All posts by z3u9t.icu

Newcastle United are reportedly favourites to sign Rafa Silva in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Silva impressing

All eyes are firmly on Euro 2020 at the moment for many football fans, and one player who has impressed at the tournament so far is Silva.

Despite the 28-year-old being limited to substitute appearances so far, Portugal manager Fernando Santos hailed Silva’s impact coming off the bench in the 3-0 win over Hungary in the group stage, claiming that his pace and drive made the difference and that he was the game-changer for his team (Tribal Football).

Despite being limited to just 52 minutes in the tournament so far, he has also grabbed himself an assist (Sofascore) and will be hoping for further success as Portugal take on Belgium in the last 16 tonight.

The Latest: Newcastle favourites

As per The Sunday Mirror (27/6; page 74), via The Boot Room, Newcastle are seemingly leading the race to sign Silva, as his agent is currently speaking to clubs in England over a potential £30m move.

Benfica are reportedly looking to sell the winger, and the Magpies are said to be at the top of the list for his signature.

The Verdict: Sign

While the Tyneside club already have an attacking X-factor in Allan Saint-Maximin, adding Silva to the mix should certainly elevate Steve Bruce’s squad in terms of quality.

The 28-year-old scored nine goals and supplied a further 10 assists in 45 games across all competitions during the 2020/21 season (Transfermarkt), and he has brought his impressive club form onto the international stage.

Nonetheless, top teams will surely be swarming all over him once the Euros are finished, so the Magpies may need to act quickly if they want to secure his services.

In other news, find out what promising insight has been dropped from Mike Ashley’s camp on the potential takeover

Nathan Patterson may be open to leaving Rangers and joining Everton as he struggles to dislodge James Tavernier. 

That’s according to BBC Radio pundit Noel Whelan, who was speaking to Football Insider.

The lowdown

Patterson has been limited to just two starts in Rangers’ first 20 Premiership matches this season, with Tavernier selected for the other 18. Indeed, more than a quarter of his total game-time so far in 2021/22 has come in the Scottish League Cup.

The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell has written that ‘figuring out how to use Nathan Patterson’ is one of the key challenges facing Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Ibrox. The youngster has started just two of the Dutchman’s nine matches in charge so far.

Everton made two attempts to sign the 20-year-old last summer and are expected to renew their pursuit when the January transfer window opens next week (via The Guardian).

The latest

Whelan reckons that Patterson could succeed 33-year-old Seamus Coleman at Goodison Park or even slot in at left-back after Lucas Digne reportedly fell out with Rafael Benitez.

The former Aberdeen striker added that, while the youngster has looked a ‘top talent’, the presence of Tavernier limits his prospects at Rangers.

Whelan told Football Insider: “Obviously we know that Seamus Coleman isn’t getting any younger in that right-back spot. There’s also an opportunity for him on the left with the Lucas Digne situation, he could fill in there.

“He’s played there for Rangers recently. Even though he’s a top talent, it’s bound to be hard to get in the side ahead of the skipper, James Tavernier.

“We’ve seen him really impress for Scotland as well and he’s shown he can be a brilliant attacking talent as well on international duty. From what I know, he’s got a lot of potential.”

The verdict

You can see why Van Bronckhorst may be reluctant to leave Tavernier on the bench or alter his position. The skipper has recorded more goal involvements (14) than anybody else in the Gers squad from his right-back berth.

Indeed, if you go by WhoScored metrics, he has been Rangers’ highest-performing player this season, averaging a rating of 7.79/10.

Intriguingly, Van Bronckhorst managed to fit both players into the team against Dundee United recently by selecting Patterson on the left. Perhaps he’ll need to do that more often in the interests of the youngster’s development and indeed his transfer value.

In other news, many Rangers fans gushed over this Allan McGregor claim

After scoring 46 goals in 100 appearances for Southampton across all competitions, striker Danny Ings left St. Mary’s during the previous summer transfer window for a move to fellow Premier League club Aston Villa. Since then, he has netted three goals in their opening eight league games of the season.

As a result of his departure, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have only managed to score six goals in the same number of matches, leaving them in 15th place in the league table with just seven points on the board.

Despite their struggles in front of goal so far this season without Ings in their squad, it seems that Southampton could well have the next version of the clinical attacker in their youth squad with young attacker Dominic Ballard.

As a product of Southampton’s youth academy, Ballard has made ten appearances for the U18 side in which he has managed to bag five goals and provide one assist in the process.

Ballard has also made five appearances for Southampton’s B team, managing one goal for his efforts.

The teenager started playing in the U18 side this term where he found the net on three occasions in their four opening league games of the season before being included in the B team where he’s scored once in three outings, taking his total goal tally this season to four, showing that he has the ability to show off his goalscoring prowess at both youth levels.

Even though Ballard has not yet made his senior debut for the Saints despite clearly being a big talent, we feel that he could well go on to be a regular first-team player for Southampton in the future if he continues beating the goalkeeper on a regular basis and developing his game beyond that.

If he does, then the youngster could well go on to save Southampton millions in potentially having to sign a new striker as a long-term replacement for Ings. By doing so, he’d be next in an eye-catching list of current senior Southampton players who have worked their way through the youth academy including James Ward-Prowse, Jack Stephens, Theo Walcott and Nathan Tella among others.

In other news: Saints handed huge injury boost ahead of Burnley, Ralph now has a big decision to make – opinion

West Ham United suffered a huge blow in their hopes of finishing in the top four after Brentford eased to a 2-0 victory in Sunday’s clash in west London.

The Hammers disappointingly fell to a resurging Bees outfit after goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney dealt David Moyes’ dreams of Champions League football a major setback.

The Irons remain sixth in the table, with Manchester United poised to climb above them if they can secure a point against a struggling Norwich City side next weekend.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-developments-4/” title=”West Ham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Transfer Tavern have now used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 60 minutes) were for the visitors on the day. Could any of these players be worried about their places in the starting XI going forward?

Craig Dawson – 6.4/10

Three players all came out with the same 6.4 rating, although Manuel Lanzini has been omitted as he was given less than 60 minutes worth of game time.

As such, Dawson takes third place. The centre-back struggled on the ball, having lost possession 15 times. Out of 12 long balls he played, only two were successful, and he failed to record any key passes, shots or dribbles throughout the match.

Jarrod Bowen – 6.4/10

Despite having an excellent season so far, Bowen also received a 6.4 rating on Sunday.

The winger failed to make an impact on the match, having had just 22 touches of the ball, proceeding to lose possession eight times against the Bees.

The 25-year-old did not take a single shot all afternoon, also failing in the final third in his attempt to pull off a single successful dribble.

Michail Antonio – 6.3/10

Antonio was ranked as West Ham’s worst starter against Brentford, being given a 6.3 rating.

The striker failed to take a single shot throughout the match, adding to his ongoing drought which now stands at 12 league games without a goal.

The 32-year-old struggled to provide an attacking outlet for the Hammers, failing to succeed in either of his two dribble attempts. Having touched the ball on 26 occasions, Antonio lost possession 10 times, capping a poor display for the Irons’ only senior striker.

In other news: This West Ham trio came in for criticism v Brentford

Of recent, Manchester United are known to take an age when pondering important decisions.

Though, with Ralf Rangnick’s interim managerial contract expiring in late June, the Red Devils have a chance to act fast and appoint a manager who could oversee their summer rebuild.

What’s the word?

For those who want to see 52-year-old ten Hag takeover the United helm next season, the latest reports will be very much welcomed.

According to Fabrizio Romano, who spoke on his YouTube channel:

“He would be super happy to be the new Manchester United manager. The feeling was positive even on Erik ten Hag’s side during the meeting with Man United.

“He wanted to know budget, potential signings and how they would back him in the market. This is a key point.”

Fabrizio also addressed the logistics behind the potential deal.

“A key point, on compensation, from what I’m told on Man United’s side they don’t see a problem for compensation. They are ready to pay what is right to Ajax.

“The conversation between the club has always been good. The relationship is fantastic due to Edwin van der Sar.”

Great news for Man United

The latest reports from super-journalist Fabrizio Romano will please the alleged 87.9% of United fans who want ten Hag to take over as manager next season.

Although it is worth noting that whilst these discussions between Erik and the Old Trafford side are positive, nothing is guaranteed until the agreements have been made and the contract has been signed.

Though, the discussion of details in this depth does mean that talks are moving in the right direction, with ten Hag showing his eagerness and commitment to the cause by wanting to understand more on the intricacies around how the club is run and the type of resources that he will be equipped with.

As Romano points out here, the relationship between Manchester United and Ajax is strong.

With their shared link with van der Sar, who is the CEO of the Amsterdam outfit, the Red Devils are in the best decision to appoint the Dutchman who worked with Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich.

The Red Devils should act as fast as possible with ten Hag, who can then begin the rebuild process at the club.

All in all, the news that compensation won’t be a problem is particularly good news for the club. They appear to be a step further towards appointing him which given his winning mentality, securing several major honours in his homeland, he’d be a wise hire.

In other news – Man Utd now plot bid to sign £31.5m dynamo, he’s ever better than Rashford – opinion

Marcelo Bielsa is weighing up the idea of using Raphinha in a number 10 role for Leeds United moving forward, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Raphinha shines for Leeds

The Brazilian has been a superb signing for the Whites, joining from Rennes last year and scoring nine goals in 38 appearances to date.

Raphinha has generally shone as a right winger, cutting inside onto his deadly left foot and wreaking havoc with his dribbling quality.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Number 10 role mooted

It could be that Bielsa looks into using the 24-year-old in a more central number 10 position, however. Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic on Saturday following Leeds’ 1-0 win at home to Watford, Hay outlined the possibility of Raphinha’s role changing.

When asked by a supporter if Bielsa would try Raphinha in a role behind the centre-forward, the journalist replied:

“I’m told that they have been discussing the possibility of Raphinha as a 10 but it’s not something Bielsa wants to rush into without working on. I can see aspects of Raphinha which would suit 10 although a Bielsa 10 needs to do a lot of defensive work too.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-18/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Interesting move by Bielsa

It would be an ultra-attacking move to play Raphinha as a number 10, allowing both Jack Harrison and Dan James to start out wide, forming a speedy three-pronged attack behind Patrick Bamford or Rodrigo.

As Hay hinted, though, the Brazil international would need to produce a strong work ethic to thrive in that position, with Bielsa simply not accepting a luxury player there.

It still feels like Raphinha is best out wide – he has registered nine assists for Leeds – but it would be intriguing to see how he fares more centrally if the manager considers redeploying him.

In other news, one Leeds transfer target has a £10million release clause in his contract. Read more here.

Southampton have been linked with a move for Nathaniel Phillips recently and the Liverpool ace could be the ideal man to replace Jannik Vestergaard in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, should the Denmark international complete a move away from St Mary’s this summer.

What’s the word?

According to James Pearce of The Athletic, Liverpool are willing to sell Phillips for between £12-15m this summer, and Southampton, Burnley, Brighton and Newcastle United have all been in contact with the Merseyside outfit about a potential deal for the centre-back.

Considering Vestergaard has reportedly expressed his desire for a new challenge amid interest from Leicester City, it seems likely that the Saints will cash in on the Danish defender this summer, rather than potentially losing him for nothing at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

Therefore, a new centre-back signing will likely be necessary to replace the former Borussia Monchengladbach man this summer, and Phillips could be an excellent addition to Hasenhuttl’s squad.

Would Phillips be a good signing for Southampton?

Despite being on the brink of a Liverpool exit in the summer of 2020, Phillips established himself as an important player in Jurgen Klopp’s side last season as they turned their campaign around to secure Champions League football.

The Anfield outfit were left without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip for much of the season, which paved the way for Phillips to become a regular starter, and he made 17 Premier League appearances in total, averaging a very impressive 7.29 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

However, with Liverpool’s centre-back trio now back fit ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and Ibrahima Konate having also joined from RB Leipzig, it seems unlikely that the 24-year-old will feature as much for the Reds next season, so an exit could well be on the cards.

After he made his Premier League debut in a 2-1 win against West Ham, Klopp labelled Phillips a “monster” due to his impressive aerial ability.

Last season saw the defender average a superb 5.6 aerials won per game, which suggests that he would be a more than adequate replacement for Vestergaard, who despite his height, managed just 3.3 aerials won per game in the Premier League last season.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Therefore, Hasenhuttl should definitely look towards the £7.2m-rated Liverpool man this summer if Vestergaard does complete a move away from St Mary’s.

And, in other news… Imagine him and JWP: Semmens should swoop for Euro 2020 star

Manchester United dropped to seventh in the Premier League table after suffering another humiliating defeat at the hands of Watford on Saturday afternoon.

Goals from Josh King, Ismaila Sarr, Emmanuel Dennis and Joao Pedro made Donny van de Beek’s first strike of the season a mere consolation, and Harry Maguire’s 69th-minute red card summed up a hugely disappointing outing for the Old Trafford outfit.

But arguably the most underwhelming display from a Red Devils player came from Marcus Rashford.

The 24-year-old had scored three goals in just six games prior after returning from injury prior to his trip to Vicarage Road, providing hope that he could inspire his boyhood club to a much-need victory.

However, Rashford look way below his best when coming up against the Hornets and was substituted by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at half-time following his shocking showing in the opening period.

As per SofaScore, the England international was awarded a match rating of just 6.2 out of 10, the second-lowest total out of any player on the pitch. And when taking a look at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why.

Rashford touched the ball just 32 times against Watford, only one more than goalkeeper David de Gea, lost possession a whopping 16 times and achieved a passing accuracy of just 50% as he completed fewer passes (11) than his teammate between the posts. That highlighted what was an extremely ineffective display.

The youngster was also only able to pick out a teammate with one of his three attempted crosses, missed one big chance and won just 50% of his duels.

With tough fixtures against Villarreal, Chelsea and Arsenal coming up for United, the Red Devils will need Rashford to return to form as soon as possible in order to address their alarming slump in results and performances.

Fortunately, however, it would appear that Rashford has let down Solskjaer for the final time with the Norwegian reportedly on the verge of being sacked.

While West Brom may not have had a perfect start to their Championship campaign with 17 games played, the Baggies are still very much in the mix to secure a promotion place by the end of the season, currently sat in third place in the league table with 32 points from nine wins, five draws and three defeats under their belt.

One player that has played a big part in West Brom’s season so far is defender Conor Townsend, who has started all 17 of their league games and ultimately played more minutes than any other Baggies player, showing just how important he is for Valerien Ismael.

In addition to this, the 28-year-old has also highlighted his versatility on the pitch by playing as a centre-back, left-back and left-midfielder at times this season, which is a big sign as to why Ismael has picked him to start so many times.

Regarding his performances, from a defensive point of view, Townsend has racked up an average of 2.8 aerials won (47 in total), 1.8 tackles, 1.5 clearances and 1.4 interceptions per game in the Championship, proving himself as a vital part of West Brom’s back line.

As well as his defensive contributions, Townsend has also proven himself to be a useful attacking outlet for the team, contributing an average of 1.5 key passes per match, with the Englishman securing two assists for the team which came during their 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth on the opening day of the season followed by their 1-1 draw against Millwall back in September.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that Townsend, who has been described as a “confident” player on the ball by Baggies journalist Steve Madeley, has been a real hero for Ismael this season given his versatility, reliability and all-round ability up and down the pitch.

Moving forward, with Dara O’Shea still out injured for the next few months and the fact that Kean Bryan has now been ruled out for the remainder of the season through injury, Ismael will undoubtedly be hoping that Townsend will be able to keep fit for the rest of the campaign.

He’ll need to keep delivering the sort of performances that he has been doing, as he could give the Baggies a great chance of securing a place back in the Premier League.

In other news: WBA must secure deal for “wonderful” 6ft4 beast, it may be season-defining for Ismael – opinion

German outfit Bayer Leverkusen have reportedly stated their interest in a possible move for Liverpool defender Nat Phillips.

What’s the story?

According to Sky Sports (as reported by the ECHO), Leverkusen have contacted the 24-year-old’s agent over a potential transfer, although several Premier League clubs have also been credited with an interest.

The report claims that Brighton and Hove Albion, Newcastle United, Burnley and West Ham United are also keen on signing Phillips this summer after he impressed last season.

He’s not good enough

After an injury crisis left Liverpool unable to call upon Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, Phillips came to the Anfield outfit’s rescue, putting in a string of solid performances.

The 6 ft 2 beast made 15 top-flight appearances for the Reds last term, helping Jurgen Klopp’s charges to a third-place finish, something which looked well out of their reach at the midway point of the campaign.

However, despite his admirable showing, serious doubts remain over Phillips’ long-term suitability for a club as ambitious as Liverpool.

He made a few costly errors during his run in the first-team, with Sky Sports pundit and former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville highlighting a mistake the youngster made against his old team.

“Why is a centre-back back in there? Why does he go back so deep? He is playing them onside, he is unlikely to block the shot. It’s difficult for him,” Neville said on Sky Sports Premier League (8:25pm, May 13, 2021):

“I think Alisson would have saved that. Lack of composure from Nat Phillips. A disappointing moment for him, but a great moment for United.”

With Van Dijk, Gomez and Matip all set to return to full fitness ahead of the upcoming campaign, alongside the acquisition of Ibrahima Konate, Phillips is expected to find himself well down the Liverpool pecking order.

And while he excels at the traditional aspects of defending, he evidently struggles with some of the modern demands placed upon a centre-back.

As per WhoScored, Phillips recorded 0.8 blocks per league game in 2020/21 and 4.8 clearances, the highest tallies compared to his teammates.

But it was a different story with the ball at his feet. He completed just 87.2% of his passes, made only 2.90 progressive carries per 90, and attempted a single dribble.

Several reports have indicated Liverpool are set to demand £15m for the English defender, a fee which would make a significant difference to the Anfield outfit’s relatively limited transfer budget.

Achieving such a healthy fee for a player who was plying his trade in the second-tier of German football as recently as 2019/20 would represent a good piece of business by director of football Michael Edwards and would potentially allow Klopp to bring in one of his key targets this summer.

And, in other news…Get it done: Edwards must seal Liverpool swoop for “explosive” £27m-rated “revelation”