All posts by n8rngtd.top

According to a report by The Mirror, Jose Mourinho is eyeing a move for Southampton colossus Jannik Vestergaard this summer as he makes the signing of a central defender a top priority – and it’s Tottenham’s belief they can land themselves a bargain as the 6 foot 6 powerhouse enters the final year of his contract. 

Jose eyeing Vestergaard

The Denmark international is reportedly a wanted man by Mourinho after a solid season, with Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl arguably missing him when he was reduced to the sidelines through injury.

As per The Mirror, Tottenham have been very impressed with everything Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has brought to the club and could wish to swoop for another bargain addition from the south coast club.

It is reported that Mourinho personally believes Vestergaard could bring the desired surety in defence which Spurs have arguably lacked at times this season, and Tottenham view him as a possible bargain given his contract situation.

Transfer Tavern take

It’s hard not to see why the Lilywhites boss is a fan judging by recent plaudits, with Martin Keown likening Vestergaard to Virgil van Dijk in an exclusive interview with talkSPORT.

As well as this, former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood hailed the 28-year-old as ‘outstanding’ for his Southampton contribution this season when speaking on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday at the end of January (via HITC).

The giant Dane has won 3.6 headers per game this season, the most of any Saints player and more than anyone in Spurs’ squad.

Time will tell whether Mourinho manages to land Vestergaard in the summer, but he certainly seems interested and could be a decent addition

In other news: Tottenham have been sent a Harry Kane warning, find out more here.

After a disappointing 0-0 draw against Wolves last time out in the Premier League, Aston Villa will be hoping to return to winning ways when they take on Newcastle tonight.

Dean Smith’s side are in a bit of a rut at the moment, having won just once in their previous five games in the league, and their hopes of a surprise European finish this season has taken a major dent.

A clash against the Magpies, who currently sit 16th in the table, offers them the perfect chance to bounce back; but after the draw against Wolves, Smith may look to freshen things up a little by making some key changes.

With that in mind, below is a look at how Villa might line up.

In goal, Emi Martinez will keep his place in between the sticks after yet another standout display for Villa last time out against Wolves – the Argentine pulled off a couple of point-blank saves to preserve his clean sheet, including a stunning one at the feet of Conor Coady.

Villa were handed a major injury boost before the game with confirmation from the manager that summer signing Matty Cash is fit and raring to go, and that should see Ahmed Elmohamady drop back to the bench after he deputised for the former Nottingham Forest man recently.

In midfield, Morgan Sanson could drop out of the starting XI after making his first start in the Premier League last week, with Jacob Ramsey surely pushing for a recall to give Villa something extra in attack.

Further ahead, the £78,000-a-week earning Bertrand Traore hasn’t been in the greatest of form in recent weeks and is surely in need of being dropped, and that could see Anwar El Ghazi potentially make his return after his comeback from injury.

Throwing Cash and El Ghazi back into the line-up after only just making their way back from injury would be some big calls to make from Smith, but they could inject a sense of much-needed energy and freshness to the side amid their recent dip in form.

Predicted XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Nakamba, Luiz; Trezeguet, Ramsey, El Ghazi; Watkins.

Meanwhile, Villa should unleash this “sensational” star tonight…

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass has told Football FanCast that Danny Ings will not be moving to a top-four club this summer but he believes Arsenal could end up making a move for the Southampton forward.

Ings has been in excellent form this season, scoring eight goals in the Premier League, and has 42 in 91 appearances for the south coast outfit in total.

He has battled injury issues, having sustained a knee problem earlier this season, but remains the Saints’ key man going forward.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men are currently 14th in the Premier League table, seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Windass is convinced that Southampton will stay in the top-flight but he does not believe Ings will be moving to a club in the top four when the transfer window reopens.

Ings has played for Liverpool previously, but he made just 25 appearances for the Reds, scoring four goals.

Liverpool signed the player as he came to the end of his contract at Burnley and Windass believes that his performances at Anfield may put off any potential suitors.

He told FFC: “Southampton will stay in the Premier League. Because Danny Ings went to Liverpool and it wasn’t a success, I can’t see one of the top four buying him.”

However, Windass does think that a club like Arsenal could make a move for the forward.

He has claimed that he could cost as much as £50m, but he does not believe the Gunners should be regarded as a Champions League-level team.

Windass added: “Maybe Arsenal, but I’m not talking Arsenal as a top four team.

“Arsenal will probably go and pay £30, £40, £50 million for him, whatever, but I can’t see Danny Ings going into the top four.”

Sergio Reguilon endured a horror show on his return to action as Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-1 at West Ham United on Sunday.

The £32m summer signing from Real Madrid had missed the past five weeks of action with a muscle injury sustained in Spurs’ 3-1 win over Sheffield United last month.

Jose Mourinho had rarely tackled Premier League fixtures without the Spaniard before the blow, with Reguilon starting 12 of his 13 prior top-flight appearances and missing just four games.

But he failed to leave a glowing endorsement of his talents on the London Stadium pitch before being hauled off for Dele Alli inside the final quarter of an hour, as Mourinho went aggressive in search of an equalising goal.

The Spurs boss had already shown his ruthless streak at the break whilst the north Londoners were two goals behind after strikes from Michail Antonio and Jesse Lingard, having substituted Japhet Tanganga and Erik Lamela at half-time.

Tanganga’s performance had returned a modest 6.3 out of 10 match rating from SofaScore, with the 21-year-old unable to offer any defensive or attacking contribution while losing possession 10 times.

Yet Reguilon had often performed at a lower standard and could only rise his match rating back to a base six out of 10 by the time his number was shown, having been second best to most of what West Ham threw at him.

Never has the £48k-per-week full-back earned a lower grade for his performances, with his previous worst score for a Premier League game coming against Manchester United in October when Reguilon earned a 6.3 before a 6.2 away to Royal Antwerp in the Europa League.

It was not until the second half that Reguilon was able to win a single duel against the Irons, ending his afternoon with success in just 22% of all challenges. The defender won only two of his six contests on the ground and zero of his three in the air.

He further turned over possession 16 times, committed three fouls – Tanganga made zero – and offered no successful tackles or interceptions, much like his earlier withdrawn teammate.

Reguilon usually contributes significantly more for Mourinho at both ends of the pitch, with the Spain international on average winning 3.1 ground duels with a 47% success rate and 1.0 aerial contests with a 42% success rate. The five-cap full-back further offers 1.7 successful tackles and 1.0 interceptions.

He also left Tottenham’s forward options wanting more from his deliveries with just one of four crosses finding a teammate, yet his efforts matched a seasonal success rate of 26%.

Mourinho would surely have expected to see more from Reguilon on his return to the side, even if Sunday’s defeat was his first outing in more than a month.

AND in other news, Tottenham Hotspur face a £51m asking price to land a “talented” leader this summer…

Steve Bruce has revealed that Newcastle United will boast a near fully fit squad for their trip to Everton on Saturday, as he strives to get the Magpies back to winning ways.

The Toon were without defenders Paul Dummett, Ciaran Clark, Federico Fernandez and DeAndre Yedlin for their 2-1 loss at home to Leeds United on Tuesday night, in which defeat made it 11-straight winless games for the Tyneside outfit across all competitions.

United have also lost their last six-in-a-row but saw Allan Saint-Maximin make an instant impact from the bench against Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites, and could opt to start the winger at Goodison Park following his recovery from coronavirus.

So, with changes on the cards, here’s a potential line-up Bruce could name when Newcastle visit Everton this Saturday lunchtime…

Karl Darlow was on hand to produce a couple of crucial stops in defeat to Leeds but was beaten by the visitors’ only two shots on target, yet will be expected to retain his place in goal having opened all 20 of Newcastle’s Premier League fixtures this term.

Bruce may also name a mostly unchanged backline at Goodison Park, despite Clark and Dummett’s returns to training, with Yedlin replacing Isaac Hayden at full-back now that the United States international’s visa issues are believed to have been resolved.

“Fede Fernandez won’t make it, unfortunately. Ciaran Clark and Paul Dummett trained yesterday [Thursday] for the first time, so we’ll see how they are. It’s maybe a bit early for the two of them, but we’ll see how they are this morning,” Bruce said.

Hayden returning to midfield with Yedlin recalled will likely see the Arsenal product partner Jonjo Shelvey in the engine room, with Jeff Hendrick again not proving to be Bruce’s answer in the role after questionably being retained for the Leeds defeat after an anonymous showing at Aston Villa.

Jacob Murphy struggled at first against the Whites on Tuesday night and lost the ball in the lead up to the visitors’ opening goal, but rallied in the second period with a couple of inviting crosses before making way for Saint-Maximin.

Murphy may now be given a reprieve, as Ryan Fraser ghosted from wing to wing against Leeds whilst Bruce shifted the Scotland international across the pitch trying to find a role that would see the summer arrival prove the biggest threat.

Miguel Almiron looked his most dangerous after moving in centrally against Leeds and will hope to start in the role against Everton, with Saint-Maximin opening the action on the left. The £29m-rated French maestro has not started a league game since November after suffering with the long-term effects of Covid-19.

Callum Wilson will be expected to start as the sole centre-forward in the Newcastle line-up at Everton after a hard-working performance against Leeds, which failed to return the 28-year-old his first goal of 2021 after six consecutive fruitless outings.

AND in other news, Newcastle could part with a £30k-p/w dynamo before the end of the month…

Liverpool have reportedly been offered West Ham centre-back Winston Reid ahead of transfer deadline day, but signing him would be a big mistake by the Reds.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Star, West Ham have offered the Reds the chance to sign Reid before the transfer window shuts, as an alternative to Issa Diop – who has also been linked with a move to Anfield in recent days.

Liverpool already look set to bring Preston North End’s Ben Davies to Merseyside, but according to the print version of the Monday edition of The Times they could look to bring in another defender too on deadline day.

The 32-year-old would offer Jurgen Klopp some experience in his backline, something which he currently lacks, and is reportedly readily available, having recently featured for the Hammers’ U23 side.

Would he be a good signing?

Reid’s best days are unfortunately behind him. The New Zealand international was regarded one of the best defenders outside the top six a few years ago but now hasn’t appeared in the top-flight since the 2017/18 season.

Injury issues have proved to be a real problem for the 6 ft 3 centre-back, with his most recent knee injury ruling him out for as many as 53 games between 2017 and 2019.

In fact, he appears to be even more injury-prone than Liverpool’s Joel Matip, who has spent a significant amount of time on the sidelines in recent seasons, but his longest lay-off was for 20 games in the 2019/20 season.

The experienced defender spent last season on loan with Sporting Kansas City in the MLS, where he would make 12 appearances in all competitions, which will have helped to build his fitness back up, but it is hardly of the same standard of the Premier League.

Therefore, it would be a baffling decision to bring in Reid, who has managed just one appearance in the Premier League 2 this season, as the last thing Klopp needs in his squad is a defender who is likely to spend more time on the sidelines than he will on the pitch – so sporting director Michael Edwards must steer well clear of him in the next couple of days, no matter how desperate Liverpool get.

And, in other news… LFC handed big transfer blow as reported bid for “natural leader” CB rejected

Sheffield Wednesday sparked plenty of headlines going into Tuesday night’s match yet still managed to pull through on top.

Owls chairman Dejphon Chansiri sacked manager Tony Pulis less than 24 hours before kick-off at Hillsborough, whilst it’s thought that the squad haven’t been paid on time for November, let alone December.

Although despite this, they rallied under caretaker boss Neil Thompson to pick up a 2-1 victory against Neil Warnock and Middlesbrough in south Yorkshire.

Callum Paterson slotted home the opener right on the half-hour mark before 19-year-old Liam Shaw bagged his first Wednesday goal ten minutes later.

Boro managed to grab a goal back right after the break, but the home side found their nerve and held on for all three points – a vital victory which moved them to within three points of safety and off the bottom two places.

After the game, the teenage midfielder received most of the plaudits, but there was an underrated showing from one of his teammates that deserves a little more respect.

Once again, Chey Dunkley looked like one of Garry Monk’s only good signings in the heart of defence. A leader without the armband and a solid one at that.

The 28-year-old was a colossal rock at the back, recording six clearances, four interceptions, one tackle and one clearance, via SofaScore.

He also won 100% of his aerial duels, put in one block and ultimately, he ensured that prolific Championship marksman Britt Assombalonga endured a night to forget.

The Boro frontman lost 70% of his duels, fired two attempts off target and was given a paltry 6.3 rating, which was lower than any Owls player.

Dom Howson at YorkshireLive was also extremely impressed by Dunkley as he graded the former Wigan monster an 8/10, he wrote:

“Looked alert and dealt well with the threat of Middlesbrough captain Assombalonga. Has added some much-needed pace, physicality and leadership to the Owls’ rearguard since returning from injury.”

Indeed, Dunkley’s return and Wednesday’s three-game unbeaten run cannot be a mere coincidence. He must be someone any new manager centres his team around if they are to drag themselves out of the mire.

AND in other news, Pundit reveals what Josh Windass has told him about Sheffield Wednesday’s squad…

Aston Villa have been heavily linked to Odsonne Edouard this season, but they could now be priced out of a January move for the French starlet.

The latest on Edouard

According to The Athletic, although the Premier League side rate Edouard highly, they will not be pursuing him in the January transfer window. This is due to the fact that they believe Celtic will place a large valuation on the forward that will be too much for Villa.

Edouard looks to be a star striker

Celtic manager Neil Lennon was discussing the Frenchman last month, saying: “What we have with Odsonne is an outstanding, talented player.”

He is only 22, but ‘French Eddy’ already has 74 goals and 35 assists in 174 appearances during his career so far (Transfermarkt). This shows that he is very prolific and that he has the potential to be a star striker.

It is understandable to see Villa not make a move in January however. This transfer window in the middle of a season sees many prices inflated as sides are desperate to add quality to save their seasons.

With summer signing Ollie Watkins off to a great start for Villa, scoring six goals and picking up one assist in eleven Premier League games (Transfermarkt), the club are not desperate for another top forward. Therefore they can reassess the possible signing of Edouard at the end of the season.

In other Villa news, fans have been piling praise on one star at the club following his latest comments. Have a read who it is here!

Manchester City travel to Olympiakos on Wednesday night in the hope of securing their place in the Champions League knockout stages with a win against the Greek side.

Pep Guardiola’s side have won all three of their opening fixtures in Group C and sit comfortably top, so this could be an opportunity for the Citizens to make plenty of changes, with one eye no doubt on Saturday’s game against Burnley in the Premier League.

There are already signs that Guardiola may field a slightly weakened starting 11, with it reported that both Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker haven’t travelled to Greece for Wednesday night’s game.

Meanwhile, the likes of Fernandinho, Benjamin Mendy and Oleksandr Zinchenko have all recovered from injury in time for the Champions League fixture, so will be in contention for a start.

Here’s how Football FanCast thinks Guardiola will line his side up in Piraeus…

Ederson keeps his place in goal but there is plenty of defensive changes that could be made by Guardiola, with Joao Cancelo likely to start at right-back considering Walker has been left at home.

Mendy has a point to prove on Wednesday and must impress at left-back after recovering from injury, as Cancelo has deputised well there so far this season.

Ruben Dias should be rested for this game, with John Stones making a rare start under Guardiola. The England international was linked with a move away during the summer and the former Everton man, who earns £100k per week at City, has made just one Premier League appearance so far this season.

Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan add the experience in midfield, as this game may come too soon for Fernandinho to start but if City are comfortable we may see him make a return from the bench.

Phil Foden should start as an attacking-midfielder, whilst Ferran Torres will be hoping to improve on his impressive return in the Champions League thus far, by starting as a left-winger.

Bernardo Silva can give his confidence a much-needed boost by scoring or assisting in this game, so Guardiola should trust him to start on the right-wing.

Meanwhile, legendary striker Sergio Aguero should get some much-needed minutes under his belt after returning from injury in the recent loss against Tottenham Hotspur, with Gabriel Jesus given a rest unless he is needed to make a difference against Olympiakos.

Crystal Palace’s inconsistent start to the season continued with a 2-0 defeat to Wolves in the Premier League, a result which will no doubt remind Roy Hodgson that he still has his work cut out at Selhurst Park.

It was the second time in as many matches that Palace failed to keep a clean sheet, only this time, the Eagles failed to find the back of the net.

You could pick several holes in Hodgson’s side, namely their inability to turn a slight advantage in possession into goals, as Michy Batshuayi had an early effort ruled out for offside. Without wanting to rub salt in the wound, Wolves debutant Rayan Ait-Nouri opened the scoring shortly afterwards, before Daniel Podence doubled the lead a few minutes later.

However, this doesn’t excuse the shocking display by some of the senior players like Luka Milivojevic, who was red-carded in the closing stages of the game, although arguably none more so than Palace left-back Patrick van Aanholt, who turned out to be a total liability. In fairness, the 9-cap Netherlands international has only recently returned from injury, but that doesn’t hide the fact that it was far from his best performance.

SofaScore graded the 30-year-old as the worst player on the pitch with a lowly 6.2 rating – he lost possession 11 times, won just one ground duel out of six attempts, was dribbled past once and failed to make a single tackle all game.

Van Aanholt, who earns £55,000-a-week according to Spotrac, received a similar score from football.london, who insisted he was “thrust into the starting line up, perhaps a week or two earlier than Hodgson would have hoped”, whilst 90Min were far more scathing in their assessment as they gave him a grade of 3/10, claiming “like Clyne, was completely overwhelmed by the overload”, although the outlet admitted he “had no help but didn’t do himself any favours with some sloppy positioning.”

Despite the disappointing display, the Dutchman, who is currently valued at £7.2m via Transfermarkt, still played the full 90 minutes to mark his first start for the club this season.

However, he hardly did himself any favours whatsoever as Palace academy product Tyrick Mitchell has impressed in recent weeks, so his place is by no means safe and secure, although the Eagles are still waiting to receive the results from a scan after the 21-year-old picked up a knock in training which ruled him out of the trip to Wolves.

Hodgson will be hoping the veteran will be able to quickly find his feet before they welcome Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United to Selhurst Park next weekend.

AND in other news, Steve Parish must convince Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell to sign new contract…