All posts by h79snht.top

Celtic need to have at least three strong strikers next season if they want to make an impact in the Champions League, according to journalist Anthony Joseph.

The Lowdown: Lacking a true target man

The Hoops enjoyed a superb 2021/22 season, regaining the Premiership title, but that’s not to say that everything was perfect at Parkhead.

Ange Postecoglou didn’t possess a truly ruthless marksman in his ranks, with the goals shared out among the squad and Kyogo Furuhashi leading the way with 20 in all competitions.

It is an area which could be improved upon in the coming weeks, especially with a return to the Champions League group stage next season for the first time since 2017/18.

The Latest: Joseph makes transfer claim

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Joseph highlighted attack as a key area of focus for Celtic in the transfer market this summer.

He claimed:

“If Celtic want to really make a mark in Europe and do well, whether that’s finishing third in the Champions League and getting into the Europa League and having a run there, then they will need at least three solid number nines.”

The Verdict: Attacking firepower required

Joseph is quite right in his assessment, with the addition of a couple of bona fide penalty box predators having the potential to take this Celtic squad up another level next season.

The Scottish champions could certainly do with signing at least one such player, in order for Postecoglou to have a genuine target man as an option, with Champions League defences unlikely to be too scared of the Hoops’ current attack.

It would be a huge shame if Celtic’s hard work comes undone after such a great season, once again exiting Europe’s premier club competition at the first hurdle, and possibly even suffering in the Premiership because of a lack of firepower, too.

Everton have been linked with a move for Christian Eriksen in recent weeks, and now a new update has emerged on the club’s progress in their pursuit of the player this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to The Times, Everton have now submitted an official offer to sign the out-of-contract attacking midfielder.

As per the report, Eriksen has a whole host of offers from a number of Premier League clubs, with Newcastle United, Everton, Leicester City and current club Brentford all named.

Fabrizio Romano also tweeted on Sunday afternoon that the midfielder will make a decision on his future in the coming days and hours: “Christian Eriksen’s decision on future club now finally getting closer. He’s gonna communicate with his agent in the next hours/days to make a final decision.”

Lampard’s own De Bruyne

If the powers at Goodison Park could pull off the signing of Eriksen this summer, it would be a major coup for the Toffees as the Danish midfielder has proven several times that he is a top-quality player and demonstrated that yet again during his six-month contract at Brentford.

The Bees had just one win in eleven games before Eriksen was brought into the team, before the £24k-per-week maestro played his first full 90-minute Premier League game against Norwich City and Thomas Frank’s side then went on to win the next five games on the bounce when the midfielder played.

In fact, Brentford only lost twice in the 10 games in which the former Spurs star featured from the off, and lost once again when he wasn’t in the squad, proving that he really was the key difference in their team, scoring one goal and delivering four assists in total.

The 30-year-old has been the recipient of high praise, as Jamie Redknapp hailed the Denmark international “exceptional” whilst appearing as a pundit on Sky Sports during Brentford’s draw with Spurs:

“He was exceptional again. Since he came to Brentford, he’s been magnificent in that area. Spurs gave him so much space, there was almost too much respect for him. He was just picking passes out, he’s a magician.”

Everton are desperate to identify players that can make an instant impact to get off to a good start next season following a disastrous relegation scrap in their last Premier League campaign, and Lampard could have his very own Kevin De Bruyne on his hands if they can sign the £18m-rated Eriksen this summer.

According to FBref, the Man City star is the second most comparable player to the Brentford star and, despite Eriksen playing 19 fewer league games, there are some close comparisons to be drawn.

De Bruyne had a 75.5% pass completion rate, whilst Eriksen had 74.4%, although the latter had a better pass completion on both long (60.9%) and medium (81.8%) passes.

Again, the pair were close in their goal-creating actions last season too, with Eriksen just leading the Belgian midfielder’s 0.57 to 0.67 GCA per 90 minutes.

With that being said, Farhad Moshiri must do everything he can to tempt the midfielder with a move to Merseyside this summer, as he would be a major asset to the Toffees if he can emulate the impact he has had on Brentford.

AND in other news: Lampard must seal Everton swoop for “cold” £75k-p/w dynamo, won’t cost Moshiri a penny

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly now set to bring Zak Lovelace to Ibrox this summer.

The Lowdown: Contract offered

It was reported back in May that Millwall had offered Lovelace a professional contract, but did not think that the 16-year-old would sign it.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team were intensifying their efforts to sign him, and the Lions would receive £200,000 in compensation should he move to Scotland.

The Latest: Set to sign

As per Football Insider, Lovelace is now set to sign for the Light Blues ‘next week’, after both clubs came to an agreement for the player.

He has accepted their contract offer amid interest from a number of clubs in the Premier League, and sources from Ibrox have revealed that he has even told his mates that he is heading to Glasgow for a medical and signing for the Teddy Bears.

The deal has been described as a ‘real coup’ for the Gers, as both Brighton and Hove Albion and Leicester City were thought to be monitoring developments.

The Verdict: Exciting

Lovelace is certainly an exciting signing for the club, and van Bronckhorst is said to be excited about his potential, seeing him as a player who could even break into the first-team squad for next season (Football Insider).

Millwall manager Gary Rowett has claimed that he has been ‘excellent‘ on the training pitch, which earned him five senior appearances in the Championship last term.

At youth level, Lovelace scored 21 goals in just 19 games, and so the striker is a real prospect who could blossom at RFC.

Newcastle United reportedly now ‘like’ the look of Gianluca Scamacca as a potential alternative to Hugo Ekitike.

The Lowdown: Standout season

The Italian has come off the back of a standout season at Sassuolo, where he scored 16 goals in 36 Serie A games (Transfermarkt).

Magpies supporters may have become familiar with him, having watched him play against England for Italy in their 0-0 draw in the UEFA Nations League recently, as the Three Lions defence found it difficult to play against him at times.

The striker won all three of his aerial duels against Gareth Southgate’s men at Molineux, a testament to his imposing 6 foot 5 stature.

The Latest: Ekitike alternative

Taking to Twitter, Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has revealed that Newcastle now ‘like’ Scamacca as a potential alternative to Ekitike, with the latter’s agent holding out amid interest from Borussia Dortmund.

However, there is a ‘feeling’ that Scamacca would prefer to stay in Italy, as Chelsea forward Armando Broja is also a player in whom the Magpies hold an ‘interest’.

The Verdict: Wait for Ekitike…

Ekitike still remains the Tynesiders’ number one centre-forward target, so they should wait to see if a deal can be pushed through for him first before they look at signing Scamacca or Broja.

Dubbed the ‘next Mbappe’ by some in France, the teenager certainly has a big future ahead of him, having broken onto the scene with 11 goals and four assists in French football last term (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, Scamacca is not much older at 23 and was called ‘deadly’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so he too has an eye for goal which could take Newcastle to the next level.

In other news, find out which deal NUFC have now tried to ‘hijack’

Nottingham Forest are about to make their long-awaited return to the Premier League and will be looking to add depth to their squad to compete in the top flight with a new transfer target revealed.

What’s the latest?

According to the German news outlet BILD, Nottingham Forest are one of the clubs interested in signing Schalke and Cercle Brugge loanee Rabbi Matondo.

As per the report, Cercle Brugge did not exercise their option to purchase Matondo on a permanent move this summer as salary negotiations failed.

Nottingham Forest are named alongside two other Premier League clubs, Brentford and Leeds United, in the report as interested parties.

Cooper’s very own Sancho

Steve Cooper could unearth his very own Jadon Sancho by signing fellow Welshman Matondo this summer, as the 21-year-old has followed a similar path as the Manchester United star.

Both Sancho and Matondo rose through the Manchester City academy before making the move to the Bundesliga to develop their craft and now the Forest manager can facilitate the Schalke winger’s opportunity to play in the Premier League just like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did for Sancho.

The £3m magician who was dubbed “electrifying” for his pace by Ryan Giggs was sent on a season-long loan deal to the Belgian Pro League and has made impressive strides showing glimpses of his potential whilst playing for Cercle Brugge.

Matondo scored nine goals, delivered two assists and created four big chances, taking 2.9 shots and winning four duels on average per game, proving he has the capabilities to be effective in attacking play and dangerous for his opponents.

Nottingham Forest will need to take all their opportunities to score as many goals as possible in their first season back in the Premier League to ensure they don’t suffer a similar fate as the likes of Norwich City and Watford who bounced straight back into the Championship after being promoted last season.

With that being said, the signing of Matondo could be the perfect opportunity for Cooper to add some depth to his attacking threats in the squad ahead of next season to ensure they can compete and remain in the top flight for years to come.

AND in other news: Bad news: NFFC have now held transfer talks that’ll leave Cooper scrambling

Newcastle United have made significant progress in their pursuit of Reims striker Hugo Ekitike, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Failed January pursuit

The 19-year-old was a firm target of the Magpies in January as new manager Eddie Howe looked to bring in a couple of forwards to St James’ Park.

Burnley striker Chris Wood arrived in the northeast after Newcastle swiftly struck a £25m deal following an injury to Callum Wilson, and it appeared that Ekitike was set to follow suit and make a late switch on deadline day after the Magpies had a £33m bid accepted by the Ligue 1 outfit.

However, the Frenchman decided that the timing wasn’t right and that he would instead assess his options at the end of the season.

The Latest: Romano’s update on Ekitike

Romano has now shared the latest update involving Newcastle’s pursuit of Ekitike.

Taking to Twitter, he claimed: “Hugo Ekitike deal. Newcastle and Reims have full agreement on €30m fee plus €5m add-ons, agent is now in talks with Newcastle after being given permission by Reims.

“Work in progress as Newcastle have been leading the race for weeks.”

The Verdict: Huge talent

According to analyst Statman Dave, who has featured on Sky Sports, the Magpies are set to sign “a big talent”. He elaborated: “Only Kylian Mbappe [1.25] registered more non-penalty direct goal involvements than Hugo Ekitike [0.85] in the 21/22 Ligue 1 season.”

Newcastle writer Charlie Bennett has claimed that the unfulfilled deal for the 19-year-old paralleled one failed transfer from the past; like Ekitike, a young, highly-rated Ligue 1 striker in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was close to joining the Magpies in the past, but a deal to bring him to St James’ Park ultimately failed to materialise.

Therefore, if Ekitike can live up to the Gabon striker’s legacy in the Premier League, in which he scored 68 goals for Arsenal, it would be a fantastic signing for Newcastle.

In other news: Craig Hope shares Sven Botman transfer insight

Celtic had a rampant start to the 2021 summer transfer window but Ange Postecoglou hasn’t exactly been busy at Parkhead yet this time around.

What’s the word?

The Hoops have been looking into completing permanent deals for Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota during the off-season but a new exciting transfer rumour has emerged.

It concerns Schalke youngster Rabbi Matondo who could be moving to Scotland this summer.

That’s according to Wales Online who suggest that Celtic and their Old Firm rivals have now opened talks with the German side regarding a move.

Matondo joined them from Manchester City but spent last term on loan at Cercle Brugge.

Cercle are understood to be keen on keeping the winger at the club, while their own rivals in Club Brugge are believed to be interested too.

Transfermarkt values the player at £3.6m.

The next Sane?

Does an exciting young winger with ties to Manchester City and Schalke remind you of anyone? Well, look no further than a certain Leroy Sane, someone who took the opposite career path to Matondo.

While the German wide man, who signed for Bayern Munich for £54.8m, started his career at Schalke, he went on to enjoy a hugely successful stint with the current Premier League champions.

It was at City where Matondo learnt his trade before joining Sane’s former employers where he even spoke of the Germany international’s talent.

Upon signing for the recently-promoted Bundesliga outfit, he said: “Mesut Özil, Ivan Rakitic & Leroy Sane all took big steps in their careers here.”

Matondo’s career hasn’t quite taken off in the same way as the aforementioned trio, scoring just twice in 32 games for Schalke, but his stint on loan in Belgium last term was particularly impressive, with the winger bagging ten goals and registering two assists in all competitions.

With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise to see him praised relentlessly, with Ryan Giggs previously hailing his “electrifying pace.”

That attribute is also synonymous with Sane, someone who uses his speed and trickery to make himself a real nuisance for defenders.

With 1.7 dribbles per game to his name throughout 2021/22, the 21-year-old is evidently also particularly dangerous in possession of the ball while his 32 career goals make him deadly inside the penalty area too.

With all of that said, it’s clear that Matondo would be a very exciting addition should he make the switch to Parkhead over the summer.

Celtic have some captivating options in their forward line already but the Wales international would surely complete the set.

AND in other news, Ange can land his own Denayer as Celtic eye £7k-p/w gem who has “fire in his belly”…

Celtic defender Christopher Jullien has been touted to leave Parkhead during the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

Speaking to Football Insider, former Hoops striker Frank McAvennie did not mince his words about the defender’s current situation at the club and what the immediate future could hold for the Frenchman.

He declared: “It’s clear that Ange doesn’t like him [Jullien]. There were so many games to play last season and he never got a look in, that tells me he’s pretty much finished at Celtic.

“[Cameron] Carter-Vickers and [Carl] Starfelt played every game. I think one of them needs a big, powerful defender to partner them at the back and you would think Jullien fits that mould.

“But he hasn’t played and it doesn’t sound like he’s injured again so Ange clearly doesn’t like him as a player.  I expect he will leave this summer because Ange won’t keep anyone who isn’t contributing.”

Fans will be buzzing

Celtic signed the centre-back from French club Toulouse during the 2019 summer transfer window in a deal worth a reported £7m.

Since then, the 29-year-old has gone on to make just 62 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions (47 of those in his first season at the club), chipping in with 10 goals and four assists over the three years.

After being sidelined for the best part of a year as a result of a serious knee injury, the defender only played 16 minutes for Celtic this season once he recovered, which makes it easy to see why McAvennie thinks Ange Postecoglou doesn’t view Jullien as a credible squad option.

With the defender’s current contract at Parkhead set to expire in the summer of 2023, if what McAvennie says is true and the Celtic manager isn’t a fan of the Frenchman, the upcoming transfer window could give the Hoops the best chance to cash in on the 29-year-old.

Taking this into account, if Jullien isn’t likely to have a future at Celtic, then the club getting as much money as they can for him this summer would surely be the best option for all parties. That scenario would likely have lots of Hoops fans buzzing, especially if the club can find a suitable replacement for the forgotten French defender.

In other news: “Celtic have..”: Transfer insider drops exciting claim that’ll have supporters buzzing

A major Sunderland update has emerged regarding their interest in Nathan Broadhead heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Kristjaan Speakman has confirmed that the Wearsiders will be holding talks with the 24-year-old’s parent club Everton with a view to bringing him back for another spell at the Stadium of Light, after spending the 2021/22 campaign on loan from the Premier League outfit.

The Black Cats chief told The Northern Echo: “We will have a conversation with Everton this week, to see where they are at with it and where we are at with it, and see if that’s aligned.

“We have to respect the fact that he is an Everton player. We have seen him as our player for the year, because we had to get the best out of him but now that the season is finished he unfortunately goes back to being an Everton player.”

Alex Neil will be excited

The Sunderland head coach will surely be left feeling excited by these quotes from Speakman, as Broadhead returning next season would be a huge boost for the 40-year-old.

The Welsh attacker was lethal in front of goal in the 2021/22 League One campaign as he produced an eye-catching 10 goals in 15 starts for the club. He averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.91, remaining consistent with his performances whenever he was available during an injury-hit time on Wearside, which illustrates the big impact he had when he was on the pitch.

The youngster has also been backed to step up to the mark in the second tier as Speakman said: “Look, he’s had some incredible moments and he’s been an inspiration in many respects in terms of some of the goals he’s scored. It has been harder for him of late because of injury but you can’t take away from the fact that he has got all the attributes to go and play at Championship level.”

Neil will therefore be excited by the prospect of working with the 24-year-old next season, as he is a talented player with the potential to improve even further. He has the scope to develop into an excellent option for the club in 2022/23, as suggested by Speakman’s comments and his form in League One, and the Sunderland manager would surely enjoy attempting to get the best out of him if the Black Cats can obtain him for another season.

This is why the ex-Norwich and Preston manager will be thrilled by the club’s efforts to bring Broadhead back to the Stadium of Light, and he will now be hoping that a deal can be agreed for the Welshman.

AND in other news, Speakman confirms exciting Sunderland news that will leave supporters delighted…

West Ham United are believed to be interested in bringing Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips to the club this summer, having previously tried to do a deal in January.

What’s the word?

As per The Sun, Hammers boss David Moyes is eyeing new midfield targets ahead of next season, with the Scotsman keen to welcome the Euro 2020 star to the London Stadium in the upcoming transfer window.

Such a move would not be viewed as a replacement for Declan Rice, though, with the east Londoners holding firm on their desire to keep the £150m-rated talisman at the club, despite his recent rejection of a new contract offer.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more” title= “Read the latest West Ham news!”]

Moyes and co had reportedly seen a £50m offer for Phillips rebuffed in the winter, although the 26-year-old – who has also been linked with a move to Manchester United – could now be available for a reduced fee should Jesse Marsch’s side suffer relegation.

Imagine him and Rice

Despite the persistent rumours about Rice’s future, it would appear that West Ham are anticipating the 23-year-old to still be at the club next season, hence the move to try and bring in his England colleague to rekindle the formidable partnership which inspired the Three Lions to the Euro 2020 final last summer.

Although Phillips has endured a frustrating season due to injury – with his absence having been a notable factor in Leeds’ demise – his displays in his first major tournament and in his debut Premier League campaign last term showcased just how huge a talent he truly is.

Such were the quality of his performances on the international stage, managerial icon Fabio Capello dubbed the £45m-rated man the “best modern midfielder I have seen”, while also labelling him as an “aggressive player” for his all-action, robust style.

More excitingly for those of an Irons persuasion, the veteran coach also heaped praise on the Rice-Phillips midfield axis, dubbing them a “phenomenal” duo and saying of their partnership: “They are the secret of this great England. If the defense is iron, it is thanks to them because they protect their comrades.”

Furthermore, even amid a trying season at Elland Road, the £38k-per-week warrior has still produced a string of impressive statistics, averaging 1.1 interceptions, 2.7 tackles and 0.8 clearances per game in his 18 league outings.

A ferocious competitor with seemingly boundless energy, he also ranks in the top 1% for pressures made among midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues, as well as the top 4% for both tackles and blocks made.

A real workhorse, the Leeds academy graduate appears a perfect fit for Moyes’ approach and the perfect long-term partner for Rice at West Ham as well as for England.

IN other news, GSB must complete swoop for “unbelievable” £31.5m-rated star, Moyes will love him..