All posts by z3u9t.icu

Crystal Palace’s summer overhaul appears to have been a considerable success in the opening weeks of the new campaign, with Patrick Vieira’s charges impressing so far.

With Odsonne Edouard scoring a brace on his debut, Conor Gallagher already becoming a fan’s favourite, and the centre-back pairing of Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen growing stronger by the game, it’s hard to criticise the south London outfit’s business in the transfer window.

However, while the arrivals at Selhurst Park have settled quickly, proving themselves to be sensible purchases, it’s one of their former stars who was allowed to depart that has raised several eyebrows.

Winger Andros Townsend was amongst several experienced campaigners to be released by the capital club in the previous window, although he revealed back in June that negotiations over a new deal were taking place with Palace’s hierarchy.

“We’re still having brief discussions,” Townsend told talkSPORT (as reported by Football.London). “The club have told all of us that there’s no decisions being made until a manager has been appointed.

“Since then, Christian Benteke has signed a new deal, so… (laughs). So I don’t know. I want to be somewhere on July 1st.

“My agent is in the background now getting as much interest put into an offer, and then I’ll sit down with my agent, and around July 1st (we’ll) see which one is the best for me at this time in my career.”

However, just a month later, the Evening Standard reported that a change in circumstances meant that the former England international would not be returning to Palace, leaving the door open for Everton to swoop.

And now chairman Steve Parish must be regretting his decision to allow the £58,000-per-week gem to depart after watching Townsend flourish at Goodison Park.

In just nine appearances for the Toffees, Townsend has bagged five goals and laid on a further three assists for his teammates, highlighting his ability to still produce at the highest level despite turning 30 in July. He even scored at Old Trafford against Manchester United, mimicking Cristiano Ronaldo’s celebration in the process.

The flying winger joined Palace in a £13m deal back in 2016, and the club’s chief will surely be gutted that such a talented star walked away for free over the summer, condemning them to their first transfer nightmare of Vieira’s new era.

And, in other news…Crystal Palace could be set for surprise injury boost, Vieira will be delighted 

Leeds United should ‘seriously consider’ making a January move for Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Alli’s fall from grace

Alli was one of the hottest properties in English football at one point, scoring 18 Premier League goals in the 2016/17 season when he was only just out of his teens.

He has been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by former Arsenal hero Ian Wright but his stock has fallen rapidly of late, with only six league starts coming his way this season and none since the arrival of Antonio Conte.

It means a January exit could potentially be on the cards, and Leeds are desperately in need of a new midfielder, with Phil Hay believing the plan is to go shopping for one in January after the injury to Kalvin Phillips.

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The Latest: Leeds backed to sign Spurs man

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed Alli is an option Victor Orta and co would have to weigh up if the opportunity arrived to sign him:

“Not to rule out Leeds, either. I think if Dele Alli was there and he wanted to go to Leeds, it’s something they would have to seriously consider.”

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The Verdict: Worth a gamble?

Alli’s reputation has undoubtedly diminished over time but he is such a talented footballer and he may just require a fresh challenge.

He is still a player with 37 England caps to his name, not to mention scoring 51 goals and registering 37 assists in 179 Premier League appearances.

Granted, he wouldn’t be a signing to accommodate the loss of Phillips to injury, given his attack-minded nature, but Marcelo Bielsa may believe he could get the best out of him, and he would certainly add quality depth to a side whose injury concerns are becoming a full-blown crisis.

In other news, a journalist has made another Leeds transfer claim. Read more here.

Newcastle United have been hit with a crushing transfer update regarding Napoli centre-forward Victor Osimhen.

What’s the talk?

Journalist Freddie Paxon has revealed that the Nigerian would prefer a move to Arsenal over St James’ Park this summer.

The reporter claims that the Gunners are seriously interested in signing the attacker and have taken steps to sign him, although the Serie A club’s valuation of him could be an issue for the north Londoners.

Paxon tweeted: “I’m told Arsenal have been in contact with the agent of Victor Osimhen. The feeling is that the interest is serious, but Napoli will expect €100m+ this summer. Player wants to play in England and has previously been contacted by Newcastle. He is more interested in Arsenal.”

He added: “Personally I’d imagine that if Napoli hold out for that price it would be a big stumbling block for Arsenal, who have other targets who would be available for less. That said, there are clearly big admirers of Osimhen at the Emirates.”

Eddie Howe will be fuming

This update will surely leave Magpies head coach Eddie Howe fuming, as the £85m Osimhen would be a sensational signing for the club, and this latest claim suggests that Newcastle are not winning the race for his signature.

The player is seemingly angling for a move to the Emirates Stadium and it could be difficult for Newcastle to secure a deal for him now.

Arsenal are speaking with his agent and are in the driving seat to land his services, which will potentially leave the Toon considering other targets as they will not want to waste their time on a player who has his heart set on a transfer to another club.

Osimhen has been in phenomenal form for Napoli in Serie A this season. He has scored 12 goals in 20 league starts for the club and averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.12, which shows that the overall standard of his performances has been consistently high.

The Nigerian also scored four goals in three Europa League starts earlier in the season to prove himself domestically and in Europe.

At the age of 23, he also has scope to develop his game further and improve as a striker. This means that he would be a fantastic short-term signing given his scoring returns this season, and he would be a player with whom Howe could work over a number of years.

This is why the Newcastle head coach will be fuming with the player’s decision to pursue a transfer to Arsenal instead of wanting to join the Magpies.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Bruno: PIF must finally launch NUFC move for “outrageous” £50m dynamo…

Many Everton fans have been bemoaning some early team news ahead of their Premier Leaguematch at home to Brighton and Hove Albion today.

As per journalist Alan Myers, new signing Vitaliy Mykolenko is ‘not eligible’ to play at Goodison Park this afternoon.

The Merseyside club had announced the Ukrainian’s signature on their official website on Saturday morning, but they will not be able to see a first glimpse of him when they take on the Seagulls today.

Of course, there is still speculation surrounding the future of the recently-overlooked Lucas Digne as well, so Rafael Benitez’s team may go into the game without a recognised left-back, which in turn could affect their chances of getting all three points against Graham Potter’s side.

Everton fans on team news

These Everton fans bemoaned the team news as it was shared on Twitter, with one supporter claiming that they were ‘gutted’, while another even went as far as to call it a ‘blow’:

“Boooooo”

Credit: @RhysDavies1878

“Why always us?”

Credit: @HeidiInteriors

“That’s a blow”

Credit: @EvertonAllSorts

“That’s sad”

Credit: @534Nz

“Just let us be happy for 5 minutes please, I beg”

Credit: @maggiejane1985

“Gutted”

Credit: @michmosh85

In other news, find out what transfer news has left these Evertonians fuming

As per reliable reporter Jack Rosser of The Evening Standard, an encouraging update has come to light as Tottenham Hotspur eye a move for Middlesborough defender Djed Spence.

The Lowdown: Spurs join race…

Sky Sports first broke the news that Spurs had joined the race to sign Boro’s in-demand youngster who is currently shining on loan at fellow Championship side Nottingham Forest.

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London World add that Spurs boss Antonio Conte is actually ‘edging closer’ to the 21-year-old’s capture as he eyes new-right back additions in north London.

In another update, Rosser has come out with an equally encouraging claim.

The Latest: Spurs agreement possible this month…

Taking to Twitter, he explains that a deal to sign Spence ‘could happen’ in January as Tottenham and north London rivals Arsenal tussle for his signature.

He does however add that the player won’t actually make the move until the summer.

“Arsenal and Tottenham target Djed Spence valued at up to £12m by Middlesbrough,” he explained.

“Deal could happen in January but Spence won’t move until the summer.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Already attracting plenty of praise for his performances at the City Ground over 2021/2022, we believe £12m would be a snip for the homegrown ace with both pace and delivery on the right-hand side.

Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff called Spence a ‘massive player’ for Forest this season whilst Boro’s manager Chris Wilder heaped praise on the ‘outstanding’ starlet for his temporary spell so far.

With plenty of years ahead in what could be a promising career, signing the defender should be a no-brainer.

In other news: Offer ready: Conte could soon sign ‘game-changer’ for Spurs after recent Levy meeting…find out more here.

According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, the future of Gary Cahill remains uncertain heading into the final few days of the January transfer window. The 33-year-old defender currently plays his football at Premier League giants Chelsea and has done so since 2012, although struggles for regular game time under new Blues boss Maurizio Sarri this season has plunged his future at the 2017 league champions into doubt.

And a recent report from The Daily Mirror suggests that Arsenal are seeking to lure the centre back across London in the last knockings of the window, while Cahill’s availability should also be of interest to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp given his defensive concerns – as such, the Reds must try their hand at an audacious move for the linked-away ace.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the centre back ranks at Anfield have taken something of a hit in recent times given Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, and Dejan Lovren have all been struck down by either injury or illness in the last few weeks – in fact, the former doesn’t look like returning to full fitness anytime soon.

And with messrs Lovren and van Dijk doubts for their clash with Leicester City in the Premier League on Wednesday, and plenty of other big matches to come in February in the form of the Champions League and league clashes against West Ham and Manchester United, Klopp must be aware that his side’s season could be defined on results in the coming weeks.

Add in a suspension to the commanding van Dijk for the first leg of their last-16 clash against Bayern Munich in Europe’s elite competition, and Klopp looks set to be very thin on the ground – playing messrs Lovren and Matip against Bayern could be asking for trouble.

And that is why a move for Chelsea’s Cahill would make some sense this month, as although at 33 he may be entering the twilight of his career, he retains the quality and indeed the know-how to help the Reds navigate what looks set to be a testing period of the season.

The centre back has enjoyed much success at Chelsea after joining from Bolton Wanderers back in 2012, with the Englishman since then helping the Blues win two Premier League titles, as well as triumphs in the Champions League, the Europa League, and the domestic cup competitions – he’s certainly a well-decorated defender.

Yet it was only the 2016/17 season a few years back in which the 33-year-old shone in Antonio Conte’s defence to help inspire Chelsea to the Premier League title – not only would he give Liverpool some much-needed trophy-winning experience off the field, but he could certainly do a job on it as well.

And while it would be something of an audacious move, what with Chelsea perhaps unlikely to help out a Premier League rival, it’s a move the Reds should make nonetheless, as doing so could help Klopp’s side negotiate what looks set to be a season-defining few weeks.

Liverpool fans… what do you think? Let us know!

At the age of 35, Liverpool midfielder James Milner is currently the seventh-oldest current Premier League player, with an astonishing 568 league appearances under his belt in what has been an impressive career in English football.

Taking that into account, and with his current contract at Anfield set to expire next summer, it’s not out of the question that the Merseyside club could be looking to replace the veteran if he ends up leaving then.

Rather than potentially splashing out a significant transfer fee on a new player from another club to replace Milner if he were to leave, we feel that Liverpool could already have their perfect heir for him within their youth squad in James Norris.

The 18-year-old, who is a product of Liverpool’s youth academy, is predominantly a left-back, a position where Milner has made 66 appearances throughout his career. He has also played as a central midfielder, centre-back and left-midfielder on two occasions for England’s under-19 side this season, showing her versatility at such a young age, just as Milner has done throughout his long career.

According to Liverpool’s official website, Norris is an “energetic left-back who can also play in midfield”, has “a great work ethic matched with a sweet left foot” and “loves to get forward and support the attack”.

Throughout his short career so far, he has made 35 appearances for Liverpool’s under-18 side, with five goals and five assists to his name, as well as making 13 appearances for the under-23 side, scoring one goal and providing one assist in the process.

Norris made his senior debut for the Reds during Liverpool’s 5-0 defeat against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup back in December 2019.

Looking ahead to the future, if he can keep developing within Liverpool’s youth teams for the time being and adapting to different positions as he has been doing, he could well go on to become a very useful figure for Liverpool in their senior squad in the foreseeable future given his versatility, especially if Milner leaves the club when his contract runs out next year.

In other news – Forget Keita: Klopp must unleash £120k-p/w LFC outcast on Sunday, he impressed v Atletico

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has revealed the latest on Aston Villa starlet Indiana Vassilev.

What’s the story?

The 20-year-old had spent the previous few months on loan in the MLS with Inter Miami, playing 21 times for them and scoring three goals.

Now, during a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail, Preece has admitted that Vassilev’s current situation at Villa Park is a “strange” one.

He said: “Yes, I’ll ask Gerrard about Indy. It’s an odd one and it looks like he’ll have to make do with just training until that December 31 deal officially expires. Not been involved with under-23s which is again strange.”

Villa fans might be worried

Previously on FFC, we’ve earmarked Vassilev to play a big role for Villa in the coming years, and it’s no surprise given the kind of rave reviews he has earned.

Rusty Scarborough who headed up the IMG academy during the 20-year-old’s spell there, said: “On the field, you know he’s out there, he’s a leader, people follow him. The technical aspect he’s developed at a young age so now he’s phenomenal on the ball, passing, dribbling, shooting, heading, receiving.”

And, another coach from IMG, Kevin Hartman, hailed: “He’s got great leadership qualities and he’s got an undying desire to win every time he plays. That competitiveness is an attribute that I think every coach is going to be looking for and it really drives development.

“His future is boundless. He has all the physical capabilities of a top level player. The attributes and the characteristics that he has within are the ones that will drive his development. I don’t see a limit to what he can achieve.”Villa’s first-team squad is brimming with bright academy prospects coming through, including the likes of Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka among others.Vassilev of course has got the first-team edge on some of his fellow academy starlets given he has played senior football with the likes of Inter Miami and also Burton Albion last season.Losing him without even seeing him make his first-team debut for the club would surely have Villa fans worried about the rest of their promising young stars and the direction the academy is heading in.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has delivered the latest Aston Villa transfer update…

Journalist Joshua Mbu hit out at three West Ham players in the defeat to Brentford on Sunday afternoon. 

The Lowdown:

David Moyes made three changes to the side that drew with Lyon on Thursday evening, with Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal and Manuel Lanzini coming in for Alphonse Areola, Ryan Fredericks and Said Benrahma.

The Hammers struggled throughout against Thomas Frank’s side, with goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney after half-time the difference between the two sides.

The defeat leaves the Hammers six points behind Tottenham in the race for fourth, with both Arsenal and Spurs having games in hand.

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The Latest: Mbu’s post

Mbu, a journalist for The Sun, took to Twitter in the first half to hit out at Lanzini, Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen.

He labelled the trio behind Michail Antonio as ‘having an absolute shocker’ – and the stats back that up. As per SofaScore, the trio lost possession on 32 occasions, had no shots on or off goal all afternoon and made just one successful cross combined.

The Verdict: All eyes are on Lyon…

It seemed as if one eye was already on the trip to France for the second leg with Lyon, and it looks as if any chance of finishing in the top four is now over for the Hammers.

Moyes will want to put this result behind him and look towards the showdown with the Ligue 1 side, and he’ll have a number of selection calls to make ahead of the second leg.

Aaron Cresswell is suspended so will certainly miss out, and hopefully, fans will see a much-improved display against the French side, as it now seems to be the most realistic route into Europe’s elite competition next season.

In other news: West Ham make contact to sign ‘one of the top four’ number eights in Europe! Find out more here.

Despite reports earlier suggesting Erik ten Hag’s advantageous position in the race to become the next Manchester United manager, it is still as open as ever with Mauricio Pochettino still being considered.

What’s the word?

The 87.9% of the United fanbase who are hoping for the appointment of Ten Hag will be left fuming by the latest report.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano shared a fresh update on the Argentine’s status in relation to the United managerial gig:

“Mauricio Pochettino is still absolutely in the race. He had a conversation with Man United. They’re approaching people next to him since November.”

Supporters won’t like it

What we can take from the latest report from Romano is that the race is not over and a set decision has not yet been made.

Despite being the manager of PSG, Pochettino’s potential appointment has rattled the majority of the United faithful, given the fact that he did not win a single trophy at Spurs.

His two accolades with PSG, the French Cup and French Super Cup are also held on scrutiny due to the calibre of the competition in Ligue 1.

Although he is on track to win his first league title, things have not exactly gone to plan for the Argentine, with rifts between superstars Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi leaving fans feeling as though he can not manage big-name players.

The comparison between Zidane and Pochettino made by journalist Jonny Bentley sums up their managerial strengths whilst subtly addressing their weaknesses;

“Poch enjoys coaching and developing young players.

“Zidane is an expert in managing big egos and winning big trophies.”

Although Pochettino is seen as the underdog in the race to become United boss, you cannot fault his ability to rebuild a squad on a shoestring budget as he demonstrated at Spurs.

As for his lack of trophies, he so very nearly led Spurs to continental success, reaching the final of the most prestigious club competition in world football.

He also missed out on lifting the Premier League, after Leicester City stretched ahead of his Spurs side and Arsenal to complete what was a miraculous underdog story back in the 2015/2016 season.

Seen as the lesser entity in this race against Erik ten Hag, Poch will be hoping to take a leaf out of the Foxes’ book and complete his miraculous underdog story by becoming United’s next boss.

However, if that does happen, it may not go down well with the Old Trafford faithful.

In other news – Sold at £38m, then scored 184 PL goals: MUFC had a shocker over “unique” 33 y/o icon…