Tag Futebol

Aston Villa are plotting a move to bring Marcus Thuram to Villa Park in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Express, who claim that Unai Emery is targeting the signing of a wide forward ahead of the second half of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, with the Spaniard said to have already held ‘extensive talks’ with the Villa hierarchy regarding the club’s recruitment plan for the winter market.

The report goes on to state that the 51-year-old has identified the Borussia Monchengladbach attacker as one of his primary targets in January, with the France international likely to be available on a cut-price €20m (£17m) deal due to his current contract with the Bundesliga side set to expire in the summer of 2023.

However, the Premier League side are not thought to be alone in their interest in the forward, with both Bayern Munich and Inter Milan also reported to be keeping a close eye on the situation of the 25-year-old ahead of launching a potential swoop of their own in the coming weeks.

Absolute steal

Considering the remarkable form Thuram has been in for Gladbach in recent seasons, should Emery manage to fight off the likes of Bayern and Inter in landing the £17m signing of the forward this winter, it would not only represent a huge coup for a club of Villa’s current standing, but also an absolute steal for the Spaniard and his side.

Indeed, according to FBref, the £26m-rated talent ranks in the top 9% of forwards in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 5% for non-penalty xG, the top 9% for shots and the top 23% for shot-creating actions over the last 365 days – highlighting just how deadly the Frenchman is in the final third.

FBref also rank the £53k-per-week attacker in the top 7% of forwards for dribbles completed per 90, as well as the top 9% for touches in the opposition penalty area, the top 38% for passes completed and the top 9% for interceptions over the past 12 months – proving the striker is capable of progressing the ball, retaining possession and regaining possession.

Putting these metrics into context, over Thuram’s 15 Bundesliga so far this season, he has already bagged 10 goals, provided three assists and created three big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 3.7 shots – 2.0 of which have hit the target – making 0.9 key passes and completing 1.5 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the forward who Denis Zakaria dubbed “crazy” average a simply sensational Sofascore match rating of 7.19, not only ranking him as Gladbach’s fourth-best performer in the league but also as the joint 23rd-best player in the top flight of German football as a whole.

Furthermore, while the seven-cap international has predominantly featured as an out-and-out number nine in the current campaign, the 25-year-old is also more than capable of doing a job on the flank, having scored 23 goals and registered three assists from 92 appearances on the left, as well as scoring two in six on the right.

As such, taking into account Thuram’s ability to play anywhere across a front three, his deadly form in the final third and the fact he looks to be available for a figure almost £10m less than his current market valuation, it is clear to see that the £17m signing of the Frenchman would indeed be an absolute steal for Emery and Villa in January.

Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that there are no talks for Cristiano Ronaldo to join Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Newcastle rumours

It was reported by Spanish news outlet Marca that now free agent after leaving Manchester United Ronaldo is ‘torn’ between signing for the St. James’ Park outfit or Saudi side Al-Nassr.

The former ‘already tempted’ him in the summer, suggesting that they could look to return for his signature in the January transfer window.

The Latest: No talks

Taking to Twitter, Romano has revealed that there are no talks taking place between Ronaldo and the North East club at the moment, despite the rumours:

“There are no negotiations ongoing for Cristiano Ronaldo to join Newcastle, despite rumours. Been told talks are not taking place as things stand.

“Cristiano will take his time to decide his future, now 100% focused on the World Cup.”

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The Verdict: Avoid

It may be tempting to sign such a global superstar in Ronaldo, who has over 500m followers on Instagram, but having already signed striker Alexander Isak for a club-record fee in the summer, the 37-year-old would not be a smart addition by the Tynesiders.

It is safe to say that Ronaldo has not been at his best this season, with just three goals and two assists in 16 games in total over all competitions per Transfermarkt.

He will be hoping to regain some form for Portugal at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, but the Magpies simply cannot take their chances on a 37-year-old in poor form and with perceived attitude problems.

Glasgow Rangers could reportedly sign Jerry Yates in the January transfer window for cheaper than first reported.

The Lowdown: Scouts sent

According to The Scottish Sun, the Ibrox outfit were one of 10 clubs who sent scouts to watch the 25-year-old in action as his current club Blackpool beat Preston North End 4-2 in the English Championship last weekend.

The striker scored two goals and set up another for the home team, who reportedly rate him at £5m going into January.

The Latest: Cheaper price?

As per Football Insider, the Tangerines could be tempted to sell Yates for £4m, which is 20% less than the £5m originally reported.

However, they believe that his price tag will rise if he continues to be as prolific in the Championship, with six goals in his last four league matches and eight in total for the campaign so far (Transfermarkt).

Blackpool are ‘braced for offers’ for Yates in January, and Rangers could be one of the clubs to take advantage of the fact that his contract expires in 2024, as the Bloomfield Road outfit risk his value depreciating the further that he eats into his current deal.

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The Verdict: No-brainer

To sign a 25-year-old as prolific as Yates for as little as £4m should be a no-brainer for the Light Blues.

While Antonio Colak has hit the ground running at Ibrox, Alfredo Morelos has been linked with a move away; and with only a few months left on the Colombian’s current deal, Rangers will need more firepower if he ends up departing.

Hailed as a player in ‘incredible form‘ by his manager Michael Appleton, Yates should not need too much time to adapt to a new team in January, and he could make a real difference if he comes to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side.

Liverpool travel to Trentside this afternoon for their Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest, and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that his team can continue to express their new-found confidence again today.

Forest are currently bottm of the table and struggling to pick up results in the top flight, so the travelling Reds must capitalise on the hosts’ poor form when they visit The City Ground.

A victory for Liverpool would put them up to fifth in the league table for a few hours at least, matching Manchester United for points with a better goal difference, and could keep them there depending on how the weekend’s other results play out. Either way, three points would make their league position look a bit more respectable.

In terms of injuries, Luis Diaz, Ibrahima Konate, Naby Keita, Joel Matip, Arthur Melo and Diogo Jota continue to be unavailable for selection as expected, but there has now been a new potential blow to the forward line.

Klopp revealed in his pre-match press conference that Darwin Nunez will undergo a late fitness test ahead of the clash this afternoon due to hamstring issues, and his fate in the starting line-up might not be decided until the last minute.

The Liverpool boss said of the Uruguayan striker on Friday: “He’s one of these we have to check now. He had treatment yesterday and we will see whatever we get told later.”

With all that considered, this is how Football Fancast expects Liverpool to line up against Nottingham Forest today…

We expect to see just two changes to the team which beat West Ham United 1-0 on Wednesday night, with Klopp continuing to deploy his adapted 4-4-2 formation.

The first change we predict is the return of Andy Robertson in the left-back role, replacing Kostas Tsimikas to complete an otherwise unchanged back four alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.

The second change we expect to see is Harvey Elliott reprising his role on the right-hand side of the midfield, whilst Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino form the frontline duo.

Elliott, who was dubbed “exceptional” by Rio Ferdinand, has shown promising development over the season so far when he has been deployed on the right flank, and he can be the perfect playmaker to complete the midfield alongside Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and Fabio Carvalho.

In order for the talented teenager to squeeze into the starting line-up, one of the starting forwards from Wednesday must lose their place. We predict that, owing to the uncertainty surrounding Nunez’s fitness, the £140k-per-week Uruguayan won’t be risked against Forest and instead begin from the bench.

With that being said, Liverpool should have enough talent and quality to comfortably take all three points from a struggling Forest side this afternoon, and losing Nunez shouldn’t be too much of a blow so long as he will not be sidelined beyond the match today.

West Bromwich Albion could be set to name an ex-Premier League manager as their replacement for Steve Bruce…

What’s the latest?

According to Football League World, Scott Parker is one of a few names being considered for The Hawthorns hot seat.

The report also notes Chris Wilder as another potential candidate, with both managers having been sacked this season by their respective clubs.

With Bruce having officially been relieved of his duties yesterday morning, and a game against Reading on the horizon, Ron Gourlay will be keen on finding his replacement sooner rather than later.

He can turn them around

Although he had started the season poorly with AFC Bournemouth, he has twice shown his prowess with regard to getting teams promoted from the Championship.

Associated with an attractive brand of football, his first success was bringing Fulham straight back up to the Premier League after Claudio Ranieri had taken them down.

During what was a tumultuous COVID-ridden season, he led his side to fourth before beating Brentford in the play-off finals to secure an instant bounce back.

During this time, his side scored 68 goals in 46 games and missed out on automatic promotion by just three points.

He did struggle after a lack of backing and unfortunately could only bring them back down. After leaving by mutual consent, he would then be given the Cherries job only to take them up too.

This time, he did manage to find the automatic promotion spots, as his side finished second behind a rampant Fulham side.

During this campaign, he twice won player of the month in September and October and led his side to concede the fewest number of goals in the league, whilst also scoring 74.

His ability to take underperforming Championship sides and mould them into promotion candidates is sensational, and his fresh ideas born from his youth clearly are effective in this division.

One of his moves, in particular, has been replicated across world football, with his kick-off tactic leading to Hunter Godson labelling him a “tactical mastermind” with even those at PSG clearly attracted by what he does on the training ground.

The 41-year-old would be the perfect manager to turn them around and get them back fighting for promotion, however, history suggests he might struggle should they return to the Premier League.

Yannick Bolasie may well have been a fan favourite during his time at Crystal Palace but his form since leaving emphasises how well the club did to sell him for £25m.

The DR Congo international joined Palace from Bristol City in 2012 and was a regular for the Eagles in his four years at Selhurst Park, making 144 appearances in total, in which he contributed 13 goals and 30 assists.

While he was never prolific in the Premier League, his superb skills on the ball certainly won over a lot of Palace supporters, while his overall performances were not to be sniffed at either.

His final season at Selhurst Park saw him contribute five goals and three assists in the top flight, averaging a superb 7.14 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

That was enough to convince Everton that he was worth £25m and he made the move to Goodison Park in the summer of 2016, signing a five-year deal with the Toffees.

He started well with the Toffees, as one goal and four assists in just 13 Premier League appearances earned him a strong 7.20 rating from WhoScored before a cruciate ligament rupture ruled him out for more than a year.

Sadly, he was never the same player and would manage just one more Premier League goal for Everton in another 18 appearances for the Toffees.

Loan spells with Aston Villa, Anderlecht, Sporting Lisbon and Middlesbrough would follow, as Everton surely rued giving the ageing winger a five-year deal, and eventually, they cut their losses on Bolasie and released him on a free transfer when his contract expired.

A move to Turkey would follow, with the 33-year-old now plying his trade with Caykur Rizespor, with whom he has managed just two goals and one assist in 28 appearances.

While he was unfortunate to suffer such a terrible injury and was a fan favourite at Crystal Palace, those at Selhurst Park deserve a huge amount of praise for selling him for £25m, as his career since leaving has been something of a disaster.

It looks as though the hierarchy cashed in at exactly the right time with the current squad now going from strength to strength, especially in the positions that Bolasie occupied.

Aston Villa haven’t had the best start to their Premier League campaign and now with Diego Carlos picking up a serious injury, the club are on the search for a new defender in the remaining days of the transfer window, with a potential opportunity emerging.

What’s the latest?

According to French news outlet Le Parisien, Aston Villa have been offered the chance to sign Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Abdou Diallo.

As per the report, the player is available for £8.4m this summer and despite talks not starting yet between the two clubs, Diallo would be keen for a move to Villa Park.

The defender also has interest from other Premier League clubs with Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United both named as linked clubs.

Gerrard needs him badly

There is no doubt that Steven Gerrard’s priority focus will be to replace his newly-signed injured centre-back, especially with the manager already extremely limited in the number of options he has in the back-line.

Villa have lost two and won one of their first three Premier League games, as well as taking a comfortable victory from their Carabao Cup second round clash with Bolton Wanderers, and Gerrard will be keen to keep up that winning momentum going but will struggle to do so if a new defender isn’t signed soon.

After stripping Tyrone Mings of the club captaincy a few weeks ago, the Villa boss has put himself in a sticky situation in terms of holding together a harmonious defensive set up, so the opportunity to sign Diallo could not come at a better time for the manager.

The Senegalese defender who was hailed “powerful” by FSV Mainz sports director Rouven Schröder has found himself out of favour in Christophe Galtier’s side with Diallo left on the bench over the first four games of the season, so a move to Villa could be the perfect chance for the 26-year-old to get a fresh start over in the Premier League.

Over his 12 league appearances for the French champions last season, Diallo delivered one assist, tallied up a 90% pass completion rate, made 1.8 tackles, 1.1 clearances and took 69.2 touches per game, as well as winning 62% of his duels combined and successfully completing 73% of his dribbles.

As a result, it is clear from his output last season that the forgotten defender is hard working, likes to get stuck in and has the talent to be reliable and consistent when selected to start, so it could be a major coup for Gerrard in his attempt to strengthen his defence.

With that being said, the powers at Villa Park must act fast to beat off any competitors in the final days of the transfer window, as Diallo could be a fantastic addition to the team and comes with a very modest price tag too.

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is seemingly determined to bolster manager Thomas Tuchel’s options at Stamford Bridge as an exciting claim surfaces involving Leicester City star Wesley Fofana.

The Lowdown: Chelsea keep busy…

Following Boehly’s acquisition of the Blues, it’s safe to say the Premier League giants have kept busy with a flurry of major bids.

Having just signed exciting left-back Marc Cucurella from Brighton, hijacking English champions Man City in the process, it is now believed that Tuchel’s side are chasing the signing of another star centre-half.

This is despite landing Senegal star Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli with Chelsea seriously on the hunt for more options.

The Latest: CBS journalist makes exciting Fofana claim…

Writing on social media, CBS journalist Ben Jacobs has shared an exciting update on Fofana after their ‘latest bid’.

The reporter claims, even if their marquee ‘over £70 million’ offer is snubbed, Chelsea will not stop there and are determined to keep pursuing the Foxes star.

Jacobs explained:

“Chelsea’s latest bid for Wesley Fofana is over £70m and won’t be the last one made if rejected. Brendan Rodgers again said Fofana isn’t for sale, but Todd Boehly means business. Fofana is Chelsea’s number one target between now and when window shuts.”

The Verdict: Keep pushing…

There is little doubt Fofana would be a stellar upgrade to Tuchel’s back line.

The Frenchman missed the vast majority of last season through injury but his 2020/2021 statistics indicate he is a serious player.

As per WhoScored, Fofana completed that year as one of Leicester’s top five best performing players – making an impressive 3.3 clearances per 90 whilst averaging their second-highest number of interceptions.

At just 21-years-old, the defender’s potential is sky high and there is little surprise he is seemingly Chelsea’s number one defensive target.

Crystal Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha has long been tipped for a move away from Selhurst Park, with AS Roma most recently linked to the Ivory Coast international.

However, with the winger now being 29 years old, it can be assumed that eventually, a decline will begin.

This could welcome the introduction of Burnley winger Dwight McNeil, who could make an ideal replacement for the Ivory Coast international, as well as offering a different dynamic. It could revolutionise how Patrick Vieira wants to play, and offer more balance as he continues to add pure entertainers to his squad.

Back at the start of July, Pete O’Rourke spoke of how the pulling power of the French manager could be the deciding factor in tempting the winger to Selhurst Park.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “Patrick Vieira, we know what a player he was in the Premier League, he’s a Premier League legend, so I’m sure he does have a lot of pulling power for players, and it does look like he is building an exciting young team at Crystal Palace right now.

“He had a good first season in charge and made some good signings as well, so I’m sure if Dwight McNeil was to make the move to Crystal Palace, Patrick Vieira would play a huge role in that, and his pulling power might help him to make that move to London.”

Crystal Palace were reportedly willing to pay £10m for the star.

Although he went all of last season without a goal, he still managed an impressive 7.03 average SofaScore rating. His contribution to his teams is clearly more than goals and assists, and this is outlined by his underlying stats.

He sits in the 99th percentile for blocks, the 98th percentile for interceptions and the 88th percentile for tackles. He could act as a facilitator for the likes of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze.

However, he was recently likened to a player who was once one of the best in the world, with Joe Cole claiming McNeil is “like Di Maria”.

High praise indeed, and although his actual stats may not set the world alight, his other contributions could perhaps far outweigh what Zaha has brought to Palace. He could allow the youngsters to truly explode for the London outfit.

AND in other news: “It’s been a given…”: Journo drops big transfer update, CPFC supporters will be gutted

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has dropped a claim regarding the current summer transfer window.

What’s the latest?

Speaking after seeing his side beat Wiener Viktoria 7-0 in their first pre-season game of the summer, the Hoops boss had this to say about what transfer business he’d like to see take place before the window shuts.

He said: “I still think there are one or two areas where we need some more robustness in terms of the squad, just some quality in depth. I wouldn’t expect too many but there are still one or two areas I’m looking to strengthen knowing what’s ahead for us.

“We are definitely looking to bring in one or two more before the window closes. Again it is about identifying what we want and making sure they fit all aspects and we are working towards that.”

Celtic fans will be buzzing

Celtic have secured permanent deals for Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers this summer, as well as seeing Daizen Maeda make his stay at the club permanent following his loan spell last season. The Parkhead club have also brought in Benjamin Siegrist and Alexandro Bernabei so it’s been a rather active window.

If supporters weren’t already delighted with the business done, the idea that Postecoglou is still looking to bring at least one or two more players in will be very exciting for everyone involved.

In terms of the areas that Postecoglou could be referring to in his latest comments, a new midfielder should be at the top of the priority list. The club have seen Tom Rogic and Nir Bitton leave Glasgow following the end of the previous SPFL campaign so more cover should arrive in Glasgow before the window slams shut.

The Hoops have already been diligent with their business but supporters would no doubt be delighted if they saw their central areas strengthened in the coming weeks.

With their preseason period kicking off with a rather hefty victory, it shows the Bhoys are already in an extremely promising position ahead of the new campaign, one where they’ll certainly be hoping to have another successful season.

AND in other news: “Soon..”: Journalist drops big Celtic transfer claim that’ll have supporters gutted