All posts by z3u9t.icu

CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has offered an update regarding Arsenal’s reported interest in Bayern Munich winger, Leroy Sane…

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the respected source revealed that while it may prove a “challenge” to prise the 26-year-old away from the Allianz Arena, he is seemingly a player of interest to the Gunners.

Amid reports linking the Premier League outfit to the 45-cap, Germany international,  Jacobs stated: “The Sane links were prior to Raphinha and I think that Arsenal gathered quite quickly, when they turned their attention to Raphinha, that it’s going to be tough to get Sane to move away from Bayern.

“I think Bayern’s preference is still to try and keep Sane, so that one is going to be a challenge, but it’s obvious they admire the player.”

The north London outfit are seemingly plotting an alternative to that of former Leeds United man Raphinha, having appeared keen to land the Brazilian prior to his recent move to Barcelona.

Edu’s next Jesus

A move for Sane could see Mikel Arteta attempt to utilise his Manchester City connections once again – where he was previously assistant to Pep Guardiola – having already seen sporting director Edu move to bring Gabriel Jesus to the club from the Etihad on a £45m deal.

Although yet to take to the field in a competitive game, the 25-year-old has quickly endeared himself to the Emirates faithful, having notably netted a hat-trick in the recent 6-0 thrashing of Sevilla in what was the final pre-season game of the summer.

With that move already looking like a masterstroke, the aforementioned Edu could strike gold again with the signing of his former City teammate, with Sane seemingly the man who can make those at Arsenal forget all about Raphinha.

The 6 foot wizard – who left Guardiola’s side on a £54.8m deal two years ago – is a simply devastating attacking force, combining his sheer relentless speed with an attacking ruthlessness which makes him a simply unique gem.

While struck down by injury towards the end of his previous stint in English football, the £54m-rated sensation still managed to record hugely impressive figures while in Manchester, notably providing 53 goal contributions in just 90 top-flight appearances, winning two league titles in the process.

Although it has proven an at times tricky spell since his return to the Bundesliga for the one-time Schalke man, the “frightening” forward – as described by pundit Micah Richards – still boasts an impressive record for the Bavarian giants, with 25 goals and 27 assists in 90 games across all competitions for the club.

The 2021/22 campaign was particularly fruitful for the £280k-per-week gem as he flourished under Julian Nagelsmann’s watch, scoring 14 goals and providing 15 assists across all fronts, showcasing just why he has been dubbed a “baller” in some quarters.

The new season may only be in its infancy, although the fleet-footed wideman has already got off to a positive start, netting in the German Super Cup triumph against RB Leipzig at the weekend, after entering the fray as a late substitute.

A player capable of producing something out of nothing, Sane would surely thrive under the tutelage of a familiar face in Arteta, with Edu needing to work his magic again – as he did with Jesus – to help add increased firepower to the Spaniard’s ‘arsenal’.

West Ham United are reportedly eyeing a move for Napoli midfielder, Fabian Ruiz, according to reports coming out of Italy.

What’s the word?

As per Il Mattino (via Sports Witness), the Hammers are said to have ‘never stopped thinking’ about the Spaniard – as well as teammate Piotr Zielinski – as manager David Moyes plots a new midfield recruit.

The suggestion is that the east London outfit are yet to tempt the Serie A side into a sale with their offers thus far, with previous reports having revealed that the 26-year-old could be available for a fee in the region of €30m (£26m), with just a year remaining on his existing deal.

Despite having already brought in Flynn Downes from Swansea City so far this summer, the Premier League side are in need of further additions in the centre of the park following the retirement of long-serving skipper, Mark Noble, having also opted against signing Alex Kral on a permanent deal.

Thiago 2.0

Dubbed an “artist” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Ruiz is a gloriously gifted playmaker who simply oozes class when in possession of the ball, helping to keep things ticking over while also providing a cutting edge in the final third.

The £48k-per-week menace enjoyed a particularly impressive campaign last time out in Naples, netting seven goals and providing four assists in 32 league games for Luciano Spalletti’s side, while also averaging an impressive 90% pass accuracy rate per game.

Formerly of Real Betis – whom he left to join his current side back in 2018 – the 15-cap international is comfortable both in a deep-lying or more advanced midfield role, proving himself a hugely versatile and flexible asset who could well thrive in Moyes’ side.

Not only a star at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, the £49.5m-rated gem also compares favourably among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, notably averaging 5.74 progressive carries and 5.35 progressive passes per game, while also ranking in the top 3% for attempted passes.

That quality with the ball at his feet sees the “spectacular” ace – as described by former Betis boss Quique Setien –  bare a striking resemblance to that of compatriot Thiago Alcantara, with the pair sharing several statistical and stylistic similarities, as per FBref.

That comparison will set pulses racing at the London Stadium such is the immense talent of the Liverpool man, with the 31-year-old simply a master of his craft and one of the most delightful footballers to watch when in his stride.

Although Ruiz has some way to go to match the consistent brilliance of the former Bayern Munich man – who averages a stunning 9.74 progressive passes and 8.39 progressive carries per game – the signs are that he is a player of similar ilk, with the Irons potentially set to have a real gem on their hands if a deal can be struck.

AND in other news: Moyes can now form “unreal” duo as WHU given green light for “limitless” £13m signing…

Southampton journalist Jacob Tanswell has shared an update regarding the current fitness situation of James Ward-Prowse.

What’s the news?

In a recent tweet prior to the Saints’ 0-0 pre-season draw against Austria Klagenfurt, The Athletic journalist shed some light on the matter.

He said: “No James Ward-Prowse again for #SaintsFC this evening as he sits out through injury. Coaches felt it was best not to take the risk. Understand the injury isn’t too bad and he is likely to start training in the coming days, either tomorrow or when the team return home.”

Last season once again showed just how vital Ward-Prowse is to Southampton on the pitch. With 36 Premier League appearances to his name and more minutes played than anyone else in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad, the Englishman also ended the campaign with more goal contributions (15) than any of his team-mates.

In fact, the 27-year-old also topped the list for the number of shots at goal (51), shot-creating actions (113) and progressive passes (135) at the south coast club.

His overall performances in the league earned him a solid season rating of 7.01/10, making him the highest-rated player at Southampton according to WhoScored.

Now that this update has emerged regarding the Saints captain and his current fitness situation, it will surely be great news for Hasenhuttl and Southampton fans to hear that the injury is not serious.

Bearing in mind how the Saints will begin the upcoming Premier League season with a tough away fixture against Tottenham Hotspur, having Ward-Prowse fit and ready to play could be crucial for them in potentially getting their campaign off to a positive start.

Before that, Southampton still have two pre-season friendlies left to play at St Mary’s against Watford and Villarreal.

If the England international can get some minutes under his belt in either of those two matches, this should put him and the rest of the team in a good place to attack their opening league game of the season in north London.

Moving forward, the best thing that everyone at Southampton can hope for is that Ward-Prowse overcomes his current injury issue and gets up to speed in terms of his fitness ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign.

AND in other news – “Southampton have…”: Teasing summer claim should leave Saints supporters excited

Everton have only made one signing so far this summer with James Tarkowski joining the squad, and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on a transfer target.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed a new update on Everton transfer target Kalidou Koulibaly.

Romano tweeted this morning:

“Chelsea are prepared to submit the final, official bid for Kalidou Koulibaly: €38m plus add-ons, up to €40m package. Napoli could accept, after opening proposal worth €35m turned down.

“Koulibaly agreed personal terms – while Chelsea are also working on Nathan Aké.”

Everton have been linked with a move for the defender for over a year now, and even submitted a bid for the £32m player last summer.

Supporters will be gutted

It is no secret that Everton have been struggling, something that became painfully obvious for supporters over last season when the side endured a Premier League relegation scrap, only surviving in the penultimate game of the season.

There is a desperate need for reinforcements and players who can make a high-quality impact in the team, so Everton supporters will surely be gutted that they are about to miss out on the signing of a long-term transfer target in Koulibaly.

The Napoli centre-back has been a key player in the Serie A for this side and has proven he has the ability and talent to be a fantastic addition to any team.

Over 27 league appearances, Koulibaly scored three goals, delivered three assists and created two big chances. From a defensive standpoint, he was incredibly impressive, making 1.4 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 3.1 clearances per game, as well as winning the majority of his duels (61%).

The defender’s eye-catching defensive and attacking qualities would have been massively advantageous to Frank Lampard who is looking for ways to improve his side to ensure they don’t find themselves in a battle at the bottom of the table again, so it will surely be frustrating for the manager that Koulibaly will make a move to another club.

With that being said, Farhad Moshiri will need to learn a lesson from missing out on Koulibaly this summer and start to commit to making serious offers for transfer targets to avoid losing out on another player that could make a great impact on the team next term.

AND in other news: Lampard eyeing Everton deal for £20m “bundle of energy”, he can be Yakubu 2.0

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold has been blown away by the ‘brutal’ scenes in the team’s pre-season training sessions.

The Lowdown: Pre-season in South Korea

Antonio Conte and the Spurs squad hopped on the plane and made the journey to South Korea on Saturday as they kicked off their pre-season tour ahead of the new Premier League season.

On arrival at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, the players were made to complete an intense two-hour training session in the soaring temperatures, which included multiple drills, game situations and two-touch and multi-touch matches.

That wasn’t the end of it though, as the boss unveiled a challenge of his own, making his team do 42 pitch-long runs with limited breaks to see who could push themselves to the brink.

The Latest: Gold’s ‘brutal’ reaction

Taking to Twitter, Gold, who’s travelled to Korea and is watching the action from the sidelines, reacted to the vigorous routines he’d seen the Tottenham players involved in. He wrote:

“You know it was brutal when you’ve even got the England captain being sick by the side of the pitch. Without doubt the most gruelling training session I’ve seen in the flesh, especially for those who have just joined up with the squad after their holidays.”

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The Verdict: Positive in the long term

Whilst these training regimes will be unimaginably tough and difficult to deal with in the short term, it’s this kind of work that will set Spurs up for a successful campaign ahead.

Conte has already made five summer signings in Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison and Clement Lenglet, and with this calibre of players, he clearly has high ambitions in terms of what he wants to achieve next term.

The obvious aim for the boss will be to maintain a top-four place in the Premier League at the very least, but also to get his hands on some silverware as the team prepare for a return to the Champions League, where the mid-week games and packed schedule will require an immense level of fitness.

Journalist Andy Sixsmith has said that Chelsea youngster Armando Broja would be ‘another superb signing’ for Newcastle United, and that a deal with Thomas Tuchel’s side ‘could move quickly’.

The Lowdown: Broja linked with Newcastle

According to The Northern Echo journalist Scott Wilson, the Magpies are confident of being able to beat West Ham to the signing of the 20-year-old.

The Chelsea manager will soon make an assessment of the former Southampton loanee as he weighs up whether to take the Albania international on the Blues’ upcoming tour of the United States.

According to a report by The Northern Echo, Broja is valued at between £20m and 25m by the Stamford Bridge outfit.

The Latest: Sixsmith’s claim

Sixsmith has been left impressed by the rumours linking Newcastle with a possible move for Broja, given the youngster’s fantastic potential.

Taking to Twitter, the freelance journalist claimed: “This would be another superb signing for #NUFC Broja is Premier League proven, an excellent finisher & provides a different option to Callum Wilson. Chelsea not far off making a decision on him so things could move quickly.”

The Verdict: Great prospective addition

When analysing the striker’s statistics against positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, Broja’s potential shines through to the forefront.

As per FBRef, the 20-year-old ranks in the 86th percentile for aerial duels won, the 82nd percentile for interceptions and the 81st percentile for dribbles completed.

With such a wide range of attributes, it is easy to see why Eddie Howe’s side are so keen on the Chelsea youngster, as he would add a hugely promising option to the Toon’s frontline.

Therefore, if Newcastle manage to secure Broja as their next signing, following the impressive £35m arrival of Sven Botman from Lille, these would be two fantastic additions to enhance the Magpies’ summer transfer activity.

Leeds United have been handed a huge boost in their bid to bring Cody Gakpo to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, Voetbal International journalist Marco Timmer revealed that, despite the PSV Eindhoven winger having previously held talks with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City regarding a summer move, the 23-year-old is now becoming increasingly open to the idea of a move to Leeds – with Victor Orta said to be in talks with the player’s representatives.

Timmer goes on to state that the Eredivisie side are demanding a figure of around €40m (£35m) in order to part with the Netherlands international – who is now said to be considering taking a similar route to that of Georginio Wijnaldum in order to secure a move to one of Europe’s elite clubs further down the line.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “The management of Cody Gakpo speaks with Leeds United as it has previously spoken with, among others, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal. PSV want about €40m for Gakpo. He now also sees a route a la Wijnaldum via the foreign sub-top to the top.”

Massive coup

Considering the sheer level of interest in Gakpo’s services this summer, in addition to the fact that the 23-year-old very much looks to be one of the most exciting prospects in European football, should Orta manage to convince the Dutchman of a move to Elland Road in the coming weeks, it would undoubtedly represent a massive coup for the Spanish sporting director.

Indeed, over his 27 Eredivisie appearances in 2021/22, the £27m-rated forward was one of the stories of the season, scoring 12 goals, providing 13 assists and creating 11 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.0 shots, making 2.6 key passes and completing 2.9 dribbles per game.

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These metrics saw the £7.4k-per-week talent average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.51, not only ranking him as Roger Schmidt’s best performer in the division but also as the fourth-best player in the league as a whole.

The winger who Pain in the Arsenal dubbed a “supreme talent” also caught the eye over his four Europa League fixtures, bagging two goals and creating two big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 3.0 shots, making 2.8 key passes and completing 4.0 dribbles per outing – with his average SofaScore match rating of 7.47 ranking him as the fourth-best player to feature in the competition.

Further still, Gakpo also played a key role in PSV’s run to the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League, scoring three goals, registering one assist and creating one big chance over his five appearances in the tournament – with his average SofaScore match rating of 7.42 ranking him as the joint 10th-best player in the competition.

As such, it is clear for all to see just how exciting a prospect the 23-year-old is, leading us to believe that, should Orta indeed manage to get a deal over the line for the flying Dutchman ahead of the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City this summer, it would certainly be one of the most impressive signings of the window.

AND in other news: “It’s done”: Fabrizio Romano drops big transfer update, Leeds supporters surely gutted

Manchester United have been linked with a move for Atletico Madrid winger Yannik Carrasco recently, and the Belgian could be a big upgrade in Erik ten Hag’s side next season.

What’s the word?

According to Spanish news outlet AS, the Red Devils, plus Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, are all keen on signing the 28-year-old this summer after his impressive performances in Diego Simeone’s side last season.

They claim that the Atletico manager sees Carrasco as a big part of his plans at the Wanda Metropolitano and won’t budge on the €60m (£51.5m) release clause in the former Monaco attacker’s contract.

Better than Rashford?

If United were to meet the winger’s release clause, they would be signing a player who has just enjoyed two of his best seasons in an Atletico shirt.

Last term saw him contribute six goals and six assists in 34 La Liga appearances for Los Colchoneros, with WhoScored awarding him an impressive 7.08 average rating for his performances in Spain’s top flight, including five man-of-the-match displays.

For comparison, Rashford managed just four goals and two assists in 25 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, averaging a shocking 6.35 WhoScored rating for his performances.

The United academy graduate also averaged just 0.9 shots, 0.4 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per game in the top flight last term, whereas Carrasco managed 1.5 shots, 1.6 key passes and 2.6 dribbles per match in La Liga, so it seems clear that he would be an upgrade on the 24-year-old.

Given the England international’s sharp decline in form last season, Ten Hag may well be looking for more consistent options out wide, as United were far too reliant on Cristiano Ronaldo for goals in 2021/22.

Carrasco would almost certainly provide an attacking output that the majority of United’s wide players have failed to consistently produce, as he has 80 goals and 80 assists in his club career thus far.

After hitting a hat-trick against Granada in 2016, Simeone was full of praise for Carrasco, saying: “He is a very complete player, with a bright future ahead of him.”

Although the 28-year-old would be an expensive option for the Glazers, it seems as if United are definitely interested in bringing him in; and if his statistics last season are anything to go by, he would surely be an upgrade to Ten Hag’s current options out wide.

In other news… United can land Ten Hag his own Robertson with bid for “exceptional” £30m target

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has backed Liverpool to come to a ‘compromise’ when it comes to arranging a new contract with Mohamed Salah.

The Lowdown: Salah confirms short-term future

The 30-year-old has just 12 months remaining on his current contract at Anfield, but his future on Merseyside has been up in the air in recent weeks after failing to agree a new deal with the club.

The striker had been linked with a move away from the Premier League, amid interest from Barcelona, but the player himself confirmed at the end of May that he would remain with the Reds for next season at least, regardless of the whether any agreement was reached between now and the start of the new campaign.

It was later reported by The Telegraph‘s Chris Bascombe just this week that the top-flight giants remain confident that they can convince the Egyptian to put pen to paper on a long-term contract.

The Latest: Campbell’s contract claim

Reacting to that news in a chat with Football Insider, Campbell said:

“I don’t think it will be a matter of bowing to his demands.

“Both parties have to come to a compromise. They need to conclude on a deal that works for everyone.

“Salah is a big-time player, a marquee player for Liverpool. He was brilliant last season.

“I don’t see it being a problem. I truly believe they will come to an agreement.

“Here is the funny thing, if they don’t come to an agreement and his contract expires, it doesn’t mean he will leave the club.

“At that point, everyone is in the same boat. There would be a different negotiation to be had at that stage. I wouldn’t rule that one out.”

The Verdict: New deal is a priority

After securing the signing of Darwin Nunez, Liverpool’s priority has now surely got to be negotiating a fresh deal for Salah, who is a huge reason as to why the club have enjoyed so much success over the years.

Last season alone, the 83-cap international was the Premier League’s joint-top goalscorer, sharing the Golden Boot award with Tottenham’s Son Heung-Min.

With his contract set to expire next summer, the Reds will be keen to tie Salah down as soon as possible to ensure that their star man isn’t able to leave Anfield a free agent a year from now.

In other news… Sadio Mane is now ‘on the verge’ of completing his move to Bayern Munich after an update from Sky Sports News.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their chances of landing Eric Bailly in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to the print edition of The Mirror, Manchester United are attempting to offload the central defender in the coming weeks.

The report claims that PIF have been given the green light to seal a deal as they have been offered the chance to sign him from the Red Devils.

It is stated that the Premier League giants will now demand a fee in the region of £8.5m for the out-of-favour centre-back.

Eddie Howe would love it

The Toon head coach would love Bailly at St. James’ Park as it would give him the opportunity to turn the defender’s career around.

Although he has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford, the Ivorian has shown signs of promise over the years that suggest there is a talented player in there.

Howe has shown that he can revive a player’s career as he turned Joelinton from a misfiring striker into a steamroller in midfield. The Brazilian won Newcastle’s Player of the Season award for his efforts in 2021/22, after the head coach switched his position up during the first half of the campaign.

Now, we are not expecting Bailly to come in and be converted into an attacking midfielder but the Toon boss can work with him on the training pitch to help him find consistency in his performances.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer previously dubbed Bailly “immense” and his form in the Champions League last term offered a glimpse of what he is capable of. In two appearances in Europe, he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.35 as he made five tackles, three interceptions, seven clearances and won 60% of his aerial duels.

He also showcased his quality at the African Cup of Nations as he averaged a score of 7.40 across three games in the tournament earlier this year. The defensive brute won 70% of his duels and made 3.7 tackles and interceptions per game, illustrating the impact he can have when he is fit and firing.

Therefore, Howe will enjoy trying to get the best out of Bailly as he has shown that he has the potential to be an excellent defender when he is at the peak of his powers. He may not have been able to show that in the Premier League for Manchester United, given their willingness to sell him, but the Magpies can now test their luck with the 28-year-old.

AND in other news, NUFC can unearth their own Abraham as Ashworth plots bid for “fearless” £25m bulldozer…