All posts by n8rngtd.top

West Ham United are leading the way for the signature of relegated Southampton star James Ward-Prowse this summer, according to Football Insider.

Is James Ward-Prowse leaving Southampton?

As revealed by Football Insider, James Ward-Prowse was given permission to leave Southampton in the case of relegation.

So, now that the Saints are set for a spell in the Championship, the midfielder is reportedly free to leave.

The club captain couldn’t do enough to rescue his side from relegation, despite scoring nine goals and assisting a further four from midfield in the league.

Ward-Prowse’s form was certainly Premier League quality, as is his ability.

And, with that, he has attracted the interest of West Ham, who, alongside London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, lead the way for the Englishman’s signature this summer, according to Football Insider.

After spending his entire career up to date with Southampton, Ward-Prowse’s time at St Mary’s looks set to finally come to an end.

How much will James Ward-Prowse cost?

Despite suffering relegation from the Premier League, Southampton will look to demand £40m for the transfer of Ward-Prowse this summer, according to Jack Rosser of The Sun.

It remains to be seen whether West Ham can match that price, but the prospect of Europe once again next season would certainly provide a financial boost ahead of the summer.

The Hammers may have no choice but to invest in midfield reinforcements this summer, too, given the uncertainty surrounding Declan Rice’s future at the club.

The England international has been linked with moves to Bayern Munich and Arsenal, as per Florian Plettenberg.

The potential arrival of Ward-Prowse could help to fill the void left by Rice, if he did decide to leave West Ham in the summer transfer window.

The "phenomenal" Southampton captain – as once described by former teammate Charlie Austin – would also fill the homegrown spot that Rice would leave.

Speaking on potential signings this summer, Moyes suggested his desire to sign homegrown players, saying via the Evening Standard:

“I would say yes, I think I would like to add more a little bit more of British players or homegrown players if we possibly could.

“I wouldn’t set out to take one of them if I saw something better or I thought there was a better alternative.”

With that in mind and a whole summer of twists to come, West Ham’s reported pursuit of Ward-Prowse could yet see plenty more twists and turns.

Everton will surely be active in the summer transfer window after suffering consecutive Premier League relegation scraps and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of a long-term target.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Beto?

According to Tutto Udinese, Everton are ready to make another approach for Udinese striker Beto this summer.

As per the report, it is claimed there is concrete interest from a number of clubs and the Serie A outfit expect the goalscorer to leave during the summer window, with Everton named as potential suitors after making an approach in the winter.

Previous reports have suggested he may cost around €35m (£30m).

Who would Beto replace in the Everton team?

It is no secret that Sean Dyche's top priority this summer will be to improve the forward line to, in turn, increase the goal contributions next season after a real struggle to retain the club's top-flight status.

The Toffees finished 17th in the Premier League table with just two points sparing them from a drop into the Championship and one of the most blatant causes for their precarious position throughout the 38-game campaign was the lack of presence in front of goal.

Only Wolverhampton Wanderers scored fewer goals (31) than Everton (34) this season, despite the club investing in a striker last summer with former Brighton and Hove Albion man Neal Maupay joining the Merseysiders in a £15m deal.

The £50k-per-week Frenchman has been nothing short of a flop in the centre-forward role and has failed to make up for the goal contributions lost due to Richarlison's exit and in Dominic Calvert-Lewin's absence through injury, with just one goal scored in all competitions over 29 appearances.

As a result, the signing of Beto could be the perfect opportunity for Dyche to finally replace Maupay and instead deploy a forward who can offer much more consistent output.

Over 33 Serie A appearances, the 25-year-old monster scored ten goals, registered one assist and created four big chances, as well as averaging 1.8 shots on goal, one successful dribble and 4.4 duels won per game, proving he could be a huge attacking asset for Dyche next season.

The Portuguese striker has been the subject of high praise over his time in the Italian top flight, with journalist Josh Bunting complimenting Beto's strengths earlier this season:

"Quality player offers more than goals, good hold-up play and links play effectively. 3 goals in 6 games this season in Serie A. Can pull defenders around with his movement, intelligent."

When comparing Beto's output this season with Maupay, it's clear that the 6 foot 3 titan has outperformed his positional peer in a number of key attacking attributes including goals per shot on target (0.45 v 0.08), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.07 v 1.45), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.17 v 0.08) and aerial duels won (52.2% v 23.8%), as per FBref.

With that being said, if Everton can secure a deal for Beto this summer it would be a major coup and could considerably improve upon Maupay's presence on the pitch to increase goal contributions and help the side compete more comfortably next season.

Pep Guardiola could be about to pull off another stroke of genius in the transfer market after winger Riyad Mahrez was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

Man City transfer news – Riyad Mahrez

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Mahrez has been subject to an approach from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.

Romano stated that the Algerian winger had been the target of a bumper bid from Saudi Arabia as clubs from the country target top talent in Europe with the help of the nation’s Public Investment Fund.

Mahrez has two years left on his contract at the Etihad Stadium, so the European champions would look for a sizable fee from Al-Ahli to let the winger leave the club.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Italian journalist Rudy Galetti confirmed the approach and expects a decision on the future of Mahrez to be made soon.

"We know for sure he received a big offer from Al-Ahli three weeks ago that he rejected. But a few days before the Champions League final, the Saudi Arabian club presented a new huge bid. The response of the player has not yet arrived and is expected soon," he said.

Could Guardiola repeat his Gabriel Jesus masterstroke?

One of the reasons Man City and Guardiola have been so successful in recent seasons is their ruthlessness in the transfer market.

Unlike rivals like Manchester United and Liverpool, City don’t fear letting club legends and fan favourites walk before their sell-by date, and Mahrez – who was previously hailed as a "genius" by both The Guardian's Barney Ronay and his former Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri – could be the next player to depart, despite still possessing much of the magician-like quality a treble-winning side needs.

The club continue to rebuild and reshape the team even while the team is performing on the pitch, as opposed to changing things once it is desperately needed.

Take the sale of Gabriel Jesus to Arsenal, for example.

City offloaded the Brazilian striker to their Premier League rivals for £45m last summer after signing him back in 2017 for an estimated £27m from Brazilian club Palmeiras.

The Spaniard let Jesus walk in his prime at the age of 25, and eyebrows were raised over the sale.

City wasted no time in replacing him, snapping up Julian Alvarez the same summer after agreeing a deal for the Argentinian in the January window.

Alvarez cost just £14m and has shown fantastic potential playing behind arguably the best striker in the world in Erling Haaland.

City legend Richard Dunne praised City for their remarkable work in the market.

Speaking to Virgin Media Sport, Dunne stated:

“The whole recruitment, they don’t make many mistakes.

“They did get it wrong at the start maybe with a couple of players here and there but now over the last three or four years every single player who has come in, you look at Alvarez, he was £15m, £16m so well affordable for the whole of the Premier League and most of Europe, but City were the ones who went out and got him."

The sale of Jesus not only made the club a significant profit but replacing him with the cheap option of Alvarez has worked wonders and created City more breathing room under the Financial Fair Play rules.

Mahrez, who cost £60m in 2018, could be another man who leaves the Etihad Stadium despite still having significant potential to help the side. It’s a smart business decision from Guardiola and City and allows more funds to be made available to City to spend this summer.

Chelsea are expected to sign two new midfielders this summer, one of whom will be Moises Caicedo, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

What is the latest Chelsea transfer news?

The Blues are currently focusing on outgoings this summer, but will likely soon dip into the market themselves as they offer new boss Mauricio Pochettino a chance to sculpt his squad.

Having already been busy in the market, with plenty of players still to leave Stamford Bridge, predicting what Chelsea's starting XI will look like next season is nothing short of impossible.

Chelsea have already signed RB Leipzig sensation Christopher Nkunku, albeit a deal was agreed long ago for the Frenchman, and are nearing the completion of a deal for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo.

However, speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano has suggested that the Blues want two midfielders in the window, one of whom will be Brighton's Ecuadorian.

"Caicedo is the priority now, of cousre," said the Italian. "As you mentioned, at Chelsea, again, they feel in control for Caicedo. So, first step has to be Caicedo."

"They wanted [Manuel] Ugarte and Caicedo, not only Ugarte or Caicedo. And this is a message, it's like, okay, there is a chance for Chelsea to go for a second midfielder."

He added: "So, I'm sure that Chelsea will consider opportunities for one more midfielder, in case they find something smart. From my understanding, if they sign a second midfielder, this could be something that could be a player that could be a versatile midfielder, who can help also in different positions."

Chelsea were strongly linked with Manuel Ugarte, who has since joined Paris Saint-Germain, with Romano citing Pochettino as a key reason for the Blues not submitting a "crazy" proposal for the Uruguayan, despite his fondness for the midfielder.

Given that N'Golo Kante has left Chelsea, with Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Conor Gallagher expected to follow, top-quality reinforcements are required at Stamford Bridge.

Who are Chelsea linked with?

With the Caicedo deal seemingly in the bag, Chelsea will need to turn their attention to other midfield targets.

One of said targets could be Valencia's Yunus Musah, who has reportedly been looked at by the Blues' recruitment team. Chelsea and Arsenal have apparently scouted the player since January, but no concrete negotiations have taken place.

The 24-cap United States international impressed at the 2022 World Cup at just 20-years-old, showcasing the potential he possesses.

Making 37 appearances for Valencia last season, Musah certainly fits the bill of versatile midfielder. He featured, albeit infrequently, as an attacking midfielder, right-winger and left-sided midfielder last term.

Tottenham Hotspur could hijack Fulham's free transfer bid to sign forward Manor Solomon following his impressive Craven Cottage loan spell, according to reliable journalist Nizaar Kinsella.

Who will Spurs sign after Maddison?

Spurs, much to the delight of new manager Ange Postecoglou, have moved swiftly for some of their top targets in this last fortnight.

Guglielmo Vicario joins from Empoli to shore up their goalkeeping options, while chairman Daniel Levy also managed to sign playmaker James Maddison from Leicester City for £40m.

These two transfers, coupled with the permanent signing of Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus, mark a solid start to this summer transfer window and reports suggest they're also after a star centre-half.

Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven and others have been linked with moves to north London while there is a belief that Postecoglou wishes to add attacking reinforcements as well.

The departures of both Arnaut Danjuma, who has returned to parent club Villarreal, and winger Lucas Moura on a Bosman have left Spurs slightly short of wide forwards.

As a result, the north Londoners are said to be keen on a move for Shakhtar Donetsk's Solomon, coming after a FIFA ruling allowed players to leave Ukraine freely amid the ongoing war with Russia.

The legislation allows Solomon to halt his contract, without approval from Shakhtar, and move wherever he pleases – meaning Tottenham can sign him for free.

As a result, The Evening Standard and Kinsella claim Spurs are "interested in hijacking" Fulham's "free transfer bid" for the Israel winger, as the Whites are also keen on him following his 2022/23 loan spell in west London.

While not much is added beyond that, it does appear Postecoglou and Levy are eyeing fresh faces in the forward areas.

Who is Manor Solomon?

Solomon scored in five straight games between February and March, bagging four overall in the league, with the 23-year-old impressing during his temporary Fulham spell last campaign.

The winger has also been heralded by sections of the Israeli press, as sports journalist Josh Halickman describes Solomon as an "exceptional athlete" and puts him up there with his country's most influential sportspeople of recent times.

Fulham boss Marco Silva also praised Solomon for his flair and capability in one-on-one situations.

"He has scored some important goals for us," said Silva.

"His one-v-one situation is really strong and coming from the left he is important."

Leeds United built their last promotion success on hard work as much as they did talent, although that's not to suggest the latter was in short supply.

Players like Pablo Hernandez, Kalvin Phillips and a firing Patrick Bamford underpinned a top-quality squad that dominated the Championship during their 2020 success in which Marcelo Bielsa was the mastermind behind it all.

However, one player who was ever-present during that historic season was Mateusz Klich, who offered an all-action bridge between defence and attack.

It was his energy in the engine room that proved vital to the philosophy of the Argentine, with the legendary coach even branding him as a player "who can play in all the best teams in the world".

With the Polish maestro having since departed, there has been a void left ever since. However, reports from earlier in June suggest that this could be set to change, as the 49ers eye an ambitious swoop to pry Gustavo Hamer from Coventry City.

How good is Gustavo Hamer?

The Dutch-Brazilian midfielder starred last term for the promotion-chasing Sky Blues, who were denied their Premier League promotion by a penalty shootout.

Operating largely as a box-to-box, or even defensive asset in their midfield, few could have predicted that the 26-year-old would prove so instrumental at both ends of the pitch, particularly with his goalscoring.

After all, his nine goals and ten assists in the league greatly influenced his 7.35 average rating, alongside a 73% pass accuracy, 1.8 key passes and 2.6 tackles per game, via Sofascore. This even omits his two goals in the playoffs too, emphasising his nature as a big-game player.

It is, therefore, no surprise to see a former teammate of his, Marko Marosi, effusive in his praise back in 2020. He likely foresaw the quality that was just waiting to be unleashed, stating: "Gustavo is unbelievable. He is a funny guy as well and a great character."

There was nothing that the midfield maestro could not do, and as such his rating saw him ranked as the third-best player in the whole of the Championship, and would even have been the joint-highest rated star when compared to Leeds' promotion squad.

To compare Hamer with Klich during Leeds' promotion campaign though, the similarities are there for all to see.

He too was neither solely an attacking force nor defensive stalwart, but instead a jack of all trades who had mastered some facets of the game.

His 7.07 average rating during the 2019/20 season was largely buoyed through similar figures to his potential successor, as he posted 11 goal contributions, an 81% pass accuracy, 1.8 key passes and 1.9 tackles per game all from midfield, via Sofascore.

Whilst valued at just €4.2m (£3.6m) by Football Transfers, it is expected that Hamer, the natural replacement for 33-year-old fan favourite, will likely cost more. However, with the well-documented financial troubles over the years in Coventry, the Yorkshire outfit could pounce to snatch one of the Championship's top performers.

West Ham United appear to have paid the price for seemingly focusing entirely on negotiating the terms of a fee with Arsenal for captain Declan Rice over the past few weeks.

Having been named the frontrunners to sign Harvey Barnes from Leicester City last month, The Guardian reports that Newcastle United are now close to wrapping up a deal for the in-demand winger.

Who are West Ham's transfer targets?

Bringing in around £105m through the sale of Rice, on top of the fact West Ham can offer European football next season, was supposed to leave the Irons in a strong position this transfer window.

However, with the new season beginning in five weeks' time, the Hammers have yet to bring in any new players.

As well as needing a replacement for Rice, with Juventus star Denis Zakaria and Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse two possible options, United could also do with bringing in another attacker and a defender.

With Barnes now apparently out of their reach, it may well be that West Ham are forced to turn to another of their targets.

Chile international Dario Osorio is said to be on David Moyes' hitlist, and Universidad de Chile head coach Mauricio Pellegrino accepts his side may have to cash in this summer on a player rumoured to be valued at £7.5m.

Who is Dario Osorio?

Still aged just 19, Osorio has already earned two senior caps for his country after impressing for his club. The teenage talent has made 37 appearances in Chile's Primera Division and has scored eight times.

While that may not sound like a prolific return as such, Osorio has scored seven of those goals in 27 games this season at a rate of 0.41 every 90 minutes, as per FBref.

To put that figure in some perspective, the now-departed Manuel Lanzini topped that particular metric for West Ham last season with 0.36 goals per 90 minutes in the Premier League. Barnes, for what it is worth, scored at a rate of 0.43 goals per 90.

The quality of the two leagues must be factored in, of course, but that gives a rough indication of what Osorio is all about.

The Hijuelas native finds the net from 0.19 of his shots, which again only Lanzini (0.33) could better among West Ham players last season, while Barnes recorded a figure of 0.18 – pretty much the same as Osorio.

Osorio is not quite an exact like-for-like match for Barnes, given that he averages 4.03 crosses per 90 compared to the Leicester player's 1.46, but he certainly ticks a lot of boxes in terms of what Moyes is after.

As pointed out by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Osorio is a "flamboyant winger" who also has good pace and dribbling ability, and he is also versatile in that he can play on the right, left or just off the striker.

West Ham may be left to wonder what might have been with Barnes, but they still have a chance to rectify the situation by winning the race for Osorio, and all for a fraction of the cost.

Southampton are expected to lose some key players between now and the end of the transfer window, as long-serving skipper James Ward-Prowse and in-demand pair Romeo Lavia and Tino Livramento continue to be linked with the St Mary's exit.

What players have Southampton sold?

Since finishing bottom of the Premier League, and thus finding themselves in the Championship this coming season, Southampton have sold Mislav Orsic to Trabzonspor and released the likes of Mohamed Elyounoussi and Theo Walcott.

In truth, none of those losses will be majorly felt as the south coast side seek an instant return to the big time, but that could soon change given the speculation surrounding the aforementioned trio of Ward-Prowse, Lavia and Livramento.

There does not seem to be a top-flight side that has not shown an interest in Lavia, with Liverpool now looking well-positioned to sign the defender, while Livramento is supposedly wanted by Chelsea and Newcastle United.

The Saints could raise large sums for both, but it goes beyond money alone when it comes to Ward-Prowse. However, the Daily Mail claims Southampton are in talks with Everton for Mason Holgate, which could go a long way to softening the blow of the club captain departing.

What position does Mason Holgate play?

While Holgate has featured as a holding midfielder at times, he is a centre-back by trade who can occasionally fill in on the right. That means he is not a like-for-like replacement for West Ham United target Ward-Prowse, but Russell Martin is no doubt already on the lookout for a central midfielder.

Instead, Holgate can take over from Ward-Prowse – assuming the fan favourite does indeed move on this summer – in terms of his leadership qualities.

The 26-year-old has previously captained Everton and has been hailed as a "leader" by the Liverpool Echo's Sam Carroll. Southampton still have plenty of quality in their squad, but they lack obvious leaders beyond Ward-Prowse.

As someone who has been on Everton's books since 2015, Holgate is clearly loyal and also a team player, given he has had to be patient for his limited opportunities at Goodison Park.

That is not to mention the other qualities Holgate can bring to Southampton, such as his ability to clear the ball and tackle opponents – arguably the two most important traits for any centre-back.

Holgate ranks in the top 11% of all centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for clearances per 90 minutes (4.97), according to FBref, as well as the top 21% for interceptions per 90 (1.24).

The Doncaster native is also capable of bringing the ball out from the back, ranked as he is in the top 11% for successful take-ons per 90 minutes (0.53).

While it must be factored in that Holgate – valued at around £4m by Football Observatory – only played 508 minutes of Premier League football last season, the numbers show that he stood up when called upon.

If the former England U21 international now has to drop down a tier to play regular football, it may well be that Everton's loss is Southampton's gain.

West Ham United's priority at this stage of the transfer window may well be on bringing in a midfield replacement for Declan Rice, but David Moyes could desperately do with some upgrades in other positions.

Who are West Ham looking to sign?

Beyond their midfield targets, which are said to consist of Conor Gallagher, Scott McTominay, Amadou Onana and Youssouf Fofana, West Ham have also been linked with centre-back Luiz Felipe, plus strikers Folarin Balogun and Habib Diallo.

Spezia's Emil Holm has also been touted as a target at right-back, while it could also be all change on the opposite flank as Aaron Cresswell is in talks over a move to fellow Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, according to the Daily Mail.

That suggests Moyes already has a player lined up to come in at left-back, and The Athletic claims United are one of a handful of clubs interested in signing Ian Maatsen from Chelsea.

Maatsen starred on loan for promoted Burnley in the Championship last season, but it is reported that the Clarets have declined to meet Chelsea's £20m asking price to sign the defender permanently, opening the door for West Ham to pounce should they wish.

Is Ian Maatsen a good option for West Ham?

Maatsen was named in the EFL Championship Team of the Season after impressing for Burnley last time out, while also picking up the Player of the Month gong along the way in January.

The Netherlands U21 international was crowned Man of the Match on four occasions by WhoScored, which was the joint-most of any Burnley player, along with Nathan Tella and Manuel Benson.

An attacking full-back, Maatsen scored four goals and assisted six more in 39 appearances. Indeed, he is ranked in the top 13% of all full-backs across the eight leagues most similar to the Championship in terms of quality, as per FBref, and the top 16% for assists.

Maatsen averaged 0.27 goals or assists every 90 minutes last season, which compares to 0.04 for Cresswell across his 28 matches for West Ham, though the latter did of course play in a division higher.

Still, that is a huge difference and suggests Moyes is looking for a more attack-minded alternative at left-back. Even if taking the defensive metrics into consideration, it could still be argued that Maatsen is a big upgrade on what West Ham already have.

The Dutchman outperformed Cresswell last season in terms of tackles won per 90 minutes (1.42 v 0.44), blocks per 90 (1.01 v 0.85) and interceptions per 90 (1.45 v 1.09).

Maatsen also came out on top in metrics such as pass-completion percentage (80.6 v 77.8) and touches of the ball per 90 (86.1 v 64.8), though Cresswell is stronger in terms of aerial duels won (50.9% v 32.3%).

Described as a "superb" player by Manchester Evening News reporter Alex James, it appears as though Maatsen is destined to play in the Premier League one way or another this coming season – and indeed for many years beyond.

West Ham supporters will surely hope that is with them, rather than across London at Chelsea.

Manchester United are set to continue with their pursuit of striker Rasmus Hojlund as Fabrizio Romano has dropped another update…

Are Manchester United close to signing Rasmus Hojlund?

The Italian journalist tweeted:

“Rasmus Højlund wants Man United, it’s very clear since day one of negotiations and these final days of the week could be crucial.

“PSG bid hasn’t changed Højlund mind at this stage: priority Man Utd, club set for new round of talks w/Atalanta.

“Up to Man United now.”

This comes after the Red Devils sent a proposal of €60m (£51.4m) to Atalanta, yet the Serie A outfitt are demanding €70m (£60m) to secure his signing.

Paris Saint-Germain also remain keen on signing the young striker, although they have yet to agree personal terms with the player, unlike United.

With the next stage of negotiations looking like they will make or break any potential deal, Erik ten Hag must make a solid pitch to the Danish international.

How many goals has Rasmus Hojlund scored?

While Mason Mount and Andre Onana have arrived at Old Trafford during the transfer window, the Dutchman is desperate to bolster his attacking options ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

United scored just 58 league goals last term, with only Aston Villa in the top half scoring less and this needs to be fixed if they wish to challenge for their first top-flight crown since 2013.

Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes led the way in terms of goals scored, as they bagged 30 and 14 goals respectively across all competitions, yet Ten Hag simply can't afford to rely on just two players for another campaign.

Hojlund could certainly take the pressure off the duo, having netted 16 times for both Atalanta and SK Sturm Graz last term, and he can boast a tally of 33 goals for both club and country since making his senior bow in 2020.

The 20-year-old gem ranked first across the whole Atalanta squad for shots on target per game last term (0.9) whilst also winning two penalties, and it’s clear he thrives in the opposition penalty area by causing chaos for defenders.

The Danish prodigy could form an exciting attacking duo alongside Antony, who shone in spells during his debut season in Manchester.

Eight goals and three assists weren’t the most sparkling of returns given the club had shelled out £81.3m for his services, however, he did rank in the top 5% across Europe’s big five leagues for total shots per 90 (3.44) and top 15% for progressive carries per 90 (4.55), suggesting that he is always aiming to score and progresses the ball close to the opposition goal.

This could suit Hojlund, who would be ready to receive passes from Antony in the box, aiming to stick any chances away especially as the Danish striker ranked in the top 1% compared to positional peers for progressive passes received (10.99) and top 7% for touches in the opposition box (6.53) per 90, suggesting he could be the ideal player to link up with Antony.

Once hailed as a “machine” by Raffael Behounek, a former opponent, Hojlund could certainly improve United’s faltering attack, and he has the potential to turn into one of Ten Hag’s finest-ever signings in the process.