All posts by h716a5.icu

When John Bostock became Crystal Palace’s youngest-ever player aged just 15, there seemed little that would stop him from becoming a top player in the future.

However, a move to Tottenham Hobtspur the following year arguably ruined his chances of development and now, aged 30, he finds himself without a club following his exit from Doncaster Rovers during the summer.

Bostock made his first-team debut for the Eagles in October 2007, coming off the bench in a 2-0 defeat against Watford, and he looked set for a bright career at Selhurst Park.

However, his head was turned by a move to Tottenham Hotspur in 2008, with that transfer seemingly a huge factor in Bostock failing to live up to his immense potential.

Former Palace chairman Simon Jordan was less than impressed when Bostock made the switch to Spurs, saying:

“Like everything in this miserable game, it comes down to pounds, shillings and pence. Surely it should be down to what is best for a 16-year-old boy and where he is most likely to play.”

Jordan wasn’t far wrong, as in five years at Spurs, Bostock would make just four first-team appearances before he was released in 2013.

Since then, the midfielder’s career has taken him far and wide, with his best spells arguably coming in Belgium with Oud-Heverlee Leuven and France with RC Lens, where he hit 26 goals and 14 assists in a combined 106 appearances.

The former Palace wonderkid would return to England in 2019, signing for Nottingham Forest, where he would make only nine appearances in the 2019/20 campaign.

He continued to struggle for consistency and joined Doncaster Rovers in League One, but endured an injury-disrupted spell at the Keepmoat Stadium, and left the club after their relegation to League Two last season.

Despite being a free agent for more than four months now, it seems as if no side is willing to take the gamble of signing Bostock, which shows how far he has fallen since his move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Had he remained with Crystal Palace and continued to play first-team football as a teenager, there is no telling how much he could have achieved, but sadly it seems as if money ruined his chances of a career at the top.

Aston Villa could be set to land a sensational appointment for their vacant manager position…

What’s the latest?

According to Football Insider, Villarreal boss Unai Emery is set to enter preliminary discussions for the job following Steven Gerrard’s dismissal yesterday.

The Spaniard is reportedly the more likely candidate than the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, whom the report claims has reservations about coming to Villa Park.

To lure either of these elite managers would mark a sensational piece of business, and a fine upgrade from the previous manager.

It would be a masterstroke

Although Pochettino was the dream option, it now seems clear that plans to tempt him were nothing more than a pipe dream.

Emery however stands as a far more realistic option, as he reportedly showed great interest in a return to the Premier League with Newcastle United back in November.

The only reason he did not was due to his mid-season commitments with his current team, who were on a Champions League run at the time that eventually reached the semi-finals.

This season, they only have the UEFA Europa Conference League to deal with, which would be much easier to walk away from guilt-free.

His run in Europe’s elite competition stands as one of his greatest achievements to date, however he is also a four-time Europa League winner with both Sevilla and the Yellow Submarine.

The 50-year-old has a pedigree that extends far beyond most managers already in the league, and despite his supposed failure at Arsenal, he also reached another Europa League final and missed out on the Champions League spots by one point with them.

If given a chance to build his own squad, free of any mandatory purchases and unnecessary pressures, he could genuinely create something special at the Midlands club.

Michael Cox even once lauded Emery’s ability to compete with Pep Guardiola on a tactical level, with particular emphasis on the “clever gameplan” he would often spring.

A clear tactical master, to get him to make the move to the Midlands would have supporters quickly forgetting that Pochettino was ever an option.

It could be the start of something really special following such a dismal 11 months under Gerrard.

Crystal Palace’s signing of Luke Plange from Derby County is looking more and more like a shrewd investment by the Eagles as the teenager continues to impress on loan.

The Eagles confirmed that they had signed the striker from the Rams in a deal worth £1m in last season’s winter transfer window, before sending him back on loan to the Midlands club in the Championship.

In total, Plange would make 27 appearances for the Rams in the second tier, contributing four goals and two assists, which is an impressive return given they were relegated to League One.

He certainly caught the eye of former manager Wayne Rooney with his performances on loan at Pride Park and his quotes will definitely excite Palace fans for the future.

Rooney said: “Luke Plange has a bit of everything in his game.

“He can run in behind teams, he’s quick and he is also strong enough to hold the ball up. As well as that, he’s a clever player and also a finisher.”

The England U20 international made just one appearance for Palace’s U21s, in which he contributed two assists before he was sent on loan for the season to RWD Molenbeek.

Plange is certainly proving his worth once again as the Belgian side currently sits third in the second division, with Plange hitting two goals and two assists in his first seven appearances for the club.

Although the 19-year-old is yet to be tested at the top level, he clearly has an eye for goal, further evidenced by his hat-trick in pre-season, and he will be looking to force his way into Patrick Vieira’s plans for next season by impressing out on loan.

Considering Palace’s current top goalscorer, Wilfried Zaha, is looking likely to leave at the end of the season when his contract expires, Vieira may well need a clinical forward such as Plange in his side as he looks to replace the Ivorian’s goals at Selhurst Park.

Therefore, it can only be good for the Eagles that Plange continues to catch the eye, as he could end up saving them millions on a goalscorer in the future.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s decision to bring Theo Walcott back to Southampton on a permanent basis has massively backfired, as he is burning a wage with the Saints.

The experienced winger originally joined the Saints on loan from Everton for the 2020/21 campaign, in what was a homecoming for the former Arsenal man after he began his career at St Mary’s.

However, it soon became clear that Hasenhuttl was thinking with his heart rather than his head when bringing Walcott back, as he has struggled immensely in his time at the club.

During a loan spell, the 33-year-old would manage three goals and three assists in 21 Premier League appearances, averaging a solid, if unspectacular, 6.56 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This was enough to convince Hasenhuttl that he was worth signing on a permanent basis, as he joined on a free transfer from Everton in the summer of 2021 but it seems as if that was done for sentimental purposes, as he has made just ten Premier League appearances since then.

Walcott’s role as a bit-part player and someone who is perhaps slowly transitioning into more of a coach and influencer in the dressing room would perhaps be justifiable if it weren’t for the huge wage he earns in comparison to the rest of the squad.

According to Capology, the former England international earns £75k-per-week at St Mary’s, which remarkably makes him the top earner at the club.

Considering Walcott’s first and only appearance in the Premier League this season came last weekend against his former club Arsenal, it is impossible to justify Hasenhuttl’s decision to bring him back and hand him such a large contract, as his form on loan hardly justified that.

[freshpress-quiz id=“658847”]

As the winger has been at Southampton on a permanent basis for 69 weeks, as his move became permanent on the 1st of July 2021, the Saints have paid out £5,175,000 in wages for a player that has barely featured.

It is clear that the veteran Englishman is not going to play much of a part this season so Hasenhuttl must look to move him on in January or risk wasting even more money on his wages, only for him to sit on the bench.

Jesse Marsch admitted in the run up to Leeds United’s game with Liverpool on Saturday that he was simply “sick” of losing.

It’s easy to see why he felt like that. His men hadn’t won a game of football in the league since remarkably defeating Chelsea 3-1 at Elland Road in August.

How they must love to play the country’s elite week in, week out as they finally ended a run of eight games without a win with a victory over Jurgen Klopp’s side.

It was the Reds’ first defeat at Anfield in the Premier League since March 2021 and they had a host of players to thank. Illan Meslier was a titan in goal but it was Crysencio Summerville who ultimately came up with the winning goal.

The Dutchman became a Leeds player in the summer of 2020 but was rather alienated from the first team picture by Marcelo Bielsa. That decision, certainly on recent form, would appear to be a mistake.

Marsch has taken a strong liking to the 21-year-old who was rewarded with a new deal last summer and given the number 10 shirt in a strong display of faith by the club.

That number had been worn previously by Raphinha and very quickly, he’s looking like the heir apparent to the now Barcelona star.

The Brazilian departed a few months ago with Leeds looking towards Cody Gakpo as his potential replacement. He ultimately stayed at PSV with Victor Orta securing the signature of Luis Sinisterra who has shown in glimpses that he could make a similar impact at Elland Road.

However, the Colombian is now on a run of four games without a goal and has even served a suspension for a red card against Aston Villa.

While his form deteriorates, Summerville’s only gets better. The £2.7m-rated talent has now started in two of the last three league fixtures and has two goals to show for his efforts.

He made an impact off the bench by scoring his first senior goal for the club in the defeat to Fulham before his late winner at Anfield marked the finest moment of his embryonic career to date.

It was a sweeping finish that sparked bedlam amongst the travelling support and he now looks like an incredibly exciting option for Marsch and his coaching staff.

Summerville doesn’t quite have the tenacity of Raphinha yet but his enchanting and captivating ability with the ball at his feet certainly sparks similarities.

When in full flight, the Dutchman is seemingly a bag of tricks with the ball glued to his feet in tight situations.

Described as a “speed merchant” during his time with the U21s and as “unplayable” by Beren Cross, it would appear that his days of not quite being good enough for first-team football are over.

Summerville is here to stay and he is here to finally replace Raphinha.

Glasgow Rangers crashed out of Europe on Tuesday night and Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s priority must now be on strengthening the Ibrox side in the hope that they can challenge for the Scottish Premiership title this season.

The Gers are currently four points behind their Old Firm rivals after 12 games in the top flight and have seemingly fallen behind the Hoops due to a lack of recent investment.

Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey were both sold for big money in the summer, joining Southampton and Ajax respectively, but the Teddy Bears have failed to adequately replace them.

While Antonio Colak has starred since his summer switch from PAOK – scoring 14 times – other additions such as Rabbi Matondo, Ben Davies and Ridvan Yilmaz have flattered to deceive, with WhoScored ranking them as the 10th, 11th and 20th best performers in Van Bronckhorst’s side so far this season.

Therefore, it seems clear that January signings are needed if Rangers are to challenge at the top once again, and Blackpool’s Jerry Yates could be one quality addition to the Dutchman’s squad at Ibrox.

The Sun reported recently that Rangers were considering a £5m swoop for the 25-year-old striker, who currently leads the way for goals in the English Championship with nine so far this season.

In a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke commented on the Gers’ interest in the Englishman, who has 11 goal contributions to his name already this season.

He said: “I think they can only be impressed by his performances. He’s been in red-hot form for Blackpool of late, and he’s scoring goals at a prolific rate.

“He’s the top goalscorer in the Championship with nine goals. I think he got two goals and an assist against Preston the other weekend as well, so he’s in really good form.”

Given that Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe have both struggled for consistent form under Van Bronckhorst’s management, with just 21 goals between them in 57 appearances after both being prolific under Steven Gerrard, perhaps another striker is what the former midfielder needs to boost his squad’s title chances this season.

Yates’ form at Blackpool, for whom he has 40 goals and 14 assists in 144 appearances, suggests that he could be a quality addition in January.

Thus, the Dutch tactician must convince him to join, as he would surely love to have another clinical forward at his disposal. It could just be the answer to all of their recent troubles.

Chelsea are now one of the ‘frontrunners’ to sign Palmeiras striker Endrick, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Endrick profiled

Despite only being 16 years of age, the forward has already made a big name for himself after netting an incredible 165 goals in 169 appearances for his club’s youth sides.

Having since worked his way up through the ranks and into Abel Ferreira’s first team, his performances have caught the eye of potential suitors, and with a €60m (£52m) release clause in his contract, could be on his way to the Premier League.

The Latest: Chelsea in Endrick chase

Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that Chelsea are firmly in the race to land Endrick, though are set to face competition from two European giants. He wrote:

“Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain & Chelsea. Frontrunners, pushing to sign Endrick.

“Confirmed and still no breakthrough in negotiations with any club.”

The Verdict: Alongside Nkunku

The Blues are reported to have agreed a deal to sign RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku, but it sounds like he might not be the only attacker set to arrive at Stamford Bridge.

The Brazilian ‘phenomenon’, as hailed by Jacek Kulig, has a remarkable record so far this season having made ten goal contributions in just 13 outings, and is a versatile player with the ability to operate on both flanks as well as at centre-forward (Transfermarkt).

Whilst £52m is a huge sum for a player so young, Todd Boehly won’t be afraid to give Graham Potter financial backing in his first few windows in charge, so this could be one to watch in the near future.

A West Ham United insider has shared some significant news regarding the future of manager David Moyes.

The Lowdown: West Ham struggling…

Despite a huge injection of summer investment totalling £159m, the Irons have seriously struggled for Premier League form, resulting in mounting pressure on Moyes and his position.

Only Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Everton and Southampton – the four teams beneath West Ham in the table – have scored fewer goals than the Hammers despite the summer signings of attacking players like Lucas Paqueta, Maxwel Cornet and Gianluca Scamacca.

The east Londoners have struggled with injury problems but their newly-found strength in depth perhaps warrants a stronger league position than 16th.

West Ham have also won just once in their last four, a 2-0 defeat of Bournemouth, going on to lose their last three games against Manchester United, Crystal Palace and Leicester.

The Latest: Insider shares Moyes sack update…

Questions surround Moyes and his suitability for the position, and claims recently emerged that there are numerous managers lining up to take the West Ham job.

The Scotsman has plenty of credit in the bank from the last two campaigns, though, especially after he guided West Ham to successive European qualification campaigns on a shoestring budget.

[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”]

Claret & Hugh, a West Ham insider, has now shared a significant update on Moyes’ future, with the board firing a strong message to him amid this poor form.

It is believed that the former Everton and Man United boss has been given his first warning, but his excellent work since 2020/21 has bought him more time to turn things around.

The Verdict: Right call?

Moyes arguably performed miracles with his pre-existing squad over the last two years and the absence of a natural backup striker to Michail Antonio before Scamacca’s arrival.

On this basis, David Gold, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and Daniel Kretinsky must hand the 59-year-old a degree of faith and grant him some leeway.

However, if results continue to take a downward trajectory after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, one must then wonder if Moyes has taken this West Ham team as far as he can.

Newcastle United will once again be represented at the upcoming World Cup, with a handful of the Magpies’ key men set to take to the field for their respective countries in the hope of achieving eternal glory.

The in-form trio of Callum Wilson, Kieran Trippier and Nick Pope have all been named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, while centre-back menace Fabian Schar and midfield gem Bruno Guimaraes are set to link up with Switzerland and Brazil, respectively.

That stellar cast of talent will join a host of former Newcastle stars to have also featured on the global stage, with the Tynesiders having been blessed with an array of quality assets over the years.

With that in mind, it seems the ideal time to put your knowledge to the test regarding the club’s heroes – both past and present – who have featured previously at a World Cup, or are in line to do so in this latest edition.

To spice things up a bit, we’ll also be testing your transfer knowledge relating to those key assets – all you need to do is simply select the correct answer from the four choices available on each question below. Good Luck!

Leeds United have been linked with a number of forwards ahead of the January transfer window, largely as a result of Patrick Bamford’s continued struggle to get back to full fitness following a series of niggling injuries.

One such attacker the Whites have been tipped to move for is Chimy Ávila, with reports from Spain earlier this month suggesting that Victor Orta is willing to offer CA Osasuna €22m (£19m) for the 28-year-old’s services, although the Argentine is said to possess a €30m (£26m) release clause in his current contract with the LaLiga side.

And, considering the form the £8.7m-rated forward has been in so far this season, coupled with how devastating Rodrigo has been for Jesse Marsch’s side in the current campaign, Orta could well form an incredibly deadly duo by launching a move for Ávila in the January transfer window.

Indeed, over his 13 LaLiga appearances in 2022/23, the £25k-per-week talent has already scored six goals, registered one assist and created three big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.3 shots – 1.2 of which have been on target – making one key pass and completing an average of 0.8 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the player who Sid Lowe dubbed a “one-man wrecking ball” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.00, currently ranking him as Jagoba Arrasate’s third-best performer in the top flight of Spanish football – helping Los Rojillos get off to an exceptional start in the league this season.

And, with Rodrigo in similarly fine form in the Premier League this season – having scored nine goals, provided one assist and created two big chances over his 13 league outings, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.16 – the addition of Ávila to the Spaniard in Marsch’s attacking arsenal could well see the formation of an incredibly deadly duo at Elland Road.

Indeed, with Bamford now approaching a full calendar year without hitting the back of the net in the top flight, it is clear that the Whites are very much in need of a new partner for Rodrigo up top, with the Argentine sensation looking to be an ideal candidate to start alongside the 31-year-old in the Leeds attack.