All posts by z3u9t.icu

Manchester City fans are delighted after it was revealed the club are allegedly ready to sign Jack Grealish for £100m this summer.

This promises to be a busy summer for the Citizens. They have already been linked with a move for Tottenham’s Harry Kane (Sky Sports) as Sergio Aguero prepares to depart the Etihad Stadium, while they will be looking to add others as well as they aim to retain their Premier League title.

Now, it has been revealed that City are prepared to make Grealish the first £100m English player this summer. The Aston Villa star has enjoyed another impressive top-flight campaign, scoring six goals and providing a further 12 assists (Transfermarkt). He is said to be Guardiola and co’s number one midfield transfer target this summer.

The news from the Daily Mail was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Grealish link below

“Make it happen”

Credit: @welimann

“Absolutely worth it, make it happen imo”

Credit: @mcfc1O

“Gathering the avengers”

Credit: @whezza__

“Worth it”

Credit: @_ammohammed

“Grealish Kane Foden Torres KDB we’re waking the league this season”

Credit: @CityAguero10

“We would proper love him wouldn’t we. Imagine how happy he would be playing with Kev!”

Credit: @ThomasSowell90

In other news, Man City fans react to this Harry Kane news.

Adam Jones has now shared some Everton injury news involving Ben Godfrey before they play Chelsea at home in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Injury pile-on

The 24-year-old was forced to withdraw from the starting line-up in the Toffees’ 2-0 defeat at Liverpool after picking up an injury in the warm-up, meaning that Michael Keane had to step in.

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He now joins the long list of players on the sidelines at Finch Farm, which includes the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Andros Townsend and Donny van de Beek, while Richarlison may have also picked up a slight knock against the Reds.

The Latest: Godfrey update

Taking to Twitter, Liverpool Echo journalist Jones has now shared an update from Frank Lampard on Godfrey’s situation, claiming that it was ‘bad luck’ that the defender was forced off with a muscle injury.

However, the Everton manager hopes that it is a ‘minor’ issue, saying: “Bad luck, muscle injury. What I have to say is I think Michael Keane comes in 20 minutes before a game against Liverpool, it’s a real compliment to him. We hope it’s minor [for Godfrey].”

The Verdict: Big blow

It is certainly a big blow if Godfrey is to be ruled out for the majority of the season’s run-in. A muscle injury can take weeks to fully heal, while the Toffees only have six matches remaining in the 2021/22 top-flight campaign.

The defender currently ranks highly among his team-mates in terms of tackles, clearances and blocks per match in the Premier League (WhoScored), which suggests that Everton will no doubt need him if they are to have the best possible chance of staying up.

In other news, these were Everton’s three worst performers against Liverpool

This is a very uncertain time for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Being slapped 4-0 at the weekend by relegation-threatened Burnley marked one of the most embarrassing results of the season.

The ever-reliable Willy Boly was a shambles defensively as his mistake let Chris Wood in to score the Clarets’ first goal of the contest.

He failed to lead by example in the middle of the backline and it will have had Nuno Santo tearing his beard out.

This has been a testing campaign for the Portuguese boss but it’s not stopped the biggest clubs in England from courting him. Before Jose Mourinho was sacked by Tottenham, he had emerged on Daniel Levy’s radar.

As such, Wolves are pondering replacements just in case Nuno does depart Molineux in the next few months.

One of the managers the Old Gold are considering is former Benfica head coach Bruno Lage.

He left the Portuguese outfit in June 2020 after winning an impressive 67% of his games as he led a victorious Primeira Division triumph the previous season.

Though, one of his best accomplishments was the way he brought through some of the club’s academy graduates.

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Joao Felix rose to prominence under Lage before he earned a massive £113m move to Atletico Madrid.

The 44-year-old also helped to make Ruben Dias the player he is today by installing him as one of the first names on the team sheet.

Dias played 70 games under Lage, making the ex-Benfica general the manager to have used him the most frequently in his career so far.

Lage has to be applauded for the way he brought these players through as the centre-back later became Benfica captain and moved to Manchester City for £62m.

But why does this have any relevance to Wolves? Well, Dias was previously linked with a switch to Molineux while they have a fine crop of young players coming through themselves.

One of the best happens to be a centre-back in the mould of Dias; Christian Marques.

The 18-year-old is the most expensive player in the history of Wolves’ academy and he’s already skippered the club at U18 and U23 level.

A natural-born leader, he’s been crafted to play in the Conor Coady role at Molineux. Adept at playing out from the back and strong-willed, there is plenty to his game.

When he was first scouted, Harry Hooman – now Wolves’ head of UK academy recruitment – described Marques as “outstanding.”

Though, just like Dias, he has taken to English football like a duck to water. He may not have earned a first-team appearance yet but it surely won’t be too far away. After all, those in the senior team shipped four goals on Sunday lunchtime.

Speaking to The Athletic, Wolves’ elite player development coach, Darren Ryan, said: “It’s rare for a youngster coming from another country to show such leadership.”

Indeed, that set of quotes could quite easily describe Dias as well.

It may not take the arrival of Lage to craft Marques into an elite level centre-back but judging by his work in Portugal, it would certainly be beneficial if he arrived.

That’s no disrespect to Nuno because he’s influenced the likes of Pedro Neto, Diogo Jota and Ruben Neves astutely throughout his time in the Midlands.

Lage, however, could just take them all to the next level.

AND in other news, Worse than Boly: Nuno surely fuming with Wolves gem who lost possession 24x…

After just over six months in charge, Rafael Benitez’s reign in charge of Everton came to an end shortly after their disappointing 2-1 defeat against Norwich City last weekend.

In the meantime, while the club looks for a new permanent manager, Duncan Ferguson has been given the role of caretaker boss to try and get Everton’s season back on track in the same way that he did when the club got rid of Marco Silva in December 2019 before Carlo Ancelotti came in.

One name who has been mentioned with the Everton job and who could be a good fit for the Toffees is former Derby County and Chelsea manager Frank Lampard.

In his first senior managerial job, he took charge of 57 games with the Rams, with 26 wins, 15 draws and 16 defeats along the way, taking them to the Championship play-off final in May 2019 at Wembley against Aston Villa.

In his second managerial role, the 43-year-old won 44 of his 84 games in charge at the club where he spent the majority of his playing career.

Labelled a “winner” by Noel Whelan, Lampard finished in the top four with Chelsea in his one full season in charge at Stamford Bridge despite having to deal with a transfer embargo, which could make him a suitable and potentially successful option for Everton given their Financial Fair Play issues of late.

In terms of a potential move to Everton, while he hasn’t lifted any trophies as a manager, Lampard still has sufficient experience to put him in the running to get back into the Premier League and continue his managerial career with the Toffees.

Given his massive knowledge of the league and his legendary status as a player, he could be a big hit at Goodison Park and bring some positive vibes back around the place after the constant fan protests against Benitez during the 61-year-old’s tenure, especially with 65% of voters from a recent Football FanCast poll suggesting that Lampard would be a good appointment for Everton.

Also, with the 43-year-old not currently in work, it could be a swift appointment for Farhad Moshiri to make so that the club can put this transitional period behind them and focus on ending the season on a high with renewed optimism for the future.

In other news: Everton must avoid another managerial disaster with “arrogant” 58 y/o, he’d be Rafa 2.0

Head to the departure lounge at Glasgow Airport this summer and you might well see one of Celtic’s players heading for pastures new.

This has been a disastrous campaign for the Bhoys and consequently, they could do with a mass clear out.

Unfortunately for the Hoops, a few players’ futures could be taken out of their hands. The likes of Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer look as though they could head to the Premier League while Ryan Christie is another to have been linked with a move south of the border.

There will, of course, be the exits of loan players heading back to their parent clubs too but one man who should also consider developing elsewhere is Mikey Johnston.

The 22-year-old broke through at Paradise a number of years ago now but he’s never made a consistent breakthrough into the first-team setup.

It’s been a difficult few years for Johnston whose lack of action has been to Celtic’s enormous success.

The Hoops won the title nine times on the trot and in the process, Johnston couldn’t find a way through.

It’s hardly surprising, though. James Forrest was a rampant force in 2019/20, scoring 16 goals and registering 22 assists. Christie also helped himself to over 30 goal involvements while Moi Elyounoussi enjoyed a productive first campaign in Scotland.

Injuries have also wreaked havoc with the young Scot’s game time. Not that Neil Lennon liked playing young players but he spent the best part of a year out with an MCL injury.

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Johnston missed the climax of last season and then had to wait until December to finally get back on the field.

Despite Celtic’s plight, he still hasn’t worked his way into the side. The winger has only started twice all campaign and hasn’t played a single minute under John Kennedy. Again, fitness concerns have dealt him a troublesome blow since Lennon departed.

On his day, the young attacker is a crafty player. He scored three goals in the space of two games during the 2018/19 campaign before injuries really started to impact him.

In the process, he was hailed by boisterous pundit Chris Sutton; “Is Mikey Johnston the new Ryan Christie? Celtic’s fringe players at the start of the season coming to the fore when it counts,” he said on social media at the time.

Unfortunately, just like Christie, he should face the exit door this summer.

Johnston may be contracted until 2025 but the idea of him making it at Celtic seems incredibly far-fetched. The 5 foot 9 winger hasn’t scored for the Hoops since December 2019 and is at the age now where he should be earning regular senior minutes.

That doesn’t look like it’ll ever happen at Celtic, especially if Karamoko Dembele’s terms don’t expire until next summer.

They need to prioritise the teenager’s development over someone who has spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch. Dominic McKay must do his best to find Johnston a new club, whether it be temporarily or permanently.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Forrest: Celtic must sign “breathtaking” 89-cap gem, he’s a “rare breed”…

Nuno Espirito Santo is closing in on being appointed as Tottenham Hotspur’s next manager, and he could be in place in time for pre-season training, which gets underway on July 5.

What’s the word?

According to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, extensive talks between the north London outfit and the Portuguese coach have been held over the last few days, and barring another late setback, the 47-year-old is now set to become the new Spurs manager.

Writing on Twitter, the journalist said: “Extensive talks have now been held with Nuno Espirito Santo over becoming the new Spurs head coach. As I said a week or so back, Paratici really likes him and while his style of play does not match what Levy called for, his ability to develop young players, and older ones, does.

“Understand that, barring a complete about-turn (and we’ve had enough of those in these 67 days), the former Wolves boss could be in place at Tottenham next week just days before pre-season starts at Hotspur Way.”

Is it finally over?

The 47-year-old is a readily available candidate after he left Premier League rivals Wolves by mutual consent at the end of last season. He departed them in 13th place after a poor campaign, but much of that can be attributed to the loss of Diogo Jota to Liverpool and Raul Jimenez to a serious head injury as the Midlands outfit struggled in front of the net, bagging only 36 goals – the lowest of any team ranked above 16th.

Much of the Lilywhites faithful have expressed their disappointment in the likely appointment of Nuno on social media in recent days, getting a #NoToNuno campaign trending, but at the very least they should be glad that this whole process is coming to an end.

It’s been over nine weeks since chairman Daniel Levy sacked Jose Mourinho and there have been no fewer than eight names close to taking over before some sort of late blow occurred. Bayern-bound Julian Nagelsmann, former boss Mauricio Pochettino and ex-Premier League winner Antonio Conte are just three of those mooted throughout the process.

More recently, it seemed as if Paulo Fonseca was going to be the man for Spurs before a surprise twist emerged at the 11th hour.

Nuno may not be the first choice of many in N17 besides sporting director Fabio Paratici, but he does arrive with plenty of experience in the top flight and a proven record in developing players regardless of their age.

Adama Traore, Pedro Neto and Joao Moutinho are testament to that, whilst it must be hugely encouraging that he could be in place before pre-season, for if this were to rumble on when the players returned, then it would only set Spurs back even further with their plans.

It’s time for Nuno to get some backing as it seems this search is finally coming towards a much-needed end.

AND in other news, Paratici can seal Spurs’ dream Kane replacement in “complete” £36m-rated goal machine…

Sunderland should be doing all they can to sign Dion Sanderson this summer after a legend from his current club suggested that the player is not highly rated by the Premier League side.

What’s the talk?

Wolves legend Steve Bull has suggested that the Premier League side do not believe Sanderson will ever be good enough for the top level. The retired striker believes that the Midlands outfit would have loaned him out by now if they saw him as a player with the potential to return in the future, hinting at a permanent exit from Molineux.

He told FFC:

“I think that Wolves would have sent him out on loan to see if he managed to get any better, but obviously, they don’t think he has.

“In other people’s eyes, he’s probably a top-class player but, in Wolves’ eyes, he’s not and they must have somebody else on their radar that is better.”

Sanderson spent last season on loan to Sunderland in League One and the northern side are reportedly interested in signing him for a second spell.

Johnson will be on cloud nine

Lee Johnson will be left on cloud nine if Sunderland are able to complete a deal for the defender.

Whilst the Premier League side may not have faith in him, The Black Cats are keen on a deal to bring him back and Kristjaan Speakman could be encouraged by Bull’s comments.

The 21-year-old defender is already used to playing in Sunderland’s system and would need no period of adaptation upon joining the club. Whereas, other signings may come with a degree of risk as it is tough to tell exactly how they would fit within the set-up and how they would cope with League One football.

Johnson made his feelings clear on the “Rolls-Royce” of a defender last season. The former Bristol City coach hailed him as a shining light at the back in League One.

He told The Chronicle:

“He was the one that was kind of a shining light in terms of the defensive performance.

“That can be clouded sometimes by the team [performance] because individually he has done alright. I think that’s where it starts for all of us – make sure you are a leader for at least two people.

“If you’re playing at centre-back, then look after a central midfielder, the other centre-half, and maybe the right-back. If you look after those, it switches you on and helps you to focus and concentrate.”

“He’s a centre-half and at his age level, he is an absolute Rolls-Royce.”

The starlet averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 6.88 in 17 starts as a centre-back in the third tier for Sunderland last season. This shows that he is capable of being consistent despite his young age and that he is able to put in quality performances, which is why Johnson will be buzzing with the prospect of working with him again next term.

Speakman must do all he can to get Sanderson back to Sunderland this summer.

AND in other news, Speakman could strike gold for Sunderland as 6ft 1 beast agrees to join The Black Cats…

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. 

Derby County forward Bobby Duncan is set to remain at the club, following news that his move to Danish side Vejle Boldklub has collapsed [The Athletic via Football League World].

The Lowdown: Derby County’s turbulent start to 2021/22

Enduring a turbulent start to the new campaign, Rams gaffer Wayne Rooney will be praying for some stability in the coming weeks as his side look to start 2021/22 in a positive manner.

Unable to make signings – unless free – so far this summer due to the transfer embargo, the Sky Bet Championship side have not been able to make any additions in the window thus far [Transfermarkt].

Now, the manager has been hit with yet another blow on the other side of things, with an expected departure falling through.

The Latest: Duncan departure called off after breakdown in talks

After opening talks with Velje Boldklub last week, any notion of the deal nearing completion has now been quelled, much to the fury of the Derby County hierarchy [Football League World].

Terms could not be thrashed out to an agreeable deal, meaning the English second tier side have now missed the chance to get around £3,000 per-week off of their wage bill.

The Verdict: Only time will tell with regards to Duncan’s next steps

The news surrounding Duncan presents negative and positive connotations.

On one hand, Derby have struggled with financial irregularities in recent times and moving the former Liverpool youngster on may have helped slightly.

Nevertheless, he may provide some much-needed inspiration to a side in need of fresh ideas in forthcoming months should he get the opportunity.

In 2020/21, he made just one senior appearance for his current employers in an embarrassing 2-0 FA Cup defeat away to non-league Chorley [BBC].

With only two recognised strikers at the club in the form of Colin Kazim-Richards and young starlet Jack Stretton, the Scouser could be given the chance to show the abilities which saw him become a highly sought-after commodity in his youth career.

Moving closer to the start of the Championship campaign, it may be wise for Derby to give Duncan a platform to showcase his abilities – once described as having ‘raw talent’ by his former coach Anthony Barry, can he really be worse than what they’ve got?

In other news, a pundit believes Wayne Rooney should give his ex-teammate a chance at the Rams.

Slavisa Jokanovic’s Sheffield United centre-forward Daniel Jebbison is attracting an increasing amount of interest as the summer transfer window draws to a close.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by TEAMtalk, who claim that the likes of Everton, Leeds United, Aston Villa and Brentford are all interested in a deal for the Sheffield United striker, whom Jokanovic has given the green light to depart Bramall Lane on a temporary basis this summer.

The report continues by stating that Everton have gone as far as to make an offer for the 18-year-old, however, the bid believed to be in the region of £5m was knocked back by the Blades – although Rafael Benitez’s side are reported to be returning with an improved offer in the coming days.

Big mistake

While sanctioning the temporary departure of Jebbison this summer is all well and good, if Jokanovic indeed believes the youngster will not feature much for Sheffield United this season – although there is an equally good case against shipping the striker out, too – should the 53-year-old’s willingness to allow the 18-year-old to leave this summer ultimately lead to the club parting with the highly-rated teenager on a permanent basis, it would undoubtedly be a huge mistake on the part of the Serbian.

Indeed, regarding the aforementioned argument against allowing the £900k-rated man to leave the club on loan, considering the fact that Billy Sharp is the only United centre-forward – of which there are currently seven in the first team – to have found the back of the net over the club’s opening four Championship fixtures, it would seem as if Jebbison could well be needed by Jokanovic this season.

Furthermore, the fact that so many Premier League clubs are reported to be interested in the player Micah Richards dubbed a “fantastic” talent would very much appear to suggest that they believe the forward is good enough to play a role in their respective first teams – so exactly why the Sheffield United boss feels differently is something of a mystery.

And, should the manager ultimately be tempted into sanctioning the permanent sale of the England U18 international this summer, it would not seem to be an exaggeration to claim that it would be the biggest mistake of his United career to date, with selling one of the club’s most promising forwards potentially being an unforgivable act by the Serbian, and would undoubtedly leave fans livid.

In other news: Jokanovic could solve big Sheffield United issue with £24k-p/w beast who’s “like a Paul Scholes”