All posts by z3u9t.icu

Crystal Palace are having a great start to their season, picking up points from 13 of their 20 Premier League games so far,

There is no doubt that they will be hoping to continue to climb the table for a top-half finish in Patrick Vieira’s first season in charge, and now they are rumoured to make a new addition in the transfer window that could help them achieve it.

What’s the word?

The Daily Mail are reporting, that Crystal Palace are interested in signing Arsenal star, Eddie Nketiah, battling with Premier League rivals, Brighton and Bundesliga side, Bayern Leverkusen for his signature.

However, in the report, SportMail understands that Bayern Leverkusen are out ahead preparing a pre-contract agreement for the 22-year-old, so if Vieira is interested in swooping for the striker, he should do so as soon as he can.

The £9m-rated forward labelled “extraordinary” by current manager, Mikel Arteta, has refused several contract offers from Arsenal, which suggests that the young attacker is interested in making a move from the north London club, especially now that his contract his ending in the summer of this year.

Imagine him & Edouard

Crystal Palace have turned the tide from having the oldest squad in the Premier League to appointing Vieira last summer and adding several new young players to the side, who have all made an impact, especially Odsonne Edouard.

The French striker joined the Eagles in the summer and has definitely made his presence known since arriving just over four months ago, scoring five goals and bagging three assists in just 17 appearances so far.

The Palace manager has claimed that the 23-year-old is “getting to his best”, and with that being said, giving him a strike partner like Nketiah could unlock a deadly attacking partnership, with star loanee, Conor Gallagher, just behind them in midfield.

Nketiah has been compared to Arsenal legend, Ian Wright, according to Tony Cascerino who told The Times:

“He is agile with quick feet, much like his hero Ian Wright, which denies defenders the time to settle.”

The Gunners forward is yet to start a Premier League game this season, however, he has been given the opportunity to showcase his prolific goal-scoring talents in the Carabao Cup, where he has netted five goals in three games already, securing a semi-final challenge in the league cup against Liverpool.

Vieira’s clear vision is to build a side for the future with young players, meaning 22-year-old Nketiah fits the bill perfectly for the Frenchman’s future plans for the club.

Palace should be looking for ways to kill off games after picking up eight draws so far this season. As a result, securing a player who can add more goals in games can elevate the side’s chances to take three points and climb comfortably into the top half for a high finish this season.

In other news: Vieira must keep hold of Gallagher for the rest of the season

Barry Fry believes that Frank Lampard would get plenty of help if he decided to join Crystal Palace as their next manager.

Palace have yet to appoint Roy Hodgson’s successor following his decision to step down from his role as the club’s manager.

Lampard has been linked with a potential move to Selhurst Park, with The Daily Mirror reporting that he is back in the frame after talks with Nuno Espirito Santo broke down.

The ex-Wolves boss does not appear set to take the job, with talks having broken down earlier this week.

It leaves an opening and Fry believes Lampard would be an excellent appointment for the club, though he does wonder if the ex-Chelsea midfielder will want to join a club in such transition.

Indeed, Lampard has been out of the game since his sacking by Chelsea, a club where he had almost unlimited resources under the ownership of Roman Abramovich.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Peterborough United Director of Football Fry said: “If he did go to Palace, he’d get a lot of help in the football world because of his contacts and his knowledge and the way he is with players.

“I think from Palace’s point of view, that would be a great appointment. From Frank’s point of view, I think he might be looking at a more established club but it depends how much he wants to get back in the game.”

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former West Ham midfielder Rob Lee has blasted the Hammers for “wasting money” on record-signing Sebastien Haller.

Following two impressive seasons in the Bundesliga, the Ivory Coast international arrived at the London Stadium in a club-record deal worth £45m from Frankfurt last summer.

But Haller struggled to nail down a spot as West Ham’s first-choice striker, scoring just 14 times in 54 appearances before his surprise departure to Ajax back in January.

And despite Haller hitting the ground running in the Netherlands, netting 10 times already for the runaway Eredivisie leaders, Lee has criticised the Hammers for signing the striker in the first place.

He told Football FanCast:

“He was West Ham’s Joelinton – a similar player and similar sort of price. Whether he wasn’t cut out for the Premier League, he just didn’t perform well.

“Whether he was a centre-forward I’m not sure. I’m not sure he was a right-side or left-side. I don’t know what people saw in him.

“He wasn’t good. West Ham were lucky to get £20m back for him, they must have lost £10m at least. That’s a typical example of wasting money.”

Celtic had a significant overhaul during the previous summer transfer window in terms of the number of players that moved in and out of the club.

After their busy summer, the Hoops have definitely made the most of it in their latest SPFL season in terms of their results.

With 34 league games played, Ange Postecoglou’s side have won 27, drawn four and lost three, scoring 80 goals and conceding 19 along the way.

Now that the end of the campaign is in sight, the Hoops are within touching distance of the league title as they currently find themselves six points clear at the top of the table.

Looking beyond that, the next summer transfer window will be opening and once again give the Parkhead club the chance to make whatever changes to the squad that Postecoglou feels are necessary.

With that in mind, one figure that we think should follow in the footsteps of the numerous players that left the club last summer is midfielder Ismaila Soro.

Having appeared in just eight league games this season, the 23-year-old has played only three minutes of action since September.

This is a big clue that the Ivorian is quite far down in the pecking order at the moment and isn’t likely to be in Postecoglou’s plans for next season.

Back in January, Soro was heavily linked with a move away from the Parkhead club after originally arriving for a fee of £2m during the 2020 winter window.

Taking into account how the midfielder has failed to show the 56-year-old why he deserves to be a regular figure in the team in terms of his performances, the summer could be the ideal time to finally call his time with the Bhoys to an end.

According to WhoScored, the Hoops outcast has only been able to earn himself a rather disappointing overall performance rating of 6.25/10, making him one of the lowest-rated players currently in the squad to have started at least one league game.

This shows just how much the £10.5k-per-week flop has been stealing a living this season.

To further highlight how ineffective the player has been for the Bhoys in this campaign, he has one yellow card to his name but not even a single successful tackle.

With the likes of Tom Rogic, Callum McGregor, Matt O’Riley, David Turnbull and Reo Hatate all contributing to the team in terms of scoring goals, it’s no wonder that Soro has not been in Postecoglou’s thinking in recent months.

90% of voters in a recent poll ran by Football FanCast claimed that the club should look to get rid of the player in the summer, so things aren’t looking great for his future in a Celtic shirt.

Moving forward, if the Bhoys are able to pick up any sort of cash for the player in the summer and sell him on a permanent deal, this will certainly be the best option for all parties.

In other news: Celtic now plotting 7-figure bid for 14 G/A sensation, he’s perfect for Angeball

Steve Bruce has dropped an update on Federico Fernandez before Newcastle United play Aston Villa at home in the Premier League on Friday night.

Speaking to the press in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, the former AVFC and Sunderland boss confirmed: “Fernandez is back amongst it too which is good news”.

Newcastle need Fernandez back

The North East club need Fernandez back and fully fit as soon as possible, preferably to start the game against Dean Smith’s team at St. James’ Park.

In the last 10 matches that the former Swansea City ace has missed in the Premier League, the Tyneside club have picked up six losses, and conceded no fewer than 17 goals in the process (Transfermarkt).

It is clear that Bruce’s side need to tighten up at the back, and Fernandez would give the Magpies more defensive stability.

The Argentina international has won 4.1 of his duels a match in the top flight so far in the 2020/21 term, and has also averaged the most tackles (1.5) clearances (5.6) and blocks (1.3) than any other central defender at the Toon (Whoscored).

Nonetheless, NUFC will want Fernandez back in the heart of their defence as soon as possible, as the 32-year-old may well be in line to make his return to the side against Villa as they continue to battle to avoid being relegated.

In other news, find out which talent Lee Ryder has confirmed Newcastle are in talks to sign here!

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.

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…

Fans of Glasgow Rangers have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which commented on recent footage of Gareth Bale appearing to deliberately elbow Ondrej Kudela, the player accused of racially abusing Rangers star, Glen Kamara.

Kudela is currently being investigated by UEFA after allegedly aiming, quite frankly, disgusting remarks towards the Gers’ Kamara during a meeting between Slavia Prague and Rangers in the Europa League round of 16.

However, seemingly in an effort to assert his own form of rough justice in Wales’ World Cup qualifying fixture against the Czech Republic on Tuesday evening, Bale appeared to intentionally target the defender with a swinging arm, catching Kudela in the face and rendering the 34-year-old unable to continue in the match.

And, following the clash, with footage of the incident circulating on social media, the Rangers fan account, Heart & Hand Podcast, took to Twitter in praise Bale’s part in the encounter, with many more fans of the club piling in to thank the Welshman for his efforts.

So, what exactly did these Rangers fans have to say in reaction to the footage of Gareth Bale’s challenge on Ondrej Kudela?

“Ampadu left one on him earlier too. Beautiful!”

@nicky13anderson

“Harry Wilson and someone else had a nibble at him as well at one point. Kudela went down as if a sniper had hit him.”

@StevenK86

“Was lovely to watch.”

@wulliemci2

“Karma.”

@AndrewM31015121

“Get in there Gareth Bale.”

@robertmcnaught

“Lovely.”

@chr1sbett

In other news: this ‘superb’ £6.2k-p/w star lifted the lid on talks with the Rangers hierarchy – find out more here!

Southampton made it two home wins in a week as they beat Fulham 3-1 at St Mary’s on Saturday afternoon, with goals from Che Adams, Nathan Tella and Theo Walcott doing the business for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

Although it was a promising display from the Saints, there were still some disappointing performers against Scott Parker’s team, with Nathan Redmond, in particular, below-par.

The former Norwich City man has produced some of his best performances of the season in recent months after a terrible first half of the campaign,  but still has just two goals and three assists in 27 top-flight appearances this season.

As per SofaScore, the 27-year-old would earn a shocking 6.6/10 rating for his performance, with only Stuart Armstrong (6.0) and Takumi Minamino (6.4) rated lower.

During the 90 minutes, Redmond, who reportedly earns £60k per week at Southampton, would complete just 28/40 of his passes, resulting in a less than impressive 70% pass accuracy, which is below the 76.4% he has averaged in the top-flight so far this season.

Despite it being arguably his most dangerous trait, the winger failed to complete a single dribble during his time on the pitch, with Fulham right-back Kenny Tete’s five tackles and 7.1 rating suggesting that he had the better of him throughout the game.

Perhaps most frustratingly for Southampton was Redmond’s inability to keep hold of the ball. He lost possession on 26 occasions at St Mary’s which was the most of any Saints player, something that would have perhaps been punished more by a better side.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-southampton-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=“Latest Southampton news, transfer rumours and more!“]

The Englishman also won just three of his 11 duels during the game, whilst he wasted a glorious chance to score after being played through by Adams. It was a surprise to see him last the full 90 minutes, considering substitutes Nathan Tella and Theo Walcott both made much more of an impression on the game.

In his player ratings following the game, Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach was less than impressed with Redmond, awarding him a 6/10 and writing:

“It was a well-involved but frustrating start for Redmond against Fulham. He fought hard but was wasteful at times. That improved during the second half but he still could have done more.”

Therefore, it is clear that Redmond was one of the worst performers against Fulham and needs to improve if he wants to keep his place for the final two fixtures of the campaign.

And, in other news… Southampton Player Ratings vs Fulham

West Ham’s chances of tying Vladimir Coufal have been boosted by one of David Moyes’ moves on deadline day…

What’s the word?

Back in July, Sky Sports claimed that the Czech Republic right-back felt let down by the Irons’ initial contract offer after joining on a three-year deal in October 2020 in a £5m deal from Slavia Prague.

It was thought that Coufal felt his level of performances since arriving in east London were not being fairly reflected, though he does want to remain a Hammers player. He is thought to earn around £35k-per-week currently.

According to club insiders Claret & Hugh, talks with the player are still ongoing at this stage, with the 29-year-old in line to receive a major wage hike – and they believe he has even been buoyed by the addition of his international teammate Alex Kral, who joined the Irons on Tuesday.

Czech mate

This will come as a huge boost to the Scotsman and everyone around the London Stadium, as Coufal has been one of the squad’s standout performers since joining a year ago.

For example, the £13m-rated Czech star was among West Ham’s top-five highest-rated players as per WhoScored figures for the 2020/21 campaign, where he averaged a squad-high 2.1 tackles, on top of 1.2 interceptions and 1.3 key passes per game, and registered seven assists.

Evidently, Coufal plays a major role at either end of the pitch in Moyes’ system, so it’s no wonder they want to tie him down to an extension.

“I think he’s been one of the signings of the season,” claimed Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football (4th May, 22:24pm, via Read West Ham).

“We talk about [Tomas] Soucek, but Coufal whether it’s right wing-back or right full-back at different times, he’s just one of those players that’s 7/10 minimum every time you watch him play. He’s the type of player you’d love to play with him. A manager’s dream, never injured, he’s there week in week out.”

Meanwhile, current teammate and club captain Mark Noble described Coufal as a “machine” to ‘That Peter Crouch Podcast’ back in May.

The Hammers now have three Czech Republic internationals in the squad, all of whom were once together at Slavia Prague, so that will certainly help them all settle down in east London, as well as bolstering the morale and camaraderie in the dressing room.

Whether it was intentional or not remains to be seen, but Moyes’ deadline day call has massively boosted West Ham’s chances of keeping hold of one of their best players in Coufal.

The Irons faithful should be absolutely elated by this.

AND in other news, Moyes dropped huge West Ham summer transfer howler over “phenomenal” 30-cap marksman…