Tag Futebol

Wolverhampton Wanderers finally have a new manager. It has been over a month since they sacked Bruno Lage, however, Julen Lopetegui was confirmed as their new boss on Saturday and he faces a tough challenge in keeping the Old Gold in the Premier League this season.

It looks like the 56-year-old has already turned one eye to potential future transfers, and according to Alan Nixon, Wolves are keeping a close eye on Manchester City defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who is currently on loan at Burnley this season.

Leicester City are also monitoring the centre-back and with the Molineux outfit having just four central defenders, Lopetegui will be surely prioritising that area of the squad.

The 20-year-old scored his first City goal at just 17 years of age in an FA Cup tie against Port Vale back in January 2020, but he finds himself in the Championship this season, gaining crucial first-team experience.

Under the tutelage of former City defender Vincent Kompany, Burnley are thriving. They are top of the division and are aiming to bounce back from relegation last season.

Harwood-Bellis has achieved a SofaScore rating of 7.24/10 for his performances in the Championship this term, a number that impressively ranks him second in their squad.

He ranks first for accurate passes per game (68.9), clearances per match (3.4), and interceptions per outing (1.9) proving that he not only can he play out from defence, but he also knows how to do the basics of defending well.

His former manager at Blackburn Rovers, Tony Mowbray, described the defender as having a “warrior attitude” and it certainly looks like he is demonstrating this so far, especially during the current campaign with his excellent showings.

Although a move will more than likely have to wait until the summer, with his stock rising and City having an abundance of centre-backs, Lopetegui could yet seal a dream first signing by making an offer in January.

Indeed, with a lack of centre-backs and a defence that has shipped 22 goals in just 14 games, bringing in a classy defender such as Harwood-Bellis should be of utmost priority.

Thus, it could well be the catalyst that saves their season if it already isn’t too late by that point.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a double injury setback ahead of their Premier League meeting with AFC Bournemouth on Saturday.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via football.london), Antonio Conte revealed that both Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison remain unavailable for Spurs’ trip to the Vitality Stadium tomorrow afternoon, as the duo are yet to recover from their respective injuries.

When asked for an update on his team news ahead of Saturday’s fixture, the 53-year-old said: “No news, nothing new. Richarlison and Kulusevski are still out.”

Huge blow

Considering just how impressive both Kulusevski and Richarlison have been for Tottenham since their respective moves to the club, coupled with how short the absence of the duo leaves Conte of options in his three-man attack, it is clear that the fact the Italian will remain without the services of the forwards on Saturday will come as a huge blow to the 53-year-old manager.

Indeed, following Kulusevski’s January switch from Juventus, the £69m-rated winger has been in sensational form for Spurs, scoring six goals and registering 11 assists over his 29 appearances for the north London side – averaging a direct goal contribution every 114 minutes – as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.06 over his 25 league outings for the club.

Meanwhile, since Richarlison’s £60m move from Everton this summer, the £60m-rated striker has also impressed, scoring two goals and providing three assists over his 13 appearances for the club – averaging a direct goal contribution every 139 minutes – in addition to averaging an eye-catching SofaScore match rating of 7.20 over his four Champions League outings for Spurs.

As such, with the continued absence of the Swede and the Brazilian leaving Conte with only the option of deploying either Lucas Moura or Bryan Gil – who have played a combined 147 minutes of first-team football this season, proving how little the Italian trusts the duo – in his three-man attack, it is evident just how much of a blow being without the stricken pair is for Tottenham.

Indeed, with Spurs currently on a run of three games without a win – over which period the Lilywhites have bagged just two goals – it is clear that Kulusevski and Richarlison’s respective returns to action can not come soon enough for Conte – who will undoubtedly be hoping his side can get back to winning ways against the Cherries tomorrow afternoon.

Sunderland podcaster Philip West has given his verdict on some early team news for this weekend involving Aji Alese.

The Lowdown: At least three weeks out

Speaking to the media ahead of their game against Burnley in the Championship at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon, Tony Mowbray has confirmed that Alese is out for the next three or four weeks with injury in a ‘best case scenario’.

This comes after he left Ewood Park with a protective boot on his foot after being on the end of a heavy challenge in their 2-0 loss away at Blackburn Rovers last time out.

After having his scan, Mowbray suggested that Alese will now use the weeks leading up to the FIFA World Cup in Qatar to get himself fit, so is likely to be out of action until the tournament finishes.

The Latest: West stunned

Taking to Twitter, Roker Report’s West gave his instant reaction to the news on Alese, claiming that it is a ‘huge blow’, adding that it is now a ‘big test’ for the Wearsiders’ defence to play without him:

“Huge blow to lose Aji Alese. He’s been nothing short of immense in recent weeks, and he was getting better game by game. Big test for our defence without him.”

The Verdict: Massive miss

Alese will no doubt be a massive miss for the team, given that he had started the last seven matches in the Championship, including against Blackburn.

He has played in three different positions already for the Black Cats, and his versatility has been so key for Mowbray when other players have been unavailable.

Nonetheless, Alese’s recent performances have been very impressive, deservedly winning praise by the media, and so it will be more difficult for Mowbray’s side to get a positive result against Burnley without him.

Rangers have no doubt come under fire of late as a result of their recruitment record in recent years, although any of the new arrivals under Giovanni van Bronckhorst will have to go someway if they are to make a worse impact at Ibrox than that of Joey Barton.

The polarising midfielder was plucked by then-Gers boss Mark Warburton on a free transfer back in 2016, having helped Sean Dyche’s Burnley secure promotion back to the Premier League the year prior.

That stint at Turf Moor had showcased the on-field talent of the Englishman, as he was ultimately named in the Championship Team of the Year as a result of his fine performances, with the Glasgow side subsequently taking the gamble to bring the ageing figure to the club.

Such a move had come with obvious risk as a result of the former Newcastle United man’s reputation throughout his career, having been at the centre of controversies both off the field and on it, with his infamous fiery temper regularly getting him into trouble.

Those demons would come back to haunt him during his time in Scotland, although prior to his ultimate demise the Liverpool-born playmaker had made headlines after suggesting he wanted to be the “best player in the country” upon his arrival.

That prophecy proved more of an albatross than anything as the 5 foot 9 dud almost instantly set himself up to fail, as he went on to make just eight appearances for the club in what was a dismal spell north of the border.

The £20k-per-week maverick notably underwhelmed in his one and only Old Firm clash, as Warburton’s men were on the receiving end of a 5-1 thrashing from Brendan Rodgers’ relentless Celtic outfit.

As with his earlier statement, Barton had stolen the headlines prior to the match after suggesting that Hoops skipper Scott Brown was “nowhere near” his quality as a player, only to then go on to lose out in the battle against the ferocious Scotsman.

That measly start to life at Ibrox then got even worse as the one-time Manchester City man was handed a six-week suspension as a result of an altercation with teammate Andy Halliday, with the club subsequently opting to cut ties just a matter of months in his time with the Gers, having originally signed a two-year deal.

Following that “failure” – in the words of pundit Kris Boyd – Barton only served to make matters worse with regards to his relationship with Rangers following his explosive comments regarding his time there last year, with the typically opinionated figure seemingly blaming everyone but himself for his woes.

Indeed, speaking of Warburton, the former midfielder noted he was “miles out of it” when it came to galvanising a group of players.

Although it takes some doing, the current Bristol Rovers boss made even a free transfer appear a real costly error.

Manchester United made ‘last-minute’ enquiries over potential striker signings as a Deadline-Day contingency plan, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport. 

The lowdown

The Red Devils have two centre-forwards at their disposal in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Martial.

The former pushed to leave Old Trafford during the summer transfer window in the hope of securing Champions League football, while the latter’s prospects at the club appeared bleak after he was loaned to Sevilla last season.

At least Erik ten Hag did manage to strengthen his frontline, with the £86m signing of right winger Antony confirmed on the final day of the transfer window.

The latest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones said that United weren’t actively looking to sign another striker but did make contact over some potential options ‘just in case Ronaldo left’.

He stated: “They were happy with the Antony signing once they could announce that. Once it was clear that Ronaldo was staying, nobody was going to be coming in.

“Obviously, they made enquiries just in case Ronaldo left last minute, but none of that came to anything.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-updates-5/” title=”Latest Man Utd updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The verdict

United probably will need another striker next summer.

Even if he changes his mind about wanting to leave, Ronaldo will be 38 by the end of the season, leaving the Red Devils in need of a long-term successor.

There must also be doubts about Martial’s capacity to play in that role regularly after he was deemed surplus to requirements in the second half of last season, being loaned out to Sevilla.

Who might they be looking at as a successor to that duo?

One potential option is Napoli’s Victor Osimhen. Sky Sport Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg recently reported that the Nigerian has been placed ‘on the list’ because Old Trafford officials see ‘a lot of quality and development potential in him’.

It may be that the 23-year-old is their ‘top target’ in future windows, and having hit double figures in each of his last four league campaigns, he could be an astute option to bring in.

Manchester United have been linked with Barcelona right-back Serginio Dest recently and the USA international could allow Aaron Wan-Bissaka to be ditched from Erik ten Hag’s side.

Recent reports from Spain have claimed that United are willing to accelerate the Englishman’s exit as they seek to sign Dest, who played under Ten Hag in a spell at Ajax.

The young full-back contributed two goals and six assists in 38 appearances for the Eredivisie side before joining Barcelona, where he has gone on to make 72 appearances.

Wan-Bissaka’s time at United has been something of a disaster, and his attacking deficiencies perhaps always meant that he was likely to be axed by Ten Hag this summer, as the Dutch manager expects a lot of attacking output from his full-backs.

The former Crystal Palace man has managed just two goals and ten assists in 126 appearances since his £50m switch from Selhurst Park and has always struggled on the ball.

Former United legend Paul Scholes emphasised this after Wan-Bissaka’s display in last season’s 2-0 defeat against Manchester City.

He said: “Wan-Bissaka is useless on the ball — brilliant defender but useless on the ball at right-back.”

Last season saw the 24-year-old average an 84.9% pass accuracy in the Premier League, compared to Dest’s impressive 92.4% average in La Liga, so it is clear that the American is much better technically.

WhoScored suggests that his strengths include passing, dribbling, concentration and holding onto the ball, which again emphasises his technical ability and attacking threat.

Xavi was full of praise for Dest after he starred in a 4-1 win against Valencia earlier this year, saying:

“I thought he was spectacularly good [against Valencia], both with the ball and without it. I am really happy with his progress.”

Defensive reinforcements are clearly needed after United shipped four goals against Brentford last weekend, and Dest could take United one step closer to the sort of team Ten Hag wants at Old Trafford, as right now the manager is clearly not happy with his options.

Therefore, he will be desperate for Wan-Bissaka to be ditched by the hierarchy and for Dest to arrive before the transfer window shuts later this month. On the evidence above, the American would certainly be an upgrade.

Liverpool are set to launch a bid for AC Milan star Ismael Bennacer in the coming days, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato (via Liverpool Echo)

The Lowdown: Thiago’s injury

The Reds suffered a tough start to the Premier League season on Saturday as they drew 2-2 to newly-promoted Fulham, twice having to come from behind.

To make matters worse, Thiago Alcantara limped off the pitch just six minutes into the second half after what appeared to be an innocuous incident.

This adds to Liverpool’s extensive injury list, which includes the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, Kostas Tsimikas and Ibrahima Konate.

The Latest: Interest in Bennacer

According to a report by Calciomercato (via Liverpool Echo), the Reds will launch a €40m (£33.75m) bid for Bennacer in the coming days after Thiago suffered his hamstring injury against Fulham.

It is reported that the 24-year-old Algeria international has a £42.2m release clause in his Milan contract.

This contradicts the widespread news which claims that Jurgen Klopp is holding out until the summer of 2023 to bolster his options in midfield.

The Verdict: Ideal target

Bennacer’s underlying statistics illustrate why Klopp could be interested in bringing the player to Anfield this summer.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the 24-year-old ranks in the 99th percentile for dribbles completed, the 94th percentile for interceptions and the 93rd percentile for tackles.

Former Milan star Giuseppe Bergomi has been full of praise for the midfielder in the past, having proclaimed: “Bennacer dominates in the middle on the pitch due to his personality and technical qualities. He finds his team-mates in perfect positions.”

Therefore, with Klopp’s team short of options in midfield, Bennacer – who has been dubbed an ‘absolutely unbelievable’ player by journalist Sam Tighe – could be the man to solve Liverpool’s issues in the middle of the park if he can be lured to Anfield.

A major update has emerged on the future of Harry Kane at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

The England international has been the subject of interest from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in recent weeks, with their manager Julian Nagelsmann speaking publically about the striker.

“He’s very expensive that’s the problem – but a brilliant player,” the German said (via Sky Sports), before later adding: “He could score a lot in the Bundesliga, I don’t know the price, but it’s really tough for Bayern Munich. We’ll see what happens in the future.”

Those remarks have left Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte rather angry, though Fabrizio Romano’s latest update should alleviate any fears of the talismanic centre-forward leaving anytime soon.

When asked about the potential of Bayern signing Kane, the Italian transfer guru claimed it would be “impossible.”

“Kane is untouchable and will play for Tottenham next season. Never been in doubt,” he further reiterated.

Great news for Spurs fans

This claim from Romano will have supporters around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium absolutely buzzing as it seems that there will be no saga this summer, as there was last year with Manchester City.

Spurs are arguably in their strongest position in terms of squad depth in several years, so they could probably deal with Kane’s exit – to an extent. Richarlison is capable of playing through the middle, as can Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

But, of course, his absence would be a killer blow in the long run as he has finished as their top goalscorer in all competitions for the last eight campaigns, scoring 24 or more goals in the process.

Back in April, Conte heaped praise on his star man, claiming (via the Daily Mail):

“To have a player like this in your team is very important. He can score goals and create chances. I like him as a person.

“Talented players don’t always want to work hard but from the first day I arrived here, he set an example. You think that’s normal but it’s not. Great players are sometimes lazy and that’s not him. He’s a big example for his teammates. He’s encouraging us to be competitive.”

With Spurs under something of an exciting renaissance under the trophy-hungry Italian, keeping Kane around will only bolster their chances of ending that near 15-year wait for silverware.

Therefore, this update is great news for Tottenham and their fanbase heading into the new season, which gets underway in less than two weeks. Whisper it quietly, but the Lilywhites could well be back.

AND in other news, Big boost: Paratici can now seal “extraordinary” Spurs signing, Conte badly needs him…

Arsenal are nowhere near finished in the transfer market as they look to conduct more business before deadline day on September 1st…

What’s the word?

That is according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown, who delivered a short but exciting claim during a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, where he said:

“They’re definitely in the market for more players.”

The Gunners have already signed four players this off-season, the latest of which being Gabriel Jesus in a £45m deal from Premier League champions Manchester City.

He joins Fabio Vieira, an attacking playmaker from FC Porto, backup goalkeeper Matt Turner and young Brazilian prodigy Marquinhos from Sao Paolo.

Supporters will be buzzing

After narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification to arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur last season, it’s no surprise to see technical director Edu Gaspar be so busy in the transfer market.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been in need of reinforcements right across the pitch, particularly up front, where he was going to be short on options following the departures of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

In Jesus, he has found a new no.9.

Elsewhere, the north London giants have been linked with a move for Lisandro Martinez from Ajax, a defender capable of playing at centre-back and on the left.

The Spanish head coach had problems whenever Kieran Tierney was absent through injury, so the Argentine makes sense as a viable and affordable target at around £43m.

Arteta could also do with further reinforcements to the engine room and further cover at full-back wouldn’t go amiss either.

Therefore, Brown’s eight-word claim that the Gunners are in the market for more players will be music to the ears of many supporters around the Emirates Stadium.

AND in other news, Arsenal submit bid for £47m animal who’s “one of the best”, he’s way better than Xhaka…

An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their plans to bring in a new forward in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Express reporter Ryan Taylor has suggested that they are more likely to go for Leeds star Raphinha than Everton’s Richarlison in the coming weeks.

Fabio Paratici is looking to add to Antonio Conte’s attacking unit and Taylor believes that the former Rennes magician is the main target.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think Spurs are edging slightly more towards Raphinha at the moment.

“I think if you look at Richarlison’s profile, my personal view is he’s mainly better centrally and if you look at Tottenham’s side, he won’t have many opportunities through the middle. Outside of that, he sometimes plays off the left, and Son plays there as well.”

Supporters will be excited

Spurs supporters will be excited by this claim as Raphinha would be a sublime addition to Conte’s squad for the 2022/23 campaign.

Since arriving in England, the Whites gem has scored 17 goals and provided 12 assists in the Premier League – including 11 goals last term – whilst playing out wide on the right.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-much-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

In that time, Richarlison has managed 17 goals and eight assists whilst playing on the left and through the middle as a centre-forward.

This means that Raphinha has been more productive than him in the final third, despite the Everton man spending time as a number nine, and this suggests that he would be the better signing.

There is little between them in terms of their scope for development. They are both 25 and heading toward the peak years of their respective careers, which means that they would both come in with the potential to improve in the years to come.

Therefore, it should be a matter of current ability and suitability for the team. Taylor explained why Raphinha suits Tottenham’s team more than Richalison and the statistics suggest that the Leeds man is also the better player with his ability to score and assist goals on a regular basis from out wide.

The Spurs supporters will be excited by the prospect of the ex-Ligue 1 attacker coming through the door as he will provide another big attacking threat in the final third. He can support the likes of Heung-Min Son, Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski to form a mouth-watering attack in the top-flight next season.

AND in other news: Conte could land Spurs masterclass in deal for “explosive” £30m gem, he’s Foden-esque…