All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to embark on an exciting new era as Antonio Conte edges closer to the vacant managerial role, and chairman Daniel Levy could bolster his squad with a key signing this summer…

What’s the word?

One of the biggest problems facing Jose Mourinho, and then interim boss Ryan Mason, was the club’s defensive options as individual mistakes from the same culprits and a lack of cohesion were a calamitously defining theme throughout the 2019/20 campaign.

It is, therefore, no surprise to see that the club are targeting the addition of at least two new centre-backs in the summer transfer window, according to football.london’s Alasdair Gold.

One name that has attracted the Spurs hierarchy is Fiorentina colossus Nikola Milenkovic, who Gold claimed is “on their radar” earlier this week.

Reports in Italy suggest that the Serbia international is available for around €30m (£26m) this summer, which is substantially more than his current value set by CIES Football Observatory of €20m (£18m).

Imagine him and Conte

If Conte does walk through the door at Spurs in the near future, then improving that backline will be paramount towards his chances of success and let’s be honest, a man that has won nine major trophies will be eager to deliver the goods.

But in the likes of Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez, he has very little chance.

Ex-midfielder Jamie O’Hara implored the club to “get rid” of the pair of them back in February, claiming they were “one of the worst partnerships in the Premier League” to talkSPORT.

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Milenkovic is certainly a very appealing solution and one that you’d imagine Conte knows all about, having come up against him twice a season in the Serie A, where he has only just delivered Inter Milan their first league title in over a decade.

The 23-year-old has emerged as a potential star of the future amid comparisons to Premier League great and Manchester United legend Nemanja Vidic.

“Milenkovic is better than Vidic with the ball at his feet, and he is much calmer on the field,” Mozzart journalist Dejan Stankovic told ESPN in 2018. “He is the most talented centre-back Serbia have had since Vidic, and they definitely have one thing in common – [they are] both are fearless.”

He also possesses much-needed leadership qualities after being trusted with the armband on a few occasions this season despite his relatively young age, including a Coppa Italia clash with Conte’s Inter side this campaign.

In one head-to-head battle at the end of the 2019/20 season, Milenkovic put in a defensive masterclass against a frontline of Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, and Christian Eriksen.

As per SofaScore, the 6 foot 5 powerhouse was La Viola’s highest-rated outfield player as he registered a whopping 12 clearances, two blocks, one interception and one clearance.

It’s no wonder he has been dubbed a “beast” with a “great career ahead of him” by former Partizan head coach Ivan Tomic.

Milenkovic averaged 3.6 clearances, three aerial duels won, 1.4 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per league outing this campaign (via WhoScored), which only goes to show he has the all-round skill set to thrive in the Premier League – as if those Vidic comparisons weren’t already a major signal.

Evidently, he can read the game well enough to make the correct decisions, whilst keeping players like Lukaku quiet is no mean feat. Conte will know that, too.

If Levy wants to get Spurs back on the right path, then he should look to sanction a £26m swoop for the Fiorentina star. He and Conte would be a phenomenal start to summer for the North London outfit.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold delivers exciting claim on Spurs’ manager hunt that’ll have fans buzzing…

Steve Bruce has dropped an injury blow before Newcastle United travel to Leicester City in the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Newcastle are virtually safe

The St. James’ Park faithful are virtually safe from dropping down from the top flight down to the EFL Championship.

They currently sit nine points above the relegation zone with just four games left to play (Sky Sports), and so while it is not mathematically impossible that they could still go down, it would take a huge ask from both Fulham and West Brom.

With this in mind, it may be an opportunity for Bruce to give some minutes to some of his fringe players or bed some youngsters in, but he will not have Elliot Anderson available for the visit to the Foxes.

The Latest: Anderson injured for Newcastle

Speaking in his pre-game press conference before the match against Brendan Rodgers’ men, Bruce confirmed with regards to Anderson (via The Chronicle):

“He picked up a knock in the last game he played and it’s set him back a little bit.

“We’re not sure how bad it is but it’s a hip problem.

“He’s going to be struggling for the next couple of weeks.”

This rules him out of the match against LCFC and potentially also their next two fixtures against both Manchester City and Sheffield United respectively, seemingly ruining his chances of a late chance to strut his stuff before the summer.

The Verdict: Anderson injury a big blow

Anderson is a promising talent, having already made his breakthrough in the team this season at the tender age of just 18, and with potentially nothing to play for, these next matches could have allowed him to get a run in the side.

Nonetheless, the midfield player will have to try and work his way back to full fitness so that he can hopefully make another appearance before the campaign finishes, otherwise it will be over to the pre-season period for him to show Bruce he has what it takes.

In other news, find out what insight Lee Ryder has shared from sources close to Mike Ashley on the potential takeover here!

Some Liverpool supporters have been showing their appreciation for Manuel Neuer after he congratulated Alisson on his incredible winning goal.

The Reds have entered the final stretch of the Premier League season, knowing that wins against Burnley and Crystal Palace should seal a place in the top four.

At one stage, it looked like Liverpool’s Champions League hopes were over, but they have rallied in recent weeks, winning six and drawing two of their last eight games.

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Sunday’s 2-1 win away to West Brom was comfortably the Reds’ most dramatic day of the campaign as it looked as though they were about to drop two crucial points before Alisson popped up in the dying seconds, powering home a last-gasp header and producing a truly great footballing moment.

Fellow goalkeeping great Neuer, a World Cup and Champions League winner, has revealed to The Athletic that he contacted the Liverpool stopper after his goal, in what was no doubt a touching exchange:

“I congratulated him and we exchanged a few messages. Every goalkeeper dreams of scoring the winning goal. Phenomenal. What an amazing header. I’m so pleased for him. He’s a very nice guy and easy to get along with. He deserves that moment.”

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

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to laud the Bayern legend for his gesture towards Alisson.

“Class from Neuer”

Credit: @NIOLDEIN97

“Big respect”

Credit: @SignorBasi

“Goalkeepers union”

Credit: @DFierste

“Greatness recognises greatness”

Credit: @CiaranDuffy81

“Boss that. Got a lot of time and respect for Neuer. After all, he inspired our other GK – Kelleher. He’s boss, and the modern model of what a GK is”

Credit: @jsmarty_1

“Warms my heart seeing two world class goalkeepers showing respect”

Credit: @LFCRK_

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been left fuming at one update on a Reds player. Read more here.

Kevin Phillips says Ian Poveda could be one of a ‘few surprises’ in the Leeds line-up to face Brighton on Saturday afternoon.

Poveda is still waiting for a full Premier League debut, having been limited to 12 substitute appearances thus far, but it may have opened up perfectly for him ahead of the trip to the Amex Stadium.

Raphinha remains out with the hip injury he sustained in the win against Manchester City, and perhaps more worryingly given the lack of depth now at that position, there was no sign of fellow winger Helder Costa at Thorp Arch as Leeds posted their ‘Inside Training’ video.

Costa was forced off with an apparent back problem against Manchester United last week, and the footage seems to suggest the concerns about his fitness will prove true.

Has Bielsa dropped Poveda ‘hint’?

Bielsa was tight-lipped on the possibility of a Poveda start, keen to keep opponents Brighton guessing.

“Anything that indicates the 11 for the next game, I look to avoid,” he said, as quoted by Leeds Live.

But Phillips reckons his silence could be telling.

“It could be a hint that he plans to start him,” the former Premier League Golden Boot winner told Football Insider.

“We all know how stubborn Bielsa is. He doesn’t give a lot away.

“He’s his own man. So it wouldn’t surprise me if there were a few surprises there. Poveda could be one of those.”

The 21-year-old has racked up a total of 288 minutes off the bench in 2020/21.

In that short time, he’s impressively created three big chances, but none of them yielded an assist.

Transfer Tavern verdict

In all honesty, it’s a surprise that Poveda hasn’t earned a league start already given the positive impact he has repeatedly made from the bench.

Ordinarily, you would expect a team in Leeds’ position – comfortably mid-table without much prospect really challenging for Europe – to hand out opportunities to young players in the final games of the season.

For Poveda, though, this could be an excellent opportunity to stake a claim to a greater role come 2021/22.

In other news, Brighton have been dealt an injury blow of their own ahead of the game. 

Celtic’s hunt for a new manager is currently in its tenth week but a successor for Neil Lennon has yet to be announced.

The Hoops have considered a number of appointments but Dermot Desmond has been struck with plenty of sticking points.

What’s the word?

Eddie Howe has been linked with the job on a regular basis over the last month but a deal is thought to be reaching a conclusion.

That being said, Celtic may be forced to think again after a surprising piece of news emerged this week.

That’s because a new name has now emerged in their chase for Lennon’s replacement. That’s the word of Duncan Castles who shared the latest information that he’d been given on the Transfer Window podcast.

He said: “With Roma parting with their current coach Paulo Fonseca, obviously, a Portuguese legend in terms of his career, he has been offered to both Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur as replacements for Neil Lennon and Jose Mourinho.”

A twist on the cards

With Celtic flirting with Howe for so long, it would be an almighty surprise if they suddenly changed their plan.

That said, extraordinary circumstances appear in football that are sometimes simply too hard to refuse.

In terms of improving their status in Europe, Fonseca would certainly be a valuable hire for Dermot Desmond and co.

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He is set to be replaced by Jose Mourinho at Roma once the season comes to a conclusion but it’s been a successful one as far as Europe is concerned.

Fonseca has guided his side to the semi-finals of the Europa League and has shown himself to be a serial winner.

The 48-year-old took Shakhtar Donetsk to three league titles in a row, amassing a win success rate of 74%.

Used to dominating a domestic league and then adapting well in Europe, this could be a crucial skill for a Hoops side striving to do the same.

They have been usurped by Rangers domestically while their continental campaign this term was nothing short of a disaster.

Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League in the qualifying stages and then finished rock bottom of their Europa League group after conceding 19 goals in six outings.

Fonseca may have seen his team decimated 6-2 by Manchester United in the Europa League semi-finals a week ago but he has proved to be adaptable before that.

With Howe possessing no experience in Europe at all, perhaps the Celtic boardroom needs to look towards Fonseca instead. Nobody was really expecting Fonseca to be an option, but now he seemingly is, he could be an excellent selection for the Hoops.

It would not be a shock at all if Celtic decided to take a bit of time to assess Fonseca before they commit to Howe, or indeed any other candidate, so this information that Castles has passed along could very well lead to a further delay whilst the Hoops consider their options again.

AND in other news, Dominic McKay is already on the verge of his first major Celtic mistake…

David Sullivan should seal a move for Tammy Abraham this summer after Kevin Phillips tipped West Ham United to sign the Chelsea striker.

The former Sunderland and England attacker has been talking with Football Insider and claimed that he can see the 23-year-old lining up in claret and blue next season.

Abraham has been linked with making the switch across the capital amid the Hammers’ search for Sebastien Haller’s replacement, with the Daily Star suggesting he tops a three-man shortlist ahead of Ivan Toney and Eddie Nketiah.

Abraham is Chelsea’s top scorer across all competitions this season with 12 goals in 37 games, but has fallen out of favour under Thomas Tuchel as the German and his management team are unconvinced by his attitude.

Phillips believes that the way David Moyes has West Ham set up to attack would create a plethora of chances for Abraham to thrive should he look to leave Stamford Bridge.

“I could see him there, definitely,” he told Football Insider. “The way West Ham are playing at the moment, he’d get chances. As a striker, you want to be playing regularly because we live on confidence.

“To play a few games then get left out, for a striker that’s not great. I can see him at West Ham. They’ve got creative players that would create opportunities for him, and he likes to play on that last man.

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“If he was to be sold by Chelsea there’ll be a few clubs chasing him because he’s still got a long career ahead of him.”

Abraham’s future at Stamford Bridge is said to be up in the air, which would play into West Ham’s advantage should Moyes decide that the Englishman is his top target.

West Ham pursuing a deal for the 23-year-old would likely see the Irons make him their top earner, as reports by Eurosport earlier this month claimed that he feels he should be earning closer to £120,000 per week rather than the £80,000 he currently makes weekly.

Sullivan should put the financial implications to one side as Abraham has the potential to be the ideal striker for the Irons’ system, with Dean Windass certain that he is “Moyes’ type” as the 23-year-old is “big, strong and scores goals”.

Being suited to the system already in operation at West Ham should see Abraham be able to slot straight in without the need for an adaptation period, and begin to prove Tuchel wrong from the get-go.

The Blues boss is said to have concerns over Abraham’s ability to be the main striker for an elite club, while his staff fear that the £36m-rated attacker – who Frank McAvennie describes as a “wonderful” centre-forward – is a soft touch.

Abraham has not appeared to agree with Tuchel’s stance, with the German claiming “at the moment, he is only struggling with my decision,” after omitting the Chelsea product from his matchday squad against Manchester United last month.

The Stamford Bridge hierarchy may oppose strengthening a team currently rivalling them for a top four place, but Sullivan should do his utmost to seal a move and supply Moyes with a forward with a clear point to prove.

AND in other news, West Ham eye 10-goal livewire who destroyed David Moyes’ side last year…

Many Arsenal fans have been left to slam an update from Fabrizio Romano on Mikel Arteta.

As per the Italian football journalist and transfer guru (via ZRAFC), the North London club are ‘really happy’ with the Spanish manager and are ‘planning for transfers’ with him in charge, suggesting that there is no plan whatsoever to let him go before the end of the 2020/21 term.

That is despite the Emirates Stadium faithful currently sitting in 10th spot in the table in the Premier League and coming off the back of very disappointing recent results against Liverpool and Slavia Prague.

There is certainly a divide among Gunners supporters over whether he is the right man to take them forward, and some have expressed their anger at the update.

Arsenal fans on Romano’s Arteta update

These Gooners slammed the update on Arteta after it was shared on Twitter, with one AFC fan even going as far as to claim that it was ‘outrageous’:

“Blind backing is delusion”

Credit: @JarvisSBrantley

“If they truly are happy with him result wise, fact is even darker days are coming”

Credit: @hearmeoutW

“We are so finished…happy with a man who has us 10th in the league and no European competition??”

Credit: @scarface300_

“This club’s dusted at the top level”

Credit: @arsenal_truths

“I give up with this team. We’ll forever be mid-table”

Credit: @ChrisTheGooner

“This is outrageous. This club is in for a very bad ride.”

Credit: @nnaemekn

In other news, find out who was slammed for his display versus Slavia here!

Former striker Kevin Campbell has delivered his verdict about Rangers star Alfredo Morelos’ future at Ibrox, claiming the three promoted Premier League sides next season will be chasing him.

Morelos was linked with a move to Lille in the summer of 2020, but the move didn’t go through. Campbell believes that the Colombian’s time at Rangers is coming to an end this time around though.

‘Quite a few clubs’ are after Morelos

Campbell was recently talking to Football Insider and he discussed the future of Morelos at Rangers. Campbell believes that while Morelos’ disciplinary record isn’t great, the forward knows where the goal is and if he wants a Premier League move, new teams in the top flight will take the risk.

The pundit said: “I think there will be quite a few clubs looking at him. His disciplinary record leaves a lot to be desired but he knows where the goal is and he’s played for a big club up there.

“If he wants to go to the Premier League then I’m sure teams who are coming up from the Championship will be particularly interested in him. They could do with a striker who knows how to score goals. So I think his options will be open big-time.”

In the current season, Morelos has scored ten Premiership goals, while getting four assists. In all competitions, he has contributed to 27 goals in 36 games for the Gers (as per Transfermarkt).

Gers must replace his goals

Morelos’ goal contribution record this season is impressive and in his whole Rangers career, the forward has scored 92 goals while getting 42 assists in 174 games in all competitions (as per Transfermarkt).

He’s a vital player for the Gers and considering that, he will need to be replaced by genuine quality if he leaves.

He is currently valued at £10.8 million by Transfermarkt and since he’s 24, Rangers could still get a good fee from his sale despite the aforementioned disciplinary issues. The fact that his contract runs out in 2023 also suggests that Rangers can sell him for a high fee – whether that is indeed to one of those promoted English clubs we will wait and see.

In other news, Rangers are looking to sign a player from the Turkish league – read more here.

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has been discussing David Coote’s decision to rule out Luke Ayling’s goal in Leeds United’s victory over Fulham.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side picked up a 2-1 win at Craven Cottage last Friday in what represented an impressive result against a team who have improved in recent months.

Patrick Bamford and Raphinha got the goals for Leeds prior to this week’s international break taking place and a number of players being afforded a rest.

As seems to be the case far too often, however, the Whites’ victory couldn’t be completed without controversy, with VAR again taking centre stage at one point.

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Halsey discusses VAR decision

Ayling thought he had given his side the lead in the first half, only for Coote to rule it out on advise from VAR.

Speaking to This Is Futbol, Halsey gave his take on the incident, claiming that the rule needs to be changed outright:

“The one thing is with VAR, it’s back to you’re off, or you’re on. The new handball law has made this offside law; they now measure the line with the armpit and the t-shirt line so that now comes into play because you can score now with that part of the arm.

“So for me, it’s got to be looked at; the whole of the arm has got to be included in handball, not just down to the t-shirt line. That’s why [we see] a lot of these goals ruled out, and we don’t want to be seeing them ruled out because ultimately, fans are important to the game want to be entertained and see goals.

“Now, we put these lines down, and they put them across, and for me, if you cannot tell with a naked eye on the first replay that it’s offside and it takes 2/3/4/5/6 looks, then we’ve got to be [giving the goal].

“Take away the lines, use the naked eye, you can tell straight away whether he’s off or on and obviously, we need to change the handball law to the whole of the arm, and that nullifies the t-shirt line and the armpit for judging offsides.”

Transfer Tavern take

It was the latest in an endless stream of baffling decisions this season, with the offside rule proving to be particularly head-scratching.

The hope is that it is ironed out moving forward in order to stop VAR being discussed negatively on such a regular basis.

In other news, one Premier League manager has paid Leeds a huge compliment – find out who it is and what he said here.

With the Premier League firmly heading towards the business end of its campaign, time is running out for Leeds United’s Gaetano Berardi to make his long-awaited comeback from injury and finally taste a bit of top-flight football.

The Switzerland international has been out of action since last summer after picking up an ACL injury versus Derby County in the Championship, with the Whites making the incredibly classy gesture of handing him a one-year contract extension to provide him with a bit of support while he recovers.

Berardi is the club’s longest-serving first-team player since initially arriving from Serie A side Sampdoria back in 2014 and has played 155 games, but given recent reports linking the club with a move for Nicolas Nkoulou this summer, it appears his time at Elland Road may be coming to an end.

It’s been suggested that Nkoulou – who played under Marcelo Bielsa at Marseille – is a target the Leeds boss personally wants, with the Cameroon international set to be available on a free transfer once his own contract comes to an end.

The 30-year-old’s arrival would further add to the Whites’ centre-back ranks, and it’s certainly an area where Bielsa has a number of different options at his disposal when everybody is fully fit and firing.

He can call upon the likes of: Liam Cooper, Diego Llorente, Robin Koch, Luke Ayling, Pascal Struijk and even Leif Davis, and so Nkoulou’s arrival would further push Berardi onto the side-lines.

At 32, Berardi is in the twilight of his career, and given the seriousness of his knee injury, it’s difficult to see how he will ever get back to his powerful best for Leeds.

Clearly, the Swiss ace is still a major presence in the squad, with Bielsa himself declaring that “his opinion is one the changing room listens to, and also the staff.”

Indeed, The Athletic’s Phil Hay delivered an insight into Berardi’s influence at Elland Road, revealing: “People at Leeds try to make the point that Bielsa sees Berardi as a fundamentally good footballer who is easy to coach and easy to direct. Bielsa admires his discipline.”

But with Nkoulou’s possible arrival, the writing may well be on the wall for Berardi when his current contract comes to an end.