All posts by z3u9t.icu

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.

Vincent Kompany led Burnley to glory in the Championship in the 2022/23 campaign as the Belgian head coach secured the league title in style.

The Clarets amassed a whopping 101 points in the second tier to ensure their promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking and the manager's work in the transfer market last summer played a significant role in their success.

Anass Zaroury, Manuel Benson, Arijanet Muric, Josh Cullen, and Ian Maatsen are just a few of the impressive gems the head coach unearthed to become Burnley stars this season.

Kompany arrived at Turf Moor after spending two years in his home country managing Anderlecht and swooped for Cullen from his former club as one of his first signings.

No player played more matches (78) for Kompany at the Belgian club than the Irish midfielder and the ex-Manchester City defender brought him in to be a consistent presence in the middle of the park for the Clarets.

Cullen averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.00 – ranking sixth in the squad – across 43 Championship matches and made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game to go along with his pass completion rate of 88%.

The Burnley boss could now repeat the masterclass he played with the 27-year-old by completing a swoop for another one of his former Anderlecht stars – Albert Sambi Lokonga.

Who is Albert Sambi Lokonga?

He is a 23-year-old central midfielder who is currently on loan at Crystal Palace in the Premier League from fellow top-flight side Arsenal.

Football Insider recently reported that the Clarets are interested in snapping the Belgium international up on a temporary basis next term and have made him one of their top targets following their promotion from the second tier.

Lokonga made 39 appearances under Kompany's management before his switch to The Emirates and enjoyed a terrific season with him in 2020/21.

The maestro averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.26 across 33 appearances in the Pro League and made 3.4 tackles and interceptions per match. He also completed 86% of his attempted passes and won 62% of his duels in the middle of the park, which shows that the Gunners talent is a reliable passer who can also provide a physical presence in midfield – like Cullen.

That average performance level would place him only behind Josh Brownhill (7.27) in the current Burnley squad, proving that the £50k-per-week ace, who talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed as "tireless", has the potential to be a standout performer for Kompany.

Lokonga, who averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.93 in the Premier League for Arsenal in 2021/22, has proven that he can thrive in the Belgian head coach's tactical set-up already and that could allow him to hit the ground running in the same way that Cullen did.

Therefore, the Clarets boss could repeat the masterclass he played with the Irishman by swooping for the £17.2m battler this summer.

West Ham United manager David Moyes is personally eyeing a Premier League move for Hull City sensation Keane Lewis-Potter with a Rush Green exit now expected, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Hammers eye new forward…

The Hammers and Moyes are reportedly eager to bolster their forward options in the summer window with both an out-and-out striker and attacking midfielder on the cards.

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West Ham are allegedly still interested in Man United playmaker Jesse Lingard and are keeping tabs on both Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.

Lewis-Potter, who has been standing out as a really promising talent in the Championship this season, is also reportedly of interest to Moyes with a Rush Green exit now ‘expected’.

The Latest: Moyes looks at Lewis-Potter…

As per The Guardian, West Ham’s boss has ‘looked at’ signing the 21-year-old as he eyes a move to the top tier.

This comes as winger Andriy Yarmolenko is ‘expected to leave’ upon the expiry of his contract this summer, even despite the Ukraine international’s recent heroics against Sevilla and Aston Villa.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Reports suggest Hull could demand around £20 million, but taking into account his form and real potential, Lewis-Potter could be worth the investment.

The Englishman has also been attracting interest from north London rivals Spurs having racked up 12 goals and four assists over a staggering 46 second tier appearances.

Still very young, Lewis-Potter is a mainstay at the MKM Stadium with former boss Grant McCann calling him a ‘special’ player.

Having become such an important player for Hull at just 21, the sky appears to be the limit, and £20m could look like chump change in a few seasons time.

In other news: ‘Evolving situation’ – Journalist says West Ham are now eyeing a ‘massive signing’ for Moyes, find out more here.

Steven Gerrard has had a mixed start to Premier League life at Aston Villa since arriving from Rangers in mid-November.

While an encouraging start was more than welcome by the incoming manager, it tailed off and the side suffered throughout Christmas and New Year as Gerrard realised that this Premier League management business would be trickier than anticipated.

The January transfer window proved to be a success, bringing in Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne as he began to stamp his authority on the team.

One area that urgently needs strengthening, however, is the centre forward position. Gerrard does have Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings ready and available, but it is a player who is currently out on loan that could be key in the future.

Cameron Archer has huge potential and was sent out on loan to Preston North End in January, where he has netted seven goals in 19 appearances and is already living up to his promise.

Preston boss Ryan Lowe has heaped the praise on the youngster since he joined, labelling him “bullish” and someone who has “an abundance of talent” and he isn’t wrong.

Archer has been involved for Villa in the Premier League and EFL Cup this season, but it’s his heroics at his adopted side that had led many to sing his praises.

The way it’s going, Archer could well make the club a fortune in the near future, although Gerrard might just want to hang onto the striker for the time being.

Pre-season will be an important time for the 20-year-old, and it could well be his big opportunity to tell the former England captain and his staff that he deserves a spot in the first-team squad for the whole campaign.

Whatever happens, Villa has a remarkable talent in their midst and must keep hold of him for the time being.

AND in other news, “Gerrard really keen..“: Preece drops exciting Villa transfer claim, Lange must pounce