All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tottenham Hotspur are among the teams to have made a bid to sign Porto winger Luis Diaz, according to reports.

Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via Sport Witness) claim that Spurs submitted a €60m (£50m) offer for the 24-year-old winger but it was refused, with the Primeira Liga outfit wanting a fee closer to his €80m (£66m) release clause.

Premier League rivals Liverpool and Newcastle United have also been heavily mooted with interest in recent weeks, too.

The 31-cap Colombia international has been in electric form this campaign – as per Transfermarkt, the versatile attacker has provided 15 goals and five assists across the Portugal top-flight and Champions League, adding to his 11 goals and six assists in all competitions last season.

His form has earned substantial recognition from those around him.

Only two months ago, Portuguese journalist Marino Peixoto wrote on Twitter:

“The rate at which Luís Diaz is churning out otherworldly performances coupled with his ability to score screamers like this on a consistent basis is genuinely frightening. Only a matter of time before somebody pays an astronomical fee for him.”

Whilst Dragons teammate Sergio Oliveira described the £36m-rated dynamo as “extraordinary” after a particularly glowing display against Italian giants AC Milan.

“I don’t have to answer, we know his qualities, apart from the human level he is also extraordinary on a technical level,” he said (via the Daily Mail).

Given manager Antonio Conte’s desperate plea to bolster his playing squad this month, Diaz is evidently a player capable of adding some much-needed quality in the final third.

“For sure (we need to strengthen),” the 52-year-old told reporters. “After only two weeks I said we needed to improve the quality of this squad.”

He has proven on both a domestic and European level that he can regularly score and set up chances, as evident by his figures and subsequent praise above.

Spurs may well need to break their £55m club-record fee to land him but you’d imagine he would be worth every penny, even more so under the Italian manager.

Lilywhites sporting director Fabio Paratici must do all he can to secure the Colombian maestro this window.

AND in other news, Forget Bergwijn: Tottenham’s £34m-rated “big talent” could fill Conte’s huge Son void…

BBC Sport journalist Adam Pope has dropped a worrying injury update on Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

What’s the story?

The England international was taken off by Marcelo Bielsa during the Premier League clash against Brentford at the weekend, having first tried to play on before making it clear he needed to be substituted just before the hour mark.

And now, writing on Twitter early on Wednesday morning, Pope revealed: “Kalvin Phillips is understood to be facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Will ask about expected length of time out & exact nature of injury when we speak to Marcelo Bielsa on Thursday.”

“Massive worry” for Leeds United

Make no mistake about it, being without Phillips for any length of time would be a devastating blow for Leeds and their supporters, given how instrumental he is both as a player and a leader.

In the three Premier League games that he’s failed to take to the pitch this season, the Whites have lost to Manchester United 5-1, lost to Southampton 1-0, and drawn 1-1 at home to Wolves too – hardly the kind of form that suggests they can cope without him.

It’s no surprise then that former Leeds man Noel Whelan has admitted reports emerging of Phillips’ injury is “massive”.

He said: “It’s a massive worry. One’s our club captain, and the other is invaluable to how we play. Having someone with the calibre of Kalvin Phillips out will be crucial to our competitive nature, our ability to go from back to front, and that calming influence on the ball.

“Hopefully it won’t be long term for Kalvin, it could just be a precaution. We can’t afford this, to be missing players like them over this Christmas period, they’re vitally important.”

If indeed Phillips is ruled out for the foreseeable future and misses the busy run of games over the festive period, then that could strike a decisive blow as the Whites aim to stay well away from the relegation zone.

Leeds fans will surely be devastated with Pope’s reveal.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has delivered the latest on Marcelo Bielsa’s future….

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has dropped a worrying transfer update ahead of the January window.

What’s the story?

The Whites find themselves in a difficult position in the Premier League heading into the busy Christmas period, with their mid-week drubbing at the hands of Manchester City placing a lot of scrutiny on the club’s growing injury list and potential transfer plans.

And now, Bielsa has delivered an update on where things currently stand, and it’s not great news for Leeds fans.

He said: “It’s a question that I’ve answered various times, I don’t have a different answer than what I’ve given up until now. Of course I’m losing authority in the position I defend because every game presents new difficulties. The question you ask me leaves me defenceless to defend my ideas.

“It’s also important to leave clear what I’ve said about this subject previously. The capacity for an institution to fortify their squad has a limit due to their budget. In that sense the president, the club have acted in a more than sufficient manner. But this is not the moment for me to explain anything.”

Fans will be worried

Having been at the hands of a 7-0 thrashing against City, and a clash against a resurgent Arsenal at the weekend, Leeds can ill afford any more big slip-ups in terms of results, and injuries too.

Bielsa has had desperate misfortune with missing the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Raphinha and Patrick Bamford for extended periods of time and it has placed a lot of question marks over his reluctance to strengthen his squad.

Phillips is now out for the best part of two months and the fact that they’ve not won a single game this term when he’s not featured suggests they need more bodies in the team.

The Argentine has been known to favour a tight-knit group that he can rely on, but what the injuries and illnesses have caused and exposed is a glaring lack of depth, especially in key areas.

His comments that new signings may not be on the table due to budget concerns should leave fans very worried, particularly with the prospect of a real relegation battle looming for the second half of the season.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has delivered a Leeds United transfer update…

Antonio Conte recorded his first Premier League victory in charge of Tottenham Hotspur as his side came from behind to defeat Leeds United in north London on Sunday evening.

Spurs went into the break trailing by a goal and without a shot on target but came out in the second half as a completely different outfit, with goals from two unlikely sources in Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Sergio Reguilon sealing all three points to make it three games unbeaten under the Italian.

Truth be told, the visitors will return to Yorkshire feeling a little disappointed and gutted as they deserved to come away with at least a point, having racked up more possession and attempts on goal than the home side.

But Conte’s back-three held firm against the weakened Whites, with Eric Dier arguably stealing the show at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

In the absence of Cristian Romero, who missed the match with injury, the English colossus stepped up to be the aggressive ball-playing beast in the heart of the backline.

As per SofaScore, he recorded the most touches (76) in the Spurs team, which only goes to show that the bulk of their play came out through him in the middle of the defence. This was also reinforced by the fact that he managed more passes (53) than any other player in the side, too.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-news-updates-transfers-antonio-conte-thfc” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

It was even more impressive that he managed to create one big chance, with one key pass and managed three successful long balls.

Elsewhere, he defended soundly, managing a game-high seven clearances, as well as winning five of his nine duels, both in the air and on the ground, via SofaScore.

Alasdair Gold of football.london was also impressed by the 27-year-old, whom he described as the ‘quarterback’ of the team due to the lack of creativity elsewhere and also claimed that he ‘had more success with his defending though, with little getting past him.’

With Romero expected to be out for a little longer, the £92k-per-week Dier will need to keep to this standard to ensure more positive results under Conte.

So forget the goalscoring Reguilon, who won Sky Sports’ ‘Man of the Match’ award, the English powerhouse arguably stole the show in north London on Sunday.

AND in other news, Spurs could find new Christian Eriksen after January transfer boost…

Many Everton fans have been left fuming over an opinion piece on the Goodison Park faithful by Dominic King.

The journalist wrote for The Daily Mail about the Merseyside club’s recent problems, given that they have not won in seven games in the Premier League, and claims that they ‘run deeper’ than Rafa Benitez and what he is doing with the team on the pitch.

This comes after Toffees supporters were, as King describes, ‘volcanic’ in the away end after losing 1-0 to Brentford at the weekend.

However, King believes that other factors have played into their demise, including recruitment, their £1.7m transfer budget, and chopping and changing managers.

Nonetheless, what wound up Blues was there was no mention of any of the problems being the fault of Chairman Bill Kenwright.

As Chairman, he would have had a big say in their recruitment, transfer policy and the hiring and firing of managers, and so a lot of EFC fans feel as if he should also be held responsible.

Everton fans on King claim

These Evertonians fumed as King shared his claim on Twitter:

“Why is Kenwright getting away with it yet again?”

Credit: @richythepigeon

“Don’t say anything about Kenwright, you won’t be allowed anywhere near Goodison if you do. Why don’t you report what the fans feel instead of deflecting his criticism?”

Credit: @ToffeesStu1878

“Kenwright is part of the problem. He was also on the end of fans’ frustration. Changes are needed from the top to the bottom of the club. The figures don’t lie. This BOD are not fit to run Everton. #EnoughIsEnough”

Credit: @nismoneil

“Dom King likes Kenwright because 21 trophyless years under his stewardship is just what Liverpool fans want from an Everton Chairman.”

Credit: @bernieo63

“What about Kenwright? He’s the one constant through all the failure”

Credit: @gaino92

“Not a single mention of Kenwright who is the core of the problems?”

Credit: @YouthEverton

In other news, find out what Merseyside derby team news has Toffees talking here!

Speaking in a Leeds Live Q&A session, journalist Beren Cross has shared what he knows on star midfielder Kalvin Phillips and a possible new deal.

The Lowdown: Phillips exit rumours…

Due to his stellar performances at club and international level last season, the Leeds favourite has been linked with a move away from Elland Road all summer until now.

Indeed, the Englishman has attracted interest from Manchester United amid their search for central midfield alternatives in what could be a future worry for manager Marcelo Bielsa.

Now, in an update, Cross has shared what he believes involving Phillips and his future at the club.

The Latest: Cross makes Phillips claim…

Speaking in the Q&A, Leeds reporter Cross refuses to rule out an exit for the 25-year-old in future but has made an exciting contract claim – and one which could ensure the Whites get the ‘best deal possible’.

When asked about the Phillips situation, he replied: “There would need to be some eye-watering bids for Leeds to even contemplate selling Raphinha or Phillips in January, especially if they’re still in the bottom quarter of the table at that time.

“Next summer is a more realistic time for those bids to come in and Leeds cannot stop other clubs bidding for their players. Sporting directors would not be doing their jobs properly if they did not take a look at talents like those two who, currently, do not play European football with their club.

“Leeds may not want to sell next summer, but they will surely be realistic enough to know every player has their price. Do not be surprised to see Phillips sign a new contract in the near future.

“That will boost his transfer value even higher and as Bielsa said recently, if and when he decides to go, he will ensure Leeds get the best deal possible from it.”

The Verdict: Smart move…

If Bielsa and Leeds do have to surrender one of their best players in future, the least they can do is recuperate as much money as possible from any deal.

Lauded as an ‘unbelievable’ player by pundit Kevin Phillips, the tenacious midfielder should have no trouble attracting big bids considering his age, form, performances and the fact he is homegrown.

Adding a new contract on top of that would only better Leeds’ chances to really make a profit.

Celtic failed to capitalise on an opportunity to move top of the Premiership as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Livingston on Saturday.

The Hoops had the chance to overtake their Glasgow rivals at the summit ahead of their clash with Motherwell on Sunday, but instead they now sit one point behind the Gers – potentially four points by tomorrow afternoon.

Giorgos Giakoumakis could have sealed the win in injury time when he placed the ball down on the spot after Celtic were awarded a penalty. However, the Greek striker’s tame effort was easily saved and the Hoops had to share the points with Livingston.

Whilst the 26-year-old may take the flak for missing a penalty, with some criticism deserved as he fluffed his lines with a pivotal moment in the match , another player who let Ange Postecoglou down badly was Jota.

The Portuguese forward put in a frustrating performance with which the manager will surely be disappointed, potentially more so than with his starting number nine. Despite missing that penalty, Giakoumakis showed some good signs as he created one chance, won two of his four ground duels and only lost possession five times in the match.

Meanwhile, Jota struggled in almost every aspect of the game. Defensively, he was a lightweight for Celtic.

As per SofaScore, he lost six of his 10 ground duels and failed to make a single tackle, interception or block for his team. This suggests that he did not put in the hard work to win the ball back for the Hoops, whilst he was also too weak to win the majority of his individual battles.

On the ball, he was a disaster. As per SofaScore, he gave possession back to Livingston a whopping 25 times and created zero chances. He also failed to register a shot on goal, whilst failing with 10 of his 12 attempted crosses. This shows that he was nowhere near good enough with the ball at his feet, losing the ball 20 times more than Giakoumakis and not providing a single key pass, unlike the Greek international.

Therefore, Jota was the one player who let Postecoglou down badly, despite Giakoumakis missing the decisive penalty in the game. Moments in matches are important, but the overall standard of a player’s performance should be taken into account and the Portuguese summer signing’s display was simply not good enough for a Celtic winger.

AND in other news, Nicholson must sanction Celtic swoop for prolific 24 y/o beast, he’s Edouard’s heir…

Taking to Twitter, reliable reporter Roshane Thomas of The Athletic has now leaked another major West Ham United development out of Rush Green involving Vladimir Coufal.

The Lowdown: Eventful times at West Ham…

After West Ham confirmed the appointment of Rob Newman in the new head of recruitment role, a change which could have a big impact on transfers, it appears that more news has emerged out of east London, this time regarding fresh terms for Coufal.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-developments/” title=”West Ham developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

West Ham and GSB have been in talks over a new deal for their 2020 summer signing over these last few months, but an agreement had stalled over reported disputes regarding salary (Sky Sports).

The 29-year-old, who shone last season under David Moyes, is only one of the Czech Republic fan favourites subject to fresh terms at the London Stadium. His compatriot Tomas Soucek has also been touted with a blockbuster new deal, while the club also want to tie down star midfielder Declan Rice (Claret & Hugh).

In a major development, Thomas has now shared exactly how West Ham are getting on in tying down Coufal to a new contract.

The Latest: Coufal signs new deal…

As per The Athletic reporter, sharing the ‘great news’ on his Twitter profile, Coufal has now put pen to paper on a new three-year deal with West Ham, including the option for a further year.

In a ‘huge boost’ for Moyes, the 29-year-old has committed his long term future in east London after quickly becoming a fan favourite.

It is believed that Coufal even turns up to Rush Green on his days off and has helped change the culture at West Ham.

The Verdict: Absolutely massive…

One of the first names on Moyes’ teamsheet having started 34 league games last season, news of the right-back extending his stay is nothing short of massive for the Irons.

He finished his debut season in England as West Ham’s joint-highest tackler per game and attracted praise from club legend Mark Noble, who called him a ‘machine’ of a player.

His dynamism and application on that right-hand side is an absolute joy to behold at times and it’s arguable that he was the Premier League’s best right-back of 2020/21.

Moyes will be delighted that Coufal looks set to remain in the east end of London for a while longer.

In other news: Reliable reporter: West Ham fans should also be ‘excited’ by another big update, find out more here.

Craig Dawson may have lost his place in West Ham’s starting XI following the arrival of Champions League winner Kurt Zouma this summer but he has arguably been one of the most underrated players since David Moyes’ return.

The 31-year-old veteran originally joined the Irons on loan from Watford in October 2020 and soon kept four clean sheets in as many appearances for the club.

By the end of the season, the east Londoners made the move permanent for a bargain £2m.

Dawson has since featured 32 times in all competitions, in which he has won 20 of those matches and lost only six times. That is a win percentage of 62.5% and has coincided with the Hammers’ impressive rise into the Europa League.

In fact, Moyes’ men have not lost with Dawson featuring since May this year, a 1-0 defeat to Everton.

His impact at the London Stadium has been something previously noted by former Arsenal defender and BT Sport commentator Martin Keown.

“I think Dawson is a great bit of business. [James] Tarkowski was meant to be coming in for £35m and Moyes has said no, I don’t pay that sort of money. He came in as fourth choice and now he’s key,” he said to talkSPORT.

It isn’t the first time that the 6 foot 2 colossus, who earns around £42.5k-per-week, has been praised for his ability.

Irons assistant manager Stuart Pearce dubbed him an “incredible kid”  who is a “pleasure to work with” to talkSPORT (Wednesday 20 January, 8:30am), whilst former Hammers defender Anton Ferdinand has described him as a “leader” too.

Dawson may well have lost his place in Moyes’ starting XI in the league but evidently, he’s a more than reliable backup to have. His record since joining is pretty outstanding. His four starts have even earned a better rating than Angelo Ogbonna, as per WhoScored, so perhaps that is something the Scotsman should be considering – a Dawson and Zouma partnership.

Whilst the likes of Declan Rice and Michail Antonio often take the plaudits for West Ham’s fine form under Moyes, the 31-year-old beast has been an underrated unsung hero since the manager took the dugout for the second time.

AND in other news, Newman could seal West Ham’s best signing since Soucek in £19.8m-rated “goal machine”…

Speaking to Football Insider, former England goalkeeper and Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has slammed Tottenham Hotspur boss Nuno Espirito Santo after his ‘worrying’ reveal.

The Lowdown: Nuno makes revelation…

As quoted by The Telegraph, Spurs’ head coach has made an admission on the challenges he and his players face at Hotspur Way as they aim to put the dismal Jose Mourinho era behind Tottenham.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-developments/” title=”Spurs developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Portuguese, speaking candidly to the press, made a revelation that there are still ‘many problems to solve’ – with it also being suggested that there is ‘not much time’ to fix them in training as opposed to matches over the coming weeks.

Reacting to this admission, Robinson has now slammed Nuno whilst making a claim.

The Latest: Robinson slams Nuno…

Speaking to FI, the former Spur and Sky Sports regular believes that the ‘many problems’ is a worrying statement and the lack of pre-season to sort them out comes as ‘no excuse’ for the Lilywhites boss.

“That is worrying to hear,” he told Football Insider.

“They have had a full pre-season and we’re only five games into the season.

“Yes, the pre-season was shortened by the international tournaments but that is no excuse.

“Five games in and there’s problems that he doesn’t have time to solve in the training ground? That is a concerning statement if you ask me.”

The Verdict: Interesting times ahead for Tottenham…

Linked with a plethora of new managers earlier this year before eventually deciding to appoint Nuno, it appears there is already plenty of pressure on the 47-year-old.

Their long-running search for Jose Mourinho’s era successor finally came to an end with the former Wolves boss, but given he was only offered a two-year deal, it appears he is very much on trial right from the off.

He will not have much time to gel Spurs into a formidable outfit who can challenge for a top four place and the heat is very much on.

In other news: Spurs now want ‘outstanding’ 29 y/o who Pochettino wanted to make one of his highest earners, find out more here.