All posts by n8rngtd.top

Dele Alli is expected to leave Tottenham Hotspur before deadline day next week…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, who delivered a fresh update on the 25-year-old’s situation after he was left out of the squad to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

“Dele Alli left out of Tottenham squad for Chelsea today in last game before transfer window shuts a week tomorrow. #THFC open to 25yo midfielder moving on loan (contract 2024). No appealing offers yet – good chance it happens late,” he tweeted alongside an accompanying article.

Whilst the north Londoners are yet to receive any sort of offer that is appealing, it’s thought that it would be a pretty straightforward deal to complete, so if it rumbles on towards deadline day, it will be no issue.

Once tipped to be worth over £100m back in 2017, the 37-cap England international is now valued at just £22.5m by Transfermarkt.

Time’s up?

Things have quickly gone from bad to worse for Alli.

He struggled to make much of a mark under Jose Mourinho, who branded him “lazy” in training, last season and it was easy to dismiss this as another one of the Portuguese’s antics after his relationship with Paul Pogba at Manchester United.

But now he’s hardly featured for Nuno Santo or Antonio Conte this season, going from an England regular and the “best 21-year-old in the world”, according to Mauricio Pochettino several years ago, to a bit-part backup for a side that was knocked out of the Europa Conference League group stages.

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Across the 2016/17 and 2017/18 top-flight campaigns, the attacking dynamo delivered 27 goals and 17 assists from 69 starts, via WhoScored, leading to comparisons to the likes of Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes.

But since then, it’s a frustrating tale of just nine goals and six assists in the last two-and-a-half years of league action, leaving much of the Lilywhites faithful angry with his attitude and poor form.

As relayed by This is Futbol, many fans around N17 would be absolutely delighted to see him move on this month, so they will surely be buzzing by Ornstein’s recent claim.

It may happen “late”, but Alli will surely be at a new club come February 1st.

AND in other news, “My understanding is..”: Journo teases Spurs transfer claim that’ll leave fans buzzing – opinion

Leeds United have been dealt a huge setback in their pursuit of long-time target Nahitan Nandez…

What’s the word?

The Yorkshire outfit have regularly been linked with a move for the Cagliari midfielder, having been mooted during the summer window, as per L’Unione Sarda (via Sport Witness).

Director of football Victor Orta was even said to have flown out to Sardinia to try and strike a deal.

And earlier this month, other reports from Italy suggested that the Whites were ‘leading the race’ to sign the 26-year-old before deadline day on January 31st.

However, Leeds have now been dealt a late blow with just eight days to go as financial heavyweights Newcastle United have entered the race, according to Tuttosport.

After their takeover earlier in the season, the Magpies have huge backing from the Saudi Public Investment Fund, making them fierce competitors to Nandez’s signature, especially as there is a lack of funds at Elland Road.

“They don’t have fortunes to throw around at the moment,” recently claimed transfer insider Dean Jones to GIVEMESPORT this week.

Perfect for Bielsa

Thus, this latest development will come as a massive blow to Bielsa and Leeds, not at least because they are absolutely desperate to get in reinforcements for the engine room.

They have not signed a midfielder since January 2018, when Adam Forshaw joined from Middlesbrough, which is rather damning in itself, whilst Bielsa will be without the services of star anchorman Kalvin Phillips until March, at the very earliest.

Nandez would be an astute addition and one that is perfect for the Argentine’s tactical system. He certainly fits the atypical profile.

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As we’ve previously outlined on Football FanCast, the Uruguay international would be something of a dream signing for Bielsa.

Standing at a diminutive 5 foot 7, the midfield dynamo is a powerful and bustling presence in midfield, leading to him being dubbed a “machine” by Serie A expert Conor Clancy.

This season, he’s averaged 2.3 aerial duels, 1.9 tackles and 1.4 dribbles per league outing (via WhoScored), which suggests he’s not just a ball-winning beast but one that can quickly get up the pitch.

But Leeds simply won’t be able to compete with the Magpies, who splashed a whopping £25m on Chris Wood just to get him in time for their clash at Watford last week and then Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.

It paid off with Eddie Howe’s men securing just their second win of the season. They will be able to offer Cagliari a better fee and the player a better financial package, so it seems as if Bielsa and co may well struggle to land one of their key targets.

On the above evidence, this will surely leave the 66-year-old absolutely livid as his club are no closer to additions this month, especially after previously insisting to sign Nandez.

AND in other news, Bielsa could land his own Conor Gallagher in Leeds swoop for “silky” 15-cap sensation…

Arsenal are yet to sign anyone in the January transfer window, but that could soon change…

What’s the word?

According to reliable Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, those around the Emirates Stadium should expect something to happen before Monday night’s deadline.

“Expecting movement at Arsenal in coming days,” he tweeted following Calum Chambers’ exit to Aston Villa on Thursday.

Worryingly thin

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has been left hugely light on options heading into the second half of the season as the English defender’s departure was their fifth of the window so far.

The north London outfit saw a game postponed earlier this month due to the lack of players available, yet they continue to let the bulk of their backups leave the club.

Players like Chambers, Sead Kolasinac and Ainsley Maitland-Niles aren’t going to set the starting XI alight but one or two injuries would’ve seen them required and they would’ve certainly done a solid job.

Elsewhere, Arsenal’s attempts to bring in new additions has been frustrating as they continue to miss out on targets. For instance, the club were prepared to splash out on the highly-coveted Dusan Vlahovic but he has instead opted to join Serie A giants Juventus.

It also appears as if another target in Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak isn’t keen on a move to the Emirates Stadium either, as per transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Gunners are running out of time to bolster Arteta’s playing squad and a new striker has to be among the priorities given the uncertainty surrounding Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah.

However, Taylor’s latest claim should provide worried Arsenal supporters with some encouragement heading into Monday night. They have left it late but the belief that there should be some business completed is certainly exciting to hear.

AND in other news, Arsenal eye “phenomenal” £25m dynamo with “quick feet”, he’s shades of Thierry Henry…

After the closure of the January transfer window, Leeds United are still showing an interest in signing Nottingham Forest midfielder Brennan Johnson, according to sources at the Championship club.

The Lowdown: Johnson impressing for Forest

The 20-year-old has emerged as arguably one of the best young players in the Championship, catching the eye with his performances for Forest.

Johnson has scored seven goals and registered six assists in 29 league appearances this season, even being hailed by David Beckham, who lauded his ‘great performance’ in the FA Cup win over Arsenal last month.

A fresh update regarding the youngster’s future has now emerged – one in which Leeds get a key mention.

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The Latest: Leeds eyeing up move

According to Forest sources at Football Insider, the Reds are ‘preparing’ contract talks with Johnson in order to tie him down to a new deal, following recent interest from Brentford.

It is also stated that he is being ‘closely monitored’ by Leeds and other Premier League clubs, however, with a summer exit potentially on the cards.

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The Verdict: Solid squad addition

Johnson is a hugely exciting prospect so it is only natural that the Whites are eyeing him up and he could be a great signing if a deal materialised.

The Welshman is someone who would come in as a squad player to begin with but hopefully mature into a key man, bringing more guile to the midfield. He averages 1.2 key passes and dribbles apiece in the league this season.

Johnson already has seven caps to his name for Wales, further outlining his pedigree, and the fact that he can play centrally and in both wide areas is an extra bonus for Marcelo Bielsa.

In other news, a positive update has emerged regarding one Leeds hero. Find out who it is here.

Eddie Howe made it two wins in a row for the first time as Newcastle manager with a 3-1 win over Everton on Tuesday night.

The Magpies beat Leeds 1-0 last night and have now moved out of the bottom three with a huge win over the Toffees in the Premier League.

They had to come from behind, though, as Jamaal Lascelles scored an unfortunate own goal as a clearance off the line came back off him and into the back of the net.

Everton’s Mason Holgate returned the favour within a minute as he bundled the ball into his own net after a Lascelles’ header hit the crossbar before Ryan Fraser put the Toon ahead with a close-range finish in the second half.

Kieran Trippier then rounded off the scoring with his first goal for the club. He whipped in a stunning free-kick from distance to beat Jordan Pickford and seal the three points.

Set St. James’ alight

Never mind Fraser on the right wing, the real magic came from Allan Saint-Maximin out on the left flank as he set St. James’ Park alight with his electric performance.

He was sublime throughout the match as he was a constant threat to the Everton defence. The Frenchman worked hard off the ball and then had the quality to deliver end product when he had the ball at his feet in the opposition half, getting fans off their seats in anticipation whenever he had possession.

Defensively, he put a shift in. As per SofaScore, he won an impressive 14 duels, whilst also making one tackle and one interception. This shows that he did not shy away from physical battles and was able to win his fair share of them, stopping Everton from breaking down his side at times which offered protection to Matt Targett on his debut for the club.

However, his attacking play is where the magic came from. Via SofaScore, the gem completed a staggering ten of his 13 attempted dribbles. This shows that he was able to build excitement within the stadium as he was committing defenders and progressing up the pitch with the ball by using his dribbling ability.

He was also able to provide end product to go along with it as he ended the match with three key passes. The French forward also put in a deflected cross that resulted in Fraser’s goal, which did not go down as a chance created but could be classed as an assist due to the work he put in to work the opening.

This shows that he put in a sublime display against Frank Lampard’s Everton side and was a real menace for the Magpies. Hopefully, he will continue his fine form throughout the rest of the campaign and lead the side to safety.

AND in other news,Forget Trippier: £80k-p/w NUFC gem with 12 duels won kickstarted his season last night… 

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard will make numerous changes against Watford today, with Gregg Evans believing up to six players are ‘pushing for a start’.

The Lowdown: Three still out

Villa struggled against Newcastle last time out, losing 1-0 at St James’ Park days after letting a two-goal lead slip against Leeds.

Gerrard made just one enforced change in those two games, with Ezri Konsa set to miss out again this afternoon through suspension.

Bertrand Traore and Marvelous Nakamba were also absent due to injury and will be again today, with the former looking to return to action next weekend against Brighton.

The Latest: Evans post

Aston Villa correspondent Evans took to Twitter on Friday afternoon following Gerrard’s press conference.

He named six players who could all feature from the off against Roy Hodgson’s side, believing his team selection will be ‘interesting’.

“Steven Gerrard will make changes as AVFC take on Watford tomorrow. Konsa still out (suspended) + Traore and Nakamba (injured).

“Ings, Ash Young, Chukwuemeka, Bailey, Sanson and Hause all pushing for a start. Team selection tomorrow will be interesting.”

The Verdict: Changes needed…

Villa were extremely disappointing last time out and have just one win from six in 2022, so this afternoon could be the perfect time for Gerrard to make a number of changes and give other players rare chances from the off.

Ollie Watkins hasn’t scored in his last five starts, so Danny Ings may replace him in a straight swap. Elsewhere, you’d expect the experienced Ashley Young could come in to start and perhaps even Morgan Sanson.

One, or possibly two of Douglas Luiz, John McGinn or Jacob Ramsey would have to make way though, leaving a starting XI this afternoon extremely difficult to predict.

In other news: NSWE set to lose ‘terrible’ Villa player in summer; Preece and Evans have slammed him this month

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is prioritising bringing Liverpool defender Joe Gomez to the Midlands in the summer transfer window, according to a new transfer rumour which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Gomez out of favour at Liverpool

Gomez has enjoyed awful luck with injuries in recent years and it has seen him lose his regular spot in the Reds’ starting line-up. Indeed, the 24-year-old made his first Premier League start of the season in Saturday’s 3-1 win at home to Norwich, highlighting his lack of playing time.

It could be that the defender sees a move away from Liverpool this summer as beneficial to his future hopes of regular football, and a new rumour suggests as much.

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The Latest: Gerrard keen on Gomez move

According to Football Insider, a Villa source has claimed that Liverpool legend Gerrard sees the centre-back as a primary transfer target for the Midlands club as the 41-year-old looks to bolster his options in that area of the pitch.

The Villans were linked with a move for Gomez in January and plan to go back in for him at the end of the season.

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The Verdict: Does it make sense?

Deciding what to do with Gomez is tricky for Klopp, as the Englishman is an excellent defender but is probably Liverpool’s fourth-choice centre-back at this moment.

Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate are all ahead of him in the pecking order, and the 24-year-old’s injury woes present a risk that he may never quite reach his 2019/20 level again, when his 22 Premier League starts helped Liverpool to win the title.

With the 2022 World Cup looming, Gomez may feel that his best chance of making England’s squad is by leaving Anfield. Perhaps a loan move would be the best outcome for all concerned, giving Klopp more time to assess the defender’s future rather than cutting him loose altogether, having called him ‘sensational’ in the past.

In other news, Klopp has issued a worrying Liverpool injury update. Read more here.

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side head into today’s Premiership clash on the back of an extremely disappointing showing against Bodo/Glimt in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night, with the 56-year-old’s side falling to a 5-1 aggregate defeat to the Norwegian minnows.

As such, the Greek-Australian coach will undoubtedly be hoping for a much better display when his side make the trip to Hibernian on Sunday afternoon, especially considering the Hoops can extend their lead at the top of the Premiership table to six points – with second-placed Rangers playing Motherwell later in the day.

However, while the vast majority of Celtic’s players endured something of a game to forget on Thursday night, there was one bright spark in Norway – Liel Abada.

Postecoglou must unleash Abada

Indeed, over his 45 minutes on the pitch at the Aspmyra Stadion, the right-winger was the one player who looked as if he could have made something happen for Celtic, with the £4.05m-rated forward taking four shots at the Bodo/Glimt goal, completing one dribble and attempting four crosses and one long ball.

The £15k-per-week 20-year-old impressed when doing the dirty work for his side, making one interception, winning two of his three duels and drawing one foul – as well as having a big penalty claim turned down by the referee.

These returns saw the Israel international earn a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.1 – ranking him as Celtic’s second-best player on the night – while the Daily Record’s Michael Gannon also awarded the winger a six in his own player ratings, stating of Abada’s display: “Lively with a couple of efforts and involved in a big shout for a penalty.”

As such, while the likes of Reo Hatate and Jota are also in with a shout of returning to the starting XI at Easter Road, it would appear a must for Postecoglou to unleash the player who Yossi Benayoun dubbed a “star” and James Dornan claimed reminded him of Bobby Lennox today, as the youngster would undoubtedly terrify the Hibs defenders.

In other news: Ange must axe £15k-p/w Celtic “joke” who plays like he’s in a “Sports Relief match”

Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips isn’t expected to make a return against Aston Villa on Thursday, Ashley Preece has reported.

The Lowdown: Phillips’ absence

The 26-year-old has been missing for the Whites since December, with Leeds embroiled in a scrap for Premier League survival without their star midfielder.

They are now just two points off the relegation zone and have lost their last five games, the latest coming against Leicester City in Jesse Marsch’s first game in charge.

Marsch confirmed last week that Phillips and Liam Cooper were making good progress, but it seems as if the former won’t be available at Elland Road on Thursday evening.

The Latest: Phillips set to miss Leeds v Aston Villa

Preece took to Twitter on Monday morning, claiming that Villa may well come up against Patrick Bamford at some point, who has also been missing through injury in recent months.

However, when it came to Phillips, the journalist revealed a return for the England international is ‘expected’ to come against Norwich on Sunday, tweeting:

“Patrick Bamford to make playing return with a cameo against AVFC on Thursday, says new Leeds boss Jesse Marsch. As for Kalvin Phillips, he’s expected to return vs Norwich on Sunday instead.”

The Verdict: Boost for Gerrard

It’s good news that Phillips is close to making a return, but from a Villa perspective, it is a boost for Steven Gerrard knowing that the 26-year-old may not return until the weekend.

The Whites have struggled without their main man in the engine room. with Leeds having just three other out-and-out midfielders at their disposal.

Preece has also mentioned that Villa are monitoring Phillips ahead of the summer window, so if Gerrard’s side come away from Yorkshire with three points, that could increase their chances of signing the midfielder over the coming months, with Leeds possibly closer to relegation.

In other news: Villa now set to share details of ‘devastating’ injury to ‘brilliant’ player; Gregg Evans gutted

Tottenham Hotspur could also sell an ‘important’ player who manager Antonio Conte ‘raves about’, according to journalist Alasdair Gold.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites exodus?

This upcoming Spurs transfer window looks set to be the most interesting one in quite some time.

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Lilywhites transfer chief Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy, tasked with backing Conte ahead of the 2022/2023 Premier League season, are reportedly going to sit down with the Italian as he eyes six major signings (The Telegraph).

However, amid their financial complications off the pitch, with club debt mounting to around £706 million, it is imperative that the club offload surplus players to balance the books and bolster Conte’s transfer kitty.

Their homegrown quota also presents a complication with reliable journalist Matt Law recently claiming that, if Spurs want to sign an overseas forward this summer, one of Steven Bergwijn or Lucas Moura may have to be offloaded.

The Latest: Gold backs possible Bergwijn exit…

Writing for football.london in the last 24 hours, another credible source in Tottenham correspondent Gold has now backed that Bergwijn could also leave north London amid consistent exit links surrounding other players.

This is despite the fact Conte ‘raves about’ his Dutch winger, even calling him an ‘important’ player, with Gold adding that Bergwijn is unlikely to want to stay for 22/23 amid his lack of minutes.

The Verdict: Stick or twist?

The Netherlands international has proven to be a useful option for Conte over this campaign.

His added time brace to clinch a dramatic 3-2 win at Leicester City in late January is evidence of the player’s impact and quality when given an opportunity, and could even be the moment that secures Champions League football come the end of the campaign.

Bergwijn’s versatility as an attacking outlet from the wide positions and further forward is another incentive for Spurs to keep hold of the former PSV Eindhoven star.

Despite his quality, though, a mooted move back to the Eredivisie with footballing giants Ajax could be too enticing to ignore – and if the 24-year-old pushes for a move – Spurs may well need to consider a sale depending on their possible offer.

In other news: Source: Tottenham edge closer to ‘top signing’, he really wants to join Conte! Find out more here.