All posts by z3u9t.icu

Liverpool and Arsenal are both keen on acquiring Lille midfielder Renato Sanches this summer, according to L’Equipe [via This is Anfield].

Enjoying a commendable 2020/21 season, the Portuguese midfielder registered five goal contributions in 29 fixtures for the French champions, with one goal and four assists [Transfermarkt].

He also impressed at Euro 2020 with his country, earning their third-highest average match rating at the tournament from WhoScored, and is now courting attraction to his services from the Premier League duo.

Liverpool and Arsenal are “very interested” in acquiring the playmaker despite his lengthy injury record in 2020/21. Lille are said to be open to selling their prize asset due to financial arrears within the club, opening the door for the Reds to replace Georginio Wijnaldum [L’Equipe, via This is Anfield].

In light of this news, loads of Liverpool fans took to Twitter to voice their delight upon hearing these recent developments.

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Liverpool fans react to Sanches transfer link

Replying to popular Twitter outlet Get French Football News, here is how some Reds fans reacted to the club’s links with Sanches, with one Kopite believing that the 23-year-old would be an “incredible signing” for Jurgen Klopp’s side:

“I sincerely hope this is true.”

Credit: @FaraiJulian”Would be an incredible signing”Credit: @TheFarFarLeft”On my knees”Credit: @APLFC_”what a signing this would be man omds.. the perfect signing for us”Credit: @CoutinhoCurler”Oh if we are very interested then in no world anyone would choose Arsenal over us”Credit: @_Hell_Warrior”This link and deal I like. Get it done.”Credit: @PapaPoku”Please make this happen. He’d be an absolute monster under Klopp if he could stay fit.”Credit: @dublin_damoIn other news, Liverpool have agreed a fee regarding one man’s exit from Anfield.

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…

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.

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.

As per a report by The Telegraph, it appears Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has set his sights on a brand new target as news emerges on Everton keeper Jordan Pickford.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye goalkeeping swoops…

Amid Hugo Lloris’ precarious contract situation, with his deal set to expire in 2022 as it stands, Tottenham have been linked to bolstering their roster with new goalkeeping additions.

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Sam Johnstone of West Bromwich Albion is a name repeatedly mentioned alongside Spurs with his deal also running out at the end of the season.

Ajax shot stopper Andre Onana is another shot stopper currently on Tottenham’s radar as 90min reiterates Conte’s personal desire to strengthen his options.

This is despite the addition of Pierluigi Gollini on loan with an option to buy over the summer, with the Italian only featuring in Tottenham’s cup competitions thus far.

The Latest: Conte eyes new name…

As per The Telegraph, Conte is now personally targeting Pickford as he adds a new target to his list.

According to the reliable outlet’s sources, England’s number one is being ‘lined up’ as a successor for Lloris as the Tottenham veteran’s contract continues to run down.

If the Frenchman does end up signing extension, Conte wants a homegrown keeper regardless as he eyes a high profile candidate who can compete for the number one spot.

The Verdict: Big move…

Given the availability of another homegrown ace in Johnstone, who could move on for much cheaper, this Pickford swoop would certainly come as the more audacious move.

The 27-year-old is under contract at Goodison until 2024 and it is believed that Everton will want to make a profit on the £25 million paid to sign him from Sunderland in 2017.

This represents a gamble financially for Spurs when compared to Johnstone, who they could snap up for free in 2022, but would he be worth it?

Pickford enjoyed a phenomenal Euro 2020 campaign as one of the Three Lions’ best players, attracting praise for his heroics between the sticks.

Trevor Sinclair, speaking to talkSPORT during the tournament, described him as ‘one of the best goalkeepers in the world’ and heaped praise on the player for utilising a sports psychologist and improving his all-round game.

Meanwhile, a fellow former England international in Danny Mills raved over just how underrated Pickford can be – going on to suggest he is one ‘nobody ever talks about’ (Football Insider).

These plaudits certainly point to a player who can bolster Conte’s options, but only time will tell whether Spurs opt to invest.

In other news: ‘World class’, ‘Perfect’, ‘Winning already’…Sky pundit raves over transfer news out of Spurs, find out more here.

Reading forward George Puscas has reportedly turned down a loan offer from Turkish side Kasimpasa, according to Berkshire Live.

What’s the story?

Puscas has been with Reading since 2019, after signing from Italian giants Inter Milan for a fee believed to be in the region of £8million.

With that hefty price tag, there were high hopes for the Romanian international, but for one reason or another, he hasn’t hit the heights expected of him in recent seasons with the Royals.

Puscas has been restricted to just 64 appearances in total for the Berkshire-based side, with the 25-year-old often being behind Lucas Joao in the pecking order at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.

But it has now been reported by Berkshire Live that Puscas has turned down a move to Super Lig side Kasimpasa, as he wants to fight for his future with Veljko Paunovic’s side moving forwards into the 2021/22 campaign.

‘Very special’

Reading’s current financial restrictions have been well-documented, with Paunovic recently revealing that some first-team players could still leave the club before the conclusion of the summer transfer window.

Puscas is seemingly one of those, with the club looking to cut the wage bill to make room for new signings ahead of the upcoming Championship campaign.

But the forward is clearly keen to remain patient and wait for an opportunity to impress Paunovic in the 2021/22 season, which gets underway on Saturday 7th August, when the Royals take on Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium.

We’ve seen glimpses of Puscas’ quality whilst with Reading, with the striker making a blistering start to life with the club, after netting an impressive brace against Cardiff City back in August 2019, which included a memorable solo strike.

But with 18 goals to his name from his 64 appearances for the Royals, there is certainly room for improvement. When you’re comparing that to the 28 goals in 59 appearances that Lucas Joao has scored for the Berkshire-based side, it’s easy to see why Paunovic starts the former Sheffield Wednesday man ahead of Puscas.

Speaking in an interview on Sky Sports’ EFL Podcast, Keith Andrews admitted that he thought Puscas could be something ‘very special’, although he struggled in English football since then.

“It was a shrewd move and obviously they had to pay a fair bit to get him through the door.

“I was at the Cardiff game earlier in the season (a 3-0 victory where Puscas scored twice) and he was outstanding. He took the bull by the horns and ran Cardiff ragged and I thought he could be something very special.”

But Puscas’ record certainly isn’t the worst, and with Lucas Joao not fully-fit as of yet, it does leave the Romanian forward a chance to stake a claim for a starting spot, especially with Femi Azeez being the only other recognised option in attack during pre-season.

He deserves a run in the starting XI, and given that he’s keen to prove himself with the Royals, there would be no harm in giving him game time whilst Joao is out of action, and Puscas could silence a few of his doubters this term with Veljko Paunovic’s side.