All posts by n8rngtd.top

Leeds United have secured a deal to bring Amari Miller to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that Victor Orta has seen an offer of £200k, potential rising to £1.5m with performance-related add-ons, for the 18-year-old accepted by Birmingham City.

The report continues by stating that Lee Bowyer had hoped to keep hold of the youngster this summer, with the Blues having offered Miller a new deal at the end of last season.

However, Football Insider now report that a deal is all but done for the winger, with his move to Leeds expected to go through on July 1.

Orta will be buzzing

With Orta having landed some of the most exciting youth prospects in the county in recent years, such as the signing of Arsenal centre-forward Sam Greenwood and Wigan Athletic striker Joe Gelhardt, the news that the Whites look on course to land yet another promising player in Miller is sure to have left to director of football buzzing.

While the Birmingham starlet may not have featured a great deal for the first team, having made a total of five appearances for the club, it would very much appear as if Miller is a great prospect for the future, with Bowyer going on record to state his belief that the 18-year-old “has got potential,” as well as claiming the winger adds “goals, assists [and] pace” to the Birmingham side.

As such, with Orta seemingly in the midst of building a highly impressive U23 side at Leeds, with Mark Jackson’s team winning the Premier League 2 Group 2 last season, the man whom Bowyer dubbed a “fearless” player would appear to be yet another fantastic addition made by the director of football, as well being a player who the Spaniard clearly believes possesses the talent to one day make an impact in the Whites’ first team.

In other news: Orta closing in on Leeds swoop for £19.8m-rated “machine”, Bielsa will be buzzing

Dean Windass has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Josh Windass’ Sheffield Wednesday future is unlikely to be resolved until the players are paid.

The former Hull City striker revealed that the Owls squad haven’t been paid for more than two months, which could prove a barrier in deciding where his son will be playing his football next season.

Josh still has 12 months remaining on his Hillsborough contract, but has been the subject to recent interest from Championship outfit Millwall, who have had two bids knocked back.

The 27-year-old was the Owls’ standout player last season, scoring nine times and adding six assists – contributing to almost 40 percent of their league goals.

However, Josh’s impressive numbers couldn’t save Wednesday from slipping into the second-tier, which has led to serious doubts over his future.

But Windass has reiterated that despite interest from the Lions and other Championship, his son wants to remain with the club and would be happy to play in League One.

He told The Transfer Tavern:

“It’s a difficult situation, because they’ve not been paid for two months, so I’m not sure what intentions Sheffield Wednesday have got.

“He’s happy to stay there if everything gets resolved. I don’t know the answer, obviously Darren Moore doesn’t want to lose him, but the players have got to get paid and once that gets resolved, the situation might change.”

Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina has been linked with a move to Serie A outfit Cagliari [Gianluca Di Mario via Southern Daily Echo].

The Lowdown: Exits aplenty as Southampton prepare for 2021/22

Looking ahead to 2021/22, many Saints fans will be intrigued to see how Austrian boss Ralph Hasenhuttl improves his squad, and that may well begin with selling underperforming players before moving onto rebuilding.

Facing multiple senior departures already this summer, Ryan Bertrand, Angus Gunn and Wesley Hoedt have all left St Mary’s [Transfermarkt].

Now, the South Coast club could be set for further exit following recent reports.

The Latest: Cagliari in for Lemina according to reports

Presently speaking, Italian top-flight side Cagliari are said to be looking at a swoop for Gabonese midfielder Lemina ahead of the new season [Southern Daily Echo].

Last month, Southampton were allegedly looking to recoup around £4 million for the 27-year-old, who arrived in 2017 from Juventus for £18.1 million [Southern Daily Echo].

Newcastle United were also previously keen on his services, however the move has since ground to a halt due to the player’s age [Daily Mail].

The Verdict: Lemina’s ship has sailed

Evaluating the situation, it is probably best that Lemina moves on to pastures new after falling out of favour under Hassenhuttl in recent times.

In 2020/21, the Libreville-born anchor man spent the campaign with then divisional rivals Fulham, notching two goal contributions in 28 fixtures for the West Londoners; one goal and one assist [Transfermarkt]. He has also spent time on loan at Galatasaray [BBC].

Despite suffering relegation during his time with the Cottagers, he made an impression in the middle of the park as an enforcer, averaging 2.2 tackles per 90 minutes across the campaign [WhoScored].

Once labelled as a ‘top-four player’ by pundit Garth Crooks, he certainly has the ability to flourish within an ideal footballing environment given the chance [Saints Marching], but it is clearly not going to happen at St. Mary’s

A summer sale is likely the best outcome for both club and player – could Cagliari be the side to make it happen?

In other news, Southampton fans rage at an update on a key player.

Noel Whelan has made a prediction on when Newcastle United will get a result in their upcoming arbitration case over the failed takeover.

The Lowdown: Newcastle statement

Earlier this week, the Tyneside club released a statement on their official website asking for the forthcoming arbitration process to be made public.

However, this is only possible if the Premier League also agrees to it, as otherwise the process will remain entirely confidential.

In what can be described as bullish words, Newcastle also claimed that they have ‘nothing to hide’ with regards to the process, and even suggested that the Premier League should have ‘no reason to be afraid of the public spotlight’, providing that they have acted ‘lawfully and properly’.

The Latest: Whelan predicts

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan – who is now a pundit after playing as a striker for the likes of Leeds United and Coventry City – does not think that the Premier League would have enjoyed reading the statement, and predicts that the results of the arbitration case will not be disclosed before the start of the new 2021/22 season. He said:

“It’s put the cat among the pigeons, put it that way. I’m sure the Premier League will not be enjoying Newcastle doing this.

“I’m not expecting the Premier League to go: Yes, yes, we’ll show you everything.’ They will put up a fight, they will be stubborn.

“You also need to tread very, very carefully when it comes to the owners of the league. They have such a hold over a lot of clubs.

“Newcastle need some clarity, they need an end to this. They need to know some reasons.

“It’s not going to happen overnight. They’ll stall as long as possible. There are lots of lawyers involved and people looking at the in and outs of everything.

“So this is no doubt going to drag on. It’s not going to be disclosed or finalised by the start of the season, that’s for sure.”

The Verdict: Would not be ideal

It certainly would not be ideal at all if the arbitration results were not disclosed before the start of the new season, especially in the middle of the summer transfer window.

Newcastle will want to go into the new campaign as best prepared as possible, and uncertainly surrounding the takeover will not help their cause.

If the results are positive for the Magpies, then the takeover process could be accelerated, but realistically there would not be enough time for the new owners-in-waiting to flex their financial muscles in the transfer market, assuming that a deal can be done quickly after the hearing ends.

In other news, find out what Premier League update Liam Kennedy has dropped on the anti-competition case

According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham are leading the race to sign Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu this summer.

The Lowdown: Spurs preparing for new campaign

With Nuno Espirito Santo now firmly in place as the new manager, Spurs can properly kick on with their pre-season plans.

As of yet, the north Londoners have not made any new signings this summer, but that will likely change at some point soon.

The Latest: Spurs lead Tomiyasu race

According to football transfer expert Romano, Spurs are leading the race for Japan international Tomiyasu.

They are currently the only English club negotiating with the defender and, while Atalanta are also interested, Spurs are currently in pole position.

The Verdict: Sew it up

Tomiyasu’s reputation has grown in Italy. He has played for Bologna for the last two seasons, making 63 appearances overall for the Serie A club (Transfermarkt), and has already picked up 23 caps for his country. Aged just 22, he still has plenty of years ahead of him to develop into a top player.

Valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, Spurs could be able to sign him for a good fee. Daniel Levy and co should look to get a move on – after all, Atalanta have the advantage of Champions League football to offer next season – but if they can capture the Japanese defender, it could mark the start of a good summer on the transfer front.

In other news, Tottenham are interested in this Serie A midfielder.

An update has emerged on Aston Villa’s pursuit of West Brom youngster Finn Azaz…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are on the verge of completing a deal to sign Finn Azaz from rivals West Brom on a free transfer. The Villans are poised to bring the midfielder in before sending him straight back out on loan to Newport County in the Football League.

The Baggies confirmed that they had offered a contract extension to the youngster earlier this month, but he now appears set to reject their proposal in order to seal a switch to Villa Park.

Louie Barry 2.0

Dean Smith could be about to land the new Louie Barry in bringing Azaz to the club. Villa snapped Barry up for £900k from Barcelona in 2020, but he had previously been on the books at The Hawthorns and now looks to be one who got away for them, following his impressive goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup for Villa last season – showing off the potential he has.

Despite being 20, Azaz racked up 41 appearances in all competitions for Cheltenham on loan last season. He played 37 times in League Two, averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.59 as a starter in central midfield. Whilst this may not standout as an impressive standard of performance, it does show that he was able to play regularly at a decent level in spite of his previous inexperience.

Gloucestershire Live journalist Jonathan Palmer labeled the midfielder as a real talent and highlighted his ability to be creative in the number 10 position behind the striker/s. 

“Finn Azaz is operating in a ‘number 10’ role supporting two centre forwards and has excelled so far. He has plenty of tricks and flicks in his locker but has already shown progress regarding when to try things and when to keep it simple.

“His ability has shone through since pre-season and he looks a real talent based on his early competitive appearances.”

This shows that he did show signs of quality throughout his loan spell and that he could be a player to watch out for in the future. Therefore, he could end up becoming a great prospect, like Barry, and be another academy product Villa are able to swoop up to leave West Brom ruining their luck.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Grealish: Dean Smith must unleash 6 ft 1 gem who could be Villa’s game-changer…

Liverpool have been linked with a shock move for Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho as Jurgen Klopp searches for Gini Wijnaldum’s heir.

What’s the story?

According to Mundo Deportivo journalist Francesc Aguilar, the Reds are keen on re-signing the 29-year-old magician this summer.

The Spanish reporter has claimed that the player’s agent is attempting to secure a move back to the Premier League for his client, with Wolves and Everton also credited with an interest in Coutinho, but Liverpool are believed to be the ‘most determined’ to sign the Brazil international.

Fans will be excited

Coutinho left Anfield back in January 2018 to sign for La Liga giants Barca in a mega-money deal, potentially rising to an astronomical £142m. However, things haven’t worked out for the diminutive South American in Catalonia, and after failing to impress in his first 18 months with the Blaugrana, he was shipped out on loan to Bayern Munich.

The Bundesliga champions saw improved performances from Coutinho, with the creative talent bagging 11 goals and providing nine assists in 38 appearances for Bayern, helping them secure the treble along the way.

Upon his return to Barcelona, though, Coutinho’s poor luck returned. A serious knee injury ended his season in December after just 14 uninspiring appearances under Ronald Koeman, resulting in his potential exit over the coming months.

With Barca experiencing severe financial difficulties, the club’s hierarchy are determined to shift several high-earning fringe players ahead of the upcoming campaign, so the Camp Nou could be the perfect place to pick up a bargain.

Although Coutinho hasn’t been at his scintillating best for a few years now, he is undoubtedly a world-class operator on his day and he produced some of his best form during his time at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp.

Therefore, it’s easy to understand why the German may be tempted to bring the 29-year-old back to Anfield following Wijnaldum’s exit. The Dutch international has left a significant hole in the club’s engine room, but Coutinho has the ability to fill it and would provide a new element to the Reds’ attack.

Klopp arguably never directly replaced Coutinho in his first-team squad, with a glaring lack of goals from midfield last term, and the duo could reunite this summer, helping each other return to the top of their games, catapulting Liverpool back to the summit of English football as a result.

It’s a prospect which could have large sections of the club’s supporters excited as one of their most talented exports potentially embarks upon a return to his former stomping ground.

In other news… Fabrizio Romano drops transfer update on £10.5m LFC flop, Klopp surely on cloud nine 

Celtic are set to sign Royal Antwerp right-back Aurelio Buta for around £3 million, according to respected Belgian reporter Florian Holsbeek on Twitter.

The Lowdown: Celtic gear up for vital 2021/22 campaign

Moving towards a pivotal campaign at Parkhead, newly appointed manager Ange Postecoglou will be desperate to address problem positions in order to raise the bar in quality within the Hoops squad.

Right-back has been a particular problem position for the Celts in recent years. Currently, Anthony Ralston is the only right-sided defender with senior experience on the books at Celtic Park.

Now, the Hoops could be set to address this issue following recent developments.

The Latest: Buta could join Celtic TODAY

Communicating to his following on Twitter, Holsbeek issued an update on the situation which translates roughly to:

“Aurélio Buta will leave Antwerp for the Celtic FC against a check for 3.5 million. Formalization during the day.”

Previously, it had been relayed by news outlet Voetbal24 that Celtic had made an offer of €2.5 million for the Angola-born defender, however would be willing to raise the fee to Antwerp’s desired €3.5 million price-tag in order to seal the deal.

With the domestic season set to get underway on Saturday for the Hoops away to Heart of Midlothian, the Celtic hierarchy seem to have met that fee, which comes out at about £3m.

He will become Postecoglou’s sixth summer signing.

The Verdict: Buta signing would be a much-needed boost for everyone at Celtic

Coming as a massive relief to the Bhoys support, Buta looks like a player who could slot nicely into Postecoglou’s high-octane style of football.

Pacey, adept on the overlap and an intelligent crosser of the ball, he represents a significant upgrade on limited current options in that area of the pitch for Celtic.

In 2020/21, the former Benfica B man registered five assists within 34 appearances for Royal Antwerp [Transfermarkt].

Capable of linking the play effectively, Buta managed to record a commendable passing accuracy of 80.9% last year across the campaign [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘one of the best full-backs in the Belgium league’ by journalist Aster Nzeyimana, he looks to be a much-needed addition to the Celtic ranks which will surely provoke some excitement amongst supporters [Birmingham Live].

In other news, Celtic face a blow in a reported transfer pursuit.

Southampton are once again being linked with a move for Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and the Englishman could be the dream addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad.

What’s the word?

According to the BBC, Southampton and Leicester City have reignited their interest in the 23-year-old, whilst Sean Dyche is also keen on adding him to Burnley’s squad this summer.

The England international spent the second half of last season on loan with West Brom after losing his regular spot in Mikel Arteta’s side, and it seems as if he will have to depart the Gunners if he wants to be a Premier League regular next season.

Although Southampton were heavily linked with signing Maitland-Niles on loan in January, they were keen for full-back cover and the Arsenal man has regularly suggested that he sees his future as a midfielder, which led him to join the Baggies on loan instead.

Hasenhuttl’s dream signing?

Hasenhuttl has regularly shown a preference for versatile players during his time as Southampton boss, and Maitland-Niles’ excellent versatility immediately marks him out as the sort of player the Austrian would love to have in his squad.

In his short career thus far, the 23-year-old has featured regularly at right-back, left-back, right-midfield, left-midfield and central midfield, so could definitely challenge to be a regular for the Saints in any of those positions next season, should he make the move to St Mary’s.

Hasenhuttl is low on full-back options and central-midfield options, so Maitland-Niles could easily fill in there when required, whilst he would be a more defensively aware option on the wing than the likes of Theo Walcott and Nathan Redmond, so could be brought on to help Southampton see out games when in a winning position.

The £14.4m-rated Arsenal man is still only young and has plenty of time to improve, whilst his status as an England international suggests that this could prove to be a bargain deal for the Saints.

He certainly impressed Martin Keown with his performance for Arsenal against Rapid Wien last season, as he said:

“He impressed me, it looks so easy for him at times and you can tell he’s got gears.

“You rarely get a player with his pace in that role. I would have loved that as a player. He’s a Rolls-Royce of a player at times.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Therefore, it seems clear that Maitland-Niles would be an excellent addition to Hasenhuttl’s squad this summer, so Martin Semmens should definitely be looking to bring him to St Mary’s.

And, in other news… Huge Staplewood update emerges on £18.1m Southampton flop, Gao surely buzzing

Rangers have been linked with a move for Gary Cahill recently and former Gers defender Graham Roberts has tipped him to be a success under Steven Gerrard at Ibrox.

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, Rangers are keen on adding the 35-year-old to their squad this summer, and he is available on a free transfer after leaving Crystal Palace at the end of last season.

Although Gerrard is well-stocked in the centre-back department, the former Chelsea man would add a wealth of Premier League and Champions League experience at Ibrox, and would surely be a leader both on the pitch and in the dressing room.

Roberts spoke to Football Transfer Tavern recently and suggested that Cahill could be an excellent acquisition for the Gers, saying:

“It would be a good move for him. They need a bit of experience there, he’s a free agent, so to go and play in the Scottish Premiership, he would.

“They have a young side, but if you’ve got an experienced centre-half at the back he could be the orchestrator. I think that would be a great move for him, and he would be great for the squad.”

Should Rangers sign Cahill?

It might seem strange to claim that Gerrard needs to strengthen his defence this summer after Rangers conceded just 13 goals in 38 league games last season, but signing Cahill on a free transfer looks to be a no-brainer.

Despite his age, he was a regular in Crystal Palace’s side last term, making 20 appearances in the Premier League and averaging a solid 6.57 rating from WhoScored for his performances. He ranked second for clearances and successful aerial duels per game in the Eagles’ squad, emphasising the value he brought to the team.

Although he might struggle to break up Connor Goldson and Filip Helander’s firm partnership at the back, Rangers will be looking to improve their performances in domestic cup competitions this season, and Cahill could add some serious quality in depth.

The “exceptionally good” defender, as hailed by former Palace manager Roy Hodgson, could also be signed with the view to him performing a similar role to Jermain Defoe in the future, whereby he can feature in the occasional match but play a huge part behind the scenes in terms of coaching and in the dressing room, which would surely be appreciated by Gerrard.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

Therefore, Wilson should definitely look to bring the former England defender to Ibrox this summer, as he could prove to be a very shrewd addition to Gerrard’s squad.

In other news… Rangers set to miss out on 21 y/o gem likened to Sadio Mane