All posts by z3u9t.icu

Manchester City are being linked with Sassuolo ace Manuel Locatelli, and the Italian could prove to be the ideal heir to Fernandinho in Pep Guardiola’s side.

What’s the word?

According to Italian news outlet Calciomercato, Manchester City, PSG and Juventus are all set to make an approach for the midfielder this summer, with Sassuolo willing to sell.

However, the report also suggests that he would prefer a move to the Old Lady ahead of next season, which suggests that Guardiola and City sporting director Txiki Begiristain will have to make a convincing offer if they want to ensure that the 23-year-old plies his trade at the Etihad Stadium next term.

Fernandinho’s heir?

Manchester City were forced to exclude Fernandinho from their Premier League retained list earlier this week, as the experienced Brazilian is yet to commit to a new deal with the Citizens ahead of next season.

It has been widely reported that the 36-year-old will sign a new one-year deal with Guardiola’s side after an impressive end to the season, but the club are running out of time to finalise the negotiations as his contract will officially expire at the end of the month.

Even if he does stay on, it seems likely that next season will be his last as a Manchester City player, and City will surely have to bring in a replacement for him to compete with Rodri in the defensive midfield role.

Locatelli could prove to be the ideal man, as he has seriously impressed with both Sassuolo and the Italian national side in recent years.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-manchester-city-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Manchester City transfer rumours and news!”]

Last season saw the 23-year-old make 34 appearances in Serie A, in which he contributed four goals and two assists, averaging a solid 7.08 rating from WhoScored for his performances, whilst his 7.32 average rating for Italy in the World Cup qualifying fixtures also emphasises his quality.

The young midfielder averaged an impressive 2.4 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 1.7 clearances per match in Serie A last season, whilst his nine yellow cards demonstrate his willingness to get stuck in, a trait for which Fernandinho has been renowned during his time at the Etihad.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936″]

Therefore, regardless of whether or not the former Shakhtar Donetsk man leaves this summer, Locatelli could prove to be the ideal long-term heir to the midfield veteran in Guardiola’s side, to Txiki Begiristain should definitely look to bring in the £31.5m-rated Italian.

In other news… Man City suffer huge blow with £90m-rated beast, Pep dubbed him “world-class”

Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg has dropped an update regarding Manchester United and Djed Spence.

The Lowdown: Spence profiled

Spence, labelled as ‘incredible’ by former top flight right-back Alan Hutton, is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest from Middlesborough, and has caught the eye following his displays at the City Ground.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

He has made 40 appearances for Forest as a right-back and right midfielder, helping the Reds climb up the Championship table under Steve Cooper.

Forest are now in serious contention for a place in the Premier League next season, but it looks as if Spence could move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Latest: Plettenberg’s post

Manchester United have been credited with an interest in Spence recently, and Plettenberg took to Twitter on Tuesday to provide an update on the 21-year-old.

He revealed he has five offers on the table but his ‘dream’ is to play for United due to being a boyhood Red Devils fan.

“Update Spence: Selling price is €12-15m! It is said that he has got 5 offers. City, Arsenal & Tottenham are among the interested clubs.

“Djed‘s dream is to play for MUFC one day. He is a fan! Been told there should be still a loose contact with FC Bayern.”

The Verdict: A risk?

Spence, known for his pace, has shone in Forest’s 3-4-1-2 system, playing as both a right-back and right-midfielder in the second tier.

He seems to thrive in a back three, however, Erik ten Hag likes to use a 4-3-3 system, a formation which may not play to Spence’s strengths, should the Dutchman look to go with his preferred system during his first year in charge of Manchester United.

Therefore, a move for Spence could be a risky one to start with, and even though he wants to move to Old Trafford, he could be better off looking to join a side like Tottenham, slotting right into Antonio Conte’s back-three system.

In other news: Man Utd make £55m bid for ace with ‘better quality than Pogba’; agent set for Old Trafford talks. 

Xisco Munoz’s Watford side are believed to be interested in a deal that would bring Matej Vydra back to Vicarage Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to The Athletic, who revealed that the Hornets hierarchy are once again considering a move for the Burnley forward after missing out on a deal for the 28-year-old last summer.

It is reported that the Czech Republic international is highly admired by many at Watford, with a transfer now appearing to be a considerably more likely prospect as the forward has just one year remaining on his current deal at Turf Moor.

Vydra was a very popular and very effective player back in his earlier days with Watford. He won the Championship Player of the Year award in 2013, and former boss Gianfranco Zola admitted the forward had done “incredible things” for his side.

Instant upgrade

Since moving to Burnley from Derby County in what was a £10.98 million deal back in 2018, it would not be an unfair claim to make that the striker had initially not quite lived up to expectations in the Premier League.

Prior to this season, Vydra had scored just three goals and provided two assists over his 32 league appearances for Sean Dyche’s side, averaging a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.59 in the club’s 2018/19 Premier League campaign, and a 6.57 match rating in 2019/20.

However, only 10 of these 32 appearances came as starts, meaning that the £2.7 million-rated man had a limited amount of time in which he could have a real impact on games.

And, when regularly presented with the opportunity from the start of fixtures, as has been the case on 12 occasions so far this term, Vydra – whose former manager Gary Rowett dubbed as a “fantastic” player – has proven that he very much does have what it takes to cut it in the Premier League, bagging three goals and providing one assist over his last six starts for the Clarets.

As such, with Watford in rather desperate need of a clear out in their attacking department this summer with no one more so than the club’s reported £70,000-per-week highest earner Andre Gray needing to be shipped on, a cost price move for the comparatively cheap £34,000-per-week Vydra as the Watford striker’s replacement would appear to be an excellent piece of business from the Hornets.

In other news: Watford must avoid repeat of Jokanovic disaster after intriguing Xisco claim emerges – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur have once again been linked with a move for Paulo Dybala…

What’s the word?

According to Italian journalist Xavier Jacobelli, Spurs are among the teams interested in a move for the Juventus dynamo as he enters final six months of his current £222k-per-week contract.

“Inter are at the window, as well as Tottenham. [Antonio] Conte and Barcelona also highly esteem Dybala. We have to see what he will do in these months, because Beppe Marotta (Inter’s CEO) and other companies are at the window and are watching,” he told Calciomercato.it.

Italian newspaper Tuttosport also claims that Lilywhites head coach is an ‘indisputable admirer’ of the Argentina international, who is currently valued at £45m by Transfermarkt.

Perfect for Conte

Dybala’s time in Turin over the last few seasons has been frustrating to say the least, largely due to injuries but whenever he has been on the pitch, he has proven to be a key player for Massimiliano Allegri – even taking the armband in the absence of Giorgio Chiellini.

For example, this season, he has only played 19 times across the Serie A and Champions League but has still delivered nine goals and four assists, via Transfermarkt.

And with the futures of Tanguy Ndombele and Dele Alli in doubt, the need for a new attacking maestro could soon increase tenfold.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-transfer-gossip-rumours-conte-paratici-levy-premier-league” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Dybala has long been a target for chairman Daniel Levy, having come close to signing him during the 2019 summer transfer window after the deal controversially collapsed at the 11th hour over image rights.

“I can just confirm that Dybala is an unbelievable player,” once claimed former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey to The Athletic. “He’s very gifted — a team player — and some of the things he’s done in training and some of the games this season has been quite breathtaking.”

Spurs have lacked a creative no.10 ever since the departure of Chrisitan Erisken, with Ndombele failing to step up to the mark despite being the club’s record signing at £55m.

The north London outfit are free to negotiate a pre-contract with Dybala with makes him an even more appealing prospect as he won’t cost Levy a penny upon arrival in the summer.

Italian football expert Conor Clancy has also previously suggested that the presence of the 28-year-old dynamo could help bring the best out of Kane, only further highlighting how poor the Frenchman has been.

“I feel like he’d be unstoppable with Kane because he’s not a number nine, so he’s got to be playing alongside a striker like that,” he told Football FanCast in the summer.

Maybe it’s time for Levy and co to finally pull the trigger on Dybala. He’d be a very nice signing under Conte, who according to the initial reports, is a big fan.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold reveals “positive update” behind-scenes at Spurs, Conte will be buzzing…

Paul Stewart thinks Jarrod Bowen should stay at West Ham and reject a move to Liverpool this summer.

Bowen has been excellent for the Hammers since making the move from Hull City 18 months ago – scoring an impressive nine goals in just 51 appearances, whilst also adding nine assists in that period.

He featured in all West Ham’s Premier League matches last season, with his outstanding form catching the attention of Liverpool, who’re looking to freshen up their front-three and are therefore targeting a move for the winger, according to The Athletic.

Bowen proved an important part for David Moyes’ team, who finished sixth and qualified for the Europa League group stages for the first time ever.

However, Liverpool will be playing in Europe’s elite competition once again after their own fine end to the season saw them finish above both Chelsea and Leicester in third.

But Stewart exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Bowen would be nothing more than a squad and should therefore remain at the London Stadium:

“I’m not sure whether Jarrod should stay for another season at West Ham.

“Moyes did a great job there and will develop him, and who knows, he might become a world-beater, but at this time, I think he would be playing second fiddle to players in front of him, which sometimes can damage a player’s career.”

Queens Park Rangers have been handed a massive boost to their hopes of keeping Ilias Chair at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Belgian outlet Voetbal 24, who claim that both Club Brugge and Anderlecht are now unlikely to make a move for the attacking midfielder in the upcoming transfer window, as they cannot afford QPR’s reported asking price of €15m (£13m).

However, it has also been reported that all three of Watford, Bologna and Genoa are keen on the 23-year-old, who is under contract with the Hoops until the summer of 2025.

Massive boost

While a significant amount of interest remains in Chair ahead of the summer transfer window, the fact that the two sides from the midfielder’s home country now look out of the race for his signature is a massive boost for Mark Warburton, and is likely to delight QPR fans.

Indeed, keeping the £3.6m-rated youngster in west London ahead of next season would appear crucial for Warburton’s hopes of mounting a promotion push, as the 23-year-old was one of the stars of QPR’s 2020/21 campaign.

Over his 45 Championship appearances last term, Chair bagged eight goals, provided four assists and created seven big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.6 key passes and taking 1.9 shots per game – culminating in a highly impressive average SofaScore match rating of 7.04 – ranking him as the club’s joint fourth-best performer in the second tier.

As such, it would very much seem as if the midfielder – whom Ryan Dilks dubbed a “quality” player – could play a huge role in helping the Rs improve on their eighth-place finish in the Championship as of next season, meaning that Warburton should be doing everything in his power to ensure that the 23-year-old is not tempted away from the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this summer.

In other news: Get it done: Bhatia must sanction QPR swoop for 23 G/A beast who’s “something special” – opinion

Last summer, Wolves signed four first-team players with Marcal being the oldest one at 32-years-old, but others such as Fabio Silva and Ki-Jana Hoever are just 18 and 19-years old respectively, so Steve Bull would like to see more experienced players signed this summer.

Some of Wolves’ most important players over the last few seasons have been Raul Jimenez (30), Rui Patricio (33) and Conor Coady (28), proving that experience can be very handy when the right players have it.

Wolves may be looking for more experience this summer with both Joao Moutinho and Patricio linked with moves away and to lose their mentality and ability to help teach and guide younger players will be a huge blow.

Since winning promotion back into the Premier League, Wolves have brought in a whole host of young foreign players with a lot of them turning out to be good bits of business, however Bull would like to see more experience added to the club’s ranks, something he spoke exclusively to Football FanCast about:

“I don’t care where they come from, but I’m seeing too many youngsters coming in and I just need to see some experienced players come in who’ve done it and have got a track record in the Premier League.”

Bruno Lage will be able to get his feet firmly under the table at Molineux now and begin planning for pre-season and the transfer window but judging by his first signing which he was very much involved in, Yerson Mosquera, he may be looking to add more youth and energy to the side.

With Raphinha facing a race against time to make it for Leeds United’s Premier League clash against Southampton today, Marcelo Bielsa has a big decision to make on whether he starts the Brazilian if the 24-year-old is available.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Leeds manager said: “There’s no doubt that there’s a short turnaround but the options that he has to participate in the game on Saturday depends on whether he plays this final game tonight, how many minutes he plays, how he finishes the game after he’s participated in it, how efficient the rest he can have in the next 36 hours is, considering that a third of those hours he will spend flying and if there’s any risk that fatigue will cause injuries then we won’t risk him.

“There’s so many aspects to consider that I can’t offer you any certainties either way.”

If the Leeds talisman isn’t able to pass a late fitness check, then Bielsa surely has to call upon Jack Harrison against the Saints.

Former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson has waxed lyrical about what Harrison brings to the table earlier this summer and insisted that he has become a key figure under Bielsa.

The 41-year-old said: “I think the player he has developed into, not just on the field, but his stature and physical fitness, I think he’s becoming an all-round key component of this Bielsa side.

“I like Jack, he’s got a lot of talent, he’s got speed, he’s direct, scores goals, creates goals and for that price tag, I think it’s an absolute no-brainer. They have to make that signing.”

Robinson added that the £13.5m-rated Harrison “creates, he scores, (and) he offers Leeds something else”, and indeed he was one of Leeds’ most prolific campaigners last season with eight goals and eight assists in 36 Premier League games for the club.

While his start to the current campaign has been disappointing to say the least – no goals or assists in his five top-flight appearances thus far – his recent little spell on the sidelines as Dan James got the nod could just have lit the fire that he needed.

The 24-year-old, who was dubbed as “exciting to watch” by Noel Whelan, could be the man to fill Raphinha’s boots today against the Southampton if the Brazilian cannot feature.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has delivered an encouraging pre-match boost about Kalvin Phillips…

A number of Manchester City fans are gutted after it was reported that Phil Foden could miss the final of the European Championship through injury.

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few days, you will be fully aware that England are playing Italy tonight in the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley. It will no doubt be the biggest occasion in the lives of everyone in the Three Lions squad, and it will be a game they will not want to miss.

Unfortunately, it seems that £72m-valued Foden (Transfermarkt) may not make the cut. He missed England’s final training session on Saturday before the final having picked up a knock (The Mirror) and, according to Charlie Whyett of The Sun, he is almost certain to sit out the match with a foot injury. Even though he is just 21 and may well have more chances to reach an international final in the future, the Manchester City star will no doubt be distraught to miss out on this historic occasion.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on Foden’s likely absence tonight.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Foden update

“World just a cruel place”

Credit: @emanbsry

“pain”

Credit: @arusio3

“Gutted for you @PhilFoden”

Credit: @Jackie39033438

“Nooooooooooo”

Credit: @ohzai17

“He’s really not had a good time at the Euros. Sad for him”

Credit: @KDBallondor

“his first injury and missing the second biggest game in England’s history, pain”

Credit: @SxrgioSZN

In other news, some Man City fans raged at this man’s comments.

Celtic midfielder Ryan Christie is edging closer to a move to Bournemouth, according to Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam.

The Lowdown: Christie’s contract

Christie has been a regular under Ange Postecoglou this season, missing just two games.

It emerged back in April that the attacking midfielder’s Celtic contract actually expires in January and not the summer, leaving the Hoops in a tricky situation.

The 26-year-old could have signed a pre-contract agreement with a club outside of Scotland this summer ahead of a free transfer in the New Year, but it seems as if he could depart permanently on Tuesday.

The Latest: McAdam’s post

McAdam took to Twitter on the morning of deadline day to share an update regarding Christie.

He claimed the Scotland international has turned down a move to Burnley to join the Cherries, labelling it as a ‘huge’ signing fort Scott Parker’s side, tweeting:

“Start the car… Ryan Christie edging closer to a move to #afcb ! He’s turned down the opportunity to join Burnley. Medical expected this morning at the Scotland camp before flying to Denmark. Race against time this one… Huge signing for the club !!”

Football Insider believe that a deal for Christie could see Celtic pocket up to £3m.

The Verdict: Interesting

Christie’s call to snub a Premier League club for one in the Championship is certainly an interesting one, but the good news for Celtic is that they’ll be receiving a fee for his services should a transfer officially go through.

The Hoops could have been stuck with Christie until January if his situation remained the same, but it appears as if they’ll be getting just under half of his £6.3m Transfermarkt valuation.

It’s not ideal considering that Celtic valued Christie at £10m less than 12 months ago, but it’s better than nothing.

In other news: McKay may land ‘giant’ defender for Celtic and Ange on deadline day; same agency as Griffiths.