All posts by z3u9t.icu

Davinson Sanchez’s time at Tottenham Hotspur could be coming to an end this summer, if emerging reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the 24-year-old centre-back is ‘likely to leave’ amid claims linking the north London outfit with a move for impressive Fulham loanee Joachim Andersen.

Further reports have since emerged suggesting that Sanchez’s former club, Ajax, are keen to bring him back to the Eredivisie as they look for defensive reinforcements.

The 28-time Colombian international cost Spurs around £42m back in the summer of 2017 and is now thought to be worth just €30m (£26m), as per CIES Football Observatory.

Time’s up

That drastic drop-off in value is hugely concerning but only goes to show how poorly he has performed in north London. If anything, when factoring in his age, that fee should only be rising as he heads towards the peak years of his career.

Sanchez was in and out of the side under Jose Mourinho and is yet to be selected by interim boss Ryan Mason. In total, he has only made 17 appearances in the Premier League this season.

A calamitous showing against West Ham in October saw him axed for their next nine games as he was majorly at fault for Spurs throwing away a three-goal lead, and in his absence, the north Londoners rose to the top of the table.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-managerial-update-transfer-rumours-levy-mourinho-sacked-gossip” title= “Read the latest Spurs manager updates, transfer news, gossip and more!”]

That outcome was again repeated in his latest appearance for the club.

His blunder allowed Newcastle to pocket a late equaliser, leading to former ROI international Kenny Cunningham slamming him as a “real liability” and ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara calling him “an absolute disgrace” – it isn’t the first time an ex-pro has lambasted the defender, either.

Writing on Twitter, Curtis Woodhouse, who used to play for Sheffield United, claimed the Mauricio Pochettino signing was “just not a very good defender” and that he “probably costs you 20 goals a season.”

Most of these players still remain from the Argentine’s tenure and given that Spurs’ Achilles heel has been defensive mistakes, it would make sense for a change at the back going into the summer.

The last thing the new manager needs is a player who has shockingly let down the two before him, so with everything considered, it’s time for Levy to be bold and ruthless and make what he can from selling Sanchez.

AND in other news, Levy can finally axe £23m Spurs “liability” with swoop for “special” £18m-rated dynamo…

Manchester City managed to convincingly put their 2-0 defeat against Crystal Palace at the weekend behind them and set them up nicely for their Premier League showdown against Manchester United on Saturday after beating Club Brugge 4-1 in midweek in their latest Champions League outing.

Goals from Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus comfortably secured the three points for Pep Guardiola’s side in their latest European clash.

However, there was one City player, in particular, that ultimately stole the show on the night and that was defender Joao Cancelo.

The full-back was one of the five outfield City players that played the full 90 minutes in midweek and in that time managed to assist three of the four goals scored in what was a remarkable creative showing.

He was also tremendous from a defensive and technical point of view. Via SofaScore, he made three interceptions, won two tackles, one clearance, all while amassing 135 touches of the ball and completing 98 of the 108 passes he attempted.

That left him with a passing accuracy percentage of 91% while ultimately earned him a highly impressive overall match rating of 9.4/10, comfortably making him City’s highest-rated player on the day according to SofaScore.

If that wasn’t enough, the flying full-back also struck the woodwork with a shot during the encounter.

So far this season, the 27-year-old, who is currently valued at £49.5m according to Transfermarkt, has made an appearance in all but one of City’s games across all competitions so far this season, showing how important he is to the side.

In the Premier League, Cancelo has managed to rack up an average of 2.2 shots and 2.5 interceptions per game. A tally of 1.9 tackles per match also proves just how much of a useful asset he has been for Guardiola in an attacking and defensive sense with the Citizens managing to score 20 goals and concede just six in their opening ten league matches of the season.

The Portuguese international, who has been previously described as “brilliant” by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, has also managed to score two goals and provide four assists in the 16 appearances he’s made for the Citizens, demonstrating how much of an attacking threat he is as well.

With the Manchester Derby on the horizon, we feel that it should be an easy decision for Guardiola to start Cancelo at the weekend because he has undoubtedly been a significant figure for City.

In other news: Zinchenko upgrade: Guardiola must secure dream Man City swoop for £45m-rated “monster” – opinion

Crystal Palace’s current placement of 10th in the Premier League table perfectly reflects the results they have earned under new manager Patrick Vieira, with three wins, six draws and just two defeats to their name with 11 league matches played.

One player who has featured heavily for Palace this season is Cheikhou Kouyate, who has started in seven out of his nine Premier League appearances at this point in the campaign.

In those matches, Kouyate has proven how much of a physical defensive unit he is for the team from midfield after averaging 2.2 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 1.4 clearances per game, as well as winning 59% of his duels according to SofaScore.

Despite being a useful defensive midfielder for Palace this season, Kouyate will turn 32 next month, and his contract is set to expire next summer.

With this in mind, Vieira could already have his perfect long-term replacement for the Senegal giant at the club in 21-year-old midfielder Nya Kirby.

After joining Palace’s under-18 side from Tottenham Hotspur’s youth academy back in 2016, the midfielder has gone on to make 13 appearances for Palace’s under-23 side, scoring two goals.

Kirby also has some experience of playing senior football after spending two loan spells away from Selhurst Park, firstly with Blackpool back in 2019 and currently with Tranmere Rovers for this season.

During his time at Bloomfield Road, he scored one goal and provided three assists in 11 appearances, as well as being praised for a “terrific” performance against Charlton Athletic by former Blackpool boss Terry McPhillips. He said that Kirby “passes the ball nicely, does his defending and he’ll have a fight with a big lad,” proving that the youngster will not shy away from the physical aspects of the game, which could make him a great replacement for Kouyate given his physical and defensive capabilities.

If Kirby manages to make the most of his time at Tranmere throughout the rest of the season and if Kouyate ends up leaving Selhurst Park in the summer, the youngster could well be ready to break into Vieira’s starting XI and play regularly, having so far made just one senior appearance for Palace in a Carabao Cup clash against Bournemouth last year.

In other news: Palace dealt potential injury setback ahead of Burnley clash, Vieira would be gutted

Glasgow Rangers centre-forward Jermain Defoe could be on his way out of Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Frank McAvennie, who suggested in a recent interview with Football Insider that, following his removal from Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s coaching staff at Rangers, the 39-year-old’s time at the Premiership side could be coming to an end.

Speaking about the former England international’s future, McAvennie said: “The manager doesn’t know Defoe, so he can’t have any complaints. He’s bringing in his own team and he needs people he can trust. Defoe will know that as well so I can’t imagine he’s too annoyed. I think his time is up at Rangers now.

“He’s got a few months left on his deal so I can see him hanging around Ibrox until the end of the season. He’s always there as an option and what an option to have, he’s still so clinical. We know he’s a popular boy as well, the players all like him by the sounds of it and he’s a fan favourite. Short-term, he can help, but I don’t see a long-term future there.”

Defoe must go

While it is indeed true that Defoe is something of a fan favourite at Ibrox, considering the fact that the veteran striker is currently taking home a whopping £15k-per-week in wages, it would seem a very wise move for Van Bronckhorst to move the 39-year-old onto pastures new in January.

With Defoe now back to being contracted solely as part of the playing staff at Ibrox, his worth to the club is ultimately reflected by his returns on the pitch – something that does not make pretty reading so far this season.

Indeed, the former Tottenham Hotspur centre-forward has played a grand total of nine minutes for Gers in the current campaign, being left out of every single matchday squad, be that in the league, domestic cups or in Europe, apart from the two fixtures in which he has made an appearance.

As such, it simply cannot be argued that Defoe is worth the extremely hefty weekly wage the Light Blues are currently paying him, particularly with it being reported that Rangers’ finances are far from healthy at present.

So, while it may be sad to see him go, the sensible move for Van Bronckhorst would certainly be to thank the 39-year-old for all he has done for the club before allowing him to find a new side in the January transfer window.

In other news: Wilson may repeat his huge 2017 “mistake” by signing £15m flop, Rangers fans will fume

Nottingham Forest suffered a costly defeat on Tuesday evening, falling to a slender loss to Luton Town at the City Ground.

The loss is particularly worrying considering that Chris Hughton’s men are now just 11 points clear of the relegation zone, with sides below them having as many three matches in hand.

However, there were signs throughout the clash that could give the club reason to be optimistic in avoiding relegation to League One.

Manager Hughton was impressed with how his side managed to create opportunities. Following the game, he said that Forest were “very good”, having some presentable chances to open the scoring before the break.

The statistics agree with that sentiment, with the hosts having had 19 shots throughout the game, forcing Luton stopper Simon Sluga into four saves.

The fact that Forest were creating opportunities is a positive sign. It is, in fact, something that they have managed throughout the majority of the campaign.

At their current rate, the East Midlands side are taking 11.6 shots per game according to WhoScored, which is in fact the sixth-highest in the Championship.

Of course, that does not mean all too much if the team are just attempting pot shots from distance, which to an extent is true. Approximately 40% of Forest’s shots this season have come from outside of the penalty area – only Reading, Barnsley and Huddersfield Town have a higher percentage.

However, judging by the expected goals model (xG), Hughton’s men are actually creating very presentable chances.

They currently possess an xG count of 40.07 which is dramatically higher than their number of actual goals scored, 28.

That disparity in these numbers can come down to one of two aspects: poor fortune i.e. excellent stops from opposition goalkeepers or indeed, poor finishing.

Whilst that poor finishing could potentially hamper Forest for the rest of the season, there will hopefully come a point where the chances indeed start finding the back of the net with more regularity, swiftly moving the club away from the drop zone. After all, they are certainly more creative than any of their relegation rivals.

Hughton’s men just need to keep generating chances at the rate they currently are and their luck in front of goal will hopefully turn.

AND in more news, we analyse Glenn Murray’s awful performance in the defeat against Luton…

Celtic face Dundee on Sunday afternoon knowing that a defeat could hand the title to their fiercest rivals. No pressure, then, John Kennedy.

This has been a tortuous campaign for the Hoops but, fortunately for them, it’s set to conclude shortly.

They are miles off the pace in the Premiership and, if they win this weekend, it will give Rangers the opportunity to take home the league at Parkhead in a week’s time. If there was anything to sum up Celtic’s season in a nutshell, that would be it.

Gone are the days of Neil Lennon but not even the thought of a new manager arriving in the not-too-distant future will cure the idea of their city rivals winning the title.

Consequently, Celtic’s game with Dundee this weekend is one of huge significance, so Kennedy must get his selection spot on. Here’s the XI we’re predicting.

We are tipping the interim manager to make two changes from his side which defeated Aberdeen a week ago.

The first change to note is in midfield, where Ryan Christie is dropped from the XI. With just a solitary goal in his last 24 matches, he is hardly up to the task of digging Celtic out of a hole. As a result, David Turnbull takes his place as the number 10 and chief creator.

That will allow Ismaila Soro to come into the side and make just his second start for the Hoops since the end of January.

The remaining change is in attack. Patryk Kilmala was diabolical last weekend when given a rare chance to start. The Pole missed a golden opportunity to score and managed a measly five passes in just over an hour on the field. With that in mind, Leigh Griffiths comes back to partner Odsonne Edouard.

The 30-year-old hasn’t started since being taken off at half-time in Celtic’s 2-1 defeat to St Mirren at the end of January.

That being said, behind Edouard, he has the second-best goals-to-game ratio out of the club’s centre-forward options. Griffiths undeniably feels like the best bet right now if Kennedy wants to operate with a two-pronged attack.

AND in other news, Forget Christie: Kennedy must axe “soul-destroying” Celtic flop who made just 5 passes…

Newcastle United have reportedly opened talks with Rangers over the potential signing of youngster Alex Lowry this summer.

According to Football Insider, the Magpies have held talks over signing the 18-year-old attacking midfielder, with current employers Rangers keen to extend the exciting prospect’s deal.

The Scotsman is currently contracted to the Scottish Premiership champions until 2024 and it is understood that Lowry has recently been offered an improved deal at £5,000 per week.

As the North East club prepare for their first summer transfer window under the ownership of PIF, it is expected that the Tyneside outfit are to spend big in an attempt to completely reform the look of the current squad.

However, the future definitely has to be considered and, in Lowry, the Toon Army could save millions on a prospect that’s rapidly gathering attention.

Imagine him & Bruno

Granted, given Lowry’s lack of game time in the Rangers first team the 18-year-old would be initially included in Newcastle’s U23s.

The attacking midfielder made his Premiership debut in January, playing the entire 90 minutes in a 1-0 win at home to Livingston whilst also scoring on his debut against Dumbarton in the Scottish Challenge Cup.

Moreover, Lowry has also netted in the 4-0 Scottish Cup victory against Stirling Albion and was an unused substitute in the 2-1 extra-time victory against fierce rivals Celtic that booked Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side’s place in the final.

As for where the youngster would fit in on Tyneside, Newcastle’s U23s have had a decent campaign, with the young Geordies sat seventh in the second division of Premier League 2 and would undoubtedly be able to accommodate a player with an abundance of potential.

Lowry’s former academy coach Graeme Murty claimed that the 18-year-old is “unlike any other player” at Rangers and has “a remarkable degree of self-confidence.”

When it comes to the first-team picture, Eddie Howe’s attacking midfield options are somewhat limited.

Just Joelinton and Miguel Almiron are the Magpies’ only recognised attacking midfielders, with the duo scoring a combined tally of just three goals this term; there’s certainly room for improvement in that area.

However, January signing Bruno Guimaraes has already proved to be a nuisance in the box, scoring three goals already for the Toon Army.

With the box-to-box ability of the Brazilian alongside Lowry’s forward-thinking play, Newcastle could one day unearth an electric partnership in the middle of the park.

AND in other news: Howe and PIF are now heading for their first big NUFC error, it would be a disaster

Glasgow Rangers beat Premiership rivals Hibernian to go 19 points clear of arch-rivals Celtic at the top of the table with Neil Lennon’s side playing later on Saturday.

Ianis Hagi’s goal in the first half proved to be enough to extend their lead at the summit of the Scottish Premiership, although Hibs had their chances to bring the game level, but failed to stop Rangers from winning 12 games in a row.

The ball was worked to Kemar Roofe who carried it forwards and skipped away from Hibs defenders before Hagi finished off a fine team move to give the Gers a deserved lead.

And it was Hagi who ran the show as he outshone both Roofe and James Tavernier, having dragged a shot wide shortly before he found the back of the net.

The 22-year-old got himself on the scoresheet, but that was merely the icing on the cake in what was a masterful performance from the young Romania international.

As per SofaScore, Hagi received a high rating of 7.3 out of ten for his efforts – he won five out of his seven ground duels (71%), took three shots overall, including one shot on target, and was fouled twice, which suggests he was a real handful for Jack Ross’ Hibs.

He also took 50 touches of the ball, provided 27 out of his 33 passes (82%), completed one out of his two dribble attempts successfully and made two tackles and one interception as well.

Hagi, who earns wages worth £23,000-per-week at the Govan-based Glaswegian giants, has now scored three goals and supplied seven assists in the Premiership so far this season, via WhoScored, while he is averaging 2.1 shots and 1.3 key passes per game.

With Jordan Jones waiting in the wings after completing his seven-game ban for breaching COVID-19 regulations, Hagi will have handed Gerrard a huge selection headache with his dominant display during the win at home to Hibs as he ensured Rangers maintained their 100% domestic record at Ibrox this season.

He can’t ignore Hagi any longer after his latest showing, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson must sanction Rangers swoop for Peterborough winger Dembele…

As per an update by reliable journalist James Pearce of The Athletic, writing on Twitter, Liverpool supporters’ union Spirit of Shankly have held ‘positive’ talks with club CEO Billy Hogan over fan representation on the board of directors – with Reds fans reacting as this ‘great news’ comes to light.

The club are seeking to gain back the trust of supporters following the infamous European Super League saga, with Liverpool receiving huge backlash for their involvement and eventual break away from the plans.

Owner John W Henry released an apology video to supporters after his and Fenway Sports Group’s controversial move to join the breakaway division, which was quickly suspended after founding members opted out of the project.

Relaying SOS’ statement for The Athletic, Pearce has shared that the supporters group came to a ‘positive’ consultation after sitting down with Hogan and includes a ‘formal agreement’ to improve collaboration and involvement between fans and the club.

Flocking to this update, while the relationship may still have ways to go in regards to repairing trust, these Reds supporters had their say with some praising this initial step.

Find all of their verdicts down below.

Liverpool fans flock to Pearce update

“good. right way to go about it”

Credit: @DxnLFC_

“Great news”

Credit: @KloppStyle

“Great work by all!”

Credit: @Lloydy_2020

“A step in the right direction. If FSG have any sense they will listen.”

Credit: @davidc98

“Brilliant we done it the right way”

Credit: @chrisduanecook

“Well in!”

Credit: @_tahmiddd

In other news: Liverpool offered chance to sign this La Liga star, find out more here.

Celtic haven’t exactly had much luck on the injury front this season.

Of course, it would be hard to put the blame for the Hoops’ disastrous campaign on that alone. After all, their on-field displays at Parkhead have been rather pathetic.

That being said, make any team have to deal with an injury to a player as important as James Forrest and they’d struggle.

The Scot missed a period of 157 days and 35 matches with an ankle problem from September to February and has only just returned from another injury to the same part of his body.

It will be a welcome boost to have the winger in full flow again but one player they’ll definitely be without this week is Scott Bain.

The goalkeeper has been ever-present since John Kennedy was named interim manager but he will miss the clash with St Johnstone on Wednesday due to a finger issue.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Kennedy commented: “Scott Bain picked up a finger injury in the previous game against Rangers. We’re not taking any risks with that. There’s one or two others, again, who we won’t risk. But nothing major, we’re pretty much working with the same squad give or take one or two.”

Bain may not have been the most comfortable between the sticks this term but it still represents a huge blow to have him absent.

The stopper was at fault during Celtic’s battering in Prague during their dreary Europa League run while he could have done a lot better in the recent Old Firm derby.

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

As Alfredo Morelos bullied Scott Brown to one side and sent a rasping effort towards goal, Bain was beaten all ends up. It was a powerful effort but it still crashed straight through him.

Unfortunately, his absence means that Vasilis Barkas will come into the XI. The Greek has deserved a second opportunity for a while now but he’s hardly been a consistent figure either.

Barkas has also been a calamity in goal and was another to pick up a slice of the blame in Europe.

When Celtic suffered defeat to AC Milan at the San Siro, the ‘keeper somehow let a Hakan Calhonoglu free-kick fly into the side of the goal that he was standing in.

Barkas has lacked authority and thus, the Bhoys defence shouldn’t be overly confident with him behind them either. This will his first start since January so expect him to be a little rusty too.

Kennedy will likely be gutted to lose someone he’s placed so much faith in since being handed the reins.

AND in other news, McKay must wield the axe on 5ft9 Celtic dud, Sutton dubbed him the “new Ryan Christie”…