All posts by z3u9t.icu

With Aston Villa having signed the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne during the current January transfer window, it seems as though they could have a challenge on their hands when it comes to the next summer transfer window and trying to keep hold of one of the key players in Steven Gerrard’s squad.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Telegraph, Villa midfielder John McGinn has been identified as a summer transfer target for fellow Premier League side Manchester United.

The report also claims the United’s technical director Darren Fletcher is apparently a big fan of McGinn and would welcome his potential arrival at Old Trafford.

Fans would be fuming

Villa signed McGinn from Scottish club Hibernian back in the 2018 summer transfer window when they were still in the Championship.

Since then, the midfielder has gone on to make 129 appearances for the Midlands club across all competitions, scoring 16 goals and providing 21 assists along the way, highlighting how much of an important figure he has been for the team.

The £27m-rated dynamo has been an ever-present figure for Villa this season as well, with Matty Cash, Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa being the only outfield players to have racked up more minutes in the Premier League than McGinn.

The Scotland international has also been the subject of heavy praise by Gerrard as well with the former Rangers boss describing McGinn’s passing ability in their 2-1 win over Leicester City in early December as “outstanding.”

With WhoScored currently listing the 27-year-old as the highest-rated Villa player to have started more than one Premier League game this season with an overall rating of 7.14/10, this backs up why he’d be a big miss for Villa if he were to leave in the summer.

Taking all of this into account, it would be nothing short of a disaster if the Midlands outfit were to sell the Scot this summer to United given how important he is to the side, especially just months after losing fellow talisman Jack Grealish. To lose both in such a short space of time, would understandably leave supporters rather angry.

Moving forward, with his current contract not set to expire until the summer of 2025, it could be worth Villa’s owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris encouraging McGinn to stick with Villa and help them reach the club’s aspirations of securing European football in the future.

In other news: Deal agreed: Fabrizio Romano delivers Villa transfer update, Lange is working wonders – opinion

Lots of Glasgow Rangers fans have been left bemoaning some news on Steven Gerrard.

As per Ashley Preece, Gerrard’s proposed move to go and manage Aston Villa is ‘all but done’, following the departure of Dean Smith.

The journalist has also claimed that he is ‘expecting an announcement within the next 24 to 48 hours if not sooner’, suggesting that Christian Purslow is set to get his man.

Of course, this means that the Ibrox faithful may have to search for a new manager to replace Gerrard soon, which is certainly not ideal midway through the season, in where the Liverpool and England legend has guided them to being four points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.

Gerrard has achieved so much with the Light Blues over his three-year reign, taking the SPFL title off of the hands of Celtic last term and being lauded by pundits as an ‘exciting’ manager (Paul Robinson to Football Insider).

Taking this into account, it is not a surprise at all to see so many Bears supporters bemoaning this latest update.

Rangers fans on Gerrard news

Indeed, these Gers supporters shared their disgruntled thoughts as the development was shared on Twitter, with one claiming that they were ‘gutted’ while another fan described the news as ‘upsetting’.

Find all of their verdicts on this big Gerrard update down below.

“Gutted man absolutely gutted”

Credit: @rossco72_

“It’s looking more and more likely now. Real sore one.”

Credit: @ScottBradleyX

“Well that’s a bit upsetting”

Credit: @martincathie_1

“I am in so much pain”

Credit: @PhiIip1872

“I’m not crying you are”

Credit: @nerziaCY

“Oh dear”

Credit: @ChrisCooper0

In other news, find out what Academy update has Gers buzzing here!

Newcastle travel to face Wolves at Molineux on Saturday as they go in search of their first Premier League win of the season.

The Magpies are yet to acquire three points in one go this term and now come up against a Wolves side with two wins from their last three in the league.

Steve Bruce’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Watford in their last game, with Sean Longstaff scoring at Vicarage Road seven days ago.

How many changes will Bruce make to his team for today? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three changes to the side from Watford, with Fabian Schar, Jacob Murphy and Jeff Hendrick all coming in.

First of all, we believe that Bruce will revert to a 3-5-2, or 5-3-2 depending on how you view it, to match Wolves’ defensive set-up. Bruno Lage’s side lined up with three centre-backs and two central midfielders against Southampton and that could tempt Bruce into going with a similar setup to avoid being overrun in certain areas.

In order to make this tactical change, Newcastle will need to bring in a centre-back to play alongside Ciaran Clark, who we believe will start despite our article urging Bruce to drop him, and Federico Fernandez. This means Miguel Almiron could be axed from the team to facilitate another central defender, with the 27-year-old coming in for criticism for recent performances.

Changing to a 3-5-2 requires a wide player to be sacrificed and that means Joelinton or Almiron would need to be dropped to the bench for Schar to come in. We are predicting that the Paraguayan will face the axe as Joelinton, with his size and power, is more suited to playing in a front two alongside Allan Saint-Maximin.

Another change which could come as a result of the altered formation is at right wing-back. Murphy enjoyed a successful spell in that position last term, averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.73 in 26 appearances, providing two goals and three assists from defence. This means that bringing him in for Javier Manquillo could be a shrewd call if Bruce opts to go with wing-backs.

Finally, in the middle of the park, Hendrick could come in for Isaac Hayden. The latter had the lowest SofaScore rating (6.8) in the Magpies’ midfield against Watford and the switch to three/five at the back could mean that Bruce doesn’t require an out-and-out defensive enforcer in there. Therefore, Hendrick could come in and be given an opportunity to show what he can do alongside Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff.

AND in other news, Time’s up: Bruce must ruthlessly axe £35k-p/w Newcastle flop today, he’s been shocking…

New Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst has got his reign at Ibrox off to a great start by winning all four games he’s taken charge of, with the latest being their recent 3-0 win over Dundee FC in the SPFL.

Now, with the January transfer window on the horizon, it seems as though the club could have identified who Van Bronckhorst’s first signing as Rangers boss could be.

What’s the news?

In a recent interview with Foot Mercato, Dundee United midfielder Jeando Fuchs revealed that Rangers are one of the clubs that have contacted him and his agent over a potential transfer.

Since joining United back in October last year from Spanish side Alaves, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £720k according to Transfermarkt, has made 45 appearances for the club across all competitions, chipping in with just one assist in the process.

This season has seen Fuchs start 13 of the 15 SPFL games he’s appeared in, showing how important he is for the side.

In those league games, Fuchs has shown what a defensive unit he has been for United by racking up an average of two interceptions per game and 2.3 tackles per game.

As well as his impressive defensive output from midfield this season, Fuchs’ overall league performances have earned him a season rating of 6.72/10, making him the fifth-highest rated United player to have made more than four appearances this season according to WhoScored.

Despite sitting at the top of the league table at the moment, Rangers have conceded four more goals than Celtic have and only one fewer than Hearts in third place, which could make a potential transfer swoop for Fuchs a smart move for the club and just what Van Bronckhorst needs to secure the title at Ibrox this season.

Looking ahead to the January transfer window, Rangers’ sporting director Ross Wilson should definitely consider making a move for Fuchs, who has “unbelievable energy” according to Micky Mellon, to see if he can help push the team to the title and end Van Bronckhorst’s first season at Rangers on a high.

Also, with two of Rangers’ current midfield options – Scott Arfield and Steven Davies – being well into their thirties, Fuchs could be a suitable long-term replacement for the duo given his fairly young age. With all of the aforementioned positives in mind, this would surely be a dream deal for the club’s new manager.

In other news: GVB handed big boost as Rangers update emerges on “highly respected” £5.4m-rated beast – opinion

Many Wolves fans ripped into defender Nelson Semedo after their 0-0 draw against Aston Villa on Saturday evening.

The 27-year-old started at wing-back for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side as his team were unable to break down the resolute Villans.

Semedo has been a regular for Wolves this season, starting all but one Premier League game, but bizarrely divides opinion among the fanbase. Despite this, few will argue about his showing at Villa Park.

Per Sofascore, the Portugal right-back lost 11 duels, gave the ball away 19 times, was dispossessed four times and made no interceptions. No Wolves player lost more duels while only one was more careless in possession.

While many fans made their feelings clear on social media – one dubbed the £27m signing a “big flop” in frustration at his performance – others offered their towards journalist Nathan Judah, who suggested that Semedo looked tired rather than playing poorly.

Wolves fans slate Semedo

“Until Semedo starts trying to take people on in dangerous areas and doesn’t always turn back in the final third he’s going to be a big flop at the price we paid”

Credit: @Danrose93

“I’ve always stuck up for the bloke but IMO worse Semedo performance today”

Credit: @mitchdavis_1

“2nd half has been like a different team but Semedo, Adama, Moutinho and Donk have been awful”

Credit: @drawlings27

“I might be wrong but the guy can’t control a ball or defend and cost £35m”

Credit: @8clay23

“This awful…again…no concentration and can’t pass to each other!”

Credit: @julescrow1

“No he doesn’t”

Credit: @DavidYa42784426

In other news, Wolves fans not impressed with transfer report concerning Molineux star.

Fabinho returned to Liverpool’s midfield when he came on as a substitute in the loss to Fulham on Sunday.

Even though the Reds could not find an equaliser to stave off a sixth consecutive home defeat, the 27-year-old was able to offer them a glimpse of what they had been missing in the middle of the park.

The Brazilian came up with three ball recoveries in the space of 15 minutes and helped sustain his team’s pressure on the Fulham goal (via WhoScored).

Jurgen Klopp’s Fabinho headache

Jurgen Klopp must now decide whether to keep him there for the Champions League round of 16 second leg against RB Leipzig on Wednesday or move him back into defence.

Using Fabinho as a holding midfielder would mean placing trust in the inexperienced duo of Nat Phillips and Ozan Kabak to clean up at centre-back if Leipzig bypass the midfield. It would be Phillips’ European debut after he was left out of the Reds’ initial Champions League squad.

Kabak, incidentally, was missing through injury at the weekend but the expectation is that he will return for the trip to Budapest (via The Athletic).

The hope is that playing central defenders in central defence and defensive midfielders in defensive midfield restores structure and balance to this pale imitation of a Liverpool team.

Here are the verdicts from some Kopites on the dilemma in response to a tweet from news feed LFC Transfer Room, with one wanting the Brazilian back in midfield “ASAP”.

These Reds fans want Fabinho shielding Kabak and Phillips

“This is probably the CB pairing we should try to have fit for the rest of the season. Fabinho in midfield asap.”

Credit: @DHardayal

“Yes please but it won’t happen. If Fab is fit, he’ll be back there. The fact that he dominated playing the 6 when he subbed in on Sunday won’t change the mind of the gaffer.”

Credit: @DaBigDaddyRen

“Watch Klopp play Fab at CB. Time to take some risks now.”

Credit: @SMiTLA

“It’s Phillips +1 now, he’s earned it”

Credit: @martyn1200

“It’s all about extra protections around the centre halves. And no high line plz”

Credit: @GusandSaM

“ABSOLUTELY YES, BRING BACK THAT INTENSITY”

Credit: @Mang_Tebal

“Perfect. Not sure why anyone would want Fabinho in CB”

Credit: @BaileyYNWA

“Fab must be back to mid, if not same result”

Credit: @mav8381

In other news, Kabak is not the only likely returnee for the Leipzig clash.

Leeds United had a fairly busy previous summer transfer window in terms of the deals that took place at Elland Road.

Not only did the Yorkshire club secure permanent deals for the likes of Dan James, Jack Harrison and Junior Firpo, but they also saw numerous players leave on loan or free transfers.

However, one player that the Whites were linked with over the summer that they will now be regretting not being able to sign is Conor Gallagher.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-marsch-raphinha-dest-philhay” title=”Read the latest Leeds news!”]

Having spent last season on loan with West Bromwich Albion from his parent club Chelsea, the midfielder found himself on the move again last summer.

A report from the Daily Mail claimed that Leeds were in the mix with Crystal Palace and Newcastle United for the Englishman’s signature.

Eventually, the Chelsea youngster stayed in London but ended up at Selhurst Park with the Eagles on loan until the end of the campaign.

Unfortunately for Leeds, the 22-year-old has shown just how much of a mistake the Whites made by not making sure it was them who Gallagher joined in the summer.

With 28 league appearances to his name, the England international has scored eight goals and delivered three assists, leaving only Wilfried Zaha with more goal contributions for Patrick Vieira’s side.

One of those goals ended up being labelled as “outrageous” by Palace podcaster Dan Cook on Twitter.

As well as his efforts in front of goal, Gallagher’s overall performances have been mightily impressive as well.

So much so that WhoScored have him listed as the highest-rated player in Vieira’s squad, as well as the seventh-highest rated player in the entire Premier League excluding Liverpool and Manchester City players.

In comparison to Leeds attacker Rodrigo, the Palace loan star has made more big chances and played more passes into the final third than the Spaniard this season.

To further highlight how imposing the £17k-per-week Englishman has been in terms of creating chances, he’s racked up more shot-creating actions than the likes of Raheem Sterling, Diogo Jota, Phil Foden and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Taking all of this into account and with some of the difficult results that Leeds have picked up at times this season, having a player like Gallagher – who is now reported to have an asking price of £50m – in their ranks could have been a massive boost for the Whites.

AND in other news: Leeds heading for disaster on “wonderful” £38k-p/w “talent”, Marsch would be fuming

Crystal Palace have been handed a huge boost after Roy Hodgson appeared to confirm that Christian Benteke’s injury isn’t too serious, despite the Belgian striker being withdraw at halftime against Sheffield United, where he was replaced by Jordan Ayew.

What’s the news?

When asked about Benteke’s fitness at the weekend, Hodgson told reporters, via football.london: “Well, we think Benteke got a kick in the first half, which was obviously concerning him at half-time – a sort of dead leg. Normally those dead legs, if you’re lucky, don’t produce long-term problems.”

Palace snapped Benteke up from Liverpool for £27m in a club record deal on a four-year contract in 2016.

The 30-year-old centre-forward has been in decent form this season, scoring three goals in 12 appearances in the Premier League so far, via Transfermarkt. Given the extent of his injury, it appears he could be back in action in a matter of days.

Likely impact?

In fact, we’d even go so far as to say that Benteke has been one of Palace’s best players since the start of the season.

Palace have been in desperate need of some quality upfront for some time now and the Belgian international has delivered with great aplomb, bagging a brace against West Bromwich Albion in his first start of the campaign.

The Eagles boss reserved special praise for Benteke after he scored his first goals of the season, saying: “He has been patient and never stopped working. He showed the type of player he was when Palace bought him from Liverpool and has now got to keep that going.”

Whilst the goals have started to dry up, with just one in his past five games, his influential presence at the top of the pitch cannot be ignored, as he came close to scoring after combining with Ivory Coast forward Wilfried Zaha in the first half before being replaced by Ayew.

It’s worth remembering he has still scored more goals than Ayew, Michy Batshuayi and Connor Wickham have between them, albeit the latter has spent nearly the entirety of the season so far on the sidelines.

With an FA Cup tie with Wolves next on the agenda, Benteke simply must be one of the first names on the team sheet if he is fully fit and firing on all cylinders.

AND in other news, Forget Eze: Crystal Palace left-back Tyrick Mitchell sent Hodgson a timely reminder…

A number of Liverpool fans have been bemoaning a statistic regarding Thiago, claiming the Reds have ‘ruined’ him after a stunning run of trophy wins.

The Spaniard was a hugely exciting summer arrival from Bayern Munich last year, having earned a reputation as one of the world’s best central midfielders.

Thiago had starred for Bayern in their treble-winning 2019/20 campaign, which culminated in them winning the Champions League.

[freshpress-quiz id=“355458″]

The 29-year-old’s first season at Liverpool has been a disappointment, however, with a three-month injury absence curtailing his progress significantly.

He came back into a team in crisis, with injuries all over the place and key men performing well below their usual world-class level.

Liverpool’s failure to defend their Premier League crown means Thiago’s run of 11 straight seasons of winning at least one trophy will come to an end, as pointed out by @PassLikeThiago on Twitter.

Liverpool fans think Reds have broken Thiago

These Reds supporters have been left horrified by the statistic, providing their thoughts on Twitter.

“We may have ruined his career”

Credit: @VadaVanDijk

“I feel sorry for him, we’ve ruined him”

Credit: @Liverpo87055988

“We’re an embarrassment”

Credit: @umyaknowwhat

“Welcome to Liverpool”

Credit: @LFC_9ja

“We are…inevitable”

Credit: @GraemeKelly1

“I am so embarrassed”

Credit: @anfieldhb

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/all-the-latest-liverpool-news/” title=”All the latest Liverpool news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

In other news, some Liverpool fans are excited about a journalist’s update on a reported summer target. Read more here.

Rangers have been linked with both Joseph Okumu and Danilho Doekhi recently, but who would be the better addition to Steven Gerrard’s side at Ibrox this summer?

Joseph Okumu

According to Football Insider, Rangers are considering a move for the Elfsborg centre-back, who has impressed in Sweden since joining in the summer of 2019.

The 23-year-old, who is currently valued at £1.08m by Transfermarkt, has gone on to make 38 appearances for the Allsvenskan side but has certainly earned himself a lot of plaudits during his brief time there, with Elfsborg sporting director Stefan Andreasson full of praise for him recently, saying:

“We understood that this was a very good player, then he showed maybe the whole of Sweden last year, and also Europe. It is clear that Okumu is one of the best.

“I have said it once before, that he is the best centre-back that has ever been in the Allsvenskan – you can say that sometimes.”

Therefore, it seems clear that Okumu could be a very good addition to Gerrard’s side this summer if they can win the race to sign him.

Danilho Doekhi

According to a report from the Netherlands, via Glasgow Live, Rangers are also keen on the Vitesse centre-back and are willing to offer him a contract.

The 22-year-old is also attracting interest from Fulham and Newcastle United, having played a key part in Vitesse’s impressive season in the Eredivise, making 30 appearances and averaging a solid 6.90 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

The Netherlands U21 international is currently valued at £1.8m by Transfermarkt but it seems as if Vitesse will be forced to cash in on him this summer, so he could prove to be a bargain option for Ross Wilson.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-rangers-news-transfer-rumours-and-more-copy-copy” title=“Latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Doekhi’s manager Thomas Letsch was full of praise for him earlier in the season, saying:

“Danilho is extremely important. He is one of the best centre-backs in the league.

“He already played fantastic last year and this season he has performed at the highest level in every game.”

Who would be better?

Although both could prove to be excellent options for Gerrard next season, Doekhi has more experience playing at a higher level and is younger than Okumu too, so, for us, he would be the better option for the Gers this summer.

The fact that he’s already played at a better level than Okumu, and has flourished at that level, should give Gerrard the confidence that he is better equipped to succeed if he does take the step up to join Rangers. We think the Ibrox boss would love to work with such a talented, promising young player.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

Therefore, Wilson should forget about signing Okumu for now and instead focus on bringing the in-demand Doekhi to Ibrox ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

And, in other news… Rangers dealt big blow amid huge claim on “top talent”, he could leave Ibrox