Tag Futebol

Everton supporters can breathe a sigh of relief after a gruelling clash with Manchester City at the Etihad this afternoon and Frank Lampard will be thrilled that his team managed to steal a point away from home even with the odds staked against them.

The Toffees were just one point clear of the relegation zone ahead of their visit to the Premier League champions today and have managed to widen that gap to two with a well-fought draw against Pep Guardiola’s side.

Despite having just 26% possession of the ball, fewer shots on goal (2 v 16), fewer big chances (0 v 4) and almost three times less accurate passes (183 v 598) than Manchester City, the Toffees took one of their only chances successfully and protected their equaliser magnificently.

In the first half, the inevitable Erling Haaland gave the hosts the lead in the 24th minute to tally up his 21st goal of the Premier League season whilst the yellow cards came thick and fast with Nathan Patterson, James Tarkowski, Bernardo Silva, Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne all booked by the referee before the half-time whistle.

In the second half, after holding off their opponents from doubling their league for 40 minutes, Demarai Gray found the back of the net to deliver the equaliser Everton were desperately searching for and managed to fight for their point despite 11 minutes extra time in a defensive performance Lampard should be proud of.

One player who was Everton’s unsung hero in the heart of the team at the Etihad this afternoon was Idrissa Gana Gueye – the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder who reunited with the Toffees in a move back to Merseyside this summer.

Over his 78-minute performance, the talented Senegalese ace delivered the assist for Gray’s goal, made two key passes, completed 100% of his passes accurately and won 100% of his aerial duels, as well as completing two clearances, two interceptions and blocking one shot on goal.

Lampard’s hooking of the player in the last 12 minutes of the game was met with criticism as writer Peter Guy hailed Gueye the “most impressive” midfielder for Everton during the clash:

“Strange sub by Lampard. Idrissa Gana Gueye has been the most impressive midfielder for Everton. Don’t see what Tom Davies brings to this game at all.”

With that being said, the Everton boss will be hoping that the team’s efforts against Man City only the final day of 2022 will be the confidence boost they need to inspire improved and more consistent performances in 2023 as they attempt to climb the Premier League table into a more comfortable position.

Wolverhampton Wanderers still have the potential to get a deal done for West Ham United defender Craig Dawson, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Wolves’ Dawson interest

As per the Daily Mail, the 32-year-old was keen on a move to Molineux in the summer, but his manager David Moyes did not allow him to leave on transfer deadline day as the Irons failed to sign Jan Bednarek as a replacement, having joined Aston Villa instead.

The Athletic reported that the centre-back wanted to leave east London to be closer to his family, who live in Cheshire, and it seems like there could still be a possibility to bring him to the Black Country in the near future.

The Latest: Jones’ update on Dawson

According to Jones, the door may still be open for Wolves to sign the 32-year-old from West Ham, with Old Gold manager Julen Lopetegui reportedly keen to add more British players at Molineux.

The journalist told GIVEMESPORT: “I don’t know that the Craig Dawson link is going to particularly be one of the priorities in terms of looking for a British player.

“Dawson’s been on their profile for a while and they know there might be the potential to get that deal done.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Head of talkSPORT Lee Clayton previously lauded the defender as a ‘warrior at both ends’, a fitting description given that Dawson has not been averse to popping up with goals for West Ham despite that not being his main responsibility, with nine in 84 appearances for the club.

The 6 foot 2 powerhouse netted twice in the Hammers’ Europa League run last season, a competition in which he was ranked by Sofascore as his team’s third-best performer throughout the tournament behind only Declan Rice and Issa Diop.

Furthermore, Dawson has displayed stellar defensive acumen over the past year, averaging 1.81 blocks per 90 minutes, a figure which puts him in the 95th percentile compared to other centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues.

Wolves could definitely do with someone who has such high-level experience playing at the heart of their defence, with current regular Nathan Collins just 21 years old, while Max Kilman is 25.

Everton have been linked with a move for Ismaila Sarr for some time now, and a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to The Mirror, the Toffees are exploring the opportunity to sign the Watford winger when the transfer window reopens next month.

As per the report, despite Watford’s intentions to keep Sarr at Vicarage Road for their promotion charge in the second half of the Championship season, Everton are plotting a £35m bid for the player.

It’d be a major coup

There is no doubt that the signing of Sarr would be a major coup for Frank Lampard in his pursuit to improve his team after another disappointing start to their Premier League campaign.

Everton are currently teetering on the edge of the relegation zone in 17th after a string of poor performances left them just one point above the bottom three ahead of the World Cup break.

One of the biggest issues that the Toffees are currently experiencing is their lack of attacking threat and prolific finishing in front of goal, scoring the joint-second fewest goals of any team in the top flight so far.

As a result, if the powers at Goodison Park can secure a deal for Sarr in January, the Watford winger could be a hugely valuable asset to Lampard over the remainder of the campaign.

In 109 appearances for Watford, the 24-year-old – who was once dubbed “outstanding” by BBC pundit Garth Crooks – has scored 30 goals and registered 21 assists with a goal contribution every 174 minutes, proving that he is a consistent and reliable threat in front of goal.

Furthermore, Sarr has been a standout performer for Senegal during the World Cup in Qatar, helping his nation to the round of 16 in the prestigious tournament.

Across four appearances at the finals, the talented forward scored one goal and successfully completed 69% of his dribbles, along with averaging 1.5 key passes, 2.8 shots per goal, one tackle and a whopping 9.5 successful duels per game.

Lampard is in desperate need of a player who can make an instant positive impact on the attacking threat in the team, and Sarr could be the perfect player to make the difference which might save Everton from another difficult relegation scrap at the bottom of the table over the second half of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur have been named as one of the clubs reportedly interested in signing Fenerbahce attacking midfielder Arda Guler. 

The Lowdown: Spurs’ transfer business

The north London club have not been shy when it comes to signing players from foreign countries over recent years.

Figures such as Cristian Romero, Ivan Perisic and Emerson Royal, among others, have all made moves to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium from a variety of clubs across Europe.

Now though, it appears that the Lilywhites have their eyes on landing a transfer deal for another talent making a name for himself abroad.

The Latest: Guler links

Speaking to Radio Goal (via AreaNapoli), journalist Valter De Maggio had this to say about Guler and the interest in his services.

“Guler is an interesting footballer, he is doing very well and is also followed by Cristiano Giuntoli, now I add other details. On the footballer there are two other top clubs: PSG and Tottenham. It was also proposed to Napoli in the past.”

“A variable termination clause hangs on the footballer. If you dispute up to 1500 minutes with Fenerbahce, the clause is €5 million, If it exceeds 1500 minutes, it rises to €20 million. Reflections are underway at the Naples house.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-3/” title=”Tottenham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”] 

The Verdict: A long-term investment?

With 59 appearances for Fenerbahce under his belt across their senior and youth sides, the 17-year-old has scored 20 goals and delivered 19 assists.

After scoring two goals in 21 minutes during Fenerbahce’s 6-0 win over Kasimpasa back in August, Guler has only played 13 minutes of league action across four substitute appearances.

Having scored three goals from 12 league appearances last season with just nine attempts on goal and six on target, this ended up giving the youngster the highest rate of shots on target per 90 minutes (1.85) at the club.

This highlights how much of a nuisance Guler, who has been described in the past by coach Erol Tokgozler as a “special” player, can be for opposition goalkeepers when given the chance to play.

Taking into account how young he is, it would be safe to assume that if Spurs were looking to sign the attacking midfielder, it could be seen as a long-term investment rather than as someone that would automatically be put into Antonio Conte’s side.

With the World Cup set to kick off in Qatar later this month, England manager Gareth Southgate might want to consider calling up West Ham stalwart Aaron Cresswell.

The 32-year-old has enjoyed a strong start to the season and was recently named in SofaScore’s European team of the month after his impressive displays for the Hammers in the month of October.

While Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen will be the main contenders from West Ham’s squad to make the cut in Qatar, Cresswell’s chances have been significantly boosted in the past week.

Much has been made about the plethora of top-quality right-backs available to Southgate in the England squad but there aren’t too many contenders on the other side.

Luke Shaw seems the likely choice to start there after his great European Championships, which saw him score England’s goal in the final, however, he has lost his starting place at Manchester United to Tyrell Malacia at times this season, with just seven Premier League starts under his belt.

Ben Chilwell’s injury struggles have come to the fore at the worst possible time again, as a hamstring injury picked up for Chelsea in midweek could rule him out of Qatar, which may open up the door for Cresswell instead.

The 32-year-old, who earns £50k-per-week at West Ham, does have three England caps to his name but last made the squad in 2017, despite some impressive form for the Hammers in recent seasons.

Paul Robinson was full of praise for Cresswell in 2021 and suggested that only Shaw and Chilwell were ahead of him in the pecking order for England.

He said:

“Cresswell is an amazing player. Consistency is the word with him. You know what you are going to get week in, week out. He never lets the team down.

“It is just unfortunate for him that England have got so much strength in that position with the likes of Luke Shaw and Ben Chilwell. He has been the unsung hero at West Ham over the past couple of seasons.”

So far this campaign, the former Ipswich Town man has made 12 appearances in the Premier League and averaged a strong 6.84 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which ranks him ahead of the likes of Shaw, Chilwell and Crystal Palace man Tyrick Mitchell, who could be another outside shout heading into the tournament.

Therefore, considering the injury suffered by Chilwell and their respective form so far this campaign, Cresswell should definitely be in contention to board the plane to Qatar in a few weeks’ time.

Wolves’ search for a new manager has taken another twist, with reports suggesting that talks are progressing with Julen Lopetegui ahead of him taking over the vacant post at Molineux.

What’s the word?

The Spanish manager, who was recently sacked by Sevilla, was seemingly Wolves’ first choice to take over from Bruno Lage after the Portuguese boss was sacked by the Old Gold in early October.

However, Lopetegui would turn down a move to Molineux due to the ill health of his father, which forced Fosun to consider other options as they look to turn around a woeful start to the season which leaves the Midlands club in the relegation places in the Premier League.

Liam Keen, who covers Wolves for the Express and Star, confirmed the news on Twitter.

He said: “Incredible how football works out…Wolves are back in talks with Julen Lopetegui. It’s progressing well and Wolves are hopeful of appointing him before the World Cup break.”

‘Incredible’ boost

After QPR manager Michael Beale was approached, only for him to also turn down the job, it should be an incredible lift for the club to reignite talks with their initial number one choice.

After all, the failed appointment of Beale led the board to announce that interim manager Steve Davis would remain in charge until after the World Cup break.

Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that the former Crewe Alexandra boss was way out of his depth as he oversaw losses against Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Leicester City, which has seemingly forced the board to reconsider.

And now, it seems as if Lopetegui will be the man to succeed Lage at Molineux, in the hope that the 56-year-old can re-produce the form he showed in the early days of his spell with Sevilla, with whom he won the Europa League in 2020.

Lopetegui will need to improve upon the form he showed with Sevilla earlier this term, however, as the Spanish side won just one of ten games in all competitions, including heavy losses in the Champions League against Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund, which saw him relieved of his duties.

Despite that, the Spaniard still averaged an impressive 1.85 points per game with the Rojiblancos, which is a big improvement on the 1.29 points per game averaged by Lage at Wolves.

Therefore, all being well, Lopetegui can be the man to get Wolves out of the mess they find themselves in and ensure that they are still playing Premier League football this time next year.

Given his CV, he could just be a brilliant appointment for Fosun. As Keen says, it’s remarkable how quickly football can change in the space of a few weeks. For once, there is a sense of optimism and hope surrounding Molineux. This is an unexpected, but incredible boost for the club.

Tottenham Hotspur cemented third place in the Premier League standings after they got back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory at Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday evening.

Antonio Conte’s side have Harry Kane to thank after the England striker’s looping 22-minute header sealed all three points on the south coast, ending a rather tough week both on and off the pitch.

The Italian head coach was forced into at least one change before kick-off due to Emerson Royal’s three-game suspension after the Brazilian right wing-back was sent off during their north London derby defeat to Arsenal last weekend.

In came the rarely-seen Matt Doherty and boy did he make a statement against the Seagulls.

It would have been a tough conundrum for Conte to solve leading up to the game. He could’ve easily trusted the experience of Ivan Perisic to get it done on the right, as he did against Leicester City before the international break, or he could have even turned to summer signing Djed Spence.

But it was the Irishman who got the nod, starting his first game for the Lilywhites since last season’s 4-0 win over Aston Villa back in March.

Doherty caught the eye going forward, often making a mazy run down the flank and he even went close to opening the scoring after he fired a volley over the bar from Ryan Sessegnon’s cross.

Whilst, it was defensively where he stood out most, as he put in a huge tackle to deny Leandro Trossard from shooting eight yards out in what would’ve likely been a devastating equaliser.

The 30-year-old also registered three interceptions, a feat only bettered by central midfield monster Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, as well as two clearances and one block, as per SofaScore.

Given the inconsistencies and doubts over £26m signing Emerson, who former Spurs man Jamie O’Hara lambasted as a “complete liability” after the Arsenal defeat, it could be Doherty’s time to shine as he clearly took the golden opportunity handed to him by Conte.

The £65k-per-week defender was once slammed himself as the “weak link” of ex-manager Jose Mourinho’s side but in this wing-back favoured system, he should ultimately thrive.

Albeit “rusty” at times, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers star could prove to be the solution to the right wing-back woes with the fixtures coming thick and fast over the next few weeks.

AND in other news, Forget Kane: £100k-per-week “monster” was Spurs’ driving force in Brighton win…

Tottenham Hotspur sporting director Fabio Paratici enjoyed an impressive summer window having secured eight major deals, although one figure who the Italian could not land was that of current Newcastle United star, Alexander Isak.

Reports as far back as May had suggested that the Sweden international was a player on the radar of the Lilywhites, following his impressive displays at former club Real Sociedad where he netted 44 goals in 132 games for the La Liga side.

As it proved, the north London outfit ultimately secured a £60m deal for Everton talisman Richarlison, with Isak instead opting to secure a late move to St James’ Park, with the Magpies forking out a reported, club-record fee of around £59m for the 22-year-old.

Although the decision to land the Brazilian from Goodison Park has paid off for Antonio Conte’s side – with the versatile forward having scored twice and registered two assists already this term – there may well be a sense of regret at not also splashing the cash on the promising Swede.

Conte himself has only recently voiced his frustration at not having made further investment over the summer, with the serial-winning coach suggesting that a gulf still remains between his side and the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.

The addition of Isak could well have helped to provide even greater competition for places in the forward ranks at N17, with there likely to still be concern if leading man Harry Kane is struck down by injury in the near future.

The highly-rated youngster has already caught the eye in his early stint with the Tynesiders, having scored twice in just three league outings under Eddie Howe, including firing in from the penalty spot in the recent draw with Bournemouth.

The £45m-rated asset had notably impressed on debut in the narrow defeat at Anfield, lashing in a devastating effort past a helpless Alisson to give the visitors a shock early lead, before showing remarkable composure to fire in another clinical finish after the break, only to see the goal subsequently chalked off for offside.

Such a display showcased just why the 37-cap menace has been lauded as “unplayable” by ESPN’s David Cartlidge, having also been dubbed an “exceptional talent” by pundit and former Spurs striker Gary Lineker last year.

The 6 foot 4 powerhouse looks likely to go on to play a pivotal role for the northeast side both this season and beyond, with those back in the capital likely to be left ruing their failure not get him in the door at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

As talkSPORT’s Jason Cundy recently suggested, he could well go on to be worth £100m in the near future.

Leeds United are one of the clubs in the race to bring Goncalo Ramos to the Premier League this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Portuguese publication Record (16/08: page 33), who claim that Newcastle United are now preparing a €40m (£33.5m) offer for the Benfica centre-forward in order to fend off competition from Leeds, Everton, Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

This would appear to support an earlier report last week by 90min, who claimed that both Newcastle and Nottingham Forest had held talks with the Liga Portugal side regarding a deal for the 21-year-old, while the Whites, Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Paris Saint-Germain were also mentioned as interested parties.

De Ketelaere alternative

While missing out on the €36m (£30.5m) signing of Charles De Ketelaere earlier this summer will have undoubtedly come as a gutting blow to Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch – with the Whites being heavily linked with a move for the 21-year-old forward – it would very much appear as if Ramos would represent something of a dream alternative to the Belgium international.

Indeed, it is undeniable that the player who scored 18 goals and registered 10 assists over 49 appearances for Club Brugge KV last season – as well as being a talent billed as the “heir to Kevin de Bruyne’s throne” – would have made an exceptional addition at Elland Road this season, with De Ketelaere joining AC Milan, Orta must turn his focus in the market elsewhere.

And, considering just how much raw potential Ramos very much appears to possess, the Benfica starlet would look to be a fantastic alternative target for the Spanish director of football to pursue prior to September’s transfer deadline.

Indeed, over his 29 Liga Portugal appearances – only 17 of which came as starts – last season, the £12.6m-rated forward scored seven goals, registered two assists and created three big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.9 shots, making 0.8 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

Furthermore, the £8.2k-per-week striker also missed a further 12 big chances of his own last time out, a statistic that, while usually perceived as a negative, proves just how often Ramos gets himself to goalscoring positions over the course of a 90 minutes – while the 21-year-old’s composure in front of goal will only likely improve with confidence and age.

This is something that has already been evident so far in Benfica’s 2022/23 campaign, with the player who Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig claimed is “simply too good” having already bagged four goals and provided three assists over four Champions League and Liga Portugal fixtures – averaging a direct goal contribution every 40 minutes of football played this season.

As such, should Ramos be able to keep up this quite extraordinary level of performance in the final third following a potential switch to Elland Road this summer, a £33.5m fee for the 21-year-old could quite easily look a bargain for the Whites – leading us to believe that Orta simply must do all he can to land the Portugal international as his De Ketelaere alternative.

Tottenham Hotspur are having ‘ongoing discussions’ with AS Roma over Nicolo Zaniolo, according to journalist Santi Aouna.

The Lowdown: Spurs vs Roma

Spurs boss Antonio Conte has been preparing his squad for the last friendly of their pre-season campaign, with the clash coming tonight against Roma.

Reuniting Jose Mourinho with his former club, the game will also provide the Lilywhites with the opportunity to assess forward target Zaniolo.

Speaking about the rumours linking him with a move away from the Serie A side earlier this year, the player claimed:

“It is pleasing to be the subject of interest from big clubs, as if they think about you, it means you’re good. I train with even more motivation, as I want to prove it’s right that I’ve been linked with these top clubs.”

The Latest: Aouna’s news

Taking to Twitter, the Foot Mercato journalist dropped news on all Roma’s business, including a line of particular interest to Spurs fans: “Ongoing discussions with Tottenham for Zaniolo.”

Relayed by Lilywhites outlet The Spurs Express, Aouna reports that the door is likely to open for the Roma winger by the end of the transfer window, even if that involves a loan deal with an option to buy.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Impact in the final third

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the wide man ranks in the 93rd percentile for shots, in the 90th percentile for progressive passes received, in the 83rd percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area and in the 81st percentile for dribbles completed.

Hailed by former Roma coach Claudio Ranieri as a ‘decisive player’ who has ‘impressive quality and strength’, it is no wonder Conte is so keen on bringing the Italy international to Hotspur Way this summer.

At just 23-years-old, Zaniolo has already made 111 appearances for the Serie A giants – with time on his side, the Italian has a long time left to play at the highest level, so why not do it in north London?