All posts by n8rngtd.top

There was a possibility Freddie Woodman could have left on loan on Deadline Day to facilitate an incoming, The Athletic’s Chris Waugh has revealed. 

The lowdown

Newcastle have taken the ‘unusual’ step of naming four goalkeepers in their 25-man Premier League squad, with Woodman joined by Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow and Mark Gillespie.

Steve Bruce has had to call upon Woodman after Dubravka sustained a foot injury at the European Championships and Darlow was hospitalised with coronavirus (via The Athletic).

The Newcastle boss has been forced to make do with just one new addition – £25million man Joe Willock – partly because of finances, but also because they ‘would have had to make room’ in the squad.

The latest

Waugh reports that ‘privately, few at St James’ Park’ genuinely believed they would ever end up taking the ‘damaging’ step of naming four ‘keepers.

And the perceived necessity of doing so ‘affected transfer business’.

Bruce was weighing up the decision until the end of the transfer window, with the 60-year-old keen to sign Leicester City’s Hamza Choudhury on loan.

But allowing Woodman to leave and placing trust in Gillespie was ultimately deemed too risky.

The verdict

You do have some sympathy for Newcastle here. It’s bad enough having your first choice ‘keeper injured, but for your back-up to fall ill at the same time is woefully unlucky.

It might be said that Bruce should simply have backed Gillespie in the hope of bringing a much-needed reinforcement further up the pitch, but how many managers would truly trust a ‘keeper who is effectively the fourth best on the club’s books?

Bruce’s reign on Tyneside has been far from perfect, but it feels his hands were tied by almost impossible circumstances on this occasion.

In other news, Frank McAvennie has dropped a two-word verdict on Steve Bruce’s future.

Leeds United chairman Andrea Rarizzani has been told to ‘be quiet’ by Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell, who is baffled by the way the chairman is being so public about the Whites’ plans.

The Lowdown: Club vision laid out

Radrizzani has seen the club return to the top of English football as Marcelo Bielsa led the Whites to a respectable ninth-placed finish in their first season back in the Premier League.

Leeds have started the current season winless in their opening four games however, drawing to Everton and Burnely but being easily defeated by Manchester United and Liverpool.

Following the game against the latter, the Leeds chairman laid out his ambitions for the club to Sky Sports, claiming he wants the club in Europe in “two or three” years.

The Latest: Not impressed

Speaking to Football Insider, former Arsenal man Campbell has said he isn’t a fan of the very public approach Radrizzani is now taking with the club’s ambitions.

The Sky Sports pundit said: “Having chairmen come and do interviews. Maybe he felt he had to come and say his piece.

“It hasn’t been the greatest start for Leeds this season, they went down to 10 against Liverpool and were just picked off.

“I’m happy for the chairman to stay up there and be quiet if I’m totally honest.”

The Verdict: Each to their own

As Campbell says, if Radrizzani wants to speak to the press and express his views then fair enough, but coming after a 3-0 drubbing at home may have not been the right time.

Having the ambition and stating that on record for the footballing world to see will please Leeds fans, but Campbell’s comments are fair – the quotes heap pressure on players and came in a bizarre setting following a humbling defeat.

If Leeds can reach European football with the current crop of teams above them, then Radrizzani will have proved himself right with a tremendous feat, but for now, perhaps he should keep the club’s plans in the boardroom.

In other news, this pundit has provided a positive update about a potential sell-on clause. Find out more here.

Carlton Palmer has offered his thoughts on whether or not Southampton should sign Armando Broja permanently.

What’s the talk?

Ex-Southampton midfielder Carlton Palmer has claimed that the club would be interested in signing Armando Broja from Chelsea on a permanent deal for the right price.

The forward is currently on loan from the Blues and Palmer believes that he could be the next Virgil van Dijk if they sign him permanently, as he could be worth more in the future.

He told Football FanCast:

“Listen, you’re going to try your best.

“I mean, obviously Southampton will be interested in taking him. He’s one of those if you get him at the right money, he will probably go on again and you get money for him again. You know, like they did with Van Dijk.”

Ralph would be buzzing

Southampton chief Martin Semmens must sanction a permanent deal for Broja ahead of either the January window or next summer upon the end of his loan stay at St. Mary’s as Hasenhuttl would be buzzing to keep him.

As Palmer explained, he could be a player the Saints are able to sign and then develop before selling on for big money down the line to keep their business model going.

Southampton signed Can Dijk from Celtic for £14.13m in 2015 and went on to sell him for a club-record £76.19m to Liverpool in January 2018, which is the reference Palmer made. If Semmens is able to reach an agreement with Chelsea to sign Broja permanently for a fee within that £10-15m region then it could be a shrewd piece of business by the club.

At this moment in time, the 20-year-old has not proved that he can consistently perform at the top level. He has two goals in eight caps for Albania and scored 11 goals in 34 games for Vitesse last term, but he is yet to produce a goal or assist in the Premier League.

This is why Chelsea could still be convinced to part ways with him for the right price, as he is still potential rather than the finished product at this moment in time. However, this is where a permanent move to Southampton could be great as it would give Hasenhuttl the chance to develop the player over the course of a number of seasons, rather than a 12-month loan.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed Broja as ‘dangerous’ earlier this summer and he caught the eye in Southampton’s League Cup win over Newport County, scoring twice. This highlights some of the potential that he has and why Hasenhuttl would be delighted to have the opportunity to work with him beyond the end of this season.

Semmens must work hard to seal a reasonable deal for the Albanian beast.

AND in other news, 85% duels won: Rarely-seen Saints beast must have caught Ralph’s eye in EFL Trophy…

Crystal Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha has long been linked with a move away from Selhurst Park, but pundit Carlton Palmer has tipped the forward to sign a new contract at the club.

What’s the story?

During an interview with Football FanCast, Palmer was asked if a lack of concrete interest could result in the 28-year-old ending his attempts to seal a move to a more successful side, resulting in him putting pen to paper on fresh terms on a transfer at his current club.

“I could see that happening,” the ex-Leeds United player said. “Yes, I could see that happening. If you’re not going to go to a top club, then where are you going to end up?

“So, therefore, you might as well stay at a club where you’re adored, where you’re playing good football.”

Zaha has been heavily linked with the likes of Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur in the past and has openly admitted he’d like to play at a higher level, but no transfer has matialised, meaning his long-term future could lie with the south London outfit.

Fans will be buzzing

The Ivory Coast international has spent 11 seasons at Palace split over two spells, scoring 69 goals and providing a further 73 assists in 399 appearances and also inspired the capital club back into the Premier League in 2013.

Last season, Zaha was Palace’s top scorer with 11 strikes, his best-ever top-flight goal return, highlighting his importance to the side as they secured their Premier League status for a ninth consecutive campaign.

However, he then revealed to The Face over the summer that he wants to “win things” before he retires, throwing his future at Selhurst Park into doubt once more.

“I feel like I can have another shot at the top teams because my dream is to win things. I’m good enough to go out there and compete with the best,” Zaha claimed during the interview.

“If the opportunity came, I wouldn’t turn it down, because I feel like I deserve it. It’s so I can show my kids: ‘this is what daddy won’.”

Nevertheless, despite his comments and apparent desire to seek pastures new, no bid arrived during the recent transfer window, and he’s remained a key figure for the Eagles, playing every minute of their season so far.

Zaha has two years remaining on his contract with Palace, but the club’s supporters will surely be buzzing to learn of Palmer’s confidence that their star man may be prepared to extend his time at the club.

And, in other news…Parish must sanction Palace swoop for “powerful” £18m beast, Vieira would love him 

Tottenham Hotspur could once again look to sign a new striker at the turn of the year, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Spanish outlet Fichajes claim Spurs’ attentions are likely to turn to Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins as he perfectly fits sporting director Fabio Paratici’s long-term plans.

It’s thought that his ability to create space and be a battering ram up top makes him a great fit alongside Heung-min Son and Harry Kane.

However, it will take a substantial offer to even tempt the Midlands outfit into a sale, with CIES Football Observatory currently valuing him at around €40m (£34m).

Get it done

Prior to his move to Villa Park, the 25-year-old frontman was linked with a switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium under Jose Mourinho, via The Sun’s Alan Nixon.

He would go on to sign from Brentford in a club-record £28m deal. During his maiden campaign in the big time, Watkins bagged a stunning hat-trick against then defending champions Liverpool and he scored a total of 16 goals in 40 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

One of those strikes actually came against Spurs in north London as he made chairman Daniel Levy and co see exactly what they were missing.

The three-time England international put in a masterclass performance as Villa came out on top in a 2-1 victory – via SofaScore, he not only scored but also fired off a whopping six shots, made 100% of his two dribbles and provided one key pass, handing both Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld an absolute nightmare on the day.

It’s no wonder he has been described as “lethal” by former West Ham talisman Trevor Sinclair, with his old Exeter City boss Paul Tisdale claiming that the 5 foot 11 dynamo has “got everything.”

But perhaps the greatest endorsement on Watkins has come from The Athletic’s Villa correspondent Gregg Evans, who told the ‘1874’ podcast:

“I really think he’s making a big difference actually, to Villa, I think that he’s given them a new dimension and his hold up play is great, he creates space for others and that’s helping the midfielders flourish.”

This further highlights his fit for Spurs as Kane is often a player that drops deep to allow his deadly partner Son to cut inside and create havoc.

On the above evidence, Watkins is exactly the same, so it could be a seamless transition that helps the South Korean and perhaps even the struggling Englishman improve in front of goal this term.

The Villa talisman is averaging 2.5 shots and 1.8 dribbles per game in the Premier League this campaign, which are only bettered by Son (3 shots), Lucas Moura (2.6 dribbles) and Tanguy Ndombele (2.5 dribbles).

Paratici and Levy must look to secure a move for Watkins in 2022.

AND in other news, Nuno could finally axe Dele Alli if Spurs secure “explosive” £36m-rated “young Salah”…

Crystal Palace staged a dramatic second-half fightback to secure a point against Leicester City in their Premier League clash at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

The visitors raced into a two-goal lead going into halftime thanks to strikes from Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy, but Patrick Vieira’s substitutes proved pivotal, with Michael Olise and Jeffrey Schlupp coming off the bench to rescue a 2-2 draw.

Palace largely dominated proceedings in the opening half an hour, yet a mistake from one of their usually more reliable stars turned the game on its head.

Summer signing Joachim Andersen took a heavy touch when receiving a pass from centre-back partner Marc Guehi under no pressure, allowing Leicester forward Iheanacho to capitalise on his mistake and put the Foxes ahead.

The 25-year-old was then unable to cut out Harvey Barnes’ pass to Vardy for the second, compounding a tricky six-minute spell for the Denmark international.

As per SofaScore, Andersen received a measly match rating of just 5.8 out of 10 for his underwhelming showing, the lowest total awarded to any player on the pitch over the weekend.

It was an out-of-character display from the former Lyon ace who usually bullies his opponents, with Andersen losing three of his seven duels and failing to make a single tackle during the 90 minutes.

But he was especially sloppy when in possession. He lost the ball on a whopping 22 occasions and completed just six of his 17 attempted long balls, leading to an overall pass completion of only 77%.

Andersen proved to be a liability for Palace as he let Vieira down in south London. However, his previous displays for the capital club have been full of promise, meaning the former Nice boss should keep faith with his £20m acquisition following the international break.

And, in other news…Forget Schlupp: Palace beast who won 75% of his duels was Vieira’s real hero 

Everton’s record in the transfer window has left a lot to be desired in recent years and one club has benefitted more than most from their haphazard spending.

The Toffees signed Alex Ixobi from Arsenal for £34m in the summer of 2019, but not before they splashed out £20m to secure the services of a 28-year-old Theo Walcott just six months prior.

At first glance, it appeared to be a sensible transfer for the Goodison Park outfit. Director of football Marcel Brands had secured an England international who had scored over 100 goals for the Gunners and was still in his prime years.

However, Walcott’s three-and-a-half-year stay on Merseyside proved to be somewhat of a nightmare for Everton and the player.

The flying winger made a fast start to in a Blue shirt, scoring three goals and providing a further three assists in his first 14 Premier League games for the club, but his promising form failed to carry over into 2018/19.

During his second campaign as an Everton player, Walcott only added a further eight goal contributions despite making 40 appearances in all competitions.

And things got even worse for the now 32-year-old in 2019/20. The Southampton academy graduate scored just two goals and laid on four assists, condemning the forward to one of his least productive campaigns in many years.

It led to Walcott re-joining his boyhood club on a season-long loan last term before making the move permanent following the expiration of his contract over the summer, ending an underwhelming with the Toffees.

He exited Everton with 20 goal contributions in 85 outings for the club and will go down as another expensive dud who promised so much.

And, in other news…Everton increasingly likely to sign £187k-p/w gem, fans surely buzzing 

The year of 2021 has been a topsy-turvy one for Everton and the club’s supporters.

Despite having Carlo Ancelotti at the wheel, the Toffees finished some way off the pace and outside of the European places. However, they now look in a much better position since the Italian made his way through the exit door.

What’s the word?

Rafa Benitez has only been back in Merseyside for a matter of months but in the last few days, he’d been touted to leave.

That came after the Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle Untied was finally concluded. The Magpies now have the richest owners in world football and the thought of mass financial backing looked appealing.

Yet, in a fresh claim provided by the Northern Echo, the Spaniard is set to stay at Everton.

They suggest that Benitez has categorically ruled out a move and will be remaining as the manager at Goodison Park.

Huge boost

This is phenomenal news and should be music to the ears of not only Farhad Moshiri and co but also the club’s supporters.

For so long Everton have been craving European football. They’ve not qualified for a continental competition since 2017/18 with their last appearance in the Champions League coming all the way back in 2005/06.

Ancelotti was brought in to try and break that trend but after finishing in tenth last term, their dream didn’t become a reality.

Yet, under Benitez, they have a real chance of getting back among the Premier League’s elite teams.

His initial appointment as Everton’s manager was a controversial one. He once dubbed them a small club and his association with the red corner of Merseyside hadn’t gone down well.

However, he has battered away the criticism and has been a real force while in charge of the Toffees.

For the first time in a long time, they look dominant and organised, providing hope that a European place come the end of the season is in their grasp.

Benitez’s team currently sit in fifth position and are two just two points off top spot. They’ve achieved that without Dominic Calvert-Lewin for over a month too.

The Spanish coach has been able to get the most from his players and has transformed the careers of both Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend. They have scored eight goals between them since signing this summer and look real stars at Goodison.

On that evidence and the fact he could guide them to an elusive top-six spot, fans will be over the moon to hear that he’s set to commit his future to Everton.

AND in other news, Bye-bye DCL: Brands can sign dream Everton successor in “magical” £18m-rated tank…

Fabio Paratici has seemingly been given a green light to secure one of Tottenham Hotspur’s mooted transfer targets.

Earlier in the summer transfer window, the north London outfit were linked with a move for Lille midfielder Renato Sanches, with French publication le10sport reporting their ‘strong interest’ in his signature.

At the time, he was thought to be available for around €30m (£26m) due to the Ligue 1 club’s financial problems.

His form at Lille last season carried into Euro 2020, where he delivered a number of eye-catching performances, so it’s no wonder Spurs were one of several clubs who were keen on him.

And now, comments from Les Dogues president Olivier Letang have opened up the door for a team like Tottenham to strike.

“I have already discussed this with him. If an offer from a big club arrives, Renato will be able to leave. We will see what will happen,” he told BFM Lille ahead of the January transfer window (via FourFourTwo).

One of Nuno’s bigger problems since arriving in N17 has been finding the right balance in midfield. They are amongst the Premier League’s least creative teams, having averaged the fourth-lowest number of shots per game (10.9) and fifth-lowest expected goals (8.80 xG).

Furthermore, who knows if Tanguy Ndombele will kick up a fuss again, whilst the form of Dele Alli has been concerning and it’s widely believed that Harry Winks will seek a temporary exit in January, so there could certainly be a place up for grabs.

In fact, a swoop for Sanches could be one of the club’s very best moves in recent times, perhaps since the arrival of Heung-min Son.

The 24-year-old, valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, has been likened to Clarence Seedorf due to his box-to-box qualities, whilst he is said to have the ‘strength of a WWE heavyweight and the nimble feet of a ballet dancer,’ as per Bundesliga.com.

Sanches won the Golden Boy award in 2016 and has also been lauded as a “machine” by the press and as a “complete athlete” by the aforementioned Lille chief.

A two-time winner of the Bundesliga and last season’s Ligue 1 champion, the young Portugal international would have to be considered quite the coup given his trophy-laden record, praise and touted potential alone.

AND in other news, Forget Son: “Phenomenal” £36m-rated Spurs dynamo has been Nuno’s big saving grace…

A number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting to the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw, with the Reds pitted against Leicester City in the last eight.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are in superb form at the moment, not only in the Premier League but also in cup competitions.

A win away to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League was followed up by the astonishing 5-0 victory at Manchester United, before Preston North End were dispatched of in the Carabao Cup.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

Liverpool have had to wait a few days to find out who their opponents will be in the quarters, but all was revealed on Saturday morning and confirmed on the club’s official Twitter account.

Klopp’s side will take on Leicester at Anfield, meaning Brendan Rodgers returns to his former club, in what looks like an exciting tie.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-9/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

Liverpool fans react to quarter-final draw

These Liverpool fans provided their positive thoughts on the draw on Twitter.

“Yeaahhhhhhh we are going to accidentally win it this year”

Credit: @zackerigi

“Home game, we’ll win it”

Credit: @kj__95

“Bring it on”

Credit: @ImranSyaffi

“Sound”

Credit: @shaunplfc_1906

“Origi will be ready and waiting”

Credit: @WEBBZJAY

“We’re winning it all”

Credit: @beamerrrrrr

In other news, some Liverpool fans are delighted with some injury news that has emerged. Read more here.