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West Ham eyeing Mislav Orsic

Speaking to Football Insider, a West Ham United source has lifted the lid on an enticing GSB transfer plan for this summer, with the club eager to offload attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzini and replace him with Dinamo Zagreb star Mislav Orsic.

Source lifts lid on GSB transfer plan

The Croatian, perhaps most famously known in England as the attacker who terrorised Tottenham Hotspur in a Europa League upset last month, has been at the centre of interest from West Ham recently.

Indeed, according to another report by Football Insider, GSB and co have even made contact over a potential summer deal, with the outlet now providing an update on this transfer saga.

They claimed that West Ham are now keen to sell Lanzini this summer, knowing his desire to leave east London, and are already planning potential replacements, with Orsic emerging as a top target.

Transfer Tavern take

Scoring an impressive 19 goals in all competitions for Dinamo Zagreb this season, the 28-year-old also netted a stunning hat-trick against Spurs to send them crashing out of the Europa League at the round of 16.

It is claimed that the Irons hold a belief that Orsic can provide a cutting edge from the left flank, with the Croatian coming as a potentially perfect Lanzini replacement given their similar roles.

Time will tell whether West Ham manage to strike a deal for the exciting forward, but it could certainly be a coup judging by these claims and his goal record.

In other news: Many West Ham fans flocked to this ‘excellent news’, find out more here.

Everton fans flock to Simms goal

Many Everton fans have been flocking to footage of a goal scored by Ellis Simms while playing for Blackpool on Saturday afternoon.

As shared by Toffee TV in a clip on their Twitter page, the Goodison Park loanee cut inside onto his left foot and smashed a rocket into the top corner of the net, leaving the Lincoln goalkeeper with no chance of saving it.

That is now the fourth goal he has scored for the Tangerines in League One so far this season, along with a further two assists in 13 games in total (Transfermarkt). If the 20-year-old keeps on smashing in the goals, then he will surely catch the eye of Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti, who may well have no choice but to keep him in his squad for next season.

Everton fans on Simms goal

These Toffees supporters flocked to the video of the goal on Twitter to show their appreciation for Simms, with one even calling him “Lukaku-esque” in refence to the prolific former Everton marksman:

“Lukaku-esque”

Credit: @running_french

“I love him”

Credit: @Gaber205

“I hope he breaks through into our first team, be good to have a proper look at him in the Prem.”

Credit: @MDub700

“I hope he gets his chance next season”

Credit: @Mo34036633

“Need to give him game time next season”

Credit: @prospartangamer

“I like this a lot”

Credit: @spencerseddon

In other news, find out what injury update before Brighton has been welcomes by Everton fans!

Alasdair Gold shares update in Spurs manager hunt

According to a report by reliable Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Alasdair Gold, the club have set a timeframe for appointing a new manager with chairman Daniel Levy aiming to make an announcement before the end of this season.

In a major update, Gold has shared potentially when Tottenham could be making the big decision of who to hire after sacking previous boss Jose Mourinho.

Gold drops major managerial update

There have been plenty of names thrown into the mix even after blows in regards to chasing Julian Nagelsmann and Brendan Rodgers, with the former announced as Bayern Munich’s new manager and the latter likely to stay put at Leicester (Sky Sports).

Gold, dropping an encouraging update, believes the aim is to appoint a brand new boss before the end of this season to avoid a long, drawn out process heading into the summer.

“Understand Spurs are aiming to announce their next manager before the end of this season,” explained the journalist on Twitter.

“So just over three weeks to get that done and dusted.”

Transfer Tavern take

While they haven’t given themselves much time, Tottenham could still be considered a big job by many coaches and there are no shortage of possible candidates.

Indeed, Erik Ten Hag appears to stand out among the plethora of names given his profile suits that of a manager Levy wants to hire.

It is said that Spurs are chasing an attack-minded coach and the Dutchman’s Cruyff-esque philosophy certainly suits fits that mould (AS).

The leap from Eredivisie football to the Premier League could be a big one, but there is little doubt Ten Hag displays plenty of promise.

In other news: This 47-year-old apparently wants the job, find out more here.

Aston Villa: Fans react to Abraham activity

Numerous Aston Villa supporters have been reacting to Tammy Abraham’s recent social media activity.

As reported by Birmingham Live, Abraham, who scored 26 goals for Villa in a season-long loan during the 2018/19 season, still keeps an eye on his former club.

Aston Villa posted on Instagram to congratulate forward Ollie Watkins for scoring on his England debut against San Marino, which led to the Chelsea man commenting with clapping and fire emojis.

Abraham, valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, has been linked with a return to Villa Park earlier this month after falling out of favour under new Blues boss Thomas Tuchel.

The 23-year-old has been in-and-out of the Chelsea team since January, scoring once following the German’s arrival.

Villa fans react

Birmingham Live shared their story on social media on Friday evening, teasing a possible partnership between Abraham and Watkins.

This is what these Villa fans had to say, with one believing the acquisition of Abraham could help Jack Grealish remain at the club.

“If Villa buy Tammy then Jack stays, if they then change the system to play Tammy & Ollie up top, with Jack behind them as a 10, we could really threaten this league!”

Credit: @chris1974jones

“Please x”

Credit: @thevillaboys_

“I genuinely believe having Tammy back home up top with Ollie will fire us into the top 4 with a couple of other creative additions”

Credit:@UTViIIa

“Smith will make him average”

Credit: @bltashcroft

“no it equals a dream for us all. but how many times do we need to keep being teased with this story”

Credit: @derekhi45270958

“Nope nope I get his tongue but this is not where we need to strengthen right now we have way more vastly important roles that need to be put straight”

Credit: @starblind1988

In other news: Villa worried over £16.2m-rated star who is difficult to manage, find out more here. 

Celtic: Which manager would be bad for Brown?

With the end of the season very quickly approaching, Celtic supporters will be able to breathe a huge sigh of relief. Neil Lennon is finally gone and, with that, they’ll be able to reset ahead of a new campaign.

They are on the verge of losing the Premiership crown to their biggest rivals and thus, a significant change could be on the cards.

Lennon and Peter Lawwell will have departed but their club captain, Scott Brown, may also be heading through the exit door.

The 35-year-old is an icon at Parkhead but his contract is expiring in the summer. We’re yet to receive word about whether he could renew his terms but it’s looking increasingly unlikely.

It could well come down to whoever the new manager is. One man who reportedly wants the job is former Huddersfield boss David Wagner.

Given the style of football the 49-year-old plays, it wouldn’t exactly be ideal for the current skipper. That’s because not only does the ex-Schalke manager like free-flowing offensive football, but he also likes his team to press relentlessly.

Brown has recently enjoyed a mini-revival in the Celtic side. He was superb in the 4-0 win over Kilmarnock last month, scoring and assisting. He also rolled back the years with a commanding display in another 4-0 victory over St Mirren.

Yet, it’s clear that Brown’s overall qualities have diminished somewhat. He has looked sluggish for the most part this season and has been guilty of a number of errors. As the Hoops were battered and bruised in Prague last autumn, the Scot was arguably one of their main culprits.

He was given the runaround in midfield and then reacted far too slowly for the opening goal, failing to clear his lines from a corner. His red card after being on the pitch for just five minutes against Livingston was also a low point.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-hunt-stories-wagner-marsch-martinez-lennon-news” title=”The last stories on Celtic’s hunt for a new manager!”]

Judging by his age and indeed some of his performances this term, he would surely struggle under Wagner’s style of play. The German likes his teams to play at breakneck speed, hassling and pressing opponents relentlessly.

It’s a style he has used to his advantage on British shores before, achieving a “phenomenal thing” according to Don Goodman on Sky Sports’ match coverage of Huddersfield a few years ago. Indeed, he managed to get the Yorkshire side promoted from the Championship to the Premier League.

He is bred from the Ralf Rangnick school of football, basing his philosophy on the modern-day press. That requires players to hunt in packs to win the ball back within a matter of seconds of losing it.

For Brown, a man now in his mid-30s, this wouldn’t be perfect. The veteran has already lost a yard of pace and to expect him to play at full throttle each week would be near impossible.

With that in mind, hiring Wagner could finally give the Bhoys the armoury to wave farewell to his playing days.

AND in other news, Celtic gem makes big U-turn on his future, it’s good news for the Hoops…

Whiteman could be Spurs’ Lloris heir

Hugo Lloris’ future at Spurs has been a hot topic of discussion for fans and pundits alike in recent months, especially in January when the 34-year-old was reportedly attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

The French shot-stopper has admitted in the past that he won’t finish his career with Spurs, and with his current contract set to run out at the end of next season, it seems as if Daniel Levy will soon have to begin the search for his successor.

However, he may already have the ideal man to replace Lloris at Spurs in academy graduate Alfie Whiteman, with the Englishman having established himself as Spurs’ third-choice goalkeeper this season.

The 22-year-old is a product of Spurs’ youth academy and made his first team debut for the club earlier in the season when he came on as a late substitute for Joe Hart in a Europa League fixture against Ludogorets.

Mourinho clearly has faith in the youngster, as he was more than willing to send Paulo Gazzaniga out on loan during the winter transfer window, despite the Argentinian featuring a lot last season when Lloris was sidelined through injury.

Hart was perhaps only brought in to increase Spurs’ homegrown quota, and considering he will turn 34 next month, it surely won’t be long until we see Whiteman move ahead of him in the pecking order with the north London club.

The young shot-stopper has been a regular with Spurs’ academy sides in recent years and signed a new contract with the club in 2019, which will keep him there until 2022 at least. He also comes endorsed by ex-Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robison, who told Football Insider last autumn that he has “been impressed with” what he has seen of Whiteman at under-23 level.

Therefore, if Lloris – who reportedly earns £100,000 per week at Spurs – does leave the north London club in the near future, then perhaps it is time the Lilywhites put their faith in Whiteman to step up as his replacement.

After all, he wouldn’t be in and around the first team squad if Mourinho didn’t believe in his ability, so hopefully we will see the youngster get more regular first team opportunities soon, as there seems no reason why he can’t be the man to ultimately replace Lloris at Spurs.

And, in other news… 12 duels won: Spurs beast was superb vs Zagreb; Jose has a big call to make

Everton fans react to Rabiot transfer news

Some Everton fans have been left to react to a transfer update on Adrien Rabiot from Tuttosport.

As per the Italian news outlet, the Goodison Park faithful is a place that has ‘never faded’ as possible destination for the Juventus ace, currently valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt.

Of course, Carlo Ancelotti has managed the 25-year-old before when he was playing at Paris Saint Germain a few campaigns ago, and so will know how to get the best out of his former player, while he is also someone who would add to his current options in the centre of midfield at the moment.

However, Rabiot has no previous experience of playing in the Premier League, and may demand a big wage having come from one of the most decorated clubs in football.

Everton fan reaction to Rabiot transfer update

These Toffees were split on Twitter on whether they should sign Rabiot, with one Blues supporter claiming that the France international is ‘super’ with his ball retention:

“He’s good, gents. Creative? More of a holding player, super with ball retention, very active when they have the ball, a bit of what we need for sure. Definitely a different level than everyone else we have in CM/DM IMO.”

Credit: @RyanSoccerAA

“And importantly this would be real depth at CM not something we have been blessed with for a long time”

Credit: @sludvigs

“I’d take him if true”Credit: @jay_smith1

“Doesn’t do enough for me you know Sean and I’ve seen him a lot as I regularly watch Juve. At times he looks disinterested too.”

Credit: @bracewellsboots

“Type of player we really don’t need, we need dynamic midfielders, not another Gomes type”

Credit: @efcBuggi

“Why? Just don’t think he’ll improve us at all”Credit: @JakeC98__In other news, find out what Paul Joyce update has been lauded by EFC fans here!

Man Utd 3-3 Everton: Fernandes stands out

Manchester United were dealt a devastating blow to their Premier League title hopes on Saturday night.

Bruno Fernandes’ best efforts ultimately proved to be in vain as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side threw away a two-goal lead against Everton despite leading twice at Old Trafford yesterday evening.

The 26-year-old doubled their advantage shortly before half-time with a sensational long-range strike past Robin Olsen after Edinson Cavani’s opener.

But the lead was short-lived with the visitors fighting back after the break courtesy of goals from Abdoulaye Doucouré and James Rodriguez.

Scott McTominay then grabbed his second goal in as many games, nodding home Luke Shaw’s excellent cross to restore their lead.

Everton restored parity for a second time, however, with pretty much the last kick of the game as Dominic Calvert-Lewin took advantage of some sloppy defending from United to score from close-range.

Cavani may have opened the scoring but we feel Fernandes deserves plenty of recognition too.

The Portuguese star has often been tasked with being United’s main creative asset in the midfield and last night was no different as he tried to make the magic happen.

A return of 78 touches saw him ranked fourth in the entire game, bettered only by his teammates McTominay, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof, as per SofaScore, implying that he dominated possession and dictated play.

Fernandes made three key passes, that being the most out of any player from either side, and took four shots overall, including one shot on target, which just so happened to usurp Cavani’s tally of two shots in total.

And his effort at Old Trafford, which was ultimately cancelled out by Everton’s remarkable comeback, gained plenty of praise from Jamie Redknapp. The player-turned-pundit waxed lyrical about Fernandes’ goal.

“What a goal. I love this guy. He’s such an amazing player,” he said. “Everything about him, he’s a showman, little bits of skill. He lets the ball run because he knows he’ll get the next one off Wan-Bissaka.

“He looks up to cross it, that’s not on and this is dipping. There’s so much aggression and violence in this shot, it’s just going everywhere. It’s so difficult to stop.

“I knew he was going to be a good player when he came to United. Did I think he’d become great so quickly?”

It marked a return to the kind of form that Fernandes has gained a reputation for following his arrival from Sporting Lisbon as he has now scored in back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since December after experiencing a mini goal drought.

With trips to Chelsea and Manchester City on the horizon, this will come as welcome news for Solskjaer as his side attempt to perform a dramatic turnaround in form.

AND in other news, Manchester United handed huge Jadon Sancho boost as Dortmund reduce demands…

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta must be ruthless with Mohamed Elneny

After returning from a season-long loan spell at Besiktas, Mohamed Elneny has quickly established himself as one of Mikel Arteta’s most trusted lieutenants in this Arsenal side.

The Egypt international has been a virtual ever-present for the Spanish coach at the Emirates this season, starting nine out of the Gunners’ 16 Premier League games.

But after his impressive display in that 1-0 win away at Manchester United, the 78-cap Elneny appears to have taken a step back, and his performance against Brighton on Tuesday night should be considered as the final straw.

As per Sofascore, he made just one tackle during the game, and contested only four duels – in contrast, his midfield partner Granit Xhaka was involved in 16 of them.  There were also a couple of occasions where Elneny was very fortunate to get away with a couple of slack passes and touches, and had Brighton been more clinical in their finishing, there would have been far more scrutiny on him.

Elneny is a hugely popular member of the squad, with captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang not shy in admitting they get along off the pitch, saying: “He’s a funny guy Mo, and I think we are similar people. We are both always smiling and being positive, so when we get together it’s always funny – we laugh a lot. It’s really, really nice to be around him.”

That spirit is something Arteta himself has shed a light on too, saying after the United game: “What Mo transmits to the team is special. He goes in the room and he creates that atmosphere. Today I said that we needed that energy and that positive feeling that he brings all the time. I think he was tremendous.

“Obviously I played with him so I know his qualities and who he is as a person, and what he brings to the squad. I like players that have zero ego, who play for the team, who want to contribute regardless of what it is, whether that’s one minute or 96 minutes or just by being there and giving positive feedback all the time.”

But there appears to be a limit on just how good Elneny can be, and that was so evident against Brighton and in recent weeks too. Arteta really needs to make a ruthless call on the Egyptian and drop him, and give the likes of Dani Ceballos and Joe Willock the chance to impress again.

Wolves eye Loren Moron swoop

When Raul Jimenez went off against Arsenal there will have been mixed emotions among supporters at Wolves.

Of course, losing their star striker was a huge blow, but they could take solace from the fact that they had a £35.6m replacement waiting in the wings.

Unfortunately for Fabio Silva, he hasn’t lived up to expectation. Fosun may have spent their funds on potential here, but considering his goal tally of just one all season, it’s difficult to suggest that it was money well spent.

Nuno Santo’s men have had a torrid few months, winning just two of their last nine outings since Jimenez got injured. They have even recalled Patrick Cutrone, something that elevates their desperate nature at this moment in time.

It looked as though Wolves would use the January transfer market to strengthen but the longer things go on, the more it looks as though Cutrone will be their sole answer.

The likes of Olivier Giroud, Divock Origi and Diego Costa have all been linked, but one of the most expensive options this month was Loren Moron.

Reports from Spain towards the end of last year claimed that Wolves were interested in the Real Betis forward who currently has a release clause of €50m (£43m).

Wolves may have been able to get him for less, but the fact of the matter is that Jeff Shi is on course for a big mistake if he brings Moron to Molineux.

The 27-year-old was top scorer in La Liga for several weeks last season and ended the campaign on ten strikes. Yet, he has been nothing short of disastrous this term – scoring one goal from 12 outings.

It would appear that Moron was a one-season wonder for Betis and if they were ever going to get a huge sum of money for the Spaniard, that time has surely passed.

After all, the last thing Wolves need is another striker who struggles to find the back of the net. Silva may have only bagged on a solitary occasion himself but he’s finding himself in better positions to score.

Moron has registered 1.1 shots per match this season compared to Silva’s 1.4 in England. Most worryingly, though, is that he’s even worse than Wolves loanee Rafa Mir.

The struggling forward has managed just a solitary start since signing for Nuno’s men but has three goals in La Liga this term on loan at Huesca. On top of that, he also manages a mighty 2.2 shots a game on average.

The duo also have similar play styles. With just two inches between them in height, they both use their relatively tall frames to win aerial battles. Yet, their pass success rates this season have been abysmal.

Moron has difficulties bringing others into play which means he wouldn’t suit Wolves’ fast-flowing counter-attacking style very well at all. In the Spanish top-flight, he’s succeeded with just 62.8% of his passes this term. Mir, meanwhile, is even worse at 61.8%.

In Jimenez’s absence, Wolves need a striker who can make things stick up top. Moron clearly isn’t that type of player and neither can he find the net with great regularity.

As such, it would be a massive mistake for Shi to invest in the Betis striker.

AND in other news, Shi can seal Wolves’ best signing since Jimenez with £16.9m gem once dubbed “ruthless”…

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