All posts by z3u9t.icu

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 

Many Everton fans have been left buzzing as some news emerged on their proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

A video has now been shared on the official Twitter page of the Goodison Park faithful, which showed and explained the starting process of building the new ground, speaking to the principle engineer responsible for its construction.

As shared by the Merseyside club’s website, sand dredged from the Irish Sea is now being pumped into Bramley-Moore Dock as construction begins on building the new stadium.

Just watching the footage and reading up on the information has made it all so real for several Toffees supporters, who have been left very excited by the starting of the construction.

Still, there is a long way to go until the process is complete, but it is certainly good to see that construction has begun on their new home.

Everton fans on Bramley-Moore Dock news

These Blues were left buzzing as the video was shared on Twitter, with one EFC fan even going as far as to claim that it was ‘massive’:

“Massive step”

Credit: @D_Hart11

“Fascinating and worthy of a @SmithsonianChan doc. Let’s get that done.”

Credit: @WiscoMorty

“This is genuinely insane, the intelligence of the people orchestrating this is mind-boggling! On another level this project mate.”

Credit: @KevTweet13

“Love this”

Credit: @SavEliiz2014

“Can’t wait for this”

Credit: @ARobbo17

“Great stuff!!”

Credit: @CathyMcAlle

In other news, find out what club news has Evertonians gushing here!

Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha would be a “typical Wolves signing”, says Express & Star reporter Luke Hatfield.

According to Portuguese journalist Filipe Dias, Wolves are interested in signing Palhinha before the transfer window closes, though they face competition from Premier League rivals Tottenham.

Spurs’ interest in the 26-year-old complicates things. But if the Midlands club manage to get a deal over the line, then he would be joining compatriots Ruben Neves, Pedro Neto and Joao Moutinho at Molineux, adding to that Portuguese core.

On Palhinha’s potential arrival, Hatfield told FFC:

“We all know what Wolves’ transfer business has been like over the past few years. It’s normally from that Portuguese market.

“Palhinha is one who’s been linked on numerous occasions with Wolves. It would be a typical Wolves signing.”

Given that Wolves have been tapping into the Portuguese market in recent years, it really would not be a surprise if Palhinha did end up at Molineux.

With a midfield spot at Tottenham potentially opening up due to the uncertainty surrounding Tanguy Ndombele’s future, though, perhaps they could make a real push for the Sporting man before the end of the month. This could be an interesting one.

A transfer update has emerged on Rangers midfielder Ianis Hagi, regarding interest from a European club in luring him away from Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

According to Turkish outlet Sabah Spor, Galatasaray will hold a meeting with the Gers to discuss a deal for the Romania international.

The report does not state any further details, such as a potential fee or Hagi’s thoughts on the move, and simply claims that they are expected to meet with the Scottish giants.

Fans gutted?

Rangers fans will surely be gutted with this update as it suggests that there is strong interest in the mercurial midfielder ahead of the upcoming transfer window. It would be a big blow to lose him halfway through the campaign and Galatasaray are seemingly ready to test the club’s resolve with a move for him.

With aims to actually meet with Rangers instead of just holding interest from afar also indicates that they feel they have a chance of getting a deal done. It would be a waste of their time to enter discussions with the Gers if they did not truly believe that they have the funds to secure his services, which could be worrying for supporters.

Fans will have to hope and pray that Ross Wilson stands firm and does not allow Hagi to leave in the winter window and is able to reject Galatasaray’s advances. It would be a seismic blow for Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad heading into the second half of the campaign as he is a vital member of the team and his absence would leave a hole in the attacking line-up, which could hinder their chances of winning silverware.

Ex-Ibrox head coach Steven Gerrard previously hailed him, saying: “We’re really happy with Ianis Hagi, he’s a joy to work with.

“He’s a student of the game. He’s always looking at areas to improve, whether that be from a physical point of view or tactically or technically. He’s someone you have to drag off the training ground.

“Ianis is always in the analyst department too. He’s never out of the gym, so he’s an absolute dream to work with, very low maintenance. We’re delighted with how he is developing and progressing and we’re happy to have him.”

This suggests that van Bronckhorst will enjoy working with him in the coming months, with his quality on the pitch there for all to see. Hagi has 14 goals and 21 assists in 77 appearances for the Gers, showing that he has the ability to score and create in the final third.

Therefore, fans will understandably be gutted with the prospect of the Turkish side trying to prise him away from Ibrox and it explains why his sale could dampen the club’s chances of winning trophies as his goal contributions could be crucial to winning matches.

AND in other news, Rangers pulled off dream swoop for “outstanding” beast whose value has rocketed 75%…

West Bromwich Albion are battling to secure a move to bring Adam Reach to the Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Alan Nixon, with The Sun journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Albion are fighting Blackburn Rovers for the signature of the former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder, who is a free agent after leaving the Owls at the end of last season.

In response to a fan asking whether Rovers were close to signing anyone this summer, Nixon said: “[Blackburn are] still in Reach race despite the West Brom interest.”

Reach could solve problem

With Valerien Ismael often setting Barnsley up in a 3-4-2-1 formation last season, it would appear logical to assume that the Frenchman may well look to once again call upon this formation following his appointment at West Brom.

And, although Reach was playing his football for a Sheffield Wednesday side who ultimately finished bottom of the Championship last term, the 28-year-old nevertheless demonstrated he possesses a significant amount of ability, while the left midfielder’s positional versatility could also solve something of a problem for the 45-year-old Albion manager.

Indeed, over his 44 Championship appearances for the Owls last season, the £2.52m-rated man scored five goals, registered three assists and created five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.3 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

The man Tony Pulis dubbed a “top player” also impressed in a defensive capacity, making an average of 0.9 interceptions, one tackle, one clearance and winning 2.8 duels per match.

These returns saw the £23k-per-week midfielder earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.82, ranking him as Darren Moore’s sixth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, it would very much appear as if Reach would be capable of doing a job for West Brom, but, the exact job he may be asked to perform is what could make the former England U20 international an extremely astute piece of business by Ismael.

Indeed, with the Frenchman stating shortly after his arrival at the club that he doesn’t “need the most expensive player or the best player” but rather the “right player for the position,” Reach looks as if he could be something of a perfect candidate for the role as the 45-year-old’s left wing-back.

And, with only Conor Townsend in the Albion squad who is a natural left-back, it would very much seem as if Ismael will require far greater depth in the position over the course of an arduous Championship campaign.

So, all of the above would lead us to believe that the signing of Reach could solve one of the manager’s big issues at The Hawthorns ahead of next season, and, with the 28-year-old being available on a free transfer, he would also represent something of a bargain.

In other news: Hatfield drops West Brom transfer claim on “complete” £12k-p/w ace, Ismael must act

Crystal Palace confirmed Patrick van Aanholt’s Selhurst Park exit on Wednesday afternoon.

And, as to be expected, a number of Palace fans have been giving their thoughts to the club’s official post.

The Eagles had 11 senior players out of contract at the beginning of the month, with van Aanholt becoming the latest to have his exit announced by the club.

The 30-year-old, who joined the club in 2017 from Sunderland, made 134 appearances during his Selhurst Park stay and has now signed for Turkish side Galatasaray on a three-year deal.

Patrick Vieira now has just Tyrick Mitchell at left-back, with Palace’s major transfer business set to be completed with the arrival of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.

Palace fans react

Palace’s post regarding van Aanholt on Wednesday simply read ‘thank you for everything, Patrick’.

This is what these Eagles supporters had to say in reply, with many happy at his exit, whereas one fan called him ‘terrific’.

“Woke up smiling, have no fear, Pat man’s gone, jump and cheer”Credit: @Palace_Boston”yay he’s gone”Credit: @Danlivermore4″Underrated ~ was terrific for us”Credit: @garyspencerr”He’s goneeeeeeeeeeeeeee”Credit: @longlivewilliam”LOOOOOL SEE YA”Credit: @CiaranCPFC”won’t be missed”Credit: @cpfcbxn

In other news: ‘Better than Gallagher’, ‘Oh my god’ – Many CPFC fans buzz as transfer news emerges.

Lots of Everton fans have been left delighted as the Goodison Park club are reportedly in talks to sign Sergio Romero.

That is according to The Athletic, who added that both Juventus and Celta Vigo are also interested in his signature as he is set to leave on a free transfer in the summer window after his current deal at Manchester United ends.

With Robin Olsen seemingly going back to AS Roma after his loan spell at Goodison Park ends, the Toffees will need to bring in another goalkeeper to challenge Jordan Pickford between the posts.

Given Romero’s experience in English football, and the fact that he would be available for free, it presents a good opportunity for the Blues to snap him up.

Everton fans on Romero transfer update

These Everton supporters raved as the transfer update on Romero was shared on Twitter, with one going as far as to claim that they would be ‘made up’ if the Argentine becomes a Toffees player:

“I’m all over this”

Credit: @Roundhouse1878

“Yes!!”

Credit: @AlexOBr82171506

“He wants to come and his wife wants to come. No brainer.”

Credit: @ModernShip

“Boss, be made up with that”

Credit: @leftbacklenny

“Do it”

Credit: @PREZY29

“Great signing tbf, he’s a very good keeper”

Credit: @GedEFC1878

In other news, find out what manager update has left these Toffees raging

Journalist Ekrem Konur has revealed that Serge Aurier has been offered to Arsenal despite only leaving rivals Tottenham Hotspur three days ago.

The Lowdown: All change at N17

Aurier departed Spurs on transfer deadline day following the arrival of Emerson Royal from Barcelona, leaving the former-PSG man third choice in Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

The right-back hadn’t featured for the north London outfit since their 3-1 defeat at Leeds United in May and has found minutes hard to come by at the start of the 2021/22 season, with Nuno choosing to go with Japhet Tanganga in all three of their opening league games.

Following his release, Aurier is now free to move to a new club and Arsenal could be a likely destination for the 28-year-old given their troublesome start to the campaign.

The latest: Talks can begin

Konur stated on his Twitter that Aurier ‘has been offered to Arsenal’ and the Gunners can ‘start talks with the player’, despite Tuesday’s deadline.

After loaning Hector Bellerin out to Real Betis, Arsenal have only Cedric Soares to play at right-back, with Calum Chambers filling in when required.

The journalist’s claim that the former-Spurs man has been offered to Arsenal, after making over 100 appearances for the Lillywhites, will come as a shock to both sets of fans in north London.

The verdict: Short-term solution

The potential arrival of Aurier at the Emirates Stadium is a quick fix for Mikel Arteta’s side, who have leaked nine goals in their opening three games and sit bottom of the table.

Since his arrival from Southampton, Cedric has failed to add that security needed whilst Chambers’ best position is at centre-half.

With Bellerin’s departure confirmed, the arrival of Aurier would add experience and quality to a struggling backline for the North London side.

And while the former PSG man may be an upgrade on the current options available to Arteta, Spurs fans would surely enjoy seeing their cast-offs brought in to rescue Arsenal’s perilous early season form.

Former Everton star Michael Ball insists that Ross Barkley would love a return to Goodison Park this summer.

The Chelsea midfielder has spent the season on loan at Aston Villa after falling out of favour at Stamford Bridge.

Barkley made 21 appearances for the Blues last season, but just 13 of those were starts.

In his time at Villa, he has played 24 times, scoring three goals, and it remains to be seen where his future will lie in this coming transfer window.

Barkley made a total of 179 appearances for Everton during his time on Merseyside, becoming a star before his £15m move to Chelsea.

Ball believes that the Toffees should make an attempt to acquire his signature this summer if they can, and he thinks that the playmaker would like to make the switch.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “So if there’s an opportunity for Ross to come back I feel he’d probably like it and get an opportunity to prove [himself] to everyone.

“Yeah hands up, he had an opportunity to go to Chelsea, it didn’t work out for him, so if we can get him at the right price and wages, I think he’d be a good addition to the squad.”

Barkley has not had an opportunity to work under Thomas Tuchel yet but that could change this summer when he reports back for pre-season.

Former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that Josh Windass could score 20 goals in League One next season and fire the Owls back to the Championship.

Wednesday were relegated from English football’s second division with Windass finishing their disappointing campaign as the club’s top scorer in all competitions.

The 27-year-old attacker, whose contract expires next year, has been linked with a move to Hull City. However, father Dean recently quashed those rumours while stating that his son is happy at Hillsborough.

Other clubs are also said to be interested in Windass, but Palmer is hoping Darren Moore will be able to keep hold of him, believing the former Rangers man could score 20 goals in the third tier next term.

“Obviously you want to get promotion,” the ex-Wednesday player said. “People who score you goals, right, I think Josh is 20 goals a season in that league next season.

“You’ve got to try and hold onto him as much as you can, try and convince him that you’re going to go straight back up.”

With some of the teams reported to be interested in Windass including the likes of West Brom and Fulham, who will surely be fighting for Premier League promotion, Wednesday keeping hold of their top scorer looks like a difficult task.

Given the comments of Windass Snr, though, it does not seem impossible.