All posts by z3u9t.icu

Many Liverpool supporters have been reacting to rumours of Mohamed Salah’s latest wage demands as talks continue regarding a contract extension.

According to The Independent [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], reports claimed Salah had demanded £500,000-a-week to keep him at Anfield, but it has emerged that his representatives just want parity with the Premier League’s best players, with Kevin De Bruyne currently earning around £380,000-per-week.

After bagging 31 goals last season, his contract has under two years remaining and is currently enjoying his fifth campaign for the Reds following his move from Italian side AS Roma.

Since returning to England, following a short stint with Chelsea, the 29-year-old has scored a remarkable 134 goals and grabbed 50 assists in 212 appearances.

With the 2021/22 season starting in such sizzling fashion – Salah has nine goals in nine games across the Premier League and Champions League – his wage demands and proposals don’t come as much of a surprise.

Liverpool fans react to Salah demands

These Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to react to the latest demands made by their Egyptian King.

“No brainer. Pay him now.”

Credit: @PhilVergeire

“I’d pay him £1m a week after that goal on Sunday”

Credit: @RadioheadFgt

“Give him what he wants !”

Credit: @SaccSaccSacc

“Oh my”

Credit: @G5_24

“If he wants parity with KDB then I agree he’s worth it. City without KDB is no big deal. LFC with Mo is a VERY big deal. Irreplaceable.”

Credit: @stylishfella

“It’s a no-brainer. And I hate to say this, but England glorifies players like Grealish for the bare minimum while Salah is miles clear of anyone in the Prem. He’s doing Ronaldo and Messi things at the moment. If he feels under appreciated, he’ll to move to somewhere else.”

Credit: @M_Hosni22

“Best player in the league is asking to be paid same salary as the top players in the league. Give him what be wants fsg”

Credit: @TommieVadaszi

In other news, these Liverpool fans have flocked to the latest rumour linking a player to FC Barcelona. Find out more here.

We’re less than one month away from the opening of the January signing window. After 2021 saw enormous names, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi move to Manchester United and Chelsea respectively, all eyes will be on the big names. There are a lot of exciting movements taking place at the moment, with Newcastle’s new manager Eddie Howe gearing up for his first opportunity to improve. Further, all eyes will be on Rangnick and how much he is allotted by the Manchester United higher-ups. With all this excitement and much more in mind, let’s break down the large names most likely to be moving in January 2022.

Donny van de Beek

Since moving to Manchester United from Ajax, Donny van de Beek has had a turbulent time. Unfortunately, he has only hit the field four times during the Premier League and is yet to feature in their starting 11. Van de Beek is doing everything he can to get out of his contract with United, with reports suggesting that he has even changed his agent. Currently, talks have happened with Wolves and Everton, with a hopeful January transfer.

Although the Dutchman is looking to move after a negative experience, he may patch things up with United under their new manager Rangnick. Whether he will leave Manchester United is yet to be seen, but it’s definitely worth watching his position. When the time comes, you can claim Sky Bet free bets from Squawka.com and wager your Christmas money in the hopes of increasing your stake. Who knows, you may come out with some serious cash to spend in the January sales.

Jesse Lingard

Jesse Lingard currently plays for Manchester United but has rejected attempts to resign under contract. Lingard has previously seen success while on loan at West Ham and has said that he wants to go out on loan before his contract is up. At the moment, it seems likely that West Ham will try and reclaim Lingard on another loan basis. Unfortunately, due to his existing contract at Manchester United, it seems highly likely that he won’t be put out on loan to West Ham. After all, why would Rangnick give up one of their players to a rival?

Antonio Rudiger

Antonio Rudiger is enjoying great success with Chelsea, who are currently sitting third in the Premier League. You may ask why he would want to leave, considering how well they are doing. However, his contract is due to expire, and he’s only being offered £7 million to stay. This would put him behind the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Thiago Silva, and Timo Werner. According to reports, PSG, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid are eyeing up Rudiger – and their offer is closer to £10 million. When it comes down to it, money will speak volumes regarding Rudiger’s allegiance in January despite whether he wishes to stay at Stamford Bridge.

Harry Kane

It’s no secret that England captain and football superstar Harry Kane wishes to leave Tottenham. Initially, he wanted to transfer to Man City in the summer of 2021, but no deal came to fruition. After coming so close to taking England to the top of the Euro 2020, Harry Kane has suffered severe blows with Tottenham after he only scored once throughout the entire 2021 season. If Kane has his way, he will transfer to Man City in January and rekindle his spark for top-tier football.

Dele Alli

Another Tottenham player looking to make a move is Dele Ali, after being tethered to the bench following a poor display. Alli needs to up his game at Tottenham if he wishes to fit into Conte’s 3-4-3 format. With the January window almost upon us, we may see Alli departing Spurs and having another chance to show what he can do.

The 2021 transfer window saw records being broken and huge players being transferred in the final hours. Therefore, all eyes are on the January 2022 window, with the high expectation of some big moves. Will Harry Kane finally break free of the shackling Spurs, will Van de Beek find appreciation elsewhere, and will Rudiger find a happy deal at Chelsea? Although no one truly knows the answers yet, it will make for an entertaining January.

Image from: unsplash.com

A major Tottenham Hotspur exit development has now come to light in the last 24 hours, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs exodus looming?

There have been many Lilywhites players linked with a move away from north London in recent weeks, including some pretty big names.

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Perhaps the most notable is club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele with the Lyon loanee no longer in manager Antonio Conte’s plans going forward.

The Evening Standard claim that Tottenham are now open to selling the 25-year-old with defender Joe Rodon now also set to be sold alongside Ndombele, per Football Insider.

USA international Cameron Carter-Vickers, currently on a temporary spell at Celtic, is another Spurs player linked with a permanent summer exit with SBI Soccer reporter Larry Henry Jr now sharing a major development.

The Latest: Carter-Vickers development…

As per the American journalist, sharing news from one of his close sources, the Hoops are now in advanced talks to sign Carter-Vickers permanently from Spurs.

He explained (via Twitter):

“Celtic is in advanced talks to acquire USMNT and Tottenham defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, a source confirmed. Celtic remains “very happy” with CCV, but still will need to fight off competition from English clubs.”

The Verdict: Get it completed…

Offloading Carter-Vickers for a small profit margin is arguably imperative given Conte’s lofty summer transfer ambitions, with as many as six major signings reportedly on his agenda (The Telegraph).

The 24-year-old, a mainstay under Ange Postecoglou over 2021/2022, has barely been given a look-in down south for Tottenham and now is the perfect time to let him leave and further his career.

Once called a ‘beast’ by Spurs fan favourite Jan Vertonghen, it appears Carter-Vickers will have to take up that mantle elsewhere – likely at Parkhead and away from the Premier League.

In other news: Source: Tottenham edge closer to ‘top signing’, he now really wants to join Conte! Find out more here.

Leeds United have been boosted in their attempts to sign Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, with journalist Pete O’Rourke claiming a January move could happen.

The Lowdown: Leeds keen on signing McKennie

The Whites are searching for a new midfielder in the January transfer window, with Kalvin Phillips out injured for the foreseeable future and reports suggesting Victor Orta is seeking two additions – a number six and a number eight.

One player who Leeds have been linked with signing is McKennie, with the American not always a regular for Juventus this season, starting 11 out of 20 Serie A matches.

It appears as though Marcelo Bielsa could be pushing for the £22.5million-rated midfielder’s signature, with a fresh update emerging on the situation.

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The Latest: Journalist provides update

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed a January move for McKennie isn’t out of the question:

“I think McKennie could be a target, whether you could get them away from Juventus to join a relegation battle will be another issue, but Juventus are open to letting McKennie go, so that maybe gives Leeds a bit of hope in that one.”

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The Verdict: Much-needed addition

The 23-year-old is exactly the kind of player Leeds could do with signing this month, with his profile ideal for what Bielsa is looking for.

His age makes him a long-term acquisition but he already possesses plenty of experience, scoring eight goals in 28 caps for the USA and making 65 appearances for Juve after racking up 91 games for Schalke.

According to the official Bundesliga site, the youngster is capable of playing pretty much anywhere in midfield and even in defence, making him the ideal signing in Orta’s search to add depth to the squad – he has played eight different positions in his career.

His former manager in Germany, David Wagner, hailed him as a ‘leader’, which is surely the type of personality Bielsa would want in a relegation dogfight.

McKennie was won an average of 1.6 aerial duels per game in the league this season, not to mention 1.1 tackles and dribbles apiece, highlighting his all-round expertise in the middle of the park.

In other news, Leeds have also been linked with another signing. Find out who it is here.

An update has emerged on Rangers and their January transfer window plans for gem Joe Aribo…

What’s the talk?

According to The Scottish Mail of Sunday journalist Gary Keown, via Ibrox News, the Gers are keen to ‘strike while the iron is hot’ by cashing in on the midfielder this month.

The report claims that he is attracting ‘strong interest’ from a number of English Premier League teams, although no potential fee is mentioned.

Infuriation

Gers fans will surely be left infuriated by this update as it suggests that the club have decided that now is the best time to sell Aribo.

However, Rangers could be headed for a major January blunder if this is the case because they would be frustrating their own supporters and weakening their side in the midst of a title battle.

Supporters will be up in arms as he has been in terrific form this season and his exit would harm Gio van Bronckhorst’s chances of winning the Premiership. He has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.20 this term, scoring six goals and providing three assists, showing that he is delivering consistently brilliant displays for the Scottish giants.

His former Charlton teammate Ezri Konsa once praised Aribo’s style of play, saying: “Having Gerrard as his manager at Rangers, that has made him go up another level.

“Joe’s style is unique. When I was with him at Charlton he did remind me for a while of a left-footed Yaya Toure. But you don’t get a lot of midfielders like Joe, there aren’t many around.

“Like Toure, for a tall guy he’s got such great feet. But that languid style he’s got is actually fairly unique in the game.”

These comments, in particular, highlight why selling Aribo could be a big disaster for the Gers. He is not a run-of-the-mill midfielder who the club could go and easily find a replica of. He is unique and replacing him in the transfer market, particularly in the winter window, could be extremely difficult, which is why selling him now would be an error.

Therefore, Ross Wilson must reverse his decision to seek a sale for Aribo and avoid striking ‘while the iron is hot’ to keep him at Ibrox. He is a crucial player for the Gers and selling him now could have a major impact on the pitch and off it in terms of the fan reaction it could bring.

AND in other news, Expert makes “transformational” £50m Rangers claim that will leave Ross Wilson buzzing…

[ad_pod ]Fulham have completed the loan signing of Havard Nordtveit from Hoffenheim, the club confirmed on Thursday via their official website.The versatile Norway international, who can play as a midfielder or a centre-back, moves to the club after an injury-hit season in the Bundesliga.Per Transfermarkt, Nordtveit played just eight times in the German top-flight prior to his move to the Cottagers, having struggled with an ankle fracture.Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…The 28-year-old has experience of playing in England, having spent four years with Arsenal between 2007 and 2011, though he failed to make a first-team debut for the Gunners and eventually joined Borussia Monchengladbach.He also spent the 2016-17 season at West Ham United, making 21 appearances in all competitions before joining Hoffenheim.Nordtveit’s move to Fulham has been received well by the club’s fans, with Claudio Ranieri’s men battling relegation this season.The club are currently six points behind Burnley in 17th, and supporters hope the star can hit the ground running.

West Bromwich Albion manager Valerien Ismael is plotting a move for Daryl Dike in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Express & Star journalist Luke Hatfield, who revealed in a recent interview with GIVEMSPORT that the Orlando City centre-forward features very highly on Ismael’s list of targets for the winter window.

When asked about West Brom’s potential interest in the 21-year-old, Hatfield said: “I’m sure he’s a player who is very, very high on their list. There were links with him almost endlessly over the summer and his form for Orlando has been very good.

“He’s got a really good goalscoring record in the MLS. No disrespect to the league, but it is maybe a couple of steps below the level that Albion are playing at or hope to play at in the Premier League. He’s clearly a player who’s got real talent.”

Ismael must act

Jordan Hugill has failed to find any real run of goalscoring form since his arrival at The Hawthorns on a season-long loan deal back in August, with the 29-year-old hitting the back of the net just once over his 10 Championship appearances this season. Therefore, a move for a proven goalscorer in January would seem essential for the Baggies if they are to have any hope of securing promotion back to the Premier League come next May.

As Hatfield suggests, Dike would very much seem to be a fantastic option for the club to pursue, as the USA international has been in fine form for Orlando in the current campaign.

Indeed, over his 15 MLS fixtures, the £9m-rated marksman has bagged seven goals – a scoring frequency of one in every 151 minutes of football played – provided one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 1.7 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game

These metrics have seen the player who Nani dubbed a “special” talent average a SofaScore match rating of 7.05, ranking him as his team’s joint third-best performer in the division.

However, it is not only Dike’s form in America which suggests that he would make a fantastic signing for Ismael, but also his returns while playing under the Frenchman during a loan spell at Barnsley last term. The 6 foot 2 striker scored nine goals over 19 Championship appearances at Oakwell at a rate of one goal every 143 minutes.

As such, considering Hugill’s incomparable return of one goal in 562 minutes of Championship football played this season, Ismael simply must do all he can to land Dike in January, as the 21-year-old undoubtedly possesses the goalscoring ability to fire West Brom back to the Premier League.

In other news: Cost the club £13m, left for nothing: WBA had a nightmare on “stupid” £30k-p/w flop

According to a report by Football Insider, it is looking increasingly likely that Tottenham Hotspur will be forced into a ‘crazy’ schedule in the New Year.

The Lowdown: Tottenham fixtures piling up

Tottenham have been heavily affected by the increased spread of the global pandemic. After Spurs stated that eight players had tested positive for the virus, the club’s Europa Conference League match against Rennes was called off. This was followed by the postponement of the Lilywhites’ away fixture to Brighton on Sunday.

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This has meant that Spurs’ fixtures are starting to pile up, and fans will surely wonder when they’re going to be played. This was exacerbated by the postponement of Spurs’ match against Burnley, which was set to take place at Turf Moor towards the end of November, which was called off due to heavy snowfall.

The Latest: Spurs could play heavy fixture list in 2022

As the outbreak at Hotspur Way led to the Premier League calling off Spurs’ fixture against Brighton, Antonio Conte’s men now have two games in hand on the majority of the league.

Speaking to Football Insider, Spurs insider John Wenham has claimed that playing out the heavy fixture list out in 2022 is the only way forward.

He said: “It’s a really difficult one, all of this is such a blow. I think we will end up playing three games in a week on a few occasions.

“You are looking at a Tuesday, Thursday then Sunday game all in the same week. That’s just to get rid of the backlog we already have before you think about other games that might be called off.

“Other clubs are having… issues so it’s not out of the question other teams might have games called off that will affect us.

“We are so busy already but I don’t see another way around it. It will be a crazy schedule.

“It will be a challenge but hopefully it will be after January so we may have a stronger squad to deal with that congestion.”

The Verdict: Conte needs additions in January

With the current schedule already looking hectic, it does not seem possible that Spurs will be able to fit in these fixtures anywhere else, besides in the New Year. This means that it will be crucial for Conte and Paratici to bring in a few signings in the January transfer window in order to bolster the playing squad.

Spurs have been linked with a plethora of players this season, with much of the attention centered around Fiorentina striker Dušan Vlahović. However, fans may want to see a greater number of fresh faces in January, especially if the squad continues to decimated with injuries, illness or a fixture backlog.

In other news: “Top, top player” – Paul Robinson delighted as Spurs eye ‘underrated’ beast; Conte is a big fan too

Newcastle United are plotting a summer bid for West Ham United star Jarrod Bowen as they look to strengthen their squad for next season.

What’s the story?

According to 90min.com the Magpies are interested in signing the highly-rated English winger who has been key to West Ham’s success this season.

It was revealed in December that West Ham had opened talks over a new contract with the player and his representatives, but with an agreement yet to be reached clubs have been circling.

Liverpool are another club that admire the player as a potential Mohamed Salah replacement but, Newcastle will be hoping he can become their own Salah.

Bowen’s on fire

In the words of James Collins, Bowen has been “on fire” for the Hammers this season, and has been pivotal to their push for European football and their progression into the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

The 25-year old has 19 goal contributions in 29 appearances in the Premier League this season. Despite the form, he is yet to be called up to play for his country after fracturing a bone in his foot last month.

He’s in the top 7% for goal creating actions in the Premier League this season for players in his position.

The Englishman is valued at around £31.5m but it may take more than that for West Ham to agree to sell their star man. Former Hammers keeper Paddy Kenny told Football Insider that he thinks it may take even £60m to sign Bowen and that West Ham “do not need to sell”.

However, with the ambitions that both Liverpool and Newcastle have, Bowen himself may push for a move which may leave them with no choice.

There’s still a while left on his contract, with it expiring in 2025, but if he refuses to sign another then his value will decrease as each transfer window passes.

However, it may well be worth it Stuart Pearce previously comparing him to Salah, saying: “The comparison between him and Mo Salah, we have looked at the way Salah stands the defender up and stops and then goes again or uses the defender to curl the ball around into the far corner.”

Despite Salah’s incredibly impressive season you can see why the two are alike. Bowen is four years younger than the Egyptian and still matches him in some areas.

His percentage of shots on target is 42% compared to Salah’s 38% and his goals per shot average matches the Liverpool star at 0.13.

There’s likely to be a hunt for his signature in the summer, and with Newcastle’s new ownership already stating their ambitions with a string of January signings, there’s no sign of them stopping.

Adding Bowen to their ranks would be a real statement of intent and would massively help them push further up the table as quickly as possible.

When comparing him to the Magpies star winger Allan Saint-Maximin, he has more goals and assists per 90 minutes at 0.63 compared to 0.32.

His goal creating actions are also more than double Maximin’s.

IN other news: Sold at £20m, then won a Ballon d’Or: NUFC had mare on “extraordinary” 36yo “monster” – opinion…

Adam Jones was left slamming the performance of Ben Godfrey as Everton lost 3-2 away from home to Burnley in the Premier League on Wednesday night.

The Lowdown: Damaging defeat

It really was yet another damaging loss for Frank Lampard and his team at the foot of the table, as the win for the Clarets closed the gap between the two sides to just one point.

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The Goodison Park faithful were actually in the lead at half-time through two Richarlison penalties after Nathan Collins had opened the scoring for the hosts from a corner, but Jay Rodriguez and Maxwel Cornet ensured that they had to suffer another miserable defeat.

Worryingly, Sean Dyche even admitted after the match that he told his players the Everton squad ‘don’t know how to win’.

The Latest: Godfrey slammed

Writing in his player ratings piece for The Liverpool Echo, Jones slammed Godfrey’s display in particular, citing the ‘awful’ mistake that he made in the lead up to the decisive goal of the game, while he ‘didn’t cover himself in glory’ with his positioning for the hosts’ second goal either.

Jones gave him just a 4/10 overall rating, the joint-worst in the squad along with Jonjoe Kenny.

The Verdict: Must do better

Godfrey will know that he made a mistake for the third goal, and overall he must do better defensively if the Toffees are to avoid the dreaded drop.

The central defender lost out on two of his duels, and only managed to make one interception in the entire match, while his passing was not up to scratch, recording just 54% accuracy, one of the lowest in the squad (SofaScore).

He was also inaccurate with all seven of his long ball attempts, and lost possession 12 times from just 36 touches (SofaScore).

Nonetheless, Lampard must seriously consider whether to start him again as Manchester United come calling at Saturday lunchtime, but with Michael Keane now available after suspension.

In other news, find out which ‘brilliant’ leader the Blues are now eyeing here!