All posts by z3u9t.icu

Lots of Manchester City fans have been reacting to the news the Citizens are prepared to let Raheem Sterling leave the club this summer.

The Citizens face a huge clash on Saturday night as they prepare to face Chelsea in the Champions League final in Porto. This will be the first time they have played in the biggest match in European club football in their history, so Pep Guardiola and his team will have done all they can to make sure his side is as well-prepared as possible.

Unfortunately, he cannot control what the press decides to report in the build-up to the clash. According to Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail, Sterling is atop of a list of players City are prepared to offload this summer, with the club willing to listen to offers for the 26-year-old, whose form was questioned by numerous supporters this season after his goal tally dropped by more than half from last term.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from City supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, and they were fuming at the thought of Sterling possibly being offloaded, with the winger having scored 114 goals in his six years at the club.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Sterling news

“delete this.”

Credit: @mancitybluess

“right before an important game how weird”

Credit: @mcfc_kai

“I will say this again, offloading Raz will be a huge mistake Man City will regret… We still need players like Sterling, yes he had bad season but we need him..he will bounce back to his form.”

Credit: @Zethemb87730720

“Amazing. Everybody’s leaving then. Right before the CL final. Thanks SAMI”

Credit: @NK_ESQ

“Just someone trying to cause issues before a final. Wouldn’t be surprised if it is true though, give us 100 million.”

Credit: @Ethan4707

“What a way to treat one of our best ever players, smh, he has one bad season and the club gives up on him just like that. Shameful”

Credit: @QJweRfWQ4YzvJ8R

In other news, these Man City fans want the club to sign this player in the summer.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano laid down a major West Ham update this weekend that will surely have supporters of the Premier League side disappointed.

What’s the word?

Romano took to Twitter to confirm that Declan Rice had indeed turned down a new deal proposal from West Ham as David Moyes looks to keep one of his stars at the club beyond the summer.

However, it was reported by Adam Newsom and relayed by Romano before the match between West Ham and Chelsea that Thomas Tuchel rates Rice “very highly”, but hasn’t given him much more thought due to the ban on Chelsea signing or selling players until their takeover is complete.

Tuchel isn’t the only admirer of the England international, with Manchester United reporting interest in the player too.

Moyes will want to keep Rice

Rice has emerged to be one of the Hammers’ key players as they have had a fantastic season in the top flight.

They are pushing to consolidate a top-six spot in the league and reaching the Europa League semi-finals has potentially justified Rice’s £67.5m market value, with some of the fees teams have been quoted with to sign him having pushed beyond the £100m mark.

With a SofaScore rating of 7.17, the highest of any other West Ham player, it is a case of when and not if before he eventually leaves the side.

With his contract not expiring until 2024 then Moyes is in a prime position to haggle for the best fee possible. His stock has never been higher and a £100m plus transfer fee could give the manager some major funds to continue the wonderful job he has done so far.

It’s fair to say the supporters will be gutted if Rice does go, but the reality is, once the big boys come calling, not a lot of people turn them down. That said, if it’s their London rivals Chelsea, it will aggravate fans even more.

AND in other news, Sources: West Ham eye swoop for “brilliant” 21 y/o, he’s “similar to Eden Hazard”

Sheffield Wednesday will be looking to build on Tuesday night’s win as it moved them to within four points of safety in the Championship.

The Owls head to the northeast to face an injury-troubled Middlesbrough side with very little to play for, although the visitors cannot afford to be complacent under assistant manager Jamie Smith this afternoon.

They’ll also be heading into battle against old foe Neil Warnock, formerly of the Blades, and his team did Wednesday a huge favour in midweek by defeating relegation rivals Rotherham.

Darren Moore will be absent once again but he is in constant contact with his staff and players, so it will be interesting to see what line-up he will name for the trip to the Riverside Stadium.

Here’s our predicted XI, as well as the latest team and injury news…

There could be just two changes to the team which narrowly defeated Rovers this week.

Smith revealed that he has no fresh injury concerns heading into kick-off, meaning that much of the same squad should travel. Joost van Aken has not been training whilst Chey Dunkley is close to a return, but there are no new problems aside from that.

One change could come at the back, with 20-year-old Osaze Urhoghide taking his place on the right of a back three, next to Tom Lees and Julian Borner and in front of Keiren Westwood.

This would be a move which would allow Sam Hutchinson to go back to his natural midfield position alongside skipper Barry Bannan in the engine room. That comes at a cost, though.

Unfortunately for Joey Pelupessy, he could be axed despite the 27-year-old’s decent showing in midweek. Adam Reach and Liam Palmer have cemented their places as Moore’s first-choice wing-backs in this system, so it’s unlikely that their roles will change much.

Further up the pitch, both Josh Windass and Kadeem Harris could continue to support the striker in a free role occupying the half-spaces, but their leading centre-forward will be a different man this time.

Callum Paterson is in line to return, taking the place of Jordan Rhodes, who has struggled for goals recently. It’s a big call to make given the 31-year-old’s record in this division, but a necessary change as the other Scotsman has bagged more often in the league this term.

AND in other news, Forget Windass: Owls monster who won 83% duels was Moore’s unsung hero against Rovers…  

With Everton once again on the hunt for another permanent manager after the Merseyside club sacked Rafa Benitez as a result of a poor run of form in the Premier League that capitulated with a 2-1 defeat against relegation struggler Norwich City at the weekend, numerous names have been thrown around as potential candidates to take the reins at Goodison Park.

One name that has been mentioned with the position is one that will be very familiar to not just Premier League followers, but specifically Everton fans.

What’s the latest?

Speaking on a recent live Sky Sports programme, journalist Kaveh Solhekol revealed that if Everton were to offer the manager’s role to current Derby County boss Wayne Rooney, the former Toffees star would find it difficult to turn down.

He said: “The information we have that is although Wayne Rooney is focused and working hard at Derby County, if he was offered the opportunity to return to Everton, he would find it very very difficult to say no.

“If he was to return to Everton, you are talking about somebody that is footballing royalty.

“Other players, current players respect him so much.”

He’d raise the roof

In his playing days, Rooney made a total of 117 appearances for the Toffees across all competitions, scoring 28 goals and providing four assists along the way.

As a manager, the 36-year-old has taken charge of 64 games for Derby as their caretaker and permanent manager, winning 19 games, drawing 19 and losing 26 in the process.

Given the financial situation the Midlands club have found themselves in that have led to points deductions as well as transfer and contract issues with players, the former striker has been able to show his mettle in the dugout at Pride Park this season by guiding his team to eight wins and 11 draws.

With Rooney’s connections at Goodison and his knowledge of the Premier League having played 491 games in the top division, he has the ability to raise not only the mood at Everton but the standards as well, especially if he’d be able to get a positive run of results under his belt and get a big reaction from the fans as well; something he’s already achieved at Derby.

With Rooney previously sharing his intent on staying at Derby regardless of how their current campaign ends whether it be in the Championship or as a League One side next season, it seems that even if the Toffees do approach their former striker with a job offer to replace Benitez, he wouldn’t want to leave halfway through what could be a great achievement for him and the club in keeping them in the second tier.

With that in mind, it could be worth Everton targeting a manager that isn’t currently employed that would be able to make a quick move to Goodison Park and get to work on getting their season back on track.

In other news: “As things stand”: Fabrizio Romano drops fresh EFC manager claim, fans surely relieved – opinion

In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, Rob Lee, who made 280 Premier League appearances, has claimed that Dominic Calvert-Lewin should remain at Everton despite having a good season.

Manchester United have reportedly enquired about the England international and the Toffees have slapped an £80 million price tag on their star striker, who has scored 15 goals this season.

Calvert-Lewin started the season as one of the most in-form players in the Premier League as he scored 11 goals in 11 games but injuries have disrupted his second half of the season.

Speaking on whether Calvert-Lewin should leave Everton this summer and what he must do before getting a move away, Lee exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“Not at the moment no, but I think he had a great start to the season scoring 11 in 11 but he needs consistency and that’s what teams will be looking for, consistency, especially for the amount of money that Everton would demand for him.

“I don’t see the point in him going or the point in Everton letting him go. He might as well have another season there and if he does as well as he started this season then in a year’s time, I’m sure that there’ll be clubs after him.”

The 24-year old was signed from Sheffield United in 2016 for just £1.6 million so the Toffees would make a comfortable profit on the striker if he was to leave.

Everton still have a chance of qualifying for the Europa League this season as they find themselves just four points behind Tottenham Hotspur in sixth.

Manchester United could sign their ideal Juan Mata heir in the shape of Atalanta midfielder Alessandro Cortinovis.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Tutto Mercato Web, United are interested in acquiring the 20-year-old’s signature over the coming months after his impressive 2020/21 campaign.

However, the report also states that several Serie A sides are keen on Cortinovis, meaning Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may have to move quickly in order to secure his man.

Heir to Juan Mata

The 20-year-old is yet to make his senior debut for La Dea but has continued to catch the eye with his standout performances for Atalanta Primavera.

Cortinovis has bagged 12 goals and provided three assists in 24 appearances this season, starring for his side in a 2-1 victory over AS Roma Primavera this week, scoring both the goals.

The Red Devils are believed to have a good relationship with Gian Piero Gasperini’s charges after signing Amad Diallo in a big-money move 12 months ago, and they could use that to their advantage this time around.

Although Mata is expected to be handed a new one-year contract extension at Old Trafford, the 33-year-old made just nine Premier League appearances last season and is deep into the twilight years of his career.

United have the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba within their ranks who have the ability to unlock a door from a central position, but competition for places is key, and Solskjaer may be keen to replace the ageing Spanish maestro.

The Norwegian manager has never been shy to put his faith in young stars throughout his tenure with the 20-time English champions.

Mason Greenwood, Brandom Williams and Dean Henderson are just a selection of the many academy graduates to receive their debuts under Solskjaer, and he would surely love the opportunity to work with a highly-rated youngster such as Cortinovis.

As a result, departing chief executive Ed Woodward must swoop for the Atalanta star this summer before one of Italian football’s big hitters makes their move, ensuring United have the best chance of securing some silverware in the years to come.

And, in other news…The Athletic drops encouraging Man Utd transfer update that’ll leave fans buzzing 

Liverpool just managed to limp over the line into the top four last season despite having several key players out injured, and their captain Jordan Henderson was one who picked up a serious knock during the season.

Former Liverpool star Paul Stewart believes that Aston Villa’s John McGinn could replace him.

Villa have reportedly slapped a £45 million price tag on McGinn’s head which certainly raised a few eyebrows considering he’s had just one season in the Premier League and only managed three goals and five assists last campaign.

Jurgen Klopp will be targeting the centre of midfield in this summer’s transfer window as he goes in search of a Georginio Wijnaldum replacement, and also to add some much-needed strength in depth.

McGinn featured for Scotland in all three of their Euro 2020 games but was unable to offer them any spark in the group stages and asked if he would be a suitable replacement for Wijnaldum, Stewart had this to say exclusively to Football FanCast:

“No, I don’t think so because they’re totally different players.”

The Scotland international is certainly a busy and energetic player as he attempted and completed the most pressures out of anyone in the Villa side last season, so he would be able to buy into Klopp’s demanding style of play and potentially replace another long time member of the squad, as Stewart added:

“You’d be looking at him taking the place of Henderson in midfield, and I can see that being more likely to happen than him replacing Wijnaldum.”

With Villa having to fight off interest in Jack Grealish, they will be hoping a £45 million price tag frightens off potential interest in McGinn as losing those two would essentially rip out the heart of their side going into next season.

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle’s interest in Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho.

What’s the talk?

According to Spanish outlet Sport, Newcastle’s new owners PIF are in talks with Barcelona over a potential January deal for the Brazil international.

The report claims that the Magpies are keen on a swoop for the attacking midfielder and are able to afford Barcelona’s €50m (£42m) valuation.

Fans would be ecstatic

Newcastle fans would surely be ecstatic if PIF are able to secure a deal to sign Coutinho in January. If this report is accurate, the Saudi Arabian consortium are showing immediate ambition in the transfer market, as he would represent a significant boost to the current playing squad.

Coutinho has played in the Premier League, La Liga and the Bundesliga throughout his career for Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively and would give a lift to the players at St James’ Park. The 29-year-old is a Champions League winner and has won league titles in both Spain and Germany, which means that he would arrive with pedigree and could be respected by the other players at the club.

In his last 18 months at Liverpool, Coutinho produced 20 goals and 13 assists in 41 Premier League starts for the Reds. He averaged a WhoScored rating of 8.03 in his final half-season at Anfield, with seven goals and six assists in 14 appearances.

His former Reds teammate Roberto Firmino claimed that the 29-year-old has ‘magical powers’ on the ball, saying (via Goal): “He’s phenomenal. You simply can’t say that he’s not a magician. He has magical powers. He produces plays that don’t exist, that you couldn’t make up.”

These quotes and Coutinho’s phenomenal statistics in England for Liverpool highlight why Newcastle fans would likely be over the moon if he is signed for £42m in January. He is a proven Premier League attacking midfielder and could come in and score the goals and provide the assists to lift Newcastle up the table, whilst also possibly being the first marquee addition of the new regime on Tyneside.

Therefore, PIF must ensure that they can get a deal over the line for Coutinho. Fans would be delighted with this piece of business due to his experience and quality, and it would be a shrewd first swoop by the owners to show the supporters that they are serious about competing at the top end of the table.

AND in other news, Football finance expert drops Newcastle budget claim which will surely leave fans buzzing…

Crystal Palace are looking to sign Arsenal ace Ainsley Maitland-Niles, according to The Athletic journalist Matt Woosnam.

The versatile Maitland-Niles, 23, has been made available for transfer after failing to nail down a place in Gunners boss Mikel Arteta’s future plans.

Maitland-Niles made 15 appearances during a loan spell with West Bromwich Albion last season but he was unable to steer the Baggies away from relegation to the Championship.

However, Maitland-Niles remains on the radar of a host of top flight clubs, including Palace.

The Eagles, under new manager Patrick Vieira following his appointment earlier this month, face competition for Maitland-Niles’ services.

Newly-promoted Watford, along with Southampton, are also monitoring the situation ahead of the Premier League season getting underway next month.

Maitland-Niles, who has been capped by England five times, impressed Palace fans during West Brom’s 1-0 defeat at Selhurst Park in March, according to Woosnam.

The reporter believes Palace are vying to win the race for the Arsenal man’s services.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Woosnam said: “Ainsley Maitland-Niles did well last season at West Brom.

“Certainly, he was one of the two players that stood out when Palace hosted West Brom towards the end of the season, along with Okay Yokuslu.

“He would bring an element of positivity to Palace but it will come down to the cost.”

Valerien Ismael has dropped an update on the future of Sam Johnstone at West Bromwich Albion.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Express & Star, the Frenchman revealed that progress is being made in talks between the club and the goalkeeper regarding a new contract at The Hawthorns.

The 45-year-old went onto claim that, while he does not expect a resolution quickly, he has a good feeling about the England international remaining an Albion player beyond the end of his current deal – which is set to expire at the end of the season.

Speaking about the contract situation of Johnstone, Ismael said: “Progress is a big word but we keep talking. I don’t think we can get a result quickly, but at least all the parties are talking. We have a good feeling, but we need to be patient on that.”

Huge boost

Considering just how important a part of the West Brom side Johnstone has been in recent seasons, the fact that the goalkeeper appears to be edging closer to putting pen to paper on a new deal with the club is undoubtedly a massive boost for Albion.

Indeed, over his 37 Premier League appearances last term, the £7.2m-rated man kept six clean sheets, made an average of 4.5 saves per game and stopped a total of 166 shots over the course of the season.

These returns saw the man Sam Allardyce dubbed a “magnificent” player earn a highly impressive average SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as the club’s second-best player in the top flight.

And, aside from a disappointing performance against Blackburn Rovers, the £28k-per-week shot-stopper has continued his fine form in the Championship so far this season, earning a 6.9 match rating against Luton Town and a 7.4 match rating against Sheffield United.

As such, should the 28-year-old indeed go on to extend his stay at The Hawthorns, it will not only be a boost to the club’s promotion hopes this season, but also to their chances of potentially remaining in the top flight next term.

In other news: Valerien Ismael drops fresh West Brom transfer claim that is sure to get fans excited