All posts by z3u9t.icu

According to a report by the Daily Express, via West Ham Central, the Irons’ owners GSB have held extensive talks with the representatives of Spartak Moscow midfielder Alex Kral and are now looking to complete his signing.

The Czech Republic international, who could provide additional cover in midfield for Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek, is also said to be keen on a move to the London Stadium.

He could follow in the footsteps of international teammates Soucek and Vladimir Coufal as West Ham reportedly enter talks over his signing this summer. GSB are also ready to fork out £14m to secure his signature with the player’s agent Karol Kisel, even confirming this week that he was in England for discussions.

As this news emerges, a section of West Ham supporters have been left excited by the interest in Kral, with one believing that he would be a ‘fantastic signing’.

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On paper, the 23-year-old is a similar player to Rice, having averaged the same amount of interceptions (1.8) domestically over the 2020/21 season whilst playing similar roles (WhoScored).

Therefore, it’s little wonder that so many supporters believe that Kral would be a fruitful addition for the Irons – check out some of their verdicts from social media below.

West Ham fans erupt as GSB eye Kral move

“Really hope so. Now Hlozek please”

Credit: @dazlb72

“Czech? Check. All I need“

Credit: @callumwhu123

“Been calling for him to be signed for a year now. Next – Hlozek.”

Credit: @thatboied

“Wow he’s unreal”

Credit: @Tommb22

“Yes please”

Credit: @DaniGood

“Would be a fantastic singing, would mean we could actually rotate in European games and for 14m you can’t go wrong. Quality player”

Credit: @WestHam_Xtra

In other news: West Ham source lifts lid on new transfer priority for Moyes, find out more here.

Eddie Howe will be thrilled that his team rotation paid off this afternoon at Carrow Road, with Newcastle United taking all three points from the game in an impressive performance that has put his side ninth in the Premier League table.

The Magpies took a comfortable 3-0 win from their visit to Norwich, with Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton finding the back of the net to secure their fourth win on the bounce to put them 15 points clear of the relegation zone.

Howe’s men completely dominated in possession, with 55% of the ball over the 90 minutes, taking seven shots on target and completing over 500 passes in what was a masterclass in both an offensive and defensive regard from the North East outfit.

Despite the spotlight being firmly on the goal-scoring moments of the game, Dan Burn yet again provided a solid performance as the unsung hero worked hard to keep the clean sheet this afternoon.

The £19k-per-week titan said in an interview that he wanted to bring his “passion off the pitch, on to it” at his boyhood club, and he certainly delivered in today’s performance with a defensive showing he should be proud of.

The 6ft4 centre-back won 71% of his duels, made six clearances, four interceptions and one tackle, as well as completed 33 of his 40 passes in the clash, really getting stuck into the game and leading his line with a huge presence.

Burn was one of the signings acquired in January to improve the side and boost the chances of survival in the top flight this season, and to say he has been successful in being a part of that is an understatement with Newcastle winning eight, drawing one and losing just three games the defender has been involved in.

Newcastle have now climbed into the top half of the table and are surely safe from the relegation nightmare they had found themselves in earlier in the season, and with players like Burn joining the side the future is looking bright for the club.

AND in other news: NUFC plot £33m bid for “phenomenal” ace with “magical powers”, he’d get SJP rocking

According to a report by The Mirror, sharing a big Fenway Sports Group (FSG) development, Liverpool’s owners have rejected a bid of almost £3bn for the Merseyside club from an unnamed investor – prompting many Reds fans to vent their fury over this news.

FSG purchased the Merseyside club from previous American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks, who had plunged the Reds into £350m worth of debt (Goal).

During the current ownership, Liverpool steadied the ship financially and slowly re-established themselves as a top four club, but they have come under serious fire recently for a very controversial decision.

Liverpool’s involvement in the now-suspended European Super League (ESL) as a founding club prompted waves of backlash – so much so that, after the club effectively pulled out of the proposals alongside the rest of the ‘big six’, principal owner John W. Henry released a public apology to supporters.

The relationship between Reds and their FSG ownership appears more strained than ever, and news has now emerged that they recently rejected a £3bn takeover bid just before the ESL saga.

Flocking to this big development, there was no shortage of eruption from Liverpool supporters to this news – you can see some of their verdicts below.

Liverpool fans erupt over big FSG development

“The day gets worse and worse”

Credit: @HLFC_

“Shaking with rage”

Credit: @lfc_lallum

“Being a Liverpool fan this year is absolutely gut wrenching.”

Credit: @Twel864

“NOOOOOOOO”

Credit: @E_Barnes03

“Hate life”

Credit: @Benjih200

“Cruel if true”

Credit: @norlanian

“I’m off to cry”

Credit: @lfc826

In other news: Liverpool fans blasted this ‘shocking’ ace after his Newcastle display, find out more here.

According to former West Ham defender Glen Johnson (as shared by football.london), if Jesse Lingard wanted to join the Hammers in the January transfer window, it would already have happened.

The Lowdown: Lingard’s transfer saga with the Hammers

Ever since Lingard’s loan move at West Ham came to an end last summer, the Manchester United midfielder has regularly been linked with a permanent transfer to David Moyes’ side.

From a Hammers perspective, it is easy to see why. During his six-month stint with the club, the 29-year-old played 16 times for the Irons and stunned the footballing world by producing nine goals and five assists in an unbelievable run.

However, life has not been as simple for the midfielder since returning to Old Trafford. Lingard has played just 88 minutes of Premier League football this season, having failed to make the Red Devils’ starting XI once.

With his contract expiring in the summer, the former England international is currently set to leave Man United on a free transfer at the end of the season, with West Ham reportedly interested in securing the player’s signature.

The Latest: Johnson makes Lingard claim

According to former Hammers full-back Glen Johnson (as relayed by football.london), though, Lingard would already be a West Ham player this month if he were truly interested in leaving Man United for good.

The 37-year-old said: “I think if Jesse Lingard really wanted the move himself then it would have happened already. If he genuinely wanted it, then it would have been done.

“He’s not playing at Manchester United. Everyone loved him at West Ham. So if the player wanted to do it, it doesn’t sound like a very difficult deal to do. You can only imagine that he’s trying to stay at Manchester United for whatever reason. I would guess that it’s Jesse that didn’t want to do it and go to anybody else.

“If you were Manchester United you would sell him. And if you were West Ham you would sign him. I think he would be in the West Ham starting XI. I don’t think it would be guaranteed. If he gets there and plays like he did previously he’d nail down a place but I do think they’ve got some good players in that position. I don’t think he would be a guaranteed starter but if he hits the form that he was in before then yes he will be.”

The Verdict: Lingard must not be keen on West Ham return

As suggested by Johnson, it seems that Lingard is not keen on a return to West Ham. Moyes’ previous attempts to lure him back to east London proved unsuccessful, with the English midfielder preferring to stay and fight for his place in the team at Old Trafford.

This is a shame for the 29-year-old’s career, as without regular game-time he will surely not be able to secure a place in the England team ahead of the World Cup later this year. Lingard has made 32 appearances for his country and still has plenty of years left to add to this tally.

With Tottenham also interested in the player, it could become even harder for Moyes to secure Lingard’s signature this month.

In other news – ‘Keeping an eye on’: Journalist drops West Ham transfer news about youngster likened to Gareth Bale

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been sharing their concern after Jack Grealish’s agent spoke out regarding the midfielder’s future.

The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a Villa Park exit in recent months, with Manchester City thought to be after his signature this summer.

Grealish only signed a new five-year deal with the club back in September, but it seems as if City will launch a big-money bid for the attacking midfielder, should they win the Champions League later this month.

Speculation appears to be growing ahead of the upcoming transfer window, and Grealish’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, addressed the player’s future.

Talking to Sky Sports, Barnett admitted the midfielder loves the club, however, he added in a dreaded ‘but’, claiming they will have to wait and see how things pan out over the summer.

“He loves Villa but I think we just have to wait and see how things pan out. At the moment he is a Villa player and he has no thoughts about anything else.”

Villa fans react

Those comments were shared on Twitter by @villareport on Thursday evening.

Their post received plenty of interaction, with these Villa supporters sharing their concern at Barnett’s future comments.

“that “but” had me shook”Credit: @compsavfc_”oh no”Credit: @tiwari0216″Inevitable he’ll go at some point if he’s got any ambition. I would! He’s looking at his mates Foden and Mount thinking I WANT A BIT OF THAT “Credit: @chippaper”Yeah he’s off”Credit: @MBlackmore1874″The dreaded but.”Credit: @AJWise”What?”Credit: @smudgersmith__

In other news: Major Carney Chukwuemeka development emerges, find out more here. 

Everton’s hunt for a new manager has been full of drama this week as supporters try everything in their power to ensure Rafa Benitez doesn’t become their new boss.

However, they have received a blow in their bid to disrupt matters at board level.

What’s the word?

A new name emerged in Everton’s managerial hunt over the last few days with Lucien Favre linked with the job.

Talks has stalled with Nuno Santo and with fan concern rising amid Benitez’s possible appointment, the Toffees began to look elsewhere.

Unfortunately, the Merseyside club look as though they’ll miss out on Favre.

According to The Guardian, Crystal Palace are on the verge of hiring the 63-year-old as Roy Hodgson’s successor on a three-year deal.

The report cites Everton’s interest but claims that the Swiss coach was attracted by Palace’s proposal instead.

Fans will be gutted

With Everton moving closer to the appointment of Benitez, this whole situation is likely to leave the supporters rather unhappy.

They have already displayed their anger across multiple platforms about seeing the Spaniard take over at Goodison Park.

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It would bring the 61-year-old closer to his Merseyside home but the Goodison Park faithful hold a certain level of disdain towards him after comments he made all the way back in 2007.

His allegiances to Liverpool are also a natural negative for the Everton fans. Thus, to lose out on another manager can only be bad news.

Favre was an interesting name to emerge and based on his recent CV, he’d have been more equipped for the role.

He was sacked by Borussia Dortmund last December but clearly has the talents to manage a bigger club.

The experienced manager guided them to consecutive second-place finishes in the Bundesliga and made them a rampant force going forward.

Besides Dominic Calvert-Lewin who scored 21 last term, Everton lacked goals and a ruthless nature going forward.

However, with Favre’s attractive lung-busting approach to the game, he could have revived their fortunes in the final third. After all, Dortmund scored 84 goals in 2019/20, second to only Bayern Munich.

With his time at Dortmund in mind, Everton supporters should be perplexed that he’s chosen the Eagles, rather than a side closer to European football.

It speaks volumes about where they are as a club right now; matters desperately need improving.

AND in other news, Toffees may be hit with massive blow after Everton news emerges, Brands will be livid…

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…

An update has emerged on Rangers centre-back Leon Balogun, regarding Steven Gerrard’s thoughts on the defender.

What’s the talk?

According to The Scottish Sun, the Gers boss is be keen to keep Leon Balogun at the club beyond the end of the season.

The report states that Balogun is out of contract at the end of the campaign, but he has won over Gerrard’s trust and could be handed an extension.

Gerrard loves him

Ibrox chief Ross Wilson must make a key decision by offering Balogun a contract to remain at Ibrox beyond the end of the 2021/22 campaign. He must now allow the central defender to depart on a free transfer as he still has plenty to offer and could be a valuable player for Gerrard moving forward.

Whilst there is speculation circling around Gerrard’s own future at Rangers, he is still contracted to the club and we can only assume that he will be the head coach heading into next season as it stands. This is why signing Balogun to a new deal could be a shrewd move, as he is a player the ex-Liverpool man loves.

Earlier this year, Gerrard lauded the defender as he admitted that he wanted Balogun to sign a contract extension, which he later did. The manager said:

“Leon is someone we want to keep hold of. He knows that and he is performing so well.

“He signed a contract with an option of an extension and we want him to be here beyond this season.

“Leon knows he is wanted here. I think he’s enjoying it, he’s playing with a smile on his face.

This, along with the aforementioned report stating Gerrard’s trust in the £14k-per-week defender, shows that Balogun is loved by the manager and that is why he must be handed another extension by Wilson.

He has shown on the pitch this season that he still has quality to offer.

Balogun has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.20 in the Premiership and 7.25 in the Europa League, with Rangers keeping three clean sheets in his six league appearances.

This shows that he can still perform to a high standard for the Gers and Wilson must please Gerrard by getting the Nigerian international to put pen to paper.

AND in other news, Rangers may be set for big boost after Gers news, Gerrard will be elated…

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”…

Lee Ryder has criticised the display of Matt Ritchie as Newcastle United drew 2-2 at home to Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Disappointing day

While the North East club did manage to pick up their first point of the season at St. James’ Park, ultimately it ended in disappointment as they went 2-1 up in injury time through Allan Saint-Maximin, before giving away a needless penalty with one of the last kicks of the game which was scored by James Ward-Prowse.

While there were some decent performances in the famous black-and-white stripes, others failed to impress heading into the international break.

The Latest: Ritchie criticised

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Ryder was particularly critical of Ritchie, claiming that he ‘did not conjure up’ his usual supply line and was ‘unconvincing’ at wing-back.

The journalist gave the Scotland international a mere 5/10 overall rating for his performance, the joint-second worst out of any of his teammates to have set foot on the pitch.

The Verdict: Justified

The criticism of Ritchie was certainly justified given his overall display, which was not convincing at all.

The 31-year-old lost out on five of his duels in the match, and also failed to record a single shot on goal or successful dribble (Sofascore).

He also failed to block any shots or make any interceptions or accurate crosses, and lost possession of the ball on no fewer than 14 separate occasions, the joint-third most out of any Magpies player (Sofascore).

Nonetheless, Ritchie will have to produce better performances if he is to stay in the team after the international break.

In other news, find out who NUFC are now ‘in talks’ to sign here!