All posts by h716a5.icu

According to a report by Club Doria, as translated and shared by Sport Witness, Tottenham Hotspur want Sampdoria midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard – so much so that Spurs have been ‘constantly’ thinking about his signing since January.

Damsgaard, who has enjoyed a fine debut season in Serie A so far, is attracting interest as a result – with Club Doria (via Sport Witness) sharing that Spurs are very keen.

Tottenham ‘constantly’ think about Damsgaard

Indeed, as per this report, the Lilywhites ‘constantly’ think about his signing and haven’t stopped since January – with the 20-year-old displaying real promise over 2020/2021.

Starting 13 league matches for the Italian side, he’s scored two goals and notched four assists whilst completing 1.7 dribbles per 90 (WhoScored) – more than any player in Sampdoria’s squad (WhoScored).

Club Doria also hint he is destined to leave at some point with his ‘destiny sealed’ – but they’re cryptic over exactly when this could happen.

The Serie A club could make a huge profit if Damsgaard is sold, especially given his value has apparently tripled since the Dane signed from FC Nordsjælland in 2020.

Transfer Tavern take

La Gazzetta dello Sport rate him at around €20 million (£17 million), with Sampdoria only paying €7 million (£5.9 million) for the attacking midfield player last year.

Likened to Danish footballing icon Michael Laudrup (TUTTOmercatoWEB), respected TV 2 SPORT commentator Martin Mikkelsen also branded him ‘magical’ earlier this year.

Whether or not Levy and co are the club to end up paying for Damsgaard remains to be seen, but this certainly seems like one rumour that could heat up this summer.

In other news: Tottenham will make a move for this ‘leader’, find out more here.

Despite West Ham losing 1-0 to Manchester United, Manuel Lanzini emerged as David Moyes’ silver lining after a promising cameo performance at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Lanzini has struggled for game time in claret and blue since the closure of the winter transfer market, with the weekend’s outing only his second in nine Premier League fixtures.

The Argentine’s opening role at home to Sheffield United last month also marked just his third top-flight start of the season, while only Andriy Yarmolenko (346), Mark Noble (369) and Ben Johnson (391) have now played fewer minutes than Lanzini (403) under Moyes.

Moyes opted to introduce Lanzini to the action at Old Trafford having felt that his forward options had not caused Manchester United enough problems over the first hour of action, with Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio unable to trouble the Red Devils frequently enough.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side had taken the lead nine minutes before Lanzini stepped onto the field through a fortuitous Craig Dawson own goal, and Moyes felt West Ham’s performance improved in line with his tactical changes.

“We thought tonight that the way we would play with two up, Jarrod and Michail as two forwards to start with, we thought that might give them a problem to start with, so I saw that as being positive in a different way,” he said, via quotes by football.london.

“But, ultimately, we got better as the game went on when we brought on Manu and Said [Benrahma] I would say that. I would also say Man United might have been better than they were and that the team that was out did not concede any goals, only one from a set-piece at that time and it was only after that that you can judge it.”

Moyes was also impressed by how Lukasz Fabianski – who Solskjaer lauded for a number of “fantastic” saves – performed in goal to keep Manchester United at bay for much of the game.

“Lukasz in recent weeks has been in really good form and that’s good because he has come back into it at an important time. He made a couple of saves tonight, he kept us in the games at different times, so his form has been very good,” the Irons boss added.

Fabianski making crucial saves is what West Ham supporters will have come to expect of the 35-year-old, who last week signed a one-year contract extension to remain at the London Stadium through to 2022 having otherwise been a free agent this summer.

Lanzini, though, will likely have caught a few by surprise given his lack of action and outcast status under Moyes, who was reportedly open to cashing in on the £12.5m-rated maestro this January amid interest from Olympique de Marseille before Andre Villas-Boas quit.

Lanzini has also struggled to deliver during his brief spells on the field, apart from his stoppage-time screamer away to Tottenham Hotspur back in October, with his goal in north London his only strike of the Premier League campaign, while boasting just a single assist.

The 28-year-old was unable to double his tallies on Sunday but he brought a creative spark to the pitch, with Lanzini offering a shot and creating one goalscoring opportunity in a side that combined for only seven attempts on Dean Henderson’s goal all game, per SofaScore.

Villas-Boas’ winter target further completed all 21 of his attempted passes, won three of five ground duels and completed his only attempted dribble, against a backline pairing of Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire who have won, on average, 45% and 50% of their ground duels and are only dribbled past on average 0.4 times a game in the top-flight this term.

Lanzini only averages 1.4 ground duels won and 0.3 successful dribbles per league outing this term, plus 15.8 (88%) accurate passes from a similar average return of minutes as he earned on Sunday, so it’s clear to see that he upped his game at Old Trafford, which is a small positive to take from an otherwise disappointing evening in Manchester.

AND in other news, West Ham in four-way Premier League battle for 13-goal striker who is “annoying to the defender”…

Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to the news that Sky Sports are livid with the club following their Premiership title celebrations.

On Sunday, the Gers’ status as champions was confirmed after Celtic could only manage a 0-0 draw with Dundee United. It is their 55th title, and both the fans and the players themselves appeared to enjoy their triumph, which was their first in 10 years.

However, it appears Sky were unable to cover the celebrations as they were denied access to most of it. They are said to be furious, especially when ITV were granted an interview with manager Steven Gerrard on Tuesday (Sky Sports). Sky paid for the TV rights for the Scottish top tier last summer, parting with £125m for the privilege.

Journalist Ewan Murray shared the news on Twitter via an article he wrote for The Guardian, and he attracted plenty of attention from the Gers supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say below

“Desperate to get more coverage of Scotland’s top club. Rightly so.”

Credit: @thechosenfew10

“If sky want interviews, then show us the money.”

Credit: @Pr33De

“Oh dear. What a pity. Never mind.”

Credit: @JockTamsonsWean

“They treat Scottish football with contempt . No after game analysis like the English games”

Credit: @IBoyd1966

“Remember that time the Sky employee said an ex Rangers Player, Kris Boyd, loved the sectarian abuse aimed at him? Sky should take a long hard look at their own before complaining about anyone else.”

Credit: @Vodka2Whisky

“Maybe if Sky stopped paying our club less than 10% of what the side that finishes 20th in the EPL every year we’d treat them better? Our games bring in more viewers than most. The league is what it is but what they pay is still a pittance.”

Credit: @StyoorT

In other news, this politician makes an Old Firm threat.

Carlo Ancelotti must block Manchester United from signing Jarrad Branthwaite after the Red Devils became the latest Premier League club to begin monitoring the Everton prospect.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Red Devils scouts are tracking Branthwaite’s progress following an impressive start to life on loan with Championship side Blackburn Rovers.

The left-sided centre-back moved to Ewood Park in the recent winter transfer market and made his seventh outing under Tony Mowbray during Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, having yet missed a second of available game time at the second-tier outfit.

Ancelotti sanctioned a half-season loan spell for the £15,000-per-week 18-year-old as he recognised the need for him to play regular senior football, having only awarded Branthwaite one of his five appearances for Everton during the 2020/21 campaign.

Branthwaite joined the Toffees from Carlisle United in a £1m move in January 2020, and is noted as having earned the attention of Liverpool and Manchester City, as well as United, given his stylish and impressive performances for the Blues and Blackburn.

Everton are happy with Branthwaite’s progress and see him making the step up to a regular first-team role at Goodison Park in the future, where question marks are said to lie on Yerry Mina’s future with Ancelotti’s best centre-back partnership still unclear.

But the Merseyside outfit are wary of the increasing number of sides eying Branthwaite, while Manchester United consider their future options as well as a first-team ready centre-half for the upcoming summer window.

Should Everton sell Branthwaite?

The heightening interest in Branthwaite from the Premier League’s established top-six sides just goes to show the level he has been performing at with Blackburn, despite Rovers now being without a single point from their last four Championship games.

Mowbray oversaw a 1-1 draw against Stoke City in Branthwaite’s first match for the Ewood Park natives, after which he described the 6 ft 5 titan’s display as “remarkable” for his age. And, despite Blackburn’s form since, the Rovers boss continues to be impressed by the England U19 international, as he “does what it says on the tin” most weeks.

Branthwaite’s displays have also returned the highest average number of successful tackles per game by a Championship centre-back who has played at least five times this term with 2.7, per WhoScored – the next-best being AFC Bournemouth duo Diego Rico (2.2) and £12m man Chris Mepham (2).

Everton’s teenage talent further ranks ninth among all second-tier centre-halves for interceptions with 2.3 a game (Rico is first with 3.3), which would see him rank first at Goodison Park (Michael Keane and Mason Holgate are first with 1.4) and second for successful tackles – only behind Holgate (3), and with more than Mina (1) and Keane (0.8) combined.

If Branthwaite continues to impress on a similar trajectory between now and the end of the season, he will be more than ready to play a role in Ancelotti’s plans next term – especially should Mina depart – or secure a Premier League loan to gain further top-flight experience.

What Everton cannot do is sanction a permanent deal for the defender to join a Manchester United, City or Liverpool, as the Blues would only live to regret letting a future star leave so early in his career.

AND in other news, a £23.5m-rated Everton ace proved his doubters wrong in Saturday’s Merseyside Derby win over Liverpool…

As the seasons tick by for Celtic, so many players walk through the exit door at Parkhead in search of a better pay packet across Europe.

Take Victor Wanyama, Virgil Van Dijk, Moussa Dembele and Kieran Tierney for instance; all of the aforementioned names have gone on to have successful careers in Europe’s top five leagues.

This season could see another exodus with both Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer linked with the exit door.

The duo would be a huge miss and a massive loss to any new manager. Edouard is the club’s top scorer while Ajer has been the glue that’s held a distinctly average Hoops backline together. If he left, their record in that department would surely only get worse.

With their stronghold over the SPFL now finished, it’s evident they’re missing some of the players that have departed.

Diego Laxalt has struggled for consistency and lacks the desire of a certain Tierney. That being said, we were starting to see shades of the Scottish full-back in Greg Taylor.

The left-back is currently out injured but has had a fantastic few months in a Hoops shirt. In his last seven starts for the Hoops, he has won 16 tackles at a rate of 2.2 per game. In Taylor’s last ten outings, he has provided 21 key passes at a rate of 2.1 per match.

Strong in the tackle and relentless in his energy going forward, he’s proving to be a fabulous asset for the Glaswegian side.

Though, he could get even better and replicate the achievements of Tierney if Celtic hire Steve Clarke.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-hunt-stories-wagner-marsch-martinez-lennon-news” title=”The last stories on Celtic’s hunt for a new manager!”]

The 57-year-old is one of a number of names linked with the hot seat and has been on their radar for a while. Kris Commons told the Daily Mail two years ago that he’d make a perfect Brendan Rodgers replacement, suggesting the Scot had a “remarkable gift.”

Indeed, he’s taken Scotland to their first major tournament since 1996 and took Kilmarnock to third place domestically before being handed the reins to the national team.

He was the man to give Taylor his debut for Scotland and it’s no surprise to see why based on their relationship at Killie.

The 23-year-old broke through under Clarke at Rugby Park, eventually playing 73 times before his switch to the Bhoys. He was a major reason behind the club’s eye-catching defensive record. In the 2018/19 campaign, they had the third-best defensive tally behind Celtic and Rangers.

Clarke is renowned for being adept defensively and that could be incredibly beneficial for Taylor, someone whose first thought is usually, ‘how can I get forward?’

Taylor admires the Scotland manager massively. Speaking about his influence towards the back end of 2019, he commented: “I worked with the gaffer for two years before he took the job and I can’t sing his praises highly enough.”

Taylor concluded: “He’s a top, top manager and I think the boys are starting to slowly but surely see that. Winning games always helps, I said that when he first came in with Kilmarnock and I will say it now”.

Clearly, the mutual understanding is already there. Add the fact that the defender is now a number of years wiser to the fact he’s improving all the time and you have a certain recipe for success.

Celtic have undeniably missed the rampant Tierney in the last few years but a partnership of Clarke and Taylor could reinvigorate the Hoops’ left-hand side.

To reiterate Commons’ words, the Scotland boss has a remarkable gift, one capable of extracting the very most from his players; that includes Taylor.

He is very much Celtic’s Tierney heir in waiting.

AND in other news, 9 duels won: Hammond surely buzzing over 19 y/o gem, his agent is “talking to Celtic”…

When it comes to the January transfer window, it’s a period of the year that will give Victor Orta and Leeds nightmares.

Many a sleepless night has been followed by a hefty bang of Orta’s fist on the table. That’s because his success in the mid-season market has been far from triumphant.

Cast your minds back to January 2019 and you will recall the dumfounding saga revolving around Dan James. The Welshman was set to sign from Swansea and had even penned his contract at Elland Road.

Pictures had been taken of him holding up a Leeds shirt but in the final minutes of the window, Swansea failed to pick up the phone to ratify a deal. The transfer collapsed and then James went and signed for Manchester United the following summer.

Jean-Kevin Augustin then provided further evidence behind why Orta hasn’t quite got to grips with the January window. On paper, this was a superb piece of business. Leeds had brought a player with Bundesliga and Ligue 1 pedigree to the Championship.

However, Marcelo Bielsa wasn’t a fan of his work ethic and after various fitness issues he left the club having played just 48 league minutes.

As a result, the Whites failed to pay their obligation to buy after a rather horrendous error in the transfer market.

Unfortunately, if reports are to be believed this month, Leeds could be on the verge of another blunder. Earlier in January, it was revealed that the Whites were interested in signing Celtic winger Ryan Christie.

The Scot is a tremendous player technically and has contributed to 15 strikes this term – four goals and 11 assists. Based on that, he’d be a solid capture. However, the fact of the matter is that he’s in shambolic form.

Celtic have won just seven of their last 22 outings and Christie’s poor performances are a large part of that. In his last 16 games, the Scotland international has scored just once and he saved arguably his worst performance of the season for Celtic’s 2-2 draw with Livingston last weekend.

He surrendered possession on 17 occasions and completed just one cross. On top of that, Christie failed to complete a single dribble. With that in mind, he’d surely struggle to get in the side on Leeds’ right flank over Raphinha – a mazy dribbler with plenty of creative flair.

Christie has received plenty of flack for his performances in recent weeks too. Celtic pundit Colin Watt said last month: “The reason Christie annoys me so much is he’s just so inconsistent. There’s times where he’s shooting from 25-30 yards when there’s a better pass on.”

Indeed, the wide man has scored just three goals from 60 attempts at goal in the SPFL this term. That’s a woeful conversation rate of 5% – the worst in the Celtic side.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-leeds-stories” title=”Read this week’s latest Leeds stories!”]

The last thing Leeds right now with three straight defeats is another inconsistent player. He’s also annoying fans considerably.

One supporter described it as the worst performance they’d ever seen in a Celtic jersey after the draw with Livi last week. Another sarcastically pleaded that a snowman could have done a better job.

Of course, it’s important to take the stats in more than fan opinion, but it doesn’t bode well for a potential move.

Like with Augustin a year ago, this could be yet another huge mistake from Orta in the transfer market. Unless Christie starts showing more consistency, this is a player Leeds need to forget about.

AND in other news, Leeds could find their new Roofe by signing £27k-p/w beast with a “love of scoring”…

According to SporX, West Bromwich Albion are set to prioritise a move for Haris Seferovic over Mbaye Diagne.

Baggies to move for Seferovic

The Baggies were reportedly in talks to sign Diagne, but are said to have been put off making a move for the Galatasaray forward after learning about the terms he wanted.

As such, they are now set to prioritise a move for Seferovic instead.

Erratic

Seferovic has been in good form for Benfica so far this campaign, scoring ten goals and providing three assists in all competitions (Transfermarkt). However, throughout his career, his goalscoring record has been erratic. For example, he netted just nine times in 45 games last term, but during the 18/19 term, he struck 27 times in 51 matches.

Diagne, meanwhile, has far more of a solid track record. He has 11 in 19 games this season and has a record of more than a goal every two matches throughout his time as a professional.

Money clearly appears to be an issue at the Hawthorns at the moment, but Seferovic is valued at £9m (Transfermarkt) and has three more years left on his contract in Portugal – he could well cost the club a considerable sum. Either way, the Baggies need a striker after scoring just 15 times in the Premier League so far this term (Sky Sports) – they need to get a deal done quickly.

In other news, West Brom eye a move for this 38-time Belgium international.

Following the injury to Diogo Jota recently, Liverpool should consider a transfer U-turn on 17-year-old Harvey Elliott after his superb start to life in the Championship.

The Portuguese winger, who has impressed since joining the Merseyside club from Wolves in the summer, has reportedly been ruled out until February with a knee injury picked up in a recent draw with FC Midtjylland.

Therefore, it seems as if Klopp is low on winger options in his first-team squad, with the likes of Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi having both disappointed on their rare appearances for the Reds.

Suddenly, it seems as if Liverpool may have made an error in loaning out Elliott to Blackburn Rovers during the summer transfer window, as his excellent form with the Lancashire side certainly suggests that he would’ve been a valuable player for Klopp to have available right now, especially as we enter the busy Christmas period.

In 14 appearances for Tony Mowbray’s side, the 17-year-old has managed an impressive four goals and four assists, demonstrating that he has quickly found his feet in the Championship and is clearly not overawed playing at that level.

His performances have also seen him average a superb 7.10 rating for Blackburn this season, which rates him as Rovers’ joint-third best performer so far this season, reflecting again just how impressive he has been since joining.

If you compare this to the 6.17 rating averaged by Minamino in the Premier League this season, it could definitely be argued that the club put their faith in the wrong player.

Whilst Elliott is set to spend the whole season on loan with Blackburn, the Reds do hold an option to recall him. However, it has been suggested recently that the Reds don’t have any plans to recall the young winger in January, despite his impressive form since departing.

However, the injury to Jota definitely leaves Klopp short on options in attack, especially if any of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino or Sadio Mane were to suffer an injury, so recalling Elliott may be the best option for the Reds in January.

During his time with Fulham, the winger earned the praise of Tom Cairney, who said:

“He’s been a sensation since he joined in training a few months ago. We see him maybe twice a week. He doesn’t look out of place and does some bits of magic that everyone says ‘wow.’ His attitude and his belief in himself at such a young age is frightening.

“He’s a tricky winger who plays in the hole. He’s got a great football brain, an eye for goal and is a very entertaining player. Hopefully, he will have a long and successful career.”

Considering Elliott is performing so well in the Championship and has already appeared nine times for Liverpool’s first-team, it does seem as if he is destined for a big future with the club, which could be accelerated if the Reds opt to recall him in January as a replacement for the injured Jota.

And, in other news… Forget Firmino: LFC beast who won 100% of his duels was Klopp’s hero vs Spurs…

This has been a strange season for Wolves and with the transfer window due to open imminently, it could get a lot worse.

But why is that the case?

What’s the word?

Wolves have had a rollercoaster few weeks, beating Arsenal and Chelsea but being defeated by Liverpool, Aston Villa and Burnley.

Without Raul Jimenez, they are missing their talisman but that shouldn’t be their main concern at the moment, it should be Adama Traore.

Reports emerged a few weeks ago that the Old Gold had become frustrated with the Spaniard’s contract situation and the latest news now claims he could exit.

According to 90min, Leeds are interested in signing Traore and he could be reunited with Victor Orta, the Whites’ director of football who worked alongside him at Middlesbrough.

Having already sold Diogo Jota in the last market, it would not be the greatest idea to lose another of their prized assets.

Who will benefit?

If Wolves do indeed sell Traore, someone who could cost Leeds around £40m, then they need to unleash a specific player lurking in the academy.

That happens to be winger Theo Corbeanu, an 18-year-old talent with the world at his feet. Like Traore, he is a frightening attacker capable of beating opponents, scoring goals and assisting them for his teammates.

So far this term, the Romanian has four goals and one assist in nine Premier League 2 outings, behind hailed considerably along the way.

U23 boss James Collins said earlier this year: “He’s athletic, tall, can head it, can defend, can dribble past people and score, he can shoot, he can pass, he’s both footed, he’s got a bit of everything.”

Collins then added: “Theo can be anything he wants to be. He’s an outstanding prospect.”

He may not have come through La Masia as Traore did, but Corbeanu clearly has immense qualities, ones that have great similarities to a host of players in Wolves’ attack.

Just think of Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence for instance. These types of tricky individuals thrive instantly in Nuno Santo’s team.

Corbeanu could do the same if unleashed.

AND in other news, Wolves liability who LOST 83.4% of his duels will have Nuno fuming…

David Moyes must make a January U-turn on the future of Andriy Yarmolenko at West Ham United amid rumoured interest from Super Lig giants Fenerbahce.

What’s the word?

According to FotoMac, Fenerbahce are considering a move to sign Yarmolenko in the upcoming January transfer market, as the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium natives eye offensive reinforcements under the watch of their new Sports Director Emre Belozoglu.

Yarmolenko is the player thought to be most appealing to Belozoglu, at present, as he strives to find a replacement for ex-Irons forward Enner Valencia, who has failed to thrive for the Yellow Canaries with just one goal in eight Super Lig appearances since his summer arrival.

Belozoglu is actively exploring the conditions needed to strike a potential deal with West Ham for Yarmolenko, who he intends to sign on loan as the 31-year-old would be able to make an instant impact compared to other potential targets.

West Ham’s position on Yarmolenko’s future is not claimed, though Moyes sought to retain the former Borussia Dortmund man this summer after initially identifying Manuel Pellegrini’s £17.5million signing as a player the Hammers could live without.

Moyes has since only started the Ukraine international in the EFL Cup, with Yarmolenko making each of his five Premier League appearances from the bench for a total of 97 minutes, while only contributing to the scoring against League One side Charlton Athletic (one assist) and Championship Hull City (two goals, two assists).

Moyes must U-turn again

While Moyes reverted on his initial assessment of Yarmolenko’s future this summer, the West Ham boss must make a U-turn over his decision to retain the now £6.75m-rated international, given how infrequently he has featured.

Yarmolenko has struggled to offer the creativity that West Ham need when on the field, with the 91-cap forward ranking behind Arthur Masuaku (2.73) and Declan Rice (1.38) for successful dribbles (0.88) per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, behind Ryan Fredericks (4.74), Manuel Lanzini (2.31) and Mark Noble (1.27) for key passes (0.88) and behind Vladimir Coufal for accurate crosses (1.0 to 0.88) and ground duels won (4.2 to 2.65), per SofaScore.

The arrival of Said Benrahma makes it ever-more unlikely that Yarmolenko will be afforded many opportunities to improve his output, which is far from befitting of a player earning £115,000-per-week as West Ham’s current top-earner by a margin of £45k-p/w.

West Ham would be wise to take up Fenerbahce’s offer of a loan deal, should the Super Lig giants step up Belozoglu’s interest, having benefited from offloading Felipe Anderson to FC Porto with the Liga NOS outfit paying the Brazilian’s salary during his temporary spell at the club.

Yarmolenko, after all, is far from the player Pellegrini lauded during his time in east London.

“Andriy is a special player and I think we brought him here because he’s a very technical midfielder, but in his complete career, he always adds goals,” the Chilean said, via quotes by the Yellow Advertiser.

AND in other news, West Ham are eying a perfect £30m swoop to sign a “complete player” who has been backed for greatness.