All posts by z3u9t.icu

Barry Ferguson has offered his thoughts on Rangers central midfielder Joe Aribo…

What’s the talk?

Barry Ferguson has warned Rangers that clubs in England will be keeping tabs on central midfielder Joe Aribo due to his impressive recent form.

He told the Go Radio Football Show, via Inside Futbol:

“I just feel Joe Aribo is getting better and better with each game I see.

“A lot of people talk about Ryan Kent and [Alfredo] Morelos.

“I think Aribo is one player a lot of clubs down south will be looking closely at.”

Gerrard would be fuming

Rangers chief Ross Wilson must avoid a disaster following these comments from Ferguson as it could lead to Steven Gerrard being fuming with the club.

The manager  would be devastated if Aribo was sold to a Premier League club in one of the next few transfer windows as he has become an integral member of the Rangers squad.

Last season, Aribo played 31 times in the Scottish Premiership as Rangers won the title. He averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.13, providing seven goals and four assists from central midfield. The ex-Charlton man has started six league games this term, scoring once and assisting once, whilst creating an impressive 2.2 chances per game.

Aston Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa once hailed the midfielder and compared him to Manchester City and Premier League legend Yaya Toure. He said:

“Having Gerrard as his manager at Rangers, that has made him go up another level.

“Joe’s style is unique. When I was with him at Charlton he did remind me for a while of a left-footed Yaya Toure. But you don’t get a lot of midfielders like Joe, there aren’t many around.

“Like Toure, for a tall guy he’s got such great feet. But that languid style he’s got is actually fairly unique in the game.”

These quotes, along with his statistics for Rangers, illustrate why Gerrard would be fuming if he left the club to join an English side and why it would be a disaster for Wilson to allow it to happen.

Therefore, Wilson must work hard to ensure that Aribo’s long-term future is at Ibrox and not in the Premier League or Championship, as he could be a crucial player for the Glasgow club moving forward.

He has been able to remain a consistent performer in the middle of the park whilst adding creativity to his game, along with goals. Hopefully, he will continue to do so and Rangers will be able to ward off any interest from elsewhere if it does appear.

AND in other news, Fresh development emerges on “instrumental” gem that’ll excite Rangers supporters…

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern, Wolves journalist Luke Hatfield believes Sven Botman would be a big signing for the club.

Wolves are in the market for a central defender before the transfer window closes and Botman is thought to be high on their list.

According to Sky Sports, the Midlands outfit are interested in signing the Lille youngster but face strong competition for Sevilla.

Wolves have already been able to strengthen that central defensive position this summer by bringing in Yerson Mosquera from Atletico Nacional. However, Hatfield is convinced they would like another addition, suggesting Botman could be perfect.

“It would be a big signing for Wolves, Sven Botman,” the Express & Star journalist said. “He’s been linked with plenty of clubs, clearly a talented player.

“It’s a position that Wolves probably want to strengthen in as well. He’d be a really good signing; I think Wolves fans would get really excited about that one.”

As for centre-backs currently at the club, Conor Coady had been linked with a move away from Molineux earlier in the transfer window.

According to Football Insider at the start of August, Tottenham had opened preliminary talks to sign the Wolves captain as former manager Nuno Espirito Santo eyed up a reunion.

Everton have had some transfer howlers down the years, particularly when it comes to extortionately overpaying for players.

The Toffees only spent £1.7m this summer but, in years gone by, they have flashed the chequebook significantly.

Whether it was £34m on Alex Iwobi or £23.6m on Davy Klaassen, one does have to wonder sometimes what the thought process behind recruitment is at Goodison Park.

However, in forking out £28m on Romelu Lukaku back in 2014, it most certainly wasn’t a mistake.

Everton decided to gamble on the Belgian after he failed to make the grade at Chelsea first time out but they were aware he could do it in the Premier League.

Lukaku racked up 17 goals during a loan spell with West Brom and that was enough to make Bill Kenwright and co pull the trigger on a seismic deal.

After arriving, the forward became an instant hit in Merseyside, going on to score a mammoth 87 times in 166 outings.

It was at Goodison Park where Lukaku really became a prominent name in football, rolling defenders with ease and unleashing fierce drives towards goal.

The forward had and still has it all. He is quick, strong, an intelligent runner and his touch has improved a great deal since departing the blue corner of Merseyside.

However, during his time with Everton, he was still particularly raw. Lukaku was by no means the finished article but now at the age of 28, he is one of the game’s elite.

After a barnstorming few years, his value has risen astronomically. Everton were able to get £75m for his services when they sold him to Manchester United, raking in a profit of £47m.

This was evidently a masterclass from Kenwright, a man who struck gold to bring him to the club for what ended up looking like such a small fee.

Lukaku didn’t enjoy the best of spells at Manchester United but his swashbuckling style of play eventually took him to Inter Milan, where he became a Serie A champion last season.

His value rose again and now stands at £90m, just a fraction below the jaw-dropping £97.5m that Chelsea paid to re-sign him this summer.

The Belgian attacker is one of the most unique players in world football and Everton can be proud of the work they achieved with him.

They made Lukaku a consistent scorer and ultimately one who has cost £289m, making him the most expensive footballer of all time in cumulative transfer fees.

A salary of £325k-per-week also makes him the highest-paid player in the Chelsea squad. It’s fair to say that he’s done well for himself after leaving Everton.

AND in other news, Everton must unleash “exciting” rarely-seen 18 y/o, he could be another Thierry Small…

Sheffield United appear to have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Harvey Elliott to Bramall Lane this summer.

What’s been said?

In a recent interview with Liverpool’s official website, Jurgen Klopp very much appeared to give a definitive answer on whether he would be sanctioning the temporary departure of the 18-year-old once again this summer, with the Reds manager stating his belief that the youngster is like a new signing for his side after impressing in pre-season.

Earlier reports claimed that Slavisa Jokanovic had enquired about the possibility of taking his former Fulham starlet on loan for Sheffield United’s 2021/22 Championship campaign.

However, that would now seem to be out of the question, with Klopp stating: “We have obviously a new midfielder in our squad with Harvey Elliott. We have players who can make a big step to fulfil their potential, they are in a good way.”

“He can play [in midfield] and then a little bit later when he went up front, Mo [Salah] went in the centre and Harvey played then the right-wing. He smashed the ball on the crossbar in that moment. He can play different positions, there’s absolutely no doubt about it.”

“But in pre-season we wanted to see him just in a deeper role because, for a young player, you have to learn a lot of things when you are a bit more outside and you get the ball from time to time. We wanted to have him more involved.

“I think he made a big step in this pre-season. If Harvey stays fit then the football world can be really excited about that. I liked his performance [against Athletic Bilbao], I liked his performance and attitude during pre-season. So, good for us, good for him.”

Jokanovic will be gutted

As Klopp states, considering the sheer amount of talent Elliott seems to possess, in addition to Jokanovic currently having no natural wingers in his Sheffield United squad, the 52-year-old is sure to be gutted that it seems like the youngster will not be making a temporary switch to Bramall Lane this summer.

Indeed, over his 41 Championship appearances while on loan at Blackburn Rovers last season, the £13.5m-rated man scored seven goals, registered 11 assists and created 14 big chances for his teammates, taking one shot and making 1.7 key passes per game.

These returns saw the man who Elliott Bennett dubbed an “unreal” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Tony Mowbray’s third-best player in the league.

As such, should Elliott have secured a summer move to a Sheffield United side boasting numerous players who featured in the last two Premier League seasons, the potential numbers that the £7.5k-per-week Liverpool starlet could have returned for the Blades would seem mouthwatering.

However, with it very much seeming as if Klopp is planning on keeping the England under-19 international at Anfield this season, Jokanovic will now have to turn his attention elsewhere regarding attacking reinforcements in the transfer market.

In other news: Sheff Utd transfer development emerges on “class” £4.5m-rated ace, fans will be gutted

Liverpool are still searching for Gini Wijnaldum’s long-term successor at Anfield, and a new potential candidate has just entered the frame.

What’s the story?

According to Goal’s Liverpool correspondent Neil Jones, Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma is admired by the club’s hierarchy, opening the door to a possible move this summer.

The Reds have been linked to the likes of Saul Niguez and Renato Sanches in recent weeks as manager Jurgen Klopp looks to bolster his engine room.

However, Jones claims the previously mentioned pair are not on the German tactician’s wishlist, unlike Brighton’s Bissouma.

Liverpool fans would love him

Since arriving on English shores in a £15 million move from French outfit Lille back in 2017, Bissouma has established himself as one of the Premier League’s best midfielders outside of the ‘Big Six’ clubs.

After initially struggling to settle during his first season at the Amex Stadium, the Mali international has gone from strength to strength on the south coast, and his underlying numbers for 2020/21 showcase his importance to the Seagulls.

As per WhoScored, the tough-tackling 24-year-old recorded an average of 2.9 tackles per league game last term and 1.8 interceptions, the highest tallies for both metrics compared to all of his teammates who made over three appearances.

But it was Bissouma’s effectiveness with the ball as well as without it that really caught the eye of impressed onlookers.

The African midfielder made 46.8 passes per game, achieving an incredible passing accuracy of 87.4% in the process. It’s not hard to understand why his impressive exploits for Graham Potter’s charges have attracted the attention of Liverpool’s recruitment team.

Although Bissouma usually plays in the holding role, more akin to Fabinho than Wijnaldum, his arrival at Anfield would still significantly strengthen Klopp’s squad.

Currently, the former Borussia Dortmund boss has no natural alternative to Fabinho and the emergence of Harvey Elliott and return to fitness of Naby Keita may fill the Wijnaldum shaped hole in the centre of park without the need for a new addition.

Adding Bissouma would provide Klopp with cover and competition for one of his most important players, allowing the South American star to be rested and rotated, a luxury Liverpool haven’t often been afforded in recent years.

Liverpool fans would love to have a player like Bissouma in thier squad, they’ll be urging their club to make a move.

And, in other news…James Pearce drops transfer update that’ll have Liverpool fans buzzing 

Manchester City’s hopes of signing Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur this summer have been handed a huge boost, with recent reports suggesting that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has finally agreed to sell to the Citizens.

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, Levy has agreed to let the England captain leave Spurs this summer should City pay the North London club’s £160m asking price.

Previous reports had suggested that Kane would not be allowed to leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but after an exceptional individual season for the striker, in which Spurs still failed to win a trophy or secure Champions League qualification, it is no surprise that he is keen for a new challenge.

Can Man City sign Kane?

Guardiola is clearly desperate for a new striker at the Etihad following Sergio Aguero’s departure earlier this summer, and it seems clear now that Kane is the Spanish manager’s top target.

[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!”]

Although it would cost a huge amount of money to prise him away from Spurs, City have already begun raising the funds to bring him in through player sales, as well as the sell-on fee they received following Jadon Sancho’s move to Manchester United.

Considering Kane managed 23 goals and 14 assists in just 35 Premier League appearances last season, averaging a superb 7.79 rating from WhoScored for his performances, it seems clear that he would be a success at Manchester City should he make the move north this summer.

Now that reports are suggesting that he is free to leave Spurs should their asking price be met, it looks as if Guardiola’s side will be the favourites to bring him in, which will surely delight the Spanish manager ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936″]

If the “exceptional” forward can continue his form from Spurs with Manchester City, then it would be difficult to see them failing to retain their Premier League title next season, as with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden behind him, there is no telling how many goals Kane would score in this Manchester City side.

And, in other news… Romano drops Man City latest on “outstanding” transfer target, fans will be buzzing

Southampton look set to complete their fourth signing of the transfer window, with Tino Livramento set to join from Chelsea in a £5m deal in the coming days.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, Livramento will join the Saints on a five-year deal, joining Theo Walcott, Romain Perraud and Dynel Simeu as the players to have joined Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad so far this summer.

The Athletic claim that talks between Southampton and Chelsea have been ongoing since March and that the 18-year-old defender was Hasenhuttl’s top target for the summer, with Martin Semmens playing a key role in the negotiations.

They also suggest that the right-back had attracted interest from the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, RB Leipzig and Monaco but opted to make the move to St Mary’s as he believes that there is a clear pathway into the first-team.

Will Livramento be a good signing for Southampton?

At £5m, Livramento could prove to be a bargain for Southampton in the future should he realise his obvious potential, although Chelsea do reportedly have buy-back and sell-on clauses inserted into the deal.

The teenage defender was named as Chelsea’s academy player of the year last season and regularly trained with the first-team towards the end of the season, earning a place on the bench for the Premier League games against Arsenal and Manchester City.

Last season saw the England U19 international make 20 appearances in the Premier League, contributing an impressive two goals and six assists, which suggests that he likes to get forward, and he should provide excellent competition for Kyle Walker-Peters at right-back.

It seems clear that Yan Valery is not trusted by Hasenhuttl after some disappointing performances in recent seasons, and following a loan spell at Birmingham City where he barely featured, it seems likely that he will fall even further down the pecking order once Livramento’s signing is confirmed.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Southampton fans will no doubt be buzzing that Semmens has been able to pull off this deal for Livramento, as he is a “huge talent” who definitely has the potential to be a star at St Mary’s in the future.

And, in other news… Southampton should reignite interest in “amazing” PL gem

West Ham United are “unlikely” to stump up the cash for Jesse Lingard this summer, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas provided a fresh update on the Irons’ pursuit of the Manchester United loan star this week. When asked about the situation by one supporter on Twitter, the reliable reporter replied: “Unlikely the club will match United’s £30m valuation.”

In a recent column, Thomas explained that the Red Devils deem the 28-year-old attacking midfielder as their highest-value expendable asset, despite him entering the final year of his £75,000-per-week contract.

More bad news?

Lingard’s time at Old Trafford looked to be all but over before a very successful stint under David Moyes at the London Stadium, where the Red Devils outcast delivered nine goals and five assists. It’s even more impressive as he had not started in a Premier League match since January 2020 prior to his arrival at the Hammers.

Of course, after making such an impact – leading to Lingard being graded by WhoScored as West Ham’s second-best performer of the entire season – Moyes made it ever so clear of his intentions to try and seal him permanently.

“I hope Jesse’s here, we’d like to keep him, he’s done an exceptional job for us but there’s no guarantees, he’s not our player,” claimed the 58-year-old following the final game of the 2020/21 campaign. “But I hope Jesse realises we’ve been good for him as well, and that he joined a club on the up.”

In recent weeks, reports have suggested that Manchester United would be offering Lingard a new contract, much to the anger of the West Ham fanbase, as relayed by Football Transfer Tavern.

Therefore, this latest claim is yet another setback in the Irons’ bid to bring him back to east London, and it is one which may only infuriate their fans even more.

Nevertheless, £30m certainly seems like a lot of money for a player who was almost a forgotten man this time last year, especially considering that he would be free to leave next year too.

AND in other news, Moyes could seal another West Ham masterclass amid exciting claim, fans surely buzzing…

Barry Fry has opened up on Jonson Clarke-Harris’ situation this summer amid transfer interest from Rangers.

What’s the talk?

Peterborough’s director of football has said that it will take a ‘good offer’ for the English club to sell Rangers target Clarke-Harris this summer.

Fry has said that he expects bids to come in for the centre-forward, but has made it clear that Peterborough want to compete in the Championship and will not sell Clarke-Harris on the cheap.

He told Football Transfer Tavern: “Do I expect bids for Jonson Clarke-Harris? Yes I do. Will they be enough? I don’t know.

“Because we don’t want to go up to the Championship and be also-rans, we want to go up to the Championship and stay there and progress further, so it’ll have to be a good offer.”

Peterborough co-owner Darragh MacAnthony lavished praise on the “fantastic” attacker earlier this year and failed to rule out Clarke-Harris leaving the club in the summer. He told Sky Sports News, as relayed by the Hull Daily Mail: “Peterborough United can never pay players £25/30,000 a week, there will be seven or eight clubs already offering Jonson Clarke-Harris, Dembele, that kind of money.

“We are that club, we have to build. We’re not going to be selling a lot of our assets, but you always have one player that so many clubs are after, they’re going to tap them up which is normal, par for the course and it’s difficult to compete with that.

“He’s been fantastic, the best player in League One the best goalscorer in England and if we can keep him, brilliant, because he’ll be worth double by January in the Championship.”

Gerrard needs him

Ross Wilson must sanction a deal for Rangers to sign Clarke-Harris this summer. Whilst Fry has made it clear that the 26-year-old will not be sold for a bargain price, he has not completely ruled out a sale, and that should give Rangers encouragement that there is a deal to be done this summer.

The allure of Champions League football could be enough to convince Clarke-Harris to ditch a Championship campaign with Peterborough, as he could have the chance to play in Europe’s premier competition with the Gers next season.

Rangers were unable to find a consistent goalscorer in the Premiership as they won the title last season, with a number of players sharing the goalscoring load. Alfredo Morelos, James Tavernier and Kemar Roofe all scored between 10 and 11 goals, whilst Joe Aribo, Ianis Hagi and Ryan Kent all netted six or more league goals. This suggests that Gerrard needs a centre-forward who is able to reliably score 20+ goals a season, rather than relying on multiple players to chip in.

Clarke-Harris proved in England’s League One that he can score goals at a ridiculous rate. The £6,100-per-week gem found the back of the net an astounding 33 times in all competitions for Peterborough last term, including 31 in League One.

This suggests that he could be the man Gerrard needs to come in and fire Rangers to another Premiership title and hopefully help them go deep into the Champions League or Europa League knockout stages. Therefore, Wilson needs to get a deal over the line for Clarke-Harris to bolster Rangers’ attacking options.

AND in other news, Wilson must seal bargain Rangers deal for “fantastic” dynamo, Gerrard would love him…

A number of Liverpool supporters are keen for the Reds to sign Atletico Madrid star Saul Niguez this summer, following an update on his future.

Jurgen Klopp is preparing for a potentially busy summer at Anfield, as he looks to mastermind Liverpool’s Premier League title challenge in 2021/22.

The German may be looking at a number of areas to add quality in, with central midfield one of those.

Gini Wijnaldum is moving to Paris Saint-Germain, and given the Dutchman’s huge influence over the past five years, a void could be left in the middle of the park.

One player who AS have claimed could move to Liverpool is Saul, who has been a fantastic player for Atletico for many years now, making 337 appearances for the La Liga champions.

Still only 26, the Spaniard may now chase a fresh challenge this summer even though his current deal doesn’t expire until 2026, with a number of Premier League teams interested in a deal according to AS.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-5/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

Liverpool fans keen on Saul signing

These Reds fans have been providing their thoughts on Twitter (via LFC Transfer Room).

“100%. He is one of my favourite midfielders when used properly, which he hasn’t been for the last few seasons! He grew up idolising Steven Gerrard which means he must have an obvious soft spot for LFC which endears me to him even more! Very versatile also!”

Credit: @Bonalbio24

“Yes please”

Credit: @Blxckmass9397

“Yes! He’s super versatile, can play at lb too. Amazing lungs and is mostly available. £35-40m is good”

Credit: @AyushVa28767937

“So happy”

Credit: @MohammedA88

“I hope”

Credit: @MohamadQudah13

“Hope so”

Credit: @polisLFC

In other news, Liverpool are reportedly in advanced talks with one player – find out who it is here.