All posts by z3u9t.icu

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…

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Premier League manager Lawrie Sanchez has suggested that Wolves cutting back on their spending played a part in Nuno Espirito Santo’s departure.

Nuno surprised English football when it was announced last month by the club’s official website that he would be leaving Molineux after four seasons.

Those four seasons were largely successful, with the 47-year-old taking Wolves from the Championship to the Premier League before guiding the team to two seventh-placed finishes – hence why most were caught so off guard by the announcement.

And Sanchez has put part of that shock exit down to financial reasons. He told TT:

“As I understand it, part of the reason that he left was that there’s been a bit of cutting back from the Chinese owners, financially, who have funded that club.

“I think worldwide the Chinese state has pulled back a little bit from football financing. That’s part of the reason why [Antonio] Conte left Inter.”

It would have made a great storyline seeing Nuno go up against Wolves and his successor Bruno Lage in the Premier League, but that no longer looks like it is going to happen after talks to become the next Crystal Palace manager came to an end earlier this week.

There is, of course, still an opening at Everton, a vacancy that he is currently being linked to, so who knows?

Former Premier League striker Marcus Bent has exclusively told Football FanCast that he expects Tottenham to sack Jose Mourinho this summer.

Mourinho’s position has come under serious threat in recent months, with Spurs currently five points off the top four, meaning they’re likely to be without Champions League football for the second season in succession.

Tottenham have also crashed out of both the FA Cup and Europa League, meaning next week’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester City is their last chance to salvage something from the season.

Should Spurs lose to City, Mourinho will be on the brink of being unable to bring either Champions League football or silverware in his first two campaigns in north London.

And Bent told Football FanCast that those failures could cost the Portuguese his job:

“When he was at Chelsea, he had a side full of names, big names. It was kind of defensive-attacking, and I don’t think that works for Tottenham.

“He tried to go to Man United and do that, and it didn’t quite work. He’s tried to do that at Tottenham, but they’re a free spirit. He’s tried to bring more defensive formations and I don’t think it’s working.

“Will he stay on? I’m not too sure. My hunch is, I think they’ll let him go.”

Jurgen Klopp has been dealt a huge injury blow regarding Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino.

What’s the latest?

The Brazilian forward missed out on the Reds’ victories against Manchester United and Everton due to an ongoing foot injury.

In Tuesday’s press conference, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp gave an update on the No.9’s status coming into the Champions League semi-final clash against Villarreal.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]

Asked whether the Brazilian would feature against Unai Emery’s side, Klopp said: “I don’t think [he is ready] yet. He is running outside and that’s good, obviously, but I am not sure. Maybe somebody will surprise me afterwards and tell me, ‘Yes, Bobby is in.’ [I will have] open arms, but I don’t think so.”

The boss also covered the status of his squad overall, adding: “Apart from that [Firmino injury] no [new injuries] that I know yet.”

Klopp will be gutted

The absence of Firmino against a side who are expected to employ a low-block will be a huge blow for Klopp, who would have benefitted from his intricate dribbling and textbook passing against Villarreal tonight.

The 30-year-old has been a fundamental part of their Champions League progression this season. Despite only starting in 20% of the fixtures for Klopp in this year’s tournament, the Brazilian has achieved five goals in just six appearances.

Despite Diogo Jota’s sensational ‘false-9’ style offering a potential stabiliser in the opponent’s final-third and his defensive metrics, in relation to his position, also an outstanding option in comparison to Jota or Mane.

Whilst his average of three shot-creating actions per match equal Jota’s offering, it’s his passing that sets him apart as a centre-forward, with his average of 37 passes per 90 an indication of his contribution to Klopp’s side.

With his midfielder-like approach, Firmino is difficult to mark out of the game as he is not a bolshy, traditional striker. His habit of dropping deep affords space for Liverpool’s wingers.

The Brazilian’s services and experience will be missed tonight in what is a huge blow for both the player and the team.

In other news: Liverpool plot bid to sign gem with 181 goals in 108 youth games, Klopp surely buzzing – opinion

In an exclusive with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United defender Steve Howey has urged Jurgen Klopp to shake things up at Liverpool, specifically in the final third.

Liverpool had previously gone 68 games unbeaten at Anfield but they now find themselves on the end of a six-game losing streak at home in the Premier League, in which they’ve scored just one goal and conceded 10 times.

Mohamed Salah is still the Premier League’s top scorer with 17 goals this season, however, with Diogo Jota back fit Klopp may be forced into giving the Portuguese some starts ahead of one of the traditional front three of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Salah.

The Reds currently find themselves eighth in the league and seven points away from the top four so, Klopp may look to freshen things up all over the pitch.

Speaking on Liverpool’s struggles at home in recent months and what Klopp could do as he looks to find a way to halt their slide of poor results, Howey spoke exclusively to FFC:

“Obviously, he’s got to freshen it up. They hadn’t been beaten in 68 games and now it’s six [home league] defeats on the bounce.

“So, something needs to change. Of course, they’ve had bad injuries but so have every other team.

“Yes, it’s been to key players but everyone else has had to cope and you’d think Liverpool would be more than capable to cope with those injuries.

“They’ve still got good players who can deputise and come in to do a job.”

Liverpool have Fabinho back from injury now after he started in the 2-0 win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday evening who will be able to do a job at the back if required.

Klopp will be desperate to get both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez back from their long term injuries if they are to bounce back next season.

A major update has emerged on Stoke forward Lee Gregory, regarding Sheffield Wednesday’s interest in his services. 

According to Football League World, the Owls are poised to land the Stoke City centre-forward this summer. Gregory’s contract at Stoke expires at the end of the month and he is set to become a free agent in July.

Sheffield Wednesday are now looking to pounce on the former Millwall forward. The report claims that Hillsborough is the most likely destination for the attacker as it stands, with Darren Moore on the verge of adding him to his squad.

Back in 2019, former Millwall boss Neil Harris lavished praise on the “quality” attacker as he was heading for the exit door at The Den. He told London News Online:

“I can only thank him for his efforts while I’ve been in charge.

“Not just his goal-scoring record, but his quality as a person. 

“He is hugely, hugely popular in the changing room, massively popular with the staff because of his honesty, his trust, his performances and his work ethic. And he’s a fan favourite as well.”

In signing him, Dejphon Chansiri could land a major boost for Sheffield Wednesday.

Amidst all the bad news surrounding the club, with the unpaid wage situation, this could be a timely piece of positive news for Wednesday fans to enjoy. With Jordan Rhodes leaving the club at the end of the month, Moore is currently on course to have zero natural centre-forwards in his squad heading into next season. This means that adding a striker to the mix is a much-needed move.

The £12k-per-week dynamo has experience of delivering in League One. In two seasons in the third tier for Millwall, Gregory scored an exceptional 35 goals in 78 games, whilst also providing nine assists for his teammates.

This means that he is a proven goalscorer in the third tier and could help fire Sheffield Wednesday to promotion if he is able to rediscover his best form and settle in under the coaching of Moore. Therefore, fans should be buzzing that the club are on course to sign a proven player for their level.

Gregory would also arrive as a striker who has proven himself in the Championship. The 32-year-old scored four goals in nine starts for Stoke and Derby in the season just gone and has had four seasons of scoring six or more Championship goals in his career – hitting double figures twice for Millwall.

This shows that he is a useful player in the second tier and could be a valuable player for Wednesday to have if they are able to return to the division at the first attempt next season.

AND in other news, Major boost emerges for SWFC with £530-p/w sought-after dynamo, Moore will be buzzing…

Wolverhampton Wanderers are keeping a close eye on free agent striker Diego Costa, according to UOL journalist Bruno Andrade.

Costa’s contract at Atletico Madrid was terminated at the end of December, and he has been a free agent ever since.

The Spaniard agreed to rip up the deal six months early after marking only two La Liga starts prior to Christmas.

He has, of course, played in the Premier League before, enjoying a three-year spell at Chelsea from 2014 to 2017.

Costa landed two titles in that time and scored 52 goals in 89 appearances.

Lage assembles his striking options at Wolves

Bruno Lage, newly appointed as Nuno Espirito Santo’s successor at Molineux, will evaluate Costa with a view to a possible move.

Wolves are set to welcome striker Raul Jimenez back into the fold next season after he missed much of the 2020/21 campaign with a fractured skull, while teenager Fabio Silva is also an option in the forward ranks.

Fan feed Talking Wolves relayed the Costa report, and here’s how fans reacted.

These Wolves fans excited by links to Costa

“With Mosquera signed and rumoured now on Ruben Semedo and Diego Costa, I think Lage is looking to add a bite down the spine. Just what we need.”

Credit: @gjp12775

“He’s on the same plane as Talisca”

Credit: @Greener099Sam

“Yes please”

Credit: @MrAndyLowe

“Surely we go for it”

Credit: @TomWWFC_

“Please let this happen Jeff”

Credit: @mjp467

“Oh get him in”

Credit: @wwfcglover

In other news, Ruben Vinagre may be sacrificed to make room for this signing.  

Leicester City have, in recent years, earned a reputation as one of the masters of the transfer market.

That title is well-earned too, with the Foxes having unearthed a few bargains and earned a considerable amount in big-money sales.

As a matter of fact, pundit Jason Cundy has reserved special praise for the recruitment department at the King Power Stadium, stating that there is an “endless list” of success stories.

Whilst that is tough to disagree with considering the bargain fees that it has taken to bring the likes of Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, N’Golo Kante and many others to the East-Midlands, the Foxes’ list of recruitment failures is even more shocking.

Since the club earned promotion to the Premier League in 2014, they have produced an outlay of approximately £480m in the transfer market, with a lot of the more expensive players making little to no impact at the club.

A long list of strikers including Andrej Kramaric, Islam Slimani and Ahmed Musa were all then club-record signings following their respective arrivals. Costing just over £55m between them, they could only score 23 goals at a cost of approximately £2.3m per strike.

That poor recruitment continues into midfield where the likes of Gokhan Inler, Vicente Iborra and Adrien Silva have all been secured at huge expense, the latter being even costlier considering his inexplicable and infamous late registration. Embarrassingly, both the Portuguese ace and Inler were let go on free transfers.

Even the cheaper arrivals such as Yohan Benalouane, Ron Robert-Zieler, Bartosz Kapustka, Filip Benkovic and Rachid Ghezzal all must go down as poor buys.

Whilst it is somewhat unfair to have expected every transfer at the King Power Stadium to have been a success, Leicester’s list of failures is quite extensive, accumulating approximately £135m in wasted fees. Whilst that is not the most extortionate amount compared to Premier League rivals, it is simply unsustainable for a club the size of Leicester.

The East-Midlanders may well be deserving of their transfer market masters tag and indeed Cundy’s praise but this “endless list” of successes that he mentions is accompanied by an equally lengthy list of poor purchases too, which should not be overlooked.

AND in more news, have a look at which Barcelona star the Foxes need to look into signing again…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey, who made 157 appearances for Newcastle United, has urged the Magpies to appoint an English manager if Steve Bruce leaves this summer.

Bruce was on talkSPORT earlier this week and he claimed that his future is for other people to decide and not himself, as speculation grows whether or not he will remain in the dugout at St James’ Park next season.

This comes after reports earlier in the year that Mike Ashley would be offering Bruce a new contract at the end of the season if he managed to keep Newcastle in the Premier League, which he has managed to do.

Speaking on why he would like Newcastle to appoint another English manager after Bruce and how there are a lot of good managers in this country, Howey exclusively told FFC:

“I think we’ve got some very good managers in this country but for some reason we always want to go foreign, and there are some very good foreign managers don’t get me wrong, but it puzzles me.

“For some reason clubs always want to go foreign first, and that’s their prerogative, but I would always look at home first.”

Bruce appeared to be in danger of losing his job after Newcastle’s 3-0 defeat away to Brighton earlier this season with even some players thinking he was about to be sacked, but he stayed in the hot-seat and has turned the club away from relegation.

A name that has been linked with taking over from Bruce if he was to depart this summer is Gennaro Gattuso, who has recently managed AC Milan and is currently in charge at Napoli.

Journalist Ekrem Konur believes Benfica winger Filipe Jota will soon be a Celtic player.

The Lowdown: Jota links

Celtic have already been busy this summer, bringing in exciting attacking players such as Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada.

Links to Jota emerged on Friday evening, with The Daily Record suggesting the 22-year-old is a potential loan addition.

Jota, primarily a left-winger, has made 34 senior appearances for Benfica but spent last season out on loan at Spanish side Real Valladolid.

It appears as if another temporary move away from Benfica could be on the cards, this time to Scotland.

The Latest: Konur’s post

Konur took to Twitter on Saturday lunchtime and placed a ‘soon’ emoji in between Jota and Celtic.

He then added an hourglass, paperwork and eyes emojis, which seems to point to the winger possibly becoming Dominic McKay’s 11th and final signing, should Celtic finalise Georgios Giakoumakis becoming the club’s 10th addition, as is expected.

The Verdict: Smart

With young wingers Mikey Johnston and Karamoko Dembele both picking up injuries in pre-season, Ange Postecoglou has had to rely on James Forrest, Abada and Furuhashi as wide options.

Furuhashi has been used in a central role on a number of occasions, so bringing in another out-and-out winger appears to be a smart move.

The Daily Record believe he could be brought in to fill the Ryan Christie gap, with the Scot, at this moment in time, set to become a free agent in the New Year.

Jota, therefore, would possibly arrive on a season-long loan deal, giving Postecoglou another option in an exciting attack for the entirety of the campaign.

In other news: Pundit tips ‘composed’ ace to re-join Celtic in late activity.