All posts by h716a5.icu

Many Liverpool fans reacted in horror to reports that the Reds are interested in bringing Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi to Anfield this month.

According to the Evening Standard, Jurgen Klopp’s side are taking interest in the out-of-favour Gunners’ centre-back in light of the club’s catastrophic injury crisis.

Mustafi has not featured since Boxing Day as Liverpool are allegedly looking to see who is available before Monday’s deadline. The former Germany international has scored nine times from 151 appearances and is out of contract this summer, meaning the Reds could potentially snap him up for cheap.

This comes after injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Fabinho and Joel Matip – all of whom are unavailable as the Merseysiders do not have any established centre-back to choose from.

Unsurprisingly, this did not attract a positive response on Twitter as @LFCTransferRoom shared the news and felt the full wrath of the Kop faithful’s frustrations.

Mustafi links not appreciated by these fans

“How did we get here?”

Credit: @Gbemiga_A

“Struggling to believe that we’ve had 3 months to plan for a CB to come in and have chosen Mustafi.”

Credit: @TheNotoriousPGM

“Oh god no anyone but him”

Credit: @OdhranMckeon

“Are you kidding me lmao”

Credit: @_Wood_LFC

“PLEASE NO! he’ll make a defence that is struggling for breath completely asphyxiated”

Credit: @footyfiend1

“If our interest in Mustafi is genuine I’d say our interest in winning anything isn’t, would just be about keeping Henderson away from CB and preventing more injuries. Really would be a woeful, utterly depressing signing.”

Credit: @MaubeN_

In other news, Fabrizio Romano provides update on Liverpool midfielder’s future; not Wijnaldum.

Serge Aurier was up to his old tricks once again on Thursday night.

The Tottenham Hotspur star has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons following their 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool during the week.

According to The Telegraph’s Matt Law, the 28-year-old left the stadium early after being hauled off at half-time by Jose Mourinho as he believed the Ivorian was at fault for their opener right before the break.

‘It is understood the right-back left the ground in a move that will no doubt have angered head coach Jose Mourinho,’ wrote the reliable Law.

Given emerging transfer reports this week, the £23m signing from PSG could be in grave danger soon…

On the Chalkboard

It’s thought that Spurs are monitoring the progress of Max Aarons ahead of a potential move with Norwich City currently valuing him at £20m, as per the Sunday Mirror (24/01, page 71).

Chief Scout Steve Hitchen has been in attendance in recent matches, not only keeping tabs on Spurs loan star Oliver Skipp but clearly his England U21 teammate too.

Aurier’s latest decision, as Law says, will undoubtedly cause a stir with Mourinho. The right-back has always been a controversial figure in north London – he had to be disciplined after breaching the UK’s lockdown guidelines last year, while his performances on the pitch have been far from consistent.

Former Spurs striker Darren Bent dubbed him a “liability” to the Sky Sports Debate show last season, which echoes the thoughts of plenty of supporters as recently as last month, as you can read here.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-spurs-news-and-transfer-rumours” title= Read this week’s latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more…”]

“Positionally, he’s all over the place, he’s always got that tendency to dive in and give a foul away,” added Bent.

Aurier has also been linked with a return to former club PSG as Mauricio Pochettino has taken over there and after this most recent incident, Noel Whelan believes he could be expendable, he told Football Insider:

“We know there’s been fractious times between Aurier and Mourinho, we know that he’s been on the cards for a transfer anyway. I think this has just sealed it for him if the rumours are true.”

Indeed, with Spurs’ sights seemingly set on Aarons, it could be a wise decision that allows Mourinho to finally axe his inconsistent defender.

The Canaries’ youth prodigy is a raw talent with bags of potential, but as we’ve seen with Joe Rodon, the Spurs boss isn’t afraid to trust him despite his own mistakes.

Valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, Aarons has been lauded as a “special player” with an “unbelievable future” by Daniel Farke. He’s the only Norwich player to start and feature the full 90 in all 26 of their league outings this term.

Even though he’s played 100% of minutes, he ranks last for fouls per 90 minutes too (0.6), which would suggest he’s a far more reliable option than Aurier, who commits 1.5 fouls per 90 on average this term, via WhoScored.

Daniel Levy must enable Mourinho to finally axe Aurier through the signing of Aarons.

AND in other news, Levy could land Spurs’ next Alli in £25k-p/w “god-given” talent who terrorised Doherty…

Glasgow Rangers could have Scott Arfield fit for their clash with Kilmarnock at Ibrox on Saturday.

What’s the word?

The midfielder was absent for the Scottish Premiership draw at Hamilton Academical that saw Rangers surrender the lead.

Arfield has missed the past seven weeks of action for the Light Blues having last played against Hibernian on Boxing Day due to an ankle injury.

Joe Aribo has stepped up in his absence to calm any concerns from Rangers fans, as he has provided a goal and an assist in his past four Premiership fixtures, although Bongani Zungu’s struggles at Ibrox have continued after an abject performance against Hamilton.

However, Steven Gerrard has confirmed Arfield could feature against Killie, as could Jermain Defoe with the striker not playing since the 5-0 win over Ross County on January 23.

Gerrard said: “Scott was back and it was great to watch him bring enthusiasm back and see him smiling again. He seems close to being ready to go, but has been out for seven weeks.“Kemar will miss the game and Alfredo serves his last game. Jermain has been out for two or three weeks and will come into the squad so we are in a good place in terms of health and availability but we have a couple of suspensions to serve.”Huge boost for Steven GerrardGerrard confirming that Arfield could be fit to face Kilmarnock will come as a boost for the Light Blues following a mixed run of results for the Premiership league leaders after Rangers opted against strengthening in the midfield in the winter transfer window.

The Gers were linked with a plethora of options to add depth behind the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe, with Preston’s Daniel Johnson, Bournemouth’s Jack Wilshere, Chelsea’s Billy Gilmour and Coventry City’s Gustavo Hamer among their reported targets.

However, the Ibrox hierarchy ultimately decided against splashing the cash on a temporary replacement, which could work well in their favour if Arfield is able to hit the ground running after recovering from injury.

But the fact remains that Gerrard now faces one of the biggest selection headaches that the 40-year-old has had to deal with since taking charge of Ibrox.

For now, Aribo, Glen Kamara and Steven Davis are Gerrard’s preferred midfield three, with the trio all starting against Celtic in the second Old Firm derby of the season.

The Finland international himself has started 20 out of 28 Premiership fixtures this season so is a safe bet to start against Tommy Wright’s team, whilst Davis is expected to replace the struggling Zungu at the base of the midfield.

Instead, Arfield may come in for Aribo, but dropping the Nigerian would be an incredibly harsh decision off the back of his recent performances.

The 32-year-old is clearly held in high esteem by the manager, but he’s got to consider his options carefully before making such a cut-throat decision.

We don’t envy him the decision, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Bongani Zungu is starting to run out of time to impress at Glasgow Rangers…

David Moyes can end his search for West Ham United’s next striker by landing another Michail Antonio in Blackburn Rovers star Adam Armstrong.

What’s the word?

According to Lancs Live, there is an acceptance at the Ewood Park outfit that Armstrong may have to be sold in the summer transfer window in order to fund their recruitment drive.

Rovers are in a position where they cannot rely on owners Venky’s investment to support their activity in the off-season, when boss Tony Mowbray will have several gaps to plug.

Blackburn are due to lose five players once their loan deals expire at the end of the season, and have close to a dozen players also out of contract in June.

The only position in which the Lancashire outfit are not expected to address is in goal, with 28-year-old Thomas Kaminski keeping eight clean sheets in 28 Championship appearances since penning a two-year deal with the option of a third last summer.

Given the situation, Blackburn are inclined to sell their top-talents like Armstrong for the right offer, with a belief that short-term pain could prove worthwhile long-term.

West Ham have been credited with an interest in Armstrong frequently since the turn of the year, though Moyes opted against tabling an £8m offer in January following Sebastien Haller’s exit, per The Sun.

The Irons boss is instead thought to want to see how Armstrong tackles the second half of the season, though could face competition from Everton, Fulham and Newcastle United this summer.

Should West Ham sign Armstrong?

It remains to be seen how Armstrong performs between now and the end of the season, but the striker hit the ground running coming out of the summer and has 19 goals in 30 Championship games to his name.

Only Ivan Toney (24) has found the back of the net more often than Armstrong this term, though the Brentford ace is playing in a side competing for automatic promotion while Blackburn are seeing their faint Play-Off hopes dwindle after five-straight defeats.

Armstrong fired home in two of those loses, and has earned vast praise from his manager, Mowbray, throughout the campaign.

“I think Adam Armstrong is asset rich. He’s lightning fast off the mark, he plays on the shoulders [of defenders], he can score with both feet – he can score all sorts of goals,” the Rovers boss said earlier this month. “He can shoot from distance, he can go round the goalie and he can side-foot it in with both feet; he’s very, very clinical.”

How much West Ham would have to pay to land Armstrong in the summer remains to be seen, with The Sun quoting a £10m+ fee for the £17,000-per-week frontman while Chronicle Live believe Blackburn valued the 2022 free-agent as high as £30m earlier in the term.

But Moyes and co-owner David Sullivan meeting the Ewood Park outfit’s demands, however much they may be, could see the pair bring another Antonio story to the London Stadium.

Antonio arrived at West Ham from Nottingham Forest in 2015 after one full campaign at the Championship side, where he struck 16 goals and provided 15 assists in 50 league games.

The striker is now a fans’ favourite in claret and blue, ended last term as the club’s top-scorer with 10 goals and has fired home six in 16 Premier League appearances this term.

Moyes needs another option behind Antonio after Haller’s exit and could do far worse than signing another in the mould of the Englishman.

AND in other news, David Moyes can discover West Ham’s next Dimitri Payet in a 24-y/o whose protected by a £258m release clause…

Southampton received yet another blow at the weekend as it was confirmed that star striker Danny Ings is set to miss around four weeks of action through injury but in his absence, Ralph Hasenhuttl should rely on youngster Nathan Tella to step up.

The academy talent has established himself as something of a regular in Southampton’s matchday squad in recent weeks and was handed the second Premier League start of his career in the 2-0 win against Sheffield United at the weekend.

The 21-year-old was originally seen as a winger but impressed in a striker role for David Horseman’s B team earlier in the season, scoring four goals in a 5-2 win against Leicester City in the Premier League 2.

This was clearly enough to convince Hasenhuttl to give him more regular chances in his first-team, as he has gone on to make nine appearances in the Premier League, as well as one in the FA Cup, where he earned his first assist for the senior side in the 2-0 win against Wolves.

Tella was originally selected alongside Ings in attack at Bramall Lane at the weekend but when the former Liverpool man was forced off injured in the first half, he partnered Che Adams, which could well be Hasenhuttl’s preferred front two for upcoming fixtures, as both impressed with their performances.

The former Arsenal youngster was a constant thorn in the Sheffield United defence with his pace and willingness to make runs in behind, which led to Southampton’s opening goal, as he was fouled by Ethan Ampadu for a penalty, which James Ward-Prowse tucked away.

Following the game, Hasenhuttl was full of praise for Tella, saying:

“He can be a threat against everybody because he is quick, even on the ball, he is calm.

“He is never nervous, he is never arrogant and he has a good mixture of enjoying what he is doing and staying calm on the pitch.”

Therefore, it seems clear that the Austrian is a big fan of Tella and he should have faith in him to step up in the absence of Ings for the next month or so, despite him having made just 12 senior appearances for Southampton in his career thus far.

And, in other news… Southampton will rue missing out on “technically outstanding” £21.6m-rated record-breaker

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Dean Windass has admitted that Dele Alli’s Tottenham career is over – with his relationship with Jose Mourinho beyond repair.

The ex-MK Dons attacking midfielder made his first Premier League start since the opening day against Fulham on Thursday, although he’s been left out of a number of matchday squads this season and was an unused substitute against Crystal Palace at the weekend.

Alli was the subject of strong interest from Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG in January, although the French outfit were unable to secure a deal for the England man, which meant he remained at Tottenham.

Since the January window closed and Alli returned from a tendon injury, he’s been involved in each of Spurs’ seven games in all competitions and produced an impressive display in the Europa League before assisting the winning goal at Craven Cottage.

But when asked whether he thinks that Alli and Mourinho’s relationship is irreparable, Windass told FFC:

“Yeah, I think so. I’ve been in them environments, and it’s one of those situations where you move on – all good things come to an end. He’s done incredibly well since he came in from MK Dons. Will he go to PSG or will an English club come in for him. 

“He won’t be short of takers because he’s a talented boy, but it just hasn’t worked under Jose.”

Since coming back into the team last month, Alli has already shown Mourinho what he’s been missing this campaign, but Windass might well have hit the nail on the head here.

It would appear that the Spurs boss is putting their differences aside in order to focus on the job in hand, but it wouldn’t be a major surprise to see the England man moved on this summer.

David Moyes must rue West Ham United not signing long-term target Franck Kessie in 2020, as the Premier League side now face a £43m price tag to land the AC Milan midfielder.

What’s the word?

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, via Milan Live, the San Siro outfit plan to lock Kessie down with a new contract, as the Ivory Coast international is an increasingly important pillar of Stefano Pioli’s side.

Kessie is considered to be the leader of the Rossoneri and has only missed one of AC’s 26 Serie A fixtures this season, starting 24, while enjoying his best campaign in front of goal yet.

The 24-year-old has found the back of the net nine times and provided three assists to date, eclipsing the seven-goal haul achieved over 34 games in the 2018/19 term and creating the same volume of chances for his red-and-black shirted teammates.

But Kessie’s performances have not gone unnoticed across the continent, with West Ham plus London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur frequently showing an interest in the £69,000-per-week powerhouse.

The Premier League trio would also now face heightened competition if they look to launch efforts to sign Kessie at the end of the season with Real Madrid keen, but any side is likely to be met with a €50m (£43m) asking price.

Milan are very much loath to losing the 44-cap international, and it is added that they plan to extend his contract through to 2026 with his current terms set to expire next year.

A huge blunder by West Ham

News of Milan slapping a €50m valuation on Kessie will come as a hammer blow to West Ham in their long-running hope of bringing the midfield enforcer to the London Stadium.

It also makes the Irons’ decision not to sign the 6ft beast last summer a huge blunder, as reports by TEAMtalk claimed Kessie was on offer for around £25m and that the asking price had been set before the coronavirus pandemic changed the footballing landscape.

That valuation was backed up by reports by Calciomercato, via Football-Italia, later in the year, after they claimed that AC rebuffed Gennaro Gattuso’s intent to be reunited with Kessie at SSC Napoli through a €30m (£25.5m) asking rice.

West Ham would have likely faced competition from Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers, too, with the Molineux outfit also linked, but may have struck a deal with Milan for £18m less than they could now be obliged to pay if they still want the player.

It obviously remains to be seen if the Hammers are now willing to step forward and meet the Rossoneri’s demands, which would see Moyes acquire an engine room component lauded by those he works with.

“He never gets tired, he has an incredible energy,” Ismael Bennacer told MilanTV, via quotes by Football-Italia, earlier in the year. “We must take advantage of it.”

AND in other news, David Moyes has confirmed his intent for West Ham to sign a £42k-p/w brute this summer…

Moise Kean sealing a return to Juventus to replace Cristiano Ronaldo at the Serie A side this summer can hand Ellis Simms his big break at Everton.

What’s the word?

According to Tuttosport, via Sport Witness, Kean is on a shortlist of potential options for Juventus to target at the end of the season amid doubt in Ronaldo’s long-term Bianconeri future.

The Portuguese icon has been linked with a potential return to Real Madrid three years after leaving the La Liga giants for €112m (£99m), and Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane refused to deny the chances of a reunion earlier this month.

But Juve CEO Fabio Paratici has dismissed the possibility of Ronaldo moving away from Turin at the close of the campaign, insisting that the 36-year-old remains the future of the Old Lady and will play into the final year of his current €30m-a-season (£500k-p/w) contract.

That has not stopped speculation arising in the Italian media, with Tuttosport suggesting that Kean could be lined up as a replacement for Ronaldo as the striker, currently on loan with Paris Saint-Germain, would be intrigued by a return to the Allianz Stadium.

Kean is also considered to be perfect for the vision that Juventus are attempting to build by helping bring down the average age of Andrea Pirlo’s squad, and could be targeted upon his return to Goodison Park this summer.

PSG are expected to try and retain the £53k-p/w forward in the next transfer window, too, with il Bianco Nero claiming at the start of the month that the Ligue 1 powerhouse will attempt to reach an agreement with the Toffees ‘at all costs’.

That cost could be in the region of €60-70m (£51.5-60m), with Fabrizio Romano stating on the Here We Go podcast last month that Carlo Ancelotti is a “big fan” of Kean and wants him back in royal blue next term, after scoring 15 goals in 27 games for the Parisian outfit.

Should Everton let Kean go?

Kean has clearly rediscovered his form during a year on loan in the French capital, having struggled to make the grade at Goodison Park following his £25m move from Juventus in 2019.

Whether Ancelotti wants him back or not remains to be seen, but allowing the 21-year-old to call time on his Toffees career after two years could open the door for Simms to make his first-team breakthrough after impressing during his brief time on loan with Blackpool so far.

Simms has scored three goals and provided two assists in nine League One games for the Seasiders since moving to Bloomfield Road in January, and earned the admiration of head coach Neil Critchley after a 3-0 win at Charlton Athletic last month.

“I think that is a good example of Ellis playing to his strengths,” Critchley said. “When he does what he’s good at and he does it continuously, then it shows what a handful he can be. He’s got pace, a physical presence and the attribute of running in behind.

“This is his first loan move playing men’s football and it’s a big step up from Under23s to senior football. He’s adapting, and on Saturday he showed real signs of progression and coping at the level.”

Simms is yet to make his first-team debut for Everton but has been included in four matchday squads since Ancelotti’s arrival, and boasts 17 goals in 36 games for the Blues’ U23s.

His route to the first-team could clear greatly with Kean joining Juventus or PSG, as Joshua King may also be on the move amid interest from Fenerbahce, leaving Cenk Tosun – should he return from a loan spell with Besiktas – as the only support for Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

It is now up to Simms to prove that he is ready for that role as Blackpool look to edge closer to the League One play-off positions, and show Ancelotti that he can be Everton’s future.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti has set his eyes on bringing a £59m flop to Everton…

A number of Liverpool fans are desperate for the Reds to bring Leeds United star Raphinha to Anfield, following another impressive performance.

The Brazilian played a key role in the Whites’ 2-1 win away to Fulham on Friday night, scoring the winning goal at Craven Cottage.

Raphinha has proven to be a superb signing since arriving from Rennes last October, bringing a huge amount of quality to Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

[freshpress-quiz id=“306736”]

His winner on Friday was his sixth goal in the Premier League this season, with the 24-year-old also chipping in with five assists.

Such has been Raphinha’s level of performance in 2020/21, Liverpool have been linked with snapping him up from Elland Road this summer.

The forward is viewed as someone who could add more quality and depth to the Reds’ attack, potentially acting as a long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah, considering he is four years younger.

On Friday’s evidence, Raphinha would be a wonderful addition to Liverpool’s squad, as Jurgen Klopp’s men look to respond from a hugely disappointing defence of their league title.

Liverpool fans react to Raphinha’s brilliance

Here’s how some Liverpool fans reacted to Raphinha’s performance.

“Sign Raphinha I beg you”

Credit: @AnfieldVibe

“I think Jurgen would turn Raphinha into an absolute baller.”Credit: @smtm_LFC75″I love Raphinha”Credit: @LFCArran”We need to get Raphinha”Credit: @lfc_ik”Get RAPHINHA signed up NOW”Credit: @TLalia”Raphinha took that very well I really want him at LFC next season”Credit: @Bonalbio24In other news, one Liverpool star is expected to leave this summer, but it’s not Gini Wijnaldum. Find out who it is here.

Kevin Phillips has exclusively told Football FanCast that further experience in the Championship could lead to youngster Dion Sanderson earning a place in the Wolves squad in years to come.

Sanderson is currently enjoying a highly-successful loan spell at Phillips’ former side Sunderland, playing a key part in their recent surge towards the automatic promotion spots.

Since forcing his way into Lee Johnson’s team last month, the on-loan Wolves defender has started each of the Black Cats previous 10 League One matches, playing every minute in the last nine.

Sanderson’s only first-team involvement at Wolves came in an EFL Cup defeat at Aston Villa last season – with his only other experience in senior football coming on loan at Cardiff last term.

Sunderland want to bring Sanderson back to the Stadium of Light next season, should they get promoted back to the Championship, and Phillips believe that a campaign in the second-tier would put the defender in good stead for his eventual return to Wolves.

Phillips told Football FanCast:

“I love to see young players stay out and get more experience. Listen, he’s only really had experience in League One.

“Hopefully Sunderland do get up and Wolves let him go and get more experience in the Championship, where you are coming up against better quality of centre-forward, better quality of players and that will really test him.

“And if he shines there then Wolves have got a player on their hands, an asset and a player that the next season or season after can slot into the Wolves side and start performing.”

Sanderson has impressed at Sunderland this season, so it’s no wonder they’re interested in getting him back next season.

But given his age and ability, the on-loan Wolves centre-back isn’t going to be short of buyers this summer, so Sunderland might face strong competition, especially if their promotion bid is a failed one.