All posts by z3u9t.icu

Everton have been handed yet another significant injury setback ahead of their Premier League clash with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park this evening.

What’s the word?

Injuries have severely hampered the Toffees’ progress in recent weeks, with Abdoulaye Doucoure, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Tom Davies all facing extensive spells on the sidelines.

Rafael Benitez was able to welcome back Yerry Mina into the starting line-up last time out against Arsenal, but the  centre-back only lasted 31 minutes before leaving the field of play with a fitness complaint.

In his pre-match press conference, the Toffees manager provided an update on the 27-year-old’s situation, confirming that he won’t be available for the trip to south London, before revealing that Salomon Rondon and Allan are progressing well.

“Yerry is not available. Rondon is available and has been training, and Allan has done today half of a training session,” the manager said.

However, Benitez was able to announce some encouraging news regarding Davies and Calvert-Lewin, revealing that the English duo could make their comebacks in the weeks ahead.

He said: “Still we have Davies, maybe next week he will start with the team. Dominic is getting closer, obviously. Every training session that he is doing with the rehabilitation coach, he’s getting better.”

Everton fans will be gutted

News that Mina is once again ruled out of action for the intriguing encounter against Palace will surely leave Everton supporters feeling gutted, given his importance to the team.

The Colombia international has started seven Premier League games this season, losing on just one occasion and winning four times. In his absence, the Toffees have lost four of their five encounters, keeping just one clean sheet in the 0-0 draw against Tottenham, and his underlying numbers indicate why that has been the case.

As per WhoScored, Mina has averaged 1.3 interceptions, 3.4 clearances and 0.6 blocks per top-flight fixture, placing him in the top four amongst his teammates for each metric.

Therefore, the 27-year-old’s latest injury setback will come as a bitter blow to Everton, and Benitez will be hoping that the likes of Mason Holgate and Michael Keane can step up in his absence.

In other news… Benitez can seal big Everton coup by signing “unbeatable” £27m-rated gem, he’s “incredible”

Wolves are reportedly ‘very interested’ in signing Barcelona youngster Riqui Puig, having also been keen on acquiring his signature last summer.

The Lowdown: Puig struggling for minutes

The 22-year-old has never managed to be a key figure at Camp Nou and he has found minutes hard to come by this season under both Ronald Koeman and Xavi.

Puig has only managed one start in La Liga this season, also making nine substitute appearances, and there is no sign of that changing any time soon.

With Wolves looking at possible signings in the January transfer window, the midfielder is reportedly on their radar.

The Latest: Wolves keen on move for Puig

That’s according to Sport [via Sport Witness], who claimed that Wanderers are ‘very interested’ in making a deal happen, having looked at a loan move with an option to buy last summer.

A temporary move is again being considered, although it isn’t specified whether it could happen this month or wait until the summer.

The Verdict: Exciting potential signing

Puig appears to be a hugely talented young player, with his manager Xavi once claiming that the 22-year-old ‘breathes talent’, so he could be an excellent addition to Wolves’ midfield if they can entice him to Molineux.

The young Spaniard has enjoyed an incredible 93.9% pass completion rate in La Liga this season, highlighting how comfortable he is in possession, much like Wolves duo Joao Moutinho (87.4%) and Ruben Neves (83.2%).

He would provide Bruno Lage with an extra midfield option, allowing for greater rotation, and an impressive loan spell could suggest that he is a long-term replacement for the 35-year-old Moutinho in the Black Country.

In other news, Tim Spiers has claimed that Wolves are ‘set to sign’ one player. Find out who it is here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who made 333 appearances for Newcastle United, believes Allan Saint-Maximin needs more help from his teammates if he is to produce performances like his match-winning one against Burnley.

Saint-Maximin came off the bench against the Clarets in the second half with Newcastle trailing 1-0, and within six minutes he had got an assist and a goal to completely turn the match on its head.

His second goal was very typical of the Frenchman as he picked up the ball in his own half, before heading for goal and forcing both James Tarkowski and Ben Mee to back-pedal towards their own box before the winger fired low into the bottom corner.

Speaking ahead of the Toon’s clash with high-flying West Ham United on why Saint-Maximin needs help from his teammates if he is to become more consistent, and how injuries may always be his downfall, Lee told FFC:

“We do need to see consistency from him and it’s up to the other players to get him the ball more often when he is playing well, because usually when he’s playing well everything will go for him.

“All we need is for him to get his fitness up because he’s been struggling with niggling injuries all season because he’s so quick. I think he’ll be one of those players that struggle with injuries, especially hamstrings.”

This season has been an injury-plagued one for Saint-Maximin having picked up calf, groin and ankle injuries which has seen him miss 18 games for the Magpies.

When the £38,462 per week winger has been on the pitch he’s been a difference-maker with his willingness to get the ball moving forward having completed 51 of his 81 dribbles in the league.

Everton need to make big changes at the club this summer whether they are relegated or not, and now the club are set to enter talks with Moise Kean and his representatives imminently to determine his future.

What’s the latest?

According to Italian news outlet Corriere Dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Juventus and Raiola ‘are working to understand if they can find a way out of the agreement with Everton or alternatively an immediate solution on the market.’

The report further states that conversations between the powers at Goodison Park and the parties in Turin will ‘be resumed at the end of the season.’

Moshiri must axe Kean

In terms of the 22-year-old’s future at Everton, there is no doubt that there is no interest from either the player or club to reinstate his position back in Merseyside, and after a less than spectacular season at Juventus, Farhad Moshiri must do all he can to brutally axe and cut ties with the striker.

Kean is currently tied into a contract with the Merseyside club until June 2023 but with talks opening, there will be hope that the player’s future can be resolved and if the club can make some money on the player it would really benefit the club.

Everton are reportedly looking to recoup financial losses this summer, so selling the youngster on will surely be in the best interests of everyone, with Kean clear that he has no desire to return to Goodison Park.

The £49k-per-week gem who was hailed “dangerous” by Mixu Paatelainen, was underwhelming in his time at Everton scoring just four goals in 39 appearances for the club and this season has continued his mediocre output scoring just six goals in all competitions for Juventus, so with that being said his impact would not be an upgrade on what Everton already have in their squad.

Ultimately, the main focus for the club right now is to secure Premier League safety in the remaining six games of the season, and until their future is determined it will be unlikely that any transfer business is dealt with ahead of that.

AND in other news: Everton now plotting bid for £13.5m-rated “revelation”, he’s miles better than Iwobi

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked to a new striker this week, and that could spell serious trouble for the on-loan Benfica man, Carlos Vinicius…

What’s the word?

According to Italian newspaper La Nazione (via Sport Witness), Spurs are set to enter a transfer tussle for Fiorentina forward Dusan Vlahovic this summer, though it is thought that the Serie A outfit are looking for between €50m (£42.5m) and €60m (£51.5m).

It’s also claimed that the north Londoners have no qualms about splashing the cash on the Serbian, with Borussia Dortmund and AS Roma courted with interest, too.

Spurs have the option to purchase Vinicius permanently for around £40m, which is a tad cheaper than what Fiorentina are asking for with Vlahovic.

Bye-bye Vinicius?

However, if Jose Mourinho is hellbent on signing the emerging 21-year-old talisman, then there’s very little the Brazilian colossus can do as it’s surely only going to affect him rather than someone like Harry Kane – an undroppable member of the first-team squad, to say the least.

The Benfica ace has found the net nine times in all competitions, playing only 839 minutes which means he is indeed averaging a goal every 93 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

Though that hasn’t stopped him from coming in for criticism from Mourinho at times this term – following the defeat to Chelsea, the Spurs boss took fire at his inability to press whilst back in November, the Portuguese questioned his physical ability.

But what makes Vlahovic a better-suited choice? Well, perhaps it boils down to the sort of player he is, having been likened to Zlatan Ibrahimovic – a player Mourinho has managed before.

“My friends used to call me Ibra because I walked with wide feet like Zlatan, but it was not to imitate the legend. It just came so naturally,” said the Fiorentina man to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Italia).

Vlahovic has been in fine form this season, scoring 12 times from 29 appearances in the Serie A, which sees him six joint-sixth though he possesses a better shot accuracy than Inter’s Lautaro Martinez and a better goal conversion than Ciro Immobile, via the BBC, so he’s in fantastic company.

Rank FC pundit Jack J Collins believes the 6 foot 3 powerhouse has transformed into “quite the target man” and has been a “bright spark” for La Viola.

In terms of that physicality the Spurs boss is looking for, Vlahovic (2.9 aerials won per 90) is performing better than Vinicius (2.1 aerials), so it’s easy to see why he may be keen on his signature this summer instead.

Spurs should look to launch a bid for the £26m-rated beast this summer, if he’s anything like Ibra, then he’d be absolutely perfect for Mourinho.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Hojbjerg: Levy should sanction Spurs swoop for “complete” £22.5m monster…

An exciting claim has been made about Fabio Paratici after he was appointed as Tottenham Hotspur’s new director of football last week…

What’s the word?

The Premier League outfit has not had someone in such a role since 2015, when Franco Baldini departed North London, so this hire presents something of a new approach from chairman Daniel Levy and the club.

Paratici arrives from a similar position at Italian giants Juventus, where he played a major part in his club clinching 19 trophies in 11 years, as well as bringing in some big-name signings like Cristiano Ronaldo.

That is something that football.london’s Alasdair Gold has alluded to this week. In a Q&A session with supporters, the ever-reliable journalist dropped an interesting verdict on the 48-year-old.

When asked about the Italian’s working methods and whether he’d have one eye on the future or on making an immediate impact, Gold responded:

“His history at Juventus suggests both.

“He was very good at getting free transfers over his 11 years, although there has been the odd recent one that hasn’t hit the spot like [Aaron] Ramsey and [Adrien] Rabiot, while [he] has also spent the money when required on immediate impact players.

“One thing is clear and that is that he has a huge network of contacts and good relationships with clubs across the game and he’ll be able to help deliver what Tottenham require within the parameters the club’s finances dictate.”

Very exciting news

There are a few key things to take away from this, all of which should excite the Spurs faithful, especially after what some are considering an “underwhelming” appointment of incoming manager Paulo Fonseca.

Not to mention that many have protested against Levy and the club’s owners, the ENIC group, in the past few months.

Paratici has a mighty task on his hands to lift the mood at Spurs.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-spurs-news-transfer-gossip-rumours-manager-update-fonseca-paratici-levy” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, manager gossip, transfer rumours, injury updates and more!”]

The North Londoners finished in seventh place, their lowest final position since the 2008/09 campaign, meaning they’ll be competing in the newly-formed Conference League – aka. UEFA’s third-rate competition.

And then there’s the small matter of Harry Kane’s future at the club.

Sky Sports claim that he has expressed his desire to leave, with three of Spurs’ top-flight rivals registering interest in the England talisman. His future likely won’t be resolved until well after the Euros, however.

Paratici will also need to shift players on and find the right signings to give Fonseca the best chance of bringing success to Spurs.

Gold claims that the Italian has a very good contact book and a proven track record in delivering on all fronts, so this should come as a major source of confidence amongst the Lilywhites fanbase

Perhaps most importantly, he is expected to deliver all this whilst still abiding by the club’s transfer budget and finances, which right now, seems like somewhat of an impossible feat but Gold is evidently confident he can do exactly that.

Some of his best signings in Turin include Paulo Dybala, Ronaldo, Paul Pogba and Andrea Pirlo. Some of whom arrived on a free transfer, so if Paratici can sparkle that magic in N17 this summer, then Spurs will be put in a very good position.

All in all, this latest suggestion from the trustworthy football.london correspondent is hugely exciting. It’s now time for Levy to hand him the keys and get to work.

AND in other news, Spurs must sign £19.8m-rated machine with “huge potential”, Paratici “appreciates him”…

Some promising insight has been shared on Shaheed Fatima QC, one of the lawyers representing Mike Ashley in the Newcastle United takeover case.

The Lowdown: Takeover lawyers announced

As per The Chronicle, both Fatima and Nick De Marco QC will be representing Ashley as he takes the Premier League to court over the disputes with the failed takeover deal between him and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

The arbitration case is set to take place over the coming months, and both lawyers will have a big job in terms of trying to get the results to fall in favour of the St James’ Park club.

The Latest: Fatima insight

Speaking to The Chronicle, law firm Farris associate Kevin Smith shared some promising insight into Fatima and her work, claiming that she is ‘composed’ and, in a previous case he witnessed, she ‘made the judge’s job very easy’.

Fatima received Theirworld’s #WritetheWrong award in 2019 for her work in human rights law, and Smith touched on her ‘relatability’ when taking cases.

Harold Koh, who served as the legal adviser of the US Department of State under Barack Obama and is now a professor of international law at the University of Yale, has claimed that Fatima is both ‘quick smart and deep smart’, and added that her speed of thought and depth of her insight are ‘striking’.

The Verdict: Promising

The fact that Fatima seems to be rated so highly among law experts is certainty promising ahead of Newcastle’s arbitration hearing.

She clearly seems very capable of arguing a strong case for the Tyneside club against the Premier League over the failed takeover bid, so Ashley should feel even more confident of winning with her on his side.

You would also think that Fatima will be eager to demonstrate her credentials during the proceedings and thus help the Tyneside club win their case.

In other news, find out what enticing Premier League insight Lee Ryder has dropped on the potential takeover

Some Liverpool fans have been left to fume at some comments made by Mo Salah in an interview with Spanish publication Marca.

As relayed in a tweet by The Athletic journalist James Pearce, the former Chelsea and Roma ace said when being asked about whether he is keen to try out Spanish football: “I hope to be able to play for many more years. Why not? No-one knows what’s going to happen in the future, so maybe one day, yes.”

Some members of the Anfield faithful have not taken these comments well at all, as they can be perceived as saying that he wants to leave the Merseyside club, albeit in the future and not necessarily in the upcoming transfer window.

However, the Egypt international star has not yet signed a new deal with Jurgen Klopp’s men, adding to the speculation that he could well leave the Reds, with comments like these certainly adding fuel to the fire.

Liverpool fans on Salah comments

These LFC supporters fumed upon reading the comments on Twitter, believing that they were unnecessary, especially with their big game in the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid coming up:

“Let him go, we can replace anyone but Klopp”

Credit: @allan_ynwa

“He will be off, love the player but thinks he’s bigger than Liverpool”

Credit: @gazzaflint1971

“This guy isn’t Mr @LFC, don’t want him beyond this season IMO let’s get #Mbappe or another team player”

Credit: @SNiyogakiza

“Sell him ! Where is smoke there is fire :)”

Credit: @liverfan1980

“Who cares? Him leaving will be good riddance to bad selfishness.”Credit: @carlQuartey3″Salah fans are so weird man, he shouldn’t be saying this but blame the media for reporting it it’s so dumb, why can’t he just keep his mouth shut like the likes of Sadio, VVD, Firmino and Fabinho?”Credit: @blndaIanIn other news, find out what Fabrizio Romano transfer update has been lauded by Kopites here!

Many Everton fans have been buzzing as a transfer update emerged on Mason Holgate and Kalidou Koulibaly.As per Football Insider, the Goodison Park club will listen to offers for the 24-year-old in the summer window as they look to raise some money for A-list signings, including a top central defender.A source from the Merseyside club has claimed that they could sell Holgate as Carlo Ancelotti is not totally convinced by him, as they plan to work on a deal to sign Koulibaly from Napoli.Several Toffees supporters have voiced their anger towards Holgate for some of his recent displays, which have included far too many errors. It may be a wise idea to move him on while he still has value and then use the money gained from his potential sale to invest in a more experienced centre-back in Koulibaly, who is well-versed at Champions League level and has been renowned as one of the hottest transfer properties in Europe.[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-updates-2/” title=”Everton updates! (2)” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”] Everton fans on Holgate/Koulibaly transfer update

These Everton fans were buzzing as the transfer update was shared on Twitter by The Toffee Blues:

“Brilliant news!”Credit: @harryb223″Carlo magnifico”Credit: @MattSingerr”Great news if true”Credit: @evertonno1″That is the best news I have heard for a long time, you Everton players can not fool Ancelotti who else will be on the taxi with Holgate?”Credit: @abbot551″No brainer if true”Credit: @Rixzuh”If this goes through, we are looking at the first step of competitive football at Blue Mersey.”Credit: @litiproc31In other news, many Everton fans were fuming over this image from the draw against Aston Villa.

Lots of Everton fans have been left fuming as some news emerged on Niels Nkounkou.

As per the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, the Frenchman has signed for Standard Liege on loan for the rest of the 2021/22 season.

Nkounkou has played in seven senior games in total over all competitions for the Merseyside club, including an appearance in the 2-1 away win at Huddersfield Town in the EFL Cup this campaign (Transfermarkt).

His departure means that Rafa Benitez now only has one senior left-back in his current squad at the moment in Lucas Digne, leaving them awfully short in that area if he were to get injured for a sustained period of time.

Thus, it seems a strange idea to let Nkounkou go without bringing in any cover.

Everton fans on Nkounkou exit

These Toffees fumed as the exit news was confirmed on Twitter, with one Blues supporter even going as far as to claim that it is ‘disgraceful’:

“No cover at left-back now… this makes no sense”

Credit: @bighfizzle

“As it stands, we are one injury away from disaster at the back. Gross negligence”

Credit: @LeeFMc83

“Announce Brands contract termination”

Credit: @Adam_1878

“Who’s Digne’s replacement? What disgraceful planning!”

Credit: @ymedeiros13

“BRANDS OUT”

Credit: @efcmidd13

“Complete shambles club is run by amateurs”

Credit: @piers_waters

In other news, find out what confirmed news has Evertonians buzzing here!