All posts by h716a5.icu

Adama Traore would be a ‘great signing’ for Leeds United, journalist Pete O’Rourke has told GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

Football Insider reported last week that the Whites have approached Wolves over a potential deal for the 26-year-old, as they want to sign a ‘pacey forward capable of carrying the ball forward long distances’.

Leeds’ director of football Victor Orta is said to be a ‘big admirer’ of the Spain winger, having negotiated a deal to take him from Aston Villa to Middlesbrough in 2016. Traore only has a year remaining on his contract at Molineux and talks over an extension have broken down, so Wolves are willing to sell if they receive an offer in the region of £18m.

The Spaniard spent the second half of last season on loan at La Liga giants Barcelona, but they have decided against a permanent deal.

The latest

O’Rourke suspects that Leeds supporters would be thrilled by a deal for Traore, a player who ‘gets fans off their seats’, adding that the Whites may have a ‘world beater’ on their hands if Jesse Marsch can extract the 26-year-old’s best form.

The journalist told GiveMeSport: “I think the fans will be really excited about Traore. We all know he’s a bit inconsistent, Traore, but on his day he can be a world-beater.

“He gets fans off their seats with his direct style, and his fast, attacking style of football that he does play. I think if Leeds can get the best out of Traore, he could be a great signing.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-5/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The verdict

Traore certainly ticks plenty of boxes for Leeds. He ranked joint-second in last season’s Premier League (along with Mohamed Salah) for highest top speed recorded, clocking 36.6 km/h.

He also came in at 11th among players with at least three top-flight starts for progressive carrying distance per 90 minutes (via FBRef). Meanwhile, only Allan Saint-Maximin (4.3) averaged more successful dribbles per 90 minutes than Traore (4.2), so the Spaniard truly can be an electrifying player to watch.

While he may not have entirely convinced Barcelona, he did register assists in two of the four La Liga games that he started.

Leeds may need a replacement for exit-linked Raphinha, and Traore could be a reasonably-priced candidate to fill that void.

Journalist Matt Law has revealed some details of a ‘phone call’ between Farhad Moshiri and the Kenyon-Kaminiski group over a potential Everton takeover.

The Lowdown: Takeover interest

It has been reported that a group spearheaded by former Manchester United and Chelsea CEO Peter Kenyon and chief executive of Talon Real Estate Maciek Kaminski are interested in taking over from owner Moshiri at Goodison Park.

The Iranian is thought to want more than £500m if he is to sell the Merseyside club, and he and the group have been in talks over a potential deal.

The Latest: ‘Phone call’

Taking to Twitter, Law has revealed that there was a ‘phone call’ between Moshiri and the Kenyon-Kaminiski group over the weekend, and while Moshiri’s side ‘insist’ that a deal is dead, the consortium have ‘not given up’ on a potential takeover of Everton.

The Daily Telegraph reporter tweeted: “Understand there was a phone call between the Kenyon-Kaminski group and Moshiri-Everton over the weekend. Each side maintaining Friday’s position: Moshiri side insist it is over, Kenyon-Kaminski side say they have not given up.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-7/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Clarity needed

There seems to be confusion between both sides over whether or not a deal can still be struck, which will not help Everton going into pre-season before the new campaign starts.

If a takeover can happen, then it needs to go through before the season begins, so that the club’s future is not up in the air and they can be fully prepared accordingly.

All the while, this uncertainty cannot be good for manager Frank Lampard either, as he assesses what he can do in the transfer market to improve his squad at Goodison Park.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Joe Rodon has been the subject of an approach from Fulham, according to a report from Football Insider.

The lowdown: Flattered to deceive

Signed from Swansea for an initial £11million in October 2020 (Sky Sports), Rodon appeared to have the world at his feet having made a bright start to life as a senior performer in the Championship.

However, the 24-year-old seasoned Wales international has failed to make the desired impact in N17, making just 24 appearances for Spurs, completing 90 minutes on just 13 occasions since joining.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Following a report from Football.London claiming Rodon is seeking pastures new during the ongoing transfer window, a fresh claim has emerged suggesting that at least one suitor have already made their intentions known…

The latest: Approach made

As per Football Insider, newly-promoted Fulham are believed to have ‘made a new move’ for the 27-cap ace.

It’s claimed that the London club have been in contact with the Lilywhites to ‘register their interest’ in Rodon ahead of a possible transfer.

The report also states that Tottenham and Antonio Conte are ‘willing to sell’ the man once hailed as ‘perfect’ by former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho – who the Welshman has also been linked to a reunion with at AS Roma.

The verdict: Too soon

Although things haven’t exactly gone to plan for Rodon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), cutting ties with the talented centre-back having beat competition from West Ham to make the signing, seems premature from the hierarchy.

Instead, having this week secured the services of Clement Lenglet on loan from Barcelona, Fabio Paratici should be looking to sanction a temporary loan move for the towering 6 foot 3 warrior or at worst, a permanent exit with a potential buyback clause in the future.

But, after it was confirmed that Rodon was one of those fringe squad players who hadn’t travelled with the squad for the tour of South Korea, it appears as though the writing could be on the wall for the £7.2million valued man.

Southampton have been linked with a summer transfer move for Manchester City striker Liam Delap.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post, journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano had this to say on the matter.

“Manchester City are prepared to let Liam Delap leave in the next weeks. Been told Burnley asked for Delap on loan until end of the season, while Southampton are also interested but for permanent move. MCFC Final decision to be made in the next days.” 

Saints fans will be buzzing

City secured the 19-year-old from Derby County’s youth ranks back in the 2019 summer transfer window.

Since then, the striker has gone on to make 60 appearances for the Manchester club across their senior and youth sides.

In those appearances, the teenager has found the net 46 times and supplied 16 assists along the way.

This shows the goalscoring talent he has and why he’d be an exciting addition to Southampton’s ranks that would surely leave fans buzzing if he made the move to the south coast club this summer.

Bearing in mind how Pep Guardiola’s side will have the likes of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez as their two main centre-forwards for next season, it’s easy to see why they would be willing to allow Delap leave this summer.

As for a move to St. Mary’s, the fact that Armando Broja has completed his loan deal suggests that Ralph Hasenhuttl will have room in his squad for another young striker.

Southampton only managed to score 43 goals in the Premier League last season, 56 fewer than City, so adding a player like the Englishman to their squad who is capable of finding the back of the net would surely be a big boost.

Despite his lack of Premier League experience, having made just two top-flight appearances so far, securing a move for the forward would certainly be worth the effort for the Saints.

The prospect of playing regularly in the Premier League would surely be a tempting one for the youngster.

As a result, Southampton should definitely do all they can to beat Burnley to Delap’s signature, either on a permanent deal or a season-long loan.

AND in other news: “Sources tell me..”: Journo drops big Southampton transfer claim, Ralph will love it

Glasgow Rangers could be set to lose highly-rated defender, Calvin Bassey, to Ajax, according to a report from Dutch outlet Voetbal International (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown: On the radar

This follows initial reports from talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook claiming that both Ajax and Brighton and Hove Albion were keen on Bassey.

The 22-year-old Nigeria international enjoyed a breakout campaign at Ibrox and was an integral part of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side en route to the Europa League final – making a whopping 14 appearances in the competition.

However, now it appears as though the Gers may face a monumental battle to retain Bassey for the start of the 2022/23 season…

The latest: Contact made

As per Voetbal International, translated by SW, Ajax manager Alfred Schreuder is believed to have spoken ‘exclusively’ to the six-cap star.

It’s claimed that the Dutch Eredivisie giants have Bassey ‘in mind’ as a replacement for Manchester United-bound Lisandro Martinez, having admired the versatile defender for a ‘long time’.

The report also states that Schreuder is ‘charmed’ by the powerful left-back, who was hailed by ex-Hearts ace Michael Stewart as a ‘tremendous player’ after a standout performance against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Seville showpiece, containing four clearances, three interceptions and two blocked shots (Sofascore).

The verdict: Difficult to stop

Ultimately, should valuations be met this could be a deal that gets completed rather swiftly with the lure of UEFA Champions League action on the table, particularly when Ajax welcome a huge financial windfall of a mooted £46million from the sale of Martinez.

Standing at 6 foot tall, operating as a left-back and central defender in almost equal measure, Bassey was a tower of strength in Van Bronckhorst’s ranks throughout the duration of the 2021/22 season, impressing with his athleticism, work rate and determination whilst making a mammoth 50 appearances across all competitions in what was a gruelling campaign.

Holding a market value of £9million and under contract at Ibrox until 2024 (Transfermarkt), the Gers hierarchy are at least in a strong place when it comes to demanding the highest possible fee for their influential defender and should perhaps already be eyeing up potential replacements given this latest revelation.

Arsenal attacker Bukayo Saka could be tempted into joining a club like Liverpool in the summer transfer window, former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has claimed.

The Lowdown: Saka stars for Arsenal

Despite still only being 20 years of age, Saka has already become one of the first names on Arsenal’s team sheet, not to mention breaking into the England team, winning 18 caps for the Three Lions.

The winger has scored 23 goals and registered 29 assists in 131 appearances for the Gunners, being described as a potentially ‘world-class’ player by the club’s two-time league title winner Lauren.

Saka still hasn’t signed a new deal at Arsenal, with his current contract keeping him at the club until 2024, and rumours surrounding his exit have emerged this summer, with the Reds continuing to monitor his situation at the Emirates Stadium.

The Latest: Liverpool backed as potential Saka suitor

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny claimed that a move to Liverpool or Manchester City would appeal to Saka, given the two clubs’ current stature in the game and regular Champions League participation, something he hasn’t had at Arsenal.

The 44-year-old said of the England youngster:

“I think Arsenal will be going for fourth this season. I like who they have added, Jesus and Zinchenko. I just think he isn’t in a major rush to sign. If Arsenal didn’t get into the Champions League this season I wouldn’t be surprised if he is looking for a move.

“He would be looking for a move to a regular Champions League team like Liverpool or Man City, even Chelsea.

“It would have to be someone who is more or less guaranteed Champions League football. It is a tough one because he still has years left on his deal and whoever comes in will have to pay top dollar.

“He will definitely want to get out if they don’t get into the Champions League, that’s what the club will promise him.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“398089″]

The Verdict: Outstanding young prospect

Saka is arguably one of the most promising attacking young wide players in Europe, already becoming such a force in the Premier League and looking like someone who will be an integral figure for England at the World Cup later this year, having featured in the Euro 2020 final.

For that reason, he is someone who would be a wonderful signing by Liverpool, bringing with him long-term promise, technical brilliance, versatility and a strong work ethic. Also, a tally of 11 goals and seven assists in the league last season is a testament to his quality.

[freshpress-poll id=“399042″]

Whether or not Saka wants to move right now remains to be seen, though, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him sign a new deal at Arsenal and commit his future to them, given his lifelong affiliation with the club.

Manchester United had such an endless amount of world class stars during their glory days that naturally, some players didn’t get the credit they deserved.

The Red Devils won the lot under Sir Alex Ferguson, and whilst the likes of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo were showered in praise, the Ji-Sung Parks of this world were left to do an underrated but equally important job in what was the ultimate winning machine.

Of course, the midfielder wasn’t the only player to go under the radar, so here’s United’s ten most underrated players of the Premier League era.

10) Wes Brown 

The versatile defender was a consistent figure within the backline at Old Trafford. You don’t just make 361 appearances for Manchester United during the Ferguson era for no reason. Brown also started the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea, helping keep Florent Malouda quiet as United won on penalties in Moscow.

9) Antonio Valencia

It’s always nice to have an Antonio Valencia in your side – a player who can play both full-back and on the wing, making a similar impact in the process. Valencia was never quite the Cristiano Ronaldo replacement United needed when both wingers moved in 2009 but he did prove to be a fantastic servant, making 337 appearances for the club and even becoming captain. 

8) Michael Carrick 

When talking about underrated players, it feels mandatory to mention Michael Carrick. He fulfilled his role at Old Trafford to perfection. He quietly swept up, did the dirty work, and distributed the ball. Carrick formed an exceptional partnership with Paul Scholes and won everything there is to win at United, yet somehow only ever made 34 England appearances. 

7) Darren Fletcher 

With so many world-class talents further up the pitch, Ferguson needed a workhorse in the middle of the park and Darren Fletcher was exactly that. Perhaps he wasn’t quite Roy Keane but the Scotland international was never afraid to put a challenge in and added energy to United’s engine room. In 2020, Wayne Rooney declared that Fletcher had often sacrificed showing off his own ability for the good of the team. It doesn’t get more underrated than that.

6) John O’Shea

Like Brown, John O’Shea is often used to mock those who haven’t won a Premier League title. But the defender was s a solid part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s winning machine, making 393 appearances and featuring in every position from left midfield to goalkeeper. And, who could forget his nutmeg on Luis Figo?

5) Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will forever live in United folklore for clinching the 1999 Champions League, immortalising his status as the ultimate supersub. But in some ways, that does a disservice to the level of ability Solskjaer actually had. He made the huge step up from Molde to the top of the Premier League with immaculate ease, and scored at least ten goals in all competitions during seven of his eight seasons at Old Trafford that weren’t scuppered through injury. That’s no easy feat when you’re having to make do with minutes from the bench.

4) Nani 

Like many players throughout recent footballing history, Nani was often unfortunate enough to be left in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo. But Nani was an important part of Ferguson’s side at times, particularly impressing in the 2010/11 season, in which he scored 10 goals and assisted a further 20. 

3) Teddy Sheringham 

Having only scored 46 goals in 153 appearances for United, it’s easy to forget how good Teddy Sheringham really was. He was the type of player who could set the tempo at his pace; he could dictate play with ease and always brought out the best in those around him. He was the other Champions League final hero alongside Solskjaer and won three consecutive Premier League titles during his time at Old Trafford. 

2) Gary Neville

No one wants to grow up and be a Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher once famously said on Monday Night Football. And he was right. Ahead of Neville in United’s starting XI stood a certain David Beckham, a far more glamorous, better-looking and frankly more talented footballer. Every kid growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s wanted to be the next Becks. But Neville offered nous, heart, passion and the ability to get away with stonewall penalty after stonewall penalty. He made almost 600 appearances for United and rose to captain status before retiring. 

1) Ji-Sung Park

The definition of underrated, Ji-Sung Park was one of the most important players during his time at Manchester United, but his performances consistently went under the radar, with more famous names taking the credit for his hard work. The way he pocketed prime Andrea Pirlo against AC Milan in 2010 epitomised Park to perfection and in 2021, Ferguson revealed his regret in not giving Lionel Messi the same treatment in United’s 3-1 defeat to Barcelona in the 2011 Champions League final. That says it all. 

Glasgow Rangers could receive a big injury lift over attacker Ryan Kent in the Premiership this week… 

What’s the latest?

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has said that he is hoping to have the mercurial winger back in the squad for the clash with Kilmarnock at Ibrox on Saturday.

The gem was absent as the Light Blues lost away from home in their Champions League qualifier on Tuesday night and the head coach has provided an update on the Englishman’s knock.

He told Premier Sport, via Football Scotland: “Ryan had a bad moment on Saturday when he had some problems with his ankle. Hopefully, he will be better for Saturday or Tuesday. John (Souttar) also has a problem so we are assessing him.”

He was missed

Journalist Josh Bunting claimed that the Gers “missed Ryan Kent badly” and it is not hard to see why van Bronckhorst felt the impact of his absence.

BBC Sport’s report claimed that their attack was choked by the opposition and that may be because they did not have the former Liverpool man’s quality out wide.

Kent is a player capable of consistently making things happen in the final third with his ability to take players on and create chances for his teammates. He could have used his pace to cause problems on the counter-attack, which would get the team up the pitch and push the opposition back – giving the Gers a foothold in the match.

The winger would then have had the end product on the ball to unlock the defence with a cross or splitting pass. In the Premiership last term, the Englishman created a whopping 10 ‘big chances’ and racked up eight assists, whilst making 1.7 key passes per match.

This came after he produced nine assists in the Scottish top-flight in 2020/21, creating nine ‘big chances’ and making 1.8 key passes per game.

The gem also started the current campaign in fine form as he created four chances in the 2-1 win over Livingston and set up Scott Arfield’s equalising goal.

These statistics suggest that he has the creativity to break teams down in tight games and that is why van Bronckhorst missed him badly in the loss to Union Saint-Gilloise.

The manager will, therefore, be hoping that the attacker is now able to overcome his injury issue in order to face Kilmarnock at the weekend as his quality will be needed out on the left wing.

Manchester City got their Premier League season off to a strong start by securing a 2-0 win over West Ham United thanks to two goals from Erling Haaland.

With 166 appearances under his belt for his three previous clubs, the striker found the net 135 times in total, highlighting how dangerous he is in front of goal.

Having now got his Premier League goalscoring record off to a flyer, the remaining weeks of the summer transfer window could see the champions bring in someone that could help the Norwegian add to his goal tally.

Earlier in the window, City walked away from securing a deal for Marc Cucurella before he eventually joined Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion in a move worth £63m.

Another left-back the Citizens have been linked with a €15m (£12.6m) move for since giving up on signing Cucurella is RSC Anderlecht’s Sergio Gomez.

His debut season in Belgium saw only one other outfield figure play more minutes than the Spaniard, who ended the campaign with five goals and 11 assists to his name in 34 appearances.

To further highlight his attacking talent, no other player at the Belgian club came close to delivering as many crosses as the full-back did (284).

In fact, no other player in the entire league provided more crosses than the 21-year-old, which shows just how useful he is in an attacking sense. It also shows why having a player like him supplying crosses into Haaland could be a terrifying prospect for Premier League defences to deal with.

It also makes it easy to see why City have turned their attention to him after the saga involving Cucurella.

Dubbed as the “king of assists” and a “superb footballer” by football talent scout, Jacek Kulig, on Twitter, Gomez certainly has what it takes to add an extra attacking dynamic to Pep Guardiola’s side. In short, there are very few full-backs on the continent who’d be able to deliver Haaland with better service into the penalty area than the Anderlecht man.

Thus, with the Manchester club seeing Oleksandr Zinchenko make a move to Arsenal this summer, City are certainly light in that third of the pitch, meaning securing a deal for Gomez should be the club’s main priority before the window closes.

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update regarding Tottenham Hotspur’s reported interest in securing a move for Udinese full-back Destiny Udogie.

What’s the news?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian transfer guru shared the latest on this particular situation.

Romano stated: “Full agreement on personal terms between Destiny Udogie, his agents and Tottenham, five year contract. Deal expected to be completed next week with Udinese.

“[Fabio] Paratici and [Antonio] Conte want Udogie as part of future project, so he could be loaned back to Udinese.”

After working his way through Hellas Verona’s youth ranks, the full-back originally joined Udinese on loan last year before making the move permanently this summer.

Conte should love him

Last season saw the 19-year-old make 35 Serie A appearances for his current employers, scoring five goals and providing three assists in the process.

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

The campaign saw the youngster highlight what a capable figure he is in an attacking and defensive sense from left-back.

In terms of his attacking output, the Italian  youngster racked up 13 shots on target, 59 shot-creating actions and 33 successful dribbles, putting him in the top five in Udinese’s squad for each metric.

From a defensive point of view, Udogie won 50 tackles and made 136 successful pressures, 56 blocks and 50 interceptions, once again placing him in the top five at the Stadio Friuli for each of those metrics.

This shows why Tottenham are so eager to secure a deal for him and why Antonio Conte should be over the moon to potentially have a very capable young player like Udogie at the club for the future.

Described as a “hard-working & charismatic” player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig on Twitter, the 19-year-old definitely appears to have what it takes to become a top player for the Lilywhites in the future given how at ease he seems to be with and without the ball in a major European league.

If the youngster signs for Spurs and is indeed loaned back to Udinese, as Romano mentioned in his tweet, this could be an ideal way for him to develop his game even further before eventually making his proposed move to England and becoming a leading light at Tottenham.