All posts by h716a5.icu

Todd Cantwell has been Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale’s only signing so far in the January transfer window as the deadline fast approaches.

When recently asked what he would like to do in the market, the head coach at Ibrox said: “I would like us to add a midfielder to the squad that’s powerful and who can run. I would like to add another centre-half to the squad and I think we’ll be looking at the goalie situation in the summer as well as looking for another No 9.”

Rangers are reportedly interested in a deal to sign Morgan Whittaker from Swansea but have had multiple bids turned down by the Welsh outfit and the 22-year-old, who can play through the middle or out wide, could be the number nine that Beale was referencing.

However, the Light Blues could land an alternative to Whittaker, if they are unable to reach an agreement with the Swans, by pursuing Hibernian striker Kevin Nisbet.

Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show recently, via the Daily Record, former Gers midfielder Barry Ferguson said that he was baffled that Rangers and Celtic are not in the running to sign the forward, adding that the number nine is good enough to play for the Scottish giants.

The striker was closing in on a £2.4m move to English side Millwall before ultimately deciding to reject the Championship side in favour of remaining in Scotland, which could open the door for Rangers to pick up the pieces in the final days of the window.

Nisbet, who was once hailed as a “dreamer” by boss Lee Johnson, was lauded by Tam McManus earlier this month as the former Hibs forward said: “Kevin Nisbet has come back transformed. Seven goals in six games, for me, over the course of the last two or three weeks is the best player in the league.

“I think he’s the best player in the league at the minute. There’s nobody better than him at the minute in Scottish football, I’m telling you.”

The 25-year-old returned from injury in December and has been in phenomenal form for Hibernian in the Premiership. He has plundered a whopping eight goals and one assist in six starts in the Scottish top-flight – playing seven times in total – and averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.44.

Whittaker, meanwhile, managed nine goals and seven assists in 25 League One outings on loan at Plymouth in the first half of the season – averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.10.

Both players have been in fine goalscoring form and are both 25 or younger but the advantage that Nisbet has over the Englishman is that he is proven in the Premiership, whereas the young Swansea gem has not been tested in Scotland.

Therefore, Beale must now pursue a deal for Nisbet if Rangers cannot pry Whittaker from the Swans, as the dynamo has been prolific in the Scottish top-flight and could provide the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Antonio Colak with real, stiff, competition in the coming months.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Newcastle United decided against trying to sign midfielder Marcel Sabitzer on transfer deadline day.

What’s the word?

It certainly seems as though the Magpies were in the market to add some depth to their options in the middle of the park this winter but they failed to do so in the end.

Indeed, earlier on in January, The Telegraph reported that Chelsea men Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were of interest to Eddie Howe but no deals were completed.

However, it now turns out that there was a possible chance that Sabitzer could end up at the Magpies on loan from Bayern Munich but he was so keen on Manchester United that the club abandoned those ideas.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano explained (3:44): “We also have some rumours on Newcastle because they were looking for that kind of player and they considered that kind of opportunity.

“But they decided also not to proceed because Sabitzer said was super keen on joining Manchester United, in love with Erik ten Hag’s ideas of football. And so this is why for Sabitzer the hijack was refused.”

Waste of time

In the end, Sabitzer, who has previously admitted he is a “very bad loser”, got his move as the Red Devils completed a loan signing for the Austrian midfielder from Bayern Munich until the end of the season as a way of replacing the injured Christian Eriksen.

The Magpies also failed with their attempts to bring in James Maddison from Leicester City but they did at least add Anthony Gordon to their ranks and so have added some depth even if he’s not a central midfielder.

To make things worse, key man Bruno Guimaraes managed to get a red card in the Carabao Cup semi-final win that took place on deadline day and so he missed this weekend’s Premier League draw against West Ham and will be absent for two more outings.

Perhaps Howe and co will come to regret not signing a new midfielder this winter but it certainly looks as though Sabitzer had his heart set on United so they would have only been wasting their time chasing that deal.

Chelsea have ‘already started laying down some groundwork’ to sign West Ham captain Declan Rice this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Rice attracting Chelsea’s interest…

The England international has been attracting interest from Premier League leaders Arsenal alongside the Blues as both clubs aim to further enhance their midfield options.

Despite the marquee signing of Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez last week, the west Londoners and owner Todd Boehly are thought to be targeting Rice heading into this summer.

The 24-year-old has been in brilliant form for an under-performing West Ham side, and with his contract slowly running down towards its June 2024 expiry, it’s entirely possible that he could be on the move this year.

The Latest: Chelsea have ‘already started’ laying Rice groundwork…

According to journalist Simon Phillips, writing for GiveMeSport, Chelsea have ‘already started laying down some groundwork’ to sign Rice ahead of a proposed summer move.

While there will be ‘serious competition’ from London rivals Arsenal, Phillips has also shared ‘more optimism this week’ that the Blues can land the 24-year-old.

The Verdict: Perfect player for Chelsea?

Rice will be expensive, with some reports suggesting that West Ham could be set to demand as much as £120m for the signature of their prized asset.

Homegrown tax and his status as a proven Premier League player will have contributed to such an eye-watering demand, but the figures suggest that the 24-year-old is justifying such a valuation.

As per WhoScored, the Three Lions ace stands out as West Ham’s best performer in the league this season and averages a higher rate of intercepted passes per 90 than anyone in their squad.

Named club captain last year after Mark Noble’s retirement, Rice has also gone on to add goals (one) and assists (two) in the top flight under David Moyes.

The colossal midfielder has been called a ‘force of nature’ by members of the press who hold him in very esteem following several years of heroics at the London Stadium.

Chelsea may well attempt to whittle down his £120m price tag but could still have to pay a marquee sum for such a brilliant player.

West Ham United had a relatively quiet January transfer window despite their poor league performances, with David Moyes opting to trust the talent he already had within the squad.

Despite reports linking many of his players with exits from the London Stadium, it was only Craig Dawson of note who left, which admittedly was a move six months in the making.

The fact that the main addition they did make was to add Danny Ings to the fold is a searing indication of just how poor the Hammers have been up front, as despite shows of faith across the board the striker role had become untenable.

As such, Michail Antonio was one man heavily linked with a move away. Everton were the party seemingly most interested, given their desperation, but in the end, nobody could make the move happen and the all-time Premier League goalscorer for the Irons remained.

Since then, however, he has done little to prove why retaining him was the smart move.

The 32-year-old has continued his struggles, which culminated in a horrid display against Newcastle United despite the good result.

It marked an 11th consecutive league game without finding the back of the net, but what makes it even worse is that he is seemingly not putting in the usual work that made him so revered. He was never the most prolific, but he would run the channels relentlessly and bully centre-backs, at the very least offering room for his attacking counterparts to feed off the chaos he created.

But, at St James’ Park, Magpies boss Eddie Howe even praised the defenders for the ease with which they “contained him pretty well”.

Antonio was handed a 6.2 rating for the match, the lowest of anyone on the field, which was underpinned by his 47% pass accuracy, zero shots on target and one aerial duel won out of eight, via Sofascore.

At the turn of the year former West Ham marksman Frank McAvennie slammed the striker for “not putting the effort in”, and despite the scare of his potential exit, nothing seems to have changed.

Perhaps Moyes should have cashed in on the £85k-per-week dud, who must surely fall behind Ings and Gianluca Scamacca in the pecking order after his continued abysmal form.

Manchester United are set to sign ‘young talent’ Gabriele Biancheri from Cardiff City, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Biancheri profiled

Biancheri is 16 years of age and is primarily a centre-forward but can play anywhere across the front three, and has represented Wales at U17 level.

He is known for his pace and has impressed in Cardiff’s academy this season, earning a call-up to the club’s U21s back in January. Biancheri scored an equaliser against Wolves on his debut for the U21s, with The Sun labelling him as a ‘wonderkid’.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano took to Twitter on Tuesday to share an update on Biancheri and a move to Old Trafford. The transfer expert described the forward as a ‘young talent’ and said that a four-year professional deal with Manchester United is completed and waiting for FIFA’s approval.

“Manchester United are set to complete the signing of young talent 2006-born striker Gabriele Biancheri from Cardiff City. Understand it’s 4 year pro contract now completed, just waiting for Fifa approval to finalise the deal.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news-11/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Exciting news

Biancheri could well be a star in the making, so it is exciting to know that the Red Devils are on the verge of officially sealing a deal for the forward.

It is almost certain that Biancheri would initially go into the club’s academy sides, looking to progress through the ranks at Carrington. We have seen that United aren’t afraid to use their academy products, though, with Alejandro Garnacho the latest to star at Old Trafford in the first-team, so perhaps in years to come, Biancheri could follow in the footsteps of the Argentine, making him a gem to keep an eye on.

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to stop the rot when they host London rivals West Ham United in the Premier League this afternoon…

Will Spurs make changes vs West Ham?

The Lilywhites suffered a 1-0 defeat in their Champions League round of 16 first leg to AC Milan during the week, just days after being hammered 4-1 by Leicester City on Antonio Conte’s return to the dugout.

He is now set to continue his recovery back home in Italy, so assistant manager Cristian Stellini – who led Spurs to an impressive 1-0 victory over defending champions Manchester City – will take charge for the time being.

The Italian could ring the changes heading into today’s encounter given their poor form, with usually undroppable players such as Heung-min Son, Dejan Kulusevski and Ivan Perisic all facing the chop due to their recent struggles on the pitch.

Cristian Romero is another player that could face a ruthless axe.

Is Cristian Romero available vs West Ham?

The Argentina centre-back missed the defeat to the Foxes due to suspension, having been sent off against Pep Guardiola’s men and after featuring at the San Siro, his place in the starting XI must be questioned.

Since his return from winning the World Cup in Qatar, Romero has struggled to maintain the form that saw him lift the trophy alongside Lionel Messi and co.

Only one of his last five outings has seen WhoScored grade his performance at 6.32 or better, with both games against Man City drawing a 5.84 and 5.86. respectively.

He was also lucky to not receive another red card against Milan, having chopped down Sandro Tonali with a scathing challenge that on another day would have seen an early bath. Romero was largely at fault for the only goal of the game too, as his aerial challenge with Theo Hernandez was far too pedestrian in the build-up to Brahim Diaz’s strike.

Such exploits have seen plenty suggest that he’s hindering the side more than helping them right now, with TodayFM’s Ed Smith describing him as an “increasing liability” in midweek, whilst one newspaper dubbed him “reckless.”

It’s now been six yellow cards in five outings for the 24-year-old titan, meaning he’s living life on the edge in pretty much every game right now and Stellini – as well as Spurs – cannot afford to carry him through another 90 minutes.

As such, the Italian coach must make a bold and brutal call to ditch the £42.5m man until he sorts out his act, with Davinson Sanchez and even Emerson Royal potential candidates for the right central defensive role.

Both Romero and Son should be pulled out of the firing line at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this afternoon.

AND in other news, Levy to target “influential” 43 y/o lauded by Klopp as Spurs handed big Conte update…

Chelsea should consider bringing in France and Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane as their new manager, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Potter under pressure

The Blues are having a season to forget currently, initially struggling under Thomas Tuchel and now also doing badly with Graham Potter in charge.

While the Englishman appears to just about have the support of Chelsea’s board currently, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the club were also looking at potential replacements, with the likes of Jose Mourinho and Zidane linked in recent days.

The Blues take on rivals Tottenham in the Premier League this weekend, and one has to wonder what the state of play will look like if they cannot pick up a positive result.

The Latest: Jones reacts

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said Chelsea should indeed think about appointing the 50-year-old Real Madrid legend as Potter’s replacement:

“With Zinedine Zidane, I think you absolutely have to consider whether he could bring something different.

“All of these people need to be talked about on a case-by-case basis internally at Chelsea, to get a clear grasp on what they would bring to the table right now, whether they would be likely to change the situation, why they would be able to change it, and how that compares to what they’ve currently got in place with Graham Porter and what he’s trying to do.”

The Verdict: Proven winner

In many ways, Zidane is actually a hugely underrated manager during this era, at a time where the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp receive far more accolades.

What the Frenchman did during his stint as Real Madrid boss was extraordinary, winning the Champions League three times in a row between 2016 and 2018, as well as taking home two La Liga titles.

Zidane is someone who possesses an aura and who could attract the best players – he is Kylian Mbappe’s hero, for example – and there is every chance that his experience working with big money superstars could allow him to do a better job than Potter.

While it is refreshing to see the current Chelsea manager being given time, results do now have to improve drastically to avoid a change being made, starting at Tottenham on Sunday.

Had Tottenham Hotspur been more aggressive in 2015, they could well have avoided their current defensive struggles as the north London outfit came close to signing Dayot Upamecano, who currently stars for both Bayern Munich and France…

Did Spurs nearly sign Dayot Upamecano?

According to The Athletic, Spurs scouts had raved about the then 16-year-old talent as they searched for a natural successor and a centre-back of a similar profile to former colossus Toby Alderweireld.

After impressing at the U17 European Championship, the fresh-faced Upamecano was deemed a perfect fit for Mauricio Pochettino’s project and quite a cheap signing, with only a £300k fee expected in compensation.

In the end, Lilywhites supremo Daniel Levy wouldn’t match the fee or wages that RB Salzburg offered, and even despite other interest from teams like Manchester City, he swapped Valenciennes for Austria before joining sister club RB Leipzig a year later.

How good is Dayot Upamecano?

The 24-year-old impressed at the rising Bundesliga giants to the extent that perennial champions Bayern Munich paid his €42.5m (£38m) release clause with no hesitation in February 2021 ahead of the summer window.

His continued rise on the pitch for club and country has since seen Upamecano’s worth increase to a whopping €80m (£70m), as per CIES Football Observatory, meaning Spurs have certainly missed out on a top-quality player and given their current woes defensively, it’s one they must now rue.

The Lilywhites have conceded the most goals of any team inside the top ten, even Chelsea, who bottom out in that range. Meanwhile, during the week, mistakes in the backline cost them against lower league opposition in the FA Cup fifth round once again.

Had a player like Upamecano been in the ranks, then it could have been a very different result.

The 12-time international is among the best in the world right now, as seen by comparing his strongest attributes with his positional peers across Europe, where he ranks amongst the top 1% for passes attempted and progressive passes and the top 4% for tackles per 90, via FBref.

Upamecano is also likened to current Spurs star Cristian Romero by the same statistical website, and considering the Argentine is a cut above Antonio Conte’s other options, this is certainly a positive.

Some of his performances for the Bavarians over recent seasons has seen the French titan lauded as a “beast” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, as well as “formidable” by BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand (via the Daily Mail).

Given just how poor Spurs have been at the back under the Italian, you can’t help but imagine what could have been had Levy and co pursued Upamecano with more aggression back in 2015.

AND in other news, £90k-p/w star with 13 passes “had a stinker” vs Sheffield United…

Phil Hay believes Javi Gracia will ring the changes this evening for Leeds United’s FA Cup clash.

The Lowdown: Leeds to build momentum

Gracia got off to the perfect start last weekend as he guided Leeds to their first win in 12 Premier League matches and it came at the ideal time with the Whites not sitting outside of the bottom three.

Leeds knew they needed to win given they were playing the team rooted to the foot of the table and they duly got the three points they so desperately craved, but now attention will turn to another competition.

The Whites find themselves in the unusual position of still being in the FA Cup this deep into the competition as their record over the years has been nothing short of horrific but they will face Premier League opposition Fulham tonight.

The Latest: Gracia to make numerous changes

With just a short turnaround in games for Leeds, Hay has hinted on The Phil Hay Show that Gracia will likely make changes for the FA Cup clash tonight.

He said: (34:45) “I suspect he will mix it up and I suspect he’ll be conscious of managing them through the week with Chelsea to some at the weekend too, but I think he’ll also know if he weakens the team too much and if he doesn’t have the right balance then Fulham are going to probably win tomorrow [Tuesday] night.”

https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/leeds-united-news/

The Verdict: Some changes may be required

Given that Leeds only played Saturday afternoon and are also in action at the weekend against Chelsea – who they may fancy their chances against due to the poor recent form – it would make sense for Gracia to freshen things up tonight.

Potentially it could be a chance for some more sort of fringe players to try and impress the new boss with people such as Georginio Rutter and Sam Greenwood, who’ve started just four league games this calendar year and may get a run-out.

They’re both clearly capable players with Rutter costing £35 million and Greenwood has already racked up 42 appearances for the Whites, so they could be potential options that Gracia turns to and hand rests to more dependable players that started last weekend.

Dan Cook believes that Wilfried Zaha, Luka Milivojevic, James McArthur and Jairo Riedewald will likely level Crystal Palace this summer.

The Lowdown: Rebuild on the cards at Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace have been on a sort of rebuild since Patrick Vieira replaced Roy Hodgson with 16 players having left the club permanently during his tenure and a whole load of youthful players being recruited.

However, with their talisman and star player Zaha set to depart as a free agent this summer, that in itself is enough to force the Eagles into a rethink about how they go about achieving success.

Losing Zaha will be a killer blow for Palace as he’s finished as the club’s top scorer for the last two seasons and is on course to achieve that same feta once again – despite having missed four of the last five games – but Cook believes there’ll be a few more following him out the door.

The Latest: Vieira set for a summer shake-up

Cook has name-dropped a number of players on the HLTCO podcast, alongside Zaha that are looking likely to leave this summer, leaving Vieira short in several departments, especially midfield.

He said: (7:40) “I could kick the can further down the road and suggest there is going to be a need for a significant rebuild come the summer with Wilfried Zaha likely to be leaving, with the likes of Luka Milivojevic, Jairo Riedewald and James McArthur all pretty likely I would say to be heading out of the door.”

The Verdict: Palace are in for some turbulent months

Losing three central midfielders – albeit they have just two league starts between them this season – will leave Vieira with a huge task this summer of recruiting players of better ability, but also ones that can provide depth and not be agitating to start every week.

While that will be alarming for many Palace fans, the main worry will be how they go about replacing someone of Zaha’s ability as he has for so long now, been Mr Crystal Palace and the one who could always drag them through tough times.

The fact that Palace won’t even be getting any money for Zaha to help them peace their maverick winger will only make things even more difficult and the way they go about recruiting this summer could well be the difference between them taking the next step under Vieira or staying in relation battles.