All posts by z3u9t.icu

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Pep Guardiola is far from a stranger to gargantuan fixtures but the trip to Anfield this weekend has thrown up a set of difficult circumstances.

The legendary manager has won consecutive league titles in Germany, England and Spain and has even dethroned some of the greats like Sir Alex Ferguson.

Just a few years after his playing career had finished, the Spaniard battled with Ferguson in two Champions League finals and tika-taka’d his way past a legendary Manchester United side on both occasions. These famous wins allowed Guardiola to secure a treble in 2009 and received the label as “the best team ever” in 2011 from his nemesis.

All of this came before he even had a chance to dwell on the fact he had just turned 40. Now, eight years on and after an unthinkably spectacular 198 points from two seasons, Guardiola now faces arguably his biggest individual test since arriving in Manchester.

This Liverpool side may indeed be the best team the 48-year-old has faced down the years, especially as the clash is at the formidable dome that is Anfield. Most seasons at Barcelona, Real Madrid struggled to get near Guardiola’s dominant side, conceding just one league title to them in four years. Then, in Germany, he comfortably bagged seven major trophies for Bayern Munich without breaking a sweat.

Now, against Jurgen Klopp, Guardiola finally faces a test he does not often see, as he chases a team and must win to perhaps avoid failure. Liverpool are arguably in the best shape they have been in during the Premier League era, having bagged 97 points and a Champions League title last season.

Defensively, Liverpool beat City right now by conceding one less goal, whilst the Reds’ front three is arguably the best in Europe.

But even with Liverpool’s imperious and relentless form in mind City would normally be fancied to come away with three points. The fact Ederson has been ruled out of the clash, however, seems to have swung the pendulum towards Merseyside.

Down the years, despite his unrivalled success across three countries, Guardiola has taken charge of teams already set to dominate. Now, this Liverpool side certainly has the capabilities to surpass what the former Barcelona man has done at City.

Guardiola is not familiar with witnessing a side get so close to him and perhaps be even better than his squad.

Should he beat Liverpool at Anfield, it will have to go down as one of his best ever victories.

Charlton fans have taken to Twitter to react after they discovered that Lewis Page had suffered yet another injury setback.

The 23-year-old is yet to make a single appearance this season as he battles back from injury, and could only manage 11 outings throughout the entirety of last term – Page has only made 27 appearances in total since signing from West Ham back in January 2017.

Page played 45 minutes for the U23 side against Millwall on Monday, but was forced to come off in the 42nd-minute of another U23 clash against Colchester on Thursday after suffering a setback.

Addicks boss Lee Bowyer has previously expressed his frustration at Page’s continued absence, a sentiment shared by a few Charlton fans below.

One said that the south Londoners “need to get rid” of the left-back, whereas another said that the defender is “stealing a living” at The Valley.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction…

Aston Villa are among the clubs keeping tabs on a potential future star for Unai Emery as they look to cement their spot among the elite of English football.

Aston Villa make Champions League return

After 41 years, Aston Villa finally made their return to Europe’s Premier competition as they beat Young Boys 3-0 at the Wankdorf stadium on Tuesday. Youri Tielemans had the honour of scoring their first goal in the competition, before goals from fellow midfielders Amadou Onana and Jacob Ramsey ensured that they ran out comfortable winners despite enduring a tricky opening 20 minutes.

It could have been an even more comfortable scoreline, with both Ollie Watkins and substitute Jhon Duran having goals ruled out by VAR for a pair of handballs, as Villa got their European campaign off to the perfect start.

In the Premier League, it has been a similarly impressive start to the campaign, with a defeat against Arsenal the only blot on their copybook after four games.

Though they are yet to blow any side away, they have secured one-goal wins over Leicester City and West Ham before they came from 2-0 down to beat Everton 3-2 in their most recent outing, courtesy of an excellent strike from Duran.

It comes after a long summer for the Villans, who were forced to part ways with Douglas Luiz for financial fair play reasons and signed eight new faces, several of whom have already hit the ground running.

Aston Villa’s new signings (summer 2024)

Player

Age when signed

Fee

Amadou Onana

23

£50m

Ian Maatsen

22

£37m

Cameron Archer

22

£14m

Jaden Philogene

22

£13.5m

Lewis Dobbin

21

£8m

Samuel Iling-Junior

20

£11.8m + add-ons

Enzo Barrenechea

23

£6.7m + add-ons

Ross Barkley

30

£5m

Part of their plan has been to sign younger players for the squad, with only one of their additions over the age of 23, and now they have been tipped to sign yet another young talent.

Aston Villa in race to sign teenage gem

That comes as local journalists in Brazil have claimed that Villa are among the sides watching Brazil U20 international striker Rayan Vitor Simplício Rocha (Rayan).

A member of the Vasco de Gama senior side, having been promoted from their youth side at the beginning of the Brazilian season, he has scored three goals and grabbed one assist in 32 appearances, with those outings largely coming off the substitutes’ bench.

Aston Villa have struck gold on £0 signing who could be sold for big profit

He’s been exemplary in the middle of the park under Unai Emery.

ByConnor Holden Sep 20, 2024

Out of contract in 2025, it is claimed that a move in January to sign the young talent could be on the cards as Vasco try to raise some much needed funds, with the teenager currently valued at £5m by transfermarkt.

“The player has attracted interest from teams such as Porto, Fiorentina, Milan, Betis, Aston Villa and Lyon”, it is reported, while Vasco “must sell an asset in the coming months to put its [their] finances in order”. They add that “Vasco and the player’s staff have already received some inquiries” for the youngster, though it is not specified whether Villa are among those to formalise their interest.

The teenager is certainly one to watch, with football analyst Ben Mattinson dubbing him an “all-round powerhouse” on X, adding that “his first step can burn a defence for pace”. At just £5m, Villa could well deem it too good to pass up, and with the success of Duran since swapping the Americas for the Premier League, it may well be seen as a risk worth taking.

Rangers could potentially end up with a "lite version" of Chelsea owner Todd Boehly at Ibrox, according to former Aberdeen CEO Keith Wyness.

Rangers takeover latest

On the pitch, things aren't going too swimmingly for the Gers currently, with Philippe Clement finding himself under pressure to keep his job, following his side's 3-0 defeat away to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership before the international break.

Away from the action, there is also plenty going surrounding a potential takeover, with fresh reports claiming that American investors are considering bidding for Rangers. The club is valued at around £150m, with top shareholders Dave King and Douglas Park believed to be open to the idea of selling up in the near future.

There are clear positives to a takeover happening, in terms of how it could benefit Rangers in a financial sense, further helping them close the gap on Celtic. There are also warning signs, however, with American owners proving to be hit-and-miss in the Premier League, from Liverpool bosses FSG to the more reckless Boehly, who has spent a fortune at Chelsea but is threatening to create a civil war with Clearlake Capital at Stamford Bridge currently.

Rangers could get "lite version" of Todd Boehly

Speaking to Football Insider, Wyness discussed the takeover situation at Ibrox, saying Rangers would ideally bring in a "lite version" of Boehly as their owner.

"I’ve dealt with international owners, and the thing is that you can’t generalise. There are good American owners and bad American owners. Look at Liverpool – they had Hicks & Gillett, who were a disaster, and now they’ve got Fenway Sports Group. They’re doing a decent job, so you can’t generalise.There are some smart ones.

"There are US investors who can use their ears and not have their egos at the front. If they bring people with experience in football with them then it would be great for Rangers because ultimately they will have access to huge capital. That’s the key thing. There’s no need to go mad, you’ve got to do it wisely – that’s what it’s all about. Hopefully they won’t follow Todd Boehly’s example. A lite version of him would, in many ways, be welcome at Rangers."

There is plenty to like about the idea of a less extreme version of Boehly coming in at Rangers, but the Chelsea owner should act as a warning, in terms of what could happen. They cannot afford to be in a position where they are suddenly splashing new investment all over the transfer market just for the sake of it, potentially leaving them in a worse position further down the road.

FSG-like owners are perhaps what the Gers should strive for more, even though they are divisive among Liverpool's fanbase, with the Boston Red Sox bosses known for being relatively frugal, but also developing Anfield significantly and overseeing many top signings thanks to their 'Moneyball' style analytics-based recruitment.

Rangers blundered by releasing SPFL star who's now worth more than Yilmaz

The Light Blues had a howler when they opted to allow the defender to walk away for nothing.

1 ByDan Emery Sep 8, 2024

Rangers need to be in a position where they are able to spend more on signings and modernise Ibrox, but they must be sensible in making the right choice for their next owners, or risk going backwards.

It has not been the best of starts for Manchester United this season.

The FA Cup Champions kicked off their Premier League campaign with a professional 1-0 win over Fulham at home but have since followed up that good result with back-to-back defeats. First, Erik ten Hag's side lost away to Brighton & Hove Albion before then falling to a catastrophic 3-0 defeat at home to Liverpool.

There were several poor performers in the last two games, but one who stood out was Marcus Rashford, whose struggles from last year appear to have carried over to this season.

Unfortunately for the Englishman, the club now have a plethora of attacking options to choose from should his form remain poor, including one exciting prospect who is now worth more than him.

Rashford's United career

Okay, so before we look at Rashford's dismal form over the last year or so, it's important to remember that during his tenure at the club, he has enjoyed periods of incredible form, including in Ten Hag's first campaign in charge.

In that season, the Englishman scored a remarkable 30 goals and provided ten assists in just 56 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 1.4 games for the Dutchman.

This exceptional output earned the 26-year-old his new contract, which sees him earn an eyewatering £375k-per-week when taking into account bonuses, although based on his performances since signing said deal, he might not have earned many of those.

Appearances

406

Goals

131

Assists

67

Goal Involvements per Match

0.48

For example, in 43 games last season, he could only muster eight goals and six assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement once every 3.07 games, and he's yet to score or assist a goal in four games this year, including the Community Shield.

So, with such a dramatic downturn in form, it's not all that surprising to see his valuation come down, with FOTmob currently pricing him at just €65m, which is about £55m, or a few million less than one of his younger teammates.

Rasmus Hojlund's valuation in 2024

Yes, the attacker in question is United's most expensive signing from last summer: Rasmus Hojlund, who, according to FOTmob, is now worth €70m, which converts to about £59m, or £4m more than Rashford's current valuation.

Now, the first thing to address is that, yes, this valuation is about £13m less than the total fee the club may have to pay for the Dane in the long run, but that fee was always too high for a 20-year-old striker and potentially gave the wrong impression to fans that he was already the finished article, which he wasn't and still isn't.

However, despite a slow start last season, the "exceptional talent", as dubbed by Harry Maguire, ended the campaign with a respectable tally of 16 goals and two assists in 43 appearances, which equates to a goal involvement every 2.38 games.

Appearances

32

21

34

43

Goals

5

12

10

16

Assists

0

4

4

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.15

0.76

0.41

0.41

It isn't an earth-shattering return, but when you consider that he is still only 21 years old, he's had to battle with injuries, and his successful track record with the other clubs he's played for, it is encouraging.

Ultimately, it may be a few years before Hojlund can replicate the sort of season Rashford had in 22/23, but given his potential and the early signs, United have a special striker on their hands, and it makes sense to see his valuation move past the Englishman on the basis of the last year or so.

Forget Casemiro: Ten Hag has a bigger problem brewing at Man Utd

The autopsy continues following the Red Devils’ grim 3-0 defeat to Liverpool…

ByRobbie Walls Sep 3, 2024

Mauricio Pochettino is eyeing a Chelsea swoop for highly rated Arsenal teen Ethan Nwaneri during the summer transfer window.

What’s the latest on Ethan Nwaneri to Chelsea?

That’s according to The Evening Standard, who claim that Chelsea, alongside Manchester City, are fighting it out to land the teen sensation during the transfer window.

His schoolboy registration runs out on Friday, meaning the Gunners have until then to agree scholarship terms with the 16-year-old and they face competition from the Blues and City, with the report indicating that these are the two clubs who are renowned for being the highest payers when it comes to academy talents.

With Arsenal making an offer to Nwaneri, it will be up to Pochettino to improve on that and outline his thoughts for the youngster over the coming years.

Who is Ethan Nwaneri?

The teen starlet made his Arsenal debut aged just 15 last September against Brentford, becoming the youngest-ever player to make their Premier League debut in the process.

He was lauded as a “wonderkid” by talent scout Jacek Kulig following this momentous occasion, whilst his former Arsenal U18s coach Dan Micciche also lavished praise on the teen after his impressive debut for the U18s against Reading, saying:

"He's someone very highly thought of here as there are other boys at Hale End as well.

"I trusted him to perform today and he got two assists. Knowing him, he will leave here disappointed that he has not scored a goal or he's misplaced a few passes because he's got that champion mentality."

This mentality could stand the 5 foot 10 gem in good stead and if he did make the move to the Stamford Bridge outfit, he could very well become the next Ashley Cole.

Having emerged from Hale End, Cole went onto become the first-choice left-back under Arsene Wenger between 2000 and 2006, before departing the club to join Chelsea in the summer of 2006.

He made over 200 appearances for the Gunners, but the lure of money and chances of winning the Champions League were too much to turn down for the 107-cap star and although Cole was one of the finest defenders in Europe when he left Arsenal, Pochettino will be aiming to pinch another talented player off the club in the form of Nwaneri this summer.

The move could turn heads, yet over the coming years, it may very well pay dividends for the Argentinian as he aims to significantly bolster the young talent available to him at Chelsea and in Nwaneri, they have one of the most promising gems in England.

Newcastle United are willing to pay the £80m fee that Real Madrid initially paid AS Monaco last year in order to sign Aurelien Tchouameni this summer, according to reports in Spain.

Newcastle United – are they signing Aurélien Tchouaméni?

Even though reports suggest that the Magpies are willing to pay a hefty fee for Tchouameni, Defensa Central have also suggested that the Spanish giants are not willing to sell the former Monaco man this summer.

Of course, there is still a lot of the summer transfer window to go, however, and a lot can change.

Such is Newcastle's spending power, if the move did become realistic, then the Magpies have the ability to make their move.

Eddie Howe has also been linked with a long-standing pursuit of James Maddison this summer.

Aurélien Tchouaméni would be Newcastle's biggest signing yet

The fact that Newcastle are even being linked with a move for Tchouameni shows just how far they've come in such a short space of time. Better yet, it could be said that they're more than capable of landing such a player.

The Magpies turned heads by splashing out on Alexander Isak back in January, but a move for the Real Madrid man would result in a reaction of jealousy from rivals and awe from the on-watching fans.

After the recent arrival of Jude Bellingham, too, Tchouameni may just begin to worry about his place at the Santiago Bernabeu, having played 2120 minutes in LaLiga last season – the equivalent of 23 games.

Add in the presence of the England international and the Frenchman may just struggle for game time. potentially opening the door for a shock move to St James' Park.

He could be Newcastle's answer to Declan Rice, who looks more and more likely to join Arsenal this summer, according to reports, with Newcastle known to have held an interest in recent months.

As per FBref, when compared, the Real Madrid man has a better pass completion rate, as well as more tackles and interceptions, won per 90 than the West Ham United midfielder.

With Champions League experience under his belt, too, Tchouameni represents the perfect option for clubs all around Europe at just 23-years-old.

His rise to the top has attracted praise from players of a similar calibre, with Paul Pogba speaking about his France teammate back in 2021, telling Ouest France (via the Daily Mail):

"It was a pleasure to play next to him. He brings a lot of energy. A lot of energy, extraordinary technical and physical quality.

"We wish him to play lots of matches and that I am always at his side."

It would be a landmark day for Newcastle if they did manage to sign Tchouameni, who journalist Lucas Navarrete once hailed as a "ball-recovering machine", that's for sure.

This would also be the moment that Howe's side pull up a chair at Europe's forcer expanding top table, where they would sit alongside the likes of Manchester City and co, especially with the Premier League runners-up closing in on a deal for Rice.

Although Real Madrid are currently unwilling to sell the French star, there's a long summer ahead, and anything could yet happen.

Leeds United's summer seemed destined to be dominated by the takeover rumours, and yet just last week it was revealed that the 49ers had finally completed the deal to push Andrea Radrizzani out the exit door.

This is a move fans will likely welcome, especially after the recent antics of the Italian, who even put Elland Road up as security as he sought to purchase a different club. Following on from his role in their relegation from the Premier League too, his position had become untenable.

These new owners will know how commercially viable the top flight can be when combined with a club of this size, thus making it a must-achieve if they are to turn a profit on this venture. However, such a goal will only be reached if they invest themselves this summer.

Reports from earlier this month of their interest in Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres will be welcome news to a fanbase desperate for some added firepower given the mass exodus now expected throughout the Yorkshire club.

However, the €20m (£17m) price tag could prove a stumbling block, alongside the subsequent interest from a host of Premier League teams. It would mark a massive statement of intent should the 49ers complete this coup, suggesting that their stay in this division is to be short-lived.

How good is Viktor Gyokeres?

As painful as it is to admit, the Whites are officially now a Championship club again. Despite their immense standing in the English game, and the stature that has often led to an unprecedented transfer allure, their presence in the second division diminishes this massively.

The quality of where they can now find their new targets from has dropped significantly, and in an effort to earn an instant promotion, perhaps within the league could be the best port of call for dominating it.

Therefore, to tempt one of its most prolific scorers in recent years makes perfect sense, as this Swedish marksman would surely fire them towards a playoff push at the very least. In his most recent term, the 25-year-old scored 21 times in the league and assisted a further ten.

Standing at 6 foot 2 but possessing frightening speed too, the powerful forward proved that he could create and score all on his own. This nearly culminated in the Sky Blues' playoff promotion too, although they were felled on penalties by a resolute Luton Town.

With 17 goals from the campaign prior too, this is a level he is clearly well above, with teammate Maxime Biamou even branding him "unplayable".

By joining Leeds, he could hope for one final year in the Championship before either moving elsewhere or leading the Yorkshire side back to where they will feel they belong under this new ownership.

Everton are interested in a summer deal to bring Angers SCO midfielder Batista Mendy to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Batista Mendy?

Mendy first arrived at the Raymond Kopa Stadium from FC Nantes on a free transfer back in 2021, and he’s since gone on to make a total of 73 appearances to date. The Frenchman started 35 out of the 38 Ligue 1 games last season and established himself as Alexandre Dujeux’s third best-performing defensive player, but despite his displays, his future is up in the air.

The Kelyxane Sport Agency client will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that the upcoming window will be his club’s final big opportunity to cash in should they not want to risk losing him for free in 12 months time, and if he was to depart, he won’t be short of potential suitors in the top-flight.

Are Everton signing Mendy?

According to L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), Mendy is being “followed” by Everton, Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the midfielder having “emerged as a target” for the trio ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Angers are expected to sell their prized asset in the coming weeks and months and have already placed a €6m (£5m) price tag on his head, a fee that they would be happy to receive in order to “part ways” with him.

The Toffees and Sean Dyche “want to take advantage” of his side’s relegation to see if they could “lower” the demanded sum, but it’s currently “not clear” whether they would be willing to do such a thing.

Should Farhad Moshiri move for Mendy?

Everton will be in need of several new reinforcements over the summer to ensure that they don’t find themselves in danger of relegation again next season, but Mendy is not a player that they should be aiming to bring to Merseyside.

France’s former U19s international was ranked by WhoScored as Angers’ 16th overall worst-performing player last campaign with a match rating of 6.35, not to mention that he was averaging 1.9 fouls per league game which was higher than any other of his fellow teammates.

The 6 foot 3 defensive midfield colossus also lacks any kind of threat going forward having posted zero goals or assists across all competitions during the previous term, so fails to have a positive impact at either end of the pitch, therefore making this a deal that the hierarchy should avoid.

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Julen Lopetegui is set for a 'really important week' as he reflects on what the club can change going forward at Molineux, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Wolverhampton Wanderers and Julen Lopetegui?

According to BBC Sport, Lopetegui thinks that it will be difficult for Wolves to compete in the English top flight next term amid Financial Fair play issues at Molineux, as he stated: "I have had that meeting [with chairman Jeff Shi] and there are some Financial Fair Play problems I didn't know before. I hope we will solve this issue. It's very difficult to compete in the Premier League without investment."

The report states that the Old Gold posted a £46.1 million deficit in their last financial results in an environment where Premier League clubs are only allowed to record £105 million of losses in a three-year period.

Several first-team players could be on their way out at Wolves this summer in order to balance the books, one of them being club captain Ruben Neves, who is being courted by La Liga giants Barcelona, as per AS.

Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Roma and Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Wolves striker Hwang Hee-chan, who could become another asset used to raise funds to combat their financial restrictions, as per The Mirror.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Lopetegui will be anxious to seek clarity over what the future may hold for Wolves next season.

Jones told FFC: "I think it's going to be a really important week or so to reflect on what Lopetegui has actually changed about the club and what he's going to be able to change going forward. That's what he needs to be assured of, that the work that's gone in over the past five or six months can continue and that's, I think, is his big concern."

Who could Wolverhampton Wanderers bring in to supplement potential departures?

Obviously, Wolves will also need to try and bring in players in the summer to supplement prospective departures to build a team capable of competing in the Premier League in 2023/24.

Writing in his column for Caught Offside, journalist Ben Jacobs has stated that Liverpool youngster Fabio Carvalho has emerged as a target for the Old Gold, with a loan deal in the off-season believed to be a possibility.

FC Metz forward Georges Mikautadze has also cropped up on the Old Gold's radar according to reports in France, potentially adding some quality to Lopetegui's forward line.

talkSPORT understand that Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres is someone Wolves want to bring in ahead of next season; however, it may cost the best part of £25 million to bring him to Molineux.