All posts by h716a5.icu

Celtic have had a good start to their summer transfer window by securing a permanent deal for Cameron Carter-Vickers following his successful loan spell last season.

However, one bad bit of news that emerged recently concerned fellow Hoops defender Josip Juranovic, who has been linked with a move away from the Parkhead club this summer.

In his debut season as a Celtic player, the defender made 35 appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions.

Whether the full-back leaves the club or not, this current transfer period could give Ange Postecoglou the chance to bring in what could be the next version of the Croatian.

The player in question, who has been linked with a move to Celtic Park this summer, is Alexandro Bernabei.

The Lanus left-back, who is currently valued at £2.97m according to Transfermarkt, has made 87 senior appearances for the Argentine club after emerging from their youth ranks.

In those appearances, the 21-year-old has scored five goals and delivered 10 assists, highlighting the attacking prowess he has for a full-back.

This backs up why he was labelled as a “dangerous” player by journalist Fernando Campos on Twitter.

It also shows how much of an asset the starlet could be for the Bhoys up and down the pitch.

With Juranovic scoring 10 goals and providing 25 assists in 241 club appearances throughout his career, this highlights the talent that both players have in the final third.

In fact, in their previous campaigns, both defenders racked up over 30 shots at goal and more than 90 crosses each.

Furthermore, the 26-year-old is included on a list of similar players to the Lanus youngster according to Football Transfers.

In terms of a potential move to Celtic, the fact that Adam Montgomery is reportedly set to join St. Johnstone on loan for next season, in addition to Boli Bolingoli being named as one player the Hoops are looking to get rid of this summer, this could pave the way for Bernabei to take his place in Postecoglou’s squad.

Moving forward, regardless of what Juranovic’s future will look like, Celtic should do all they can to make sure the Argentine puts pen to paper on a deal at Parkhead this summer.

AND in other news: Celtic now given green light to sign “incredibly fast” £5m talent, Ange surely buzzing

An update has emerged on Rangers and their attempts to bring a new number nine to Ibrox in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Jonas Advan Giaevar has confirmed that Rangers have made contact with one of their transfer targets.

He Tweeted: “It’s true that Rangers at least have enquired about Erik Botheim. Remains to be seen whether that leads to an offer or not.”

The centre-forward is currently a free agent after deciding to rip up his contract with Russian club FC Krasnodar, merely months on from joining them from Bodo/Glimt.

The new Alfredo Morelos

By securing a deal to sign the free agent, Ross Wilson can land Gio van Bronckhorst his new Morelos to lead the line next season.

The Light Blues are reportedly in talks with Besiktas with a view to potentially selling the Colombia international this summer and that would leave a huge hole to fill at the top end of the pitch.

In the Premiership last season, the 26-year-old scored 11 goals and provided seven assists for his teammates, showing that he can have a major impact in the final third.

Botheim, who was once dubbed a “complete forward” by scout Jacek Kulig, can be the ideal replacement for the predator this summer.

The Norweigan striker enjoyed a terrific spell with Bodo/Glimt and proved that he has the quality to score and assist goals on a regular basis. In the 2021 Eliteserien campaign, he found the back of the net 15 times and managed three assists in 30 matches.

He also caught the eye in the Europa Conference League as he produced a stunning four goals and four assists in six games, averaging a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.57.

This means that he scored 19 times and assisted seven in 36 outings for Bodo/Glimt in 2021/22 before sealing his transfer to Russia, proving himself domestically and in Europe.

The 22-year-old attacker can, therefore, be van Bronckhorst’s new Morelos as he has the potential to replicate the current Gers gem’s output in the final third, based on his form in Norway.

He has shown that he can score and assist goals at a similar rate and it will now be down to whether or not he can adapt to Scottish football, which is a risk that Wilson and the club will need to take if they lose their number nine.

AND in other news, “The edge..”: Transfer insider drops big Rangers claim that’ll delight supporters…

Tottenham Hotspur have discovered the fee they will need to pay in order to land Seko Fofana this summer.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness), who claim that RC Lens will be demanding a figure in the region of €40m (£34m) in order to part with the central midfielder this summer, with Spurs and Newcastle United thought to be the most interested Premier League clubs in the 27-year-old.

Indeed, previous reports revealed that Fabio Paratici had sent scouts to watch the Ivory Coast international in action for Lens earlier this season, with Tottenham said to strongly appreciate the profile of the former Manchester City player.

Conte’s next Barella

Considering just how impressive Fofana was for Lens last season, in addition to it being reported that Conte is hoping to add two new central midfielders to his ranks this summer, it is not difficult to understand why Paratici would be interested in a move to bring the Ivorian to north London ahead of the club’s upcoming Premier League campaign.

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Indeed, over his 38 Ligue 1 appearances in 2021/22, the £22.5m-rated talent was in imperious form, scoring eight goals, registering one assist and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 2.1 dribbles per game.

Furthermore, according to FBref data, the £20k-per-week Fofana also ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for shots per 90, as well as the top 2% for dribbles completed, the top 3% for non-penalty xG, the top 6% for non-penalty goals, the top 10% for progressive carries and the top 18% for passes completed over the last 365 days.

These returns see FBref compare the player who Matteo Bonetti dubbed “stunning” and Zach Lowy labelled a “phenom” to some of the most talented midfielders currently playing the game, such as Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella, Manchester City duo Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan and Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.

As such, should Paratici go on to seal a deal for Fofana in the coming weeks, Conte could well have unearthed his next Barella at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – a prospect that is sure to entice both the 52-year-old manager and supporters of Spurs alike.

AND in other news: “Spurs have…”: Alasdair Gold now drops big transfer update that supporters will love

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, West Ham United ‘will be looking’ at making a move for Manchester City star Oleksandr Zinchenko this summer.

The Lowdown: Hammers interested in Zinchenko

The Ukraine star has enjoyed a hugely successful season with the Sky Blues having lifted the Premier League trophy just last month. However, despite his contract with Pep Guardiola’s side not being set to expire for another two years, he has been linked with a move away from the Etihad during the upcoming window.

It’s recently been reported by the Evening Standard that the 25-year-old is attracting interest from the Irons, who look set to face competition from fellow top-flight rivals Arsenal in the race for his signature, with the versatile midfielder’s future said to be decided in the coming weeks.

The Latest: O’Rourke backs Zinchenko move

Asked during an interview whether he thought Zinchenko would be a good fit for West Ham at the London Stadium, O’Rourke told GiveMeSport:

“It does seem like Manchester City are willing to listen to offers for him. He’s quite an underrated player, he’s always done a good job for City, so West Ham could be a good landing spot for him, and he could fill a number of roles for David Moyes’ side.

“West Ham will be looking at someone like Zinchenko as they look to make that next step in consistently challenging for a top-six place or even a top-four place.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Zinchenko is someone who offers plenty of versatility and can play in a defensive backline as well as part of a midfield, so this is a move that Moyes should look to get over the line as soon as possible if the price is fair.

Even though the £59k-per-week maestro has struggled for game time this season, an injury to Kyle Walker allowed Joao Cancelo to switch flanks, giving Zinchenko a solid run in the City first team towards the end of the campaign. He more than showed what he was capable of, providing three assists in the space of just six games.

Lauded as by, it wouldn’t come as a shock to see Zinchenko looking elsewhere over the coming weeks in a bid to find a starting role, and we feel his versatility, trophy-winning experience and creativity could provide a huge boost to Moyes’ squad..

In other news… David Moyes may have been handed some great news in his pursuit to sign a new forward this summer.

Celtic are in talks with Dundee United goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist over a summer move to Parkhead, according to reliable journalist Anthony Joseph.

The Lowdown: Hoops linked with move

The Hoops are likely to be in the market for a new ‘keeper in the summer transfer window, following the departure of Vasilias Barkas on loan to FC Utrecht.

One player they have been linked with in the past is Siegrist, who enjoyed an impressive 2021/22 season for Dundee United, making 29 appearances in the Scottish Premiership.

The 30-year-old is out of contract this summer and will be available on a free transfer.

The Latest: Joseph makes positive claim

Taking to Twitter, Joseph simply provided a four-word update regarding Celtic’s pursuit of the Swiss stopper:

“Benjamin Siegrist in talks.”

The Verdict: Great competition for Hart

Joe Hart is expected to go into next season as Celtic’s first-choice ‘keeper, given his excellent displays last season, in which the 35-year-old rolled back the years and made 44 appearances.

Siegrist could arguably provide the veteran with his sternest competition yet between the sticks, however, as Ange Postecoglou looks to build a more formidable all-round squad.

If Hart shows signs of age next term, the Dundee United man could be a strong replacement, as the matches come thick and fast, both domestically and in Europe. Siegrist has been hailed as a ‘big-game performer’ by manager Tam Courts, which bodes well for the Hoops.

In other news, Kieran Devlin has dropped a Celtic transfer claim. Read more here.

The summer transfer window officially opens next week and Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst will likely be in the market to improve his squad.

He won one trophy in his debut campaign in charge of the Light Blues, lifting the Scottish Cup, and he will now be hoping to go all the way in the Premiership and in Europe in 2022/23.

In order to do so, he may feel that he needs to add to his team by working with Ross Wilson to bring fresh faces to Ibrox in the coming months.

One player for whom they have been linked with a swoop is Wales international winger Rabbi Matondo, as Guardian journalist Will Unwin revealed last month that the Gers are one of the clubs who are keen on snapping him up from FC Schalke.

He tweeted: “Rabbi Matondo has turned down a number of offers in Belgium and is most likely to return to England, I am told. Vincent Kompany was interested in him at Anderlecht prior to his departure.”

Unwin added: “He came very close to agreeing terms with Anderlecht before Kompany’s exit. Rangers and Celtic are both very interested in Matondo.”

Ryan Kent 2.0

The Welsh gem, who has been on loan at Cercle Brugge, can be Van Bronckhorst’s Ryan Kent 2.0, as he is a quick, direct winger who can score and create goals.

His former national team manager Ryan Giggs once heaped praise on the 21-year-old’s speed, saying: “Just like Dan James he has electrifying pace. And that always keeps you interested.”

Born in Liverpool – 37 miles from Kent’s birthplace Oldham – Matondo came up through the youth ranks at Manchester City before moving to Schalke 04 in Germany.

He struggled to break through in Gelsenkirchen before being loaned out to Cercle Brugge for the 2021/22 campaign, and this allowed him to make great strides in his development.

The Belgian club reportedly have an option to sign him permanently for €3.5m (£3m), although it remains to be seen whether or not they will take it up after an impressive year in the Pro League, where his 6.84 Sofascore rating made him the squad’s sixth-best performer.

The statistics in the above image show that the Welsh magician enjoyed a strong season out on loan as he made a big impact in the final third in the Pro League.

He also registered an assist against Poland in the UEFA Nations League this week as he showed that he can produce on the international stage, as well as at club level.

Meanwhile, Kent registered two goals and eight assists in the Premiership for Rangers this term, following on from 10 goals and nine assists in the campaign prior. He has proven himself in the Scottish top flight and shown that he can regularly contribute at the top end of the pitch, just like Matondo has for Cercle Brugge.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst can find his new English-born wing wizard by striking a deal with Schalke to bring the Wales international to Glasgow this summer.

AND in other news, Big blow: Behind-the-scenes Rangers development emerges that’ll frustrate GvB…

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Lewis O’Brien to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

That’s according to a report by The Sun, who claim that Jesse Marsch will make a move for the Huddersfield Town central midfielder this summer, with the 23-year-old said to have a £10m release clause written into his contract with the Championship side.

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The report goes on to state that, should the Terriers have secured promotion to the Premier League in Sunday’s play-off final, the Whites could have once again missed out on the player they attempted to sign 12 months ago, however, with Nottingham Forest defeating Carlos Corberan’s side at Wembley, the door is now open for Marsch to move for O’Brien.

Rice 2.0

Considering just how impressive O’Brien was for Huddersfield this season, it is unsurprising to learn of Marsch’s interest in a move for the box-to-box midfielder.

Indeed, over his 43 Championship appearances this term – excluding his three play-off fixtures – the £3.15m-rated talent was imperious in the middle of the park, scoring three goals, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.1 shots, making 1.0 key passes and completing 2.0 dribbles per game.

The £5k-per-week midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, enjoying 56.7 touches of the ball, in addition to making an average of 0.8 interceptions, 2.2 tackles, 29.5 passes and winning 7.5 duels – at a success rate of 56% – per fixture.

These returns saw the Huddersfield academy graduate showered with a considerable amount of praise, with Jonathan Hogg stating of the 23-year-old earlier this season:

“I think it’s only a matter of time before he plays in the Premier League. He has a lot of great attributes, his energy and intensity is sensational, up there with the best I’ve seen in my career. He certainly drives the team with his energy and forward runs, it helps the team massively… it’s only a matter of time before he does play at the top level.”

Furthermore, Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff backed up Hogg’s claim that O’Brien is ready for a Premier League move, with the former Crystal Palace, Reading and Watford forward stating of the youngster:

“He’s probably not a household name but he’s a midfielder who, for me, has been a massive part of that Huddersfield team. He’s only 23 years of age but he’s had four real good, solid seasons now at this level and he’s really, really developing. He’s led the team at times, captaining in the absence of Jonathan Hogg.

“He can play central midfield, he’s got a bit of everything; he’s a good tackler, carries the ball ever so well and you can see him popping up with a few goals this season. He literally is a midfielder who’s got every part of his game and I certainly feel there’d be some Premier League clubs knocking if Huddersfield don’t get through the play-offs.”

Indeed, O’Brien’s metrics this season, coupled with Hogg and McAnuff’s descriptions of the 23-year-old, would very much appear to draw comparisons between the Town starlet and West Ham United’s Declan Rice – the driving midfielder who scored one goal, registered four assists, made 2.2 tackles, completed 1.4 dribbles and won 5.1 duels per game over his 36 Premier League appearances this term.

As such, should Victor Orta manage to get a deal over the line for Hogg this summer, the Spanish sporting director could well have unearthed the next Rice at Leeds – something that is sure to be an extremely exciting prospect for both Marsch and supporters of the Whites alike.

AND in other news: Huge transfer twist emerges that will have Leeds United supporters buzzing

Tottenham Hotspur could swoop for Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer, according to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown

Antonio Conte is intent on strengthening his defence ahead of his first full season in charge at Tottenham. The Italian is particularly keen to recruit a left-sided centre-half for his back three, and while Bremer is right-footed, The Athletic reported that he’s still under ‘serious consideration’.

Torino offered Bremer a route into European football, signing him from Atletico Mineiro for £5.2m in 2018.

The 25-year-old, who has since made 110 appearances for the Serie A club, signed a new contract as recently as February. Howeverm it only runs until the summer of 2024, and his manager Ivan Juric has already confirmed that the defender will be leaving the Turin outfit this summer.

The latest

According to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), Tottenham ‘have strongly entered the race’ to sign Bremer, along with newly-crowned Serie A champions AC Milan.

The report advises readers to ‘watch out’ for a ‘serious assault’ from Conte and Spurs’ managing director of football Fabio Paratici.

The north Londoners are ‘ready to invest’ as much as €50m (£42.6m) to get this prospective deal done.

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The verdict

Spurs do have other options in mind. According to Jack Pitt-Brooke and Charlie Eccleshare, Conte is a big admirer of both Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni and RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol.

However, they claimed that the Italian will cost around £50m, and the Croatian even more, so Bremer could be the cheapest candidate.

The Brazilian is an ‘incredibly aggressive’ defender, even ‘more so than [Cristian] Romero’, in the words of European football expert Alex Barker. He clearly defends on the front foot, ranking in the 98th percentile among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for pressures per 90 minutes.

On top of that, he records exceptionally high volumes of interceptions (98th perecentile), blocks (99th), clearances (96th) and successful aerial duels (99th), as per FBRef. He is also someone who backs himself to carry the ball, slotting into the 79th percentile for dribbles completed.

Bremer won the Serie A Defender of the Year award even though Torino finished 10th, and that’s a glowing reflection of his talents.

Indeed, journalist Maxi Angelo has billed him a ‘monster’, perhaps a fitting summary of how huge a presence the 25-year-old could be in Conte’s defence if he comes to north London.

In other news, a journalist has shared a transfer update on Ronnie Edwards.

Sadio Mane would be ‘crazy’ to trade Liverpool for any other club in Europe in the summer transfer window, according to former England international Paul Robinson.

The Lowdown: Mane’s future up in the air

The 30-year-old has continued to be one of the Reds’ most important players this season, scoring 15 goals in 31 starts in the Premier League and 22 in all competitions.

However, Mane has recently been linked with a summer move to Bayern Munich, with the Bundesliga giants potentially looking to sign a replacement for Robert Lewandowski.

The Senegal star’s current Liverpool contract expires in 2023 and there is currently no sign of a new deal being agreed.

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The Latest: Robinson discusses ‘crazy’ situation

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson admitted that Mane would be ill-advised to move elsewhere at the end of the season, given how well both he and Liverpool are performing.

The Sky Sports pundit warned:

“It’d be crazy to leave now. I see now value in leaving Liverpool now. He is playing the best football of his career in a team that is challenging for every major honour. He is playing in one of if not the best team in Europe right now.

“Would you want to go and play for Bayern Munich or PSG? Yes, you will win the league and the domestic trophy and challenge in the Champions League but you’d rather be doing that in the Premier League.

“The best managers and the best players are here. Liverpool are one of the best teams in the world in the best league in the world. It would be a winding down move if he went to Bayern Munich or PSG. I don’t see the value in it.”

The Verdict: Surely he stays?

While the idea of a fresh challenge may possibly be appealing to Mane at his age, he must surely see extending his stay at Liverpool as the best option this summer. Is there really a better team to be playing for in the world right now?

He remains a vital player for arguably Europe’s best team, one which could win the Champions League next Saturday. That should continue to be the case for several years to come and he is still adored by his manager, with Jurgen Klopp recently hailing the 30-year-old as a “world-class” player with “brutal” physicality.

It could simply be the case that Mane’s future is sorted once the season reaches its end, in order to not be a distraction during this pivotal week for the club after such an epic run-in to the campaign.

In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a move for a midfielder. Find out who it is here.

A significant West Ham United transfer update has now come to light involving Wolfsburg forward and current Torino loanee Josip Brekalo.

The Lowdown: Moyes eyeing fresh faces…

Hammers boss David Moyes, having guided his side through another memorable Premier League season, reportedly has fresh faces on the agenda before the beginning of 2022/2023.

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The Times say he’s set to target a central defender, new midfielder and striker with West Ham having failed to bolster the latter position in January.

Moyes needs an alternative option to Michail Antonio given the Jamaica international’s concerning injury record in past campaigns with news now emerging on Croatia international Brekalo.

The Latest: West Ham open discussions…

According to Calciomercato.it, West Ham have opened discussions to sign Brekalo by expressing their interest – emerging as one of the clubs to either lodge a ‘draft offer’ or ‘formal request of information’.

Indeed, the Italian source also claims that Moyes’ side have made a ‘concrete’ pre-summer move for Brekalo alongside the likes of Atletico Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt and Southampton.

The Verdict: Ideal man?

The 30-cap ace has seriously impressed whilst on loan in Serie A from Wolfsburg with members of the media even calling his form ‘frightening’ (Josh Bunting, Islington Gazette).

His seven goals and two assists domestically just scratch the surface of his quality with Brekalo also averaging more key passes per 90 than any regular Torino regular over 2021/2022 (WhoScored).

The forward averages 1.3 successful take-ons per 90, a greater number than all of his teammates, leaving little wonder Moyes and co have now made contact.

In other news: Report: Moyes now very likely to make major bid for ‘world class’ player who ‘likes’ West Ham! Find out more here.