All posts by n8rngtd.top

We are now just a day away from the craziness that is the January transfer window.

Of course, Wolves spent big in the summer on the likes of Nelson Semedo and Fabio Silva so it remains to be seen how much money is left in the bank for Jeff Shi and co to spend.

What’s the word?

Wolves have one primary focus in January – to sign a new striker.

With Raul Jimenez still recovering from a fractured skull he sustained against Arsenal, they are light in a central attacking area and thus, need to sign some cover.

Divock Origi had been linked but that rumour has now gone quiet. Real Madrid’s Luka Jovic has also been touted with a loan switch but now a new name has emerged on the scene.

According to The Sun, that’s former Chelsea striker Diego Costa. They report that Wolves are contemplating a move for the Spaniard who has recently been released from his contract with Atletico Madrid.

That means that Shi could land the experienced forward on a free transfer if Wolves can agree on contract terms in January.

Costa would be able to join immediately, rather than next summer as originally anticipated.

Forget Jovic

The Serbian striker may have scored 27 goals in one season for Frankfurt two seasons ago but he has just two strikes to his name since joining Real Madrid.

Jovic has immense potential but in terms of discovering someone for the short-term, there would surely be no better than Costa.

He is a mightily powerful forward and has a proven track record of scoring goals at the elite level and crucially in the Premier League.

Capped 24 times by Spain, Costa has found the back of the net on 52 occasions in just 89 Premier League outings. That’s a fabulous record, one that earned him the title of an “animal” according to Jose Mourinho.

If any word typified the Brazilian born attacker, it would be that.

His natural aggression is incredibly eye-catching and despite now being 32, he’d still be an exceptional addition – especially on a free transfer.

Costa is a colossal battering ram and would add plenty to this rather young Wolves side. His availability has come at a perfect time for the Old Gold.

This would be a superb start to the new year.

AND in other news, 100% duels won: Wolves gem who “performed superbly” has given Nuno a huge headache…

Everton are currently undergoing a revolution under Carlo Ancelotti.

They signalled such intentions during the summer when director of football Marcel Brands and the Toffees decision-makers pretty much secured the Italian an entirely new-look midfield, bringing in the likes of Allan, James Rodriguez and Abdoulaye Doucoure in one window.

However, plenty of ghosts from former reigns are still haunting Goodison Park – even dating back to the Ronald Koeman era in 16/17.

Whilst the Dutchman is now in charge of his former club, Barcelona – its anyone’s guess on how he managed to clinch that – one of his mega-money signings continues to fester away in the depths of despair.

That, of course, is £25m winger Yannick Bolasie.

The 31-year-old has gone out on loan three times since 2018 alone and now finds himself an outcast under Ancelotti. In fact, his time in Merseyside is pretty much done as he was left out of their Premier League squad of 25 for the current campaign.

Now it is on Brands to deliver once more. They need to get him out of the club considering he’s earning a reported £75k-per-week, via Spotrac.

That is quite the sum for a player that has not featured for Everton since a 3-1 defeat to West Ham in May 2018.

It means the winger has cost the club in excess of £41.25m to this day, an extortionate and truly shocking amount of money – all for 32 appearances, two goals and four assists, per Transfermarkt.

When you break it down, Bolasie has cost around £1.2m per appearance and £20.6m per goal.

Bolasie may well be a “lovely” and “genuine” character, as Palace chairman Steve Parish once said, but it’s ever so clear to see that his time at Goodison Park has reached its end.

It’s time for Bolasie and the Toffees to part ways this January, and any departure must be a permanent one otherwise he’ll continue to bleed Farhad Moshiri dry.

AND in other news, Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti could revitalise £62.5m-rated “freak of a talent” with Jan swoop…

After seeing their brief turnaround in form stopped by a 2-0 defeat to Southampton, Newcastle entered the international break with a lot less optimism.

The Magpies held high-flying Wolves to a draw at Molineux, before picking up their most impressive result of the season when they took down Everton 2-1 at St James’ Park.

But that loss to the Saints stopped Steve Bruce’s side in their tracks, and with Chelsea on the horizon on Saturday, Newcastle have got a tall order to get things going again.

Stuck in lockdown? Our mega footy quiz will cure any boredom…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

One man who has faded out of first-team contention in recent weeks, is Isaac Hayden. After starting and completing the full 90 minutes in each of the Tyneside club’s first four Premier League games of the season, Bruce has slowly eased him out, with the midfielder even failing to come off the bench in two out of the last three matches.

But with a free-scoring Chelsea team – they head into the game as the division’s top goal-scorers with 20 – Hayden’s extra defensive nous is surely needed.

The Magpies’ duo of Sean Longstaff and Jeff Hendrick got completely overrun in the engine room as Southampton came away with a 2-0 win a couple of weeks ago, and having a bit of protection to the back four could go a long way to making sure Chelsea don’t just carve open Newcastle’s defence with ease.

It was Hayden and Longstaff’s partnership in a 2-1 win over Manchester City back in January 2019 that led to Pep Guardiola admitting that his side “could not deal with Newcastle’s holding midfielders”.

The pair can cover the ground well, and Hayden’s ability to read the game and shield the defence – he averaged 1.9 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per match in the Premier League last season – will be absolutely vital to Bruce.

Dropping Hendrick – who had a nightmare whilst on international duty with Ireland – and bringing the £9m-rated Hayden in, could be the key to picking up a huge result at the weekend.

Writing on Twitter, journalist Alasdair Gold has claimed that ‘those within the club believe’ Tottenham can lift a first Premier League crown this season, with Gareth Bale making players and staff ‘excited’ in training. 

Bale, who is apparently ‘raring to go’ after his injury rehabilitation, has impressing players and staff members in training after he returned to north London last month in a headline-grabbing deal. 

The 31-year-old was consistently linked with a move back to Tottenham, but Real Madrid’s asking price along with the Welshman’s lucrative salary had been stumbling blocks.

Gareth Bale could be a serious coup for Spurs

However, when reports surfaced that the Galacticos were willing to subsidise half of his wages, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy couldn’t resist a swoop and managed to negotiate arguably one of the summer’s best deals.

After the Welshman’s progress behind the scenes at Hotspur Way, there is a ‘real belief’ Tottenham can lift their first league title since 1961.

Bale is joined by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joe Hart, Matt Doherty, Sergio Reguilon and Carlos Vinicius in signing for the north Londoners during the summer transfer window.

Arguably Spurs’ best summer window in years, club figures are apparently in dreamland over what they could achieve this season, including a Premier League triumph, despite finishing 40 points behind champions Liverpool in 2019/2020. 

talkSPORT pundit Darren Gough described the feat as a would-be ‘absolute miracle’, but Tottenham are under the belief they can certainly challenge and do the unthinkable, according to Gold.

Transfer Tavern take

Of course, strengthening in key areas was a major factor over the summer, with Levy doing particularly well to shore up the weakened left-back and striker positions.

Spurs appear to have captured an ideal blend of youth, quality and experience, including free agent Hart who provides a winning mentality that he garnered at Manchester City.

Whether or not Mourinho’s men properly push for the title remains to be seen, but judging by their fine start to 2020/2021, it’s certainly possible.

Lilywhites, will Spurs win the Premier League this season? Have your say in the comments section below…

According to the latest reports, Leeds are keen on bringing in Tottenham defender Danny Rose this summer as they look forward to their first season in the Premier League after more than a decade.

The Daily Star claim that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are keen on bringing some top-flight experience ahead of the new campaign, and has been handed a significant transfer kitty by Andrea Radrizzani to spend.

As well as targeting a move for Everton midfielder Fabian Delph – who could well strike up a great partnership with Kalvin Phillips – the Whites are interested in bringing Rose back to Elland Road as well.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

But whilst Leeds could potentially sign Rose for a reasonable fee, he simply isn’t the kind of player he was in his prime at Spurs a few seasons ago.

Such has been his decline, that Jose Mourinho even allowed him to join fellow Premier League side Newcastle on loan. When Spurs were at their best under Mauricio Pochettino, the likes of Rose and Kyle Walker would be flying up and down the left and right-flanks and creating dangerous attacking situations.

But at 30-years-old, his form has dropped off considerably. As per Whoscored, he averaged just 0.3 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per game in his time on loan with Newcastle this season, and managed only 0.2 crosses per match too.

Compare that to Stuart Dallas, and it becomes clear that Victor Orta would be heading for a £60k-per-week nightmare with Rose.

In Leeds’ Championship-winning season, Dallas averaged 1.7 shots, one key pass, 0.6 dribbles and 0.4 crosses per game, and proved his attacking instincts with five goals and three assists.

Simply put, Rose just isn’t the kind of upgrade that would make a move for the hometown man a necessity. Orta would just be wasting Leeds’ money and letting Bielsa down with a player who isn’t at the required level anymore.

Jan Vertonghen has refused to rule out staying in the Premier League following his departure from Tottenham Hotspur, according to reports. 

According to The Sun, the Belgian defender has hinted he could stay in England after his eight-year spell with Spurs ended this week. Recent reports suggested that he would reject offers from Premier League rivals like Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City but this no longer seems to be the case.

According to Il Messaggero, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, Wolves have entered the race to sign Vertonghen this summer, amid interest from Atletico Madrid and Roma. The Italian publication claimed that his representatives have held talks with Diego Simeone’s side while Roma have registered their interest in the Belgium international.

The former Spurs star is not short of potential suitors as he is now a free agent, so it is hardly surprising that he has attracted attention from across the globe.

Clubs around the world are fighting back against the financial pressures of these unprecedented circumstances and many will have to resort to hunting for bargains, signing free agents and organising swap deals in the summer.

Vertonghen was a firm favourite of Mauricio Pochettino but fell out of favour under his successor Jose Mourinho, earning his last start for the club during the dull 0-0 draw with Bournemouth earlier this month before being dropped to the bench.

The 33-year-old arguably still has plenty left in the tank as he earned the same WhoScored rating as his former Spurs teammate Davinson Sanchez this season.

While Wolves narrowly missed out on a spot in the Europa League, as Spurs staged a remarkable comeback to usurp them for sixth place, Nuno Espirito Santos knows that he needs to sign defensive cover sooner rather than later. However, the Molineux outfit could become embroiled in a transfer battle as they face stiff competition from the European giants.

Seasoned veteran Vertonghen is a versatile player who is capable of playing in the centre or on the left flank and Daniel Levy may live to regret his decision to let him leave in the summer.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy has made a mistake by letting Vertonghen leave? Let us know your views in the comments below!

It was a man they wanted back when Mauricio Pochettino was in charge, but it appears Tottenham could finally be set to land Geoffrey Kondogbia this summer.

With the current situation affecting the world taking its toll on football clubs too, Spanish giants Valencia appear to be hit harder than most. According to French publication Foot Mercato, their failure to qualify for the Champions League next season, and deepening financial problems, are set to lead to a major firesale of players.

The report claims that Kondogbia is one of the names who is likely to be shown the exit door, and Foot Mercato claim both Spurs and Premier League rivals Manchester United have a keen eye on the midfielder.

Best of the Decade: Top scorers & creators – Can you name them?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

It was suggested back in the summer of 2018, that the Lilywhites were interested in Kondogbia, but a deal failed to materialise. But now, two years later, Daniel Levy has the perfect chance to sign the 6 foot 2 man, at a likely lower cost than it would have taken before.

And when you look at the kind of player Spurs would be getting, it seems like it could be one of the smartest signings of the window. Strong and physical, Kondogbia also has very impressive technical ability too, almost in the mould of former Lilywhites favourite Mousa Dembele.

Both are left-footed, and have this natural gift at gliding past players with ease when in their stride. Kondogbia has a career average of 1.4 dribbles per game, whilst Dembele is at 2.4. The duo are also equally capable of getting off a shot on goal, with the former averaging one per match, and the latter 0.8.

With his physicality and height, Kondogbia does seem like the archetypal midfielder Mourinho loves to sign – you only have to look at how he brought Nemanja Matic to Chelsea, and then to Manchester United in his time in charge of both clubs.

And now both Levy and Mourinho could be set to profit thanks to Valencia’s problems.

Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with many players this summer, particularly in defence, and this week one fresh report has angered many supporters in north London.

According to La Voix du Nord, via Sport Witness, Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan could arrive at Spurs and team up with his old goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos.

They also claim that the Ligue 1 outfit have already prepared for the 24-year-old’s departure by signing Brazilian shot-stopper Leo Jardim last year.

Maignan, who is valued at £15.75m, has kept 13 clean sheets in 37 appearances this term, via Transfermarkt, but failed to keep the ball out of the net in all six of their Champions League group games.

Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?

Spurs’ current first-choice Hugo Lloris has endured an indifferent campaign, suffering from a string of injuries and blunders, which has restricted the skipper to only 18 appearances and a ton of flak from the north London fanbase.

Though it appears as if the fellow French goalkeeper isn’t the man that supporters want between the sticks next season.

Here’s what has been said in response to the report…

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold believes Spurs will regret selling 22 y/o this summer…

Plenty of Everton fans have been reacting to the latest transfer link to Adrien Rabiot as Spanish outlet Sport have reported that he has been pressing in recent days to force his departure from Juventus and it is clear that his destiny is none other than the Merseyside club, now headed by  Carlo Ancelotti .

One EFC supporter in particular cited ‘Ancelotti’s pulling power’ on Twitter, and this is highlighted by the number of quality players he has been able to attract to the various big clubs he has managed.

As per the publication, Rabiot was admired by Barcelona when he was at PSG, so he must have shown some quality at least whilst he was in France to be involved with household European giants.

However, he has perhaps not adapted to Serie A or to the methods of Maurizio Sarri , who has apparently not trusted him and has spent much of the season on the bench as a substitute and without any role in the team.

Indeed, the 25-year old has only lasted 90 minutes in eight out of the 17 games he’s featured in Italy’s top division so far in the 2019/2020 campaign, according to Transfermarkt.

Another Toffee described the French international as ‘Schneiderlin 2.0’, who was arguably another central midfield player who has been used relatively sparingly during his time at Goodison Park, as per the website.

These Blues reacted to the link, with some rather mixed responses:

Evertonians, what are your thoughts on Rabiot? Comment below!

Sheffield Wednesday’s Massimo Luongo has opened up about his unfortunate run-in with injuries this calendar year. 

The 27-year-old’s maiden season with his new side has been more of a very faint whistle than a bang. After joining the Owls last summer from Championship rivals Queens Park Rangers, Luongo looked set to make waves with the Sheffield outfit.

His 27-goal and 32-assist career record suggested that he would be a promising asset to Garry Monk’s side but the midfielder has had a painfully unfortunate run in Wednesday colours so far.

Speaking to Dom Howson for Yorkshire Live, Luongo has said this past year has been ‘the most frustrating’ in his entire career. The Australian international hasn’t featured for the Owls since January, after a red card – which was later rescinded – left him out of the squad as he served his ban, followed up by an abductor injury.

“Literally, the day my red card got rescinded was when I got my scan results and it showed I had a grade two tear in my abductor,” Luongo said. “The funny thing is I don’t know how long I had that for but I had a few weeks of rehab on it.”

After recovering from the injury, the 27-year-old faced another setback through his calf, which has seen him miss out on almost all of 2020’s matches.

“It has been the most frustrating year in my career,” Luongo reflected. “I have not been able to play every week. I had to wait for my chance to break into the team and then I got injured.”

Despite his setbacks, the midfielder is confident he will return to action and make an impact on the team, saying: “If I am fit, I am confident I am going to play in the majority of those games.”

Luongo’s first year at Hillsborough may not have gone to plan but hopefully he can come out the right side of his injury torment and show the type of form which convinced Sheffield Wednesday to sign him.

Do you think Massimo Luongo will return with a bang, Owls fans? Join the conversation in the comments below!