All posts by n8rngtd.top

Leeds United were linked with every man and his dog during the summer transfer window, well, at least that’s what it felt like as even the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani were rumoured to be on their way to Elland Road.

But there is one realistic name that the Yorkshire giants must reconsider going into January as the door has seemingly opened for them to strike this time around.

According to West London Sport, Queens Park Rangers’ contract talks with attacking midfielder Bright Osayi-Samuel continue to stall, and now their manager Mark Warburton has warned that he isn’t afraid to offer an ultimatum if he does not sign an extension soon.

The 22-year-old saw a £5m move to Belgian outfit Club Brugge fall through early in the summer and as a result, he remained at Loftus Road, where he has continued to display his impressive exploits.

Osayi-Samuel has contributed to four goals in 13 starts in the Championship so far this term while also averaging 3,4 dribbles, 1.5 shots and 1.3 key passes per game when playing anywhere in behind the striker, via WhoScored.

It means he’s well on track to surpass last season’s tally of five goals and eight assists, and his averages for all three facets have improved from 2019/20 too.

You’d have to imagine that Warburton’s ultimatum is said through gritted teeth as the former Brentford manager knows all too well just how good the Nigerian-born Englishman is.

He has previously lauded Osayi-Samuel as a “real handful” who has “sheer pace that terrifies defenders,” which is why Leeds should be all over him again after AllNigeriaSoccer linked the Yorkshiremen with interest back in May this year.

Given that Pablo Hernandez is out of the side right now having not featured in any of their last three Premier League outings, while he has only started two of ten matches, per Transfermarkt.

“He’s going to be a real star of the future. He’s not just got speed, he’s got that end product. He can cross, get assists and can score,” once said Steve McLaren too.

The Rs sensation is out of contract in the summer, so with some forward planning, he won’t even cost Andrea Radrizzani a penny. Not bad when you’re looking for someone suitable to take the reigns from the Spanish veteran.

AND in other news, Leeds must steer well clear of £60k-p/w “monster” in January…

West Ham United forward Andriy Yarmolenko offered an inconsistent display during Ukraine’s 1-0 win over Spain in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday night.

Andriy Shevchenko’s Ukraine hosted Luis Enrique’s Spain at the NSK Olimpiskyi stadium looking to bounce-back from defeat at home to Germany on Saturday, with a sole goal from Viktor Tsygankov enough to settle the tie.

The result moved Ukraine to within a point of Group 4 leaders Spain and level on six points with Germany, who were held to a 3-3 draw by Switzerland who remain winless after four matches.

Yarmolenko assisted Tsygankov’s deadlock-breaking effort in the 76th-minute, but otherwise hindered Ukraine’s efforts as he earned his 91st international cap whilst wearing the captain’s armband for the third game in succession.

Yarmolenko has been a constant on the international stage for his native Ukraine for the past year, having recovered from an Achilles tendon rupture to participate in their European Championship qualifying campaign and now lead the country in hopes of reaching the Finals of the 2020/21 edition of the Nations League.

Irons boss David Moyes has not been as forthcoming with minutes in east London, with the Scottish coach only starting the £6.75million-rated attacker in West Ham’s Carabao Cup ties and as a late substitute in their first two Premier League fixtures.

Former Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini was a much larger advocate of Yarmolenko’s potential, having signed the 30-year-old from Borussia Dortmund for £17.5m.

“He is able to be one of the best midfielders in the league,” Pellegrini said of Yarmolenko in 2019, via quotes by The Telegraph. “His quality and the way he is playing is showing that he is a top player.”

Irons teammate Ryan Fredericks also lauded Yarmolenko a year ago for being an unusual breed, pairing power with technical skill.

“He is a little bit different,” Fredericks noted. “Unpredictable.”

It would be fair to say that Yarmolenko’s performance against Spain lived up to the unpredictable tag as he produced an inconsistent display. Whilst the £115,000-per-week attacker – notably West Ham’s top-earner – did provide an assist, he was also consistently an easy read for his marker.

Spain restricted Yarmolenko to just two key balls from 30 accurate passes as they penned the attacker back in Ukraine’s territory for much of the clash, while forcing him to lose possession nine times, commit three fouls, lose seven of 10 duels, be caught offside once and only make one successful dribble, per SofaScore.

Yarmolenko was further dribbled past twice, made no successful tackles and registered no efforts on goal, but was able to record four clearances and one interception.

His performance pretty much mirrored his club form, an inconsistent display which is likely to make it an extremely easy call for Moyes to again bench Yarmolenko when West Ham return to the Premier League this weekend away to Tottenham Hotspur, looking to claim only their second win over their London rivals in what will be seven meetings.

AND in other news, West Ham can sign a “gifted” long-term target before Friday’s deadline after a Premier League rival turned to alternative options.

Liverpool are staring down the barrel of a gun as they consider sending Divock Origi out on loan in January. Voetbal Nieuws has reported that the striker is hoping to secure a move to his homeland in order to boost his chances of a call-up to the Belgium team for next summer’s European Championship.

Whilst the move will benefit Origi, it could put the Reds under intense pressure for the rest of the season. They have already suffered a huge injury crisis in their defence, a blow to their attack could be the end of their title chances this campaign.

Liverpool must buy in the January window

Whilst the Belgian has slipped down the pecking order at Anfield, Jurgen Klopp will have just one recognised striker in his senior squad if he leaves in January. Takumi Minamino has been operating more centrally in his recent performances, but he has not yet proven himself as a long-term reliable back up to Roberto Firmino.

After the Reds met Sheffield United at Anfield at the weekend, Klopp admitted that it was a tough decision to let fellow striker Rhian Brewster leave this summer. The youngster has a buy-back clause in his contract with the Blades, but it’s unlikely Liverpool will activate this any time soon.

Mohamed Salah is confident in the No.9 role, but this season has shown that injury can creep up from nowhere. The current defensive crisis sees them without Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and stand-in centre-back Fabinho.

Klopp is having to call upon teenaged Rhys Williams for the time being, and whilst he did a good job against Midtjylland, it shouldn’t be taken as gospel that all youth players can step up in the club’s time of need.

Origi is undoubtedly a cult hero at Liverpool after his performance in their 2018/19 Champions League success. Despite not being up to scratch recently, he is still a fan favourite for the big shifts he has put in over the years. Caoimhin Kelleher has also paid tribute to the 29-cap international’s work ethic.

“He always comes up with massive goals,” the goalkeeper told Sky Sports. “He was unreal tonight and the whole team tonight, we had a never say die attitude and we kept going until the end.”

Equally rated by his teammates and fans, it will be tough to let go of two senior strikers within four months. The only way Liverpool can ensure this doesn’t come back to haunt them is if they recruit smart in the upcoming January window.

Letting Origi go is fine, just as long as Klopp and Michael Edwards have a replacement lined up to ensure that they have plenty of attacking cover for the business end of the 2020/21 campaign. However, allowing him to leave and not bringing in a replacement could have dire consequences as they would be a Firmino injury away from another crisis.

In other news, “World-class” Rhys Williams can be key for Liverpool, on one condition…

Globally sought-after talent Jadon Sancho has thrown a huge curveball into the mix as he would reportedly favour a move to Anfield over Old Trafford next season.

The Independent (via Sportsmole) has reported that the Dortmund winger could be seeking a move to Liverpool despite his talks with Manchester United. Both the reigning Premier League champions and Bayern Munich have overtaken the Red Devils in pursuit of his signature.

Jurgen Klopp has been highlighted as someone who could lure Sancho to the fortress of Anfield over the coming months.

Liverpool could snatch Sancho

The England international has been linked to several Premier League clubs this year. The Reds are certainly interested but seemingly couldn’t justify his mammoth asking price. Back in June, Dortmund valued their star player at an astronomical £117million, according to Bild (via talkSPORT). However, due to the current financial climate, neither Liverpool nor United have been able to facilitate a move.

Dortmund lost out on the Bundesliga title by quite a margin last season, finishing 13 points behind winners Bayern. Sancho could be weighing up his options as he starts thinking about winning trophies. Klopp’s success with both Liverpool and Dortmund could be a deciding factor in the 20-year-old’s next move.

Sancho stats

Sancho has quickly established himself as one of the best young talents on the planet. Last campaign, he notched a delightful 20 goals and 20 assists across competitions for his club, taking his Dortmund total to 35 goals and 45 assists all together (via Transfermarkt).

The winger also enjoyed time in England with Manchester City, scoring 15 goals in just 22 appearances in the U18 league. However, Sancho was never called up to the senior squad. He may have unfinished business in his home country – that being the desire to dominate the Premier League.

If Liverpool are to make a move for the forward, it will likely be next summer when the picture is clearer on finances. With three years left on his contract, it’s also without question that Sancho will still cost in excess of £100million. But if the Reds do strike a club record deal for the services of a player who has been labelled “world class” by former player Emre Can, they will have seriously caught Man United with their trousers down.

In other news, Verdict on Gini Wijnaldum’s Liverpool future a stark reminder for Klopp…

Wolves have every right to feel bitterly disappointed after the 2019/20 season as a late drop in form cost them a place in the Europa League.

The Midlands outfit will once again have their eyes on continental qualification this season, but there is a feeling that in order to get to that next level, they need to improve in some vital areas.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side was looking rather threadbare this summer after Matt Doherty left for Tottenham and Jonny Otto’s ACL injury put him out for the foreseeable future.

Fortunately, Jeff Shi has brokered a number of deals to bring in some exciting players at Molineux, and we’ve ranked Wolves’ incoming transfers so far…

Marcal 4/5

What a piece of business this could prove to be.

Wing-backs are vitally important in Nuno’s system, and with Jonny out injured, Wolves were left with the inexperienced Ruben Vinagre as their only option on the left side.

Fortunately, they’ve been able to find a top-quality option in that position, and he was something of a bargain as well.

£2m for a full-back with Champions League experience will never be considered a bad signing, and he will alleviate a lot of the pressure that Vinagre may have been feeling after Jonny went down with an ACL last month.

Fabio Silva 3/5

If any other club were making this signing you’d laugh at them, but with Wolves getting these types of deals right so often over the past few years, it’s hard to completely disregard the idea that Silva could be a success.

We’re not going to pretend that £35m for an 18-year-old striker with just one league goal to his name represents incredible value because it looks atrocious when you put it like that, but he’s highly rated, and with Wolves building an exciting young roster, this signing could be one that takes a few years to pay off.

Vitinha 3/5

A young midfielder who has starred at Porto making a move to Wolves, where have we heard that one before?

Vitinha isn’t quite at the level Ruben Neves was when he arrived at Molineux, but this could be yet another example of Wolves’ links to Portugal paying dividends.

The 20-year-old looks like another youngster with a high ceiling, winning the breakthrough player award at the 2019 Toulon Tournament and playing a handful of games for Porto’s first-team.

This is a relatively low-risk signing on loan, but if he comes in and does well, Wolves’ option to buy him at the end of the season could look like a very wise move to make.

Glasgow Rangers have potentially been handed a massive boost ahead of their Europa League tie with Galatasaray on Thursday, with Younes Belhanda close to a move to Nice according to A Spor.

Midfielder Belhanda used to play for the French side, and he could be about to make a return to his former club.

It is reported that the Ligue 1 team will pay a fee in the region of €7m (£6.4m), with Belhanda one of the big earners at the club and therefore having drawn criticism.

During his time in Turkey, Belhanda’s performances have been mixed. In 108 games, he has managed 16 goals and 23 assists, but as the report states, some feel that the 50-time Morocco international does not contribute as much as he should given the wage he takes home – he is said to be earning €4m (£3.7m) a year with Gala.

On his day, though, he can be a fantastic player, as he often showed during the 2011/12 season as his 12 goals and six assists in Ligue 1 helped Montpellier to an unlikely title. Whilst this interest does not mean that he will not play on Thursday, his absence is obviously a possibility. And even if he does appear, his mind could be elsewhere. Steven Gerrard will not be relying on his opponents’ problems in their attempts to make the group stage, but this kind of situation certainly won’t harm his and the Gers’ cause.

Let us know what you think below!

According to The Athletic, Sandro Ramirez “remains on a list of players” Marcel Brands must move on before Everton can start signing players for next season.

What’s the word?

The Spaniard joined the Toffees for around £5.2m back in the summer of 2017, when Ronald Koeman was still in charge of affairs at Goodison Park.

The striker has endured a difficult time since then, failing to make the grade at Everton, before being sent out on loan. Now, The Athletic claim that Brands will have to move on Ramirez this summer in order to free up funds for current boss Carlo Ancelotti, although his £85k-a-week wages are likely to be a stumbling block.

How big of an Everton fan are you? Can you spot Mikel Arteta from Graham Stuart? This quiz will test your knowledge, try it if you’re brave enough…

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The report adds that Real Valladolid, with whom he the previous campaign on loan at, can’t begin to afford him on a permanent basis, and that another loan to the club “may not be an option until later in the window”.

A painful Steve Walsh reminder

That ill-fated summer of 2017, in which Everton’s then director of football Steve Walsh orchestrated a spending spree that ended up delivering very little on the pitch, continues to haunt the Toffees even to this day.

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The Merseyside club’s inability to get Ramirez off their books has cost them dearly, and now, with the whole financial struggles that teams across Europe are facing, that will be even harder.

But if Brands is given any opportunity to cut their losses on the Spaniard this summer, then he simply must take it. At £5.2m, Everton are not going to lose big money based on the transfer fee. However, the relief they would get in terms of freeing him from their growing wage bill could be the difference-maker when it comes to delivering new signings for Ancelotti.

Ramirez is a painful reminder of Walsh’s failings, and Brands must show no mercy him to this summer.

Celtic’s reported pursuit of one Premier League midfielder has taken an interesting twist this week, though it’s probably for the best…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, Hoops target James McCarthy is in talks with Crystal Palace over a new contract at Selhurst Park.

It’s claimed that he’s keen to extend his deal after joining the Eagles last summer from top-flight rivals Everton whilst 90min linked Celtic with a move for the Glasgow-born Irishman earlier this month.

They suggest that the south Londoners would be open to selling him this summer.

McCarthy is a boyhood supporter of the Hoops and admitted back in October that he’d love to experience an Old Firm derby one day, so this story could develop further with the window closing in October.

Shades of Berkovic

Former Wigan midfielder Michael Brown stoked the fire earlier this week with his comments, believing McCarthy would be a “hell of a signing” for Celtic.

However, this feels more like it would be more shades of Eyal Berkovic than Stiliyan Petrov.

Signed for a then club-record £5.75m, the Israeli moved to Parkhead on the back of a successful spell in the Premier League but soon became lazy and disinterested before Martin O’Neill shipped him back to England.

That’s not to say McCarthy would follow the same path in terms of attitude, though it’s hard to see him making a decent impact north of the border.

The 29-year-old only averaged 0.5 key passes, 0.4 shots and 0.2 dribbles per game this season, via WhoScored, and as a central midfielder in the engine room, a lowly 23.7 passes per appearance is hardly inspiring either.

McCarthy, who’s valued at just £3.6m by Transfermarkt, isn’t going to be the man to take the reins from Scott Brown or Callum McGregor nor should he be brought in to halt the development of Oliver Ntcham.

Nick Hammond should duck away from this move completely and he’s been given a clear route to do so with the player entering fresh contract talks.

AND in other news, Celtic should sign this striker ahead of Ivan Toney…

Frank McAvennie has said that Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard will move on if the club does not win a trophy this upcoming season, adding that he will definitely not make a move to Liverpool if that is the case.

The upcoming campaign will be Gerrard’s third since making the move to Ibrox to take up his first senior management role. As it stands, the former Liverpool man has failed to win a single piece of silverware – he will be hoping to rectify that next term.

McAvennie has told Football Insider that he believes it is now or never for the 40-year-old, saying that if he does not win something this campaign, then that will be the end of his time at the club:

“Stevie Gerrard has done well with Rangers but I think he will move if they do not win anything this year.

“He has got a big enough name and reputation to get a job in England but he will not get the Liverpool job if he has not won anything, I can tell you that for sure.

“Unless Gerrard wins something it will not happen. If he was managing Hearts or Hibs

and he came second they would have a street party. But it means nothing to Rangers or Celtic.

“You will not be remembered unless you are a winner in Scotland. He might go down to the

Championship and do what Frank Lampard has done.

“Stevie is learning his trade, lets be brutally honest about it.

“Rangers is a big club so he has pass marks from me but he will not get an A until he has won something.”

It is hard to disagree with McAvennie. In all fairness to Gerrard, he has done a decent job with the ‘Gers – after all, reaching the last 16 of the Europa League, a tournament in which they are still involed, is far from easy nowadays for a Scottish club. However, they finished the 2019/20 league campaign 13 points adrift of Celtic and, whilst they are clearly the second best side in the country, they are yet to get their hands on a trophy under their current boss.

Quite frankly, getting the Liverpool job is almost impossible without having proven himself elsewhere, especially if Jurgen Klopp is the man he has to follow. As McAvennie has said, next season is make or break for Gerrard.

Let us know what you think below!

A recent transfer report has left plenty of Leeds United supporters brimming with excitement this week.

According to Football Insider, the west Yorkshire outfit are ‘closely monitoring’ San Lorenzo striker Adolfo Gaich ahead of a potential summer move upon their long-awaited return to the Premier League.

It’s claimed that the Argentine forward has a release clause of £12m and has attracted interest across Europe, although his preference is thought to be a move to Italy’s Serie A.

And many at Elland Road would love to see him arrive…

The 21-year-old has bagged five goals in 13 appearances this campaign despite only playing 680 minutes, via Transfermarkt.

It’s led to one supporter likening the forward to Martin Palermo, who one played for Villarreal whilst others believe it would be a “big statement” to land him.

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Some other members of the United faithful were quick to suggest that this sort of news probably means that manager Marcelo Bielsa is going to stay.

There were even some lauding Gaich as the ideal sort of striker the Argentine likes as he’s “mobile” and runs about a lot.

Leeds currently have Patrick Bamford and RB Leipzig loanee Jean-Kevin Augustin to call upon to lead the line with the latter having an obligation to buy should the club clinch promotion in these final nine matches.

Therefore, it raises questions to if these reports are accurate, although one fan believes it could push the 26-year-old closer to the exit door.

AND in other news, Leeds fans go wild over Ben White report…