All posts by z3u9t.icu

Wolves have been rather quiet in the transfer market this week but that shouldn’t frustrate supporters after the window they’ve had.

Despite rumours of players leaving, they still boast a full quota of top footballers and they’ve also added the likes of Trincao and Jose Sa to their ranks.

What’s the word?

One player who Wolves have been targeting for months now is Milan forward Rafael Leao.

The Portuguese sensation only joined the Serie A side in the summer of 2019 but it looks like an escape route out of the San Siro is likely. Milan are thought to want €25m (£21.3m) in order to sell him, an asking price that’s continued to drop in the last few months.

Leao is working hard during pre-season in order to convince club officials to keep him in Italy but according to a report (via Sport Witness), Jorge Mendes has put forward contacts from Wolves in a bid to lure him to Molineux.

Jota 2.0

Leao is a truly enigmatic character. As he was coming through at Sporting and Lille, he looked like one of the finest young talents in Europe.

He was compared to Kylian Mbappe and the great Brazilian, Ronaldo. He was even hailed as “spectacular” by former striker Rolando Bianchi.

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However, despite providing glimpses of his immense potential in Italy, he has been rather inconsistent.

A review from reporter Zach Lowy epitomises the hardships he has been through: “The fact that Dany Mota — a player at Monza — and Gonçalo Ramos — a benchwarmer at Benfica — overshadowed Rafael Leao during the U-21 Euros should serve as a wake-up call for him. He needs to drastically change his mentality or he’ll be leaving Milan sooner rather than later.”

Heading for the departure lounge wouldn’t be the worst news for Wolves, though. After all, if you compare his qualities to a certain Diogo Jota, they do line up quite well.

Both players possess incredible pace and have the ability to beat opponents for fun, using trickery and close touch control to eliminate opponents in breathtaking fashion. They can both play out wide and through the middle, while they’re equally creative and destructive in front of goal.

During his final Premier League campaign with Wolves, Jota found the net on seven occasions, a tally that the 22-year-old Leao neared last season. He scored six goals in the red and black of Milan, providing half a dozen assists for his troubles as well.

In 2020/21, their dribble tallies were quite similar, with the Wolves target amassing 1.3 per match compared to Jota’s 1.1 per game. Leao managed 0.9 key passes while the former Old Gold star produced 0.6 key passes in the top flight.

Wolves have managed to replace Jota with the effervescent Pedro Neto but, with his own future in doubt, Leao would be a wise addition to the Molineux ranks.

AND in other news, Lage must brutally axe £50k-p/w Wolves dud this summer, Coady said he’s “outstanding”…

Leeds United signing Jack Harrison permanently from Manchester City is a “no-brainer”, former Whites midfielder David Norris has told Football FanCast.

The 24-year-old has spent the last three seasons on loan at Elland Road, initially joining Marcelo Bielsa’s side back in 2018.

He now looks set to join them on a permanent basis, though, with the Daily Mail reporting that Leeds will pay Manchester City £13m to sign Harrison outright this summer.

For Norris, Bielsa and director of football Victor Orta getting this deal done is a no-brainer.

“His attitude, his determination, his endeavour, he does both sides of the game, which is obviously a must with Bielsa, and a good pro,” the ex-Leeds star said.

“Only [heard] good, positive things about him. It’s a no-brainer if they can get that one done.”

For £13m, signing Harrison really does look like a no-brainer. The English attacker has undoubtedly proven himself in the Premier League.

He carried a real threat in attack during the 2020/21 campaign, scoring eight goals and providing eight assists.

Harrison was the most dispossessed Leeds player on average (via WhoScored), so there is room for improvement there. But, overall, you would have to say he would be a quality signing for the Whites based on what he has already produced.

Former Rangers star Michael Ball believes that Celtic need to spend big this summer if they are to challenge the Gers next season – a big warning to chief executive Dominic McKay and the board if they appoint Eddie Howe or another manager.

Steven Gerrard’s side enjoyed a phenomenal season as they went unbeaten, winning the title and ending the campaign 25 points clear of their Old Firm rivals.

Neil Lennon resigned midway through the campaign and Celtic have yet to appoint his replacement, though multiple reports suggest that Eddie Howe is poised to take the reins.

Ball, though, does not believe that simply appointing a new manager will solve the issues at Celtic Park and believes that they will need to spend in the summer to bring their squad up to scratch.

Last season, the club paid £14.1m, per Transfermarkt, to bring in Albian Ajeti from West Ham United, Vasilios Barkas from AEK Athens, David Turnbull from Motherwell and Shane Duffy and Diego Laxalt on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion and AC Milan respectively.

Ajeti scored just six league goals, while only Turnbull played more than 30 times domestically.

And Ball thinks that Celtic need to spend if they are stop Rangers “dominating” over the next few seasons.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “Eddie Howe is a fantastic coach, we know how he likes to set up his team and he plays great football but he would need quality players to come to the football club.

“He’ll need to have money to challenge Rangers and play catch up with Rangers. Celtic have had the glory for so many years and some players are moving on now. Scott Brown’s moving on. So they need to bring in new faces.

“Eddie Howe or whoever comes into Celtic Park will need money to try to challenge Rangers because Rangers could dominate in the next few years if Steven’s still there and they keep on backing him.

“It’s a big challenge ahead for Celtic.”

Wilfried Zaha has reportedly told Crystal Palace that he wants to finalise a transfer away from the club before pre-season, according to The Times.

As Eagles supporters will know, this is not the first time the Ivorian has communicated a desire to leave South-East London.

Of course, the 28-year-old famously requested to move onto pastures new by transfer request in 2019 [Guardian] and 2020 respectively [Evening Standard].

His possible departure would come as a blow to Palace, as despite this upheaval away from the pitch, he rarely fails to deliver on it.

In a sparkling 2020/21 campaign, Zaha notched a mightily impressive 11 goals in 30 Premier League outings [Transfermarkt].

Currently without a manager after the departure of Roy Hodgson, the Palace faithful could well see a vastly different looking side run out at Selhurst Park next term if the winger departs.

Palace fans react

Coming in a period of uncertainty at the club, loads of Crystal Palace fans took to Twitter to voice their opinions on the matter. Responding to @cpfc_xtra, this is what many of their following had to say, with one supporter claiming this will be a ‘nightmare’ piece of news if things go awry…

“Can you blame him – the club sleepwalking into relegation”

Credit: @PalaceFanDan

“Bored now of Zaha, sell invest in younger talent we move on. Thanks Wilf but cya, he don’t want to be at club, so go.”

Credit @Besiktas1066

“Plus no one wants him cause he’s attitude stinks on the pitch”Credit: @cpfcjj89″If he does not get a move he is going to be a nightmare next season. Its best all round that he goes”Credit @R0BERTJ0NES1″Get your agent to sort it out then!”Credit: @CPFC_1988″Honestly just go at this point let’s rebuild without him.”Credit: @palacecarlton”Boring!”Credit: @RightSideOfFunkIn other news, Crystal Palace are eyeing a swoop for an international defender.

A major update has emerged on Juventus’ Aaron Ramsey, regarding Aston Villa’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Italian outlet Sports Media Set, as relayed by Tutto Mercato, Aston Villa are in pole position to land Juventus central midfielder Aaron Ramsey this summer. Ramsey has two years left to run on his Juventus deal and is expected to depart from Turin ahead of next season, with a return to England looking most likely.

The report claims that Ramsey is not a part of Juventus’ plans heading into next season and the Italian giants will allow him to leave if the right offer comes in. Ramsey wants to seal a transfer back to the Premier League and Villa are now attempting to pounce on this opportunity.

In 2019, Keown hailed the outstanding midfielder and claimed that he was becoming a leader in Arsenal’s team, prior to his transfer to Juventus. He told BT Sport, as transcribed by the Daily Mail:

“He continues to mature as a player and develop. He’s a real leader now in this Arsenal team.

“Playing in a deeper role, as he did under Arsene Wenger – I think that’s the best role for him. If you want Ozil and him in the same team. He’s so important to everything to do. It’s the energy – the box-to-box energy. He’s become an outstanding technician.”

Smith needs him

Villa sporting director Johan Lange must sanction a deal for Ramsey this summer as head coach Dean Smith needs him next season. Smith’s side struggled for goals from central areas in midfield in the 2020/21 campaign, with Ross Barkley and John McGinn the top scorers with three goals each. This suggests that there could be room for a goalscoring midfielder to enter the fray and that is where Ramsey comes into the equation.

Ramsey was able to produce goals and assists from midfield during his time in England with Arsenal. The Welsh international racked up 65 goals and 65 assists for Arsenal in all competitions before his move to Juventus, including three 10+ goal seasons for the Gunners. He has also netted 17 times in 65 caps for Wales, scoring his 17th against Turkey in the European Championships earlier this week. This shows that he has the quality to make runs into the box to score goals for his side.

The £187k-per-week ace could, therefore, be an upgrade on Villa’s existing midfield options in that regard due to their aforementioned lack of goals. Ramsey could arrive at Villa Park and bring an added goal threat to Smith’s side, which could then help the club push on and challenge for European football next season. This is why Lange must make sure that he is able to seal a deal for Ramsey to bolster Smith’s ranks in the coming weeks/months.

AND in other news, Villa must avoid unforgivable disaster over £17m-rated “warrior”, fans will be fuming…

Former Newcastle United star Keith Gillespie believes that there will be plenty of interest in Joe Willock this summer, telling The Transfer Tavern that he has emerged as a fine player during his time at St James’ Park.

Willock moved to Newcastle on loan from Arsenal in the January transfer window.

And he has gone on to make a phenomenal impact at the club as they have climbed clear of relegation danger.

The 21-year-old has made 12 appearances in the Premier League for the Magpies and has scored six goals, netting in all of his last five outings for the club.

That includes strikes against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur.

As a result, there has been a natural suggestion that Newcastle will do everything they can to bring him in on a permanent basis, but Gillespie feels they will face major competition in their bid to sign Willock permanently.

However, he also doubts whether Arsenal will be willing to let him leave.

The former Newcastle star said: “I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s other clubs interested if he is made available for transfer but for me, I just thought he was getting let out on loan to get a little bit of experience by Arteta, so I don’t know whether they’ll be willing to let him go or not.

“For me, he looks a really, really good player.”

Manchester City are the latest Premier League club to be linked with Leeds United winger Raphinha, with two of their biggest rivals also reportedly interested in signing the Brazilian this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari, City have joined the race to sign the highly-rated 24-year-old, with Manchester United and Liverpool both still holding an interest in him ahead of the summer transfer window.

He also suggested that Leeds are eager to keep him, which is unsurprising after his superb debut season with the Elland Road outfit, with Marcelo Bielsa’s side having signed him from Rennes following their promotion from the Championship last summer.

Would he be a good signing?

In 26 appearances for Leeds so far this season, Raphinha has contributed six goals and six assists, averaging a superb 7.17 WhoScored rating for his performances.

He was one of Leeds’ most impressive performers in their 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium in April, with his pace and trickery regularly causing problems for City’s defence, so it is no surprise to hear that they are now showing an interest in him ahead of the summer.

Raphinha has averaged 2.1 key passes and 2.3 shots per game so far this season, which only Kevin De Bruyne can better in the current Manchester City squad, which immediately suggests that he would be an excellent addition to Guardiola’s side ahead of next season.

The £22.5m-rated winger has won no shortage of plaudits for his displays this season, with Manchester United talisman Bruno Fernandes reportedly a big fan, as his teammate Fred confessed earlier in the season, perhaps in an attempt to convince him to move to Old Trafford.

The Brazilian said: Bruno’s been talking about Raphinha ever since he arrived. They played together at Sporting.

He’s a great player having an amazing season and a lot of clubs have their eye on him.

Considering his impressive performances this season, it would be a blow for City to lose out on Raphinha to their nearest rivals, so sporting director Txiki Begiristain should be putting plans in motion to bring him to the Etihad this summer.

In other news… Man City handed huge injury boost as £36m-rated star confirms update, Pep will be relieved

Rangers’ unbeaten run continued on Sunday afternoon as they thrashed their Old Firm rivals 4-1 at Ibrox, meaning Steven Gerrard’s side are now just two games away from an invincible season.

Kemar Roofe gave the Light Blues the lead before Callum McGregor was sent off for the Hoops, although Odsonne Edouard fired in an equaliser minutes later.

However, Gerrard’s side were quick to respond through Alfredo Morelos, with the Colombian’s superb goal meaning that Rangers were 2-1 up at the break.

Roofe made it 3-1 shortly before the hour mark before Jermaine Defoe added the cherry on top of an excellent result with a late fourth.

Although Roofe will steal the limelight after his brace, Ryan Kent’s superb performance in an unusual attacking midfield role should not go without praise.

As per SofaScore, the former Liverpool youngster would earn an excellent 7.3/10 rating for his performance, with only Roofe (8.6), Borna Barisic (7.8) and Connor Goldson (7.4) earning higher.

During his time on the pitch, Kent would complete 39/41 of his passes, resulting in a superb 95% pass accuracy, which is far better than the 88.4% he has averaged in the Premiership so far this season.

He also completed a remarkable five key passes during the game, which is more than any other player, and is also a vast improvement on the 1.9 key passes he has averaged in the Scottish top-flight this season.

The 24-year-old also impressively completed four of six of his dribbles, whilst he won nine out of 18 duels during the game, which emphasises just how effective he was from both an attacking and a defensive point of view.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

His assist for Roofe’s opener was the catalyst for Rangers’ comfortable win and whilst the former Leeds man was the beneficiary of excellent assists with his brace, he was arguably not as influential as the “sensational” Kent in the emphatic derby win.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Kamara: Wilson must seal Rangers swoop for “very good” 22 y/o

A number of Liverpool fans are desperate for the club to sign Ozan Kabak on a permanent deal this summer after he impressed on loan at Anfield.

The Reds’ Premier League season is over for another year, with Jurgen Klopp no doubt a relieved man. His side beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at Anfield on Sunday, not only booking a place in next season’s Champions League but also finishing third in the table.

[freshpress-quiz id=“355458″]

It was a monumental effort by Klopp and his players in the final two months of the campaign, with eight wins and two draws from their last 10 league games highlighting their brilliance.

Someone who came in at the lowest point of the campaign was Kabak, who joined on loan from Schalke 04 in February in order to help ease the centre-back injury crisis.

The defender grew into the role after a shaky start, looking a classy prospect, although it remains unclear whether he will be signed permanently for £18m this summer.

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Liverpool fans call for Kabak to stay

These Liverpool fans responded to a celebratory Twitter post from Kabak on Sunday evening – one which almost felt pointed, in terms of him wanting to stay as he quipped: “Good job team…We are where we belong” – calling for the Turkey international to remain at Anfield.

“It’s the “we” for me. Please keep him”

Credit: @SimplyNate_

“That “we” feels different. Would love to have him with us next season too”

Credit: @SharafJuhayr

“Please keep him”

Credit: @Thiago_SZN

“Sign him. Be stupid not to”

Credit: @nxaim

“I beg we get rid of Phillips for him”

Credit: @lfc_ik4

“Pls sign”

Credit: @jay_ek1

In other news, some Liverpool fans are against the idea of the Reds signing a world-renowned player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that Harry Winks would get into any top four team.

The England midfielder started Tottenham’s first three Premier League matches this season, but has fallen out of favour under Jose Mourinho, and has appeared in just one of Spurs’ previous 11 league games.

He was strongly linked with a loan move in January, but Mourinho blocked any potential move, with Tottenham still fighting in four competitions at the time.

Back in November, Winks spoke about a “difficult period” in his career following his lack of opportunities, and recent reports believe that La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid are now keen on the centre-midfielder this summer.

Both Everton and Valencia have previously been keeping tabs on the 25-year-old, and with Oliver Skipp expected to return from his loan spell at Norwich this summer, which could see Winks slip further down the pecking order, he might have to consider his future at Tottenham.

But Windass told Football FanCast that is more than good enough to play for anyone in the Premier League, and believes he should stay in England:

“You don’t become a bad player overnight. He’d get in any Premier League team, Harry Winks.

“Why would he want to go to Atletico Madrid as a young player? He’d get in any top four team in my opinion as a sitting midfield player. Players want to play football and if he’s not in Mourinho’s plans, then he’ll move elsewhere.

“It doesn’t come down to money anymore. It’s about how many trophies can I get. That’ll be an opinion of Harry Winks, he’s a baby.”