All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic were particularly busy behind the scenes during the previous summer transfer window as they saw a lot of players move in and out of the club.

One figure the Hoops brought in during that period that has gone on to have a rather successful debut season at Parkhead is defender Carl Starfelt.

Signed on a four-year deal from Rubin Kazan for a fee of £4.5m back in July, the Sweden international went on to make 49 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions.

This shows just how quickly he became a crucial figure for Postecoglou in the team at the back.

To highlight his defensive output for the Bhoys, he ended the SPFL season with the second-highest number of interceptions (42) and tackles won (30) in the squad.

Now that the next summer transfer window has opened, this could give Postecoglou and the Celtic hierarchy to replicate a similar sort of masterclass they pulled off when signing Starfelt.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Celtic are one of the clubs eyeing a move for RKC Waalwijk defender Ahmed Touba.

After spending the majority of his career in Belgium, the 24-year-old joined the Dutch side back in August 2020 after leaving Club Brugge.

During his time with Waalwijk, the £900k-rated Algerian has made 62 appearances across all competitions, chipping in with three goals and two assists.

In terms of his defensive talent, he ended his latest domestic season in the Netherlands with the joint-highest number of interceptions (57) and highest number of tackles won at his club (32).

He also racked up the second-highest average of clearances per game (3.9) in the Eredivisie at Waalwijk. 

This highlights the similarities between him and Starfelt in terms of being a solid defensive unit for their teams.

Labelled as a “versatile” figure that “has all the assets to succeed” by journalist Chebli Ishaq on Twitter, Touba certainly has what it takes to be a solid addition to Celtic’s ranks and continue their track record of signing players from abroad and turning them into important club figures such as Starfelt.

If the Hoops see an opportunity to secure a deal for the centre-back this summer, then they should do all they can to get him to Parkhead and strengthen Postecoglou’s squad ahead of their new season.

In other news: “I was told..”: Anthony Joseph drops Celtic transfer claim that’ll worry Postecoglou

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, West Ham United ‘will be looking’ at making a move for Manchester City star Oleksandr Zinchenko this summer.

The Lowdown: Hammers interested in Zinchenko

The Ukraine star has enjoyed a hugely successful season with the Sky Blues having lifted the Premier League trophy just last month. However, despite his contract with Pep Guardiola’s side not being set to expire for another two years, he has been linked with a move away from the Etihad during the upcoming window.

It’s recently been reported by the Evening Standard that the 25-year-old is attracting interest from the Irons, who look set to face competition from fellow top-flight rivals Arsenal in the race for his signature, with the versatile midfielder’s future said to be decided in the coming weeks.

The Latest: O’Rourke backs Zinchenko move

Asked during an interview whether he thought Zinchenko would be a good fit for West Ham at the London Stadium, O’Rourke told GiveMeSport:

“It does seem like Manchester City are willing to listen to offers for him. He’s quite an underrated player, he’s always done a good job for City, so West Ham could be a good landing spot for him, and he could fill a number of roles for David Moyes’ side.

“West Ham will be looking at someone like Zinchenko as they look to make that next step in consistently challenging for a top-six place or even a top-four place.”

The Verdict: Get it done

Zinchenko is someone who offers plenty of versatility and can play in a defensive backline as well as part of a midfield, so this is a move that Moyes should look to get over the line as soon as possible if the price is fair.

Even though the £59k-per-week maestro has struggled for game time this season, an injury to Kyle Walker allowed Joao Cancelo to switch flanks, giving Zinchenko a solid run in the City first team towards the end of the campaign. He more than showed what he was capable of, providing three assists in the space of just six games.

Lauded as by, it wouldn’t come as a shock to see Zinchenko looking elsewhere over the coming weeks in a bid to find a starting role, and we feel his versatility, trophy-winning experience and creativity could provide a huge boost to Moyes’ squad..

In other news… David Moyes may have been handed some great news in his pursuit to sign a new forward this summer.

Celtic have seen some prominent midfielders wave goodbye to Parkhead in recent memory, such as Scott Brown and Tom Rogic.

The club also announced that they have released young midfield talent Luca Connell after his recent loan spell with Queen’s Park.

Now that the summer transfer window is set to open, this will give Ange Postecoglou the chance to potentially replace some of these recent departures and strengthen his squad in other areas as well.

One fresh-faced midfielder with whom the Hoops have been linked recently is Aberdeen youngster Connor Barron.

A product of the Pittodrie youth system, the 19-year-old has made 15 senior appearances for the club, 13 of which came during the second half of this latest Premiership season.

This highlights just how much faith Jim Goodwin has in the youngster and how highly he is rated at the club.

In fact, Goodwin said about the teenager in March: “He’s brave on the ball and, for a small lad, he wants to get stuck in as well. Connor is a very good player with great potential. He has so much to learn and improve on which he knows and he is not getting above his station at all.”

In terms of what sort of player he is, Jacek Kulig described the £68k-rated starlet as being similar to Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante. The Twitter football scout also listed Barron’s pace, passing, tackling, positioning, work rate, energy, pressing and tenacity as the youngster’s main strengths.

Taking into account how successful Kante has been for club and country in terms of the trophies he’s lifted and individual awards he’s won, the prospect of having their own version of the Frenchman in the shape of the Aberdeen starlet is one that Celtic should not let slip.

While the Dons would presumably be keen to retain their teenage talent and give him the chance to develop his game at Pittodrie, the chance to join the reigning Scottish champions and potentially lift silverware and play in Europe with the Hoops would surely be tempting for Barron.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops big behind-the-scenes transfer claim, it’s bad news for Celtic

Manchester United have been linked with Braga centre-back David Carmo recently, and the Brazilian could form an excellent partnership with Raphael Varane under Erik ten Hag next season.

What’s the word?

According to the Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils have already held two rounds of talks with the 22-year-old defender and have him ready as a backup plan should their move for Ajax wonderkid Jurrien Timber fall through.

Considering that Dutch news outlet De Telegraaf have reported that the latter is now considering staying at Ajax in order to boost his World Cup chances due to the regular football on offer with the Eredivisie champions, Ten Hag may well end up turning to the Braga ace as he looks to bolster his defensive options at Old Trafford.

Imagine him and Varane

Ten Hag arrives at Old Trafford with a number of defensive options. However, given the disappointing form of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof in particular, with both averaging below a 6.7 rating across the 2021/22 season from WhoScored, the 52-year-old may well be looking for a more assured partner for Varane at the heart of a back-four.

Carmo has certainly caught the eye for Braga in recent years, recovering from a serious ankle injury to play a part in their Europa League run this season, while he also averaged a solid 6.75 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the Primeira Liga.

As a left-footed centre-back, he would also offer Ten Hag something new in the centre of United’s defence, as Maguire predominantly featured on the left-hand side of the back four in the 2021/22 season and was guilty of numerous errors which led to goals.

Braga manager Carlos Carvalhal was full of praise for Carmo after he made his return from injury last season, saying: “He is a fantastic centre back, one of the best in the country. He gives us a lot defensively, but offensively he is a super player, has speed on the ball, gives speed to our game and finds players near and far with long passes. We need a player like him and we will continue to operate with him in the team.”

With a more assured, left-footed option next to him in defence, Varane could be relied upon to produce the sort of performances which made him so successful at Real Madrid.

Therefore, Ten Hag and United must consider bringing Carmo to Old Trafford this summer.

In other news… Glazers can cure big Ten Hag headache with this “unbelievable” prospective signing

The latest indication is that Newcastle United are still hoping to secure a deal for Stade de Reims striker Hugo Ekitike, having previously missed out on the 19-year-old during the January transfer window.

The teenager revealed at the time that he had turned down an offer of a switch to St James’ Park as the “timing wasn’t right” during the winter, although the move could be on the cards again in the upcoming window, with a departure from the Ligue 1 outfit now seemingly likely.

The £18m-rated gem has become hot property following a standout campaign in the French top-flight, having netted ten league goals in 24 appearances, albeit while missing much of the second half of the season due to injury.

Dubbed the “next Mbappe” by journalist Graeme Bailey, the fledgling talent still has plenty to do to reach the heights of his compatriot, although his rapid progression of late has set tongues wagging in the northeast.

During his time at Bournemouth, manager Eddie Howe proved his knack of working and nurturing young talent, with the Englishman likely to be jumping at the chance to help develop such an exciting prospect.

Not that Ekitike will necessarily be the starting striker next term – with two centre-forward additions potentially on the cards – yet the starlet also possesses the ability to feature out wide, proving a useful asset in Howe’s squad.

Equally, the 6 foot 2 marksman is not simply a goalscorer, ranking in the top 3% for dribbles completed among those in his position in Europe’s big five leagues as well as in the top 17 % for progressive carries, showcasing his ability at driving his side up the pitch.

As they say, however, when one door opens another closes, with his potential arrival set to trigger some notable outgoings among the current squad, with 32-year-old Dwight Gayle one man seemingly destined for the axe.

The former Crystal Palace man was named as one of seven players who could be part of a mass exodus this summer, having failed to make any sort of mark in what has been a dismal last few seasons.

Having fired the club out of the Championship during his debut season on Tyneside, netting 23 league goals during the 2016/17 campaign, he has since scored just 11 top-flight goals for the Magpies, with arguably his best campaign having come on loan at West Bromwich Albion in 2018/19 when he again scored 23 second-tier goals.

In truth, the Englishman should likely have departed then with his stock high, yet has since been forced to wither away on the substitutes bench, failing to score a single goal in all competitions this season – albeit having been afforded just eight outings.

The £40k-per-week dud still has two years left to run on his existing contract, however, having bizarrely been handed a new three-year deal last summer.

Journalist Liam Kennedy stated at the time that such a move by the club was a “frustrating” one, as they had effectively opted to extend his contract in order to avoid having to spend money on a replacement.

That was under the Mike Ashley regime, however, with the new owners likely to see things differently.

In a side gearing up for an exciting future – and likely to contain young Ekitike – Gayle should be resigned to a figure of the past.

IN other news, Eddie Howe can now help NUFC sign “spectacular” £64m “nightmare”, he’s better than Saint-Maximin

Former Scottish Premiership striker Frank McAvennie has been left slamming Glasgow Rangers after some transfer news that he has now heard from Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Bassey price named

As per Sky Sports, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team are asking for a fee in excess of £25m to sell Calvin Bassey this summer, with Aston Villa among a number of clubs in the Premier League interested in his signature.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/rangers-news-4/” title=”Rangers news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

This is currently the record fee received from a Scottish club for one of their players, when Kieran Tierney moved from Celtic to Arsenal a few seasons ago.

The Latest: McAvennie reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie, who of course played for the Gers’ arch rivals Celtic as well as other clubs in Scotland, has claimed that they are ‘delusional’ for wanting £25m for Bassey and putting him in the same bracket as Tierney:

“I have a big issue with that.

“If they think Tierney is in the same stratosphere as Bassey then I don’t know what to say.

“He is a good player, he has done well but he’s in that league, not a chance.

“Players are worth what people will pay for them. The club can put these figures on them, good for them, no one is going to pay it.

“I just don’t see how you can compare Bassey and Tierney. Tierney had all these awards and loads of trophies when he went to Arsenal.

“What does Bassey have? He hasn’t played as well or achieved as much as Tierney did but Rangers want the same money?

“Not for me, I don’t see that happening.

“If Rangers think they are in the same category then they are more delusional than I thought.”

The Verdict: Worth it to Rangers

£25m may seem excessive to McAvennie for Bassey, but he is only worth what the Light Blues are willing to sell him for.

He was one of their standout players this term, ranking highly among his teammates in terms of average tackles, blocks, passes and crosses per game in both the SPFL and UEFA Europa League (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, he is only 22 years of age, and so his best years are ahead of him, which the Teddy Bears will no doubt want to benefit from as they look to snatch the league title back off of the hands of the Hoops.

In other news, find out who could also now leave RFC here!

New Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, is looking forward to working with former Ajax player Donny van de Beek when he returns from his loan spell at Everton.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from super-journalist Fabrizio Romano, who took to his Twitter page to relay Erik ten Hag’s comments in his first press conference.

Romano shared Ten Hag’s statement: “I really had a good relationship with Donny. Of course, I’m looking forward to meeting him again on the pitch. We had a fantastic squad at that time in Ajax.”

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-man-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more-nunez-ten-hag-nkunku-richarlison” title=”Read the latest Man United news!”]

Exciting news

Before his move to United back in 2020, Van de Beek was a key man for Ten Hag’s Ajax side that won the Eredivisie title and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in the 2018/19 season.

His heroics for Ajax under Ten Hag are unquestionable. You only have to look back at his numbers under the now 52-year-old to understand he was a key part of the promising side that featured the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs De Ligt, David Neres and Hakim Ziyech.

In 110 appearances for the Amsterdam outfit under the guidance of Ten Hag, Van de Beek conjured up 32 goals and 29 assists, a combined total of 61 attacking returns

His final season at Ajax saw him drum up eight goals and six assists in 23 Eredivisie league appearances before departing for Manchester United, for what appeared to be an extremely positive move for both parties.

Though it was not the case, with Van de Beek failing to establish himself as a regular, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer picking roughly the same team week in, week out.

His time at Everton has also not panned out how he would have expected it to, so a chance under former boss Ten Hag when he returns to his parent club could well be his final chance to revive his Premier League career.

Under Ten Hag’s guidance, this could feel like a new signing for Manchester United fans, an exciting eventuality no doubt and one they will love.

In other news: MUFC now in pole position to sign £27m-rated “absolute beast”, he’s better than Varane