All posts by h79snht.top

Manchester United have ‘accelerated’ their move for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot after their opening-weekend defeat to Brighton, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

Sky Sports reported on Wednesday that United have agreed a fee for Rabiot with Juventus.

However, they also stressed that ‘there is still work to do’ to secure the transfer.

United’s football director John Murtough has been in Italy to negotiate personal terms with the player’s agent and mother Veronique Rabiot.

The latest

Jones reckons that the Brighton defeat underlined the need for alternatives to Fred and Scott McTominay in midfield.

And he says United have responded by doubling down on their efforts to bring in Rabiot from the Bianconeri.

“I think the main lesson that he could have learnt is that, apart from the fact that you don’t play Christian Eriksen as a number nine, Fred and McTominay have to have competition.

“That’s probably why they’ve accelerated the Rabiot talks on the back of it.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-updates-5/” title=”Latest Man Utd updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Jones also revealed that Ten Hag has personally spoken to Rabiot, partly to explain how he fits into his plans, but also to gauge the feelings of the player. He wants it to be a collaborative process, enabling him to get ‘the best’ out of the 27-year-old.

“Ten Hag’s talked to Rabiot,” he said. “And not so much to just spell out his vision for him, but also to understand what he wants as a player at this stage of his career.

“Because he left PSG under a bit of a cloud, the move to Juventus hasn’t gone well at all, and he just hasn’t fitted into the system that they play.

“So, he will need to understand from Rabiot, how does he feel he will thrive. He plays pretty well for France, but is that a certain system that gets the best out of him?”

The verdict

Fred and McTominay were so disappointing against Brighton that the need for an upgrade is clear. The former failed to win any of the four duels he contested and was dribbled past twice, while the latter completed only 18 passes in 78 minutes and picked up a yellow card.

Both players earned a SofaScore rating of just 6.3/10.

Is Rabiot the answer? Well, he is extremely decorated, winning a whopping 24 major trophies in his career.

Former United centre-back Rio Ferdinand has been told that he could be an ‘unstoppable’ force, but only if he’s in the right headspace.

He said: “I interviewed David Luiz when he was at PSG and Rabiot was still there and he said, ‘Rio, one of the most talented players here is Rabiot. But he just needs to get himself right, get his mindset right, his attitude right. If he gets that right he could be unplayable, unstoppable.'”

Steven Gerrard led Aston Villa to a big win at the weekend, defeating Everton 2-1 in what he will hope is a result that breathes life into his side.

A disappointing Premier league finish last season saw the club undertake a highly impressive transfer window, and with less than three weeks remaining, there is still time to add more faces to his squad.

With Diego Carlos, Boubacar Kamara, and Philippe Coutinho all adding that extra dimension to the Villa side, Gerrard has big ambitions this season, even if the former is now set to be sidelined for a considerable period of time through injury.

The 42-year-old isn’t done in the market, however, as he looks to find the final pieces of his jigsaw, with Tottenham Hotspur’s Tanguy Ndombele reportedly linked with the club courtesy of reports in France.

If Gerrard is to bring a couple of new bodies into Villa, then there will surely be departures, with Morgan Sanson one of the first that the manager should be looking to ship out, especially as Ndombele could be a big upgrade on the Villa player.

Last season, Ndombele generated 2.20 shot-creating actions per match, compared to a measly 0.76 for Sanson and the Spurs midfielder offered a greater threat going forward, scoring once and registering three assists, with Sanson having zero goal contributions.

It isn’t just in an attacking sense that Ndombele is better, defensively, the 25-year-old has so much more to offer.

He won more tackles (29 to eight), a higher percentage of aerial duels (52.9% to 40%), and made pressures (252 to 135) than the fringe Villa man.

The 120k-per-week star could be the final piece of the Villa side, with defensive and offensive qualities in abundance, he is the type of player that Gerrard now needs to take Villa to the next level and move towards the European spots.

Former Tottenham manager Joes Mourinho once described him as “absolutely phenomenal” following a performance in 2019 and when one of the finest managers of the previous 25 years lavishes praise like this on a player, it’s clear they are extremely gifted.

Johan Lange has so far backed Gerrard in the transfer market, but signing Ndombele could send out another statement of intent that they are in the league to challenge for the European places, not just make up the numbers.

Everton have been linked with a move for Che Adams this summer as the club ramps up its pursuit of a striker, and now a new update has emerged on the club’s interest in the player.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Simon Phillips, Everton have made the Southampton striker their priority signing over the remaining days of the transfer window.

Phillips told GIVEMESPORT:

“I’ve been told that Che Adams is the top priority there for Lampard at least. But, obviously, at Everton, he’s got the board there, and the decisions are not just Lampard’s.”

Big Rondon upgrade

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin injured and Richarlison making a move to Tottenham Hotspur, Frank Lampard has been left with just Salomon Rondon to cover the centre-forward role, however, the signing of Adams could be a big upgrade on the 32-year-old.

It is clear that the Everton boss doesn’t want to rely on his Venezuelan striker for goal contributions over the remaining weeks left that Calvert-Lewin will be unavailable for selection, and it’s not hard to see why.

Rondon has only scored three times and contributed one assist since joining the Merseyside club last summer, and became much more of a hindrance than a help when Lampard deployed him in the team during their difficult relegation battle last season.

The centre-forward cost his side their early ticket to survival in their third last game of the campaign, picking up a red card just four minutes into his appearance against Brentford which contributed to the team’s failure to secure safety until the penultimate match.

As a result, the signing of Adams would be a great way to not only secure an adequate replacement in Calvert-Lewin’s absence but also provide a high-quality option for Lampard to pick from when he wants to shake things up in the forward line.

The Saints striker is currently the second highest rated player in the entire squad at St Mary’s according to SofaScore, and it will come as no surprise when you consider his impact on Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side so far this season already.

In his most recent performance against Leicester City on Saturday, Adams was the highest-rated player on the pitch (8.4) after coming on as a substitute in the 59th minute of the game when Southampton were 1-0 down. He achieved that rating after scoring a brace which delivered his team their first three points of the season.

The £15m forward who has been dubbed a “phenomenon” by Hasenhuttl, has scored more goals in one game than Rondon has scored in over eight months for Everton. As a result, there is no doubt that the Scotland international can come in and provide a much more reliable goal threat than his positional peer, with a tally of eight goals in 2021/22 also useful evidence in that case.

With that being said, the signing of Adams would be a great piece of business for Everton as a striker who can make a positive impact on the game, as scoring more goals is an absolute necessity for the Toffees if they want to have any chance of retaining their top-flight status this term.

Everton are still working on returning a cult hero to Goodison Park…

What’s the word?

According to journalist Paul Brown, Idrissa Gana Gueye is still close to signing for the Toffees.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he claimed: “Everton are ready to pull the trigger on that. They have a deal agreed with the player. The problem is whether he can negotiate the sort of exit he wants from PSG.

“That’s been a problem so far and I don’t think anyone knows whether PSG will ultimately agree to let him go under the terms that he’d like to. I think it’s a waiting game there essentially.”

He has just one year left on his £97k-per-week contract and has seemingly been ruled out of Christophe Galtier’s plans for the coming season. 

He’s the final piece of the puzzle

With Amadou Onana already secured at Goodison Park, it seems that Frank Lampard is not content with just one tough-tackling and relentless midfielder.

He, therefore, is seeking a romantic return for Gueye, who captured the attention at Goodison Park for his incredible work rate, a characteristic beloved by Evertonians.

Perhaps once the 44-year-old gets the Senegal international in, he can act as the final piece of the puzzle for solving his midfield dilemma, as he looks to integrate Onana in without overworking the 21-year-old.

He now returns to the club with a wealth of added experience from his first stint at the club, having played 30 Champions League games alongside some of the best players in the world at Paris Saint-Germain.

However, the core attributes that made him such a success have not waned. He still ranks in the top 5% for pressures and the top 8% for tackles per 90 among midfield players in Europe’s top five league. He is a midfield “powerhouse” in the words of football writer Tom Williams, and that’s exactly what the Toffees have often lacked in recent years.

His arrival could tie the whole club together, as winning the midfield battles is often the difference between deciding a game’s result.

With Lampard insistent on playing two central midfielders, to bed Onana in by prioritising an Alex Iwobi and Gueye midfield would make perfect sense for the coming season.

That way, the Belgium international can one day take over from the 32-year-old, and if he can inherit his traits, Everton will be blessed with a midfield that can dominate against whomever they should play.

Gueye is both an instant upgrade and an investment all in one and would finish Lampard’s summer spending with the crowning jewel of a homecoming.

Nottingham Forest failed to sign Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi on deadline day because of paperwork issues, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Forest miss out Batshuayi

The Reds were hopeful of bringing in yet another new player on Thursday, following the most productive summer in the club’s history.

Batshuayi emerged as a very late target with the 11pm cutoff approaching all the time, with Chelsea happy to sell their out-of-favour Belgium international.

Unfortunately, the transfer fell through, meaning Forest had to make do without the 28-year-old, who would have been their 22nd signing.

The Latest: Romano explains collapsed deal

Writing on Twitter, Romano confirmed that it was Chelsea’s inability to get the required paperwork signed in time that ultimately proved fatal to the deal happening:

“Michy Batshuayi deal collapsed with Nottingham Forest because Chelsea didn’t send paperwork in time, busy on many deals.

“Fenerbahçe are now trying to enter the race and sign Batshuayi from Chelsea.”

The Verdict: Sour end to a great window

Missing out on Batshuayi is a blow, considering this is a player who has scored 25 goals in 45 caps for Belgium, but this should still be considered a monstrous summer at Forest.

Steve Cooper ended up bringing in a remarkable 21 players, with Loic Bade the last of those, giving him a plethora of squad options for the rest of the season.

The key now is managing to keep everyone happy and rotate effectively, in order for Forest to stave off the threat of relegation from the Premier League.

Aston Villa have been handed a potential injury boost ahead of their Premier League meeting with Leicester City on Saturday afternoon.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Ashley Preece’s latest report for Birmingham Live, in which the journalist claimed that, after missing Villa’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City last weekend due to illness, the 27-year-old should be available for selection for Saturday’s trip to Leicester – with Preece predicting that the Belgium international’s return date is around September 10.

Speaking ahead of the City fixture, Gerrard said of the midfielder: “Dendoncker’s got tonsillitis, he was a bit rough but he got worse last night so he was unavailable [vs Manchester City].”

Great news for Gerrard

While the argument that it is good news one of Steven Gerrard’s summer signings looks as if he will be able to make his debut for the club this weekend is a rather obvious one to make, it is nonetheless very much the case regarding Dendoncker.

Indeed, despite having secured an impressive point against Pep Guardiola’s side last weekend, in truth, Villa’s campaign so far in 2022/23 has been something of a disappointment, with the club currently sitting 17th in the league standings after taking just four points from their first six fixtures.

Solidity at the back and in the middle of the park has been one reason for this poor showing, with Gerrards’ side having already shipped 10 goals in the league this term – at a rate of 1.6 per game – while the Villans have also not been at their free-flowing best going forwards – having also found the back of the net a total of just five times so far this season.

This is something that, in theory, the addition of Dendoncker will help to improve, with FBref ranking the £25.2m-rated talent in the top 10% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for blocks per 90, as well as the top 27% for aerial duels won, the top 21% for passes completed, the top 21% for non-penalty xG and the top 40% for pressures over the last 365 days.

As such, with the Belgian quite clearly being an imposing figure in the middle of the park, as well as one who is extremely capable with the ball at his feet and can get into goalscoring positions, the 27-year-old’s return to fitness would undoubtedly increase Villa’s chances of picking up a positive result at the King Power on Saturday – with three points being an absolute must for the increasingly under-fire Gerrard.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will likely be kicking themselves with regards to their handling of former loanee Vitinha, with the Portugal international having since gone on to impress for Ligue 1 powerhouse, Paris Saint-Germain.

The diminutive midfielder had arrived at Molineux on a season-long loan deal back in the summer of 2020, with the Faro-born starlet having made just 12 appearances for parent club Porto prior to that move to England.

A relatively inexperienced talent at the time, the 5 foot 8 menace found it difficult to force his way into Nuno Espirito Santo’s side ahead of compatriots Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves, eventually making just 22 appearances in all competitions, including only eight starts.

That limited involvement – which saw the youngster score £17m as part of his temporary move.

While it had appeared astute business at the time, that decision not to plump up the cash has spectacularly backfired for the Old Gold, with the four-cap ace currently thriving for both club and country.

A return to the Estadio do Dragao for the 2021/22 season showcased just what a talent the playmaker is as he went on to score four goals and register five assists in 47 games in all competitions for the Primeira Liga side.

That haul of nine goal contributions was only bettered by Raul Jimenez (11) – and matched by Daniel Podence – in Bruno Lage’s side last term, while he also achieved an impressive average match rating of 7.47, as per SofaScore, with that also far higher than any member of the Wolves squad.

That form unsurprisingly sparked interest from afar as he was subsequently snapped up by PSG in the recent window, with the Parisien outfit forking out a reported £34m to secure his signature – double what those at Molineux could have signed him for just a year earlier.

That move has already paid off as the 22-year-old has quickly become a key figure in Christopher Galtier’s star-studded side, lining up in a midfield berth behind a mouthwatering attacking trio of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Vitinha has been a shining light in his ten appearances for the French outfit so far, showcasing his quality in possession as he notably ranks in the top 5% for dribbles completed and the top 7% for progressive carries among his peers in Europe’s big five leagues, while his ball-winning talent has also seen him rank in the top 2% for interceptions made.

Now “emerging into an elite midfielder”, in the words of writer Zach Lowy, the highly-rated prospect is now said to be valued at around £54m, according to CIES Football Observatory, with that a reflection of not just the great strides he has made since leaving England, but also the size of the mistake Wolves made on him.

While Lage has pulled off a coup landing Matheus Nunes, he is still left to rely on a quality, yet ageing Moutinho – as well as a potentially departing Neves – with the former Benfica boss likely to have been aided by having a talent such as Vitinha in his ranks.

Aston Villa endured another disappointing performance on Sunday against a Leeds United side who battled most of the second half with just ten men as they ultimately drew 0-0.

Steven Gerrard’s men couldn’t find a way through the Leeds backline and their quest to score more than two goals in a Premier League match this season continues.

Strikers Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings haven’t exactly set the world alight this term with regards to goals scored, with the duo contributing just three between them all season.

Surely Gerrard must now unleash a youngster who is ready for Premier League football and he might just provide the spark that Villa needs.

On the chalkboard

20-year-old Cameron Archer has played just nine minutes of league football so far this season. He suitably impressed on loan at Preston North End during the second half of last term, scoring seven goals in 20 matches and it proves he is more than ready for the step up.

Indeed, Archer scored four goals for the senior Villa side in the EFL Cup last term and with Gerrard struggling to get goals out of his team, a change may need to be made sooner rather than later.

The 42-year-old was asked about Archer after the game yesterday by journalist Ashley Preece, but he was met with a rather perplexing response, responding by saying:

“He’s only done one full session. Is he chomping at the bit? 100 per cent. You’re a fan of Cameron, you, aren’t ya? Or are you a mate of the family? Something’s going on because you’ve asked me 25 questions this year and I reckon 19 have been on Cam Archer. You’re a fan aren’t ya?”

The reporter clearly wants the youngster to break through and take his chance and he has all the right attributes to stake his claim ahead of Ings or Watkins.

Villa have scored just six goals in eight league matches this season, the joint third lowest in the table and something needs to change, especially with fixtures against Nottingham Forest, Fulham, and Brentford all coming up over the next few weeks.

Watkins received a SofaScore rating of just 6.3 against Leeds, completing just nine passes, missing three big chances, and losing possession 11 times during the match during a torrid afternoon.

Speaking of his display, the aforementioned Preece claimed that he was “hesitant in front of goal,” but that has far from been the case with Archer in recent campaigns.

By unleashing him instead, Gerrard will have a striker who is young and ready to claim a place in the starting XI on a regular basis. The pressure is currently building on the manager, but he is paid well to make big decisions, and playing Archer against Forest could give Villa a fresh attacking output.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that the latest injury news on Tom Lawrence is a ‘big blow’ for Glasgow Rangers.

The Lowdown: Out until December

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has confirmed that Lawrence will not play at Ibrox again until late December at the earliest, as the Wales international is now set to miss the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The winger was on course to make a return after picking up an injury in the 4-0 win at home to Ross County in the Scottish Premiership back in August, but now he has sustained a new issue.

The Latest: ‘Big blow’

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern, O’Rourke says that it is a ‘big blow for Rangers’ to lose Lawrence for a further few months, adding that Van Bronckhorst will now be praying that other players in his squad can step up to the plate in his absence:

“I think it’s a big blow for Rangers, and Van Bronckhorst will be now hoping that other players can step up in the absence of Lawrence, and provide goals and assists in his side.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/rangers-news-5/” title=”Rangers news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Huge miss

There is no doubt that Lawrence will be a huge miss for the Gers in the next set of fixtures building up to the World Cup.

He had started his Light Blues career off very well, with three goals and two assists already to his name over all competitions (Transfermarkt), while he currently ranks as their fourth-best performer in the Scottish Premiership overall, and is high among his teammates in terms of average tackles, shots, key passes and crosses per match in the division (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, the 28-year-old has established himself as a key player for the Teddy Bears already, and they may struggle to replace the threat that he provides in the final third of the pitch.

Rangers face St. Mirren at home in the league on Saturday afternoon, and with the latter occupying third spot in the table behind them, the Gers may now be feeling the pressure.

West Ham United are interested in signing Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli, according to reports from Italy.

The Lowdown: Locatelli’s Juventus struggles

Having joined the Turin club last summer after an impressive showing for Italy in their victorious Euro 2020 campaign, the 24-year-old has seemingly already fallen out of favour at the Allianz Stadium.

Despite starting seven Serie A games under Massimiliano Allegri this season, the midfielder has suffered criticism for his recent performances, which have resulted in early substitutions.

At the weekend, Juventus fell to a 2-0 defeat to AC Milan. After 56 minutes at the San Siro, Allegri had had enough of Locatelli’s performance, for which the midfielder was subsequently branded by some Italian media as looking like a fish out of water.

The Latest: West Ham interest

According to a report by Il Bianconero (via Sport Witness), Locatelli is on the radar of some Premier League clubs amid reports of a potential move away from Juventus in January.

As per Sport Witness, West Ham fans are advised to ‘watch out’ for a potential swoop from the Irons, who may snap up a swift deal in bringing the midfielder to the London Stadium.

With the 24-year-old’s obligation-to-buy clause at Juventus becoming active at the end of the season, the Turin club are said to be unwilling to sanction a sale unless it is for the same €40m fee (£35.1m) that they will have to pay Sassuolo next summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-5/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Good prospective signing

Whilst Locatelli hasn’t lived up to expectations since lighting up Euro 2020, he has still demonstrated echoes of quality to suggest that he could perform at the top level in the Premier League.

As per FBRef, the 24-year-old has earned stylistic comparisons to the likes of Tottenham duo Pierre Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur, who have helped the north London club to a third-place position in the English top-flight table currently.

Journalist Raj Chohan has been full of praise for Locatelli in the past, especially for his impressive display for the Azzurri in 2021, stating: “Italy played Locatelli at the base instead of Jorginho vs Belgium in the Nations League third place playoff and looked unreal. He’s got way more line breaking passes in his locker.”

Therefore, if the opportunity arises for the Hammers to bring the 24-cap dynamo to east London, they ought to explore it comprehensively.