All posts by z3u9t.icu

With four draws and three defeats in their opening seven Premier League games of the season, it’s safe to say that Southampton have not had the best of starts, especially with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side also conceding 10 goals in that time.

In addition to this poor start to the season, the Saints were also struck with some bad news after Jack Stephens picked up a serious knee injury during the 0-0 draw against Manchester City which will see him ruled out of action for 12 weeks.

Taking all of this into account, along with the sale of Jannik Vestergaard to Premier League rivals Leicester City during the recent summer transfer window, it’s looking pretty bleak for the club from a defensive point of view.

However, we feel that the club have a good defensive option to call on for the time being or at some point in the future with 19-year-old centre-back Dynel Simeu.

Southampton signed the teenager back in July on a three-year contract from fellow Premier League club Chelsea.

Since then, Simeu – who was once described as a “monster” by journalist Neil Moxley during his time with the west Londoners’ youth team – has played 90 minutes in all of Southampton under-23s’ matches across all competitions, showing how important he has been for them in his short time there, even though they haven’t managed to win any of those games.

In the two appearances Simeu has made so far this season in the EFL Trophy, the defender – who is currently valued at £900k by Transfermarkt – has averaged two interceptions, 3.5 tackles and an impressive seven clearances per game, showing that he has plenty of defensive ability in him at such a young age.

In comparison with Vestergaard, the 29-year-old Dane racked up a not too dissimilar average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.7 tackles and four clearances per game throughout Southampton’s 2020/21 Premier League campaign.

Moving forward, if Simeu can continue playing regularly and improving for Southampton’s under-23 side, we see no reason why he couldn’t go on become a regular first team player for the Saints as an ideal long-term replacement for Vestergaard if given the chance.

In other news: Ralph must unleash “super-talented” Southampton ace v Leeds, he could be game-changing

When Jack Grealish departed Aston Villa over the summer, tears will have been streaming down the face of many supporters.

The dynamic playmaker was the poster boy of the Midlands, he was their academy gem, boyhood fan and club captain but he still departed Villa Park.

It was a difficult decision for Grealish to make but ultimately, money talks. As does the opportunity to win silverware, something he’ll have at Manchester City on a yearly basis.

He is already a star in Pep Guardiola’s team, scoring in the Champions League after a mega £100m move.

A major clause in his contract allowed the youngster to depart if that valuation was met and as a consequence, it’s set Villa up nicely from a financial point of view.

Christian Purslow’s plan was to use that money on several new players, identifying performers who each had a little piece of Grealish’s unique qualities.

Emiliano Buendia brought the supreme technical skills and creativity, Danny Ings the finishing ability and Leon Bailey the speed.

However, there is another player currently in their academy vying to become the certified next Grealish.

That happens to be Carney Chukwuemeka, a 17-year-old talent with the world at his feet.

The teenager has only played five times for Dean Smith’s first-team but it’s only a matter of time before he starts to make more waves at senior level.

Chukwuemeka is the definition of a wonderkid, someone who’s not only held in high esteem by coaches but also the club’s hierarchy.

Speaking about the talented midfielder in 2020, Purslow went as far as describing the youngster as the ‘best 16-year-old in the country’.

That’s incredibly high praise but it speaks volumes about the level of talent and potential he’s got in his locker.

Capable of playing as an attacking midfielder, the Villa academy starlet has a wonderful chance of making a name for himself in the Midlands.

He’s caught the eye of many pundits, including Paul Merson. His description and praise of Chukwuemeka was incredibly similar to how somebody assesses Grealish’s game.

Merson said: “He will be an absolute star. He glides across the pitch. He is a nice size. He gets on the ball. He looks for it and makes runs without the ball. I think Villa fans going away will definitely be talking about him.”

If there is one element of Grealish’s game that sticks out the most, it’s his ability to pick up the ball and elegantly flow across the pitch that makes him one of the most outstanding players in the English game.

The U23s manager Mark Delaney has also reserved special words for Chukwuemeka, commenting: “He’s a confident lad; will receive the ball anywhere on the pitch, under pressure and not under pressure. That’s what the manager likes; he comes into an environment and settles in quickly.”

With those assessments ringing fresh in your ears, it’s clear to see why he could be their next Grealish.

He is mesmeric with the ball at his feet and he also knows how to score goals, finding the net twice in three Premier League 2 outings this season.

Chukwuemeka is certainly one to watch out for.

AND in other news, Dean Smith could seal dream Villa midfield with “absolutely phenomenal” £75k-p/w beast…

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge believes Emerson Royal fits the bill of what Tottenham were looking for. 

Spurs signed Royal on deadline day from Barcelona, with the right-back signing a contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium until 2026. BBC Sport reported that the agreed fee for the right-back was €30m (£25.8m).

Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo added five new faces to his squad this summer, with Cristian Romero, Pierluigi Gollini, Bryan Gil, Pape Matar Sarr and Emerson Royal all penning deals with Spurs.

Michael Bridge believes the latter ticks a lot of boxes for Tottenham, telling Football FanCast: “Nuno knows him quite well. He’s had a very good reputation from Real Betis, sort of fits the bill of what Tottenham are looking for – good defender, but can bomb forward, he’s six foot as well so quiet a decent height. He’s 22 which is a fantastic age, so he ticks a lot of boxes.”

It’s been a good summer transfer window for Spurs and they’ve also had the perfect start to the Premier League campaign, as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side currently sit top of the league and are the only team with maximum points from their opening three matches.

Alongside being successful domestically, Spurs have also progressed to the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League, after beating Pacos de Ferreira 3-1 on aggregate over two legs and have been drawn to face Rennes, Muta and Vitesse in Group G.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has enjoyed a perfect start to life at Ibrox with two wins out of two in charge of Rangers this month.

The Dutch head coach led his team to a 2-0 victory against Sparta Prague in the Europa League last week, before beating Livingston 3-1 away from home on Sunday in the Scottish Premiership.

Prominence

One player who has immediately benefitted from his arrival is Calvin Bassey, who has started both games for the Gers as a centre-back despite being a left-back by trade and has duly shot to prominence.

Borna Barisic and the ex-Leicester man have been battling it out to start on the left-side of the defence this season, with Steven Gerrard often alternating between them. However, Bassey may have found his new place in the team on a regular basis in a centre-back role.

An injury to Leon Balogun after the 3-1 defeat to Hibernian caused an issue for Van Bronckhorst ahead of his first game. Instead of making the easy decision of playing natural centre-back Jack Simpson alongside Connor Goldson, he put his faith in Bassey and has been rewarded so far.

Leicester City under-23 manager Steven Beaglehole previously dubbed the 21-year-old “phenomenal” and that would be a great way to describe his application to playing at the heart of defence in the last two games.

In the win over Sparta, he was outstanding at the back. As per SofaScore, he won all three of his duels on the pitch, as he made two clearances and one tackle. He also had 66 touches of the ball and completed 84% of his passes as he showed that he could play out from the back effectively against good opposition.

Van Bronckhorst then placed his trust in him again as he started against Livingston. As per SofaScore, he won eight of his 11 duels and made one clearance, three tackles and two blocks as the Gers won 3-1. He also had a whopping 93 touches and completed 91% of his attempted passes, including all three of his long passes.

In the two games combined, he has won 11 duels out of 14 competed and had 159 touches of the ball. This shows how important he has been to Rangers both defensively and in possession in Van Bronckhorst’s first two games in charge, as he has been pivotal to their defending and their progressive play on the ball from centre-back.

Hopefully he will continue to shine in this position and go from strength to strength under the Dutchman. Whilst he has played in the role previously for Gerrard, he has never had a sustained run of games there, and this could be his opportunity to do so.

AND in other news, “Rangers are planning”: Journo drops exciting Ibrox update that fans will surely love…

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge has confirmed that Norwich City right-back Max Aarons remains on Tottenham Hotspur’s shortlist of potential signings this summer.

Spurs have been attempting to strengthen their squad in this transfer window after the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo as manager, and Fabio Paratici as Director of Football.

The Italian has been aggressive in the summer transfer window, bringing in goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini on loan from Atalanta with an option to buy, and Bryan Gil from Sevilla in a deal that has seen Erik Lamela move to the Liga club.

Per noted transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Spurs are in talks with Atalanta over another deal, this time for Cristian Romero, with the Italian club demanding €55m (£46.8m) for his signature.

Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is also said to be a target, a player who can play as both a centre-back and a right-back.

But Bridge has revealed that Norwich’s Aarons remains on the club’s shortlist of potential acquisitions in this transfer window.

Aarons impressed for the Canaries last season as they were promoted from the Championship into the Premier League and is valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt.

Bridge confirmed: “Aarons is always on their radar, he’s always on their list.”

Everton fans have been reacting to footage posted by the club’s official Twitter account showing Andros Townsend scoring a sublime goal in training.

In the video, Townsend receives the ball on the right side of the pitch, cuts inside onto his preferred left foot and bends the ball into the top left corner.

The Englishman joined Everton on a free transfer after leaving Crystal Palace at the end of his contract.

He made his unofficial debut in their recent Florida Cup clash with Colombian top-flight outfit Millonarios, and was denied a first goal in blue by the crossbar.

The 30-year-old has, of course, shown a penchant for the spectacular before. He landed the Goal of the Season award in 2019 after an extraordinary long-range volley in Crystal Palace’s 3-2 win at Manchester City.

Everton fans will hope Townsend proves a more consistent goalscoring threat this term after he netted only one goal in 35 appearances in his final season with the Eagles.

Everton fans buzzing over Townsend’s dazzling strike

“I don’t think we’ll ever lose again”

Credit: @plebberbounce

“He’s definitely scoring a worldie for us this season akin to that that city goal he got”

Credit: @tutes24

“Arjen Townsend at it again”

Credit: @LozEFC

“A winger that can shoot, playing for Everton? This can’t be true surely?!”

Credit: @SFenney

“We’ve signed the British Messi”

Credit: @ElliottB1878

“Can’t wait until we see these popping often”

Credit: @stevec1878

In other news, Rafael Benitez’s stance on this star has been revealed amid exit rumours.

According to Alan Nixon, Glasgow Rangers will have to pay £500,000 if they want to sign Carlos Mendes Gomes from Morecambe.

The Lowdown: Gers target Mendes Gomes

The Gers have been linked with a move for the 22-year-old, who earned promotion from League Two with the Shrimps last month.

They are not the only club to be linked with his services, with Sunderland amongst the others in pursuit (via Chronicle Live).

The Latest: Price tag revealed

Nixon has now revealed the sum that Morecambe are seeking to part ways with one of their prize assets.

The journalist claimed that the fee is set at £500,000, which would be a club-record sale for his current club (Transfermarkt).

The Verdict: Worth a punt

Mendes Gomes has really burst into life over the 2020/21 season. He made 54 appearances in all competitions for Morecambe and he proved to be a huge attacking threat, scoring 16 goals and providing five assists. His contributions helped them earn promotion to League One via the play-offs.

For Morecambe, £500,000 would represent a significant fee, but from Rangers’ point of view, he could end up being a huge bargain for them. They have been accustomed to paying millions in transfer fees down the years – their own record purchase stands at £12m (via Daily Record). As such, Ross Wilson and co will not bat an eyelid by paying £500,000 for a player as talented as Mendes Gomes.

In other news, Kieran Maguire has provided this huge Rangers finance update.

West Brom could have done with improving their squad depth in the last transfer window, says Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield.

Valerien Ismael was able to make some good signings in the recent window, including midfielder Alex Mowatt, who has already made quite the impact at The Hawthorns after netting two goals in his first five appearances.

The Frenchman has also been able to keep hold of Sam Johnstone despite Premier League interest, so it has been a positive summer for the Baggies.

However, Hatfield does have some concerns over the size of their squad, though he thinks they could address that in the January transfer window.

“I think Albion are right in that top-two battle. The only thing you probably would’ve asked more for from the window was maybe a little bit more depth, but that’s something that they might address in January,” Hatfield told FFC.

“We’ll see come January how they’re holding up. If players are going down or struggling, then it may be one where they reinvest in January and try and get themselves over the line.”

As well as Mowatt, West Brom also brought in the likes of Adam Reach and Jordan Hugill, strengthening out wide and up front.

Perhaps squad depth is something Ismael does look at in January. But having just been relegated from the Premier League, the Baggies still have a strong team for the Championship, while retaining Johnstone’s services will also come as a huge boost.

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.

Phil Hay has dropped an update on the future of Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

What’s the talk?

In a recent report for The Athletic, the journalist claimed that, according to his sources, Manchester United have begun to explore the possibility of a £50m move for the 26-year-old England international this summer, via intermediaries.

Hay went on to state that, while there is yet to be contact made with either Leeds United or Phillips himself, both interim United manager Ralf Rangnick and assistant manager Mike Phelan are thought to be big fans of the Whites academy graduate.

The journalist also revealed that, despite the midfielder looking set to leave his current agency firm for Stellar Group – the company responsible for negotiating Jack Grealish’s £100m switch from Aston Villa to Manchester City last summer – sources claim that this should not be taken as an indication that Phillips will be on the move at the end of the season.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-marsch-raphinha-dest-philhay” title=”Read the latest Leeds news!”]

In summary, Hay compares the midfielder’s current situation to that of Alan Smith 18 years ago – the Leeds centre-forward who ended up joining United in a £7m deal – before suggesting that the 26-year-old’s saga may well have a different outcome.

Supporters will be buzzing

While it is clear that even a journalist with the access of Hay remains uncertain as to whether Phillips will end up making a move to Old Trafford this summer, his suggestion that United have not yet contacted Leeds regarding a deal for the midfielder – despite previous reports claiming that the Red Devils were making progress in a deal for the 19-time capped international – is sure to have left the Elland Road faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 29 Premier League appearances last season, the £45m-rated midfielder proved just how crucial a part of the Leeds side he is, making an average of 1.6 interceptions, 2.6 tackles, 1.7 clearances and winning 5.3 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per game.

The £38k-per-week talent also impressed in a creative capacity, bagging one goal, providing two assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as completing an average of 1.2 key passes, 4.7 long balls and 41 passes per fixture.

These returns saw the 26-year-old average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.21, not only ranking him as the Whites’ best performer in the league but also as the ninth-best midfielder in the division as a whole.

As such, while Phillips has only started 13 Premier League fixtures as a result of injury this season – something that has undoubtedly contributed to the club’s lowly league standing – it is clear for all to see that losing the services of the England international this summer would come as a massive blow to Jesse Marsch and his side – meaning Hay’s latest update is sure to come as music to the ears of Leeds supporters.

AND in other news: Orta now plotting £20m Leeds bid for “unbelievable” talent, he’s better than Aaronson