All posts by z3u9t.icu

If Thursday night was a trial, then mooted West Ham target Paul Onachu would have hardly passed with flying colours.

In fact, his performance may be enough to put new Irons head of recruitment Rob Newman completely off making a move as the 27-year-old struggled against the east London outfit in the Europa League.

The Hammers dominated Belgian outfit Genk and came out on top with a 3-0 victory at the London Stadium to maintain their 100% record in the competition.

According to the Daily Mail, West Ham are among many clubs interested in a move for the Nigeria international, who is thought to be valued at around £20m.

There is said to be competition from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton, whilst Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid have also been linked by the report.

Well, luckily for David Moyes and co, they got to witness his credentials firsthand, and on that basis alone, he could struggle to have much of an impact in England as the Irons absolutely silenced him with their two backup central defenders.

Onuachu may have bagged 11 goals in 15 appearances beforehand, providing a total of 56 goals in only 85 games for the Jupiler Pro League outfit, but there is a vast difference in the quality of opposition.

The £19.8m-rated forward, who was once dubbed a “goal king” by former Wimbledon star John Fashanu, looked rather poor against the Irons.

Both Issa Diop and Craig Dawson dealt with his 6 foot 7 stature and usually impressive aerial ability (he has won 3.6 aerial duels per league game this term) with aplomb.

Onuachu was hooked after 73 minutes, having failed to make any sort of impact. As per SofaScore, his two attempts on goal were fired off target, with one of those a particularly weak effort with what was a golden chance for the visitors, whilst the towering striker also won only 50% of his battles in the air and managed just one successful dribble from three attempts.

It’s no secret that Moyes needs another frontline addition to help provide backup to Michail Antonio, who was not even in the squad on Thursday night, but on that midweek showing, the answer may not be the Genk talisman.

Newman must steer West Ham clear of the 27-year-old or else risk making a major transfer blunder.

AND in other news, Moyes handed fresh injury blow to key West Ham star ahead of Spurs…

West Ham United are among the leading candidates to sign Andrea Belotti this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian publication Tuttomercatoweb, who claim the 28-year-old striker will leave Torino on a free transfer at the end of the season, though there are three other teams mooted with interest.

These are mentioned by the report as being Premier League rivals Newcastle United, Atalanta and Fiorentina.

They have also relayed comments from Torino president Urbano Cairo, who said:

“Belotti? He may have already signed up for another club. Maybe he could also tell us, but that’s okay. Let’s say that from February 1st he was free to sign, theoretically, he could even have done so … Disappointed? I no longer speak of this issue.”

Get it done!

By signing Belotti, the Irons’ head of recruitment Rob Newman could finally end one of David Moyes’ long-serving nightmares at the London Stadium.

It’s been over a year since Sebastien Haller’s exit from the club after the club-record flop joined Ajax in January 2021 and that’s a decision that left the Scottish head coach awfully light on options.

Indeed, he’s only had Michail Antonio available at his disposal and we know too well of his chequered injury past, whilst his form this campaign – particularly in 2022 – has been called into question.

But that’s hardly a surprise when you’re relying on a 31-year-old to deliver each and every week across multiple competitions without a break.

His only league goal this calendar year came on New Year’s Day, some 14 games ago, but he has no backup and no other alternative, so Moyes has to continually select him.

Belotti could be the perfect competition given his prolific goalscoring record in Italy. The Euro 2020 winner has bagged 110 goals in 247 appearances for the Turin-based side, including a season-best of 28 during the 2016/17 campaign, via Transfermarkt.

“Andrea is similar to all the great strikers, English and not. It’s hard to compare him to someone else because he’s special,” once claimed his former teammate Joe Hart to renowned journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

“He’s Belotti and that’s it. He has [an] instinct for goals, personality and he’s a team player: he’s always focused on his team and plays hard to help it.”

High praise indeed from someone who faced the 5 foot 11 tank every day in training.

Now valued at £25.2m by Transfermarkt, the Hammers could well seal an absolute bargain in Belotti and given his talismanic-like record, he’d be a much welcome and much-needed addition to Moyes’ squad heading into next season, where they could well remain in Europe.

AND in other news, Time to go: Moyes must ruthlessly axe WHU’s £61k-p/w “monster” as big claim emerges…

Many Everton fans have been left fuming as some early team news has emerged ahead of their game against Arsenal in the Premier League on Monday.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match against the Gunners, Rafael Benitez has now revealed that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is ‘still a couple of weeks’ away minimum from recovering from his injury setback, having not played since August.

The striker scored three goals in the first three games of the season prior to the injury (eight matches in the Premier League without a win after their 4-1 drubbing at home by Liverpool in midweek.

Considering such dreadful form, the last thing that Everton supporters wanted to hear was that they will be without the 24-year-old marksman throughout the pre-Christmas period.

Everton fans on Calvert-Lewin news

These Blues fans fumed as the team news involving Calvert-Lewin was shared on Twitter, with one going as far as to claim that it was ‘ridiculous’:

“The never-ending injury. He won’t be fully fit until about March as it will take him 6-8 games to build back up. Ridiculous.”

Credit: @jimefc81

“Every single week it’s the same answer!”

Credit: @karlriley_1997

“Excuses excuses”

Credit: @Grahamb75

“Why only Everton…shameful”

Credit: @Jesudian15

“WEEKS???”

Credit: @sebellis09

“It’s been a couple of weeks for about two months”Credit: @MainManMinaIn other news, find out what Benitez claim has left these Evertonians fuming

With 2021 almost over, let’s take a look back over what was a turbulent year for Everton and their fans.

Having started it with Carlo Ancelotti at the helm at Goodison Park, only for him to leave in the summer to be replaced by Rafa Benitez, this certainly caused waves at the Merseyside club.

While the end of the 2020/21 season may have ended in a rather flat manner, the first few weeks of the current season under Benitez saw the Toffees get off to a flyer by winning four of their opening six league games.

Things took a major dip for Everton through that saw them go through October and November without a win in the league, resulting in fan unrest towards Benitez and the club’s hierarchy.

All in all, the majority of Everton’s loyal supporters will undoubtedly be hoping that the rest of the season will pan out in a similar way to how it started and that the rest of 2022 will be very fruitful for the club.

How well do you remember Everton’s 2021? Test your knowledge with our Big Fat Everton quiz of the year to find out!

Many Everton fans have been left fuming over some news that has emerged involving Yerry Mina.

The central defender has now been called up by the Colombia national team for their upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifying games against Peru and Argentina, which are due to take place on January 28th and February 1st.

They would want Mina to join up with the squad early as well for training, and so there is a chance that he could now miss the Goodison Park faithful’s match at home against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime, as well as their FA Cup tie at home to Brentford on February 5th, due to potential fatigue.

The Merseyside club have only lost two games in the top flight so far this season when he has played, and so he is clearly a key part of the team.

Thus, losing him potentially for their next two fixtures will be a big blow.

Everton fans on Mina news

These Toffees supporters fumed as the news was shared on Twitter, with one Blue even going as far as to claim that it was ‘ridiculous’:

“Please tell me he said no.”

Credit: @jet_pinnacle

“Jesus Christ..! Here we go again..”

Credit: @Kieranbuckley5

“Nooooooooooooo….don’t do it!”

Credit: @JohnDiazTheOne

“What a joke”

Credit: @JayKennedyEFC

“Shouldn’t be allowed to go. End of”

Credit: @chriswatson187

“Ridiculous”

Credit: @GedEFC1878

In other news, find out what manager update has Evertonians buzzing here!

The Liverpool Echo journalist Adam Jones was left hailing Alex Iwobi for his display as Everton beat Manchester United 1-0 at home in the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Huge win

The win and three points for the Merseyside club at Goodison Park are simply huge for their chances of avoiding relegation down to the Championship.

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It has moved Frank Lampard’s team four points clear of Burnley in 18th place in the table, with just eight games for them left to play.

The Latest: Iwobi hailed

Taking to Twitter, Jones was left hailing Iwobi’s performance, in particular the energy and hard work that he showed on the pitch:

“Alex Iwobi’s energy today, absolutely fantastic.

“He’s a changed man under Lampard in terms of that off-the-ball work, I’d argue.”

The Verdict: Big shift

Iwobi certainly put in a big shift for his side, as the winger once again played in an unnatural position in the centre of midfield.

However, he did not disappoint, especially defensively, as he won three of his duels, and also made two interceptions, one clearance and one tackle (SofaScore).

Iwobi also made one key pass and successful dribble (SofaScore), in an overall display that surely would have pleased the Toffees supporters, as well as Lampard.

Nonetheless, the Nigeria international now needs to keep up this level of performance for the rest of the season, as the Blues look to get themselves out of trouble.

In other news, find out what big EFC update this transfer insider has now ‘heard’ here!

Liverpool currently have a solid selection of midfield options in their squad such as Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones, James Milner, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

However, it seems as though the Merseyside club have their eyes on a new addition for that role.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Spanish media outlet El Nacional (via Liverpool Echo) that Liverpool are apparently interested in signing Barcelona’s 17-year-old midfielder Gavi at some point in the future.

Gavi, who is a product of Barcelona’s youth academy, made his senior debut for the club back in August in a 2-1 La Liga win over Getafe.

Since then, the midfielder has made seven appearances for Ronald Koeman’s side across all competitions this season in which he has played in a number of positions across the pitch such as central-midfield, left-wing, right-wing, left-midfield and attacking midfield, showing just how versatile he is at such a young age.

In addition to making his debut at club level, Gavi recently made his debut for the Spanish national team in their recent 2-1 win over Italy in the semi-final of the UEFA Nations League.

After his performance in the win against Italy, Spain head coach Luis Enrique said Gavi’s performance was “fantastic” and the he is “something exceptional.”

Taking all of this into account, it’s easy to see why Liverpool have been mentioned with a potential move with the young star.

Future Red?

If Liverpool were to sign Gavi at some point in the near future, we feel he could well go onto be a long-term option for the Reds, given his age and perhaps take over from Henderson if he ends up leaving the club when the new four-year contract he signed over the summer runs out in 2025, which could therefore allow Gavi to take a more prominent role in the team should he make the move to Anfield at any point before then.

However, it would be understandable for Barcelona to be reluctant to potentially sell their youth star after only just making his breakthrough in their team.

On the other hand, given the widely reported financial issues at the Spanish club at the moment, there could be a situation where cashing in on a player like Gavi could be the best option for Barcelona if a club such as Liverpool were willing to come in and pay a significant transfer fee for him.

In our view, if Liverpool are interested in signing Gavi, they should probably wait until the next summer transfer window at the earliest before approaching Barcelona so they can have a better idea of the player he can develop into based on what he does throughout the remainder of this season.

In other news: £180k-p/w Liverpool “problem” sees his value crash £45m in nearly 2 years under Klopp – opinion 

Pep Guardiola will have to endure a double defensive setback in Manchester City’s quarter-final clash against Atletico Madrid.

The Lowdown: City’s UCL form

Sky Blues fans will be hoping for a strong start to the Champions League quarter-finals in which City kick off their first-leg against Madrid in tonight’s clash at the Etihad.

City destroyed Sporting Lisbon in the opening leg of round 16 with an emphatic 5-0 win, before coasting to a 0-0 stalemate in the return fixture.

Guardiola will be aiming to make amends for his side’s loss in the final last year, in which they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Premier League rivals Chelsea.

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The Latest: Guardiola’s team news

The Catalan boss is set to face a defensive headache in his team selection tonight as both Ruben Dias and Kyle Walker are unavailable for the game, after the latest team news emerged from Manchester Evening News.

Man City will be without centre-back stalwart Dias, who has been missing for around a month now, as the manager confirmed on Friday that he would need another ten days to two weeks to get back up to full fitness.

Walker will also serve the last of his three-match ban against the Spanish outfit, following his red card which he sustained against RB Leipzig.

The Verdict: Dias will be missed

Guardiola’s men will be ready to face a tough Madrid side tonight, who have scored 57 goals in La Liga this season – the Premier League leaders have been solid defensively in the English campaign, having lost just three top-flight games and conceded a mere 18 goals.

Despite this, City would have been hoping that Dias could have made his return in time for the opening leg, as he has been a key figure in the side’s defensive success. He has earned himself praise as “a man mountain”, who could be considered “the best centre back in the world”, with fellow defender John Stones hailing his ‘outstanding’ impact.

The boss will have been praying throughout the international break that his defensive leader could have returned early enough to play tonight, but it looks as though Stones and Aymeric Laporte will have to step up.

In other news: Manchester City: Pep Guardiola in awe of Ilkay Gundogan

Many Sunderland fans have been left buzzing over some news that has emerged involving Trai Hume.

As per the official website of the Stadium of Light faithful, they have now signed the youngster from Linfield for an undisclosed fee on a four-and-a-half-year deal, with the option of a further year.

He can play both at right-back and in midfield, and will now give Lee Johnson another handy option in his squad ahead of their promotion push.

Hume has previously been dubbed as one of the hottest properties in the Irish League, and had scored three goals and made a further two assists from 17 games this season (Transfermarkt) before moving to the North East.

Nonetheless, at just 19 years of age, he is no doubt an exciting prospect, and one that can Johnson can now integrate into his team.

Sunderland fans on Hume transfer news

These Black Cats buzzed as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one SAFC supporter claiming that they were ‘delighted’ while another even went as far as to say that he will be a ‘cracking signing’:

“Yes lads, this fella’s going to be a cracking signing for us.”

Credit: @stuorr

“Delighted with this, people only seem to have positive things to say about both his ability and attitude. Welcome on board kidda, go make yourself a legend!!!”

Credit: @Blackcatlife197

“5 and a half years essentially. Love to see it.”

Credit: @adamguest

“I love you”

Credit: @1879Fans

“Get in!”

Credit: @GazJFisher

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @callumwoodley2

In other news, find out what fresh injury update Johnson has dropped here!

A promising update has emerged on Newcastle United centre-back Paul Dummett regarding his current injury situation.

What’s the latest?

According to Lee Ryder of The Chronicle, the defender is poised to make his comeback in December to hand Eddie Howe a boost ahead of the festive period.

He has been missing for the entire season so far with a calf injury but is now just ‘weeks’ away from making his return and being a first team option again.

Fans will be delighted

Newcastle fans will surely be delighted by this update as it will provide Howe with another player to call upon as he attempts to revive the club’s fortunes. The Magpies are currently bottom of the Premier League table and have only six points after 12 matches.

They are five points off safety and are the only team in the division yet to win a game, whilst they have also failed to keep a single clean sheet. They are letting in 2.3 goals per game and Howe needs to change something to improve the defensive setup in order to stem the tide, as needing to score three goals per game on average to win is a tall order for a team currently netting 1.3 per match.

Last season, Dummett averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.76 as he was deployed at centre-back and left-back. He made 4.7 clearances and completed 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game, displaying his defensive qualities as he put in solid performances on a regular basis for Steve Bruce’s side.

In 2021/22, Emil Krafth (6.60), Ciaran Clark (6.64) and Fabian Schar (6.70) have all averaged lower ratings in the Premier League, suggesting that Dummett could potentially be an improvement on some of the current centre-back options. Therefore, his return will surely leave fans delighted, as he could bolster the team and improve their chances of keeping the ball out of their own net.

Hopefully the Welshman will be back in action within the next couple of weeks and be able to play a part in Newcastle’s Premier League matches in December. Keeping within touching distance of safety heading into January could be crucial in landing transfer targets in the next window, and given his statistics last season, Dummett’s return could help with that.

AND in other news, Paid £12m, now worth £4.5m: Newcastle had howler with dud accused of trying to “cheat”…