All posts by z3u9t.icu

West Ham United have reportedly made an offer to try and sign Junior Firpo in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Cresswell cover needed

Given that Arthur Masuaku missed a large chunk of the 2020/21 season through injury, the London Stadium faithful will need some more reliable cover for Aaron Cresswell come the start of the new term.

Cresswell can also play as central defender on the left of a back three, meaning that they would need other options in the left-back area if he plays there.

The Latest: Firpo offer

As per Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), the East London club have made an offer to sign Firpo, which FC Barcelona are open to.

However, they face competition from both Southampton and AC Milan for his signature in what looks like a transfer saga that will drag on throughout the window.

The Verdict: Avoid

While Firpo is clearly a good player, having played in the UEFA Champions League a total of 10 times while with Barca over the course of the last two campaigns (Transfermarkt), David Moyes’ team should not be targeting another left-back whose game time has been limited.

Masuaku will want to prove his fitness in pre-season, and there are other positions that the Hammers should be prioritising, like finding cover up top for Michail Antonio.

Firpo is also on a whopping £105,000-per-week, which is simply too much for the Irons to dish out to a man who started just three league games last season, even if they can negotiate that number down a little.

In other news, find out which ‘extraordinary’ ace WHU have bid for here!

Many West Ham United fans have been talking on Twitter after The Athletic shared news on Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek.

The exciting 18-year-old has left his mark on football in the Czech Republic this year and is regarding as a very promising forward, scoring 15 goals in all competitions for Sparta over 2020/2021 (Transfermarkt).

Still only a teenager, the 6 foot 2 frontman has already amassed six caps for his country and has even played at Euro 2020 against England.

He has been mentioned as a possible target for the Hammers this summer with The Athletic now sharing some interesting news when it comes to Hlozek.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest/” title=”West Ham latest!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

They claim that West Ham stars Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek both personally recommended the signing of their compatriot to Irons boss David Moyes, but the Scotsman’s stance remains unclear.

He is currently valued at around £20 million, but West Ham supporters are certainly eager for their club to swoop in response to this news.

Find all of their best verdicts, replying to Twitter page West Ham News & Views, down below.

West Ham fans plead for Hlozek signing

“Would still love this move. He’s been impressive in the small cameos for the Czech Republic as well, and his league form is incredible for his age.”

Credit: @MichealZdenek

“Get. Him. In.”

Credit: @westhamhour

“This boy’s going places. In a couple of years he’s gonna be worth a whole lot more than £20m.

Get. Him. In.”

Credit: @BlaugranaIron

“He would be perfect for us, plays in Moyes preferred formation too. You can’t pass up prospects like this.”

Credit: @vizual_

“Do it pleaseeeeeeee”

Credit: @_ghzst

“Yes worth it he’s built for us and will run all day long”

Credit: @Jinglis01492553

“It was always Hlozek and Daka for me. We’ve missed out on one, please don’t miss out on this guy too!”

Credit: @danlough90

“Given his age and potential to improve I think this would be great and intelligent signing!”

Credit @craftbeerninja

In other news: David Moyes personally tells West Ham chiefs to sign this colossal 29-goal beast, find out more here.

According to Sky Germany (via fotbolltransfers.com), Southampton are interested in signing Thomas Delaney from Borussia Dortmund this summer.

The Lowdown: Saints preparing for new season

The Saints went through a mixed campaign last term, finishing in 15th place in the Premier League table but also reaching an F.A Cup semi-final.

Ralph Hasenhuttl will be demanding a lot more from his players next term, and he will no doubt want to bring in some fresh faces as well.

The Latest: Saints eye Delaney

Now, it is being reported that the Saints are keen on Dortmund midfielder Delaney.

Norwich City and Crystal Palace are two of the other sides also interested in his services.

The Verdict: Top quality

Signing Delaney would be a statement of intent from Hasenhuttl and co. In three seasons with Die Schwarzgelben, he has 86 appearances, with 15 of them coming at the highest level – the Champions League (Transfermarkt).

He also has 58 caps for Denmark, and he has appeared in every game at Euro 2020 for his country – he was hailed as “very important” by former Dortmund boss Edin Terzic earlier this year (bvbbuzz.com).

Valued at £13.5m (Transfermarkt), it is unclear exactly how much he would set the St. Mary’s Stadium outfit back, but he would no doubt be a top signing for Southampton. It remains to be seen whether they can win the race to sign him.

In other news, Southampton also want this former Manchester United man.

Liverpool ‘have now agreed’ a £1.3million fee with Swiss side FC Basel for forward Liam Millar, according to The Athletic’s James Pearce.

The lowdown

Millar joined Liverpool from Fulham back in 2016 and has since been loaned out on three occasions.

He had two spells in the Scottish Premiership with Kilmarnock, for whom he scored two goals and provided three assists in 36 appearances.

The Canadian then joined Charlton Athletic, this time posting nine direct goal contributions (three goals, six assists) in the latter half of the 2020/21 campaign.

When he was Liverpool Under-18 boss, club legend Steven Gerrard hailed Millar as an ‘athlete’ with ‘turbo pace’.

The latest

In a ‘good deal for all involved’, the Reds have been able to negotiate a 20% sell-on clause.

Millar’s move could kick-off what’s ‘expected to be a busy few weeks’ of sales on Merseyside.

Pearce has previously reported that, after the £35million signing of Ibrahima Konate, Liverpool will have to fund further moves through outgoings.

The verdict

Liverpool have done some good business here. During his time at The Valley, Millar underlined his promise, and at the age of 21 he can still make huge strides.

But the Reds have staved off any potential regret through that hefty sell-on clause, and he was unlikely to ever make a major impact in the first team given the quality of attacker at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal.

Attention must now turn to more lucrative sales, though those could depend upon more realistic price-tags. Otherwise, New York Times journalist Rory Smith has warned the club that ‘they’re in for a real shock’.

In other news, fans raged at this transfer update.

Celtic will need to offer Hibernian around £4m to have a chance of signing Kevin Nisbet, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Nisbet link

Celtic were linked with a move for the striker back in May when Eddie Howe was the club’s main managerial target.

As we know, Ange Postecoglou is the new man in charge at Parkhead, and links to Nisbet have continued with the Greek-Australian in place.

The Daily Mail’s Stephen McGowan claimed that Celtic set their sights on Nisbet after announcing a deal for defender Osaze Urhoghide from Sheffield Wednesday last week.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-8/” title=”Celtic updates” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared a story on Tuesday, where pundit Noel Whelan urged the Hoops to sign the forward, labelling him as ‘destructive’.

Within their story, a source shared a £4m reveal. They claim that Celtic would need to make a £4m offer to persuade Hibs to part ways with the 24-year-old.

Nisbet, who has scored 84 goals in his career so far, featured for Scotland at Euro 2020 and still has three years remaining on his Easter Road deal.

The Verdict: Buy

Even though Celtic would have to cough up £4m to sign Nisbet, it could be a wise decision over signing someone like Charlie Wyke

Wyke was in talks with the Hoops last month over a potential free transfer. He demanded his wages to be doubled, a four-year deal and a multi-million signing-on fee.

Yes, he scored 30 goals last season compared to Nisbet’s 18, however, those were at League One level.

Nisbet is also four years Wyke’s junior, so in the long run, it could be worth paying Hibs £4m, especially with Odsonne Edouard still expected to leave Parkhead.

Nisbet, Albian Ajeti and Leigh Griffiths could potentially be Postecoglou’s attacking options next season, would the Hoops need another?

In other news: Celtic man wanted by Patrick Vieira, find out who it is here.  

Tottenham Hotspur may be able to finally replace Mousa Dembele if emerging reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to French outlet le10sport.com, Spurs hold a strong interest in signing Lille midfielder Renato Sanches this transfer window but they are yet to make a concrete offer for the Portugal international.

North London rivals Arsenal and financially struggling La Liga giants Barcelona are also mooted by the report, whilst Liverpool have also been linked in recent weeks.

It’s thought that Sanches is available for around €30m (£26m), with The Athletic also suggesting that Ligue 1’s financial crisis could lead to many players being sold right across the French top-flight.

Shades of Dembele

Arguably, some of Tottenham Hotspur’s decline in the last 18 months or so could be attributed to their loss of Mousa Dembele in the heart of the engine room – a player capable of pulling the strings from midfield and contributing at either end of the pitch.

He was effectively the link between defence and attack for so much of Mauricio Pochettino’s reign, so when he departed for the Chinese Super League in January 2019, the club should have sought after a viable replacement.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was brought in last summer but he’s more of an anchorman than a box-to-box type, whilst Tanguy Ndombele is yet to justify a club-record £55m fee, though 2020/21 was a vast improvement on his maiden campaign in England.

The pair of them could benefit from a Dembele-like presence alongside them in a three-man midfield and that’s where a swoop for Sanches makes sense, especially after becoming a sensation at this summer’s Euro 2020 tournament.

You may remember him from a disappointing loan spell at Swansea City but since then, he’s flashed glimpses of the huge potential he was once touted with.

“He was a big prospect. Everybody was waiting for him to be one of the top young players for the future,” new Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira told ITV during coverage of Belgium versus Portugal (via football.london). “Last year with Lille, he did really well. He wasn’t really consistent during the season, but he had some flashes of his talent.”

The official Euro 2020 website would go onto laud him as one of Portugal’s biggest positives at the tournament, some five years on from picking up the Golden Boy trophy and earning lofty comparisons to Xavi Alonso.

Bundesliga.com once described him as a “box-to-box midfielder with the strength of a WWE heavyweight and the nimble feet of a ballet dancer,” also likening him to Clarence Seedorf. Well, you could suggest that Dembele was cut from the same cloth and that’s exactly what should attract Spurs to Sanches.

That much is backed up by his statistical returns. Across all competitions in 2020/21, including Euro 2020, the £27m-rated powerhouse averaged 0.7 tackles, 0.6 interceptions, one shot and 1.6 dribbles per outing, via WhoScored.

It’s no wonder he has been praised as a “machine” and as a “complete athlete.”

Fabio Paratici could well finally replace the Belgian beast with a move for the Lille star. They must win the race to secure him before the season gets underway next month.

AND in other news, Paratici should seal Spurs summer swoop for “excellent” beast admired by Lionel Messi…

Leeds United are contemplating a summer move for Wolves star Adama Traore as they look to strengthen Marcelo Bielsa’s squad ahead of the new Prmeier League campaign.

What’s the story?

It was suggested late last year that the Whites were keen on luring the Spain winger away from Molineux, but a deal failed to materialise by the end of the January transfer window deadline.

90min have now revealed that Bielsa’s side are considering making a move for the 25-year-old this time around, with Wolves now ready to listen to offers for the pacey winger.

The report added: “Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have all kept close tabs on Traore, but Leeds are very much at the head of the queue as it stands.

“Traore’s relationship with Orta, who plucked him from a miserable time at Villa to take him to Boro, and his desire to work with Marcelo Bielsa could very well sway the deal in their favour.”

The £100,000-a-week Spaniard’s sheer pace could give Leeds a different dimension to the tricks and skills offered by someone like Raphinha. As a player either off the bench or from the start, Traore could be a unique kind of game-changer for the Whites – his average of 4.1 dribbles per game in the Premier League last season was the highest in the entire division.

Former Leeds player David Norris has given his stamp of approval on a potential move for the winger, exclusively telling Football FanCast: “He (Bielsa) likes them attacking, exciting players that can create. They still must work hard, but the way he’s been in the last couple of seasons, and how much of a danger he is and how much he an create, I think that would be a great signing. Leeds are looking for top players and I think he’s a top player.”

90min also claimed that “Bielsa is a huge fan of the Spanish international winger, and has been for some time, believing he could blossom in his system at Elland Road.”

If a deal can be agreed between the two clubs, then the Leeds manager will no doubt be buzzing at landing a player he has followed for “some time.”

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped an exciting Leeds United update…

Spanish football journalist Euan McTear reckons that Junior Firpo is already good enough to start games in the Premier League.

The highly-rated full-back became Marcelo Bielsa’s first major signing of the summer when he joined in a £13m move from Barcelona earlier this month.

Firpo never quite managed to establish himself as a regular during his two seasons as the Nou Camp, but gained valuable experience for the Spanish giants in the Champions League and started Barca’s knockout tie against PSG last season.

He initially caught Barcelona’s attention when he enjoyed an impressive individual season playing for Real Betis in 2018-2019, with his standout performance coming in a 4-3 victory at the Nou Camp – when he contributed to two goals.

The flying left-back finished that season by scoring three times and chipping in with five assists before he was snapped up by the La Liga giants.

And despite his lack of Premier League experience and general football in the last two seasons, McTear thinks he’s ready to attack the Premier League with Leeds.

Asked if he’s good enough to be thrown straight in by Marcelo Bielsa, he told Football FanCast:

“I think so, he has the energy, he has the pace and when he was at Betis in particular, the left flank was his.

“He was their attack on the left and the defence, he could do both. So, I think he’s one of those players that could definitely cope with the pace of the Premier League.”

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to tie up a deal for Atalanta centre-back Cristian Romero within the next week [Mirror print edition via Sportslens].

The Lowdown: Tottenham Hotspur gear up for 2021/22

Careering towards 2021/22, newly appointed Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo has already given plenty of thought to the kind of players he will need in order to mount a challenge for continental football this term.

Finally making movements in the transfer market, the Lilywhites successfully wrapped up a loan deal for goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini, who is also of Atalanta [Transfermarkt].

Could the Londoners be set to raid the Serie A outfit for the second time in quick succession following reports?

The Latest: Spurs close to signing Romero after personal terms agreed

Having targeted central-backs during the window, Tottenham look to be edging ever closer to signing their first-choice defensive pursuit in the form of 6ft 1in ace Romero [Sportslens].

As reported by Fabrizio Romano a few days ago, personal terms have already been agreed with the player who is known very well by Spurs director Fabio Paratici, and The Mirror suggest that Spurs now expect to have the deal completed within the next week.

Erik Lamela is believed to have been a key factor in the initiation of the deal, after he recommended the 23-year-old, with whom he shares a dressing room at the international level.

The Verdict: Romero would be an astute addition to the Tottenham Hotspur fold

Fulfilling the need for central reinforcements, Romero would be an astute acquisition by the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hierarchy.

In 2020/21, the 23-year-old had an impressive output going forward for a defender, registering eight-goal contributions in 42 games; three goals and five assists [Transfermarkt].

As aggressive as they come, the combative figure managed to successfully win 3.6 aerial duels per game across the piece [WhoScored].

Ready to step into the Spurs rear-guard, Tottenham Hotspur should look to finalise their agreement with Romero as soon as possible so he can be ready for the start of the new campaign.

In other news, Tottenham have opened talks with a 19 y/o wonderkid.

Divock Origi has scored some of Liverpool’s most crucial goals in recent seasons, but former Red Paul Stewart believes he should move on this summer.

‘That’ Merseyside derby winner, a brace against Barcelona in the semis and a clincher against Spurs in the Champions League final are just a few of crucial strikes from the Belgian in recent years.

However, whilst he has already written his name into Liverpool folklore, he’s never been able to dislodge Firmino as the Reds’ first-choice striker, and has been forced to watch from the bench for the majority of his six seasons at Anfield.

Origi, who’s scored 35 goals for the Merseysiders, didn’t play a single minute in their final 13 Premier League games and oversaw only 536 minutes of action across all competitions, with his only goal coming against Lincoln in the Carabao Cup.

With less than 12 months now remaining on his Red contract, a summer exit is almost certain, and Stewart told Football FanCast that the time is right for the 26-year-old to depart:

“I’d want to go if I was him. He has scored some important goals, but he’s been sat on the bench for years, so he needs to see if he’s got the ability to go and play at the highest level.

“I think it’s long overdue that he finds a club to play week in week out and challenge himself and say, ‘I can play at this level.’ “