All posts by h79snht.top

Ex-BBC man Noel Whelan has insisted that Everton should sell Richarlison this summer if Paris Saint-Germain meets the asking price for the Brazilian.

The Lowdown: PSG links

According to a report by 90min, PSG are ready to make a move for the Toffees forward.

It is claimed that the Merseyside outfit need to sell either Richarlison or Dominic Calvert-Lewin in order to ease concerns over potential Financial Fair Play breaches.

Football Insider have reported that Frank Lampard will accept offers over £50m for the Brazil international, and the club are increasingly confident that a deal can be secured.

The Latest: Whelan’s claim

Ex-BBC man Whelan has urged Everton to get the deal done if a suitable offer comes in for the 25-year-old.

Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed: “It’s a no-brainer for me if there is interest in Richarlison.

“He drives me crazy. The antics that follow him on the pitch just completely overshadow what a great player he can be. If you can get a big chunk of money, £50million – then get it done.

“He’s not going to sign a new deal. It’s a way of giving Lampard the money he needs to bring in maybe four new faces this summer.

“Look, it might not just be Richarlison. We’ve seen Calvert-Lewin linked with moves as well. I think they may well have to sacrifice both players to do any business this summer.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-5/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Big loss

Despite an underwhelming season for Everton in front of goal, Richarlison managed to hit double figures and become the Toffees’ top scorer for the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

Praised by former manager Carlo Ancelotti as a ‘fantastic player’, it is no wonder that Everton fans are desperate for the club to hold onto their star man.

According to the Daily Mail however, the attacker has informed the Everton board about his intentions for the future at the club, and the Goodison faithful may have to just hope the club get the very best deal and reinvest wisely this summer.

In other news: Everton: PSG ready to make move for Richarlison

Newcastle United could still recruit the best behind-the-scenes talent in football without having to worry about breaching Financial Fair Play rules, claims finance expert Dr Dan Plumley.

The Lowdown: Non-playing staff

On Saturday 28 May, The Times reported that the non-playing staff at Newcastle will be handed a pay rise for the first time in several years.

The current FFP system in the Premier League permits clubs a £105m loss over a rolling three-year period, with salary costs counting towards that total.

However, the Premier League is expected to adopt UEFA’s new profit and sustainability system imminently. This limits clubs to spending 70 per cent of turnover on wages and transfers, but it ultimately means only player and manager wages will be counted towards the quota.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-6/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Plumley’s claim

Plumley believes that Newcastle can utilise the new system to pay elite non-playing staff big wages to gain an advantage, without breaching FFP rules.

Speaking with Football Insider, Plumley claimed:

“This is potentially one way to get around FFP.

“If you look at the makeup of the backroom staff, Liverpool are the gold standard. They look at data, sports science, and psychology. The list is endless.

“In a sport where the margins are so fine, it can really pay off if you can get an edge in this area. If you have the best minds and the finest talent in football, you can make gains behind the scenes.

“Of course, everything needs to be streamlined and the culture needs to be right, and the commercial team and the finance team can grow too.”

The Verdict: May have already started

Just last night Newcastle announced the appointment of highly rated Dan Ashworth as the club’s new sporting director.

The 51-year-old joined former club Brighton in 2018 with an impressive reputation after his spell with the FA, where he helped various England age groups triumph at three tournaments in 2017, and then proceeded to establish the south-coast side as a mainstay in the Premier League.

With such appointments already taking place, this will be a huge sign of things to come for Newcastle, who will be doing anything they can to make marginal gains in pursuit of European qualification.

In other news: Newcastle United: Magpies target Hugo Ekitike ‘told’ he can leave Reims

The Evening Standard have now shared a promising West Ham United transfer update involving Rennes defender and transfer target Nayef Aguerd.

The Lowdown: Moyes joins race…

Irons boss David Moyes joined the chase for one of Ligue 1’s standout defenders in recent weeks amid his search for a central defensive upgrade, as backed by The Telegraph.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-developments-5/” title=”West Ham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Journalist Mike McGrath first claimed earlier this month that West Ham are looking to revive a deal for Aguerd after they failed to finalise his Premier League move last year.

Later on, it was reported by Sky journalist Dharmesh Sheth that the Irons had entered negotiations for the Morocco international with ‘growing confidence’ they can complete a move.

The Latest: Evening Standard share update…

Backing reports, The Evening Standard have weighed in with their own update, claiming ‘talks are progressing over a deal’ for Aguerd as manager Moyes ‘steps up transfer talks’.

The Scotsman is continuing to plot a summer rebuild in east London and it is believed that West Ham negotiations are advancing for Rennes’ star.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Aguerd’s capture will come as a big boost for Moyes and real upgrade for his defensive roster.

Lauded as the ‘real boss’ of Rennes by members of the French media, no player in Bruno Génésio’s side has made more clearances per 90 than the 26-year-old, summing up exactly why he’s been called one of the best defenders in France.

Taking this into account, Moyes’ interest is perfectly justified, and we believe Aguerd’s arrival would signal a solid start to the summer.

In other news: West Ham tension behind-the-scenes as GSB could now be set for big decision, find out more here.

Everton have survived their desperate relegation battle and will remain in the Premier League next season after a disastrous campaign, but Frank Lampard and his team can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

It wasn’t a comfortable game for the Toffees by no means, but the manager will be proud of the resilience his team showed in the second half of the game to come back from 2-0 down against Crystal Palace to score three in the final 45 minutes at Goodison Park.

Despite being at home Everton had less possession (43%), fewer big chances and completed over 100 less accurate passes than Patrick Vieira’s side yesterday evening, but even without domination of the ball, the team took their chances when they needed to.

In the first half, the Toffees struggled to impose themselves on their visitors and started massively on the back foot which ultimately cost them when Jean-Philippe Mateta found the back of the net in the 21st minute but the first goal wasn’t enough to wake the home team up as they conceded a second 15 minutes later when Jordan Ayew scored to double Palace’s lead.

Lampard quickly realised that he needed to make some ruthless changes to his team if he was going to have any chance of securing safety ahead of the final game of the season, swapping out an uninspiring Andre Gomes for Dele Alli and that one change may have been the catalyst in changing Everton’s fate on Merseyside.

Michael Keane and Richarlison brought their team back into the game with goals in the second half, but it was Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s killer goal in the 85th minute that made every Blues supporter’s dreams come true, with a goal that has now saved Everton in their penultimate game of the campaign.

One player who deserves a huge amount of credit for the win tonight is Demarai Gray, who came on the pitch for Anthony Gordon in the 61st minute, a substitution that was worth its weight in gold.

The 25-year-old who was hailed a “game-changer” by former manager Gary Rowett proved just how effective he can be in important moments even with just 13 touches of the ball he made every single one count.

Gray won 100% of his ground duels, was successful in 100% of his dribble attempts, creating one big chance and making one key pass proving that although he didn’t make many touches he was effective in achieving what he was brought onto the pitch to do.

Lampard, the squad and the supporters will be massively relieved and overjoyed to have taken themselves out of the relegation fight ahead of the last day of the season, but now the club must focus on the future and there is some serious work to do to make sure they don’t fall into the same situation again next season.

AND in other news: Everton eye a move for 18 y/o “shining light”, he could be the next Calvert-Lewin

Transfer insider Dean Jones has encouraged Tottenham Hotspur to make an attempt to sign Chelsea midfielder Jorginho this summer. 

The lowdown: Spurs eyeing replica

Spurs boss Antonio Conte will certainly be in the market for more reinforcements following the arrival and subsequent positive impacts of Juventus pair Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur in January.

Following a report from the Evening Standard claiming that Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici will seek to find a player of a similar ilk to the 30-year-old Jorginho, a cultured midfielder is clearly on the list of priorities at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

However, one reputable journalist has suggested that the north Londoners could make a move for the real deal…

The latest: ‘A lot of talk’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones has suggested that Tottenham should make a move for the 43-cap Italy ace.

He said: “If Conte wants a Jorginho, then go and try and sign Jorginho, because I think that Chelsea might be open to him leaving at this point.

“There’s a lot of talk of him potentially being reunited with Maurizio Sarri this summer. And I think that we will be reading headlines about him potentially leaving Chelsea.”

With off-field matters still not resolved in west London, Jorginho is out of contract in 2023 and is currently unable to negotiate a new deal with the club.

The verdict: Not the right fit

Albeit nigh on impossible to question Jorginho’s quality having been named the Best Player in Europe in 2020/21, the experienced Italian midfielder isn’t where Spurs should be looking at this juncture, despite Conte previously recognising his improvement in becoming a ‘stronger’ player since arriving in the Premier League.

Instead, the Lilywhites need to bring younger options with the potential to flourish and develop further whilst at the club into their ranks.

For this, when using the FBref player comparison tool, names such as 25-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt defensive midfielder Djibril Sow, Lyon starlet Maxence Caqueret and Sassuolo 24-year-old Maxime Lopez all trend alongside Jorginho stylistically and would fit a more suitable age bracket.

Whilst a move on the cheap for the man described as ‘relentless’ by manager Thomas Tuchel would be a welcome one, we feel Conte and Paratici would be best served looking at long-term options.

In other news: Reliable source: Tottenham agreement now ‘very likely’ as Conte closes in on ‘top signing’, find out more here.

After Frank Lampard was appointed as the new manager at Everton on Deadline Day, the manager had to rush into making some impact signings he thought would help him steer the club into safety and out of the relegation battle.

The former Chelsea boss managed to acquire the services of Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek and Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli, both of whom were facing similar fates at their parent clubs with the pair being outcasts in their teams and struggling for game time, with Lampard offering them both a golden opportunity to prove the doubters wrong.

However, the pair have been less than satisfactory since their arrival at Goodison Park, with Alli only picking up 218 minutes of play over the last four months and Van de Beek hasn’t been much better, although he did make an instant impact on his debut that seemed promising at the time.

The 24-year-old who was criticised for being a “danger” by Casey Stoney won the most possession in the middle third (6), made ten ball recoveries, making the joint-most tackles (4) and aerial duels won (3) against Leeds United but failed to emulate this stand-out performance ever since.

In February, it was reported by The Mirror that the Man United loanee would set out to make his temporary move to Everton permanent and at that point, it looked like a promising prospect for Lampard, but as the months have gone on and time runs down on his half-season loan, the manager must brutally axe Van de Beek, sending him back to Old Trafford.

The Toffees were without the support of the Dutch midfielder again on Sunday in their victory at the King Power Stadium with Lampard confirming that he is injured for the third time, which means that he hasn’t been featured in the team since March, unavailable to assist Everton in their tight relegation battle.

This inconsistent form will come as no surprise to Dutch legend Marco van Basten, who cast doubt on Van de Beek’s ability to handle the Premier League, even going as far to say he was “not that good” in a scathing review of the player.

“Van de Beek is not that good,” he said. “As number 10 at Ajax it is much easier than as number 10 in Spain or England.”

Ironically, the £22.5m-rated former Ajax star may get his second chance at Manchester United despite his inconsistencies and lack of minutes in the Premier League since his arrival, as when he returns to Old Trafford this summer, the manager that propelled him into the spotlight will be taking charge.

Erik ten Hag has been appointed as the new Man United manager, and Van de Beek will be given the chance to prove his worth back in Manchester this summer according to reports, which will take pressure off Farhad Moshiri and Lampard having to have awkward conversations about his future this summer.

Ultimately, with light at the end of the tunnel almost in reach for the manager and his Merseyside team after moving out of the relegation zone on Sunday, he will need to focus on improving the squad next season by getting rid of deadwood, and Van de Beek will be an easy offload for Everton.

AND in other news: Forget Holgate: Everton’s “top pro” who completed 95% passes saved Lampard today

Celtic are once again being credited with an interest in SC Heerenveen full-back Milan van Ewijk ahead of the summer transfer window, as per Dutch outlet Voetbal International.

The lowdown: Previous links

The Hoops were initially linked with the 21-year-old back in March of 2021 – when John Kennedy was in interim charge – prior to the starlet’s £540,000 switch from ADO Den Haag (Transfermarkt).

Since then, the Holland youth international has gone from strength to strength in the Eredivisie and has previously been likened to compatriot and now Inter Milan star Denzel Dumfries.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-6/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Amidst interest from across Europe, Celtic have once again been cited as potential suitors for the talented right-back…

The latest: Major interest

As per VI, newly crowned Scottish champions Celtic, PSV Eindhoven, Stade Brest, Lille and QPR are all attentive to Van Ewijk’s situation.

It’s claimed that the Under 21 Dutch ace, who has already made 77 top-flight outings in his homeland, is ‘of interest’ to the Bhoys as Ange Postecoglou attempts to strengthen the Parkhead squad ahead of a season in the Champions League.

Furthermore, it’s suggested that there is a ‘real chance’ the full-back – described as possessing ‘tons of potential’ by journalist Michael Bell – could make another move this summer despite his recent switch.

The verdict: Strength in depth required

Albeit many would point to the rise of Anthony Ralston at right-back this season and question the need for reinforcements, Celtic will embark on a quest for all three domestic trophies next term whilst also needing to compete in the group stages of Europe’s elite competition.

With that in mind, top-level understudies will be required in every position and at present, Postecoglou can only truly call upon Ralston or Josip Juranovic for the big occasions to fill what is a pivotal role in the Greek-Australian’s favoured system.

Capable of playing as a conventional right-back or in a more advanced position, Van Ewijk has earned an impressive 7.02 average Sofascore rating this season, winning 6.1 duels per game and completing 77% of all attempted passes, ticking an abundance of required attributes in both a defensive and attacking capacity that make the Dutchman a viable candidate to add to the Lennoxtown ranks.

In other news, journalist haiils Celtic man with ‘twinkle toes’. Find out who it is here.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have begun their second season under Bruno Lage with a bit of a whimper, only recording their first Premier League victory against Southampton in their last outing.

Their goalscoring woes have continued over from last season, where they only netted 38 league goals, with a solid rear-guard preventing them from slipping into any relegation trouble.

With just the three goals in six matches, Lage has still to correct this massive problem Wolves suffer from, and that’s despite the signings of Goncalo Guedes and Sasa Kalajdzic (he will now miss the majority of the campaign due to injury) during the summer.

The injury to the Austrian frontman led Lage to secure a deal to bring striker Diego Costa to Molineux, and the manager will be ready to unleash him against Manchester City tomorrow lunchtime

On the Chalkboard

Costa is no stranger to the Premier League, playing for Chelsea in two different spells, winning two league titles under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.

Add in two La Liga crowns, a Europa League title and three European Super Cups and Lage has himself a serial winner in the squad.

The £50k-per-week hitman has scored 197 senior goals for club and country since 2006 and despite not playing a match in 2022, he can still offer an excellent goal threat.

During his latest spell, at Brazilian outfit Atletico Mineiro, he scored five goals in 19 appearances before having his contract terminated after only five months.

In ordinary circumstances, Lage would have given the 33-year-old plenty of time to get up to speed fitness-wise, but he doesn’t have the luxury due to injuries.

Mourinho once called Costa an “animal” and with his predatory instincts around the penalty box, the now AS Roma manager was absolutely spot on.

It is clear that Wolves need someone with a killer intuition to improve their woeful goal tally this season, and Costa fits the bill perfectly if unleashed against Pep Guardiola’s City juggernaut, he can terrorise their defence and create plenty of opportunities.

Leeds United chief Victor Orta missed a trick with Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, it seems.

The Yorkshire outfit held talks with the Georgian superstar back in the summer of 2021, as revealed by the winger himself back in his home country, where he told reporters:

“There were negotiations with Leeds and maybe they will continue again. I don’t like to talk in advance.”

Indeed, such interest did resurface earlier this year, after Italian outlet Il Mattino (via Sport Witness) claimed the Yorkshiremen were leading the race to sign the 21-year-old dynamo.

It would be Serie A side Napoli that sealed his signature, though, joining in a £10m deal from Dinamo Batumi back in early July – and what a signing he has been for Gli Azzurri.

The 17-cap international has scored four goals and laid on two assists across six appearances so far this campaign, including a particularly glowing display as Luciano Spaletti’s side thrashed Premier League giants Liverpool 4-1 in the Champions League earlier this week, leading to many singing his praises.

BBC Match of the Day presenter and ex-England striker Gary Lineker claimed on Twitter that Kvaratskhelia “is an exciting young talent” who is “difficult to play against.”

Whilst Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor lauded the Georgian gem as a “special, special talent” and suggested that he “would have been such a great fit for Leeds.”

Lining up on the left-flank for Napoli, the 21-year-old speedster caused Trent Alexander-Arnold nightmares all evening as he registered four successful dribbles, played three key passes and managed to fire off three shots, as per SofaScore.

BT Sport punditry duo Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Fowler were scathing in their review of the England international’s performance, claiming that it was “shocking” and that he showed a ” lack of desire,” in quotes relayed by English newspaper Metro.

In the past, Football FanCast viewed Kvaratskhelia as an ideal successor to Raphinha at Elland Road due to his remarkable ability on the ball, echoing the thoughts of Taylor, and whilst Luis Sinisterra does look the part, you can’t help but feel that Orta and co missed the boat with the Napoli man.

On the above evidence, Leeds dropped the ball with the Georgian machine, so they will surely regret not signing him. He’ll certainly be sold by the Italian outfit for tenfold of the £10m they paid.

AND in other news, Phil Hay’s recent 49ers update could be game-changing for Leeds and Marsch…

Manchester City are interested in signing Barcelona starlet Gavi, according to journalist Graeme Bailey.

The Lowdown: Gavi’s contract

Having emerged as a regular in the Catalan outfit’s midfield last season, the 18-year-old has become a crucial component in Xavi’s starting XI.

However, the youngster has entered the final year of his contract, which is set to expire at the end of June 2023.

According to 90min, Gavi had agreed to sign a new long-term deal with Barcelona earlier this year, but the club’s financial issues meant this was no longer viable a few months back and frustration is mounting in the player’s camp.

The Latest: Bailey’s news

Bailey has now shared an update on Gavi’s contract situation, revealing a number of Premier League teams are eyeing up a move for the Spain international.

Taking to Twitter, the journalist revealed:

“Barcelona confident Gavi contract agreement is close despite fresh transfer interest.

“Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool would all love to take brilliant Spaniard and have made it known.”

The attached report reveals City are one of several teams to hold ‘meetings’ about a deal.

The Verdict: Huge talent

When looking at the 18-year-old’s underlying stats, it is clear to see why so many English clubs are interested in securing the his signature.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, Gavi ranks in the 97th percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area, in the 94th percentile for progressive passes received and in the 92nd percentile for dribbles completed, characteristics which may remind Blues fans of a certain David Silva.

Barcelona boss Xavi has been full of praise for the youngster in recent times, hailing his ‘spectacular’ ability and maturity within the game.

He even claimed Gavi is ‘a heart with legs’, as he puts so much intensity and passion into his play.

If the Spaniard fails to sign a new deal with the La Liga giants, Man City should do all they can to bring him to the Etihad.