All posts by h716a5.icu

It’s fair to say that Aston Villa struck absolute gold when they snapped up Matt Targett from fellow Premier League side Southampton a couple of years ago.

Signed for around £11m from the Saints back in the summer of 2019, Dean Smith made it clear just how delighted he was with his new signing after confirmation of a deal.

The Villa manager said: “We’re very pleased to have Matt join us. He’s a player we have been looking at for a considerable amount of time. He fits our criteria of being a young player with experience of playing in the Premier League and having the potential to develop further. He will help make us a stronger defensive unit and we are all looking forward to working with him.”

Since his arrival, Targett has been a virtual ever-present, playing the full 90 minutes in all but of one Villa’s Premier League games this season.

The £35,000-a-week earner has been a bit of an unsung hero for Villa, something echoed Alan Hutton as he said: “I think he just quietly goes about his business and you’re right, because of the other players within that squad, he probably doesn’t get the praise that he’s due this season.

“He’s definitely went under the radar but I think the proper football fans and people will see exactly what he does for the team, much like Matty Cash on the opposite side.”

Such has been his form this season in the Premier League that Targett’s market value has risen considerably, with CIES now rating him at around the £17m mark, more than a 50% rise from when he joined.

The 25-year-old has even seen his name enter into the conversation for an England call-up, with The Mirror claiming earlier this month that Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate was considering bringing him into the fold.

Targett has been a reliable performer for Villa as Hutton says, and there’s no questioning that then-Villa sporting director Suso delivered an absolute masterclass with his signature.

Meanwhile, Villa must unleash this academy talent after his FA Youth Cup display; it’s not Aaron Ramsey…

Not a day goes by without Arsenal surely ruing letting Serge Gnabry go in the summer of 2016.

Sold for just £5m to German side Werder Bremen, Gnabry has since blown into superstardom, becoming a star at both club and international level with Bayern Munich and Germany, respectively.

The forward, now 25, is currently lighting up the Bundesliga with Bayern, and has already scored nine goals and provided a further three assists in just 22 games in the league this season.

With Germany, Gnabry’s record is even more impressive netting 15 times in just 19 senior games, and that’s a real testament to how much he’s grown over the years.

Speaking just last summer, Arsene Wenger – the manager who of course sold him back in 2016 – delivered his verdict on the winger and the situation behind his surprising exit, saying: “We had an agreement with him you know. I had given him out on loan to West Brom and he didn’t play a game. He came back, he was injured. We worked very hard with him for six months and he went out with the German national team, under-21’s, and Bayern made a deal with Werder Bremen.

“He wanted to sign in the end, didn’t want to extend his contract (with Arsenal) and I was very sad. But we couldn’t get over the line with him because I knew he would have a great career.”

Now, CIES value him at a massive £102m, more than twenty times what Arsenal actually sold him for a few years ago – if there ever was a move that underlined the kind of bad business the Gunners have done in recent seasons, then Gnabry is arguably right there at the top of the list.

Gnabry has become an established star shining at the very highest level, even helping Bayern to Champions League glory just last league – a run that saw the German winger tear apart Tottenham in their new stadium by netting four in a thumping 7-2 triumph.

Arsenal will surely never be able to live down letting Gnabry go.

Celtic are hoping to announce Eddie Howe as their new manager this week, according to The Sun.

Both parties are in no rush to hurry negotiations, but it does appear as if the 43-year-old will eventually become Neil Lennon’s long-term successor.

Howe’s specific Celtic assurance

However, the report also reveals a specific assurance Howe needs before putting pen to paper over a Parkhead deal.

Howe wants to bring Bournemouth man Richard Hughes with him to Glasgow in a director of football role.

That would mean the Hoops hierarchy ripping up their plans they originally had in place, with Football Insider revealing a deal for Manchester City’s Fergal Harkin was 90% done last month.

Transfer Tavern take

To us, Howe needs to have a major say on who the director of football is, and if a deal for Hughes is possible, it could prove to be a shrewd appointment.

Howe and Hughes enjoyed great success on the south coast, and the manager and director of football will need to work closely in a Parkhead rebuild.

Plenty of key on-field decisions will need to be made ahead of the 2021/22 season, and the pair having full trust in each other could make that process easier.

In other news: Premier League side set to bid for Celtic midfielder, find out more here. 

Will Celtic ever announce a new manager? For the Bhoys it feels like a never-ending cycle that for the time being, will only end in hurt.

They have been in talks with two managers now but on both occasions, discussions have seemingly fallen by the wayside.

What’s the word?

Eddie Howe was in advanced talks with Celtic last week but a deal for the 43-year-old now appears to be less likely.

A number of sticking points have emerged but one of the freshest is Crystal Palace’s interest in Howe.

Roy Hodgson’s contract expires at the end of the season and as a result, the Premier League outfit are on the search for a new boss.

A Palace source has now told Football Insider that talks have even taken place with Howe and that he is on a three-man shortlist for the gig at Selhurst Park, with free bets offers on the next manager market available.

After talks with Celtic stalled, the former Bournemouth manager is now seeking options elsewhere.

Gutting news

This feels like a saga that knows no boundaries. On a repeated basis, Dermot Desmond and Celtic supporters are dealt with some sort of frustrating news on the manager front.

Each day it feels like a fresh piece of news emerges surrounding Howe. Unfortunately, as the weeks pass, it looks like he won’t be the man coming to Paradise.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-edouard-desmond” title= “Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

Desmond’s first setback was to find out that Howe didn’t actually want to return to management until the summer.

However, problems have since come to light regarding the manager’s family and members of backroom staff that he wants to bring with him to Parkhead.

Paddy Kenny stated last weekend that Howe had problems when it came to moving to Burnley, hinting he wouldn’t enjoy a move even further north.

Bigger issues loom over Celtic’s director of football. They had a deal in place to bring Fergal Harkin to the club but their manager target wants Richard Hughes to join instead.

Thus, the news that he’s now fielding interest from elsewhere, and has even held discussions with another team, is not good news.

Celtic supporters have been crying out for some more stability after a horrendous campaign that’s seen them lose their grasp on the Premiership title. This saga, however, is only making things worse.

Howe initially looked like a good choice on paper; he took Bournemouth from League Two to the Premier League, after all. However, he is currently making a mockery of the Hoops hierarchy.

Desmond and the Green Brigade have every right to be a bit gutted right now.

AND in other news, Celtic hero sees value soar by 257% after leaving, Rodgers called him a “big talent”…

Many Manchester United fans have been left to fume as their U23s team lost 3-0 to Manchester City.

It was not the best of nights for Neil Wood’s side in the Manchester derby and perhaps shows where City’s academy is at the moment compared to United’s.

It is never a good feeling losing a derby but for the Red Devils to lose to their noisy neighbours by such a margin would have really hurt, even if it was not the senior teams playing.

Nonetheless, the U23s will have to dust themselves down and put all of their preparation into getting a positive result in their next game, while the senior side face Burnley at home in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, with another three points at Old Trafford potentially big in terms of cementing their spot in the top four of the table.

Manchester United fans on Manchester City result

These MUFC supporters fumed as the result was shared on Twitter:

“Not good at all. That’s put 3 months on each of them getting a call up to the first team.”

Credit: @JustAskKev

“The future is very bleak”

Credit: @Ebb1

“We’re finished”

Credit: @AMufc9

“Delete asap”

Credit: @joseph_utd

“We’re a joke”

Credit: @UtdMiII

“Disgrace”

Credit: @AOjaide

In other news, find out whose display versus Granada was slammed here!

Tottenham Hotspur continue to scout Mikkel Damsgaard, according to reports…

What’s the word?

FC Inter News claim Spurs are among the teams monitoring the progress of the 20-year-old gem ahead of the summer transfer window, though they face competition from Inter Milan and Premier League rivals Leicester City.

It’s thought that the Denmark international is available for just €18m (£15.5m) after an impressive season at Sampdoria under the Foxes’ former title-winning coach Claudio Ranieri.

Back in February, Spurs were said to be ‘crazy’ about Damsgaard, as per La Repubblica (via Sport Witness), so he certainly seems a player that Jose Mourinho is keen on securing.

Bye-bye Lamela?

This interest, however, would surely spell the end for Erik Lamela in north London as further reports have linked him with a return to Italy this week.

According to Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the Argentine’s representatives have held talks with AC Milan and have also had ‘intense contact’ with Napoli.

This adds to claims from Sami Mokbel at the Daily Mail, who lists Lamela as one of several stars the club is looking to cash in on this summer in order to raise funds for a squad overhaul.

[snack-amp-story url=https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-and-recent-gossip” title=”Read this week’s Spurs news, latest transfer rumours and more!]

Damsgaard is a very talented emerging prospect, and one that has been tipped for a “big future” by Rainieri. “I can say that in my view Damsgaard is a child prodigy,” he said in another interview.

He’s even caught the eye of former Spurs playmaker Christian Eriksen, who made sure to speak to him after Sampdoria’s Serie A clash with Inter earlier in the season.

“We talked together after the match. He praised me for the situation around my assist,” explained Damsgaaard to TV2. “He is a really nice person and really sweet to talk to. It was just nice that he wanted to talk to me after the match.”

The young dynamo has very appealing attributes to a manager like Mourinho as his work rate is seemingly second to none.

Damsgaard has featured on both flanks and through the middle this season, playing no fewer than five different roles for the tenth-placed Italian outfit, in which he’s contributed two goals and four assists, via Transfermarkt.

He is one of Sampdoria’s most productive tacklers, averaging 5.1 attempts per 90 minutes at a success rate of 51% and is also their best in terms of ability on the ball, managing three successful dribbles per 90, via WhoScored.

TV2’s football expert Martin Mikkelsen noted this in commentary back in January, he said:  “He’s magical – what speed!” before adding: “He is dynamic and can go both ways. He is creative but also so mature in his decisions.”

In the past, Lamela has been lambasted by some supporters for being lazy, so they should certainly take well to Damsgaard should Spurs make that swoop this summer.

For just £15.5m, that would be an absolute bargain on Levy’s part. He must sanction this move.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Rodon: Levy must seal move for “magnificent” 6 foot 4 colossus…

Many fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter which relayed ExWHUemployee’s claim that the Hammers are interested in a summer move for Alphonse Areola.

Since arriving at Fulham from Paris Saint-Germain on a season-long loan deal last September, Areola has impressed over his 32 Premier League appearances for Scott Parker’s side, with the 28-year-old helping the Cottagers to keep nine clean sheets, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.96 – ranking him as the club’s sixth-best performer in the top flight.

Seemingly as a result of his fine displays, ExWHUemployee recently claimed on The West Ham Way podcast that David Moyes’ side are keeping a very close eye on the France international ahead of the summer transfer window, with reports suggesting that the shot-stopper could be available for around £20m at the end of the season.

After West Ham Central relayed Ex’s claim on Twitter, numerous fans of West Ham flocked to have their say on the matter, with many seeming delighted at the prospect of their club making a move for the “brilliant” Areola this summer.

So, what did these West Ham fans have to say in reaction to ExWHUemployee’s claim regarding Alphonse Areola?

“Big yes.”

@TylerLingwood

“Definitely.”

@WHUemployee

“Hope so, he is a brilliant keeper.”

@JoshClarke1987

“All day long! Would love us to go for Andersen as well.”

@Jay8320

“Even though I wouldn’t replace Fabianski anytime soon if Areola was available on a loan I’d have to do it. I really like him.”

@RockyWhu

“100% – brilliant signing. Our GK spot would be sorted for years.”

@MorganMcginley4

In other news: West Ham eye summer swoop for in-demand defender; GSB could land deal for £13m – find out more here!

According to a report by journalist Sid Lowe in The Guardian, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is understood to be referencing Manchester City as the club not being ‘fully committed’ to the European Super League (ESL), which apparently played a heavy hand in the breakaway division’s eventual suspension. 

Indeed, as per this report, the Sky Blues are whom Perez is referencing when he opened up over one of the six Premier League founding clubs first getting cold feet over the project.

He explained that ‘one of the English clubs’ didn’t seem so interested and that doubt ‘spread to the rest’ of the teams (The Guardian), eventually resulting in many clubs announcing they’d be withdrawing from the ESL plans.

With Lowe explaining that this originally unnamed club is indeed City, many Sky Blues supporters erupted at this claim – with one fan calling it ‘massive’.

The proposed breakaway could have had untold consequences for English football, especially considering that UEFA threatened to ban involved sides from domestic competition and even warned that players may not be able to represent their national teams (Sam Cunningham on Twitter).

Given the huge ESL tipping point in which City allegedly played a heavy part, it’s little wonder this has grabbed plenty of attention from fans.  Lots of Sky Blues supporters protested over their club’s involvement in the controversial plans, with many now overjoyed their side eventually played a big role in its suspension.

Find some of their verdicts below.

Man City fans erupt over ESL claim

“We’re saving football”

Credit: @Prince_Ederson

“Massive”

Credit: @PelvisPoker

“We joined the ESL to bring it down. In the process, became friends with UEFA as well. And now lesser competition for Haaland.

Masterclass.”

Credit: @damned_reality

“Proud to be a blue now”

Credit: @FodenCTID

“THATS MY CLUB SAVING FOOTBALL”

Credit: @mxnciteh

“Well done Man City, good riddance Mr Perez!!”

Credit: @skyblue9320

“We’re massive”

Credit: @alexmcfc_1

“Joined just to dismantle them from inside, my owner”

Credit: @CityJoul

In other news: Man City fans also flocked to this ‘best news’, find out more here.

Lee Bowyer’s Birmingham City side are considering a move for Jamie Paterson this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Football Insider, who claim that the Blues, as well as Nottingham Forest, Stoke City and Millwall, are interested in a move for the Bristol City attacking midfielder, who will be available to sign on a free transfer upon the expiry of his contract at Ashton Gate at the end of the season.

Potential bargain

It is unsurprising to learn that a host of second-tier sides are interested in Paterson, as the 29-year-old has a huge amount of Championship experience under his belt, scoring 39 goals and providing 35 assists over his 243 appearances in the competition.

And, while he has not been a regular under Nigel Pearson this season, the former Walsall star has shown that he can still be relied upon when required, scoring three goals and providing two assists over his 20 league appearances this term, as well as making an average of 1.3 key passes and taking one shot per game.

Furthermore, the attacking midfielder’s versatility is something that could prove extremely valuable at Birmingham, with Paterson comfortably being able to operate from the left-hand side of midfield, central midfield, left-wing, right-wing and even upfront.

Aside from his fine performances, his wealth of Championship experience and his versatility, it is also hard to ignore the financial attractiveness of a deal for the midfielder.

Currently earning a rather modest wage of £7,100-per-week, a deal for the player Lee Johnson once dubbed as “outstanding” is likely to be one that Birmingham would comfortably be able to afford, while, as the 29-year-old is out of contract, there would be no transfer fee for the Blues to stump up.

As such, it would seem as if a move for Paterson would tick a great many boxes for Bowyer and his side, who will be looking to kick on in the Championship next season after a strong finish following the former Charlton manager’s appointment at the club back in March.

In other news: Birmingham must land “frightening” 11-goal star this summer, Bowyer would love him – opinion

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Premier League midfielder and Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie believes Celtic are not Eddie Howe’s first choice as he looks to get back into management.

Howe has been out of work since leaving Bournemouth last year following their relegation from the Premier League.

He has since been linked to the Celtic job, with many reports claiming that he is the Bhoys’ No.1 target in their search for a permanent successor to Neil Lennon.

Meanwhile, journalist Alan Nixon has reported that difficulties in assembling his potential coaching team have complicated things.

Hendrie, however, does not think Celtic are No.1 for Howe, suggesting that the 43-year-old is possibly holding out for another club as he continues to leave the Glasgow giants waiting.

On the Howe to Celtic links, the ex-Aston Villa player told TT in an exclusive interview:

“I think Eddie Howe, at the moment in time, I think he’s been linked with this job for so long, that I kind of feel like he’s waiting for something else to come along if you get what I mean. And I feel that’s not his first option.”

Howe has been linked with Premier League clubs, including Crystal Palace, so perhaps he has told Celtic to wait as he considers all of his options.

Roy Hodgson’s contract at Selhurst Park expires at the end of the season, meaning a job could soon open up there.