All posts by z3u9t.icu

Pundit Alan Hutton has been giving his thoughts on Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic and the hamstring injury that will keep him out until after the international break, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Rogic’s influence

Rogic has been a regular for the Hoops this season, missing only his first game of the season on the weekend against Livingston.

He’s netted once and registered four assists, while also leading the way for Celtic in regards to possession won in the final third and successful dribbles per match [Fotmob], showing exactly how crucial he is for implementing the style of play that Ange Postecoglou wants.

However, the Hoops won’t be able to call upon his services against Ferencvaros or Dundee prior to the international break.

The Latest: Ange and Hutton’s comments

Rogic went off injured against Hibernian towards the end of October, with Postecoglou revealing last week that the 28-year-old will be out for two to three weeks.

Hutton, who regularly features on BBC Radio 5 Live, was talking to Football Insider in a story on Wednesday morning, labelling it as ‘very disappointing’.

“Postecoglou will be gutted.

“When he came in, I thought he could get the best out of Rogic. I always thought he was a fantastic player who then went off the boil a little.

“His performances over the past few weeks have been of a high level. I thought Celtic were excellent against Hibs, which was a tough game. Rogic was a big part of that.

“Obviously to lose him is very disappointing because it was hitting those heights he was at a few seasons ago. He was a constant thorn in Rangers’ side every time he played them.

“He was getting back to that. So he’ll be hoping that he’s not out for too long because he’ll be a huge miss and they’ll need him.”

The Verdict: Ange must find a way…

The Hoops only managed to create three big chances at home to Livingston last time out, with a measly 0.26 xG in the first 45 minutes. [Fotmob]

Nir Bitton was the man to come in for Rogic, so Postecoglou may need to test a new approach in midfield against Ferencvaros or Dundee prior to the international break.

Rogic, Callum McGregor and David Turnbull have been the three midfielders Postecoglou has relied heavily on from the off this season, but he won’t be able to call upon his fellow Aussie, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Hoops cope over the coming weeks. Bitton is much more defensive-minded, managing just half of the key passes per game that Rogic does.

Postecoglou admitted that winger Jota could occupy a central role as a number eight, as mentioned by Kieran Devlin, so perhaps that could be an option for more attacking impetus.

In other news: £6.8m: McKay missed out on ‘extraordinary’ ace who’s ‘like Busquets’ before he left Celtic. 

Former Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama is hoping to make a Parkhead return, Football Scotland report.

The Lowdown: Wanyama since Celtic exit…

Wanyama, who was a colossus for Celtic, made 91 appearances in green and white during his two-year stay.

The Hoops made a £12m profit on the Kenyan after Southampton paid over £13m for his services in 2013.

Since then, the midfielder has made 154 appearances in the Premier League with the Saints and Tottenham, where he was hailed by Mauricio Pochettino and called ‘fantastic’ by Christian Eriksen.

He is now plying his trade with MLS side Montreal, with the 30-year-old under contract with Montreal for another 12 months, but it seems as if he has his eye on a return to Scotland.

The Latest: Open to return

Wanyama, talking to Football Scotland, admitted he would ‘love’ to play for the Hoops again and opened up on a ‘loan approach’ during Neil Lennon’s time in charge.

“I had a contract at Tottenham and they were very difficult to let me go, the demands were very hard.

“Celtic was a club that I would love to play for again and again. It’s more than a club. I enjoyed my time there.

“I honestly want to come back and give it a last go because I love the club, the people there, the fans, just everything there was great. They give the players everything to go on the pitch and perform. Everything was just on top.

“There was a loan approach but I don’t know what happened. I didn’t follow it up that much.

“I spoke to Neil as well and he said to me ‘it’s difficult with the demands’ and at that time they didn’t have the money to make it happen.

“But it is what it is. As I say, I still love that club, it’s in my heart.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-15/” title=”Celtic updates!!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Midfielders needed:

Wanyama is seemingly extremely keen on a return to Celtic, and the Hoops could do with midfield reinforcements.

Ange Postecoglou has relied heavily on Callum McGregor, Tom Rogic and David Turnbull this season, with Nir Bitton filling in for Rogic in recent weeks.

On that basis, a move for Wanyama could be a smart one, especially with his wealth of experience and previous Hoops connections, however, the club might be cautious following James McCarthy’s form since joining on a four-year deal.

McCarthy, the same age as Wanyama, has started just three times this season and appears to be struggling to break into Postecoglou’s side, so they could be better off bringing in a younger midfielder with one eye on the future instead of possibly having another McCarthy on their hands.

In other news: Celtic now hoping to sign 11-goal international in January. 

Wolverhampton Wanderers are plotting a move to bring John Swift to Molineux in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Sheffield Star, who claim that Bruno Lage’s Wolves side, as well as Burnley and Leeds United, are considering submitting an offer for the Reading midfielder in the winter market.

The report goes on to suggest that Sheffield United could also be interested in a move for the 26-year-old in January, although the presence of a number of Premier League sides in the race for the former England U21 international would appear to limit the Blades’ chances of securing a getting a deal over the line.

Shi must move

Considering how impressive Swift has been for Reading this season, in addition to the fact that Wolves have been severely lacking in creativity from the middle of the park in the current campaign, a move for the former Chelsea midfielder would appear to be a potential dream deal for Jeff Shi.

Indeed, over his 17 Championship appearances for the Royals this term, the £3.6m-rated man has scored eight goals, registered seven assists and created five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.3 shots and making 2.8 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £25k-per-week midfielder average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.51, ranking him as the second-best performer in the second tier – while his eight goals and seven assists also rank him as the first and second-highest midfielder in each respective table.

As such, despite the fact the 26-year-old plays for a side who currently occupy 16th place in the Championship standings, it is clear that Swift is a cut above the rest in the division, and would very much appear to be ready for a shot at the Premier League.

And, when taking into account the player who Mark Cooper claimed can “make people look silly” has scored just two fewer league goals than the entire Wolves side have managed this season, as well as registering one more assist than all of Bruno Lage’s players combined, it is evident that the Black Country side are in rather desperate need for a player of Swift’s attacking ability.

So, it would indeed appear highly advisable for Shi to make a move for the Reading star when January comes around, as Swift could solve what is undoubtedly Lage’s biggest issue at Molineux.

In other news: Wolves dealt huge transfer blow on “special” £19.8m-rated machine, Lage will be gutted

Flocking to Twitter, many Manchester City supporters have been left excited by an update on transfer target Erling Braut Haaland’s situation at Borussia Dortmund.

The Norway star has been the subject of intense interest from sporting director Txiki Begiristain and City since beyond the summer as their hunt continues for a world class striker.

City couldn’t find common ground with a stubborn Daniel Levy in the last transfer window over Harry Kane, which has seen manager Pep Guardiola’s side become linked to a host of other options in Dusan Vlahovic, Victor Osimhen, Kylian Mbappe and even Wolves forward Hwang Hee-chan.

Haaland, however remains very much in the mix as his €75 million (£63m) release clause comes into effect next summer.

While City remain linked with other forward men, including a surprise return for Kane in January, a recent report from The Times claims they are also set to hold talks with Haaland’s representative, Mino Raiola, over a potential summer move.

As Begiristain eyes a move for the scintillating 21-year-old, who’s racked up nine goals and four assists in six Bundesliga appearances already this season (Transfermarkt), it appears City may have now been handed a boost as an update emerges from Spain.

According to El Chiringuito TV journalist Josep Pedrerol, as transcribed and relayed by The Sun, La Liga giants Real Madrid have ‘ruled out’ the signing of Haaland as they believe he will ‘play in England next year’.

Man City fans excited…

As the Galacticos reportedly pull out, it’s safe to say there is cause for optimism among Citizens given one major European heavyweight’s absence from the race and their apparent belief he is set for a Premier League move.

Find all of their best reactions to this development, as seen on Twitter, down below:

“SIUUUUUUUU He is coming”

Credit: @slawoid

“COME ON CITY!!”

Credit: @curly245

“the stars are aligning”

Credit: @heycozyy

“Yesssirrrrr”

Credit: @97Reh

“finally”

Credit: @TeohJohansen

“I hope this is true”

Credit: @ZambianCity

“Heheheehe siuuuuuuu”

Credit: @MCFC_Liban

“We all know his destination”

Credit: @mancityboy21

In other news: ‘Yessss’, ‘Oh my days’, ‘No way’…Man City fans also flock to this ‘crazy’ transfer update, find out more here.

Antonio Conte could be dealt a major injury blow ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s clash with Leeds United this afternoon…

What’s the latest?

The Italian head coach will be sweating on the fitness of Giovani Lo Celso after the Argentina midfielder returned from international duty a little worse for wear.

“Giovani Lo Celso did not come back perfect physically,” revealed the Italian to reporters (via football.london).

“I do not know about him if he will be available. For sure [Cristian] Romero is not available, Lo Celso I don’t know. The rest of the team, we have all the players.”

Huge blow?

If the 25-year-old maestro is missing, then Conte will be hugely concerned heading into kickoff as he is already without Oliver Skipp, who is suspended for this clash, whilst fellow engine room enforcer Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg missed Denmark’s matches through injury.

To be without another middle man would be a massive blow as it leaves the 52-year-old with a plethora of out-of-favour stars in Harry Winks and Dele Alli to choose from.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-news-updates-transfers-antonio-conte-thfc” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Lo Celso, who is valued at €30m (£25m) by CIES Football Observatory, has only appeared from the bench in the two games under Conte, playing a total of 22 minutes but he could emerge as a key player for him in the future.

Not only is he capable of playing that inside-forward role behind Harry Kane but he is also one of the more creative players in the squad, even if he’s a little frustrating with his end product at times, having managed only eight goals and five assists since his arrival in summer 2019.

As per WhoScored, he leads the way for key passes per 90 (2.1), which is more than Heung-min Son (1.9), Lucas Moura (1.3) and last season’s assist king, Kane (0.9), too.

The Argentine playmaker was once dubbed “phenomenal” and backed to prove his worth to the team by former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho.

Having him available would make Conte’s team selection a whole lot easier, so if he is indeed absent, then the Italian could well be left gutted, even more so after already suffering a huge blow to Cristian Romero as well.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops huge Dele Alli claim at Spurs…

Tottenham Hotspur may struggle to lure Dusan Vlahovic away from Fiorentina in January, according to Football London’s Alasdair Gold. 

The lowdown

Italian journalist Enzo Bucchioni had reported earlier this month that a January move from Florence to north London is possible for the Serbian, but only if Spurs present an offer of €70m (£59.6m).

Vlahovic has been in electric form in 2021, netting 28 goals in 38 Serie A games for Fiorentina. However, he’s informed the club’s board that he won’t be extending his current contract, which is due to expire in 2023 (via Fabrizio Romano).

The latest

In a fan Q&A for Football London on Monday, Gold was asked about Tottenham’s chances of signing the 21-year-old, replying that the club will face a battle for his signature but adding that the draw of working with Antonio Conte and the negotiating skill of Fabio Paratici could stand them in good stead.

The journalist stated: “He’s a player Spurs really like, as do other clubs, but prising him away in January could be tough because he’s scoring the goals Fiorentina need. With 11 Serie A goals this season, he’s netted more than half of his team’s total in the competition so far and he plays 90 minutes in every game.

“Fiorentina can’t really do without him and would struggle to replace him. This is the problem with the January transfer window and clubs not wanting to let players go in mid-season.

“The pull of Antonio Conte and the negotiating of Paratici will play a part, and he looks perfect physically for the Premier League, but Spurs might have to battle for his services in the summer. His goals mean his price may not drop hugely, particularly in January, but that contract situation means it can’t rise.”

The verdict

It’s no surprise to hear that there are multiple suitors in for Vlahovic given his mighty record. Indeed, he has been described as a ‘force of nature’ in the Italian press.

Can Spurs persuade him to join the cause? Conte could wield puling power, as Gold says, and they could theoretically offer him not far short of 10 times his current salary of £26,000 per week.

Even if Harry Kane is staying put, his presence may not pose a problem. Conte has shown a preference for a 3-5-2 formation over the course of his managerial career, and such a setup would be able to accommodate both players.

In other news, this Tottenham defender may look to move in January

A number of Manchester United fans hit out at Marcus Rashford’s display in the 3-2 win over Arsenal on Thursday night.

The 24-year-old, who missed the beginning of the season due to a shoulder injury, was making his first Premier League start of the campaign as a right midfielder after previously turning out in a central role or on the left.

Fellow Englishman Jadon Sancho was on the left, with Cristiano Ronaldo selected up top. Rashford did set up the 36-year-old in the second half to put United in front, but apart from that, he struggled to impress.

As per SofaScore, the 24-year-old failed with both of his crosses, was unsuccessful in all three dribbles attempted and lost six of his eight duels (75%). As a result, he was brought off with 11 minutes remaining for Jesse Lingard as United held on for the win.

United fans react

Here is what these United fans had to say about Rashford’s Old Trafford display, with one labelling him as ‘awful’ and many wanting him to be sold given the general decline in his performances over the past couple of seasons.

“Please sell Rashford in January, all jokes aside he is awful”

Credit: @utdnathan77

“#mufc Evra… first job is to get rid of @MarcusRashford”

Credit: @djb0607

“I’m dead serious, sell Rashford”

Credit: @Greenwood_26

“We should sell Rashford.”

Credit: @JCutdszn

“That was arguably Rashford’s worst game in at least the last 2 years.”

Credit: @ManUtdMaverick

“Rashford is garbage despite the assist, has to be hauled off!!”

Credit: @BarnesOrlando

In other news: Report outlines two key reasons which could shape Man Utd decision on Paul Pogba’s future

With 21 Championship games played so far this season, West Brom have racked up a rather mixed bag of results with 10 wins, seven draws and four defeats under Valerien Ismael, who replaced Sam Allardyce in charge of the Baggies back in June.

During his time in charge of the Midlands club, one big positive from the manager that the fans can be proud of is giving Taylor Gardner-Hickman his chance to shine in the team, which he certainly has done.

Even though the 19-year-old has only played in three Championship games so far this season, his performances in those outings have earned him an overall season rating of 7.08/10 according to WhoScored, making him West Brom’s fifth-highest rated player in the league.

This shows just how well he has done when given the chance alongside the other senior players in Albion’s squad and why former Baggies star Carlton Palmer said it was a “magnificent” decision from Ismael to give Gardner-Hickman his chance to play.

His previous appearance for the Baggies in their 2-1 win over Coventry City saw him deployed in a central midfield position rather than the right wing-back role he had occupied previously.

Against the Sky Blues, Gardner-Hickman made three clearances, four interceptions and two tackles and blocked two shots, as well as winning seven ground duels, showing off his defensive capabilities and awareness in midfield.

This performance against Coventry earned the 19-year-old a solid overall match rating of 7.3/10 from SofaScore, as well as being called “impressive” by Baggies podcaster Chris Lepkowski.

After making a total of 64 appearances with West Brom’s under-18 and under-23 sides, scoring nine goals and providing eight assists along the way, it’s great to see Gardner-Hickman not only playing in the first team but thriving, a masterstroke for which Ismael should be given a lot of credit as well.

Moving forward, if the teenager keeps making the most out of every opportunity he gets for West Brom from now until the end of the season, he could definitely help them to secure promotion to the Premier League given his versatility and defensive talents, duly ending the campaign as one of the team’s shining lights.

In other news: “Wouldn’t entirely rule out:” Journalist drops WBA claim which will have fans buzzing

Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a huge injury setback ahead of their upcoming Europa League fixture.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Goal, Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst revealed that, despite the centre-back having returned to first-team training this week, Leon Balogun will be unavailable for selection against Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday evening.

The 33-year-old has still not fully recovered from an injury picked up the club’s League Cup semi-final defeat to Hibernian back in November.

Speaking about the current state of his squad, the 46-year-old said: “Regarding the team news, I think Leon Balogun cannot travel [to face Lyon]. We still have a training session left and so far we have everyone on board. We just have to wait until after the training before I can announce my squad.”

Van Bronckhorst will be gutted

While it is true that Thursday evening’s fixture is not overly important in the grand scheme of things – as Rangers have already secured their place in the knockout stages of the Europa League – the fact that Balogun has not recovered in time for the fixture will nevertheless have left Van Bronckhorst gutted.

Indeed, with a much more important game against third-placed Hearts coming up for Gers this weekend, Thursday’s trip to Lyon would have been an ideal game to reintroduce the centre-back to first-team football, allowing him the freedom to get back up to speed without having to worry too much about the result.

And, considering just how impressive the £720k-rated man has been over his 11 Premiership appearances so far this season – making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.8 tackles and winning 7.7 duels per game, seeing him earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.05 – once again being without the services of the defender on Sunday would undoubtedly come as a huge blow to Gers’ chances of picking up all three points at Tynecastle.

However, considering the centre-back will have now missed the club’s last five fixtures in all competitions due to his injury, the risk of starting the 33-year-old against Hearts without having played a minute of football in nearly three weeks would appear to be a rather big one.

In other news: GVB must ruthlessly axe “incredible” 25 y/o Rangers ace who can “create danger” v Lyon

Nick Hammond is reportedly now eyeing up a move to sign Manuel Lanzini for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Hammond hired

As per Sky Sports, the St. James’ Park faithful have now hired former Celtic and Reading Director of Football (DoF) Nick Hammond on a short-term deal as a transfer consultant.

He will oversee the January transfer window, and has been tasked with bringing in players to help in their relegation fight.

The Latest: Lanzini eyed

According to 90min, one of Hammond’s first signings could be Lanzini, as the North East club are eyeing a loan move for the West Ham United ace next month.

David Moyes would reportedly not mind letting him leave on loan, and given the situation that the Tyneside outfit find themselves in, it could prove to be a good move for all parties.

The Verdict: Makes sense

While Lanzini has been starting more regularly in the Premier League, he has been far from first choice throughout the season, and so may want a loan move away in order to play more football.

There is no doubt that the talent is there, as Lionel Messi even once hailed him by admiring his potential and claiming that he could play for FC Barcelona when he was there.

BBC pundit Stephen Warnock went as far as to claim that he was ‘magic’ and capable of ‘genius’ after impressing away at Manchester City earlier this season, and he could give Eddie Howe’s team that extra bit of firepower to keep them up.

Nonetheless, if they end up getting relegated, Lanzini could then just return to the Hammers after his loan spell, and so the deal would make a lot of sense for all parties involved.

In other news, find out which ‘exceptional’ title winner NUFC are now targeting here!