All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds winger Raphinha won just his second cap for Brazil on Sunday in a 0-0 draw with Colombia in a 2022 World Cup Qualifying match.

The 24-year-old has finally been recognised at international level for his impressive form for Leeds in the Premier League, since joining from Rennes for £16.74m last summer.

Raphinha produced six goals and nine assists in 30 league appearances for Marcelo Bielsa’s side last term, proving that he has the quality to regularly contribute to goals in the English top-flight. This has continued into the current campaign, with the winger on three goals in seven games so far.

So, how did he get on during his debut for the Seleção? He watched on from the bench in the first half as £54m-rated Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus lined up in Raphinha’s favoured right-wing role.

Pep Guardiola’s gem failed to showcase his talent as he came off the pitch with a rating of 6.5. Per SofaScore, he lost 100% of his duels and created zero chances, whilst also failing to register a single shot. Jesus also lost possession of the ball 12 times from 32 touches as he completed 73% of his passes.

Raphinha was then given an opportunity to shine off the bench and he eclipsed Jesus with an excellent showing for his country. Per SofaScore, he completed 66.6% of his attempted dribbles (2/3), won 60% of his duels (3/5) and completed 85% of his passes.

Along with that, he created one ‘big chance’ and registered two shots, one being on target, in just 29 minutes on the field, recording a SofaScore rating of 7.2. This shows that he was able to provide a higher quality of end product in comparison to Jesus, whilst he also offered a reliable outlet in possession that the Man City man was unable to do against Colombia.

A glowing review from Chelsea’s Thiago Silva shows just how big of an impression he made for his country: “The boys showed a quality that I have hardly seen in more than ten years with the Brazilian national team [of newcomers]. It’s really cool to see Raphinha and Antony showing personality.”

The Leeds man was able to outshine Jesus and show Tite that he deserves more caps for his country moving forward, potentially from the start instead of from the bench. With the World Cup coming up next year, performances like this could be beneficial to his chances of featuring in a major international tournament for Brazil.

Bielsa will surely be delighted with this impressive cameo from the winger as it could build his confidence ahead of Leeds’ upcoming Premier League fixture.

It was the ideal scenario for the Whites head coach as Raphinha enjoyed a positive performance that will keep up his positive momentum while not being overplayed during the break, something that may have led to fatigue.

AND in other news,  Bielsa masterstroke: Leeds warrior has seen value soar 600% since Argentine’s arrival…

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Sami Mokbel of The Daily Mail has made a Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie as the Lilywhites also reportedly close in on Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye move…

The Ivory Coast international has been a transfer target for Spurs since the beginning of the January transfer window with reports suggesting manager Antonio Conte is ready to make a move.

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Indeed, according to ESPN, Tottenham transfer chief Fabio Paratici was weighing a lucrative offer to sign Kessie earlier this month with The Telegraph since claiming that they are in fact weighing a move.

Conte is apparently a ‘huge fan’ of the San Siro ace with Mokbel sharing what he knows on the situation.

The Latest: Mokbel makes claim…

The Lilywhites are expected to come to an agreement with Wolves for Traore, say The Athletic, and speaking to GMS, the Mail reporter says that a deal to sign Kessie is also ‘doable’ before the January 31 deadline.

“I think that is certainly a deal that could be doable and I think that could be doable sooner rather than later,” he explained.

“I’m talking this window, if both clubs can come to an agreement.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Signing a midfielder is reportedly one of Conte’s four transfer priorities at Spurs and we believe they don’t come more accomplished than Kessie.

The 52-cap star, despite a being a natural defensive midfield player, has been utilised in a more advanced role at Milan under Stefano Pioli and has thrived – scoring 19 goals since the beginning of 2020/2021 and adding to his career total of 46 (Transfermarkt).

He’s even called ‘sumptuous’ by his manager, and if Tottenham could either land him on a free deal in the summer or this month for a cheaper fee, we believe he could provide a real injection of threat in Conte’s midfield alongside Traore.

In other news: Spurs ‘edging closer’ to signing ‘massive’ £15m defender, find out more here.

An update has emerged on Cameron Burgess, regarding how much Ipswich have paid for the defender. 

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun on Sunday (15/08/21, pg. 63) (via The 72), Ipswich agreed a £750k deal to sign the 25-year-old defender from League One rivals Accrington Stanley this month.

The Tractor Boys officially confirmed the signing on Sunday, with Burgess putting pen to paper on a three-year deal with the club.

Accy boss John Coleman confirmed that the Tractor Boys are closing in on the defender on Saturday, admitting that he believes the player is being sold for less than he is worth. He said:

“It looks like he’s going to Ipswich. I think the two sides agreed [on] a fee last night.”

“Me and [Andy] Holty are generally on the same page a lot of the time but this one wasn’t my decision.

“If it was my decision I would have held out for more money and I certainly didn’t want to lose him because I think he’s worth more.

“But we have got a decent fee for him and the chairman can carry on trying to make this club a better place to come to which, at the end of the day, is what everybody wants.”

Fans will be buzzing

Ipswich fans will surely be buzzing with this news as it appears as though Ipswich have picked up a bargain deal for the defender. Coleman’s comments suggest that the club should have paid more for Burgess than they have, given that he says he would have held out for more.

Looking at his statistics for Accrington in League One over the past 12 months or so, it is easy to see why his former boss believes Ipswich are getting a steal.

Of the players who are still at Portman Road, Nsiala’s WhoScored rating of 6.96 was the highest out of the centre-backs in League One.

So far this season, Ipswich have conceded four goals in their first two league outings and Luke Wolfenden’s score of 6.79 is the highest by any central defender, with Janoi Donacien also playing out of position at centre-back in both games.

Meanwhile, Burgess enjoyed a sensational 2020/21 campaign with Accrington. He averaged a phenomenal WhoScored rating of 7.22 across 44 appearances, winning 6.8 aerial battles and making 4.4 tackles and interceptions per game.

In his first match of the current season, he achieved a rating of 7.21 as he won 10 aerial battles, made six clearances and one block. He also put in a stout defensive display against Rotherham in the League Cup, winning 13 aerial battles and making three blocks as he recorded a rating of 7.62.

This shows that he has the quality to put in consistently excellent performances in League One at centre-back, which suggests that he has a good chance of being a success at Portman Road – in the third tier at least.

To pick up a player of that ilk without breaking seven figures appears to be a terrific deal for Ipswich on paper and the supporters will be delighted with this approach from the club. They will be buzzing that their side is being shrewd in the transfer market and snapping up bargains instead of overpaying on talent.

AND in other news, 27x possession lost: Cook must ruthlessly axe 25 y/o Ipswich dud after horror showing…

Over the last month or so, Everton have suffered at the hands of a very particular trend running through academy football.

That happens to be the Jadon Sancho effect; whereby a youth player sees regular first-team opportunities elsewhere and takes their chance by seeking a permanent move over a loan deal.

It has worked for many footballers over the last few years including a player that the Toffees were ultimately happy to get rid of – Thierry Small.

The left-back was arguably the hottest talent in the Everton youth set-up and is the youngest player to ever feature for the club at the age of 16 years and 167 days.

However, as pre-season resumed a few months ago, Small was nowhere to be seen. A new deal had been proposed by Everton and he was even given a first-team locker but he trained on his own at a separate location and didn’t even turn up to Finch Farm.

The youngster ripped up his contract and eventually headed to Southampton, another Premier League side renowned for their academy.

However, we could see a repeat scenario with Lewis Dobbin attracting widespread interest from elsewhere.

Before leaving Goodison Park behind, Small was wanted by the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United but ultimately settled on the south coast instead.

Dobbin, meanwhile, is now being courted by several Premier League and Bundesliga clubs according to reports.

Therefore, in order for Everton to avoid losing him, Rafa Benitez must demonstrate that there is a clear pathway towards senior football.

Dobbin featured for the first-team against Manchester United in pre-season but is yet to gather a taste of competitive action.

Little opportunities like those will keep Dobbin fresh and hungry to succeed, though, and judging by his record at youth level, he deserves more chances.

Described as an “exciting talent” by The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland, the teenager has found the net on 14 occasions 36 outings for the U18s.

Furthermore, the 18-year-old was on fire for the academy during pre-season. Dobbin was so good that he scored a jaw-dropping three hat-tricks.

Of course, that kind of form doesn’t always translate to first-team football but the striker has a very good chance of thriving at Goodison Park for years to come.

Benitez now just has to hope he avoids another Small incident when January rolls around.

AND in other news, Everton must now be reeling from Silva’s epic blunder over “unbelievable” £10m beast…

Rangers will be looking to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat to Sparta Prague in the Europa League on Thursday night as they face Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership today.

Steven Gerrard’s side host third-placed Hibernian at Ibrox as they attempt to reclaim their spot at the top of the Premiership table, having fallen behind Hearts on Saturday.

The Gers’ loss to Sparta was their first in four matches, with Rangers now having lost both of their group stage matches in Europe this term.

How many changes will Gerrard make to his side from the defeat? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make four changes to his team, with Connor Goldson, Jon McLaughlin, Ianis Hagi and Alfredo Morelos all coming into the XI.

Starting between the sticks, we believe that McLaughlin will play ahead of Allan McGregor. The pair have been rotating throughout the campaign, with the former of four Premiership appearances and the latter on two. McGregor also started the last match, against Sparta Prague, which indicates that McLaughlin will now come in for him for this match given their rotation so far this season.

Connor Goldson missed the defeat to Sparta with a knock and could make his return at centre-back against Hibernian. He is in contention to feature and his availability would allow Gerrard to axe Calvin Bassey, who played out of position as a central defender, to the bench and start Goldson alongside Balogun in the defence.

In midfield, Juninho Bacuna is an injury doubt and could be forced out of the XI. This means that Joe Aribo could slot back into his favoured central midfield position alongside Steven Davis and Glen Kamara, opening the door for another player to enter the front three.

We are predicting that Ianis Hagi will be recalled to the team to take up a position in the front three. This could be as an advanced midfielder behind Morelos and Roofe, but we have predicted that it will be as part of an attacking trident. Hagi managed seven goals and 11 assists in 33 Premiership appearances last term, showing that he does have the quality required to make a positive impact at this level.

Finally, we published an article explaining why Alfredo Morelos should be unleashed upon Hibs. The striker has the quality to be a match-winner for the club and Sakala could drop out of the team in order for the Colombian to lead the line this afternoon.

AND in other news, Gerrard masterclass: Rangers beast has seen his value soar 33.3% in less than 2 years…

Leeds United defender Diego Llorente looks set to miss the start of the Premier League season, according to LUFCFANZONE.

The Lowdown: Llorente’s injury

The Spaniard, who made the move to Elland Road last year in a deal worth £18m, went off injured for the Whites against Real Betis last weekend.

Llorente made way after just 24 minutes, shortly after Betis took the lead against Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

The 27-year-old hasn’t featured since with Phil Hay stating the centre-back suffered a muscle pull, but it wasn’t serious.

The Latest: Source shares update

LUFCFANZONE were informed by a source close to Llorente to share an update on his condition.

They posted on Twitter on Thursday morning, stating Llorente ‘has a leg muscle injury which will take 2-3 weeks to heal’.

The source added that it is ‘not major but he probably won’t be ready for the start of the Premier League season’.

The Verdict: A worry

Llorente’s first season with Leeds were plagued by injuries, so this latest update comes as a worry.

He missed half of the previous Premier League campaign with groin and hamstring issues, so hopefully, the latest injury isn’t a reoccurring one.

A timeframe of two to three weeks will see him miss Leeds’ Premier League opener against Manchester United and possibly their first league fixture at Elland Road against Everton.

Should it take three weeks, Llorente may also be a doubt for the trip to Burnley, so it’s not exactly ideal news for Bielsa, who made the defender a regular in his side towards the end of last season.

In other news: Leeds offer on the table: Whites now swooping for 6 ft 2 tank who is on £22,000 p/w. 

According to reliable club insider ExWHUemployee, West Ham United, and by extension recruitment chief Rob Newman, have set their sights on a 2022 move as news emerges on Fulham defender Antonee Robinson.

The Lowdown: Moyes eyeing new left-back?

According to another report by the Irons source, it is believed that Aaron Cresswell’s back injury is much worse than originally feared with the club and manager David Moyes unable to put a timeframe on his return (West Ham Way).

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As a result, the Hammers have been linked to potentially adding a new left-back to their ranks in January, with Moyes and Newman also previously linked with a loan move for defender Ainsley Maitland-Niles (West Ham Way Podcast).

Now, as insider ExWHuemployee shares more information, it appears Newman also has his eyes on future left-back additions as he looks set to move for Robinson next summer.

The Latest: Newman set for 2022 swoop…

Indeed, as per the Hammers insider, West Ham and Newman are ‘very keen’ on the USA international and are ‘looking set to make a move’ in the summer window.

As well as the 24-year-old, it is believed that the Irons are also fond of another Cottagers defender in ex-Man City man Tosin Adarabioyo.

The Verdict: Get it done?

While West Ham fans wouldn’t see him in Claret and Blue until long into next year, we believe Robinson could come as a brilliant nominee to eventually succeed Cresswell in the left-back slot.

At 32-years-old, the Irons mainstay isn’t getting any younger and it’s little wonder Newman is looking ahead to find his defensive heir.

Robinson, already an established international, certainly comes with credentials given he has played a starring role for Fulham in the Championship this season.

According to WhoScored, the left-back has averaged the joint-most crosses out of their entire squad so far over 2021/2022 whilst also making the second-most interceptions per 90 (1.8) – marking himself out as a key man on both sides of the ball.

Lauded as ‘a hell of a player’ by Hull City boss Grant McCann, Newman could have his eyes on an ideal target.

In other news: ‘Noooo’, ‘Beyond a joke’, ‘Xmas ruined’…Many West Ham fans flock to ‘worrying’ player claim, find out more here.

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper must do all he can to keep on-loan ace Keinan Davis at the club for next season.

What’s the story?

The centre-forward has excelled on-loan from Aston Villa at Nottingham Forest since his move in January and journalist Ashley Preece has said his “Villa future is done” and that it’s likely he will move permanently in the summer.

This gives Forest and Steve Cooper every chance at signing the 24-year old but they’ll have to move quickly with other clubs in the Championship likely to be interested.

As for a fee, according to Preece, Villa will be looking for something in the region of £5m – £10m.

He’s been compared to Collymore

Although he’s not been at the club for a long time the striker has already been compared by broadcaster Darren Fletcher to Forest legend Stan Collymore.

When being asked to describe Davis’ time so far at the City Ground he picked out his goal against Barnsley and said the way he drove forward and finished so well had “a touch of Collymore” about it.

Despite only spending two seasons at the club Collymore is still regarded as a hero by many. He was vital to their promotion to the Premier League in 1994 and in his last season he scored 23 league goals firing Forest to third in the top flight.

Davis will be hoping he can be the one to fire Forest to the Premier League in a similar way to how Collymore did, and with Cooper’s men still pushing to secure a play-off place, his goals might make the difference.

Since January, Davis has made 14 appearances for Forest and contributed to seven goals in that time which has impressed many, including journalist Daniel Storey who labelled him “sensational”. Though, it doesn’t seem enough for Villa manager Steven Gerrard to want to keep hold of him.

Cooper will be in need of a new striker for next season with Lewis Grabban out of contract this summer. Davis has proved that he can be a reliable goalscorer in the Championship, and if Forest go up he’s proved he deserves a chance to lead the line for them in the Premier League.

Ultimately, whatever happens, the £25k-per-week earner won’t be short of suitors and Forest have to make sure he doesn’t go to one of their rivals or he could come back to haunt them.

IN other news: Nottingham Forest reignite interest in Blackpool winger Josh Bowler…

Newcastle United are interested in a deal to bring Tyrone Mings to St. James’ Park in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Marca, who claim that the Aston Villa centre-back is one of the names on PIF’s shortlist of Newcastle transfer targets ahead of the winter market.

The report goes on to state that, while Eddie Howe did not afford the 28-year-old much game time when both men were at AFC Bournemouth, Mings’ development into a “defensive leader” at Villa Park could see Howe offer the England international the chance to work together once more at St. James’ Park.

He’d solve Howe’s biggest issue

Considering the fact that Newcastle have already shipped 24 goals over their opening 11 fixtures of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, it is evident that, if Howe has any chance of keeping the Magpies in the top flight come next May, defence is an area in which he must strengthen in January.

And, while Aston Villa have not exactly been rock solid at the back so far this season, having conceded 20 goals over their own 11 league fixtures, Mings would nevertheless be a signing who could help to solve Howe’s biggest issue at Newcastle.

Indeed, over his 36 Premier League appearances for Villa last time out, the £27m-rated man helped his side keep 14 clean sheets – double the amount Newcastle managed last season – as well as making an average of 1.1 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 4.7 clearances and winning 4.1 duels per game.

These returns saw the player who Gareth Southgate dubbed an “outstanding” defender earn a seasonal SofaScore rating of 6.95, ranking him as Villa’s joint ninth-best performer in the top flight.

As such, as long as the £67k-per-week Mings can refind this level of form after his potential switch to Newcastle, the 28-year-old could well be the man to solve Howe’s defensive crisis at St. James’ Park.

In other news: Howe must make “perfect” £120k-p/w dynamo his first NUFC signing, he’d love it at SJP

Eddie Howe has been handed a fresh Newcastle United injury lift over one of his first-team stars…

What’s the latest?

Callum Wilson has revealed that his season is far from over as he is hoping to be back out on the pitch for the Magpies before the end of the month.

He has been out of action since suffering a knock against Manchester United in December and is now seemingly closing in on his return to action.

The Daily Mail quote him as saying: “I aim to be back by the end of April or the beginning of May.”

SJP faithful will be delighted

This update from the striker will surely delight the fans as it means that they will be able to see him play for the club again in the coming weeks.

They would have to wait until July/August to see him in the flesh if he was ruled out for the rest of the current campaign and that would mean a seven/eight-month gap between his last game for the side and his next.

Instead, they will, hopefully, be able to watch him in the final few matches of the current campaign. Newcastle are currently 12 points clear of the bottom three and can head into the rest of their games without the pressure of a relegation battle, which means that it could be the perfect time to bring Wilson back into the fold.

They can now afford to give minutes to the forward as he recovers from injury and gets back up to speed as they are not in a desperate position where they need to be at their very best in every match to scramble themselves out of the bottom three. Howe can, therefore, experiment with his side in the coming weeks to find out more about his squad ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

For example, he could play Wilson up front alongside Chris Wood to see what their link-up is like. It will be interesting to see how they complement each other on the pitch, with the latter’s strong hold-up play potentially allowing the former to feed off flick-ons.

Wood has won a whopping 7.8 aerial battles per match and this shows that he has the ability in the air to provide a focal point at the top end of the pitch.

Meanwhile, Wilson has scored six goals in 14 Premier League starts and is the club’s top scorer, with the New Zealand international’s presence alongside him allowing him to focus more on getting into the box to finish off chances. His lethal nature in front of goal is why his return this season is a big boost that the fans will be buzzing with.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Dubravka: Newcastle’s £72k-p/w passenger went missing in LCFC win…