All posts by z3u9t.icu

According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, the future of defender Gary Cahill is far from certain heading into the last few days of the January transfer window. The 33-year-old currently plays his football at Premier League heavyweights Chelsea and has done so since 2012, although struggles for regular game time under new Blues boss Maurizio Sarri this season has called his future at the West London outfit into question.

And a recent report from The Daily Mirror suggests that Unai Emery’s Arsenal are seeking a move for the experienced defender this month, as should Everton manager Marco Silva as he seeks to navigate his way through what is proving to be a testing time in his Toffees reign.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the appointment of 41-year-old Silva was met with much anticipation in the summer as Everton sought to move on following the reign of Sam Allardyce, with the highly-rated Portuguese chief seen as the man to help take the Toffees forward and closer to the Premier League’s top six.

And while he made a fine start to life at Goodison Park, with his side sat sixth in the division at the start of December, things have gone awry since then with just two wins from their last ten Premier League matches, alongside an FA Cup exit at the hands of lower league opposition at the weekend.

As such, the pressure appears to be building on the Everton manager given they have lost five of their last seven league matches, but moving for an experienced professional like Cahill could be exactly what he needs to try and get through this tricky patch in charge.

The 33-year-old has proven to be an excellent Premier League defender ever since making the move to Chelsea back in 2012, with the Englishman in that time helping the Blues win two league titles, the Champions League, the Europa League, and indeed several domestic cup competitions – ultimately, he has won almost everything the club game has to offer.

And it was only in the 2016/17 season in which Cahill continued to underline his defensive credentials in shining in Antonio Conte’s backline to help Chelsea win the Premier League title – be it on or indeed off the pitch, the former England international would surely have a big impact.

Significantly, he would go some way to strengthening an Everton backline that have kept just one clean sheet since the end of November in the league, and have just five overall for the season to date – only one side above them in the table (West Ham) have shipped more goals so far this term.

Ultimately, things really don’t look good for Silva at present given he hasn’t been able to mastermind his side out of their recent rut – a defeat tonight against Huddersfield Town is simply inconceivable.

And with it clear that the club need big characters both on and off the field to help Silva get through this tricky patch, as well as another option in a backline that hasn’t exactly shone so far this term, making a move for linked-away Cahill makes complete sense in the final few days of the window.

Everton fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Liverpool have reportedly agreed a deal in principle to sign exciting young Fulham midfielder Fabio Carvalho in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Carvalho linked with January move to Liverpool

The Reds brought in Luis Diaz in January, a transfer which has already proven to be a masterstroke, but they were also strongly linked with a mid-season move for Carvalho.

In the end, the 19-year-old stayed put at Fulham, and he has thrived for the Championship leaders this season, scoring seven goals and adding six assists for good measure.

Liverpool’s interest in the teenager was expected to be revived in the summer, and that looks highly likely to be the case.

The Latest: Transfer reportedly agreed

According to Football Insider, a recruitment source has informed them that Liverpool have an ‘agreement in principle’ with Carvalho over a summer switch to Anfield.

The Reds will sign the youngster on a free transfer when his current Fulham deal expires at the end of June.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-25/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: One for the future

It is vital that Liverpool continue to build towards the future, and Carvalho is an exceptional talent who could be a great signing, having last year been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by Fulham manager Marco Silva.

The forward’s seemingly imminent move to Anfield would have echoes of the Reds’ 2019 signing of Harvey Elliott, who also swapped Fulham for Liverpool as a teenage starlet; and the pair could prove to be two of the Reds’ creative forces for many years to come, dovetailing to devastating effect.

Carvalho would likely come in as a squad player for starters given his tender age, but he could mature into a key figure at Anfield as some current Liverpool stars pass their peak and wane, wreaking havoc in a number eight role.

In other news, Liverpool are one of the clubs to ‘position themselves’ for this player. Read more here.

Many Sunderland fans have been left slamming the display of Tom Flanagan in their 3-1 loss at home to Lincoln City in League One on Tuesday night.

It was a miserable night for the Black Cats, which was capped off by Lee Johnson getting himself sent off at the end of the game after a scuffle broke out between both teams.

Chris Maguire haunted his former side with a hat-trick at the Stadium of Light, as Flanagan and the rest of the backline simply did not defend well enough to keep him at bay.

The SAFC captain was especially guilty of a lacklustre performance, losing out on six of his duels in total, while he was also guilty of giving the ball away on no fewer than on 18 separate occasions in the match, the joint-second most out of his teammates (SofaScore).

He could have especially defended better in the build-up to Maguire’s second goal, which he scored from the penalty spot after teammate Carl Winchester was sent off, which pretty much summed up how things went for the central defender.

Sunderland fans slam Flanagan

These Sunderland supporters slammed his display on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he is a ‘liability’:

“Honestly unfair on LJ that, only defending Doyle, also Flanagan is a liability had a one off at the start of the season”

Credit: @safcleo_

“Worrying echoes of last season for #SAFC tonight. Lincoln. Passing awful. No creativity. Stupid errors. Flanagan, Gooch and Embleton all dreadful. Hume back in the team. Still, better to have points on the board than games in hand.”

Credit: @__Gazz___

“And now we all know why Flanagan, Hume and Gooch need to go in the summer”

Credit: @crazycorner01

“Sunderland only have themselves to blame tonight. Zero intensity & comical errors for each goal. Weak from Patterson, ridiculous from Flanagan & Winchester, not to mention Gooch chasing the ball & leaving Maguire. That was a very weak Lincoln side as well. Poor.”

Credit: @MattyCrichton

“Don’t even get me started on Flanagan for the penalty, literally swung and missed the ball”

Credit: @PDavy1

“Flanagan’s a walking time bomb.”

Credit: @Boshanko

In other news, find out why Kevin Phillips thought Sunderland were robbed against Wycombe here!

Newcastle United host Manchester United at home in the Premier League tonight as they go in search of their second win of the season.

The Magpies are on ten points after 18 matches and have won just one game as they sit in the relegation zone heading into the half-way stage of the campaign.

They now come up against Ralf Rangnick’s United side off the back of losing three games in succession to Leicester, Liverpool and Manchester City.

St. James’ rocking

Newcastle need to get St. James’ Park rocking tonight to create an intimidating atmosphere for the Red Devils to play in and Howe could ensure that happens by unleashing Allan Saint-Maximin from the start.

The tricky winger was left on the bench against Manchester City last week and should now be brought straight back into the starting XI as he is a player who can get fans off their seats. He has the quality on the ball to lift a crowd and this could be vital to gain momentum throughout the match.

This season, the forward has averaged 1.9 shots, 1.5 key passes and 4.1 dribbles per game in the Premier League for Newcastle. He is constantly involved in the play and wants the ball at his feet in order to make things happen, which brings with it an air of excitement every time he is in possession as the fans know that there is the potential for something magical to happen.

Gary Neville previously lauded the £93k-per-week gem, saying: “To see his speed, his movement, it’s absolutely breathtaking. We were defenders in the Premier League and played against lots of good players.

“But every team now has three or four players who are unpredictable and brilliant, he’s breathtaking.”

The 24-year-old also has three goals and three assists in the league this term, which shows that he has been able to provide the end product to make him a genuine threat in the final third. He can scare defenders with his trickery and Howe must use this weapon against Rangnick’s team tonight.

This is why the Magpies boss must ensure that he is in the starting XI ready for kick-off at 8pm. He can get the St. James’ Park crowd rocking with his direct running and that could give the team the boost they need to pull off a shock result under the lights.

AND in other news, Howe must ruthlessly axe “laughable” NUFC dud who Shearer dubbed worse than an “U10″…

Tottenham Hotspur return to Premier League action this evening and manager Antonio Conte is facing several decisions on his team selection.

Their north London derby against Arsenal was postponed on Sunday, so he should be able to welcome back a few players from injury that wouldn’t have featured, as one positive.

Conte’s men head to the Midlands to face Leicester City, who haven’t played in three weeks due to a number of postponements, at the King Power Stadium.

This encounter is actually re-arranged from before Christmas, so both teams have plenty of games in hand and are by no means out of the race for the top four.

But what sort of lineup could we see from the Italian tonight? Here’s what we are predicting…

It has been a week since Spurs last played as they exited the Carabao Cup at the semi-final stage, tasting defeat to Chelsea over two legs. And there could be as many as four changes from last Wednesday’s defeat.

After being rested for that encounter, club captain Hugo Lloris should return between the sticks over Pierluigi Gollini, on the week in which his contract edges closer to an extension.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-transfer-gossip-rumours-conte-paratici-levy-premier-league” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

The backline is likely to remain largely the same, with central defensive duo Eric Dier and Cristian Romero still absent through injury. It means left-back Ben Davies will partner Davinson Sanchez and 22-year-old Japhet Tanganga in a back three.

Emerson should continue at right wing-back but Conte will be able to welcome the return of Sergio Reguilon on the left, who replaces Matt Doherty in a straight swap.

In midfield, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg should remain and he is joined by Oliver Skipp. There is no place for either Harry Winks or Giovani Lo Celso, who are both axed to allow the midfield gem back into the side.

Further up the pitch, there is still no Heung-min Son but we may well see the return of Steven Bergwijn, who was expected to be named on the bench on Sunday.

He joins Lucas Moura and Harry Kane in the attack.

Predicted Spurs XI vs Leicester (3-4-3): Lloris; Davies, Sanchez, Tanganga; Reguilon, Hojbjerg, Skipp, Emerson; Bergwijn, Moura, Kane

AND in other news, Spurs now “interested” in £10m gem with “enormous ability”, he could be the new Walker…

Aston Villa will be looking to return to winning ways when they travel to Carrow Road to take on Norwich City in their Premier League clash this evening.

Steven Gerrard’s charges slumped to their second defeat of his short reign with a 1-0 loss against Liverpool last time out, although there’s no shame in falling to the in-form title challengers at this moment in time.

However, the 41-year-old tactician will be desperate for a positive response from his side when they take on a team currently stuck in the relegation zone.

During Gerrard’s five-game spell at the Villa helm, the former Rangers boss is yet to settle upon a first-choice forward line.

The likes of Leon Bailey, Ashley Young, Emi Buendia and Jacob Ramsey have all partnered Ollie Watkins up front, while Danny Ings has been absent from the starting XI since Gerrard’s first fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Ings made his return to first-team action at Anfield as a second-half substitute, though, and now may be the perfect opportunity for the summer signing to be unleashed from the off once again.

After arriving at Villa Park via a £25m move over the summer, the Midlands outfit had high expectations for the former England international following his impressive exploits for Southampton.

Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison once compared him to Robbie Keane for his “first-class” movement on the south coast, while Ralph Hasenhuttl, his former boss at St Mary’s, lauded his exploits as “unbelievable”.

The £16m-rated hitman showcased his truly top-class finishing ability throughout 2019/20, finishing just one strike behind Golden Boot winner Jamie Vardy after bagging 22 goals for the Saints.

Ings then followed that up with a further 12 efforts last term as niggling injuries disrupted his campaign, but they weren’t enough to stop Villa from splashing the cash in order to secure his services.

And now Gerrard must present the clinical striker with an opportunity to replicate that form in the Claret and Blue of Villa.

His charges have failed to score three or more goals in a game since 18 September, while only John McGinn can match Ings’ tally of five goal contributions in the top-flight throughout 2021/22.

Therefore, Gerrard would be wise to unleash his most potent attacker back into the starting lineup when Villa take on a team rooted to the bottom of the table, giving his side the best chance of securing all three points.

And, in other news…Huge setback: Gregg Evans reveals “big blow” for Aston Villa, Gerrard will be gutted

Everton could secure manager Rafa Benitez his next Pablo Aimar after being linked with a transfer move for Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek.

What’s the story?

According to ESPN, the Toffees are one of several Premier League clubs keen to secure the signature of the 24-year-old over the coming months, with a loan move touted as the most likely option.

The report states that: “Sources have told ESPN that Van de Beek is keen to explore his options ahead of the January transfer window…

“Everton and Newcastle United are among a host of Premier League clubs interested in signing Van de Beek on loan in January.”

He could be Benitez’s next Pablo Aimar

The Netherlands international was first linked with a move to Goodison Park last summer after a hugely underwhelming first 12 months on English shores.

After arriving at United via a £40m move from boyhood club Ajax, Van de Beek was only awarded four Premier League starts by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, despite some positive performances.

One impressive showing against Istanbul Başakşehir in the Champions League led to BT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves labelling him “perfect” while Juan Mata even dubbed him “very clever”, but regular game time failed to materialise.

And then, in the previous window, it appeared as though an exit was on the cards as Everton attempted to prize the creative talent away from Old Trafford.

Marcel Brands, the Toffees director of football, openly admitted that the £22.5m-rated Van de Beek was on his list of potential targets before the deal collapsed.

“We had him on our list. At the beginning of the transfer window, we enquired at United, then it was impossible,” he told Dutch outlet NOS.

“At the end of the window, I received a call from Guido Albers, his agent, that he might be rented out after all. But at the last minute, it was cancelled. Stopped again.”

However, it appears as though the Merseyside outfit and Brands are planning to revive their interest in Van de Beek, and his arrival could supply Benitez with the sort of playmaker he previously achieved great success with.

Pablo Aimar was one of the most highly-regarded No.10’s in world football in the 2000’s after claiming two La Liga titles and the UEFA Cup crown under Benitez’s tutelage at Valencia where the current Toffees boss hailed him for being better than Ronaldinho.

While replicating those achievements at Everton may be unrealistic, Van de Beek’s acquisition could be the catalyst that finally inspires the Blues to fulfil their potential, replicating the effect that Aimar had with Benitez in Spain.

And, in other news…Rafa could save Everton’s form by extracting more from “resilient” £22.5m-rated gem

Every day of every week somewhere in the world, football matches are being played to the delight of football fans all over the globe. This is also something that makes avid football gamblers happy. For the most avid football gamblers in the UK, having an opportunity to bet on football matches every day is a dream come true.

Unfortunately, too much online betting on too many football games could lead to gambling addiction. Yes, there are people in the online sports betting world who have trouble controlling their online gambling activities. By some estimates, that could be about 6% of the online gambling population in the UK, even around the world.

In the worst of gambling addiction cases, treatment and counselling would be the right call. Almost all addicts have something they need to sort out before they can set aside their addictive behaviours. Once they get the help they need, they should restrict themselves from ever gambling again.

Of course, online problem gambling issues don’t always lead to gambling addiction. Sometimes a problem gambling issue is nothing more than a sign that may be a break from online gambling would be a good idea.

Taking a Break with GamStop

As the UK’s number one gambling regulator, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) works hard to make sure the UK gambling industry is doing its part to protect kids and vulnerable problem gamblers. Within the online gambling community, the UKGC’s GamStop Self-exclusion scheme sits front and centre in the nation’s effort to deal with gambling addiction.

The beauty of the GamStop program lies in its simplicity. For UK online gambling operators, GamStop membership is mandated by the UKGC as a condition of licensing. To become a compliant member, operators only need to pay a subscription fee and place an accessible link on their respective websites.

For UK online gamblers, the voluntary registration process is free and only takes a few minutes to complete. All they have to do if they want help taking a break from their online gambling activities is to provide some basic personal information and choose a self-exclusion period with options ranging from 6 months to 5 years.

Once registration has been completed, the registered GamStop gambler will get the break they need. There is nothing that will stop the football online gambler from settling in as nothing more than a football fan. That is unless they decide self-exclusion is not for them. If and when that happens, the GamStop football gambler will have to make decisions.

Getting Around UK Self-Exclusion

Since GamStop registration is voluntary and a short-term self-exclusion option, there is nothing that prevents the GamStop gambler from changing their mind. If they change their mind, they will immediately have to face the fact that using licensed UK gambling websites won’t be an option. They will also find out there are ways to get around GamStop scrutiny until their self-exclusion period ends.

Leading the way of non GamStop alternatives would be UK gambling sites that are not GamStop members and or are not licensed by the UKGC. The reality is they are lots of non GamStop UK betting sites for online wagering available to gamblers trying to avoid GamStop scrutiny. Even better many of these sites are terrific alternatives because they are reliable and work hard to maintain stellar reputations.

If a GamStop gambler isn’t comfortable with this option, they might find other options more appealing. Here are some other non GamStop options worth mentioning:

Crypto-only casinos do not do much in the way of customer verifications Other offshore jurisdictions are quite welcoming of UK gamblers (VPN might be needed) Some operators have weak account verification protocols Retail gambling establishments in the UK have no connection to the GamStop scheme It’s acceptable to open new accounts under other identities with the permission of the new accountholder

For the avid football fan who decides to take a GamStop break, the hope is a short break will be all that’s necessary before they can safely start betting on football matches again. They may do so with licensed UK sports betting operators and their self-exclusion period expires.

Photo by Unsplash

Wolves have reportedly submitted a transfer bid for Tottenham wing-back Matt Doherty, as they look to bring him back to Molineux this month.

The Lowdown: Doherty struggles at Spurs

The 29-year-old traded Wolves for Spurs in 2020, having been a hugely popular figure at Molineux, making 302 appearances and scoring 28 goals, proving to be an absolute bargain for the meagre £81,000 fee he cost the club in 2010.

Things haven’t gone well for Doherty at Spurs, however, with the Republic of Ireland international struggling for playing time and appearing just 39 times to date.

It appears as though the defender will be allowed to leave in the January transfer window and an exciting update has now emerged from a Wolves perspective.

The Latest: Wolves submit bid

According to Football Insider, a recruitment source has informed them that Wanderers have made an official bid for Doherty, as they look to seal a reunion with him.

Wolves and Spurs are ‘set to hold talks’ over a move, although it isn’t specified if the transfer will be a loan or permanent deal.

The Verdict: Great news for Wanderers

Doherty was such a consistent performer for Wolves, so the idea of him coming back to the club is hugely exciting, especially at a time where Bruno Lage’s side are thriving, winning 1-0 away to Manchester United on Monday night.

Granted, the right-back has struggled at Spurs, but sometimes a move simply doesn’t work out and coming back to the club he shone at could be ideal for all parties.

His record of 69 goal involvements as a Wolves player speaks for itself, and Lage will need more depth if they are to truly push on and become a regular challenger for European football.

Doherty, who has been hailed as ‘sensational’ by Jermaine Jenas in the past, would provide competition for Nélson Semedo at right wing-back, meaning the manager would have two quality options on both flanks with Rayan Aït-Nouri and Fernando Marçal competing on the other flank.

In other news, Tim Spiers has hinted at one player leaving Wolves. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace are not expected to make Jean-Philippe Mateta’s stay at the club permanent after a disappointing loan spell from Mainz 05.

What’s the story?

That’s according to journalist Tom Barclay, who revealed he doesn’t believe that 23-year-old is in Palace’s long-term plans.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Mateta, I don’t see being in the long-term Palace plan. I imagine when his 18-month deal is up, he’ll probably go back if not sooner, so that would open a spot up.”

Crystal Palace fans will be delighted

The former France U21 international arrived at Selhurst Park back in January 2021 on an initial 18-month loan deal with an option to buy, with the Eagles paying an initial £2.7m loan fee.

Palace also have an option to make the move permanent for a further £13.4m, although that only becomes an obligation if the versatile forward has started 15 Premier League games.

However, that prospect now appears to be extremely unlikely following several underwhelming showings for the south London outfit.

In seven top-flight outings last term, the 6 foot 2 beast found the back of the net on just one occasion under the tutelage of former manager Roy Hodgson, and things have gone from bad to worse during Patrick Vieira’s short reign.

Mateta has been awarded just 124 minutes of action by his compatriot throughout 2021/22 and has failed to start a Premier League game since the opening day of the season when he was hauled off just before the hour mark.

With summer signing Odsonne Edouard and the in-form Christian Benteke ahead of him in the pecking order, it’s hard to imagine the £7.2m-rated flop’s fortunes changing any time soon.

Therefore, large sections of the Palace supporters will be delighted at Barclay’s latest revelation as the capital club appear set to avoid a potentially expensive mistake in the transfer market.

And, in other news…Palace “lining up” swoop for “complete” £12.6m-rated gem, Vieira surely buzzing