All posts by z3u9t.icu

Southampton have been linked with both Junior Firpo and Brandon Williams recently, but who would be the better addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this summer?

Brandon Williams

Southampton were heavily linked with the Manchester United full-back during the January transfer window and, whilst that deal fell through, The Athletic have suggested that Hasenhuttl’s side will return for him this summer ahead of a potential loan deal.

The 20-year-old defender has dropped down the pecking order at Old Trafford this season due to the signing of Alex Telles and the impressive form of Luke Shaw, which led to him making just four appearances in the Premier League.

Whilst it is likely that the £9m-rated youngster would initially join on loan, it could prove to be a repeat of the deal which saw Southampton sign Kyle Walker-Peters on a temporary basis in January 2020 before being convinced to make his stay a permanent one last summer.

Junior Firpo

According to ESPN, Southampton have asked about Firpo’s situation at Barcelona ahead of a potential summer move, with the former Real Betis man having struggled for regular game-time at the Nou Camp due to the form of Jordi Alba.

Barcelona are reportedly keen to sell the 24-year-old as they attempt to raise funds through the sales of deadwood in Ronald Koeman’s squad, although they may be keen to recoup a significant percentage of the £16.3m they paid for him in 2019.

This season saw the Spaniard make just seven appearances in La Liga for the Catalan side, but his previous form at Real Betis suggests that he could be a good addition at St Mary’s this summer.

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

Who would be the better signing?

Given that Hasenhuttl has claimed Southampton will target players under £10m this summer and Firpo is also valued at £9m, it seems as if both are viable options for the Austrian this summer.

However, Williams allows for a trial period if he joins on loan with no obligation to buy, whereas the Spaniard would have little resale value if he signed permanently and failed to impress.

Williams is also younger than Firpo, can feature as a right-back so has more versatility, and has the added bonus of being English which helps with registration issues, so it seems as if he would be the better addition this summer at least.

Therefore, Martin Semmens should forget about signing Firpo and instead focus on bringing Manchester United’s “exciting, young English talent” – in the words of Gary Lineker – to St Mary’s.

In other news… Semmens must seal Saints swoop for “exceptionally talented” ace, he won’t cost a penny

Aston Villa have emerged as a potential suitor for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly according to reports from Italy.

What’s the Word?

Italian outlet TMW has claimed that Premier League sides Aston Villa, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur are all interested in the Senegal international, labelling him a “real tressure” in what would undoubtedly be a sensational signing for Villa.

The centre back is in high demand, with European heavyweights Barcelona also interested, this is despite Napoli placing a €70m (£58m) price tag on his head.

Koulibaly will turn 31 in June and a fee of this size might put a lot of teams off, especially when they may only get a couple of years out of him at his peak.

Imagine him & Konsa

Villa have been leaking goals as of late and surely a centre back is high on the list of Steven Gerrard’s priorities as he looks ahead to his first full season in charge at Villa Park.

There aren’t many defenders better than Koulibaly at the moment, with the Premier League surely being an attractive move having spent the last eight years in Serie A.

Forza Italian football editor Connor Clancy previously stated his belief that the Napoli titan “improves any team” he plays for, as well as dubbing the defender “phenomenal.” High praise for the 30-year-old.

The most important aspect that Gerrard will be looking at is to create a solid centre back pairing of both Ezri Konsa and Koulibaly.

With Konsa having a rating of 6.74 on SofaScore this season, the onus would be on the Senegal international to come in and form a solid backline with the 24-year-old English talent.

Regardless of if Gerrard actually manages to secure his services or not, it shows just how far Villa have come since promotion three years ago that they are linked with one of the finest centre backs in the world.

What a summer Villa supporters have in store.

AND in other news, Gerrard now plotting AVFC bid for £46k-p/w “phenomenon”, he’s better than Phillips

A number of Aston Villa supporters hit out at midfielder Marvelous Nakamba on social media for his display against Manchester City on Wednesday.

Villa fell to a 2-1 defeat to Pep Guardiola’s men despite taking the lead in the first minute through John McGinn.

Phil Foden and Rodri netted for the visitors, with John Stones and Matty Cash receiving reds cards at Villa Park.

However, it was Nakamba’s performance that had a number of Villa fans talking online.

The 27-year-old kept his place in Dean Smith’s side for just his seventh Premier League start of the season.

Nakamba made way just after the hour mark for Ross Barkley, though, and, statistically, was Villa’s second-worst starter behind Cash, who of course picked up two quick bookings to make the Villans’ job that much harder.

As per WhoScored, Nakamba ended with a 5.98/10 match rating. He failed to make a tackle or interception all evening and attempted just 18 passes, which was 11 less than his own goalkeeper Emi Martinez.

Villa fans react

This is what these Villa supporters had to say about Nakamba, with one describing his display as ‘awful’.

“Nakamba is having a SHOCKER”

Credit: @luckysalt

“Don’t wanna hear anyone calling for Nakamba to start again, he’s bloody awful! #avfc”

Credit: @ConanLinds

“Nakamba, Luiz, Traore are a disgrace”

Credit: @Wayne67448657

“Nakamba isn’t with it tonight, not tracking anyone”

Credit: @beneelesavfc

“Nakamba having a nice sleep there, hopefully he can use the energy he’s saved during the rest of the half.”

Credit: @discostoo

“Nakamba to blame. Looks like he’s running in lead boots”

Credit: @gaz_boot

In other news: Many AVFC fans share love for Christian Purslow’s European Super League comments, find out more here. 

Ciaran Kelly spotted what Allan Saint-Maximin did right before he scored for Newcastle United in their game at home to Watford in the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Great finish

The opening goal in the 1-1 draw against the Hornets was typical of Saint-Maximin with his outrageous ability on the ball.

The Frenchman cut inside from the wing, beating two players before rifling an unstoppable effort into the bottom corner of the net past Ben Foster.

It put the North East club in the driving seat at St. James’ Park, although Joao Pedro levelled things up with a smart finish.

The Latest: Kelly reacts

Writing on Twitter, The Chronicle journalist Kelly spotted the hard work that Saint-Maximin did before he got his goal:

“Will go a little unnoticed but that all stemmed from Allan Saint-Maximin not giving up the ghost.

“Chased and harried Ngakia in build-up, forcing him into a mistake, before cutting inside and rifling the ball past Foster. Great finish. Deafening noise inside St James’ Park.”

The Verdict: All-rounder

Everyone knows that Saint-Maximin is an elite dribbler – he currently averages the second-most amount of dribbles per game in the top flight, only behind Wolves ace Adama Traore.

However, as Kelly points out, his work off the ball sometimes goes unnoticed, and his effort in trying to win it back off of Jeremy Ngakia before going on to score was such an important moment in the match.

Nonetheless, the 24-year-old will no doubt be a key player for the Tyneside outfit if they are to avoid relegation down to the Championship at the end of the campaign.

In other news, find out who NUFC are now in ‘advanced talks’ to sign here!

Frank McAvennie has exclusively told Football FanCast that Celtic’s transfer structure means that Tom Heaton is unlikely to sign for the Hoops this summer, after Paul Robinson told Football Insider that the Scottish giants should target him.

Heaton is out of contract at Aston Villa this June, with the Bhoys in need of a senior goalkeeper.

Celtic currently have three first-team shotstoppers, although neither Vasilis Barkas, Scott Bain nor Conor Hazard have been able to nail down the number-one spot at Parkhead.

Greek international Barkas has made a number of high-profile errors, especially in European competition, whilst Bain has been the preferred choice in recent weeks – starting Celtic’s last 15 games in all competitions.

But Celtic have kept just 17 clean sheets in their 36 Scottish Premiership matches, and whilst McAvennie recognises their need for a new goalkeeper, he doesn’t believe it’ll be Heaton, who’s not played a single minute of senior football since suffering a serious knee problem on New Year’s Day 2020.

McAvennie, suggesting new chief executive Dominic McKay needs to make changes, told Football FanCast:

“Tommy Heaton is a good keeper, and Aston Villa is a big club so it wouldn’t faze him coming up to Celtic. I think he’s a good keeper, but I don’t know if it will work. They’ve got three keepers at the moment, and none of them are my number one – that says everything.

“Celtic’s biggest problem is they like to buy young and sell and it hasn’t worked well. Unless the new guy changes the way Celtic work.”

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Graham Roberts insists that there is next to no chance of Harry Kane leaving the club in a swap deal with Manchester City.

Kane is said to have asked to leave the club, per Sky Sports News, amid interest from City, Manchester United, and Chelsea.

A report this week, though, claims that City have already tabled the first bid in what is likely to be a long-running summer saga.

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano claims it could be worth a minimum of £100m to Spurs, while City have also dangled the prospect of including players in a deal; Raheem Sterling and Aymeric Laporte are two of the highest-profile players mentioned.

Roberts, though, doubts that there is any chance of the City players making their way to Spurs, such are their wage demands.

Sterling, for example, is said to earn £300,000-per-week at the Etihad Stadium, per Spotrac, and Roberts feels such a deal is simply too complicated.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “It’s alright them saying ‘you can have him’, alright, you pay three quarters of his wages and we’ll take them.

“We’ll pay them what we think they’re worth. It’s not going to happen.

“Swap deals are not going to happen.”

The Telegraph have dropped a very encouraging Aston Villa update on Jack Grealish’s future and it could be very, very good news for fans of the club.

What’s the story?

Amid speculation off the pitch linking him with a move to Manchester City, Grealish has made his presence felt on the field of play at EURO 2020, with his latest substitute appearance seeing him have a huge hand in England’s 2-0 win over Germany on Tuesday night, with the Villa star assisting Harry Kane’s goal that put the tie to bed and secured England a place in the quarter-finals.

However, as Grealish now prepares to play Ukraine in Rome at the weekend, updates are emerging about Villa’s stance on his club future.

Now, The Telegraph have claimed that Dean Smith’s Villa side are “very hopeful” of the Three Lions star putting pen to paper on a new contract to stay at the club, and thereby draw a “line in the sand” over a possible summer move away.

Villa fans will be buzzing

In a recent article for The Birmingham Mail, Ashley Preece declared: “BirminghamLive has been told that despite such reports, Aston Villa remain unaware of transfer interest surrounding captain Grealish. There’s been no contact from City, no bids while Villa have never put a valuation on their star asset.

“Villa have no intention of selling England star Grealish. The plan now is to kick on once again in 2021/22 and to catch those who finished above them last season. Villa, as CEO Christian Purslow put it, “remain deeply ambitious” and they’ll do all they can to match Grealish’s aims of becoming a European performer.”

The England international scored seven goals and provided another 12 assists across all competitions last season, and will no doubt have been hoping that his club side would be doing everything they can to try and match his ambitions.

And, with the signings of Emi Buendia and Ashley Young, Villa have already got their transfer window off to a superb start.

If Villa’s talisman needed any signs that his club were intent on surrounding him with more quality around him, then they have certainly given him just that.

Villa fans will surely be absolutely buzzing at The Telegraph’s latest update.

Meanwhile, Villa could sign their new John Carew in this man…

Manchester United could be set to lose versatile forward Jesse Lingard over the coming months after he was linked with a move to Newcastle United.

What’s the story?

The Magpies joined the financial elite of football after being taken over by a Saudi-backed consortium, and the new owners have already started identifying potential targets ahead of the January transfer window.

According to The Telegraph, Newcastle are interested in signing Lingard after an impressive 2021, with Toon chiefs already discussing a move for the 28-year-old.

The England international is believed to be keen to secure regular game time ahead of next year’s World Cup in Qatar and is weighing up a possible Old Trafford exit as a result, meaning a move to the North-East could well be on the cards.

Solskjaer will be concerned

News that Newcastle are considering making an offer for Lingard’s services will leave United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer feeling concerned, given the player’s impressive form this calender year.

After seriously struggling to get back to his best following the 2018 World Cup, a short-term loan move to West Ham United back in January reinvigorated the creative talent.

In just 16 Premier League appearances for the Hammers, Lingard scored nine goals and provided a further five assists for his teammates, playing a pivotal part as David Moyes’ charges finished in an incredible sixth position.

His magnificent displays saw Solskjaer reward him with another opportunity to impress at his boyhood club this season, but Lingard has found regular game time hard to come by in the opening weeks of the campaign.

The attack-minded star has started just one game this term and has only played 136 minutes of first-team football throughout 2021/22 despite scoring two goals and laying on an assist, opening the door to an imminent exit.

With Lingard’s current contract at United set to expire next summer, Newcastle could secure themselves a bargain deal over the winter window, leaving Solskjaer without one of his most efficient forwards as he attempts to secure his first piece of silverware as manager of the Old Trafford outfit.

If the possibility of a new deal is on the cards, news that another team are trying to lure him away from Old Trafford will no doubt leave the Norwegian coach worried. They should be trying to keep players like him.

And, in other news…Man Utd suffer potential injury blow ahead of Leicester, Ole will be absolutely gutted 

Glasgow Rangers fans were livid with an article penned by The Times journalist Magnus Linklater.

On the pitch, the past 12 months have been marvelous for the Ibrox outfit. They won the Premiership last term for the first time in 10 years, marking the end of a struggle back to the top of the Scottish game from the fourth tier. Such was their dominance, they didn’t lose a single game and racked up over 100 points (thefishy.co.uk).

Off the pitch, however, things haven’t gone quite as swimmingly, especially in regards to the club’s relationship with the press. In a surprising move, the Gers have decided to charge reporters and publications up to £25,000 for access to Ibrox and exclusives (The Daily Mail).

Linklater clearly wasn’t happy with this move, and wrote an article slamming the Gers – although, ironically, the piece itself is behind a paywall.

The article was shared on Twitter by The Times Scotland’s official account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Gers supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Linklater article below

“Rank hypocrisy from The Times! Can I read Magnus’ article without paying? No. The Times have a pay wall. Getting the picture now, or are The Times not prepared to show that degree of ‘humility’ yet?”

Credit: @B0mberHarris

“Would have loved to have seen what you had to say regarding paying to get into Ibrox but it seems I have to pay to get into the site to read this!! Unbelievable!!!”

Credit: @stephmcd90

“Oh the irony. A former Newspaper Editor/journalist preaching to people about humility. You couldn’t make it up. Now I’m being ironic, that’s usually what newspapers do! ….. allegedly.”

Credit: @sonofwill57

“Rangers have paid their dues in more than enough ways, are we meant to bow down to the low lives who punished us in such a draconian fashion”

Credit: @SergioGeorgino

“The end is near for publications such as The Times and they know it. The younger generation have no need to consume media in this way and don’t want to with its agenda and bias.”

Credit: @NightmanAJB

“From the paper that sticks this behind a paywall. So you can charge for your product, but Rangers can’t? Why are you so special? The entitlement is unreal Can you not see the irony which completely backs the clubs stance?”

Credit: @4ladshadadream

In other news, Rangers fans loved this man versus Real Madrid.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Barcelona right-back Emerson Royal to North London this summer, as reported by The Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Right-back on the agenda in N17

Following a summer of upheaval at N17, much mystery still envelops the right-back department at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the transfer window peters to a close.

Japhet Tanganga has started off the new campaign as the Lilywhites’ preferred option in the role, earning praise from Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville for his role in defeating Manchester City on the opening day [Inside Futbol].

Matt Doherty looks to be second in command, whilst wantaway Spurs ace Serge Aurier has been heavily linked to French champions Lille [TEAMtalk].

With Doherty yet to prove himself however and Tanganga also an option at centre-back, Tottenham look set to try and acquire another right-sided defender in the last few days of the window.

The Latest: Paratici looks to strike agreement for Emerson

Tottenham sporting director Fabio Paratici is said to be eyeing a swoop for Barcelona full-back Emerson on a season-long loan deal [The Telegraph].

The Catalan giants are believed to be open to getting the 6 foot Brazilian’s wages off the books for the rest of the year due to their well-documented financial irregularities, with Tottenham reported to be exploring the idea of bringing him to England.

It is understood that out-of-favour Aurier may need to move on before any move can be sanctioned.

Sky Sports have since added their own update to the mix, claiming that talks are well underway and it could yet be a loan deal or a permanent move.

The Verdict: Quality depth

With injuries and downturns in form always a possibility over the course of a campaign, acquiring another quality option in the right-back area may prove to be a sound investment for Tottenham.

The timing of any prospective switch may come as a surprise, after Barcelona only exercised their right to bring the 22-year-old back from Real Betis in June after two years on loan in Seville [FC Barcelona].

Providing a forward threat down the flank though, the Brazil international managed to score two goals in 38 outings for Betis, also laying on a further four assists for his teammates [Transfermarkt].

He also possesses great instinctual awareness to danger, as he managed to record an average of 2.7 tackles per fixture across last term in La Liga [WhoScored], also racking up 20 yellow cards across his two seasons on loan – he loves to get stuck in.

Put simply, Emerson would be an upgrade on anything Spurs currently have in his position, due to his unique mixture of defensive and offensive quality. A temporary deal seems to suit all parties if it goes through.

In other news, a Tottenham stalwart has left the building after five years in London. Find out more here.