All posts by z3u9t.icu

Barry Fry insists Ivan Toney is the missing piece of West Ham United’s jigsaw, having seen the Brentford ace fire his side into the Premier League.

Toney enjoyed a stunning season in the Championship in 2020/21 and capped it with a goal in the play-off final over the weekend, as the Bees beat Swansea City 2-0 at Wembley.

The former Newcastle United ace scored 31 goals and registered 10 assists in 45 games and will be champing at the bit to take on Premier League defences next season.

The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a potential exit from the club in recent weeks and the Hammers have been touted as a potential landing spot.

It remains to be seen, of course, if the Irons will be able to convince Brentford to sell Toney now that they have confirmed their promotion to the Premier League.

But Fry has revealed that he told David Sullivan to buy Toney when he was playing for Peterborough United, before he was sold to Brentford for a fee of up to £10m.

Asked about him potentially moving to the Irons and if he is the player they lack, Fry, who worked closely with Toney at Posh, told Football FanCast: “He [Moyes] has got a couple of Championship players, one he bought from Brentford (Said Benrahma) and the other boy, he bought from Hull (Jarrod Bowen), and they’ve been tremendous, they’re young, they’re hungry, they want to listen, they want to learn and Ivan Toney’s that as well.”

Aston Villa are unlikely to face competition from West Ham for Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car, according to a Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Villa interest in Caleta-Car

Steven Gerrard appears to be on the hunt for defensive reinforcements this summer, with the futures of Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa seemingly in doubt.

Reports over the weekend name-checked Villa with an interest in Caleta-Car after Gerrard and the Villa ‘hierarchy’ watched the 25-year-old in action.

It could prove to be a double raid on the Ligue 1 club, with midfielder Boubacar Kamara also on the Midlanders’ radar.

The Latest: West Ham update

Football Insider shared an update regarding Caleta-Car on Monday morning after being informed by a West Ham source.

They claimed that the Hammers, who were heavily linked with the Croatia international in January, are unlikely to make a move in the summer.

The Verdict: Boost for Villa

The news from the London Stadium seems to be a boost for Johan Lange and co in their pursuit to sign Caleta-Car.

West Ham could have potentially caused a problem for Villa, should they have wanted to sign the defender in the summer. They have made their mark on the European stage this season and could have more European football on offer in 2022/23, which may have appealed to Caleta-Car.

Should Villa wish to bring the Marseille defender to the Midlands, they may now have a clear run at a transfer over the coming months as they look to bolster their ranks ahead of Gerrard’s first full season in charge.

In other news: Villa and Lange now want to sign ‘monstrous’ 7-trophy ace for Gerrard; talks underway

After scoring his first goal for Rangers in the midweek draw with St Johnstone, Scott Wright has shown Steven Gerrard and the Ibrox faithful that, if Ryan Kent departs the club this summer, he can step up as his replacement.

The 23-year-old showed great technique to cut inside his opponent and curl the ball into the bottom corner at McDiarmid Park on Wednesday – it was a finish reminiscent of some of the goals Kent has scored during his time at Ibrox.

The tricky former Liverpool winger joined Rangers on a permanent deal in September 2019 after a loan spell the previous season and has established himself as one of Gerrard’s key players during his time at Ibrox. In 124 appearances, the Englishman has contributed 26 goals and 26 assists, and he has enjoyed his best campaign to date this season with eight goals and seven assists in the Premiership alone.

This has helped him average a superb 7.40 WhoScored rating for his performances, which is the joint second-best of any Rangers player in Gerrard’s squad, which emphasises just how important he has become for the Light Blues.

Unsurprisingly, this has seen him attract a lot of interest from the Premier League, and after failing to bring him to Elland Road last summer, it seems likely that Leeds United will look to sign him again ahead of next season.

However, Wright’s performances since joining from Aberdeen, albeit brief, have suggested that he can be considered a natural heir for the 24-year-old this summer.

The 23-year-old, who reportedly earns £5,600 per week at Rangers, looked dangerous when coming on as a substitute in the Europa League and won his team a penalty with his pace and direct running against Royal Antwerp.

He impressed in the 4-0 Scottish Cup win against Cove Rangers and was handed his first Premiership start under Gerrard in midweek, marking it will an excellent goal in the 1-1 draw against Callum Davidson’s side.

Gerrard was full of praise for the youngster after the game and suggested that he is now “ready to contribute” more next season, so it certainly seems as if Rangers fans will see a lot more of him in the months ahead.

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The winger certainly has big boots to fill at Rangers if Kent leaves but, after an impressive start to life at Ibrox, there seems no reason why he can’t go on to become as successful as the former Liverpool man.

In other news… Douglas Park could be set for huge blow as Premier League club eye “amazing” Rangers gem

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones has been passed fit for his side’s Champions League clash with Benfica on Tuesday night, journalist Ian Doyle has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Liverpool face latest test

The Reds continue their quadruple charge with a trip to Portugal as they take on the Lisbon outfit in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

In truth, Jurgen Klopp’s men were handed a relatively kind draw in the grand scheme of things, with the Portuguese side surprise winners over Ajax in the last round.

Jones was a doubt for the game after he limped out of Saturday’s 2-0 win at home to Watford, but a positive update has now emerged.

The Latest: Jones passed fit

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Doyle confirmed via Klopp that the 21-year-old was in contention to start, having overcome his weekend problem.

The journalist tweeted: “Klopp on injuries: Full squad available for the game, absolutely. Curtis had a little swelling, disappeared overnight. Trent now, 4-5 days is ready as well.”

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The Verdict: Place on the bench

Prior to going off last weekend, Jones had disappointed against Watford, firing a couple of efforts wide of the target and struggling to get into the game, also losing possession 12 times.

For that reason, it would be a surprise if he starts tonight in what is another crucial match in Liverpool’s potentially legendary season, especially given his recent injury concern and his rarity of starts throughout the season in general.

Fabinho coming back into the number six role makes complete sense, while Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita could be the number eights, allowing Thiago to be managed carefully ahead of Sunday’s huge Premier League clash with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

In other news, a fresh update has emerged regarding Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool future. Read more here.

“Wolves have a real player on their hands” – Journalist makes exciting Molineux claimPedro Neto is the most exciting player at Wolves, claims Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.

The 21-year-old is currently being linked with a move away from Molineux, with 90min reporting that Liverpool, Tottenham and Juventus are all interested in him.

This comes after a season where Neto thoroughly impressed. In 31 Premier League appearances, the Portuguese winger conjured up 11 goal contributions, more than any other Wolves player (via WhoScored).

He also averaged 2.1 dribbles per game, leaving him just outside the division’s top 10 for that category, showing his ability to beat defenders.

Ultimately, for Hatfield, there probably is not a more entertaining player at Molineux in this moment of time.

“He’s arguably the most exciting player at the club,” the Wolves journalist told FFC. “If he’s the same player as he was before he got injured, then Wolves have a real player on their hands.”

Neto has been out of action since April after he picked up a serious knee injury. It is a blow for new manager Bruno Lage, who will probably have to wait a while before the Portugal international is fully fit and firing again.

If all goes well, though, the Wolves boss will indeed have quite the player on his hands.

According to a report by 90min, Tottenham Hotspur still have Fulham manager Scott Parker very much under consideration for the managerial role despite Brendan Rodgers being their top target.

The Lowdown: Parker on managerial shortlist

Parker has been sporadically linked with the Lilywhites job since Jose Mourinho was dismissed last month, with Football Insider recently reporting that the 40-year-old is emerging as a real contender.

Having been praised for his attacking style at Fulham, the former Spurs midfielder also falls into the category of  a ‘young’ and ‘dynamic’ manager allegedly wanted by technical performance director Steve Hitchen (Daily Mail).

The Latest: Very much a contender…

Backing reports of Parker being on the manager’s list, 90min claimed that he is still very much under consideration despite Rodgers being a prime candidate for the role.

The Fulham boss, alongside Gian Piero Gasperini, Maurizio Sarri and Graham Potter, remain shortlisted as the search for a new manager continues.

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The report added that Tottenham and Levy have been approached by intermediaries of up to 20 top managers regarding the vacancy in north London.

Whether or not Parker is one of those gaffers remains to be seen, but Spurs are still allegedly interested in him.

The Verdict: Outside contender, nothing more…

Parker has garnered no shortage of praise for his style of management and even has an admirer in Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who praised his courageous brand of football (mancity.com).

Former Fulham player Jim Hicks, who taught Parker through his coaching licence, emphatically claimed that he is one of the most ‘exceptional’ coaches to ever work under his tutelage (The Athletic).

The £75,000-per-week manager blew Gareth Bale away as a player too, with the Welshman hailing him as ‘unbelievable’ during their time together at Tottenham, but that may not transcend into him being an equally unbelievable manager.

Parker is relatively inexperienced, having notched just one full season in the Premier League so far, and Tottenham could need a coach with a more extensive background in managing at the top level.

In other news: many Tottenham fans slammed this ace during the defeat to Leeds, find out more here.

Celtic’s pre-season recruitment plans are beginning to build up a head of steam.The Hoops finally have a new manager in Ange Postecoglou and he’s been followed through the door by the signings of Liam Shaw and Joey Dawson.Now, however, is the time for the Australian to bolster Celtic’s options in the starting XI.What’s the word?The Hoops have been busy on the transfer front over the last few days, if you believe reports.They’ve begun talks with the Portuguese side Famalicao over the signing of Brazilian central defender Riccieli.However, he’s not the only centre-back on Celtic’s shortlist ahead this summer.According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, the Bhoys are interested in signing Oxford United defender Rob Atkinson in the coming months.The reporter took to Twitter on Sunday to say: “Bristol City. Getting closer to Oxford valuation for Rob Atkinson. Take around £1.6m. Celtic like him too.”Promising newsWith Kristoffer Ajer potentially heading for pastures new this summer, finding another defender will be of great importance to Postecoglou.Celtic’s defence hardly painted a picture of health last term with the Glaswegian outfit shipping 16 more goals than their fierce rivals Rangers.[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-transfer-news-posetcoglou-ryan-delap-wyke” title= “Read the latest Celtic transfer news!”]What made things worse was a catalogue of errors throughout the campaign. Diego Laxalt and Jonjoe Kenny were liabilities towards the end of the season, while Shane Duffy was returned to Brighton like a damaged delivery after picking up an injury.All three of those players look as though they won’t be heading back to Celtic. Fortunately for supporters, they could land a more stable and dominant defender in Atkinson.He only has one year of EFL football under his belt but he was immensely impressive for Oxford United last season.The 22-year-old was so good that he ended up being named in the League One Team of the Season.His side finished last term in the play-offs but narrowly missed out to Blackpool in the semi-finals. Atkinson was a huge reason for their encouraging term, winning a colossal 6.5 aerial battles per match.That meant he won 266 aerial duels over the course of the season, 162 more than Celtic’s best performer in that statistic; Ajer.What’s also so eye-catching about Atkinson is the way he breaks up the play. The young defender produced 2.1 interceptions a game last season, more than any other player in the Hoops squad.A fee of £1.6m is minimal for a defender who looks so suited to the Scottish game. Postecoglou and Dominic McKay shouldn’t think twice when considering a move.Based on his qualities, supporters should be delighted if he comes to Parkhead, so Celtic need to get into gear and beat Bristol City to the punch.AND in other news, Imagine him & Soro: Celtic must sign “exceptional” 22 y/o who crushed Ange this year…

Even though Wolves currently have the joint-second lowest number of players in their squad with just 24 across the current crop of Premier League clubs, it’s surprising that they have a significant number of players currently out on loan deals with other teams.

One Wolves player that is currently out on loan is 23-year-old attacker Patrick Cutrone who is spending his season with Italian club FC Empoli.

Despite being rather familiar with going out on loan away from Molineux, having spent temporary spells at clubs such as Fiorentina and Valencia, Cutrone finds himself back in Serie A to show what he can do. He signed for Wolves on a permanent basis back in the 2019 summer transfer window from AC Milan for a fee of £16.2m but hasn’t exactly set the world alight.

Things have not exactly been plain sailing for the Italian so far this season either. With seven appearances across all competitions and a total of 373 minutes under his belt for Empoli, Cutrone has yet to score a goal or provide an assist for them.

Cutrone’s last start for Empoli in Serie A saw him substituted in the second half of their 3-0 defeat against Sampdoria at home after the striker failed to register a single shot at goal and lost possession on ten occasions, ultimately earning him a rather uninspiring overall match rating of 6.6/10 according to SofaScore.

Taking this into account and the fact that Wolves manager Bruno Lage urged Cutrone to stay at the Midlands club this summer and prove himself there, he won’t be happy to see that his latest loan spell has gone the way it has so far.

Since joining Wolves, Cutrone, who is currently valued at £8.1m via Transfermarkt, has made 28 appearances for the Old Gold across all competitions in which he has managed to score only three goals and provide four assists in the process.

In our view, it’s safe to say that while Cutrone’s latest loan spell away from Wolves has not got off to a great start as of yet, there’s still a significant time left in the season for him to turn his form around and make the best use of the time he has there.

However, if the player doesn’t manage to do this, then he will put his place at Wolves at risk if they don’t feel like he’s good enough to be a regular figure for them in the Premier League.

On the evidence he’s provided over the last few years, they must get rid. Lage simply has to wield the axe on his Molineux career.

In other news: Forget Hwang: “Special” £41k-p/w Wolves ace who made 3 key passes ran the show vs NUFC

Sven Botman appears to have confirmed there was interest in his services from Wolverhampton Wanderers and others during the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Wolves eye Botman

During the summer transfer window, the 6 foot 4 Botman was heavily linked with a move to Molineux (Sky Sports).

Liverpool were also interested in his services (via The Mirror), but he ended up staying with Lille, where he won Ligue 1 last term.

The Latest: Botman discusses interest

Speaking to NOS, Botman discussed the summer window. He had this to say when asked about interest from the likes of Wolves and Liverpool:

“I can’t lie about that.

“(The decision to stay came) from the club. But I didn’t think that was a bad idea in the end.

“I have a starting place and play in the Champions League so it’s certainly not wrong to stay. In football sometimes things go quickly – but I believe in the end everything will work out.”

The Verdict: Looking good

Botman burst onto the scene last term as part of Christophe Galtier’s back four for Les Dogues. All in all, he made 37 appearances in Ligue 1 for Lille as they captured the title from Paris Saint-Germain (Transfermarkt).

They conceded just 23 goals in the division, less than any other side (Sky Sports). He has been compared to Virgil van Dijk, which is obviously huge praise (via Give Me Sport).

Unsurprisingly, £25.2m-valued Botman (Transfermarkt) therefore attracted plenty of interest.

However, while Wolves are currently in 12th place in the Premier League table, their defensive record is impressive – only three sides have conceded less than their six goals, so perhaps the push to sign the towering Dutchman was not as crucial as it appeared.

In other news, this Wolves target is keen on a return to the Premier League.

Derby County reportedly have a ‘verbal agreement’ in place to bring Teden Mengi back on loan from Manchester United again this summer.

The Lowdown: Mengi impresses for Rams

The Rams remained in the Championship by the skin of their teeth last season following a 3-3 draw at home to Sheffield Wednesday on the final day, which instead consigned the Owls to League One.

Wayne Rooney brought Mengi to the club in February, with the 19-year-old managing nine league appearances, seven of which were starts. He has now returned to United for the time being, but a return to Pride Park may not be too far away.

The Latest: Return on the cards?

According to The Athletic, a deal is in place to re-sign Mengi this summer once Derby have the funds available to sort transfer business.

The Rams are currently dealing with a transfer embargo, halting their progress in the current transfer window, but the hope is that Mengi will be back at Pride Park on loan again in the near future.

The Verdict: Good young option

The youngster is an exciting emerging player, so it would be encouraging to see him back in a Derby shirt ahead of next season.

While Mengi might not necessarily be a guaranteed starter, with Rooney likely to want some established players in his starting lineup, he could be a handy squad option if the Rams can sign him again.

Rooney hailed him as ‘excellent’ after a Man of the Match display in a goalless draw with Barnsley in March and he will no doubt be happy to bring him back, not least having seen what he can do in the white shirt.

In other news, Derby have been linked with a move for a Euro 2020 player. Find out who it is here.