All posts by h716a5.icu

Three clubs in the English Premier League have reportedly scouted Glasgow Rangers central defender Leon King ahead of a potential move this summer.

The Lowdown: Out of favour

King has fallen out of favour under Michael Beale, and is yet to play a game under him so far this season.

He played for Rangers B in the Scottish Lowland League earlier this month, after previously making 20 senior appearances under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

The Latest: King scouted

As per Football Insider, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Leeds United have all sent scouts to watch King in the last few months, and he is set to be a summer target for a lot of other clubs.

It is a surprise that he has seemingly fallen out of favour under Beale, given that he agreed a new long-term contract in December that keeps him at Ibrox until 2026.

The Verdict: Play him!

King showed his qualities early in the season, so it is a surprise that Beale has suddenly decided not to play him.

Lauded as an ‘absolutely top class‘ talent by renowned Rangers bloggers Four Lads Had a Dream, none of his team-mates have averaged more blocks (0.7) per game than him in the Scottish Premiership so far this term, while the 19-year-old was also entrusted with playing in every single UEFA Champions League group stage match earlier in the campaign (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, Beale has to find a way to try and give him more first-team minutes, or risk hindering his development further.

Nottingham Forest fans were left fuming with the performance of Moussa Niakhate in the 2-1 defeat against Newcastle United on Friday night.

The Lowdown: Gutting defeat

Forest took the lead in the first half through Emmanuel Dennis, however stoppage-time goals from Alexander Isak in both the first and second half meant that the visitors took all three points.

It appeared as though the spoils were going to be shared as the game entered its dying embers, but a blatant handball handed the Magpies the perfect opportunity to win the match, and Isak made no mistake from the spot.

The Latest: Forest fans react

Taking to Twitter after the awful mistake from the defender, Forest fans expressed their frustration.

They said:

“What’s Niakhate doing putting his hand up there? Thrown away a good point. Brainless!” – @WPacey_89

“What a joke Niakhate is for that. Absolute clown. Absolutely raging.” – @joshthutc

“I don’t want Worrall or Niakhate in team. Bring back Boly from dead.” – @hannahforest

“Niakhate has just cost us a valuable point.” – @COYR26

“Clueless from Niakhate. Very much played like someone who’s not played since August.” – @TomJacobs93

“You all wanted Niakhate and you’ve got him…not ready for a game of that standard.” – @melly783

“Just seen that penalty back. Niakhate let us all and himself down there. Stupid Sunday league error. We could of fluked a point without that.” – @Rich_NFFC

“We almost had a point. Stupid by Niakhate.” – @missTyped

“Niakhate is not good enough.” – @SimonThomason4

The Verdict: Very poor mistake

It was a very poor mistake from the 27-year-old, however it must be noted that it was his first game back after a very long injury layoff, and his performances should only get better over the coming weeks.

Steve Cooper’s side are not in action until the beginning of April as a result of the international break, meaning the centre-back has time to get back up to match speed, with a view to putting in a much-improved performance against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the first game back.

The handball aside, there were some promising signs from the Senegalese colossus, displaying his passing range by completing all four of the long balls that he attempted, as well as winning four aerial duels.

However, Niakhate’s very poor decision ultimately ended up costing his side what could be an important point at the end of the season, given just how close the Premier League relegation battle is at present.

A collection of fans have slammed Manchester United loanee Wout Weghorst after his “awful” display in the most recent Netherlands match.

What’s the latest on Wout Weghorst and Man Utd?

It wasn’t the best of days for the Dutch striker on Monday even though he managed to play the full 90 minutes as his side picked up a 3-0 victory.

Indeed, coming up against Gibraltar at home in their latest qualifier for Euro 2024, the Netherlands claimed a comfortable win thanks to a double from defender Nathan Ake and an effort from Memphis Depay.

However, the opposition were down to ten men for most of the second half when Liam Walker was sent off after 51 minutes. Despite that, Weghorst failed to get his name on the scoresheet.

What’s more, as per Sofascore, he finished the game with the worst rating of any outfield Dutch player (6.8). On top of that, he really showed his lack of a clinical touch by missing three big chances (only one other player missed an opportunity of the same calibre).

He also fired three shots off-target and saw two further efforts blocked, with one gilt-edged opportunity (below) going to waste.

After joining Man Utd on loan in January – where he reportedly earns £35,000 a week – it’s safe to say plenty have their doubts over his ability.

Indeed, with just two goals in 18 games for the Red Devils, it’s not as though Weghorst has been the second coming of Cristiano Ronaldo (the man he was brought in to help replace).

And after his latest display, the online critics were out in full force. Here are some of the most brutal tweets…

It’s safe to say the comments didn’t get any kinder…

It seems some feel as though he is even one of the biggest flops of the season.

Journalist James Olley has claimed Roy Hodgson's return to Crystal Palace will be a short-term appointment regardless of results, and that he will not continue beyond the end of the season.

What's going on at Crystal Palace?

With the Eagles winless in 2023, the club made the decision to sack manager Patrick Vieira and bring back his predecessor.

Palace are 12th in the Premier League but are just three points clear of the relegation zone, and their poor form has now placed them in a relegation battle.

The decision to re-hire Hodgson is a surprising one given that the 75-year-old had otherwise retired from coaching, but it seems that the decision was made with the threat of relegation in mind.

Speaking on ESPN FC, Olley claimed that Hodgson will only be in charge until the end of the season, even if he does particularly well, as there is no desire on either side for him to extend his stay.

"He won't probably have any aspirations about going into next season," he stated.

"It's not a case of if he wins seven out of his 10, 11 games, he's suddenly going to decide [he] wants a new two-year contract.

"I very, very much doubt that will be the case. The job is pure and simple: Roy, come in, you know the club, you know the league, you know the players, get us to 40-odd points."

Was hiring Hodgson the right decision for Crystal Palace?

With the club's aims focused solely on survival, having a manager familiar with the squad, league and club may prove useful as they aim to end their rotten spell of form, but his appointment may also point to a lack of ambition from the club's hierarchy.

When Hodgson initially departed, Palace were playing football which focused on efficiency over aesthetics, and Vieira was brought in as a long-term manager to help guide the team to greater heights than Hodgson had managed.

Some may argue Vieira wasn't backed enough in the transfer market, with the squad desperately lacking goals, and Hodgson may struggle to get this current group of players to improve in front of goal.

The aim now is for Hodgson to steer Palace to safety, before the club look in a different direction for a coach who can maximise this current squad's potential and bring a more exciting style of play to Selhurst Park.

However, their failures this term suggest the likes of Steve Parish absolutely must get the next appointment right.

talkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has reacted to Tottenham Hotspur claims that Vincent Kompany is a leading contender to replace Antonio Conte.

What's the latest on Vincent Kompany joining Spurs?

The Belgian, according to sections of the press, is now one of the favourites to succeed Conte, who has now left Spurs by mutual consent. Indeed, the 53-year-old's departure has now opened the door for a permanent replacement to come in this summer – and many names have been linked.

As Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason are tasked with leading Tottenham to a top four Premier League finish, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will be commencing the search for a future boss. Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique, Zinedine Zidane and Julian Nagelsmann appear to be the most talked about candidates but figures like Kompany are also getting a fair mention.

A recent report by The Sun claimed that the 36-year-old is now one of the 'shock' favourites alongside the likes of Pochettino and Nagelsmann, and it is also believed that Kompany is interested in taking the job. His Burnley side are on course to bounce straight back up to the English top flight at the first time of asking, resulting in serious interest from Spurs.

Now, speaking to Football Insider, pundit and talkSPORT regular Agbonlahor has urged the Man City legend not to go down that route – especially since Pep Guardiola recently stated he is destined to take over the Etihad hot seat.

Agbonlahor said:

“I think it’s too early for him to go to Spurs.“He should stay at Burnley. He’s got them up – what would it say about him if he left straight away?“It doesn’t make sense. I’m sure he’ll want to test his Premier League credentials at Burnley, and I think it’s too soon to jump to a much bigger job.“The fans love him where he is right now. He’s been talked about as the replacement for Pep Guardiola – why would he put that on the line by going to Spurs?”

Is Kompany a good Spurs option?

Barring another spell at Anderlecht, Kompany has little managerial experience and we believe this job could indeed come too soon for him.

The likes of Pochettino, who already possesses experience managing Spurs to the very top level, are arguably far better fits than the former City captain.

Spurs are currently in a chaotic period of their history and it would be a major, major gamble for Kompany, however skilled he may be, to take such a role at this time.

Aston Villa are planning to move on midfielder Leander Dendoncker this summer, according to Football Insider.

What’s the latest news on Dendoncker’s Villa future?

Unai Emery’s side recorded another Premier League win on Saturday afternoon, defeating Nottingham Forest 2-0 at Villa Park. Goals in the second half from Bertrand Traore and Ollie Watkins sealed the three points to take Villa up into sixth place.

It is now an impressive 11 wins from 17 for Emery in the Midlands, and it looks as if the Spaniard is already preparing for his first full season in charge.

Recent reports have claimed that Morgan Sanson will be allowed to leave on a permanent basis in the summer, and it looks as if Dendoncker could be given the same treatment despite signing from Wolves just last year.

Football Insider reporter Wayne Veysey shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding Villa and Dendoncker. He revealed that the club are willing to listen to offers and plan to accept a move away, with Dendoncker not viewed as a key part of Emery’s long-term plans.

Villa have already told Dendoncker that he is free to find a new club after the green light from Emery ahead of the summer window.

Will Villa need to replace Dendoncker?

Dendoncker, hailed as a “top player” last year by former Wolve boss Bruno Lage, has started just three Premier League games for Villa this season, one of which came in Emery’s first game in charge against Manchester United.

However, the 27-year-old has seemingly fallen out of favour in recent months, playing less than 100 minutes of top-flight action since the turn of the year. Dendoncker did feature in yesterday’s win, coming on for Emiliano Buendia in the final 15 minutes.

Should the midfielder move on alongside Sanson as expected, Emery will be left with just one out-and-out defensive midfielder in Boubacar Kamara, as per Transfermarkt, so you’d expect that a replacement would be required to bolster the squad.

Villa also paid around €15m (£13m) for Dendoncker’s services, so it’ll be interesting to see how much of that figure the club can recoup ahead of what looks set to be a busy summer.

Chelsea are still confident of securing the signing of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen during the summer transfer window, according to a new report.

Is Osimhen on fire this season?

The Blues are badly in need of signing a world-class centre forward this summer, with Kai Havertz arguably not at his best in that role and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang frozen out.

One player who has possibly been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea is Osimhen, who is enjoying a superb season for Napoli, inspiring them to within touching distance of a first Serie A title since 1990. The Nigerian, before yesterday's match with Verona, scored 21 goals in just 22 league starts, as well as finding the net four times in the Champions League.

Injury saw him miss Napoli's 1-0 defeat away to AC Milan in their quarter-final first leg clash earlier this week, with the result highlighting both how important he is and how badly they need him available for the return fixture.

Osimhen is likely to be a man in demand come the end of the season, and it looks as though Chelsea still believe he could end up at Stamford Bridge.

Are Chelsea confident of getting their man?

According to 90min, the Blues are "confident they can win the race" to snap up the 24-year-old this summer, even if they fail to qualify for the Champions League. It is claimed that the west Londoners think they can "outbid their rivals", with Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United all mentioned as possible suitors.

Osimhen's idol is Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, which could work in their favour, although Napoli will clearly be reluctant to sell arguably their most prized asset.

The Blues must do all they can to acquire the 23-cap and 15-goal Nigeria international's signature in the summer window, in what could be a huge statement signing. This season, few strikers in Europe have been as deadly – he was seven goals clear of anyone else in the Serie A Golden Boot race before Verona – and at 24, he still has so many years ahead of him to improve further and become an even more formidable prospect.

Granted, not having Champions League football could certainly work against Chelsea, but if Osimhen wants to emulate Drogba and generally likes the appeal of moving to Stamford Bridge, it could be a game-changing signing, with former United striker Dimitar Berbatov recently hailing him as "unbelievable".

Wolverhampton Wanderers have endured a largely inconsistent season that saw them languish at the bottom of the Premier League, prior to the appointment of the brilliant Julen Lopetegui, who has guided them to 13th position and relative top-flight safety.

The Midlands club has an average age of 26 and has shown far more reliance upon academy products than it has in the previous seasons.

Controversially, last summer the mercurial and talented Morgan Gibbs-White, who had been tipped as the indomitable future of the club, departed for Nottingham Forest in search of more regular minutes.

Since then, the playmaker has cemented himself as one of the Reds’ most important players, and with Wolves lacking a creative spark in midfield, perhaps offering this player more game-time could have propelled them even further up the table.

In Hugo Bueno, Lopetegui possesses another gifted prodigy, who he must continually integrate into the first team to avoid losing in a similar and regrettable circumstance to Gibbs-White.

Who is Hugo Bueno?

The left-back joined the Wolves youth academy in 2019 and in 49 appearances for the U21s, he registered 15 goal contributions.

His pace, close control, and ball recovery led to his promotion to the first team, and he made his Premier League debut in October 2022, as a late substitute against Forest in a feisty 1-0 victory at Molineux.

Then in his second top-flight outing, caretaker manager Steve Davis decided to start the Spaniard against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Although his side eventually ran out as 2-1 losers, Bueno produced an admirable and mature display. As per Sofascore, the defender recorded three clearances, interceptions, and blocks, as well as 91.7% pass accuracy, one key pass, and the creation of a big chance.

To cap off this impressive performance, the full-back also delivered his first – an inviting delivery for Adama Traore to head home.

As a result, Davis showered the youngster with praise and said:

“I thought he was excellent, didn’t let anyone down. He felt we trusted him, we know him, as a character we know what he’s capable of, and he’s ready. He was ready for that moment and I thought he took it really well.”

In total, Bueno has made appeared 17 times for Wolves in the Premier League and is maturing into an accomplished and well-rounded defender.

The former CD Areosa youth player is brimming with potential and showed himself to be a left-back with a strong offensive will to get forward.

Although fellow full-back Toti Gomes has also stepped up at various moments this season, Wolves will need to monitor Bueno’s minutes and be sure to not allow him to depart in the same unceremonious manner as Gibbs-White.

Manchester United are reportedly eyeing a swoop for Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund this summer as Erik ten Hag looks to improve his squad ahead of next season.

What’s the latest on Rasmus Hojlund to Manchester United?

Danish outlet BT have claimed that Manchester United and Real Madrid have written a ‘letter of interest’ declaring that they are keen on the striker ahead of the summer transfer window.

The youngster won't come cheap however, with the Serie A side demanding up to €70m (£62m) in order for any club to secure the services of the player ahead of next season.

Could Rasmus Hojlund join Manchester United?

The Old Trafford side certainly have the finances in order to push through a deal and the player himself even stated that he was a fan of the club, saying: “Now that you ask, I will not hide the fact that I am a huge Manchester United fan.”

This may give Erik ten Hag a big advantage over the other suitors and with the Dutchman aiming to vastly improve his attacking options, Hojlund could be an ideal signing.

The Dane would also be a major Anthony Martial upgrade with the Frenchman currently struggling at the Old Trafford side in recent years and could well be moved on this summer.

Indeed, this season, Hojlund has registered more goals (ten to six), shots on target per 90 (1.35 to 1.03), shot-creating actions per 90 (three to 2.22) and total touches in the opposition penalty area (112 to 29) than the United forward, suggesting he would be a massive upgrade next term.

Since joining Atalanta in the summer, the 20-year-old has scored seven goals across 26 league appearances, creating one big chance and averaging 1.6 shots per game, excellent statistics for someone in their first season in Italy, and he has also delivered on the international stage recently too.

Hojlund made his senior debut for Denmark in September last year, yet it wasn’t until a tie against Finland in March that he scored his first goals for his country, netting an incredible hattrick, and he added a double just three days later, meaning the player now has more goals than caps for Denmark.

The young dynamo certainly has all the attributes needed to succeed at the highest level, with his frightening pace one of his major advantages as journalist Sacha Pisani dubbed the striker “scary quick” earlier this year.

Ten Hag will be desperate to add some quality to his squad and by clearing out deadwood such as Martial, Hojlund could become a key signing, not only for next season but for the years ahead as he has the potential to blossom into one of the finest strikers in the world.

Tottenham Hotspur manager candidate Arne Slot has become slightly more likely to get the Spurs job after rising up their manager list.

What's the latest Spurs manager news?

The north Londoners are working to appoint Antonio Conte's successor in the background of their hunt for a top four Premier League finish.

Spurs could be seen as outside contenders to seal Champions League qualification after recent results, and if they fail to do so, chairman Daniel Levy may face a difficult task in trying to persuade world football's most elite coaches.

Julian Nagelsmann, another managerial target for Spurs, apparently sees Europe as a deal-breaker if he is to take the Spurs job so Levy and co may well need to prepare for alternative options if that is the case.

Tottenham have compiled a list of candidates for the job, with Vincent Kompany, Luis Enrique, Ange Postecoglou and Slot featuring in their thinking.

The latter manager has performed brilliantly at Feyenoord this season, prompting Spurs to take note and consider a move for him.

Sharing an update on Tottenham's links to the 44-year-old, a report by Soccer News now claims that Slot 'rises one place' on Spurs' list of candidates as he becomes more likely to get the job.

This is partly due to Chelsea and Todd Boehly effectively ruling out a move for tactician, and while Tottenham still prefer other coaches, Slot's odds have increased.

While he is a step behind for the time being, it's claimed that Spurs do see him as an 'interesting option'.

What could Slot bring to Spurs?

The former AZ Alkmaar boss has shone at Feyenoord this season, guiding them to top of the Eredivisie standings whilst losing just once all season.

Slot has also been heralded by Dutch football experts, like Marcel van der Kraan, who have raved over his attacking philosophy.

Van Der Kraan said this on the manager to talkSPORT recently:

“He is very similar to Pep Guardiola, his ideas are very similar, he is a massive fan of Pep and he plays the same time.“He goes ultra-attacking, he is almost like a maniac. Not on the touchline but it is fantastic to see how he has turned an average side into a wonderful attacking machine.“I don’t think he will leave now with three trophies up for grabs, but in the summer, big chances.”

It's little surprise he is in Levy's thinking based off plaudits like this, and it will be interesting to see if he rises further on Tottenham's list.