All posts by z3u9t.icu

West Ham United have once again been linked with a move for Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car this week…

What’s the word?

The 24-year-old is among the list of central defensive targets this summer, according to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee, nearly a year on from their initial interest.

Other reports from The Athletic suggest that despite the Ligue 1 outfit’s €20m (£18m) valuation, he is expected to depart for a fee in the region of just €15m (£13m).

The Hammers failed in their attempts to sign him last year as they could not offer European football, something that now puts them at a major advantage, having qualified for next season’s Europa League.

Bye-bye Diop?

David Moyes appears to be fairly well-stocked in the defensive department, though they do require some strength in depth.

Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson are likely to enter the 2021/22 campaign as his first-choice duo, with Aaron Cresswell dropping into a back three when required, so where does that leave Issa Diop?

At just 24, his career is by no means finished but his time at the London Stadium could be forcibly ended by the arrival of Caleta-Car.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-the-latest-gossip-and-much-more” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]

Back in April, Irons fansite Claret & Hugh claimed the Frenchman could be a possible departure during the summer transfer window, alongside players like Felipe Anderson, Manuel Lanzini and Andriy Yarmolenko.

The commanding 6 foot 4 Croatian international would give Moyes a more solid and imposing option at the back. He averaged 2.5 aerials won and found the net twice across 33 league appearances last term, via WhoScored.

Furthermore, he’s proven effective with the ball at his feet, recording a better pass success rate (86.1%) than any of the Hammers’ current squad.

Former Premier League defender and international teammate Dejan Lovren has tipped him for big things and that will only provide further encouragement in any move for him this summer.

He told La Provence: “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.”

For just £13m, David Sullivan and co could land an absolute bargain for Moyes’ backline, the only potential downside would be the fact that it pushes Diop closer to the exit door.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee drops encouraging transfer claim that’ll have many Irons fans buzzing…

Manchester City fans are far from happy with comments from Jurgen Klopp while discussing Liverpool’s failed Premier League title defence.

Last term, it was the Reds who cantered to the title – they ended up finishing 18 points ahead of the Citizens even despite a dip in form at the end of the term (Sky Sports). However, the tables have turned this campaign – it is Pep Guardiola’s men who now lead by 17 points, and that gap could be extended on the final day.

Klopp, who earns £10m per year (roughly £192,000 a week) at Anfield was speaking ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Crystal Palace, and he discussed why his side were unable to challenge again for the title. He suggested the amount of injuries the Merseyside outfit have suffered, especially at centre-back, means they have been unable to be competitive.

The comments were shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and they did not go down well with the City fans, who felt Klopp was trying to find excuses. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the comments from Klopp below

“he’s exactly like the fans full of bitterness & excuses”

Credit: @BradleyMCFC_

“So the “stadiums” or the “grass” are not the MAIN factors for Liv losing anymore… It’s bc other teams didnt have as much injuries … Klopp never ceases to surprise”

Credit: @keshavG31

“There is a reason to have depth and adaptive players. Pep would have figured it out instead of making excuses week in week out! You find someone in the transfer window and bring them in. Klopp=Ostrich head in sand!”

Credit: @GilsGilmore

“He’s right, but he shouldn’t have said it out loud to anyone. It shows his weakness. Bad optics.”

Credit: @EdFowlkes

“We literally had an injury apocalypse last season. Our best cb was injured for most of the season and we had to put a midfielder in central defence, but we finished 2nd. Keep crying flopp ye overrated fraud”

Credit: @Fodeninho_

“I can‘t stand this guy. Okay he‘s right with the – not being champion – part, but their injuries aren‘t an apology for being 7th on matchday 34”

Credit: @jannesa15

In other news, Man City fans are livid at this Raheem Sterling news.

A number of Wolves fans have slammed Willy Boly for his performance against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.

Nuno Espirito Santo was taking charge of his final game as manager at Molineux and made three changes to the side which lost 1-0 to Everton on Wednesday evening, with Rui Patricio, Romain Saiss and Leander Dendoncker coming in for John Ruddy, Max Kilman and Morgan Gibbs-White respectively.

Wolves would guarantee a 12th place finish with a win over the Red Devils but could also finish as low as 15th, should results go against them. However, it was Boly‘s performance which had a number of Wolves fans talking on social media, and not for the right reasons.

The defender was making his 21st start of the Premier League campaign and 23rd appearance in all competitions. The 30-year-old was playing alongside Saiss and Conor Coday but struggled to deal with a much-changed United lineup on home soil, losing out on a number of duels against the visitors.

Anthony Elanga gave United an early lead at Molineux, with some taking aim at Boly’s efforts in the build-up to that goal, before his defensive colleague Nelson Semedo pulled Wolves level on 39 minutes.

Wolves fans react

Here is what these Wolves supporters had to say about Boly’s display, with one fan describing it as ‘pathetic’ and another slamming him as ‘poor’.

“Boly has been all over the gaff from the start.”

Credit: @AstleySam

“Pathetic jump by Boly”

Credit: @_webbz

“Boly not woken up again this afternoon.”

Credit: @wolvesrated

“Wow same old defending. Boly was a total passenger”

Credit: @PartonAdam

“Why does Boly keep ducking under everything”

Credit: @Jackbar83877495

“Poor defending by Boly but Saiss was nowhere to support Semedo.”

Credit: @Ste_jl

In other news: Many Wolves fans buzz as transfer news emerges, find out more here. 

Where do you begin to trace the root of Celtic’s diabolical season?

The Hoops have been plagued with issues throughout 2020/21 and when you dig deep enough, you’ll realise that there are problems far greater than Scott Brown’s dwindling performances or Odsonne Edouard’s questionable mindset.

It stems far deeper than Jonjoe Kenny’s inability to concentrate or Diego Laxalt’s hopeless defending. It also runs further back than last summer’s shambolic recruitment.

Vasilis Barkas and Albian Ajeti have been a huge waste of money, setting the club back a sum of £9.5m. The former has barely played after being usurped in the pecking order by Scott Bain while Ajeti has only six goals to his name.

Coincidentally, that significant financial investment nearly equates to the amount of money Celtic received for Brendan Rodgers.

Back in February 2019, Leicester City managed to prise the Northern Irishman away from Paradise in a deal that goes down as one of the most expensive manager transfers of all time.

The Foxes paid a compensation fee of around £10m two years ago but that money has rather evaporated.

Rodgers engineered a tremendous amount of success in Glasgow, winning seven trophies in total but they failed to replace him sufficiently when he headed south of the border.

That decision was taken by the much-maligned Peter Lawwell. The CEO is set to retire at the end of the season and be replaced by Dominic McKay but it’s his lack of ambition back in 2019 that is the root cause of Celtic’s current downfall.

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With that in mind,  you can hardly blame the numerous protests that have occurred outside Parkhead this season.

Speaking on ACSOM after Celtic were drubbed 4-1 by Rangers last Sunday, presenter Paul John Dykes said: “So we make around £10m when he [Rodgers] goes to Leicester and what do we do with it? We bring in Neil Lennon. Now, that is on Peter Lawwell and that performance today if you really want to track it back is on Lawwell.”

Dykes continued: “The suggestion that Peter Lawwell will still be at the club in some capacity going forward, Celtic fans should be frightened about that. He is the reason we have fallen so disparagingly short this season.”

It’s particularly hard to disagree with that assessment. Lawwell had £10m to spend on a top-quality manager but instead looked towards the past.

Lennon returned for a second bite of the cherry and despite winning the treble last term, everything has disastrously fallen apart in 2020/21.

His management left a lot to be desired and the fact he was still using Rodgers’ training methods at Lennoxtown says it all.

£10m is a lot of money for a club like Celtic but it was thrown down the drain with their shoddy recruitment in the transfer window summing things up.

That £9.5m last summer would have been better sitting in the bank, especially after the way Lawwell refused to spend it on an able replacement over two years ago now.

With Celtic in such a dominant period in their history, attracting a manager shouldn’t have been a particularly arduous task.

At the time, they were linked with Slaven Bilic, David Moyes, Steve Clarke and Roberto Martinez. Any of those coaches will have been more inspirational than someone who had already taken on the job once.

As the hierarchy are proving now, it’s difficult to find a new head coach when the future of the football club is so unclear.

Their search has gone on for ten weeks and is still devoid of a solution. All of this is on Lawwell; he has a lot to answer for. The fans should be particularly enraged right now.

AND in other news, Forget Howe: Desmond can transform Celtic by hiring “brave” 48 y/o who wowed Guardiola…

Former Aston Villa defender and now Football Insider pundit Alan Hutton has been giving his thoughts on the club’s reported interest in Manchester United’s Axel Tuanzebe.

The Lowdown: Tuanzebe a top target

Villa look set to spend big again this summer, and according to Football Insider, they are in the market for a new centre-back.

Tuanzebe appears to be a player of interest for sporting director Johan Lange, with reports claiming the 23-year-old is a top target. A fee of just £7m could be enough to bring him to Villa Park on a permanent basis, with the defender making 35 appearances on loan in the Midlands.

He has only made 34 appearances for Manchester United, with his latest coming in the 2-1 defeat to Leicester City last week.

The Latest: Hutton reacts

Speaking to Football Insider on the transfer update, Hutton seemed to be all for a deal for Tuanzebe, believing that the defender ‘has the attributes to be a top, top defender’. The Scotland international said:

“I think it’s an absolute steal. £7million for a young, English, talented football player that has got so much to give.

“We’ve obviously seen glimpses of him at Villa – well, not a glimpse but you know what I mean. We can see what he can do and I think he’s only going to get better.

“Obviously, coming to Villa, he’s got a fight on his hands, whether it be with Konsa or Matty Cash. I think it’s one that he will stand up to and he’ll want to fight to get in that team.

“If he does, he’s only going to get better, which means his value is only going to go up. This is the type of player I think Villa are going to target. Someone that’s going to come in hungry and willing to get better.

“You never know where he could end up in the future. I think he’s got all the attributes to be a top, top defender.”

The Verdict: Tuanzebe deal should be a no-brainer

In our opinion, for just £7m, Villa should be looking to make Tuanzebe their first summer arrival.

He helped Villa to promotion under Dean Smith in 2019 and will know what it takes to play at Villa Park. He may not immediately come in for Tyrone Mings or Ezri Konsa, but having that competition could be crucial for Smith’s side to progress even further.

Tuanzebe has also played as a full-back and a defensive midfielder during his career, so he could also fill in if needed in those positions.

His Transfermarkt valuation stands at just over £7m, and at just 23 years of age, it could turn out to be an inspired piece of business down the line if he is brought back to Villa Park.

In other news: Villa looking at African defender also wanted by Newcastle, find out more here. 

According to the Daily Mail, four Premier League clubs are interested in signing Glasgow Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara.

Premier League clubs eye Kamara

The report claimed that four English top-flight sides – Brighton, Southampton, Burnley and Leeds United – are all eager to capture Kamara’s services. Championship outfit Watford are also interested if they are able to earn promotion.

At the moment, the £4.05m-valued Finland international is said to be relaxed over his position, while no official approach has yet been made.

Unsurprising

Given Kamara’s displays so far this season, it is unsurprising that he has popped up on the radar of a number of teams south of the border. He has made 44 appearances in all competitions (Transfermarkt) for the Gers this term, and has helped control the middle of the park on many an occasion, earning a 6.90 average match rating from WhoScored.

Steven Gerrard has previously revealed his desire to tie the 25-year-old down to a new contract (via FourFourTwo), but so far he has been unable to do so. Unfortunately, the time may be coming when Kamara feels he has achieved all he can at Ibrox. The Gers do have the carrot of Champions League football to offer him next season, but whether that is enough to convince him to resist the temptations of a move to England – where he has had scant senior experience – remains to be seen.

In other news, many Rangers fans are delighted by this Old Firm news.

Manchester United head into their UEFA Europa League quarter-final second-leg clash with Granada in an extremely comfortable position.

The Red Devils ran out 2-0 winners the last time the two teams came together at Los Cármenes, with goals from Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes securing victory in Spain.

It goes without saying then that the visitors will need to attack in order to find a route back into the tie and this is where the inclusion of United wideman Daniel James could come into play.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-man-united-transfer-rumours-and-news-from-old-trafford-lingard-de-gea-pogba-bailly-johnstone” title=”The latest Man United transfer rumours and news from Old Trafford…”]

The 23-year-old missed the Premier League victory against Tottenham Hotspur last time out but should certainly be included in the starting lineup this time around.

James is currently in the midst of his most productive season in front of goal having scored five times for the Red Devils in all competitions throughout the campaign.

However, it’s in United’s defending where James might come in particularly handy against Granada.

With Diego Martinez’s troops expected to attack in order to find a foothold, this will see the United backline handed increased responsibility in keeping the ball out of the net.

With his pace though, the former Swansea City man could provide an extremely useful out-ball for the Red Devils on the right-flank, which could see United able to spring what could be lethal counter-attacks throughout the match.

Even Ole Gunnar Solskjaer himself has suggested that James’ pace causes problems for opposition by stating that he is “hard to play against”.

Indeed, to combat this, Granada may be forced to sit deeper to defend against any counter-attacks that could be terminal in their chances of staging a memorable comeback and progressing to the semi-finals.

As a consequence then, this would certainly relieve the pressure on the United backline and indeed open up more space in midfield for the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba.

Considering his characteristics, James seems a perfect candidate to start for the Red Devils as they attempt to get even more comfortable in the Europa League.

AND in more news, find out why David De Gea can once again prove his Man Utd doubters wrong…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who made 561 appearances for Wolves, called for VAR to be changed as he has seen Wolves get caught out, like many other teams, by the smallest of margins.

Bull has a point as Wolves find themselves fourth-bottom in terms of VAR decisions having seen three subjective decisions go against them, as well as seeing two penalty decisions overturned despite the on-pith referee originally pointing to the spot, according to ESPN.

Nuno Espirito Santo has been vocal in his displeasure towards VAR and he was happy to offer his feedback in the past two weeks as each club was asked to fill out and give their thoughts on the technology.

Speaking on whether or not VAR should be changed or scrapped altogether and how he would solve Wolves’ offside problems, Bull told FFC exclusively:

“I think it just needs tweaking. I remember watching Wolves when it was first introduced and we were getting caught offside by the smallest of margins.

“So, I said I would buy everybody a pair of green football boots because then you won’t be able to give offside if the foot is the same colour as the pitch.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/exclusive-andreas-sondergaard-wolves-premier-league” title=”Exclusive! Andreas Sondergaard talks all things Wolves”]

“It should just be the body that they look for on offsides because when you’re running you have your arms and legs stretched. So I just don’t get it now and I think it just needs a little tweak.”

Arsene Wenger has put forward a new offside rule which would see attackers now onside if any part of their body is in line with the defender, instead of the other way round like it is now.

Wolves currently find themselves nine points above the bottom three with just nine games remaining, with a few points surely needed to guarantee their Premier League status for another season.

Reliable reporter Alan Nixon has given an update in regards to Celtic’s hopes of landing Eddie Howe as their new manager.

The former Bournemouth boss has reportedly agreed in principle to succeed Neil Lennon in the Parkhead dugout after ironing out details of a Glasgow switch on Friday.

The 43-year-old is now expected to put pen to paper on a contract worth up to £2m per year at Parkhead – a salary £400,000 less than Lennon’s.

Howe’s Celtic announcement

That has led to speculation mounting regarding when an official announcement by the club will be made, with one fan on Twitter asking Nixon, who writes for The Sun, whether confirmation would be made on Tuesday.

The journalist replied on Sunday morning, admitting that the two parties have ‘been talking seriously for a couple of days now’.

Transfer Tavern take

It seems as if an announcement isn’t too far away, but until the club officially confirms the appointment, there will still be that slight doubt in some supporters’ minds.

Should Howe make the move to Scotland, Celtic would be the third club of his managerial career and perhaps as challenging as his stint at Bournemouth.

A summer rebuild looks to have taken shape off the field, with stalwarts like Peter Lawwell set to stand down, and it may now be up to Howe to make some tough calls in regards to major incomings and outgoings ahead of the 2021/22 season.

In other news: Howe tipped to make Celtic move for international forward on £45,000-a-week, find out more here. 

Tony Cascarino has recently given his opinion about Granit Xhaka and has questioned the midfielder’s long-term future at Arsenal.

Cascarino recently wrote a column for The Times in which he talked about Xhaka’s situation, saying that the Swiss midfielder’s future might well lie away from the Emirates Stadium.

Xhaka has a ‘difficult’ future at Arsenal

In his column, Cascarino said that Xhaka’s error against Burnley was one of the worst in the 2020/21 season and there is ‘no way’ that the former Borussia Monchengladbach man should be demanding for the ball in that position, with three Burnley players around him as he made a fateful error in his own penalty area in Saturday’s 1-1 draw.

The former Republic of Ireland striker said that Mikel Arteta had talked about wanting an ‘unprecedented’ level of activity in the transfer market to compete at the top level and he feels that it is ‘difficult’ to see Xhaka being a part of the Spaniard’s plans in the next campaign.

Cascarino wrote: “Granit Xhaka’s error for Burnley’s equaliser against Arsenal is one of the worst you will see this season. Arsenal are trying to play out from the back but there is no way the midfielder, with three Burnley players bearing down on him, should be demanding the ball inside his own box.

“Mikel Arteta said before this game that the club need an ‘unprecedented’ level of transfer activity if they are to compete at the top of the league again. It is difficult to see Xhaka being a part of any long-term plans.”

Back in December last year, it was reported that Xhaka was fighting for his future at Arsenal and it was stated that Arteta was considering a potential sale of the midfielder. That report came after his red card against Burnley earlier in the season (Daily Mail).

Selling Xhaka may be sensible for Arsenal

Since the 2016/17 season, no other outfield player in the Premier League has committed more errors leading to goal than Xhaka, and that number rose to eight against the Clarets.

In the current campaign, the 28-year-old has picked up an average match rating of 6.7 for the Gunners, with 11 players earning better ratings than him (WhoScored).

This suggests that he hasn’t had a great season by any means and his Transfermarkt value has halved since December 2018, currently standing at £22.5m. Between dwindling performances and market value, it may be a wise move from Arsenal to sell Xhaka if a prospective suitor can be found.

In other news, see which Arsenal player came in for stick from numerous fans after the Burnley game on Saturday.