All posts by z3u9t.icu

A number of Manchester City fans are far from happy after it was confirmed by Felix Nmecha that he has left the club following the expiration of his contract.

There has been plenty of focus on Felix’s brother Lukas, who enjoyed a positive spell at Anderlecht last term before firing Germany to European Under-21 Championship glory earlier this summer. As of yet, he is still a Man City player, but he has been linked with a move away from the Etihad Stadium (The Sun).

One Nmecha who will definitely no longer be playing his football in Manchester is Felix, as confirmed by the player himself. The 20-year-old has impressed at youth level for the Citizens, scoring 27 goals throughout his time at the club (Transfermarkt), but he has made just three appearances for the senior side and has now moved on to look for more playing time elsewhere.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, with some raging at director of football Txiki Begiristain for failing to keep hold of Felix Nmecha, who one supporter rated on a talent level similar to Kevin De Bruyne.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Nmecha leaving

“We’re gonna regret that. Felix is a baller”

Credit: @Fodeninho_

“Everyone is leaving…are we safe?”

Credit: @ZambianCity

“No cash just vibes, Txiki out”

Credit: @TheGismyName

“Every Spanish team is leaving Man City Academy…. every young promising player is also being released… Pep wants to see Man City going down so he could go back and coach the young players he released from City”

Credit: @AvumileNeo

“KDB level talent”

Credit: @BluuMoonRising

“Txiki is destroying this club from inside. Terrible terrible TD. Also it’s not only Txiki but half the board that are responsible for this mess. We sell our players for peanuts or let them go for free. We buy average players as well. Sack them all. The Spain enclave sucks.”

Credit: @Achillaes

In other news, some Man City fans slammed this player’s comments.

Leeds United could sign a big upgrade on Adam Forshaw in Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez amid suggestions that the club could reignite their move for the midfielder.

What’s the story?

Reports over the course of the summer window had claimed that Marcelo Bielsa’s side were eyeing up a swoop for the 26-year-old, with Italian publication La Nuova Sardegna even suggesting that the Whites were ready to pay the €36m (£31m) release clause in order to bring him to Elland Road.

Ciclo Deportivo have now claimed (via FC Inter News) that the Whites could return to the table for Nandez, although it’s suggested that it could well be a ploy to get Serie A giants Inter to bid themselves.

Upgrade on Forshaw

With Kalvin Phillips out injured, it’s been up to Forshaw to bring some calm and experience to the Leeds midfield this season; and while the 30-year-old has tried to hold things down, Nandez would represent a real upgrade on him.

Speaking to This Is Futbol, Serie A football expert Conor Clancy said of the Uruguayan: “Anywhere Bielsa wants to play him, he’d do a job. I like him a lot. I think he’s only about five foot seven, but you wouldn’t know it if you just watched clips of him, he is a little bit of a machine. He’s so powerful but at the same time, has really, really good ball control.”

As per SofaScore, he averaged 1.8 tackles and won 6.1 duels per game in Serie A last term, which favours quite well when you compare him to Phillips – the Whites powerhouse averaged 2.6 tackles and won 5.3 duels per match in the Premier League.

Nandez’s performances for Cagliari even led journalist Mina Rzouki to say: “Cagliari’s Nandez is one of the most underrated players. God he’s been so amazing, especially in Cagliari’s last 3 games. He scored the equaliser against Napoli. Man of the match in the win against Udinese. Against Roma – just wow. Unstoppable.”

The £18m-rated Nandez appears to be the ideal solution to Bielsa’s lack of real midfield cover at Elland Road right now, with his combination of work rate and technique making him a perfect fit for the notoriously demanding Leeds manager.

This season, the Uruguayan has averaged far more duels won per game than Forshaw, while also offering a more consistent goal threat too, averaging more shots per match.

At four years his junior, and with plenty of experience in the Italian top flight, Nandez could seamlessly replace Forshaw in the starting line-up at Elland Road.

Meanwhile, Victor Orta must ensure that he does this one crucial thing…

With things appearing to be improving for Ange Postecoglou on a near-daily basis at Celtic in recent weeks, as the Bhoys’ form on the pitch has been drastically improving, as well as the club beginning to welcome back a number of their long-term absentees, there are plenty of positives at Parkhead at present.

However, one player who remains on the sidelines is 18-year-old Karamoko Dembele, with the winger revealing that he is set to remain out of action until the turn of the year due to recently undergoing surgery on an ankle fracture.

Despite this fact, when the teenager does eventually regain match fitness, it would appear extremely wise for the 56-year-old manager to place his trust in the teenager, as the forward is undoubtedly a player who could help revolutionise Celtic’s attack.

Indeed, despite having made a grand total of just eight first-team appearances for the club, there has nevertheless been a great deal of fanfare about the forward’s potential, with Ruud Gullit stating his belief that the England U18 international “looks pretty special”.

Meanwhile, French publication L’Equipe included Dembele in a 2019 list of wonderkids that also included Barcelona’s Ansu Fati and Inter Milan’s Sebastiano Esposito, dubbing the youngster an “extraordinary” talent.

It is easy to see why, as, having featured for Celtic U20s while just 13 years of age, the winger is a clearly player who possesses an incredible amount of ability, having already scored his first senior goal in a Celtic shirt in a 4-0 win over St Johnstone last season, as well as bagging the opener in a 2-1 win over Charlton Athletic in a pre-season friendly this summer.

As such, upon his return from injury, it would appear highly advisable for Postecoglou to start unleashing the £800-per-week 18-year-old in his starting XI on a regular basis. Not only would this be fantastic for the youngster’s development, but it would also undoubtedly aid Celtic’s creativity in the final third – something that has been lacking at times this season.

In other news: 61 game-changing actions prove Ange is finally living up to his biggest Celtic promise

According to Football Insider, some promising transfer news has come out of Tottenham Hotspur and it involves promising Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites eye lower league talent?

Spurs and transfer chief Fabio Paratici have been no strangers to lower league talent, according to reports in recent months.

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The likes of Djed Spence, currently shining on loan at Nottingham Forest from Middlesbrough, has been at the centre of Tottenham’s interest alongside Posh defender Benjamin Mensah.

Tottenham have also apparently turned their attention to the signing of Oxford United defender Luke McNally in recent months with one bid of £2 million having already been put on the table (Football Insider).

Now, as per FI, news has emerged on another.

The Latest: Spurs prepare Edwards bid…

According to their information, Tottenham are preparing an offer for the centre-back as they line up a move.

Peterborough, it is believed, are braced for bids from the Lilywhites and other clubs with the north London side now stepping up their interest.

This comes after Spurs started making regular checks on Edwards ‘in recent weeks’.

The Verdict: Make a move?

The England Under-19 international is apparently very highly rated and has already been impressing in England’s second tier.

Edwards, still only a teenager, has played very regularly in the Championship under both ex-boss Duncan Ferguson and new manager Grant McCann.

In that time, he has stood out as a brilliant performer, averaging one of the highest pass accuracy percentages out of Peterborough’s squad whilst also a noteworthy amount of clearances per 90 (WhoScored).

Described as an ‘incredible talent’ by his former gaffer Ferguson, Edwards now attracting Spurs’ interest is hardly a surprise given some of his exceptional 2021/2022 performances.

In other news: Tottenham eye imminent agreement as they also make offer for exciting midfielder! Find out more here.

Newcastle United have offered Atalanta €30million (£25.1million) for striker Duvan Zapata, according to Duncan Castles for The Daily Record. 

The lowdown

Newcastle have already signed one striker this month in the form of Chris Wood. They activated the £25million release clause in the New Zealand frontman’s Burnley contract.

But it seems that Eddie Howe wants even more firepower at his disposal, with Zapata in the club’s sights as he enters the final 18 months of his contract in Bergamo.

Of course, Callum Wilson is out for the foreseeable future with a calf injury, and the Magpies will need all the help they can get in front of goal, having scored just 20 times in 20 top flight matches this term.

The latest

The report states that, while Atalanta are willing to sell, they want another €15million (or £12.5million) on top of Newcastle’s original offer.

Encouragingly though, Zapata is thought to be ‘open’ to joining Newcastle if a fee can be agreed.

Newcastle’s top target for the striker position is SL Benfica’s Darwin Nunez, but the Primeira Liga outfit are demanding just over £50million. ‘Sources close to the negotiations’ say Zapata is being lined up as an alternative.

He’s one of a number of ‘high-value’ targets Newcastle are working on.

The verdict

Zapata’s record is excellent. In 152 appearances for Atalanta, he’s been directly involved in 116 goals (scoring 78 and setting up 38). He’s on 12 goals and seven assists for the 21/22 season so far.

His ‘quite incredible’ performances under Gian Piero Gasperini have, in the words of football journalist Maxi Angelo, made him ‘one of the most notorious strikers in Europe’, and at 6 foot 2 with tremendous physical strength it’s not hard to see him adjusting to life in the Premier League.

If he’s willing to trade Europa League football and a Serie A top-four battle for a relegation scrap, it suggests he’s certainly up for the fight.

But there is a question mark – do Newcastle really another striker approaching their twilight years? They’ve paid a sizeable fee for Wood, and Wilson is 29, while Wood and Zapata are both 30. From that point of view, you could also ask whether this is sensible squad-building.

In other news, Luke Edwards breaks some ‘difficult’ transfer news.

Leeds United picked up their first win of the Premier League season as they beat Watford 1-0 at Elland Road on Saturday.

Diego Llorente’s first half strike was enough to secure the three points for the Whites as they worked hard to earn a win against the Hornets. The result takes Leeds up to 16th as it stands and three points off the top half of the table in this early stage of the season.

Despite the positives to come from winning the game, one player for Marcelo Bielsa’s team struggled to perform. Summer signing Dan James put in a worryingly ineffective display out wide, which will surely have left his manager feeling let down.

The 23-year-old has now played four Premier League games for Leeds and is yet to record a SofaScore rating of higher than 6.6 for the club. His rating against Watford on Saturday was a measly 6.2 as he failed to show what he can do in general play and in the final third.

In terms of his general play, James was a lightweight. As per SofaScore, he lost six of his 10 duels and made zero tackles in the game. He also gave the ball away 18 times and only completed 64% of his attempted passes, having 35 touches overall throughout the 90 minutes.

This suggests that he was too weak to deal with the strength of the Watford defenders, who eased him out of the way most of the time. Bielsa could be worried by this when Leeds come up against other teams who use their physical attributes to impose themselves on the Whites, as James may not be suited to such opponents based on this performance.

The Wales international did not redeem himself in the final third, either. As per SofaScore, James had a dribble success rate of 0% from four attempts and completed none of his attempted crosses. This led to him providing zero key passes in the match, whilst his only two shots were blocked by Watford defenders before they could reach Ben Foster’s goal.

Bielsa will surely have been feeling let down by James’ overall performance. The winger struggled both in his build-up play and in his execution of skill in key moments, leading to an all-round disappointing performance from the winger. Hopefully he will be able to repay Bielsa’s faith by coming back after the international break and improving the standard of his displays.

In other news: Leeds take major step as Thorp Arch news emerges, fans will be buzzing

Leeds United are still reportedly keen on signing Denmark international Mikkel Damsgaard this summer, with Marcelo Bielsa an admirer of the player.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Damsgaard move

The 21-year-old enjoyed a hugely impressive Euro 2020 campaign with Denmark, standing tall in the absence of Christian Eriksen and scoring a superb free-kick in the semi-final against England.

Leeds have been previously linked with a summer move for Damsgaard, as Bielsa looks to add to his squad in the final weeks of the transfer window.

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The Latest: Rumour refuses to go away

Another rumour has now emerged regarding Leeds’ potential pursuit of the Sampdoria attacking midfielder, with La Repubblica [via Sport Witness] reporting that the Whites are willing to rival Tottenham for the Dane’s signature.

It is claimed that Bielsa himself is ‘pushing hard’ to snap up Damsgaard, who is valued at £18million by Transfermarkt, but would likely cost more than that due to his stunning showings in the summer.

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The Verdict: Superb potential addition

Damsgaard showed what a talented young player he is at the Euros, scoring twice and assisting once, and he could provide some extra guile for Leeds in the final third.

There were times when central areas arguably needed an extra bit of creativity last season – Mateusz Klich and Kalvin Phillips only scored five Premier League goals between them – and the Sampdoria man could help solve that issue.

With Phillips protecting the defence and Damsgaard supplying the attack, Bielsa would have two up and coming stars in the heart of his midfield with proven quality and room to grow even further.

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming after an update on one Reds player’s future. Read more here.

Taking to Twitter with an exciting update, reliable reporter Alasdair Gold has shared what managing director Fabio Paratici is ‘currently’ doing at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Paratici era in full flow…

The Italian transfer chief’s arrival at N17 over the summer was met with promise as chairman Daniel Levy heralded the ‘tough negotiator’ and what he could bring to Spurs.

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Paratici’s already overseen his first Tottenham transfer window, managing to shift some players off the wage bill in permanent departures for the likes of Serge Aurier, Toby Alderweireld, Erik Lamela, Juan Foyth and Moussa Sissoko while Danny Rose and Paulo Gazzaniga left on free transfers (Transfermarkt).

Meanwhile, the 49-year-old orchestrated deals to bring in Pierluigi Gollini, Emerson Royal, Bryan Gil, Cristian Romero and Pape Matar Sarr (Transfermarkt) – the latter of whom will officially link up with Spurs following another season at FC Metz.

While Paratici failed to bring in some of his transfer targets, like Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic for instance, it was a fairly solid window but senior transfers aren’t his sole responsibility.

The Latest: Gold shares exciting Paratici update…

In an exciting Twitter update, Gold has explained what Paratici ‘currently undertaking’ right now at Spurs.

Indeed, the former Juventus sporting director is apparently orchestrating a behind-the-scenes shake up at Tottenham as he overhauls the club’s scouting set up alongside fellow official Steve Hitchen.

According to the reliable journalist, Paratici plans to ‘bring it in line with Europe’s top clubs’ among ‘other departments’ as he aims to ensure Spurs snap up the best young players in world football (football.london).

The Verdict: Paratici cooking…

As the Lilywhites continue to nurture, arguably, some of their brightest starlets in Oliver Skipp, Dane Scarlett and Dilan Markanday, to name a few, supporters may be optimistic Paratici also has eyes on bringing in some talent from the outside.

He is set to play a major role in the Tottenham project and has perhaps excited fans the most with his addition of new boss Antonio Conte, a serial winner with trophies galore at the highest level.

Conte will need backing to ensure his vision is realised, and this may not necessarily mean splashing the cash on a plethora of incoming senior stars.

As evident by Spurs success stories like Harry Kane in recent years, their academy and scouting could play a major role as Paratici aims to lead their assent back to the summit of European football.

If they’re to hit the heights previously met under former boss Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham’s scouting infrastructure could come as an underestimated key cog.

In other news: Conte gifted January boost in race to sign ‘explosive’ playmaker for Spurs, he wants to leave…find out more here.

A number of Wolves supporters have reacted negatively to a rumour linking the club with a move for Fenerbahce winger Enner Valencia.

Bruno Lage’s side may have found some form in the Premier League but that doesn’t mean their squad doesn’t need strengthening.

It could be that new signings are made in the January transfer window to ease the burden off Raul Jimenez given his constant international exploits, and one player who has been linked with a move to Molineux is Valencia.

According to Fotomac [via Talking Wolves on Twitter], Wolves are the front-runners to sign the former West Ham and Everton man.

The 32-year-old has scored an impressive 34 goals in 67 caps for Ecuador, so he could arguably be an experienced head who provides Lage with quality.

Wolves fans react to Valencia rumour

Despite Valencia’s pedigree, these Wolves fans took to Twitter to react negatively to the rumour, saying they don’t want him to sign for Wanderers.

“Please don’t Wolves”

Credit: @parker_bradley

“Sanches this, Botman that, Donny van de Beek the other. No Enner Valencia”

Credit: @charliewwfc_

“We can’t be paying more than £3m for him”

Credit: @_samwhitehouse_

“How about we don’t do that and sign a good player instead”

Credit: @SamJGollings

“This has to be a joke right?”

Credit: @JamesSa36443478

“Please no”

Credit: @thedonck

In other news, a journalist has provided a key update on one Wolves player’s future. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are said to have opened talks to sign Caleb Chukwuemeka from Northampton Town, according to Football Insider. 

The lowdown: Contract offers turned down

Chukwuemeka is a player attracting significant interest in recent months, with the forward catching the eye with some strong displays for Northampton Town’s academy teams.

Football Insider have labelled him as a ‘rising star’, with the 19-year-old previously attracting interest from Scottish giants Rangers, who recently won the league title under the management of Steven Gerrard.

Chukwuemeka’s current deal with Northampton Town is set to expire at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, and it is claimed that he has rejected the Cobblers’ attempts to tie him down to a new deal.

The latest: Talks with Spurs underway

Spurs have reportedly opened talks with Chukwuemeka over a potential agreement this summer, although it remains to be seen as to what stage they’re at with negotiations on a deal.

Football Insider’s Spurs source has claimed they are discussing offering one of their own young players as part of a potential swap deal, which could make the deal more appealing for Northampton Town.

Spurs’ scouts have reportedly been impressed with Chukwuemeka’s performances during pre-season, with it being claimed that there is a sense that he’s progressed to a new level.

The verdict: A shrewd move for the future

This could turn out to be a smart bit of business for Spurs.

Chukwuemeka has evidently got something about him if he’s attracting interest from a number of Premier League clubs, including a club with the stature that Spurs currently have, as well as Gerrard’s Rangers – the Ibrox manager knows a thing or two about what it takes to succeed in the Premier League.

Obviously this wouldn’t be a deal that would be for the first-team straight away, with the forward not having any experience under his belt in the Premier League.

But in terms of a long-term vision, it’s a signing that could pay off in future seasons for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side if the youngster fulfils his potential.