All posts by z3u9t.icu

Writing on Twitter, journalist Jason Burt of the Daily Telegraph has dropped a behind the scenes update on Mauricio Pochettino to Tottenham Hotspur having spoken to Paris-Saint Germain.

The Lowdown: Poch and Spurs, the return?

Last week, the Athletic broke news of Pochettino and his alleged desire to complete a sensational return to north London – with Tottenham reciprocating that interest as the hunt for a new manager goes on.

It’s been over six weeks since Spurs announced the sacking of former boss Jose Mourinho and no new boss has been appointed yet despite the club originally wishing to have it done by the end of 2020/2021.

As well as Pochettino, the likes of Erik Ten Hag and Antonio Conte are also possible candidates for the position (football.london).

The Latest: Telegraph journalist drops update

Now, after speaking to the Argentine’s current club, PSG, Burt of the Daily Telegraph has dropped a behind the scenes update from their side in regards to this possible Spurs appointment.

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Indeed, he claims that, despite claims to the contrary, PSG are ‘adamant’ Pochettino hasn’t made an exit plea.

“Having spoken to Paris Saint-Germain,” he explained on Twitter.

“They are adamant that Mauricio Pochettino has not told them or club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi that he wants to leave.”

The Verdict: Blow for Spurs?

Due to Pochettino’s contract situation, made all the more complicated by PSG appearing to extend it by a further year (The Times), Spurs face a tough battle to secure him.

The 49-year-old would undoubtedly be a great appointment for the club given the profile they are after, which is allegedly a manager who can reinstall an attack-based philosophy and exciting brand of football (Alasdair Gold).

However, Ajax boss Ten Hag is seen as being ‘similar’ to Pochettino and firmly on the Tottenham radar, so if chairman Daniel Levy cannot wrestle his former employee away from PSG, there are fruitful alternatives.

In other news: Tottenham contact made for this ‘top class manager’ in Sky Sports development, find out more here.

Fresh information has emerged regarding Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte’s links to French giants Paris Saint-Germain, as well as details on Mauricio Pochettino’s links to Spurs.

The Lowdown: Conte news

According to Le Parisien (via Get French Football News), Conte has offered himself to officials at PSG on an initial two-year engagement in the hope of replacing Mauricio Pochettino, who is soon expected to be relieved of his duties as head coach, already drawing links back to N17.

However, Alasdair Gold, football.london’s Spurs reporter, has revealed that people around the Italian have suggested that the rumours are not true.

As a result, a sense of unrest has overwhelmed the ongoing preparations at Hotspur Way ahead of Sunday’s clash with Leicester City.

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The Latest: Fresh info emerges

According to a fresh report by football.london reporter Gold, there is no official break clause this summer in Conte’s deal.

At the end of the season, it is expected that the 52-year-old will meet with chairman Daniel Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici to discuss future plans.

Gold also reveals that previous claims of Levy holding regular contact with Pochettino are false, saying ‘those within the Argentine’s camp’ have shared that the former fan favourite exchanges only the odd pleasantry with the Spurs chief.

The Verdict: Conte is crucial to Spurs

Whilst the opening few months with the Italian in charge hardly went swimmingly, Tottenham have managed to win 13 of their 23 league matches under Conte’s reign.

As a result, the Lilywhites have cemented themselves as genuine top-four contenders in the league this season. Spurs are now up to fifth in the Premier League table, just two points behind Arsenal in fourth.

This improvement illustrates the vast changes which have positively affected the north London club’s results. Therefore, this means the news that there is no official break clause in Conte’s deal will come as a huge sigh of relief to Tottenham fans.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Noel Whelan makes Joe Rodon exit claim

Manchester City’s hopes of signing Lionel Messi this summer appear to have been dashed as the legendary Argentinian is seemingly on the brink of signing a new contract with Barcelona.

The Citizens have been regularly linked with a move for the 33-year-old, whose current contract at Barcelona is set to expire at the end of the season, which would have allowed the Premier League leaders to bring him to the Etihad Stadium on a free transfer.

Messi was hugely frustrated with former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu last summer when he wasn’t allowed to depart Camp Nou, even though he felt that a clause in his contract meant he could leave for nothing.

However, he was convinced to stay with the Catalan club and clearly hasn’t allowed his frustrations to show in his performances, as he has delivered yet another superb campaign for Barcelona.

In 29 league appearances, the Argentina international has contributed a remarkable 25 goals and nine assists, averaging an incredible 8.57/10 WhoScored rating for his performances, with 19 man of the match awards to his name.

Unsurprisingly, this comfortably ranks him as the best performer in La Liga so far this season, so it seems clear that he would have been an incredible addition to Pep Guardiola’s side had he made the move to Manchester.

However, the return of former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has seemingly boosted Messi’s mood and recent reports have suggested that he is edging closer to a new two-year deal at the club.

He also seems to have been convinced by the promise of Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero joining him at Barcelona this summer, with the Etihad legend set to depart on a free transfer at the end of the season.

The late, great Diego Maradona is just one of several footballing legends to have sung Messi’s praises during his illustrious career, saying: “I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi. Messi is a genius.”

Therefore, it is a huge blow for Guardiola that he and Messi seemingly won’t be reunited at Manchester City next season, as the new contract will surely see him finish his career with the La Liga giants.

In other news… Mansour’s huge call is massive news for Pep, De Bruyne will be delighted

Following the appointment of Steven Gerrard as Dean Smith’s replacement at Aston Villa, it was revealed that the owners at Villa Park would give financial backing to the 41-year-old during the January transfer window.

The first example of this could be seen in their recent loan deal for Barcelona and former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho.

Looking ahead to the rest of the window, the Midlands club have plenty of time left to complete any deals that they think will improve Gerrard’s squad and enable them to end their season on a high.

However, one potential target who the Villans should definitely avoid this month is Norwich City’s Todd Cantwell.

With Villa having been linked with a potential £40m move for the midfielder last summer, The Athletic’s David Ornstein recently claimed that the Canaries would be willing to sell the 23-year-old for a reduced fee of £15m or more.

Despite this substantial drop in price, the Midlanders should still avoid making a move to sign him this month.

From a Villa point of view, even before the arrival of Coutinho, they have a significant number of midfield and attacking players in their squad, including youngsters Jacob Ramsey, Carney Chukwuemeka and Cameron Archer, who could end up being overlooked if Cantwell were to join.

In terms of what the 23-year-old – who is currently valued at £18m by Transfermarkt – could offer to Villa, he has not scored a goal or provided an assist in eight Premier League appearances so far this season. That suggests that the Englishman may not have the quality to get into the Villa team in the first place.

In addition to Cantwell’s lack of goal contributions in the league this season, his performances haven’t been much to shout about either. WhoScored give him an overall rating of 6.23/10, which would rank him among Villa’s lowest-rated players this season.

Having been accused of “getting above his station” by pundit Chris Sutton after walking down the tunnel at Carrow Road when he was substituted in Norwich’s game against Villa last month, the 23-year-old may not necessarily have the attitude that Gerrard would want in his squad either.

Overall, Villa must avoid a potential transfer howler and forget about securing a deal for Cantwell this month despite the apparent decrease in Norwich’s asking price.

In other news – Forget Coutinho: Lange can transform Gerrard’s Villa by signing “aggressive” £22.5m beast

Crystal Palace confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that defender Mamadou Sakho has left the club after his Selhurst Park deal expired at the beginning of the month.

The centre-back has now returned to his native country by joining Ligue 1 side Montpellier, with a number of Eagles fans reacting to Palace’s post regarding the Frenchman on Twitter.

Sakho spent four-and-a-half years with Palace after making his loan spell from Liverpool permanent in the summer of 2017 for £25.38m.

The 31-year-old made 75 appearances for the Eagles, mainly under Roy Hodgson, however, only six came last season due to injury.

Sakho was one of 11 senior Palace players out of contract at the beginning of the month and has now signed a three-year deal with Montpellier on a free transfer.

Palace fans react

Palace announced Sakho’s departure on their official Twitter page. This is what these Eagles supporters had to say in reply, with on describing the news as ‘funny’.

“Gutted, what a player. Good luck Mama.”Credit: @danny_addis”Oh no… anyways”Credit: @vines2321″Best CB since promotion”Credit: @chr1s_cpfc”Funny, he was probably the finest centre back we have ever had, but for 18 games a season and his wages, I’m completely not ***** he has gone.”Credit: @AllanDLWilliams”Our best CB gone like that”Credit: @cpfcbxn”Our best CB in the Prem era btw”Credit: @localpla6tic

In other news: Lots of Palace fans fume as exit rumours emerge. 

Almost identical to David Beckham, former defender Paul Parker grew up in east London before going on to represent both Manchester United and England in what proved a glistening playing career.

Parker made his name at Fulham before his impressive stint with rivals Queens Park Rangers caught the attention of the Red Devils, where he went on to win four major trophies, including the first two Premier League titles under Sir Alex Ferguson.

But more than 23 years after his retirement, Parker is set to swap the pitch for the pond when he participates in a new finishing programme called Angling Outlaws, which will be aired on BT Sport next year.

We spoke exclusively to the 57-year-old about several different subjects within football…

Where do you rank both Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka in terms of Premier League full-backs?

“If you’re looking at a pairing, then you have to say they may be the best in the league at this moment in time on current form. Luke Shaw, this season, has shown the reasons why he should be a Manchester United player. He was starting to show that before and then got injured but he got no help from the previous manager.”

Are you surprised that Donny van de Beek has played so little?

“He should have got a load of time. He hasn’t been given an opportunity; I think it’s wrong. I don’t know why United play two holding midfielders at home. When you look at what United are about attacking wise, they’re playing with one attacking player.

“He does work well with Fernandes, he works well with Cavani, he works well with Mata, but he hasn’t been given the opportunity. He should be starting games with Fernandes, Pogba and Cavani. He’s played in big games; he’s played in a Champions League semi-final. I think he’s been let down in certain ways and should have been managed better.”

Is Michail Antonio good enough to be West Ham’s first-choice striker next season?

“Personally I think they’re going to have to get another striker in. Antonio has done incredible, he went through a stage in the season where he deserved fans in the stadium, because he started this run.

“He’s done wonders with them, his performance at Wolves when he did his hamstring, that’s the best his all-round game has been. He made one of the goals, made such an unselfish run for Lingard. He’s learned how to play that role.”

How do you assess your cousin Ben Johnson’s season?

“He hasn’t let himself down. He’s started in big games. He made his debut at Man City; he’s played at Old Trafford twice this season and he’s done well. He’s feeling more and more confident. He’s done himself justice, but I’m sure he will get to a certain point where he wants to become a regular.”

Would you like to see QPR sign Charlie Austin permanently?

“The easiest thing to say if you always look to have experience through the middle. I look at when he left QPR, he went to Southampton and West Brom on Premier League money. He would have to take a massive drop in money. I think they could go out and get a younger striker which would balance the books rather than put everything into one player.”

Have you ever fished before?

“As an 11/12-year-old, I did. I have been out once so far; I went out in a place in Essex and caught an oversized goldfish. It was a goldfish in steroids. It still hasn’t caught me, it’s not fast and furious, I wouldn’t say I was rushing to get back. I’m not a big fan of touching fish, it makes me want to wash my hands.”

Do you know Frank McAvennie, Ray Houghton or Tony Gale?

“I know all of them quite well. I know Frank from playing against him – I made my top-level debut playing against Frank for Rangers against West Ham and I have played a lot of ex-pro games against him. The other two I know well because we were at Fulham together. We signed Ray Houghton on a free transfer from West Ham – maybe the best free transfer of all time, his career will tell you that. Tony Gale, I have known since I was 14 as a kid to when I was an apprentice and I used to clean his boots.”

Paul Parker will be joining Ray Houghton, Tony Gale and Frank McAvennie on BT Sport’s Angling Outlaws, next summer.

With the help of Outlaw Pro, the four former pros will be trying their hand at fishing, with the quadruplet facing off at the end of the six-part series to see who knows their slide tackles from their tackle boxes.

Stoke City have been dealt a huge blow in their bid to keep Nathan Collins at the bet365 Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claim that Burnley are close to agreeing a £12m fee with the Potters for the transfer of the 20-year-old centre-back.

The report goes on to state that the defender is already scheduled to have a medical with the Premier League side in the coming days, with Stoke now resigned to losing the £1.8m-rated man in the summer transfer window.

Fams will be devastated

While it would be hard to argue that £12m is a decent transfer fee to receive for a player who has made just 47 senior appearances for the club, the fact that Stoke look set to lose one of their brightest stars ahead of next season is sure to leave fans of the club devastated.

Indeed, over his 22 Championship appearances for the Potters last season, the £5.9k-per-week centre-back helped his team keep nine clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and winning five duels per game.

The youngster also chipped in going forwards, scoring two goals and providing one assist, while also making an average of 0.5 key passes per fixture, with these metrics seeing Collins earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.90 – ranking him as Michael O’Neill’s ninth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, considering his returns while still being just 20 years of age, it would very much appear as if the player whom Jim Crawford dubbed a “fantastic” defender has an extremely bright future in the game, and, with three further years on his contract at the bet365 Stadium, perhaps Stoke could have demanded slightly more than the £12m the Irishman looks to be costing Burnley this summer.

In other news: Forget Clucas: O’Neill must sanction Stoke summer swoop for “fantastic” £14k-p/w beast

Despite currently sitting in 12th place in the Premier League table with three wins and four defeats under their belt so far this season, Wolves boast a respectable defensive record with just six goals conceded in seven games, the same as Liverpool and Manchester United.

Even with this current defensive record, it seems as though Wolves boss is already eyeing up a potential move for a new defender to bring to Molineux.

What’s the latest?

It has recently been reported by Fichajes (via Sport Witness) that Wolves and fellow Premier League side West Ham United are interested in signing Athletic Bilbao defender Dani Vivian.

The 22-year-old, who has a release clause of €40m (£34m), has played in seven out of Bilbao’s eight La Liga games so far this season, conceding just two goals in the process.

Interestingly, the only La Liga game that Vivian did not play in is the only league match that Bilbao has lost so far this season in a 2-1 defeat against Rayo Vallecano.

Long-term option?

Vivian’s performances in La Liga have earned him an overall performance rating of 7/10 according to WhoScored, making him one of Bilbao’s highest-rated players so far this season.

Taking all of this into account, it’s easy to see why Wolves and West Ham would be interested in signing him.

He’s not a prolific header of the ball with just 0.9 aerial duels won per match but he is an efficient tackler, winning 1.6 challenges a game. That would rank him second out of Wolves’ centre-halves this term with only Max Kilman producing more.

That makes him an attractive signing but there is another reason too. In our view, given the age of current Wolves centre-backs Willy Boly (30) and Romain Saiss (31) we feel that Vivian could be a good option to replace one of the pair and be a useful long-term option for the Old Gold given the Spaniard’s young age.

Moving forward, if Wolves see an opportunity to sign Vivian in the upcoming January transfer window or the next summer window, this is definitely something the club should be looking to explore ahead of their fellow Premier League side West Ham.

Until then, Lage will have to make sure his side can start picking up wins in the league on a consistent basis and not concede too many goals. If they start leaking strikes they could be in danger of being in a relegation battle, rather than finishing in the top half of the table.

In other news: Lage could fix big Wolves issue with swoop for £43.2m-rated ace, fans would be buzzing – opinion

A number of Liverpool fans are excited after a transfer story emerged regarding the Reds’ reported interest in Netherlands forward Donyell Malen.

Jurgen Klopp’s side battled their way to a third-place finish in the Premier League last season, but the team looked jaded at times during a tough campaign.

There is a feeling that some fresh blood is needed in the squad this summer, with defender Ibrahima Konate already arriving from RB Leipzig. Liverpool’s attack could be in need of a rejig, considering the struggles of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino last term.

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According to Voetbal International journalist Marco Timmer [via Sport Witness and LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], agent Mino Raiola is in talks with Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund about a move for Malen.

The 22-year-old Dutchman scored 19 goals in the Eredivisie last season and is seen as one of the most exciting young players in the Netherlands.

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Liverpool fan react positively to Malen links

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the possibility of Malen coming to Anfield, with many Kopites very much in favour.

“I would like this signing”

Credit: @ChrisHPE

“That magazine is very reliable so this is good news”

Credit: @ABxLFC

“Interesting. The adaptation between leagues might take time, especially as a squad player with limited time, but he’s definitely really talented”

Credit: @NotoriousJOS

“Liverpool please”

Credit: @agarwalkaus

“Jota, Malen and Elliott as our backup front three omds what an upgrade”

Credit: @itskebaboclock

“@LFC SIGN HIM”

Credit: @sanomistan

In other news, Liverpool’s interest in a former transfer target has reportedly returned. Find out who it is here.

A number of Liverpool supporters have criticised Jordan Henderson’s performance in the Reds’ 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea on Saturday.

Jurgen Klopp’s men faced a huge game at Anfield this weekend, with the Blues heading to Anfield and both sides looking to show they are genuine Premier League title contenders.

A hugely entertaining match unfolded, with quality and drama both on show, but it is Thomas Tuchel who will be the happier of the two managers.

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Kai Havertz’s header was cancelled out by Mohamed Salah’s penalty, following Reece James’ red card for handball on the line, but Liverpool were unable to break down their ten-man opponents in the second half.

One player who struggled to hit top form was Henderson, who looked out place in a more left-sided central midfield role, in order to accommodate the excellent Harvey Elliott.

He had the lowest Sofascore match rating of any Liverpool starter, losing possession of the ball 13 times.

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Liverpool fans unhappy with Henderson display

The skipper’s performance received plenty of criticism from these Liverpool fans on Twitter.

“Henderson has been awful. I can see him being a liability this season if he’s shoehorned in over better players”

Credit: @appaesthetic

“Henderson deserves to be hooked, awful first 30 minutes”

Credit: @Thiago6Reformed

“Henderson being terrible and Fabinho looks like he’s running in quicksand”

Credit: @Neboneid

“Henderson was the worst player on the pitch btw”

Credit: @C94297140C

“Henderson, Mane and Robertson competing to be the worst player on the pitch!”

Credit: @avkopite

“Henderson has been woeful”

Credit: @OVODosanjh

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming at one transfer rumour that has emerged. Read more here.