All posts by z3u9t.icu

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.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-45/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

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

Sky Sports News have shared some major transfer news for Tottenham Hotspur supporters in the last 48 hours involving their pursuit of Yves Bissouma.

The Lowdown: Spurs set for busy summer…

Spurs manager Antonio Conte, after sealing his side’s place in the Premier League top four last season, securing the riches of Champions League football, is now setting his sights on this summer’s transfer market.

Indeed, the Lilywhites have already confirmed the signings of both Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster on Bosman deals and we’re only a week into the window’s opening.

Links have emerged to many more potential additions in this last week alone and Spurs supporters could be set for a rather exciting two months before next season’s commencement.

The Latest: Sky Sports confirm Spurs have won the race

News broke earlier this week that the Lilywhites are eyeing a deal for Brighton and Hove Albion star Bissouma (Football.London).

They weren’t alone, facing competition from Arsenal and West Ham United, while Aston Villa also showed an interest last month.

Sharing news on live TV, Sky Sports (via Football Daily) have in the last 48 hours shared a major update coming out of north London – Spurs have got their man.

[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”]

According to their information, ‘it is understood’ that Tottenham have ‘agreed’ a deal worth around ‘£25 million’ to sign Bissouma.

Sky add that it looks like the Mali international is ‘going to be joining’ both Perisic and Forster at Hotspur Way as Conte closes in on a third summer signing.

The Verdict: Fantastic business…

£25m for a player of Bissouma’s ilk is nothing short of a brilliant piece of business.

According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old finished 21/22 as Brighton’s best-performing regular by average match rating whilst totalling their highest number of successful challenges and interceptions made per 90.

Proven in England’s top flight and a robust tackler in front of the back four, Conte may well be about to welcome a major upgrade at a bargain price thanks to his contract situation.

This feels like the first major piece of business following the shrewd captures of Perisic and Forster.

In other news: Conte enters pole position to sign ‘excellent’ international defender for Spurs! Find out more here.

Liverpool transfer target Calvin Ramsay is ‘keen’ on joining the Reds and a deal could be completed soon, according to reliable journalist Dominic King.

The Lowdown: Ramsay heading to England

The 18-year-old’s future has been a big talking point in recent weeks, with the Aberdeen youngster expected to leave his current club this summer.

Liverpool and Leeds United have been the undoubted front-runners to acquire Ramsay’s services, as the right-back makes the move south of the border.

It looks as though the Reds are the favourites to get their man, and a new update enhances that view.

The Latest: King drops Ramsay transfer update

Taking to Twitter late on Monday night, King claimed that a move could even be completed this week, with Ramsay wanting to join Liverpool. The journalist revealed:

“A little update on Liverpool and their pursuit of Calvin Ramsay. It’s still very much the intention to sign him from Aberdeen, he is keen on making the move and a fee of £4million should get things done. Could be movement before the end of the week.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“398089″]

The Verdict: Ideal Trent deputy

This looks like it could be a hugely exciting piece of business, considering that Ramsay is already making waves in Scotland at just 18, being described as ‘elite’ by Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack and ‘brilliant’ by Paul Robinson.

The defender already has nine assists in 39 appearances for the Dons and he could become an even greater attacking force working alongside Trent Alexander-Arnold as the 23-year-old’s deputy.

Ramsay would come in as a squad player for Liverpool, potentially replacing Neco Williams, and will hopefully mature into something special in the years to come, possibly even rivalling Alexander-Arnold for a starting berth eventually.

In other news, Liverpool have given up on signing one player. Find out who it is here.

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’.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-4/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

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.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-updates-2/” title=”Aston Villa latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

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.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-6/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

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.