All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic have been dealt a major injury blow ahead of their upcoming Scottish League Cup semi-final.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by Football Scotland, who revealed that Celtic centre-back Stephen Welsh had to be withdrawn late on in Scotland U21s’ 2-0 defeat to Belgium on Tuesday evening.

The report went on to state that the 21-year-old looked to pick up a knock in a collision with one of his Belgian counterparts, before limping out of the UEFA U21 Championship qualifier at Tannadice.

Ange will be fuming

Considering the fact that Carl Starfelt is already a doubt for Saturday’s Scottish League Cup semi-final clash against St. Johnstone, the news that the Sweden international’s stand-in now also appears to be ruled out of the fixture is sure to have left Ange Postecoglou fuming.

Indeed, not only does Welsh’s injury leave the 56-year-old manager extremely short of options at the back, the Bhoys boss also appears to have lost one of his most promising young talents at Parkhead.

Over his five Scottish Premiership appearances this season, the £1.08m-rated man has helped his side keep two clean sheets and registered one assist, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 2.2 clearances and winning 6.2 duels per game.

These returns have seen the Scotland U21 international average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.12, ranking him as Postecoglou’s joint 11th-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football.

As such, the 21-year-old’s injury will undoubtedly come as a major blow to the Greek-Australian’s chances of securing a victory against St. Johnstone, a result that Postecoglou will be desperate for in order to have a shot at picking up the first trophy of his tenure as Celtic manager.

In other news: Ange could repeat Josh Adam disaster with 15 y/o Celtic prodigy, it’d be a big blow

Leeds United have been handed a major setback in their continued battle with RB Leipzig over Jean-Kevin Augustin.

What’s the story?

Speaking last summer, The Athletic’s Phil Hay admitted that the whole situation had become complicated, and that it could well head towards a major legal battle. He said: ” Sources at Leipzig tell us that Leeds are trying to avoid paying on the basis that the contract stated Augustin should be signed if Leeds were promoted before the start of June.

“Leipzig argue that, in good faith, that should be taken to mean the end of the season (which was obviously delayed by COVID). But Leeds and Bielsa do not want to take Augustin. This could well end up with FIFA or in an arbitration process.”

And now, the German club themselves have said that in the “first instance”, FIFA have sided with them on a positive basis, although it is added that the judgment is not yet final, while, of course, the Whites will have the right to appeal.

Radrizzani will be fuming

While the decision isn’t final just yet, this latest update on Augustin’s case will surely have Andrea Radrizzani absolutely fuming.

The Whites stand the prospect of having to shell out the £18m that was allegedly agreed between them and Leipzig over Augustin’s permanent transfer, and that would blow a major hole in their finances, just when they’re looking ahead to the summer transfer window.

At £18m, that kind of fee would actually represent the joint-third highest sum Leeds would pay out for a player, with only the deals for Rio Ferdinand and last summer’s signing Rodrigo costing more – a real indication of just how desperate Radrizzani and the Whites will be not to pay it.

Augustin ended up playing just three times in the Championship, totaling a measly 48 minutes of football for Leeds, scoring no goals and providing no assists – his only outings for the club all came in the month of February, when he featured against Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Bristol City.

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The last thing the Leeds owner will want is to be paying up a significant sum of money for Augustin, which is why he’ll certainly be frustrated with the latest development, especially as the player is now registered with Nantes, so Leeds would be shelling out money for a player who they will never actually have in the squad.

This whole situation has become very messy.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have entered into talks with this Premier League star…

Manchester City’s reported hopes of signing Southampton striker Danny Ings this summer look to have taken a serious blow, after Ralph Hasenhuttl confirmed recently that the South Coast club would not sell him.

Sky Sports suggested recently that the Citizens could target Ings as a cheaper alternative to Erling Haaland, after Borussia Dortmund reportedly set a £154m price tag on the Norwegian sensation.

Pep Guardiola’s side are undoubtedly going to be in the market for a striker after it was revealed that Sergio Aguero would leave on the expiry of his contract this summer, whilst the recent home defeat against 10-man Leeds United perhaps highlighted why they need a goal-poacher, such as Ings.

However, Saints manager Hasenhuttl has taken a strong stance on the England international ahead of the summer and has claimed that Southampton won’t sell him, despite his contract only running until 2022.

The 28-year-old striker enjoyed a phenomenal 2019/20 season, finishing joint-second in the Golden Boot race in the Premier League after notching 22 goals in the top-flight.

His impressive form last season was praised by former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, who said:

“The most impressive thing about Danny is, of course, he’s an outstanding player.

“Technically he’s very good, plays with real intelligence and the way he’s come back from his disappointments, the injury setbacks he’s had, the way he’s fought back and kept his mental strength has been hugely impressive.”

He started the current season well but Southampton’s drop in form, as well as some minor injuries for the former Liverpool man, have meant that he has registered just nine goals in 23 Premier League appearances this season.

His recent goal in the 3-2 win against Burnley emphasised his composure in front of goal and demonstrated that, if he were to move to a side such as Manchester City, there is no doubt that he would score plenty of goals.

If City are priced out of a move for the likes of Haaland and Romelu Lukaku this summer, then Ings could have been an excellent, short-term alternative, especially as he has made it clear that he wants Champions League football.

Unfortunately, Hasenhuttl has made it pretty clear that he won’t be leaving the South Coast club this summer, so City may have to look elsewhere for a new striker, which could prove to be a big blow to Guardiola.

And, in other news… Manchester City could be set for a huge boost with “remarkable” £300k-p/w beast, Pep surely buzzing

West Bromwich Albion have sealed their first signing of the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That is according to their manager Steve Bruce, who has claimed that a deal to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Jayson Molumby is “done.”

After Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Coventry City Bruce revealed all when asked about Molumby’s future. He said: “Molumby’s done.

“Molumby was done weeks ago. The deal was kicked in weeks ago, so he’s our player now.

“He’s a young player who’s got a lot to learn still, but he wants to win; he’s got a bit of an attitude with him, which I like, so, yeah he’ll be here next year.”

Fans will be delighted

The capture of Molumby is promising for a West Brom side who will be eager to demonstrate their ambition to the Baggies faithful, with their Championship play-off hopes gone.

The 22-year-old, who was initially on loan from Brighton, has failed to assert himself as a Baggies regular this season, starting just 38% of their 44 games in the Championship.

Though he will surely start the final two games of the campaign with Alex Mowatt out for the season.

His statistics also demonstrate why supporters will be excited to see him sign on the dotted line, with the 22-year-old remaining composed in possession, completing 84.5% of his passes and producing 1.1 tackles per match.

Now that he has signed permanently, he will be looking to leave a lasting impression on Bruce who acknowledges that the Republic of Ireland international “has a lot to learn.”

The fact that Potter has allowed the youngster to leave on a permanent deal serves as a shock, as he spoke well of him in an interview with The Argus as recent as 2020: “Jayson is a good guy, he is ambitious and he wants to play which is a good quality to have and we enjoy working with him.”

After previous Championship loan spells with Millwall and Preston North End, Molumby boasts exceptional amounts of experience in the league, considering the fact that he is not even 23-years-old yet.

His experience can benefit the Baggies, whilst Molumby himself will mutually benefit through a platform that will aid his development.

Both parties will have big ambitions of playing Premier League football in the near future, and the fact that West Brom have made the deal permanent shows the potential that they see within the No.14 midfielder.

In other news: Bruce could now save WBA millions with £9m-rated “monster”, he’ll be key next season – opinion

After slipping to an agonising, and rather undeserved, 1-0 defeat to Everton in midweek, West Brom are back in Premier League action on Sunday when they take on Newcastle United.

Sam Allardyce’s team were more than a match for the Toffees, having the same number of shots and shots on target as the away side, but fell to a Richarlison goal midway through the second-half.

With Newcastle up next, and the Magpies in the midst of some difficulties too – you only have to look at the apparent bust-up between Matt Ritchie and Steve Bruce to see that – there’s a real chance for West Brom to come away with all three points from the clash at The Hawthorns.

One man who Allardyce should seriously consider bringing back into the side is Callum Robinson.

The £7.2m-rated ace has been left on the bench for the past five games in the Premier League, and the time on the sidelines might have just given him the kick up the proverbial backside to come back firing.

After Matheus Pereira’s performance in midweek – one which arguably merits him being dropped for Sunday’s game – surely it’s time for Allardyce to bring someone new into the fold like Robinson.

Speaking earlier last year, former Baggies boss Slaven Bilic raved about Robinson’s abilities, saying: “He is present, he is dangerous and he fits in with the other players. He can also go by himself either with the ball or when he is linking up with other players on the pitch. He’s exactly the type of player that we wanted.”

Robinson’s natural instincts as a striker could ease the burden on Mbaye Diagne, who has been leading the line on his own. Having someone else in the team who can make runs in behind him, and fire away on goal, could be key to exploiting a Newcastle back-line which has conceded 44 goals this season in the Premier League – the joint-second worst in the division.

As Bilic says, Robinson can link up and do things by himself, and his brace against Chelsea earlier in the season is a perfect example of that.

When West Brom take to the field on Sunday against Newcastle, Robinson should be one of the names on the team-sheet when Allardyce makes his decision about who to start.

Meanwhile, this West Brom man should be dropped against Newcastle…

England legend Ashley Cole has suggested that Leeds’ Kalvin Phillips is a limited player in terms of his creativity in the middle of the park.

The Lowdown: Phillips shines for Leeds

Few players, if any, have been more influential for Leeds during the Marcelo Bielsa era, with the 25-year-old playing exceptionally in a deep-lying role.

Phillips’ form has seen him called into England’s squad for Euro 2020 this summer, with manager Gareth Southgate hailing him as ‘fabulous’ in the past. The Whites ace could even start the Three Lions’ opener against Croatia on Sunday, especially if Jordan Henderson isn’t deemed fit enough.

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The Latest: Cole casts doubt over Whites hero

Speaking on ITV [via MOT Leeds News] after England’s 1-0 win over Romania on Sunday, in which Phillips started, Cole claimed that he and Declan Rice lacked the vision of Henderson, saying: “That’s his strength [Henderson], that ability to play a bit longer which I don’t think the other two have in their locker.”

The 2012 Champions League winner later took to Twitter to defend his comments after a Leeds fan page, vexed by the criticism of Phillips, sent the 40-year-old a video of the Whites player executing an inch-perfect long pass.

Cole retorted: “Now show me where he’s doing that in and around the halfway line to put someone in or create a goal-scoring opportunity? Another question, does Kalvin Phillips play the same or similar role when playing for Leeds as he does for England?”

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The Verdict: Hugely unfair criticism

This is hugely unjust criticism from Cole, even if Phillips doesn’t always spray the amount of long-range passes Henderson does.

One pinpoint ball found Jadon Sancho in the first half against Romania, prior to the Borussia Dortmund winger firing over the bar, and he has shown numerous times for Leeds how good he is in possession.

As a comparison, Henderson played an average of 0.7 key passes per game in the Premier League last season, whereas Phillips averaged 1.2, suggesting he is actually the more inventive of the two on the ball.

In other news, a former Leeds player is keen for the Whites to bring in a Premier League attacker this summer. Find out who it is here.

West Bromwich Albion have been dealt yet another blow in their bid to appoint a new manager at The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett, who revealed in a post on Twitter that Michael Appleton has informed the Baggies hierarchy that he does not wish to take on the vacant role at The Hawthorns.

According to Dorsett, the 45-year-old Lincoln City manager wants to remain with his current side in order to see through his ongoing project with the Imps, who narrowly missed out on promotion to the Championship under the former West Brom U23 coach last season.

Silver lining

It’s been rather challenging to keep up with all the managers who have reportedly turned down the offer of becoming Sam Allardyce’s successor at The Hawthorns this summer, with Appleton being the latest addition to a list that includes the likes of Roy Hodgson, Frank Lampard and David Wagner.

In addition to this glut of rejection, the club’s owner, Guochuan Lai, and the Baggies chief executive, Xu Ke, now appear to be conducting the search for their next manager on their own, following the recent departure of the club’s sporting and technical director Luke Dowling.

However, when looking for a positive in all this mess, one thing that stands out is the rapidly reducing size of Lai’s shortlist, with the businessman ruling out the likes of Swansea City’s Steve Cooper and Barnsley’s Valerien Ismael due to the fact he would have to pay compensation to bring them to the club.

As such, one of the only viable candidates left remaining is the former Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder, a candidate whom the West Brom owner had originally vetoed the Championship side making a move for.

However, the possibility of Lai making a u-turn on his decision regarding the 53-year-old could well be put to the test in the coming days, and likely depends on how firmly against paying a fee to bring in the club’s next manager the owner really is.

If he sticks to his guns, in addition to all of the other available managers rejecting the club’s advances, Lai may not have a choice to appoint Wilder at The Hawthorns, something that would very much appear to be a considerable silver lining to Appleton’s rejection.

In other news: Lai could have just made his biggest West Brom mistake to date, fans are rightly livid

Everton are rightly set to release Joshua King at the end of his contract this summer, having proven to be an utter disaster since signing from AFC Bournemouth.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Blues chiefs have seen enough from King since his Deadline Day arrival last month to opt against retaining the Norway international.

Everton paid Bournemouth £2m to take over the final six-months of the forward’s £45,000-per-week contract, with the option to later trigger a longer-term deal.

But Carlo Ancelotti has decided against activating the clause, which would have seen the Cherries owed up to a further £3m, and will instead pursue alternative options in the next transfer window.

The Italian tactician is thought to have been unimpressed by King’s results since moving to Merseyside on the final day of the winter window, and has often overlooked the 29-year-old even when without Dominic Calvert-Lewin through injury.

King is yet to start a single fixture for the Toffees, with each of his eight appearances to date coming from the bench and totalling a combined 117 minutes.

Four of the 52-cap forward’s outings have lasted less than 10 minutes, and he is yet to provide a single goal or assist in royal blue.

King, who had previously expressed intentions to remain at Goodison Park for next season, has recently been linked with a move to Fenerbahce with claims of an approach being made by Super Lig outfit to his representatives.

Should Everton release King?

Claims of Ancelotti being unimpressed by King’s performances for Everton are hardly surprising given his lack of playing time so far, making a decision to part ways with the £9m-rated forward the best option for both sides.

Being released at the end of his contract will allow King to explore options that will return the highest payout, given claims in January that the Norwegian was pushing for a £120k-p/w deal.

Not taking up the option to extend King’s contract will also allow Everton to begin exploring potential replacements, knowing they will not be held back by first having to find a suitor willing to take on his wages.

King’s salary, plus the £2m paid to Bournemouth, has so far cost the Toffees £20,000 for each minute he has played, with the former Manchester United trainee taking in £315,000 for his 117 minutes of action since February 1st.

It is highly likely that King will continue to steal a living at Goodison Park until his terms lapse in 17 weeks’ time on June 30th, with the further £765,000 that Everton are locked into paying the striker going on a bench warmer based on his current record.

Simply put, King’s move has proven to be an utter disaster for the Toffees, who have not seen anything from the player who former Cherries boss Eddie Howe once lauded as the “complete package”.

AND in other news, Farhad Moshiri is set to back Everton as Carlo Ancelotti eyes a 29-y/o he described as “the best” in the world…

Alan Hutton believes Alfredo Morelos could leave Glasgow Rangers this summer after Steven Gerrard’s transfer admission.

The Lowdown: Morelos’ future uncertain

Morelos’ future at Ibrox is uncertain. Some reports have suggested he will stay at the club (via The 4th Official), but the Colombia international told Radio Caracol earlier this season that he dreams of playing in the Premier League.

Gerrard recently admitted the Gers could lose star players this summer, which has thrown further doubt on to the future of the 24-year-old.

The Latest: Hutton shares transfer fear

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton has shared his fear of Morelos departing. He said:

“It’s always a difficult one when we talk about Morelos.

“It seems like yes, he loves playing for Rangers. Of course he’ll want to play in the Champions League, every player does.

“But, has his head been a little bit turned from moves, bigger moves, in his opinion, to other clubs? Whether it be England or Italy or France, that’s something that only he’s going to be able to answer.

“I mean, me as it sits as a footballer, Champions League was massive. When that music comes on at the start of the games, you get the goosebumps, that’s what it’s all about.

“I hope that is enough for the likes of Morelos to stay. However, if an offer comes in that’s big enough and Rangers are willing that accept that, it’s simple. He’ll move on.

“The big thing out of that is I think Rangers are going to be given the money to then reinvest. That’s obviously good for the club moving forward.”

The Verdict: Always on the edge

There is no doubt Morelos has been a fantastic signing for the 55-time Scottish champions. In 180 games in all competitions since making the move in 2017, he has 94 goals, including 17 this campaign (Transfermarkt). Although his temperament has sometimes got the better of him – he has picked up seven red cards – he has been a constant menace for opposing defences.

Gerrard’s comments indicate it will be a difficult summer for the Gers, and Morelos will always be one of the first to be linked with a departure. The anticipation of a Champions League run may just be enough to hold on the former HJK Helsinki man until the start of the new term, but failure to reach the group stages may push him out of the door.

In other news, Hutton believes this man could replace Filip Helander.

Alex McLeish has given his reaction to the news that Steven Gerrard would fight harder to keep Ryan Kent over any other player at Glasgow Rangers.

The Lowdown: Gerrard on Kent

As per The Athletic, the manager would fight harder to keep the 24-year-old over any of his other players at Ibrox as the summer transfer window edges closer to an end.

According to a report from Football Insider back in September 2020, the winger has a release clause of £20m in his current contract with the reigning Premiership champions, and that clause remains given that he has not signed any kind of new deal.

There will surely be interest from a number of clubs in his signature come the end of the window, as Leeds United registered theirs last summer.

The Latest: McLeish on Kent

Speaking to Football Insider in the wake of The Athletic’s report, former Light Blues manager McLeish claims that his old club cannot afford to lose Kent in this window, as he would be a very difficult player to replace. The 62-year-old said:

“I don’t think so, in the current climate.

“Replacing him would be extremely difficult. Unless Gerrard’s looking at experimenting or thought of something else where he could play a different system.

“Something to keep the domination of Rangers upon other teams when they play against them.

“He is a kind of game-changer. That would be a big blow for Rangers and the fans if they were to lose him at this moment.”

The Verdict: Keep

Kent has proven on a number of occasions just how important he is to Rangers, and it certainly speaks volumes that Gerrard would fight harder to keep him over any other player.

The Englishman scored 13 goals and supplied a further 15 assists in 52 games in all competitions across the 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt), which is a highly impressive return.

At 24 years of age, he certainly still has potential to improve even further, and he could be a vital member of the squad for years to come. As McLeish says, losing him in the final days of the transfer window would be a seismic blow to the Gers.

In other news, find out whose performance against Alashkert was criticised by some Gers fans