All posts by z3u9t.icu

Liverpool fans are far from happy with the news that Thiago Alcantara has not featured in any images from the Reds’ latest training session at Kirkby.

The Spain international was signed from Bayern Munich last summer, and was expected to become a key member of Liverpool’s squad. However, it hasn’t quite worked out like that.

He has so far managed just 35 appearances for the club since making the switch (Transfermarkt), as injuries have curtailed his chances of really unleashing his obvious quality.

He has made just two starts for Jurgen Klopp’s side in the Premier League this campaign, and has missed the last two through injury. Now, it appears that he could be out of the action for a little while longer as he was not pictured during the club’s latest training session.

The news was shared on Twitter by @AnfieldWatch, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Thiago update below

“This man is a big fraud”

Credit: @l3mzyL

“He’s worse than naby”

Credit: @Jef46916091Jeff

“Be gone in the summer I expect. Bit part player. So disappointing”

Credit: @LeighBergin

“Such a plastic midfield”

Credit: @JohnSno36837584

“He misses all our important big games while only being available against the dross.”

Credit: @kevin_the_gray

“Lets just swap this guy for Kessie.. Heard Milan are interested”

Credit: @Bwoy_Tynnie

In other news, Liverpool fans want this man to leave the club.

Journalist Tim Spiers hailed evergreen midfielder Joao Moutinho’s performance in Wolves’ 2-1 victory at home to Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Big win for Wolves

Bruno Lage’s side hosted Villa in the Premier League, as they looked to continue their march towards European football next season.

It proved to be another positive day at the office for Wolves, who led 2-0 at half-time thanks to a Jonny strike and an Ashley Young own goal as part of an excellent counter-attacking display.

Ollie Watkins’ late penalty made for a nervy ending at Molineux but the Wanderers held on to jump to seventh place in the table, for the time being at least.

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The Latest: Spiers hails Moutinho

Taking to Twitter straight after the game, Spiers gave a brief but positive assessment of Moutinho’s display: “Moutinho’s class showed throughout.”

The Portugal international enjoyed an 88% pass completion rate against Villa, as per Sofascore, not to mention making three tackles and playing one key pass.

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The Verdict: Evergreen hero

At 35, Moutinho could be forgiven for being on the wane but he continues to produce influential performances week in, week out for Wolves, being hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Alan Shearer.

The Portuguese maestro brings so much experience and quality in the middle of the park and the hope is that he remains at Molineux for at least another year, with his current deal expiring at the end of the season.

It may be that Moutinho becomes more of a bit-part player over time but keeping hold of him makes far more sense than losing him this summer, as the Villa win showed.

In other news, Spiers has also provided a key Wolves injury update. Read more here.

According to The Daily Express, Southampton are interested in signing Tosin Adarabioyo from Fulham this summer.

The Lowdown: Saints eye Vestergaard replacement

The Saints have already been busy during this transfer window, making five signings in Romain Perraud (southamptonfc.com), Danyl Simeu (chelseafc.com), Valentino Livramento, Armando Broja and Adam Armstrong.

However, the departure of Jannik Vestergaard to Leicester City (lcfc.com) means the St. Mary’s Stadium outfit could do without another centre-back.

The Latest: Saints eye Adarabioyo

Now, it seems Southampton are interested in signing Adarabioyo.

As per the report, the 23-year-old has a £10m release his contract at Craven Cottage, while Norwich City are also believed to be interested in his services.

The Verdict: Solid option

The Saints have been looking to bring in young players during this transfer window – they have not signed anyone over the age of 25 – and Adarabioyo certainly fits that billing.

Former Blackburn defender Darren Lenihan called him “exceptional” (Goal.com), while Pep Guardiola even had praise for the defender (allnigeriasoccer.com).

He also has 33 Premier League appearances (Transfermarkt), showing he has already held his own at the highest level. £10m for a player of the former England U19 international’s man potential is hardly a huge fee – Ralph Hasenhuttl and co should make their move quick to make sure they get their man.

In other news, Southampton fans want to sign this four-time league winner.

Celtic midfielder Ciaran Dickson has continued his fine start to life at Lennoxtown with a second goal in as many games for the club’s B team, The Scottish Sun report.

The Lowdown: Under-the-radar move

The 19-year-old was released by the Hoops’ crosstown rivals in the summer despite signing a new contract at Ibrox at the beginning of the year.

He was pictured holding up a Celtic shirt at Parkhead at the end of August, although the Hoops never officially unveiled Dickson as a Hoops player.

The midfielder netted against Morton on the weekend, with Celtic B’s Twitter account describing the midfielder as a ‘new signing’.

The Latest: Second goal

Celtic development team coach Tommy McIntyre described Dickson as a ‘top player’ who has ‘made an impact’ already.

Dickson followed up his debut goal for the Hoops’ development side by opening the scoring in a 2-0 win over Gala Fairydean Rovers in recent days.

The Verdict: Positive signs

Dickson has clearly impressed in his opening weeks at Lennoxtown, which can only be a good sign for all associated with the green and white side of Glasgow.

CEO Dominic McKay may have been the man to seal a deal for the free agent recently, and hopefully over time he will progress into Ange Postecoglou’s first-team fold, especially as Celtic only made two senior midfield additions despite losing three in that area during the summer transfer window.

In other news: Pundit reacts as Anthony Joseph shares specific Celtic transfer details. 

Frank McAvennie has now revealed what he has heard about the ongoing situation with Connor Goldson and his Glasgow Rangers contract.

The Lowdown: No deal yet

Goldson is out of contract at Ibrox next summer, and West Ham United are reportedly monitoring his situation ahead of a potential approach in the January transfer window (Football Insider).

If he has not signed by January, then he can be approached by clubs ahead of a potential free transfer in the summer.

The Latest: McAvennie on Goldson

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie, who is now a pundit after playing as a striker for the likes of the Hammers and Celtic, has revealed what he and former Gers player Derek Ferguson have heard about the situation:

“There are a lot of rumours up here about Goldson.

“From what I hear, Rangers have offered him good money. I spoke to Derek Ferguson this morning and he’s heard there is a decent contract offer.

“There may be something going on, we just don’t know. It’s worrying he hasn’t signed a new deal yet.

“He’s a big player for them and he’s not tied down, that has to be a concern.

“There must be something going on otherwise he would have signed it. It sounds like the offer is good so it must be for Goldson.”

The Verdict: Sign him up

Goldson is clearly a very important player for the Light Blues, having played in all but two games and captained the team on a few occasions so far this season (Transfermarkt).

To lose him on a free transfer would be nothing short of devastating, especially as he still holds a decent market value.

Nonetheless, there are still a couple of months to go until January comes calling, and so it is imperative that the Gers get the central defender tied down between now and then, and meet whatever demands he has.

In other news, find out what early Team News before Hibernian Steven Gerrard has dropped here!

Reading have recently been linked with a move for Derby County youngster Louie Sibley, according to a recent report from The Reading Chronicle. 

What’s the story?

Sibley has found regular game time hard to come by in Wayne Rooney’s side in recent months, which will be frustrating for the youngster, who impressed after breaking through to the senior squad.

The 19-year-old was restricted to ten league starts last term, as the Rams narrowly avoided relegation into League One on the final day of the 2020/21 season.

Reading’s financial situation has been well-documented, with the club previously being under a transfer embargo after breaching FFP regulations in recent years.

However, they’ve been given the green light to add to their squad, with Watford’s Tom Dele-Bashiru and former Nottingham Forest full-back Yuri Ribeiro being linked with moves to the club recently.

Sibley has three years remaining on his contract with Derby County, but it remains to be seen as to whether any potential agreement with Reading would be a loan or permanent deal at this stage.

‘Complete’

The Derby talent’s future remains ‘up in the air’ at this moment in time, but Reading could be the ideal move for him, as he goes in search of regular game time in senior football.

The Royals need additional strength in depth, as they’ve been reliant on the club’s Under-23s players over pre-season, which is far from ideal heading into the new Championship campaign.

Yakou Meite has been ruled out of action for the foreseeable future, as he recovers from surgery on an ACL injury, so it makes complete sense for Veljko Paunovic to target an attack-minded player this summer.

Sibley will be eager to make a name for himself in senior football as well, and if he can find game time with Reading consistently this term, then he could turn out to be a shrewd signing for the Berkshire-based side.

The 19-year-old netted a hat-trick for the Rams against Millwall back in June 2020, but has since gone on to find minutes hard to come by, which will be frustrating for the youngster.

Speaking after Sibley’s hat-trick against Millwall (quotes sourced from FourFourTwo), Phillip Cocu gave high praise to the young talent, and labelled it as a ‘complete’ game from the Derby youth academy graduate.

“He played a massive game. Not only the way he played, but his total development as a young player is a real positive for us as a club.

“He scored great quality goals, a very complete game in his position. When we don’t have possession he does his job, he works for the team.”

Reading finished seventh in the Championship last term, and will be keen to make a serious push for promotion once again this season.

If Sibley can find some consistency in his performances if he does sign for Reading, then the Royals could strike gold in landing his signature this summer, even if that is to be on a temporary basis.

Reading are set to return to action this weekend, where they’ll be looking to pick up their first win of the 2021/22 season, when they take on Preston North End, in what could potentially be a tricky test for Paunovic’s side.

Pundit Alan Hutton has been reacting to Ewan Henderson’s move from Celtic to Hibernian, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Busy start to 2022

The Hoops have wasted no time when it comes to their January business, with moves for Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda already finalised.

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Permanent moves for loanees Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota are also being worked on behind-the-scenes while moving on a number of players is also on the club’s to-do list.

The likes of Vasilis Barkas and Boli Bolingoli could be where Celtic bring in some funds, but it is Henderson who is the first player to depart Parkhead in 2022.

The Latest: Hutton reacts

Hutton, who regularly features on BBC Radio 5 Live, was talking to Football Insider regarding Henderson and Hibs in a story released on Tuesday evening.

A move to Easter Road has since been announced, with the 21-year-old joining on loan before making a move permanent in the summer.

Here’s what Hutton had to say, labelling an exit as ‘heartbreaking’.

“I think it’s always a worry. As fans and as a club, you always want to see the academy doing well.

“You want to see young players coming through. They know what the club’s all about, they know what it feels like to play and support the team and just see the development.

“That’s what the academy is there for, to have a pathway to the first team. Throughout the years, Celtic and Rangers have had times where the odd player’s come through and then went missing for a long time.

“It is a worry they’re getting back to those years where it’s constant players coming in through the door. Foreign players or players on initial fees and there’s no opportunity for youngsters.

“So it can be heartbreaking, it can be devastating for the youth setup because you can’t see any way in.

“I even remember when I was coming through at one stage. I was thinking there is no way I’m going to make into this first team. Every transfer window there was a new player coming in.

“It can be disappointing, but I think ultimately if you’re good enough, you will have an opportunity. Then it’s up to the player.”

The Verdict: The right call

Although it’s never ideal seeing a player Celtic have developed for a number of years move on, it appears to be the correct decision. Henderson played just once under Ange Postecoglou this season, coming off the bench to score in a Europa League dead rubber against Real Betis.

He was never really in the matchday squad either despite the club’s huge injury list, so a fresh start with Shaun Maloney should be the best move for him.

It doesn’t look as if Celtic have received any money for the attacking midfielder’s services due to the loan and Henderson being out of contract in the summer, but hopefully funds will be brought in from the likes of Barkas and Bolingoli.

In other news: Celtic may now sign £4.5m-rated man on loan; would ‘separate’ Nicholson from Lawwell. 

Leeds United are heading into January in dire straits.

They are just five points above the relegation zone, with several teams below them having a game or two in hand, and there’s a mounting injury crisis amongst Marcelo Bielsa’s first-team squad.

As many as 11 players missed the 4-1 defeat to Arsenal at the weekend – their third successive thrashing in the Premier League.

It means Bielsa, director of football Victor Orta and owner Andrea Radrizzani will surely go against their usual mid-season transfer window plans to actually sign someone.

Of course, the Argentinian head coach needs widespread additions across the team but there is one role that he may already have a solution to.

It’s no secret that United have missed a creative influence in the final third, having waved goodbye to Pablo Herandez in the summer. Only five teams have scored fewer goals than Leeds (18), two of which occupy a place in the bottom three, whilst a little over 44% of their goals have come from set pieces alone.

Although Bielsa could well discover a new Hernandez in the form of academy gem Stuart McKinstry, who seems primed to save Radrizzani and co millions in the upcoming window.

The 19-year-old dynamo has already made his senior bow, coming on as a substitute during a Carabao Cup clash with Fulham in September this year, where he scored the winning penalty to see the Whites into the next round.

Meanwhile, for the U23s in the Premier League 2, he has provided three assists from 11 appearances, whilst playing anywhere in midfield.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay once labelled McKinstry as Leeds’ ‘next big thing’.

“He’s a very confident ball carrier, he’s physically strong, good upper body strength, excellent feet, good at beating his man and creative. In his head, he probably feels he can play in other positions up front as well,” he said.

That very much sounds like Hernandez and in his hay day, he too was able to play on the wing, as well as centrally.

Elsewhere, McKinstry’s former academy director at Motherwell, Steven Hammell, lauded him as a “fabulous young player” who “will do wonderful things and become a household name in the next three or four years” to the Lanarkshire Live Sport Podcast.

Even some of his academy teammates have spotted his massive potential, likening him to Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi, so the Elland Road faithful also have plenty to be excited about when it comes to their promising Scottish gem.

As such, Bielsa should turn to the teenage sensation in 2022 because he could well emerge as a solid candidate to replace Hernandez in attacking midfield.

AND in other news, Leeds could sign Bielsa’s next Ben White in swoop for “flawless” £18m-rated colossus…

West Ham are reportedly interested in signing Braga youngster Vitor Oliveira, but they face competition from Premier League rivals Tottenham for his signature.

The Lowdown: Oliveira an emerging talent

The 21-year-old is an exciting young prospect in Portugal, scoring once in two Primera Liga starts so far this season. Also known as Vitinha (not the same one who played for Wolves last season), he struck four goals in Braga’s 6-0 hammering of Santa Clara at the weekend in the Taca de Portugal.

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Oliveira also averaged a 90.9% pass completion rate in his only Europa League appearance in 2021/22 to date, having three shots in that game.

The Portuguese starlet is being linked with a move to England, with West Ham seemingly in the mix to sign him.

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The Latest: West Ham keen on move

According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], both West Ham and Spurs are keen on acquiring the Braga attacker’s signature.

The report claimed that the pair are ‘ready to battle’ to sign Oliveira, although it isn’t specified whether the transfer could happen in January or next summer.

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The Verdict: Added squad depth

While Oliveira wouldn’t necessarily come in as a regular starter for West Ham, he is someone who could be a solid backup for Michail Antonio from January onwards.

There may be times when the Jamaica international, who has started 14 of the Irons’ 16 Premier League and Europa League games so far this term, needs to be given a rest as the campaign progresses, at which point the 21-year-old Portuguese gem could fill in and prove his worth.

The fact that he has scored eight goals in just 11 Braga appearances overall suggests that he could be ready to make the step up to the Premier League.

In other news, West Ham have been linked with a move for a striker. Find out who it is here.

Leeds United have taken a big step closer to Premier League safety in recent weeks by going four games unbeaten.

New manager Jesse Marsch has truly turned things around at Elland Road at just the right time with his side now nine points clear of the relegation zone heading into the final six games of the season.

The American will have gotten to know his side well, having replaced Marcelo Bielsa two months ago and heading into the summer, he’ll have some idea of what he’d like to do to this squad.

One dilemma must be surrounding the long-serving Mateusz Klich, who despite the Whites’ run of form has been pretty underwhelming, and that’s backed up by the fact that he’s completed only one full game since Marsch was appointed.

Under Bielsa, the Polish international was rarely-ever dropped and was often a frequent figure of the starting XI, perhaps even being the first name on the teamsheet, especially in the Championship.

However, his form has fallen off a cliff this season and there has to be doubt over his future at the club, even more so amid interest in RB Salzburg sensation Brenden Aaronson, who the Leeds boss has worked with before.

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The 31-year-old was slammed as being “non-existent” by Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison during a defeat to Everton earlier in the season, whilst in the recent win over Watford, he was one of the team’s lowest-rated players.

“Looked bullied by Juraj Kucka in the middle of the park. Could not provide any platform for the side moving forward,” wrote LeedsLive journalist Beren Cross.

If you’re getting bullied by a midfielder in a side worse than you, in the midst of a victory, then it’s certainly not a good look and the fact that he cannot complete a game under Marsch is hugely telling too.

It could be plausible that the 38-cap international is heading towards the end of his Elland Road career in the coming months and based on his recent form, he’d be lucky to get game time.

In some sense, he’s been aided by recent injuries to Kalvin Phillips and Adam Forshaw, and the lack of other options in the role – with the pair returning, Klich should not play another game under the American this season.

AND in other news, Forget Joffy: Marsch could be about to unleash “phenomenal” Leeds gem amid Hay update…