Tag Futebol

Tottenham Hotspur have made a bid to bring Ferran Torres back to the Premier League in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent report from Spain which claims that Fabio Paratici has now submitted a €35m (£31m) offer to Barcelona for the versatile forward.

However, the LaLiga side are believed to be set to reject this bid out of hand – with the Catalan club said to be demanding a figure closer to €50m (£44m) in order to part with the 22-year-old.

The report goes on to suggest that both Arsenal and AC Milan are also keeping a close eye on the situation of the Spain international ahead of potentially launching their own move for the attacker this winter, although it is claimed that Spurs are considered the favourites to seal the former Manchester City starlet’s signature.

Son 2.0

While it is true that Torres has fallen down Xavi Hernandez’s attacking pecking order at the Camp Nou this season – starting just two league fixtures so far in 2022/23 – considering just how impressive the 22-year-old was last time out, it is not difficult to understand why Paratici would be keen on a deal to bring the Spaniard to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this winter.

Indeed, over his 18 LaLiga appearances last season, the £106m-rated talent was in fantastic attacking form, scoring four goals, providing four assists and creating seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.9 shots – 1.1 of which hit the target – making 0.7 key passes and completing 0.7 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the 35-cap international – who is capable of operating from any position across a front three – average an extremely impressive Sofascore match rating of 6.98, ranking him as Barca’s 14th-best performer in the top flight of Spanish football in 2021/22.

The £165k-per-week forward also impressed over his six outings in the Europa League last term, scoring two goals, registering two assists and creating one big chance, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots, making 0.8 key passes and completing 1.7 dribbles per match – with these metrics seeing the 22-year-old average a Sofascore match rating of 6.92.

Putting these numbers into context, FBref currently rank Torres in the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s big five leagues for shots per 90, in addition to the top 8% for non-penalty xG, the top 16% for passes completed, the top 15% for touches in the opposition penalty area and the top 7% for progressive passes received.

Furthermore, with the player who Xavi previously dubbed “spectacular” and “marvellous” being a right-footed left-winger who is a danger in both a creative and goalscoring capacity in the final third, it is hardly surprising to see FBref list Spurs’ own Son Heung-min as one of Torres’ most comparable players.

As such, should Paratici manage to get a deal over the line for Barcelona star this winter, he could well be rewarded with the discovery of Tottenham’s next Son-esque talent on the left flank – something that is sure to be an extremely tantalising prospect for everyone involved with the club, not least Antonio Conte himself.

Everton’s offensive focal point Dominic Calvert-Lewin is approaching a return to competitive action after a prolonged period severely hampered by consistent setbacks. 

What’s the word?

As relayed by the ECHO, Lampard recently expressed his relief at welcoming the club’s talisman back into the thick of the competitive preparations, although it is still unclear if he will be available for the City clash.

He said:

“Having Dominic back in the fold is a great thing for us because players who can make a difference at the top end of the pitch means points.”

It appears to be touch-and-go regarding his inclusion in the starting line-up, if indeed the matchday squad, and it will be an agonising wait over the next 24 hours as the medical department assess the likelihood of his availability.

DCL is a “beast”

The 25-year-old hotshot has scored 59 goals and assisted a further 18 from 197 appearances for the Toffees, and the chasm left by his absence this season has certainly been felt by his team, who currently fight against the vice of the relegation zone, just one point away from the 17th placed strugglers. 

And in his most prolific season, the £86k-per-week phenom scored 21 goals and served five assists from 39 appearances across all competitions, playing an integral role for his team as they completed an impressive tenth-placed finish.

However, this season Calvert-Lewin has been restricted to just six outings, scoring one solitary goal.

As per FBref, despite his injury woes, Calvert-Lewin ranks within the top 2% of forwards for aerial success rate over the past year, indicating a towering presence that the Toffees have been missing might bear fruit for the side upon his return.

Once lauded as a “beast in the air” by journalist Josh Wright, his inclusion is simply paramount, Everton cannot afford to continue the downward slump; it will lead to the unthinkable prospect of relegation from the Premier League.

And with the Merseyside outfit only scoring 12 goals in the division this term – a lowly tally worsened only by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest – someone of Calvert-Lewin’s ilk simply must enter the fray at Goodison Park and navigate the proud club away from danger.

City, in retrospect, have scored the league’s highest goal tally with 43 strikes, 31 goals above Everton, and it truly will take something spectacular to rebuff their advances.

Especially with the Toffees losing ten matches on the trot against their menacing opposition; it will not be easy, but Lampard will demand a cohesive and resilient performance, and when they do have the chance to break and threaten the City goal, they will feel far better about their forward surges with the imposing Calvert-Lewin lurking in the penalty area.

That’s if he is fit enough to feature, so the manager will certainly be sweating over his availability heading into kick-off on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost in their bid to bring Ruslan Malinovskyi to the Premier League in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that, having been heavily linked with a move for the Atalanta BC attacking midfielder this summer, Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte could now land the 29-year-old for a figure of €15m (£13m) in January.

The report goes on to state that, having been pushed to the side by Gian Piero Gasperini this season, the Serie A outfit are happy to let the Ukraine international leave the club this winter in order to pick up a fee for the playmaker – whose current deal at the Gewiss Stadium is set to expire next summer.

Absolute steal

With it being widely reported that Conte is hoping to add a more forward-thinking midfielder to his current options in the middle of the park in January, coupled with just how impressive Malinovskyi has been for Atalanta in recent seasons, it is not difficult to understand why the Tottenham would be keen on a move for the 29-year-old this winter.

Indeed, over Malinovskyi’s 30 Serie A fixtures last time out, the £17.5m-rated talent was in sensational form going forwards, scoring six goals, providing four assists and creating 13 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.9 shots, making 1.5 key passes and completing 1.6 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the player who Carlo Garganese dubbed “unreal” average a simply astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.22, not only ranking him as Atalanta’s second-best performer in the league but also as the joint 18th-best player in the top flight of Italian football as a whole.

Furthermore, with the £22k-per-week playmaker also possessing extremely impressive positional versatility – being able to operate in defensive, central and attacking midfield, as well as at right or left wing-back and even as a centre-forward – Malinovskyi could easily fit into either of Conte’s 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 set-ups in north London.

As such, considering his clear attacking inclination, his ability to play in a number of different roles and the fact he looks to be available for a fee roughly £4.5m less than his current market valuation, should Paratici manage to get a deal over the line for Malinovskyi in January, it would very much appear as if the Italian will have sealed an absolute steal.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Mason Mount over the last few weeks and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that the Chelsea midfielder “ticks a lot of boxes” for Jurgen Klopp.

O’Rourke revealed:

“He’s a top midfield player who can play in several positions, has a great work ethic on and off the ball, he can score goals – great goals as well!

“He’s a key man in Gareth Southgate’s England squad as well, so that shows how highly rated Mason Mount is, so I think he ticks a lot of boxes for the type of players Jurgen Klopp likes in his team.”

Liverpool can solve big issue with Mount

It is no secret that Liverpool are in desperate need of reinforcements in the centre of the pitch with contracts expiring and many players reaching the latter stages of their career, so the signing of Mount certainly would not look out of place at Anfield.

The talented England midfielder has not only youth on his side at just 23 year’s old but also offers a wealth of experience in the Premier League and Champions League earned at Stamford Bridge, as well as winning the European competition back in 2021.

Although Mount’s rated transfer value currently around £86m, according to CIES Football Observatory, Liverpool are in no position to scrimp and hope for the best when it comes to rebuilding their midfield, which will be weakened further in June 2023.

James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will all be – as it stands – out of contract at the end of the season, so Klopp will have the perfect opportunity to build the next generation of household names to wear the famous red shirt for the Merseyside giants.

Over 14 league appearances, the midfielder – who was hailed a “generational talent” by author Mark Worrall – has scored two goals, registered two assists and created two big chances, as well as averaging 1.3 key passes, 1.7 tackles and 1.6 shots on goal per game, proving that he is a real attacking threat from his position.

Not only that, Mount is representing England at the World Cup and gave the powers at Anfield another glimpse of his talent in the Three Lions 6-2 win over Iran.

During his 71-minute performance, the talented ace had 50 touches of the ball, completed 89% of his passes, made one key pass and won one tackle, as well as winning seven of his nine duels and completing 100% of his dribbles.

With that being said, there is no doubt that the signing of Mount would be a major coup for Liverpool, however, it will be interesting to see if FSG sanction a move of this magnitude whilst they are planning to part ways with the club and whether Chelsea would be open to selling to a direct rival.

Transfer expert Dean Jones has backed Newcastle United in their reported pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby in the January window.

The Lowdown: Newcastle interested in Diaby

It was reported in October that the Tyneside club ‘retain an interest’ in the Frenchman ahead of January, having reportedly held an interest in him over the summer.

PIF ‘absolutely love’ Diaby in terms of what he can bring to the table, so it will be interesting to see whether they follow up their interest with a formal offer.

The Latest: Would be a ‘fantastic’ signing

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has claimed that Diaby would be a ‘fantastic’ signing at St James’ Park, adding that he would not be surprised if Newcastle try to go back in for the 23-year-old in January.

The journalist said: “There’s always that factor of, ‘can he definitely be a success here?’

“I think he probably will be. I think it’d be a fantastic signing, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Newcastle do revisit it in January just to see if the situations changed at all.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Get it done

Lauded as a player with ‘electrifying pace, good with both feet and fearless on the ball’ by The Chronicle journalist Aaron Stokes, Diaby more than showed his credentials last season with 13 goals and 12 assists in the Bundesliga, while this term he already has nine goal contributions to his name in the division (Transfermarkt).

He could count himself very unlucky to miss out on the France squad for the World Cup in Qatar, and a move to the Premier League in January could give him that extra motivation to get more recognition for the national team ahead of the next set of major tournaments.

Diaby is still only 23 years of age and appears to have such a high ceiling from which the Magpies could really benefit over the next few seasons if they can entice him to Newcastle.

Everton have been somewhat renowned for their transfer disasters since the arrival of Farhad Moshiri, as the owner has spent over £500m on transfers in just six years with only a relegation scrap to show for it.

However, it appears, since the appointment of Frank Lampard, the recruitment strategy has drastically improved in just one transfer window, as the personnel brought into the club this summer has certainly improved the performances on the pitch.

The two most influential signings would have to be Conor Coady and James Tarkowski, with the pair already forming a formidable centre-back partnership in the team and have both been recognised for their strong leadership skills alongside their high-quality defensive attributes.

However, one area of the team that saw a long-serving and successful partnership come to an end was in the forward line, as Richarlison made a move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, leaving Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Goodison Park, but now the Everton boss could form a brand new attacking duo by taking advantage of the January transfer window.

Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk was heavily linked with a move to Merseyside during the summer, but the Toffees had their bid rejected, and now the club could try again in January following the winger’s fantastic form so far this season.

The 21-year-old who was hailed a “talent” by broadcaster Joe Flemons has already scored six goals and registered seven assists in 11 appearances with a goal contribution every 68 minutes so far, which is extremely impressive but it’s not just his goals that make him the perfect strike partner.

Over five league outings this term, the forward created one big chance, as well as making an average of one key pass, taking an average of 1.6 shots winning 4.6 duels and 1.2 tackles per game, proving that he not only delivers the end product but also works hard to offer goal-scoring opportunities to his teammates.

Mudryk has been the recipient of high praise over the last few weeks for his performances in the Champions League, and Thierry Henry spoke out on the £43.3m player hailing him “impressive” following his display against Real Madrid:

“I have seen him play for Ukraine and he was pretty impressive. I like his directness. I get annoyed sometimes when wingers always come to the ball.

“I always like that he plays one v one. He’s a good player. He has been linked to a lot of teams, so let’s see where he’s going to end up.”

With that being said, Mudryk would complement Calvert-Lewin perfectly with his selfless approach to his game and could be the much-needed partner the striker needs to alleviate some of the goal-scoring pressure on the Everton talent – to allow him to fully recover from his fitness issues.

West Ham United continued their impressive European form on Thursday evening, with a 1-0 win over RSC Anderlecht all but ensuring that David Moyes’ side will qualify for the Europa Conference League knockout stages.

Indeed, the hard-fought victory at Lotto Park sees the Hammers move five points clear at the top of Group B, meaning a point against Anderlecht in the return fixture of yesterday’s clash will ensure the Irons are playing European football after Christmas.

However, while there were a number of fine performances on show in Belgium, with Angelo Ogbonna, Flynn Downes, Lucas Paqueta and Gianluca Scamacca particularly catching the eye, there was one player who once again did little to impress.

Being handed his second start in the competition, Said Benrahma would undoubtedly have been hoping to put on a display that would convince Moyes he should be granted a spot in the starting XI to face Fulham in the Premier League this weekend.

However, unfortunately for the 27-year-old, his poor form in the Conference League continued on Thursday night, with his wastefulness in the final third very nearly costing the visitors their win against the Jupiler Pro League side.

Indeed, despite having a total of six shots at goal – two on target, one off target and three that were blocked – Benrahma should have ended the fixture with at least one goal to his name, ballooning Jarrod Bowen’s 40th-minute cut-back over the bar with the goal at his mercy, as well a driving his 53rd-minute edge-of-the-box effort straight at Hendrik Van Crombrugge.

The £31m-rated attacker was also wasteful in possession of the ball, completing just 17 of his 24 attempted passes – a success rate of a lowly 71% – and ceding possession for his side on no less than 15 separate occasions.

These returns saw the £20k-per-week talent average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.4 – the worst of any player from either side to feature in the match – while football.london’s Jonty Colman also awarded the forward a five in his own player ratings, stating of the Algerian’s display:

“David Moyes was left frustrated with the Algerian after he lost possession too easily on a counter-attack in the first half and you could only imagine that his frustrations were even greater when Benrahma fired over from close range off a Bowen cross when it seemed easier to score.

“Had earlier chances in the first half, putting one tamely on goal, the other forcing a headed clearance. Got another shot off early in the first half to force Van Cromburgge into a save. Had the chances, but that miss will be a big mark against him while he tries to win his spot back.”

As such, while the Hammers did ultimately secure all three points, Benrahma did little to help his side’s cause, with it very much looking as if the 27-year-old failed Moyes’ big test against Anderlecht on Thursday night.

Aston Villa’s signing of Wesley in 2019 has sadly proven to be a disaster, with a combination of poor form and injury problems costing the Brazilian a career in the Premier League.

Wesley made the move to Villa Park back in the 2019 summer transfer window from Belgian side Club Brugge in a deal worth a reported fee of £22m.

After a fairly promising start to his Villa career that saw him hit Transfermarkt rated the 25-year-old’s value at £27m, but following a torrid few years, it now stands at just £4.5m.

The Brazilian went on a run of injury that effectively ended his career with the Villans.

Wesley returned to make three substitute appearances at the end of the 2020/21 campaign but clearly didn’t show enough to convince Dean Smith to keep him around, with the signing of Ollie Watkins perhaps ensuring that he wouldn’t be considered a regular starter even when fit.

The 25-year-old managed a combined two goals in loan spells with Club Brugge and Internacional, which perhaps always meant that he was going to force his way into Steven Gerrard’s plans for the current season, especially with Danny Ings now also at the club, as well as promising youngster Cameron Archer.

Wesley was sent on loan to La Liga 2 side Levante, where he has failed to score in any of his opening five appearances, which suggests that, sadly, he is unlikely to ever cut it in the Premier League again.

[freshpress-quiz id=“659225”]

Although his injury has been a major factor, Wesley’s record of just six goals in 26 appearances suggests that he was never going to be a huge success at Villa, and his signing must go down as a failure by former sporting director Jesús García-Pitarch, also known as ‘Suso.’

Hopefully, Wesley can find some form at Levante and earn a permanent move away from Villa Park, as it hasn’t worked out at all for him at the Midlands club.

Newcastle United have a couple of days left to complete their remaining business in the summer transfer window…

The Magpies have brought in four players so far and may look to further strengthen their squad before Thursday night’s deadline.

Nick Pope, Sven Botman, Alexander Isak and Matt Targett have all come through the door on permanent deals, and a creative midfielder appears to be on their to-do list.

It was recently reported that the Toon are eyeing up a swoop to sign Hakan Calhanoglu from Inter as an alternative to Lucas Paqueta, who has signed for Premier League rivals West Ham.

Inter are said to be open to selling any player for the right price, and that could open the door to a late deal for the Turkey international.

Newcastle must now land the £150k-per-week wizard as Eddie Howe could land his own version of Manchester City magician Kevin De Bruyne by bringing him to St James’ Park.

The Belgian recently caught the eye against the Magpies as he created three ‘big chances’ and registered one assist in the 3-3 draw earlier this month.

He is a world-class creator who can unlock any defence with his stunning range of passes and intelligence in possession. Out of all of the players in his position in Europe’s top five leagues over the last 365 days, De Bruyne ranks in the 99th percentile for assists, xG assisted and shot-creating actions per 90.

This shows that he is one of the best players in his position when it comes to consistently creating high-quality chances.

Calhanoglu could come in at St James’ Park and provide a similar level of creativity after catching the eye in Serie A.

His former Milan manager Stefano Pioli, who once hailed him as “exceptional”, previously heaped praise on his build-up play, saying: “Calhanoglu is a leader of this team. He’s a leader on the pitch, he’s an intelligent player. Lately, we have faced teams that have closed the spaces and therefore, sometimes, I have had to lower him even though I want to keep him high.

“He knows how to marry perfectly with the game of his teammates. I have great respect for him and with intelligent players, you can play great games. He has the qualities to have some more goals.”

Like De Bruyne, the Turkish gem ranks in the 99th percentile for assists, xG assisted and shot-creating actions per 90 out of all of the players in his position in Europe’s top five leagues over the last 365 days, with FBRef also listing the pair as being stylistically similar.

The 28-year-old could therefore be a world-class creator for Newcastle, as he has proven over the last year to be one of the best attacking midfielders around at slicing open defences and creating goals for his team-mates.

Newcastle must now push to land Calhanoglu in the final couple of days of the transfer window in order to give Howe his own version of De Bruyne on Tyneside.

Everton are reportedly plotting an offer for free agent Adnan Januzaj in case Anthony Gordon is sold.

The Lowdown: Improved Chelsea bid

As per Football Insider, Chelsea are readying an improved £50m for Gordon, after having their first offer rejected by the Goodison Park outfit.

If they were to accept that offer, then the Merseyside club would have to find a replacement, having already lost another of their key attackers in Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Latest: Januzaj offer planned

According to Spanish publication AS, Frank Lampard’s team could be waiting to sell Gordon to Chelsea before making an offer to Januzaj.

However, they may face competition from both West Ham United and LA Galaxy for his signature.

The Verdict: Great business

If the Toffees were to get the maximum amount of money out of Chelsea for Gordon, and were then to sign Januzaj on a free transfer, it would represent a great piece of business.

Hailed as a player who is ‘very special’ and ‘gifted’ by journalist David Cartlidge, the Belgium international has not quite lived up to the huge hype that he had as a teenager at Manchester United, where former Blues manager and then Red Devils boss David Moyes even likened him to world superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Nonetheless, Januzaj has still amassed nearly 300 senior appearances for both club and country combined, playing for established European sides in the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Real Sociedad, and at 27 years of age, still has a few seasons left in him at the top level.

EFC could save at least £50m by swapping Gordon with Januzaj, which they could then use to invest in a top striker to complete their team.