All posts by h716a5.icu

Despite Leeds United losing the services of their talismanic central midfielder Kalvin Phillips in the summer transfer window, Victor Orta looks to have replaced the 26-year-old relatively well in his additions of both Tyler Adams and Marc Roca.

Indeed, the duo have impressed this season, with Roca averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.07 over his six Premier League fixtures, while Adams has averaged a SofaScore match rating of 7.00 over his own six outings in the league – with these returns seeing the duo rank as the Whites’ fourth and fifth-best performers in the top flight of English football so far in 2022/23.

However, there is one player who has been heavily linked with a move to Elland Road ever since Leeds’ return to the Premier League back in 2020 who, in the time since, has proven that he could well have been an even better option for Jesse Marsch in the heart of his side – that of Atletico Madrid midfielder, Rodrigo de Paul.

Following a season in which the 28-year-old scored seven goals, registered six assists and created an enormous 17 big chances over his 34 Serie A appearances of Udinese Calcio, Orta was reported to have submitted a €35m (£30.5m) bid for the Argentina international, only for the Italian side to reject the Whites’ advances – demanding €40m (£35m) to part with De Paul.

This is a figure the Spanish director of football failed to reach, seeing the midfielder remain at the Dacia Arena for one more season, during which the 41-cap star once again shone, scoring nine goals, providing nine assists and creating 20 big chances over 36 Serie A appearances, with these returns seeing the playmaker average an incredible SofaScore match rating of 7.53.

Not only did these returns see the player who Julio Velazquez claimed “could play in any club in the world” rank as the second-best player in the league in 2020/21 – ahead of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – but they also convinced Atletico Madrid to part with €35m (£30.5m) to bring the midfielder to Spain the following summer.

Since this move, De Paul has only flourished further, scoring four goals and registering two assists over his 48 appearances for Diego Simeone’s side last season, as well as already having bagged one goal and provided one assist over six LaLiga fixtures in the current campaign – with these metrics seeing the 28-year-old currently boast a market valuation of £52.5m.

As such, Orta’s decision to not raise his offer for the £113k-per-week talent by around £4.5m has not only seen Leeds miss out on one of Europe’s most exciting and talented forward-thinking midfielders, but also a potentially significant payday – with De Paul currently being worth 50% more than the £35m figure the Whites could have landed him for back in 2020.

Nottingham Forest are currently enduring a tough return to life in the Premier League having picked up just four points from their opening seven league games, with the jury still out on the wisdom of trying to integrate such a vast number of new additions.

One of those 22 deals that was completed in the recent window saw the newly-promoted outfit pluck England international Jesse Lingard from Manchester United, following the expiry of the 29-year-old’s contract at Old Trafford.

While lauded as something of a coup at the time – having won the race for his signature ahead of West Ham United – the playmaker has since made a slow start to life at the City Ground, failing to net a single goal or register a single assist thus far this season.

In truth, manager Steve Cooper potentially missed a trick in not landing another free agent in the form of compatriot Gareth Bale, with the Wales superstar having reportedly been a player that the Garibaldi were considering in the recent window, following his exit from Real Madrid.

As it proved, the 33-year-old ultimately sealed a move to MLS side LAFC, with the ageing menace seemingly hoping to get up to speed in time for the upcoming World Cup, having been on the periphery in his final campaign at the Bernabeu – making just five La Liga appearances.

While the injury-prone veteran would not have been a figure to rely upon week-in, week-out for Cooper and co, he could well have provided that rare quality of being able to produce something out of nothing, having so often delivered the goods for both club and country over the years.

The former Tottenham Hotspur man has enjoyed a glittering career thus far with a plethora of major honours to his name – including five Champions League trophies – while his overall club record stands at 185 goals and 139 assists in 552 games to date.

Although no longer at his peak, the 107-cap menace still has that ability to be a “game-changer” – as described by journalist Stuart James – having netted twice in stunning fashion for his country against Austria in the World Cup, semi-final play-off back in June.

A man with a knack for the spectacular – notably netting that gravity-defying overhead kick against Liverpool in the European showpiece back in 2018 – Bale would certainly have provided a real magic touch to a Forest side that currently looks in need of imagination and leadership.

Although the one-time Southampton man has been gradually eased into life in America, he has already showcased the difference he can make in the final third, scoring twice in just 11 league outings including a brilliant solo goal against Real Salt Lake last month.

As such, for all the signings that Cooper did sanction this summer, it could well be one that he didn’t make that ultimately proves costly, with the club having missed out on Bale for a second time after previously doing so over a decade ago…

Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw could be missing again for Sunday’s meeting with Crystal Palace, according to journalist Rahman Osman.

The Lowdown: Villa absence

Forshaw, hailed as a ‘fantastic professional’ by former Leeds boss Simon Grayson, has had plenty of injury struggles at Elland Road – the 30-year-old missed a whopping 71 games with a hip problem during Marcelo Bielsa’s time in charge.

The central midfielder did make 22 Premier League appearances last season and has made four appearances in all competitions during the current campaign.

However, Forshaw was missing from the squad in Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa with a twisted ankle, and it seems as if he could be absent again this weekend.

The Latest: Team news

London World reporter Osman shared a story on Monday regarding four players ‘who are definitely out of the visit to Crystal Palace this weekend’.

One of those was Forshaw, with Osman saying that although Forshaw’s recovery is going well, the tip to Selhurst Park ‘will come too soon for him’.

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The Verdict: Not ideal

Jesse Marsch had limited midfield options from the bench against Villa, with Mateusz Klich the only out-and-out midfielder available to come on.

Therefore, Forshaw missing out once again wouldn’t be ideal for the Whites, who will also be without winger Luis Sinisterra through suspension and Archie Gray and Stuart Dallas through injury.

Hopefully, Forshaw will be back relatively soon, with Leeds having a busy few weeks prior to the break before domestic football stops for the World Cup.

Southampton are keeping tabs on Celtic winger Jota as the club plan a move to bring him to St. Mary’s next summer, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Jota’s career

Since arriving at the Scottish giants in 2021, the 23-year-old has impressed in a green-and-white Hoops shirt.

Just last year in his first season at Celtic, the former U21 Portugal international bagged seven goals and eight assists in 24 Premiership appearances.

So far this season, Jota has maintained his electric start to life at Celtic Park, having produced four goals and five assists in the side’s opening nine top-flight fixtures.

Furthermore, the attacker also recently netted in the Champions League as the Hoops fell short in a 3-1 defeat to RB Leipzig.

The Latest: Southampton news

According to a report by Football Insider, Southampton will continue to keep tabs on Jota this season as they plan on making a move for the Celtic star next summer.

Saints scouts have reportedly been very impressed by the former Benfica wide man, and consequently they have shared glowing reports to the south-coast club’s recruitment team.

As a result, Jota has been added to Southampton’s list of attackers who have the potential to make the leap to the Premier League.

The Verdict: Huge talent

When looking at Jota’s underlying stats, it is easy to see why Southampton believe the winger could make the step up to perform at the highest level in the English top-flight.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the 23-year-old ranks in the top two percent for expected goals assisted and in the top four percent for non-penalty goals and non-penalty expected goals plus expected goals assisted.

Having been hailed as a ‘phenomenal player’ by former Rangers manager Alex McLeish, Jota certainly has the talent to make an impression at St. Mary’s.

Therefore, having earnt statistical comparisons to Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Tottenham’s Heung-Min Son, this would be a brilliant addition for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad.

Everton head to north London to take on Tottenham Hotspur in their Premier League clash this evening, and Frank Lampard will be hoping that his team can get back into form after losing to Manchester United last weekend.

The Toffees were on a six-game unbeaten run in the top flight when they hosted Erik ten Hag’s side at Goodison Park last Sunday, but fell to a 2-1 defeat in front of their home fans.

If Lampard can take all three points against Antonio Conte’s side today, they could even break into the top half of the table depending on the results around them, which would be a huge confidence boost for the team going into the upcoming fixtures ahead of the World Cup break next month.

In terms of injuries, the picture remains unchanged with Nathan Patterson, Yerry Mina, Ben Godfrey and Andros Townsend all unavailable for selection going into the match this evening.

Anthony Gordon will be unavailable too following a one-match suspension for picking up five yellow cards.

With that in mind, this is how Football Fancast expects Everton to line-up against Spurs today.

We expect to see two changes to the team which lost to Man United last weekend, lining up in Lampard’s usual 4-3-3 formation.

The first change we predict is that Dwight McNeil will reprise his role on the right side of the forward line due to Gordon’s matchday suspension this weekend.

Although the 21-year-old winger – who was dubbed “fearless” by Alan Shearer – is suspended, we would have expected the Everton manager to bench Gordon anyway, as his performances have not been up to scratch as of late.

The Chelsea summer transfer target has been dropping stinker after stinker in the Premier League, losing 66% of his duels, failing in 78% of his dribble attempts and making just 0.7 key passes per game over his last nine outings, so his suspension is arguably a blessing in disguise for Lampard.

The second change that we expect to see would yield a first starting appearance of the season for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who will join McNeil and Demarai Gray in the front three against Spurs this afternoon.

The 25-year-old is finally back to full fitness and will surely replace Neal Maupay in the centre-forward role to give Everton the experience and the boost that they may need in order to gain an early lead on their high-flying opponents.

Manchester City will be without defender John Stones for their crunch Premier League clash against Liverpool on Merseyside.

The Lowdown: City set for tough test…

The Sky Blues are currently 13 points ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s side in the battle for English dominance and it seems as if Arsenal are City’s main competitors as things stand.

However, as previous seasons have taught supporters, it would be unwise to underestimate Liverpool, who were 13 points behind Pep Guardiola’s men at one point last campaign before taking them to the final day.

Liverpool also managed two goals away to in-form Arsenal last weekend and humiliated Rangers with a 7-1 Champions League drubbing in mid-week.

Anfield has been a historically tough ground for Guardiola but there is a real air of optimism given City boast the most goals scored, least conceded and remain the only top flight side unbeaten (premierleague.com).

The Latest: City without Stones…

Sharing the latest team news, City are confirmed to be without a reliable defensive star in Stones alongside the compatriots Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker.

When asked about the England trio, Guardiola explained to the media:

“All of them will be out [for Sunday].

“John will be back, I don’t know when, but maybe one week or ten days. Kalvin is getting better and improving a lot. Kyle still is out.”

The Verdict: Bad news

The Three Lions stars all bring real solidity to this City side and it’s bad luck they will all be unavailable.

In the case of Stones, Guardiola could have used the 28-year-old’s experience in this fixture and it’s safe to say the former Everton star can be a phenomenal asset defensively,

Called ‘magnificent’ by journalist Henry Winter after an assured display against Atletico Madrid last season, City star Ruben Dias will instead have either Aymeric Laporte or Manuel Akanji partnering him against Darwin Nunez – presumably.

Stones also would’ve been a useful option at right-back with Joao Cancelo on the left, but it’s likely Guardiola will have Sergio Gomez on that side with the former taking up Walker’s usual position.

Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk signing a new contract at Elland Road would be great news for the club, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: New deal for Struijk

The Whites have had a difficult start to the 2022/23 Premier League season, with a number of players either injured or underperforming, but Struijk isn’t of them.

The Belgian has been a reliable figure for Jesse Marsch, often being used in an auxiliary left-back role and making nine league appearances to date.

Recent claims from Struijk have suggested that he could be open to signing a new deal with Leeds in the near future, with his current contract expiring at the end of next season.

The Latest: Journalist positive about news

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones was positive about the 23-year-old extending his stay at Elland Road:

“Leeds fans have always liked the commitment he has shown. He’s always been a very good performer.

“I think this is what the club needs right now – players who are committing to them.”

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The Verdict: No-brainer for Leeds

A new deal for Struijk makes complete sense, considering he has become a key figure under Marsch and been described as ‘very important’ by former Leeds striker Noel Whelan.

His versatility has shone through at left-back in the absence of Junior Firpo and Stuart Dallas, and at 23, his peak years should still be ahead of him.

It would be a big blow if Leeds now allowed Struijk’s contract to run down without extending his stay, with the defender someone who should be viewed as a long-term hero.

Everton are still interested in signing Udinese centre-back Rodrigo Becao after monitoring him in the summer, according to a new transfer update.

The Lowdown: Summer interest in Becao

The 26-year-old is impressing greatly for the Serie A side, starting nine league matches this season and winning an average of 2.1 aerial duels per game.

Becao was linked with a move to Everton during the summer transfer window but ended up staying at Udinese, with James Tarkowski and Conor Coady brought in instead.

It looks as though their interest hasn’t gone away, however, following a fresh claim.

The Latest: Everton still keen on move

According to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), ‘Everton’s courtship had been the most insistent’ during the summer when it came to potentially signing Becao.

It is also stated that his ‘admirers have increased in Italy and abroad’, given the level of performances so far in 2022/23, with an exit from Udinese looking on the cards.

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The Verdict: Strong squad option

Becao could be a great signing by Everton considering he is 26 years of age and likely to be coming into the most productive and consistent years of his career.

He was once described as ‘absolutely incredible’ by Russian football expert David Sansun, during his time with CSKA Moscow, which further highlights his quality.

Becao’s current deal expires in 2024, meaning Udinese could be willing to sell him at the end of this season if they intend to cash in – and we feel the Toffees would be foolish not to at least try snapping him up.

Tarkowski and Coady both turn 30 in the coming months, so they can’t be relied upon forever, and the Brazilian could be the long-term hero at the heart of Everton’s defence.

Arsenal have been struck with a big injury blow before their trip to Chelsea in the Premier League this lunchtime after manager Mikel Arteta revealed some “bad news” over one of his most reliable stars…

What’s the latest?

Versatile defender Takehiro Tomiyasu was forced off with an injury during the Gunners’ 1-0 win over FC Zurich in the Europa League on Thursday. The Japan full-back replaced Ben White in the second half but limped off minutes before full-time.

Speaking via the club’s official website, the Spaniard said:

“We don’t know [what the issue is]. He felt something and we didn’t want to take any risks. With the amount of games that we’re playing, it’s part of it. It can happen in training, it can happen in games and unfortunately, it happened to Tomi today,” he later added:

“It is very difficult to get the balance and to get the right performances and win matches, and resting some players and keeping them fresh is always challenging, we have tried to do our best. Today we had bad news with Tomiyasu, but I think for the rest it has worked pretty well.”

Big blow for Arteta

The 23-year-old machine was largely a bit-part player at the start of the new top-flight campaign, having picked up an injury during pre-season, but in recent outings, he has started at left-back in the absence of Oleksandr Zinchenko, even with Kieran Tierney fit at times.

Indeed, Tomiyasu has started four straight matches in the role, in which Arsenal have remained unbeaten and that includes an impressive 3-2 win over Liverpool, as well as clean sheets against Leeds United and Nottingham Forest.

The Japanese “warrior” – in the words of ex-teammate Mitchell Dijks – is a right-back by trade and can also play centrally too, making him an integral and valuable part of Arteta’s squad.

Even with Zinchenko back in training, the £16m man would have still been in line to feature at Stamford Bridge. Not only may it be too soon for the Ukraine gem but Arteta may have wanted to rotate Ben White, who has played the third-most minutes of any Gunners defender.

Tomiaysu proved against the Reds, who finished second to Manchester City last term, that he could deliver against the very best, having pocketed Mohamed Salah in a “Cancelo-esque” fashion, as revealed by Football FanCast at the time, so his presence up against Graham Potter’s wing-backs or the likes of Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz would have certainly been welcome.

As such, his likely absence this afternoon will come as a gutting setback to Arteta and the squad as they will be without a quality option in defence, even if that’s one from the bench – just as the Gunners boss says, it’s “bad news” on that front.

AND in other news, Forget Gabriel Jesus: Arsenal’s £90k-p/w “talent of the century” must make his World Cup squad…

Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams may be wanted by Manchester United but he is unlikely to leave the Whites, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Adams linked with Man United

The £57,000-per-week American has enjoyed a strong start to life at Elland Road since his arrival in the summer, starting 11 games in the Premier League and bringing bite and tenacity to the Leeds midfield.

Adams has been linked with a move to Man United recently, though, with Erik ten Hag viewing him as a potentially strong target for the Red Devils.

One journalist has now given his take on the situation, and it’s one which makes for pleasant reading for the Yorkshire faithful.

The Latest: Adams expected to stay at Leeds

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke has backed Adams to stay put with the Whites, rather than joining Man United so soon after arriving in England.

The journalist said of the USA international:

“He’s full of energy, has got a great engine on him as well, and as I said, I think he’s been one of Leeds’s better performers so far this season.

“So, obviously those performances have caught the eye of Manchester United, but I’m sure Leeds are pretty confident that they’ll be able to keep hold of Tyler Adams going forward.”

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The Verdict: Already a crucial figure

Losing Adams so soon would be an almighty blow for Leeds, with the 23-year-old already so influential, averaging a highly impressive four tackles per game in the league this season – the second-highest in the squad.

He was outstanding in last weekend’s 2-1 win at Liverpool, winning three tackles and five duels, and manager Jesse Marsch is a big fan, having said in the aftermath of that game that his compatriot is having a ‘great season’ for the Whites.

The fact that a club of Man United’s stature are already keen on signing Adams highlights how good he has been and this is hopefully only the start for him in a Leeds shirt, with the upcoming World Cup also a great chance to showcase his brilliance in the biggest stage of all for his nation.