All posts by z3u9t.icu

Peterborough United Director of Football Barry Fry has told Football FanCast that he told West Ham United’s owners David Gold and David Sullivan to sign Ivan Toney.

Toney has become a star during his time at Brentford, moving to the club back in 2020, with the Championship club paying £10m to bring him in.

The 25-year-old made 94 appearances for Posh, scoring 49 goals in all competitions, while also laying on 15 assists.

Since his move to Brentford, he has gone from strength to strength and has netted 28 goals in 40 outings, netting in all of his last three Championship games.

West Ham have been heavily linked with Toney in recent weeks, with one report from Eurosport claiming that he will become a target this summer.

Fry has now revealed to FFC that he spoke with Gold and Sullivan before Toney moved to Brentford, insisting that he could have been a star at the London Stadium if he’d made the move.

He said: “I spoke to David Sullivan and David Gold last year at great length and I said he’s the best centre-forward we’ve had.

“He’s not only a goalscorer, he scored 49 goals for us in 92 games in two seasons. But it wasn’t only his goalscoring efforts, he also made a lot of goals and he also was our best defender. He headed the ball out more than anybody else, from free kicks and corners from the opposition.

“He was absolutely magnificent and I recommended him highly.”

Toney has a contract with Brentford until 2025 and is valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt.

Jack Grealish was withdrawn from Aston Villa training on Saturday ahead of their clash with Fulham, The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has revealed.

The playmaker looked set to return to the matchday squad after rejoining his team-mates on the grass, but Villa’s medical staff apparently deemed it too great a risk to let him play. The club won’t simply let the 25-year-old play through the pain, as there is a real danger that he could then aggravate his shin injury.

Villa were victorious without their captain over the weekend, with Trezeguet (twice) and Ollie Watkins on target as they came from behind to beat Scott Parker’s side. However, Evans noted that Grealish’s absence has now extended well beyond the month which was initially expected and there is understandable concern about how much further that will extend.

The 25-year-old has scored seven goals and provided a team-high 10 assists this season (via BBC Sport).

Dean Smith is now refusing to put a timeline on his return, with the severity of the recent setback unclear. For now, there’s ‘no indication’ of his season resuming ‘any time soon’.

Transfer Tavern verdict

Villa had enough to beat relegation-threatened Fulham at the weekend, but now they face a daunting run of fixtures.

They travel to Liverpool next Saturday before hosting runaway league leaders Manchester City. Meetings with Everton and Manchester United then come after a local derby against West Brom.

If Grealish’s fitness struggles continue, they could slowly slide down the table and out of European contention unless his team-mates step up to fill the scoring and creative void his absence presents.

In other news, many Villa fans hailed this midfielder’s display on Sunday.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has seemingly been handed a huge boost at Southampton ahead of their trip to West Brom on Monday night, with Kyle Walker-Peters set to feature despite an injury concern.

The right-back’s fitness for the game against the Baggies was in doubt after Hasenhuttl confirmed in his pre-match conference that the former Spurs man had a problem with his leg.

However, Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach has since tweeted a photo of the young defender in training, claiming that he has shaken off that injury in time for the game on Monday evening.

Walker-Peters, who reportedly earns £23k per week at Southampton, has been a regular in Hasenhuttl’s side since making the permanent switch from Tottenham Hotspur during the summer.

In 22 top-flight appearances, the 23-year-old has averaged a solid 6.92 rating for the Saints, which ranks him as the fifth-best performer in Southampton’s side so far this season.

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It was noticeable how much the Saints struggled earlier in the season when Walker-Peters was sidelined through injury, with Jan Bednarek unable to get forward anywhere near as much as his teammate when played out of position at right-back.

The defender was missing for the defeats against Manchester United, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Everton before returning for the game against Sheffield United, where Hasenhuttl’s side were able to end their barren run with a 2-0 win at Brammall Lane.

Therefore, it is a huge boost that he will likely be fit for the game against West Brom on Monday, where three points would surely bring an end to any relegation fears for the Saints this season after their impressive comeback against Burnley last weekend.

As well as his attacking threat, Walker-Peters has looked superb defensively this season, averaging 2.8 tackles per game in the top-flight, which is the second-best of any Saints player to feature at least five times.

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Southampton have definitely been at their best this season when Walker-Peters has been fit, so Hasenhuttl will undoubtedly be delighted that the defender will seemingly be available for selection at the Hawthorns on Monday night.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Bertrand: Saints can repeat KWP masterclass by signing £9m-rated gem

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been sharing their love for right-back Matty Cash on social media after it was revealed the 23-year-old was in line to receive an improved contact.

The reliable John Percy of The Telegraph shared the news on Wednesday evening, claiming the club will open talks with Cash over a new deal later this month.

Cash, who joined from Championship side Nottingham Forest last summer in a deal worth just over £14m, has made 23 Premier League appearances this season.

He’s established himself as first-choice under Dean Smith, with Ahmed Elmohamady watching on from the bench during large parts of the campaign.

His current contract, worth £65,000-a-week, still has over four years left to run, but it seems as if the club will reward him for his impressive first season in the top flight.

Villa fans react

It didn’t take long for Percy’s tweet late on Wednesday to reach plenty of Villa supporters, with many delighted at the proposed talks between Villa and Cash and one supporter calling the update from Percy ‘lovely’.

“Club is going places”

Credit: @chadsoutham98

“Percyyyyyy”

Credit: @Tomavfc15

“Doing everything right now.”

Credit: @avfcdiggy

“Lovely stuff”

Credit: @Reaganavfc

“Cementing the spine of the team to long term deals – you love to see it. “

Credit: @MichaelODonnel1

“Perfecto”

Credit: @IAbdullahVLA

In other news: Many AVFC fans react to Gregg Evans update on Villa man, find out more here. 

Amid all the uncertainty over Harry Kane’s future at Tottenham Hotspur, there could be a future striking star bubbling beneath the surface in north London.

The academy system at Spurs has developed plenty of forwards over the years, with the England skipper obviously being the most successful, and before him, it was Peter Crouch.

Many thought Troy Parrott would be the next up-and-coming sensation to hit the ground running at the club but that doesn’t appear to be the case as he continues to struggle during his spell on loan to League One outfit Ipswich Town.

Instead, the door may have opened for Dane Scarlett, the youngest-ever player to feature for Spurs.

After a superb cameo performance and goal assist from the bench against Wolfsberger AC in the Europa League, Jose Mourinho waxed lyrical about his long-term potential.

“He is a diamond, a kid with incredible potential,” said Mourinho to BT Sport after the match (via The Athletic). “He has worked many times with the first team and that gives him a different personality. He is still 16, 17 soon (in March) and I believe next season he will be a first-team squad player because he has a lot of talent.”

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That bodes well for his chances of progressing into Spurs’ next big thing as his boss has clearly already mapped out a first-team place for him next season, whereas the same remains to be seen for Parrott, who has scored just once across loan spells in the Championship and League One this season.

But what sort of role could he have under Mourinho? Well, he’s provided clues about that too, adding:

“He is a striker, a number nine, I have been playing him from the sides similar to Marcus Rashford and he is very clever.”

The Manchester United superstar burst through under Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford, but it was under Mourinho where he truly started to hit the headlines, and that is something the Englishman has noted in the past.

“My time under Jose was a massive learning period for me and I feel like I understood football in a different way to what I understood football before that,” revealed Rashford to Sky Sports (via the MEN). “His style of coaching might not have been perfect for me – but it definitely made me improve as a player and as a person as well.”

We may well have to wait until next season to see more of the 17-year-old prodigy, but evidently, Mourinho could well be about to unearth his next Rashford in Scarlett.

Just last month, the youngster signed his first professional deal, tying him to the club until 2023, so all the signs are pointing towards him having a big say in Spurs’ long-term future. That’s for sure.

AND in other news, Spurs could find Rodon’s perfect CB partner in £25m colossus…

Marcel Brands could deliver Carlo Ancelotti his new Arjen Robben by launching a pursuit for Everton to sign Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey.

What’s the word?

According to the Liverpool Echo, the Toffees are eager to add depth to Ancelotti’s wide options in the summer transfer market. It is expected that a left-footed player will be preferred, and that Everton’s Director of Football Brands will focus efforts on those aged between 20 and 25/26.

Everton currently have three natural wide players in Richarlison, Alex Iwobi and Bernard, while James Rodriguez, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Joshua King can play on the wings and Anthony Gordon is due to return from a half-season loan with Preston North End.

The Goodison Park natives have prioritised improving Ancelotti’s options in attack and at right-back this summer, and will only chase a new centre-forward should King leave and Moise Kean be sold amid reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

Brands is considered to have great scope for wide options to target, which is not replicated at right-back with Everton feeling that there are few players available who meet all of Ancelotti’s requirements.

Everton have been linked with Max Aarons but are loath to pay Norwich City’s £30m asking price, while Ancelotti is thought to covet a tall right-back, which may rule 5 ft 5 Tariq Lamptey of Brighton & Hove Albion out of the running.

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The Blues are also expected to make a raft of sales to raise funds and clear a bloated wage bill in the off-season, with Bernard and Jonjoe Kenny among those facing uncertain futures and Yannick Bolasie, Southampton-linked Theo Walcott and Reading-linked Mo Besic set to leave at the end of their contracts.

Should Everton revive their Bailey interest?

With Everton claimed to be on the search for a young, left-footed winger this summer, Brands should look to formalise the Goodison Park club’s interest in Bayer Leverkusen star Bailey.

Reports by the Daily Mail linked the Toffees with scouting the Jamaican earlier in the season with a view to a potential summer swoop, having proven to be the biggest contributor to the BayArena club’s efforts at the start of the campaign.

It was expected that any club who wished to sign Bailey would have to pay £36m after the Bundesliga outfit snubbed Leeds United’s approaches in the last summer market, while Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United joined Everton in scouting the 23-year-old.

Tottenham and Everton were also linked with the Jamaica international in the last off-season after he allegedly expressed desires of testing himself in the Premier League.

Brands now seeing that he gets that chance at Goodison Park could see the Dutchman hand Ancelotti his new Robben, to whom Bailey has previously been considered as the heir in the Bundesliga. Pace has been noted as one of his strongest assets, having once clocked a sprint speed of 21.4 mph.

The ex-Chelsea winger featured 45 times under Ancelotti at Bayern Munich during the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons, which saw him score 18 goals and offer 15 assists as the Bavarian powerhouse won the Bundesliga title and two German Super Cups.

Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz had also lauded Bailey as an “immense” talent, while Die Werkself’s sporting director Simon Rolfes believes that a move to the right-wing has done him “a lot of good” by playing in a Robben-esque way of cutting inside onto his stronger left foot.

That style saw Bailey strike a wonder goal against Hoffenheim in December, one of 14 goals that the eight-cap speedster has hit in all competitions this term, while offering 10 assists – no Leverkusen player has scored more while only Moussa Diaby (13) has more assists.

It remains to be seen whether Everton’s scouts reported back glowing endorsements of Bailey which will see Brands step forward with a bid this summer, but the Jamaican – who Bosz believes “gets better with every game” – could be the Toffees’ ideal wide option to target.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti set to make shrewd Everton appointment with “hugely popular” coach…

Many Sunderland fans were far from happy with the performance of Bailey Wright during their 3-3 draw with Accrington Stanley on Saturday.

The Black Cats were in action as they attempted to consolidate their place in the League One play-offs. They have been in poor form over the past few weeks, losing three and drawing one of their last four (Sky Sports), and they were once again unable to grab victory in a match that twisted and turned.

A Charlie Wyke brace gave Sunderland the lead early on but Colby Bishop halved the deficit after the break. Then, Luke O’Nien put the ball into the back of his own net. Max Power looked to have grabbed the win before Sean McConville popped up to level things up once more (Sky Sports).

However, Wright struggled at the heart of the back four. He lost possession 17 times and was culpable of a number of misplaced passes (SofaScore) – Johnson will be expecting more from him between now and the end of the season.

These supporters were unhappy with they saw from the defender, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts on his “awful” performance.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Wright below

“Bailey Wright is abysmal”

Credit: @MKA97FTM

“Bailey Wright is a massive worry for me”

Credit: @DeanoCummings85

“Why does Bailey Wright insist on taking 5 touches on the ball every time, sometimes just get rid man”

Credit: @elliot_d_p

“That goal all stemmed from a dreadful ball from Wright to Scowen.”

Credit: @PlannerMarj

“Watching the partnership between Hume & McGeady, its hard to fathom the manager pondered long & hard before he got a start. Wyke is playing well with his back to goal & 2 great finishes. Bailey Wright & Burge still giving me heart attacks though – even at 2 up!”

Credit: @Hag_SAFC

“Luke O’Nien and Bailey Wright just don’t work together do they… both had awful awful games”

Credit: @MattyCrichton

In other news, many Sunderland fans slam this manager’s comments.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has warned his old side that a Jack Grealish sale this summer could force John McGinn to consider his options.

Grealish is attracting interest ahead of the next transfer window, with Manchester City said to be in hot pursuit of the 25-year-old.

It is a move that would give Grealish the chance to challenge for the Premier League title and compete in the Champions League, and Hendrie fears McGinn could decide to look for something similar.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about the futures of Grealish and McGinn, the ex-Villa player said:

“I don’t know how it’s going to affect the players [a potential Grealish sale] and that’s my big worry. I hope that if Jack does end up going, that it doesn’t affect the McGinns and he wants to go because I know that he’s been linked away from the club as well.”

One of those clubs that McGinn is being linked with is West Ham, who may very well be welcoming Champions League nights to the London Stadium next season.

According to West Ham insider ExWHUemployee (via Hammers News), David Moyes is a big fan of his compatriot.

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, Steve Howey, who made 157 appearances for Newcastle United, has revealed that he wanted the Magpies to sign Danny Ings when Steve McClaren was the manager.

Ings moved to Liverpool in 2015 when his contract expired, however, after several injuries over the years he managed just 25 appearances for the Reds and was eventually sold to Southampton for £20 million.

The £75,000 per week striker has been linked with a move to Manchester City, who are looking for someone to replace Sergio Aguero with the striker set to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Speaking on why he wanted Newcastle to sign Danny Ings and how much he was telling them to pay for the striker, Howey told The Transfer Tavern:

“I’ve always liked him. I said when McClaren was manager to buy him and I think it was £10 million they wanted, and then it went up to £15 million, but I was still saying buy him.

“I think the club thought that was too much but he’s been in devastating form the last few seasons so it doesn’t surprise me that he’s been linked with Man City.”

Ings has suffered more injuries this season with his latest one seeing the 28-year old come off against Tottenham Hotspur after scoring earlier in the game.

Southampton enjoyed a great first half of the season which saw them sit top of the table, however after another 9-0 defeat safety ended up being the priority.

Everton have never been afraid of making a big-money signing. Head down their ten most expensive acquisitions and you’ll notice every single one of them cost over £24m.

You will also notice that they’ve wasted a fair bit of cash too. Moise Kean, Yannick Bolasie and Alex Iwobi all feature on that list, for instance.

It’s fair to say that Farhad Moshiri and Marcel Brands haven’t always got the transfer window spot on.

Their efforts with Carlo Ancelotti last summer were more promising though. James Rodriguez was the landmark addition but their defence has been sufficiently bolstered by the entrance of Ben Godfrey.

However, in classic Toffees fashion, it’s their attack they are aiming to strengthen in a few months time.

Philippe Coutinho has been linked with a move to Goodison Park and if he did complete that switch, it would be a captivating addition.

After all, this is a man who has won the Champions League with Bayern Munich and has regularly put defenders in a spin across Europe.

Blessed with the ability to create something out of nothing, his long-range shooting and vision is truly captivating.

It would be another landmark addition for Everton but so would Sergio Aguero. The Manchester City forward is out of contract this summer and it’s thought that Everton are one of his suitors.

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A transfer to Merseyside may feel a bit wild to some but Everton’s board have shown big ambition in the recent past and just imagine the damage Aguero could do alongside Coutinho.

Dubbed “unique” by Pep Guardiola, Aguero possesses a ruthless finishing instinct which coupled with Coutinho’s creativity would be mouth-watering.

He is a joy to play with and if Kevin De Bruyne laps up his services, the creative muses at Everton would too.

Speaking a number of years ago, the Belgian superstar commented: “He’s obviously one of the best strikers I’ve played with. He’s a striker who’s there in front of the goal. When you don’t see him a lot in a game he can pop up and score three. His record speaks for itself. Everyone knows about Sergio.”

Aguero has found the net on 258 occasions for the Citizens down the years and is now their all-time record scorer. The 97-cap Argentine may have his injury problems but give him a sight of goal and the ball is likely to end up in the back of the net.

Combine that ruthless streak with a player of Coutinho’s ability and it could be curtains for Premier League defences. After all, when the Brazilian played for Liverpool, he racked up an impressive 45 assists in 201 outings.

James is currently the creative jewel at Goodison but the arrival of these two world-class players would give Everton a remarkable chance of finally breaking into the top four.

It’s enough to make those at Goodison drool with excitement.

AND in other news, Everton may find their new Lukaku by signing £45m beast who makes “spectacular plays”…