All posts by h79snht.top

It is not often that Manchester City look toothless in attack but when they visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a curse seems to hold them back.

Pep Guardiola’s side are still yet to score at Spurs’ new ground and in truth, they never looked like doing so on Sunday during a dismal day for their title aspirations.

It was a wonderful day for the hosts who with Antonio Conte watching on from home, looked a great deal more comfortable with assistant manager Cristian Stellini guiding proceedings from the bench.

Whoever devised the game plan got things spot on with the Londoners keeping a consecutive clean sheet against a side who are usually so dangerous in the final third.

However, despite that, it was one man in attack who deserved most of the praise. Indeed, Harry Kane broke the late Jimmy Greave’s record for goals in a Tottenham shirt in what just so happened to be a match-winning goal from the England captain.

It took him to 267 strikes in Spurs colours and this could well be one of his most important with the Lilywhites ultimately winning 1-0, a result that boosts their top-four hopes no end.

In truth, Kane didn’t have too big of a role to play elsewhere but in typical fashion, he popped up when it matters to bounce the ball past Ederson in the first half.

That said, he wasn’t the only man in white to shine on a cracking day for Spurs. The man to supply him with that record-breaking goal was also in top form; Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The Dane won Sky Sports’ Player of the Match award at full-time with the midfield “monster” – as he has notably been dubbed by Morten Bisgaard – shining from start to finish.

Hojbjerg seemed to relish a role that allowed him to get further forward, as he stepped in to steal the ball away from the young Rico Lewis before rolling the ball into Kane for a vital assist.

But he stepped up in other areas too, with a battling and commanding display from the centre of the pitch.

Speaking during Sky’s coverage, Gary Neville declared that he had been “outstanding” throughout his 46 touches of the football while notable PR man Simon Clare put things aptly, remarking that it was a “match-winning” display.

The 27-year-old was a constant nuisance to Manchester City with his 83% pass success rate an indicator of his immense composure.

Winning six duels laid down his defensive acumen while his three tackles were vital in halting any progress Guardiola’s side tried to make.

The only element that let the Dane down happened to be his lack of athleticism. On a few occasions, particularly in the second half on the counter-attack, he lacked the pace to ultimately break away and add a second.

One such chance came late on as he broke free of the defence and tried to lay in Emerson Royal, only for his pass to go begging in a promising area.

Beyond that, he was superb and displayed phenomenal confidence. Indeed, that was shown with a delicate lob from distance in the second period that found the net, only for it to be ruled out for offside.

A goal of that standard would have been everything he deserved for a performance that was of high class.

TalkSport pundit Simon Jordan has slammed the recent links of Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane potentially leaving for Bayern Munich. 

The Lowdown: Bayern interested

A few weeks ago, 90min claimed that the Bundesliga outfit are still ‘interested’ in bringing the Premier League forward to Germany.

Meanwhile, a couple of weeks back, Sky Sports reported that Kane was in fact open to signing a new contract with Antonio Conte’s side.

The 29-year-old’s current deal with Spurs will run out in the summer of 2024, meaning a development one way or the other is perhaps likely in the near future. Otherwise, Spurs will leave themselves open to selling their record goalscorer for free.

The Latest: Kane won’t join Bayern

Jordan said that he couldn’t see the Tottenham striker going to Bayern, when speaking live on TalkSport.

He stated: “I don’t think he’ll go to Bayern Munich. I don’t see him going to Bayern Munich and I don’t see the benefit of it.

“I don’t believe that anyone deserves anything other than the opportunities that you take.”

The Verdict: What does Kane want?

Our view is that it all comes down to what Kane’s priority is. Will he be content with potentially breaking the all-time Premier League goalscoring record should he stay with Spurs, or does he want to win a major trophy?

We wouldn’t be surprised if he does break the all-time record if he stays in the Premier League, having recently hit his 200th top-flight goal at the weekend.

Either way, we are sure Kane will go down as one of the best strikers in the history of the competition, purely based on his goalscoring exploits.

However, a trophy is arguably the only thing missing from his otherwise glittering career.

If he decided to go abroad to Bayern, we don’t think that winning a league title in another country would be a meaningless achievement (a point also put forward by Jordan argued in the same video).

Germany’s top flight may have been dominated by Bayern over the last decade or so, but it’s still one of the top league prizes in European football, so there’s no shame whatsoever in winning it. And given the title race in the Bundesliga is far more open this year, the Bavarians could perhaps do with a lethal striker such as Kane.

We believe that Kane is in control of his own destiny and shouldn’t be shunned for whatever decision he makes.

Tottenham have cast their eyes on FC Porto star goalkeeper Diogo Costa with club officials sent on recent scouting missions.

The Lowdown: Lloris time ending?

Spurs number one Hugo Lloris has arguably been on the decline over this Premier League season and some reports claim the north Londoners are eyeing long-term replacements.

The 36-year-old is also thought to have picked up an injury and could miss around six to eight weeks – potentially indicating that Spurs may want to add an alternative to their goalkeeping department in case of future setbacks for the player.

It is believed that the Lilywhites have been on the hunt for possible Lloris successors in recent months with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and Leeds’ Illan Meslier seen as possible transfer targets.

New names appear in the press on a consistent basis with news emerging on another potential target.

The Latest: Spurs cast eye on Costa…

According to a recent report by 90min, Spurs have cast their eye on Costa of Porto – sending club officials on recent scouting missions to watch him in action.

They are joined in their interest by Chelsea and Man United, who are also thinking about a shake-up in their goalkeeping departments.

The Verdict: Could be huge…

The 23-year-old has been tipped to become a real star by both members of the media and legendary former goalkeepers.

Porto’s star in-between the sticks has already broken numerous records – becoming the first keeper to save a penalty and assist a goal in the same Champions League game.

Costa also became the first keeper on record to save three penalties in a single Champions League campaign from 2003/2004 onwards.

As the Portuguese giant continues to make a name for himself, exploits from the player haven’t gone unnoticed by Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas – who’s already branded him ‘big’ whilst backing Costa to become a ‘phenomenon’ (Twitter).

Meanwhile, presenter and pundit Jack Collins has called him ‘absolutely exceptional’ at ‘pretty much everything’ – all while making a case that Costa should be included in the ‘best goalkeepers in the world’ category (Twitter).

Indeed, if Spurs decide to take their interest further, he could be worth efforts to sign him.

Rangers will go into the summer transfer window with new midfielders on their radar including the Steaua Bucharest midfielder, Darius Olaru, on their list.

What’s the latest Rangers transfer rumours?

There have been reports suggesting Michael Beale’s men are now putting in the foundations to see four midfielders potentially leave in the summer.

Indeed, Football Insider has reported Steven Davis, Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack could all see their contracts expire at the end of the term with no signs of extensions on the horizon.

And this comes alongside the expectation for Malik Tillman to make a return to Germany having spent the campaign out on loan from Bayern Munich.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke expects Beale’s side to target a number of new arrivals to bolster their midfield:

“Maybe bringing in midfielders will be a top priority for Rangers. And this is why the Steaua Bucharest midfielder Darius Olaru is on their list.”

What would signing Darius Olaru mean for Rangers?

Olaru is a 24-year-old Romanian midfielder who has now been playing his football in the capital of his homeland for three years after making a move worth in the region of £530k.

And the central midfielder has played a big role in Steaua Bucharest’s season so far, having racked up 23 appearances in their top-flight, which has seen him captain the side a number of times.

In those games, the Romanian has been able to provide a respectable four assists as well as competing in the Europa Conference League where he assisted against West Ham United (via Transfermarkt).

Olaru has received some big praise from those within the club with Mihail Stoica likening him to Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.

This is a player who has shown a lot of versatility this season for the Romanian side having played a number of roles across the midfield including one appearance at left wing.

But with all of these potential departures, it does feel as if Olaru cannot be the only player who Rangers should be looking to bring in this summer.

Glen Kamara could also leave Rangers with a headache over the summer with reported interest in the midfielder coming from south of the border.

And if that is the case, then Beale may certainly have a challenge on his hands to overhaul his midfield in the summer.

After nearly two weeks, Leeds United have found their new manager.

The Elland Road hierarchy sacked Jesse Marsch after a string of poor results left them staring down the barrel of another relegation dogfight in the Premier League.

It was a bold call and perhaps one without a plan as their search for his successor hasn’t been an easy one, with early targets such as Carlos Corberan and Andoni Iraola both quickly ruled out of the running, despite being influenced by the American’s predecessor, Marcelo Bielsa, in one way or another.

Alfred Schreuder, recently sacked by Ajax, was then spotted in the crowd against Manchester United but supporter backlash may have prevented chairman Andrea Radrizzani and director of football Victor Orta from pulling the trigger on the free agent.

Now, though, former Watford manager Javi Gracia has won the gig after impressing in the interview process, according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

The 52-year-old, who has been out of work since leaving Qatar outfit Al-Saad in June, was named as the Hornets’ new boss in January 2018 and guided them to safety that year, as well as to their first FA Cup final in 35 years during the 2018/19 season.

Some have suggested that his dismissal at Vicarage Road in the following campaign was unfair, so the jury is certainly still out on whether he is the right candidate for the west Yorkshire giants.

A lot of his success at the club was through a 4-4-2 system, which allowed his side to frustrate opponents with two banks of four, whilst also let the wider, more creative players thrive in more ‘free’ roles in the attack.

All in all, it’s a well-balanced system that could bring Leeds out of the mire, but how would this look with the squad he’ll inherit?

Most of the starting XI will write itself, though there could be some surprise names in or out of it.

Marsch’s summer signing, Brenden Aaronson, is likely to be faced with the hard task of getting back into the lineup, largely due to the lack of a no.10 or more advanced winger role, whilst Jack Harrison’s poor form in the past six months could see him make way early on.

With two up top, it could be a chance for club-record signing Georginio Rutter to get a decent run of starts, featuring alongside Patrick Bamford to become Gracia’s new Troy Deeney and Andre Gray-like duo, with the long-serving Whites striker acting as more of a target man for the new dynamo to play in behind.

Junior Firpo – often lambasted as being a “liability” – is another player that could benefit from the Spaniard’s arrival as he invites his full-backs to get forward to offer more width in a bid to allow his wide midfielders – in this case, Wilfried Gnonto and Luis Sinisterra – to cut inside as creative and threatening outlets.

It means the struggling £13m flop could be reborn in a system that suits his game, with more emphasis on his attacking qualities, rather than his defensive frailties.

Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie could offer a dynamic and powerful duo in the heart of the pitch, with the pair more than ample candidates to contribute up and down the pitch throughout 90 minutes.

With Gracia also favouring an active pressing system, he may need little time to get his ideas fully across as much of the current squad are used to that, given the tactics of both Bielsa and Marsch in recent years.

AND in other news, Orta could finally replace Raphinha in Leeds summer swoop for £16m-rated “phenomenon”…

Manchester City are  willing to push Arsenal all the way in the race to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Man City eyeing a new midfielder

Pep Guardiola has made it clear that he wants to sign a new midfielder in the summer transfer window, with it recently emerging that Alexis Mac Allister is being targeted in a deal which could cost more than £70m.

The Sky Blues have also been linked with Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, although it may be difficult to land the 19-year-old, given that Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid are also interested.

The Latest: Man City will push to sign Rice

According to Football Insider, Man City are planning to push Premier League title rivals Arsenal all the way in the transfer race for Rice over the summer.

The likes of Liverpool and Chelsea are also interested in the England midfielder, who could cost as much as £80m, although Champions League qualification could be crucial in this pursuit.

That puts City in a very strong position, with them looking like certainties to qualify for the tournament again next season, whereas that seems a tall order for the Merseysiders and west Londoners.

The Verdict: Get it done?

West Ham manager David Moyes has previously stated that £100m would be considered a ‘cheap’ amount for his club’s captain, so the potential availability of Rice for £80m gives City all the more reason to pursue a deal.

Hailed as ‘incredible’ by journalist Matt Law in the past, the 24-year-old ranks in the top 11% compared to other midfielders in Europe’s five main leagues for numerous key metrics, including his pass completion rate, progressive carries and interceptions.

Rice’s long-range shooting was also on display in the Irons’ 4-0 victory against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, netting his team’s third goal with a fantastic strike from outside the penalty box, achieving an 8.2 Sofascore rating for his efforts.

Also, the 24-year-old is likely to be just about to enter his prime footballing years, and he would appear be an excellent prospective addition to Guardiola’s side.

Aston Villa are thought to be plotting a move for Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Dubravka profiled

The 34-year-old has made 128 appearances in the Premier League. The Slovakian was out on loan to Manchester United earlier this season and played in a 4-2 Carabao Cup win over Unai Emery’s Villa side in November.

He has since been recalled by the Magpies and made his first Premier League appearance of the season after Nick Pope was sent off against Liverpool last weekend.

The Latest: Villa linked with Dubravka

Football Insider shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding Dubravka, claiming that Villa and Brentford are laying the groundwork ahead of potential moves for the veteran.

Those two clubs are thought to be plotting a transfer, with Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez linked with an exit from the Midlands this summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-news-6/” title=”Aston Villa latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Squad player?

Dubbed a leader by The Chronicle’s Mick Quinn, Dubravka could prove to be a shrewd second-choice shot-stopper due to his experience, although making him first-choice to replace Martinez would be a gamble by NSWE and Villa.

He has played just over 300 minutes of football during the current campaign and recently turned 34, appearing to enter the stage of becoming second fiddle at St James’ Park.

Villa have Martinez, Robin Olsen and Jed Steer on their books, but if two of those three were to leave this summer, then perhaps Dubravka could arrive alongside a younger ‘keeper, providing plenty of experience and knowledge of the English top flight.

Glasgow Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson worked with Michael Beale to bolster the squad with two new additions during the January transfer window.

The Light Blues chief struck deals to sign Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell on permanent deals from Standard Liege and Norwich respectively and it will be interesting to see how they fare in the coming years.

Wilson has had mixed success in the transfer market over the years with the ex-Southampton man having unearthed some gems but also brought in flops who have struggled.

One signing the sporting director has struck gold with, however, is attacker Fashion Sakala, who joined the club ahead of the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

How much is Fashion Sakala worth now?

The Light Blues snapped the forward up from Belgian side KV Oostende on a free transfer with then-boss Steven Gerrard revealing that the club had been aware of the Zambia international for some time.

At the time of his pre-contract agreement in May 2021, Football Transfers placed his expected transfer value (xTV) at £2m (€2.3m) with that then beginning to soar as soon as he stepped foot at Ibrox.

By the end of July, his xTV rose to £3.1m (€3.5m) and the forward’s impressive performances for the Gers under Gerrard and then Gio van Bronckhorst meant that his value continued to soar.

In Scottish Premiership appearances, which shows that the marksman was able to make a significant impact at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis.

Former Gers defender Alan Hutton once hailed the forward’s playstyle, telling Football Insider: “He’s like a firework, isn’t he? You just light him and watch him go.

“He’s one of these players who plays at 100 miles per hour, he takes players on, he’s aggressive, he can get shots off.”

Sakala’s energetic, high-intensity, performances resulted in plenty of goals and assists in his debut campaign and they also led to his xTV soaring to an impressive £5.3m (€6m) in December 2021 – an increase of 165% from his initial value at the time of his move to the club.

The £8.3k-per-week attacker has fluctuated since then, currently sitting at £2.8m (€3.2m), but his initial burst and a return of 17 goals and 13 assists in 78 competitive appearances for Rangers shows that Wilson struck gold by bringing him to Ibrox.

Since arriving in Glasgow, the 25-year-old’s market value has soared and the gem has provided plenty of quality in the final third by delivering goals and assists – including 11 goal contributions in 13 Premiership starts this term.

Arsene Wenger didn’t make masses of mistakes at Arsenal, especially during his first decade in charge of the club. Yet, after the breakup of the squad that won the Premier League title in 2003/2004, going unbeaten throughout the season, things started to go awry for the Gunners.

The Frenchman’s business in the transfer market became increasingly poor and it led to the North Londoners going on a nine-year trophy drought, before winning the FA Cup in 2014.

The likes of Lucas Perez, Rob Holding, and Sead Kolasinac weren’t exactly the players to spark a revival and drained the club financially while offering little on the pitch.

One of his worst signings however was Shkodran Mustafi, who rinsed the club throughout his five-year spell in London.

How much did Shkodran Mustafi cost Arsenal?

The German defender joined the club in a £35m deal from Valencia back in the summer of 2016 and aged just 24 at the time, he was expected to be part of the Arsenal backline for the foreseeable future.

Here was a World Cup winner (winning with Germany in 2014) and a player who had featured 30 times in La Liga the season before arriving at the Emirates, £35m sounded like it could prove to be a bargain.

Despite playing over 150 times for the Gunners, he wasn’t exactly spectacular, with a wide catalogue of errors plaguing his spell in London.

He cost his side on no fewer than six occasions during the 2018/2019 campaign, with his worst display saved for a tie against Crystal Palace, where he failed to deal with a harmless ball over the top that allowed Wilfried Zaha to score, before being booked for diving and the 3-2 defeat cost Arsenal a top four spot.

He left in February 2021, with his contract being ripped up and it was hardly a surprise to read Charles Watts, Arsenal correspondent for Goal, describe the centre-back as a “horrendous signing”.

The defender rinsed the club for millions during his 230-week stay. Combining his £35m transfer fee with the £88k-per-week wages he earned during his time at The Emirates (£20.2m over four and a half years) the flop cost the club an astronomical total of £55.2m, which could have, potentially, been spent on alternative players.

It wasn’t one of Wenger’s finest moves and perhaps summarised his final few years at the Emirates as the German ended up being a woeful addition to the squad.

Wolverhampton Wanderers take on Leeds United at Molineux on Saturday, where three points would be vital for Julen Lopetegui's side in their ongoing fight against relegation.

How should Wolves line up against Leeds?

Although the Old Gold currently occupy 13th place in the Premier League, it is incredibly tight between every team in the bottom eight, and a defeat would see Wolves dragged right back into the mire.

After suffering a 2-1 defeat in the reverse fixture in their opening game, three points are a must for Wolves against Javi Gracia's side this weekend, although they will need to be much improved from their 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United last time out.

Here is how Football FanCast expects Lopetegui to line his side up on Saturday, with four changes from the team that started at St James' Park last weekend.

Jose Sa looks unlikely to lose his place in between the sticks, having impressed again this season, with Daniel Bentley yet to make his first appearance since his January switch from Bristol City.

Nelson Semedo has been much improved of late so should keep his place at right-back, while Rayan Ait-Nouri could come in for Jonny on the left-hand side to offer more of an attacking threat against a vulnerable Leeds defence.

Craig Dawson and Max Kilman have formed an assured partnership since the former's arrival from West Ham in January, with Nathan Collins relegated to the bench under Lopetegui thus far.

Matheus Nunes could also come into the side to provide some more energy and attacking threat in the midfield, replacing Joao Moutinho, who is struggling to replicate his "outstanding" performances from previous seasons in a Wolves shirt, as described by Express & Star journalists Liam Keen and Nathan Judah, with the 36-year-old perhaps now past his best.

Nunes is joined by Ruben Neves and Mario Lemina in the midfield three, with both having been mainstays in Lopetegui's side since the Spaniard's arrival at Molineux.

There are two changes in the attack, as Pedro Neto comes in for Adama Traore on the right, in the hope that his quality can unlock Leeds' defence, while Pablo Sarabia replacing Daniel Podence on the left after he struggled once again at St James' Park.

They support Raul Jimenez, with the Mexican striker hoping to end his barren run of form in the Premier League with a goal against the Yorkshire outfit this weekend, in what could prove to be a relegation six-pointer.