All posts by n8rngtd.top

Tottenham Hotspur have a talented group of attackers currently at their disposal for Antonio Conte to play with next season in the Premier League.

The likes of Harry Kane, Richarlison, Heung-Min Son, Lucas Moura and Dejan Kulusevski make up the senior section of the team’s forward line, whilst youngster Dane Scarlett has also been exposed to first-team football.

Journalist Ryan Taylor recently confirmed that the club are now eyeing up a swoop to sign another striker ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

In a video on his YouTube channel, he said: “But I wrote in this morning’s [Tuesday] column that Tottenham are one of several clubs monitoring Red Bull Salzburg forward, Benjamin Sesko.”

“Now as I touched upon Tottenham, as I understand it, are one of several clubs that are continuing to monitor his progress. It’s not something that’s imminent at the moment. So I don’t expect Tottenham to make a move as such.

“He’s just one of the young strikers that they’re watching. And Fabio Paratici is understood to be a big fan of him. And Tottenham scouts are going to continue to assess him in the upcoming season.”

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It has been reported that Spurs could make a €20m (£17m) offer to tempt the Austrian outfit into parting ways with him this summer.

Big Scarlett upgrade

By snapping up the Slovenian, Fabio Paratici can land Conte a big upgrade on their current young number nine – Scarlett.

In 10 first-team appearances, the Englishman is yet to score for Tottenham and has registered one assist. After scoring a sensational 23 goals in 23 under-18 matches, he scored four goals in 14 under-21 outings and then struggled to make much of an impact in the senior squad.

These statistics suggest that the teenager has not been able to develop as quickly as he has moved up the ranks, struggling more and more to reach the high levels he set earlier in his career.

Of course, he still has plenty of time to put that right – at the age of 18 – and may find his feet with more game time, but Sesko’s record at senior level indicates that he is a step ahead.

GOAL editor Tom Maston previously dubbed him a “mini Haaland” and claimed that there is excitement about his potential in the game.

He has scored 10 goals and provided seven assists in 36 games for Salzburg, despite only recently turning 19, and scored 22 goals in 46 outings on loan at FC Liefering. The gem has also scored twice in 13 caps for his country, showing that he can perform domestically and internationally.

These statistics show that he has been able to handle the step up to senior level, unlike Scarlett so far, and that is why Spurs must sign him to improve their depth behind Kane.

AND in other news, Spurs could find Vertonghen 2.0 as Conte eyes deal for £50.5m “extraordinary talent”…

Tottenham Hotspur aren’t just trying to sign Premier League striker Richarlison, as reports are also emerging of a move for Bundesliga defender Piero Hincapie.

The Lowdown: Conte wants new defender…

The Lilywhites and head coach Antonio Conte are said to be chasing a world class central defensive upgrade for the north Londoners’ back three, coming after they sealed deals for Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster and Yves Bissouma.

Spurs are also said to be in talks over signing Richarlison from Everton as transfer chief Fabio Paratici and Conte show no sign of slowing down ahead of what will be an entertaining 2022/2023 season.

Links to various defenders have come to light in the last few days alone as Paratici continues to spin various plates.

The Latest: Duran makes Hincapie claim…

As per journalist Marcos Duran of Relevo, it appears a development has come to light on Spurs’ hunt for Bayer Leverkusen star Hincapie.

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Indeed, as shared by the South American reporter, Tottenham have been in contact over signing the Ecuador international and this may just be the ‘beginning’.

He explained (via Twitter):  

“As reported in Italy and Germany, both Milan and Tottenham were contacted by the Ecuadorian Piero Hincapié, a

@bayer04_es player.

“Player and club, in talks to improve the contract. He wants to play in the Champions League, but the market is just beginning.”

The Verdict: Take it further?

Reports state it will take a £34 million fee for Spurs to sign Hincapie this summer but his glowing endorsements in past years suggest he could be worth it.

The 20-year-old, who would come to north London with many years ahead in a promising career, has already been called ‘South America’s best young defender’ by his former club president Andres Fassi.

Quite the tag, it’s hardly a surprise Hincapie has caught Spurs’ attention after starting 20 games in a breakthrough Bundesliga campaign, and this could well be one to watch over as the summer window progresses.

Leeds United appear to be leading the race to sign Strasbourg defender Gerzino Nyamsi, according to Goal.

The Lowdown: Nyamsi profiled

Primarily a centre-back, Nyamsi only made the move to the Ligue 1 club last summer. The 25-year-old was a regular last season, making 35 appearances in all competitions, with his performances taking his Transfermarkt valuation to a career-high £6.75m.

The Frenchman is under contract until 2025 and is represented by Wasserman, an agency that Victor Orta knows well as they look after six Leeds players, and it looks as if the Whites are keen on Nyamsi’s services.

The Latest: Leeds links

According to Goal France, Nyamsi is attracting interest from the Premier League, with Newcastle also keen on the player.

However, the report claimed that it’s Leeds who are ‘above all’ in the race for the 6 foot 5 defender after deciding to study his profile in greater depth.

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The Verdict: Needed?

The Whites are also keen on 6 foot 4 Club Brugge attacker Charles De Ketelaere, and out of the two, he is needed more at Elland Road over Nyamsi.

Jesse Marsch already has four senior centre-backs at his disposal and has Charlie Cresswell coming through at a rapid pace, so signing the Strasbourg giant may set the teenager back as he looks to break through at his boyhood club.

It looks as if Leeds are keen on the 25-year-old, but for us, the club should be looking at a centre-forward and replacements for Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha and not another centre-back.

Tottenham are set to launch a £60m bid for Leeds United winger Raphinha, according to Gianluigi Longari.

The Lowdown: Arsenal offer

The Brazil international is becoming a man in demand this summer, with a move to Barcelona now looking less likely due to their financial issues.

Arsenal submitted a formal bid on Tuesday evening for the 25-year-old, according to David Ornstein, which fell well short of the Whites’ valuation.

Phil Hay previously stated that it could take an offer of between £60m and £70m to get the winger out of Elland Road, and it looks as if Leeds are set to receive one from Spurs.

The Latest: Longari’s update

Longari took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to provide an update on Raphinha’s situation.

He stated that Tottenham ‘also’ want the Leeds winger and are ‘ready’ to submit an offer worth £60m in total (£50m + £10m in add-ons).

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The Verdict: Bidding war?

Those inside Elland Road may well be resigned to losing Raphinha this summer, so they could be hoping for a bidding war between the two London clubs.

Should one materialise, a transfer could get closer to £70m, which many would see as a respectable fee for the 25-year-old. However, it looks as if the Whites may receive another offer from Spurs which matches their valuation, so it’ll be interesting to see what they decide to do next.

Arsenal could well look to match Spurs’ incoming bid, and with Raphinha undecided on his future at this moment in time, it could be an intriguing few weeks.

West Ham United are believed to have been offered the chance to sign Cagliari striker Giovanni Simeone, as the club’s hunt for a new centre-forward continues.

What’s the word?

According to club insider ExWHUemployee, the Argentine striker is a player that has been offered to the Hammers in the past, with the Serie A side seemingly keen to cash in on the 26-year-old after his impressive form on loan at Hellas Verona last term.

Following a report from The Times that suggested the east London outfit could have the opportunity to sign the Madrid-born gem this summer, the trusted source took to Twitter to corroborate those claims, having been asked about their validity: “Yeah we have been offered him in the past too”.

There has been suggestion that David Moyes is unwilling to break the bank to secure a new centre-forward in the current window, although previous reports have suggested that the former Fiorentina man could cost as little as €15m (£12.8m).

Supporters will love it

That news will no doubt go down well with the Irons’ faithful, with supporters seemingly desperate for the club to bring in a new striker this summer, having seen the current squad left far too reliant on Michail Antonio in recent times.

The presence of Jarrod Bowen – who netted 12 league goals last term – has undoubtedly helped to add additional firepower from the flanks, although a prolific number nine still appears the top priority, particularly with Antonio having never scored more than ten league goals in a top-flight campaign.

In Simeone then, GSB could well secure a player who plundered 17 goals in Serie A last term, with the £47k-per-week marksman – who is the son of Atletico Madrid boss, Diego – putting in career-best figures during his temporary spell in Verona.

While not typically prolific, the £15.3m-rated man proved in the 2021/22 campaign just what a lethal presence he can be in front of goal when given the opportunity, with the five-cap star set to take a great deal of momentum into next term.

He also appears a Moyes striker in the making due to his impressive work ethic, as he ranks in the top 7% for blocks and the top 16% for pressures made among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, proving himself willing to do the hard yards when leading the line.

West Ham supporters would no doubt worship a player who not only gives his all but also knows where the goal is, with the aforementioned Antonio having at times been lacking in the latter regard.

IN other news, “A chance…”: Ex drops exciting West Ham transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing

According to The Telegraph, former Derby County chairman Andy Appleby has submitted an official offer to buy the club amid the ongoing takeover saga.

The Lowdown: Morgan in negotiations

It was confirmed earlier this week that the initial preferred bidder, Chris Kirchner, had taken the decision to withdraw from the deal as a result of failing to meet a financial deadline set by administrators Quantuma, meaning that the Rams are once again on the hunt to find their new owner.

Since this ordeal, Sky Sports News have revealed that former Wolves owner Steve Morgan has renewed his interest in buying the club and is currently in negotiations with the hierarchy, but it looks as if he’ll now face competition as another suitor arrives.

The Latest: Appleby submits takeover bid

In an article published by The Telegraph in the last 48 hours, it’s claimed that Appleby has ‘tabled a bid’ to buy Derby, which is understood to be ‘highly competitive’ and has been ‘submitted’ to Quantuma.

The source further states that the former chairman’s consortium, General Sports Worldwide, have ‘made a renewed move’ to ‘secure’ a takeover, and are ‘rivalling’ Morgan, alongside another potential buyer in Mike Ashley, in the race to save the Midlands outfit from liquidation.

It’s reported that the bid is ‘focusing on the acquisition of the club’, and is ‘separate’ to any kind of deal for Pride Park, with discussions with Mel Morris over the stadium ‘ongoing’.

The Verdict: Second time lucky

The 2022/23 League One fixtures are set to be released next week, so Derby are in a race against time to finalise a takeover of the club, with Wayne Rooney still uncertain about what the imminent future of his team holds.

It comes as no surprise to see that Appleby has come back for a second bite at the cherry, having already been close to striking a deal with the Rams back in January, before talks strangely broke down.

The fact that he has come back and wants to have another shot shows that he must be serious about wanting to be the new owner, seven years after his departure in 2015, and so hopefully this positive update will be a sign of things to come for County as they prepare to begin life in the third-tier come the start of August.

Leeds United target Sonny Perkins is under contract at West Ham United for a year longer than previously thought. 

That’s according to Irons insiders Claret & Hugh.

The lowdown

Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano reported on Thursday afternoon that Leeds had ‘opened talks’ to sign Perkins from West Ham.

Perkins is an 18-year-old centre-forward who’s also made 16 appearances on the left flank in his fledgling career.

It was thought that Perkins’ deal was up in a matter of weeks, potentially enabling his suitors to line him up on a free transfer. But now Leeds are forced to negotiate with West Ham to get a deal done.

The latest

A ‘key source inside the London Stadium’ told C&H that Perkins is ‘with us for another year’.

West Ham are hopeful of extending his contract, but they’re encountering problems with the player’s representative.

The source explained that ‘the agent wants silly money to extend his contract’, so perhaps Leeds could still look to capitalise on the situation.

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The verdict

If negotiations between the two parties break down because West Ham refuse to meet the demands, then it would be worth making an offer.

Perkins is an exciting prospect, scoring nine goals in 31 appearances at Under-18 level before adding ten more in 22 games for the Under-23s (via Transfermarkt).

He’s also earned international recognition, with seven caps and two goals to his name for England U18s.

David Moyes has been so impressed that he handed him Europa League group-stage minutes against Rapid Vienna and Dinamo Zagreb.

The noises from the academy circles, according to ExWHUemployee, are that he could be ‘the next Declan Rice’ in terms of his potential to break into the first-team and become a star.

Together with Joe Gelhardt, he could be part of the next generation of young attackers at Elland Road.

In other news, Leeds have made contact with a former Chelsea ace.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Adama Traore to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by 90min, who claim that, with Victor Orta having already made an enquiry regarding a deal for the Wolverhampton Wanderers winger earlier this year, the Spanish sporting director is once again exploring a move for the 26-year-old this summer.

The report goes on to state that both Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are also keeping a close eye on the situation of the Spain international ahead of a potential move of their own in the coming months, while Wolves are believed to be more than happy to sanction the forward’s sale this summer – with an offer of €20m (£17m) reported to be enough to get a deal done.

An “unreal” signing

While it is true that Traore can often leave a lot to be desired when it comes to his end product, the winger’s progression and retention of the ball would very much place him in the category of being an “unreal” – in the words of Nathan Judah – signing for Orta to get over the line this summer.

Despite FBref data ranking the £22.5m-rated talent in the bottom 8% of wingers and attacking midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90, as well as the bottom 30% for npxG and the bottom 34% for shots over the past 12 months, it is Traore’s ability when carrying the ball that makes him such a unique option.

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Indeed, FBref data also ranks the £46k-per-week forward in the top 1% for dribbles completed per 90, in addition to the top 3% for progressive carries, the top 15% for touches in the opposition penalty area, the top 25% for shot-creating actions and the top 38% for progressive passes received over the last 365 days.

As such, with the strengths and weaknesses of the player who Judah dubbed “scary” and Cetin Cem Yilmaz labelled a “beast” being evident, should the 26-year-old be deployed in a system that gets the most out of his particular skill set, the Spaniard would undoubtedly be a huge weapon going forwards.

And, if he is available for a figure of just £17m this summer, coupled with Jesse Marsch believing that he can work the forward into his starting XI at Elland Road, a deal for Traore very much looks as if it has the potential to be one of the best signings of the summer transfer window.

AND in other news: Orta could land his next £47m asset as Leeds eye 21 y/o with a “huge amount of talent”

Influential Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa tweaked a medial ligament in his knee last weekend, injury expert Ben Dinnery has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Sa injured against Liverpool

The Portuguese colossus enjoyed a superb first season at Molineux, shining between the sticks and being described as ‘dominant’ by former Wanderers ‘keeper Matt Murray.

Unfortunately, Sa picked up a knee issue in last Sunday’s 3-1 Premier League defeat away to Liverpool – he was replaced by John Ruddy at half-time – leading to concern about the length of his upcoming absence.

A fresh claim now suggests that the 29-year-old could be set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

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The Latest: Dinnery confirms problem

Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery, who features on Sky Sports, said that Sa’s injury could be a fairly serious one, acting as a big blow for the player:

“It looked like it could be an MCL based on what we saw with the mechanism of injury. He seemed to slip and extend his leg when he was kicking. He pointed to the inside of his knee when he was in discussions with the medical team.

“It was moments before half-time He tried to continue and ultimately couldn’t.

“So it does seem like there has been a slight tweak or strain of that medial ligament. It’s a shame to end on a setback because he has been very good for them this season.”

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The Verdict: Recover throughout the summer

While Sa’s injury setback is clearly a negative, it could certainly have happened at a worse point in the season, rather than in the final match.

It gives the Wolves shot-stopper time to work on his recovery rather than racing to get back, with Bruno Lage’s men not back in competitive action until August.

The hope is that Sa is available for pre-season in July, however, resting up for the time being but returning to his impressive top form again in 2022/23.

In other news, one Wolves player has been linked with a move to Spain. Find out who it is here.

Former Premier League striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has delivered a damning assessment of the role of previous Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick. 

The lowdown: False dawn

Appointed as interim manager last November following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from the Old Trafford hot seat, Rangnick was tasked with the job of resurrecting the 2021/22 campaign.

Instead, the Red Devils slipped further down the Premier League table as the experienced German coach was unable to address the key issues facing the squad.

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Despite the ongoing on-field struggles and being named Austria national team boss recently, the 63-year-old is expected to carry on in a pre-agreed consultancy role at United, with Erik ten Hag taking over as manager.

The latest: Rangnick told to ‘just go’

Speaking to Football Insider, regular talkSPORT pundit Agbonlahor urged United to part ways with Rangnick after what has been an unsuccessful spell at Old Trafford.

The former Aston Villa striker said: “Ten Hag will want Rangnick to just go. If I was Ten Hag I would tell Rangnick to go and say ‘I’ll do this myself. You’ve done nothing since you’ve come in, I want to start fresh with my own staff’. I don’t think he needs Rangnick there at all.

“It doesn’t make sense for him to still be there anyway with him taking the Austria job. He should be gone.”

The verdict: He’s right

At the time of Rangnick’s appointment, the decision to bring him in with a view to staying on appeared to be a sensible stop-gap option, with the 63-year-old boasting an impressive coaching CV.

However, it simply hasn’t worked out, winning just 11 of his 28 matches in charge; and after Ten Hag remained coy on the role of the German when admitting that he will ‘analyse’ the situation by himself upon arriving at Old Trafford, it may well be time for the club to cut ties with the former RB Leipzig boss.

Furthermore, Rangnick has already accepted another role with Austria and will likely be unable to commit to the Red Devils fully as the club attempts to undergo a much-needed root-and-branch overhaul, so we think Agbonlahor is right to call for the German’s exit from United altogether.

In other news: Man Utd and Ten Hag launch ‘important offer’ to sign ‘the future’ of football along with De Jong