All posts by z3u9t.icu

Aston Villa attempted to sign Aaron Hickey from Bologna during the summer transfer window, according to Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Hickey joined Bologna from Scottish Premiership side Hearts in September 2020 for a fee of £1.5million.

The Serie A outfit beat off competition from German giants Bayern Munich to secure the left-back’s signature.

Hickey has started all seven of Bologna’s Serie A matches so far this season, scoring twice (via WhoScored).

Villa manager Dean Smith currently has Matt Targett and the versatile veteran Ashley Young available in the left-back position.

The latest

The report states that, in the summer, Glasgow rivals Celtic and Rangers ‘looked for’ 19-year-old Hickey.

But ‘Aston Villa also came forward’, only to find that Bologna viewed him as ‘absolutely not transferable’.

The verdict

Having made a strong start to the campaign, you’d expect Hickey to take the next step in the next year or two.

He could have joined Bayern, but they planned to place him in their second team in the 3. Liga, and in choosing Bologna he prioritised first-team football in one of the top-five leagues.

But he’ll soon outgrow the mid-table outfit and be ready to turn out for a bigger club, no doubt generating a healthy profit for Bologna.

He’s a player who, unlike Young, could compete with and perhaps eventually surpass Targett over the long-term, so this is certainly one to keep an eye on down the line.

In other news, fans flocked to this Louie Barry claim from Ashley Preece. 

West Ham United have made their “first offer” for Clermont striker Mohamed Bayo, and a deal is “within reach” in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

During the summer, reports from France suggested that David Moyes’ side had an interest in the 6 foot 2 forward but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the window.

Now, it appears that the Hammers have reignited their interest in the 23-year-old, with Le10Sport journalist Alexis Bernard delivering a very promising update on the situation.

Writing on Twitter, the journalist said: “Besides Ekitike, West Ham is on Bayo (Clermont). First offer at 15M€. Clermont wants 20M€. More within reach of the English club as it stands.”

Fans will be excited

With all the goal-scoring onus on Michail Antonio’s shoulders, it’s imperative Moyes can see a deal over the line for a new striker in this final week of the January transfer window.

And in Bayo, they could find both the ideal cover and competition for the Jamaican front-man.

Last season, he bagged 22 goals and provided seven assists in 38 appearances on Clermont’s way to promotion from Ligue 2 – that is an an average of one goal contribution every 106 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

The Clermont striker has been described as a “powerful” and “pacey” number nine, as well as a “sharpshooter in front of goal”, while football scout Jacek Kulig believes he’s “indispensable” to the French side.

At just 23, Bayo certainly has plenty of time to develop even further, but has the experience already of being a team’s main man and could come into the London Stadium ready to thrive alongside Antonio for the Hammers.

If West Ham are serious about challenging for a top-four spot this season and thus qualifying for the Champions League, then getting a deal done for a new centre-forward is absolutely important.

It’s exactly why Bernard’s update that a deal is “within reach” is sure to have West Ham fans excited.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has delivered an update on this reported West Ham transfer target…

Former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that he doesn’t think Tottenham’s Harry Winks is a Marcelo Bielsa type of player.

According to The Athletic’s Leeds reporter Phil Hay, the Yorkshire giants were offered the opportunity to sign the 25-year-old but turned down the chance to bring him to Elland Road on a loan deal.

Despite coming through the ranks in north London, Winks seemingly has little future under Nuno Espirito Santo if the early weeks of the 2021/22 season are anything to go buy, with him having played just one minute in Spurs’ opening three Premier League matches, including being an unused substitute in the 1-0 win against Watford on Sunday.

He did start the recent Conference League victory over Pacos de Ferreira, but the midfielder’s chances of playing regularly are likely to rely on those ahead of him getting injured or being suspended.

And whilst Leeds are lacking depth in Kalvin Phillips’ position, Palmer doesn’t reckon the £18m-rated Englishman’s attributes would see him fit in at Leeds.

He exclusively told TT:

“I don’t think he’s a Bielsa type player. He likes to play an expansive game from back to front and I don’t think Winks would fit into that style of play. He’s not all over the pitch, nor is he a high-energy player.”

According to a report by Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, Tottenham Hotspur are now expected to submit their first formal bid for Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic after ‘behind the scenes’ talks with his agent.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing Vlahovic…

As per reports, Tottenham have had their eye on Vlahovic for quite a while – with The Times claiming that talks had been held over signing him way back in late June.

More recently, Italian transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has backed Spurs’ interest whilst going one step further and relaying that the Lilywhites are indeed in contact with his agents (Twitch via The Boot Room).

This latest development comes after reports suggested Atletico Madrid were ready to agree a fee to sign the striker this week.

The Latest: Spurs bid expected…

According to The Express, Spurs are now expected to submit a formal bid for the youngster after ‘behind the scenes’ talks with his representative, Darko Ristic.

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

It is also believed that Tottenham have moved Vlahovic to the top of their striker wish list after stuttering in negotiations to sign Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez.

The Nerazzurri blocked Martinez’ switch to Spurs after Chelsea signed Romelu Lukaku, with Fiorentina apparently now braced for a serious attempt from Tottenham to bag their star striker.

In another turn of events, Vlahovic himself is personally open to the idea of joining Spurs and he could still sign for the Lilywhites regardless of Harry Kane’s future at the club.

The Verdict: Do it…

Moving for Martinez was always going to be a tough move to pull off and we believe landing Vlahovic as an alternative would be perfect for Spurs.

The Serbia international bagged a phenomenal 21 goals in 37 appearances for La Viola last season in Serie A and has been described as ‘incredible’ by Italian top flight critics who watched him throughout 2020/2021 (Conor Clancy to This is Futbol).

At just 21, Vlahovic also comes with the massive potential for sell-on value and, judging by his recent accolades, he can only get better.

In other news: ‘Omg’, ‘Yessss’, ‘I beg’…Many Tottenham fans erupt as ‘perfect’ news emerges, find out more here.

Alex McLeish has made a worrying transfer claim on Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

What’s the talk?

The former Premier League manager has claimed that it would be hard for the Leeds midfielder to turn down Manchester United.

The Red Devils are reportedly interested in a swoop for the England international and McLeish believes that Phillips’ head could be turned.

He told Football Insider:

“It will be tough for him to turn it down, 100%.

“Jack Grealish was a fan of Aston Villa all his life, but he had his head turned by a dominant club like Manchester City.

“It’s the same thing – if United come and go all the way with their interest, it is hard for him to stay.”

Concern

This claim from McLeish will surely leave Leeds fans feeling scared about the midfielder’s future at Elland Road. Whilst supporters will want to believe that Phillips would reject any team to stay at his boyhood club, McLeish makes an excellent point regarding Jack Grealish – who was in a similar position.

The prospect of playing Champions League football and competing for the top trophies year-in-year-out could be a tantalising one for Phillips, which is why his head could be turned by United. This is a concerning thought for the Elland Road faithful as they start to ponder life without the England international in their midfield.

During the European Championships, Italian icon Andrea Pirlo compared Phillips with Jorginho and labeled both of them as being the ‘rock’. He said:

“Both players do such a good job protecting the defence and being that rock in midfield. Often this job can go unnoticed – but I think they have both been recognised this tournament and rightly so.”

The £35k-per-week Leeds beast showcased his quality on one of the biggest stages in football, starting seven games as England reached the final of the Championships. This explains why other teams are taking an interest in his services and why Victor Orta may be a very busy man in the next couple of transfer windows.

Leeds fans will be hoping that Phillips demonstrates his loyalty to the club by rejecting offers to join Champions League teams to help the Lillywhites get to that level themselves. However, until they have weathered the storm and see that he is still a Leeds player, there will surely be concern over his next step.

AND in other news,  Orta must sanction Leeds deal for £42k-p/w “machine”, Bielsa would love him…

Leeds United are still keen on Celtic left-back Matthew Anderson, according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Hjelde move

It appears as if the Whites are set to take Leo Hjelde from Parkhead. The 17-year-old is into the final 12 months of his Hoops contract and may well end up leaving the club without making a senior appearance.

Leeds and Celtic have reportedly agreed on a fee for the Norwegian, with the defender already agreeing on personal terms. Reports on Thursday suggested that the youngster was set to undergo a medical with the Yorkshire club, with a move expected to seal a move to Elland Road imminently.

Hjelde may not be the only young defender to swap Celtic for Leeds, though.

The Latest: Anderson interest

Hay ran a Q&A with Leeds fans on Friday ahead of the new season.

One supporter asked him about the club’s academy business, with the journalist admitting that a move for Hjelde is ‘looking good’, before adding that the Whites are still keen on signing fellow 17-year-old Anderson, who was described as ‘the real deal’ by Blantyre Soccer Academy chief Jimmy Whelan.

Hay outlined: “Hjelde from Celtic is looking good. They still like Matthew Anderson up there. I don’t think they’ll do a huge amount more, though. They’ve already signed up Miller, Bate and McGurk.”

The Verdict: Not ideal

Celtic appear to be building for the future with the signings of youngsters Liel Abada, Liam Shaw, Osaze Urhoghide and Joey Dawson this summer, so losing Hjelde and possibly Anderson isn’t exactly ideal.

The Norwegian has been lauded as ‘the next Virgil van Dijk’, whereas his fellow teenage defender ‘could be like Kieran Tierney’.

Celtic’s loss may well turn out to be Leeds’ gain, and only time will tell how much of a blow losing the two youngsters will be for the Hoops.

In other news: Move off: Celtic no longer looking to sign title winner who was keen to move to Parkhead. 

Ange Postecoglou lifted his first trophy as Celtic manager as his side beat Hibernian 2-1 in the League Cup final on Sunday.

Hibs took the lead through Paul Hanlon in the 51st minute, only for Kyogo Furuhashi to equalise within a minute at the other end. The Hoops forward then sealed the victory in the 72nd minute, completing the turnaround with his double.

Forget Kyogo

Whilst Kyogo scored the two goals and may grab the headlines for Celtic, another player stole the show for Postecoglou’s side – Tom Rogic.

CelticWay reporter Tony Haggerty gave him an 8/10 in his player ratings piece, explaining:

“The Wizard of Oz came back into the first-team fold at the expense of Israeli midfielder Nir Bitton. Hibs plan was to thwart the influential midfielder at every turn and disrupt his flow. He floated a delicious chip which was turned inches wide by Macey on the hour mark. He always looked capable of producing something that could open the Hibs defence and his quick thinking free-kick released Kyogo to make it 2-1.”

The Australian midfielder was a menace to the Hibernian defence as he picked up an assist for the second goal. Athletic reporter Kieran Devil lauded Rogic after his involvement, saying:

“Obviously superlatively brilliant from Kyogo there, but brilliant speed of thought and execution from Rogic there too.”

The 29-year-old was switched on as he took a quick free-kick to play the Japanese international in on goal, which allowed him to strike the winner. Without Rogic’s awareness to catch Hibernian off-guard with his free-kick, Kyogo would not have had the chance to win the match and that illustrates his importance to the result.

Journalist Josh Bunting also took to Twitter to praise him for his part in the goal, tweeting: “As good at the finish was, Rogic is going under the radar at the moment think he’s been Celtic’s most improved player under Ange Postecoglou. Knows exactly what to do in this system, terrific ball over the top for Kyogo Furuhashi. He’s been the heartbeat of this team of late.”

These quotes on Rogic’s performance highlight how crucial he was to the Hoops and why he stole the show on Sunday in the final. He was pivotal to Kyogo playing well as he provided the attacking platform upon which the striker built his play, which is why he was Postecoglou’s main man.

AND in other news, Celtic can finally replace Scott Brown by signing 20y/o gem…

Wolves right-back Nelson Semedo could return for his side’s Premier League clash with Newcastle United, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Semedo missing recently

The Portuguese ace has been out of action since the 2-1 defeat away to Arsenal in late February, having picked up a hamstring injury.

Prior to that setback, Semedo had started 23 Premier League matches for the Wanderers, proving to be an important part of Bruno Lage’s plans.

With Wolves visiting Newcastle on Friday evening, an injury boost may have emerged in the hours leading up to kick-off.

[freshpress-poll id=“388780″]

The Latest: Dinnery makes key claim

Taking to Twitter, Dinnery, an injury analyst who runs the Premier Injuries site, claimed Semedo is in line to make a return to the side at St James’ Park:

“Nelson Semedo is training at a ‘good level’ and the right-back is in contention for the trip to St James’ Park.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/all-the-latest-from-wolves/” title=”All the latest from Wolves!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Last-minute boost

This is a welcome boost for Wolves, and while Semedo may not be deemed match fit enough to start, the update suggests he will be able to play a key role between now and the end of the season.

Having the 28-year-old back in the fold means Jonny could revert to his preferred left-back role, giving the side an ideal balance in the two full-back positions.

Lage needs as many key men available in the final weeks of the season and Semedo certainly falls into that bracket, having averaged 2.3 tackles per game in the league this season. Only Toti (4.0) and Rayan Ait-Nouri (2.9) have a higher average.

In other news, Wolves are in a four-way battle to sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Celtic have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their upcoming Scottish League Cup semi-final.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Daily Record, Stephen Welsh revealed that, despite being substituted due to a knock in Scotland U21’s 2-0 defeat to Belgium in midweek, he will be available for selection against St. Johnstone this weekend.

Speaking about his current condition, the centre-back said: “I’m fine. It was a knock when their player had a shot and followed through on us, but I just came off as a precaution. I’ll be fine for the weekend.

“You’re always worried when you feel a bit of pain, but luckily it wasn’t a twist or anything. It was just pure impact so I should be fine.”

Postecoglou will be buzzing

Considering the fact that Carl Starfelt is also an injury doubt for Saturday’s fixture, the news that Welsh looks set to be available for selection is sure to have left Ange Postecoglou buzzing, as, without being able to call upon the 21-year-old, the Bhoys boss would have been extremely short of options in the heart of his defence.

Not only that, but the academy graduate has proven over his five Scottish Premiership appearances this season that he is an extremely exciting prospect at Parkhead, with the £1.08m-rated man helping his side keep two clean sheets and providing one assist, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 2.2 clearances and winning 6.2 duels per game.

These returns have seen the centre-back average a SofaScore match rating of 7.12, ranking him as Celtic’s joint 11th-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football so far this term.

As such, the news that Welsh will not be required to spend any time on the sidelines will undoubtedly provide Postecoglou with a huge boost ahead of Saturday’s fixture, as the 56-year-old will be desperate for a win in order to have a shot at picking up his first silverware as the Hoops boss.

In other news: Ange drops exciting behind the scenes update which is sure to have Celtic fans buzzing

Manchester United have been linked with a big-money move for Benfica forward Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Nunez profiled

Nunez, described as an ‘absolute beast’ earlier this month during a podcast discussing his display against Liverpool, has been on fire in front of goal this season, with the Uruguay international netting 33 times in 38 games in all competitions.

The 22-year-old has played as a centre-forward, second striker and left winger during the current campaign, starring in all three positions.

Nunez only joined the Portuguese giants back in 2020 and is under contract until 2025, but it looks as if the Red Devils are keen on a potential club-record deal.

The Latest: United interest

Sports Witness relayed an update from Correio da Manha on Tuesday, name-checking United with an interest in Nunez.

They said that the Red Devils have been ‘very attentive’ to Nunez this season, more so than any Premier League side.

The ‘big news’ from the story was potential finances in a move, with Benfica believing they can break the record of Joao Felix’s move to Atletico Madrid, which cost €120m (£99.7m).

The Verdict: Interesting…

It looks as if a move for Nunez could set United back over £100m, however, marquee signings are needed in an Old Trafford rebuild this summer.

Erik ten Hag looks like he’ll be the man to lead that rebuild ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, and he’ll know all about Nunez after he scored the goal to dump Ajax out of the Champions League back in March.

Edinson Cavani will depart United over the coming months, which will leave Cristiano Ronaldo as the only recognised senior striker at the club.

Therefore, investing in Nunez, who appears to be a star of the future, could be a wise move, and it seems as if the club are working on a possible club-record deal.

In other news: ‘Problems…’ – Fabrizio Romano now shares fresh blow for Man Utd and Erik ten Hag on Twitter.