All posts by z3u9t.icu

Watford are considering a move to bring Robbie Brady to Vicarage Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Mirror (via Football League World), who claim that the Hornets could make a move for the Burnley midfielder in the coming weeks, as the 29-year-old is set to leave Turf Moor at the end of his current contract – which expires next month.

It is also reported that Crystal Palace and Southampton are keen on the Republic of Ireland international, as well as Scottish Premiership side Celtic.

Giaretta should not move

Having joined Burnley from Norwich City in what was a club record £13m deal back in 2017, it would be fair to say that Brady has not quite lived up his price tag over his four years with Sean Dyche’s side.

This season, the £33k-per-week left midfielder made 19 Premier League appearances for the Clarets, scoring one goal, registering one assist and creating two big chances, as well as taking an average of 0.8 shots and making just 12.8 passes per game.

These metrics saw the 29-year-old earn a disappointing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.66, ranking him as the club’s 13th-best performer in the top flight.

And, while the man Joe Dudgeon claimed has “something special” can also operate from left-back, a position in which Watford will be looking to strengthen this summer following the departure of Achraf Lazaar, his returns for Burnley, in addition to a quite frankly shocking injury record, would seem to indicate that a move for the midfielder would not be worthwhile for Cristiano Giaretta to get over the line in the coming weeks, even on a free transfer.

Indeed, when taking into account his hefty weekly wage, poor fitness history and disappointing performances, there would very much appear to be better a great many better options for the Watford sporting director to target this summer, as he looks to build a side capable of retaining their status in the top flight come the end of next season.

In other news: Transfer claim emerges on “immense” Watford-linked beast that’ll have Giaretta buzzing – opinion

Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side will make the short trip from north to west London this afternoon as they take on Brentford at the Brentford Community Stadium, looking to boost their top-four hopes with a victory.

The Italian’s outfit are currently fourth in the Premier League but have very close competition from arch-rivals Arsenal, who are behind on goal difference alone.

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

Spurs had been on a good run of four consecutive victories in the league before last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at home to Brighton.

Now, they’ll be looking to make amends for that loss by getting back to winning ways against the Bees.

However, after last weekend’s slip-up, Conte could be tempted to make changes to his side and axe some of those who let him down against the Seagulls, with left-wing-back Sergio Reguilon certainly a culprit.

On the chalkboard

Prior to Ryan Sessegnon’s hamstring injury, the Spaniard had lost his place in the side to the 21-year-old with the Englishman offering plenty of attacking flair in the final third.

The 25-year-old was left out of the starting lineup by Conte for six out of seven league matches between late January and early March, only coming back into the side when Sessegnon was withdrawn in the 5-0 victory over Everton.

Ironically, Reguilon did score in that match and has missed just one game since with a knock.

However, Sessegnon has since recovered from his injury and has been on the bench for Spurs’ last two matches. Whether Conte has kept the £68k-per-week Spaniard in the starting lineup for tactical reasons or concerns over the 21-year-old’s fitness is unknown.

What is known though, is that Reguilon is walking on a tightrope in terms of keeping his place in the side after coming back into the starting lineup last weekend for the injured Matt Doherty, who is now out for the season.

The Spaniard, who has made 25 Premier League appearances so far this term, averages just 24.3 accurate passes a match – at an accuracy of 79% – whilst winning just over half of his duels at 52% with 4.6 a game.

However, against Brighton last weekend, the wing-back was well below par for his standards.

The 25-year-old completed just 17 passes with an accuracy of 63% and couldn’t manage to complete a dribble, attempting just one.

Moreover, it was a timid performance defensively, offering 0 clearances, blocks or interceptions whilst making just one tackle. The only positive was a 70% duel win rate.

Speaking to Football Insider, Spurs insider John Wenham recently labelled the wing-back as “average” whilst also stating that “he’s the worst of the bunch.”

With Reguilon’s popularity amongst the Tottenham faithful at a low, now is the time for Conte to axe the Spaniard with the Italian unable to make mistakes if his side are to secure Champions League football for next season.

AND in other news: Conte must finally unleash “absolutely fantastic” Spurs sensation, he’s a “big talent”

Celtic are reportedly keen on the idea of signing up to a British Super League, according to The Sun.

They suggest that the Hoops and rivals Rangers are wanted as part of a British revamp, with plans set to be backed by FIFA, UEFA and the UK Government, a far cry from the backlash the European Super League proposal received from such bodies.

The report claims that Celtic ‘would jump at the chance’ to be involved, with a possible inclusion potentially leading to an increase in interest regarding the Hoops from fans, sponsors and broadcasters.

This comes days after the collapse of the proposed European Super League, which saw six English sides sign up to and then withdraw from the new competition in a matter of days.

Transfer Tavern take

Celtic owner Dermot Desmond hinted over the last 12 months that he’d be open to the idea of a British Premier League, citing Cardiff City and Swansea City’s current inclusion in the English pyramid – the main advantage for the Hoops potentially joining a British Super League would of course be financial.

Celtic picked up £3.35m when they won the Scottish Premiership in the 2019/20 season, whereas Norwich City took a total of £96.5m for finishing bottom in the Premier League the same year.

However, on the pitch, Celtic’s chances of regularly winning trophies and qualifying for Europe, as they do now in Scotland, could be affected.

It’s an interesting proposition, but like with the ESL, we can’t see anything materialising in the near future.

In other news: Fresh Celtic director of football candidate emerges, find out who it is here. 

The Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser has told Football FanCast that West Ham are prepared to sell Manuel Lanzini this summer if the price is right.

Lanzini flourished in his first three seasons with the Hammers having been signed when Slaven Bilic was manager, quickly becoming the heartbeat of their attack – contributing 35 goals during that period, with exactly 40 percent of those coming in 2017-2018.

Such was Lanzini’s blistering form for the Hammers, he was named in Argentina’s 23-man squad for the World Cup.

However, an ACL injury suffered in training not only ended his chances of playing in Russia but saw him miss almost the entire Premier League campaign in 2018-2019.

Lanzini has managed to remain fit for the previous two years but has slipped down the pecking order under David Moyes and made just five Premier League starts last season.

Reports from France believe that he could be on his way to Marseille this window, and Rosser told Football FanCast that Moyes would be willing to allow him to leave:

“Lanzini is another one who could potentially move on and free up some wages, although Moyes did really like him. Lanzini is an option that if a bid comes in, they would be happy to let him go.”

Derby County claimed their first win of the 2021/22 season with a 1-0 win over Real Betis, as their pre-season preparations continue under difficult circumstances.

In an encounter where the Rams imposed themselves on proceedings, the home fans were eventually sent home happy after young midfielder Max Bird curled home a beautiful winner four minutes from time to secure a win [The Sun].

Approaching the start of the Sky Bet Championship campaign, Derby will take on non-league Notts County on Sunday at 1pm as their last warm-up fixture of the summer, before facing off against Huddersfield Town at Pride Park next weekend.

In light of this positivity, no wonder loads of Derby County diehards took to social media to praise their sides efforts – they haven’t had much to cheer about this summer.

Derby County FC fans react:

Replying to the official Derby County Twitter account, here is what some supporters had to say in the aftermath of their side’s impressive winning performance:

“I know is a friendly but played well keep this up for the rest of the season we should be fine”

Credit: @bainsharjyot”Should be fine? More like promotion”Credit: @Reecedcfc”Just beaten a very good Betis side there, nice to see the celebrations at the end too the players looked very happy which is great to see! God it feels nice to have some positivity”Credit: @TigerWileman”Great result Rooney and the boys”Credit: @derbyroversfc”We actually looked a solid team we’re going up #DCFC”Credit: @david_dcfc”Get in!!”Credit: @Jakewardle5In other news, Derby County have been dealt a blow regarding a reported target.

Many West Ham United fans are unhappy after it was revealed that Jesse Lingard could return to Manchester United for good at the end of the season as the Hammers cannot afford to sign him permanently.

The £13.5m-valued maestro, who made the move on loan to the London Stadium in January, has been a revelation under David Moyes. In 13 Premier League games, he has helped himself to nine goals and four assists (Transfermarkt), and his arrival gave the Irons a boost as they attempt to qualify for the Champions League for the first time.

It has been suggested previously that Lingard would set West Ham back £20m if they signed him permanently (Eurosport). However, according to the Daily Mail, the England international could start next season back at Old Trafford as West Ham are unsure whether they will have the funds required to sign him on a permanent basis.

The news was shared on Twitter by @WestHamViews_, and it attracted plenty of attention from Hammers fans. These supporters took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, with one taking aim at the club’s much-maligned GSB ownership for their apparent reluctance to stump up the necessary funds for a permanent capture.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Lingard news below

“I’m on my last straw .”

Credit: @dondeccers

“GSB out can’t afford to run the club!”

Credit: @daledwhu

“There will be riots”

Credit: @IamGuiseppeDave

“IF true then the goodwill generated for some fans will be gone of the back of a decent season & next season #GSBOUT will be back with a vengeance as the club is held in a chokehold with GSB unable to invest, support or grow WHU without significant outside investors or selling”

Credit: @mhare641

“Can’t find the funds despite the extra £15m + extra we will make finishing in Europa League compared to where we finished last season”

Credit: @AndyWHU1987

“IMAGINE MY SHOCK”

Credit: @Dennis_WHW

In other news, many West Ham fans slammed this man’s performance against Everton.

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass has told The Transfer Tavern that he cannot see West Ham signing West Brom’s Matheus Pereira this summer due to Said Benrahma.

Pereira has been heavily linked with a move away from The Hawthorns following West Brom’s relegation to the Championship, with West Ham one club said to be interested in the 25-year-old attacker.

The Hammers bolstered their attack in the last summer transfer window with the addition of Benrahma, who initially joined from Brentford on loan before signing permanently in January.

For Windass, that is an obstacle to bringing Pereira in, with the ex-Hull City star feeling that David Moyes would struggle to get both players into the same team given how similar they are.

“I think they’re both similar types, Benrahma and Pereira,” Windass exclusively told TT. “You can’t have two No.10s and I think he is like that and he is a similar player to Pereira.

“He’s a great talent, don’t get me wrong. I just can’t see that happening with two players similar, in the same team. So I can’t see that happening.”

It would be a quality player West Ham would be missing out on if they decided against signing Pereira this summer.

He was excellent in attack for West Brom last season, scoring 11 goals and providing five assists in 33 league games.

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. 

An update has emerged on out-of-work manager Lucien Favre, regarding Newcastle’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope, the ex-Borussia Dortmund manager is in the frame to replace Steve Bruce at Newcastle.

Hope has claimed that Bruce is set to be sacked by the new owners, PIF, and Favre is one name on a long list of potential successors to the ex-Aston Villa and Sunderland coach.

Delight

This key update from Hope will surely leave Newcastle fans feeling delighted as, on paper, it would be a shrewd appointment by the new owners. The 63-year-old has an impressive C.V with a history of achieving success and could be perfect for what the Magpies need at this moment in time.

To paraphrase a famous saying, Premier League super teams are not built in a day. It will take time for PIF to invest in the squad and get Newcastle to a point, if they ever do, where they can be competing at the highest level domestically and in Europe.

This is why Favre could be the ideal candidate for Newcastle as he has a history of performing well without having a mega-squad at his disposal straight away.

He achieved four straight top-eight Bundesliga finishes with Borussia Monchengladbach before finding himself at Ligue 1 side Nice – finishing third and eighth in his two years at the club.

Interestingly, he signed current Magpies dynamo Allan Saint-Maximin for Nice in 2017, with the winger producing five goals and nine assists under Favre’s management. This means that he could get the best out of the French winger at St. James’ Park, having worked with him previously.

Favre also showed that he can do well with top players, such as Jadon Sancho, Marco Reus and Erling Haaland at his disposal. In two full seasons at Borussia Dortmund, he led the German giants to second place behind Bayern Munich, averaging over two points per game in both years. This means that he has the experience and quality as a coach to work with teams in the top-ten bracket, whilst also being able to perform well at a title challenger like Dortmund.

Therefore, he could be the perfect man to handle Newcastle’s potential transition from a team battling against relegation to one competing for titles. This is why the fans should be delighted that PIF are looking at him to replace Bruce in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, PIF eyeing marquee NUFC swoop for “world-class” £200k-p/w dynamo, fans would love it…

Many Everton fans have been left to buzz as a transfer update emerged involving Allan.

Speaking on the Radio Goal broadcast on the Kiss Kiss Napoli station (via Area Napoli), journalist Valter De Maggio has shared that the central midfield player has told him that he will be staying at Goodison Park, and that he is ‘very happy’ there.

Allan ahs been linked with a move to Real Madrid in the summer window, to reunite with his former manager Carlo Ancelotti.

However, it seems as if he is set to stay at the Merseyside club, which has come as a welcome relief to several Toffees supporters, given how much of a key player he is for them.

In the 2020/21 season, the Brazilian played in 26 games in total, tending to start more often than not when he was available (Transfermarkt).

Everton fans on Allan transfer update

These Blues buzzed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter:

“Great news if true.”

Credit: @lewissefc

“This is the kind of content I like to read”

Credit: @PaulDevine70

“PLEASED to hear it. It would be nice to see him fully fit and playing, in an Everton shirt.”

Credit: @danexadmirer

“Got to love him after the season he’s had and still wanting to stay at the Blues despite the only reason he joined, has left. Hoping for a masterclass from him this season!”

Credit: @KingKierxn

“Great news. When fully fit he’s one of the best we’ve had since Peter Reid. Always looking for a forward pass, hates giving the ball away. An animal in midfield”

Credit: @paulbhankinson

“Very good to hear if correct. We can’t afford to lose his excellent work in our midfield.”

Credit: @PeterPapadopo11

In other news, find out what recent image has Evertonians fuming here!