All posts by z3u9t.icu

Dean Windass reckons that David Moyes will be banging on GSB’s door to deliver him Jesse Lingard this summer.

Lingard enjoyed a scintillating loan spell with the Hammers in the second half to help them finish in the Europa League for the first time.

However, convincing the 28-year-old to sign permanently could prove a difficult task for the West Ham owners, especially with the Daily Star reporting that Manchester United have offered the attacker a lucrative deal to extend his stay at Old Trafford.

According to the Evening Standard, Lingard remains Moyes’ number one transfer target having scored nine goals and laid on six assists in just 16 Premier League appearances for the Hammers.

Lingard will undoubtedly be looking for regular first-team football wherever he ends up next season, although the signing of Jadon Sancho will have damaged his chances of that being at Man United.

And with just one-year remaining on his United contract, West Ham will be hoping to bring him back to the London Stadium at a cut-price.

But Windass exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that his next move won’t be east London:

“He’s done fantastically well Lingard, and David Moyes will be banging on the chairman’s door to sign Jesse Lingard, although I don’t think it will happen.

“Jesse Lingard, if he doesn’t stay at Man United, I can’t see him going back to West Ham.”

Writing on Twitter, Tunisian journalist Walid Elmechri has made a rather exciting West Ham United transfer claim involving FC Koln midfielder Ellyes Skhiri.

The Lowdown: Hammers set for busy summer?

Claret & Hugh explained that West Ham have three priorities firmly on the agenda in a permanent deal for Jesse Lingard, new centre-back and star striker, but reports have still emerged in regards to other possible signings.

Indeed, not so long ago, the Irons were heavily linked with Czech Republic international and Spartak Moscow midfielder Alex Kral and talks were even thought to be at an advanced stage (Football Insider).

While that has failed to materialise so far, other sources suggest that central midfield players are on the agenda for West Ham.

More recently, reports have claimed the Irons may even move for ex-Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey.

The Latest: West Ham enter talks for Skhiri…

As per Tunisian journalist Elmechri, writing on his social media, West Ham have now commenced negotiations with FC Koln for Skhiri but face competition from La Liga giants Sevilla.

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In a rather exciting claim, the reporter even says that both clubs are ‘very close’ to signing him after Koln rejected an €8 million (£6.8m) from Lyon.

“FC Koln management rejected Olympique Lyonnais’ offer (8 M € ),” explained the journalist on Twitter.

“Ellyes is very close to joining one of these two clubs: Sevilla FC or West Ham which have started negotiations with the German club.”

The Verdict: Exciting…

This comes as a pretty exciting claim given Ellyes’ head-turning numbers over the 20/21 season.

He was a mainstay for Koln in the Bundesliga last year, starting 32 matches, and it’s safe to say he was a colossal presence in defensive midfield.

According to WhoScored, the 26-year-old made more tackles (2.6) and interceptions (2.6) per 90 in the German top flight than any West Ham player managed last season in the Premier League (WhoScored).

He can also get forward on occasion, scoring five goals and assisting two others last campaign, marking him out as a seemingly perfect alternative to Kral in that position.

In other news: West Ham now want to sign this towering forward who will push to leave this summer, find out more here.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans as Jurgen Klopp looks to strengthen his squad over the summer.

What’s the story?

According to Belgian outlet Het Nieuwsblad, the 24-year-old is on the Reds’ radar as they search for Barcelona-bound Gini Wijnaldum’s replacement.

The report added that Tielemans was emotional at the end of Leicester’s final day defeat, not only due to missing out on a top four finish, but also because he knew it may have been his final game for the club.

Edwards must swoop

With Wijnaldum set to join Catalan giants Barca on a free transfer once his contract expires in the coming weeks, Liverpool will have a rather sizeable hole left in their engine room.

In a rather underwhelming campaign for the Anfield outfit, the Dutch international was one of very few consistent performers. Despite speculation over his future rumbling on for much of the campaign, Wijnaldum featured in all 38 Premier League games for the 2019/20 champions, starting all but four of them.

His departure could have a significant negative impact upon Liverpool if the club’s director of football Michael Edwards fails to bring in an adequate replacement, but he may just have found one in Tielemans.

Since arriving in English football in a £40m deal two years ago, the former Monaco man has bagged 17 goals and provided 19 assists in 108 outings for Leicester, scoring a sensational winner as Brendan Rodgers’ side won their first-ever FA Cup two weeks ago.

His impressive performances have previously earned praise from his manager, who lauded the Belgium international’s maturity despite his tender years.

“He is 23 years of age, but you’d think he was 28 or 29,” Rodgers told Sky Sports in March.

“He has got a wonderful football brain. I trust him. Tactically, he is so strong. Technically, he can play fast because his vision is so good.”

The assets that Tielemans has so readily shown throughout his time at Leicester could make him an ideal successor for Wijnaldum at Liverpool, and Edwards must swoop for the Belgian midfield maestro this summer.

In other news…Klopp must axe “unprofessional” £80k-p/w LFC gem this summer, he’s not good enough 

A number of Liverpool fans are angry at how Ben Davies has been treated at Anfield, following a report claiming he could leave this summer.

Jurgen Klopp had a horrendous season in the centre-back department, suffering scarcely believable bad luck in that area of the pitch.

Liverpool had to make do without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip for the majority of the campaign, with Fabinho and Jordan Henderson filling in defence at times.

The Reds’ shortage of defenders led to them signing both Davies and Ozan Kabak at the end of the January transfer window, but even they ended up having injury problems of their own.

In fact, Davies is yet to play a single minute for Liverpool, and according to ESPN, the club are happy to listen to offers for him this summer.

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Liverpool fans bemoan Davies update

These Reds supporters took to Twitter (via LFC Transfer Room) to provide their thoughts on the news, showing their sympathy for the former Preston North End man.

“This! We were unfair to the fella”

Credit: @SlimSEM_

“This is extremely unprofessional from LFC. Ben Davies’ dignified words and professional attitude should be rewarded. He could be useful for domestic cup games. I’m a big fan of Klopp’s man management, but this is disappointing”

Credit: @road_to_elysium

“I feel bad for him but honestly how could recruitment get it so wrong? I’m sure he’s trying his best but must have been shown up in training”

Credit: @fatpanda72

“This is horrible from the club”

Credit: @lfc_adrian

“I think this is very poor form from Liverpool”

Credit: @kloppsbeer

“We all knew he was brought in to sell on for £10-15m to boost the transfer kitty. Gutted he didn’t make an appearance for us”

Credit: @VocalistRKeith

In other news, some Liverpool fans are excited after the Reds were linked with a hugely exciting young player. Find out who it is here.

According to Spanish news outlet El Desmarque, West Ham United are ‘willing’ to pay over €40 million (£34.2 million) to sign Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri – with his agent now responding to all the interest.

The Lowdown: West Ham in striker search…

West Ham are on the search for a new striker as one of their main priorities for this summer, especially considering the unreliable fitness record of current frontman Michail Antonio.

The Irons had attempted to sign a new striker in January, with manager David Moyes himself confirming that bids had indeed been lodged, but West Ham didn’t manage to successfully land anyone.

GSB will reportedly try again to sign a new striker this window, though, with names like Adam Armstrong, Ivan Toney, Tammy Abraham and En-Nesyri having been previously linked (ExWHUemployee).

The Latest: West Ham ‘willing’ to pay over £34.2m for En-Nesyri…

El Desmarque have the latest when it comes to En-Nesyri, who West Ham made a bid for January.

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They claim that the Irons are ‘willing’ to go above £34.2 million to seal the Moroccan’s signature this summer, with the player’s agent now sending a firm message in response to rumours regarding his client.

“We don’t want to listen to any offers,” explained Anass Ouzifi, representative of En-Nesyri, to the outlet.

“There are three teams from England, but he doesn’t want to leave. We don’t want to talk about this because En-Nesyri doesn’t want to leave Sevilla, and he’s staying in Sevilla this year.”

The Verdict: Big blow for the Hammers…

En-Nesyri came as a very good alternative to fellow top level targets like Tammy Abraham, so this news comes as a mighty blow for West Ham despite their willingness to go all out.

Lauded as an ‘excellent’ striker by Spanish journalist Guillem Balague on Premier Sports, the 6 foot 3 star forward turned heads with his outstanding 18-goal haul in just 23 La Liga starts over 2020/2021 (WhoScored).

Indeed, only Michail Antonio and Jesse Lingard averaged more attempts on goal per 90 than En-Nesyri out of the entire West Ham squad last season domestically.

There’s no mistake he could have been a brilliant capture, but this message from his agent has dealt the Irons a big setback in their striker search.

In other news: ‘Have started negotiations’…Journalist makes exciting West Ham transfer claim, find out more here.

Kalvin Phillips has earned himself a lot of plaudits this season after taking to the Premier League like duck to water and he would only benefit from staying at Elland Road for another season, according to former midfielder David Norris, who played with Phillips when they were both at Leeds.

Phillips appeared to be a shoo-in for a place in Gareth Southgate’s European Championship squad this summer but a last-minute shoulder injury against West Brom has thrown his availability up in the air.

The 25-year old has proved how important he is to Marcelo Bielsa as he operates in the lone holding midfielder role which sees him shepherd the back four as well as linking attacks up quickly, and his performances have seen Pep Guardiola reportedly identify him as his number-one target this summer.

Leeds are not in a position where they have to sell after finishing in the top half in their first season back in the Premier League and Bielsa is set to stay so Norris can’t see Phillips leaving this summer, telling The Transfer Tavern exclusively:

“My initial thought was no chance because he’s been flying this season even breaking into the England team. So, I would be surprised as Leeds want to keep him, he loves Leeds because he’s been there a long time. He was even there as a kid when I was at the club so I’d like to see him stay longer.

“Obviously, Man City is a massive club but I would be worried about his game time. I’d like to see him stay and continue and if I’m thinking like a player, I would probably want to keep playing regularly and I would like to see him do a bit more with Leeds.”

There had been a lot of speculation over Bielsa’s future with even some reports suggesting that the Leeds’ hierarchy were preparing for life without him, however, it is expected that he will sign a new contract this summer.

Instead of letting the speculation get to the players’ heads, Leeds will want to see them all knuckle down over the summer and get ready for potentially gatecrashing the European party next season.

Liverpool’s signing of RB Leipzig centre-back Ibrahima Konate looks to be edging closer, after Bundesliga journalist Christian Falk claimed that his agent is now in the process of finalising his summer switch to Anfield.

Speaking to Bild, as per Anfield Watch, Falk claimed that the Frenchman’s agent is working on completing the deal that will see Konate become a Liverpool player ahead of next season.

It has been widely reported that Liverpool will sign the young centre-back this summer, with Fabrizio Romano confirming it on Twitter recently, and after this latest update from Falk, it seems as if Reds fans can start to get excited about his imminent arrival.

The 21-year-old has been used sparingly in Julian Nagelsmann’s side this season, making just seven starts in the Bundesliga, averaging a less than impressive 6.56 rating.

However, he was a regular in the 2018/19 Bundesliga season, making 28 appearances and averaging an impressive 7.19 rating for his performances, which suggests that he certainly has the ability to make a positive impact at Anfield next season.

It has also been reported that those in the know at RB Leipzig believe that Konate has a higher ceiling than teammate Dayot Upamecano, who is set to join Bayern Munich this summer, which suggests that Liverpool could soon have a very good player on their hands for the future.

The £31.5m-rated centre-back has made 94 appearances for Die Roten Bullen since joining in 2017, in which he has contributed four goals and one assist, whilst he also has plenty of experience in the Champions League, which is impressive for someone who will only turn 22 later this month.

Given Liverpool’s defensive woes following long-term injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip this season, it seemed clear that they would add a centre-back to their ranks this summer, and Konate certainly has the potential to become a world-class working under Klopp over the next few seasons, which marks him out as a great signing ahead of the summer.

Klopp took the games of Van Dijk, Gomez and Matip to new levels and he’ll hope to do the same with Konate.

Hopefully, after Falk’s latest claim, the final details of the transfer will be sorted out, so then Liverpool can confirm their first big signing ahead of next season.

And, in other news… Huge boost for Klopp as “monster” returns for Liverpool, he could save their season

Newcastle United could sign a major upgrade in Miguel Almiron in former Chelsea starlet Gael Kakuta.

What’s the story?

The 29-year-old is a familiar name in English football after his early high-profile move to Stamford Bridge in the late 2000s, with FIFA finding the Blues in contravention of their rules and banning them from signing any new players for a couple of years.

Now, Kakuta is plying his trade for Ligue 1 side Amiens, but has spent this season on loan at fellow French outfit Lens where he has played a starring role, scoring 11 times in the league alone.

And, according to Foot Mercato, Steve Bruce’s side have already contacted his representatives over a potential move in the summer, although it is suggested Kakuta himself is intent on finishing the season before making his decision.

An upgrade on Almiron

Dubbed as being “phenomenal” by French football journalist Zach Lowy, Kakuta’s form at Lens this campaign even saw him named into L’Equipe’s team of the season for the first-half of the year back in January.

With 11 goals and five assists in 33 league games for Lens, the attacking midfielder appears to be among the best form of his career, and the Magpies could do with that kind of production from someone other than Callum Wilson.

In fact, when you compare Kakuta to Almiron, Bruce could land a real upgrade on the Paraguay international.

Not only does Kakuta comprehensively outdo Almiron in terms of goal contributions – the Magpies ace has just five goals and three assists this season – he’s also been far more influential in terms of the key underlying numbers too.

As per Whoscored, the Lens attacker averages more shots, key passes and dribbles per game than the 27-year-old, while he also averages more than double the amount of crosses too – the kind of all-around influence that has seen Lens punching above their weight and lying in sixth in Ligue 1.

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The £7.2m-rated Kakuta is the kind of attacking midfielder the Magpies desperately need, and one they surely thought they were getting from when they signed Almiron.

Meanwhile, Newcastle must land this “absolute tank” this summer…

Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier will be wanted by a host of top clubs this summer, according to former Whites stopper Paddy Kenny.

The Lowdown: Key performer for Leeds

Marcelo Bielsa’s side had a brilliant season back in the Premier League, with a host of players starring throughout the campaign. Meslier was undoubtedly one of them, proving to be a hugely consistent performer between the sticks and being hailed as ‘superb’ by Darren Bent.

The 21-year-old Frenchman has unsurprisingly been linked with a move elsewhere in recent weeks, given his potential as a long-term prospect.

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The Latest: Kenny discusses Meslier’s future

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny admitted that Meslier’s head could be turned by a move to a bigger club this summer if there is concrete interest in him. The Irishman warned:

“I think there will possibly be clubs looking at him. I think he needs a bit more experience yet. It’s a tough one because if a big club comes in for you, how can turn them down? But you can move too early in your career.

“He’s only 21 so he should get two or three seasons behind him in the Premier League. But as I say, can you turn it down if an offer does come in? It might never come again.

“He’ll definitely be tempted, I know that. But he’s still a baby really in goalkeeping terms.”

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The Verdict: Whites must keep youngster

Meslier is a massively influential player for Leeds, keeping 11 clean sheets in 35 Premier League games, and it would appear to be vital that they keep hold of him moving forward in order for them to continue on their current trajectory.

His ball-playing ability from the back (4.8 accurate long passes per game, 77.1% passing success rate) is integral to the Whites’ playing style, and at the tender age of 21, he could be a key figure at Elland Road for many years to come.

It could be difficult to eventually keep hold of Meslier, though, with some European giants possibly viewing him as one of the most promising players in Europe in his position. As Kenny has hinted, there could be a few clubs around the continent with intentions to tempt the Frenchman away from Yorkshire.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with a summer move for a midfielder – find out who it is here.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Peterborough Director of Football Barry Fry has accused Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho of lying to the supporters following a recent incident involving defender Toby Alderweireld.

The Belgium missed Spurs’ draw with Newcastle last weekend, although the Portuguese claimed that his absence was down to his late arrival back from international duty.

Mourinho said that Alderweireld didn’t train on Thursday or Friday having failed to make the Covid test in time.

However, prior to Mourinho’s comments about the defender’s omission, Tottenham’s official Twitter account had posted a video from Friday’s training session that included Alderweireld.

Furthermore, Alderweireld then was an unused substitute against Manchester United on Sunday, and hasn’t played a single minute since the north London derby.

Fry told Football FanCast that there’s serious issues going on at Tottenham, and Mourinho’s stubbornness isn’t helping:

“Obviously something’s not right at Tottenham behind the scenes.

“To tell lies and you’re found out, [it] brings a big question mark, why did you tell a lie in the first place? Why not just say ‘I didn’t fancy playing him, I fancied playing someone else and I was wrong’. 

“I think he would never admit he’s wrong, that’s the problem. Spurs fans would like him to come out and say ‘I picked the wrong team, had the wrong tactics’, but he never will. He always thinks he’s right, he’s very stubborn like that.”