All posts by n8rngtd.top

Sheffield Wednesday have been dealt a huge blow to their chances of landing Reece James this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Sheffield Star, who claim that, following the Owls’ relegation to the third tier of English football, a deal for the 27-year-old Doncaster Rovers left-back will now be a great deal harder to get over the line for Wednesday.

The report goes on to state that Doncaster are extremely keen to keep the £540k-rated man at the Keepmoat Stadium this summer, and have subsequently offered James a new deal, with the defender’s current contract set to expire next month.

Moore will be gutted

If a move for James is indeed scuppered by Wednesday’s relegation to League One, it will undoubtedly come as gutting news for Darren Moore, who knows the left-back incredibly well – with the 47-year-old having managed him during his own spell at Doncaster.

Indeed, considering how well the left-back performed for Rovers last season, it would indeed appear as if he would have been an exceptional signing for the Owls ahead of their campaign in the third tier.

Over the £3.7k-per-week man’s 43 League One appearances last term, he scored seven goals, registered two assists and created two big chances, as well as making an average of one interception, 1.7 tackles and 0.9 key passes per game, culminating in an average SofaScore match rating of 6.95 – ranking him as the club’s fourth-best performer in League One.

As such, with Moore having to rebuild his Wednesday side from the bare bones this summer – as 17 of the Owls’ first-team players are on contracts that expire in the coming weeks – the addition of a player who has excelled at League One level, who the manager knows extremely well and who could be available on a free transfer would have been something of a jackpot for the club.

However, there does still remain a chance of Moore convincing James – whom the Wednesday manager himself dubbed an “adaptable” player – of a move, but he will have to do so extremely in order to stop any other interested sides snapping the 27-year-old up.

In other news: Chansiri set for grave error over “exciting” SWFC gem who’s a “big part of the future” – opinion

One of Celtic’s biggest priorities this summer will be to replace those who have exited Parkhead.

Unfortunately, the Hoops could suffer some pretty big casualties when the window does indeed open.

Kristoffer Ajer has been watched by teams in England while Odsonne Edouard is nearing a move down south as well.

On the chalkboard

If Edouard departs then it will leave Celtic bereft of much quality in attack. Consider Mohamed Elyounoussi is leaving as well and it starves them of even more goals in the final third.

Therefore, the Bhoys will no doubt consider this to be an important area to strengthen and it would appear work is already taking place behind the scenes.

One report states that Celtic are interested in signing Honduran forward Alberth Elis.

The attacker has been on their radar for a while now with former Hoops defender Emilio Izaguirre recommending Celtic to the 25-year-old last summer.

“Alberth is a very good friend of mine and I spoke with him about Celtic,” the left-back began.

“He’s a very good, fast player. He’s very fast and strong and he’s good in the air. He’s played a lot of football and is good on the ball. A lot of players in Honduras would like to play for Celtic because it’s a big opportunity to play in Europe and play for trophies. Celtic is a big club, the biggest in Scotland,” Izaguirre concluded.

It would appear the Bhoys are beginning to act on that appeal.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-ajer-howe-lampard-wilshere-gauld” title=”Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

According to reports from Portugal (via Daily Record), Celtic are one of a number of teams interested in signing the 42-cap forward from Boavista.

The Glaswegian’s will have to beat away competition from Brighton and Watford to lure him to Scotland.

They may also have to stump up a pretty sizeable sum of money with £8.5m being touted for his services.

Whether or not Elis would be worth that amount depends on the type of profile Celtic are looking for. The first thing to tick off the checklist is that he plays in similar roles to Elyounoussi.

He can play through the middle as a centre-forward or on either flank. Similarly to Elyounoussi, he can also score and create on a regular basis.

Elis’ first campaign in European football saw him register eight goals and seven assists. That’s a handy tally for someone who boasts traits that strike fear into opponents.

The Honduras international is blessed with incredible pace, something that ensures he can beat his man with great consistency.

On top of that, he is powerful in the air, winning 2.2 aerial duels in the top-flight of Portuguese football this term.

That would add an intriguing element to Celtic’s forward line with no attacking player in the green and white winning more than Elyounoussi’s 1.5 aerial duels per game.

With that in mind, he could be more of a threat than the Norwegian was this term. Of course, he’ll have to go a long way to replicating the Southampton man’s 17 strikes but it would be a shrewd move from Dominic McKay.

AND in other news, Celtic must sign 6 ft 6 man-mountain, Howe dubbed him the “ultimate professional”…

Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore must ruthlessly axe centre-back Tom Lees amid interest from Championship side Bristol City.

What’s the talk?

According to the Bristol Post, Lees is one of the players for whom Nigel Pearson is weighing up a swoop as he attempts to improve his defence heading into the 2021/22 campaign. The report claims that Pearson is looking to bring in two new centre-back options and Lees is a player he would like to sign, along with Oxford defender Rob Atkinson.

Lees is out of contract at the end of the month and is reportedly on £22,000 per week at Hillsborough. This means that he is on course to become a free agent at the start of July, which would allow Bristol City to bring him in without paying a transfer fee to Sheffield Wednesday for his services.

Relief for Chansiri

Moore deciding to axe Lees this summer would come as a massive relief for Dejphon Chansiri. The 30-year-old is one of the club’s top earners and his exit could take a sizeable chunk away from the wage bill Chansiri will need to pay in League One next season following the club’s relegation to the third tier.

Sheffield Wednesday have felt the impact of the global pandemic financially and are reportedly struggling to pay the wages of their players at the moment. The club are looking into the possibility of placing some of their playing staff on furlough over the summer to cut costs and cover payments.

This means that letting Lees go could be a necessity this month. If Chansiri is not able to pay the players their wages for the month just gone, there is no way of being able to justify keeping the defender at Hillsborough for another season or longer, unless he was willing to take a gigantic pay cut to play for the club in League One.

That appears to be an unlikely outcome because of the interest from Bristol City in his services. Pearson is offering him the chance to move back to the Championship, potentially without a pay cut, and that could be an attractive prospect for the former Leeds player.

It is worth pointing out that this is not an indictment on Lees’ performances for the club in the season just gone. He averaged the highest WhoScored rating in the Championship for Sheffield Wednesday, earning a score of 6.88 for his performances across 38 starts, just ahead of Barry Bannan. He averaged five aerial battles won and 5.4 clearances made per game, showing that he was a beast for Wednesday at the back despite their failure to stay up.

However, time is up for Lees at Hillsborough, and Moore must allow him to go because of their wage bill situation.

AND in other news, SWFC must complete deal for “powerful” ace after huge update

Amid concerns from worried West Ham supporters, an ever-reliable source has delivered an exciting transfer claim…

What’s the word?

According to ExWHUemployee, David Moyes’ summer business will not just stop at three key positions, as previously reported by Claret & Hugh.

The Irons fan site claimed earlier in the week that the manager wanted a new striker, a centre-back and the permanent arrival of Jesse Lingard, which left some sections of the London Stadium faithful worried about a lack of depth in midfield.

However, the anonymous Ex has claimed that, once the club secures these three priority positions, they will look to bolster elsewhere. He wrote on Twitter: “My understanding is that they are the three priority signings. Once they are filled and we are happy we can then look for other positions/availability to bolster squad but they would obviously be cheaper deals.”

Summer spree?

It’s certainly an exciting time to be a Hammers fan. In the space of just one year, Moyes has steered the club from relegation candidates, saving them with one game to go, to sealing a place in the Europa League.

This remarkable turnaround in fortunes has largely been down to his coaching and expertise in the transfer market, which should encourage those in east London even more.

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

Of course, a new striker and bringing Lingard back should be the two top priorities. Moyes cannot afford to go into a potential 50-plus game campaign with an injury-prone Michail Antonio as his only senior striking option, whilst the Manchester United star’s impact since January can never be understated after nine goals and five assists.

Even if that takes a fair chunk of the budget away, there should still be huge confidence in finding further additions – you only have to look at the deals involving Vladimir Coufal (£5.5m) and Tomas Soucek (loan, then £15m) for inspiration.

This latest update from Ex, one of the most trustworthy sources around the club, is very positive and should leave fans absolutely ecstatic going into what could be a history-defining summer.

If they get their business right, the Hammers’ seventh-place finish will be no mere fluke and they may even put up a competitive fight in the Europa League too.

AND in other news, Ajeti 2.0: Moyes could repeat Pellegrini disaster in swoop for 23 G/A target…

Crystal Palace must swoop for former Everton and Bournemouth striker Josh King this summer.

What’s the story?

It has been confirmed that the 29-year-old will leave the Toffees on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of June following a disappointing six-month spell on Merseyside.

King failed to score in any of his 11 appearances after joining the Goodison Park outfit and is now able to talk to other clubs ahead of a possible move, having been linked with the Eagles last October only for a move to not materialise.

Imagine him and Zaha

With several players expected to depart Palace over the coming months, who chairman Steve Parish brings in to replace them could be key to the club’s fortunes next season. Key players such as Andros Townsend, Gary Cahill and Patrick van Aanholt are all heading for the exit door at this moment in time, so the Eagles’ recruitment will be vital to their future success.

Budgets are expected to be tight at all clubs this summer as the financial impact of the ongoing pandemic continues to cause problems, adding greater significance to bargain deals and thrifty purchases.

Picking up an experienced Premier League player on a free transfer would certainly come into that category, and acquiring King’s signature would represent a good piece of business for Palace as Parish oversees a significant squad rebuild.

The Norway international has an impressive record in the Premier League, bagging 48 goals and providing 15 assists in 172 top-flight appearances throughout his career, highlighting the quality he would bring to the capital club. Eddie Howe, his former manager at Bournemouth, hailed him as “the complete package” after a two-goal display against Newcastle in March 2019.

Although Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha has made his familiar statement outlining his desire to leave his boyhood club, the reality is that the Ivory Coast international is likely to remain in south London for at least another 12 months.

It could provide the hugely talented star enough time to build up a deadly rapport with King should the latter arrive this summer and fire Selhurst Park outfit to greater heights as they transition into the post-Roy Hodgson era.

At Bournemouth, King was at his scintillating best when he built relationships with Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser. The prospect of the £45,000-per-week Norwegian developing a similar connection with Zaha is surely enough to get any Palace fan excited.

In other news…Palace could seal their next McArthur in £10.8m-rated gem who has “everything”

Former Leeds United star Jon Newsome insists that Pablo Hernandez has earned the right to be called a legend at the club.

Hernandez has played his last game for the club, and will leave Elland Road on the expiry of his contract at the end of this month.

That comes after a four-year stint with the Whites, in which he has played a key role in guiding the club from the Championship into the Premier League.

Hernandez has made a total of 175 appearances for Leeds, scoring 36 goals and registering 41 assists, although he only played a bit-part role in the Premier League in 2020/21.

In total, the 36-year-old made 16 league appearances, though just three of those were starts, including the final game of the season, as he gave the fans an emotional farewell.

And Newsome believes he should be regarded as one of the best players to play for the club in their long and storied history.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “There’s a word that gets bandied about, ‘legends’, quite a lot, when we’re up at the game and they say ‘the Leeds legends’, there’s not, there’s a bunch of ex-players, but there’s only a few I would class as legends at that club.

“And I would put Pablo in that category. I think he’s come into the football club and his commitment, his work, his desire has been there for everybody to see.”

Liverpool are in need of a Gini Wijnaldum replacement and there is one midfielder who arrived with a lot of hype and expectations at Old Trafford. However, Donny van de Beek fell way short last season and despite this, former Liverpool star Paul Stewart can’t see the Red Devils letting one of their players go to Anfield.

Van de Beek was very impressive during Ajax’s famous Champions League run in the 2018/19 season and he was one of a few players who didn’t leave in the immediate aftermath, but despite spending another season in the Eredivisie it doesn’t appear to have helped his career.

The Dutch international was handed just four Premier League starts all season, something which would have been unimaginable when he joined for £35 million last season, and Ajax legend Sjaak Swart has claimed that Van de Beek would be wonderful for Liverpool, who are on the hunt for Wijnaldum’s successor.

Jurgen Klopp will have an extensive list of midfielders he would like to sign this summer and although Van de Beek has undoubted quality, it would be unlikely to see him turn up at Anfield, according to Stewart who spoke exclusively to Football FanCast:

“They may not want to sell him to one of their biggest rivals in Liverpool because if he turned out to be a big success then it would be a kick in the teeth for them.”

Liverpool are not the only side linked with a move for the midfielder as Arsenal have reportedly made contact about the possibility of signing the 24-year old, this comes after their pursuit of Martin Odegaard appeared to stop before it had even begun.

Van de Beek’s frustrating season was summed up and brought to an end when he picked up an injury when with the Netherlands and that ended up ruling him out of the European Championships.

A number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting negatively to journalist Fabrizio Romano’s opinion about a predicted Reds starting line-up next season.

Jurgen Klopp will be a desperate to have a productive summer transfer window at Anfield, strengthening his squad in the process.

Liverpool need to be Premier League title challengers again next season, and for that to happen, reinforcements may be required in certain areas.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

Ibrahima Konate has already joined from RB Leipzig, giving the Reds another strong centre-back option, but it remains to be seen who else will come in.

Romano has predicted what he thinks Liverpool’s starting XI will be next season [International Champions Cup on YouTube, shared via Watch LFC on Twitter], with Konate and Brighton’s Yves Bissouma both in the team. The former has already signed, while the latter continues to be strongly linked with the 2020 Premier League champions.

There is no room for captain Jordan Henderson, however, while there is also no sign of Joe Gomez alongside Virgil van Dijk.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-copy-2/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

Liverpool fans bemoan Romano’s starting XI opinion

These Liverpool fans don’t want Romano’s opinion about his predicted XI to come true, providing their thoughts on Twitter.

“This is so sad”

Credit: @Msquared7_

“We selling Henderson then…”

Credit: @footiestatto

“So we’re signing only 1 other player. Nice”

Credit: @AdamLFC_19

“Bissouma > Hendo. Hahahahahaha”

Credit: @robinbylundLFC

“This would be a horrendous window”

Credit: @SirLeonP

“No Mbappe”

Credit: @Rofhiwa__4

In other news, Romano has also provided a key update on the future of one Liverpool player. Find out who it is here.

Kristoffer Ajer is unhappy with Celtic after they rejected two bids in the region of £10m for his services, according to The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Ajer’s contract running down

The 23-year-old, who made 46 appearances for the Hoops last season, is into the final 12 months of his Parkhead deal. The Norwegian recently shared his intentions to leave Celtic Park this summer and move to a top-five league.

The likes of Norwich City, Bayer Leverkusen and Newcastle United have all been linked with the defender, and it now seems as if two of those clubs have made big-money bids for Ajer, considering his situation.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-7/” title=”Celtic updates” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Bailey’s post

The Athletic’s Norwich City correspondent Michael Bailey posted a link to a story on Ajer on Twitter, shortly after Ange Postecoglou’s first press conference as Celtic boss had finished.

Within his post, Bailey claimed Ajer is unhappy with how the Hoops are handling his situation, revealing that  both Norwich and Leverkusen have had offers turned down as he stated:

“Kristoffer Ajer unhappy with how Celtic are dealing with this summer. £10m bids rejected from Bayer Leverkusen & Norwich City for CB in the last yr of contract. Not over yet.”

The Verdict: Sell

Should Celtic remain stubborn and Ajer stays at Parkhead for the 2021/22 season, the 23-year-old could end up leaving for nothing this time next year. He will be able to discuss a potential pre-contract agreement in January, so it would make sense for Celtic to accept an offer in the region of £10m over the coming weeks.

That may allow Postecoglou to bring in one or possibly two defensive additions, with Mario Vuskovic and Piero Hincapie two centre-backs who have recently been linked with a move to Glasgow.

In other news: Alan Nixon provides Aaron Hickey to Celtic update, find out more here. 

As per Spanish media outlet AS, Glasgow Rangers flop Umar Sadiq is a transfer target for Manchester City during this transfer window.

The Lowdown: Sadiq struggled at Ibrox

Sadiq was one of Steven Gerrard’s first signings when he made the move to the Gers in 2018, with the 24-year-old joining on loan from AS Roma.

However, he made just four appearances for the Gers before returning to Italy before the end of the loan spell (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: City eye Sadiq

However, after a big reversal in fortunes, Sadiq is now a target for Premier League champions Manchester City.

His current club Almeria are said to be looking for €30m (£25.8m) for his services, although his release clause stands at €60m (£51.6m). It is believed that City will loan Sadiq to Troyes for the 2021/22 campaign if they were to capture his services.

The Verdict: On the up

It is hard to believe that Sadiq is the same player who failed miserably during his time with the Gers. Upon his departure from Ibrox, he moved on loan to Partizan Belgrade before eventually signing for them on a permanent basis. He netted 23 goals and provided 19 assists in 52 games for the Serbian outfit before moving to Almeria.

He continued his resurgence in Spain, scoring 22 times in 43 matches. While City would provide a huge step up in quality, it is not as ludicrous now to imagine him playing there as it was before. It just goes to show that a poor spell at one club does not always finish a player’s hopes of reaching the highest level, and if the move goes through, it could intrigue Rangers fans who saw little of him during his abortive spell at Ibrox.

In other news, Rangers are set to receive a 40% discount as they aim to sign this 21-year-old.