All posts by z3u9t.icu

After maintaining their 100% record in the Champions League this season with the 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid in midweek, Liverpool are back in Premier League action on Sunday with a tough fixture against West Ham United, who are currently fourth in the table, just two points behind the Reds.

Thiago must start

Looking ahead to the match against David Moyes’ side, one Liverpool player who we think should be in the running for a place in the starting XI on Sunday is Thiago Alcantara.

After missing a significant number of games in recent weeks with a calf injury, the midfielder made his return to action in midweek after replacing Fabinho in the second half against Atletico.

During his time on the pitch in midweek, the 30-year-old – who has been described as “unbelievable” in terms of his technical abilities in the past by fellow Liverpool teammate Nat Phillips – had 57 touches of the ball. He also completed 46 of his 53 passes – with one key pass, one accurate cross and four accurate long balls – as well as completing one accurate dribble, showing how intricate a midfield asset he can be for the Reds and illustrating why Phillips praised his technical capabilities.

This could make him a key component of Liverpool’s team at the weekend considering that West Ham have conceded more goals (11) than any other team in the current top four and could be susceptible to Thiago’s creative talents, with the 30-year-old frightening them to some extent.

Furthermore, the Spaniard won two out of his three duels and made one interception on Wednesday night. With West Ham scoring 20 goals in 10 league games, this highlights how important it will be for Liverpool to keep possession and remain defensively tight throughout the game.

Overall, if Thiago is fit enough to start at the weekend, we think he would give Liverpool a great chance of beating the Hammers and keeping up with Chelsea at the top of the table.

Also, with Liverpool having Naby Keita and James Milner ruled out with hamstring injuries, it seems as though now would be the best time for Thiago to cement his place in the team for the foreseeable future.

In other news: Klopp could save LFC millions with “super talented” 19 y/o prodigy, he’s Robertson’s heir

Leeds United are struggling to complete a move for RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson in January, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Strong Aaronson interest

The Whites suffered a demoralising 1-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United on Saturday, with Jonjo Shelvey’s goal the difference between the two teams at Elland Road.

With Kalvin Phillips and Adam Forshaw out injured, the need for a midfielder to come in this month is clear, and Leeds have made a number of bids for Aaronson.

The 21-year-old has shone for Salzburg this season, starting 14 Austrian Bundesliga games and all six of their Champions League group stage matches.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Journalist doubts Leeds’ chances of signing Aaronson

However, a fresh update has emerged regarding Leeds’ pursuit of Aaronson, with Jones telling GiveMeSport that the deal may not happen in January.

He outlined: “Leeds are definitely struggling with this Brenden Aaronson deal as I understand it for this window. They don’t have fortunes to throw around at the moment.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-32/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Big blow for Leeds

Should the Whites fail to get a deal for the American over the line, it would be a big blow, especially as a move for him has felt genuinely close in recent days.

Aaronson ticks so many boxes in terms of what Leeds are looking for, whether it be his long-term potential or his current quality, having averaged two tackles and 1.8 dribbles per game in the Champions League this season.

It is imperative that a midfielder of some kind comes in this month, or else Marcelo Bielsa’s side could find themselves incredibly light in this position and potentially getting dragged back into a relegation scrap.

In other news, Newcastle have reportedly enterted the race to sign a Leeds transfer target. Find out who it is here.

Plenty of Everton fans have been reacting to a transfer update on Thierry Small.

As per Football Insider, Southampton have made contact with the Goodison Park faithful over a potential deal to sign the left-back before the summer window ends.

The Merseyside club would be likely to receive a compensation fee of £5m should he make the move to the Saints, but a number of other clubs including the likes of Manchester United, Aston Villa, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are all queuing up for the young talent.

Small has been able to sign pro terms since turning 17 years of age on August 1st due to his ‘immense potential’, and the Toffees have tabled a ‘very generous’ contract offer for the Englishman, which he has since rejected.

However, despite all of the top teams linked with his signature, it seems to be Southampton looking the most likely to sign him, leaving several Blues supporters questioning whether he would be making the right move.

Everton fans on Small transfer update

These EFC fans reacted to the exit claim as it was shared on Twitter:

“So he left us to go to Southampton? Weird.”

Credit: @Toffeelewl

“Southampton wake up lad”

Credit: @Michael30936218

“Silly boy”

Credit: @Riceyyy

“Don’t think that was the kind of move he was looking for when he left Everton.”

Credit: @GarethWDavies

“Thought the lad wanted first team football for a top 6 club?”

Credit: @JamesBrownEFC

“If this goes ahead, classic example of a very promising teenager taking daft advice from their agent.”

Credit: @Getintothis

In other news, find out what transfer update has Evertonians talking here!

Liverpool have bounced back from a hugely underwhelming 2020/21 campaign in impressive fashion so far, picking up seven points from a possible nine in the opening weeks of the new Premier League season.

Victories over newly-promoted Norwich City and Burnley were followed up by a draw against European Champions Chelsea last time out, securing a solid start for Jurgen Klopp’s charges.

One of the most impressive aspects of the Anfield outfit’s game has undoubtedly been their defence, with Kai Havertz’s well-taken header the only goal to have breached Alisson Becker’s net in 270 minutes of top-flight action.

However, it’s an attacker who has been the standout performer for Liverpool so far after Mohamed Salah enjoyed a stellar August for the 19-time English champions.

As per SofaScore, the Eygpt international received a match rating of 7.73 out of 10 following two goals and two assists in three league outings, the second-highest total amongst his teammates.

The 29-year-old created three big chances for his teammates, produced a whopping nine key passes, had six shots on target and pulled off six successful dribbles.

Salah has also recorded a passing accuracy of 84% and won an average of 2.7 duels per game, all of which highlights his incredible influence over this Liverpool side.

With talks over a new contract for the former AS Roma ace ongoing, Klopp will certainly be hoping his talismanic attacker can keep up his current form before putting pen to paper on fresh terms.

The Reds face a tricky task away at Leeds United following the conclusion of the international break, and Salah will be hoping to pick up where he left off on his visit to Elland Road.

And, in other news…Journalist reveals disappointing Liverpool update which could leave Klopp gutted 

Former Premier League star Carlton Palmer believes that Callum Hudson-Odoi could move to Liverpool in either January or next summer.

The Chelsea winger has been linked with a potential move to the Reds, per reports in Italy, amid his struggles for minutes at Stamford Bridge.

Hudson-Odoi made just 10 starts in the league last season and has played a mere three times this term.

The 20-year-old, who can play on the right wing and the left wing, and has been capped three times by England, has previously been linked with a move to Bayern Munich but they were unable to strike an agreement.

The £100,000-a-week winger has made a total of 101 appearances for the Blues and has scored 13 goals, while registering 16 assists.

He has a contract until 2024 and is valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt, and Palmer thinks that he will be attracted by the prospect of playing at Anfield under manager Jurgen Klopp.

He exclusively told FFC: “Of course I can see him making that move. At the end of the day, if he’s not going to play regular football at Chelsea, then he’s going to want to leave to go and play. He’s got to, for his own development, for his own career, he’s got to play. It doesn’t seem so much now that the top clubs are too fussed about selling players to other top clubs.

“You’ve seen Giroud go from Arsenal to Chelsea; some might say he was at the back-end of his career so they were happy for him to go there.

“You’ve seen Willian go from Chelsea to Arsenal, probably Chelsea didn’t see Arsenal as a threat when he went there. If a move like that came up for him, to go to Liverpool and he could play regular football then, of course, it makes sense for the player.”

Celtic may have their first win of the Ange Postecoglou reign under their belts but they cannot neglect the need to bring more new faces to Paradise.

Joe Hart and James McCarthy became members of the Hoops family last week but there is still plenty of work to be done.

On the chalkboard

Anthony Ralston has performed admirably this season after coming in for scrutiny that he wasn’t good enough for Celtic.

Those claims made sense considering he played just once for the Bhoys last term. However, he’s been ever-present since Ange Postecoglou took charge and even scored a wonderful goal against Hearts last weekend.

Ralston collected the ball from Odsonne Edouard before dancing beyond several defenders and then planting the ball past Craig Gordon from inside the area.

He also scored against Dundee on Sunday afternoon in their 6-0 thrashing to continue his mightily impressive campaign.

Though, if Celtic are serious about advancing in Europe and contending for the title again, they will need to sign an improvement.

That’s why supporters should be delighted that they are in discussions to sign Royal Antwerp defender Aurelio Buta.

He’s been on Celtic’s radar for a number of weeks now but Sky Sports reported last Friday that a bid of £4.5m was now being prepared.

If they can lure him to Paradise, it would be an almighty upgrade on Ralston.

The Glaswegian side haven’t replaced Jeremie Frimpong since he left for Bayer Leverkusen last January but Buta would help them significantly.

He is a tackling machine and is equally adept in forward phases of play. Dubbed “very gifted” by journalist, Aster Nzeyimana, the 24-year-old completed 1.2 tackles per match in 2020/21.

That’s a tally that would have equalled Frimpong’s success rate in a Celtic shirt from the same season.

Hailed as one of the best full-backs in the Belgian top-flight, Buta would be an exceptional piece of business by Postecoglou and co.

They have needed a permanent full-back for the best part of eight months now and thus, fans should be excited at the idea of signing him.

Ralston has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign but he is still relatively unproven in the Premiership over a prolonged period of time.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Edouard: Celtic can boost title hopes by signing “wonderful” 19-goal beast…

Newcastle United are ‘seriously interested’ in a deal for Lille centre-back Sven Botman, according to Fabrizio Romano. 

The lowdown

The Magpies shipped another four goals in their defeat to Leicester City on Sunday, taking them to 34 conceded in 16 games – the worst record in the Premier League.

It’s therefore no surprise to see the relegation-threatened Tynesiders linked with possible defensive reinforcements ahead of January – Burnley’s James Tarkowski is also among the names mentioned.

Botman may not come cheap, especially given that he still has three-and-a-half years to run on his contract with the reigning French champions. The 21-year-old is valued at £25.2m by Transfermarkt.

The latest

Romano tweeted in the early hours of Monday morning: “Newcastle are seriously interested in signing Sven Botman in January. He’s top of the list – but still waiting to know Lille position/price tag. AC Milan are keeping tabs on Botman situation too”.

The journalist also noted that Sevilla, Atalanta and Wolverhampton Wanderers had all held ‘talks’ over a potential move for the Dutchman last summer.

The verdict

This would be some coup for Newcastle. Botman could be regarded as one of the next generation of elite centre-backs, hence the links with Liverpool and an array of top clubs.

As well as being solid defensively – the Dutchman has won 72% of his ground duels and 63% of his aerial battles this season – he can help Newcastle to build attacks from the back. He ranks in the 80th percentile among positional peers in the top five European leagues for progressive passes.

According to FBRef, he boasts a similar statistical profile to Manchester United’s four-time Champions League-winner Raphael Varane, while his ‘superb’ defending has also helped Lille progress to the last 16 of Europe’s premier club competition.

If Newcastle’s PIF ownership can persuade him to swap the north of France for the northeast of England, it would represent a real coup given the defender’s evident ability and the intensity of competition for his signature.

In other news, Romano also reveals Newcastle talks over this Premier League midfielder

Celtic simply must seal the permanent signing of centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers this summer, according to journalist Stephen McGowan.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers superb on Sunday

The Hoops picked up arguably their biggest win of the season so far on Sunday afternoon, clinching a 2-1 victory away to their bitter Glasgow arch-rivals.

It was Carter-Vickers who scored the winning goal at Ibrox and his all-round performance was sensational as he ensured that Celtic held on for victory during a tense second half.

As per Sofascore, the 24-year-old made a hugely impressive eight clearances during the game, also winning eight out of 10 duels and making three interceptions as he posted a man-of-the-match rating of 7.7.

The Latest: McGowan urges Celtic to stump up for Carter-Vickers

Taking to Twitter after the match, McGowan urged Celtic to make Carter-Vickers’ loan move permanent in the summer following the American’s tremendous display against Rangers.

The Scottish Daily Mail’s Chief Football Writer gushed: “Irrespective of whether Celtic get that Champions League money they should pay whatever it takes for Cameron Carter-Vickers.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-23/” title=”Celtic updates!!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: No-brainer for Hoops

It makes complete sense for Ange Postecoglou to bring in Carter-Vickers permanently, with the 24-year-old’s performances for Celtic catching the eye throughout the season.

He has made 27 Premiership starts and won 4.3 aerial duels per game, and there are real signs that he is forging a dominant partnership with Carl Starfelt at the back. As per WhoScored, they both rank in the top five players this season currently in Postecoglou’s squad.

Also, at 24, he is at an ideal age in terms of his peak years most likely still being ahead of him.

The eight-cap USA international’s current deal at Tottenham expires in 2023 and they may be keen to receive a fee for him while they still can this summer. That could play into Celtic’s hands if there is both a willing seller and an enthusiastic buyer.

In other news, three Celtic players shone most in the win over Rangers. Find out who they are here.

Many Everton fans have been left fuming as the starting XI was revealed for their game at home to West Ham United in the Premier League this afternoon.

As shared by the Toffees’ official Twitter channel, Jordan Pickford starts in between the posts, with a back four made up of Seamus Coleman, Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey and Lucas Digne ahead of him.

Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Andros Townsend, Alex Iwobi and Demarai Gray make up the midfield, while Salomon Rondon starts up top.

A lot of Everton supporters are particularly bemused that the much-criticised Iwobi is starting over academy product Anthony Gordon, while others are unhappy that Rafa Benitez has left Yerry Mina on the bench against the Hammers.

Everton fans on team news

These Toffees fans were left fuming as the team news was announced by the club on Twitter, with one fan going as far as to claim that it was a ‘questionable’ selection by Benitez:

“Iwobi over Gordon is questionable. Don’t get me started on the striker.”

Credit: @BT_1878

“You’d be fuming if you’re Gordon”

Credit: @ToffeeMc1878

“Iwobi adds absolutely nothing, God knows how he continually gets in the side.”

Credit: @MrGriffGaff

“Nooo Mina”

Credit: @iiCeDEFC

“Why is Mina benched you donkeys?”

Credit: @Efc_Josh19

“Post the real team, would rather play with 10 men than have Iwobi”

Credit: @CoreyEfc2

In other news, find out which Evertonian’s comments have delighted these fans

Everton slumped to a disheartening 3-2 defeat against Burnley in midweek to add further misery to their already dismal Premier League campaign.

Having seen numerous fan protests take place around the club throughout the season, it seems as though some behind-the-scenes details have emerged regarding the hierarchy at Goodison Park and their stance on the club’s current state of affairs.

What’s the latest?

In a recent tweet, Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett gave an insight into the feeling at Everton in regards to Frank Lampard’s position as manager.

He revealed: “Real concern in #efc board, I’m told, but feeling is changing manager won’t solve problems right now. That’s not to say Lampard safe for rest of season. Relegation could be massive for Everton, with few players in squad on contracts that auto-reduce if in Championship.”

Since the former Chelsea and Derby County manager took charge at Goodison Park at the end of January, the Toffees have lost six of their seven league games.

As things stand, the Merseyside club are just one point ahead of the relegation zone with nine games left to play until the season comes to an end.

Fans will be happy

Despite the Toffees’ disappointing run of form in recent weeks, it will presumably be somewhat pleasing for Everton fans to hear that the board have no intention of getting rid of their latest manager at this moment in time.

In what has been a scarring season for the Merseyside club, the further disruption which would undoubtedly be caused if the hierarchy were to sack Lampard after only a number of weeks in charge would surely set them back even further in what is a crucial period of the campaign.

Regardless, the bottom line is that the Toffees need to start getting points on the board if they are to have any real hope of avoiding the drop to the Championship.

With their next league game seeing them take on Manchester United at Goodison Park, this clash could be pivotal for Everton if they are able to snatch a win, not just for the three points they would accrue but also for the confidence it could give the players to potentially then kick on and leave their current relegation worries behind.

In other news – Kenwright calamity: Everton had a nightmare over “unbelievable” 166-goal “superstar”