All posts by z3u9t.icu

Everton are extremely proud when it comes to their academy but over the last 12 months, they’ve experienced some problems.

Their young players are beginning to close the door on Finch Farm and walk away just as they move closer to gaining a first-team breakthrough.

That was the case for Thierry Small who rejected a contract, refused to turn up for training and then joined Southampton.

However, Goodison Park remains an attractive place for the stars of tomorrow to come.

While they may lose some budding prodigies, Marcel Brands has tried to repair some of the holes that have emerged in the Everton academy.

That began last week when the Toffees completed a £1m move to sign Francis Okoronkwo.

The attacker was at Sunderland before he was poached away by Rafa Benitez’s men in an exciting move for the youngster.

A quick forward with the ability to play all across the frontline, he has been on the Everton radar for a while now.

What provoked them to entertain a move was a clash with Sunderland last season.

The U18s faced the Black Cats at the end of last term and it was Okoronkwo who caught the eye the most, scoring against them in a 4-3 win.

Everton have eventually signed him and he looks a wonderful capture.

Aged just 17, it could be a while before we see him in the first team but there are certainly openings available.

Anthony Gordon has gained match time under Benitez this season while Ellis Simms has also appeared on the bench with Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin out injured.

The thought of Okoronwko appearing alongside the latter is a thought to behold.

After all, some of his characteristics are similar to the England international. Sources have described the teenager’s game as “powerful” and “quick” to the Liverpool Echo.

The best review given to the outlet, however, was about his form in 2020/21: “[He was] one of the best players in that age group,” they said.

Capable of making darting runs, terrifying defenders and scoring goals, the young attacker looks like someone to get excited about.

His play combined with someone as ruthless as Calvert-Lewin provides plenty of hope for the future at Everton.

AND in other news, Rafa may have Everton’s long-term Rodriguez heir in “sensational” rarely-seen 17 y/0…

Steve Howey thinks deadline day arrival Santiago Munoz could go on to become a revelation at Newcastle United.

The Magpies wrapped up their transfer business by securing the services of Munoz on an 18-month loan deal, which has the option to buy, from Mexican top flight side Santos Laguna.

The striker may already have an affinity with the Toon Army as he shares a similar name to the fictional hero Santiago Munez in the 2005 movie Goal! which involves a Mexican striker joining Newcastle and firing them into the Champions League.

While it will be difficult for Munoz to match that storyline, particularly as he will start out in the Tyneside club’s academy set-up, he heads to the Premier League having scored three goals in the Mexican top flight despite being just 19.

The teenager became Newcastle’s second signing of the window, following the £20million acquisition of former loanee Joe Willock.

Former Magpies defender Howey hopes Munoz, who has won three caps for the Mexico under-23s, will prove to be a success story.

He exclusively told Football FanCast: “Sometimes you can get a player that you haven’t heard of and, all of a sudden, he is a revelation.

“It’s about doing your due diligence and research when looking into a player you’re going to get.

“The recruitment people have to be spot on because he isn’t tried and tested and Newcastle can’t afford to waste any money.”

A ridiculous detail has emerged on Charlton’s deadline day business, regarding the signing of Sam Lavelle from Morecambe.

What’s the talk?

According to Alan Nixon of The Sun, deadline day signing Sam Lavelle was told his move to Charlton was dead before it was revived later in the day.

The report claims that Lavelle was told to head home after travelling 200 miles to get to the club, with the Addicks deciding that they wanted to go in a different direction. However, Charlton changed their mind again hours later and eventually completed the deal for £200k.

Frustration

Charlton fans will surely be frustrated by this ridiculous behind-the-scenes detail from the club’s deadline day business. The Addicks are currently 19th in the League One table after a disappointing start to the season and this piece of information is unlikely to give them any more faith that the board are handling matters correctly.

Nixon’s claim makes Charlton come across as unprepared and indecisive. We may never know exactly what made them perform the U-turn in the first place, although it seems to suggest that they felt there was a better player they could go and sign before the window closed.

If that is the case then it means that Charlton had to settle for a player lower down on their list of priorities, as they then went back to Lavelle after failing to secure the unnamed player.

Despite Nigel Adkins’ side’s poor start, his centre-backs have been some of the better performers. Akin Famewo (7.00) and Ryan Innis (6.78) both make the top five in the Charlton squad for WhoScored ratings out of all the players who featured in all five games.

Lavelle, meanwhile, averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.67 in his five League One appearances for Morecambe before the switch and averaged a score of 6.76 in 48 League Two outings last term. This suggests, on paper at least, that he will not come in and be an upgrade on what they already have available to them, as he has performed to a lower standard in the same division and in the league below.

Therefore, fans will not only be frustrated by the ridiculous nature of Charlton’s deadline day dealings with Lavelle, but potentially the signing of the 24-year-old in general.

AND in other news, Key development occurs with former Charlton target, shows Adkins was right to avoid…

Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol believes Tottenham still have a chance of signing striker Lautaro Martinez from Internazionale this summer.

The Lowdown: Spurs target Martinez

With Harry Kane sharing his desire to leave Spurs (Sky Sports), the north London-based outfit are in need of another striker ahead of the end of the transfer window.

As such, they have been linked with a move for Martinez and have even made a bid for the Argentina international (The Daily Mail). However, the impending departure of Romelu Lukaku from Inter to Chelsea (BBC) means the Italian outfit are reluctant to sell another star talent.

The Latest: Solkehol still confident

Speaking live on air for Sky Sports, Solhekol provided an update on the potential deal. He said (via Football Daily):

“Their fans are already up in arms that Lukaku is being sold, I dread to think what they’d do if Martinez was sold as well.

“But, bear in mind, Martinez only gets paid about £40,000–a-week which compared to other strikers of his quality, he’s not particularly well paid. And he only has two years left on his contract.

“I think if Spurs follow up that interest, if they keep knocking on the door of Inter, and his agent – I still think there’s a chance that could be done.”

The Verdict: Good news

This is no doubt a boost for Spurs. Martinez is unsurprisingly a top target for the club as Kane’s future remains uncertain, as the 23-year-old has already proven himself on the big stage – he has 76 goals to his name, with 19 of those coming last term alone as Inter won Serie A (Transfermarkt).

With a market value of £72m (Transfermarkt), he is a player who will not come cheap if Spurs do manage to capture his services. Sometimes, though, you have to speculate to accumulate. It remains to be seen whether a deal can be done this summer.

In other news, Tottenham have been offered the chance to sign this Premier League winner.

Crystal Palace have been linked with a shock move for Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan as the Premier League outfit look to add further reinforcements to Patrick Vieira’s ranks.

What’s the story?

According to Football League World, the Eagles are one of three Premier League sides closely monitoring the Scotsman’s situation, with Burnley and Watford also credited with an interest.

The report claims that nothing is at a particularly advanced stage at this moment in time, but Palace are known to be in the market for extra players before the August 31 deadline, meaning a surprise transfer could be on the cards.

He’s not good enough

Palace have had a busy window so far, allowing several experienced campaigners to depart Selhurst Park on free transfers before replacing them with some exciting, young acquisitions.

However, new manager Vieira openly admitted that he wants the capital club to conclude some more business this summer as his squad is a little light in a couple of areas.

“When you look at the squad we are maybe a little bit more light on numbers, and we are working hard to improve the squad (with) the window are still open. We will try to bring players that can improve our squad.

“I think where we are maybe a little bit more short is upfront and in the midfield, I think it would be good to reinforce those positions,” revealed Vieira in his pre-match press conference on Friday.

Nevertheless, targeting a player who flopped during his time in the Premier League and has spent the last six-and-a-half years playing in the Championship as a result is surely not what the Frenchman had in mind.

The last top-flight team Bannan actually played for was Palace in the first half of the 2014/15 campaign, but after only making two starts all season, he moved to Bolton Wanderers in the second tier in January.

Since then, the diminutive box-to-box dynamo has carved out a good career for himself with Sheffield Wednesday, making 262 appearances for the south Yorkshire outfit.

Yet at 31, he’s not the ideal target for a club in the midst of a squad overhaul, who are expected to be involved in a relegation scrap to retain their status in the top-flight.

Therefore, Palace chairman Steve Parish must avoid a potential nightmare and focus his attention on other midfielder options such as Will Hughes if he’s to guide the capital club into their 10th consecutive Premier League campaign.

And, in other news…Crystal Palace suffer transfer blow in pursuit of £7m machine, Vieira will be gutted 

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has revealed that Anwar El Ghazi’s long-term future at Aston Villa is uncertain, and even raised the possibility of the club looking to move him on.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that Serie A giants AS Roma have made an approach to sign the winger, with Dean Smith now willing to let him go as he looks to try and revamp his attack ahead of the new Premier League season.

When asked about those reports linking the Dutchman with an exit from Villa Park, Preece replied: “He’s got less than two years left on his deal and there’s been no talk whatsoever about Villa wanting to extend it which tells you everything.

“It’s a big season for AEG who *could* be sold for a small profit. I am, though, expecting him to stay knowing Trezeguet’s out long term. AEG scored 10 last season; his Villa career is in the balance going into this one…”

Villa fans will be worried

While consistency is something which has affected El Ghazi badly in his time at Villa Park – last season score the bulk of his 10 Premier League goals in just two purple patches over the course of the campaign – there’s no questioning that he’s got the talent.

Speaking after his goal against Crystal Palace earlier this year, former Premier League midfielder Michael Brown said: “Dean Smith told me his training in how he executes those finishes is there for all to see. Craig Shakespeare then backed him straight up when I ran into him later, he just said ‘what a technician he is.’

“He’s practising in training, he has a bad week against Burnley: eight shots, great chances, can’t put one away. Then he scores against West Brom, then goes and puts one in the top bins like he did last night… Magnificent is the word we’re all looking for.”

The Dutchman was the club’s second highest scorer last season, behind only Ollie Watkins, while his underlying stats make for impressive reading.

As per WhoScored, he ranked second in the entire squad for shots per game, second in crosses, and in the top six for dribbles per match in the Premier League – that’s a real testament to how he’s always tried to make things happen whenever he’s been afforded the chance to play.

Potentially letting El Ghazi go, without first signing a top-quality replacement, would be bad business and could worry fans over the strength in depth in those wide positions.

At just 25, the Dutchman still has the peak years of his career ahead of him, and the fact he was only outscored by Watkins last season despite not always being a regular starter shows that he does have the ability to be a good player for Villa.

Preece’s latest update may worry fans.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing this Brazilian ace…

An update has emerged on Sampdoria forward Mikkel Damsgaard, regarding Aston Villa’s potential bid for his services.

What’s the talk?

According to ClubDoria46, via Sport Witness, Aston Villa chief Johan Lange is preparing a bid for Sampdoria wide man Mikkel Damsgaard this month.

The report claims that the Villans are almost ready to submit their offer, which is believed to be around £30m (€35m). It remains to be seen, however, if this is enough to tempt the Serie A side into parting ways with the forward.

Excitement

Damsgaard is a player who would be able to bring excitement to Villa Park and get fans off their seats during games next season. He is a direct winger, capable of making things happen in the final third, which could be exactly what Dean Smith needs given recent speculation over their star player.

Jack Grealish is reportedly closing in on a £100m transfer to Manchester City and his departure would leave a gaping hole in the squad, which Damsgaard could help to fill.

Alongside the signings of Emi Buendia and Leon Bailey, the Denmark international could use his skills to partly replace the influence Grealish has on Villa’s team.

Earlier this year, Danish football expert Martin Mikkelsen lauded the attacker as “magical” and hailed the dynamism in his play.

He told TV2 Sport: “It’s the season’s assist. Isn’t that where we are? He’s magical – what a speed! It is fantastic improvisation, and he just finds Balde in the field, as they both know what is going to happen.

“It is a free space he has, as he is not so locked. He is dynamic and can go both ways. He is creative but also so mature in his decisions. Was it something we dreamed of? It’s awesome.”

He has been sensational for his country in 2021. In his last six appearances for Denmark, the 21-year-0ld has four goals and three assists – averaging a WhoScored rating of 7.28 in five games in the European Championships this summer.

The magician averaged 1.8 shots, 1.2 key passes and 1.8 dribbles completed per game at the tournament. This shows that he is active at the top end of the pitch and able to make things happen, whether that be by creating chances for himself or for others.

This means that he will be able to excite fans with his attacking genius if he arrives at Villa Park this summer for £30m. The supporters would enjoy watching him make things happen from out wide or through the middle, even if the loss of Grealish is a bitter pill to swallow.

AND in other news, “They’ve kind of admitted defeat” – Aston Villa journalist drops verdict on transfer saga…

According to a report by Italian news outlet L’Interista, Tottenham Hotspur and Fabio Paratici have come forward with a fresh bid to sign Serie A star Milan Skriniar – and the player has already replied.

The Lowdown: Spurs and the Skriniar saga…

It feels like eternity since Spurs were first linked with a move for Slovakian powerhouse, with reports emerging as far back as the summer of 2020.

Indeed, during former Lilywhites boss Jose Mourinho’s summer rebuild, club chief Steve Hitchen flew to Italy in an attempt to negotiate for Skriniar’s signing (Alasdair Gold).

However, Inter and Tottenham couldn’t agree on valuation – with L’Interista now bringing an update as Spurs continue the chase this window.

The Latest: Paratici tables bid…

As per L’Interista, Paratici has tabled a fresh Tottenham bid to sign the 26-year-old this summer worth around €30 million (£25.7m) plus €5 million (£4.2m) in add-ons.

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Skriniar himself has already replied, emphatically saying no – as this news from Italy details how the player is currently happy in Milan and does not want to leave.

However, all is not lost for Spurs, because the Nerazzurri would genuinely consider selling their star defender if they received an offer of €50 million (£42.8m) up front.

The Verdict: Risk vs reward…

Skriniar commands a heavy price tag due to his fine exploits in the Italian top flight last season.

The centre-half was a consistent presence as Inter lifted their first Scudetto title in 10 years, starting 31 Serie A matches whilst completing 92.2% of his passes out from the back (WhoScored).

He has also been called an ‘absolute beast’ by Serie A critics, with columnist David Amoyal giving him that title when Spurs were linked last year (Twitter).

He would undoubtedly be a stellar addition, but big rewards often require big risks, and Spurs’ precarious financial situation is arguably the main thing preventing Tottenham from getting a deal done.

In other news: ‘Sensational’…Sky pundit in awe as Nuno eyes ‘fabulous player’ for Spurs, find out more here.

A worrying West Ham transfer update has emerged from a very reliable source this week…

What’s the word?

Speaking on the latest episode of ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast, the anonymous ExWHUemployee delivered a fresh update on the club’s transfer plans and it’s not very good news.

“I know people are getting really stressed about it already. I don’t think there will be much movement until after the Euros. Any talk that players are close to signing generally isn’t true,” he said.

“The players we are interested in, we won’t start bidding for until a couple of weeks time. We always want to see what the best value is out there which I know is a strategy that not many people like.

“There are loads of targets, particularly at centre-back. I think we just have to hold on and hope that some of these players we are interested in don’t move elsewhere. It’s obviously an annoying strategy.”

Fatal mistake

It seems as if the Hammers are setting themselves up for disaster with this sort of approach this summer.

If manager David Moyes has his targets, then the East London outfit ought to already be working on signing them, rather than waiting another two weeks to do business.

They risk either said player’s fee rising because of performances at Euro 2020 or demand in his services, as well as the prospect of missing out on the target altogether.

That is something that already appears to be the case as Barcelona defender Junior Firpo looks to have chosen the Irons’ top-flight rivals Leeds United over a move to the London Stadium.

He now gets the chance to punish Moyes and co at least twice next season.

The Scotsman needs additions right across the pitch if they are to remain competitive as thanks to their qualification into the Europa League, two matches a week (Thursday-Sunday) are likely to become the norm and if they go well in the competition, it’s likely they will play 50 or more games.

Moyes is only one injury to a Michail Antonio or a Declan Rice away from a nightmare. Neither have solid backup options behind them. Not to mention that a central defender appears to be a clear priority for the 58-year-old too.

All in all, waiting to conduct business should have many Hammers fans hugely worried – they’ll only have themselves to blame if other targets go elsewhere in the coming days.

AND in other news, Moyes set for huge West Ham boost as intriguing Rush Green development emerges…

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has suggested that Manchester City are considering offering Raheem Sterling a new contract, which could be a huge boost for Pep Guardiola if he agrees to extend his stay at the Etihad.

What’s the word?

Speaking on his ‘Here We Go’ podcast, Romano had this to say about Sterling’s current situation with the Citizens:

“Now they are considering to extend his contract, they’ve been thinking about it since February and I think if Sterling will stay this summer, Manchester City will work on a new contract for him.”

It has been previously reported that Sterling could be one of the players to leave Manchester City this summer after losing his starting spot in Guardiola’s side, with some reports suggesting that he could be sent to Tottenham Hotspur as a makeweight in a potential deal for Harry Kane.

However, Romano claimed that that is unlikely to happen this summer, saying:

“He was one of the players that was potentially included in the Harry Kane deal with Tottenham, but Sterling has no intention of being part of any swap deal or this kind of negotiation. At the moment the situation is still quiet.”

Does Sterling deserve a new contract?

Although Sterling’s form was disappointing in the second half of the campaign for Manchester City, as he managed just one goal in the final eight Premier League fixtures, he is still an incredible player on his day and looks to have regained his confidence with some inspired performances for England at the European Championships.

He’s played a huge part in Gareth Southgate’s side reaching the final by scoring three times.

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The England boss was full of praise for his performances earlier in the tournament, saying:

“He is a fighter. He has developed over the last couple of years this real hunger to score.

“He is finding himself in these areas and yes, his drive is fantastic, we know the journey he has been on with England and I am so happy for him to be able to deliver the performances he has.”

“To deliver them at Wembley will have been really special for him and the goals return is incredible.”

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Therefore, if he can continue this form with Man City next season then it seems likely that he will be a key part of Guardiola’s side once again, and it is undoubtedly a huge boost for the Spanish manager if City are able to tie him down to a new long-term contract.

And, in other news… Man City dealt huge blow with “unbelievable” star, Guardiola surely gutted