All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United’s director of football Victor Orta can end the club’s ongoing nightmare over Kalvin Phillips by signing Derby County sensation Jason Knight.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are one of a number of teams interested in signing the 20-year-old, and now, according to ExWHUEmployee, West Ham have also entered the race.

It’s been suggested that the Hammers hold a strong interest in the midfielder, and that they will battle it out with the likes of Leeds, Newcastle and Everton among others.

The Kalvin Phillips nightmare

Since really breaking onto the scene during the 2016/2017 campaign – he made 33 appearances in the Championship that season – Phillips has become a cornerstone of this Leeds United midfield.

And while that has seen the Whites eventually get promoted to the Premier League and seen him earn great individual honours by getting recognised by England at international level, it has exposed a worrying issue at Elland Road: the lack of real cover for him.

Already this season Bielsa’s side have struggled without him, losing two and drawing one of the Premier League games that he has missed, while last year was even worse – they won just two of the nine top-flight matches he wasn’t involved in.

Not only do they miss his technical ability in the middle of the park, but also the kind of presence and leadership that he brings to the table too.

In the 20-year-old Knight, however, Orta could go a long way to addressing that void.

In fact, after making Knight captain just hours after he was appointed as the Rams’ permanent manager, Wayne Rooney has been very quick to shower the youngster with praise.

He said: “He’s very vocal, which is very rare for a young player these days. He gives everything in training – tackling, running. Very similar to the way I was at his age.

“He’s a manager’s dream. He gives everything. He’s the one, not just for the younger players in the dressing room but the older lads, who others can look at. He gives you energy, desire, runs non stop.

“I still want more from him quality-wise – in terms of crosses, shots, goals, assists – but in terms of what we are trying to build for this group of players he fully deserves it whether he’s 19 or whether he’s 30. To get the recognition and experience shows how highly we think of him.”

In his short career thus far, Knight has shown incredible versatility by playing all across midfield and in the wide areas, but has primarily played centrally.

With Rooney talking highly of his industry, leadership and tackling, the Derby starlet looks like he’s ready-made to fill in the shoes of Phillips not just for the long-term, but also in the short-term if the England ace is out injured.

Meanwhile, Beren Cross has delivered an update on Leeds’ pursuit of this man…

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have raved over a transfer update involving exciting young attacker Fabio Carvalho.

The talented teenager has continued to thrive at Craven Cottage since breaking into Fulham’s first team in 2020, clinching the EFL Young Player of the Month in August whilst continuing to show his potential.

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His current deal at Fulham expires at the end of the season, prompting clubs to take a serious interest in the England youth starlet, with West Ham apparently among his many suitors according to TEAMtalk. Indeed, they claimed that the Irons, and by extension owners GSB, have Carvalho in their sights as talks over an extension stall at his current club.

The Hammers are joined by Spurs, Liverpool and Southampton in being linked with the youngster, with that trio also believed to keeping tabs on the 19-year-old with a view to making a move.

West Ham fans rave…

Amid this development, plenty of West Ham fans have raved on Twitter, and it’s not hard to see why given Carvalho’s performances and high ceiling.

Check out some of their best reactions to the news that their club want him below, with one Hammers fan labelling the player a would-be ‘fantastic signing’.

“I’d take Fabio Carvalho. He’s the sort of signing we should be making, lots of potential but already proving he can score and perform at that level. Once the transfer window opens for us in about 10 days time … hopefully we make a move.” 

Credit: @RockyWhu

“Yes plz”

Credit: @IronsJoes

“Baller”

Credit: @jakewhu16

“please please please please”

Credit: @3ndtroducing

“This would be a fantastic signing.”

Credit: @WestHamUtdScout

“Wanted him years ago, would be perfect for Lanzini back up.”

Credit: @Icevain7

In other news: West Ham source: Newman makes move to sign ‘devastating’ forward after price plummets by £32m, find out more here.

A club insider, sharing news within the last 48 hours, has now broken one big twist in the ongoing saga of West Ham United star Declan Rice’s future.

The Lowdown: Rice eyeing exit?

Reports over the past few months have suggested, after a lack-lustre January window and falling away in the top-four race, that Rice is open to leaving West Ham this summer.

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Various sources have claimed that he could leave in 2022, starting with The Telegraph, who stated in February that the manager David Moyes and GSB ‘face a battle’ to keep the England star this summer.

Since then, journalist Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport that Rice is ‘more open than ever’ to quitting Rush Green, with 90min reporter Scott Saunders going one step further and claiming he is ‘ready to leave this year’.

However, sharing a major twist, insider Claret & Hugh have now provided some good news for Irons supporters.

The Latest: C&H share Rice twist…

According to their sources, after ‘ongoing talks’ between the club, Rice and his agent/father, the 22-year-old has informed West Ham outright that he has no intention to hand in a transfer request and is focused on London Stadium life for the next 12 months ‘minimum’.

C&H go on to state that the Hammers have ‘zero concerns’ over his commitment as the summer window approaches.

However, there is a consensus that, if Rice can’t win anything in east London, he could look to move on next summer instead.

The Verdict: Big 2022/2023 ahead…

News of the England star’s commitment for next year at least comes as good news for West Ham, but going by this update, the 2022/23 season could be absolutely huge.

Much may well depend on GSB backing Moyes in the summer market and showing Rice that the club are indeed serious about building on their unprecedented success over the last two years.

It is believed that the Scotsman will have a £150m kitty at his disposal as West Ham potentially aim to make statements.

In other news: Blow for Moyes: Reliable journalist says ‘phenomenal’ West Ham player is now out for the season! Find out more here.

Kevin Phillips has exclusively told Football FanCast that he thinks Jack Grealish will leave Aston Villa this summer.

Having scored the crucial goal at West Ham on the final day of last season which kept Villa in the Premier League, Grealish has continued his outstanding form this term to put Dean Smith’s team on the cusp of the European places.

Grealish has contributed to 18 goals Premier League – with his brilliant performances not only making him a strong favourite to be named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the European Championships, but he’s attracting attention from Manchester City, who’ve been heavily linked with the attacking midfielder.

Villa’s captain is currently out injured having missed their last five games with a leg problem, and Phillips, who played for the Villa Park outfit himself, thinks that his former side are resigned to losing the England star this summer.

Phillips told Football FanCast: “I actually see him wanting to stay because I live in the area, and I know people that know him – he absolutely loves Aston Villa, a bit like Stevie G at Liverpool.

“He’s Villa through and through, but from a footballing perspective, I think someone will come in with a big bid, and the club will probably find it hard to turn down. Villa have done very well this season, but my suggestion would be ‘go and win trophies’. And he’s good enough to do that, he’s shown that.”

But exactly how confident is Phillips that Grealish will be tempted by a move away from the West Midlands?

He added: “If I had to put my head on the block, I think Grealish will probably move in the summer.”

According to a report by Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett, England boss Gareth Southgate is considering a first England call up for West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone – with Jordan Pickford’s withdrawal meaning he has a ‘great chance’. 

Johnstone, who hasn’t yet been capped at international level, making only England youth appearances to date, has a good chance of earning his first call up to the senior squad as Dorsett shares this news.

The 27-year-old has been previously overlooked by Southgate, who has preferred the likes of Pickford, Nick Pope and Dean Henderson in previous squads.

Now, ahead of the official Three Lions roster announcement for the March internationals tomorrow at 2pm, Dorsett understands that Johnstone is firmly in contention.

Flocking to this ‘great news’ for Johnstone, especially after he’s started 28 Premier League games for West Brom this season, it’s little wonder why these supporters are excited for him to finally be in with an England shot.

Find all of their best verdicts from social media down below.

West Brom fans flock to Sky claim on Johnstone

“YESSSSS Do it Gareth!”

Credit: @JoshhhWBA

“OH MY WORD ITS HAPPENING”

Credit: @ftbl_joey

“Great news for Sam, probably not great news for WBA if we get relegated. Surely he’ll want Premier League football….

But hey ho, it’s okay because many of our delusional fans don’t rate him!”

Credit: @NeilStevensWoo1

“Fully deserves a call up. Been incredible in games this season”

Credit: @ian_wba79

“Forget everything bad I’ve ever said about Southgate”

Credit: @liamjackjones

“Fully deserved for me, Sam’s come on leaps and bounds over the last two seasons and has got to be in the top 3 English keepers.

Pick him Gareth!”

Credit: @AndyMoz18

“SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY SAMMY GET THAT PASSPORT READY MY GOAT”

Credit: @danwba_

“About time !”

Credit: @Stevotop

In other news: West Brom fans slammed these Allardyce comments, find out more here.

Southampton’s process of clearing some of the ‘deadwood’ St Mary’s this summer has officially begun, as it was confirmed earlier this week that centre-back Wesley Hoedt has completed a permanent move to Anderlecht, which brings an end to his nightmare spell with the Saints.

Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach confirmed the news on Twitter that the Dutch defender was gone for good, and you need only look in his replies to see that Southampton fans are delighted to see him finally leave.

The 27-year-old has endured a torrid time at St Mary’s since joining the club for £15m from Lazio in 2017 and whilst no fee is mentioned, it seems likely that the Saints will have to have taken a serious loss on him in order to sell him to the Pro League side.

However, it is still a boost for the club as he had one year left on his deal with the South Coast side, and would inevitably have spent another season out on loan or out of the squad had he remained with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad for next season.

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In the four years he has spent with Southampton, Hoedt has managed just 45 appearances for the first team, in which he has contributed one goal and one assist.

His last appearance for the club came in the 2018/19 Premier League season and he has subsequently spent time on loan with Celta Vigo, Royal Antwerp and Lazio, who were clearly not convinced to exercise their option to re-sign him this summer.

Having never made an appearance under Hasenhuttl, it seems clear that the Austrian would also have been desperate to see him leave permanently this summer, and hopefully, the money saved on his wages can go towards some summer signings.

Southampton have a number of centre-backs such as Jannik Vestergaard, Jan Bednarek, Mohammed Salisu and Jack Stephens who would have been ahead of Hoedt in the pecking order, so the Dutchman surely wouldn’t have got a look in next season, and Saints fans will surely be buzzing that he is finally off the books.

And, in other news… Ignored by Reed, now wanted by LFC: Southampton endured nightmare with £40m PL star

Davinson Sanchez was once Tottenham Hotspur’s club-record signing but his value continues to drop under Jose Mourinho.

The Colombian, who is still only 24, was signed from Ajax for £42m in 2017 and was tipped for big things by then-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino.

“When we knew about the possibility to sign him, it was a massive opportunity because we believe he will be one of the best centre-backs in the world in the future,” claimed Pochettino. “That is why we made the effort to try to sign him.”

Now nearly four years on, Sanchez is at a career crossroad…

Value drop

Heading into the start of 2020, the central defender hit a career-high value of £54m, as per Transfermarkt but now that has dropped dramatically to €30m (£26m), according to CIES Football Observatory.

That’s a decrease of nearly 52% in just four seasons and merely goes to show how big a downfall he’s had under the tutelage of Mourinho.

It’s not too encouraging for a player that should only be rising as he heads towards the peak years of his career.

Current form

A lot of this has surely come down to his disappointing performances on the pitch, a mix of not being played enough and too many mistakes when trusted to feature.

After a three-goal collapse against West Ham earlier in the season, former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara urged the club to get rid of him [and Eric Dier] to talkSPORT.

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“The back-four is just an absolute shambles. I don’t know why Jose keeps playing [Davinson] Sanchez and [Eric] Dier because it’s probably one of the worst partnerships in the Premier League!”

And similarly, Curtis Woodhouse blasted Sanchez, claiming he’s “just not a very good defender” because he “probably costs you 20 goals a season.”

The 24-year-old has started only 16 Premier League games this term, and has been snubbed by Mourinho for their last two outings, as per Transfermarkt.

Levy’s wrath

Sanchez is a wanted man this summer, so chairman Daniel Levy may not be best pleased to see a potential asset decrease in value so rapidly.

According to the Express, Sevilla and former club Ajax are keen on signing the £65k-per-week flop, who has also been dubbed a “real liability” in recent weeks by Kenny Cunningham.

Levy will have a hard task of recouping back most of that £42m but if anyone can drive up a hard bargain, it’s the Spurs chairman.

AND in other news, Mourinho could unearth his next Rashford at Spurs in 17 y/o “diamond”…

If Saturday afternoon marked Ryan Christie’s final outing in a Celtic shirt then he bowed out of one the country’s most famous clubs in typical fashion.

The Hoops forward has been anything but convincing this season and as the Bhoys laboured to a 0-0 draw, it summed up not only his timid campaign but the entire team’s.

Christie was devoid of creativity, not clinical in front of goal and lacked a presence when shoved into a wide area he’s been so abject in for the last few months.

Instead of ending the term in style, Celtic brought their campaign to a close in a game that summed up the last nine months of their existence.

The team selection, one that was missing Karamoko Dembele and Adam Montgomery, was strange considering this was the last game of the season. There were no experiments from John Kennedy who placed his faith in a number of players who have only been too willing to let the coaching staff down.

The Glaswegian side travelled to the capital but failed to score at Easter Road, enduring a goalless draw with Hibernian in Scott Brown’s final Celtic game.

If supporters are lucky, this will also have been Christie’s final outing in the green and white. Linked with a move away in the winter, the Scot’s contract runs out in January 2022.

Therefore, this summer represents the final opportunity they can receive a fee for his services.

The £12k-per-week earner will be lucky to earn a Premier League move, though. After all, he’s played out a distinctly average campaign at Parkhead.

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He finished the 2020/21 season with just seven goals for his troubles, 13 fewer than he managed in 2019/20. If anything summed up his lack of productivity, it was the game with Hibs on Saturday.

Christie was ineffective again, losing the ball every five touches he took; a statistic that sums up a season where he’s been surrendering possession all too easily.

The Scotland international has had a nasty habit of shooting from range, rather than looking to be creative and find a pass when someone else is in a more promising position.

His ability to find a teammate was lacking again this week, failing to provide a single key pass for anyone in the Celtic side.

The Bhoys were crying out for a moment of magic, but typically, they didn’t receive that from Christie. The winger didn’t provide an accurate cross during the contest, firing two shots off target as well.

His performances have been poor but you have to question the manager’s decision to consistently play him out of position.

As demonstrated in Celtic’s 4-0 win over St Johnstone last midweek, the 26-year-old is more effective when playing centrally, just behind the striker.

That being said, after such a dismal season, it would be a surprise if we saw him in competitive action for the club again. Like many of the playing staff, it’s time to cut ties.

AND in other news, Celtic must sign 5ft 8 beast who gets “in people’s faces”, he’s perfect for Eddie Howe…

Spurs face a fight to keep hold of Harry Kane this summer, so Daniel Levy must get his next managerial appointment spot on but emerging reports on one mooted target will come as a major concern…

What’s the word?

According to Il Messaggero (via Forza Roma), Spurs are one of three teams to open talks with departing AS Roma boss Paulo Fonseca, who will be replaced by Jose Mourinho at the end of the current campaign.

The 48-year-old was confirmed to be leaving the Stadio Olympico a few weeks ago, with Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg and Portuguese outfit Benfica also said to be courting his services.

Although it is thought that Fonseca would like to remain in Italy if the opportunity arises.

Bye-bye Kane?

In terms of potential successors to Mourinho in North London, this is as uninspiring as it gets – surely Daniel Levy doesn’t go from one calamity to the next?

It’s quite damning that the Portuguese boss will be replaced by Mourinho after a shocking end to his tenure at Spurs.

After serial success at Shakhtar Donetsk, Fonseca has struggled to make much of an impact in the Italian capital, failing to manage above a fifth-place finish and failing spectacularly in Europe.

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His tactics and playing style drew serious praise from Pep Guardiola, he told reporters:

“Before every game against Shakhtar, I have the same feeling. The first time we face them in the group stage, my [scouting] team went to see them and they came back saying, ‘Wow.’ They were really impressed. In Barcelona all the time it was, ‘Shakhtar, Ukraine, who cares which players play, nobody knows them.’”

But he has failed to adapt with the step-up in quality from the Ukraine top-flight to the Serie A, so you would have to worry about his credentials in leading a Premier League outfit to glory, especially one without silverware since 2008.

That is something that Harry Kane desperately wants to achieve, and according to the Telegraph, he has told Spurs that he wants to leave the club in the summer.

Levy hiring Fonseca will do his chances of keeping his leading talisman no favours whatsoever.

Both Manchester clubs and Chelsea are mooted with interest in the Telegraph report, whilst The Times suggest Barcelona have already made contact.

All four teams are in a better position to achieve his dreams and the arrival of Fonseca won’t suddenly bolster Spurs’ claims.

The 48-year-old has also been described as an “exceptional” and “talented manager” who “plays stylish football” by Portuguese journalist Alex Goncalves, but it’s hard to imagine him having much of a success in North London, let alone in England.

An appointment like this would undoubtedly push Kane closer to he exit door, so Levy must avoid hiring Fonseca this summer.

AND in other news, Levy could secure Spurs their own Ramos by signing “formidable” £31.5m-rated “leader”…

A number of Liverpool supporters have reacted negatively to a rumour claiming the Reds could look to sign Declan Rice next summer.

Gini Wijnaldum left Anfield to join Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the summer, bringing an end to five memorable years at the club.

The Dutchman was such a dependable figure that his absence could leave a gaping void in the middle of the park, especially as Liverpool opted not to replace him.

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Granted, the emergence of Harvey Elliott has helped improve Jurgen Klopp’s options, but a new midfielder coming in could have been a shrewd move.

Liverpool will now wait until next summer, and according to 90min [via Anfield Edition on Twitter], the Reds see Rice as a potential option to bring in, having excelled for West Ham and England in recent times.

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Liverpool fans react to Rice claim

Despite this, these Liverpool fans took to Twitter to react to the news, saying they don’t want the 22-year-old to come in.

“No chance we sign an English player from a premier league club. The English tax would be mad. Rather Bellingham/Gravenberch”

Credit: @Sarrvish

“Just go for Gravenberch”

Credit: @msuhail_17

“Pathetic story!”

Credit: @BrooksFruit

“We don’t need him with English tax. Sign Nicolo Barella and Federico Chiesa”

Credit: @iamSaikatIslam

“No thanks he’s bang average and would cost a bomb because he’s English”

Credit: @azler85

“Not happening either way, but I’d rather Bellingham than him”

Credit: @6timesladd

In other news, some Liverpool fans are bemused by what happened to one Reds player on international duty. Read more here.