All posts by z3u9t.icu

The summer transfer window is already in full swing, although transfer activity has been rather muted at Everton so far, with the Merseyside outfit yet to bring in any new faces with the new season just over a month away.

With the Toffees having also previously made no new signings in January amid their bid for survival, the need for further depth and quality is seemingly now even greater, with Sean Dyche no doubt in need of the appropiate tools to help avoid another relegation scrap in 2023/24.

Despite the rather quiet nature of the club's window so far, one name that has been mentioned is Sheffield United star, lliman Ndiaye, with Fabrizio Romano naming the Goodison outfit as one of the clubs who are interested in signing the 23-year-old playmaker.

This follows claims made by Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett back in January which suggested that Dyche and co had lodged a £25m bid to sign the Senegalese international on deadline day, with the player facing an uncertain future at Bramall Lane having now entered the final year of his contract.

Fresh form having propelled the Blades to promotion – after scoring 14 goals and laying on 11 assists in 46 Championship outings last term – Ndiaye could be the man to help bolster Dyche's attacking ranks this summer, following in the footsteps of the likes of Phil Jagielka and Dominic Calvert-Lewin in arriving on Merseyside from the Yorkshire side.

Due to his likeness to the latter man as a figure who typically operates through the middle – or in a number ten berth – the hope will be that Ndiaye can prove as much of a success as Calvert-Lewin has been in recent years.

How much did Everton pay for Calvert-Lewin?

The England international was snapped up from the Blades on a bargain £1.5m deal back in the summer of 2016, having spent time on loan at Stalybridge Celtic and Northampton Town prior to that in his teenage years.

While injury has dogged the 26-year-old of late – having notably made just 17 league appearances last season – the 6 foot 2 striker has blossomed into the Toffees' main man in attack, having now scored 60 goals in 209 games in all competitions over the past seven years.

That includes a particularly fruitful spell during Carlo Ancelotti's time at the helm, with Calvert-Lewin bagging 13 league goals in the 2019/20 season, before plundering 16 top-flight goals in the following campaign.

Lauded as a "top striker" by Ancelotti, the Sheffield-born machine has proven to be a truly astute capture since joining from his local side, with the hope being that Everton can replicate that masterclass with the addition of another exciting forward in the form of Ndiaye.

The latter man has earned rave reviews as a result of his standout form in the second tier in recent times, with Sheffield United coach Jack Lester stating that the France-born sensation "does things you can't coach" such is his "natural" talent, with the 5 foot 11 gem also seemingly rather "fearless" when taking to the field.

That fearlessness could ensure that the fleet-footed ace is not overawed by the step up to life in the top flight, with the chance there for him to replicate Calvert-Lewin's success if he is to link up with Dyche and co this summer.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino isn't prioritising adding an attack-minded midfielder to his squad as a key part of his transfer business; however, the Argentinian may change his mind and target one depending on circumstances, according to journalist Paul Brown.

Who have Chelsea been linked with this summer?

According to Sky Sports News, Chelsea are keen to add Brighton & Hove Albion enforcer Moises Caicedo to the ranks this summer and have moved to firm up their interest in the Ecuador international.

The report states that Chelsea are getting 'encouragement' from the player that he would be willing to join the club if both the Blues and Brighton can thrash out a deal, with personal terms set to be a formality in negotiations.

Telegraph Sport have revealed that any deal to bring Caicedo to Stamford Bridge this window could cost in excess of £100 million as the Seagulls look to maximize their financial gain on the 21-year-old.

Brighton are said to be using Declan Rice's impending move to Arsenal as a benchmark for their high price and think that Caicedo is of a similar calibre to the England international.

Chelsea are in the midst of a midfield reshuffle and have already let go of Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, N'Golo Kante, Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovacic as Pochettino begins to put his stamp on what will be a new-look Blues side.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown thinks that someone like Caicedo coming to Chelsea will be a bigger priority than signing an attack-minded midfielder this window; however, he thinks that a playmaker may still emerge as a potential area for Pochettino in the coming weeks.

Brown told FFC: "Their priority is to get the midfield position sorted. I don't think this counts as that area of the field. I think their priority is a player like Caicedo rather than a more attack-minded player, so we'll see. I think this is one that I don't see Chelsea spending a lot of money on unless more players are sold and the budget is boosted in that way, but it's something that could happen."

Will Chelsea move to add an attack-minded midfielder this window?

It's anyone's guess; however, you would imagine that Pochettino has a plan in mind to compensate for the losses of Mount and Havertz, who were both key creative outlets at Chelsea in chance creation.

According to Football London, Lyon youngster Rayan Cherki is under consideration by Pochettino as a potential addition and Chelsea have sent scouts to watch the Frenchman on several occasions this year.

Corriere dello Sport claim that Roma ace Paulo Dybala is another target for Chelsea and state that Pochettino would be willing to trigger his release clause of around £10 million to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

The Guardian have detailed that the Blues are courting Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga, though Paris Saint-Germain look to be pushing the hardest to acquire the Spaniard.

In the next few weeks, Pochettino's transfer priorities will begin to become clearer as the Argentinian coach looks to deliver success at Chelsea in 2023/24.

Arsenal "have an eye on" Joao Cancelo, and the Manchester City full-back could become a target once the deals for Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber are complete, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Is Joao Cancelo leaving Manchester City?

Cancelo joined Bayern Munich on loan in the January transfer window, however the German champions have decided not to activate the £61.8m buy-out clause included in his contract, opening the door for a potential move elsewhere.

Arsenal have held "early verbal talks" over a deal to bring the Portugal international to the Emirates Stadium, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, but they have since been preoccupied with other concerns.

With a deal for West Ham United's Declan Rice now edging closer to completion, and a £40m deal for Timber having been agreed with Ajax, Mikel Arteta could now turn his attentions back to the Man City full-back.

That is according to transfer insider Jones, who told GiveMeSport: "Arsenal do still have an eye on Cancelo, but that one has to wait because they have enough on their plate to deal with at the moment. This is a big week for Arsenal, with deals for Rice and Jurrien Timber to get over the line.

"I have noticed a swell in the number of Arsenal fans criticising Edu during negotiations. I’ve been on transfer shows where all the comments have been ‘Edu Out’ because they are getting frustrated about the fact they struggle to get big transfers tied up, but now they might be happier."

How much does Joao Cancelo earn?

The 29-year-old is currently locked into a £250k-per-week deal with Man City, which is not due to expire until 2027, however Pep Guardiola's side went on to win a treble in his absence last season, and it would not be a surprise if he moves on this summer.

After being dropped for a match against Arsenal last season, the full-back reportedly had a training ground bust-up with Guardiola, which led to his departure, however there is no denying he is still a top player.

Lauded as "world class" by pundit Ahmed Elmohamady, the former Juventus man is very strong on the front foot, ranking in the 99th percentile for assists per 90 in the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Cancelo, who has also been branded a "beast" by other members of the media, has proven himself in the Premier League, averaging a 7.33 Sofascore rating in the 2021-22 campaign, the joint-third highest of any City player, and he could be a fantastic signing for Arsenal.

Everton could do with landing an exciting player to get supporters in the mood for next season's Premier League campaign, but a move for one such option appears to be off the cards.

The Toffees had been tipped to move for Udinese striker Beto after showing an initial interest in the January window, though Italian outlet Tutto Udinese suggests they have yet to make an approach.

Instead, Serie A champions Napoli are considered to be the frontrunners for the 25-year-old, albeit with their initial €20m (£17m) offer said to be some way off the €30m (£26m) Udinese are holding out for.

However, with Sean Dyche unable to rely on injury-prone Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Ellis Simms seemingly next in line to lead the attack, Everton should reconsider making an offer for Beto.

Who is Udinese forward Beto?

The Portuguese attacker arrived at Udinese from Portimonense in the 2021 summer transfer window on an initial loan basis, which the Italian side happily took up the option to make permanent last year.

Beto scored 11 goals in his first Serie A season with Udinese and followed that up by hitting double figures again last season with 10 in 33 games as the Bianconeri finished in a comfortable 12th.

To put Beto's scoring rate into some perspective, his 0.42 goals per 90 minutes in the Italian top flight last season, as per FBref, is a near identical rate to that of Ollie Watkins in the Premier League with Aston Villa (0.43).

His ability to cause unrest has also been noted by football writer Sam Tighe, who described Beto's ability to "spook defenders" as "amazing".

The Udinese number nine is ranked in the top 13% of all forwards across Europe's top five leagues in terms of touches in the opposition box, putting him on a par with Newcastle United's Alexander Isak, as per The Analyst.

Beto is a player who can get on the ball in dangerous positions and indeed find the net at the highest level, then, which is something Simms has so far been unable to do.

After impressing with seven goals in 17 Championship appearances with Sunderland in the first half of last season, Simms scored just once in 11 Premier League outings – albeit a late equaliser away to Chelsea – after being recalled by Everton.

The 22-year-old did show the odd encouraging moments but, as put by football writer Josh Bunting, he "just is not ready for the Premier League" and looked "out of his depth" in Everton's 2-0 Merseyside derby defeat to Liverpool in February.

Even when factoring in that Simms spent half of last season playing at a lower level, he is still unable to match Beto in terms of key attacking metrics such as shot-on-target percentage (33.3 v 27.5 respectively), successful take-ons (1.35 v 0.53) and aerial duels won (52.2% v 44.6%).

There was little between the pair in terms of shot-creating actions per 90 (2.07 v 2.06) – used to measure factors such as passes and take-ons leading to a shot – and pass-completion rate (63.5% v 63.7%), while Simms will naturally get better in other areas as he ages.

But Everton are after a player for the here and now, and in Beto they can sign someone who has already registered successive seasons of double figures for goals in a major European league. Do that, and supporters may just have a little more hope for what is ahead.

Antoine Griezmann has finally revealed his actual thoughts on not being made the France captain, with Kylian Mbappe chosen instead.

What happened between Griezmann and Mbappe?

When Hugo Lloris opted to retire from international football, there was an expectation from some that the Atletico Madrid man would take over.

However, Didier Deschamps snubbed the more experienced 32-year-old in favour of Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe.

At the time, that decision supposedly annoyed Griezmann, who was been named France’s new vice-captain instead. After all, Le Figaro even claimed that considered ruling himself out of contention for future call-ups.

In the end, the forward opted against that and has since admitted that he is now fully behind Mbappe, even if it was a bitter pill to swallow initially.

Griezmann told Telefoot: “It was hard to take, and tough. I’m 32 and, although I still have the legs, I know I’m reaching the end [of my career].

“I had a hard time stomaching it for one or two days.”

He added: “I’m fully behind our captain Kylian. I won’t change anything, because that’s who I am.”

How many goals has Mbappe scored for France?

Griezmann certainly has given plenty to France over the years, playing 120 times for his country. In this period, he has played in two World Cup finals (winning won), while scoring 43 goals and claiming 36 assists. He also finished as the top scorer at Euro 2016 although his country lost in the final to Portugal.

However, Mbappe isn’t exactly a surprising pick for captain. After all, he too has played in two World Cup finals, scoring four goals across those matches – the most any player has ever managed.

And while he is still only 24 years of age, he already has 69 caps to his name, netting 39 goals and providing 24 assists in that time.

With that being the case, it feels as though Deschamps has picked an option for the long term, instead of entrusting the older Griezmann with the armband for a few years.

Only time will tell if this is the right decision but at least it now appears that the 32-year-old has finally come to terms with it all.

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale will have a big challenge in order to fill the void left by striker Alfredo Morelos, who departed the Ibrox side following the expiration of his contract after a goal-laden six-year spell at the club.

All in all, the Colombian netted 124 goals in 269 appearances, becoming the Gers top scorer in European competition along the way and while Beale has lured Sam Lammers to Ibrox, he scored just twice last season, hardly the numbers that the supporters are looking for in a striker who will need to hit the ground running once the season begins.

The Light Blues have been linked with a move for Greek striker Anastasios Douvikas according to Football Insider and although FC Utrecht are reportedly demanding a fee of £6.9m for one of their prized assets, his ability in front of goal could ensure Beale would be able to replace Morelos with a player that could potentially match or surpass his numbers over the previous few seasons.

Could Anastasios Douvikas sign for Rangers?

With Lammers already arriving in Glasgow and the club still looking at a deal to sign Cyril Dessers, could the Gers sign another forward during the transfer window?

Scoring more goals next season could go a long way to securing domestic glory, especially considering the fact Celtic netted 21 more goals in the Premiership during 2022/2023 than Rangers and Douvikas could be the missing piece of the jigsaw.

The 23 year old scored 22 goals across all competitions last term, including 19 in the Eredivisie and this total was four more than any Rangers player managed, with Antonio Colak and James Tavernier sharing the top scorer bragging rights with just 18 goals apiece.

It’s no wonder he was dubbed “sharp” by journalist Josh Bunting and the striker certainly showcased his skills in the Netherlands as he ranks in the top 15% across Europe’s next eight leagues outwith the top five for shots on target per 90 (1.47), goals per 90 (0.8) and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (5.97), which underlines how effective he is in front of goal.

For his club side, Douvikas was influential as he ranked in the top five for overall rating, goals, total shots per game, big chances created and successful dribbles per game and this suggests that he has the ability to become a key player for the Gers should he join.

Beale has already enjoyed a productive summer so far, yet signing Douvikas could turn it into a superb one if he can prove to be the man to replace Morelos.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their efforts to find a new first-team manager after Ange Postecoglou's departure earlier this month…

What's the latest on Daniel Farke to Celtic?

According to the Daily Mail, former Borussia Monchengladbach head coach Daniel Farke is one of the names that Dermot Desmond has under consideration for the job, alongside Brendan Rodgers and Kjetil Knutsen.

The report claims that the ex-Norwich manager has thrown his hat into the ring after he left his post in the Bundesliga at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

This comes after Sky's Florian Plettenberg reported that the Hoops held initial talks with the German boss, who is also wanted by English side Leeds United, over replacing Postecoglou.

What is Daniel Farke's style of play?

The 44-year-old coach typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation that requires building out from the back and line-breaking passing across the pitch to create attacks and this could spell bad news for Joe Hart.

Celtic's current number one was ditched by Premier League giants Manchester City as Pep Guardiola did not trust his distribution skills and he could befall a similar fate under Farke if Desmond decides to go with the German tactician.

Experienced goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann appeared to suffer a similar fate during his short-lived stint in Norfolk whilst the ex-Borussia Dortmund reserve coach was in England.

Prior to joining the Canaries on loan from Schalke in 2019, the German shot-stopper had never completed more than 69.3% of his passes over the course of a season and made four errors that directly led to a shot or a goal through poor distribution in the Bundesliga in the 2018/19 campaign.

He was unable to dislodge Tim Krul from Farke's starting line-up as the Dutchman went on to play 36 times in the Premier League during the 2019/20 campaign and only made one error.

The towering 6 foot 6 colossus then completed 77% of his attempted passes and made two errors that led to a shot or goal in 36 Championship matches the following term.

This indicates that Farke, who was hailed as a "world-class" coach by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, preferred the former Newcastle United titan between the sticks as he made fewer mistakes with the ball at his feet and completed a higher percentage of his passes.

Hart, therefore, could be in trouble as the 36-year-old made four blunders that led to shots in the Scottish Premiership and one mistake in six Champions League outings last season.

Such errors in goal and previous issues with distribution could put Farke off wanting the 6 foot 5 shot-stopper to be his no.1 at Celtic, based on his style of play and the battle between Fahrmann and Krul, and that is why his appointment could be terrible news for the ex-England international.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in a Premier League ace this summer, as Unai Emery aims to bolster his squad in the upcoming transfer window.

The Spaniard has transformed Villa since joining the club back in October, and with European football confirmed, the 51-year-old has set his sights on taking his squad to new heights with big-name reinforcements.

The Midlands side have been linked to a host of talent so far, with the latest link being a freshly relegated star.

What’s the latest on Armel Bella-Kotchap to Aston Villa?

As reported by journalist Alex Crook via TalkSport, Armel Bella-Kotchap is ‘attracting interest’ from Aston Villa.

The report states that Southampton are ‘bracing themselves’ for a bidding war for the defender, who is wanted by not only Villa but also unnamed clubs in Germany and Italy.

It’s speculated that the Saints will look for a fee of £30m for the 21-year-old star, despite their relegation to the Championship.

What could Armel Bella-Kotchap offer Aston Villa?

Described as a “monster” by former boss Ralph Hasenhuttl via BILD, the young German was one of Southampton’s top performers this season, ranking in their top five best-performing players as per Sofascore.

While the campaign at St Mary’s was bleak, the 21-year-old managed to shine and revealed himself as one of the best young defenders in the Premier League.

Such claims are supported by his numbers, winning 69% of his total duels this term with an average of 4.8 per game as per Sofascore.

While Saints’ relegation is agonising for the defender who signed on the south coast from VfL Bochum last summer for a fee in the region of €10m (£8.6m), their demotion is good news for Villa, who could benefit from the defender’s expected availability.

Emery has built a strong central-defensive unit in Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings, but he could gift Konsa the perfect partner in Bella-Kotchap, unearthing a partnership to serve Villa Park for the long term in the process.

As per FBref, the Villa ace averaged 1.14 tackles and 0.70 interceptions per 90 minutes, with the Saints man excelling with 1.77 tackles and a monstrous 2.11 interceptions, showing his ability to read and dictate from the back.

His exploits in central defence could complement the ability of Konsa, who has been lauded as “excellent” by former Birmingham striker Kevin Phillips, with the duo capable of leading the defence by example.

With Bella-Kotchap being just 21 and Konsa only 25, Emery could have a partnership for years to come in the duo, who both possess a strong defensive eye as shown by their statistics.

Only time will tell if Villa can capture the signature of the in-demand defender, but the Spaniard could land himself a bargain in today’s market in the young talent who is an established Premier League ace.

Manchester United appear to be looking to strengthen their options at right-back this summer, following an update on the club's reported interest in Monaco star, Vanderson.

What's the latest on Vanderson to Man United?

According to Brazilian outlet, Zero Hora, the Red Devils are said to have proposed a potential offer to the Ligue 1 outfit for the signing of the 21-year-old, albeit with that unofficial bid having seemingly fallen short of the selling club's €50m (£43m) asking price.

As the piece adds, however, there is still hope for United that a deal can be agreed for the former Gremio ace, with it said that the promising full-back is 'likely' to seal an exit from Stade Louis II in the coming weeks, with a move to Old Trafford seemingly 'possible'.

The report does also go on to note that Erik ten Hag and co will face competition for the defender's signature, however, with a host of Premier League clubs also keeping tabs on his progress.

Who is Vanderson?

The 5 foot 8 Brazilian could well represent a long-term solution for Ten Hag on the right side of the defence, with the youngster having previously been hailed as a "complete full-back" by talent scout Jacek Kulig as a marker of his exciting potential.

With United having only recently handed fellow right-back Diogo Dalot a new long-term deal until 2028, it would appear that the signing of Vanderson would then spell bad news for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, despite the Englishman's resurgence of late.

The latter man had previously looked certain to move on heading into the January transfer window after making just a solitary, four-minute cameo appearance prior to the World Cup break, although the 25-year-old has since established himself as a regular fixture in the side, having even started in the FA Cup final clash last weekend.

Even so, however, The Athletic revealed back in April that Ten Hag was keen to find a more 'attacking' option in that right-back role, with there a potential for Wan-Bissaka to be moved on if a suitable target could be found.

Vanderson, therefore, could well be the man to push the former Crystal Palace ace out the door, having offered a far greater attacking threat of late after scoring once and registering four assists in 31 league appearances this season as well as creating six big chances, while Wan-Bissaka failed to score or register an assist, while also creating just one big chance in 19 league outings.

Interestingly, the Monaco man could also prove more effective in a defensive sense after averaging an impressive 2.7 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game in 2022/23, with a greater record than the current United man, who averaged just 2.1 and 1.2 for the same two metrics, respectively.

Having made an "exceptional adaptation" to life in France over the last 18 months or so since his arrival from his homeland – according to former boss Philippe Clement – the hope will be that Vanderson can slot in just as comfortably if he is to make the move to the Theatre of Dreams this summer.

If that deal is to come to fruition, Wan-Bissaka will certainly be fearing for his place at the club…

Newcastle United are plotting a summer swoop to bring Barcelona forward Ferran Torres back to the Premier League, according to reports.

Is Ferran Torres leaving Barcelona?

The Blaugrana winger first arrived at Camp Nou in January 2022 from Manchester City and has made a total of 70 appearances since, and despite still having another four years to run on his contract, his future is extremely uncertain heading into the upcoming window.

The La Liga giants are reportedly in the midst of a Financial Fair Play crisis and could therefore be forced to sell some of their most prized assets this summer in order to help try and balance their books, the 23-year-old being one of those, and it appears that PIF and Eddie Howe have been alerted to his potential availability.

Football Transfers recently claimed that the Magpies have held “internal discussions” about the Sky Blues’ former star who is believed to fit the profile of player that the boss is looking for with his previous experience in the top-flight, and that has now been backed up even further.

Are Newcastle signing Torres?

According to The Daily Mail, Torres has fallen "under the gaze" of Newcastle who have got their "eye" on a potential deal for Barcelona's forward ahead of the 2023/24 term. Xavi's attacker may be getting "shunned" so that his club can receive some much-needed cash, and with Howe "keen" to add fresh faces to his ranks in the final third, he could be on his way to St. James' Park.

If Football Transfers’ earlier report is true about Howe personally wanting Torres to be someone who he signs then you'd expect PIF could back their manager in the summer, so the hierarchy may consider testing the waters with Barcelona to see if they could be tempted.

The World Cup participant, who is sponsored by Adidas, has posted ten goal contributions (seven goals and three assists) across all competitions this season and has been hailed a “flamboyant” left-winger for his creativity in the opposition’s area by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Torres, who pockets £167k-per-week in his homeland, also knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having won two trophies during his time with Pep Guardiola’s side, including the Premier League title, so he would be able to match and even add to the winning mentality of the current squad already in the northeast.