All posts by n8rngtd.top

Sheffield United’s hopes of signing Ryan Gauld this summer have taken a blow after Southampton joined the race to sign the Scottish midfielder, with reports suggesting that he would prefer a move to St Mary’s.

Sheffield United were one of several sides including Norwich City, Brighton, Blackburn Rovers, Swansea City and Brentford to be linked with a move for the former Sporting Lisbon man recently.

However, the Daily Record have now claimed that Southampton have also registered an interest in the 25-year-old, who would be happy to join Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side in order to link up with Scottish compatriot and fellow former Dundee United man Stuart Armstrong.

The 25-year-old has enjoyed a superb campaign with SC Farense in the Portuguese top-flight but will be a free agent this summer when his contract at Estadio de São Luís expires, so it is no surprise that so many sides including the Blades are keen on signing him.

In 33 Liga NOS appearances this season, the Scottish midfielder has contributed an impressive nine goals and seven assists, earning a superb 7.19 average rating from WhoScored.

Considering this is more goals and assists than any Sheffield United player has managed this season, it is clear they need a player of Gauld’s ilk ahead of next season in the Championship, otherwise a return to the Premier League is looking extremely unlikely.

One of Gauld’s coaches at Farense was full of praise for him recently, dubbing him a “top player”, and considering he will be available on a free transfer, he looks to be a must-have for Sheffield United this summer if they want to improve their squad, so it is definitely a blow that an established Premier League side like Southampton have seemingly joined the race.

Therefore, current sporting director Jan van Winckel must act quickly if is going to be able to convince Gauld to make the switch to Bramall Lane this summer, as otherwise, it seems clear that he will be snapped up by another Premier League or Championship club.

And, in other news… Sheffield United handed huge boost with “shining light”, Blades fans will be buzzing

According to a report by Italian news outlet Corriere Fiorentino, via Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur are ‘in the lead’ to appoint SS Lazio boss Simone Inzaghi.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing Inzaghi

Previous reports from Italy have touted Spurs with a strong interest in Inzaghi’s appointment, with newspaper Il Tempo (via Sport Witness) most recently claiming that he is ‘listening’ to offers from a host of clubs amid the speculation surrounding his future in Rome.

This includes both Tottenham and Leicester City, who busted busted many a bet365 bonus by missing out on Champions League qualification this season, as the Premier League clubs allegedly interested and links to the Lilywhites can be traced back as far as the beginning of this month.

Closer to the home, a report by the Daily Star indicated that Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy ‘could turn’ to Inzaghi as an option to replace Jose Mourinho – coming two years after an alleged ‘desperate attempt’ to hire the 45-year-old before the arrival of the special one.

The Latest: Spurs now in pole position…

Bringing the latest claim, another regional Italian news outlet.

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

Indeed, Corriere Fiorentino (via Sport Witness) believe that Spurs are now ‘in the lead’ to appoint Inzaghi with ‘various very important clubs’ also in the chase.

Levy leading the race for his signature is apparently repeated twice in this printed report as Corriere Fiorentino appear adamant that Tottenham are now favourites.

The Verdict: Fantastic candidate…

Even though you could argue he isn’t the ‘attack-minded’ manager Spurs have been most touted to hire, he certainly has his credentials with a number of players heaping praise on Inzaghi.

Lazio midfielder Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro, in an interview with beIN SPORTS recently (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), lauded the Italian as an ‘excellent coach’ and ‘best’ manager he has ever worked under.

Meanwhile, striker Ciro Immobile even compared the former international to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp – explaining how the pair are ‘very similar’ due to their ‘motivational skills’ (Er Faina on Instagram Live via Football Italia).

As well as this, Inzaghi’s numbers are solid, having acquired 191 career wins over his managerial career to date with 628 points on the board and an impressive average of 1.86 points per match (Transfermarkt).

It’s clear Spurs could do far worse as Levy aims to commence a brand new era in north London.

In other news: ‘I hear from a reliable source’…Journalist drops major Harry Kane claim, find out more here.

Everton are hopeful of striking a permanent deal for goalkeeper Robin Olsen, according to The Athletic.

The lowdown

The Toffees signed the 31-year-old on a season-long loan from Roma at the end of the transfer window in October.

The Swede went on to make 11 appearances across all competitions, including seven Premier League starts when Jordan Pickford was either injured or dropped (via Transfermarkt). He kept three clean sheets in those games, conceding 16 goals.

The latest

Journalist Greg O’Keeffe has said that ‘Ancelotti and Brands like him a lot’, and both the Everton manager and director of football want to keep him as their number two goalkeeper for next season. Olsen is ‘surplus to requirements’ at the Stadio Olimpico, and so it seems mostly a matter of persuading the player to make the move. [The Athletic]

If they’re unsuccessful, then they’ll have to move onto other candidates to be Pickford’s deputy. Everton have monitored Manchester United’s Sergio Romero ‘for a while’, but that transfer is thought to be ‘less likely’ to materialise than it was last summer.

Meanwhile, Joao Virginia, who featured in the FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester City, is expected to be sent out on loan. [The Athletic]

The verdict

Olsen has been a decent back-up option for Everton, although Romero may have a slight edge given his big-game experience from 61 appearances at Old Trafford.

Whilst Roma may not stand in the Swede’s way if he wishes to leave the Serie A club permanently, it could be tricky for Everton to convince him to return after what O’Keeffe called a ‘nasty break-in’ at his home in England.

If he doesn’t wish to come back, and efforts at signing Romero prove unsuccessful, perhaps Everton will simply decide to go with Virginia as Pickford’s understudy instead.

In other news, many Everton fans were buzzing over this James Rodriguez update.

According to a report by Simon Jones in the Daily Mail, Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian is close to agreeing terms on a contract extension at Anfield and is now ready to commit to another season on Merseyside – prompting horror from a set of supporters on social media. 

The 34-year-old had been attracting interest from Spain in Real Betis while the Reds sounded out possible alternatives for the number two goalkeeping slot in case he decided to leave.

However, in an update, Jones of the Mail says that Adrian is now close to putting pen to paper on a contract extension and furthering his stay on Merseyside.

The Spaniard has made just 24 appearances for Liverpool since signing from West Ham United two years ago and a set of Reds supporters on social media aren’t exactly overjoyed with news he may be set to stay for another year.

Enduring a mixed spell at the club, Adrian has put in some poor performances when called upon as a backup to Alisson – most notably highlighted by his game-changing error against Atletico Madrid in Champions League last year and the 7-2 defeat at Aston Villa this season.

As a result, many Liverpool fans believe it is ‘absolutely staggering’ the club are extending his stay.

Find a flavour of their verdicts from Twitter down below.

Liverpool fans horrified by Adrian news

“Absolute joke!”

Credit: @DannyWhitefoot

“We cannot be serious”

Credit: @LfcGe0rge

“This is worse than the super league”

Credit: @lfcellis

“Nooooooo Kelleher is better”

Credit: @Graemeboi

“It gets worse and worse”

Credit: @adzzlfc

“Keep making mistakes and you get rewarded with new deals it seems? Absolutely staggering”

Credit: @aaronjacko

“Rewarded for mediocrity. This is so Liverpool.”

Credit: @Benthereds

“What is happening”

Credit: @lfcels_

In other news: Liverpool fans desperate to see this ace make a move to Merseyside, find out more here.

Southampton fans have been reacting to reports claiming that Eddie Howe turned down a move to Celtic as he wants to take over the Saints instead.

The previous campaign was a mixed one for the Saints. They started the season well and even reached the F.A Cup semi-finals. However, they ended up losing 1-0 to Leicester at Wembley after a lacklustre display, while they finished in 15th place in the Premier League table. However, it seems the St. Mary’s Stadium outfit will persevere with Ralph Hasenhuttl as boss.

Former Bournemouth boss Howe looked certain to join Celtic, but an agreement fell through (The Telegraph). Now, according to Football Insider, Howe decided against a move to Glasgow as he has his heart set on replacing Hasenhuttl at Southampton instead.

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters, and they took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Howe news below

“??????????????????????????????????”

Credit: @Cworth65141519

“We’re gargantuan haha”

Credit: @rxdmond

“There really are some jokers out there”

Credit: @James90044529

“Imagine Howe at Saints, a manager who loves spending big money on unsuccessful player (ibe, solanke, gradel etc) It would not go well”

Credit: @BensBanter

“Hang on. Have I missed something? I thought we had a manager? I’ve only just got out of bed.”

Credit: @isplumm

“rubbish”

Credit: @sfcbilly

In other news, Southampton are interested in this midfielder compared to Steven Gerrard.

Leicester City defender Timothy Castagne suffered a serious injury in Belgium’s opening Euro 2020 encounter.

The 25-year-old collided with Russia’s Daler Kuzyaev around the 27-minute mark on Saturday evening, suffering a double fracture in his eye socket, Sky Sports News reported.

Roberto Martinez’s men went on to record a comfortable 3-0 victory in St Petersburg, but Castagne will play no further part in the tournament.

“Really bad news, sad to see Timothy Castagne is going to be out of the tournament,” said Martinez after the game.

“He’s had images taken, he’s got a double fracture, and now we’ll take the necessary treatment.”

Castagne enjoyed an impressive maiden campaign in English football throughout 2020/21 following a £21.5m move from Serie A outfit Atalanta.

He made 34 appearances in all competitions for the Foxes, scoring two goals and providing four assists as the Midlands outfit narrowly missed out on a Champions League qualification spot.

A timeframe hasn’t been placed on Castagne’s recovery time just yet, but news that one of his key first-team players is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines will surely leave Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers gutted.

The current FA Cup holders will be looking to break into the top four next term, and they will need their star performers to be fit in order to achieve that goal.

With fellow full-back James Justin also expected to be out for many months as he continues to recover from a serious knee injury, this is a potentially significant setback in Rodgers’ summer plans.

Leicester were already expected to be in the market for a new defender following the departure of experienced duo Wes Morgan and Christian Fuchs, but they may feel the need for further reinforcements depending on the severity of Castagne’s situation.

Belgium take on Denmark in their next Group B encounter on Thursday 17 June, although they’ll have to do so without their first-choice right-back.

And, in other news…Rudkins masterclass: LCFC must seal £17m “goal machine” this summer, Rodgers needs him 

Leicester City could announce their first signing of the summer over the coming days, with Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare said to be on the verge of completing his transfer to the club.

What’s the story?

The Foxes have been heavily linked with the 22-year-old in recent weeks and are now reportedly confident that a deal has been agreed with both the player and club.

According to a major update from the Daily Mail, the King Power Stadium outfit are close to signing the midfielder and they are expected to pay a £23 million fee to secure Soumare’s services after seeing off competition from fellow Premier League sides Wolves and Everton.

Rodgers will be delighted

France’s surprise early exit from the Under-21 European Championship was expected to speed up proceedings and it seems that has been the case as Leicester’s lengthy pursuit looks to be finally drawing to a close.

Soumare was one of Lille’s standout performers last season as they shocked French football, dethroning Paris Saint-Germain as Ligue 1 champions and claiming their first top-flight title in 10 years.

With just one year remaining on Soumare’s contract and Les Dogues needing to sell some players in order to raise funds, Leicester have moved quickly as Brendan Rodgers plans another assault on the top four.

After progressing through the PSG youth academy in his early playing days, the 6 ft 1 powerhouse found his chances in the first-team limited at the Parc des Princes, hence him switching to Lille in 2017.

The highly-rated youngster found a new home in Lille, and the club’s former CEO Marc Ingla couldn’t hide his delight at the announcement of Soumare’s arrival.

“We are very happy with the signing of ‘Bouba’,” revealed Ingla.

“He is a powerful and technical player who can evolve to several positions in the field. His maturity pleased us even if we must not forget that he is only 18 years old.”

This latest revelation regarding Soumare’s potentially imminent arrival at the King Power Stadium will surely have Rodgers feeling delighted.

His addition will give Leicester a different option in the centre of the park and offer him some strength in depth as he attempts to get his team fight on multiple fronts.

It could be a significant signing as the Foxes attempt to return to Europe’s elite cup competition next season.

And, in other news…Imagine him & Tielemans: Leicester must sign £17m gem Rodgers dubbed “world-class” 

West Bromwich Albion are expected to confirm the signing of Valerien Ismael imminently.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Express & Star, who claim that the Baggies have paid the full £2m compensation fee to release the 45-year-old from his contract at Barnsley, and have been ironing out the finer details of the deals of the Frenchman and his backroom team over the past 24 hours.

The report goes on to state that, aside from any last-minute snags, these negotiations should mean that Ismael is officially announced as Sam Allardyce’s successor at The Hawthorns on Wednesday.

Fans will be buzzing

After an extremely tedious search to appoint the club’s next manager, a hunt that saw moves for the likes of Chris Wilder, David Wagner, Roy Hodgson, Frank Lampard and Michael Appleton all fall through due to a variety of different circumstances, the fact that Guochuan Lai and Xu Ke appear to have finally got a deal over the line for one of their targets is sure to leave fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, with the summer transfer window already having opened, now that the club seemingly have a new coach in place, the Baggies can begin to put together a list of targets to try and bring into the club this summer, as well as the 45-year-old potentially putting up a number of the West Brom players up for sale if he believes they do not fit his system.

The appointment also means that the Championship side will be able to begin their pre-season preparations with the knowledge that everything they do will be part of Ismael’s personal plans, rather than the players simply doing fitness work while the club wait to appoint a manager who would then implement his own training.

As such, if the Baggies do indeed go on to appoint the Frenchman on Wednesday as expected, it would appear to be a very positive step for the club, as Albion can finally begin to look ahead to next season rather than being stuck thinking about their recent relegation under Allardyce.

Ismael worked wonders at Barnsley and Albion fans should be buzzing at this appointment.

In other news: Ismael must amend Xu Ke error over £8k-p/w gem with “no limits” as first West Brom act

Crystal Palace target Jon Moncayola is unlikely to leave Osasuna this summer, La Liga expert Euan McTear has told The Transfer Tavern.

Moncayola is reportedly on Palace’s shopping list, with AS (via Football FanCast) claiming last month that the south London club could make a move for him this transfer window.

The 23-year-old midfielder was one of Osasuna’s standout players in La Liga last season. He finished the campaign with the best pass success rate (81.7%) in Jagoba Arrasate’s squad and also averaged 1.7 tackles per game, only bettered by Raul Navas’ average of three (via WhoScored).

McTear, however, cannot see Moncayola moving to England this summer after he signed a 10-year contract earlier this month.

“He’s signed a 10-year contract to 2031, which is… I’ve never seen anything like that,” the Spanish football expert said. “That kind of tells me he’s not moving this summer.

“I mean, 22 million release clause, I think they made it low enough that if someone comes, he could still leave before the 10 years. But I don’t imagine him signing a 10-year contract, announcing that to the fans and then disappearing.

“He’s been really good for Osasuna. He’s very different to your normal kind of northern Spanish, tough, battling midfielder. He’s a bit more technical than what they’re used to.”

Considering all of that, Moncayola does look like he would be a good signing for Palace this transfer window.

However, given the small problem of that 10-year contract, even with that release clause, it is hard to imagine the Spaniard leaving the El Sadar Stadium anytime soon.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt another body blow in their search to appoint Jose Mourinho’s successor this summer, with Brighton and Hove Albion manager Graham Potter reportedly rejecting their approach, according to The Sun.

THE LOWDOWN: POTTER EMERGED AS POTENTIAL MOURINHO SUCCESSOR

Tottenham were rumoured to be interested in appointing the 46-year-old as their new manager as they continue the search for a replacement for Mourinho, who was sacked 10 weeks ago.

The Daily Mail had previously claimed that Nuno Espírito Santo was the club’s first choice for the role, although they were said to have given ‘serious thoughts’ on appointing Potter as well.

THE LATEST: POTTER IS LATEST MANAGER TO SNUB SPURS

The Sun revealed that Potter has become the ninth manager to turn down the managerial vacancy at Tottenham. It was claimed that the Brighton boss didn’t think that a move to Spurs would be a good career move for him at this stage.

The report added that Spurs remain ‘in limbo’ over appointing a new manager, with Daniel Levy looking to find Mourinho’s replacement ahead of their season opener against Manchester City in August.

THE VERDICT: SPURS MUST NOW ACT SWIFTLY

It’s slightly surprising that Potter has rejected Spurs’ rumoured approach, especially given that Brighton had at times been in danger of being relegated from the Premier League last season and ultimately finished 16th, nine places beneath the north London side.

You would have thought that the Spurs job could have been a tempting one for Potter, who has been hailed for his “amazing” brand of football by Brighton defender Adam Webster and would seemingly fit the profile of the attack-minded coach that Levy is seeking.

Stability is now needed at Spurs and it’s vital that they get this next appointment right, or else it could turn out to be another frustrating league campaign for the club’s supporters next term. As it is, the long-winded search for the next permanent manager must be pretty galling.

In other news, Tottenham have been linked with a move for a Premier League captain.