All posts by z3u9t.icu

James Marshment has dropped an update on the future of Leeds United winger Jack Harrison.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the TEAMtalk editor revealed that, following Newcastle United’s rejected £18m opening bid for the 25-year-old, the former England U21 international looks set to remain at Elland Road beyond the end of the summer transfer window – with Jesse Marsch insistent that the attacker is happy at the club.

Marshment went on to state that Victor Orta is planning to play hardball in any further negotiations with Eddie Howe’s side regarding the forward, before adding in a further post that Leeds’ asking price for the former Manchester City starlet will be around the £35m mark.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “Jack Harrison future – likely to remain with Leeds, amid insulting opening offer from Newcastle. Jesse Marsch adamant the player remains happy – and TEAMtalk understands the Whites are taking a tough stance over his future.”

“Massive mistake”

While it is true that Harrison endured something of a below-par campaign for Leeds last time out – something that could be said for almost all of the Whites’ first-team squad – the argument that letting the winger go this summer would be a mistake is an easy one to make, especially for as little as £18m.

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Indeed, despite struggling to find a consistent vein of form over his 35 Premier League appearances last season, the £16.2m-rated forward nevertheless still managed to score eight goals, register one assist and create three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots, making 1.2 key passes and completing 1.5 dribbles per game.

Furthermore, the £60k-per-week talent more than proved his top-flight calibre over 36 league fixtures in 2020/21, bagging eight goals, providing eight assists and creating ten big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.3 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 1.2 dribbles per outing.

These returns saw the 25-year-old average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.96, ranking him as the Whites’ ninth-best performer in the league in the season before last.

As such, it is not difficult to understand why Marshment believes that selling Harrison would be a “massive mistake” for Leeds this summer, as it is clear to see that when in top form, the winger is undoubtedly one of the Whites’ most creative and deadly attacking outlets.

AND in other news: Orta could unearth a new £100m talent as Leeds plot bid for “generational” £20m target

Leeds United avoided relegation back down to the Championship by the skin of their teeth as they achieved survival in the 2021/22 campaign.

The Whites sacked Marcelo Bielsa and brought in American head coach Jesse Marsch to lead them to safety as they finished three points clear of the bottom three.

A consistent issue for the club throughout the season was their struggles in front of goal as they ended on 42 goals in 38 Premier League matches.

Raphinha, who has since left to join Barcelona, was the only player who reached double figures for goals and one of three attackers with more than four strikes.

Leeds felt the impact of Patrick Bamford’s absence as injury problems left him out of action for the majority of the campaign – starting seven matches in total.

This came after he produced an exceptional 17 goals and seven assists in 38 outings the year before that, having scored 16 goals in the Championship in 2019/20.

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Victor Orta must now land the club their next Bamford by securing a deal to sign Ben Brereton Diaz from Blackburn this summer, with the Whites reportedly interested in £20m attacker.

Jaquob Crooke once labelled him a “superstar” and his former manager – Tony Mowbray – previously heaped praise on his talent, saying:

“You saw what I saw today; Brereton with the ball at his feet is an extraordinary talent. He’s a wonderful footballer who can dribble with both feet, take people out of the game.

“Yes they want to see you dribble, score and shoot, but they want to see you fight. He has to learn that, but he still is only 20. He’s still a boy, but he has wonderful ability and wonderful talent.”

The Chile international enjoyed a fantastic season in the Championship with Rovers as he plundered 22 goals and three assists in 34 starts, whilst also scoring three goals in seven games for his country in 2022.

He has shown that he can be a prolific scorer in the second tier, just like Bamford was for Leeds, and now deserves the chance to show what he can do in the top-flight.

At the age of 23, he is still developing as a player and, therefore, has the potential to make the step up to the Premier League as he has time on his hand to hone his skills and become a complete centre-forward.

Orta must now sign the Blackburn star to be the club’s next Bamford in the hope that he can carry his goalscoring form over to a higher division and be the consistent scorer that they lacked last term.

AND in other news, “Leeds are interested..”: Journo drops big transfer update, supporters will be buzzing…

Southampton have boasted one of the Premier League’s more successful academies in recent history, having churned out many stars and sold them on for huge profits.

Seldom do they return at the same or a higher level than when they left, but perhaps after having sold one player as a 17-year-old, he could return as the man to propel Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team up the table.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joined Arsenal back in 2011 and moved again to Liverpool six years later in a deal worth £35m. He has recently been linked with a return to the south coast as he looks to revitalise a career which has been ravaged by injuries.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke recently claimed: “His time at Anfield has been interrupted by injuries at key points when it looked like he was establishing himself in Jurgen Klopp’s side. But he’s still a top player.

“Maybe teams like Southampton, his old club, might be interested in him, and I’m sure there might even be interest from abroad as well because he’s still got a good CV.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain returning at the age of 28 as he entering his prime years could be perfect not only for the club, but for one academy graduate who stuck around in James Ward-Prowse.

Available for a reported £10m fee, it seems a no-brainer for the Saints to swoop for the Liverpool midfielder.

Although Oxlade-Chamberlain has struggled for game-time in recent years, he has still managed to impress for the Reds. He featured six times last season in the Champions League and averaged a 7.07 SofaScore rating.

Jurgen Klopp even claimed that last season he was witnessing the best version of the midfielder, saying: “It’s pretty much the best Oxlade since I was here. I know he’s had spectacular moments, but it’s a completely new quality. Like calming the game down, being able to know when to sprint with the ball, or shoot and the stuff like that.”

To place that attacking prowess alongside the stability of Ward-Prowse, who recorded an average SofaScore rating of 7.27 last season, could be an intelligent tactical decision by Hasenhuttl.

He also ranked in the 90th percentile for shot-creating actions, and when combined with Oxlade-Chamberlain – who ranks in the 96th percentile for progressive passes received and the 97th percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area – the stats suggest that they could create a potent partnership.

Southampton should swoop for the Liverpool midfielder, who could be the perfect player to allow them to take the next step.

It could also allow Ward-Prowse to further improve his output, as he would have another tricky attack-minded player at whom to aim his pinpoint passes.

AND in other news: Spanish report reveals big transfer development, Southampton supporters will be gutted.

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s interest in Nicolas Pepe in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Magpies have been offered the chance to sign the winger from fellow Premier League side Arsenal ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that the Ivory Coast international is among a number of players for whom the club has been given the green light to bring to St. James’ Park.

It has been reported that the Gunners are willing to part ways with him for a fee in the region of £25m in the coming weeks, although it remains to be seen whether or not Newcastle would pay that amount.

Big Miguel Almiron upgrade

PIF must take advantage of this situation by snapping up Pepe from the north London outfit, as he would be a big upgrade on Miguel Almiron for Eddie Howe.

Both players are left-footed right-wingers and the Arsenal man’s statistics in recent campaigns suggest that he would offer more than the Paraguay international.

In the last three Premier League seasons, Pepe has racked up 16 goals and nine assists from out wide, despite only starting five games in 2021/22. meanwhile, Almiron managed nine goals and three assists in that time for the Magpies, starting 19 matches or more in each campaign.

This shows that the Ivorian has the potential to carry a bigger goal threat than the former Atlanta United man, whilst also being more creative on the ball.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously claimed that Pepe “destroyed Ligue 1”, and his statistics from his last season with Lille back that up. In the 2018/19 campaign, the Ivorian racked up 22 goals and 11 assists in 37 starts, whilst creating a whopping 16 ‘big chances’ for his teammates.

At the age of 27, he still has his best years ahead of him and is a player with whom Eddie Howe can work to help him get back to his best. In his early Arsenal career and at Lille, Pepe has shown that he is capable of making a big impact in the final third at the top level, which Almiron has not proven capable of doing.

Therefore, the former Ligue 1 dynamo would be a sublime signing by Newcastle, and PIF must now save him from being an outcast at the Emirates Stadium by bringing him to Tyneside this summer.

AND in other news, “I know for a fact…”: Sky Sports reporter drops huge NUFC claim, it would be a major coup…

Football journalist Simon Phillips expects the Everton move for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye to go ahead over the coming days. 

The lowdown: Reunion on the cards

Originally signed from Aston Villa for £7.65million, Gueye was nothing short of a revelation on Merseyside during his time with the Toffees.

The 32-year-old Senegal stalwart amassed 107 appearances for the Blues before completing a £30million switch to French giants PSG, where he has won two Ligue 1 titles, two French Cups and one French League Cup, all to go alongside an Africa Cup of Nations winners medal earned earlier this year.

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Now, following days of speculation linking Gueye with a return to Goodison Park, one well-informed journalist has suggested that the deal is edging ever closer…

The latest: ‘Multiple sources’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Phillips claimed that ‘multiple sources’ are tipping the 94-cap star to return to Everton.

He said: “The general consensus is now that multiple sources are saying that will happen. I think that’s a good move. He knows Everton, he knows the staff there, he knows the stadium, he knows the area; over 100 appearances for Everton previously.

“So, I think bringing him back into the midfield, which is what Lampard really wants as a priority, he wants midfielders, so I think that’d be a really good signing.”

This follows with claims from Alan Myers, who said earlier this week the deal is ‘on track’.

The verdict: Fingers crossed

Adding some much-needed steel to Frank Lampard’s midfield options will undoubtedly be a welcome boost ahead of the new season, particularly given Allan’s continued links with a move away.

Despite his advancing years, last season, Gueye produced a masterclass against Premier League champions-elect Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League group stage, scoring ‘brilliantly’, winning seven duels and making two clearances in a 7.80 Sofascore rated display at the Parc des Princes in September – illustrating his ability at the elite level.

He seems to have added some end product to his game, scoring four times for PSG last season, even drawing praise for his ‘absolutely superb’ shooting in a clash against Montpellier.

Still holding an estimated market value of £10.8million and in the final 12 months of a contract (Transfermarkt), the fee required to bring the Senegalese workhorse back to Everton should be no problem for Everton, which is probably just as well given the ace’s current £99,000-per-week wages (Salary Sport).

Well known to the Blues faithful, Gueye – who was dubbed a ‘monster’ by ex-Villa boss Tim Sherwood – should have no problems settling back into life at Goodison and therefore can be expected to hit the ground running should the deal happen as expected.

Glasgow Rangers would demand a ‘big transfer fee’ in order to allow Glen Kamara to leave Ibrox this summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke. 

The lowdown: Premier League interest

Kamara has endeared himself to the Gers’ faithful during his time at the club, amassing 159 appearances and directly contributing to 18 goals from a defensive midfield role in the process.

The 26-year-old Finland international had previously been on the books of Arsenal and has recently attracted interest from Premier League outfits such as Nottingham Forest, Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa and also Brighton.

Amidst the speculation, Kamara has admitted that he ‘would like to play’ in the English top flight and now one well-informed onlooker has had his say on the potential exit…

The latest: ‘Big transfer fee’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke has claimed that ‘it would take a big transfer fee’ for Rangers to sell the 46-cap star.

He said: “I think it would take a big transfer fee for Rangers to agree to sell Glen Kamara right now. He is still a key man for Giovanni van Bronckhorst and I’m sure he’d ideally like to keep hold of the midfielder.”

The verdict: Keep at all costs

Albeit every player ultimately has their price, having already cashed in on Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey, bringing in over £27million into the coffers in the process, there should be no immediate need to sell another key player, as proven by the desire to hand Ryan Kent a new deal.

Last season, Kamara – who was hailed as a ‘fantastic’ player by Gerrard – made a mammoth 52 appearances across all competitions for the Teddy Bears and started in both the opening day Scottish Premiership win as well as the 2-0 defeat to Union SG in the UEFA Champions League last week, underlining his importance to Van Bronckhorst’s plans.

Valued at £6.75million and under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), the Glasgow hierarchy finds themselves in a strong position when it comes to the workmanlike Fin and would be guaranteed a whopping profit on their £50,000 expenditure should the need to sell become unbearable.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Hans Vanaken to the London Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Dharmesh Sheth, with the Sky Sports reporter revealing in a recent post on Twitter that, having been linked with the Club Brugge KV attacking midfielder previously, the Hammers are once again keen on a deal to bring the 29-year-old to east London in the current transfer window.

In his post, Sheth said: “West Ham United interested in signing Club Brugge attacking midfielder Hans Vanaken. Vanaken is a Belgium international – 5 goals from 21 caps. West Ham are long-term admirers – tried to sign him before.”

A report by Flemish outlet Nieuwsblad took this claim one step further, suggesting that David Moyes’ side have seen a €10m (£8.5m) bid for the Belgium international rejected by the Jupiler Pro League club – who are said to have informed the Premier League outfit that Vanaken’s sale is out of the question ahead of September’s transfer deadline.

However, on Tuesday morning, Nieuwsblad reported that the 21-cap international has now informed Brugge that he would like to secure a switch to the Europa League semi-finalists this summer, as he views the Irons’ interest as his final chance to move to a big European club – with it also being said that West Ham are now preparing a second offer for the playmaker.

West Ham’s own De Bruyne

Considering just how impressive Vanaken has been for Club Brugge ever since his 2015 move from KSC Lokeren, in addition to attacking midfield being an area of the pitch in which West Ham are lacking any real depth, it is not difficult to see why Moyes would be keen on a deal to bring the 29-year-old to the London Stadium in the coming weeks.

Indeed, over his 343 appearances for the reigning Jupiler Pro League champions, the £14.4m-rated talent has been a continuous attacking threat, scoring 102 goals and registering 73 assists for the club – averaging a direct goal involvement every 163 minutes of football played for Brugge.

The £48k-per-week forward was in particularly fine form over his 39 league fixtures in 2021/22, scoring 11 goals, providing nine assists and creating ten big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 3.9 long balls per game.

These returns saw the 29-year-old who Onur Kaya dubbed “extraordinary” average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.31, ranking him as the ninth-best player in the entity of the Belgium top flight last time out.

It was a similar story over the attacking midfielder’s six Champions League appearances last season, with Vanaken scoring three goals, creating two big chances and averaging a sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.23 – an unbelievable achievement considering Brugge were up against Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig in Group A.

As such, with Vanaken quite clearly being an excellent goalscorer, an exceptional creator and a remarkable passer of the ball, in addition to Jelle Vossen claiming that the Brugge star “sees everything on the pitch and is always available,” there is an argument to be made that the 29-year-old could well be West Ham’s own Kevin De Bruyne – should a deal go through.

Indeed, all of the above could easily be said of the Manchester City playmaker and fellow Belgian who has scored 87 goals and provided 123 assists over 310 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side. While it remains to be seen whether or not Vanaken will be able to perform at a similar level in the top flight of English football, the Brugge star very much appears to be an exceptional talent.

West Ham United are among the teams interested in Lyon striker Moussa Dembele, according to French outlet Foot Mercato. 

The lowdown: Outcast

Dembele has been forced down the pecking order at the Ligue 1 outfit by the arrival of Alexandre Lacazette from Arsenal.

He’s into the final 12 months of his deal with the club, having joined from Celtic in 2018 for a fee of £19.8million.

Foot Mercato report that the 26-year-old was sent to train with Lyon’s academy players during pre-season.

The latest: Enquiry

If Dembele won’t sign a new contract and commit to Lyon, they will try to sell him in order to avoid losing him on a free transfer.

However, the player wants to be ‘master of his own destiny’ too and intends to take time to mull over the offer of an extension.

Dembele has suitors across Europe, but he’s valued most by Premier League clubs.

West Ham, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Everton have all lodged enquiries.

It’s thought that the player’s response was not particularly ‘favourable’ as he pursues a project that suits him ‘sportingly and financially’.

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The verdict: Controversial

It looks like Dembele will take some convincing if he’s to join West Ham.

And this would be a controversial move for the Irons in light of the events of last season’s Europa League quarterfinal.

In the 1-1 first-leg draw between the two sides at the London Stadium, Dembele winked after drawing a foul from Aaron Cresswell that saw the West Ham defender sent off.

David Moyes warned him that he had to be ‘careful’ and that his behaviour might come back to bite him.

And sure enough, West Ham would win the second leg 3-0 and progress to the semifinals, with Declan Rice explaining that Dembele’s wink gave them an extra incentive.

The official Irons Twitter account even posted a video mocking the Frenchman after the game.

Southampton have been handed a big injury boost, as long-term absentee Tino Livramento shared a promising update on his return to action.

The former Chelsea man has been out of action since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in April, with reports at the time suggesting that he would be out of action for the entirety of 2022.

Ralph Hasenhuttl suggested recently that the 19-year-old was making good progress in his recovery but was unlikely to return before the World Cup later this year.

Livramento has himself provided an update on his Instagram story, which showed him keeping the ball up with a range of skills with the caption ‘boots back on.’

It would be a big boost for Hasenhuttl if the youngster were to return ahead of schedule as Southampton are currently lacking full-backs, as left-back Romain Perraud is also currently sidelined through injury.

This has forced the Austrian manager to select a five-at-the-back system with Moussa Djenepo on the left and Kyle Walker-Peters on the right, and an injury to either of those players could be catastrophic as the Saints are yet to sign a new full-back this summer.

Livramento was something of a revelation for Southampton last season, as he quickly broke into the first team despite having no previous experience of senior football.

The teenage defender made 28 appearances in the top flight, contributing one goal and one assist for Southampton, averaging a solid 6.73 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

He certainly won over Hasenhuttl with his displays as he took over from Kyle Walker-Peters as the first-choice right-back in Southampton’s squad, with the former Tottenham Hotspur man moved to left-back in order to get both players in the side.

Livramento also won over his more senior teammates, as Theo Walcott sang his praises on talkSPORT, saying:

“You can just see he’s got an aura about him around the place. He’s changed completely which is really nice to see when you get a bit more confidence playing, he’s not as shy and timid around the place he’s got a bit more of a presence.

“It just shows that there’s a future star there but again we need to be careful as we always do but it’s why we love football isn’t it? I can’t complain, he’s been absolutely fantastic.”

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Given the lack of wide defenders currently available to Hasenhuttl, it can only be good news that Livramento is back on the grass, and the Austrian manager will be hoping he can still play a big part this season after such an eye-catching debut campaign.

West Ham United are falling behind in the race to sign Jan Bednarek this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that, despite the interest of both West Ham and Leicester City, it is Aston Villa who are now leading the race for the Southampton centre-back’s signing over the remainder of the summer transfer window.

The report goes on to state that Steven Gerrard is now in advanced talks with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side over a deal believed to be worth around €15m (£13m) for the 26-year-old, after Villa had initially attempted to secure the defender on a season-long loan.

Moyes must act fast

Considering just how impressive Bednarek was as a part of a largely underperforming Southampton side last season, it is not difficult to understand why all three of West Ham, Villa and Leicester would be interested in a move for the Poland international this summer.

Indeed, over his 31 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, the £25.5m-rated centre-back was in imperious form in the heart of the Saints’ backline. He helped his team keep seven clean sheets, along with making 2.3 interceptions, one tackle and 4.5 clearances and winning 4.5 duels (at a success rate of 62%) per game.

Let’s compare those figures to Kurt Zouma, who was West Ham’s best-performing centre-back last season.

Over the Frenchman’s 24 Premier League outings in 2021/22, he helped his side to keep five clean sheets, along with making 1.4 interceptions, 0.5 tackles and 5.5 clearances and winning 2.8 duels (at a success rate of 59%) per match.

The £20k-per-week Southampton defender also chipped in for his team in attack, scoring four goals and creating one big chance for his team-mates, in addition to completing 38.1 passes (at a success rate of 82%), playing 2.8 long balls and taking 0.6 shots per game.

These returns saw the “outstanding” 26-year-old average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.94, ranking him as Hasenhuttl’s third-best player in the English top flight last season.

As such, with Bednarek quite clearly being solid at the back, a threat going forwards and a bargain for a reported asking price at roughly £12.5m below his current market valuation, it is not difficult to see why Moyes has taken an interest in the centre-back.

However, with Villa very much looking to be leading the race for the 42-cap international, the West Ham boss must act quickly if he wishes to give himself the best possible chance of stealing the Poland defender away from Gerrard’s grasp in the coming days.