All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United have been handed a huge boost in their bid to bring Marc Roca to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent report by German publication BILD, who claimed that Bayern Munich are willing to part with the midfielder this summer, as long as they receive an offer in the region of €9m (£7.5m). That’s £2.5m lower than the Daily Mail had initially claimed the Bundesliga champions were demanding.

BILD went on to state that the former Spain under-21 international is said to be open to a move away from the Allianz Arena in the coming weeks, as he would like to join a team who can offer him regular first-team minutes next season.

“Ridiculously talented”

While it is true that Roca’s career has somewhat stagnated since his €15m (£13m) move from Espanyol in October 2020, it is undeniable that, under the management of a coach who knows how to best utilise his skillset, the 25-year-old could become an incredibly dangerous weapon in the heart of the pitch.

He made just 13 appearances in the Bundesliga and Champions League in 2021/22, but according to FBRef data, the £6.3m-rated talent still ranks in the top 8% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for passes attempted per 90, as well as the top 13% for pass completion, the top 13% for progressive passes and the top 30% for progressive carries over the past 12 months.

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The £31k-per-week midfielder also ranks in the top 7% for pressures per 90, the top 21% for interceptions, the top 34% for blocks and the top 43% for tackles over the last 365 days.

As such, it is easy to see why ESPN’s David Cartlidge recently stated his belief that Roca was “on the verge of something very special” prior to his move to Bayern, while it is also evident as to why the journalist believes the 25-year-old is a “ridiculously talented player.”

It very much appears as if Orta has now been given the green light to move for the Spaniard this summer, so if the sporting director can get a £7.5m deal over the line for Roca, he would not only have landed a potential bargain but also added an extremely gifted footballer to Jesse Marsch’s midfield ranks ahead of Leeds’ upcoming Premier League campaign.

AND in other news: Huge Leeds United transfer twist now emerges in £17m deal, Jesse Marsch will be fuming

Leeds United have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of Chelsea defender Jake Clarke-Salter.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Coventry Live, who claim that, despite Chelsea possessing an option to extend the 24-year-old’s contract at Stamford Bridge for a further year, Thomas Tuchel has now decided against activating this clause.

That means the centre-back is set to leave west London on a free transfer at the end of the month, thus handing Leeds United a green light to sign him.

The report goes on to state that Leeds – as well as Coventry City, Sheffield United, PSV Eindhoven and Club Brugge – have all been keeping a very close eye on the situation of the former England U21 international, with it being expected that the defender will receive a host of offers upon the expiry of his Chelsea contract.

John Terry 2.0

Considering just how talented a player Clarke-Salter very much appears to be, the fact that Victor Orta has now been given the green light to make a move for the centre-back will certainly come as a huge boost to the Whites’ sporting director.

Indeed, the £1.8m-rated defender highly impressed over his 29 Championship appearances on loan at Coventry this season, helping the Sky Blues keep five clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 2.3 tackles, 2.7 clearances, 40.1 passes and winning 6.6 duels – at a success rate of 61% – per game.

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These returns saw the £5k-per-week talent average a SofaScore match rating of 6.90, ranking him as Mark Robins’ tenth-best performer in the second tier of English football – playing a crucial role in City’s impressive top-half finish in the league.

Furthermore, the former Chelsea and England captain, John Terry, is also a huge admirer of the 24-year-old, with the legendary centre-back previously claiming that Clarke-Salter reminded him of his younger self, stating after the defender’s debut for Chelsea:

“Jake has a great attitude. I remember watching him a couple of years ago being in control of the game and a really vocal player. He reminds me a bit of myself. He is doing great and I hope he goes on to take my position and get in the first team. It was great for him to make his debut.”

However, the fact that the player who Robins dubbed “absolutely outstanding” has now not made the grade at Chelsea should certainly not put Orta off a deal this summer, as the likes of Tariq Lamptey, Tino Livramento, Declan Rice, Eddie Nketiah, Tammy Abraham and even Leeds’ own Patrick Bamford all fall into this category.

Indeed, it would very much appear as if the Blues’ loss could once again be the Whites’ gain, as landing Clarke-Salter on a free would undoubtedly represent fantastic business for the Spaniard – with the 24-year-old certainly looking to be a player who boasts a great amount of potential.

AND in other news: Marsch can unearth the next Haaland as Leeds plot bid for “ice cold” 43-goal sensation

Tim Spiers has dropped an update on the future of reported Leeds United transfer target Morgan Gibbs-White.

What’s the talk?

In a recent article for The Athletic, the journalist revealed that, despite confidence amongst the Wolves hierarchy that the 22-year-old can be brought back into the first-team fold and play a major role in Bruno Lage’s side next season, they could nevertheless be tempted by an offer of around £20m for the attacking midfielder this summer.

This is sure to come as a boost to Victor Orta and Leeds, with the same outlet reporting earlier this week that the Whites, alongside Southampton and Nottingham Forest, are keeping a very close eye on the England under-21 international’s situation ahead of a potential summer swoop.

“Eye-catching”

Considering just how impressively Gibbs-White performed during his season-long loan at Sheffield United this term, the argument that the 22-year-old would be an attention-grabbing coup for Orta to get over the line this summer is an easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 37 Championship outings for the Blades, the £9.9m-rated talent was in astonishing form, bagging 12 goals, providing 10 assists and creating 16 big chances, along with taking 2.5 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 1.3 dribbles per game.

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These metrics saw the £1.5k-per-week midfielder, who Paul Heckingbottom dubbed “eye-catching” and Joe Edwards labelled “sensational”, average a remarkable WhoScored match rating of 7.14. That ranked him not only as Sheffield United’s best performer in the league but also as the joint fifth-best player in the entire division.

Leeds were desperately lacking in both goals and creativity from the middle of the park this season, with Kalvin Phillips, Mateusz Klich, Jamie Shackleton, Adam Forshaw, Stuart Dallas, Tyler Roberts, Rodrigo and Robin Koch scoring nine goals and registering three assists between them in the Premier League. Therefore, the signing of a player in the mould of Gibbs-White appears something of a must for Jesse Marsch this summer.

Considering his undoubted ability, his potential for future growth and the fact that he plays for one of the Whites’ Premier League rivals, it would certainly be a big statement of intent from Leeds ahead of 2022/23 should Orta manage to seal a £20m deal for the 22-year-old in the coming months.

AND in other news: Orta could land Mahrez 2.0 in Leeds bid for £86m talent with world-class potential

Wolves are reportedly in line to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha this summer and have begun negotiations with the Portuguese outfit.

What’s the story?

Speaking to GIVMESPORT, journalist Jacque Talbot revealed that Palhinha’s agent, Jorge Mendes, is working hard to get the deal over the line. He said:

“I’m told, with Jorge Mendes, it is a similar thing with Darwin Nunez in that he is basically trying to get him a Premier League move now from Portuguese league.

“He was linked to Manchester United earlier in the season, but I think that was agent generated and more around when they were crying out for that central midfielder. There is probably more chance that they will go for someone like Ruben Neves than him because he is a bit more proven.

“Yes, I think this could happen, 100 per cent. I would put my house on this one, absolutely.”

It was reported earlier this week by the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath that Wolves had entered negotiations with Sporting over a deal for the midfielder and now it seems incredibly likely that a deal will eventually be completed this summer.

Supporters will be delighted

The prospect of signing Palhinha will be bittersweet for Wolves supporters as it will most likely mean that star midfielder Ruben Neves will depart Molineux this window with his fellow countryman his replacement.

However, even if Neves were to stay on at Wolves, signing a quality midfielder would still be necessary, with Bruno Lage keen to build on this season’s tenth place finish.

European football was a genuine possibility for the West Midlands outfit but a catastrophic end to the season saw Wolves win just one of their final nine Premier League matches.

Joao Moutinho’s future is still unclear with the veteran midfielder currently set to be released at the end of June, having not signed a contract extension whilst Leander Dendoncker is by no means a suitable replacement for Neves.

Palhinha made 38 appearances for Sporting across all competitions this term, with six of those coming in the Champions League.

Moreover, the Portugual international averaged 34.6 passes per league match this season with an 88% accuracy whilst chipping in with three tackles, one interception and 0.9 clearances.

To put that into perspective, Neves averaged similar numbers, with 49.1 passes at an 84% accuracy whilst making 2.1 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.4 clearances.

At 26, the midfielder has plenty of experience whilst also still boasting exciting potential that Wolves will hope to benefit from.

It’s a deal that is vital for Lage’s side to complete and supporters will certainly be boosted by the fact that it seems incredibly likely to happen.

AND in other news: Lage could land dream Neves replacement as Wolves now eye “spectacular” 20 y/o talent

Journalist Giovanni Albanese of La Gazzetta dello Sport has now made a teasing Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie.

The Lowdown: Conte overhaul begins…

It has quite simply been a massive week at Spurs in so many ways.

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After manager Antonio Conte guided them to a top-four Premier League finish, securing the riches of Champions League football, it was then announced by ENIC that Spurs have been handed a £150 million equity increase.

This financial windfall will be used to back Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici in the summer window (The Telegraph), and what’s more, it is widely reported that the north Londoners are already closing in on both Fraser Forster (Southampton) and Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan).

The Latest: Albanese makes teasing McKennie claim…

Writing on Twitter, Italian reporter Albanese has now teased a Paratici bid for McKennie – imploring supporters to ‘stay tuned’.

He explained:

“Paratici could also bid for McKennie : stay tuned!”

The Verdict: Promising update?

The 23-year-old has been a star at international level for the USA in recent times with reporter Chris Smith of 90min absolutely raving over the midfield gem.

McKennie, as per the MLS football expert, is a ‘supremely underrated’ attacking threat and ‘pressing machine’ who has it what it takes to be a ‘truly elite midfielder’ (Twitter).

Reports have suggested that the Serie A starlet is valued at around £25 million, and given his age, we believe that could be a fair price to pay for someone so highly rated on the international stage with bags of potential.

Depending on the offer Paratici puts on the table, it will be interesting to see whether Spurs can back Conte with the move.

In other news: ‘Not only Perisic’ – Tottenham push for ‘genius’ signing after Conte call ‘in recent days’…find out more here.

Celtic wrapped up their 2021/22 Premiership season with the league title secured, along with the best attacking and defensive record in the top flight.

Before the Hoops begin their next campaign to try and retain their title and potentially get their hands on ever more silverware, the upcoming summer transfer window will give Ange Postecoglou the chance to make whatever changes to his squad that he sees fit.

As things stand, it seems as though a big update has emerged regarding one potential deal which could be set to take place at Celtic Park in the coming weeks.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Daily Record, Cameron Carter-Vickers has agreed personal terms with the Bhoys over a permanent transfer said to be worth £6m.

The report added that the defender ‘has his heart set on staying with the champions long term’.

Great news for Postecoglou

Celtic signed the centre-back, who is currently valued at £2.7m by Transfermarkt, on a season-long loan deal from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur last August.

During his season with the Bhoys, the 24-year-old quickly became a crucial figure for Postecoglou as he ended the campaign with 45 appearances across all competitions. In the league, only two other players racked up more minutes than the USA defender, highlighting just how important he was in Celtic’s title-winning campaign.

With 43 interceptions and 22 tackles to his name in the Premiership, the American also ended the season with the highest average of clearances per game (4.2) in Postecoglou’s squad.

Labelled an “outstanding” player by Greg Taylor, Carter-Vickers undeniably played a massive part in Celtic’s domestic success during his loan spell.

Taking all this into account, it’s easy to see why the Parkhead club are aiming to secure the defender on a permanent basis and keep him in their squad for the foreseeable future.

Now that it appears that he has agreed personal terms with the club and is keen to remain with the Hoops, this will surely be music to the ears of Postecoglou and many Celtic fans.

In other news: Ange can finally axe “unbelievable” £4.5m Celtic flop by signing 20 G/A “piledriver”

Leeds United will release Kiko Casilla when his Elland Road deal expires, and it looks as if Victor Orta is finally ready to accept defeat when it comes to the goalkeeper.

The Lowdown: Casilla’s Leeds career

Marcelo Bielsa gave Orta the green light to bring Casilla to Yorkshire back in 2019 from Real Madrid. The Spaniard signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Leeds but fell out of favour just over a year into his stay after being found guilty of racially abusing Jonathan Leko, where he was handed an eight-game ban by the FA.

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Illan Meslier took over as first choice and hasn’t looked back, with Casilla making just three Premier League appearances last year. He’s spent the current campaign out on loan back in Spain with Elche, where he has also slipped to second choice, with an update now emerging on his future.

The Latest: Set to be released next year

Sports Witness relayed an update from Diario Informacion regarding Casilla on Tuesday. They claimed that he will return to Yorkshire in the summer and ‘will be released after the end of his contract with Leeds’.

However, Casilla’s deal at Elland Road still has just over 12 months left to run, implying he could soak up wages on the sidelines for another year or return to Spain for another loan spell.

The Verdict: Do it sooner

Leeds could find themselves back in the Championship next season, where a number of big earners could be moved on as a result.

Casilla is amongst them as he reportedly picks up £40,000-a-week. He has been described as a ‘mistake’ by Leeds TV podcaster Oscar Mario and doesn’t seem needed at Elland Road, with Kristoffer Klaesson signing last summer to provide back up to Meslier.

On that basis, it could make sense for Andrea Radrizzani and Orta to sit down with the player’s representatives and look to reach an agreement where his final 12 months of his contract are terminated.

You could say that it was a mistake at the time to hand a ‘keeper a four-and-a-half-year deal back in 2019 when he was already 32, but it looks as if they have finally recognised he is no longer needed on the books, which can only be a good sign.

In other news: Journalist now shares fresh Leeds injury concern from Thorp Arch on ‘perfect’ star pre-Brentford. 

Phil Hay has dropped an update on the future of reported Leeds United transfer target Calvin Ramsay.

What’s the word?

In a recent Q&A on The Athletic, the Leeds United correspondent revealed that, following reports of Victor Orta’s interest in a £4m move for the Aberdeen right-back, the 18-year-old is indeed a target of the Spanish sporting director in the upcoming summer transfer window.

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When asked for an update on the Whites’ potential summer targets, Hay said: “Calvin Ramsay at Aberdeen too.”

A big upgrade

Considering the sheer amount of potential Ramsay quite clearly possesses, in addition to the fact that Luke Ayling has endured a disappointing 2021/22 campaign for the Whites, the argument that the Scotland U21 international would be an upgrade on the 30-year-old is a rather easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 24 Scottish Premiership appearances this season, the £540k-rated talent has been in exceptional form for Jim Goodwin’s side, scoring one goal, registering five assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.8 key passes, 0.8 interceptions, 0.8 tackles and winning 3.4 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per game.

These returns have seen the £880-per-week prodigy average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as the Dons’ sixth-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football.

In comparison, over Ayling’s 26 Premier League outings this term, the £3.6m-rated full-back has bagged two goals, provided two assists and created four big chances, in addition to making an average of 0.5 key passes, 1.1 interceptions, 2.8 tackles and winning 5.8 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per fixture.

These metrics have seen the £35k-per-week defender average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.61, ranking him as Jesse Marsch’s eighth-worst player in the English top flight.

As such, while it is true that Ayling betters Ramsay’s returns in some areas of his game, considering the fact that the Englishman is 12 years the 18-year-old’s senior, it is undeniable that the Aberdeen starlet represents a long-term upgrade on the Arsenal academy graduate for the Whites.

However, with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool also reported to be extremely interested in a move for Ramsay at the end of the current campaign, Orta must act quickly if he is to replace the potentially outbound Ayling with the Scottish sensation this summer.

AND in other news: “Someone they really want”: Hay drops huge Leeds transfer claim, Marsch surely buzzing

Leeds United correspondent Phil Hay has made a claim on Stuart Dallas following his season-ending injury on the weekend.

The Lowdown: Dallas stretchered off

Dallas, who has started 121 of Leeds’ last 122 league games, became the latest Whites star to suffer a serious injury this season.

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The full-back was involved in a heavy collision with Jack Grealish at Elland Road in the 4-0 defeat on Saturday and had to be stretched off shortly before half-time.

Leeds have since confirmed that the 31-year-old faces a lengthy period out with a fractured femur, with Dallas himself taking to Twitter on Monday to provide an update.

The Latest: Hay’s claim

Hay shared a story on The Athletic regarding Dallas on Monday, highlighting how rare the injury is. He stated that there has been just one other case of a top-flight footballer suffering a fractured femur on the records of Premier Injuries, coming back in 2016 when Crystal Palace defender Pape Souare was involved in a car crash.

Hay added that Dallas was transferred to London by ambulance on Sunday for surgery and further scans, hinting at the possibility of knee ligament damage alongside the fracture, something which Leeds are yet to confirm.

The Verdict: New problem

At numerous points this season, Dallas has been the answer to Leeds’ injury issues, with Jesse Marsch recently selecting the versatile star at left-back due to Junior Firpo’s knee problem.

However, Marsch will now have to find a way to cope without Dallas for the final four games of the season and possibly large parts of his first full campaign in charge, something which could prove tricky due to the club’s ongoing injury troubles and small squad.

Dallas has made the majority of his appearances this season as a full-back but has also turned out as a midfielder, so the club’s transfer plans may well have changed due to the unfortunate injury.

In other news: Leeds want to sign ‘X-factor’ attacker despite possible relegation.

West Ham United will need to do all they can to claim victory against Norwich City and cement their hopes of finishing in one of the Premier League’s European spots.

The Hammers were knocked out of the Europa League on Thursday at the semi-final stage after losing 3-1 on aggregate to Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt. David Moyes’ side now face another huge battle to secure European football next season by finishing in the top seven, and it begins with a trip to Norwich.

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The Canaries are already relegated which will be a boost to West Ham’s hopes, with Wolverhampton Wanderers securing a draw yesterday and now only two points behind the East Londoners.

You can forgive Moyes for prioritising the Europa League as it would have provided the club with Champions League football and a first European trophy for over two decades.

However, with full focus now on the remainder of the league campaign, here’s Football FanCast’s predicted starting line-up for the Hammers against Norwich…

We predict that the Hammers will make three changes with the obvious move seeing goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański return between the sticks for the league encounter.

There will also be a return for Ben Johnson who will replace Vladimir Coufal at right wing-back who could be a more clinical threat offensively. When you compare both players, the Englishman comes out on top in quite a few areas.

He has a higher pass completion percentage than Coufal and also performs better when it comes to stopping dribblers with him tackling 15% more than the Czech.

Coufal moved to the London Stadium in 2020 and earns £27k-per-week. He has performed consistently well for the club, but at 29-years old and with his contract expiring next year, now is the time for the club to look ahead. After all, his side of the pitch has been described as a “problem” when he’s in the team this season.

The final change we expect Moyes to make sees Benrahma replace Lanzini in the front three. The Algerian is the third-highest scorer for the Hammers this season with nine goals, and will be hoping to reach double figures before the campaign ends.

Being a bigger threat in front of goal will give West Ham a chance to strengthen their goal difference against a weak Norwich defence who have conceded the second-most goals in the league in 2021/22.

The 26-year old has been labelled “exquisite” by former player Joe Cole and could be the difference-maker today.

IN other news: Moyes must finally unleash “magical” £17.5m West Ham monster, he’d terrify Norwich…