All posts by z3u9t.icu

Manchester City have been linked with both Ben White and Pau Torres in recent months, but who would be the better addition to Pep Guardiola’s side at the Etihad Stadium this summer?

Ben White

According to journalist Duncan Castles on the Transfer Window Podcast, City have held preliminary talks with White ahead of a potential summer move following an impressive Premier League debut season which saw him earn a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the European Championship.

The 23-year-old centre-back was already on the radar of many top clubs after he played every minute for Leeds United in their Championship title-winning 2019/20 campaign, and he was a mainstay in Graham Potter’s Brighton team last season, making 36 appearances in the top flight.

His performances earned him the glowing praise of Jamie Redknapp, who said: “There’s a centre-back there who is going to go right to the top. He is so comfortable on the ball, you can see why Leeds wanted to keep him.

“He’s destined for an amazing future, that young man, I love him.”

Pau Torres

According to the Daily Express, City are keeping tabs on the Villareal and Spain centre-back, who is also attracting interest from rivals Manchester United after his impressive performances in La Liga in recent seasons.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-manchester-city-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Manchester City transfer rumours and news!”]

Last season saw the 24-year-old make 33 appearances in the Spanish top flight, contributing two goals and two assists, whilst he also helped Unai Emery’s side to win the Europa League.

The Spanish defender is currently valued at £45m by Transfermarkt and certainly wouldn’t come cheap, especially when you consider that he would likely be behind Ruben Dias and John Stones in the pecking order at City considering their superb performances last season.

Who would be better?

Although White would also be very expensive, with Brighton having already reportedly rejected a £40m bid from Arsenal, he has a lot of advantages over Torres in that he is homegrown, younger and has plenty of experience in the Premier League.

He has learned from Marcelo Bielsa and Potter, suggesting that he could comfortably adapt to Guardiola’s playing style at Manchester City, whilst he has also featured as a defensive midfielder at times for Brighton, so his versatility would surely be appreciated by the Spanish manager.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936″]

Therefore, City’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain should forget about signing Torres this summer and instead focus on bringing White to the Etihad.

In other news… Bye-bye Laporte: Txiki should swoop for £40.5m-rated beast likened to Hummels

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has made a claim regarding Celtic’s possible permanent swoop for Tottenham’s Cameron Carter-Vickers, Give Me Sport report.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers under Postecoglou

Carter-Vickers was the club’s final addition over the summer, joining on deadline day in a season-long loan deal that includes an option to buy next summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-19/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Since then, the 23-year-old has been an ever-present figure at the back under Ange Postecoglou, making 20 appearances in green and white.

He’s missed just one Scottish Premiership fixture following his move and was hailed as an ‘excellent professional’ by Kenny Dalglish.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s claim

Give Me Sport shared the latest news on Carter-Vickers making a permanent Parkhead switch, suggesting both Celtic and the player are keen on a full-time move.

Reporter O’Rourke gave his thoughts on a possible permanent swoop to Give Me Sport, admitting he wasn’t sure if the Hoops could reach the £10m asking price, as reported by The Daily Record.

“Cameron Carter-Vickers has made a big impression since his loan move from Tottenham, but I’m not sure if Celtic could reach that £10m valuation that Spurs are looking for a permanent deal, though.”

The Verdict: Club record fee

Should Celtic stump up the fee for Carter-Vickers, they’d reportedly have to pay two separate add-ons which would take the deal over £10m.

That would make him the club’s most expensive signing of all time, eclipsing the £9.27m move that made Odsonne Edouard’s loan permanent from Paris Saint-Germain.

There’s no denying that Carter-Vickers has impressed at Celtic Park, however, £10m is a lot of money, especially with the Hoops already spending over £20m in the summer and seemingly looking at four January permanent additions in Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi, Daizen Maeda and on-loan Jota.

In other news: Devlin shares worrying injury update on Celtic ace after bone ‘break’. 

Antonio Conte has been dealt a huge injury blow concerning Tottenham Hotspur right-back Matt Doherty.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Alasdair Gold, with the football.london journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that the 30-year-old now looks set to be ruled out for the remainder of the season after sustaining a knee injury in the 4-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.

In his tweet, Gold said: “Understand it’s bad news for Matt Doherty and Antonio Conte. The Irishman is out for the rest of Spurs’ season and more.”

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-martinez-dybala-spence-conte-2” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

Conte will be fuming

Considering how impressive Doherty has been for Conte since his arrival in north London last November, the news that the right-back looks set to be ruled out for the remainder of 2021/22 is sure to have left the 52-year-old manager fuming.

Indeed, after being used sparingly over the Italian’s first 11 Premier League fixtures in charge of the club – starting just once in these games – the £10.8m-rated full-back looked to have gained Conte’s favour over the club’s last ten league outings – starting all but two of these fixtures, being given the nod from the off in the last seven consecutive top-flight matches.

It is not difficult to understand why this was the case, as the £74k-per-week defender was beginning to show the sort of form that convinced Spurs to part with £14.7m to bring him to north London back in August 2020 – with the Irishman having scored two goals and registered four assists over his last 11 Premier League fixtures.

However, following Gold’s latest update, it would now appear as if the former Wolverhampton Wanderers full-back’s campaign has been brought to a premature end, something that – considering just how close the race to secure a top-four spot currently is – will undoubtedly come as a huge blow to Conte and his side.

AND in other news: Conte could land Spurs’ next Poyet as contact made for “sensational” £83.5m “talent”

Anticipation is rising ahead of what could be one of the most decisive transfer windows in the modern history of Newcastle United.

Mike Ashley is no longer at the helm as the Magpies instead see themselves backed by the Saudi Arabian Prince Investment Fund. In simple terms, that means money, and lots of it.

What’s the word?

With Newcastle believed to be targeting a central defender this winter, a number of familiar faces have already cropped up on their radar.

Bayern Munich stalwart Niklas Sule has been linked with a move to St James’ Park but perhaps one of the most eye-catching names came to light on Wednesday.

According to The Times, the club’s new owners view Italy as a suitable market to explore in January and could turn to Inter Milan as a result.

They suggest that defensive wall, Stefan de Vrij, is one of the players they want to bring to English football.

Dream first signing

If Amanda Staveley and co can seal a deal to bring de Vrij to St James’ Park in the coming months, it would be an almighty statement of intent and one that would surely have new manager Eddie Howe in dreamland.

After all, the Dutch titan is one of the sturdiest defenders in Europe, winning glowing praise from many within the footballing world.

Former Lazio teammate Mauricio waxed lyrical about him to ESPN (via Football Italia), saying: “Stefan is a great defender and deserves to be at a big club. He’s very tall, he’s strong and fast, he runs a lot – he’s a monster! He’s a calm defender who never gets agitated.”

Combine all of those qualities together and you have what can only be described as the perfect defender.

So far this term, the 29-year-old has won a whopping 2.5 aerial duels per game and has completed 90.5% of his passes in the Italian top-flight. That tally sees him rank higher than anybody to start a game at Newcastle this term.

The £45m-rated defender loves to get stuck in but his passing defines that of a modern centre-back, proving he has everything you could want in his locker.

Signing de Vrij would be particularly important when considering how poor Newcastle have been from a defensive point of view this campaign.

They sit 19th in the table and their haul of 24 concessions is the second-highest in the entire Premier League.

With that in mind, strengthening their defence is the dream for Howe ahead of January, and in a certain Inter centre-back, they could do exactly that.

AND in other news, Howe could finally axe Joelinton if NUFC swoop for £31.5m-rated “phenomenon”…

Wolverhampton Wanderers are pushing to sign Hwang Hee-chan on a permanent basis.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a John Percy report for The Telegraph, with the journalist claiming that Wolves are ready to accelerate talks with RB Leipzig regarding a permanent deal for the centre-forward, with the club holding an option to purchase the 25-year-old for a figure of around £14m.

This option to buy was initially scheduled to come into effect at the end of the current campaign, however, as a result of the South Korea international’s impact since joining Bruno Lage’s side on a temporary deal this summer, Percy claims Wolves are planning to open talks to sign the forward in the January window.

Fans will be buzzing

It is easy to see why Wolves are so keen to sign Hwang Hee-chan permanently, as the striker has been something of a revelation for the club since his arrival back in August.

Indeed, over his seven Premier League appearances this season, the £9.9m-rated man has already bagged four goals, in addition to creating one big chance for his teammates and taking an average of one shot per game.

These returns have seen the player who Garth Crooks dubbed a “major asset” earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.84, ranking the 25-year-old as Wolves’ 11th-best performer in the top flight.

As such, the £70k-per-week forward has certainly made quite the impact at Molineux, and has already proved to be well worth the reported £14m transfer fee Fosun would have to cough up in order to make his loan deal a permeant switch.

And, as long as there are no complications in Wolves’ negotiations with RB Leipzig, the club signing Hwang Hee-chan this January would be an outcome that is sure to have fans buzzing, as the striker is quickly becoming a favourite in Wolverhampton.

In other news: Major boost: Lage drops update on “unpredictable” Wolves gem that’ll have fans buzzing

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has confirmed a major Aston Villa boost over Leon Bailey.

What’s the story?

The Jamaica international has had an injury-disrupted start to life at Villa Park, playing just 85 minutes of football in the Premier League.

His latest issue saw him forced off in the second-half against Everton, and Dean Smith would later reveal that he wouldn’t be back until after the international break.

And now, Preece has delivered an update on where things stand with the winger.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “Just the 9 outfield first-team players in at Bodymoor this week, with Morgan Sanson, Leon Bailey, Trezeguet & Keinan Davis still on the treatment tables. #avfc expect Bailey to be in contention vs Wolves in 9 days’ time, though, with Sanson set to be eased back later this month.”

Fans will be buzzing

Even in just 85 minutes of top-flight football, Bailey has shown just why Villa fans should be excited about their summer signing.

After coming off the bench to great effect against Watford on the opening day – he marked his Premier League debut for the club by setting up John McGinn’s goal and almost sparking a late comeback – the Jamaican flier showed just what he can bring to the table when he delivered another barn-storming cameo against Everton.

Having come on as a substitute once again, Bailey whipped in the corner that was turned in by Lucas Digne, before firing in a superb strike to seal an impressive 3-0 win for Villa.

Speaking before the Midlands club officially confirmed the deal to sign the winger, Alan Hutton threw his backing behind a move for the Jamaica international.

He said: “I’m so excited to see this one. I’ve heard a lot about him over the past two or three seasons. He’s obviously still very young but he’s electric, he gets people off their seats. That’s what you want in a player.

“But what’s more impressive, 15 goals and 11 assists from wide areas in the German league. That’s unbelievable. It’s the kind of consistency you want from your wingers.”

Former Ajax youth coach Ronald de Boer once said of the Jamaican: “He’s so fast it’s not normal. His speed, combined with his technique, is very rare. Exceptional. He has no weak points.”

Given that ability and the early impression he has already made at Villa Park, fans will be rightly buzzing with Preece’s latest injury update.

Meanwhile, Villa are interested in signing this Premier League striker…

Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to provide an update on his comeback from an Achilles injury.

And, as to be expected, a number of Eagles supporters have been quick to react to the footage on social media.

The 23-year-old suffered a freak injury in training towards the end of the previous campaign, which, at first, some thought would keep him out until the New Year.

However, he appears to be making good progress, with reports in August believing the attacking midfielder was way ahead of schedule in regards to his rehabilitation.

Eze posted a nine-second video on Twitter on Tuesday of himself taking part in a short but sharp running drill which ended with a bit of ball work.

Palace fans react

Crystal Palace retweeted Eze’s clip, which led to a number of Eagles fans giving their positive thoughts. This is what some had to say, with many struggling to hold back their excitement.

“He’s gonna be back before Xmas isn’t he? Looking forward to an Edouard, Zaha, Eze, Olise front four before the end of the year. Oh my goodness!!”

Credit: @AdamFlinter

“I’m crying”

Credit: @Sumo08112

“Need a similar post from @Nathan6Ferguson and I think I’ll go crazy”

Credit: @robertmeilak

“inject itttttt”

Credit: @CPFC_Ollie_

“Yeeeeessss”

Credit: @R41n4llTh3T1m3

“Fabulous to see…”

Credit: @red_blue_review

In other news: ‘Finally’, ‘Excited’ – Many CPFC fans buzz as ‘great news’ is confirmed.

Via his Patreon account, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has just dropped an exciting West Ham transfer update involving Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye Lingard…

The Manchester United midfielder has been a target for David Moyes since before the beginning of this summer transfer window and Claret & Hugh believe that the 28-year-old has been among the Irons; main transfer priorities along with a striker and a centre-back.

However, a recent claim by Sky Sports indicated that a move for Lingard was looking increasingly unlikely, with the player in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans.

Matheus Pereira was also taken off the table as an alternative target after his move to Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal.

The Latest: ExWHUemployee drops exciting Lingard update…

As per ExWHUemployee, there is now some real hope for the Hammers after all when it comes to signing Lingard on from the Red Devils before August 31.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-gossip/” title=”West Ham latest gossip…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

It appears that the 28-year-old has pulled a U-turn on his West Ham stance and is ‘a lot more open’ to a London Stadium return. The player’s entourage are also said to be ‘making these feelings known’ to Manchester United, with Lingard’s future having not been assured.

West Ham are also expected to launch a bid for the attacker over these coming days and there is ‘renewed optimism’ that a deal could actually happen.

The Verdict: Very much needed…

It has been an arduous and at times painful summer for West Ham supporters given their lack of transfer business so far. Just over two weeks of the transfer window remain until the deadline and Moyes has still yet to see a major new outfield signing come through the door.

West Ham have only snapped up goalkeeper Alphonse Areola on a season-long loan deal from Paris-Saint Germain, so this update on Lingard should come as an exciting one for the Hammers faithful.

It provides fresh hope that Moyes could land one of his major targets after all and there could be many Irons supporters hoping that the ‘sensational’ player, as described by Nigel Winterburn (The Sun), finally signs on the dotted line.

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Staggering’, ‘Cannot write this’… many West Ham fans erupt as news confirmed, find out more here.

Manchester United have held talks with former Roma boss Rudi Garcia over becoming their interim manager, according to journalist Andy Mitten.

What’s the story?

In a live interview on Sky Sports, the United We Stand editor revealed that the Old Trafford hierarchy have ‘spoken’ to the 57-year-old as the search for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s successor gathers pace.

Mitten said: “He’s spoken to Manchester United, that’s what I can tell you. So, he’d absolutely be interested in the interim manager’s job. He did well at Roma; he took over there when they’d been finishing seventh and eighth, took them to second twice.

“People told him that he was going to have problems with the big-name players, Francesco Totti and (Daniele) De Rossi; they were on side with him within weeks.

“He brings young players through, and he can be a controversial character, a divisive character, but he likes attacking football, and he’s gone into big clubs who have not been doing well.”

Man Utd fans will be concerned

News that Garcia is in talks to take over the reins in the red half of Manchester will leave large sections of the club’s fanbase with serious concerns.

The Frenchman masterminded a famous domestic double when he was in charge of Lille back in 2010/11, guiding a star-studded side including Eden Hazard, Yohan Cabaye and Gervinho to the Ligue 1 title and French Cup.

However, Garcia has failed to collect any silverware since, taking charge of Marseille, Lyon and Roma without any major success of note.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-manchester-united-news-manager-solskjaer-pochettino-enrique-rodgers-psg” title=”Check out the latest Man United manager news!”]

He did guide Les Gones to the Champions League semi-final back in 2020, though, overseeing Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the quarter-final stage in a game that highlighted his tactical nouse.

Garcia joins the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Brendan Rodgers and Ernesto Valverde to be heavily linked with replacing Solskjaer, but he’s unlikely to be a popular choice amongst supporters due to a lack of major honours under his belt.

Whether the Glazers make a formal offer for the experienced tactician remains to be seen, although recent reports have suggested Michael Carrick could be set for an extended spell in the dugout.

And, in other news…Man United source drops huge manager update that’ll surely leave fans fuming

Carlton Palmer has exclusively told Football FanCast that Sheffield Wednesday would enhance their promotion chances significantly by keeping Barry Bannan and Josh Windass at the club.

The Owls suffered relegation from the Championship last season but Darren Moore, who was appointed as manager in March, will be aiming to seal an immediate return to the second tier.

While a host of players have left Hillsborough since suffering the drop, Wednesday still have stars Bannan and Windass on their books little more than a week ahead of the League One campaign getting underway.

The duo have been linked with a quickfire return to the Championship during the transfer window but Moore is certain the Owls will be able to retain their services.

Windass has been on the radar of Millwall, Queens Park Rangers and Birmingham City.

Ex-Wednesday midfielder Palmer believes keeping Bannan and Windass could be the difference between a Championship return and another campaign in League One.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “The salaries they are on may work in Sheffield Wednesday’s favour because even though they’ve got relegated, they’re on big salaries for the Championship.

“Even though they might want to move on, they won’t want to move on and take a cut in salary.

“If they can keep those two players, that would be good for Wednesday.”