Journalist makes big Carter-Vickers claim

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.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

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.

West Ham open talks to sign Serie A star

West Ham United appear to be already planning ahead for the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Irons are working on a deal to sign Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie as a potential replacement for Declan Rice after he rejected multiple contract offers.

It’s thought that talks between the two parties have already taken place and one Hammers source believes the 23-year-old is a ‘leading target’ for David Moyes this winter.

The same outlet revealed earlier this week that West Ham were prepared to sell Rice for around £90m.

It remains to be seen how much the 25-cap USA international would command, having cost the Serie A giants £18m last summer, though Transfermarkt currently value him at £22.5m.

Statement signing

Finding a viable replacement for Rice will be an arduous and tricky task, whenever that may be, and even if he does not depart the London Stadium, Moyes and co must still consider a move for McKennie.

He’s arguably one of the best young midfield talents across Europe, despite yet making an impact in Turin.

McKennie’s ability to play in pretty much any role in the engine room makes him an intriguing candidate for the Irons as he can not only succeed Rice but could provide the perfect foil to a Tomas Soucek or even in their bid to find Mark Noble’s long-term heir.

“He’s an outstanding talent,” claimed former Schalke boss David Wagner. “In the No.6 or No.8 position he has the mentality, a real working mentality that you need. And he’s brave on the ball as well. He can be one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga.”

Indeed, the Amercian certainly has the attributes to play these roles, having averaged 1.8 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, 1.5 dribbles, 1.3 shots and one key pass every 90 minutes since the start of the 2016/17 season, via WhoScored.

On that evidence, he not only contributes in a defensive manner but he can also get up the pitch to have an impact in the final third too, very much like Soucek last term and Rice this season.

Whether he’s the perfect replacement for the coveted England international or merely just another midfield option to have at his disposal, Moyes could really take the Hammers to the next level with a January swoop for McKennie.

AND in other news, Forget Kral: Moyes could find West Ham’s perfect Noble heir in £13m-rated “technician”…

PSG eyeing Richarlison if Mbappe leaves

Paris Saint-Germain have identified Everton forward Richarlison as their preferred replacement if Kylian Mbappe leaves the club, according to RMC Sport.

The lowdown

The report states that Mbappe’s future is uncertain after he turned down the offer of a five-year contract. As it stands, he’ll be a free agent next summer.

It now remains to be seen if Real Madrid, or the unnamed Premier League club who have expressed ‘concrete’ interest, will launch a move in the final week of the transfer window.

Everton paid £35.28million to sign Richarlison from Watford in 2018, and he’s since gone on to score 43 goals in 121 appearances for the Blues (via Transfermarkt).

Richarlison, who’s also racked up 32 Brazil caps, was hailed as a ‘complete’ forward by former Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti.

The latest

PSG have prepared themselves for the possibility of Mbappe’s exit by establishing contact with Richarlison’s representatives.

Neymar has apparently helped to persuade the club that his compatriot would be a capable replacement.

The verdict

This could be a long-running story. PSG will reportedly renew their efforts to tie Mbappe down if they keep him beyond the deadline, but by January, he’ll be able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with another club.

Even if no move for Richarlison materialises this summer, then, they could revisit their interest further down the line.

Everton might get the better end of the deal. His progress has stalled recently, but they may still be able to coax a huge fee out of the Parisians to reinvest in the squad, especially if a move comes after they have just cashed in on Mbappe.

In other news, Patrick Boyland addresses the possibility of this loan move.

Man City predicted XI to face Leicester

Manchester City face Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester at the King Power Stadium in the Premier League as they go in search of a third straight win.

Pep Guardiola’s side are coming into the match off the back of two 5-0 wins against Norwich and Arsenal, having started the campaign with a disappointing 1-0 loss at Tottenham.

Ederson and Gabriel Jesus are set to be available despite previous concerns over whether or not FIFA would ban them from playing. Kevin de Bruyne is also set to return, whilst Phil Foden is likely to miss out.

Who will Guardiola bring into the XI? Here is our predicted starting line-up for the clash against Leicester…

We are predicting that Guardiola will make three changes to the team which started the rout against Arsenal, with Kevin de Bruyne, John Stones and Raheem Sterling coming in.

Firstly, we are predicting that de Bruyne will return to the starting XI. The Belgian has been back in training all week and we believe that Guardiola will take Bernardo Silva out of the team to accommodate the two-time PFA Player of the Year.

He has only played 11 minutes in the league so far this season, having produced 19 goals and 32 assists in the previous two Premier League campaigns combined. His ability to score and create goals could increase City’s chances of picking up three points against the Foxes, which is why he should be brought into the team.

Although Jesus has been cleared to feature, the decision has come very late ahead of the match and Jesus may not be in the best place – mentally – to start the game. With Zack Steffen out with Covid, there is little choice but to select Ederson, but Guardiola has plenty of options to start out wide in the front three.

We are predicting that Raheem Sterling will come in. The 26-year-old has only started once this season (against Tottenham) but did manage to get himself on the scoresheet against Norwich. He also scored once in two games for England over the international break, netting in the 4-0 thrashing of Hungary.

Riyad Mahrez could also start in the wide role, but we are backing Sterling for this match because of his positional flexibility which could allow Ferran Torres and himself to interchange positions throughout the game. Sterling has the capabilities to play through the middle, which could then see Torres move out wide and cause problems for the Leicester defenders as they try and work out who they should be marking.

Finally, we are predicting that John Stones will start at centre-back alongside Ruben Dias instead of Spanish international Aymeric Laporte. We have published an article explaining our reasoning behind this decision, with the Englishman yet to start a Premier League match this season and deserving of an opportunity to come in and show that he can recapture his form from the previous campaign.

We are predicting that the rest of the side will remain the same from the 5-0 win over Arsenal prior to the international break.

AND in other news, Pep must start £100k-p/w Man City enforcer vs Leicester, he could stop Vardy…

LFC fans react to latest Salah demand

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.

West Brom dealt Josh Windass transfer blow

West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a major blow in their bid to bring Josh Windass to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Yorkshire Live, who revealed that the Sheffield Wednesday midfielder has put pen to paper on a new two-year deal at Hillsborough, putting an end to the transfer speculation surrounding the 27-year-old.

Indeed, earlier reports had claimed that a number of Premier League and Championship clubs, including Valerien Ismaeal’s West Brom, were keeping a close eye on the situation of the player ahead of a potential summer swoop following the Owls’ relegation from the second tier last season.

However, with Windass now looking set to remain at Wednesday until at least the summer of 2023, a move for the former Glasgow Rangers man would now appear to be rather unlikely for the Baggies any time soon.

Fans will be gutted

With Matheus Pereira’s departure leaving a rather significant goalscoring and creative hole in Albion’s attacking ranks, the addition of a player who could somewhat replace the Brazilian’s influence within the side would appear to be a must for Ismael before the closure of the summer transfer window.

And, considering the form Windass was in for Wednesday last season, despite the fact the Owls were battling at the wrong end of the table, the 27-year-old looked to be something of a perfect fit for the Frenchman.

Indeed, over his 41 Championship appearances for Darren Moore’s side last term, the £1.8m-rated man scored nine goals, registered six assists and created seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the man dubbed an “explosive” player by his father Dean earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.80, ranking him as the club’s seventh-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, when taking into account the £10k-per-week attacking midfielder would have been available at something of a snip this summer, in addition to his obvious ability in the final third, fans of the Baggies are sure to be gutted that Windass has signed a new deal with his current side, as the 27-year-old would have appeared to make an exciting addition to the Albion squad.

In other news: West Brom in the running for “phenomenal” £5k-p/w goal-machine, he’d be a huge coup

Leeds United suffer Dan James injury blow

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has suffered a major injury blow over Dan James ahead of his side’s Premier League clash against Arsenal at the weekend.

What’s the story?

According to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, James picked up a muscular injury during that defeat at the Etihad, and it remains to be seen how long he could potentially be out for.

That was then followed up by The Athletic’s Phil Hay, who via Bielsa’s pre-match press conference, revealed: “Dan James and Jamie Shackleton are out this weekend. Robin Koch available though. No other changes to the absentee list. Firpo serving a one-match ban.”

Big blow for Leeds

While James may not have exactly lit Elland Road alight with his performances this season since his move from Manchester United – he’s scored just one goal and provided only two assists in 16 Premier League games – he remains a vital part of the first-team squad for Bielsa.

The Welshman has been involved in every single Premier League game this campaign bar one, and that was way back in mid-August when he remained on the bench against Southampton in only the second match of the season for Leeds.

With the Whites already without a number of key first-team stars for the game against Arsenal – including the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford among others – losing yet another player on the eve of the game is a major blow and setback for Bielsa.

Raphinha and Jack Harrison will surely be expected to start out wide, but it leaves Bielsa with very little room to manoeuvre when it comes to options off the bench and potential game-changers.

Leeds fans will surely be absolutely gutted with the kind of injury luck they have had in recent weeks in particular.

Meanwhile, this Leeds star must be axed vs Arsenal…

Newcastle plot move for West Ham’s Bowen

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…

Palace could repeat masterclass with Johnson

The Championship is becoming a common hunting ground for Premier League clubs in search of a bargain deal, and Crystal Palace could have their next target already lined up.

With the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Dan James and Said Benrahma all making successful step-ups from the second tier in recent years, the Eagles followed suit and took a punt on Michael Olise.

Patrick Vieira’s charges splashed out £8m to secure the youngster’s services back in June after he bagged seven goals and provided a further 12 assists in 44 league appearances for former side Reading.

At the time, the fee appeared to be a relatively modest one for a player who had just been named the EFL Young Player of the Year after an outstanding breakout campaign, and it’s proved to be exactly that in the opening weeks of 2021/22.

In just 139 minutes of top-flight action, Olise has scored one goal and set up two more, playing a pivotal part in draws against Leicester City and Arsenal, as well as the victory over Manchester City last time out.

And now, the Eagles could be about to repeat the same trick after being linked with a move for Nottingham Forest’s highly-rated forward Brennan Johnson.

A report in Football League World claims that the capital club are one of several Premier League sides tracking the 20-year-old’s current situation as he approaches the final 18 months of his current contract.

Famed for his incredible dribbling skills, finishing ability and versatility, Johnson is an ideal fit for Vieira’s new-look Palace side on paper, and his performances on the pitch are equally as eye-catching.

After making a fast start to life under Forest boss Steve Cooper in recent weeks, the Wales international earned several plaudits from impressed onlookers, including retired striker Glenn Murray.

“For me, Brennan, he just looks special. He just looks a cut above, and he’s destined for the top,” Murray told Sky Sports (as relayed by Nottingham Forest News).

“Yes, he’s not getting everything right at the moment, but he looks at the top-level easily. I expect a really big future from him.”

Whether Johnson is ready to make the step up to the Premier League at this stage in his career after playing League One football as recently as last term, only time will tell, but the £2,500-per-week gem could certainly be a risk worth taking for Palace.

And, in other news…Parish could discover CPFC’s new Ian Wright by signing 22 y/o with “blistering pace”

Ten Hag must get rid of Rashford at MUFC

Manchester United suffered their second defeat on Merseyside in less than two weeks, after losing to Everton earlier this month and last night they were torn apart by Liverpool at Anfield in a 4-0 defeat.

Ralf Rangnick’s side looked completely deflated throughout the game, and this was reflected in their overwhelming lack of quality in the clash when you consider their overall statistics.

The Red Devils only managed to have an abysmal 28% of possession, only one shot on target, zero big chances created and less than half the completed passes of their fierce rivals.

It was a shocking performance that led to a scathing post-match report from the interim Man United boss.

Rangnick told the press: “It’s embarrassing, it’s completely disappointing and also humiliating.

“The team needs to be rebuilt — it’s clear. I think a game like the one today showed that in a very drastic way that this rebuild is necessary.”

Liverpool put four past their lacklustre opponents on Tuesday evening, with Mo Salah returning to form putting two past David de Gea alongside Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane who also got their names on the scoresheet.

The appointment of Erik ten Hag is reportedly imminent, so when it comes to taking a look at the much-needed changes in the team one player who must be considered for the chop is Marcus Rashford, who yet again completely let down his team-mates throughout the game.

According to SofaScore, the winger who was labelled “terrible” by Chris Waddle, barely turned up for the game making just 11 accurate passes over 90 minutes, as well as losing the ball every 2.1 touches.

He didn’t register a single shot on or off target and lost seven out of his eight duels at Anfield, proving that ten Hag has a decision to make on the player’s future.

It was reported by Fabrizio Romano earlier this year that Rashford was considering his future at the club due to lack of game-time and may look for a new challenge away from his boyhood club with Rangnick making it clear that if the reports are true then he will be free to leave the club this summer, but ultimately the decision will fall to the new manager.

With that being said, following this awful performance and season for the 24-year-old, it could be the perfect opportunity for both the player and club to mutually part ways at the end of the term.

AND in other news: Ten Hag must ruthlessly axe “difficult” £31.5m-rated Man Utd star, he won’t fit in

Game
Register
Service
Bonus