liverpool player due to being one for 5 years now and never getting a permit. I give up on him”

Credit: @LfcRedLady

“Has done nothing for years now so would be the perfect time to sell him while his stocks are up”

Credit: @bugyutari

“No, we need to sign someone with world-class potential.”

Credit: @Subindra99

“He is not good enough for Liverpool, I think Liverpool should sell him for good price”

Credit: @Elflew59

“No will be sold”

Credit: @pete_pizza2020

“Sell him Edwards!”

Credit: @noma

In other news, Fabrizio Romano provided an intriguing update on Georginio Wijnaldum’s Anfield future.

After spending the last two seasons on loan at West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday, Jacob Murphy may have felt his career at Newcastle was slowly coming to an end.

The former Norwich starlet had made just 34 Premier League appearances in total for the Magpies since joining, and his future looked bleak when he wasn’t even named in the match-day squad for the opening two games of the season.

But a couple of impressive performances in the Carabao Cup saw him given his chance in the top-flight, and he’s since started the last three Premier League games.

And seeing him score a dramatic equaliser against Wolves earlier this season, Bruce was quick to insist that sending him out on loan again was never in his plans.

He said: “He was arguably our best player today and I’m delighted for him. He had a big loan at Sheffield Wednesday last year and that did him the world of good.

“I never contemplated it (a loan move) from the first week he was back. He was a different player. Certainly physically he’s come back in really good condition.”

Murphy’s performances in the Premier League have come as a right wing-back though, and he may feel like he could offer a lot more in his more natural attacking position.

And with Bruce confirming that Ryan Fraser has been ruled out for the game against Chelsea on Saturday, it’s surely the perfect time for the Newcastle boss to unshackle him.

As well as his goal against Wolves, Murphy was also one of the highest-rated players in the win against Everton, and giving the in-form ace an opportunity to shine further forward could be the kind of masterstroke that sees him wreak havoc against Frank Lampard’s side.

When one door closes, another door opens. Fraser’s injury could be the beginning of Murphy finally realising his true potential.

Mason Holgate proved against Arsenal on Saturday that he can be Carlo Ancelotti’s secret weapon after Everton were urged to sign new defenders in January following a spate of injuries.

Ancelotti was forced to name a makeshift backline for the visit of Mikel Arteta’s side, feeling that Seamus Coleman was not worth risking as he made his return to the bench following a hamstring strain.

Ben Godfrey joined Holgate in starting at full-back in the absence of regular left-back Lucas Digne, who faces up to three months on the sidelines having required surgery after sustaining ankle ligament damage in training at the end of last month.

Ancelotti’s sudden loss of both first-choice full-backs raised concerns over how Everton would cope long-term, with the manager initially favouring Tom Davies and Alex Iwobi to play out of position.

Former England international Paul Robinson suggested the need for January reinforcements was “very apparent” against Leeds United as Everton lost 1-0 at home, with the Toffees “significantly weakened” without Coleman and Digne in the side.

Holgate, however, proved at the perfect time that he can be Ancelotti’s secret weapon at right-back with a top-draw display against Arsenal on Saturday, with Coleman watching on from the bench for the first time in six games.

Holgate’s forward advances caused Arsenal to second-guess themselves, fearing that leaving the 24-year-old unmarked would allow him to deliver yet another teasing delivery into Bernd Leno’s box.

Instead, the Gunners dropped off to free Alex Iwobi the space to deliver the ball from which Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s glancing header would ricochet off Rob Holding and into the net to open the scoring.

The £16.2m-rated centre-half rarely looked like a player who was fielded out of position as he locked down the right-hand channel with two clearances, two interceptions, one successful tackle and success in his only aerial contest, while winning one of three ground duels, per SofaScore.

One of Holgate’s three deliveries also found a teammate on a day where he registered a key ball from 33 accurate passes and took 62 touches, only centre-backs Yerry Mina (70) and Michael Keane (64) took more for the Toffees.

Ancelotti will find it hard to drop Holgate when Everton visit Sheffield United on Boxing Day, having also scored in the midweek win over Leicester for his first of the season, with Coleman likely having to utilise Wednesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final with Manchester United to regain his spot in search of match fitness.

AND in other news: “Huge blow” – Exclusive: Pundit reacts to major Everton setback.