All posts by z3u9t.icu

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.

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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…

Tottenham could sign Antonio Conte’s new N’Golo Kante in Juventus star Weston McKennie.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent months had claimed that the Bianconeri would be willing to let the USA international go in the summer, with “strong interest” from both Spurs and fellow Premier League club Aston Villa.

Italian publication Calciomercato have now claimed that the Lilywhites, led by transfer chief Fabio Paratici, have reignited their interest in the midfielder, with Juventus still willing to part ways with him.

Conte’s new Kante

The last time Conte was in the Premier League, he had a successful stint at Spurs’ London rivals Chelsea, leading them to the Premier League title with his favoured back-three formation.

Part of that team’s success came from the incredible midfield work that Kante got through in the midfield engine room, with the Blues ace playing more games under Conte than any other manager in his professional career (89).

The title-winning 2016/17 campaign saw him average a whopping 3.6 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per game in the Premier League, and Conte will be looking to find his own Kante now at Spurs. In McKennie, he could find exactly that.

USA legend Alexi Lalas has already drawn comparisons between McKennie and Kante, saying: “He could be a new Gattuso for Pirlo, who played with the original and knows how important it was for the balance of that AC Milan (team).

“McKennie has something of Gattuso but also of (N’Golo) Kante and (Arturo) Vidal. As they say here: beauty and the beast both serve to win.  And McKennie, as well as a conqueror of balls, also has excellent skills in the construction of the game and with his head he is always dangerous.”

Hailed as a “leader” by David Wagner, the American’s performances in the Bundesliga for Schalke earned him a high-profile move to Juventus, where his former boss Andrea Pirlo was a big fan of the 23-year-old.

Calling him a “rock”, the Italy icon added: “He’s young and can improve a lot. In my opinion, he’s a midfielder who can play as a No 8 in a three in midfield, right or left. He gets in the box and scores goals but he’s also very good at winning the ball back.

“His role is in a three in midfield as one of the two players on either side of the regista. Last year we played in a different system, so he had to adapt.”

As per WhoScored, McKennie has an impressive career average of 1.2 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, while also managing just under one shot and key pass per match – a real indication of how he could be used not only as a midfield destroyer, but as a more box-to-box threat too.

The “outstanding” £22.5m-rated star’s prospective arrival would surely have Spurs fans buzzing, and give Conte someone around whom he could build his midfield like he did with Kante at Chelsea.

Meanwhile, this Spurs star was disappointing against Vitesse…

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

After it was recently reported by The Athletic that the San Francisco 49ers have a deal in place to buy Leeds United for more than £400m with an option for 100% control of the Yorkshire club to pass to 49ers Enterprises by January 2024, which includes ownership of Elland Road, it seems as though fresh details have emerged on the matter.

What’s the news?

Leeds journalist Adam Pope recently shared a post on his Twitter page with some fresh details on the proposed takeover deal.

He said: “I understand that due to a multiple of revenues the overall price to take over Leeds could rise to £500m or more depending on factors such as future spending and league status.”

Pope also said that Andrea Radrizzani’s company Aser have the option to void the deal if they wish and that the current message seems to be 49ers and Leeds are “still working closely.”

Radz buzzing

Radrizzani completed his takeover of Leeds back in May 2017, ending Massimo Cellino’s three-year spell as the club’s owner after buying a 50% stake in January of the same year.

Since then, the Yorkshire club have managed to rise from the bottom half of the Championship at the end of the 2017/18 season to a top-half finish in the Premier League last season under Marcelo Bielsa’s guidance.

With the future in mind, it seems as though the club could be welcoming new owners in the near future to presumably push the club even further than they’ve managed to come under Bielsa and Radrizzani, which would surely delight a lot of Leeds fans.

However, taking into account what Pope had to say in his recent tweet, it seems as though the club’s final league position this season could have some sort of financial impact on what the takeover deal could look like.

Consequently, if Leeds can finish as high up the table as possible, this would lead to more money being put into the club, which would surely be music to Radrizzani’s ears. Not only would he have generated some fantastic results behind the scenes, keeping them in the division, but his pockets will be larger as a result.

Of course, the Italian’s first thoughts should be with the club but he will surely be motivated by the opportunity to gain an even greater source of income from Leeds’ accomplishments this term. The end goal for Radrizzani was always to cement their Premier League status and if he ends his tenure at Elland Road with that achieved, he will be a very happy man indeed.

However, the fact that Leeds are currently sitting in 15th position in the Premier League table with 16 points on the board from their opening 15 games of the season suggests that there is still some work to be done throughout the second half of the season if they want to match or even improve on their ninth-place finish in the league last season.

In other news: Time to shine: Bielsa must now unleash “superb” £17k-p/w prodigy after big Leeds blow – opinion

Greg Stewart has endured a difficult two years with Rangers under Steven Gerrard and following the recent title win for the Ibrox outfit, sporting director Ross Wilson should axe the 30-year-old this summer.

The striker made the move to Scotland on a free transfer after leaving Championship side Birmingham City but has never really found his feet in Gerrard’s side, managing just three goals and six assists in 30 appearances.

Although he struggled at Birmingham, Rangers clearly saw enough from Stewart in his loan spells at Aberdeen and Kilmarnock in recent seasons to convince them that he was worth bringing to Ibrox, but unfortunately, that move hasn’t worked out.

The 30-year-old’s contract is set to expire at the end of the current season and having played just 13 minutes in the Premiership this season under Gerrard, it seems likely that he will be departing Ibrox in the summer.

Considering Jermaine Defoe is also looking likely to leave when his contract expires, there may be a small temptation to keep Stewart around the club as a backup to the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten, but in reality, he just isn’t good enough to play regularly under Gerrard.

The ‘Gers will want to give a good account of themselves in the Champions League next season after their impressive showings in the Europa League so far this campaign, and if Rangers want to keep on progressing as a club, they cannot afford to keep players like Stewart at the club.

The 30-year-old reportedly earns £7.5k per week at Rangers, more than Glen Kamara and the same as Joe Aribo, both of whom have been hugely important in Gerrard’s midfield this season, so it is difficult to justify keeping him at the club when he has contributed so little.

Therefore, Wilson should ensure that he leaves the club this season as if Rangers want to keep on getting better, then there is no time for niceties such as keeping deadwood at Ibrox.

And, in other news… Gerrard should axe £30k-p/w Rangers gem amid exit links

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Dean Windass said that he doesn’t believe Paul Lambert will be the next Celtic manager.

Lambert is currently without a job following his dismissal from Ipswich last Sunday, but given his previous affiliations with the Hoops, it doesn’t come as a surprise to see him being mentioned as a potential replacement for Neil Lennon.

The former Scotland international spent eight years at Celtic Park, winning no fewer than eight major honours, including a domestic treble during a highly-successful period for the club.

Less than 24 hours after leaving Ipswich, the 51-year-old was heavily linked with a move back to the Scottish champions, but Windass doesn’t see a move materialising.

He exclusively told Football FanCast:

“I can’t see Lambert getting it. I played against Paul at Celtic and he’s a great footballer in himself and has obviously gone on to be a very good manager. But even after losing his job at Ipswich I can’t see that appointment. He wouldn’t have been on my list, even if he would have still been manager at Ipswich.

“Because Steven Gerrard is at Rangers, maybe a John Terry, Frank Lampard or someone like that.

“I think that they have got time because Rangers are going to win the league. It’s not about rushing to get a manager, they’re not going to catch Rangers, so they can take their time a little bit and try winning the league next year.”

Following a difficult few campaigns with Ipswich, which came soon after a miserable period as Stoke manager, the Celtic job might be a case of wrong place, wrong time for Lambert.

Liverpool attacking midfielder Harry Wilson has completed a permanent move to Fulham, as per a report from Goal. 

The lowdown: Wilson’s career so far

Wilson has been with the Reds since 2013, having joined as a youngster before advancing through the academy ranks on Merseyside.

The Wrexham-born star racked up 32 goals and 14 assists for the Liverpool under-23s and made a senior debut against Plymouth in the FA Cup in 2017.

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However, the Wales international only made one more competitive first-team outing and was sent out various loan deals to Crewe Alexandra, Hull City, Derby County, Cardiff City and Bournemouth.

The latest: Finally found a home

As per the report from Goal, the 25-year-old winger is set to turn the latest loan switch into a permanent one this summer.

Speaking to the outlet, Wilson has confirmed that he’s delighted to finally have ‘stability’ following a career of temporary switches to date.

The report claims that Liverpool will receive £12m and hold a 15% sell-on clause for the player, who was once described as ‘magic’ by Neil Harris after a stellar display against Birmingham City whilst on loan at Cardiff.

The verdict: Unfortunate timing

Truthfully, given the strength in depth at Anfield, the Welshman has always faced an uphill battle to force his way into Jurgen Klopp’s long-term plans. Despite often shining during pre-season, the 34-cap star never truly appeared ready to make the necessary step-up to this current Liverpool squad.

Wilson has flourished once more in the Championship this season and currently boasts an excellent return of 11 goals and 18 assists in 40 appearances across all competitions for newly-promoted Fulham.

Ultimately the right-winger may end up simply being a victim of circumstance as, in previous incarnations of Liverpool, the cultured left-footer would almost certainly have been given a try. However, when sharing a position with the mercurial Mohamed Salah, regular opportunities were never likely to be forthcoming.

Attention will now turn to how Liverpool’s incoming sporting director Julian Ward can best spend the early budget boost in the summer transfer window.

In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a shock move for one player. Find out who it is here.

After Sergio Reguilon’s arrival from Real Madrid in the summer, Ben Davies would have been forgiven for being concerned over how his future at Tottenham would look like.

The Lilywhites’ summer signing had impressed for Europa League winners Sevilla before joining the north Londoners on a permanent deal, and at just 24, seems primed to enter his peak years at the club.

But on Sunday night against Wolves in the Premier League, Davies showed that he can still play a huge role for Spurs both this season and in the future.

Playing on the left-hand side of a back-three – a job he has done for Wales – the 27-year-old looked assured in his defending and dealt admirably with the unenviable task of having to deal with Adama Traore.

Aside from perhaps being at fault for Roman Saiss’ equaliser, Davies was undoubtedly one of Spurs’ better performers of the evening. As per Sofascore, he won eight of his 13 total duels, made two tackles and two interceptions apiece, and also provided two key passes too – not to mention setting up Tanguy Ndombele for his 1st minute strike.

His ability to play as both a full-back and as part of a back-three is something the Spurs boss has previously talked up, saying: “Ben and Reguilon is a little bit the same. Can they play together or for one to play and the other one has to be on the bench? Yes, they can play together and that’s a very good thing for us.

“Ben is very intelligent. So that’s why it’s quite easy to understand the difference between playing left-back, centre-back with five or centre-back with four. Of course left-footed there are not many centre-backs with a left-foot. Some clubs have them but the majority don’t. To have him as an option is also good because to attack, the build-up is also important.”

That versatility is crucial to the way Mourinho can set his team up, not only in his pre-match briefings, but also how he can adapt on the fly during a game too.

They may not have come away with all three points, but Davies’ impressive performance at Molineux has given Mourinho some serious food for thought going forward about how best to use him.

Frank McAvennie has exclusively told Football FanCast that any form of European football would mark a successful season for West Ham.

The Hammers only avoided relegation post-lockdown last season, finishing just four points above Bournemouth following a four-match unbeaten run.

But David Moyes’ side have emerged as surprise Champions League contenders this term, and prior to recent defeats to Newcastle and Chelsea, occupied fourth place.

Despite those setbacks, West Ham are just three points behind London rivals Chelsea with four matches remaining, and have a favoured run of fixtures compared to Thomas Tuchel’s men, who still have distractions in both the FA Cup and Champions League.

Finishing in fifth or sixth would guarantee a place in the group stages of the Europa League, whilst seventh is currently good enough for UEFA’s new Europa Conference League.

“At the start of the season, if someone told me they’d be fighting for Europe, I’d have taken it – you’d probably have got locked up if you said West Ham would be fighting for Europe,” McAvennie told Football FanCast.

He added: “But unfortunately, they’ve missed Declan Rice and missed Antonio. I would love West Ham to have another striker – Antonio is going to be stop-start next season. They’ve got to get a striker in.

“But I think for this year, even if they don’t get Champions League, what a great season it’s been. Get top-six and get into Europe, but I really hope they crown it off and get into that European spot.”

According to a report by Italian news outlet Il Resto del Carlino, via West Ham Central, the club have ‘already made an enquiry’ to re-sign former Hammers star Marko Arnautovic as he looks set to leave China this summer – prompting many supporters to erupt in response. 

Links to the Austrian hitman have been resurfacing lately after Sky Sports claimed back in January the Irons were offered the chance to take Arnautovic back to the London Stadium.

Indeed, Il Resto del Carlino claim that West Ham have already made an approach for the 32-year-old amid manager David Moyes’ continued hunt for an out-and-out striker.

Scoring 22 goals and assisting 12 others in 65 appearances during his last stint in east London (Transfermarkt), he was revered at times with Moyes even branding Arnautovic ‘unplayable’ (Sky Sports).

However, he left on unceremonious terms for the Chinese Super League, and many West Ham supporters have erupted over this enquiry news as a result.

Find all of their verdicts from social media down below.

West Ham fans livid after Arnautovic development

“I beg this isn’t true”

Credit: @TomGuy93

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GET HIM OUT”

Credit: @mrwestham22

“Hope this is a wind up.”

Credit: @b2brdk

“No no no”

Credit: @hammerhastie316

“Why ruin my friday”

Credit: @jackhcc

“We should get some squad players that really want to play for us….Not ones that run off at the first sniff of money!!”

Credit: @21digits

“the number of player who are better than him haha what a joke for wanting a guy who spit on the badge I can’t understand how you can think that you are a fan if you prefer a guy over the badge :/”

Credit: @krays2208

“I worry about his attitude. We have a good balance atm in terms of attitudes and egos. He could really throw that out.”

Credit: @deanashtonsfoot

In other news: Bids expected for West Ham star this summer, find out more here.