All posts by z3u9t.icu

Speaking live on talkSPORT, French football expert and Paris-Saint Germain journalist Loic Tanzi has dropped an update on Mauricio Pochettino as Tottenham Hotspur pursue their former manager.

The Lowdown: Pochettino to Spurs?

The Athletic broke news of Tottenham’s talks with Pochettino on Thursday morning in a development which grabbed plenty of attention.

Indeed, the managerial merry-go-round across Europe took yet another twist with this claim that the Argentine could make a stunning return to north London and is allegedly keen on a reunion with the club.

However, the big obstacle appears to be Pochettino’s current club PSG, with the general consensus being that they won’t let him go so easily.

The Latest: PSG journalist drops update…

Speaking live on talkSPORT’s ‘White and Jordan show’, RMC Sport reporter Tanzi shared perspective from the PSG side of things and backed claims that the Ligue 1 giants want to keep hold of Pochettino.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/all-things-spurry/” title=”Spurs news and gossip!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

“They won’t let Pochettino go anywhere,” he declared.

“I’ve been talking with them [PSG] this morning. They want him to stay at Paris Saint-German and they say there has been no contact between the clubs at the moment.

“They have no news from Pochettino and if he wants to leave the club. I know he had a meeting with the sporting director Leonardo on Monday night to speak about the market.”

The Verdict: Battle incoming…

Despite reports from reliable sources indicating that both Spurs and Pochettino want an N17 reunion, PSG’s firm stance will prove difficult to overcome as the French giants seem reluctant to lose their man. Indeed, the Argentine may have to resign if he wishes to come back to north London nearly five months after he was appointed at the Parc des Princes.

One aspect which could help Spurs in their pursuit of Pochettino may be the new-found availability of both Antonio Conte and Zinedine Zidane.

Both coaches would provide PSG with stellar replacement options as proven trophy winners should the 49-year-old decide on a return to Spurs, and that could well be a crucial factor.

In other news: Alasdair Gold says Spurs could swoop for this ‘incredible’ star this summer, find out more here.

Leeds United have been heavily linked with Red Bull Salzburg star Brenden Aaronson in 2022, and his performance on Sunday will certainly have caught Victor Orta’s eye.

This forms part of our Transfer Watch series, where we react to a performance from a current transfer target.

The Lowdown: Leeds hoping to wrap up Aaronson deal

Aaronson has been the Whites’ main target this year after the club made two bids for the USA international in the January window.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-42/” 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”]

As we know, the attacking midfielder remained in Austria with Salzburg but is still on Leeds’ radar ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge at Elland Road.

Aaronson made 25 appearances under Marsch last season and reports have suggested that the Whites are hoping to wrap up a move for the 21-year-old this summer.

The Latest: Impressive display from Aaronson

Salzburg clinched a ninth straight Austrian Bundesliga title on Sunday following a 5-0 win over Austria Vienna. Aaronson returned to action after a six-week layoff with a knee problem and impressed, ending with a SofaScore match rating of 7.3/10.

The attacking midfielder scored a penalty and registered three key passes, one of which led to a big chance.

He only had 30 touches of the ball during his 64-minute display but he starred upon his return and even showed off his pace after the final whistle when looking to dodge a beer shower from his team-mates.

The Verdict: Sign him

Should they stay in the Premier League, Leeds should be looking to wrap up a move for Aaronson as soon as possible.

Marsch doesn’t have an out-and-out attacking midfielder to choose from at Elland Road, making the 21-year-old’s arrival even more crucial.

Described as a player with a ‘monster mentality’ by Salzburg manager Matthias Jaissle, Aaronson has now contributed to 28 goals in 61 games for the Austrian champions, and with an impressive record under Marsch already, he could slot in perfectly at Elland Road.

In other news: Leeds and Orta may agree fee for ‘quality’ target ‘this week’ after Phil Hay’s reveal

According to a report by Football Insider, a Tottenham takeover is on the cards and even more likely than ever after the European Super League disaster – with chairman Daniel Levy now facing a ‘huge fight’ to keep his job.

Tottenham takeover claim lifts lid on Levy blow

Indeed, as per the outlet, this comes after a reported £800 million deal with unnamed investors fell through last year for a 50 per cent stake in Tottenham.

It is also reported by Football Insider that Levy was a key figure in the failed talks, and a financial source even accused him of not wanting to cede control in the day to day running of Spurs.

In an update, they report that a takeover is more likely now than in previous years and the European Super League saga has only increased that possibility further.

Alongside the larger possibility of a takeover, FI also claim Levy is facing a ‘huge fight’ to keep his job after the ESL travesty and tarnishing of the club’s reputation.

Transfer Tavern take

Tottenham signed up to the closed Super League alongside an English ‘big six’ of Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United and Man City – with the club receiving swift backlash for their involvement.

Eventually, all English sides pulled out of the controversial arrangement after large protests from the fans and media alike – leaving a bitter taste.

In a potentially big blow for Levy, it appears that this decision could fall heavily on him judging by this FI report – perhaps he will be the next big figure to leave following the PR catastrophe after Ed Woodward resigned at Manchester United.

Supporters were seen protesting before the Southampton game against ENIC Group and Levy – evidence that the ESL saga has only worsened an already rocky relationship with supporters.

In other news: Tottenham source explains why Mourinho was really sacked, find out more here.

Lots of Everton fans have been left buzzing over some injury news that has emerged ahead of their game away at Norwich City in the Premier League.

As per The Athletic journalist Patrick Boyland, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and Yerry Mina are all now back in training for the Goodison Park faithful, meaning that they could all feature against the Canaries if deemed fit enough.

All three of them rank among the Merseyside club’s ten best players so far this season, according to WhoScored, with Calvert-Lewin number one.

The striker has scored three goals in the four matches that he has played in the Premier League this term, and having him back with Richarlison will certainly give Rafa Benitez’s team more of a goal threat, while Mina provides another solid option defensively.

Everton fans on injury news

These Toffees buzzed as the injury news was shared on Twitter, with one Blues supporter even going as far as to claim that it was a ‘huge boost’:

“Good news Boyland at the back post!!!”

Credit: @EFCMatt1

“Huge boost for weekend hopefully”

Credit: @GraemeMcV

“Yesssssss”

Credit: @Foxy0580

“Cracking news this”

Credit: @Byrdsman75

“Brilliant. Start all 3 on Saturday imo”

Credit: @CBobblers1878

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @JGreenway8

In other news, find out which EFC ace’s claim has fans speculating here!

Celtic are interested in signing right-back Josip Juranovic from Legia Warsaw, according to Sky Sports (via Football Daily). 

The Lowdown: Move for Buta

Celtic appear to be in the market for right-back reinforcements, with rumours over a move for Royal Antwerp’s Aurelio Buta gathering pace in recent days.

Reports have suggested the Hoops are on the verge of a £3m deal for the 24-year-old.

Should that go through, Buta would become Celtic’s fourth big-money signing of the summer after Carl Satrfelt, Liel Abada and Kyogo Furuhashi.

However, it appears as if Buta may not be the only right-back heading to Glasgow.

The Latest: Juranovic links

According to Sky Sports on Tuesday, cited by Football Daily, the Hoops are interested in Juranovic.

They suggested live on TV that ‘he’s on their list’, with the 5 foot 6 defender possible available to sign this summer.

Juranovic, who can also play as a centre-back or as a right-midfielder, is valued at £2.25m by Transfermarkt.

The 25-year-old, who has 10 caps for Croatia, has turned out as a right-midfielder in Legia Warsaw’s Champions League qualifiers this season.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-10/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Versatility handy for Ange?

With right-back Juranovic capable of playing at centre-back or as a right-midfielder, that may appeal to Ange Postecoglou.

It seems as if Buta may be the next man in the door, so Juranovic could challenge him for a starting spot while also providing cover in alternative areas.

Strength in depth is always needed when competing on multiple fronts, and bringing in someone like Juranovic would only bolster Postecoglou’s options in several positions for the upcoming campaign.

In other news: Pundit drops verdict on left-back Celtic want to sign.

In the end, Aston Villa were left to bemoan a familiar tale of Manchester United being handed a dubious penalty, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side taking full advantage and securing a 3-1 win on Sunday afternoon.

Dean Smith’s men took the lead thanks to an absolute stunner from Bertrand Traore, but saw the game fall apart thanks to a contentious penalty decision, a spot-kick that Bruno Fernandes duly dispatched.

Goals from Mason Greenwood and Edinson Cavani late on sealed the United comeback, and while understandably Smith will be furious with having another refereeing call go against them in a clash with the Manchester side, he may also have a major headache with the performance of Matty Cash.

The full-back had a difficult afternoon coming up against Paul Pogba and Luke Shaw, and while Traore did better than most weeks in trying to track back and help him out, he just couldn’t get going whatsoever.

As per Sofascore, he lost possession 16 times over the course of the game, the third-most of any Villa player, and being forced to go a bit more direct than he perhaps usually would have.

And then, arguably his biggest mishap on the day, was how he let Cavani ghost in front of him with a quick run and nod past Emi Martinez in the Villa goal – it was just a complete lack of concentration that rather typified his display.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/villa-dean-smith-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-premier-league-buendia-berge-mcneil-trezeguet-villa-park” title=”Read the latest Villa transfer rumours and news!”]

And, writing in his post-match player ratings, The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece gave him a five, and said: “Up against Pogba and Shaw on United’s left and battled bravely. Cash was caught out on the odd occasion, though, and allowed Shaw to get beyond him for a strike at goal. Cash was in poor form and lacked conviction in his play as he was pinned back time and time again. The right-back was arguably at fault for Cavani’s header which wrapped it up as the Uruguayan ghosted past him to head home.”

With the Premier League season now reaching its end, Smith surely has the perfect opportunity to be handing out vital first-team minutes to some of the club’s brightest young talents.

And in the 18-year-old Kaine Kesler, he’s got a dream understudy to Cash just waiting for a chance to shine at first-team level.

While one poor performance should hardly see Cash just chucked out of the starting line-up for good, with only a couple of games left, surely it would do a lot more good for the development of Kesler for the teenager to be brought into the fold?

It’s a major headache for Smith but one that could pay big rewards for Villa in the long-term.

Meanwhile, Villa should finally unleash this academy starlet…

La Liga expert Euan McTear believes that Arsenal’s failure to qualify for Europe this season could ruin their pursuit of Sevilla defender Jules Kounde.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported previously that the Gunners are big fans of the centre-back, who would cost around £50m this summer.

Kounde himself has confirmed that he is likely to leave the Liga club this summer after a fine season in the Spanish top-flight.

In 2020/21, the 22-year-old made 49 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals, and becoming an indispensable member of the starting XI.

Sevilla sealed a fourth-placed finish in La Liga and finished just nine points behind eventual champions Atletico Madrid, with Kounde a key part of that finish.

McTear, as a result, believes that Kounde would only join a club in the Champions League; Arsenal will not even be playing in the Europa League in 2021/22.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, McTear said: “Just the fact that he’s played Europa League, Champions League, Sevilla have qualified for the Champions League again.

“Once players get used to the Champions League, they tend not to throw that away too quickly so I think if Sevilla do manage to keep him, that’ll be a reason why, to play in the Champions League with them again.

“They’ve got a good project going, they were almost in the title race for a bit last season, so I think it has to be a really enticing project in the Premier League for him to leave.”

Adama Traore’s ‘next adventure could be at Liverpool’, according to a report from elnacional.cat. 

Jurgen Klopp, a keen admirer of the Spain winger, is said to be waiting at Anfield ‘with open arms’ ahead of the January transfer window. Traore, for his part, feels he would be well-suited to the Reds’ style of football and ‘would not say no’ to an offer from the six-times European champions.

Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, who are of course managed by former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo, are also said to be interested in the 25-year-old, who is renowned for his pace and power but has a less than stellar scoring return.

A long-term Liverpool target?

This isn’t the first time Traore has been linked with a move to Merseyside. Back in August, 90min reported that he was on Liverpool’s shortlist as they looked to sign another forward option before the end of the transfer window.

No such move materialised, so perhaps it’s still a priority for the side currently second in the Premier League.

Fan feed LFC Transfer Room relayed the report, and here’s what supporters made of it, with one complaining that Traore’s finishing is worse than that of former Reds winger Raheem Sterling, who has been maligned over that particular attribute.

“The guy can’t even get into the first team of Wolves, he might know how to run fast, and have big muscles but he doesn’t do much else it feels! I don’t see this as a good move for LFC.”

Credit: @Viral_Advocates

“I’m assuming they haven’t seen his final ball”

Credit: @claydencows

“hope not, not a big fan his, dangerous but finishing worse than Sterling’s”

Credit: @lfc_lew_08

“Hell no. It is just a bulk fast version of Ox, one without football brain can never be top.”

Credit: @Ericccccccc2

“Quality dribbler but we need end product so no thanks”

Credit: @SznKonate

“We don’t need someone who can’t do anything besides run fast”

Credit: @the_czar_

In other news, many LFC fans were delighted with this contract development

Former Leeds United favourite Noel Whelan admits he is delighted that Whites midfielder Stuart Dallas has signed a new deal at the club.

The Lowdown: Dallas priceless for Leeds

Leeds had a number of star performers in the Premier League last season, from Kalvin Phillips to Patrick Bamford, but it was Dallas who scooped both the Players’ Player of the Year and Player of the Year awards.

The Northern Irishman was magnificent for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, scoring eight goals from midfield, including a last-gasp winner away to champions Manchester City.

Dallas put pen to paper on a new three-year deal last week, acting as a huge boost for Leeds moving forward, keeping him at Elland Road until 2024.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Whelan hails new deal

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan couldn’t hide his delight at the news, heaping praise on the 30-year-old in the process:

“Absolutely brilliant news. I cannot think of a player that deserves it more than him, to be quite honest with you.

“The last couple of seasons he has been my player of the season. Nobody can say that he does not deserve this three-year deal.

“He has been the ultimate professional. He has never let the team down. I expect that he got a sizeable pay rise which he fully deserves. His performances have been so consistent.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-7/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Most important player?

There is an argument to say that Dallas is Leeds’ most important player currently, even though he may not always stand out as much as others.

So much of the work he does can go unnoticed, particularly for fans of other clubs who don’t watch him every week, but his versatility and team ethic have played a huge role in Leeds’ success.

Only Bamford scored more goals than Dallas in the league last season, while only five players bettered his average of 1.9 tackles per game, highlighting his quality on and off the ball.

In other news, one pundit admits he would love to see a current Premier League player at Leeds next season. Find out who it is here.

Journalist Luke Hatfield has told The Transfer Tavern that he doubts West Brom ever had any real interest in Newcastle United midfielder Matty Longstaff.

Longstaff recently joined Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen on loan, with the 21-year-old looking for more playing time after featuring in just five league games last season.

However, prior, he had been linked with a loan move to West Brom. Back in June, the Chronicle Live reported that the Baggies were just one side in England who looked at Longstaff before he joined Stephen Glass’ team.

According to Hatfield, though, the English youngster probably was not too high on Valerien Ismael’s shortlist.

“Longstaff was a player who was obviously linked loosely,” the Express & Star reporter said. “I don’t think there was any serious interest. I think the real interest earlier in the window came in [Trevoh] Chalobah.

“That’s not to say there wasn’t an enquiry or he wasn’t on the shortlist, but he certainly wasn’t top of their priority list – let’s put it that way.”

The Express & Star had reported that Chalobah, at one point, was close to joining West Brom on loan from Chelsea, so it does appear that the 22-year-old was priority over someone like Longstaff.

He now, however, clearly has a place in Thomas Tuchel’s squad, scoring that brilliant goal against Crystal Palace at the start of the campaign. But if he does not get too much game time at the Bridge, perhaps a loan move is something the Baggies could revisit in January.