All posts by z3u9t.icu

Loads of Everton fans have been left gushing as some early team news has emerged ahead of their game at home to Norwich City on Saturday afternoon.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match at Goodison Park in the Premier League, Rafa Benitez has now revealed that Jordan Pickford is ‘okay’ and ‘has been training’, meaning that he could well return in between the posts against the Canaries.

It has come as a big relief for the Merseyside club to have their number-one goalkeeper back, especially after the disappointment that Asmir Begovic had in the Carabao Cup loss to Queens Park Rangers, in which he failed to save any of the seven penalties that he faced in the shootout (Sky Sports).

Everton fans on Pickford news

These Toffees supporters gushed as the early team news involving Pickford was shared by the club on their official Twitter page, with one Blue even going as far as to claim that it is ‘huge’:

“SEND THEM IN GET THE RAVE ON”

Credit: @Conor_LaneSmith

“Thank the lord we don’t have to see Begovic again”

Credit: @efcdoyley

“Pickford being back is huge”

Credit: @JDGEFC

“Relieved about Digne, and great to hear Pickford is back, gives us a bit more confidence going into this winnable game”

Credit: @daveblueallover

“No Begovic yessss”

Credit: @ShaunJackson015

“No Casper the ghost yes now”

Credit: @bobmarl03974950

In other news, find out what stadium news has Evertonians fuming here!

West Ham United are close to sealing their second signing on deadline day…

What’s the word?

According to the Telegraph’s chief football correspondent Jason Burt, a loan move for Spartak Moscow midfielder Alex Kral is “90% done”.

“West Ham close to signing Czech international midfielder Alex Kral from Spartak Moscow. Told deal is 90% done. Loan with an option to buy.. some good business being done,” he tweeted.

The Czech Republic international is a player that David Moyes and the club have followed for quite some time, with the Scot even scouting him in person at Euro 2020.

“They have been following him since January but were shocked they get him in on loan and have moved quickly,” revealed 90min’s Graeme Bailey soon after these reports first emerged today.

Moyes masterclass

This late flurry of signings from Moyes and co is very encouraging indeed.

The 58-year-old has been crying out for some depth across his playing squad and he certainly seems to be getting exactly that – Kurt Zouma has bolstered the backline, they’ve found a Jesse Lingard replacement in Nikola Vlasic, and now they edge closer to a solid back-up to Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice.

An injury to either would leave Moyes with only retiring Mark Noble in the engine room and that’s the last thing they need heading into a Europa League campaign, in which they’ll soon be playing two times a week, minimum.

Interestingly, a move for Kral seemingly fell through earlier in the summer after his sub-par showing at Euro 2020, according to The Athletic, so to be able to sign him on loan to take a look at him first-hand, is certainly a wise and shrewd decision.

It means the east Londoners won’t have to commit a transfer fee, so it appears to be a low-risk signing all-round and one that is likely to leave many singing Moyes’ praises once again.

You only have to look at his deals for Soucek and Vladimir Coufal to know that he can spot a player when he sees one. Nobody would’ve known either player before they arrived at the London Stadium and now they’re two of the first names on the team sheet and easy fan favourites.

Similarly, it’s unlikely that many could’ve foreseen the vast impact that Lingard had on the squad, given his lack of game time prior to his loan move.

If Moyes and the Irons can get Kral in on loan before tonight’s deadline, then it’s merely another example of the Hammers’ boss working his magic in the transfer market.

It has to be considered yet another masterclass.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee: West Ham in talks with four players on Deadline Day

Queens Park Rangers have been handed a potential injury boost ahead of the Rs’ upcoming Championship fixture.

What’s the latest?

According to a report by West London Sport, QPR midfielder Luke Amos is nearing a return to first-team football after spending nearly a year on the sidelines as a result of an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which the defensive midfielder picked up against AFC Bournemouth last October.

The 24-year-old, who had also spent a year on the treatment table with an ACL injury prior to his move from Tottenham Hotspur to QPR in 2020, started two fixtures in the space of a week for the club’s U23 side towards the end of August, and could be in contention for the visit of Reading this Saturday.

Warburton will be buzzing

While Mark Warburton bolstered his options in central midfield with a number of summer signings, including the likes of Stefan Johansen, Sam Field and Andre Dozzell, the return of Amos will undoubtedly have left the 59-year-old manager buzzing.

Indeed, the £900k-rated man played a key role in QPR’s 2019/20 Championship campaign, featuring in 34 league fixtures for the club, over which the former England U19 international scored two goals, as well as making an average of one interception, 1.5 tackles, 0.8 clearances and winning 3.8 duels per game.

The £5k-per-week midfielder also started the 2020/21 season brightly, averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.76 over his five Championship appearances prior to his injury.

As such, while it is true that Amos may have a bit of work to do to re-establish himself in Warburton’s starting XI, his return from injury is undeniably good news for the Rs boss, who will be delighted that a player as talented as the 24-year-old looks set to be available for selection once again – adding further depth to a position in which QPR now boast a number of impressive options.

In other news: Alan Nixon drops QPR claim on “outstanding” £4k-p/w beast which will have fans buzzing

An update has emerged regarding Aston Villa’s interest in Norwich midfielder Todd Cantwell.

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Villa are currently working on a deal to sign the Canaries attacking midfielder. Johan Lange is pushing to sign the England under-21 international for a ‘sizeable’ fee, although no specific figures are mentioned.

It was reported earlier this week that it would take between £40m and £50m for Norwich to part ways with Cantwell this summer, having already sold Emi Buendia to Dean Smith’s side.

Nightmare

Lange must avoid a transfer nightmare with Cantwell this month. It would be a mistake for the club to pay up to £50m for the midfielder this summer, as it would be a significant overpayment for his services.

He is valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, whilst his former teammate Buendia’s value is listed as £31.5m following his £34.56m move to Villa earlier in the window. This suggests that he is not worth anywhere near as much as the Argentine, which is why Lange must not pay £15m more for Cantwell than he did for Buendia.

There is also the question of where the 23-year-old would fit in. Dean Smith currently has Anwar El-Ghazi, Bertrand Traore, Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins at his disposal in attack. Watkins, Ings and El Ghazi all hit double figures for goals in the Premier League, whilst Bailey scored nine in the Bundesliga and Buendia managed 15 goals and 16 assists in the Championship.

Meanwhile, Cantwell scored six goals and set up another six in the second tier for the Canaries. This suggests that he may not be a better option than any of the aforementioned players, which means that he could only be a back-up at Villa Park next season.

His former Norwich coach Gary Cockaday called his talent God-given when speaking to The Athletic in October, saying: “Todd looked at one of them in the eye, put his toe under the ball, flicked it back over his head, turned and he was gone. All without looking at the ball.

“He did things every week that were just special. It was God-given. No one taught it. I always believed if you had someone like that, don’t change them or make them conform.”

Whilst Cantwell may have talent and have the potential to improve further, Villa should not be paying £50m for a player who could be sat on their bench for the majority of the campaign. If the price was significantly lower then it may be a different discussion, but that does not appear to be the case here.

AND in other news, “Going nowhere”: Journalist drops big Aston Villa transfer update, fans will be fuming…

According to The Scottish Sun, Glasgow Rangers are interested in signing Juninho Bacuna from Huddersfield Town this summer.

The Lowdown: Transfer window closing in

There are now less than two weeks to go until the end of the transfer window, and the Gers have so far been relatively quiet.

As it stands, they have only brought in three senior players in Fashion Sakala (rangers.co.uk), Nnamdi Ofoborh and John Lundstram on free transfers, but there is still time for them to get more business done.

The Latest: Gers eye Bacuna

As per this latest report, the 55-time Scottish champions are interested in signing Bacuna.

The Ibrox outfit are said to have been interested in the midfielder for the last 12 months, and Ross Wilson could make use of his contacts with the Terriers having had a spell with the club.

The Verdict: Interesting talent

Bacuna is certainly an interesting talent. In three years with the Yorkshire-based outfit, the 24-year-old has managed 12 goals and nine assists in 107 games in all competitions (Transfermarkt).

He has displayed a lot of versatility in his career so far, appearing across the midfield and even up front, racking up appearances in ten different positions.

Former Huddersfield manager Danny Cowley even called him “excellent” during his time with the club (Yorkshire Live). Valued at £4.5m (Transfermarkt), there is potential for Bacuna to set the Gers back a decent fee. However, he may well have the talent to be a real asset for the Glasgow club.

In other news, Rangers have been urged to sell this 25-year-old.

A significant update has emerged on Everton’s stance on Fabian Delph with just over a month to go in the transfer window.

What’s the talk?

According to the Liverpool Echo, the Toffees are open to offers for the 31-year-old this summer as they attempt to trim the squad and offload fringe players.

They are prepared to sell the England international if a suitable bid arrives at their doorstep, whilst they could also cash in on Andre Gomes, Jonjoe Kenny and James Rodriguez.

Fans will love it

Many Everton fans will likely be buzzing with this news as it means that the midfield dud may finally be set to leave the club after a disappointing spell on Merseyside. He joined the Toffees for a reported £8.55m in 2019 and has struggled on and off the pitch over the past two years, with neither a goal nor an assist from a mere 30 appearances.

Since arriving at Goodison Park, Delph has incurred seven separate injuries – five in his first campaign and two in the 2020/21 season. This has caused him to miss a whopping 39 competitive matches for the club in just two seasons, highlighting his problems off the field as he has been unable to keep himself fit for a prolonged period of time.

Earlier this year, Carlo Ancelotti voiced his frustration at Delph’s injury situation, citing his lack of fitness as a reason for not being in the squad. He said:

“He’s not injured again, but he has a little problem and is not fit 100%.

“The fact he had a problem in the past we want to be sure to put him in.

“He was on the bench the game before and during training he had a contraction of his muscle, not a big problem but he’s not available for the [Fulham] game. Maybe Wednesday he will be.

“Of course, we are frustrated because I think he’s an important player with a lot of experience. He could help us with the fact, in this moment, as in the game against Tottenham, I only had two midfielders.”

Delph has not fared much better on the pitch. The 31-year-old averaged a lowly WhoScored rating of 6.49 across 16 Premier League appearances in his debut season for the club, before regressing to 6.29 last term in eight matches. This shows that, whenever he has been fit, his performances have not made up for his injury woes, which is why he has flopped at Everton since his move from Manchester City.

Therefore, Toffees fans will surely be delighted that Marcel Brands is now looking to cash in on the England international as he has not been able to add much value to the team. Hopefully, his sale would also generate more funds for Rafa Benitez in the transfer market to bolster the squad, as they would be clearing Delph’s wages off the bill.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Godfrey: Benitez must seal dream Everton deal for £124k-p/w “monster”…

Fabrizio Romano has shared some further details on Aston Villa’s pending move for Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey.

The Lowdown: Villa’s post

Villa posted on their official Twitter page on Saturday afternoon, revealing they have reached an agreement with the Bundesliga side for the 23-year-old.

A medical and finalising personal terms are still required before he Jamaican officially becomes an Aston Villa player, and Romano has shared when fans can expect a move to go through.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano, who has been on the ball this summer when it comes to Villa-related transfers with Emiliano Buendia and Jack Grealish’s possible exit, posted on Twitter on Saturday afternoon regarding Bailey.

The transfer expert believes a deal will cost Villa £30m and are offering Bailey a five-year deal in the Midlands.

He shared some further details on a potential move less than an hour on from Villa’s post, admitting a ‘medical and official announcement next week’ – a significant six-word update.

“Leon Bailey deal will be officially completed next week for £30m to Bayer Leverkusen. Aston Villa are offering Bailey a five-years contract, they’re set to reach the agreement on personal terms too. Medical and official announcement next week. What a deal for Villa.”

The Verdict: Brilliant business

Reports back in April suggested that Villa wanted two wide forwards ahead of the new season, and it seems as if they’ll be getting them in Buendia and Bailey.

Buendia was involved in 32 league goals last season, whereas Bailey contributed to 26 goals in all competitions.

Should Grealish depart for Manchester City in a £100m deal, at least Dean Smith will have two impressive wide men to call upon in Buendia and Bailey and Villa may even look to bring in more creative firepower to possibly replace the club captain.

In other news: ‘That’s a deal breaker’ – Lots of Villa fans go wild at ‘class’ club post. 

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Liverpool star Paul Stewart believes Jurgen Klopp will look to freshen up his forward options this summer.

Over the last few years, Liverpool have arguably had the best attack in the country thanks to Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, with the trio firing the Reds to a Premier League title and Champions League trophy during Klopp’s tenure.

However, it all went a bit stale at times last season, largely due to goal droughts Mane and Firmino both went on.

And now Stewart is tipping Klopp to bring in some new faces as he looks to get Liverpool challenging for the title again.

“I see them bringing players in just for competition, you know, so that it puts the lads on their toes,” the ex-Liverpool man exclusively told FFC.

“I still see possibly those three starting unless… I wouldn’t rule out [Harry] Kane completely, but I still see those three starting. I think Mane is quality, but I think they’ll bring players in as competition.”

If it was not already going to be, signing Kane this summer looks like it will be extremely tricky.

Tottenham’s new director of football Fabio Paratici has made it clear that keeping the England captain in north London is a priority for the club.

West Ham United supporters are far from happy as their new third kit for the 2021/22 season was leaked online.

The Hammers are preparing for the new campaign after a fantastic campaign last time out – they finished sixth in the Premier League table and looked for much of the campaign as if they could even break into the top four.

As a result, they will be playing in the Europa League, and David Moyes and co will want to make the best possible impression.

As the Irons return to the European stage, they will be wanting to look as good as possible on the pitch when they do so. However, if a leak of their third kit online is anything to go by, the fans will not be happy with the club’s design. It contains blue and white stripes, with a claret collar.

The leak was shared on Twitter by @WestHam_Central, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let see what the fans said below

“Terrible”

Credit: @shane24211961

“Most disgusting kit I’ve ever seen”

Credit: @kai_diprose

“Awful.”

Credit: @alexstefano_

“oh my god that is vile”

Credit: @IronsUnited2

“Nah”

Credit: @shepherd_1972

“I’m sorry that’s rank”

Credit: @TalkinWestHam

In other news, West Ham fans were livid with this Euro 2020 decision.

Carlton Palmer has urged Crystal Palace to make a move for Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey.

What’s the talk?

The former Premier League midfielder has claimed that signing Aaron Ramsey would be a sign of intent from the Eagles.

Palace have been linked with a swoop for the Juventus star this summer and Palmer thinks that bigger sides will be joining southeast Londoners in the race for his signature.

He told This is Futbol:

“It is a sign of intent. I was hearing the rumour that Arsenal were interested in signing him.

“I would think he’s having a fantastic Euros. I would think, with no disrespect to Crystal Palace, I would think there’ll be bigger clubs that will be in for him.”

Back in 2019, former Arsenal defender Martin Keown praised the outstanding midfielder. 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.”

Fans would love it

Steve Parish must act swiftly to ensure that Palace are able to beat out any potential competitors for Ramsey’s signature this summer.

Palmer believes that bigger clubs will be coming in for him, which means that Palace need to move quickly to make sure that those sides do not have the chance to swoop in for the Welsh international.

If Parish is aggressive with his pursuit of Ramsey then it could increase Palace’s chances of signing him by reducing the time other clubs have to prepare their offers.

Palace fans would love it if Ramsey arrived at Selhurst Park this summer.

Ramsey is a proven performer at Premier League level and would be able to come in and have an instant impact on the side.

It is almost a risk-free signing from a performance perspective as there is no doubt over the £13m-rated midfielder’s ability to play in the Premier League, with 262 appearances in the English top-flight to his name.

He produced 40 goals and 51 assists for Arsenal in the Premier League and has scored five and assisted six in 46 Serie A matches for Juventus, not to mention his starring role at Euro 2020 so far this month.

The £187k-per-week maestro would, therefore, be a terrific addition to Palace’s squad and inject quality into their midfield.

Ramsey has shown that he can score and assist goals from midfield whilst playing for two top clubs in Arsenal and Juventus, suggesting that he could do the same for Palace.

This is why the fans would love him at the club, as he could help fire them up the table with his performances in the middle of the park.

AND in other news, Parish dealt major Palace blow over “interesting” 6ft 3 beast, fans will be gutted…