All posts by n8rngtd.top

Many Aston Villa fans were revelling in a tweet from the club recapping footage of their crucial 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on the road to 2019/20 survival [BBC], which occurred one year ago today.

In a fixture of tight margins, a brace from Trézéguet was enough to secure a vital win which put the Midlands club within four points of their relegation rivals with three games to spare [BBC] as they ultimately ensured top-flight safety on the final day [BBC].

Fresh from comfortably finishing 11th in the league last season, the Villains have quickly banished the uncomfortable memories of that 2019/20 campaign.

Furthermore, they recently smashed their transfer record in order to bring in ex-Norwich talisman Emiliano Buendia for a fee rising to £38m [The Athletic].

In light of the club’s throwback tweet, many Aston Villa fans took to Twitter to rejoice at the memories of Trezeguet’s crucial double over Crystal Palace.

Aston Villa fans react:

Replying to the club’s official Twitter account, here is how some fans reacted to the footage:

“Celebrated in the gosta like we won the league this game”

Credit: @MrNicoMole

“I remember this as one of the few good points we had in the 2019/20 season! King Trez!”

Credit: @amydunne_2001

“King Trez”

Credit: @MazeSZN

“One of the wins that kept us up.”

Credit: @avfcdom2

“This was absolute last chance saloon, what a performance on the day. If we hadn’t won that we’d have been down! Can’t wait for the new season #avfc”

Credit: @JamesPiggford

“our survival isn’t spoken about enough, honestly”

Credit: @catrinedwards18

In other news, many Aston Villa fans react to a tweet about this duo.

Alasdair Gold has shared an update on the fitness of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Oliver Skipp which will surely delight Nuno Espirito Santo and the Spurs fans ahead of next season.

What’s the word?

Gold, who covers Tottenham Hotspur for Football.London, shared the news in a recent Q and A, that Skipp was back training with the first team for pre-season, despite suffering a metatarsal fracture in the latter stages of the 2020/21 season.

He said:

“I wouldn’t rule out a growing involvement for Oliver Skipp. He was back on the training pitches today and will be involved in full training next week. The club have really high hopes for him and Espirito Santo has previous in developing young central midfielders in Ruben Neves at Wolves and Andre Gomes at Valencia.

“To have this near whole pre-season working with the new head coach could be crucial for him after such a big season at Norwich. I wouldn’t rule out a double pivot with Hojbjerg and Skipp potentially behind Ndombele or Lo Celso.”

Can Skipp be a regular at Spurs next season?

Skipp is a product of the youth academy at Spurs and has gone on to make 23 appearances for the first-team in his career thus far but he gained a lot of experience out on loan with Norwich City last season, playing a key role for Daniel Farke’s side as they won promotion back to the Premier League.

The 20-year-old would feature in 45/46 of the Canaries’ Championship fixtures, contributing one goal and one assist, averaging an impressive 6.90 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

The £9m-rated midfielder was tipped last season to be a future captain at Spurs by Jose Mourinho, whilst Farke also sang his praises, saying:

“We saw the potential, we looked into his character a lot and we knew he would be fully convinced to give everything, not thinking I don’t need to work to prove I am the best in my position.

“Oliver is a perfect lad. So humble. He is a brilliant loan signing.”

Therefore, there seems no reason why Skipp can’t challenge for a starting spot in Espirito Santo’s side next season and given his obvious potential as a homegrown player, Spurs fans will be delighted to have him back training and pushing for a place in Nuno’s team.

And, in other news… Paratici could sign Nuno a serious Dier upgrade with swoop for “brilliant” beast

Sam Inkersole has revealed West Ham United are prioritising a deal for former Fulham loanee Alphonse Areola rather than continuing to pursue West Bromwich Albion shot-stopper Sam Johnstone.

Hammers boss David Moyes is looking to draft in a new first-choice goalkeeper as Lukasz Fabianski enters the final year of his £65,000-per-week contract.

West Ham have been strongly linked with making a move for Johnstone, who was one of England’s back-up goalkeepers during their run to the Euro 2020 final.

However, it now appears Moyes has turned his attentions to Paris Saint-Germain and France custodian Areola, who made 37 appearances for Fulham last season.

Reports suggest West Ham are looking to negotiate a season-long loan move with a view to a permanent transfer next summer, which would coincide with Fabianski’s time at the London Stadium coming to an end.

While football.london reporter Inkersole feels it would be a shrewd piece of business, he fears it will be difficult to keep Areola and Fabianski happy.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Inkersole said: “Lukasz Fabianski has not exactly been a terrible goalkeeper for West Ham. He’s only got one year left on his deal so maybe they are planning for the future.

“Sam Johnstone is a homegrown player, which is dime a dozen in the transfer window. Clubs want to find homegrown players.

“But I think Areola looks like the one which is going to be more likely to get done. He’s a very good goalkeeper and it would be a very good move for West Ham but I would be interested to see how he dovetails with Fabianski and who plays when.” 

Birmingham City are interested in a deal to bring Bailey Peacock-Farrell to St. Andrew’s this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Alan Nixon, with The Sun journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Lee Bowyer’s side are weighing up a loan bid for the Burnley goalkeeper.

Nixon goes on to claim that Sheffield Wednesday are also considering a move for the 24-year-old this summer, however, the Premier League side would more than likely prefer the Northern Ireland international to join the Blues, as they play at a higher level than the Owls.

In his tweet, the journalist stated: “Peacock-Farrell has possible loan move to Birmingham City.”

Fans surely buzzing

Considering just how much potential Peacock-Farrell appears to possess, should Birmingham go on to secure a loan deal for the shot-stopper ahead of their upcoming Championship campaign, it is a transfer that will surely leave fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, having made his debut for Leeds United as a 19-year-old back in 2016, the goalkeeper went on to make 41 appearances for the Whites, conceding 53 goals and keeping 11 clean sheets along the way.

His best season at Elland Road came in the club’s 2018/19 Championship campaign, when the £900k-rated man kept 10 clean sheets, as well as making an average of 2.1 saves and conceding 1.1 goals per game.

These returns saw the £18k-per-week ‘keeper earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.76, with his performances ultimately leading to Burnley signing the 24-year-old for £2.5m in the summer of 2019.

And, while his game time has been limited at Turf Moor – having made just eight first-team appearances for the Clarets – as a result of being behind the likes of Nick Pope and Joe Hart in Sean Dyche’s pecking order, having spent the last two years training alongside the Premier League club’s highly experienced and exceptionally talented shot-stoppers, Peacock-Farrell will undoubtedly be a better player than at the time of his move to Burnley.

As such, if Birmingham can indeed secure a move for the Northern Irishman this summer, they would very much appear to have a significant talent between the sticks as of next season.

In other news: BCFC confirm transfer development on “superb” £135k-rated beast, Bowyer surely buzzing

Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey, according to the print edition of Gazzetta dello Sport (via Metro). 

The lowdown – Record breaker

Ramsey left Arsenal to join Juventus in the summer of 2019 after signing a pre-contract agreement. His £400,000-per-week deal made him the highest-earning British player ever on base salary (via BBC Sport).

Over his two seasons at the club, Ramsey has made 65 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals and providing as many assists (via Transfermarkt).

He’s suffered nine separate injuries in Turin, but all have been minor. None have kept him out for more than five matches.

The 30-year-old represented Wales at the European Championships earlier in the summer, with his goal against Turkey on Matchday Two setting Robert Page’s side on their way to a victory which all but secured a Round of 16 spot.

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has described Ramsey as an ‘outstanding technician’, while club team-mate Federico Chiesa says he is a ‘very intelligent’ footballer.

The latest – Wolves in the running

The report says that Wolves are in the running to sign Ramsey, whom Juventus are open to selling.

But they could face competition from Tottenham Hotspur. New managing director of football, ex-Juve chief Fabio Paratici, is apparently a big admirer of the Welshman.

The verdict – Unlikely

In one sense, Wolves may have an upper hand here. Surely Ramsey wouldn’t consider joining Arsenal’s arch-rivals, even if he was intent on returning to the Premier League.

But then on the other hand, there’s the salary. You’d think he’d have to express a willingness to take a huge pay cut for the deal to be viable. For context, Wolves’ top earner, Joao Moutinho, earns £100,000 per week.

Ramsey may also have offers from clubs who will be playing in Europe next season. Ultimately, then, this deal may simply be unrealistic, but he is certainly a quality player when fit so fans may want to keep an eye on this rumour over the coming weeks.

In other news, some fans vented their frustration as this transfer update emerged.

Manchester United are willing to sell rumoured Leeds United target Daniel James this summer, acting as a potential boost for the Whites.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with James move

Marcelo Bielsa could be looking to bring in another wide player in the transfer window, with Leeds arguably light in that area currently.

One player who has been linked with a move to Elland Road is James, who only managed 11 starts in the Premier League last season.

Jadon Sancho’s move to United is likely to send the Wales international further down the pecking order, meaning he could move on, and he was of course close to swapping South Wales for Yorkshire back in January 2019.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Man United willing to sell

According to ESPN, United are happy to let James leave for the right price in the coming weeks, giving Leeds the opportunity to swoop.

The exact amount isn’t specified, although the 23-year-old is valued at £16.2million by Transfermarkt.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-11/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Snap him up, Marcelo

James could be a shrewd addition by Bielsa this summer – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has claimed he has an ‘X-factor’ – possessing the kind of attributes that could be lethal in this Leeds team.

The Welshman has electrifying pace that can be deadly on the counter-attack, but he also works incredibly hard for the team. He averaged one tackle and 0.9 fouls per game in the Premier League last season, implying he could fit right into Bielsa’s intense pressing system.

James might not play regularly instead of Raphinha and Jack Harrison, but improved squad depth is vital and he could provide exactly that, allowing Bielsa to rotate more often and keep players fresh.

In other news, a pundit is delighted with the situation surrounding one Leeds player. Find out who it is here.

Liverpool supporters are delighted to see Thiago back in pre-season training, with the Spaniard returning to action this week after his summer holiday.

The 30-year-old enjoyed an up-and-down first season at Anfield, having arrived from Bayern Munich last summer.

Early injury problems saw Thiago unable to find any kind of rhythm and he missed a sizeable chunk of the campaign following an awful tackle in the Merseyside derby by Richarlison.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

The Spain international was superb in the final stretch, however, producing a string of influential performances which helped Liverpool finish third in the Premier League.

The hope is that Thiago will find his best form from the off in 2021/22, with the midfielder fully fit and raring to go.

On Wednesday, he joined up with his Liverpool teammates, as the club’s official Twitter account shared a short video of him returning to the fold.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-9/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

Liverpool fans react postitively to Thiago return

These Reds fans were delighted with the video, taking to Twitter to provide their positive thoughts.

“Let’s go!!!!!”

Credit: @NegusSabali

“THIAGO MY MORNING COULDN’T HAVE GONE ANY BETTER”

Credit: @formulaks

“Welcome back hermano”

Credit: @AyrtonCaruana7

“Thiago!!! Gang’s almost all here”

Credit: @pg__Kenny

“ThiAgoooooooooAaaalll”

Credit: @DavidMOlorogun

“Thiago is back!”

Credit: @Nyiko_jnrr

In other news, Liverpool are reportedly eyeing up a cut-price deal for one player. Find out who it is here.

Newcastle United journalist Liam Kennedy insists that Mike Ashley is desperate to sell the club this summer.

The club are currently embroiled in a long-running court saga as they bid to allow the Saudi Arabia-backed Public Investment Fund to take control away from the Sports Direct owner.

Arbitration proceedings have been launched against the Premier League, after doubts were raised over whether or not the Saudi state were effectively bankrolling the entire operation.

Newcastle and the consortium have both argued that isn’t the case and, as such, the case has essentially been referred to the courts.

It remains to be seen how long it will take for a resolution but The Athletic reports that all parties remain committed to making the deal happen if it can be revived.

Ashley has owned the Magpies since 2007 and has faced fierce opposition at pretty much every turn from supporters, as the club have become mired in mid-table mediocrity and consistent relegation battles.

But Kennedy believes that fans can take one positive away from the entire saga: Ashley is desperate to get out.

He said: “I think one positive, I know a lot of Newcastle United fans out there won’t have a lot of positives about this process because it’s been draining, but I think the positive to take from it is that Mike Ashley does really, really, really want to sell this football club.”

Liverpool are reportedly rivalling Barcelona for a deal to sign Lille midfielder Renato Sanches, according to Fabrizio Romano. 

The lowdown

Liverpool have reportedly held an interest in signing Lille midfielder Sanches this summer, and the midfielder could be available if the French club’s valuation of the 23-year-old are met.

Sanches has been with Lille since 2019, and has made 60 appearances in total for them. The Portugal international played his part in the club’s title-winning campaign last term, and it appears as though his showings haven’t gone unnoticed.

Liverpool will be looking to add depth to their midfield options in the near future, with the Reds struggling with injuries last season and having lost Georginio Wijnaldum this summer.

The latest

Speaking on the ‘Here we go podcast’, Romano has confirmed that Liverpool and Spanish giants Barcelona are interested in a deal to sign Sanches this summer.

Romano has also claimed that the price tag that Lille are looking for is in the region of €40million, with Liverpool having to sell players to fund new signings ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

“It’s Barcelona and Liverpool that are interested in Renato Sanches – but the price tag is around 40 million euros so we will see what happens in the coming days. For Liverpool, it’s important to sell players to sign new players.”

The verdict

Sanches could be the ideal replacement for Wijnaldum, who departed Anfield in favour of a move to French giants PSG.

Additional strength in depth is certainly needed within the Liverpool squad this term, as injuries were a major reason as to why they failed to retain their Premier League title from the 2019/20 campaign.

Sanches had an average Whoscored rating of 6.41 from the 2020/21 season, and at the age of 23, he could turn out to be a shrewd signing for the Reds in the long-term.

Former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique labelled Sanches as a ‘great player’, before predicting that Jurgen Klopp could help him become a ‘world class’ player in the future.

“He always been a great player. If I’m not wrong he was named best player of the Under-21 tournament that he was involved.

“The problem he had is like many young players he had everything too quick and until he settled it took him few years, but it looks like the type of player that I believe Klopp can help him become a world class player.”

Former All Leeds TV pundit Joe Wainman insists that the signing of Kristoffer Klaesson for Leeds United is a smart piece of business that will allow the player to learn from and compete with Illan Meslier.

Victor Orta secured a deal worth just over £1m to bring in the new goalkeeper, having allowed Kiko Casilla to leave the club on loan and join La Liga outfit Elche.

Klaesson came through the ranks at Valerenga and has played for Norway at various youth levels, being capped at U15, U16, U17, U18, U19 and U21 level. He is almost certain to eventually win a senior cap for his country.

And Wainman believes that a deal to bring in a goalkeeper of his profile – a young player who can only grow and improve – makes more sense than signing an experienced figure like Joe Hart.

Hart has made the move from Tottenham Hotspur to Celtic in this transfer window, and Wainman is glad that Leeds did not get themselves involved in the bidding for the former England international.

He said: “If we have a keeper at the age of Kristoffer Klaesson that can step straight in, it’s much better than turning to a Joe Hart, who is at the back end of his career commanding big wages. It’s great to see Klaesson come in, he’s got very high pedigree, future Norway No.1, he’s already had a call-up that was unfortunately scuppered due to COVID.

“But yeah, I think it’s good to see two keepers of a similar age, I know the purists would prefer a more experienced second choice but what better way to learn under someone like Meslier, who was thrust into the spotlight at such a young age and has done as good as he has?

“I’m confident with Klaesson challenging for the No.1 spot.”