All posts by z3u9t.icu

Everton have struggled to score goals throughout their latest Premier League campaign in comparison to other teams in the bottom half of the table.

With 30 league games under their belt, the Toffees have only been able to find the net 33 times.

One figure who hasn’t been particularly helpful in terms of scoring goals for Frank Lampard’s team is Salomon Rondon. Having made 15 appearances in the league, the Venezuelan has scored just once, which came during their 3-1 defeat against Crystal Palace back in December.

Looking ahead to the upcoming summer transfer window, it seems as though the Toffees are looking at bringing in another attacking player who could push the 32-year-old out the door.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, the Merseyside club are eyeing up a summer move for Benfica attacker Everton Soares.

With a total of 272 appearances under his belt for Benfica and his previous club Gremio, the Brazilian has scored 62 goals and provided 35 assists in the process. This shows just how capable the 26-year-old is of scoring and setting up goals, something that Lampard’s side have often lacked this season.

To highlight what a deadly attacking figure he has been for his side in the Portuguese league this term, only three other Benfica players have racked up more shots at goal than Everton (34), who also has the third-highest number of crosses in the squad (58).

The Brazil international has also shown how useful he can be off the ball for his team by making 20 tackles in total throughout the campaign.

Labelled an “exceptional” player by Marcelo Paz, the £37k-per-week talent could be just what the Merseyside club needs in order to become a deadlier attacking team than they have been this season.

Despite predominantly being a wide player, adding the Benfica star to Lampard’s squad could give the likes of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin the chance to play up front together, which could then push Rondon out of the club.

Having been described as being “desperate” to score goals for the Toffees by Noel Whelan, the Venezuelan should not be in Lampard’s plans for next season given his lack of goals during a difficult campaign for him and the club.

In other news: Everton must launch move for “outstanding” 25-year-old “Wolverine” as insider claim emerges

Nuno Santo must recall Tottenham Hotspur’s August ‘Fan Player of the Month’ to his starting XI tonight as he heads back to his old stomping ground in the Carabao Cup.

Japhet Tanganga is available for selection against Wolverhampton Wanderers after serving his one-game suspension at the weekend.

The versatile 22-year-old academy gem was sent off for his two bookings against Crystal Palace over a week ago but considering his form this campaign, it would be foolish to punish him further and as such, he must be in the line-up this evening.

These two sides met at Molineux just a month ago, with Spurs coming out on top in a 1-0 victory and Tanganga played a starring role in keeping Wolves’ tricky frontline quiet.

In fact, he had quite the afternoon against the explosive force that is Adama Traore, who could well feature again today.

The Spanish winger is one of the most feared in his role in the Premier League – indeed, his 8.02 WhoScored rating is the highest in the division right now and he’s averaged a whopping 9.8 dribbles per outing, more than double any other player in the top-flight.

He is clearly Bruno Lage’s biggest threat and after Tanganga silenced him last month, he should be given another go at repeating such a feat.

As per SofaScore, the 6-foot beast recorded a match-high seven clearances and was very solid in other defensive aspects as he managed two interceptions and two blocks, too.

Tanganga began the season at right-back, which led to Spurs recording three straight clean sheets and whilst he’s a centre-back by trade, it’s evident that his best performances have come out wide.

After the win over Manchester City on the opening day, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville waxed lyrical about the Hotspur Way graduate.

“He handled Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish in that channel, with Sanchez and Højbjerg, brilliantly. I couldn’t have done that on my own 20 years ago – and I was a good full-back, played for Manchester United, played for England. But what that kid did out there today was really special from a one-on-one defending point of view.

“So I’m going to give credit to Tanganga today because he did something out on that pitch that I thought was really special, which was play one-on-one against, sometimes, two players who are exceptional going against players, dribbling against players, and he stuck at it and that’s why he won Man of the Match. Moura could have had it, but it was Tanganga because of that.”

It’s that sort of performance that will be required to stop the brute that is Traore and having done it against the aforementioned City duo, as well as the Wolves star himself, it would make the world of sense to unleash Tanganga tonight.

The £13m-rated gem, who earns a reported £25k-per-week in N17, must be in that starting XI come kick-off.

AND in other news, Paratici could solve Nuno’s major Spurs issue with “extraordinary” £43m-rated maestro…

An update has emerged on Sunderland target Daniel Jebbison…

What’s the talk?

According to the Sheffield Star, Sunderland have been put off by Sheffield United’s loan fee demands for the 18-year-old striker.

The report claims that the Black Cats have held talks over a swoop for the forward, but they are baulking at the Championship’s side £1m loan fee that they want in exchange to send him out on loan.

Fans will be livid

Sunderland fans will be livid with this news as it seems to all but rule out a deal for Jebbison before the end of the window, unless Sheffield United decide to lower their demands.

A £1m loan fee for a player with four senior league appearances for his name is steep, as there is no solid evidence to suggest that he will be a star player in League One.

Transfermarkt value him at a little less, around £900k, for example.

That is not to say he does not have the potential to be, but Sunderland would surely want a degree of certainty about what they are getting if they are shelling out seven figures to have a player for less than a year.

Therefore, the club’s stance on this move is understandable. It has the possibility of being a waste of money, which may be why they are not interested in meeting United’s demands for the player.

This will not stop fans from being gutted that Jebbison may not be coming to the Stadium of Light, though, as he is a talented young player.

Ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards hailed Jebbison as the shining light in Sheffield United’s squad as they were relegated from the Premier League. He told Sky Sports (via the Examiner):

“I really like the look of him. He just gets in the right areas, and they needed that with all the negativity that’s gone on at the club.

“You want to bounce back straight away, and you want to go to the end of the season with positivity.

“They’re playing for pride, and he’s the shining light.”

He scored one goal in four Premier League appearances for Sheffield United at the backend of last season, winning 1.3 aerial battles and 1.5 tackles per game.

This is an impressive return for an 18-year-old striker and suggests that he could have the quality to make an impact in League One, which is why fans would be excited to see him come through the door.

However, you have to consider the financial element that comes along with it and – as it stands – the deal would be too much of a gamble for it to make sense for Kristjaan Speakman and Lee Johnson to pull the trigger.

So, the fans will be livid but it looks to be the correct decision on paper.

AND in other news, Forget Stewart: £3.6k-p/w SAFC beast who won 87% of duels stole the show vs MK Dons…

West Ham fans will love the latest claim from ExWHUemployee this week…

What’s the word?

Reports had surfaced suggesting that Irons midfielder Declan Rice was keen to insert a release clause as part of any new contract at the London Stadium as he prepares for this current campaign to be his last at the club.

However, the ever-reliable insider has poured cold water on such claims in a recent update on ‘The West Ham Way’ Patreon site.

“Despite many rumours and reports from various outlets, as covered on the podcast, Declan Rice has not been in talks over a new contract recently!” he said.

“Therefore, he has not requested a release clause and any reports of this are simply false. The situation remains as it has been for a while, now that transfer season is over, unfortunately, stories like this will emerge so that there are things to talk about regardless of facts.”

A sense of relief?

This will come as encouraging news for many around east London as it means that Rice won’t currently be getting a release clause within any new deal – something that would make it easier for him to leave, should any club pay the right fee.

Manchester United are one team eyeing up a move for the England international next summer, according to ESPN, so the interest will certainly be there.

Rice currently earns around £60k-per-week, which isn’t even among the club’s highest earners, with summer signing Kurt Zouma thought to be on £125k-per-week and fringe forward Andriy Yarmolenko on a reported £115k-per-week, too.

Back in July, the Telegraph reported that the 22-year-old had rejected two new contract offers from the club but ultimately, he’s tied down until the summer of 2024, so he’s somewhat powerless for the time being.

And this is why the Irons faithful should be absolutely buzzing by this latest claim from Ex.

It means Rice is unlikely to leave the club anytime soon, and that’s a major positive as he’s a crucial part of David Moyes’ squad and to their success. He will also be a big influence in the Europa League this season.

He’s currently ranked as the Hammers’ third-best player (7.64), as per WhoScored ratings, where he tops the charts for interceptions (2.3) and dribbles (three) per game, as well as managing a squad-high 94.9% passing accuracy, even despite registering the joint-most number of passes per game.

That goes to show just how important he is to this side and also proves why Moyes and the fans need him to stick around for the foreseeable future.

Many supporters can now breathe a sigh of relief.

AND in other news, West Ham “monster” sees value crash by 48.5% under Moyes, Sullivan won’t be impressed…

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 are the latest team to be linked with a move for Ismaila Sarr this month…

What’s the word?

According to Eurosport, Spurs have registered an interest in the Watford sensation and will now look into his availability ahead of the transfer window’s deadline on August 31st.

Sources have indicated that the 23-year-old is not for sale, with his value expected to be north of £50m.

Over the past few windows, he has attracted the attention from the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United, though the Hornets will fight to keep hold of their impressive winger.

Traore 2.0

Spurs’ mooted interest in Sarr comes as a surprise but he fits the mould of the sort of wide man that manager Nuno Santo absolutely loves. You only have to look at the transformation of Adama Traore at Molineux to see that.

And whilst the Spaniard is built like a brick wall in comparison to the Watford star, there are plenty more similarities that could hint towards him being an ideal fit under the Lilywhites head coach.

Liverpool’s Sadio Mane waxed lyrical about his compatriot, describing him as “rapid” to The Athletic in the summer of 2019. “I think defenders will struggle,” he added.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-team-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, gossip and much more!”]

“Last time I was speaking to Robbo (Andy Robertson) I said, ‘Watford have a really good player. I will need to help you more otherwise Ismaila Sarr will kill you, because he is a good dribbler and very, very fast.

“He has a very big facility to win penalties. So I will be telling the Liverpool defenders to take care because he is very quick and can change the game by winning penalties because he is a very clever player. This is one of his strengths.”

Explosive speed and acceleration is certainly an attribute that Nuno reaped the rewards from with Traore over the past few seasons.

Sarr enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in North London last season, registering a career-high 13 goals and four assists as Watford won promotion from the Championship.

It’s widely believed that Spurs are seeking some creativity in attack and that’s what the Senegal international could bring in abundance. He averaged 2.2 shots, 1.1 key passes and 3.9 crossing attempts per 90 minutes, via WhoScored, which suggests that he would fit the criteria the club is clearly looking for.

Furthermore, Sarr’s former teammate Abdoulaye Doucoure, who is now at Everton, has previously tipped him to achieve on the biggest stage, claiming to talkSPORT:

“I’ve told him as a joke that he’s a Champions League player, but I really think it’s because I know he has exceptional qualities. He’s not just quick, he’s incredible at finishing, he can find space, keep the ball and I hope he’ll go very far.”

On the above evidence, Nuno could turn to Sarr to be his new game-changer from the right-flank and just like his former star Traore, he has the capability to play a little deeper as an attacking wing-back.

The Portuguese would surely love to seal a move for the £18m-rated speed demon.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Ndombele: Spurs must sign £12m-rated “great talent” who’s “similar” to Eriksen…

West Ham United could find another Tomas Soucek in Hans Vanaken in the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to Belgian outlet Voetbal24, the Irons are amongst the leading candidates to sign the Club Brugge midfielder, having held a long-term interest in signing him.

Back in the summer of 2020, the east Londoners reportedly saw a £13m bid rejected for him, via Sky Sports, with the Jupiler Pro League outfit demanding more. Almost 18 months on, it remains to be seen what sort of price tag he would command.

Transfermarkt currently value the Belgium international at a slightly higher price of £14.4m.

Shades of Soucek

The attacking midfielder, who stands at a whopping 6 foot 5 inches, has all the hallmarks to be another Soucek for David Moyes at the London Stadium, as the similarities go behind their position and towering physical presence.

Vanaken is capable of providing plenty of goals from the engine room, too, having scored eight times and provided five assists in 25 appearances this term, thus taking his goal total tally to 94 for the Belgian giants.

That includes valuable strikes against the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Impressive.

As we know with Soucek, he is one of Moyes’ major goal threats aside from players like Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen. Indeed, he shared the club’s top scorer award with the 31-year-old talisman in the Premier League last season.

Interestingly, Vanaken is equally adept with the ball at his feet despite his tall and thin stature.

“The special thing about Hans is that he has the footwork of a player of 1m 70. You can say that it is not nice to watch, that he is a bit slow, but he has an extraordinary intelligence,” claimed former teammate Onur Kaya to Sport Voetbal Magazine. “To be honest, I think he is stronger than a Dele Alli at Tottenham. He’s skinnier and less pretty to look at, but for me, he has his place at 16 of the 20 Premier League clubs.”

Meanwhile, journalist Peter Vandenbempt once claimed that “Vanaken gets better every year. He has everything Club Brugge wants: vision, technique, the right mentality and scoring ability.”

The Club Brugge colossus could be a shrewd addition for Moyes, in which he could find another Soucek-like presence to help dominate Premier League midfields and defences into the second half of the current campaign.

Vanaken could well be the next goalscoring midfielder to grace the London Stadium, should Rob Newman and co seal his signature this time around.

AND in other news, West Ham fans will love “unbelievable” Irons star’s 5-word hint after latest Moyes snub…

Celtic have had a number of successful academy graduates make their way through to the first team at Parkhead over the years.

Callum McGregor and James Forrest are two great examples of players who have been able to rise through the ranks and establish themselves as key stars for the Hoops at senior level.

However, some talented prospects can slip through the cracks and that is what happened with left-back Aaron Hickey in Glasgow. He was brought to the club from Hearts in 2017 and did not make a single first-team outing as a teenager before Brendan Rodgers sanctioned his exit back to Tynecastle for nothing in the summer of 2018.

Two years later, Italian side Bologna snapped him up from the Scottish side and he is now attracting interest from England.

Fabrizio Romano recently reported that Premier League side Newcastle United are eyeing up a deal worth up to £20m for the youngster, which means his value has risen astronomically in the space of around four years. The Magpies are looking to snap him up this summer after watching him catch the eye in Italy this season.

In the Serie A, he has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 6.89 across 27 appearances. He has been able to showcase his attacking flair from full-back with four goals and one assist, whilst creating 0.5 chances per game.

Defensively, he has been solid throughout the campaign. Hickey has averaged 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game and has only been dribbled past 0.3 times per match, winning 60% of his overall duels in the Italian top-flight. This shows that he is a strong defender who also offers quality in possession, which makes him a modern-day full-back who can make an impact at both ends of the pitch.

At the age of 19, he also has the potential to improve further. He is in the infancy of his professional career and has plenty of time to develop further and progress as a left-back. If he is able to continue growing and raising his standards on the pitch then that £20m may start to look like a bargain and Celtic could rue their decision even more as time passes.

His former manager Daniel Stendl previously labelled him as an “extraordinary talent” and the youngster’s statistics in the Serie A at such a young age back that up. 

Hickey’s form since leaving Celtic and his immense potential as a player prove that Rodgers made a huge blunder by not offering him a route to the first-team and allowing him to leave fo nothing. He slipped through the now-Leicester boss’ clutches and the Hoops will surely be wondering what could have been, as they look set to watch him seal a potential mega-money move this summer.

AND in other news, £3m wasted: Celtic had a shocker on £7.9k-p/w “loner” who rinsed Desmond for 129 weeks…

Aston Villa have been handed a potential blow in their bid to bring Harry Souttar to Villa Park in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Alan Nixon’s report for The Sun, with the journalist claiming that Everton are ready to step up their interest in the Stoke City centre-back after watching him in action for the Potters last week.

Further reports have revealed that both Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur are also keeping a close eye on the situation of the defender ahead of the winter market, however, it would now appear that the Toffees are leading the race for the 23-year-old.

Lange must act

While it is undeniable that Dean Smith already possesses rather impressive depth in the heart of his defence, with all four of Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa, Kortney Hause and Axel Tuanzebe being incredibly strong options for the 50-year-old to be able to call upon, Tuanzebe’s likely return to Manchester United following the completion of his loan spell at Villa Park means that Johan Lange is correct to be planning ahead for the position.

And, considering just how impressive Souttar has been for Stoke so far this season, making a move for the defender in January, as well as before Everton manage to secure a deal for the youngster, would appear to be a very wise move by the Aston Villa director of football.

Indeed, over his 13 Championship appearances, the £3.6m-rated man has helped his side keep three clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.9 interceptions, two tackles, 5.8 clearances and winning a whopping 7.2 duels per game.

These returns have seen the player who Joey Barton dubbed “exemplary” average a SofaScore match rating of 7.19, ranking him as Michael O’Neill’s third-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, it would very much appear as if the £5.2k-per-week Souttar boasts the ability to make an immediate impact within the Aston Villa first team, as well as being a player who will only improve with time and experience of playing at a higher level.

So, it would indeed appear a wise move for Lange to do all he can to beat the Toffees to the 23-year-old’s signing, or else Villa could find themselves lining up against the Australia international in the second half of the season.

In other news: Imagine him & Ings: Lange must seal AVFC deal for 4 G/A beast with “mindset of a lion”

West Brom could make centre-back Matt Clarke’s move to the Hawthorns permanent in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh rumour.

The Lowdown: Clarke shines for West Brom

The 25-year-old joined the Baggies on loan last summer, with permanent home Brighton deeming him surplus to requirements.

Clarke has been an important figure and rare silver lining in a frustrating season at the Hawthorns, starting 29 Championship matches and averaging 1.4 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game – he is the third highest-rated player in the squad and leads the way in the latter statistic.

It is unknown whether or not the Englishman will remain at West Brom after his loan spell but a new update suggests that could be the case.

The Latest: Key report emerges

According to The Express & Star, the Baggies are confident that Clarke’s temporary move will become permanent, with Steve Bruce now ‘set to hold talks’ with him.

It is stated that an overhaul will take place at the club and other defenders will leave, but he is seen as an important figure.

The Verdict: No-brainer for Baggies

Clarke has been a rare positive at West Brom this season, as they have fallen way short of the standards expected of them in August when many felt they were among the favourites for automatic promotion.

For that reason, it makes complete sense to sign the man hailed as ‘big, strong and aerially dominant’ by Brighton correspondent Richard Mills on a long-term deal in the summer, with his age meaning he should still have many years left at his peak.

It seems unlikely that Graham Potter sees Clarke as a key player for Brighton moving forward so this would surely be a transfer that suits all parties, exciting fans ahead of what is hopefully a far more successful campaign next term.

In other news, Steve Madeley has made a big West Brom claim. Read more here.