All posts by z3u9t.icu

Arsenal battled well with Manchester City for the Premier League title, but in the end, their quality in depth ultimately told.

Mikel Arteta was left wounded at the failure to secure silverware, but well aware of the progress made in just one year. Despite that, they remain so far away from their rivals.

Manchester United were shown this too at Wembley yesterday, with Pep Guardiola's side winning 2-1 without really getting out of third gear. It marked the second of three trophies they are set to claim this term, with next week's Champions League final the only thing that stands in the way of their infamous treble.

When the pressure has ramped up, whilst some of the Gunners' squad arguably went into hiding, there have been a few key players at the Etihad that have instead stepped up.

Arguably few have done so as dramatically as yesterday's FA Cup final hero; Ilkay Gundogan added another two goals to his phenomenal goalscoring campaign to win them the trophy.

The German has announced himself as one of the best all-around midfielders in the Premier League of late, leading every team to question how they could emulate his success.

Fortunately for Edu, an opportunity to purchase their own version of the 32-year-old has arisen, with reports linking them with a potential €30m (£26m) move for PSV Eindhoven's Xavi Simons.

Could Xavi Simons emulate Ilkay Gundogan?

As a classy yet combative goalscoring maestro, the Netherlands international has all the qualities to emulate City's ageing superstar but at just 20 years old.

Having notched 11 goals and assisted a further seven in all competitions, Gundogan has shown up in key moments with vital strikes of late.

His brace at Goodison Park saw them cruise through a tricky fixture against Everton, just a week after he had done the same to relegation-threatened Leeds United. He even assisted Kevin De Bruyne's strike in their first-leg draw against Real Madrid, to emphasise his creativity before reaching the apex yesterday.

Guardiola noted after that triumph: "The player is exceptional. This season what he has done is just exceptional. Not just being part of the important moments and I don't forget the two goals he scored against Aston Villa [in 2022] and this season many times he’s scored important goals. It’s for the fact how important he is in many, many reasons."

Whilst Simons has enjoyed a far greater year in front of goal, with 22 goals and 12 assists to his name, the youngster has been deployed in a far more advanced midfield role to allow him to shine creatively. However, having recorded 1.4 tackles per game too, he showcases a defensive grit that could allow him to occupy a similar role to Gundogan, just beside a figure like Thomas Partey.

After all, the former Borussia Dortmund gem only manages one tackle per game himself in the league, but his intelligence allows him to add to their unstoppable system at both ends of the pitch.

The youth of Simons would likely attract Arteta too, given how malleable he remains. His former boss Ruud van Nistelrooy could not speak highly enough on his potential, claiming: "He’s doing everything he can to get to the top, his top. And where that will be, that’s the beautiful challenge. His mentality, his mindset, it’s unprecedented."

In acquiring him now, it would allow them to immediately begin his transformation into a player as decisive as this Guardiola favourite, who has played such a key role in the success they have already achieved.

Aston Villa could be set for a massive summer as they prepare to compete in the Europa Conference League next season, and now it has been reported that the club are preparing an ambitious move in the transfer window.

What's the latest on Aston Villa's interest in Kalvin Phillips?

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are keen to secure the signing of Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips should he become available this summer.

As per the report, it is claimed that the Midlands club are not put off by Phillips' comments about wanting to stay with the Premier League champions and have no intentions of giving up hope that they could snap up his services as they believe that City will be open to offers for the out of favour player in the summer transfer window.

This comes amid claims that Premier League rivals Liverpool are also eyeing a £35m move for the Englishman.

Would Kalvin Phillips be a good signing for Aston Villa?

Despite winning his first Premier League title and remaining in contention to complete the treble, Phillips has made no secret about his struggles over his first season with the Sky Blues.

The former Leeds star spoke out last weekend to Sky Sports (via Manchester Evening News) about his lack of confidence and concerns about game time since joining in a £45m deal last summer:

"It’s been unbelievably tough."

"It’s probably been one of the lowest moments in myself confidence-wise in my career, but with the guys around me like Kyle [Walker], they’ve kept me going, told me I’ll get my chance and it’ll come."

Amid the depth of midfield talent at Man City – with the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne all in the mix for a starting berth – Phillips has been unable to compete comfortably for a spot in the super team, making just his first start at home to Chelsea last week.

As a result, Villa could offer the England star – hailed an "absolute beast" by Nigel de Jong – an opportunity to move to a club where he can earn much more game time and play a more key role in the success the club will be striving for in Emery's first full season in charge.

In fact, the former Villarreal boss could form an incredible partnership between Phillips and Boubacar Kamara as the pair together could dominate the centre of the pitch and cause non-stop problems for opponents.

The two men could well thrive due to their ball-winning prowess, with Phillips having notably averaged 2.7 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game for Leeds last term in the league, while young Kamara has averaged a solid 2.4 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game this season.

Both Phillips and Kamara also boast an incredible passing range and unrivalled accuracy in their positions, with the City man having an average pass completion rate of 92% in the top-flight this term, while the latter man is only slightly lower at 85% for the same metric.

That is something that could be a huge asset for Emery in his pursuit to transform and improve the team's overall ball possession next season to align with one of the key components of his footballing philosophy.

With that being said, the signing of Phillips would be a major coup for Villa if they could pull it off this summer and the Man City star is certainly the perfect profile of player to help Emery achieve his goals for the team.

Glasgow Rangers look like they are already making some headway in the transfer market, with Michael Beale aiming to get the majority of his business done swiftly.

The Light Blues have signed Kieran Dowell on a three-year contract from Norwich City, while Dujon Sterling is expected to be the next name announced through the Ibrox doors and Beale won’t be stopping there.

With Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos departing the club, attacking reinforcements will be prioritised, and Luis Palma could potentially be the next signing, as the Gers have been linked with him as of late, even submitting a bid of £4.4m in order to lure him to Glasgow next term.

Palma's flexibility in the attacking positions, being able to operate either on the left wing, as a centre forward or even just behind the striker, could be a bonus to Beale, and he could thrive in the first-team, potentially forming a dream duo with Ianis Hagi.

What is Luis Palma’s style of play?

The tricky forward primarily plays as a winger, using his pace and dribbling ability to go past defenders with ease. Across 29 league matches, he succeeded with one dribble per match, however, it’s his finishing skills which have perhaps caught Beale’s eye.

The 23-year-old scored 11 league goals last term, while taking 2.1 shots per game, and he is also able to create plenty of opportunities too, evidenced by his four assists and 1.4 key passes per game.

With this in mind, the 42-year-old could slot Palma into the left-wing slot vacated by Kent, while giving Ianis Hagi free rein in his favoured position – attacking midfield.

The duo could combine well, with Palma’s pace being the perfect foil for Hagi’s intelligence and while he has just recovered from a serious knee injury, a solid pre-season could allow him to replicate his performances during 2020/21.

During that title-winning season, he scored seven goals and grabbed 11 assists, showcasing his creative abilities and if Beale manages to sign a top-class centre forward this summer to replace Morelos, then they could be in for a treat due to the respective talents of Hagi and Palma.

The Honduran was lauded for his “brilliant” goal contributions by agent Paulo Hernandez and placed in a fluid attacking trio behind the main striker could allow him to flourish.

If he manages to hit the ground running, £4.4m could be a sound investment from the Gers.

West Ham United manager David Moyes has personally set his sights on one of his former stars as reports out of Spain share an update involving Real Sociedad forward Adnan Januzaj.

The Lowdown: Hammers eye attacking additions…

The Hammers are reportedly after fresh additions in the attacking areas with names like Raphinha of Leeds United and Keane Lewis-Potter of Hull City linked most recently (90min).

West Ham are aiming to keep their place among the Premier League’s elite having enjoyed a quite simply sensational rise up the table over these last two seasons.

Moyes’ men only just missed out on a Europa League-qualifying spot on the final day of 2021/2022, instead having to settle for a place in the Conference League, and the east Londoners are seemingly determined to avoid a repeat.

The Latest: Januzaj ‘proposal’ made…

According to Diario de Sevilla, via Sport Witness, West Ham are one of a few teams who have ‘put forward proposals’ to Januzaj as the Belgian eyes an exit from Real Sociedad.

The Irons have allegedly made a personal offer to Moyes’ former player at Man United who could depart the Reale Arena later this month on a Bosman deal.

His contract looks set to run out and Moyes is said to be personally backing a West Ham move.

The Verdict: Right option?

Once called ‘amazing’ by former top flight manager Harry Redknapp, whilst it didn’t quite work out for him at Old Trafford, Januzaj has since earned praise for his Sociedad performances.

Ex-United star Paul Scholes even hailed an ‘excellent’ and ‘brilliant’ outing from the 27-year-old during the 2020/2021 Europa League campaign (via talkSPORT), and on a free deal, this could well be a fairly low-risk move by Moyes and West Ham.

In other news: West Ham enter pole position to sign ‘game-changer’ as GSB eye ‘frightening’ forward, find out more here.

Everton assistant manager Duncan Ferguson is in advanced talks with Blackburn Rovers over becoming their new first-team boss, reports Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Rovers’ manager hunt

After five years in charge at Ewood Park, manager Tony Mowbray left the Championship club upon the expiry of his contract.

Rovers made a strong start to the Championship campaign but ultimately tailed off towards the end of the season, finishing just outside of the play-off spots in eighth place.

The Latest: Ferguson interviewed

According to a report by Football Insider, Ferguson is in advanced talks with the Championship club over becoming their new manager ahead of next season.

Football Insider claim that a recruitment source has informed them that Ferguson has already been interviewed by Blackburn, and that he is now the clear front-runner to take charge at Ewood Park.

Everton are said to have accepted Ferguson’s departure.

The Verdict: Big loss

As a player, the Scotsman spent over a decade lining up for the Toffees over two separate stints at the club (via Transfermarkt).

More recently, the 50-year-old has enjoyed two spells as Everton’s interim manager; after Rafael Benitez was sacked in January, Ferguson took over for a couple of weeks before Frank Lampard was permanently appointed.

With such experience in the Everton dressing room and at Finch Farm, Ferguson will be a big loss to the Merseyside club, and Lampard will need to be swift in his search to find a new assistant manager.

In other news: Everton: Dean Jones drops Armando Broja claim

Tottenham are now closing in on a deal to bring Ivan Perisic to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Independent, who claimed that Fabio Paratici has agreed a two-year deal with the 33-year-old wing-back, who is expected to leave Inter Milan upon the expiry of his current contract at the San Siro in June.

The report added that both Chelsea and Juventus also made offers to the Croatia international. However, Antonio Conte’s meeting with Tottenham’s sporting director on Friday – in which the 52-year-old informed Paratici that Perisic was one of his priority targets this summer – saw contract talks with the player accelerated, and subsequently a £4m-per-year (£77k-per-week) deal being agreed.

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Finally, it is said that the former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich star will officially confirm his final decision on Monday.

He’s “ready-made” for Conte

Considering just how impressive Perisic was for Inter this season, the news that the 33-year-old was a priority target of Conte this summer is hardly surprising to learn.

Indeed, over his 35 Serie A appearances in 2021/22, the £9m-rated talent was in sensational form on the left of Simone Inzaghi’s back five. He scored eight goals, registered seven assists and created 14 big chances for his team-mates, along with taking 1.3 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 0.7 dribbles per game.

The £152k-per-week wide man also impressed in a defensive capacity, making 1.3 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 0.9 clearances and winning 3.6 duels (at a success rate of 54%) per match.

These returns saw the 113-cap Croatia international average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.30, not only ranking him as the Nerazzurri’s second-best performer in the league but also as the joint ninth-best player in all of Serie A.

Furthermore, according to FBRef data, the 33-year-old also ranks in the top 2% of full-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, in addition to the top 1% for npxG, the top 3% for shots, the top 15% for assists, the top 1% for xA, the top 1% for npxG+xA and the top 4% for shot-creating actions over the last 365 days.

Indeed, it is clear to see just how perfect a fit Perisic would be for Conte’s left wing-back role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. That is an opinion with which Alasdair Gold clearly agrees, as the football.london journalist recently tweeted: “Ivan Perisic would be a big signing for Spurs. Not only as a multi-title and Champions League winner to bring that to the pitch and dressing room with his mentality and versatility but also because he represents a Conte-led change in Spurs’ transfer policy. Ready-made and early.”

As such, to hear that the Croatian has now agreed a deal with Spurs ahead of a switch to north London this summer is undoubtedly fantastic news for everyone involved with the club, with the future at Tottenham looking very bright under the management of Conte.

AND in other news: Paratici now plotting Spurs bid for “deadly” £21m talent, he’d be “perfect” for Conte

Everton could land South Korean defender Kim Min-Jae from Fenerbahce this summer following recent reports.

What’s the word?

According to Turkish news outlet Ajansspor, Everton are interested in making a move for Kim Min-Jae ahead of the summer transfer window in order to improve their defence.

The South Korean player has a release clause of €23m (£19.5m) and this could tempt Lampard into making a move.

The report states that the defender wishes to continue his career in the Premier League, which will be a major boost to Everton and Lampard as they push forward to make a deal happen.

Lampard must bolster his backline

The Everton boss has a major rebuilding job on his hands this summer, with too many players wasting their talents this season and contributing little as the club were saved from relegation by the finest of margins.

With 66 goals conceded in 38 matches, it’s clear to see which area Lampard should be prioritising when it comes to incoming transfers.

Kim Min-Jae has featured in 39 matches this season, scoring once as his side finished second in the Turkish Super Lig, eight points behind winners Trabzonspor.

Defensively, his average of 3 interceptions per 90 and 2.17 blocks rank him in the 93rd and 88th percentile when compared to positional peers in the big five leagues. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why he’s been nicknamed “the monster”.

His temperament is also excellent, receiving no cautions during the previous year, which ranks him in the 99th percentile, with only Vitaliy Mykolenko from Everton receiving no bookings, and he only joined in January. With that in mind, the Toffees boss would surely love to have him in his team.

These are stats that could convince Lampard to make his move for the 25-year-old. He was referred to as “indispensable” earlier this season as his side were challenging for the title and this type of praise will surely only boost his confidence.

With the player seeking a move to England, there may be more interest in the coming weeks and Everton will need to act fast in order to secure his services, and at £19.5m, it’s a bargain.

AND in other news, Moshiri plotting Everton bid for “fantastic” 19y/o “huge talent”, Lampard needs him

Everton suffered a heavy 5-1 loss away at Arsenal on the final day of the Premier League, but they will not care too much after securing their survival.

Still, Frank Lampard would have expected a better performance from his players, and The Transfer Tavern have used statistical experts SofaScore to now analyse who their three worst performers were on the day:

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Dele Alli

Admittedly joint with second in terms of overall rating (6.0), Alli ranks in third here as he did not play the whole game.

Still, the former Tottenham Hotspur ace lost out on five of his duels in total, and also failed to record a single shot on goal, interception, tackle, cross or long ball, losing the ball nine times.

Jarrad Branthwaite

Also given a 6.0 rating, Branthwaite ranks in second having played the full match.

The youngster conceded five goals as a central defender, and also lost three duels, while he recorded no interceptions and lost possession eight times.

Alex Iwobi

Unfortunately for Iwobi, it was not a happy return to the Emirates Stadium as he ranked as the Toffees’ worst player with a 5.6 rating.

The Nigeria international gave away the penalty for the Gunners’ first goal, while he also lost four duels, and recorded no shots on goal, interceptions, crosses or accurate long balls, losing it 11 times in total.

In other news, find out which ‘unbelievable’ colossus could now leave the Blues here!

Manchester United are reportedly leading the race to sign Benfica’s Uruguayan star striker, Darwin Nunez.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report relayed by Sports Witness, who claim that Benfica are already counting on the money from the sale of Nunez, ready to spend in the summer.

It is said that the club are hoping to make over €100m (£84.5m) from his departure with Manchester United named as a “shark” in what is a list of three clubs who are “best positioned” to land the Uruguayan’s signature.

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The two clubs said to be rivalling United for the 22-year-old are Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid, with both sides reportedly looking to employ a new centre-forward this summer.

As per the report, in Manchester United’s case, with Edinson Cavani said to be leaving the club and Marcus Rashford reportedly looking for a new destination, it is said that manager Erik ten Hag “appreciates” Nunez’s qualities.

Cavani Heir

With Cavani said to be leaving Manchester United at the end of the season, and Ten Hag working on reigniting the Red Devils via a summer rebuild, Nunez, who has been dubbed an “exciting prospect” by journalist Sam Dean, could not arrive at Manchester United at a better time.

What’s more, the switch of a 35-year-old Uruguayan forward for a 22-year-old one makes for a poetic transition that is symbolic of United’s more modern approach under Ten Hag.

Interestingly, with the signing of Nunez, United are almost rolling back the years and unleashing what is a similar player to a prime Cavani.

With a shared style to the 35-year-old that promotes an emphasis on positioning in the box, Nunez quite simply makes for a natural and high-quality heir to the throne, with his 26 goals and four assists in 28 Liga Portugal appearances too good to ignore.

Cavani’s experience will most certainly be a miss and it is a shame that he cannot stay a further year to help Nunez slot in at Old Trafford, if the club are to act on their supposed status as the leaders to sign him.

But whilst his absence will be felt in some ways, his presence, approach and style can live on in the Red side of Manchester under 22-year-old star, Nunez, someone dubbed an “absolute beast” by journalist Hari Sethi.

In other news: “Ten Hag wants..“: Sky Journo drops exciting 8-word United update, supporters buzzing 

Former Celtic striker John Hartson has urged the Hoops to sign Cameron Carter-Vickers, claiming ‘people at Spurs’ want to sell him this summer.

The Lowdown: Strong interest in Carter-Vickers

The American has been a fantastic signing by Celtic, joining on loan from Spurs last summer and producing a string of rock-solid performances at centre-back.

Carter-Vickers has been an aerial monster for Ange Postecoglou’s side, winning an average of 4.0 and 3.2 aerial duels per game in the Scottish Premiership and Europa League respectively.

Celtic have been strongly linked with signing the 24-year-old on a permanent basis this summer but numerous clubs are also thought to be battling for his signature.

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The Latest: Hartson urges Hoops to pounce

Speaking to The Daily Record, Hartson, 47, claimed that Spurs are willing to sell Carter-Vickers, calling for the Hoops to snap him up:

“I speak to people at Spurs and I know for a fact they want to sell Carter-Vickers. He’s been on loan four or five times and they feel he’s not going back to Spurs, so they want to do a deal with somebody.

“You can talk about the forwards, Jota, Liel Abada, Kyogo, whose numbers have been frightening. Joe Hart has been brilliant. But you’ve got to look at Carter-Vickers, he’s been the dominant one. Carl Starfelt has come onto a game, but he’s shown weaknesses and defensive frailties at times.

“It’s Carter-Vickers who has been that man-mountain alongside him and taken a lot of pressure off him. To do that for your other centre-half, I think he’s been outstanding.

“He would be as important a signing as Jota would be because we know that Celtic are a forward-thinking team, get on the front foot with a high intensity, press, and pressure.

“As soon as they lose it there’s a trigger, four and five players around the ball, they don’t go in ones and twos, they don’t leave players 40 yards behind.

“Reo Hatate pushes the forwards, the defence comes up to the halfway line. They’re a forward-thinking team who almost just want to outscore the opposition.

“That’s what they want to do so you need to have really good defenders to go on to another level where you’re up against better opposition and better quality of player as they can hurt you at the highest level. So they need Carter-Vickers in terms of a defender.”

The Verdict: Key piece of summer business

Signing Carter-Vickers permanently has to be considered one of Celtic’s key pieces of summer transfer business, given the impact he has made at Parkhead.

He has been described as a ‘most crucial’ player for the Hoops by Chris Sutton and the partnership he has forged with Carl Starfelt has arguably been the backbone to Celtic’s league success this season.

Missing out on Carter-Vickers now would be a hammer blow and the hope is that his head isn’t turned by any potential Premier League interest in the coming weeks and months.

In other news, one Celtic player has been backed to leave the club. Find out who it is here.