All posts by n8rngtd.top

Tottenham Hotspur could land themselves a major midfield upgrade this summer.

According to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, Spurs have concrete interest in signing RB Leipzig skipper Marcel Sabitzer ahead of next season.

It is thought that Daniel Levy and co will make their move for the 27-year-old talisman this summer as he enters the final 12 months of his current contract at the Red Bull Arena.

Sport Bild have fueled the fire in recent weeks too, claiming that there is a “75% chance” Sabitzer ends up in north London despite interest from Premier League rivals Manchester United and Liverpool. RB Leipzig are said to want €42m (£36m) for his signature.

Jose Mourinho isn’t short on midfield options, however, so any arrival in the role would surely spell the end for someone already at the club. As explained by Football FanCast earlier this week, Moussa Sissoko has started to regress at an alarming rate, which is hardly a surprise given that he’s now on the wrong side of 30.

Sabitzer would be a massive increase in quality, by comparison.

Indeed, Sissoko isn’t really offering much at either end of the pitch – as per WhoScored, the 31-year-old Frenchman is averaging one tackle and one interception per game defensively, whilst in attack he’s only managing 0.8 dribbles and 0.2 key passes per game, and has failed to contribute towards a goal. All of these numbers are a decrease on his 2019/20 figures.

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The RB Leipzig sensation is a far better box-to-box option in the middle. Aside from bagging 23 goals and providing 19 assists over the past 18 months, Sabitzer is doing an industrious job in winning the ball back, averaging 1.1 tackles and. 1.4 interceptions per match, via WhoScored.

Clearly, the £36m-rated gem knows what to do in the final third, as evident by his impressive returns and the fact that he’s been dubbed a “goal threat” by his manager Julian Nagelsmann. It’s easy to see why he’s having such an impact, having averaged two shots and one key pass per Bundesliga match this term.

Spurs know just how dangerous he can be, as he absolutely tormented Eric Dier and the rest of the squad last season, knocking the north Londoners out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage.

Winning 3-0 in the second leg, Sabitzer bagged a brace and also ran the show with 67 touches (the third-most for the German outfit), three interceptions and one tackle. His subsequent 7.7 rating, as per SofaScore, far exceeded that of Dier (6.6) as the England international endured a torrid night.

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick gave the Spurs man a 5/10 on the night, writing: ‘No match for Leipzig’s speedy front three and nearly guilty of an awful mistake when he fired a clearance straight into Schick, forcing Lloris into a save.’

Sabitzer would also bring leadership qualities to N17. “He has clearly changed for the better and has become a leader. The way he has developed his personality is remarkable. I’ve only rarely experienced something similar,” explained his former coach Ralf Rangnick to Kicker (via Bulinews).

Levy must wave goodbye to Sissoko and clinch Sabitzer this summer.

AND in other news, Spurs could kill two birds with one stone by signing £22.5m-rated “absolute monster”…

Reports by Torino Granata earlier this week have given West Ham United a huge boost in the race to sign Nikola Maksimovic, as Inter Milan are reluctant to meet the SSC Napoli defender’s demands over a potential summer transfer.

Maksimovic is set to leave the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium at the end of the season as chances of the Serbian signing a new contract with Gennaro Gattuso’s side are almost zero.

But Inter are growing slightly cold over a free transfer of the in-demand centre-back, as they feel his request of a €2.5m-a-season (£41.5k-p/w) contract is too much.

The Nerazzurri are also assessing alternative options to strengthen Antonio Conte’s backline in the off-season, with ex-Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi and Real Betis titan Aissa Mandi under consideration.

Inter are yet to completely withdraw from the race to sign Maksimovic and could schedule a new meeting with his agent, Fali Ramadani, having spoken with the £11m-rated enforcer’s representative recently.

But the San Siro natives’ cold feet has swung the door wide open for a rival suitor to swoop, with Maksimovic said to be on the radars of a host of European clubs including West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur.

FC Porto, AS Roma and ACF Fiorentina are also listed as potential destinations for the 29-year-old, who recent reports in Spain had claimed was set to seal a summer move to the London Stadium as David Moyes is a big fan of the £38k-p/w enforcer.

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Rumours now emerging in Italy that Inter are getting cold feet over awarding Maksimovic a contract that would see him earn marginally more than the £40k-p/w the Irons currently pay summer free-agent Fabian Balbuena will be seen as a huge boost in Moyes’ pursuit.

Clearly, though, West Ham have hurdles in their way toward getting Maksimovic to sign on the dotted line, which David Sullivan should strive to overcome to afford Moyes the added senior depth he is claimed to be after.

The Hammers also pursued Maksimovic last summer but Sullivan and Moyes were denied the 25-cap international’s services, with talkSPORT claiming that a £14m offer was rejected and Calciomercato.it later suggesting Napoli snubbed an improved €25m (£21.5m) bid.

Sullivan and Moyes landing their man this year can see West Ham acquire a defender who has previously been compared with his compatriot Nemanja Vidic, as 6 ft 4 Maksimovic is a real powerhouse defender like the Manchester United great.

Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti also described Maksimovic as a “complete” defender who “has no problems” during his time in charge of Napoli, and may yet emerge as an another rival suitor after requesting information from Ramadani on his situation.

But with Balbuena seemingly on his way out of the London Stadium and Moyes said to want additional senior options alongside Angelo Ogbonna, Issa Diop and Craig Dawson – who the Irons have confirmed has triggered a £2m purchase clause – Sullivan should be putting a lot of effort into ensuring Maksimovic is wearing claret and blue next season.

AND in other news, West Ham dodged a £32m bullet in a 2017 deal dubbed a “real coup”…

Manchester City are reportedly taking an interest in Sporting Lisbon left-back Nuno Mendes ahead of the summer, and if he were to join, it could be the catalyst for Benjamin Mendy leaving the Citizens.

According to Portuguese news outlet Record,  City have made initial contacts over a move for the 18-year-old, who reportedly has a £60 million release clause with the Liga NOS side.

Although it suggests that the teenager could well be loaned back to Sporting as part of the deal, it looks as if City are targeting him as a long-term option at left-back, which suggests that Mendy could well be on his way out after a nightmare few seasons with the Citizens.

The Frenchman has shown glimpses of immense quality during his time working under Guardiola, particularly in the 2018/19 season when he managed five assists in just 10 Premier League appearances, which saw him average an impressive 7.29 rating.

However, he has endured some awful injury problems with City, which have prevented him from ever really enjoying a run of games in the first-team.

This season has seen Guardiola primarily utilise Oleksandr Zinchenko and Joao Cancelo at left-back, with Mendy having made just eight appearances in the top-flight, in which he has averaged a disappointing 6.45 rating.

Therefore, if Mendes were to join City, you feel that the Frenchman would be the one to leave, as he is simply too unreliable because of injury problems, and he is already arguably third-choice left-back, whilst the likes of Nathan Ake and Aymeric Laporte have also shown that they can play there if needed.

Mendes has impressed this season so far, making 19 appearances in the Portuguese top-flight, in which he has contributed one goal and one assist, averaging a superb 7.22 rating, so it is easy to see why he is attracting so much interest.

The young Portuguese defender certainly looks to be a wonderkid, and if sporting director Txiki Begiristain can negotiate a deal to bring him to the Etihad this summer, it would not be a surprise to see Mendy depart as a result.

And, in other news… £99m-rated City star’s place could be under threat after 23 y/o’s super display 

A number of Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to the news that Ryan Jack has been forced to withdraw from the Scotland squad for the international break.

Jack has not played a single minute since 21 February (Transfermarkt), so it was a surprise to see Steve Clarke call up the 29-year-old in the first place. However, it became clear quite quickly that he would be in no position to represent his country, so the former Aberdeen man has now left the Tartan Army squad to return to Glasgow (Daily Record).

Jack, who has played 10 times for Scotland, has been an important part of the Gers’ campaign, making 24 appearances in all competitions for them. However, he has suffered with calf and knee issues throughout the campaign, so hopefully, this international break will now allow him more time to recover so that he can play a part between now and the end of the season.

The news attracted plenty of attention from Gers fans, some of whom took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Jack news below

“You have ruined my evening Scotland”

Credit: @willreilly72

“Huge blow. Should be first name on team sheet. People really underestimate how vital he is defensively to Scotland.”

Credit: @David_Davy_Dave

“Brilliant. Concentrate on the teddy bears games”

Credit: @rino1872

“Good news . He’s come back twice from international duty injured and his lack of games is concerning. Shame though it is about missing the Euros he would be better suited getting properly fit as his priority is to Rangers not Scotland.”

Credit: @IBoyd1966

“Good.”

Credit: @billyni99933742

“The lad hasn’t played for his club for weeks so why on earth he was called up in the first place was pathetic. After the @Scottish Fa lack of support for @GlenKamara4 I hope no @RangersFC players play for Scotland again.”

Credit: @Blabber08756401

In other news, this Rangers man has been tipped to be the club’s Player of the Year.

Celtic were unable to keep their unbeaten winning streak going yesterday as they lost in a rather weak manner.

The Hoops fell at the hands of a plucky Ross County having arrived at Victoria Park off the back of a strong five games prior, scoring 13 goals in that time and conceding just two. However, they wouldn’t be celebrating their sixth victory.

Just the one goal was scored last night, coming in the 71st minute as Jordan White managed to find the back of the net and snatch the points away from a wounded Celtic.

The reigning league champions will be disappointed with an overall lacklustre performance. Jonjoe Kenny, in particular, was off his game, but there was one man who managed to shine, despite the poor result.

Callum McGregor vs Ross County

Callum McGregor has been an integral part of Neil Lennon’s squad this season. Talks have emerged about the idea of him taking the captain’s armband from Scott Brown, who is out of contract in the summer.

With big boots to potentially fill down the line, the midfielder has been solid in the engine room this campaign and he was one of the few positive takeaways against Ross County.

According to Sofascore, he took a mammoth 124 touches of the ball, which was more than any other player on the pitch. This just goes to show how much of a feeder player he operates as in midfield – he is always giving and receiving the ball to try and make some magic happen.

McGregor also made an impressive 101 accurate passes, completing 90% of those attempted, as well as putting in 11 accurate long balls and making one key pass.

Neil Lennon is also a huge fan of McGregor’s and recently waxed lyrical about his influence. The boss described him as a “metronome” in the middle of the park, which is a huge compliment for someone awaiting to take charge of his club as future captain.

Celtic did lose the game, but captain-in-waiting McGregor can still be proud of his performance.

In other news, Celtic must keep starting Ryan Christie this season…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer told us that he thinks The Owls’ current interim manager, Neil Thompson, will stay in charge at the club until the end of the season.

The South Yorkshire outfit are looking for their fifth permanent manager in three years and their third of the season after owner Dejphon Chansiri sacked Tony Pulis after only 45 days in charge at the end of last month.

Thompson has been at the Owls for several years, leading the U23 squad to glory in 2016/17 and was also an assistant to Dave Jones.

Under his temporary leadership so far, they are yet to lose in the Championship whilst Sunday’s FA Cup fourth-round exit to Premier League giants Everton was their first defeat in five outings.

However, the 57-year-old – if appointed permanently – would still have a lot of work to do to turn Wednesday’s fortunes around as they remain six points adrift of safety in the Championship.

The Owls have been linked with several managers in the past month, ranging from former Wigan man Paul Cook to two-time promotion winner Slavisa Jokanovic, whilst other linked names include sacked Watford boss Vladimir Ivic, current Doncaster manager Darren Moore and former Bayern Munich midfielder Thorsten Fink.

Palmer believes the most likely outcome is that current caretaker Thompson will get the job until the end of the current campaign, at least…

He told FFC:

“I think that is the likely outcome, that he will get it until the end of the season. That’s what I think.

“As big a job as Sheffield Wednesday is – and it is a big club and a fantastic club – I think because of the history now that Chansiri has shown, and managers speak [to each other], which top manager is going to take that job?”

Thompson’s only other managerial experience has come in lower-league and non-league football, managing the likes of York City, Scarborough and Boston United, all over 15 years ago.

It could certainly be seen as a risk to appoint him for the long-term, even if the results have been hugely positive under his tenure, given his lack of experience, but Palmer thinks that is what is going to happen.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Palmer questions Chansiri’s latest Sheffield Wednesday decision…

Celtic are set to face Livingston this evening for the second consecutive match as they hope to redeem some of their Premiership disappointment. The Hoops remain second in the table, trailing to runaway leaders and arch rivals Rangers.

The Gers have an enormous 21-point advantage thanks to their unstoppable form and some major dips in the road for Celtic. Neil Lennon and his men will return from their recent 10-day self-isolation period and look to hopefully get three points on the board.

Last time out, the Bhoys couldn’t find a way past Livingston’s defence, with the match ending in a 0-0 draw. They are now without a win in their last three outings and are in desperate need of boosting morale around camp.

Whilst the manager and 14 of his senior players were in quarantine, Gavin Strachan stepped in and was forced to field a skeleton crew squad. Youth players like Cameron Harper and Karamoko Dembele enjoyed some first team action, but it was some of the more senior players who weren’t up to scratch.

Diego Laxalt for example was particularly disappointing against Livingston at the weekend. According to Sofascore, the AC Milan loanee lost possession 26 times, with only Shane Duffy losing the ball more (28).

The left-back was also dribbled past twice and committed three fouls, showing how uncomfortable he appeared against the Livingston attack. Lennon will not want any mistakes hindering his chances of banking a win tonight and should maybe look at swapping Laxalt out of the squad.

Greg Taylor is waiting in the wings for his chance to re-assert himself at the club. He has made only sporadic appearances so far this season and has failed to make it off the bench for the last four matches, according to Transfermarkt.

The 23-year-old will relish the chance to show he can deliver the goods, especially with the uncertainty over whether Laxalt’s loan move will become permanent or not. If the £22,000 per week Uruguayan returns to Milan, Taylor has a golden opportunity to become Lennon’s first choice left-back. This could start with a solid performance against Livingston this evening.

In other news, signing Benjamin Siegrist would be the end of Scott Bain…

Morale will be high over in the Leicester City camp after they managed to claw their way to victory against Sheffield United at the weekend. The Blades were wounded by a last-gasp strike from Jamie Vardy, which cancelled out Oliver McBurnie’s equaliser in the first half.

The victory sees the Foxes keep up with the pack pushing for the top spot this season. They are currently fourth in the Premier League table, just three points behind leaders Spurs.

Leicester have some good squad depth this campaign and Brendan Rodgers has had the fortune of being able to chop and chance his starting lineup. One man he opted to field against Sheffield was Ayoze Perez, who hadn’t started for Leicester since their defeat to Aston Villa in October.

Perez must start vs Brighton

Rodgers has been starting James Maddison and Harvey Barnes together recently, which has proven to be a winning combination. However, having Perez also at his disposal to assist Vardy is a huge threat for any opposition.

The Spaniard’s eye for a goal and his lightning pace makes it very difficult for defenders to deal with him. Therefore, he could hold the keys to another Foxes victory this weekend when they take on Brighton.

The Seagulls have conceded 18 goals so far this season, proving that their defence can be exploited if Leicester are able to find the weak points. Using Perez alongside Vardy will cause a huge problem for Brighton, who will struggle to defend against the duo’s speed and impeccable footwork.

The £45,000 per week winger will also be looking for another chance to impress Rodgers and re-establish himself as a regular in the team, given he has played just 352 Premier League minutes across five appearances so far this term.

A solid performance at the King Power on Sunday will definitely put Perez’s name back in the hat for landing more game time this season.

In other news, Ricardo Pereira’s U23 appearance is exactly what Rodgers needed…

West Ham United must flip their decision not to recall Felipe Anderson from his failing loan spell with FC Porto, amid reports that David Moyes has already decided the Brazilian’s future.

What’s the word?

According to reliable insider ExWHUemployee, the Irons have no interest in recalling Anderson from his season-long loan during the January window, despite Porto being far from impressed with the winger’s early efforts.

Anderson joined Sergio Conceicao’s side in October after the market for English clubs to sign players from abroad closed, having failed to start a single league game for the Hammers this season.

Moyes had favoured the £22.5m-rated Brazilian in each of the London Stadium’s EFL Cup ties, returning one goal and two assists, and did not expect to lose Anderson once the international market closed to English sides.

West Ham would have hoped to see Anderson revive his career with the Portuguese champions having been signed for a then-club-record £36m in 2018 but, instead, they have seen the 27-year-old feature for just 110 minutes across all competitions.

Anderson has started only once for Porto, coming in last week’s Tace de Portugal trip to third-tier G.D. Fabril, while Conceicao has also omitted the one-time Brazil international from three of his matchday squads – including his last two in Liga NOS.

Yet, despite Anderson being an outcast at the Estadio do Dragao, West Ham have no interest in recalling the forward this winter and as such, they will allow him to see out the season in Portugal.

U-turn needed

With Porto not overly impressed by Anderson’s performances and Conceicao showing a recent preference to omit the 27-year-old from his matchday plans, West Ham must make a U-turn on their decision not to recall the winger Moyes once lauded as a “technically gifted” player.

While the Irons’ deal with Porto saw the Liga NOS outfit pick up Anderson’s £85,000-per-week contract and pay a sizable loan fee to obtain his services for the season, West Ham will be in a far worse position next summer than they were this year with his current terms due to expire in 2022.

The east London club will be left in an awkward state of limbo were Anderson to stay away until the end of the campaign, as a torrid year in Portugal will see his market value continue its drastic decline that has seen TransferMarkt devalue the Brazilian by £18m since last December.

However, Anderson returning to the London Stadium this winter will afford Moyes and the Hammers hierarchy an opportunity to find a new home for the former Lazio star, one where he will be given the chances to find his best form again and hopefully help him maintain some of his value.

AND in other news, a pundit has exclusively claimed a 26-year-old ace would have been a “very good” West Ham signing.

Mega money deals are seldom heard of when it comes to Leeds United. Their current record signing is the £26million they paid for Rodrigo, who joined the club during the summer from Valencia. Still to this day, their sale of Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United for £30million is their most expensive departure, after the transfer broke the British record.

But these deals are few and far between, often the Whites are subject to lot of free transfers – both coming in and going out. One player particularly of note is Andy Lonergan, who has been subject to a lot of loan moves over his career. And despite being passed from pillar to post, Leeds would benefit from someone of his seniority this season.

Andy Lonergan’s fascinating career

The goalkeeper first joined the Yorkshire outfit in 2011 for a reported fee of £293,000. He spent just 12 months at Elland Road before being sold for a cut price of £288,000 to Fulham (via Transfermarkt). But Lonergan returned to Leeds in 2017 on a free transfer, signing under then manager Thomas Christiansen.

The 37-year-old made a total of 47 appearances for the Whites during his two separate stints. He has also enjoyed brief spells with the likes of Rochdale, Middlesbrough and Wolves. Although he has never really established himself at the clubs he has joined, his experience of the game would be a valuable asset to Leeds this season, who are currently struggling with 20-year-old Illan Meslier in between the sticks.

Lonergan joined Liverpool as an emergency back-up option to Alisson last summer and despite not making a single appearance, now boasts a Premier League title, Club World Cup and Super Cup.

He may not have played a part on the pitch, but he will have sat in on Jurgen Klopp’s team talks, participated in intense training sessions and shared the passion felt by the entire team as they closed in on their first ever Premier League title. This is experience than no money can buy and Lonergan could still play a part in this Leeds side. The veteran could pass on untold wisdom to the likes of Meslier and ensure the Whites cling onto their first season back in England’s top flight.

In other news, Bielsa must unleash Joe Gelhardt to bolster Leeds’ attack this season…