All posts by z3u9t.icu

Chelsea’s lack of goalscoring edge last season was their ultimate undoing across all competitions, but mainly in the Premier League.

They conceded 47 league goals, with only six teams conceding less, yet they managed to net just 38 times across 38 matches, with relegated duo Leeds United and Leicester City managing more, clearly showing where the problem lies at the club.

No player at the Stamford Bridge outfit netted more than ten goals while centre-forwards Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Armando Broja scored just three goals and one goal respectively, albeit the latter missed 30 games last term having suffered a cruciate ligament rupture.

The Blues have been linked with Danish sensation Rasmus Hojlund recently according to the Evening Standard and he could cost in the region of £86m as Atalanta don’t want to let one of their prized assets leave unless a substantial offer is submitted.

There is no doubt Mauricio Pochettino needs an out-and-out striker ahead of next term and by signing Hojlund, they could be making a very shrewd investment, as he should only get better and better.

Could Rasmus Hojlund replace Armando Broja?

The Dane enjoyed somewhat of a breakthrough campaign during 2022/2023, for both club and country. He scored 16 club goals, adding in another seven assists for good measure, while the 20-year-old also netted five in just five matches for Denmark, including a stunning hattrick against Finland in March.

Could he, then, be an upgrade on Broja ahead of next season? Especially with Pochettino’s need for someone who is much more clinical in the opposition penalty area.

Last season, Hojlund registered more shots per 90 (2.58 to 1.84), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.75 to 1.22) and goals and assists per 90 (0.64 to 0.31) than Broja, clearly suggesting he could be a vast improvement to what the Argentinian currently has at his disposal.

Hojlund also managed to make 0.8 key passes per game and created one big chance, with Broja only making 0.1 key passes per game and failing to create a single big chance, albeit he played fewer matches.

Lauded as “scary quick” by journalist Sacha Pisani, his pace would clearly be another key feature of his game which could endear him to the Chelsea faithful.

The Danish sensation has also been dubbed as a “monster in the making” by talent scout Jacek Kulig and with his skills being on full display during his brief time in Serie A with Atalanta, Chelsea obviously feel that a move to the Premier League could take his game to the next level.

The Blues need to vastly improve their attacking output if they want to challenge for trophies next term. Signing Hojlund this summer would give them a major boost.

Liverpool "could yet become involved" in the race to sign Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, according to reliable journalist Sam Dean.

Is Moises Caicedo leaving Brighton?

The Ecuador international first arrived in the Premier League back in 2021 and has since gone on to become an integral member and regular feature of Roberto De Zerbi’s squad, starting 34 out of the 38 games in the top-flight last season, establishing himself as the top-performing defensive player at The Amex.

Back in January, Arsenal saw two bids for the 21-year-old rejected as he even penned an open letter on his social media channels expressing his desire to leave, as per Sky Sports, but despite wanting to embark on a new challenge, he then signed a new long-term contract keeping him at the club until 2027.

Speaking on his YouTube channel in February, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Reds and Chelsea were also following the Seagulls talisman but claimed that Jurgen Klopp hadn’t made a formal approach due to his top target at the time being Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, but with that pursuit now over, they could have a change of heart over the south coast star.

Are Liverpool signing Caicedo?

Taking to Twitter, Dean revealed that Liverpool aren't yet fully ruled out of the running for Caicedo and could be tempted to try their luck should they feel his price tag is reasonable. He wrote:

"Brighton will demand significantly more than £70m for Moises Caicedo this summer. Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United have all shown interest — and Liverpool could yet become involved, depending on the eventual cost."

Should FSG make a move for Caicedo?

Liverpool will already have a strong existing relationship with Brighton due to the deal for Alexis Mac Allister, and with him completing a switch to Anfield, FSG should definitely enquire to see if the Argentine’s former teammate could follow in his footsteps to Merseyside.

The World Cup participant is naturally a defensive midfielder which is proven by him recording a total of 100 tackles over the course of the last campaign, higher than any of his fellow peers, via FBRef, alongside averaging 1.5 interceptions per top-flight game, so he’s a real rock and protector of the backline.

Brighton’s “Machine Man”, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, would also add wonderful versatility to the squad, so could well be worth his "astronomical" price tag of well over £70m. He has previously operated at right-back and slightly higher up in central midfield alongside his usual role in front of the defence, so should the opportunity to sign him arise, the board shouldn’t even have to think twice about wrapping this one up.

Leeds United now know how much Burnley defender Nathan Collins will cost, but they face plenty of competition for his signature. 

The lowdown

talkSPORT’s Alex Crook reported on Friday that the Whites are ‘monitoring’ the 21-year-old centre-back, who suffered relegation from the Premier League following his team’s final-day defeat against Newcastle United last month.

It was only last summer that the Clarets paid £12.6m to sign him from Stoke City, and he signed for four years with the option of a fifth (via Transfermarkt).

Collins made 18 league starts in his first season at Turf Moor, including the last 10 matches of the campaign.

The latest

According to the Daily Mirror (June 18, 11:24 am, via MOT Leeds News) Burnley have now set their price tag for Collins. They want £25m for the Irishman, which would represent a profit of just under 200%.

Newcastle, Aston Villa and Wolves are all in the frame along with Leeds, and it remains to be seen whether any of the clubs meet that valuation or instead test Burnley’s resolve.

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The verdict

Burnley’s negotiating position may not be the strongest. As a consequence of their relegation, club owners ALK Capital must repay ‘a significant portion’ of a £65m loan (via The Athletic).

In that case, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Leeds trying to lowball Vincent Kompany’s side.

Collins is a real warrior at the back, ranking in the 98th percentile for blocks per 90, the 85th for clearances and the 97th for aerial duels won among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues (via FBRef).

His former manager Sean Dyche previously heaped praise on the ‘excellent’ youngster, who may be destined to remain in the Premier League.

Collins made headlines last week in Ireland’s 1-1 draw with Ukraine, scoring what journalist Ronan Murphy called ‘a pure Lionel Messi goal’ in the first half.

In other news, a big update has emerged on this £35m-valued Leeds midfield target

Leeds United have been dealt a blow in their quest to Aberdeen youngster Calvin Ramsay, with Liverpool now in advanced talks over a move.

The Lowdown: Endless Ramsay links

The 18-year-old is considered a hugely exciting young prospect in Scotland, with Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack describing him as an ‘elite’ talent.

Ramsay has been constantly linked with a move away from his current club this summer, with Leeds and Liverpool the two sides seemingly battling to acquire his signature.

The Whites are also thought to be chasing RB Salzburg full-back Rasmus Kristensen, as Jesse Marsch eyes up reinforcements in defence.

The Latest: Reds move ahead

According to Football Insider, Liverpool ‘have been granted permission’ to discuss terms with the player, with the Reds ‘well placed’ to make progress regarding the move.

It means Leeds are now firmly second-favourites to get their man, with the negotiations from Merseyside described as ‘advanced’.

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The Verdict: Sign Kristensen instead

Missing out on Ramsay would undoubtedly be a blow for Leeds, given his long-term potential, but the lure of Liverpool could be too great for him to turn down.

Should he move to Anfield, the Whites must snap up Kristensen instead, providing competition for Luke Ayling, who turns 31 this summer.

The Salzburg man could be an excellent signing, having averaged a hugely impressive 4.6 tackles per game in the Champions League this season, as well as 2.3 clearances.

In other news, Leeds are keen on signing an exciting young player. Find out who it is here.

It took what felt like an age for Sunderland to finally exit the doldrums of League One and reclaim their Championship status but they are finally there.

It’s a great time to support the Black Cats and now their fans have received further good news.

What’s the word?

Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven no longer hold significant control over the Mackems but their time in the northeast looks as though it will finally grind to a halt and meet a permanent end this summer.

That’s according to Sky Sports reporter Tom White who took to Twitter in two separate bursts this morning to reveal the following exciting news: “Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven have accepted a bid for their shares in SAFC. More info on the buyers to come in next few days. Deal needs EFL approval. A rep of the group was in the boardroom for P/O v Sheff Wed. There is confidence the deal will be done within 5 weeks.”

White continued: “Offer was initially accepted prior to the playoff final. The deal has not yet reached exclusivity, but that is expected imminently.”

Supporters buzzing

This is the long-awaited news that supporters have lusted after for an age. At a time when they’ve finally reached the second tier again, seeing Donald and Methven wave farewell to the club permanently would be joyous for the Stadium of Light faithful.

The duo’s time at Sunderland has been a pretty big mess with Methven turning himself into an internet meme for his role in the Netflix documentary ‘Sunderland ’till I die’.

From wanting pulsating EDM played across the sound system, to putting Zlatan Ibrahimovic on their list of targets, to spending £4m on Will Grigg in a deadline day panic, it has not been a reign filled with success.

Several failed promotion campaigns have played out and despite finally getting out of the third-tier this season, it wasn’t because of the foundations that Donald and Methven had laid down.

Alex Neil has done a wonderful job since taking over as manager and combined with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman, proceedings look a little rosier now.

With no Donald and Methven involved in the club, and Championship football on the horizon, the future finally looks bright for Sunderland heading into the second part of 2022.

AND in other news, Sunderland may be on the verge of repeating their Charlie Wyke disaster this summer…

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge has been reacting to Aston Villa’s interest in Rangers defender Calvin Bassey, GiveMeSport report.

The Lowdown: Villa closing in

NSWE have wasted no time in backing Steven Gerrard ahead of his first full season in charge at Villa Park. A permanent deal for Philippe Coutinho has gone through, while the club have also put a deal in place for Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara when he becomes a free agent in July.

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Sevilla defender Diego Carlos looks set to become the next player to pen terms in the Midlands after an agreement was reached with the La Liga side on Thursday evening.

However, Villa aren’t stopping there, with The Times suggesting that Villa are also closing in on a move for Rangers star Bassey.

The Latest: Bridge’s comments

Talking to GMS regarding Bassey, Bridge said he’s aware Gerrard is a fan of the defender but added that he is unsure if a move will go through during the upcoming window.

“It’s always hard to tell when they’re in inferior leagues, but he was outstanding against Frankfurt.

“Gerrard is a fan. Gerrard and his coaching team did bring him in. Whether it’s this summer or next [for a move], I don’t know.”

The Verdict: Wow

Bassey, described as ‘phenomenal’ when coming through with Leicester, could become Villa’s fourth permanent outfield signing before the end of May.

It’s clear to see that Villa officials have been hard at work behind the scenes in the closing weeks of the season to get everything in place for Gerrard, so they deserve huge credit for a busy start to the summer.

There may well be even more to come after Bassey, should a move materialise, but you’d expect the club could turn their attention to several outgoings before making any further additions.

In other news: Journalist drops exciting Aston Villa claim involving ‘world class’ EPL star. 

Everton have secured safety in the Premier League ahead of their final game of the season after a difficult relegation battle and this afternoon the Toffees will travel to North London to play Arsenal.

Frank Lampard will be going into his first comfortable game since arriving at Goodison Park in January and can go into the clash against top four chasing Arsenal knowing that he has successfully completed the great escape from relegation to the Championship this season.

In terms of injury updates, Fabian Delph and Yerry Mina have both been confirmed as unavailable for the final game, and with Delph out of contract this summer it means that his outing against Watford may have been his last performance in an Everton shirt.

Andros Townsend and Nathan Patterson remain sidelined with long term injury issues, whilst Salomon Rondon will continue to see out his three-match suspension making him unavailable for selection for today’s game.

With that being said, this is how Football FanCast expects Everton to line up this afternoon…

We expect that Lampard will make just two changes to the team that beat Crystal Palace earlier this week, changing to a 4-3-3 formation.

The first change we predict is the introduction of Anwar El Ghazi who hasn’t been given the opportunity to show what he can offer to the Toffees since he joined on loan from Aston Villa in January, playing just 11 minutes over the last five months.

El Ghazi who was hailed “remarkable” by pundit Adrian Clarke, will unlikely feature on the wing as Anthony Gordon and Richarlison are likely to keep their spots, but could appear in an advanced midfield role if the Everton boss decides to give the player a chance to make his mark, replacing Andre Gomes.

We expect 28-year-old Gomes who was dubbed a “walking red card” by Greg O’Keeffe to lose his spot in the selection to make way for Donny van de Beek’s return to the side after being out with injury issues since the beginning of March, and will play alongside Alex Iwobi to complete the midfield three.

With safety secured it would be the perfect opportunity for Lampard to give opportunities to players that have been rarely seen but he will also want to end the season on a high by causing an upset at the Emirates against Arsenal who will be desperate to take all three points from the clash to keep their Champions League dreams alive for next season.

AND in other news: Lampard plotting Everton bid for £158k-p/w dynamo, he’d be a “joy to watch” 

Celtic ended their season with a big 6-0 win against Motherwell in front of their home fans after being crowned Premiership champions in midweek.

Kyogo Furuhashi and Giorgos Giakoumakis both scored two goals in the blistering win to lead the Hoops to their 29th league victory of the campaign.

Despite those doubles, it was another one of Celtic’s goalscorers who stole the show overall on this occasion and really gave the home supporters something to savour.

After coming on as a second half substitute on Wednesday against Dundee United, Jota found himself back in the starting XI on this occasion for what could well be his final game in a Celtic shirt for the Benfica loanee.

With the full 90 minutes under his belt this afternoon, the winger not only scored Celtic’s fourth goal of the game, he terrorised Motherwell all throughout the match.

As per Sofascore, the 23-year-old had 77 touches of the ball in total, completing 33 out of the 39 passes he attempted.

From an attacking point of view, the Portuguese star had four attempts at goal, with two of them being blocked, one off target and one testing the goalkeeper, while he also the woodwork.

He also completed two of the three dribbles he attempted, along with making two key passes and completing three crosses. This highlights just how much of a threat he was for Motherwell to try and handle.

The away side ended up fouling the winger four times, which shows that they started to run out of ideas for how to stop him.

Even from a defensive standpoint, the on-loan attacker did his bit by making two tackles and one interception.

This display ultimately earned Jota a sublime overall match rating of 9.1/10, making him the highest-rated Celtic player on the day according to SofaScore, even higher than the likes of Furuhashi and Giakoumakis who both had two goals to their names.

Having been described by Noel Whelan as a “mouth-watering” player, that’s exactly what the 23-year-old was for Celtic this afternoon.

Moving forward, with his loan deal from Benfica set to expire at the end of this month, it would be unthinkable for the Hoops to not at least try and sign him permanently this summer.

In other news: Big Lennoxtown claim emerges, it’s great news for Celtic supporters

A big Newcastle United claim has been made on their transfer plans for the summer…

What’s the talk?

Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards has revealed that the club will be looking to cash in on a number of players in the upcoming window.

Ahead of the Magpies’ 5-0 loss to Manchester City in the Premier League, Edwards Tweeted: “Think Howe will be looking very closely at players today. Man City is another barometer test Several came up short against Liverpool. They are all playing for futures in some respect, either to stay at club or to keep first team place. There’s going to be a summer clear out.”

After the match, he added: “Most of the starting XI will survive in terms of still being at the club next season but three or four of them will become back up not first choice. The main clear out is players who can’t get a game or haven’t even made squad. The money – or lack of it – they bring in is crucial.”

Supporters will be excited

The Toon faithful will surely be excited by these claims from Edwards as they suggest that the club are set for a busy summer of ins and outs.

They will be buzzing to learn that PIF and Howe are willing to axe the players who are not good enough for the team, whether that comes in the form of them being dropped from the XI or from them being sold or loaned out to another side.

Against Manchester City, Jamaal Lascelles, Emil Krafth, Martin Dubravka and Sean Longstaff all recorded SofaScore ratings of 6.3 or lower and were all at the club prior to the takeover from PIF. If they cannot prove that they are capable of putting in strong performances against the top teams in the division then they may be among the players axed in the upcoming window.

Fans will want to see underperforming individuals punished for their poor displays by being dropped or sold and that is why they will be buzzing and excited by Edwards’ claim. Not only will it mean that they will see duds move away from St. James’ Park but it will also mean that they have the prospect of new arrivals bringing fresh promise to the squad.

It is now down to Howe to decide on the players he wants to replace and who he wants to replace them with, as the Toon supporters look forward to the coming months with excitement.

AND in other news, Major blow: Howe hit with big NUFC injury setback that’ll leave supporters gutted…

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe wants to tie Sean Longstaff down to a new contract. 

The lowdown

Having come through the youth ranks at Newcastle, the North Shields-born midfielder made his senior debut in August 2018 (via nufc.co.uk). Less than four years on, he’s only seven short of a century of appearances for the Magpies.

The £11.7million-rated 24-year-old was due to be out of contract at the end of the season.

As he contemplates whether to sign on the dotted line, he’s may need assurances over playing time next season. Longstaff has made 22 Premier League appearances, 13 of them starts, so far this term.

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The latest

The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder relayed an update on Longstaff on Twitter on Thursday evening.

“Eddie Howe hoping to complete [a] deal for [the] midfielder,” he wrote.

In the attached story, he explains that Newcastle actually opened negotiations over the contract in 2019, but they stalled.

Longstaff apparently has other offers, but Howe wants to keep him at St James’ Park with a four-year commitment.

The verdict

It was looking a little bleak for Longstaff’s Newcastle future early in Howe’s reign.

He played 19 minutes of the manager’s first game against Brentford, but watched the next five from the sidelines.

However, he’s featured in 11 of the 19 matches since then and though that may not be quite the level of involvement he’d ideally like, it does show his value as a squad player.

Indeed, Howe and the club hierarchy may have decided that replacing Longstaff, who would be leaving on a free, would needlessly consume a portion of their summer transfer budget.

He’s a highly capable of midfielder himself, winning praise from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Ryder, who dubbed him ‘fantastic’.

In other news, Luke Edwards rages over this Newcastle leak.