All posts by z3u9t.icu

Crystal Palace have been enjoying a great start to their season so far, with the side signing a number of young players who have been important to their good form in the Premier League, and the good business could continue into the January transfer window if Patrick Vieira can make an important decision.

What’s the word?

According to MailOnline, Burnley are interested in signing Christian Benteke from Crystal Palace to replace Chris Wood, who left the club this week to join Newcastle United, leaving Sean Dyche’s side in a weak position whilst battling relegation this season.

The report suggests that Burnley have made an enquiry for the Palace striker and the South London club are open to selling Benteke during January, but are only interested in a fee of between £10m-£12m.

Vieira must axe Benteke to sign Nketiah

The Eagles have been strongly linked to signing Eddie Nketiah from Arsenal this month, but with Mikel Arteta trying to squash the rumours by insisting he will stay with him at the Emirates, the move could be set back until the summer when the 22-year-old will be out of contract unless Palace are in a position to offer a high bid for the striker.

They could discover the money to do exactly that by axing Benteke before the window closes.

The £120k-per-week Palace forward has been subject to his fair share of criticism over his time at the club with former Eagles midfielder, John Salako, claiming Benteke “can’t do anything” back in 2019:

“I really feel for the lad to a point because he just can’t do it. It’s like he’s got his boots on the wrong feet. He just can’t do anything right; it’s amazing.”

Benteke has been a loyal player to Palace with 37 goals and 12 assists in 168 appearances, but at 32-years-old, it could be the perfect opportunity for Vieira to move him on and inject further youth into the squad, developing the future of the team by giving more opportunity to the likes of Michael Olise and using the money made on the sale to Burnley to purchase a young striker in Nketiah.

The Clarets will surely be keen to sign a striker as soon as possible to boost their chances of survival after losing Wood, so the French manager must make an important decision quickly on whether he cashes in on Benteke or not.

In other news: Aaron Ramsey to Crystal Palace is feasible

West Ham United could seal their biggest signing since Dimitri Payet amid emerging reports ahead of the January transfer window.

In some ways, it shows the substantial progress the east London outfit have made under David Moyes, going from relegation contenders to competing for a place in the Champions League – and more than holding their own.

There has been a lack of ‘marquee’ signings in recent years but that’s not a bad thing as their recruitment has been pretty spot-on, with relatively unknown names like Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal becoming crucial influences on the pitch.

Having Jesse Lingard on loan and splashing £30m on Champions League winner Kurt Zouma is certainly a step in the right direction, but everything could be eclipsed by the prospective arrival of Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria.

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Irons are among the teams interested in signing the 25-year-old this winter as he attracts interest from across Europe, though they’ll be battling Premier League rivals Everton, as well as Serie A giants Juventus, for his signature.

Gladbach head coach Adi Hutter is desperate to bolster his playing squad next month but he’ll only be able to do so if he garners some more income, so selling the Switzerland international could be in his best interests, especially as the player is out of contract in the summer and is currently valued at £24.3m.

A new central option in the midfield engine room may be the least of the Hammers’ concerns but they simply cannot turn their nose up at sealing a player of Zakaria’s calibre for a bargain price in January.

Of course, club captain Mark Noble is retiring, plus there may be some doubts over loanee Alex Kral’s credentials. Meanwhile, there are always doubts and reports on the future of Declan Rice at the London Stadium.

He is a player who has earned comparisons to a whole host of midfield greats, ranging from Patrick Vieira and Zinedine Zidane, to Paul Pogba and Toni Kroos.

“It’s not easy to compare him to the greats of the past, but he combines many qualities that were really defined by Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane,” claimed international and domestic teammate Yan Sommer.

German football legend Lothar Matthaus once stated: “I’m glad that Gladbach have found another pearl. At his age I was earning my first stripes for Borussia. He reminds me of Toni Kroos at that age.”

The 40-cap beast has consistently put up impressive numbers in the Bundesliga and for his country – as per WhoScored, Zakaria has averaged 2.3 successful tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 1.4 dribbles and 1.1 shots per 90 minutes over the course of his career.

By no means would he be a flair player like Payet once was, but the box-to-box dynamo would be a major coup for the club, one which would shock many around the continent, just as it did with the silky Frenchman all those years ago.

Zakaria, who has been dubbed a “very complete footballer” his former manager Marco Rose, would be a sublime addition for head of recruitment Rob Newman to secure. He must do all he can to win the race to sign him this winter.

AND in other news, 87 touches, 100% dribbles: West Ham gem who “caught the eye” has given Moyes a dilemma…

After finishing in the top half of the table in their first season back in the Premier League after a 16-year absence, Leeds United’s current season has not been as smooth as most would have hoped for at the Yorkshire club.

With 18 games played, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have managed to win just three games whilst drawing seven and losing eight.

One big issue that Leeds have had to deal with this season is the fact that they have managed to concede 36 goals in those 18 games, leaving only Norwich City and Newcastle United, prior to their match against Manchester United, having conceded more.

Now that the January transfer window is set to open in a matter of days, this could give Bielsa the chance to fix some of the issues in his squad, particularly at the back, which the Whites are apparently looking to do.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Telegraph, Leeds are monitoring the situation of Tottenham Hotspur defender Joe Rodon who the north London club are likely to allow to leave.

The claim states he could leave “on a short-term deal” in order  “to get game time as he has struggled for minutes this season.”

Fixing an issue

Since joining Tottenham back in October last year from Championship club Swansea City, the 24-year-old has only made 13 appearances in the Premier League with 12 of them being from last season.

Leeds currently have defender Liam Cooper out through injury, meaning this could be a smart move from the Yorkshire club to bring in a capable centre-back such as the £24k-per-week Rodon, who has some experience of playing in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho once labelled the centre-back as a “perfect” player which considering he’s coached defenders such as Sergio Ramos and John Terry among many others during his managerial career, is quite the statement.

Rodon could prove to be a better option for Leeds than current centre-back Robin Koch who struggled in his first game back for Leeds in their 4-1 defeat against Arsenal after recovering from injury.

He was completely dreadful vs the Gunners, earning a woeful SofaScore rating of 5.9 and completing an uncharacteristic and measly 77% of his passes.

Keep in mind that journalist Ian Mitchelmore once dubbed him as “flawless” and it’s clear to see why he’d bring a greater degree of solidity to Bielsa’s backline.

Even though the report suggests that Newcastle United are in the lead to secure Rodon’s signature next month, Victor Orta should do all he can to sign the defender to see if he can help fix Bielsa’s issue of seeing his side concede too many goals.

In other news: Orta heading for unforgivable Leeds transfer disaster on “relentless” £36m-rated star – opinion

A number of Wolves supporters are delighted after a report claimed that Max Kilman could be on the verge of a first international call-up for England.

Bruno Lage’s side drew 0-0 away to Norwich City on Saturday afternoon and finished the weekend sitting sixth in the Premier League.

There have been a number of strong performers for Wanderers this season and Kilman is undoubtedly one of them. The centre-back has started all 13 of his team’s Premier League matches in 2021/22 to date and it appears as though his performances have caught Gareth Southgate’s eye.

As per WhoScored, he is Wolves’ fourth-best performer overall and ranks top for interceptions per match (1.5), second for clearances per game (3.4), third for headers won per game (1.8), joint-third for tackles won per match (2.4). Those figures indicate a no-nonsense, well-rounded defender.

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein [via Talking Wolves on Twitter], Kilman has impressed the England boss and may be considered a left-footed centre-back option in Southgate’s future squads. The journalist wrote:

“The Athletic has been told his form has not gone unnoticed by Gareth Southgate and it’s believed Kilman is on England’s radar and has been discussed as a potential option at centre-back.

“Kilman is playing on the right of a back three for Wolves, but he’s one of the very few left-footed options Southgate could call upon. If he continues his excellent form for Wolves – and Southgate watched him during the recent 2-1 victory over Everton at Molineux — he may be joining his club skipper Conor Coady in the squad before long.”

Wolves fans react to potential Kilman call-up

These Wolves fans took to Twitter to show their happiness at the news about Kilman, who one supporter proclaimed to be the “GOAT”.

“World Cup is ours”

Credit: @ElwellLewis

“Get Coady’s mate out and get this GOAT in”

Credit: @Finsabu

“Well deserved”

Credit: @TrincaoBall

“Mings in the mud”

Credit: @Cal_Wood1990

“Yes!!!”

Credit: @pjsaturday63

“Great”

Credit: @WolvesNumber37

In other news, a journalist has talked up Wolves’ interest in one player. Find out who it is here.

Manchester United could secure themselves a bargain deal in the January transfer window after being linked with a move for Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele.

What’s the story?

According to Mundo Deportivo (as relayed by The Express), United have joined the race for the 24-year-old but he’s been offered a new salary of £9.4m to stay at the Nou Camp for the foreseeable future.

Manager Xavi Hernandez has reportedly expressed his desire for Dembele to stay put in the negotiations, and although the France international wants to remain at Barca, he has been offered significantly more money by other clubs.

The drawn-out talks have seen Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and the Red Devils circle for the youngster’s signature, with the latest updates claiming he has decided to call an end to his time in Catalonia.

Spanish journalist Jota Jordi has claimed that despite Xavi insisting he will be a key part of his plans, Dembele is set to snub the offer of a new deal, opening the door to an imminent exit.

“Dembélé has told Xavi not to count on him for next year. They are going to try to convince him, I understand. He can negotiate with whoever he wants in 25 days,” Jota told El Chiringuito.

Ralf Rangnick could seal a bargain deal

Dembele rose to prominence at Borussia Dortmund after departing boyhood club Rennes and was regarded as one of the world’s most promising stars when he joined Barca for a fee potentially rising to £135.5m back in August 2017.

Then Rennes sporting director Mikael Silvestre and former United defender compared him to a young Cristiano Ronaldo, saying: “I saw Cristiano Ronaldo arrive at the same age at Manchester United, and Ousmane has the same characteristics, which remind me of a young Cristiano.”

However, injuries have significantly hampered the flying winger’s progress and game time ever since he arrived at the La Liga giants.

Across his four-and-a-half-year spell with the Blaugrana, Dembele has failed to start over 20 La Liga games in a single season, scoring 30 goals and providing 21 assists in his 121 appearances.

But he has continued to show flashes of his truly world-class potential when fit and available for selection, earning praise from former teammate and seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi.

“On the pitch, he’s a phenomenon. It’s up to him where he ends up, he could be one of the best,” Messi is quoted by Sport as saying in December 2018. “He’s young, and he is adapting.”

Therefore, the £287,000-per-week ace could prove to be a real bargain if interim manager Ralf Rangnick can secure his services in a cut-price deal in January, or on a free next summer.

With Edinson Cavani out of contract in the red half of Manchester at the end of the current campaign, the 20-time English champions will need some attacking reinforcements and Dembele could be the ideal candidate.

And, in other news…Man Utd could find perfect Rangnick heir in 48 y/o who’s in a “Brendan Rodgers-mould”

A number of Sunderland fans have hit out at winger Lynden Gooch for his display in the 3-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday evening.

Gooch earned a first league start since September to make his 11th appearance of the season in all competitions. However, he couldn’t help the Black Cats suffer a third straight League One defeat.

The USA international failed to spot Theo Corbeanu unmarked out wide in the early stages and reacted too late as the Owls man opened the scoring at Hillsborough.

As per Sofa Score, Gooch, who was withdrawn after 72 minutes, failed to have a single shot on goal, lost the ball on 13 occasions and lost seven of his 12 duels.

It was a night to forget for all of Lee Johnson’s men, but these Sunderland supporters singled out Gooch for criticism.

Sunderland fans react

This is what some had to say about the 25-year-old, with one labelling him as ‘abysmal’, whereas another called him ‘Wednesday’s man of the match’.

“Can he be sold?”

Credit: @brownh1989

“GOOCH SHOULD HAVE BEEN DRAGGED OFF DURING THE FIRST HALF… ABSOLUTELY ABYSMAL…”

Credit: @Casual7Observer

“Sheffield Wednesday’s man of the match so far: Lynden Gooch”

Credit: @AdamJamesRoper

“Gooch is a complete waste of a shirt. To the point he actually makes us worse. O’Brien can’t do anything quickly, Doyle all over the place at the back. Too many passengers.”

Credit: @Powell_Matthew

“Gooch is abysmal. He should not be coming out for the second half…its like playing with 10”

Credit: @Muggins1025

“That first half was an embarrassment. I don’t think I ever want to see Lyndon Gooch in a Sunderland shirt ever again. Couple others too!”

Credit: @e_sunderland

According to a report by TUTTOmercatoWEB, as relayed by Sport Witness, new Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has set his sights on Serie A star Marcelo Brozovic.

The Lowdown: Conte eyeing Italian raid…

Naturally, since Conte was officially announced as Tottenham’s heir to Nuno Espirito Santo, there have been no shortage of links to Serie A’s biggest names.

Calciomercato.it recently name-dropped six players who they say are currently being watched by Spurs’ new manager, with the likes of Federico Chiesa, Stefan de Vrij, Matthijs de Ligt, Alessio Romagnoli, Dusan Vlahovic and Brozovic all on the agenda.

The latter man, who he coached at former club Inter Milan last season, was a key player under Conte – featuring in all but five Serie A games over 2020/2021 (WhoScored).

Now, as he aims to rejuvenate Spurs and get them back to their heights of the Mauricio Pochettino era, it appears he is indeed eyeing a move for Brozovic as another report backs his interest.

The Latest: Conte personally eyeing Brozovic move…

As per TMW, translated and shared by Sport Witness, Tottenham’s new boss is personally eyeing a move for the Croatia international who was ‘reborn’ under his tutelage at the San Siro.

It is believed that another influential Lilywhites figure, managing director Fabio Paratici, is also an admirer of Brozovic and this could well be one to keep an eye on over the next few months.

The Verdict: Big name…

A colossal presence in midfield with plenty of experience on the biggest stages in football, his current contract situation at Inter, expiring in 2022, could present Spurs with another bargain opportunity similar to Franck Kessie.

If the Lilywhites cannot land Milan’s star on a pre-contract in January, Brozovic could certainly come as a solid alternative in that respect.

The 68-cap star has attracted attention from not just Conte, but also two previous Tottenham managers.

Jose Mourinho, speaking to talkSPORT recently, lavished Brozovic as ‘top of the top’ and a ‘fantastic’ player – with Pochettino going one step further and targeting him back in 2017.

Whilst still at the Lilywhites helm, Tottenham’s fan favourite held an interest in the 28-year-old and the club were said to be preparing a €25 million (£21.3m) bid at the time (TUTTOmercatoWEB).

The £106,000-per-week ace would certainly be worth Paratici’s time if they can secure him as a free agent.

In other news: Conte now personally plotting to sell ‘very talented’ Spurs player who Nuno called ‘unique’, find out more here.

Flocking to Twitter, many Chelsea supporters have been left excited following a Fabrizio Romano update involving rising star Aurelien Tchouaméni.

The AS Monaco prodigy, who started for France against Spain at the weekend in their 2-1 UEFA Nations League final victory, has been turning many heads throughout Europe.

Tchouaméni, starting nearly every Ligue 1 game for Monaco last season, made an extremely impressive 3.5 tackles per 90 on average and marked himself out as a real enforcer in front of the back four (WhoScored).

At just 21-years-old, the Frenchman also has plenty of years left ahead of him and could even reach a higher level than his current form – prompting Chelsea to take a swift interest.

According to reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano on his Here We Go Podcast (via Route1futbol), the Blues now have Tchouaméni on their list of targets as sporting director Marina Granovskaia eyes defensive midfielders.

Flocking to this claim, many Chelsea fans have been left overjoyed, with one suggesting he could even be a better signing than West Ham star Declan Rice.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

Chelsea fans excited by Tchouameni claim…

“Bring him home”

Credit: @AVN54872570

“Tchouameni is the man not Rice.”

Credit: @walter81414191

“Praying for a Marina Masterclass”

Credit: @Prince_Havertz

“Marina should just hijack this deal fast!!!!!”

Credit: @nii4real_

“Marina get it done”

Credit: @CFC_kai

“On my knees”

Credit: @shina_oj

“we’re back”

Credit: @0shi_val

In other news: ‘Horrible’, ‘Sell him’, ‘Hugely disappointing’…Many Chelsea fans erupt over player after what they’ve seen, find out more here.

Over the years, it’s safe to say Manchester City have not been shy in splashing out big transfer fees to bring new players to the club such as Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne and Ruben Dias to name a few.

However, one player that the club signed for a relatively low transfer fee that has gone on to be an important figure for Pep Guardiola’s side is left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko.

City signed Zinchenko back in the 2016 summer transfer window for a fee of just £1.8m according to Transfermarkt. Since then, the 24-year-old has gone on to make 103 appearances for the Manchester club across all competitions in which he has managed to score two goals and provide seven assists in the process.

Since then, his market value has dramatically increased. In August 2016 shortly after he signed for City, Transfermarkt had his value listed at £3.6m, whereas it now stands at a whopping £25.2m, highlighting just how much the Ukrainian has progressed and developed at the club under Guardiola. He is very much an underrated player, one who was previously described by the manager as a “fundamental” player for City.

Despite the praise from Guardiola and the rise in his market value, the fact that the versatile Citizen has only made three appearances for City across all competitions so far this season says to us that he has not been able to secure his place in the team on a regular basis this time around.

However, with Zinchenko currently being the only eligible player City have in their squad at the moment that predominantly plays in the left-back position, we feel that he is still an important figure and could still go on to play a big part for them this season.

This also makes us feel that City should be thankful the full-back didn’t actually end up making the move to fellow Premier League side Wolves after a £16m fee was reportedly agreed for the player to move to Molineux back in the 2018 summer transfer window.

Moving forward, if Zinchenko can get back to playing regularly for City, we see no reason why his transfer value couldn’t go on to increase even more than it has done given his relatively young age.

In other news: Pep must unleash Man City’s £54m-rated “unsung hero” vs Brugge, he’s a match-winner – opinion

Many Arsenal fans have been slamming the display of Ben White in the first half of their game at Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

The former Brighton defender struggled at times in the air against the Clarets’ two strikers Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes, a criticism of his in the 2-0 loss away at Brentford on the opening day.

He was also guilty of giving the ball away on a few occasions, which ended up giving cheap chances to Sean Dyche’s team, especially before Martin Odegaard settled nerves down with a sublime free-kick to put the Gunners 1-0 up.

Nonetheless, with a £50m price ag on his shoulders, White will want to show the Arsenal faithful in the second half why they paid so much money for him.

Arsenal fans on White display

These Gooners slammed his performance on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far as to claim that White has been ‘terrible’ in the air:

“White is out of the game. He needs to concentrate.”

Credit: @10Tolis10

“Ben White is bad in the air…that was poor.”

Credit: @smoothgfootball

“Ben White is terrible in the air, you can’t deny it”

Credit: @KYEkye45

“Ben White is weak like tissue”

Credit: @sahalxp

“Ben White is having a mare”

Credit: @King_Jah_

“Not sure what Ben White is doing so far”

Credit: @me_jadson

In other news, find out whose display against Manchester City was slammed here!