All posts by z3u9t.icu

So far in the January transfer window, Wolves have made just one new addition, bringing in Japanese midfielder Hayao Kawabe from Swiss Super League side Grasshopper Club Zurich.

However, with Wolves’ official website stating that the player is expected to return to Switzerland on loan to complete the season with Grasshoppers after spending January in England, it could be worth signing another player who will actually spend the remainder of the current campaign in Bruno Lage’s squad.

With that in mind, one player that Wolves could sign who would not only be unlikely to be loaned back out upon arrival at Molineux but also have a great chance of playing regularly in the team is Renato Sanches.

Having been linked with a move for the Lille midfielder during last summer’s transfer window, this month could give Wolves a great chance of finally securing the 24-year-old.

Since joining Lille back in 2019 from Bayern Munich, the Portuguese maestro has made 76 appearances for the French club across all competitions, scoring six goals and providing six assists in the process.

Imagine him and Neves

Described as a player who has “got a lot of character” by BBC pundit Jermaine Jenas, Sanches has shown what a quality midfield player he can be, averaging 1.4 key passes per game in Ligue 1 this season. That is higher than any other Lille player and also exceeds every Wolves player in 2021/22 except Raul Jimenez, who is tied with him on 1.4 but with a much lower passing completion rate according to WhoScored.

This shows that the £27m-rated Portugal gem could provide a big boost for Wolves, particularly in an attacking regard, with only rock-bottom Norwich City having scored fewer goals than Lage’s side in the Premier League this season. Imagine him alongside compatriot Ruben Neves, who is the only Wolves player other than Jimenez to have both scored a goal and provided an assist in the league this season, and how that could greatly bolster the Old Gold’s attacking threat.

Moving forward, Wolves should definitely make another approach to Lille before the end of the month to see if they would be willing to negotiate a deal for Sanches this month or even in next summer’s transfer window.

In other news: Shi could secure the next Jimenez at Wolves with swoop for “quality” £49k-p/w beast – opinion

Crystal Palace shared a picture of Will Hughes in action ahead of the trip to Manchester United this weekend.

And a number of Palace fans have been giving their thoughts to the official club post regarding the £60,000-a-week midfielder

Hughes was brought in over the summer from Watford in a deal worth £6m, however, he’s had to remain extremely patient for a chance under Patrick Vieira.

The 26-year-old has been on the bench for eight Premier League games but finally made his Eagles debut against Leeds United in the week.

The central midfielder replaced Jeffrey Schlupp for the final 10 minutes at Elland Road as Palace conceded in stoppage time to suffer back-to-back defeats under Vieira for the first time.

Palace fans react

Palace posted a picture of Hughes in action on Twitter on Thursday evening, with some fans wanting to see the midfielder feature at Old Trafford this weekend. Here are what some fans had to say in reply…

“Santa came just in time for Christmas”

Credit: @cpfctristan

“For £5mil hopefully bargain if the season”

Credit: @keithwhitfieldk

“Hughes was a big positive for us in that last match. Hopefully starts Sunday”

Credit: @R41n4llTh3T1m3

“Looked promising & a great option with Macca out. Ran hard, worked hard & made a difference. In short time on pitch put in best corner that have seen in ages.”

Credit: @HC15OnTour

“Needs more game time I think. Could be a key part of the team while McArthur’s out”

Credit: @kade_bladeSE25

“Beautiful man”

Credit: @CPFCMax9

In other news: Many Palace fans slammed this ‘droppable’ ace vs Leeds. 

According to Tottenham Hotspur sources, speaking to Football Insider, a major update has emerged on their pursuit of Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing Rudiger…

Tottenham have been linked with a move for the potential 2022 free agent as transfer chief Fabio Paratici reportedly eyes ‘quality players’ at ‘zero cost’ for manager Antonio Conte (Mundo Deportivo, via Sport Witness).

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The Germany international has been attracting many suitors following a very impressive 2021, with pundit Rio Ferdinand calling him ‘animal’ and comparing him to Manchester City superstar defender Ruben Dias following his rejuvenation under Thomas Tuchel (FIVE, via The Mirror).

Sharing an update on Spurs’ chase, Football Insider have some news on the transfer pursuit.

The Latest: Paratici backed by Levy…

As per their information, Paratici is said to be trying to ‘force an agreement’ for Rudiger in January ahead of the player joining Spurs next summer.

He is also being backed by chairman Daniel Levy, who is willing to offer the 28-year-old ‘huge’ wages to convince him to join the north Londoners.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Out of all of Tottenham’s centre-back targets, we believe Rudiger stands out above the rest, with him being the right age, quality and the fact that he can move for free.

Speaking to Amazon Prime (via Metro), John Barnes called the defender ‘sensational’, and an upgrade on his £100,000-per-week wages is the very least that Spurs can offer.

The towering colossus could inject real quality into Tottenham’s starting XI for zero cost and provide Conte with another option as he aims to oversee a new era and a Lilywhites revival.

In other news: £135,000-per-week ace now eyeing move to Spurs, Conte called him ‘fantastic’…find out more here.

Liverpool were unbeaten in all competitions the last time they had a game in the Champions League. Since then, they’ve only lost to West Ham but made up for it in an incredible performance that saw the side score four goals against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.

The Reds remain unbeaten and at the very top of the tree in their Champions League group, with the maximum 12 points and seven points clear of second-place Porto, who coincidentally are their opponents on Wednesday evening.

This unbeaten run in Europe has put Liverpool through to the last sixteen, and for this reason, we expect a much different side to the starting eleven we saw against Arsenal on Saturday evening.

Jurgen Klopp confirmed in his press conference that we would see changes in tonight’s game;

“We always respect the competition but we have to think about ourselves, our schedule and the situation of our players first,”

With that in mind, here is Football Fancast’s predicted XI for Liverpool vs Porto…

With seven changes to the starting line up, we predict that Liverpool will bring in many players that we only see in domestic cup tournaments, but Klopp will leave an element of first-team experience in each line of play, with Joel Matip, James Milner and Diogo Jota all starting.

The changes will see fan favourites like Sadio Mane, Virgil Van Dijk and Mo Salah axed from the line up, in an attempt to give them a rest before an important Premier League game against Southampton at the weekend, where Klopp’s side will look for an opportunity to close the gap on Chelsea and Manchester City.

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Taki Minamino will take the place of Mane, and will be hoping to have further impact on Liverpool’s season after he scored the fourth goal of the game against Arsenal at the weekend.

We expect to see some young players get minutes as well this evening, with Ibrahima Konate, 19-year-old Tyler Morton and Neco Williams predicted to join the side. All three will be hoping to make an impact to impress their German coach in the game.

Klopp will certainly not go into this game with the mentality of allowing a loss, so it is likely we could see him strengthen the side with more experienced players like Trent Alexander Arnold or Jordan Henderson in the second half, but only if the starting team is getting eaten alive by a Porto side who are in need of a win to push Atletico Madrid and AC Milan further away from qualification.

In other news: Liverpool must secure new deal for Sadio Mane

Said Benrahama was a complete non-factor as West Ham United picked up back-to-back defeats in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Irons were well-beaten by defending champions Manchester City in what was a treacherous top-flight affair at the Etihad Stadium, with midfield duo Ilkay Gundogun and Fernandinho on target for the home side.

Second-half substitute Manuel Lanzini notched a late consolation goal for the Hammers in the snow-hit encounter, though it left David Moyes’ men in fourth place but now cut five points adrift of the top three.

The Scot named an interesting line-up, with Arthur Masuaku starting over Jarrod Bown in the attack – rather than in a back-five – and it simply didn’t pay off as Benrahma struggled in the no.10 role.

His afternoon was summed up by his measly 22 touches, which was the fewest of any starter on the pitch for either side. West Ham shot-stopper Lukasz Fabianski managed 37 touches, by comparison. Even Lanzini matched this number and the Argentine replaced him on the hour mark, playing half the time.

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That’s the last thing you’d want from your playmaking talent in the heart of midfield, so it’s no wonder that Michail Antonio couldn’t muster up anything and why the £22.5m-rated Algerian was withdrawn prematurely, even if that was due to an injury worry.

In what was a completely anonymous showing, Benrahma also managed just eight passes all game, also recording a 67% accuracy, which again was the worst of any player to feature from the off.

Elsewhere, none of his three crosses and set-piece attempts found an Irons player, whilst he won just two of six duels (33.3%) and was dribbled past on two occasions, per SofaScore.

‘Saw little of the ball and found it hard to get into the game,’ is how football.london reporter Tom Clark described the 26-year-old, having witnessed him first-hand today.

All in all, it was an absolutely disastrous showing from Benrahma, making it eight league games without scoring, in which he has assisted just one goal, via Transfermarkt.

As such, he badly failed Moyes up in Manchester.

AND in other news, West Ham handed January transfer boost over “real force” targeted by Moyes…

Rangers came from behind to beat St. Mirren 2-1 on Sunday as they reclaimed their place at the top of the table from Hearts.

Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe scored within two minutes of each other towards the end of the first half after Connor Ronan’s wonder strike had given the hosts the lead.

Despite the positive result and performance, one player who did let Steven Gerrard down badly was left-back Borna Barisic as he struggled throughout the match.

He was unable to show off the best of his abilities at either end of the pitch as he was lacking defensively and offensively for the Gers.

Defending his own goal, Barisic was a lightweight. Per SofaScore, he lost six of his eight duels (75%) and was dribbled past twice by a St Mirren player. He did make three clearances and two tackles, but they do not make up for his lack of strength in individual battles or the ease at which players were able to take the ball past him when dribbling.

Offensively, he was not his usual self either. Via SofaScore, he lost possession of the ball a whopping 20 times throughout the game. He also failed with seven of his nine attempted crosses, five of his eight attempted long balls and only completed 73% of his passes from left-back.

This suggests that he was a yard off the pace in possession as he was unable to impose his quality on the game, with St Mirren seemingly able to deal with the majority of his attempts to open them up.

Last season, Barisic averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.40 in the Premiership. He won 59% of his duels over the course of the campaign and created 2.2 chances per game, providing six assists overall. His failure in his individual battles on Sunday particularly stand out in comparison to how he fared last term, winning 25% on this occasion.

Therefore, he let Gerrard down badly as he did not show his best self against the Saints. Rangers may have won the game by a more comfortable scoreline had the Croatian been able to put in a strong performance, although it is impossible to say with certainty. Hopefully, he will now get his head down in training and ensure that he is able to bounce back as quickly as possible.

AND in other news, Forget Roofe & Morelos: Rangers beast with 82% duels won was immense vs St Mirren…

Celtic reporter Kieran Devlin has responded to a question regarding summer signing Liam Scales during a Q&A for The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Scales’ struggles

Scales was one of 12 summer arrivals at Parkhead, joining from Shamrock Rovers for £540,000, a club that Dermot Desmond has a 25% stake in.

Labelled as a ‘quick’ player, Scales has failed to force his way into Ange Postecoglou’s side this season so far, making just two appearances from the bench.

And it now appears as if there was another reason why he swapped Ireland for Scotland.

The Latest: Devlin’s response

Devlin ran a Q&A on The Athletic prior to a 3-1 win over Hibernian on Wednesday.

One fan asked Devlin if Scales was bought by Desmond purely to balance the books over at Shamrock Rovers.

This is what Devlin had to say in reply…

“That has been alleged by some quarters, yes.”

The Verdict: Worrying

The 23-year-old isn’t the only recent arrival who has struggled at Parkhead.

The likes of Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide are reportedly fighting for their futures in Glasgow, with the pair yet to make an appearance, so one would have to point first to poor recruitment rather than a corrupted decision by Desmond.

At least Scales has featured in some capacity, but if it is true that Desmond signed the youngster with one eye on Shamrock’s finances, it is an extremely worrying sign for his decision-making in Glasgow.

In other news: Lost the ball 48 times, 28 duels lost, 0 shots on goal: Celtic’s terrible trio despite Hibs win. 

Aston Villa defender Kortney Hause has been included in EA Sports’ FIFA 22 Team of the Week for his performance against Manchester United last weekend.

Villa shared the news on Wednesday evening via their official Twitter channel, which led to a number of fans giving their positive thoughts on social media.

The 26-year-old marked his 50th Villa appearance with a late winner at Old Trafford, heading to the net from Douglas Luiz’s corner.

Hause’s man of the match display against United earned him a place in the FIFA 22 Team of the Week, with Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus and Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe the other Premier League inclusions.

The centre-back now has an in-form card rated at 81, six higher than his 75 base card which is available to find in packs for a week.

Villa fans react

Aston Villa posted Hause’s card on their official Twitter channel on Wednesday evening. Here is what these Villa fans had to say in reply regarding the £25,000-a-week defender, with many happy over the recognition from EA Sports.

“Omg yes in my villa team utv!!!!”

Credit: @undead_villian

“Get in!!! UTV”

Credit: @chipelibiza

“Siuuuu”

Credit: @AlexLeeXXI

“No one deserves it more! Get in there @Kortney_30”

Credit: @Villa4LifeAlex

“Well deserved”

Credit: @Lingwo0147

“My CB”

Credit: @h3_n7

In other news: ‘Believe it or not’ – Preece shares worrying under-the-radar update on Villa ace who Smith loves. 

Tottenham Hotspur spoiled Newcastle United’s takeover party at St James’ Park with a 3-2 victory on Sunday evening.

Nuno Santo’s side moved into fifth place, just four points away from league leaders Chelsea with the win, whilst the Magpies remained within touching distance of the bottom spot.

After falling behind to an early Callum Wilson opener, the Lilywhites quickly turned the game around before the break, thanks to goals from Tanguy Ndombele, Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

All three played a substantial role in Spurs picking up a valuable three points but it was perhaps Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s influence in the heart of midfield that allowed the trio to dominate in the attack.

The great Dane was an absolute powerhouse in the engine room and much of the visitor’s play led through him, at both ends of the pitch, too.

As per SofaScore, the £36m-rated beast was graded as Spurs’ joint highest-rated player alongside Kane (8.0), whilst he enjoyed more touches (118) than any other player to feature for either side.

That only goes to show how influential he was on the ball and this correlated into an impressive 96% passing accuracy from 99 attempts, in which one was even a key chance.

The 26-year-old enforcer also registered a match-high eight tackles, helping thwart the main threat of the Magpies in Joe Willock. By comparison, Nuno’s whole back four managed just one more combined than Hojbjerg’s overall total.

It’s no wonder he has been lauded as a “monster” by former Denmark and Derby County midfielder Morten Bisgaard to The Athletic.

Hojbjerg was also rated favourably by the local press, with both the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick and football.london’s Alasdair Gold praising his performance in their respective post-game columns.

It’s also worth mentioning that it was his perfectly-timed through-ball that allowed Kane to score his first Premier League goal and it is also worth commending the presence of Oliver Skipp, who has allowed the former Saints captain to trundle forward without a worry in the world.

All in all, the Denmark international absolutely ran the show for Spurs and Nuno must be grateful as his side made it two wins from two.

AND in other news, Spurs could sign their next Ossie Ardiles in “exceptional” £18m-rated dynamo…

As per reliable Tottenham Hotspur journalist Jonathan Veal, sharing more news on superstar Son Heung-min, Nuno Espirito Santo has been handed a big blow before his side’s return against Crystal Palace this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Spurs’ international nightmare…

It’s safe to say the last international break was one of the worst for Tottenham in recent memory.

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After a 100 per cent winning start in the Premier League, new Spurs head coach Nuno has had to cope with a plethora of issues involving players who represented their countries.

Son Heung-min, Steven Bergwijn, Ryan Sessegnon and Skipp have been at the centre of doubts over their availability to face Palace on Saturday, while Cristian Romero, Giovani Lo Celso and Davinson Sanchez remain in Croatia after their South American fiascos (football.london).

In a blow for Spurs, Veal has now relayed some more news involving Son before Palace.

The Latest: Son ‘set to miss Palace’…

After Nuno’s pre-match press conference, where the Portuguese explained Son ‘is not so well’, Veal has now relayed news on the South Korea star.

Summing up the latest on him for supporters, Veal explains that the 29-year-old looks nailed on to miss the the trip to Selhurst Park this afternoon.

“Son looks set to miss Palace game with the injury he picked up on international duty,” Veal explained on Twitter.

“Will be assessed by medical staff before prognosis announced.”

The Verdict: Big blow…

While Spurs are arguably capable of getting the job done without him, the evidence is clear when stating he will be a big miss for Nuno and the Lilywhites.

Named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year last season, Son also finished 2020/2021 as Tottenham’s second-most prolific player in terms of goals and assists combined (WhoScored).

Former Spurs midfielder Michael Brown lauded the attacker as ‘unplayable’ on his day last year, with Nuno now sweating on just how serious the knock will be.

In other news: Nuno could now hand ‘relentless’ starlet his first nod for Spurs after injury blows, find out more here.