Julian Alvarez is looking for a way out of Manchester City after rejecting a four-year contract with the Premier League champions.
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West Ham manager David Moyes is set to be without a star of his for their upcoming encounter with Brentford, according to one club insider.
These next few weeks could be pivotal in determining whether Moyes is still West Ham's manager next season.
Pundit makes "very serious" claim as £15m star could make West Ham move
The Irons are said to really want him.
By
Emilio Galantini
Feb 22, 2024
Winless since the turn of the year and with growing speculation surrounding his position, Moyes faces an all-important imminent fixture schedule as his fate hangs in the balance.
West Ham are said to be exploring managerial alternatives to the Scotsman, in case they opt against extending his contract, with club insider ExWHUemployee recently claiming he'll be given until their Europa League last 16 tie "at least" to turn things around.
“I have spoken to people within the club and it’s clear they are massively concerned,” stated Ex.
|
West Ham's league finishes under Moyes |
Season |
|---|---|
|
14th |
22/23 |
|
6th |
21/22 |
|
7th |
20/21 |
|
16th |
19/20 |
“There are question marks surrounding the manager, with the shared view that the team are at present performing like a relegation side. The current stance is that there isn’t another manager right now ready and available to step in, so they are hoping at this stage that Moyes will be able to turn things around – I think he’ll be given the Europa League last-16 tie at least, as it currently stands.
“It appears they will stick with Moyes for the short term, in the hope performances and results will improve. Although plans are in being put into place should they decide to dismiss the manager, with alternatives now being looked at.”
The Hammers next take on Brentford as Moyes looks to turn the tide and put some dismal recent defeats behind him. West Ham lost to Nottingham Forest 2-0 in their last encounter, and before that they were on the receiving end of a 6-0 drubbing against Arsenal.
They certainly aren't helped by the absence of star midfielder Lucas Paqueta, with insider Claret & Hugh sharing an update on his fitness.
According to the outlet, Paqueta looks set to miss Brentford as West Ham and Moyes won't risk him, which will come as a blow given the Brazilian's undoubted quality.
“It would be wrong to play him against Brentford," said a C&H source "closely associated with the player".
"Too much of a risk and I would believe the Burnley or Villa matches are possibly preferable but not necessarily from the start."
Paqueta has starred for West Ham this season, with GOAL previously calling him one of Europe's most "underrated" midfielders. Former captain Declan Rice has also branded Paqueta's quality as "mind-boggling".
“He’s incredible, honestly, he’s absolutely incredible,” Rice said (via The Standard).
"I think now you’re seeing the real Lucas. Some of the stuff he does, even in training, it’s just mind-boggling how good he is.”
A low Manchester United offer for Matthijs de Ligt has reportedly been rejected by Bayern Munich.
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Leicester City will have been relieved to get back to winning ways at Sunderland on Tuesday night, remaining perched at the top of the Championship table with a relatively straightforward 1-0 win.
Enzo Maresca's Foxes had lost their last three second-tier matches before responding at the Stadium of Light, Jamie Vardy rolling back the years with the game-clinching strike early on in Wearside.
Vardy firing in the winner as the main striker could well have come as a shock considering the Foxes man has only started 11 games this season, but Leicester do have selection dilemmas all over their side despite being first in the division.
Both Callum Doyle and James Justin have had to be drafted in at left-back for the high-flyers to fill gaps, with the table-toppers rueing the decision to offload this Danish talent out on loan for the season who could have starred in this problem area.
Despite costing Leicester City £17m just last year, the relegated Foxes didn't hesitate whatsoever in allowing Victor Kristiansen to join Bologna on loan before a ball was even kicked this season.
Kristiansen would show glimpses of the quality that attracted Leicester to buy him for a hefty fee on occasion in the Premier League, helping himself to an assist in April of the relegation season when Leicester picked up a rare three points in the top flight against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Yet, despite promising beginnings at the King Power Stadium, it was deemed in Kristiansen's best interests to be moved on to Italy anyway.
This move has left Leicester unbelievably short in the left-back department, hence the desperate need for Maresca to deploy Doyle and Justin there despite the pair mainly lining up elsewhere usually across the back four.
Kristiansen has further proved the decision to move him on to be a rash one playing for Bologna this season in the Serie A, accumulating a respectable four assists from 18 appearances as a forward-thinking option down the left channel.
There are rumbles that the 21-year-old defender could well want to stay put in Italy over returning to fight for his spot back at Leicester now, with Il Corriere dello Sport even stating that Kristiansen is unwilling to move back to the King Power Stadium when the loan spell is up.
If Maresca can drastically change the young defender's mindset, he could well slot straight into the Foxes first-team and displace Justin in the process.
With Callum Doyle heading back to Pep Guardiola's side at the end of the campaign on the agenda too, Leicester will need more bodies in through the door to challenge the likes of Justin in the left-back spot.
Justin has struggled in crunch games for Leicester recently – giving up possession 11 times away at Elland Road as Leicester fell to a dramatic 3-1 defeat to promotion rivals Leeds United – and so could find his position in the team shaky if Kristiansen was to emerge back onto the scene.
Justin also has two less assists than Kristiansen next to his name, with the Bologna loanee – who has been hailed as "powerful" by Iwan Roberts – battling well in a top division compared to the former Luton Town man blowing hot and cold in the second tier.
The current Bologna number 15 would also allow for the blow of Doyle – who has chalked up just two assists all season – going back to Man City to be stomached easier also, Maresca keen to have a natural full-back at his disposal over shoehorning the 6 foot 1 centre-back into that role.
Kristiansen joined Leicester full of hype at the start of 2023, but hasn't really kicked into gear for the Foxes yet.
Yet, fresh off the back of a formative loan switch to Italy, Maresca could well sense the time is right to reintroduce the 21-year-old into the Foxes fold to finally find his trustworthy starting left-back option.
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On Tuesday, it was announced that Michael Edwards would return to Liverpool to assume the role of CEO of football for Fenway Sports Group (FSG), a more far-reaching and influential role than his previous job at Anfield as Liverpool's sporting director.
That's not to say the 44-year-old's erstwhile position at the club didn't have its influence, with Jurgen Klopp's dynasty on Merseyside built on the foundation of Edwards' involvement in club operations and transfer activity; in other words, Liverpool's illustrious success over the past near-decade owes much to his diligent work.
Klopp is stepping down from his position as Liverpool manager at the end of the season but now there is hope that the club will continue to thrive, with the first-team in a great position after being recharged with fresh talent last summer and a tidal wave of youth prospects emerging.
It is the teenage ranks that fill Liverpool with such excitement, Klopp overseeing breakthroughs from stars such as Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley, among many others, to join a senior squad consisting of top-class pros like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott.
Liverpool arguably have the richest crop of youth talent filtering through in the Premier League right now; Tottenham Hotspur's U21s are undefeated atop the Premier League 2, but no other club boasts the same success that Klopp's kids have found over the past few months.
The Anfield side had been beset with a heap of injuries recently that had threatened to derail an exciting campaign, but despite this deluge, the Carabao Cup has been clinched and Liverpool have waded deeper into the FA Cup and Europa League (holding a 5-1 advantage over Sparta Prague in the last 16 after a first-leg drubbing).
Moreover, the fight for the Premier League title continues and Sunday's draw against Manchester City illustrated this success, with Quansah and Bradley both starting and excelling.
Bradley, for example, ranks among the top 6% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for assists, the top 14% for shot-creating actions, the top 17% for progressive carries, the top 9% for successful take-ons and the top 1% for tackles and blocks per 90, as per FBref.
While he has not been in the first-team long, completing just 16 senior appearances this season, Bradley looks the real deal and has ensured that the Reds have not felt the absence of the injured Alexander-Arnold too keenly – which really is quite a thing.
Quansah's introduction came earlier, with Alexander-Arnold hailing the young centre-back's "absolutely phenomenal" start to life in the first-team.
|
Liverpool Academy Graduates: First Team Stats in 2023/24 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Age |
Apps |
Goals |
Assists |
|
Harvey Elliott |
20 y/o |
39 |
2 |
7 |
|
Trent Alexander-Arnold |
25 y/o |
29 |
2 |
10 |
|
Curtis Jones |
23 y/o |
28 |
5 |
3 |
|
Caoimhin Kelleher |
25 y/o |
20 |
0 |
0 |
|
Conor Bradley |
20 y/o |
16 |
1 |
5 |
|
Bobby Clark |
19 y/o |
10 |
0 |
1 |
|
James McConnell |
19 y/o |
8 |
0 |
1 |
|
Ben Doak |
18 y/o |
6 |
0 |
0 |
|
Jayden Danns |
18 y/o |
4 |
2 |
0 |
|
Luke Chambers |
19 y/o |
4 |
0 |
0 |
|
Kaide Gordon |
19 y/o |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Stefan Bajcetic |
19 y/o |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Calum Scanlon |
19 y/o |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Lewis Koumas |
18 y/o |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Trey Nyoni |
16 y/o |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
||||
James McConnell, Bobby Clark, Jayden Danns, Lewis Koumas, Stefan Bajcetic, Trey Nyoni. Those are just some other names of teenagers making waves for Liverpool recently, and that list is not exhaustive.
But what if Liverpool's most exciting up-and-comer is not even playing at the club right now? Might it be that this colossal influx of quality stretches beyond the city?
Indeed, Luke Chambers is currently out on loan with Wigan Athletic in League One and the dynamic defender's displays suggest that he too might be in line for a senior role next season.
Chambers has actually completed four senior appearances for Liverpool this season, starting twice during the Europa League group phase, but he was granted a loan move to Wigan in January to best serve his immediate development.
It's been a brilliant decision, with the 19-year-old cementing himself as a starring member of Shaun Maloney's team and being crowned the outfit's Player of the Month for February, having featured in central defence and, more recently, at left-back. Like Quansah, therefore, he can play in the middle. Like Bradley, he can play in wide defence. That certainly bodes well for his chance of first-team football at Anfield.
As per Sofascore, the 6-foot defender has racked up two assists from 12 League One fixtures so far, keeping four clean sheets, completing 82% of his passes, succeeding with 67% of his dribbles and averaging six successful duels, 3.4 tackles and 4.5 ball recoveries per game.
Those are some impressive metrics, and while he is plying his trade some distance away from top-flight football with the Reds, Chambers has showcased his skills remarkably and has already proved himself an exciting prospect in Klopp's eyes through his features in Europe.
He might just prove to be the biggest talent Liverpool have had since Alexander-Arnold, surpassing the aforementioned Bradley and Quansah – who were both on loan in League One last season.
Described as a "top talent" by Liverpool reporter Lewis Bower, Chambers' versatility and energy in defence blends with some excellent defensive work and an impressive technical quality to boot. He's the real deal and his recent exploits with the Latics might just be the launchpad his budding career needs.
One final point. Now that Edwards' appointment has been confirmed, with Richard Hughes taking the role as sporting director from Bournemouth too, the hunt for Klopp's successor will start to ramp up the gas, with one man the clear favourite to take to the dugout.
Yes, Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso is working wonders over in Germany and while Bayern Munich, ten points behind table-topping Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, are hoping to appoint Alonso themselves, Liverpool will throw the kitchen sink on getting it over the line.
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By
Angus Sinclair
Mar 1, 2024
Chambers was actually a transfer target for Alonso's side last summer but Liverpool rejected the advances, so if the Spanish tactician does wind up at Anfield, Chambers might find himself joining the likes of Bradley and Quansah at the crest of this prodigious wave of potential.
The next few months will be telling, but with all these cogs clicking together Chambers might just be fuelled with belief that he too will enter the limelight at Liverpool, sooner rather than later.
Atlanta United have announced the addition of the attacking midfielder, who joins after the sale of Thiago Almada
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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers made a few changes to his playing squad during the recent January transfer window in a bid to improve his options.
The Hoops boss brought in Nicolas Kuhn on a permanent deal from Rapid Wien and Ireland international Adam Idah on loan from Norwich City until the season of the season.
He also allowed a number of players to head out on loan to gain regular first-team football; including Mikey Johnston, who has six goals and one assist in seven starts for West Brom, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Marco Tilio, and Alexandro Bernabei.
The Northern Irish head coach will be hoping that they all return to Parkhead as better players who can compete for a place within his squad for the 2024/25 campaign.
With this in mind, there is one player out on loan who has thrived for his temporary club since being sent there last summer to spend an entire season playing regular football away from Glasgow.
Bosun Lawal was sent to League One side Fleetwood Town in England and his impressive performances this term suggest that the potential is there for him to emerge as Rodgers' new Wilfred Ndidi, and as an upgrade on Tomoki Iwata.
The Nigeria international made 138 appearances for the Northern Irish boss during their time together with Leicester City down south, and only six Foxes players played more times under him.
Ndidi largely operated at the base of the midfield as a defensive anchor in front of the back four, as he showcased his ability to win duels and cut out opposition attacks at an impressive and efficient rate.
The 27-year-old titan was also deployed as a centre-back at times under Rodgers, which speaks to both his defensive quality and his superb versatility.
During their last full Premier League season together, Ndidi made 19 league appearances and caught the eye with 7.1 duels won per game, including 2.2 aerial battles per match, during the 2021/22 campaign.
He won 54% of his physical contests in total, and won possession back 0.6 times per outing, which shows that he came out on top more often than not against opposition players.
The Nigerian ace also ranked within the top 3% of Premier League midfielders for tackles won (3.34) per 90, and the top 2% for clearances (3.0) per 90, as the Foxes giant was one of the most active defenders in his position within the division.
Ndidi only completed 80% of his attempted passes that term with 0.1 key passes per game and zero assists to his name, which shows that the Leicester star did not offer too much on the ball.
Lawal joined Celtic from Watford as a centre-back and started the 2023/24 campaign with Fleetwood at the heart of their defence but has emerged as a defensive or central midfielder.
Like Ndidi, the 20-year-old star has the quality to either drop into the backline to start as a central defender or to play at the base of the midfield to protect the backline.
He has made 35 appearances in League One for Fleetwood so far this term and showcased his impressive defensive qualities in both positions.
Lawal has won 6.0 duels per game, including 2.7 aerial battles per match, and won 62% of his physical contests in total. This shows that he is a dominant force in the middle of the park who is strong in the air – with a success rate of 75% in aerial duels – just like Ndidi.
The Celtic loanee has a way to go before he can claim to be as good at tackling, however, as the Fleetwood star has only won 1.8 tackles per game. He has, though, made an impressive 3.1 clearances per outing, which puts him on par with the Leicester gem's displays under Rodgers during the 2021/22 campaign.
These statistics suggest that both players are similar in what they do out of possession as they both compete to win plenty of duels, are dominant in the air, and make a lot of clearances by being in the right place at the right time to cut out dangerous attacks from the opposition.
Lawal has, however, offered quality on the ball with four goals, five 'big chances' created, and 0.5 key passes per game for his side, which suggests that the Ireland U21 international could offer more in possession than Ndidi did for the manager at the King Power.
Iwata has emerged as a first-team regular for the Hoops this year and has played at the base of the Hoops midfield, with the likes of Callum McGregor, Paulo Bernardo, and Matt O'Riley playing either side of him at times.
The Japanese maestro has caught the eye with a pass accuracy of 92% across his 11 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, which shows that he rarely gives the ball away when attempting to find a teammate, but has left a bit to be desired with his defensive work.
He has lost 56% of his duels in the division so far this season, and has only won 1.6 battles per game. This suggests that opposition players have found it too easy to get the better of him at times, whilst the 26-year-old gem is also not putting himself about the park enough to compete in many duels.
|
23/24 season |
Bosun Lawal – League One |
Tomoki Iwata – Premiership |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
35 |
11 |
|
Big chances created |
5 |
1 |
|
Goals |
4 |
1 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.5 |
0.6 |
|
Tackles per game |
1.8 |
0.7 |
|
Interceptions per game |
0.7 |
0.4 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
55% |
38% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
75% |
67% |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
||
As you can see in the table above, Lawal, who has been dubbed a "powerhouse" by analyst @HCfootball01 on X, has significantly outperformed Iwata in a host of key defensive metrics, whilst also offering more at the top end of the pitch.
The Fleetwood titan could dominate opposition forwards in a way that the current Celtic regular has not been able to, due to his exceptional success rate in physical duels – particularly in the air – to prevent teams from exposing the Hoops defence.
You could point to the fact that the 20-year-old gem is playing in League One but Matt O'Riley was signed directly from that league with MK Dons and has racked up 19 goals and 31 assists in 111 games for the club to date, which suggests that players can make the jump from the third tier in England to the Premiership.
Lawal, who also has plenty of time to develop and improve at the age of 20, is more combative and effective as a defender in the middle of the park in comparison to Iwata, which is why he could emerge as an upgrade on the Japanese midfielder and become Ndidi 2.0 for Rodgers at Parkhead.
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Even as Leeds United set their sights on Championship promotion in the final stages of the season, those at Elland Road will still have to keep an eye on potential departures, with bids incoming, believes Paul Robinson.
The Whites have already seen interest emerge in Crysencio Summerville, which comes at little surprise given just how clinical he's been in the Championship this season. And if they fail to achieve promotion, it could spell disaster when it comes to keeping hold of their star, with Chelsea reportedly showing interest in Summerville not so long ago.
The same could be said for other key players in Daniel Farke's squad, too. The likes of Georginio Rutter have certainly done enough to earn Premier League interest, and failure to secure promotion could prove costly for the Whites. Even if they reach the Premier League, however, the bids could still come in, according to Robinson.
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The Yorkshire club could try to hijack the move…
By
Tom Cunningham
Mar 28, 2024
The Sky Sports pundit and former Leeds goalkeeper believes that Wilfried Gnonto is set to attract plenty of interest this summer. The winger, of course, is no stranger to the transfer headlines, having previously requested an exit from Elland Road before finally settling recently. Alas, with his contract yet to be sealed, the Italian's exit is still a possibility.
Robinson told MOT Leeds News: "I think there are going to be bids coming in for him without a doubt because he’s having an excellent season, he’s recreated the form that he had last season.
"When he came into the side in the Premier League, he was excellent, and I think the problem that Leeds have got is they have got some very talented players like Gnonto, like Summerville, like James, like Piroe – you look at where the goals have come from in that team this season, Patrick Bamford has been the leading scorer in that team at times over the years but the goals have spread out all the way through that team."
After struggling to make an impact in the first half of the Championship campaign, Gnonto has rediscovered his best form at the best possible time for Leeds and Farke – so much so, that it could be his flurry of recent goals that go a long way towards promotion at Elland Road.
Now, and amid such form, Leeds should do everything in their power to keep hold of Gnonto. The young winger has finally settled in West Yorkshire, and if they are to take the Premier League by storm, then he will undoubtedly play a large part in that.
With eight cup finals left of the Championship season, Gnonto has the chance to add to his seven goals and two assists to round off a solid campaign in the second tier. Above Leicester City on goal difference and clear of third-placed Ipswich Town by a point, it's certainly going to be a nervy end to the season for Leeds United.