All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa is eyeing a move for Fulham midfielder Harrison Reed in this summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Despite Euro 2020 beginning tonight, Leeds look as though they have their transfer priorities all sorted, with a new central midfielder on the agenda for this summer.

Reports in recent days and weeks have linked them with a move for Cagliari dynamo Nahitan Nandez, and now the Daily Mail have thrown a new name into the equation.

They claim that the Whites tracked Fulham’s Reed last season with a view to a summer swoop, and with the Cottagers’ relegation from the Premier League, Leeds see the midfielder as an ‘excellent addition’.

Bielsa will love him

A regular presence for Scott Parker’s side last season, the £9m-rated Reed made 31 appearances in the Premier League, often starting at the base of midfield alongside Andre Zambo Anguissa. The tough-tackling 26-year-old was a shining light for the Cottagers despite their relegation, providing a superb shield to the back four.

As per Sofascore, Reed won four duels per game in the top-flight, as well as making an impressive two tackles and 1.6 interceptions per match while also winning back possession 0.6 times.

To put that into context, Chelsea star and recent Champions League winner N’Golo Kante averaged 3.7 duels won and made 2.6 tackles and two interceptions per game. He also won back possession just as often as Reed at 0.6 times per match.

It’s no surprise that the 26-year-old’s former boss Tony Mowbray has waxed lyrical about the kind of engine Reed possesses, and also the kind of attitude he has – all shades of Chelsea’s midfield dynamo.

The Blackburn manager said: “

Immense! He’s been fantastic playing in a wide position, working like a trojan, running forward, blocking off the wide play, helping his full-back, in to out, in to out, and yet playing centre-mid today, it shows you where his true position really is on the pitch.

“He’s a fantastic player, but beyond his playing ability, his personality fits in amazingly well with our group.”

Reed himself has modestly said: “I need to improve on influencing the game higher up. The work, the tackles, the interceptions, they give the team a foundation to go on and be competitive but I also want to have that side where I influence the game higher up the pitch with assists, creating chances and goals.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/leeds-united-marcelo-bielsa-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-elland-road-rodrigo-de-paul” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

That relentless energy, hard work and tigerish attitude makes him a perfect fit as someone to slot into the engine room at Elland Road given Bielsa’s intense demands, and exactly why the Leeds manager must be buzzing at seeing his club target Reed this summer.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa will surely be buzzing with this latest Leeds update…

A number of Manchester City fans are delighted with comments from defender Ruben Dias.

The Citizens completed the signing of the 24-year-old from Benfica last summer for the fee of £65m (BBC) and he has proven to be an outstanding capture for Pep Guardiola.

So far this season, he has made 47 appearances in all competitions for the club (Transfermarkt) and has been a rock at the heart of the back four. Such has been the level of his performances that he has even been tipped to be named the Premier League’s Player of the Season.

It seems that the £63m-valued centre-back (Transfermarkt) also doesn’t lack any confidence in himself, either. During a recent interview, he was asked for his view as to who is the best ever Portuguese defender. With little hesitation, he mentioned himself, even above the likes of the decorated Ricardo Carvalho.

Dias’ comments were shared on Twitter by @City_Chief and they attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These took to the social media platform to revel in the 24-year-old’s self-affirmation.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the comments from Dias

“the arrogance”

Credit: @CaesarrKeene

“Elite”

Credit: @idc14D

“Love the mentality”

Credit: @fyehd2

“Guy’s got an arrogance to win. I love it…”

Credit: @padderr

“I love how he knows how good he is”

Credit: @ohzai17

“the ultimate hype man”

Credit: @radar2hz

In other news, numerous Man City fans slammed this man’s performance against Newcastle.

Many Manchester United fans have been left to slam the display of Marcus Rashford as they lost in the UEFA Europa League final on Wednesday night.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team eventually lost 11-10 on penalties to Villarreal with the score being level at 1-1 after extra-time, in what was a disappointing performance for many of the Old Trafford faithful.

Rashford in particular did not have his best night, losing out on 13 duels, the most out of any of his teammates to have set foot on the pitch, as he also failed with six of his dribble attempts and did not put a single cross in, all while losing possession of the ball on no fewer than on 20 separate occasions, the joint-second most out of any Red Devils player (Sofascore).

It was certainly not a performance that would have pleased England manager Gareth Southgate either going into the postponed Euro 2020 tournament this summer.

Manchester United fans on Rashford display

These MUFC supporters slammed his performance on Twitter, with one even going as far as to call him a ‘donkey’:

“Ole and Rashford failed us last night #MUFC”

Credit: @XoLution74

“Progress? What progress? Watching THAT game are they better than Mourinho’s team? Rashford was dreadful ‘again’ on his current form (for last 12mths) he would not get into any top team in Europe, subs tactics etc were dreadful #MUFC”

Credit: @Ahmet911

“I must say Rashford was absolutely awful last night. If he puts in displays like these in the big games then there’s no point in keeping him. Players we pay £300k a week should be putting in massive performances in European finals. #MUFC #Rashford #degea”

Credit: @MUFCSAA

“I’m going to sleep tonight knowing Greenwood was substituted and Rashford wasn’t makes me feel physically sick #MUFC”

Credit: @dperdi92

“If Marcus Rashford doesn’t feed kids, he’s playing for West Ham now. Truly shocking how bad he is. #MUFC”

Credit: @GoalKingCole_

“#MUFC Was Rashford playing tonight? @MarcusRashford donkey!”

Credit: @john_borrows

In other news, find out which Man Utd transfer update has been questioned here!

Leeds United are thought to be interested in RC Lens centre-back Loic Bade.

That’s according to French outlet ActuFoot, cited by Sempre Milan, who suggest that the Whites, AC Milan, Borussia Monchengladbach, Lyon and Rennes are all keen on the 21-year-old ahead of the summer window.

The report claims that any club willing to firm up their interest in Bade will have to pay €20m (£17.3m).

Bade, recently described as a ‘rising star’ (via Total Football Analysis), has been a regular for Lens this season, making 30 appearances in all competitions.

He’s impressed in Ligue 1 and has been Lens’ highest-rated league performer, as per WhoScored, recording a match average rating of 6.99/10.

Transfer Tavern take

It seems as if Bade has the attributes Marcelo Bielsa looks for in a centre-back.

The youngster has played in a 3-4-1-2 system this season and is known to defend aggressively and is very reliable on the ball.

Bielsa tends to use a three-man defence when coming up against teams who deploy two strikers. The Argentine’s man-marking approach and willingness for his defenders to play out from the back are also key to Leeds’ style of play, so it seems as if Bade ticks a lot of boxes – he completes 85% of his passes, which puts him right alongside the likes of Liam Cooper and Pascal Struijk at Leeds.

However, with four senior centre-backs already at Elland Road, there may not be room for Bade in Yorkshire and Bielsa could be willing for Andrea Radrizzani to spend the money elsewhere in the team, like at left-back. Only time will tell.

In other news: Whites eye up Kalvin Phillips alternative, find out more here. 

Despite a potential impending points deduction, Wayne Rooney’s Derby County side look likely to be spared relegation from the Championship this season.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, who claimed in a post on Twitter that, despite recent reports suggesting that the Rams could yet still be relegated from the second tier following their dramatic final day 3-3 draw with Sheffield Wednesday due to a breach of financial fair play rules, any points deduction will be imposed on the club as of next season, rather than the campaign just past.

He said: “Hear EFL will reveal findings of their appeal in the next 24 hours. Then it goes to charges and any appeal. Any points penalties will next season. As was the case with Sheffield Wednesday. Interesting to see the details… [they will be] key to all this and how hard they will be hit.”

Fans will be buzzing

Following what has been a rather disastrous 2020/21 campaign for Derby fans to endure, with their side only narrowing avoiding relegation to the third tier of English football due to, ultimately, Sheffield Wednesday incurring their own six-point penalty, the news that the club look set to avoid any deductions to this season’s points total will leave the Pride Park faithful buzzing.

Having said that, if Derby do not buck up their ideas next season, both in terms of the way the club is run from a financial perspective as well as the performances of Rooney’s players on the pitch, then the joy of avoiding relegation this season could well be short-lived.

However, with a summer transfer window ahead of him, the 35-year-old manager has plenty of time to put a team together that is capable of a much more respectable league position than their 21st placed finish this term, be that with or without a points deduction.

In other news: Get him gone: Rooney must ruthlessly axe Lampard’s £20k-p/w Derby flop this summer – opinion

Queens Park Rangers slumped to a resounding defeat against Nottingham Forest on Easter Monday, largely thanks to major defensive mistakes, and at the forefront of it all was the Hoops’ usually reliable two-time skipper Yoann Barbet.

Mark Warburton’s side were heavily punished for their errors as the Reds romped home to a 3-1 victory, and it was Barbet’s calamitous blunder before the break which very much set the tone for the struggling visitors.

The Frenchman attempted to shield the ball out of play for a routine goal kick but was too lightweight as Sammy Ameobi robbed him of the ball before teeing up Alex Mighten for an easy finish from close range.

As per SofaScore ratings, Barbet was graded as QPR’s worst-performing player at a paltry 6.0, whilst West London Sport claimed it was ‘not a day to remember’ for the 27-year-old.

Warburton has every right to be left reeling by Barbet’s display, especially as he’s usually among their highest-rated players for the campaign, averaging 6.93 from WhoScored for the season (third-best).

As a leader from the back, the centre-back recorded the most touches (98) of any other player on the pitch, only highlighting his sheer influence on this Rs side as well as on the game. Everything starts through him – but in return, the Frenchman was a liability.

He won just one of four duels (25%), both on the ground and in the air, which means he struggled to cope with the threat of Forest duo Lewis Grabban and Ameobi on his side.

Barbet was also dribbled past once and committed one foul, via SofaScore, only adding to his evident struggles.

The long-serving QPR ace was also poor with the ball, losing possession 15 times, the most of any centre-back on the pitch, and that has to be a cause for concern as it meant he was giving the ball straight back to Forest, which would’ve undoubtedly aided their dominance. On average once every six minutes, Barbet gifted the play back to the home side.

The £1.44m-rated defender, who is thought to be on around £11,500 per week, really ought to be doing better; and as a stand-in captain at times, he very much let Warburton down at the City Ground.

According to reports, Aston Villa transfer target Odsonne Edouard is attracting interest from both Arsenal and Leicester.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks and months have suggested the Celtic striker is someone Dean Smith’s side are looking at, but they now appear to face increasing competition in the race to sign him.

According to The Telegraph, both Arsenal and Leicester are also now fighting it out to sign the young Frenchman, seemingly leaving Villa with a lot of work to do to convince the striker to join them instead.

Lange must act now

With sides like Arsenal and Leicester both keen on Edouard too, it’s surely time for Johan Lange to step up and ensure Villa get their man this summer.

As well as being a lone centre-forward, the £13.5m-rated Frenchman could actually prove to be a perfect foil for Ollie Watkins in either a two-man strike force or with the latter coming in from out wide.

Recent seasons have seen Edouard partner alongside Leigh Griffths as Celtic have gone with two up top, so he’s had previous experience of working alongside another number nine.

His former Hoops boss, Neil Lennon, has previously raved about the qualities that Edouard brings to the table, and it’s a ringing endorsement of why Villa should be going after him.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-aston-villa-transfer-rumours-and-news-copy-copy” title=”Latest Aston Villa transfer rumours and news”]

He said: “He’s hugely important (to us), he’s an outstanding footballer, talismanic almost, he’s so talented, so cool and he had two great finishes. He’s up there with some of the best we’ve had over the last 20 odd years.”

Having another prolific striker like Edouard in the ranks – he’s already scored 20 goals this season – would give Smith a much-needed goal-scoring threat, other than Watkins.

But, instead of replacing him in the starting line-up, the duo could represent an intriguing double act if given the opportunity to play in the same team together, much like Edouard has done with Griffiths at Celtic Park.

Meanwhile, Villa boss Dean Smith should unleash this academy starlet…

No Premier League player has been a more clinical finisher than Liverpool’s Diogo Jota this season, with one statistic outlining his ruthlessness for the Reds.

The Portuguese joined the Reds from Wolves last September, in a transfer that seemingly came from nowhere.

Jota immediately made himself a hero at Liverpool, though, scoring nine goals before he was struck down with a knee injury in December.

The 24-year-old’s winner at Molineux last week took his tally to 10 for the Reds, with his return acting as a big boost in a season where Jurgen Klopp’s attack has misfired too often.

Jota among Premier League’s most ruthless finishers

Jota’s clinical nature in front of goal has now been highlighted, with the Portugal international scoring once every 0.26 shots he has taken this season, as pointed out by playmakerstats on Twitter [via Empire of the Kop].

He is level at the top with Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan and Tottenham’s Gareth Bale, putting him in some illustrious company.

Transfer Tavern take

This perfectly illustrates not only how good Jota has been for Liverpool, but also how much he has been missed during his long injury absence. During the Wolves match last Monday, Sky Sports (via Twitter) showed that the Reds had scored just twice from their last 70 open-play shots, a conversion rate of just 0.03, meaning the rest of the squad was over eight times worse at finishing in that stretch than Jota when he’s been fit.

His return to the fold can have a huge impact on the rest of the campaign, as they look to seal a top-four finish and clinch Champions League glory.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to an obscure Reds transfer rumour. Read about who it is here.

Celtic are still no closer to discovering their new manager. They have been without Neil Lennon for a number of weeks now but John Kennedy remains in temporary charge.

Roy Keane has been the favourite over the last few days. He is reportedly in talks with the Hoops hierarchy and an interview has taken place.

Though, there are still plenty of twists and turns that could take place.

What’s the word?

Another manager in the frame to become the new Celtic boss is Jesse Marsch.

The RB Salzburg boss admitted last week that it was an honour to be linked with the role. However, just a day later it was revealed that he is unlikely to move to Glasgow in the summer but Celtic were still apparently intereted in him.

However, they have now been dealt a further blow in their pursuit of Marsch.

That’s because he has now emerged as one of the frontrunners to become the new manager of Borussia Monchengladbach.

It looked like former Liverpool and Real Madrid star Xabi Alonso would take over at the German side but he signed a new deal a matter of days ago with Real Sociedad.

Consequently, Marsch is now back in the running to head to Gladbach instead of the Bhoys.

Gutting for Desmond

To be dealt another blow regarding Marsch should come as a major disappointment to majority shareholder Dermot Desmond.

The 70-year-old has had a difficult week where he was questioned over his role on the Celtic board. He issued a defiant response, however, claiming he wouldn’t sell his shares.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-boupendza-mcgeady-marsch-mccarthy” title=”Latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

Failure to appoint the right manager, though, could lead to even more cries for him to sell up and move on from Glasgow.

The idea of Keane being hired as the new manager has gone down like a led balloon among the Green Brigade according to podcaster Paul John Dykes and thus, other options should be considered.

Marsch had to be up there as one of the most eye-catching names in the frame. He has done great things with Salzburg, establishing them in Europe and winning the double last term.

Since moving from DC United to Austria, he has a remarkable win rate of 66.27%.

Compare that to Keane who has only won 38.7% of his games as a manager and there is night and day between him and Marsch.

You can see why this piece of news comes as a blow to Celtic.

AND in other news, Celtic could finally axe Christie by signing “outstanding” beast with 28 assists…

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Giovani Lo Celso has suffered an injury setback ahead of the Europa League clash against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday night.

The Spurs midfielder returned to training ahead of the Premier League game against Crystal Palace at the weekend, with Mourinho suggesting that while he had an “opportunity” to make it in time for the Eagles, he was more likely to be in contention for the game against Zagreb.

However, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the clash tonight, the Spurs boss has now revealed: “Gio is not ready but it’s nothing to do with his previous important injury, from which he’s totally recovered.

“But with his accumulation of work, his feelings are not the best at the moment, a little bit of some back pain so he’s had to stop working the way he was doing. So not for this match.”

It’s fair to say it’s been a strange old campaign for the midfielder, with numerous injuries and niggles restricting the £31.5m-rated gem to just 11 Premier League appearances amounting to only 436 minutes of action – frustratingly for both manager and player, he’s completed the full 90 minutes in just two games all year.

Just last season, Lo Celso’s Spurs teammate Harry Winks waxed lyrical about the Argentine’s ability, saying: “It took him a while to get used to all the intensity and the aggression of the league but he’s flying now and he’s been fantastic.

“He is a technically gifted player. But he is not afraid to get stuck in when he needs to as well.”

Sadly for both him and Spurs, things just haven’t quite panned out as they would have wanted this time around.

Lo Celso’s latest setback will surely just add to Mourinho’s concerns and worries over the midfielder – there’s nothing more frustrating than having an injury-prone player who continues=s to break down just when you think they’re ready to be welcomed back into the fold.

With the north London derby on Sunday against Arsenal, there was every chance that Lo Celso could well have played a part, or even started against Zagreb tonight in order to perhaps rest some of the Lilywhites’ other key stars who have had a busy few weeks.

Instead, Mourinho will be forced into sticking to a familiar eleven, and Lo Celso, who he likely thought was going to be ready to feature tonight, has now just added to his worries.

Meanwhile, Spurs should start this £16.2m-rated gem tonight…