All posts by z3u9t.icu

Southampton’s decision to sign Jan Bednarek for just £5 million from Lech Poznan in 2017 is looking to be more and more like a masterstroke by the Saints, with former sporting director Ross Wilson deserving a lot of credit for his role in the negotiations.

Southampton brought in the centre-back for the minimal fee in the summer of 2017, as he became Mauricio Pellegrino’s first signing at the South Coast club.

He would end up outlasting the Argentine manager and he has become a key part of Southampton’s first-team under Ralph Hasenhuttl in recent seasons.

The Polish international has now made 108 appearances for the Saints, in which he has contributed three goals and four assists.

Bednarek was a big part of Southampton’s impressive form earlier in the season, forming a solid partnership with Jannik Vestergaard in central defence and he has been one of the first names on the team sheet under the Austrian’s management.

Having established himself as a quality defender at both domestic and international level, it is no surprise that Bednarek’s market value has significantly increased during his time at Southampton.

At the time of his signing, the centre-back was valued at just £4.5 million, whereas the 24-year-old is now valued at £22.5 million, which shows why his acquisition was excellent business by the South Coast club.

Bednarek is still relatively young for a centre-back, so it would not be a surprise to see his value continue to rise over the next few seasons and whilst it might be tricky for the Saints to keep hold of him if he attracts interest from a top club, it looks like they’re almost guaranteed to make a serious profit on him should he leave.

Therefore, you could definitely say that it was something of a masterclass by Wilson to bring in Bednarek for just £5 million back in 2017, considering his excellent performances in his first four years with the Saints.

To sign a player, see him have great success then either sell him for a big profit or keep him for years to come is exaclty what clubs like Saints want to do in the market. There’s no doubting that getting Bednarek was a masterstroke.

And, in other news… Southampton can sign their next Mane with £8.5m swoop for 18-goal beast

Sheffield Wednesday will be looking to get back on track this evening, having slipped back down to second-bottom in the Championship following back-to-back defeats.

A change in the line-up is surely inbound as Owls caretaker Neil Thompson aims to spark a reaction as they head to the capital to face promotion-chasing Brentford.

After switching to a 4-4-2 against relegation rivals Birmingham at the weekend, the interim boss would be wise to revert back to the 3-5-2 that had been working in prior outings.

And in doing so, he’ll be able to unleash one of Wednesday’s most promising talents…

On the Chalkboard

Indeed, going back to a three-man defence could see Osaze Urhoghide come back into the fray after being unfairly axed for the game at Hillsborough Stadium on Saturday.

There also won’t be a better time to unleash the 20-year-old gem as the Bees will be without the division’s most lethal threat, 24-goal top scorer Ivan Toney.

It means the young academy sensation could slot straight back in alongside the experienced duo of Chey Dunkley and Tom Lees without much worry for how he may react as the opposition’s biggest influence will not be playing.

Not that a game of this enamour should faze Urhoghide. After all, he made his competitive senior debut in an FA Cup third-round clash against Premier League outfit Brighton last season.

In four league starts this term, the versatile 6 foot 2 beast has kept two clean sheets, whilst his average WhoScored rating of 6.81 sees him rank third overall for all of the Owls’ defensive options.

Only the aforementioned duo are averaging more aerial duels won per game than Urhoghide (3.8), which shows that he’s still a tough man to beat aerially despite his relative inexperience.

There’s no better defender in this current squad in terms of work-rate as he’s managed two tackles per game, which is only bettered by the industrious Sam Hutchinson right now.

Speaking about his form just a few weeks ago, Thompson told reporters:

“You get [a] whole-hearted attitude from Osaze. He wants to play football,” before adding: “Centre-half is his best position without any shadow of a doubt.”

This endorsement very much echoes the thoughts of club captain Barry Bannan, who dubbed Urhoghide a “great lad” and also claimed: “I think we’ve got a player there,” via The Sheffield Star.

With no Toney and a need to get back to winning ways, the Owls must shift back to a 3-5-2 system, and in doing so, it’ll allow the young Owls gem to slot right back in naturally.

He must start against the Bees tonight.

AND in other news, Thompson must brutally axe “explosive” Owls star tonight…

Paul Robinson has claimed that Matt Ritchie will not stay at Newcastle United in the summer if Steve Bruce is still manager at the St. James’ Park faithful.

This comes after the reported bust-up between the duo on the training ground at the North East club, with Bruce physically confronting Ritchie and barging into him after the former AFC Bournemouth man called him a ‘coward’.

Ritchie was an unused substitute in the Tyneside club’s last game in the 0-0 draw away at West Brom in the Premier League at Sunday lunchtime, despite Bruce only making two substitutions with the Magpies crying out for some more onus in attack.

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson has claimed that the Scotland international will move on in the upcoming summer transfer window if Bruce is still manager at the Toon:

“I think his time there is limited.

“It looks more than likely he’ll be heading for an exit. If Bruce is still there in the summer it looks very likely that Ritchie won’t be.

“When you have a bust-up with the manager it straight away puts the manager’s authority into question. It is never comfortable and it is very rarely repairable.

“I think in this case it is a relationship that is irreparable. I think we will see him move on if Steve Bruce still be there.”

Newcastle should keep Ritchie

NUFC should be looking to keep hold of Ritchie, even if Bruce is still confirmed to be in charge beyond the 2020/21 term.

The 31-year-old is an experienced head and a big character in the dressing room, which can be useful for Newcastle in terms of trying to get results on the pitch.

He still has the ability as well, with former Cherries manager Jason Tindall describing the winger as a ‘fantastic’ player amid reported transfer interest from his team back in the January window.

Nonetheless, Ritchie could be a key player for the Magpies come the start of next season.

In other news, find out what details have been shared on a key Premier League decision on the potential takeover here!

Southampton have been handed a transfer blow as reported target Nemanja Radonjic has seemingly confirmed that he will stay with Marseille this month.

What’s the word?

Southampton were first linked with the winger in December in the print edition of The Sunday Mirror (06/12, p63), with West Ham and the Saints reportedly keen on taking the Serbian on loan.

However, he has now quashed any rumours of him potentially leaving the Ligue 1 side on loan or permanently this month, as he confirmed earlier this week in an interview with Tutto Mercato Web that:

“I have no intention of leaving Olympique Marseille. I have not had contact with other clubs and I am sure I will stay here. I want to stay at least until the summer and I am happy that the coach has given me more space in the last few races.”

A blow for Hasenhuttl?

This could certainly be considered a blow for Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, especially as Moussa Djenepo now looks set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up an injury against Liverpool recently.

Nathan Redmond has also struggled for fitness and form this season, so adding a winger such as Radonjic could have given the Austrian some much-needed squad depth on the wing.

He would also have surely increased the Saints’ attacking potential, as he has caught the eye with his pace during his time with Marseille, with captain Steve Mandanda saying:

“He has incredible speed and technique skills.”

The 24-year-old has struggled for game time with Les Olympiens so far this season, making just 11 appearances in all competitions, in which he has managed one goal and one assist, as a thigh injury kept him out of the side for much of November and December.

Radonjic averages 0.6 key passes per game for Marseille in Ligue 1, whilst Djenepo and Redmond average 0.4 and 0.2 respectively per game in the Premier League, so it definitely seems as if he would have been a worthwhile addition to Hasenhuttl’s side.

The Serbian international seems determined to stay with Marseille this month, however, which is a shame for Southampton. Despite their impressive start to the season, Radonjic would definitely have added something different to Hasenhuttl’s side and would have been useful to have considering the Austrian’s lack of available options on the left-wing at the moment.

And, in other news, Forget Ings: Semmens must seal Southampton deal which seemed impossible six months ago…

Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing Bayern Munich wonderkid Jamal Musiala and if he were to join the Reds, he could overtake Harvey Elliott as the brightest prospect at the Merseyside club.

Recent reports have suggested that Liverpool, as well as both Manchester clubs, are keen on signing the 17-year-old.

The former Chelsea youngster has enjoyed a sensational rise so far this season and has regularly appeared for Hans Dieter-Flick’s side, despite being so young.

In 13 Bundesliga appearances this season, the teenager has impressively contributed three goals, which has seen his Transfermarkt value soar to £9 million.

However, he is only contracted with Die Roten until 2022 and recent reports have suggested that contract talks with the club are not going well, with Musiala wanting as much as £100k per week.

It is a possibility, therefore, that Liverpool’s reported interest is simply Musiala’s agent’s way of encouraging Bayern Munich to give him what he wants, but if the Reds are interested, they should definitely try and sign the 17-year-old, as he looks destined for a great future in the game.

In fact, it could be argued that he would be even more of a prospect than Harvey Elliott, who is impressing on loan with Blackburn Rovers in the Championship.

Since joining Tony Mowbray’s side in the second tier, the 17-year-old has contributed four goals and seven assists in 19 appearances, so certainly looks set for a bright future with the Reds.

With the greatest respect to Blackburn, they are not of the same level as the current European champions, so the fact that Musiala is establishing himself there is arguably more impressive than Elliott’s feats.

Elliott has averaged 0.23 goals per 90 minutes in the Championship, compared to Musiala’s impressive 0.75 goals per 90 minutes in the Bundesliga.

He also scores higher than the Liverpool man when it comes to pass completion, having registered an 86% success rate compared to the 80% Elliott registered in the Premier League last season.

Therefore, the fact that Musiala is outscoring Elliott despite playing fewer minutes at a higher standard suggests that he is currently a better option than Elliott, and could, therefore, be a superb addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

The 17-year-old’s former coach Andrew Martin was full of praise for Musiala after his goal against Schalke earlier this season, saying:

“Technically outstanding, very skillful, and a player who can score all types of goals, inside and outside the box. And he’s a great dribbler and likes to take players on, as he did against Schalke. He later became a No.10 and has become as much of a creator as a goalscorer.”

It seems as if Musiala is destined for a big future in the game, and Liverpool could be the ones to benefit from his current contract stalemate, so Michael Edwards should swoop for the winger.

And, in other news… “Of course he would” – Exclusive: Pundit claims PL beast would love to join LFC

Liverpool have been linked with LOSC Lille midfielder Renato Sanches recently and the 23-year-old could prove to be the Reds’ replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum.

According to Le10 Sport, Jurgen Klopp is a big admirer of Sanches and believes that he could be the ideal replacement for Wijnaldum, who looks increasingly likely to leave the Merseyside club this summer when his contract expires.

Whilst the former Bayern Munich man struggle in his last spell in the Premier League with Swansea City on loan, his performances since joining the Ligue 1 side have demonstrated that he has a lot of quality.

Last season, the Portuguese international made 19 appearances in the French top-flight, contributing three goals and one assist, which helped him average a superb 7.13 rating.

He has continued his strong form with Les Dogues this season, averaging a solid 6.98 rating across his eight appearances in Ligue 1.

Despite being just 23-years-old, the midfielder already has 22 caps for his country and was one of the stars of Portugal’s Euro 2016 campaign, which saw them win the competition.

Liverpool also may be able to take advantage of Lille’s worrying financial situation to sign the £18 million-rated midfielder on a cut-price deal, suggesting that this is definitely a transfer that Michael Edwards could complete.

Earlier this year, Lille coach Christophe Galtier lauded the midfielder’s recent displays, saying:

“He has a capacity to play. He has personality, his balance is excellent. He’s a high-level player who needs to apply his qualities in service of the team.”

Considering WhoScored rates Sanches’ passing, dribbling and defensive contribution amongst his strongest attributes, it definitely seems as if he could replace Wijnaldum in this team, as his style of play could prove to be a perfect fit with the Reds.

The Dutch midfielder is undoubtedly going to be a tough player for the Merseyside club to supersede, considering he has featured 206 times for Klopp’s side, contributing 20 goals and 16 assists, whilst also writing himself into Liverpool folklore after his brace against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final.

However, the Reds cannot afford to not replace the 30-year-old, and it seems as if Sanches could be the ideal man to step in at Anfield, so long as he doesn’t replicate his performances with Swansea City from the last time he was in England.

And, in other news… Forget Firmino: LFC beast was Klopp’s true hero vs Spurs

Carlo Ancelotti must sanction a January loan move to Blackburn Rovers for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite amidst interest from the Championship side.

What’s the word?

According to LancsLive, Rovers chiefs are hopeful of completing a deal to take Branthwaite to Ewood Park until the end of the 2020/21 season.

Head coach Tony Mowbray has been given the backing of the club to make at least one loan signing this month, and he is seemingly intent on using any available funds to strengthen the core of his defence with a left-sided centre-back.

Branthwaite is one option under consideration with Scott Wharton, Derrick Williams and Daniel Ayala some of the other known alternatives, with Rovers forced into temporary transfers after a summer splurge in search of promotion back into the Premier League.

Everton are expected to consider sending Branthwaite out on loan following Seamus Coleman’s return from injury, which has eased concerns over a lack of depth that forced Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey to provide cover at full-back over the festive period.

Branthwaite missed parts of the start of the campaign with an ankle injury, after sustaining ligament damage just 24 minutes into his sole start of the season during September’s Carabao Cup win at Salford City.

The 18-year-old has since featured as an unused substitute in four Premier League squads following his return to fitness, after making four top-flight appearances last term.

Should Everton loan out Branthwaite?

With Coleman returning from injury allowing Holgate to contend with Yerry Mina and Michael Keane for minutes in central defence, Branthwaite will struggle to establish himself as a first-choice option at Goodison Park anytime soon.

Lucas Digne is also nearing a return from his ankle ligament surgery, which will free Godfrey up to act as an additional hurdle in Branthwaite’s path, making a loan spell with Blackburn an ideal option for both the player and Everton to consider.

Rovers are seemingly in need of a left-sided centre-half, so should be able to grant Branthwaite regular game time in their push for promotion, a push that currently sees Mowbray’s side sit five points outside of the play-off places and nine points behind second-placed Swansea City in the automatic promotion places.

Blackburn have not had the best of defensive units this term, either, with the Ewood Park natives conceding more goals than eight of the 10 sides currently sitting above them in the table after 23 games, having kept just one clean sheet in their last 10 matches.

Ancelotti is apparently a keen believer in Branthwaite’s potential, describing the 6 ft 4 teen talent as a “fantastic” prospect, and could be happy to see the 18-year-old display his potential week-in, week-out, with a temporary spell out on loan in a competitive environment.

“He showed quality and personality and character,” Ancelotti told EvertonTV about the player. “He is really calm with the ball, really comfortable, and really aggressive without the ball.

“He can be a fantastic player for us.”

AND in other news, Marcel Brands can atone for his £18m summer mistake with an Everton raid for a relentless gem.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has tipped West Brom to make a decision on the future of Slaven Bilic soon.

According to emerging reports last week, the Croatian’s job as manager of the Baggies would be put under scrutiny against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.

Albion made it an eighth game without a victory, losing cruelly to a late Harry Kane header, but Bilic was bullish over his future.

The 52-year-old said it was “nonsense” to question his future at the Hawthorns after the match despite West Brom finding themselves third from bottom going into the international break.

Kirkland, who enjoyed a season-long loan spell at the club in the 2005/06 campaign, believes Guochuan Lai and the Baggies board will pull the trigger if results continue to go against them.

Speaking to FFC, he said:

“That was a huge game for both teams [last week]. That win was much needed [for Fulham]. I don’t think a draw would have done either team any good.

“But yeah, you can see it. I mean, there are managers that have been sacked after four games, when they lose four on the spin. Yes, he got them up last season but that goes out of the window now.

“Listen, there’s always normally someone that goes in there around October, November time during the normal season but whether this is a normal season or not, I’m not sure.

“But I don’t think we’ll be too far away from seeing somebody face the sack soon if results go against them.”

This two-week gap in the domestic schedule will leave the decision-makers in the west Midlands plenty to consider.

Kirkland himself believes Sam Allardyce is the perfect candidate to succeed Bilic whilst Albion have also been linked to Charlton Athletic boss Lee Bowyer, who has worked with both Karlan Grant and Conor Gallagher in recent seasons.

Three points from eight matches is not a good start for the top-flight newcomers either way.

AND in other news, “Influential” West Brom man shines in the absence of Pereira during cruel defeat…

Glasgow Rangers’ bid to stop Celtic from winning the Scottish Premiership for the tenth time in a row couldn’t have gotten off to a better start as Steven Gerrard’s side are unbeaten in their past 23 games in all competitions, dating back to the 1-0 win over Aberdeen at the start of the season.

Rangers sit at the summit of the Premiership 11 points clear of their arch-rivals and although the Bhoys have two games in hand, it’s fair to say that Gerrard’s side are surely the favourites to regain the title for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

This should go some way towards taking the pressure off of Gerrard’s shoulders, but the Ibrox boss will know the work is nowhere near done quite just yet, as he has to balance both domestic and European competitions, with his focus now on Sunday’s trip to face Falkirk in the Scottish Cup.

We said just this month that he really needs to start playing wily veteran Jermain Defoe through the middle to share the workload of Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe.

He is set to rotate his squad for the Betfred Cup clash with the Bairns, which means that the former Tottenham Hotspur striker will be in contention to start at the Falkirk Stadium.

Morelos and Roofe ran themselves ragged as Rangers squandered a two-goal lead against Benfica in the Europa League on Thursday night, so Defoe may be expected to shoulder the burden once again after the horror show at Hampden last year.

The Light Blues battered Celtic for the majority of the cup final last December, only for the Gers to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, as they were unable to secure the victory as Morelos missed several chances, before Defoe was thrown in at the deep end as a late replacement in an attempt to put the game to bed.

Whilst the result didn’t go their way, that doesn’t mean that the 38-year-old should be almost entirely written off. If anything, far from it, as he famously won the English League Cup with Tottenham in 2008, whilst he has recently made it clear that he wants to win a trophy at Ibrox. That’s exactly what Gerrard needs, winners.

The former England international has only made five appearances so far this season, but has still scored two goals and supplied two assists in all competitions, which is a pretty impressive return by any player’s standards.

Valued at £1.2m via Transfermarkt, if he is given a decent cup run, Defoe may be able to find the form that saw him score score three goals in his first four games in the same year Spurs won the League Cup, which would surely be enough to convince Ross Wilson to give him a new contract.

There’s life in the old dog yet, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson must cash in on Glasgow Rangers outcast Jordan Jones in January…

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are trying to sell Anwar El Ghazi before the domestic window closes.

What’s the word?

The Netherlands international has fallen out of favour at Villa Park this season, failing to play a single minute of Premier League football, and only playing in the Carabao Cup thus far.

Now, Football Insider claim that El Ghazi is one of a trio of players who Dean Smith is looking to offload before the window closes on October 16, with the other two being Henri Lansbury and Frederic Guilbert.

Time to cash in?

With Bertrand Traore making a high-profile arrival from Lyon earlier in the summer, and the club already having Egypt international Trezeguet on their books, it was always going to be that much more difficult for El Ghazi to see first-team action this season.

And so it has transpired. The Dutchman has been on the bench twice in the Premier League without coming on, whilst he didn’t even make the match-day squad for the clash against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

For a player who Smith hailed as having an “awful lot of potential”, it’s been quite the turnaround. The £7.2m-rated ace has clearly fallen down the pecking order, and it’s quite telling that even despite Traore not being at full fitness yet, El Ghazi hasn’t tasted top-flight football thus far.

If they can get some decent money from a Championship club before the deadline, then it may be a deal that suits all parties. Villa get another fringe player off their books, and El Ghazi himself will stand a better chance of first-team football.