Tag Futebol

Transfer expert Rudy Galetti has revealed that Liverpool are in the race to sign Flamengo defensive midfielder Joao Gomes in the January window.

The Lowdown: Defensive midfielder needed

With Fabinho the only recognised defensive midfielder in the senior squad at the moment, Jurgen Klopp’s side could do with strengthening in that area of the pitch come January.

The Brazil international has been heavily criticised for some of his performances so far this season ahead of Sunday afternoon’s mega clash against Manchester City in the Premier League, and so perhaps the Anfield outfit need to freshen things up in his position, offering more chances for rest and rotation.

The Latest: Gomes race

Taking to Twitter, Galetti has revealed that Sevilla have joined the Reds among a number of other clubs in the race to sign Gomes ahead of January:

“#Sevilla want to enter in the race for Joao #Gomes (#Flamengo).  The midfielder is followed by #RealMadrid, #BayerLeverkusen and #Liverpool as well. Evolving situation.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

Fabinho needs some competition in his position in order to help him increase his performance levels, and fellow Brazilian Gomes would help do just that.

Likened to a ‘pitbull’ and hailed for his ‘tireless’ running, ‘tenacious’ tackling and ‘very high’ work rate by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, the 21-year-old is clearly a talent, and like Fabinho, has started his career in Brazilian football.

Gomes has amassed over 100 appearances for Flamengo already, scoring three goals and making three assists (admitted in the past that he would love to play for Liverpool.

Thus, this transfer could be a match made in heaven, and it will be up to the Reds to get a deal done in January.

Pundit Frank McAvennie has been left fuming at VAR after Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch was charged by the FA, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Marsch fined and banned

Marsch was shown a red card in Leeds’ last Premier League fixture against Brentford earlier this month.

The Whites fell to a 5-2 defeat in London, with Marsch sent off in the second half after a challenge in the box on Crysencio Summerville went unpunished.

The Leeds boss was charged and has now been fined £10,000 and given a one-game touchline ban after admitting a breach of FA rule E3.

The Latest: McAvennie’s comments

McAvennie was talking to FI regarding Marsch’s charge in a story shared shortly before the fine and ban were confirmed.

He fumed at how VAR is being used at Stockley Park, labelling it as ‘embarrassing’, claiming Marsch was right for his protests.

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“I think Jesse’s the same as everyone.

“Everyone can except bad decisions from the referees. But the problem we’ve got now is there’s not only bad decisions for the referees. The people at Stockley Park are watching it and then coming up with the same decisions and the whole country knows it’s wrong. And yet, these idiots are sitting there and coming up with nonsense that the whole world sees is wrong. Something’s got to change.

“VAR was supposed to be to help the referee with offsides but it’s getting involved in everything now and it’s not good for the game. It’s embarrassing. Some of the rules that VAR have come up with, I don’t get it.

“I think Jesse is probably right, he’s probably right with the decision but it’s not just Leeds that are getting it, it’s every club. The referee shouldn’t be getting any help except goal line technology or help with a handball or an offside that he’s not seen. That’s what VAR is there for. Some of the people that are making the rules have never played football in their lives, that’s the biggest problem.”

The Verdict: Villa absence

VAR was a hot topic of conversation in game-week six, with a number of other incidents coming in for criticism. The PGMOL has since acknowledged incidents that cost Newcastle and West Ham as mistakes, so you can understand Marsch’s frustration.

However, he was the only manager to receive a red card that weekend, so he may want to hold back his emotions going forward, otherwise, he could be in for more sanctions from the FA.

The American will be in the stands at Elland Road for Leeds’ next game against Aston Villa, so he may have learned his lesson when it comes to dealing with the officials, who appear to be frustrating plenty this season, not just Marsch.

TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has shared details regarding West Ham’s collapsed deal for Southampton’s Jan Bednarek.

The Lowdown: Late transfer twist

Craig Dawson looked set to be joining fellow Premier League side Wolves after holding advanced talks over a switch to the Molineux, leaving David Moyes no choice but to enter the market to find a suitable replacement.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth claimed that the Scot had identified the 26-year-old Southampton outcast as his ideal target, with a loan move ready to be completed.

However, Sky Sports News broke a transfer twist later in the day, confirming that the centre-back would instead be joining a different club, which turned out to be Aston Villa.

The Latest: Moyes pulls out of Bednarek deal

Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Crook revealed that West Ham failed to land Bednarek late on due to Moyes personally deciding to end the pursuit:

“Bednarek looks #AVFC bound. Told David Moyes had a last minute change of heart re taking him to #WHUFC. Have heard that before this summer.”

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The Verdict: Not a big blow

Whilst the Irons would have welcomed a new addition, it’s not a complete disaster that they chose not to go ahead without completing the Bednarek move.

Moyes added Thilo Kehrer and Nayef Aguerd to his ranks earlier in the summer, and when the latter returns from injury, he will have those two plus Kurt Zouma, Angelo Ogbonna, and not to forget the now remaining Dawson at his disposal.

The fact that the boss was bold enough to halt the move suggests that he can’t have been that desperate to land the Poland international, meaning he would have been way down the pecking order anyway.

One of West Ham United’s transfer targets may have had his head turned by one of Europe’s elite clubs…

What’s the word?

According to Gazzetta Dello Sport, Filip Kostic is still in talks with the Hammers, who plan to have the deal completed “by the weekend”.

However, interest from Juventus has “distracted’ the Eintracht Frankfurt winger, which could stall progress in the deal.

The Turin outfit will reportedly raise their offer to compete with West Ham’s €15m (£12.6m) submission, tabling a bid of €12m (£10m) plus bonuses.

Kostic would be a big upgrade on Cresswell

After a phenomenal season for the Bundesliga club, having won the Europa League and eliminating David Moyes’ side in the process, Kostic could now be set to join West Ham and help propel them even further up the Premier League table.

However, the manager, along with club owners GSB, must act quick in order to avoid any further distractions which might delay what could be a perfect fifth summer signing for the Irons.

Featuring at left wing-back, the Serbian thrived for Eintracht Frankfurt, and he could certainly be a quality replacement for the 32-year-old Aaron Cresswell.

Marauding down the left flank in both the Bundesliga and the Europa League, he scored seven and set up an astounding 15 goals last term. He was instrumental in their campaign, earning the billing of his team’s “creator”.

Moyes could well be content to replace Cresswell, who only contributed to five goals in the league and was sent off twice in the key stages of their Europa League run.

To bin off this ageing liability and replace him with the “unstoppable” Serbian dynamo who can score and create goals on a regular seems a no-brainer for Moyes.

To further outline the gulf in quality between the two left-backs, the 29-year-old flyer created 16 big chances last season compared to Cresswell’s five. Also averaging 2.8 key passes per game, it is clear that when the Serbian plays, the opposition must be constantly wary of the threat that he possesses.

Those figures would suggest that Kostic is undoubtedly a huge upgrade on West Ham’s current first-choice left-back, and the Irons will surely want to get the deal done as quickly as possible or else face losing out on the pacey wing-back to Juventus.

Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as frontrunners in the chase for Fiorentina star Nikola Milenkovic as reports from Italy share the latest on their interest.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye new defender?

The Evening Standard, sharing news after Spurs’ signing of Djed Spence, claimed that a new central defender could still be signed before the end of this summer transfer window.

Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Spence and Clement Lenglet have come through the Premier League door at Hotspur Way, and despite the latter man’s arrival on loan from Barcelona, another centre-back isn’t ruled out.

Milenkovic has been linked in recent days with the Italian press now making a fairly promising claim.

The Latest: Tottenham out in front…

Indeed, according to local Florence outlet Corriere Fiorentino, there has been an update on the chase.

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They claim (via Sport Witness) that Spurs are ‘out in front’ for the 37-cap Serbia international alongside Serie A giants Juventus and manager Antonio Conte is ‘thought to be a fan’.

It is also believed that the Lilywhites were expected to carry out in depth studies of the 24-year-old yesterday.

The Verdict: Make the move?

As per WhoScored, Milenkovic stands out as a colossal defensive presence for Fiorentina and we believe he could be a shrewd option.

The towering defender won more aerial duels and made a higher number of clearances per 90 than any of his teammates last term, proving himself indispensable and a real mainstay.

It’s clear that former teammate Dusan Vlahovic’s verdict, having called Milenkovic a ‘sensational defender’, still stands today as Spurs eye a move.

Sunderland have recently been linked with a move for Tottenham Hotspur youngster Troy Parrott, and the Republic of Ireland international could be a superb addition to Alex Neil’s side this summer.

Following their League One play-off final victory against Wycombe Wanderers, the Black Cats have worked quickly to secure some exciting new signings, including Dominic Ballard, Leon Dajaku, Jack Clarke and Aji Alese.

All of these players are 22 or younger and arrive from top-division clubs, emphasising the route that Sunderland are trying to go down as they target a successful first season back in the Championship.

Parrott, who reportedly earns £15k-p/w at Spurs, would certainly fit that mould; and after an excellent loan spell with MK Dons last season, there seems little to suggest that he isn’t ready to make his mark in the Championship.

The Black Cats were first linked with the 20-year-old last week, with reports suggesting that they are keen on bringing him in on loan, although they could face competition from Preston, QPR and Middlesbrough.

Parrott is currently away with Spurs in South Korea, where he is no doubt being assessed by Antonio Conte, and he is clearly doing his best to impress as he led the brutal fitness sessions run by the 52-year-old.

If the Irish youngster were to arrive at the Stadium of Light this summer, he could prove to be the next Ross Stewart, who has been heavily linked with Rangers after his superb 2021/22 campaign for the Black Cats.

The Scottish forward hit 26 league goals en route to promotion last term, and while Neil will no doubt be desperate to keep Stewart at the Stadium of Light, Parrott could be a great alternative to the former Ross County man should he depart.

During his spell at MK Dons, the Irish forward contributed nine goals and six assists in League One, helping Liam Manning’s side to reach the play-offs in what was comfortably the best season of his career thus far.

He earned a lot of praise from team-mate Conor Coventry, who said: “I’m not surprised by how good he is. The way he’s been working for the team has been incredible, and it shows that he is still developing and learning.

“He’s a quality player and I’m just happy to play with him every week.”Parrott is clearly destined for big things and will be targeting even more goals next season, so if Kyril Louis-Dreyfus can convince him to join Sunderland this summer, there seems no reason why he couldn’t go on to be as successful as Stewart has at the Stadium of Light.AND in other news: Sunderland working in “the background” to land new “signings”, supporters will be excited

Fabrizio Romano has said that Manchester United ‘really want’ to sign Ajax forward Antony.

The Lowdown: Antony links

The Red Devils are now making strides in the transfer window, with left-back Tyrell Malacia becoming the first signing of the summer.

Progress is also being made in their pursuit of Christian Eriksen, with a verbal agreement reached between the two parties.

Antony is another player who has been linked with a reunion with Erik ten Hag after scoring 22 goals and providing 20 assists in his 78 Ajax appearances.

The Latest: Romano’s comments

Romano, who previously said that Antony’s rise with Ajax was down to the ‘incredible work’ from Ten Hag, told GIVEMESPORT that United ‘really want’ to bring the Brazilian to Old Trafford.

“Let’s see if they can find a solution for a number nine or if they can go for Antony.

“Antony is a player that they really want.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

Antony has gone from strength to strength under Ten Hag and now holds a career-high £31.5m Transfermarkt valuation. He’s still only 22 years of age, so you’d like to think that he could improve on his already impressive game.

Ten Hag currently doesn’t have a senior star right-winger to choose from, so it would make sense if the club brought Antony to Old Trafford.

Hopefully, United’s good progress on transfers can carry on over the coming weeks, and it looks as if United would like Antony to be their marquee attacking arrival.

Tottenham Hotspur have learned how much it would cost to land Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton-Diaz. 

The lowdown

Football London’s Alasdair Gold revealed on his YouTube channel this week that Spurs hold ‘a little bit of interest’ in Brereton-Diaz.

He doesn’t believe there has been formal contact up to this point, but says it’s a move the club could explore.

The 23-year-old was originally set to be out of contract this summer, but Blackburn exercised an option to extend his deal by a further 12 months.

The latest

Richard Jolly, a senior football correspondent at The Independent, revealed Rovers’ likely price tag for the Chilean, stating they will ‘listen to offers’ in order to avoid losing him for nothing next summer.

‘They might ask’ for £20million for the striker, who is also a target for La Liga outfit Sevilla.

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The verdict

Brereton-Diaz may well be the perfect candidate to provide cover and competition for Harry Kane.

His goalscoring record – 22 in 37 Championship appearances last season and four in his first 14 caps for Chile – suggests he could be a dependable stand-in.

Journalist Will Lancaster says he did an ‘amazing job’ in the second tier in 2021/22 after previously struggling for goals.

Perhaps most crucially, Gold suspects that he ‘would probably okay’ being a back-up to Kane.

In other news, this journalist shares an exciting THFC development. 

In 2021/22, West Ham have had perhaps their finest season in recent memory. A seventh-place finish in the Premier League and a Europa League semi-final were the two main highlights in a campaign which gave the London Stadium faithful some wonderful memories.

The chance of further European success will come next season, and David Moyes is duly looking to strengthen his squad ahead of an important campaign.

One of the main areas for improvement is the centre-forward position. With sole centre-forward Michail Antonio netting 13 goals, Moyes relied mainly on wingers Said Benrahma (11) and Jarrod Bowen (18) to find the net during the course of the season.

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West Ham transfer targets

The club have been linked with strikers such as Armando Broja and Valentin Castellanos, but there is another name out there which could give Moyes the goals and assists that he requires at West Ham.

In January, Foot Mercato reported that the Hammers were interested in Strasbourg striker Ludovic Ajorque, and there has now been an update regarding his position at the club.

The Ligue 1 club’s president Marc Keller stated that if “a significant offer is made”, they would consider it. This could be a big boost to Moyes, and with the striker’s asking price being set at £12.6m, it’s a fee that the Irons could comfortably afford.

West Ham’s own Griezmann?

With 12 goals and eight assists this season, Ajorque could be the ideal striker for Moyes to sign. The 28-year-old is compared to compatriot Antoine Griezmann on FBRef, and its clear to see why,

Both players are excellent in the air and extremely dangerous with the ball at their feet. They both averaged over 2.4 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes in 2021/22 (2.47 for Ajorque and 2.57 for Griezmann) and both also contributed well defensively, winning 25 and 26 tackles respectively.

West Ham could secure an excellent player for a minimal fee by moving for the Strasbourg marksman, and with the Ligue 1 club’s president willing to sell if a good offer comes in, Moyes should act sooner rather than later.

AND in other news, GSB eyeing up West Ham swoop for £12.6m “top talent”, Moyes would love him

Two players at Manchester United are considering their future at the club amidst the incoming rebuild led by Erik ten Hag and Ralf Rangnick.

What’s the word?

That is according to the ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano, who has claimed that both Eric Bailly and Aaron Wan-Bissaka could join Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, Edinson Cavani, Lee Grant, Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba in leaving the club this summer.

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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “It’s important to say that two more players have chance to leave Manchester United in the summer.

“One is Eric Bailly because the player is not happy with his game time and so he’s waiting to see what will be the position of Erik ten Hag, but from what I’m told there are good chances for him to go in the summer to leave Manchester United. So Bailly will consider potential proposals.

“And for [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka, there is interest from Crystal Palace. They would love to have the player back but still no decision made on player side. So let’s see what Wan-Bissaka will decide in the coming months.

Supporters will be buzzing

Having conceded 52 Premier League goals this season, United’s defence has well and truly crumbled. The Red Devils have the eighth-worst concession record in the current top-flight campaign, with the likes of Burnley, Aston Villa and West Ham all shipping significantly fewer goals.

As a result, the majority of United fans will surely welcome the news that two defenders could be on their way out of Old Trafford this summer.

The appointment of Ten Hag, with Rangnick set to move into a consultancy role, is massive for United. It presents an opportunity to tear everything down and build from scratch.

That begins by addressing the futures of the current first-team players and trimming down the squad, before adding signings who can come in and reignite the spark of this sleeping giant.

With the likes of Denzel Dumfries mentioned as a potential replacement for Wan-Bissaka, the intent as to how Ten Hag will want to play at United seems very clear.

The 52-year-old wants his defenders to press and win back possession in and around the attacking third. United have been mediocre in that regard this season, winning the ball back in the attacking third at an average of just 4.4 times per match, a return bettered by 11 top-flight teams.

Therefore, the new manager will be looking for players who are comfortable operating in such an intense system and are competent both in and out of possession.

It’s an exciting time for Manchester United, who will be hoping that Ten Hag and Rangnick can awaken what is a sleeping giant in the world of football, and this planned overhaul of the defence will surely leave the Old Trafford faithful buzzing given their troubles in that regard over the past few months.

In other news: Man United are now best placed to sign £83m “diamond”, just imagine him & CR7