All posts by z3u9t.icu

Manchester United only scored 58 Premier League goals during 2022/2023, the lowest out of any side in the top six and there is no doubt Erik ten Hag needs to sign a top-quality striker or two during the summer transfer window.

Indeed, out of those 58 goals, only seven of those were scored by out-and-out centre forwards, with Cristiano Ronaldo (one) and Anthony Martial (six) getting on target, further emphasising the point that the Dutchman needs proper firepower if he is to mount a title challenge next term.

With regard to this, the Old Trafford side have set their sights on Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic according to Gazzetta dello Sport and any potential move may cost Ten Hag around €90m (£78m), however this is much cheaper than the reported £100m it could cost for United to sign Victor Osimhen this summer, a known transfer target.

This suggests that the Serbia striker could be an ideal Osimhen alternative for the Dutchman ahead of 2023/2024 and could allow him to focus on other areas of the team rather than splurge the majority of his budget on just one player.

Could Manchester United sign Dusan Vlahovic?

With the Bianconeri failing to qualify for the Champions League due to a fresh ten-point deduction, the Serie A side could be willing to sell Vlahovic during the transfer window, just 18 months after signing him.

There is no doubt Osimhen has enjoyed the better campaign out of the duo, scoring 30 goals compared to the 14 for Vlahovic.

However since 2019/20, there hasn’t been much of a difference in their total goal record, with the Nigerian international finding the back of the net 76 times compared to 72 for the 23-year-old, proving that he is a more than adequate alternative.

Indeed, even this term, there isn’t much in it with regard to goal-creating actions per 90 (0.33 to 0.29), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.67 to 2.1) and shots per 90 (1.84 to 0.94), with the Serbian coming out on top for the first metric.

Journalist Emmet Gates lavished praise upon him last year, saying:

“Dusan Vlahovic has the ability to be a generational talent, but he's suffering in this iteration of Juventus.

“To paraphrase a famous Zlatan line: He's a Ferrari being driven like a Fiat.”

Perhaps a change of scenery would do him the world of good, and a talent like his deserves to be showcasing his ability in the Champions League.

Those statistics show that there isn’t much difference between him and Osimhen in various metrics this term, and as he would cost significantly cheaper, Ten Hag must make the move as soon as possible.

YouTuber Conor McGilligan has expressed doubt over Che Adams amid recent rumours suggesting he could be on his way to Leeds United.

What is the latest Leeds United transfer news?

The Whites could well be playing in the Championship next season and will have to then adjust their transfer plans accordingly.

Adams is one player who has already been relegated, as Southampton are destined to finish at the very bottom of the Premier League table.

As a result, they will probably be losing a few players this summer and it seems as though the striker has emerged as a target for Leeds.

Indeed, as per a report in TEAMtalk from last week, Adams is almost certain to leave. On top of that, the player has been linked in the recent past with Football Insider noting that the Whites are "admirers".

While speaking about it on the One Leeds Fan Channel, McGilligan didn't seem to think it was the best idea though.

He explained (11:23): "Apparently Leeds have a long-term interest and it wasn't just Victor Orta in [for] Che Adams and yeah, there's potential for Leeds to go in there and make that move.

"But I'm not 100 per cent sure that's viable now. I think that ship’s sailed."

Who will Che Adams join this summer?

Interestingly enough, former England international Carlton Palmer has also offered his verdict on the recent rumours with Everton linked as well as Leeds.

He told Football League World: "Both of these clubs could be plying their trade in the Championship next season.

"He has a year left on his contract, [but] I think any new manager would want to keep him in the building for now, given he scored 22 goals for Birmingham in the 2018/19 season.

"I think you would go to the January transfer window, and make a decision on his future depending on how he is doing, and how the season is going on a whole for the club."

However, Leeds were also linked (via The Sun) with a £10m move for Adams last summer but no deal ever materialised.

Seeing as the £30k-p/w attacker has scored just five league goals since then as his team has been relegated, it's not hard to see why McGilligan feels the ship may have passed regarding this particular deal.

Still only 26, though, Adams could potentially provide a good option for somebody next term in either the Championship or the Premier League depending on how things turn out.

Liverpool's appointment of Jorg Schmadtke as their new sporting director is now thought to be "imminent", according to a fresh update.

What's the sporting director situation at Liverpool?

It has been a tough season for the Reds, with Premier League title aspirations existing back in August, but a fifth-place finish eventually coming their way after a string of poor results. It is a campaign that has seen a number of players struggle, including the likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, but there have also been issues off the field.

The influential Michael Edwards left his role as sporting director last year, having been the mastermind behind the signings of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, among many others, and he was replaced in the role by Julian Ward. It was then announced late last year that he would step down at the end of this season, potentially suggesting that all is not running as smoothly as it once did at Anfield.

The search has been on to find Ward's successor and Schmadtke has emerged as a front-runner in recent weeks, having most recently been sporting director at Wolfsburg. Now, a significant update has emerged – one that suggests his appointment is now a matter if when, rather than if.

Is Schmadtke set to become Reds' sporting director?

According to Sky Sports Germany [via Sport Witness], "nothing can go wrong" with regards to Schmadtke heading to Liverpool, with an announcement now believed to be "imminent". The Reds want him in charge as soon as possible, in order to bring stability to the club before the summer transfer window opens.

It is stated that he will work closely with Klopp on potential signings, with his main area of focus being the Bundesliga, given his experience in that league.

Nailing the right replacement for Ward is absolutely essential for Liverpool this summer, with the role of sporting director such an important one in football these days, not least their eye for new signings and the relationship they have with the manager.

While Schmadtke is reportedly a controversial character at times, with a penchant for falling out with people, Klopp has picked him out for a reason and he is to be trusted with such decisions, as something of a new era begins at Anfield, following the departure of the likes of Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at the end of the season.

Journalist Alasdair Gold has claimed that the stadium music was turned on immediately after the final whistle to drown out boos following Tottenham Hotspur’s recent loss.

What happened in Spurs vs Brentford?

In their final home Premier League game of the season, Spurs played host to Brentford but things did not go to plan at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Indeed, despite taking the lead just eight minutes into the clash thanks to a wonderful freekick by Harry Kane, Ryan Mason’s men failed to pick up all three points.

They actually lead at half-time but Bryan Mbeumo netted an excellent brace before setting up Yoane Wissa to seal the game with a third in the 88th minute of the game – and this was all without star man Ivan Toney, who has been suspended after breaking FA betting rules.

No doubt, everyone involved at Tottenham would have been disappointed with the draw and it seems the home fans made their feelings known at full-time as jeers rained down from the stands.

Noticing this, it seems the club’s matchday staff tried to cover up the noise with a “shameless” act as they blasted the stadium music as quickly as possible.

Noting this on Twitter, Gold wrote: “The Spurs fans boo at the final whistle. I don’t think I’ve ever heard that stadium music turned on as quickly.”

He then later added: “Spurs have cranked the stadium music up to uncomfortably loud levels for this post-match lap of appreciation from the players to the remaining fans.”

Who won Spurs’ player of the season awards?

To make things worse, this was of course the club’s final game of the season being played at home and so the idea was for fans to stick around and show their love after the game.

Indeed, the TV screens inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium informed fans to wait around as the end-of-season awards would be happening soon.

Journalist Charlie Eccleshare summed up the mood, Tweeting: “Not now, mate”

When it came to the awards, it’s no surprise that Kane won all three Player of the Season awards from the fans, while Son Heung-min picked up the Goal of the Season accolade for his strike against Brighton.

While that might have been a nice moment for those players, they likely would have swapped the awards for three points against Brentford as Tottenham now sit just one point above the Bees and look at risk of ending the campaign without securing any form of European football.

The Athletic’s Wolves correspondent Tim Spiers has provided an update on the possibility of the West Midlands club luring Valencia forward Goncalo Guedes to Molineux this summer.

What’s the story?

Speaking on the Talking Wolves YouTube channel, Spiers explained: “So he’s one, again, given who he is and his agency, he’s just constantly on Wolves’ radar, obviously because they know it’s a deal that they can do.

“So that link will perpetually be there, really. If a forward option came up this summer, he’d be right at the top of the list for them.”

The winger has one year left on his current deal with the La Liga outfit and is a client of Jorge Mendes, who represents numerous members of Wolves’ squad.

Therefore, the Portuguese agent’s association with Guedes could seriously increase the likelihood of the 25-year-old signing for Wolves this summer.

Wolves must sign Guedes

If Wolves are to strengthen any position this summer, you would argue that it would have to be in attack, with Bruno Lage’s side ending the campaign with one of the Premier League’s lowest scoring records.

Despite finishing 10th, the Old Gold scored just 38 goals in as many top-flight matches, with only the three relegated clubs scoring fewer goals.

Moreover, creativity from the flanks has been limited in the league this term, with Daniel Podence being Wolves’ most potent winger with two goals and three assists.

Guedes would undoubtedly improve Wolves’ front line, with the 29-cap Portugal international scoring 11 goals and setting up a further six in La Liga this season as Valencia finished ninth in the Spanish top flight.

This campaign has been a major improvement in front of goal for the winger, who scored just five goals in La Liga last season alongside six assists.

Guedes’ strong pedigree is clear to see, making him an excellent prospective signing for Wolves.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old can be accommodated straight into the team, with Francisco Trincao set to return to Barcelona after an unsuccessful loan spell, whilst Adama Traore could still leave despite Barcelona not taking up the option of making his loan deal permanent.

Wolves supporters will want to see intent from the board this summer, particularly after such a poor end to the campaign. With the prospective signing of Guedes, fans would certainly be appeased.

AND in other news: Wolves now closing in on “special” £23.4m-rated signing, it could be bye-bye Neves

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte could see Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar join the north London club this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Conte’s ambition…

The Lilywhites’ recent announcement of a £150m capital increase will go some way in helping to match the 52-year-old’s ambition in the transfer market.

The big development could well assist Spurs in backing their manager whilst ensuring that he is satisfied and has everything he feels is needed to compete at the top level of his first full Premier League season in charge in N17.

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According to The Telegraph, as Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici gears up for a meeting in Italy with Conte, there is a list of big potential targets to discuss, including the likes Alessandro Bastoni, Gleison Bremer, Djed Spence, Christian Eriksen, James Ward-Prowse, Kalvin Phillips and Gabriel Jesus.

As per Spanish sources, it now appears that there are even more names who could join Spurs this summer.

The Latest: Report makes Skriniar claim…

According to a recent report in the Spanish media, Inter colossus Skriniar could be one of the ‘new faces’ of Conte’s team as he ‘demands’ six signings to ‘stay at Tottenham’.

The report added that everything is in Paratici’s hands as the sporting director is tasked with appeasing Spurs’ head coach in the summer transfer market.

The Verdict: Make the move?

A left-sided central defender is thought to be high on Conte’s agenda, and while the likes of Bremer and Bastoni are the most heavily linked, we think it is no surprise to see Skriniar’s name reappearing.

Having been linked with Tottenham before, the Slovakia international is arguably one of Serie A’s most colossal stars at the back – even being described as ‘one of the best in the world’ defensively by Sweden international Albin Ekdal.

However, the bone of contention to any possible move for Skriniar could be his price tag, with his Transfermarkt valuation suggesting that he could cost upwards of around £58.5m.

That being said, as the 27-year-old enters the final year of his San Siro deal, perhaps Paratici can negotiate down that estimate significantly.

In other news: Conte green-lights move for ‘superstar’ eyeing a sensational transfer to Tottenham, find out more here

Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis has confirmed that he will eventually leave the Hoops to finish his playing career back in his homeland of Greece.

The Lowdown: Giakoumakis a key figure

The Hoops clinched Scottish Premiership title glory earlier this month, with so many individuals playing their part in Ange Postecoglou’s side’s success.

Giakoumakis is certainly one of them, scoring nine goals in just 16 league appearances – only ten starts – and proving to be an influential signing from VVV-Venlo.

The 27-year-old’s current Celtic deal doesn’t expire until 2026 but it appears unlikely that he will be at Parkhead forever, following some new comments.

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The Latest: Striker confirms retirement plan

Speaking to Neakriti [via 67hailhail], Giakoumakis confirmed that he intends to end his playing career at OFI Crete, where he spent a spell on loan back in 2019:

“Yes, of course it is true [on wanting a future move to OFI]. I was very close to signing with OFI as a free agent and not on loan.

“I really wanted to but in the end AEK decided to keep me on the roster. I did not have much room, so I agreed. I would ideally like to end my career with the team I love, OFI.”

The Verdict: Possible blow for Celtic

Giakoumakis’ comments may cause some concern, perhaps increasing the chances of Celtic losing him in the near future, at a time when Postecoglou needs to keep his best players.

He is at the peak of his powers and will hopefully continue to be a key figure for the Hoops, as they aim to win the title again next season, as well as make an impact in the Champions League.

The hope is that Giakoumakis will continue to feature prominently in Postecoglou’s plans, having been hailed as ‘hugely important’ by his manager, but these remarks have put his future in doubt, with the attacker not exactly committing his long-term future.

In other news, a pundit believes there will be a ‘problem’ at Celtic this summer. Read more here.

With Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur heading into Thursday’s Premier League meeting against Arsenal knowing that they simply must secure victory over their north London rivals in order to have any chance of sealing a top-four finish this season, the 52-year-old Spurs manager will certainly not have been disappointed by his team’s performance, nor the result.

Indeed, Cedric Soares’ needless barge into the back of Son Heung-min gave Paul Tierney no choice but to point to the spot after just 22 minutes, with Harry Kane coolly tucking the ball past Aaron Ramsdale to give Tottenham the lead.

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Matters were made worse for Arsenal just 11 minutes later when, having already made a quite astonishing three fouls, Rob Holding was shown a second yellow card for an elbow on Son – a numerical advantage on which Spurs wasted no time in capitalising, with Kane again heading home just before the break to double the hosts’ lead.

The game was dead and buried a little over 60 seconds after the restart, when Gabriel Magalhaes first failed to hold off Kane, before scuffing his clearance straight into the path of Son, who slotted home to give Tottenham an unassailable lead and move his side to within one point of the Gunners in the Premier League table.

However, while it was very much all about Kane and Son in attack on Thursday night, one player whose performance perhaps went under the radar was that of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, the 26-year-old midfielder who has recently been linked with a £30m move away from north London in the summer transfer window.

Indeed, over the course of the 90 minutes last night, the £60m-rated talent was imperious in the heart of Conte’s midfield while he had the ball at his feet, enjoying 91 touches, completing 73 of his 79 attempted passes (92%), finding his man with five long balls and making one key pass.

The £100k-per-week Dane also impressed out of possession, winning three tackles, making one interception, completing three clearances and winning four of his five attempted duels, a success rate of 80%.

These returns saw the midfielder who Graeme Souness once dubbed “useless” average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.5, while football.london journalist Alasdair Gold awarded the 26-year-old an eight in his own player ratings, stating of his performance: “Won some big tackles to get Spurs on the front foot and was a constant thorn in the side of the Arsenal midfield.”

It is indeed true that Kane and Son stole the show on Thursday, while Davinson Sanchez also impressed after being a late replacement for Cristian Romero. However, it was undoubtedly Hojbjerg who most proved his worth to Conte against the Gunners, with it now appearing as if the Denmark international is an indispensable part of the Italian’s side.

AND in other news – Bid incoming: Paratici to make £34m offer for Spurs target, he’d be a “special” signing

Crystal Palace are considering a summer move for Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure, according to the BBC.

The Lowdown: Doucoure profiled

Doucoure, labelled as ‘incredibly complete’ by teammate Seko Fofana, is 22 years of age and already has eight caps for Mali under his belt.

He’s been with Lens since 2018 and has racked up 128 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, scoring eight times and registering seven assists, mainly as a holding midfielder.

He can also play at centre-back, has just over two years left on his Lens contract and is currently at the top of his game with a career-high £9m Transfermarkt valuation.

The Latest: Palace interest

The BBC shared a story on Monday, name-checking Palace with an interest in former right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

The report added that Doucoure is also a target, with Patrick Vieira keen to bolster his midfield options ahead of his second season in charge.

The Verdict: Shrewd move?

Midfield does seem to be an area of the pitch where Palace could do with strengthening despite a positive first year under Vieira.

The Eagles look set to lose Conor Gallagher when he returns to Chelsea following his season-long loan spell, while the likes of Cheikhou Kouyate, James McArthur and Jeffrey Schlupp are all out of contract in the summer.

Therefore, bringing in a young talent like Doucoure, who has been ‘destroying everyone’ this season, could prove to be a wise move bot in the short and long run.

In other news: Palace also want winger who ‘gets people out of their seats’ in cheap deal.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Dane Scarlett has been frustrated with his lack of game-time under Antonio Conte and is likely to go out on loan in the summer, according to Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold.

The Lowdown: More minutes required

The 18-year-old started the 2021/22 season as he would have hoped, having made four appearances in the Europa Conference League under former manager Nuno Espirito Santo, but he has only played a total of 10 minutes under Conte and has had to make do with very limited opportunities.

Despite having made a small breakthrough into the first team during the autumn, it has been a frustrating period for the youngster, who has now re-entered the under-23 fold, but it now sounds like a possible move away from N17 could be on the cards.

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The Latest: Offers set to come in for Scarlett

Gold delivered an update on the future of Scarlett in his column for football.london, claiming that unless Conte decides otherwise, the club plans to ‘loan the teenage striker out’ in order to get him the ‘minutes he needs’ in order to continue his development.

Championship outfit Bournemouth are said to have ‘made an approach’ for the £225k-rated prospect last summer, but Spurs are believed to have rejected that move as a result of wanting their man to have guaranteed playing time.

The N17 hierarchy are reportedly expecting to receive more offers for Scarlett from the second tier of English football in the coming months, although a move to League One could prove more beneficial considering the success that Troy Parrott has had at MK Dons.

The Verdict: Star in the making

Scarlett’s international record for England’s under-19s has been very impressive, having scored seven goals in just eight outings in the past year, so it’s no wonder that he is attracting interest from potential suitors in the lower leagues.

Parrott’s spell away from the capital has majorly aided his development, and he will return to north London a much more prolific and confident player, so there’s plenty of hope that the same will happen with the English youngster if he exits Tottenham this summer.

The youngster has some brilliant role models in this Spurs side in the form of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, and if he can continue to learn from those two and progress as a finisher, he could be one of the fresh faces leading the line for Tottenham in years to come.

In other news… a transfer insider has claimed that the ‘Conte factor’ could attract one of Spurs’ summer targets to the club