All posts by z3u9t.icu

Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Rui Patricio’s proposed move to AS Roma could be in doubt.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the two clubs are still some way apart on the transfer fee. Roma are apparently willing to offer €6m (£5.2m) for Patricio, but Wolves are asking for twice that amount. On top of that, the player’s family are said to have reservations about leaving England.

Patricio had been on Euro 2020 duty with Portugal, but their tournament was ended on Sunday by a 1-0 round of 16 defeat to Belgium.

Patricio has been Wolves’ number one since promotion

Wolves picked up Patricio ahead of their Premier League return three years ago after he terminated his Sporting Lisbon contract (via BBC Sport).

He has gone to rack up 127 appearances for the club, conceding 151 goals and keeping 37 clean sheets (via Transfermarkt) and being hailed by some fans as “massively underrated”.

Wolves have been linked with another Portuguese ‘keeper, Jose Sa of Olympiacos, as a potential replacement for the 33-year-old.

Fan feed Talking Wolves relayed Gazzetta’s claims, and here’s how some fans reacted, with many pleased to hear that the club aren’t willing to meet Roma’s initial offer.

Wolves fans react to possible Patricio twist

“Give the guy a new contract, he’s a decent keeper, not perfect but who is”

Credit: @satsomboon

“The Patricios love the Mander Centre”

Credit: @joehands_19

“Keep him, he’s 33 which he’s still got few years in him still and is massively underrated. Don’t care that he’s on a 100k a week, you want the best you have to pay”

Credit: @harryvenner

“If he wants to stay we should keep him in my opinion”

Credit: @mfleck8

“Keep him @Wolves”

Credit: @neilweav

“Ty, Rui’s family”

Credit: @AdamWWFC_

In other news, Steve Bull has described this Wolves target as a ‘top-class player’ 

Rangers winger Ryan Kent made an ‘inexcusable’ error in the first half of Sunday’s Old Firm derby defeat, Ally McCoist has said. 

The lowdown

Rangers had the opportunity to go level points with their Glasgow arch-rivals at the top of the Premiership, but instead wound up falling six points back after a 2-1 defeat.

Aaron Ramsey had given them an early lead, but Tom Rogic quickly equalised and Cameron Carter-Vickers completed the turnaround shortly before half-time. With just six games to go, the Gers’ title hopes are now looking somewhat slim.

Kent formed part of an attacking midfield trio in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s 4-2-3-1 shape, starting alongside Ramsey and Joe Aribo, and he completed the full 90 minutes.

The latest

With the score locked at 1-1, Kent was caught offside 29 minutes into the game after John Lundstram had tried to slip him through on goal, and McCoist, who is , was left deeply frustrated by that lapse in concentration.

On commentary for Sky Sports Football on Sunday [3 April, 12:30pm], as quoted by Ibrox News, Rangers’ all-time top scorer fumed: “It’s inexcusable. Goldson’s done the exact same thing – you must look along the line.

“It’s a brilliant ball from Lundstram. I thought, initially, the pass was for Bassey. You’ve got absolutely no need to be offside there.”

The verdict

Kent is one of Rangers’ star players. He ranks fourth in the squad for overall goal involvements (11) and second for assists (eight), and Transfermarkt rate him as the club’s most valuable asset at £12.6m.

However, after he set up Ramsey for the opener in the third minute, it proved to be a frustrating day for the 25-year-old at Ibrox. He only completed two of the six dribbles he attempted, none of his five crosses found a team-mate and two of his three shots were blocked (via SofaScore).

He and his Rangers team-mates will now look to take out that frustration on Braga in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final on Thursday.

In other news, the stats show that this Rangers trio struggled most against the Hoops

As per reliable reporter Mark Palmer of The Sunday Times, an exciting transfer claim has now dropped involving star J-League striker Daizen Maeda and Celtic.

The Lowdown: Ange eyes move…

Speaking ahead of their clash with St Johnstone in the SPFL today, Ange Postecoglou was forthright on the subject of fresh faces at Parkhead in January.

Indeed, the Hoops head coach revealed that the process of identifying transfer targets mid-season has already started and hints Celtic ‘will’ make signings ( via Sky Sports).

Now, an exciting claim has dropped on who could be making his way to Glasgow.

The Latest: Hoops ‘step up’ Maeda chase…

As per Palmer of The Times, sharing his article on Twitter, Celtic now ‘step up efforts’ to sign ‘another’ J-League star in the January window.

After snapping up Kyogo Furuhashi in the summer, well placed sources in Japan have told The Times and Palmer they expect a move to be completed for clinical Asian forward Maeda.

Scoring 18 goals and assisting three others over this current campaign so far, Celtic are apparently confident they can sign the 24-year-old for Ange.

The Verdict: Get it done…

His ruthless goalscoring record is just one reason why Ange simply must make a move for Maeda.

The Japan international has also been labelled a ‘stone cold killer’ by members of the press in his country (via Celts Are Here) and he could be exactly the kind of player to inject even more quality at Celtic.

If they are to re-gain their SPFL dominance back from arch rivals Rangers, signing Maeda would certainly be a step in the right direction.

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano took to Twitter to make a huge claim regarding the potential permanent signing of current Tottenham loanee Dejan Kulusevski.

The Lowdown: Kulusevski’s instant impact

Since his arrival at Hotspur Way, the 21-year-old has gone on to make a fantastic impression at the club, demonstrated on the pitch by his instant impact. In 11 Premier League games this year, the winger has netted three goals and produced six assists, in the process becoming crucial to Antonio Conte’s starting XI.

Pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has since claimed that “he’s been outstanding the whole time he’s been at Spurs”.

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The Latest: Romano’s update on Kulusevski

Taking to Twitter, Fabrizio Romano shared an update on the possibility of Spurs completing the permanent signing of Kulusevski, claiming that Tottenham sources believe it is only a ‘matter of time’ until the Sweden international is confirmed on a permanent deal which could be in the region of £29.3m.

Romano said: “Dejan Kulusevski’s impact has been something incredible. Tottenham sources considers his permanent signing ‘matter of time’, €35m fee is not gonna be an issue. #THFC”

The Verdict: Great move for Spurs

Following his electric start to life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the 21-year-old has proven to be a fantastic deadline day coup for Fabio Paratici.

Having ranked in the 98th percentile for assists among players in Europe’s top five leagues (via FBRef), Kulusevski could be the perfect accomplice to Harry Kane with the number of chances that he creates in the final third.

As a result, it seems that the £29.3m price tag could prove to be an absolute bargain for the club’s long-term future, if indeed Tottenham sign the Sweden international permanently.

In other news: Tottenham source shares big exit update

A number of Liverpool supporters are in positive spirits after the Reds were linked with an exciting move for Arsenal and England star Bukayo Saka.

Jurgen Klopp has had a quiet time of things in the transfer market of late, with Ibrahima Konate the only signing made by the club last summer.

That doesn’t mean a number of players haven’t been linked with moves to Liverpool, however, as the Reds look to remain a huge force with Klopp at the helm.

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According to The Transfer Window Podcast [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], Liverpool are open to the idea of bringing Arsenal forward Saka to the club, and the Gunners talent was pictured sharing a chat with Klopp on Thursday evening.

The 20-year-old has emerged as one of the most exciting young players in Britain, scoring 18 goals and registering 25 assists for the north London outfit already.

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Liverpool fans keen on Saka signing

These Liverpool fans have reacted positively to the claim on Twitter.

“This would be the best thing that could happen for him going from a pretender club to a real club with ambition”

Credit: @Tronicssystem

“Cool!”

Credit: @RedMan4Lyfe

“Absolutely, yes”

Credit: @lucyinussr

“I would take him. Realistically I doubt we would sign him”

Credit: @agentdixon

“Get him and he’ll thrive under Klopp and co”

Credit: @AdeAllmark

“I think Jurgen would get the best out of him and he would be playing in a more attack-minded team”

Credit: @LeeDavi1010

In other news, some Liverpool fans have flocked to a Reds transfer update. Read more here.

An update has emerged on Leeds transfer target Lewis O’Brien regarding his contract at Championship club Huddersfield.

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the 22-year-old has a release clause in the contract that he signed in September at the John Smith’s Stadium.

The report claimed that Leeds failed to land O’Brien in the summer transfer window, with the Terriers then pinning him down to a fresh deal. However, as part of that agreement, the midfielder now has a £10m release clause which the Whites could activate in January.

Excitement

This update will surely leave Leeds fans excited at the prospect of the club being able to sign O’Brien in the January transfer window. The Whites are said to have made a £13m bid during the summer, which suggests that £10m is an affordable price that Victor Orta is willing to shell out on the midfielder.

Supporters would likely be buzzing with the arrival of O’Brien as he is a promising young player who seems to suit Marcelo Bielsa’s style of play and could be ready to make the step up to the Premier League.

The 22-year-old has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.85 in the Championship for Huddersfield this term, whilst averaging an eye-catching 2.5 tackles per game. This comes after he averaged the same rating across 42 league outings last season, making three tackles and interceptions per game.

In terms of him possibly suiting Bielsa’s style, former Huddersfield goalkeeper Matt Glennon once lauded O’Brien’s work rate, saying: “He closes down until the 95th, 96th minute, still running to the corners, stopping defenders, he’s got unlimited energy.

“Lewis O’Brien wants to put the hard yards in and wants to be at the very top of where he can get to. He’s one of those lads who works ridiculously hard which, for me, is your minimum in any league, but he’s got that quality, the drop of a shoulder, that strength to keep people off him, a low centre of gravity to glide past people, arm aloft when they try to knock him off the ball.”

A player with “unlimited energy” in a press-orientated Bielsa side? It sounds like a match made in heaven and that is why Leeds fans will surely be excited by the news that O’Brien has a release clause in his Huddersfield contract, as it increases the chances of him arriving at Elland Road.

Without a clause in his contract, the Terriers would be well within their rights to reject any offers and that could have led to Leeds looking elsewhere. Instead, Orta could swoop in to secure a £10m January deal.

In other news: Reliable journalist drops Leeds United transfer claim which could leave Bielsa fuming

West Ham boss David Moyes risks making a massive blunder if emerging claims are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to ExWHUemployee, the Irons do hold some interest in Liverpool striker Divock Origi but any potential move for him isn’t likely to happen until the end of the transfer window.

He tweeted:

“He is someone I’ve reported interest on before but I don’t think a move is close at this point but could be towards [the] end of [the] window.”

Last month, 90min listed the East London outfit among the sides that were monitoring his situation, with the likes of Southampton, Crystal Palace, Rangers and Celtic mooted too.

Moyes mistake

The Hammers have been linked to several strikers throughout the summer but Origi would arguably be the most underwhelming of the lot.

It’s thought that Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham was the first-choice target for Moyes but it appears that he is against a move to the London Stadium, as revealed by ExWHUemployee last week.

Another more exciting name linked with the club in recent months is Danny Ings, but he has since signed for Premier League rivals Aston Villa.

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Barring his involvement in Liverpool’s Champions League-winning run, a brace in their come-from-behind win over Barcelona and another goal in the final against Spurs, Origi has done very little to warrant his whopping £77k-per-week wages at Anfield.

As per Transfermarkt, the Belgian forward played only 537 minutes across all competitions last season and that was even despite Diogo Jota suffering an injury and the indifferent form of Roberto Firmino.

In total, Origi, who was once dubbed a “monster” by former Man City captain Vincent Kompany, has only scored 35 goals in a far from impressive 157 appearances, averaging a goal every 4.4 matches.

That’s hardly prolific.

If Moyes is to find someone capable of providing the perfect foil to injury-prone Michail Antonio, then he simply must look elsewhere.

Origi has already proven to be a massive flop in the Premier League and that’s the last thing they need heading into a Europa League campaign. It would be one massive mistake.

AND in other news, Moyes could land West Ham another Antonio in 22-goal “machine” once likened to Mbappe…

While things at Wolverhampton Wanderers appear to very much be on the up in recent months, with Bruno Lage’s side picking up a highly impressive 16 points from a possible 20 over their last seven Premier League fixtures, there are nevertheless a couple of issues at Molineux that will be a cause for concern amongst fans.

Indeed, with Morgan Gibbs-White being sent out on loan at the start of the season and Bruno Jordao still being sidelined due to injury, the 45-year-old manager currently has just three options to choose from in the middle of the park – Ruben Neves, Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho.

And, with December soon upon us – famously the most hectic period of the Premier League calendar – should either of this trio pick up an injury or suspension, Lage’s lack of choice in central midfield could well derail Wolves’ push to secure European football come next May rather quickly.

However, the Portuguese manager may well possess a ready-made solution to this potential middle of the park Christmas crisis – in the shape of 19-year-old Luke Cundle.

Cundle could save Shi millions

It is easy to see why expectations of those at Wolves are so high for Cundle, as the teenager has continually impressed during his progression through the club’s youth ranks.

Indeed, over his 41 appearances for the U18 side, the central midfielder scored four goals and registered four assists, while, over his 43 fixtures after being promoted to James Collins’ U23 side, the youngster has bagged four goals and nine assists, as well as being made the captain of the team.

The latest of these goals for the U23s came on Friday evening, with the teenager scoring a stunning 73rd-minute winner for his side – playing a one-two with a teammate on the edge of the opposition penalty area, before jinking through a number of defenders and driving powerfully home – in a 2-1 Premier League 2 victory over Birmingham City.

Following this result, Collins was full of praise for his captain, stating: “He’s ready for that step up. Whether that’s with our first team or whether that’s a loan, because watching him out there, I thought he was magnificent.

“He’s got an outstanding brain and drives the game, he runs the game and dictates it which is a great skill. He’s intelligent, makes good decisions, can attack and defend and when you first see him, you wonder whether he could be a Premier League player because he’s slight and small.

“But once you’ve worked with him for a bit you can see how much of a good player he is. I’m delighted for him to get his goal because his performance deserved that. I thought everyone did well, but he was a real stand-out.”

Collins’ belief in Cundle’s readiness for first-team football is an opinion that the Express & Star’s Luke Hatfield shares, with the journalist stating of the 19-year-old in an interview with GIVEMESPORT:

“They’re probably looking at who could potentially make an impact at first-team level and I think Luke Cundle is maybe one. He is probably one they are looking at and maybe he could break through if they need cover. If push comes to shove and they need an extra body in their midfield, Luke Cundle is one they may be eyeing up.”

As such, considering the midfielder’s abundance of potential, coupled with Lage’s rather desperate need for reinforcements in the middle of the park, it would seem highly advisable for the 45-year-old to finally unleash the youngster in his first-team, as, with a couple of impressive performances in the top flight, Cundle could well go on to save Jeff Shi and Wolves millions of pounds in January transfer fees.

In other news: “I spoke with my agent”: £51k-p/w Wolves target drops big transfer hint, Shi must act

With Dara O’Shea suffering a serious injury earlier in the season that will keep him out for the next few months and Kean Bryan suffering a season-ending blow recently, it’s safe to say West Brom will need as many defensive options as possible at their disposal for the time being.

With that in mind, it seems that the Midlands club could be set to lose one of their young defenders currently in their youth ranks.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by All Nigeria Soccer (via Birmingham Live) that Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham, Aston Villa and Southampton are interested in signing West Brom youth defender Kevin Joshua.

Despite only joining West Brom’s U23 side from Solihull Moors’ U19 side back in March for an undisclosed fee, the 19-year-old centre-back has played in six of their 11 league games, grabbing one assist in the process, showing how impressive he has been given the number of clubs reportedly eyeing up a transfer swoop for the youngster.

Ferguson 2.0

Even though Joshua hasn’t made an appearance for Valerien Ismael’s side this season, there is a possibility that Ismael could be forced into giving the teenager his senior debut for the Baggies given their defensive injury issues, and certainly if any of their other senior defenders get injured between now and the end of the season.

Therefore, it should now be one of Lai Guochuan’s top priorities to keep hold of Joshua and out of the clutches of the numerous clubs reportedly interested in signing him, which could be seen as a disaster if he were to leave the club so soon after joining them. That’s especially when you consider the way they lost a fellow defensive talent in Nathan Ferguson so controversially to the jaws of the Premier League.

Given his young age, there’s no reason why Joshua, who has been described as a player who is “aggressive, quick, and excellent on the ball,” by his agent Arfan Rehman when he joined the club, couldn’t go on to become a regular first-team figure at The Hawthorns in the future, giving the Midlands club even more reason to keep the defender in their ranks.

Moving forward, perhaps giving the teenager some first-team minutes could not only help Ismael’s side in the short term while O’Shea and Bryan are out injured but also in the long-term by proving that they feel Joshua will have a big part to play for the senior team. By doing so, they may also be able to avoid a repeat Ferguson scenario too.

In other news: 60% duels won: WBA’s “dangerous” £18k-p/w beast proved he can be Ismael’s main man – opinion

Matt Woosnam has revealed Everton are targeting squad players rather than first-team regulars to ensure they do not break Financial Fair Play guidelines.

Andros Townsend became Rafa Benitez’s first signing since taking over as the Toffees’ boss as the winger joined following the expiry of his Crystal Palace contract earlier this week.

The former Newcastle United man’s arrival was quickly followed by Asmir Begovic making the switch from Championship side Bournemouth, with the goalkeeper providing competition for England international Jordan Pickford by penning an initial one-year deal.

Ex-Leicester City winger Demarai Gray has also sealed his return to England, following a six-month spell with Bayer Leverkusen, by completing a £1.7million transfer to Goodison Park.

The Toffees have freed up some funds by not offering Joshua King, Theo Walcott, Muhamed Besic and Yannick Bolasie contract renewals.

Woosnam, of The Athletic, believes Everton are having to be shrewd in the transfer market to make sure they do not break regulations.

He exclusively told Football FanCast: “When you look at the signings they’re making, they’re very much squad players because they’re probably quite close to the brink of Financial Fair Play and the wage cap.

“Because of that, they’re looking at players who can still contribute at that level but you wouldn’t necessarily want to play them every week and they probably haven’t got the legs or ability to play every week in the Premier League anymore.”