All posts by z3u9t.icu

Alan Nixon has dropped a major update on what Leeds United’s big transfer priority is going to be in the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side enjoyed a superb end to the Premier League season, winning four games on the bounce, and breaking into the top ten in their first campaign back in English football’s top-flight.

Now, in a Q&A session on Twitter, Nixon has claimed that signing a new left-back in the summer is the Whites’ “big priority”, while a couple of extra additions could be made to reinforce the midfield too.

Bielsa will be buzzing

Make no mistake about it, getting a new first-team left-back through the door this summer would be a major step to completing the kind of back-line that Bielsa wants at Elland Road.

With Luke Ayling already established as the club’s main option at right-back, and both Diego Llorente and Robin Koch brought in last summer to reinforce the middle, left-back was the only real concern in defence.

While Gjanni Alioski enjoyed an impressive end to the Premier League season, there are still some big question marks over his ability to be a consistent presence for Leeds over the course of a whole campaign – former Whites ace Noel Whelan has even dubbed him a “liability” and has urged the club to make the move for a new left-back.

Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested that the likes of Huesca’s Javi Galan and Stade Brest’s Romain Perraud are among those who are in the sights of the Yorkshire club, so Nixon’s transfer claim does tally up.

[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!”]

The fact he revealed it is Leeds’ “big priority” should have Bielsa buzzing as he looks to tighten up the back-line ahead of the new campaign – their tally of 54 goals conceded last season was actually the seventh-worst record in the entire Premier League.

The Leeds boss will be very excited to add the final piece of his defensive jigsaw this summer.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa is eyeing a record-breaking swoop for this Brazilian star…

Brendan Rodgers remains one of Tottenham Hotspur’s top managerial targets, according to reports…

What’s the word?

That’s the latest claim from 90min, who suggested that the 48-year-old is still in the running to take over from Jose Mourinho despite his reluctance to leave Leicester City.

Daniel Levy will not appoint Spurs’ next manager until the summer, with the club’s former midfielder Ryan Mason in caretaker charge until then, and the chairman is believed to be infatuated by the Foxes chief.

It is also claimed that he would be prepared to make Rodgers the second-highest paid manager in the Premier League behind Man City’s Pep Guardiola, who is thought to be on around £15m per year.

Pay whatever it takes

As targets keep coming and going, Levy could have his work cut out to find a viable and attractive manager to fill the vacant role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Julian Nagelsmann and Erik ten Hag have quickly been ruled out of the running, and even though he seems committed to Leicester, there cannot be many better candidates out there than Rodgers.

Speaking about the interest in his services last month, the former Celtic and Liverpool boss praised Spurs as a club, claiming: “Tottenham is a great club, one of the biggest clubs in Britain but for me, I’m just in a really, really happy place in my life.”

Of course, he’s not going to come straight out and claim he’d be keen on swapping the King Power Stadium for north London, especially as the Foxes are battling for a top four finish, and that will be the centre of his focus.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-spurs-manager-update-gossip-transfer-rumours-daniel-levy-enic-mason-mourinho-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, managerial gossip, transfer rumours and more!”]

You can never strictly rule it out, though. Levy has to throw the chequebook at him and do all he can to convince him to sign on the dotted line. If he wants Spurs back competing in Europe, particularly in the Champions League, then he must turn to Rodgers.

The 48-year-old has completely transformed Leicester on and off the pitch. It is looking like back-to-back seasons qualifying for Europe and he’s done that despite losing his best players every summer.

Stars such as Ben Chilwell, Harry Maguire, N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez were all replaced adequately and it’s like the Foxes have never missed out on their presence. This sort of recruitment is desperately needed at Spurs, with the club in dire need of a rebuild.

Another one of his key abilities is to develop players, and there isn’t a better example than Kelechi Iheanacho, who until this campaign very much looked like he wouldn’t hit the potential with which he was once touted at Manchester City.

The 24-year-old has scored 18 goals and provided seven assists in all competitions this term, via Transfermarkt, leading to Dean Windass lauding Rodgers’ influence as “unbelievable” in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

With players like Dele Alli, Joe Rodon, Dane Scarlett and many more at Spurs, Rodgers would be very well placed to continue such a trend.

Furthermore, Mourinho has previously waxed lyrical about his former Chelsea coach, suggesting he is “creative” and a “very good coach.”

Only Sir Alex Ferguson has a better win percentage of any British manager to take charge of 50 or more games since 2000 in the Premier League, leading to Gary Neville lauding the 48-year-old “one of the outstanding managers in the league”.

It’s no wonder that Rodgers, who has won 54% of his games in charge of the Foxes, would be a dream candidate for Levy and Spurs. It could cost them an extraordinary amount of money to land him but, if it’s the price they have to pay to get a top contender, so be it.

Rodgers is absolutely perfect for Spurs; it’s as simple as that.

AND in other news, 45 y/o who left “a lasting impression on Spurs would bring shades of Pochettino to North London…

Oliver Skipp impressed for Norwich City during their latest Championship title-winning season and Jon Newsome, who was the Canaries’ player of the season in 1995, has exclusively told Football FanCast that they will still want to sign the Spurs midfielder this summer.

Paul Stewart, who signed for Tottenham in 1988, spoke exclusively to FFC about how Skipp would be a revelation at Tottenham Hotspur next season, but after suffering a foot injury he may find it difficult to be ready for the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

There have been suggestions that Norwich will enquire about signing Skipp again this summer either on a loan or permanent deal as Norwich look to stave off relegation in the upcoming season.

Skipp has earned himself an impressive 6.90 WhoScored rating and Norwich would love to have him back if he is going to be fit for next season, as Newsome spoke exclusively to FFC:

“He had a fabulous season at Norwich and I’m sure the club would be interested in taking him off Spurs’ hands depending on the severity of his injury.

“Whether or not there’s an agreement in place for when he returns to fitness remains to be seen, but I would imagine he’s definitely one of the players that the club will have earmarked as a potential signing.”

Depending on who the new Tottenham manager is for next season, Skipp may find himself handed a chance to prove he is good enough to start for them in the Premier League.

Norwich will be looking to avoid a swift return to the Championship after just one season, much like their last endeavour in the Premier League under Daniel Farke as they finished bottom of the league and 14 points from safety.

Leeds could be set for a huge boost with the news that Stuart Dallas is set for a new contract at Elland Road.

What’s the story?

The Northern Ireland international has been a revelation all season, and since moving into central midfield in recent weeks, has added a goal-scoring touch to his game too, including a match-winning brace against Manchester City.

Now, Football Insider claim that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are set to enter into negotiations with Dallas’ representatives at the end of the Premier League season about a new deal as they look to reward him for his fine form.

Dallas’ current contract has another two years to run, but “United are keen to reward him with an extension and pay hike”.

Bielsa will be buzzing

Given just how consistent Dallas has been all season, news that he’s set to be rewarded with a new contract at the end of the season will be music to the ears of both Bielsa and the club’s supporters.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay made it clear just how good he has been, saying: “I went for Dallas as Player of the Year last season as well. I’ve almost run out of things to say about him. He’s like the T-1000 from Terminator. Tell him to be a goalkeeper and he turns himself into one (without indiscriminately killing people at the same time).”

With his ability to play virtually anywhere across the pitch, Dallas is an absolute manager’s dream, and it’s no surprise that Bielsa himself has made it clear just how much he rates him.

He said: “I had a player like Dallas before in Javier Zanetti, and Julio Saldana when I had my first experience of management at Newell’s Old Boys. Those two players are very like Dallas in terms of their versatility.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

“Dallas is a very potent, powerful player and can play with either foot. In the majority of the games that the team has played, he has been one of our best players.”

A new deal for Leeds’ footballing version of a Swiss Army knife will have Bielsa absolutely buzzing.

Meanwhile, Leeds could finally wave goodbye to this £9m-rated “massive flop”…

Writing on Patreon, disclosing exactly why Mark Noble missed West Ham United’s 2-1 win at Burnley, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has lifted the lid on details surrounding the club legend’s absence – with the Englishman looking set to be out for two weeks after picking up a calf injury.

Noble has been a regular under manager David Moyes since star man Declan Rice picked up his own knock, and the 33-year-old being sidelined comes as another injury blow for the Hammers as their Champions League qualification dream remains alive.

ExWHUemployee sheds light on Noble injury

West Ham have had no shortage of fitness issues recently with the likes of Rice, Arthur Masuaku, Aaron Cresswell and Michail Antonio having been sidelined for a period of time over the last few weeks.

The latter pair returned to action at Turf Moor on Monday evening in a big boost for Moyes and Antonio even bagged two goals and put in a man of the match performance.

However, ExWHUemployee has shed light on Noble’s absence in another injury blow for West Ham and reveals that he will be sidelined for a fortnight after picking up a calf problem.

Angelo Ogbonna also missed the match with a hamstring strain, but ExWHUemployee later provided some good news on the Italian and claimed it should not be too serious (Patreon).

Transfer Tavern take

Possibly losing Noble for the next two weeks does come as a blow for Moyes given his influence in the dressing room and the notion he has arguably performed when required in place of Rice.

Hammers first team coach Stuart Pearce, for example, recently heralded the midfielder for his displays this season, calling him ‘outstanding’ and ‘fantastic’ when called upon (talkSPORT via West Ham Zone).

Luckily, however, it should only be a matter of time before crucial asset Rice returns to the side and counteracts the loss of Noble.

In other news: West Ham fans shocked by this stat, find out more here.

Many Everton fans have been left to slam the news from the Daily Express that Thierry Small is reluctant to sign a new deal with the Goodison Park faithful.

As per the news outlet, the 16-year-old does not want to commit his long-term future to the Merseyside club as he has been given a lack of opportunities in the first-team squad, including just training with them.

Small is understood to be wanting to prioritise a breakthrough into the men’s game and is even willing to turn down any interest from both Arsenal and Manchester United for his signature.

Bayern Munich have also shown an interest in signing him, while Brighton and Hove Albion, Leeds United and Brentford are all prepared to offer the left-back a direct pathway straight into their first-team set-up.

Small will enter the final year of his scholarship in the next term, meaning that the Toffees would still be entitled to demand a transfer fee for the Englishman in the region of £1m, but it seems as if several Blues supporters do not want to sell.

Everton fans on Small contract update

These EFC fans slammed the contract update on Small on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far as to claim that he is ‘the best young talent we have’:

“People thinking this is an April Fools joke, it’s unfortunately true”

Credit: @Paul1971EFC

“This is an April Fools joke isn’t it? Right?…please?”

Credit: @_luke1878_

“Hope it’s an April Fools joke arguably the best young talent we have”

Credit: @dadalife369

“Seriously?”

Credit: @lewissefc

“Grim, supposed to be very good this lad. Can’t get my head around why we don’t use either him or Niels as a LM while they are developing and we need more options in that position tbh”

Credit: @Shakeitupbaine1

“NOOOOOOO”

Credit: @jonesyefc

In other news, find out what fitness update before Crystal Palace has been slammed by Everton fans here!

Odsonne Edouard could end up leaving Celtic for as little as £8m this summer.

That’s according to an exclusive report from Football Insider, who have been informed by a recruitment source that the 23-year-old’s camp believes he can seal a Parkhead exit at the end of the campaign in a deal worth between £8m and 10m.

Edouard is entering the final 12 months of his Hoops contract in the summer, and regardless of who comes in to replace Neil Lennon, he wants to leave the club ahead of the 2021/22 season.

The Frenchman has netted 81 times in 162 appearances in green and white, but it seems as if his days at Celtic Park are numbered.

Transfer Tavern take

Should Celtic sell at £8m over the coming months, the Hoops could be in line to make an embarrassing loss on a player they valued at £40m last summer. They paid Paris Saint-Germain £9.27m back in 2018 and owe the French giants a whopping 40% of any sale.

Therefore, should an £8m transfer go through, Celtic would have to hand over £3.2m to PSG, leaving the Hoops with the remaining £4.8m – a £4.47m loss on the £9.27m they forked out three years ago.

There has been talk that AC Milan could offer loanee Diego Laxalt plus cash for Edouard’s services this summer, so that could be a possible avenue for the Hoops to explore over the coming months going off this latest update.

In other news: 25 y/o Celtic ace could leave this summer following eight-word admission, find out more here. 

According to a report by 90min, Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has admirers at Tottenham Hotspur as pressure mounts on current boss Jose Mourinho, with many names being mentioned alongside the three-time Champions League-winning Italian.

Ancelotti, who was appointed at Goodison Park in December 2019, is reportedly attracting some interest from Spurs as those within the club hold an admiration for the 61-year-old.

Ancelotti admired by Tottenham

Alongside Nuno Espirito Santo, who is also admired by Spurs, both Max Allegri and Diego Simeone have apparently displayed an interest in replacing Mourinho at Tottenham, according to close agents (90min).

The report from 90min added that, as well as these names, Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers is the leading contender to potentially replace Mourinho should he be sacked by Spurs.

Alongside Diego Simeone, Ancelotti arguably stands out as a surprise big name to be attracting admirers from within Spurs, but his record both domestically and in Europe could explain why some Tottenham figures seem keen – the 61-year-old has won league titles in four different countries.

Transfer Tavern take

The former AC Milan and Real Madrid head coach is one of only a trio of managers to win the Champions League three times, clinching the trophy twice at the San Siro and once at the Bernabeu.

Former Premier League left-back Ashley Cole, who played under him at Chelsea, has praised him as a tactical ‘genius’ and the best manager with whom he’s worked (90min), but time will tell whether this apparent admiration from Spurs develops into anything more concrete.

In other news: Alasdair Gold relays injury blow for Tottenham starlet, find out more here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who made 267 Premier League appearances for Newcastle United, believes Mike Ashley should reconsider his valuation of the club because of how much needs improving.

Ashley has owned Newcastle since 2007 when he bought a majority share of the club from the previous owner Freddy Shepherd, and the Sports Direct tycoon was greeted with mountains of debt which he failed to notice through not doing much due diligence before purchasing the club.

It started off positively under Ashley as he watched matches from the stands with fans and brought back Kevin Keegan as manager, however after two relegations and the potential for a third this season, the mood on Tyneside has turned far more toxic towards the owner.

Speaking on why Ashley’s valuation of the club should be reconsidered because of what other clubs have compared to Newcastle, Lee told FFC:

“Is somebody prepared to pay the money that he’s asking for considering what they will be getting in return?

“You look around the grounds in the Premier League and there are a lot better ones around than St James’ Park, and we’ve probably got one of the worst training grounds in the league.

“You look at the players we’ve got and you probably couldn’t sell many of them for a lot of money. So what exactly are you getting? You’ll get the name Newcastle United, but what else are you getting for £330 million?”

Mike Ashley has decided to stick by Steve Bruce despite many expecting him to be sacked after the 3-0 defeat against Brighton.

If Newcastle were to be relegated for a third time under Ashley, it would certainly knock a large sum off the valuation of the club.

It might not have been the announcement that everyone was hoping and praying for on Wednesday, but it’s been revealed that Conor Hazard will be a Celtic player for a few more years.

Of course, the Green Brigade are currently eagerly awaiting news of who their new manager could be. They are also hoping for promising updates on the futures of Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer.

They are yet to sign new contracts with the Hoops and are regularly being linked with a move away to the Premier League and other shores across Europe.

However, one man who will be staying put beyond the summer is Hazard. The goalkeeper has penned new terms until 2023 putting to bed speculation surrounding his future.

Earlier this term it looked as though the 22-year-old wouldn’t sign a new contract and thus, leave on a free transfer. The stopper had a loan move to Dundee United blocked and was waiting to be given more consistent game time before deciding to agree to new terms.

Clearly, the Northern Irishman is now happy with his place in the team and is excited about the future. It might be a mere coincidence that he’s signed on now Neil Lennon has left, but either way, he could play a major part in the club’s plans going forward.

Nick Hammond has been rather poor with his recruitment lately and nothing typifies that more than the £4.5m they forked out for the error-prone Vasilis Barkas last summer. Scott Bain has also made mistakes but after becoming the hero of Celtic’s Scottish Cup final win, Hazard is surely set for a brighter future.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-hunt-stories-wagner-marsch-martinez-lennon-news” title=”The last stories on Celtic’s hunt for a new manager!”]

He may have been at fault in normal time during their win over Hearts back in December but the youngster stood up when it mattered in the shoot-out, saving a succession of penalties.

The 22-year-old is still vastly inexperienced but with the number one spot so uncertain, signing on talent with potential like Hazard’s is incredibly promising news. It’s especially positive when you consider both Cameron Harper and Karomoko Dembele could leave in the summer on free transfers.

Hazard hasn’t featured since the 0-0 draw with Livingston in January but has kept three clean sheets in his six outings between the sticks this term. Considering how ropey Celtic’s defence has been of late, that’s a decent record.

He needs to work on being more commanding but at just 22, the ‘keeper has a big part to play in their rebuild going forward.

AND in other news, Hammond could end Christie’s Celtic stay by landing 27-goal ace that Strachan rates…