All posts by z3u9t.icu

Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly interested in a deal to sign Arsenal’s young defender Tolaji Bola, according to The Star. 

What’s the story?

Darren Moore’s side will be preparing for life in the third tier of English football, after they were relegated from the Championship last term after a disappointing run of results.

The Owls have held an interest in signing former Chelsea defender Renedi Masampu, who is reportedly on trial with the Owls during pre-season.

But whilst their believed to be keeping tabs on Masampu, they’re also said to be interested in a deal to sign Arsenal’s Tolaji Bola ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

The Star claim that Bola could be tempted by a return to League One on a temporary basis, as he looks to find himself regular minutes in senior football.

It’d be a risk-free signing for the Owls

Bola has been with Arsenal since 2008, and is yet to make a senior appearance for the Gunners, which will be slightly frustrating at the age of 22.

The 22-year-old spent last year’s campaign on loan with League One side Rochdale, and made 12 appearances for them in total, before returning to the Emirates Stadium this summer.

Sheffield Wednesday endured a frustrating season last term, as they dropped out of the second tier on the final day of the 2020/21 campaign after a draw with Derby County.

It’s been a summer of change at Hillsborough, with a number of players leaving the club when their contracts reached a conclusion, as they looked to financially adjust to life in the third tier, whilst under the management of Darren Moore.

The Owls certainly need additional strength in depth in defence moving forwards, as additional options at left-back are needed, with Matt Penney recently departing Sheffield Wednesday in favour of a move to Ipswich Town.

Bola would be something of a safe option for Darren Moore’s side as well, with the defender having experience of playing at this level, having played for Rochdale last season, so there shouldn’t be too many concerns as to whether he’d be a good enough option to have in their team.

You aren’t on the books with Arsenal by chance, and you would imagine that the Gunners will be keen to find Bola regular game time in the near future, as his first-team opportunities are likely to be restricted this season with Mikel Arteta’s side.

Reinforcements are needed at Sheffield Wednesday, and Bola will be eager to make a name for himself in senior football, so it’d be a move that would work for all parties involved, especially with the Owls’ finances likely to be restricted this summer.

Celtic striker Vakoun Bayo looks set to return to Parkhead under new boss Ange Postecoglou, according to the Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Bayo’s 2020/21 season

The 24-year-old spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at French side Toulouse.

Bayo, who Chris Sutton described as ‘powerful’ back in 2019, scored 13 goals and registered four assists in 36 appearances in all competitions, with 11 of those coming since the turn of the year.

Unfortunately for the Ivory Coast international, he failed to help Toulouse gain promotion to Ligue 1, and it seems that could be costly in regards to the forward making his stay in France permanent.

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The Latest: Bayo’s return

According to a report from the Daily Record, Bayo is in line to return to Parkhead ahead of pre-season.

Toulouse had the option to turn Bayo’s loan move into permanent transfer this summer, but it appears as if they will not decide to do that. They announced that Brecht Dejaegere had made his temporary stay a long-term one, but there was no mention of Bayo.

He is expected to return to Scotland as a result and could be handed a chance by Postecoglou, with pre-season for the Hoops beginning on Thursday.

The Verdict: A welcome boost for Postecoglou?

New Celtic boss Postecoglou could well be short of attacking options over the coming months, so a return to Scotland for Bayo could be good news for the 55-year-old.

Leigh Griffiths’ future appears to be up in the air, while Odsonne Edouard has reportedly told friends that he will be joining Leicester City.

Celtic also recently missed out on long-term target Kyle Joseph, so having Bayo back at Lennoxtown next week will give Postecoglou another attacking option as he gears up for a busy few months ahead of the crucial 2021/22 season.

In other news: Hoops linked with move for Yokohama F. Marinos forward, find out more here. 

Writing on his Patreon, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has shared a significant update involving West Ham United and their pursuit of 2020/2021 loan star Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: Lingard shines for Hammers…

It was quite the spell for Lingard over the second half of 2020/2021, with the Englishman bagging a brilliant nine goals and four assists in 16 Premier League starts for West Ham (WhoScored).

Pundit Adrian Durham even touted him for the England squad at Euro 2020 when raving about his form, branding the player ‘absolutely phenomenal’ (talkSPORT).

Manager David Moyes was vindicated in his decision to spark a reunion with the 28-year-old, whom he had worked with previously at Manchester United, and it now appears the Scotsman wants to sign him permanently.

Claret & Hugh claim that a move for Lingard is one of three major priorities for Moyes this summer alongside the acquisition of a new centre-back and star striker.

The Latest: ExWHUemployee drops big Lingard update…

Writing on his Patreon, club insider ExWHUemployee has dropped a significant update on West Ham’s pursuit of Lingard.

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However, it is not good news, with Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now speaking to Lingard and saying he is ready to give the midfielder another chance to prove himself.

The player himself is said to be eager on Solskjaer’s proposal of another shot at staking his claim in Manchester.

It is also believed by Ex that the Old Trafford club may be preparing a new contract for him and it could now be hard to convince them to sell Lingard on a permanent deal.

Indeed, as it stands, the most likely outcome is that he remains at United.

However, sharing a glimmer of hope, Ex also says it’s ‘very early days’ and ‘things can change rapidly’.

The Verdict: Big blow…

This comes as a potentially big blow for West Ham and Hammers supporters who are eager to see Lingard at the London Stadium indefinitely.

Given his electric form at the end of 20/21, it’s little wonder Solskjaer now wants to give him another chance at Old Trafford, with West Ham now facing the possibility of having to look at alternatives.

There are arguably few names who would excite supporters as much as Lingard, and they will be hoping a fresh development soon emerges which could turn the tide.

In other news: ‘I’m hearing…’ – McAvennie drops major claim involving West Ham target, find out more here.

Many West Ham United fans are delighted after it was revealed that David Moyes is set to put pen to paper on a new contract at the club.

The Hammers enjoyed a fantastic campaign in 2020/21, finishing sixth in the Premier League, which means they will be playing in the Europa League next term. Moyes has had a huge part to play in that success, keeping the Irons up the previous season as well.

With Carlo Ancelotti reportedly set to join Real Madrid (Fabrizio Romano), there had been rumours that Moyes could return to Everton to take the Italian’s place at Goodison Park (The Times). However, according to Claret & Hugh, the Scot has already signed a new deal which will be confirmed by the club soon.

The news was shared on Twitter by @WestHam_Central, and it attracted plenty of attention from Hammers supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the news on Moyes

“Yessss”

Credit: @JshWHU

“Class news”

Credit: @CameronWHU

“SIUUUUUUU”

Credit: @BennnWHU

“Europa League winners 2021/22 confirmed”

Credit: @whuabz

“YESSSSSS”

Credit: @FornalsFluency

“Siuuuuuuuuuuu”

Credit: @joelitt78828048

In other news, many West Ham fans want the Irons to sign this striker in the summer.

Marcelo Bielsa has identified left-back as a key area to improve this summer with Stuart Dallas being deployed as a centre midfielder last season and Ezgjan Alioski yet to sign a new deal.

Someone they could be set to miss out on is Romain Perraud and former Leeds midfielder David Norris believes that it will be a huge blow for the club.

Leeds appeared to be leading the chase for the full-back, however now Southampton appear to be favourites for the French full-back having reportedly agreed personal terms with Perraud leaving him on the brink of making the switch to the Premier League at St Mary’s.

Perraud has performed well for Stade Brestois and he helped his club fight off relegation for the second successive season, being named in France Football’s Ligue 1 Team of the Season as a result, but now could be the right time for their promising 23-year old to move onto bigger things.

With both clubs eager for a new left-back this summer it appeared to be a straight shoot-out between Leeds and Southampton with the latter winning, something that will come as a huge blow to Bielsa, according to Norris, whos spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“I think once it’s out that Leeds are going for a player that normally means they’ve done their background work and it won’t just be an off the cuff one. So, having put in that amount of effort to make it known they’re going for a player, only to lose him will be a blow.

“It’s clearly a position they’re looking to reinforce. So I think it will be a little bit of a blow especially him going to Southampton over Leeds, it will be a blow but I’m sure they’ll have other targets lined up.”

Perraud would have ticked one box immediately at Leeds this summer with the transfer window only opening this week, however, they could well be on the back foot with other targets now.

The fact that Marcelo Bielsa wants to bring in a new left-back that could signal the end of Alioski’s Leeds career and that he sees Dallas’ long term future in the centre of midfield.

This summer is set to be one of the biggest in recent history for Celtic Football Club.

When the new manager arrives at Parkhead, he will have to oversee a potentially damaging list of departures before welcoming fresh faces to Paradise.

What’s the word?

Eddie Howe is thought to be the favourite for the Hoops job at the moment with a deal reportedly agreed to lure him to Glasgow.

As a result, Celtic have been linked with a number of his former players in the transfer market.

Everton striker Josh King is on their radar while Steve Cook is another name to have been mentioned.

However, speaking to This is Futbol, Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie was questioned about whether Howe could bring Jack Wilshere to the Bhoys.

He responded: “He hasn’t really established himself at Bournemouth and, you know, he’s been in and out of the team.

“I don’t think he’d be one that I would certainly be looking at taking particularly. He’s gone into the Championship and I think people have always labelled the Championship as a similar sort of level as the Scottish Premiership, so you’ve got to ask yourself would he fit the bill?

“I’m not too sure about that. And that’d be a big, big question mark for me, if he would fit the bill up at Celtic.”

Stay away

In terms of Wilshere’s strengths and play style, he’d be perfect for Celtic.

Having come through the youth ranks at Arsenal and learned the game from a certain Arsene Wenger, he knows how to keep possession and complete a pass.

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Throughout his career to date, the 29-year-old has completed on average 84.7% of his passes. As a result, he’d suit the club’s possession-based style of football.

The midfielder would also be well suited to Howe and his philosophy. Howe gave Wilshere’s career a second chance when Bournemouth loaned the former England international in 2016/17.

Speaking about his initial time on the south coast, Howe once recalled: “Jack was brilliant. It was a really important signing on so many levels.

“The players were a bit like, ‘Wow, we’ve signed Jack’ and suddenly our opinion of ourselves went from there to there,” he said, gesticulating a low to high level.

Howe continued: “It was a boost for everyone’s self-worth. The value of how we looked at ourselves as a team. He did that.”

Wilshere would certainly benefit the younger members of the team at Paradise but you have to worry about his injury history.

The midfielder’s fitness has been improved this season for Bournemouth but it’s always been a worry for him throughout his career.

He was supposed to be the saviour of English football but his career has fallen by the wayside, primarily because of fitness concerns.

Throughout Wilshere’s career, he’s had 18 different spells on the sideline and hasn’t played over 30 games in one league season for a decade now.

This is enough to remind you of Daniel Arzani. Still of Manchester City, the Australian penned a two-year loan deal with Celtic back in 2018.

However, he only ever played two games for the Hoops after suffering a nasty ACL injury. As a result, his spell came to an end within a matter of 28 minutes.

Wilshere’s fitness is improved now but the last thing the new manager needs is another new signing coming in and spending more time on the sidelines, than on the pitch.

If he becomes a genuine target for Howe, the Hoops must avoid him.

AND in other news, Forget Ajeti: Celtic have their ready-made Edouard heir in “powerful” 12-goal beast…

Southampton target Arnaut Danjuma has responded to reported interest from the south-coast outfit.

Danjuma discusses future

The Saints have previously been linked with a move for Danjuma (The Sun), who has enjoyed a good season in the Championship with the Cherries.

Speaking to Voetbalzone.nl, Danjuma said when asked about interest from Southampton:

“That is always an option. As long as we get promoted to the Premier League, it will be beneficial for the club and for me. I’m not working on that yet. It is important that we go to the Premier League because I have not set my sights on an extra year in the Championship. When we get a PhD, we then see what will happen.”

Exciting player

Danjuma has enjoyed a fantastic term in the second tier. He has managed 15 goals and eight assists in 34 matches in all competitions (Transfermarkt), and was even recently named in the Championship Team of the Season (via The Bournemouth Echo). He now seems to be settling in at Dean Court and indeed English football.

Bournemouth’s place in the play-offs is already confirmed, so they are in with a chance of returning to the Premier League. Should they achieve that goal, it appears unlikely that Danjuma will leave. Fail to earn promotion, though, and the Saints could be in with a chance of signing him. Ralph Hasenhuttl and co will therefore have a close eye on the £10.8m-valued Netherlands international (Transfermarkt) between now and the end of the season.

In other news, Southampton fans are gutted at this “terrible” news.

Once the season comes to a close, there will be plenty of decisions for Nuno Santo to make at Wolves.

With plenty of players due to head back to their parent clubs at the end of their loan spells, he needs to determine whether they are good enough for a permanent move.

When it comes to Willian Jose, it feels unlikely that the Old Gold will take up their option to buy. After all, the Brazilian has found the net just once since moving from Real Sociedad.

One of the more interesting cases will be Rayan Ait-Nouri. The French youngster hasn’t had a blistering season but he came alive during the club’s late 2-1 win over Brighton on Sunday afternoon.

Nuno used this game as a look ahead to next season with a number of young players handed rare starts.

Max Kilman and Ki-Jana Hoever were back in the side while Morgan Gibbs-White even played, scoring a dramatic late winner.

Ait-Nouri has an uncertain future but on this evidence, Wolves should throw the cheque book at Angers in a bid to bring him to Molineux permanently.

He was a rampant figure down the left-hand side as he put pre-match fitness doubts to rest with a phenomenal display.

The Frenchman possessed unbelievable amounts of energy and caused openings at every avenue. He provided three key passes which was more than any player on the pitch. Ait-Nouri flew down the left on a regular basis and caused havoc for the winning goal.

He sold one Brighton player with a step-over before cutting the ball back from the byline. It pinballed around before finding its way into the path of Gibbs-White who buried the opportunity in clinical fashion.

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That semi-assist was richly deserved for Ait-Nouri but this type of display should come as no surprise especially after comments from his former manager Stephane Moulin last year.

He said: “He also made a lot of progress athletically. I also like his way of evolving, he is a modern player, able to eliminate his opponent and make assists. He creates play and danger. Now, he takes on another dimension because he begins to defend well collectively while being interesting individually.”

Those words perfectly summed up what he brought to the table on Sunday afternoon, putting in a ruthless performance that was simply too hot to handle for the Seagulls defence.

The Athletic’s Tim Spiers remarked on Twitter during the game that he was “involved in just about everything” and it’s hard to disagree with that sentiment. Ait-Nouri registered three dribbles and completed an impressive 94% of his passes.

On top of that, the left-back provided four dangerous crosses that the visitors had to snuff out.

It may have been Adama Traore who came on and made the difference with his goal but during the course of the 90 minutes, it was Ait-Nouri who provided the impetus. He deserves equal praise for his role this weekend.

AND in other news, Wolves beast who became “ridiculous” under Nuno sees his value rise by 180% in 3 years …

Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne has provided an update on the injury he suffered in the Champions League final, which will surely delight Pep Guardiola and Citizens fans.

The Belgium international was forced off against Chelsea after a collision with Antonio Rudiger, which meant that a City comeback was always going to be tough.

After he was seen crying and unable to stand, City fans will have been rightfully concerned about the former Wolfsburg man and whether he would be fit for the start of next season, but his recent update on Twitter should allay any fears about him being out for the long term.

He wrote:

“Hi guys just got back from the hospital. My diagnosis is Acute nose bone fracture and left orbital fracture. I feel okay now. Still disappointed about yesterday obviously but we will be back.”

Although it is still uncertain whether or not he will be fit to feature for Belgium at the Euros this summer, players can often play on with facial injuries by wearing masks, and hopefully, the fractures will have healed by the time the Premier League 2021/22 campaign kicks off in August.

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The “exceptional” midfielder was a mainstay in City’s side this season and was a key reason behind their success in the Premier League and the Carabao Cup, so it was extremely unfortunate that he was unable to play a more telling role in City’s first-ever Champions League final last weekend.

His performances in the Premier League this season saw him average a superb 7.65 rating from WhoScored, which was the second-best of any player in the league, which emphasises just how important he was in City’s title win, and if he can maintain that form next year, then Guardiola’s side have an excellent chance of retaining their title.

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City will certainly be challenging for trophies again next season and from the sound of things, De Bruyne should be fit enough to get the Citizens off to a good start when they return to action next season and that in itself is news that should delight City fans.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Sterling: Txiki should seal Man City swoop for £100m PL beast

Former Rangers player Ian Murray has recently made a claim about Nathan Patterson and what would be best for the youngster’s development, but Steven Gerrard should ignore his comments and keep the youngster at Ibrox next season.

Speaking on BBC Sportsound, the Airdrie manager said: “We’re not talking for Rangers here, but if Rangers want to improve young players so much, and their fans and everybody wants to improve Scottish football, why don’t they go give Patterson to Hibs?

“Give him to Hearts, St Mirren and don’t ask for any money. If you want to progress the player and get him games, there you go. But they won’t and I understand why.”

The 19-year-old has established himself as a first team regular at Rangers in recent weeks, with first-choice right-back James Tavernier having been sidelined with an injury problem since February.

Patterson has now made 11 appearances in Gerrard’s side this season and has popped up with goals in the wins against Royal Antwerp and Cove Rangers.

After the teenager’s impressive goal in the Europa League earlier this season, Chris Sutton was full of praise for the Rangers academy graduate, saying: “What an impact. He’s a young lad, he’s made a mistake, but he is a fine, fine talent. He’s going to have a big future.”

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Patterson has clearly worked his way back into Gerrard’s good books after breaching lockdown guidelines earlier in the season and has impressed with a series of fine performances.

Although Tavernier will likely reclaim his starting spot at right-back next season, Patterson has shown more than enough in recent weeks for Gerrard to consider him his second-choice right-back, so he needs to keep him at Ibrox this summer.

Considering the number of games Rangers are likely to have should they progress in domestic cups and in Europe next season, Tavernier is unlikely to play every single match, so there will definitely be opportunities for his young team-mate.

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There is also no guarantee that the Rangers captain will manage to stay fit for the whole season, and Gerrard will be keen to avoid a situation where the 29-year-old is sidelined for a long period but Patterson is already on loan elsewhere, so he must keep the youngster in the first team squad next season despite Murray’s recommendation.

In other news… Wilson on track for huge Rangers transfer error over wonderkid tipped to be a “top player”