All posts by z3u9t.icu

When Daniel Levy finally broke his transfer market hoodoo in the summer of 2019, there was always one eye on the future for Tottenham Hotspur.

The north London outfit are finally reaping the rewards from a £55m investment in Tanguy Ndombele, one of four signings to end a barren two-window run without signings under Mauricio Pochettino.

Jack Clarke, Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon were the other names to join Spurs that summer.

The latter has been enjoying a loan spell at Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim this season, where he has been shining under the radar ahead of a potential return to Spurs’ first-team set-up.

Sessegnon has only featured 12 times for Spurs since his £25m move from Fulham, so the chance to impress at an elite level has surely done him the world of good.

Indeed, the 20-year-old, now valued at just £18m, has played 21 matches for the German side across all competitions, including the Europa League and has only just returned to the starting fold following injury.

The young England U21 international has been deployed all along that left flank throughout the season, which should make him an interesting proposition for when he comes back to north London.

At left-back, Jose Mourinho has a superb option in Sergio Reguilon but due to the nature of how they managed to clinch him, Real Madrid have a buy-back option to take him back to the Bernabeu at the click of Zinedine Zidane’s fingers.

Given this form, that scenario coming to fruition isn’t out of the realms of possibility as aside from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, the Spaniard has arguably been Spurs’ player of the season.

Sessegnon has displayed some key defensive attributes over at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena – in the Bundesliga, he’s proven to be a hard man to get past, averaging 1.5 tackles per game whilst his reading of the game is impressive too, managing 1.3 interceptions each outing, via WhoScored.

By comparison, this isn’t too much different to Reguilon, who has averaged two tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game in the Premier League this season.

Further up the pitch, Sessegnon has chipped in with four goal contributions (two scored, two assisted), whilst also managing to show a creative side with 0.6 key passes per game.

This figure is currently better than what Spurs’ no.10, Ndombele, is managing (0.5) in the English top-flight.

And only four members of Mourinho’s current squad have delivered more contributions towards goals.

Sessegnon’s main challenger may always be Heung-min Son but at times of injuries – like now – or periods of rest, it’s clear that the likes of Steven Bergwijn (zero goals scored) and Erik Lamela (as many goal contributions as red cards) have struggled to step up in his absence.

In the past, the young speed demon has drawn comparisons to Gareth Bale, so who better to learn off at such a young age – should the Welshman stick around for another campaign in N17.

Whilst ex-teammate Stephan Johansen dubbed Sessegnon a “huge talent” when he was just 17, also claiming that “the sky was the limit” for him.

Therefore, on the above evidence, the former Fulham starlet has every right to have a crack in the senior set-up next season and in doing so, Mourinho would help the club save millions as he’s a ready-made solution to any inbound problem – and even then, he’s a nice option to be able to call upon.

AND in other news, Spurs swoop for “unique” £34m-rated beast would deal a huge blow to Oliver Skipp…

Tottenham Hotspur have been told how much it’ll cost to land one of their mooted targets this summer…

What’s the word?

According to The Star, Sheffield United are expected to demand in excess of £35m for midfielder Sander Berge amid interest from their rival Premier League clubs.

It’s claimed that the Norway international appears destined to leave Bramall Lane at the end of the season, with the Blades heading back to the Championship after two seasons in the big time.

They also believe that claims United would consider a fee of £28m, a mere £6m return on the investment they made to land the 23-year-old a little over a year ago, are wide of the mark.

Liverpool and arch-rivals Arsenal are two other teams interested in his signature.

Fellaini 2.0

Built like a towering centre-back at 6 foot 5 inches, Berge offers a unique presence in midfield, particularly as his ability on the ball is far greater than what you’d expect from an absolute man-mountain.

And this sort of threat is something that Spurs do not have amongst their squad but is one Jose Mourinho has utilised before in Marouane Fellaini.

Originally signed by David Moyes at Old Trafford, the Belgian colossus quickly became a favourite under the Portuguese. “He is a player and a person I like and the person is more important. He will always have my trust and protection,” once said Mourinho.

The Spurs boss relied on Fellaini for his aerial dominance and could only often get into the match when the ball was played up to him, though this is where Berge differs as an impressive box-to-box presence.

In terms of defensive ability, the 23-year-old brute is averaging 1.2 tackles per game this season, a decrease on his 1.6 per match from last campaign, as per WhoScored. He’s also chipping in with 1.4 clearances and 1.2 aerials won.

Only Tanguy Ndombele and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg are more productive when compared to Spurs’ current central midfield options.

Clearly, Berge can read the game well and is prepared to put in the hard work to stop the opposition.

Whilst in attack, he’s averaging 1.3 dribbles per game, proving to travel with the ball up the pitch, and 0.9 key passes per match, too. Again, only Ndombele and Harry Kane have pulled off more successful dribbles, and he would rank third in the Spurs squad for creativity too.

It’s no wonder ex-Blades boss Chris Wilder has lauded the powerhouse as a “unique” and “complete midfielder” in the past.

Given CIES Football Observatory currently value Berge at €40m (£36m), Levy could well seal the north Londoners a nice bit of business if he sanctions this deal in the summer.

In return, Mourinho would get a new weapon to play with. Almost similar to that of Fellaini but almost certainly an improvement. Berge would be a fine addition under the ‘Special One.’

AND in other news, The £70m worth of talent now fighting for their futures under Mourinho…

Naby Keita has again been linked with a summer move to Leicester City, with a host of other clubs also now interested in signing him.

The 26-year-old has been a disappointing signing for the Reds, having arrived with so much expected of him back in 2018, officially joining the year before.

While Keita has produced some good performances, and featured in some memorable Liverpool wins, it is still hard to deny that he has been underwhelming at Anfield.

Fresh report links Keita with Leicester move

The Guinean has recently been linked with a move away from the Reds, with Leicester emerging as a strong contenders to snap him up.

Now, Anfield Central claim that the Foxes are ‘excited by the thought’ of Keita moving to the King Power Stadium, such is his dynamic style of play.

Leicester aren’t alone in showing an interest, however, with Barcelona, Atalanta, Borussia Monchengladbach, Inter Milan, Sevilla and RB Leipzig all mentioned as potential suitors, too.

Transfer Tavern take

While Keita has been frustrating for Liverpool, especially in terms of injuries, it would be a risk to let him leave at this point in his career. This is a player that Virgil van Dijk has hailed as ‘incredible’ and ‘outstanding’, which speaks volumes.

At 26, his peak years could still be ahead of him and he has shown in the past that he can shine when his body allows him to, enjoying an 87.9 per cent pass completion rate in the Premier League this season – more than Jordan Henderson (87.3%) and James Milner (85.6%).

Keita still has two years remaining on his current deal, so if his struggles continue next season, a bigger decision could then be made about his future.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have bemoaned an update regarding two Reds players. Read more here.

According to a report by Football Insider, West Ham United and David Moyes have set their sights on Leeds United ‘sensation’ Illan Meslier – coming as the club have held talks over extending Lukasz Fabianski’s contract but with no agreement in place yet. 

The Irons are confident they can keep their number one for another season regardless, especially considering they have a one-year option in his current deal according to Football Insider, but that hasn’t stopped them looking at potential replacements.

Moyes eyeing Meslier for West Ham

Meslier, who has been a Leeds regular under Marcelo Bielsa this season, starting 25 of their 26 Premier League matches, apparently fits the bill as Moyes eyes potential new additions in the goalkeeping department.

He signed for the Whites on a permanent deal just last summer, converting his loan spell from Lorient into a permanent deal, but West Ham and Moyes are now keeping tabs ahead of the next transfer window.

Transfer Tavern take

Described as ‘incredible’ by former Leeds and Premier League striker Jermaine Beckford (Doing A Leeds podcast via Leeds United news), he is currently valued at around £10.8 million by Transfermarkt – with no mooted price tag mentioned by this Football Insider report.

Leeds may want much more for their number one shot stopper given his age, but it remains to be seen if more news emerges regarding talks or an asking price.

In other news: West Ham are also keeping tabs on this potentially ‘perfect signing’, find out more here.

According to journalist Robin Bairner, Glasgow Rangers prospect Nathan Young-Coombes is on the verge of joining English Championship club Brentford.

What’s the word?

The 18-year-old Rangers youngster made the move north of the border from Chelsea for a two-year deal in 2019 and has since made quite the impression among the academy ranks.

However, he has yet to make the jump to the first team, and seems destined for the Ibrox exit in January or the next transfer window.

And now, it’s claimed Brentford have reportedly won the race to sign Young-Coombes from Rangers, who has entered the final six months of his contract. Premier League giants West Ham were also previously credited with an interest in the teenager in the summer, but a move failed to materialise.

Stand firm

Whilst Kai Kennedy was linked with a move away from Rangers in recent months – only for the highly-rated teenager to pen a new deal – the seemingly imminent departure of Young-Coombes would arguably be just as significant.

With Jermain Defoe and Greg Stewart having entered the twilight of their careers, the England U17 international could have been the perfect homegrown replacement with an eye on the future.

The former Chelsea and Crystal Palace academy prospect has left quite the lasting impression – smashing home five goals in nine appearances across all competitions for the development squad, per Transfermarkt. There aren’t many players in the academy ranks that can boast these kinds of numbers.

It’s no wonder, then, that coaches like David McCallum, Graeme Murty and Peter Lovenkrands have all swooned over the young English ace, with the former even saying he was part of a “fantastic” side that defeated Celtic 5-0 in the Scottish Youth Cup.

If Rangers have a legitimate interest in re-establishing themselves as one of the biggest clubs in Europe, keeping hold of one of their hottest prospects would be a good place to start. This is exactly why Ross Wilson simply can’t afford to lose the young prodigy.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers dealt Wigan Athletic striker Kyle Joseph transfer blow…

Reports by Le 10 Sport earlier this week claimed Stade de Reims are almost guaranteed to sell Boulaye Dia in the summer, but the striker’s efforts in Ligue 1 are starting to prove that West Ham were right to snub a January transfer.

Reims are unlikely to retain Dia beyond the current campaign as they are loath to lose the 24-year-old for free next year, when his £3k-per-week contract is due to expire.

With Dia also attracting interest from clubs around Europe, the Stade Auguste-Delaune natives feel they could recover at least €15m (£13m) for the Senegal international, despite the Irons refusing to match that valuation during the recently closed winter market.

Weekly magazine France Football claimed in January that David Moyes’ Irons felt the fee needed to acquire Dia in the middle of the campaign was too high for a player of his status, with the three-cap forward only in his third season of top-flight football.

Dia is also enjoying his best campaign in front of the net with 12 goals in 23 Ligue 1 appearances, though is yet to add to his tally since striking a brace at home to AS Saint-Etienne in early January.

Nonetheless, it was already proposed by France Football that the Plastics Vallee product was also on the radars of SSC Napoli, AC Milan and Torino, while Le 10 Sport now add Ligue 1 giants Olympique de Marseille and Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt to his list of suitors.

The German outfit seem particularly keen to elbow their way to the front of the queue, as well, with Adi Hutter’s Deutsche Bank Park natives planning to submit an offer at the end of the term.

Milan and Napoli have previously spoken with the attacker’s representatives over a move to Italy, while Telefoot Chaine, via GFFN, suggested the Irons were willing to pay €10m (£8.5m) in January.

But no matter the interest emerging around Europe, Dia’s efforts in Ligue 1 right now are proving Moyes and West Ham were right to ere on the side of caution and not swoop for the French-born striker.

Dia is six Ligue 1 appearances without a goal since scoring against Saint-Etienne, and it has not been through a lack of attempts with the 24-year-old taking 10 shots over those outings, per WhoScored.

He was also dispossessed five times – more than in any other league game this term – and took six unsuccessful touches – the second-highest amount in single-game – against RC Lens last time out, only against FC Nantes in December has he taken more (8).

Additionally, Dia registered a lowly 5.93 match rating against Angers SCO at the start of the month, to contribute to an average 6.2 over his last three appearances, far below his seasonal score of 6.92 or the personal best 9.62 achieved against Montpellier HSC in October.

The 5 ft 10 striker may have hit a brace in defeat to second-tier Valenciennes FC in the Coupe de France to take his tally to 14 in all competitions this season, and he would have offered another body in West Ham’s attack after Sebastien Haller joined AFC Ajax.

But Dia’s Ligue 1 efforts are only proving Moyes made the right call in refusing to match Reim’s asking price, and it will surely take a sizable turnaround for the Irons to swoop this summer.

It appears that the east Londoners dodged a sizeable bullet this January, even in their need for a proper striker replacement.

AND in other news, West Ham weigh up free-agent deal for 28-y/o who flopped after a £16m Premier League move…

Marcel Brands should avoid launching a summer swoop for Everton to sign Yeferson Soteldo, despite the Venezuelan stating that he’s open to leaving Santos.

What’s the word?

While speaking with FIFA’s official website, Soteldo admitted he dreams of one day playing in the Premier League and that he feels ready to take that step.

Soteldo joined Santos from Chilean side Huachipato in January 2019 and has scored 17 goals while providing 15 assists in 81 appearances across all competitions to date. His performances earned him a new contract at the start of the year, one that runs until December 2023.

Penning a new deal at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium may further drive up President Jose Carlos Peres’ asking price, having valued the diminutive 5 ft 3 star at €35m (£30m) last year following approaches from Inter Milan, Everton and a host of clubs from Spain.

Soteldo has also become a regular in his national side as they strive to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, with 19 outings to his name while still captaining the Venezuela U23s side.

The 23-year-old intends to do all he can to help his country make it to Qatar next year, which would mark the nation’s first-ever appearance at a FIFA World Cup finals.

“It’s a clear goal and something that’s on my wish list, so I’ll give everything possible to make it happen,” he said. “But I’ve learned not to get obsessed about things, otherwise I’d go crazy and wouldn’t be able to make a career from football.”

A career Soteldo hopes will one day include a spell in England, adding: “Today, I can say that I’m ready to take it to the next level, although I feel good here at Santos. We’ll see after the Copa America. I’ve always liked the English league.”

Should Everton sign Soteldo?

While Santos President Peres claimed Everton were interested in a move for Soteldo, who he lauds for his “sensational skills”, Brands should avoid seeing the winger’s recent declaration as justification to launch a move to sign the dual-footed maestro this summer.

Soteldo may have admirers across the globe but the 23-year-old is yet to offer any real consistency in his output, having been involved in 15 goals (nine scored, six assisted) in his maiden Serie A season before contributing to nine (four scored, five assisted) in 2020.

At 23, Soteldo is also older than what most of Santos’ top prospects traditionally have been when they have sealed moves to Europe, with Neymar joining FC Barcelona at 21 and Rodrygo sealing a €45m (£40m) move to Real Madrid in 2019 at 18 years of age.

Los Blancos were not afraid to get the chequebook out for Rodrygo – a player President Florentino Perez described as “one of the great prodigies” – after he struck nine goals and five assists in 41 Brazilian Serie A games to quickly establish himself as “one of the big emerging stars of Brazilian football”.

And while Rodrygo is now a regular first-team player at the Santiago Bernabeu, there are just as many misses when it comes to expensive South American imports with Gabriel Barbosa starting just one of his 10 appearances for Inter Milan before joining Flamengo.

The Nerazzurri had paid Santos €25m (£21.5m) after Barcelona passed on their first refusal to sign for the forward in 2016, but would only spend one of his three-and-a-half-years as an Inter player actually at the San Siro.

Soteldo’s first two years with Santos are pointing more to him being a second Barbosa than a Rodrygo, which would place the Venezuelan on course to be Everton’s new Yannick Bolasie if ever signed.

The Toffees paid £25m to bring Bolasie to Goodison Park in 2016 after establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s best on the ball at Crystal Palace.

But the DR Congo international would only offer two goals and four assists in 32 games in royal blue and is now set to leave as a free agent once his £75,000-per-week contract expires in the summer.

Signing Soteldo would, in our opinion, result in a similar outcome.

AND in other news, Everton face a £33.5m asking price to sign a sought-after 24-year-old talent…

According to The Liverpool Echo, Everton are reportedly looking to offload long-term Glasgow Rangers target Muhamed Besic in January.

What’s the word?

Besic joined Sheffield United on loan from Everton in the summer of 2019, with Chris Wilder’s side having an option to buy.

But the Blades decided against signing him on a permanent basis and he returned to his parent club after his loan spell expired last year.

The Bosnia international was heavily linked with a loan move to Ibrox during the extended summer transfer window.

While a move never materialised, it looks like Rangers could potentially have another opportunity to make a move for the out-of-favour midfielder, who has been deemed surplus to requirements by Carlo Ancelotti at Goodison Park.

Imagine Besic and Glen Kamara

Steven Gerrard’s Gers are well-stocked in the midfield after Ross Wilson brought in Bongani Zungu on an initial loan deal from French Ligue 2 side Amiens before the close of play on transfer deadline day.

However, there were no other additions to the midfield despite the departures of Greg Docherty, Jason Holt and Jordan Rossiter in the summer.

This means that Gerrard still has six options for three positions at least until the transfer market closes at the end of January, with Zungu, Steven Davis, Scott Arfield, Ryan Jack, Joe Aribo and Glen Kamara competing for three places behind the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten.

However, Arfield and Jack are currently out injured, and an injury or coronavirus crisis could quickly cause some unnecessary problems, so perhaps the Ibrox boss may feel inclined to dip into the market, and he ought to do so especially with Besic now available.

The £1.8m-rated 28-year-old, who typically plays as a defensive midfielder but can also play as a centre-back or right-back, previously scored three goals and supplied six assists in 56 appearances across all competitions for Middlesbrough, via Transfermarkt. Whilst he is fully capable of slotting into place alongside the likes of Arfield and Kamara, his versatility could prove to be an added bonus.

Roberto Martinez was effusive in his praise for his former charge back in 2014 as he was quoted as saying: “He is a character who is an out-and-out Everton player.

“He can become a big legend for Everton but he is a character who is still developing and working. Sometimes you forget he is only 22, but when you the bravery and wanting to do the right things it is impressive.

“I love those sort of characters – reliable. You can build strong teams around those characters.”

This strength of character would be most welcome in the Govan side of Glasgow and to be able to snap up a player with proven Premier League experience for a snip of a price is surely a no-brainer at this stage.

AND in other news, Steve Parish must sanction Crystal Palace swoop for Jason Knight as a James McCarthy alternative…

Michael Obafemi enjoyed a breakthrough season with Southampton during the 2019/20 campaign as he made 22 appearances in the top-flight, but this season has been a lot less fruitful for the 20-year-old and Ralph Hasenhuttl should consider loaning him out.

In his 22 Premier League appearances last season, the striker was able to contribute a fairly impressive three goals and two assists (per WhoScored), so it was perhaps expected that he would continue to feature for the Saints this season.

However, this season has seen him manage just 13 minutes of Premier League action, as well as just six minutes in the Carabao Cup, suggesting that the Austrian manager currently has no plans to give him a starting berth in his squad.

Considering the form of both Danny Ings and Che Adams this season, this is perhaps unsurprising, whilst the loan signing of Theo Walcott means that it was also perhaps unlikely that he was going to be a regular for the South Coast club this season.

That being said, fellow academy prospect Dan N’Lundulu has also featured in the top-flight this season and has been on the bench for two other fixtures (per Transfermarkt), suggesting that he may well have moved above Obafemi in the pecking order.

As a result, the Ireland U21 international should perhaps be sent out on loan, as to ensure that his progress isn’t stifled too much by sitting on the bench for the Saints.

Considering he has already made 29 appearances in the Premier League in his career, there would surely be no shortage of interest in the striker from sides in the Championship, and perhaps a loan to the second division would help him realise his potential.

Hasenhuttl admitted earlier this season that:

“The problem with Michael was always he would play one good game and then fall back a little bit and was not professional enough to force or keep his position in the team or in the squad.

“This makes it too easy for others to go above him. I think this is what he must learn.

“Once he is in the squad, don’t give it away so easily and try to be aggressive and dangerous in front of the goal.

“I think this is something he misses, but he’s young, he still has to learn a lot and this is a kind of mentality but is also a kind of quality.” (per Hampshire Live)

Therefore, it seems clear that the Austrian manager is not fully convinced by Obafemi and a positive loan spell could be just what the Irishman needs to regain his confidence and put him back into Hasenhuttl’s good books.

Tottenham Hotspur’s 2020 is drawing to a close, and they are in a much better position than 12 months ago.

Jose Mourinho has steered his side to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, the knockout stages of the Europa League, and they are firmly in the title race at this early stage.

Their business in the upcoming January transfer window could be season-defining, but how much do you know about their history in the market?

Was Heung-min Son really cheaper than Erik Lamela, and who was Andre Villas-Boas’ most expensive signing the summer the Argentine was signed?

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has delivered a mixed bag of signings over the years…

Did Luka Modric command more than Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg? After all, the great Dane has become a revelation in north London.

We’re willing to bet that you won’t get 100% on these tricky ten questions.

Go on, give it a go…

AND in other news, Exclusive: Gary Mabbutt blown away by Spurs teenager “doing fantastically”…