All posts by z3u9t.icu

Many Southampton fans are raging at the news that Danny Ings has turned down a new four-year contract at St Mary’s.

The 28-year-old has been one of the Saints’ best performers over the past couple of years, scoring 34 goals for the club in the Premier League in that time (Transfermarkt), but there have been question marks over his future for several months. He has not signed an extension to his contract, which runs out next summer, and has been linked with moves to both Manchester City (Sky Sports) and Tottenham Hotspur (Eurosport).

It now seems that he is edging ever closer to exit door. As per The Athletic, three-cap England international Ings has turned down a four-year contract to stay on the south coast even though the agreement would have made him the best-paid player in the club’s history – he is already the Saints’ second-highest earner on £77,000 per week (Salary Sport).

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from Southampton supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Ings’ contract snub

“Cheerio then”

Credit: @Sam_Gibbo1885

“This should have been sorted last summer after he’d just had a great season and missed the Golden Boot by 1 goal. Lower sell on value now and can’t see us keeping him another season to then leave on a free!”

Credit: @haywardaj

“Shame, he was my fav player as well and he’s snaking us”

Credit: @SaintLiam02

“Sadness”

Credit: @1loubear101

“Great…”

Credit: @Saintsfc_8

“Snake”

Credit: @salisuszn

In other news, Southampton want to sign this defender.

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has revealed that Coventry City midfielder Gus Hamer is “admired” by Steven Gerrard.

What’s the story?

During a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail, Preece claimed that both Gerrard and assistant Gary McAllister were both at Coventry’s clash with Birmingham recently, and that Hamer is someone they have had their eye on.

He said: “As for January, usual names are sticking given Gerrard’s Rangers links but position-wise; a left-back, DM and possibly a forward could be added. Villa, Gerrard and Lange still assessing squad (three weeks into six-week review process). Bailey/Traore injuries are a concern for me.

“There could also be something in Gerrard and Gary Mac being at Coventry vs Birmingham the other week as well with Gus Hamer (Cov) admired.”

Perfect for Villa

Despite playing in a deeper position last season, Hamer was Coventry’s third top scorer with five goals while he also provided three assists too.

That all-round facet to his game is reflected by the fact he also averaged an impressive 1.4 interceptions and 1.3 tackles per game, and a team-high 1.5 key passes and 1.8 shots per match.

It’s no surprise then that his boss, Mark Robins, raved about his talents on the Sky Blues Extra podcast, where he called him “unbelievable” (via the Coventry Telegraph), whilst pundit Ali Maxwell simply dubbed the Dutchman as the “class act” of this Coventry side.

In fact, Robins has already tipped Hamer to move to the Premier League in the future and praised his “frightening” technique, and given the kind of dynamic midfielder he is, could be absolutely perfect for this new era under Gerrard at Villa.

The 5 foot 6 machine could bring some vital depth and quality to Villa’s engine room, especially when you consider that they tried to sign James Ward-Prowse in the summer and are now currently dealing with injuries and potential AFCON absences with Marvelous Nakamba next month too.

Meanwhile, Gerrard must finally unleash this Villa star…

Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United all but secured Premier League survival on Saturday afternoon, with the Whites running out 3-0 winners over relegation rivals Watford at Vicarage Road.

Indeed, from the moment that Raphinha gave the visitors the lead in the 21st minute, Leeds never looked in danger of giving away their advantage, with Rodrigo and Jack Harrison sealing all three points with second-half goals.

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Despite the positives, there were nevertheless a couple of players in the Whites’ starting XI who turned in below-par performances on Saturday afternoon, with central midfield pairing Mateusz Klich and Robin Koch both having games to forget against the Hornets.

It was perhaps the Germany international who was the most disappointing of the duo, with the 25-year-old turning in the sort of display which could have many Leeds supporters questioning whether he may have just played his last game for the club, following recent reports suggesting that Marsch would be willing to cash in on the versatile defender this summer.

Lost 12 duels

Indeed, over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £13m signing was a passenger in the middle of the park. He had 59 touches of the ball, completed just 25 of his 43 attempted passes (a success rate of just 58%), failed to find a team-mate with any of his six attempted long balls and was unsuccessful with his one attempted dribble.

The £46k-per-week German also lost 12 of his 20 duels, committed one foul, was beaten by an opponent on five occasions and lost possession 22 times, meaning he gave the ball away with every 2.7 touches.

These returns saw the £15.3m-rated man earn a rather disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.3, ranking him as Leeds’ second-worst player to feature today.

Furthermore, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross also awarded Koch a five in his own player ratings, stating of the 25-year-old’s display: “Just doesn’t fit this role. Passing range or composure was not there to build anything for Leeds through the middle. Got turned time and time again by the Watford attacks through the centre.”

It is undeniable that the player who Danny Mills claimed looks like a “fish out of water” boasts a decent amount of potential, but should Marsch indeed be considering the sale of the eight-cap international this summer, it would not be surprising if Koch’s disasterclass against Watford was his last game for the Whites.

AND in other news: Orta can now axe “awful” £55k-p/w flop as Leeds eye “underrated” £12.5m-rated “threat”

Crystal Palace have received a big selection boost ahead of their Premier League encounter with Newcastle United this afternoon after talisman Wilfried Zaha was declared avaiable to play.

What’s the word?

The highly influential 28-year-old was absent from Palace’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal last time out after returning from international duty with an illness, but Eagles manager Patrick Vieira confirmed that the Ivorian is now available for selection once again.

“He will be part of the squad tomorrow,” the 45-year-old confirmed in Friday’s press conference when asked about Zaha’s current situation.

The French tactician then provided an update on the fitness of attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze as he continues his recovery from an Achilles injury, declaring the youngster is still a few weeks away from making his first team comeback.

Vieira said: “He started training with the team, but he is still a couple of weeks away,” before confirming that he has no fresh fitness worries on his plate, with long-term absentee Nathan Ferguson the only player not in contention.

“No, we are looking good. Everyone outside Nathan trained this morning,” he concluded ahead of today’s crucial clash with Newcastle.

Vieira will be delighted

News that Zaha will be available for selection once again will leave Vieira feeling delighted, given the winger’s importance to the Eagles.

Last season, the Ivory Coast international was Palace’s top scorer in the league with 11 goals, but his influence over proceedings was far greater than just putting the ball in the back of the net. As per WhoScored, he averaged two shots, one key pass and 1.8 dribbles per game in 2020/21, placing him in the top three for each metric when compared to his teammates.

The versatile forward has started the current campaign in a similarly impressive fashion, bagging two goals and providing one assist in eight outings.

Therefore, Zaha’s return to fitness will be a big boost to Palace’s hopes of securing all three points against Newcastle, and his manager will no doubt be relieved to have him available once again.

In other news… Parish must sanction bargain Palace swoop for 6 ft 2 colossus, Vieira needs him

Leeds United are monitoring Hoffenheim midfielder Florian Grillitsch ahead of a possible free transfer, according to The Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Grillitsch profiled

Grillitsch, who shares the same agent as Patrick Bamford, Dan James and Luke Ayling, has been with Hoffenheim since 2017 but is out of contract at the end of June.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-04-02T155252Z_391313781_UP1EI421841M9_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-SOU-REPORT.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Austria international has made 151 appearances for his current employers, contributing to 19 goals. The defensive midfielder has actually turned out as a centre-back in recent months, and it looks as if he is the latest player on Victor Orta’s radar.

The Latest: Whites tracking

The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath shared a transfer notebook on Friday morning, with Leeds getting a mention when it came to Grillitsch.

The Whites are thought to be monitoring the player ahead of a possible Bosman deal, with the reliable journalist also name-checking Arsenal and Everton with an interest.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Leeds appear in desperate need of midfield reinforcements ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge with only four to choose from currently, so Grillitsch could be the perfect target to play alongside Kalvin Phillips.

Lauded as ‘extraordinary’ by Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, Grillitsch has actually averaged more interceptions, clearances, key passes and fewer fouls than Phillips this season. [WhoScored]

Grillitsch can also play in a box-to-box midfield role, which could come in extremely handy at Elland Road, especially when you take into consideration the club’s injury woes this season.

The Whites can actually begin working on a pre-contract agreement for Grillitsch right now, however, their focus at this moment in time may well be on guaranteeing a third season in the Premier League before going after targets.

In other news: ‘Spoke to Leeds’ – Manager reveals talks with Radz for Orta signing; move possible before Palace. 

Rafa Benitez led his Everton team to a point at Old Trafford as the Toffees held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

Anthony Martial gave United the lead in the first half with an assured finish inside the box after Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina were dragged inside, with Andros Townsend failing to provide cover for the former.

Excellent play from Demarai Gray created space for Aboulaye Doucoure in the middle and he then threaded the ball through for Townsend to clinically convert the equaliser.

Whilst Townsend may grab the headlines with his Old Trafford strike, Rafa Benitez’s unsung hero was Godfrey at right-back.

The ex-Norwich man is a central defender by trade but did not look out of place at right-back as he impressed in Manchester. He was strong defensively and composed on the ball, almost setting up a late winner for Everton in the second half.

Godfrey controlled the ball 25 yards out and prodded a clever ball through to Tom Davies in acres of space inside the United penalty area, only for the midfielder to pass to an offside Yerry Mina instead of making use of the time he had to get a shot away himself. The 23-year-old had the time to set himself and take a free shot at David de Gea’s goal, which could have resulted in an assist for Godfrey.

Defensively, Godrey was a rock for Everton. As per SofaScore, he won eight duels during the game, including five of his seven attempted ground duels. He also made six clearances and four tackles, whilst only being dribbled past once in the entire match.

This shows how strong he was at the back for the Toffees. You could question his positioning on the Martial goal, although he was trying to prevent Bruno Fernandes from doing damage and did not have any support from his winger, which made it a difficult situation for him to handle.

Aside from that incident, however, he was almost flawless. Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo came on in the second half and Godfrey did not give a sniff to either of them, particularly Sancho on his flank, as he was able to stay solid throughout the 90 minutes.

Never mind Townsend, the 23-year-old defender was the real hero for Everton today. Benitez will surely be delighted with his display and hoping that he can maintain this standard for the rest of the campaign, whether he is playing at centre-back or right-back.

AND in other news, “Let the fans down numerous times” – Exclusive: Michael Ball drops major Everton verdict…

Paul Robinson has offered his thoughts on Leeds’ pursuit of Wolves forward Adama Traore.

What’s the talk?

Former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson has admitted that he would love to see Marcelo Bielsa’s side sign Adama Traore from fellow Premier League side Wolves this summer. Leeds and Spurs are both reportedly interested in signing the forward, who is said to be valued at around £45m by his current club.

Robinson told MOTLeeds: 

“That’s good money. He’s a good player, I rate him.

“He’s not the finished article yet but he’s a lot more polished than when he left Middlesbrough. He was a bit rough around the edges, his final ball wasn’t there and it was just his raw pace and power.

“Now, he’s combined that with intelligence and delivery of the ball final with goals.

“He’s a player that I’ve admired for the last couple of seasons because he’s really come on. I’d love to see him at Leeds.”

Imagine him and Raphinha

Victor Orta must work hard to secure a deal for Traore in the coming weeks, with Robinson outlining why he would be an excellent signing for the club.

He still has room for growth and development, but already has the pace, power, and quality to make an impact in the Premier League. The Leeds chief could form a terrifying attacking line-up by adding Traore to the club’s wing options alongside Raphinha.

Traore has provided six goals and 11 assists in the past two seasons for Wolves in the top-flight, showing that he has been able to add end product to his all around play. To highlight these qualities, Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp previously hailed Traore as unplayable. He said: “He is unplayable in moments, it’s unbelievable. What a player – it’s not only him but he’s so good.”

He only managed two assists in the Premier League last term but averaged 1.5 key passes per game – more than the 1.3 he averaged the previous year when he registered nine assists. This could be linked to Raul Jimenez’s injury, with the Mexican scoring 17 goals in the 2019/20 season before only playing 10 times the following season due to his unfortunate head collision.

Therefore, it may have been his teammates at fault for his unimpressive assist total. He could fare better at Leeds, with the likes of Raphinha, Patrick Bamford and Jack Harrison alongside him – who managed 31 goals between them.

Raphinha racked up six goals and nine assists for the Whites in the Premier League, whilst averaging 2.1 key passes and 1.9 dribbles per game. Traore, meanwhile, averaged 1.5 key passes and a mouth-watering 4.1 dribbles completed per game.

This shows how effective the pair are at running at defenders and creating chances for their teammates in the top-flight. So, imagine both of them in the same team, sprinting at opposition players with the ball and getting supporters off their seats in anticipation of a moment of magic. It could be terrifying for opposition teams.

AND in other news, Leeds receive transfer boost in chase for “wholehearted” beast, fans will be buzzing…

As Liverpool’s top two goalscorers in the Premier League so far this season, it’s safe to say that Sadio Mane (7) and Mohamed Salah (11) have been two of the Merseyside club’s most important players in this campaign.

Unfortunately for the Reds, the prolific duo will be unavailable to play in January when they join their respective countries to play in the upcoming AFCON tournament.

While this definitely will be a big problem for Jurgen Klopp’s side, they have one player at the Merseyside club that could well be a suitable temporary replacement for the star wingers when January comes around.

17-year-old winger Kaide Gordon joined Liverpool back in February from Championship side Derby County.

Since then, the teenager, who is currently valued at £900k according to Transfermarkt, has made eight appearances for Liverpool’s U18 side, racking up six goals and providing three assists in that time.

The attacker, who has been described as having a “bit of magic in him” by fellow Liverpool youngster Tom Clayton, has also made four appearances for Liverpool’s U23 side, scoring three times and supplying one assist in the process, highlighting his attacking prowess at such a young age.

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Gordon made his senior debut for the Reds in their 3-0 win over Norwich City in the Carabao Cup where he played the full 90 minutes before being included on the substitutes bench in their recent 4-0 victory over Arsenal in the Premier League.

Taking all of this into account and the fact that Liverpool will be without Mane and Salah for a period in January, Klopp should definitely consider giving Gordon the chance to shine in the Premier League. Should he impress, then he will be more than suitable to fill in for the senior duo over the winter.

If Gordon does get the chance to play regularly at some point this season and manages to demonstrate what an attacking talent he is, the teen could well prove to be a valuable asset for Liverpool as they bid to keep themselves in the title race.

In other news: Big blow: Klopp dealt injury setback that is sure to leave Liverpool fans gutted – opinion

Everton have been going through a rough patch with injuries recently, with star striker Dominic Calvert Lewin side-lined since the beginning of the season.

Rafa Benitez’s side currently sit 11th in the Premier League after a bad run of form winning just four games so far this season.

There is no doubt that the large list of injuries has had an adverse effect on the Toffees, but Rafa Benitez will be thrilled that they seem to be on the other side of their crisis, with Richarlison and Yerry Mina already back in training ahead of the return of the Premier League.

Everton have been suffering defensive frustrations, leaking cheap goals, and at the other end of the pitch, not scoring enough to edge the three points needed, both Richarlison and Mina will be the perfect solutions for those issues going forward, but face huge competition in a number of difficult fixtures before Christmas.

The Blues will face Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City in the next few weeks and will be hoping to pick up points to tackle their tight top half of the table challenge.

One highly anticipated, long-awaited return that Rafa will be hoping to revive Everton’s season by unleashing £40.5m rated, Dominic Calvert Lewin.

The Everton frontman is renowned for his passion and performances in big games, of which Everton have plenty to come, there is no doubt the return of the forward would be a massive boost for the side, reigniting the confident attacking threat and dominance that the side are crying out for.

The 24-year-old striker was only tipped to be out of action for 2 or 3 weeks when he sustained an injury in August and has missed ten games so far following a setback in his rehabilitation.

Calvert Lewin spoke on Sky Sport’s Monday Night Football recently and discussed his injury woes.

He said: “It’s been so frustrating to start the season with three goals in three games and be sidelined.

“The hardest part is the mental part, to see the lads play and not have an impact. I love scoring goals and that’s what keeps me going in my rehab. It’s difficult.

“Being a player I want to play every game. To watch it, it’s difficult when results don’t go your way and you can’t help.”

However, the target man who was once dubbed a “nightmare” by teammate Richarlison, is supposed to be back in action over the next few weeks and even made comments over the weekend suggesting he could possibly be back for the upcoming Merseyside derby on the 1st of December, which will be a huge relief to Everton fans.

Rafa Benitez will be looking forward to implementing his best players back into his side and hopefully establishing a good run of form to climb the table with the Toffees before the turn of the year. The player who bagged 21 times last term will undoubtedly help revive their fortunes.

In other news: Everton given a boost with return of Yerry Mina

Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld is edging closer to completing a move to Qatari side Al-Duhail, according to a recent report from The Telegraph.

The Belgium international has been with the club since 2015, and has made 236 appearances in total for the London-based side, having previously been on the books with Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.

That includes making 35 appearances for Spurs last season, as they finished seventh in the Premier League table. But it’s set to be a summer of change at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with experienced players potentially heading for the exit door, to make way for new signings.

With Spurs edging closer to a deal to sign Atalanta defender Cristian Romero, Alderweireld would likely have been pushed down the pecking order in Nuno Espirito Santo’s plans ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, so he’s seemingly set to depart instead.

The Telegraph claim that a deal is worth £13million, but is dependent on whether personal terms are agreed between Alderweireld and the Qatari club in the near future.

The defender stands at 6ft 1in tall, and reportedly earns £150,000 per-week according to Salary Sport, and Spurs’ supporters will be hoping that those wages can be reinvested wisely in the near future.

Spurs are set to take on Manchester City in their opening league match of the 2021/22 league campaign, and plenty of Spurs supporters took to social media to react to the news that Alderweireld will not be involved, with many being impressed that the club are set to receive £13million for him this summer.

Take a look at the best of the reaction from Twitter below….

Spurs fans react

“Wow we kept it quiet too, hopefully some others sales are close.”

Credit: @domsougly

“Woah, sweet deal if true.”

Credit: @spursman_foreve

“He was our best defender last year!”

Credit: @PoliticalGraham

“If we manage to make profit on a 33 year old fair play.”

Credit: @jacob_baum_

“13 mill. Damm we acc got a good deal.”

Credit: @k7rd_tohn

“13 mill is useful you know but why did it have to be the only competent defender we currently own?”

Credit: @frank_morrish

“Paratici is the greatest thing to happen for spurs oh my days.”

Credit: @reallynotsrs

“Paratici beautiful man.”

Credit: @abhicoys