All posts by h716a5.icu

The old cliche in football is to ‘never go back’, although if recent reports are to be believed then it doesn’t appear that Everton are heeding that warning.

In a summer that has seen Manchester United become the centre of mockery for their Holland-centric transfer approach, the Toffees now appear to have narrowed their targets down to those who play for Chelsea and those who’ve previously been at the club.

Or, in the case of Ross Barkley, someone who fits both criteria.

The latest indication is that the Merseysiders are in ‘advanced talks’ to bring the 28-year-old back to the club this summer, allowing manager Frank Lampard to utilise his Stamford Bridge connections to sign his former England colleague – amid reports that Idrissa Gueye is also nearing a return.

Barkley is seemingly in need of pastures new after what’s been a torrid stint in west London in recent years, having joined the club on a £15m deal back in January 2018 after rising through the youth ranks with the Toffees.

Once likened to the great Paul Gascoigne, it is been a sharp decline for the 33-cap gem in recent years, with both injuries and a wealth of competition restricting him to a bit-part role in Thomas Tuchel’s side, having made just one Premier League start last term.

A return to his former club may appear just what is needed for the Liverpool lad to rejuvenate his career, although the £10.8m-rated man may not be greeted too fondly by the Everton fanbase, having irked some with the manner of his departure just over four years ago, after initially pulling out of a £35m deal to join his current side only to move on for a fraction of that cost just a few months later.

Equally, the £100k-per-week dud has done little of note of late to truly warrant a move in terms of his form, with his total record now standing at a measly 12 goals and 11 assists in 99 games in all competitions for his current side.

In truth, it seems that the Toffees have been down this road before signing a once admired, local hero who is now a fading force, with lessons seemingly having not been learned by Wayne Rooney’s brief homecoming back in 2017.

Cast aside by Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, the former England skipper returned to Goodison in the twilight of his career in the hope of going out on a high, making the move 13 years on from his initial departure from the club.

Having left as a raw, fearless teenager in 2004, Rooney returned as a different player altogether, undoubtedly wiser and more measured, yet without that relentless nature that had become his trademark in his pomp.

While the current DC United boss would net an impressive ten goals in 31 league appearances during the 2017/18 season, that was to be his only campaign back in the famous blue jersey, as he swiftly moved on by the club.

Undoubtedly one of the finest British talents the game has seen – ranking as the all-time top scorer both at United (253) and for his country (53) – even such a legendary figure like Rooney couldn’t totally make it work upon his return to Everton.

Who would truly back Barkley – a player once dubbed a “liability” by journalist Gregg Evans during his spell on loan at Aston Villa – to buck that trend?

AND in other news: “Still keen..”: Journo drops big Everton transfer update that’ll worry supporters

Journalist Jacob Steinberg, writing for The Guardian, has now shared a promising West Ham United transfer update involving Lille midfielder Amadou Onana.

The Lowdown: Irons making moves…

Hammers boss David Moyes, after sealing Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes and Alphonse Areola on permanent deals, is seemingly looking to make even more signings before the start of the 2022/2023 Premier League season.

Links to Armando Broja and Jesse Lingard have been prevalent in the last few days while other overseas targets like Serie A attacker Gianluca Scamacca are also still in the frame.

If all goes to plan, this could be West Ham’s busiest transfer window in recent memory, with The Guardian’s Steinberg now sharing a promising update on their bid to sign Onana.

The Latest: Hammers hopeful…

According to their sources, Moyes and co are increasingly ‘hopeful’ of sealing a deal for the Ligue 1 starlet after their improved €38 million (£32m) offer.

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The gigantic 6 foot 4 midfield man is one of West Ham’s main targets this summer as Moyes and head of recruitment Rob Newman continue their scattergun approach.

The Verdict: Promising update?

Onana would add not only a degree of steel to the Hammers midfield, but also a potential star for the future.

The 20-year-old has already been called up to a star-studded Belgium international squad at such a young age and the fact there are other top clubs, like Newcastle and Everton, circling for Onana tells you all you need to know.

He featured over 32 Ligue 1 games and eight Champions League encounters whilst turning a few heads, even despite Lille’s disappointing title defence (90min).

Moyes sealing a deal for one of France’s standout talents could be a really shrewd move ahead of what will be an interesting 2022/2023 season.

Glasgow Rangers have enjoyed an impressive start to the summer transfer window as they have brought four first-team players to Ibrox so far.

Gio van Bronckhorst and Ross Wilson have snapped up deals for John Souttar, who signed a pre-contract in January, Antonio Colak, Tom Lawrence, and Rabbi Matondo to bolster the squad.

Their business may not be done yet, though, as they continue to be linked with players around the globe, with the window not slamming shut until the end of next month.

Journalist Manuel Veth recently claimed that the Gers are eyeing up a potential loan deal to sign Giovanni Reyna, whose father – Claudio – played for the club, from Borussia Dortmund.

The reporter added that a move is unlikely at this moment in time, but Ross Wilson has around six weeks to convince the German side to sanction the transfer.

If he can tempt them into sending the USA international to Ibrox then Gio van Bronckhorst could have his own version of Brazilian legend Kaka next season.

The official Bundesliga website compared him to the iconic attacking midfielder, stating: “His ability to run at top speed for extended periods, breaking into opposition boxes and scoring goals is more reminiscent of AC Milan and Brazil great, Kaka.”

Being compared to the retired maestro is high praise of Reyna as the Brazilian won the Ballon d’Or, the World Cup, and the Champions League during his career – making over 400 appearances for Real Madrid and Milan combined.

The Dortmund wizard’s former coach Lucien Favre once said that he has “something special” and talent scout Jack Kulig dubbed him a “highly creative” midfielder. 

He has scored six goals and provided seven assists in 30 Bundesliga starts, along with four goals in 11 caps for the USA. This is an excellent return for a player playing at the top level as a teenager and shows that he is already capable of making an impact in the final third.

He can, therefore, be a goal-scoring and creative threat for the Gers from an attacking midfield position if he makes the move to Ibrox before the end of the window. This would make him van Bronckhorst’s own version of Kaka – who scored over 100 goals for Italian giants Milan during his career.

Wilson must now work hard to convince Dortmund that a season of playing regular football in Glasgow is the best next step for the £42k-per-week talent.

AND in other news, Rangers can land a masterclass by signing £500k gem who’d “hit the ground running”…

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Santos teenager Angelo Gabriel in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Brazilian outlet Globo, the Magpies are in talks over a deal to sign the Brazilian teenager ahead of the 2022/23 campaign after failing in an initial bid to sign him for £17m.

Magpies reporter Mark Douglas has relayed the report, Tweeting: “Interesting report from Globo that Steve Nickson travelled to Brazil to start negotiations for 17-year-old Santos striker Angelo. Fast, skillful Brazil under-17 striker tracked by Barca, Liverpool & Real Madrid. NUFC proposed €20m but rejected. Long-term target.”

The reporter added: “NUFC clearly trying to make an impact in South American market. Nickson has great contacts in Brazil & NUFC have Bruno & Joelinton to act as cheerleaders now too….”

Neymar 2.0

By securing a deal to bring Gabriel to St. James’ Park this summer, Newcastle could be landing the new version of PSG superstar Neymar.

The former Barcelona man and current Brazil international also came up through the ranks at Santos as a skilful winger and scored 70 goals in 134 games for the club before making his way over to Europe.

He has since scored 205 times and assisted 136 for Barcelona and PSG combined, along with 74 goals in 119 caps for his country, proving himself to be a consistently brilliant forward at the top level.

Neymar began his journey as a teenager at Santos and that is the position that Gabriel is in now. Despite not turning 18 until December, the £9m-rated gem has already racked up 74 first-team appearances and chipped in with two goals and four assists – showing that he is trusted to play on a regular basis in spite of his lack of experience.

The 17-year-old phenomenon has been called up by Brazil at U16 and U17 level and is clearly making big strides in his career at such a young age. Newcastle have been impressed by what they have seen of him and Santos believe that he is worth more than £17m, which shows how highly they rate the young talent.

It remains to be seen whether or not he will go on to be anywhere near as good as Neymar Europe but he is showing very promising signs at a young age, just like the PSG man did at the same club.

The Magpies must now work hard to reach an agreement to snap him up so that Eddie Howe can, hopefully, coach him into becoming Newcastle’s own version of the £200m Brazilian magician for many years to come.

AND in other news, PIF plotting NUFC swoop to sign “sensational” £60m “baller”, imagine him & Botman…

Tottenham Hotspur sporting director Fabio Paratici could be about to deliver another masterclass in the transfer market.

The Italian chief has had mixed success since he took the helm in north London a little over a year ago but on the whole, it’s edging towards success so far.

Bryan Gil has failed to make his mark, though he’s still young, whilst Emerson Royal has flattered to deceive despite regular game time but the same cannot be said for the likes of Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur.

All three have made an instant impact in Antonio Conte’s squad, emerging as three regular starters for the former Inter Milan coach.

Now, as Spurs close in on the signing of Clement Lenglet from FC Barcelona, Paratici could well have struck gold once again, even if it doesn’t look like it beforehand.

Indeed, the arrival of the French flop is hardly going to excite many around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but the same was said for Bentancur, and to some extent, Kulusevski.

These so-called European misfits have hit the ground running with a bit of love and affection from those at the club, and they have since thrived from it.

“Lenglet’s situation with Barcelona reminds me of Bentancur’s at Juventus,” claimed Spurs podcaster Charlie Parrish. “A talented player in need of a fresh start (and a bit of love from fans and coaches) after getting slightly lost in the shuffle playing for a mega club going through a weird period of their own.”

That’s all Lenglet needs to refind his former glory – after all, he’s still ranking as a solid option when compared to his peers across Europe.

The 27-year-old centre-back, who is now valued at £26m by CIES Football Observatory, only managed to play 724 minutes in LaLiga in 2021/22 but according to FBref, he’s amongst the top 1% of central defenders for passes attempted, progressive passes and progressive carries per 90 minutes.

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They also liken his playing style to that of Premier League champion Ruben Dias and to some extent, Spurs’ very own Ben Davies, so that only goes to show that he could well be the perfect fit in not just England but in Conte’s system too.

Lenglet is likely to replace the Welshman in the starting XI in that left-sided role, given he is a natural centre-back.

The FC Barcelona flop could be a “smart” addition for the north Londoners, just as Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano explained to GIVEMESPORT this week. He said:

“It’s a loan deal, so it’s a smart deal for Tottenham because they’re not spending crazy money on the centre-back, on a player who has good experience. Conte wanted him, so he’s a smart deal for Tottenham.”

Whilst Lenglet isn’t going to thrill many supporters, Paratici has earned the right to be trusted with his signings, certainly if it’s had the seal of approval from Conte himself, too.

Just like with Bentancur, the Italian chief could be onto yet another masterclass with this low-risk move.

AND in other news, Fee agreed: Spurs get green light to seal “incredible” signing, Conte will be buzzing…

Aston Villa’s history is steeped with footballing legends. Fans are unlikely to forget Villa Park’s biggest icons and will want to keep a keen eye on what they’re up to in retirement.

We take a look at 10 legendary Villans below…

10) Martin Laursen

A modern-day Aston Villa legend, Martin Laursen made 91 appearances for the club after arriving from AC Milan, before retiring in 2009. Since retirement, the former defender has worked as a pundit on Danish TV for TV2, and has spent eight months in coaching at third tier Danish side BSV. As things stand, Laursen does not have a role in football.

9) Olof Mellberg

With 263 appearances to his name during his time at Aston Villa, Olof Mellberg is undoubtedly one of the best defenders in the Midlands club’s Premier League history. And he has since taken that know-how to management. The former centre-back has taken charge of Brommapojkarna, Fremad Amager, and Helsingborgs, but is currently without a club.

8) Peter McParland

With 121 goals in 341 appearances, legends don’t get much bigger than Peter McParland, who managed Bournemouth and Glentoran, before going to work in Cyprus, Hong Kong, and Kuwait. Now 88, McParland is enjoying a step back from a role in football.

7) Gareth Barry 

Making 436 appearances for Aston Villa, and also featuring for Manchester City, Everton and West Bromwich Albion throughout his lengthy career, Gareth Barry retired in 2020. Since retirement, the record holder for most Premier League appearances has taken up punditry with BBC and BT Sport, whilst also turning out for his local cricket team, according to Premier League Heroes.

6) Gordon Cowans

A true Aston Villa legend, Cowans made 286 appearances for the club, winning the league title and European Cup in the process. Following retirement, he returned to the club as a coach, with a place on Gérard Houllier’s backroom staff. Cowans, now 63, sadly announced in 2020 that he is suffering with early Alzheimer’s. 

5) Charlie Aitken 

With 561 appearances, Charlie Aitken is the all-time appearance maker at Aston Villa, and is an undoubted legend of the club. During his retirement, Aitken decided to move away from football, and into the jewellery and antiques industry, running his own business in Birmingham.

4) Allan Evans

Making 475 appearances for the club, Allan Evans is one of the biggest legends in Aston Villa history. The league-title winner has enjoyed retirement, in which he has had roles as a youth team coach at Plymouth Argyle. He also had a spell in charge of Brisbane United in Australia, and a spell at Leicester City as an assistant manager. 

3) Peter Withe

The scorer of the winning goal in the 1982 European Cup final, Peter Withe is highly regarded in Aston Villa history. Since retirement, Withe has had management spells at Wimbledon and Stockport Sports (Woodley Sports). Now 70, the former player is not currently in charge of a club.

2) Paul McGrath

The winner of the PFA Player of the Year award in 1993, Paul McGrath made 253 appearances for Aston Villa, before retiring in 1998. After retirement, McGrath took up the Director of Football role at Waterford United for a period of time. The former player had a battle with alcoholism, which was well-publicised, before his book ‘Back from the Brink’ became a best-seller.

1) Dennis Mortimer

The captain of the 1982 European Cup-winning Aston Villa side, Dennis Mortimer is one of the biggest legends in the club’s history. Since retirement, Mortimer has had roles such as a Community Officer and then assistant manager at West Brom, as well as a role in developing coaches with the PFA. 

Liverpool won’t bring Gini Wijnaldum back this summer and will instead wait to sign a younger midfielder, according to former Premier League striker Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Wijnaldum linked with shock return

A midfielder is reportedly on the Reds’ wish-list currently, with several players in that department now in their 30s and fresh blood required at some point in the next 12 months.

Wijnaldum has recently been linked with a surprise return to Anfield after a disappointing first season at Paris Saint-Germain, with a loan move back to Merseyside seemingly a possibility.

The 31-year-old enjoyed five superb years at Liverpool between 2016 and 2021, winning the Champions League and Premier League, being hailed as ‘sensational’ by Jurgen Klopp.

The Latest: Whelan laughs off rumour

Speaking to Football Insider, 47 year-old Whelan, former Leeds United front man turned club ambassador, claimed he can’t see the move happening, with younger midfielders arriving instead:

“If you ask the majority of Liverpool fans, they’d probably want him back.

“When it comes down to manager and the logistics of everything, it’s very hard to bring a player back so soon after they’ve left. Once you’ve made that decision, you’ve got to stick to that decision.

“He’s a fantastic player and he’d be a stop-gap, that’s all he would be. Liverpool need a more solid base when it comes to that midfield player that comes in. Someone with a bit of longevity.

“I think they are doing the right thing by biding their time and waiting for the right people to become available and go into the club for years and not just one season.”

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The Verdict: Seems highly unlikely

Wijnaldum was a fantastic servant for Liverpool for five years, making 237 appearances and proving to be such a key man in the middle of the park, but it is hard to see this move happening.

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At 31, the Dutchman is in a similar boat to James Milner, Thiago and Jordan Henderson in terms of age, and signing him would arguably feel too short-term and desperate.

It may simply be that Klopp is happy to wait a year before signing someone like heavily linked Jude Bellingham, showing faith in his current midfielders, including young pair Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott.

Celtic right-back Josip Juranovic will leave the club this summer for a fresh challenge elsewhere, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Juranovic a key figure

The 26-year-old proved to be a regular starter for the Hoops last season, as they clinched both Scottish Premiership and Scottish League Cup glory.

Juranovic made a total of 35 appearances for Celtic, in all competitions, chipping in with five goals and two assists for good measure.

Ange Postecoglou may be looking to build his squad out this summer with Champions League football looming, but it looks as though his right-back is heading off to pastures new.

The Latest: Right-back set to leave

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Romano claimed that the Croatian will leave Parkhead before the start of next season, with some Premier League clubs interested in signing him:

“Croatian national team right back Josip Juranovic is expected to leave Celtic FC this summer as many clubs are following him.

“Juranovic is attracting interests from Premier League clubs too after great season for club and country.”

The Verdict: Blow for Hoops

Losing Juranovic is an undoubted blow for Celtic, considering he was often such a model of consistency from right-back last season, averaging 2.5 aerial duel wins per game and also showing versatility, operating at left-back in times of need.

While not necessarily the Hoops’ most spectacular performer, he rarely produced a poor showing, enjoying a 7.04 average rating across the league campaign from WhoScored.

It is imperative that Celtic replace Juranovic with a similarly safe pair of hands this summer, providing strong competition for Anthony Ralston in the process.

In other news, a pundit has dropped a key Celtic transfer claim. Read more here.

Manchester United are on the brink of a deal to sign FC Porto midfielder Vitinha for £34m, according to reports in Portugal.

The Lowdown: Vitinha profiled

Vitinha is primarily a central midfielder who can also play in holding or attacking midfield roles. The 22-year-old spent the 2020/21 season on loan with Wolves, making ‘special talent’ after making the move to Molineux.

The Premier League side didn’t exercise their option to make a move permanent, but the Portugal international, who shares the same agency as Cristiano Ronaldo, could now be heading back to England to work under Erik ten Hag.

The Latest: Transfer ‘imminent’

Sports Witness relayed an update from Portuguese 0utlet Record on Tuesday morning regarding Vitinha.

They claimed that the midfielder is heading for an ‘imminent’ exit, with a Premier League club set to exercise his €40m (£34m) release clause. Manchester United are the only club mentioned, with Vitinha apparently fitting Ten Hag’s style of play.

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The Verdict: Interesting…

Vitinha only made attacking midfielder.

He seemed to improve last season and was a regular for FC Porto playing in a deeper role though, so that could be a position Ten Hag looks to use him in going forward.

That would leave Bruno Fernandes free to occupy a more advanced role, and still just 22 years of age, United could look back on a move for Vitinha in years to come as a smart piece of business.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano now drops more transfer news he’s heard from Man Utd after ‘internal’ talks. 

Everton narrowly avoided Premier League relegation this season as Frank Lampard guided his team to a dramatic 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace in their penultimate game to guarantee survival.

This close escape won’t be enough to satiate the Goodison Park faithful, though, and they may be expecting big things next season, especially with the manager getting a full summer transfer window to reshape the playing squad.

One move that they could make is signing defender Adrien Truffert from Rennes, as Farhad Moshiri looks to loosen the purse strings to sign the £10.8m-rated left-back.

He can be their own Theo Hernandez

That’s according to French outlet L’Equipe, who claimed that Everton are keen on the 20-year-old as Lampard aims to boost his porous defence.

Truffert could develop into Everton’s very own Theo Hernandez, the AC Milan and France left-back who has won the Champions League and UEFA Nations League, and the Merseyside club are in need of a defender with his quality.

FBRef’s similar player model compares Truffert with his compatriot and it’s clear to see why. Both are goalscoring full-backs and love to get forward as much as possible. Hernandez scored five goals and registered five assists in 2021/22, while the Rennes youngster notched three goals and three assists in Ligue 1.

Truffert committed fewer fouls than the AC Milan defender (24 to 39), and although Hernandez makes more interceptions (26 to 19) and tackles (40 to 21), there is plenty of time for the former to improve certain areas of his game and, at 20 years of age, he isn’t near the finished product yet.

Hernandez displayed his attacking qualities by delivering almost three times as many crosses (141) as Truffert (47) this season, but a move to the Premier League could see him gain more experience playing at a much more demanding level of football than the French top flight.

The Rennes left-back has been dubbed “incredible” by the French media, and given his performances during the season, it’s clear to see why there has been interest from England. Everton might never sign Hernandez from Milan, but Moshiri could get the next-best thing with a swoop for Truffert.

AND in other news, Lampard must now brutally axe Everton’s £22m “walking red card”, he’s Klaassen 2.0