All posts by z3u9t.icu

Former Rangers player Michael Ball is hopeful that Glen Kamara does stay at Rangers this summer, but thinks it’s very doubtful.

The 25-year-old central midfielder was an integral part of the Rangers team that won the Scottish Premiership last season, featuring on 28 occasions.

After successful season, Kamara was then picked in the Finland Euro 2020 squad, where he played every minute of his nations three group matches.

The midfielder has been linked with a move away from Ibrox this summer, with GiveMeSport revealing that Arsenal remain interested in signing Kamara.

Despite the rumours, Michael Ball is hopeful that Kamara chooses to stay with Rangers but thinks it’s doubtful, telling Football FanCast: “It’s like every transfer you’ve got to be careful, tick every box that you feel personally is going to help yourself develop. He might feel another year at Rangers might help him develop a bit more.

“So, fingers crossed he does stay at Rangers, but I think it’s very, very doubtful with the rumours that we’re listening to right now.”

Kamara’s current contract runs until May 2023, with the Daily Mail reporting that Rangers are looking for in excess of £10million for the midfielder. They also reported that both Premier League newcomers Brentford and Watford were interested in securing the signature of Kamara.

After leading Rangers to Scottish Premiership glory and having a good run in the Europa League last season, manager Steven Gerrard will be hoping to keep hold of his prized assets and build on that success this season.

Manchester United have suffered a potentially significant blow in their pursuit of Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka.

What’s the story?

The 26-year-old has entered the final year of his current contract at the Allianz Arena and has been heavily linked with a move to United as a result.

However, new Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann has recently expressed his confidence over Goretzka agreeing to terms on a new deal, dashing the Red Devils’ hopes of signing the box-to-box dynamo.

“I’m not involved enough that I have a say every day. I stay out of these issues,” said Nagelsmann (as reported by the Manchester Evening News).

“Of course, I have talked to him about my plans for him. I’ve told him I’d be happy if he extended, and I’m also confident. There are several topics involved when it comes to discussing a contract extension.

“I’ll continue to focus on the sports side of things and show him he can be one of the most dangerous midfielders in Europe. He has potential to get even better.”

Solskjaer will be gutted

With Paul Pogba’s future at United far from secure, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is believed to be in the market for a new central midfielder this summer.

Therefore, news that Nagelsmann is confident that Goreztka will commit his future to Bayern, and turn down the Old Trafford outfit’s advances, will surely leave the Norwegian tactician feeling gutted.

The £63m-rated beast has established himself as one of the world’s players in his respective position in recent years, scoring 25 goals and providing 27 assists in 112 appearances for Die Roten.

His powerful and energetic performances have caught the eye of several onlookers since his arrival in Bavaria three years ago, including his new boss Nagelsmann, who said: “Leon is one of the best box-to-box players in Europe. He has incredible goal threat and knows when to bomb forward.”

Goretzka would have been a perfect, ready-made replacement for the potentially departing Pogba or he could have added more stability and strength in depth to United’s engine room if the France international decided to stay.

However, the chances of Goretzka joining the 20-time English champions either this summer or next now appear to be slim, something which will come as a blow to Solskjaer’s ambitions.

And, in other news…Time’s up: Ole must axe £9m-rated MUFC dud this summer, he’s not good enough 

Many Aston Villa fans have been expressing their delight on Twitter after the club posted footage showing Danny Ings’ first goal at Villa Park in a 3-1 pre-season friendly win against Salernitana.

Producing commendable numbers in 2020/21, the 29-year-old registered 17 goal contributions in 33 appearances for Southampton, with 13 goals and four assists [Transfermarkt]. That fine return prompted Villa to swoop for his services in a deal worth £31.68m, and the early signs under Dean Smith are promising.

As his new club saw off recently-promoted Serie A outfit Salernitana, Ings converted from close range after a pinpoint pass from Jaden Philogene-Bidace. In an entertaining encounter, Anwar El-Ghazi and Ashley Young also got on the scoresheet after Joel Obi opened the scoring for the visitors [avfc.co.uk].

Aston Villa fans react to Ings’ goal

Replying to Aston Villa’s official Twitter account after it posted footage of Ings’ strike, here is what some fans had to say about the “awesome” finish:

“What a signing!! #SaintsFc are going to miss his goals so much, hopefully he’s our missing piece to fire us into Europe! Watkins x Ings #AVFC”

Credit: @VillaWatch1

“Ingsyyyy”

Credit: @catrinavfc

“Feed the goal machine and watch Danny go”

Credit: @MerseMagic

“His movement in the box is first class”

Credit: @raffsteveraff

 “Absolute bagsman”

Credit: @DL1992_”Awesome”Credit: @sankeysaddleryIn other news, many Aston Villa fans react to an update on this transfer target

West Ham United’s centre-back hunt has returned to a familiar name this week…

What’s the word?

According to Get French Football News, the Irons are set to restart talks to sign Marseille colossus Duje Caleta-Car before the transfer deadline on August 31st.

It comes after David Moyes and co were dealt a devastating blow in their attempts to secure Kurt Zouma from Chelsea, with the Frenchman said to have rejected a switch to the London Stadium.

The Hammers have long been linked with the 16-cap Croatian international and back in October, the Guardian claimed that he had turned down the chance to sign for West Ham as they couldn’t offer him European football.

Obviously, that has now changed.

Moyes clearly likes him

If Moyes has been tracking Caleta-Car for that long, then it’s time for GSB to press ahead and sanction the transfer. Whilst it remains to be seen exactly how much he’d cost, ExWHUemployee believes he’d be available for just £15m.

That could be a bargain considering CIES Football Observatory currently value him at €20m (£18m).

Described as “very physical” and “really big” by GFFN’s Adam White, the 6 foot 4 centre-back would give the Scot a massive presence in the heart of midfield, especially alongside another imposing beast like Angelo Ogbonna.

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The 24-year-old started 32 matches for Marseille in Ligue 1 last season, where he won an average of 2.5 aerial duels per game, reinforcing just how commanding he can be. He also managed 1.3 interceptions, 3.9 clearances and an impressive passing accuracy of just over 86%, via WhoScored.

It’s clear that Caleta-Car isn’t just a physical specimen but one that is rather intelligent and one that is capable of playing with the ball at his feet. He may also lack pace but he evidently makes up for it, having averaged more interceptions than Ogbonna (1.1), Issa Diop (1.2) and Aaron Cresswell (0.9).

The Croatian livewire also has a ruthless streak in him, having picked up 47 yellow cards and four red cards across 221 appearances for both the Ligue 1 outfit and his former club RB Salzburg.

Caleta-Car has even been tipped to become a success in England one day by his international teammate, ex-Liverpool star Dejan Lovren.

“In my opinion, Duje could easily play in England. He is physically very strong, stronger than other players. He will explode in a few years and become even stronger,” he claimed to La Provence.

After the blow to Zouma, GSB could do little wrong in sanctioning a move for the 24-year-old defender. He’d be a steal at that price.

AND in other news, David Moyes receives huge West Ham boost as significant Rush Green development emerges…

Southampton have been heavily linked with Joakim Maehle in recent years and the Denmark star would be available this summer should the Saints submit an acceptable bid, with the Atalanta man reportedly up for sale.

What’s the word?

Southampton were initially linked with the full-back during his time at Genk and reportedly submitted a bid to the Belgian Pro League side in January 2019.

However, that bid was rejected and he joined Atalanta in January, despite more reported interest from Southampton in the months beforehand.

After an impressive Euro 2020 with Denmark, with the versatile defender helping Kasper Hjulmand’s side to the semi-finals, it was perhaps always likely that links to Southampton would resurface, and according to Serie A football expert Conor Clancy, the 24-year-old will be up for sale by Atalanta this summer.

He told Football FanCast: “Everyone at Atalanta is for sale. That’s just how they work every summer.

“Maehle is not a starter on the left or the right at Atalanta. He showed some flashes of the player we saw at Euro 2020 early on at Atalanta, but then it didn’t quite happen for him.

“If a club wants Maehle, they can sign him. Everyone who saw the Euros knows Southampton would be getting a very good player if they can sign him.”

Should Southampton bid for Maehle?

Although Southampton have already brought in Romain Perraud and Tino Livramento as full-back options this summer, Maehle’s versatility suggests that he could be a great option for Hasenhuttl to have next season, as both Perraud and Livramento are young and inexperienced.

Maehle was one of the stars of Euro 2020, contributing two goals and one assist in six appearances for Denmark, which earned him a fantastic 7.38 rating from WhoScored for his performances. Ian Wright also labelled him “fantastic” after his performance against the Czech Republic in the quarter-finals.

He ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to a typical Hasenhuttl signing, as he is 24 years old, versatile and extremely athletic, whilst his current Transfermarkt value of £17.1m suggests that he could be affordable, especially with the money raised from Danny Ings and Jannik Vestergaard’s departures.

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Therefore, if Clancy’s claim is true and Atalanta are willing to sell this summer, that is a huge boost to Southampton’s reported hopes of signing Maehle, and Martin Semmens should definitely try and bring him to St Mary’s.

In other news… Semmens heading for Saints transfer disaster with £10.8m-rated “machine”

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has dropped a teasing Aston Villa transfer update that will leave fans excited.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith’s side have enjoyed a rollercoaster ride of a summer transfer window thus far, losing Jack Grealish to Premier League champions Manchester City, but strengthening the squad with a number of key additions.

And now, Evans has delivered the latest update on where things currently stand at Villa Park.

He said: “With a couple of weeks still left in this window, Villa remain open to one late move. James Ward-Prowse has been on the radar all summer but, as previously reported, the chances of Southampton letting him go after already selling Ings and key defender Jannik Vestergaard in the current window are slim.

“They will only accept a huge bid for Ward-Prowse — somewhere around half of what Grealish cost City — so that appears unlikely now. Villa may move on to an alternative target, or even wait until the window reopens in January.”

Fans will be excited

While Evans may have poured cold water over a potential move for Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse, the journalist does deliver a teasing claim about Villa doing some kind of late business towards the end of the transfer window.

The opening day defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road in the Premier League no doubt raised some concerns in Smith’s eyes over his team, and he will be aware that Villa will face some early problems in getting his new team to gel – both in terms of the number of signings he’s made and fitting them in, and losing the influence of Grealish.

Bringing in a new central midfield to bolster the spine of the team seems like the logical thing to do, given they’ve already brought in Axel Tuanzebe at centre-back, Emi Buendia to bring some creativity further forward, and Danny Ings to shoulder some of the goal-scoring burden.

If Villa can end the transfer window with another marquee signing late on, then they can be very pleased with the work they’ve done in replacing Grealish this summer.

Fans will be very excited to see whether Evans’ transfer claim about a late move comes to fruition.

Meanwhile, this Aston Villa man was shocking vs Watford…

Aston Villa have been linked with a move for Sparta Rotterdam midfielder Abdou Harroui, as reported by TuttoMercatoWeb.

The Lowdown: Harroui profiled

Harroui is 23 years of age and has been with his current employers since 2018, making 103 appearances, scoring 18 times and registering 13 assists.

Capable of playing as a central midfielder, defensive midfielder or on the right, he has also made 13 appearances for Netherlands at under-21 level.

He appears to be at the top of his game with his career-high £3.15m Transfermarkt valuation, and it seems as if Villa are keen on his services.

The Latest: Villa links

TuttoMercatoWeb shared a story on Saturday claiming that Harroui is ready to leave Sparta Rotterdam.

The report added that Villa are ‘strong’ on the player, with a significant development possible over the weekend.

The Verdict: A shrewd signing?

Harroui has plenty of experience and is only just 23 years of age, so a late summer move could be a shrewd piece of business by Villa.

He is also into the final 12 months of his contract, so there could be a chance that Villa may sign him for less than his Transfermarkt valuation.

Villa missed out on long-term target James Ward-Prowse from Southampton after he signed a new deal at St Mary’s, so bringing in Harroui instead could be a smart move, both financially and in the long run in regards to the Dutchman’s development.

In other news: Source shares reason for ‘unsung hero’ leaving Villa Park. 

A number of Aston Villa fans have been reacting to news shared by the Premier League in regards to the upcoming international break.

Villa announced on Monday that both Emiliano Buendia and Emiliano Martinez have been called up by Argentina for next month’s World Cup qualifiers.

Several Villa supporters weren’t impressed, as Argentina is currently on the UK Government’s red-list regarding travel to England, meaning a 10-day period of hotel isolation would be required for the pair before players can return to Villa.

However, Premier League clubs have now decided that they will not release players to represent their countries in red-list countries.

So, as it stands, it appears as if Buendia and Martinez will not be travelling next month and look set to remain in the Midlands.

Villa fans react

@AVFCFaithful_ shared the Premier League’s statement on Twitter on Tuesday evening.

This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with more than one labelling it as ‘good news for Villa’.

“Well done”

Credit: @HappyAVFC

“Good news for Villa”

Credit: @RossMatthewman7

“brilliant”

Credit: @charliepowellm1

“It’s a shame for them. But the league has to take priority for me”

Credit: @VillaVisionBen

“Right decision. Can’t afford to pay players millions and not see them for a month.”

Credit: @stevesanderstax

“Brilliant so what does that mean to our players now then”

Credit: @paigeysadler56

In other news: ‘Wow’, ‘Come on’, ‘Pay it’ – Many AVFC fans flock to Fabrizio Romano’s transfer news. 

Leeds United turned down the opportunity to sign Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks on loan this season, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Midfielder needed?

The Whites haven’t done a huge amount of business in the summer transfer window, with Kristoffer Klaesson and Junior Firpo coming in, as well as Jack Harrison making his move from Manchester City permanent.

There is still time for new signings to join, however, and midfield is arguably an area that requires more depth, with Kalvin Phillips perhaps relied upon too heavily at times.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Leeds turn down Winks move

Despite this, The Athletic‘s Hay claims that Leeds declined the opportunity to bring in Winks on loan, with the 25-year-old seemingly not part of Nuno Espirito Santo’s plans.

He has made 176 appearances for Spurs and won ten caps for England – Mauricio Pochettino once hailed him as ‘amazing’ – but he missed out on a place at Euro 2020.

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The Verdict: Strange decision

Marcelo Bielsa is seemingly content with his squad, but it does seem odd not to have signed Winks, considering he was available on loan.

It may simply be that the Leeds boss doesn’t feel he fits into his style of play, but he is still a proven Premier League midfielder who could have added more quality in the middle of the park at a minimal cost.

Winks averaged 1.3 key passes per game in the Europa League last season, highlighting his quality on the ball, and he may have dovetailed nicely with Phillips.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly interested in a late move for one player. Find out who it is here.

At the beginning of the day it looked as though Wolves were going to sign Renato Sanches on a loan deal.

However, deadline day has not gone as planned for Bruno Lage and co, with the Old Gold missing out on two targets now in the final hours.

What’s the word?

Wolves missed out on the acquisition of Sven Botman, with the Dutchman proving to be too expensive.

However, despite Sanches merely being a potential loan move, it looks like Lage won’t get that move done either.

The Molineux outfit had been pushing for the central midfielder in the concluding hours of the window but the two clubs haven’t been able to come to an agreement.

Tim Spiers revealed the bad news on Twitter, saying: “Not good news re Renato Sanches. Deal off as things stand, clubs too far apart on loan agreement (particularly the option next summer).”

The Athletic journalist did state there was a little margin of hope, adding: “Important to stress the ‘as things stand’ part of this tweet. Not off full stop, dialogue still open but plenty still to agree.”

Lage has hope

If Wolves can’t sign Sanches on the final day of the window, then it should be seen as a colossal blow.

The Old Gold haven’t been able to conclude much business this summer, but this was a deal which could have taken them to the next level.

He’s long been seen as one of the most promising central players in Europe and it would have been a considerable coup to bring him to Molineux. With a potential option to buy him as well, he could have been a phenomenal replacement for Ruben Neves if the latter did eventually leave next summer.

Neves has been linked with a move away for the vast majority of the transfer window and his absence would be felt hard if you judge him by his performance against Spurs over a week ago.

The two Portuguese players are competent when it comes to breaking down the play but are both calm and composed in possession the ball. Last term, for instance, they both completed more than 84% of their passes.

If you consider the lack of options Wolves have in that area of the pitch, it makes the need for Sanches even more greater.

After a quiet few months on the transfer front, this should leave the club’s supporters feeling rather dejected. It will also be a frustrating piece of news for Lage.

That being said, there is still a sliver of hope left with a few hours to go in the window. Negotiations are still ongoing and the deal isn’t definitely off. Will Wolves finally sign a new central midfielder? Time will tell.

AND in other news, David Ornstein delivers hopeful Wolves transfer update on D-Day, fans must be buzzing…