All posts by z3u9t.icu

Manchester United watched midfielder Christian Eriksen on Monday with a view to a potential summer transfer, Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet (via Sport Witness) report. 

The lowdown

Eriksen and Denmark travelled to face Austria, managed by United’s former interim boss Ralf Rangnick, in a UEFA League Nations League Group A1 clash on Monday night.

In Rangnick’s first home game in charge, Denmark ran out 2-1 winners, with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Jens Stryger Larsen scoring either side of a Xaver Schlager effort.

Eriksen left Inter Milan in December 2021 because Serie A medical rules would not let him play with a cardiac device fitted following events at last summer’s European Championships.

He would then join Brentford in January, but his short-term deal has now expired, leaving him pondering his next move.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-updates-3/” title=”Latest Man Utd updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The latest

United were one of ten clubs who sent officials to watch proceedings at the Ernst Happel Stadion, claims the report.

The scouts from Old Trafford, and indeed Tottenham Hotspur, had a ‘special focus’ on Eriksen.

Fellow Premier League side West Ham United and Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund also had representatives in attendance.

The verdict

Eriksen certainly put on a show in front of his potential suitors.

He set up Stryger Larsen’s winner, one of two chances he created, he hit the woodwork and he completed three long passes (via SofaScore).

But you could argue that they didn’t need any further evidence of Eriksen’s enduring quality in light of his showing at Old Trafford last month.

United may have beaten Brentford 3-0, but the 30-year-old was a shining light: two key passes, six out of ten long balls, 88% passing accuracy, four out of four ground duels and two tackles. His SofaScore rating of 7.7 was the highest in Thomas Frank’s side, and Gary Neville remarked that some of his passing was ‘out of this world’.

United’s need for midfielders has been heightened by the departures of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic, and Eriksen is still up there with the best.

Among all players to start at least three Premier League games, only Kevin de Bruyne (0.39) bettered his record for expected assists per 90 (0.35, level with Trent Alexander-Arnold).

Neville has seen enough to suggest that the ‘unbelievable’ Eriksen could play for any top six club, and there’s certainly a compelling case to pursue this free transfer.

In other news, Erik ten Hag could be key in luring this star to Old Trafford.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is an admirer of West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen, according to insider Claret & Hugh. 

The lowdown

The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke and Charlie Eccleshare reported at the weekend that Antonio Conte wanted to bolster his no. 9 options ahead of 2022/23.

While Bowen played the majority of his football – 35 games – on the right wing, David Moyes also fielded him as a centre-forward on ten occasions.

It was an excellent campaign for the 24-year-old, who scored 18 goals and provided 13 assists in all competitions, including 12 apiece in the Premier League.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The latest

The Hammers insider states that Conte has added Bowen to his ‘wanted list’ for the summer transfer window. The Italian is a ‘big fan’ of the Englishman off the back of his exploits last season.

However, a West Ham source has claimed that ‘it is simply not going to happen’.

Rather than considering a sale, the Hammers are intent upon negotiating ‘an improved deal’ with the player.

The verdict

It’s no surprise that Bowen has caught Conte’s eye.

He finished just outside the top ten in the Premier League’s scoring charts and wound up third behind Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the assist rankings (via BBC Sport).

Only Salah (36), Son Heung-min (30), Harry Kane (26) and Kevin de Bruyne (22) recorded more goal involvements in the top-flight.

This form saw Bowen win West Ham’s Players’ Player of the Year award, scoop a Premier League Player of the Season nomination and earn his first England call-up.

His estimated Transfermarkt value, meanwhile, has climbed to a career-high £31.5million.

Spurs saw first-hand how good he could be back in December when he showcased ‘terrific feet’ and scored a ‘superb’ goal (in the words of Sky Sports’ lead commentator) in their 2-1 EFL Cup quarterfinal victory over the Irons.

The problem, ultimately, is that West Ham will steadfastly refuse to sell a star player to London rivals Spurs.

In other news, a journalist has dropped a big Darwin Nunez update involving Spurs.

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.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

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.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-7/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

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.

Manchester United have signed some of the biggest players in the world over the years, but new information has emerged on a player they tried to sign during Louis van Gaal’s reign at Old Trafford that will leave supporters wondering what could have been.

What’s the latest?

Thomas Muller has spoken out in an interview following the signing of his new contract with Bayern Munich to confirm that Man United made an “insane offer” to sign him.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-man-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more-nunez-ten-hag-nkunku-richarlison” title=”Read the latest Man United news!”]

The attacking midfielder told Merkur (via Daily Mail): “Bayern clearly rejected the whole thing – despite this insane offer from United.”

Paul Pogba upgrade

The Bayern Munich legend would have been a huge coup for Manchester United and would’ve been a better signing than Paul Pogba who re-joined the club in 2016 after the offer for Muller was made.

Muller has had a hugely impressive career with his boyhood German side, scoring 227 goals and contributing a whopping 242 assists with a goal contribution every 99 minutes, winning two Champions Leagues, 12 Bundesliga titles and a World Cup with Germany.

Even at 32 years old, the midfielder who was hailed “remarkable” by Jurgen Klinsmann, has put up incredible numbers again this season alone scoring 13 goals and delivering 25 assists in 45 appearances, an attacking output that United would absolutely love to have in their team.

Comparatively, Pogba in his time at Old Trafford is coming to an end in a few weeks when he will become a free agent, and despite winning the Europa League and league Cup with the club has been largely ineffective in his role and hasn’t lived up to the expectations set on him.

Paul Scholes blasted Pogba in an interview with talkSPORT (via Daily Mail):

“I just don’t think he’s ever learned as a footballer, he constantly seems to make the same mistakes over and over again.

“For some reason, at Man United, it hasn’t worked out. It’s a big disappointment.”

The Frenchman will leave the North West for the second time having provided 39 goals and 51 assists in 233 appearances with a goal contribution every 196 minutes which is a far lower output than Muller has delivered for Bayern Munich.

With that being said, supporters will likely always wonder ‘what if?’ should Van Gaal have successfully signed the £22.5m-rated German goal machine, as the player surely would have put them in a much brighter position than their current midfield creator Pogba who has had a disappointing tenure at the club.

AND in other news: Man Utd plot bid for “magic” £30m gem who’s “faster than the train”, Ten Hag needs him

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.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

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.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

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