All posts by n8rngtd.top

West Ham could do no wrong in adding a new central midfielder to David Moyes’ armoury this summer and they may have landed on the perfect candidate…

What’s the word?

According to the Sheffield Star, the Irons are one of several Premier League teams interested in goal-scoring Blades midfielder John Lundstram with the 26-year-old entering the final year of his contract at Bramall Lane.

It’s claimed that Chris Wilder is resigned to letting him leave this summer should he not agree to new terms with Burnley and Brighton also keen on his services.

There’s also a belief that they are lining up Reading’s John Swift as a potential replacement despite activiating the one-year option on the Englishman’s contract.

The Hammers could land themselves a bargain.

Lampard-esque midfielder

Moyes has already secured the loveable Tomas Soucek on a permanent deal but with Carlos Sanchez out the door and Mark Noble entering the twilight years of his east London career, it can’t hurt to add further options.

The 5 foot 11 enforcer delivered five goals and three assists from 26 starts this season, averaging 1.4 tackles, 1.3 clearances and 1.3 shots per game, via WhoScored.

Whilst this isn’t as prolific as former Hammers graduate Frank Lampard, he does still bear some similarities as a ruthless box-to-box type.

The Liverpool-born man has captained Oxford and some of the England youth teams and has that ability to pick a pass but also be tenacious in the tackle.

His performances this season has led to Wilder waxing lyrical on more than one occasion – against Palace in February, he was lauded as “outstanding” and then a month later, Lundstram was described as a “fantastic example of a professional player”.

Blades teammate Billy Sharp believes he’s a “real menace to other teams” and this is the sort of player who’d do well at the London Stadium in a similar vein to Noble, Lampard and so on.

Valued at just £7.2m by Transfermarkt, the Irons must swoop for Lundstram this pre-season.

AND in other news, Moyes ready to part with £45m star to fund new transfers

Tottenham Hotspur have ‘no chance’ of signing Nicolo Zaniolo from AS Roma this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano. 

Tottenham had been linked to Zaniolo long before Jose Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino last November, but the Portuguese wanted to succeed where his predecessor failed in the transfer window.

Writing in The Guardian, the Italian transfer guru revealed that Roma have rejected their interest in the wonderkid as they have no intentions of letting him leave the Stadio Olimpico. The Spurs manager made it clear that he wanted to sign Zaniolo in the summer but Mourinho has been dealt a bitter blow as the Serie A club’s manager Paulo Fonseca has insisted that he is not up for sale because the 21-year-old is part of his plans.

After arriving at Roma from Inter Milan for £4m in 2018, Zaniolo has been described as one of the best players of his generation, having broken into the first team and establishing himself as one of their key players in the process.

The five-cap Italy international has made 25 appearances in Serie A this season, scoring six goals, supplying one assist, taking 1.7 shots and successfully completing 2.2 dribbles per game on average (via WhoScored).

The attacking midfielder, who can also operate in a more withdrawn central midfield role, has been compared to Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard and the Giallorossi claim that he is the heir-apparent to Francisco Totti. However, Roma are in no rush to sell him and have slapped an asking price of £50m on his head to ward off any potential suitors.

While he is surely a dream signing for Spurs, there is no way they would be able to afford him at the moment even if he were available in the transfer window.

After borrowing a huge £175m loan from the Bank of England to cover the costs of these uncertain times, Daniel Levy has insisted that he will not be spending “rivers of money” before the start of next season and Mourinho will have to look elsewhere if he wants to sign a new playmaker in the summer.

Tottenham fans, do you think Daniel Levy should sign Zaniolo? Let us know in the comments below!

Borussia Dortmund have aired some negative comments surrounding their highly sought after young superstar.

Jadon Sancho has commanded global attention after dominating the Bundesliga this season. Premier League giants Liverpool and Chelsea have both been heavily linked to a move for the winger, but no interest has been as strong as Manchester United’s.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is very keen on signing the 20-year-old this summer and talks continue to swirl around a potential deal. The club may have now been handed a boost in their mission to sign Sancho, after Dortmund have been critical of him.

According to The Mirror, BVB sporting director Michael Zorc has said it’s sometimes ‘not easy’ to deal with the the forward. Sancho was recently fined $10,000 (£7,782) for breaking lockdown regulations and inviting a hairdresser into his home.

This didn’t go down well with the Englishman, who reportedly lashed out at the German league’s decision to punish him. Dortmund teammate Emre Can hit back by telling Sancho to ‘grow up’ (via Mirror).

Sancho’s current asking price is in excess of £100 million, but if the club are losing their patience with him, they could consider letting him leave this summer for a cut price.

The winger has lit up the Bundesliga this season, tallying a fiery 17 goals and 17 assists so far (via Transfermarkt). Sancho is currently third in the German top flight’s list of scorers, behind only Timo Werner and Robert Lewandowski (via BBC Sport).

Dortmund have been firm on their asking price for their top scorer so far, but after these comments have come to light, could a new fee be offered to interested parties?

Man United look to be the favourites to sign Sancho, but given the current climate, £100m or more is a hefty amount to pay for just one player. However, if Dortmund decide to slash their asking price in order to get the England international off their books, the Reds could be in with an even better chance of getting their man.

What do you make of the club’s comments on Sancho, United fans? Join the discussion in the comments below…

Newcastle United’s prospective £300m takeover is fast-approaching into a third month of deliberations as the situation continues to rumble on – and on.But why is it?The Athletic’s George Caulkin has hinted that it’s down to the piracy issues surrounding the Saudi state. He tweeted the following on Tuesday afternoon…

This process has been a long and tiresome one for the Magpies faithful and it doesn’t appear to be easing up anytime soon.

Last week, the Guardian revealed the World Trade Organisation’s findings into beoutQ – the pirate TV service that’s thought to be holding up the deal.

They believe the Saudi government is behind the illegal streaming service, which broadcasts worldwide sporting events such as the Premier League.

Think you’re a big Magpies fan? Can you name these former players by looking at their careers? Go on, give it a go…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Although it must be proven that any party involved in buying the northeast outfit is indeed involved in the aforementioned service. Something that is yet to be resolved.

There are also reports suggesting that the Middle Eastern country could attempt to purchase TV rights to the English top-flight, which should alleviate such matters.

AND in other news,ÂLee Ryder provides Charnley update amidst Newcastle takeover…

It’s hard to ignore the impact Carlo Ancelotti has had on this Everton side in just four months.

A shell of the team they used to be, Marco Silva’s reign ended with the Merseyside outfit fighting a relegation battle. Now Everton are sitting nicely in 12th place, just six points behind sixth-place Wolves and a ticket into the Europa League looking more than attainable.

But the squad the Toffees are still faring is in need of some desperate refurbishment, and it’s likely Ancelotti will start with a summer overhaul.

Everton’s midfield appears to be their biggest cause for concern this season, particularly with players like Gylfi Sigurdsson and Tom Davies who have played 47 Premier League goals between them this term and tallied a measly combined two goals and two assists.

According to Football Insider, both Everton and Manchester United are linked to swoop for Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish, with the Toffees confident they can come up with a better offer than the Reds. Despite currently being valued at just £27.4million, both parties are looking to place a bid in excess of £50m for the 24-year-old this summer, with Spurs also willing to meet that price (via Daily Star).

Aston Villa are currently fighting a difficult relegation battle, with Grealish playing his part in trying to keep his side in the Premier League. The Englishman currently has seven goals and six assists this campaign, more than Everton’s entire midfield combined.

A young playmaker is exactly what the Toffees have been crying out for as they’ve struggled with woeful performances from Sigurdsson who – despite sporting the captain’s armband – has been the most disappointing.

His most recent outing against Chelsea will have been the final straw for a lot of Everton fans after the Icelandic international attempted no dribbles, no shots and no tackles.

Everton expert? Prove it by naming these obscure Toffees…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

The addition of Grealish would make a positive difference to Ancelotti’s team and judging by his stats this season, would add a much more potent threat from midfield that the Everton’s chiefs current options.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Southampton welcome fellow strugglers Watford to St Mary’s this Saturday for the Premier League’s late kick-off, and there is plenty on the line for both sides.

The Saints and the Hornets currently occupy 19th and 20th place in the Premier League respectively, with just a single point separating the pair – both teams have an unflattering goal difference of -18.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have conceded the most goals in the Premier League this term with 31, whereas Watford have scored the least goals with just eight strikes to their name – this Saturday’s game will be a basement slug-out in every sense.

However, the Hornets do have some quality players – let’s take a look at two who could hurt the Saints..

Abdoulaye Doucoure

In midfield, Watford have a true powerhouse with the stamina to run all day long, while also possessing the quality to make opponents pay for their inability to deal with him – Abdoulaye Doucoure.

The Frenchman – who scored five goals and recorded six assists last term – has netted just once this season, although his presence at both ends of the pitch is undoubted.

Doucoure records an impressive 2.4 tackles per game in the Premier League this season, as well as 1.2 interceptions.

At the other end of the field, the 26-year-old makes 1.2 key passes, takes 1.8 shots and registers 1.5 dribbles per game.

Get French Football News once described the former Rennes man as a “midfield dynamo” and you can certainly see why.

Hasenhuttl’s midfield options in Stuart Armstrong, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oriol Romeu and James Ward-Prowse need to produce an effective showing collectively to contain Doucoure.

Gerard Deulofeu 

The tricky Spaniard can often blow hot and cold, but he is steadily finding a way to consistently pose the opponent some difficulty.

Deulofeu registered an impressive 15 Premier League goal involvements last term, and has already scored twice and assisted twice this term.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old take a significant 2.5 shots per game, while also completing 2.2 dribbles – the former Barcelona prospect also makes 1.8 key passes per 90 minutes.

Former Hornets boss Javi Gracia stated that the Spaniard had a “high quality” when discussing the forward back in May, and it’s hard to argue with that sentiment.

“But the most important thing is the quality of the player. Deulofeu, you know, has a high quality.”

His versatility is also a key feature. Deulofeu pops up all over the frontline, making six appearances as a centre-forward this term as well as two on the left and one on the right.

[ad_pod ]

Southampton must ensure that their leaky backline – the worst in the league – is switched on against these two stars.

In other news, this Southampton man is taking full advantage of his ‘last chance’…

Aston Villa will be welcoming the news that two first-team players look set to return to action against Newcastle United on Monday night, and a number of fans have been reacting to the injury update on Twitter. 

Dean Smith’s men will be aiming to halt a run of three successive league defeats when they host the Magpies at Villa Park, and the West Midlands outfit will likely be doing so with the help of Jack Grealish and Bjorn Engels. 

Smith has revealed that both players are expected to be available, although he was a little cautious in outright declaring Grealish’s fitness with the midfielder narrowly missing out on previous fixtures, and The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has been sharing the news on Twitter.

These fans were certainly pleased to hear of the impending return of the duo…

Villa crumbled last time out against Wolves, with both the club’s captain and centre-back Engels absent from the squad. But some Villa fans are keen to see Smith retain his faith in Ezri Konsa, despite Engels’ availability…

So many incredible players have graced the England shirt over the years and also some not-so-incredible players and it’s the latter that we’re going to be focussing on today.

When some stars make their Three Lions debuts, it’s easy to predict that you’re going to see plenty more from them on the international stage and that often turns out to be the case.

However, there are also many that show enough form at club level to get into the England international set-up and make their promising bow, before falling off the face of the Earth.

But equally, you know with many England international debutants that this could well be the only time you see them with three lions on the shirt, whilst you wonder how the hell they got into the team.

So with Gareth Southgate’s men’s 1000th international match against Montenegro at Wembley on Thursday 14 November fast approaching, we’re going to look at 20 one-cap wonders you forgot ever had an England call-up…

Michael Ball

Like many on this list, former Manchester City left-back Michael Ball was called up by and received his one and only England cap under Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Ball’s big night came in an impressive 3-0 friendly victory over Spain at Villa Park in late February 2001 but he was clearly not cut out for the regular international stage and finished his career with Leicester City in 2012.

David Dunn

What? David Dunn played for England? That bloke who used to play in central midfield for Blackburn Rovers? Yes, Eriksson strikes again.

This time he was looking to shake up the squad following crashing out of the quarter-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup and Dunn’s only minutes with the three lions on his chest at senior level would come in the second half of a friendly draw with Portugal in September 2002.

Jon Flanagan

Copyright: MirrorPix

If you would have told a young Jon Flanagan when he made his England debut in the run-up to the 2014 World Cup that just five years later he would be struggling for game time in the Scottish Premiership and swamped in off-field controversy, he probably wouldn’t have believed you.

But his career has spiralled downwards after what appears likely to be his only ever Three Lions appearance and he’s got a lot of work to do if he wants to shake off the dreaded one-cap wonder tag.

Chris Kirkland

If ex-goalkeeper Chris Kirkland wasn’t good enough for Liverpool, he was never going to be good enough for the Three Lions and so it proved.

But this didn’t stop the former Wigan Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday shot-stopper from winning at least one cap, replacing Paul Robinson at half-time in the summer 2006 home friendly thrashing of Greece.

Matt Jarvis

Ex-winger Matt Jarvis is a one-cap wonder in every sense of the word and one of the many examples of players on this list who failed to live up to their potential.

The current 33-year-old free agent struggled after a big move from Wolverhampton Wanderers to West Ham United in 2012, just over a year after his Three Lions berth in a Wembley friendly against Ghana, and amid injuries faded away.

Carl Jenkinson

Copyright: MirrorPix

As Carl Jenkinson once again fights injuries at his new club Nottingham Forest in the Sky Bet Championship, the time he was considered the future of England’s right-back position seems like a very distant memory.

The Arsenal academy product was given 15 minutes by Roy Hodgson in a friendly defeat at Sweden in November 2012, replacing Glen Johnson in a match that’s remembered by most for Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s mesmerising 30-yard overhead kick.

John Ruddy

Perhaps bad luck is to blame for John Ruddy going down in the history books as an England one-cap wonder, after all, he was due to be in the squad for EURO 2012 before a broken finger ruled him out of the tournament.

His only taste of senior Three Lions football arrived a couple of months later in a friendly with Italy in Switzerland, keeping out the Italians for the whole second period.

Although, he could never fight his way back onto the pitch at international level amid of strong crop of shot-stoppers coming through the ranks at that time.

Ryan Shawcross

Copyright: MirrorPix

If you asked the percentage of football fans, we’re sure they’d claim Ryan Shawcross should never have been anywhere the England squad and some wouldn’t even remember that he ever was.

But the long-time Stoke City centre-back was too given his one and only international cap at the opening of the Friends Arena in Stockholm seven years ago, replacing another member of this list Steven Caulker in the 75th minute.

Jay Rodriguez

Copyright: MirrorPix

Jay Rodriguez’s tale is similar to that of Ruddy, oh how different his international career could have been had he not picked up an injury just before an international tournament he could have played in and just after his debut against Chile.

The then Southampton hitman was poised for Hodgson’s squad for Brazil 2014 before doing his ACL in the spring and hasn’t been able to return to the fold since and likely never will currently struggling for minutes at Burnley. There’s little to suggest he would have made it big on the international stage anyway though.

Jay Bothroyd

It’s hard to remember the fact that current Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo striker Jay Bothroyd ever played at the top level in England, let alone for the Three Lions – that’s Fabio Capello selection for you.

The 37-year-old spent most of his career either abroad or in the Football League and to be still playing in Japan at his age is some achievement but his England career was something of a flash in the pan, limited to a cameo at home to France in winter 2010.

West Ham United haven’t had the best start to the season. The east London club are currently 16th in the Premier League after 12 games, just five points clear of the drop-zone. 

It has led to speculation surrounding manager Manuel Pellegrini, and whether or not he is the correct man to take the Hammers forward this term, with the manager even feeling the need to respond directly to the uncertainty around his future.

Considering the amount of investment that West Ham put into their side during the summer – spending over £70m on signings such as Sebastien Haller (£36m), Pablo Fornals for (£27m) and Albian Ajeti (£7.8m) per Transfermarkt, the club would have expected to be in a much better position than they are at the moment.

In a recent podcast recorded by fans of the club, potential replacements for Pellegrini were mentioned. Among them was current Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa, who had previously been linked with the managerial role in east London before the club appointed Slaven Bilic back in 2015.

Here’s what Hammers fans had to say about the situation on Twitter:

West Ham fans, who would you like to see in charge at the London Stadium? Comment below…

Some Tottenham Hotspur fans have been reacting on Twitter to manager Mauricio Pochettino’s latest update on Ryan Sessegnon.

The Argentine was asked during his Liverpool pre-match press conference whether the summer signing could be involved for the first time this season at Anfield, and the 47-year-old told Football London’s Alasdair Gold that he could be ready for a spot on the bench, but that he must also show he deserves to take someone else’s spot in the squad.

It has certainly been a frustrating time for the 19-year-old following his £25m move from Fulham, as he has been forced to watch on from the sidelines because of injury in what has been a tough start to the campaign for the north London outfit.

It also remains to be seen if the England U21 international will feature at left-back or further forward when he does eventually get on the pitch – whether that is against Jurgen Klopp’s men or not – given his versatility.

Tottenham supporters have been reacting to their manager’s latest comments on the teenager, and while one said “blimey” and asked whether Pochettino wants his players to be robots, another mentioned how he is only competing with Danny Rose and won’t need to do much to become a regular in the starting XI – completely ignoring Ben Davies of course, who started against Red Star Belgrade in midweek.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…