Tag Futebol

Manchester United are looking at signing a creative player this month, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: United’s position

Erik ten Hag’s side have turned their early-season form on its head of late, with nine wins coming from their last 10 games in all competitions.

Their form has seen them climb to third in the Premier League table with an outside chance of a title push potentially hinging on their result against Arsenal on Sunday, with an eight-point gap currently keeping United off the top of the table.

Despite their league position, the decision by the Glazers to put the club up for sale means that the club have little to no money available to spend – with the Daily Mail previously reporting the club wouldn’t be buying players in January.

The Latest: Romano’s update

So far, the only arrival at Old Trafford this window has been the loan signing of Wout Weghorst, but Romano claimed on his YouTube channel that United are still in the market for a creative player, saying:

“I don’t think Manchester United will have any kind of conversation with the players rumoured from Real Madrid like [Eduardo] Camavinga.

“Man United look for creative signings in the final days of the window if something will be available; otherwise, they will stay with the current squad.”

The Verdict: Van de Beek replacement?

Any links to Camavinga referred to by Romano have since been shut down by the journalist himself after he shared that the Frenchman will likely be staying at Real Madrid following a conversation with his agent – so it appears that United would have to seek alternative targets.

The potential arrival of a creative player at Old Trafford could be down to the severe injury that Donny van de Beek picked up against Bournemouth, with Ten Hag confirming that the Dutchman will miss the remainder of the season.

Although only holding a fringe role at United since arriving for £37.5m (via The Guardian), the 25-year-old has played just 60 games across two and a half years in Manchester.

But before his injury, he appeared in four out of five of United’s previous league games – even starting two – showing his place in the squad is an important one and an incoming could lessen the impact of his absence.

Newcastle United remain interested in a deal to bring Goncalo Inacio to the Premier League in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Portuguese publication O Jogo (via Sport Witness), who claim that, after reportedly seeing a €33m (£29.5m) offer turned down by Sporting Lisbon in the summer transfer window, Eddie Howe has retained his interest in the 21-year-old centre-back – and could launch a fresh move for the Portugal U21 international next summer.

However, the report goes on to suggest that the Magpies are not alone in their pursuit of the defender, with Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Paris Saint-Germain keeping an eye on the situation of Inacio – who Sporting are now ‘prepared to lose’ at the end of the current campaign, with the club hoping to receive the player’s €45m (£40m) release clause.

Dias 2.0

Considering just how impressive Inacio has been for Sporting in recent seasons, coupled with the exponential scope the 21-year-old has for future development, it is easy to see why Howe would once again be interested in a deal to bring the centre-back to St. James’ Park at the end of the current campaign.

Indeed, over his 14 Liga Portugal fixtures so far this season, the £20.5m-rated talent has been a rock at the heart of Ruben Amorim’s backline, helping his side keep three clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.1 tackles, 2.1 clearances and winning 4.1 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per game.

The £17k-per-week defender has also impressed going forwards, providing one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.6 shots, making 0.5 key passes, playing 4.2 long balls and completing 74.1 passes – at a success rate of 90% – per match.

These returns have seen the Sporting starlet who journalist Zach Lowy once dubbed “underrated” average an extremely impressive Sofascore match rating of 6.92, currently ranking him as the Leoes’ 11th-best performer in the top flight of Portuguese football.

Furthermore, with Inacio quite clearly being a defender who is extremely solid at the back, a threat in the final third and incredibly comfortable with the ball at his feet, it is not difficult to see why Portuguese football expert Daniel Oliviera compared the 21-year-old to Manchester City centre-back Ruben Dias, with Oliviera stating in an interview with Playmaker last year:

“Dias was always a natural leader and Inacio’s communication may be one area in which he can improve. Physically speaking, I believe the young Sporting defender would be able to handle the Premier League, as he is very strong in the tackle and in the air.

“He’s also smart in his defending, as just two bookings all season will tell you. In terms of his quality on the ball, I would probably rate Inacio higher than Dias – he’s very good on the deck and has a 91% pass completion rate in the Primeira Liga this term.

“Like I say, it’s hard to make comparisons. I’m 100% sure about one thing: the 20-year-old Inacio is a better player than Ruben Dias was at the same age.”

As such, should Howe go on to get a deal over the line for Inacio next summer, not only would the 45-year-old manager have landed an extremely talented young defender, but he could also have unearthed Newcastle’s very own version of the £98m-rated City star – something that is sure to be an extremely tantalising prospect for everyone involved with the Magpies.

Wolves have reportedly joined the race for World Cup sensation Azzedine Ounahi, and the Moroccan could help Julen Lopetegui to upgrade his midfield at Molineux.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, the 22-year-old has been watched by a number of Premier League clubs, including Wolves, Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham. He is also attracting interest from some of Europe’s elite, with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona said to be keen.

The young midfielder, who joined French side Angers in 2021, was one of the standout performers for Morocco as they reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar before losing against France earlier this week.

Ounahi is contracted at the Stade Raymond Kopa until 2026, so Angers will be able to demand a premium price for the midfielder in January, especially after such an impressive World Cup showing.

A good option for Lopetegui?

Wolves’ midfield was once the crown jewel of their success at Molineux, with Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho establishing a formidable partnership alongside the defensive-minded Leander Dendoncker for the Old Gold.

The Belgian has since departed for Aston Villa and been replaced by the inexperienced Boubacar Traore, while the 36-year-old Moutinho has looked way past his best so far this season, as reflected by his diminishing WhoScored rating compared to previous campaigns.

Record signing Matheus Nunes has also flattered to deceive in his Wolves career thus far, ranking a lowly 13th in Wolves’ squad according to WhoScored’s performance metrics, which suggests that Lopetegui well may target another midfielder in January to increase his options in that area of the pitch.

Ounahi has impressed in Ligue 1 so far this season, averaging a solid 6.74 rating from WhoScored for his performances in France’s top flight. That ranks him ahead of all of Wolves’ midfielders except Neves, which emphasises the quality he could add at Molineux.

However, it is his “jaw-dropping” form at the World Cup, as described by Jose Mourinho, which makes him such an attractive proposition for a number of clubs in January.

The 22-year-old was ranked by WhoScored as the joint-fourth best performer for the Atlas Lions in Qatar, while he ranked second for shots, dribbles and key passes per game, which shows how impressive he was going forward.

Given the lack of creativity and goals in Wolves’ squad so far this season, Ounahi could add a real attacking impetus in Lopetegui’s midfield and potentially help the Old Gold to avoid relegation, should he arrive at Molineux in January.

West Ham have been credited with an interest in Marseille midfielder Gerson recently and the Brazilian could be David Moyes’ own version of Newcastle United sensation Miguel Almiron.

The Hammers have been linked with the 25-year-old recently and considering he has played just 541 minutes of football so far this season for Marseille, he could be available in January for a fee of around €20m (£17m).

It is something of a surprise that the Brazilian has featured so little recently, as he has an impressive return of 13 goals and ten assists in just 61 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, meaning he has contributed a goal or an assist every three games he has played.

However, he provides far more than just goals and assists and admitted himself that he feels able to influence the game in other ways.

He said: “I only played to score goals or provide assists, but I realised I could influence the game even without the ball and I’m glad: I feel much more complete now.”

Should Gerson arrive at the London Stadium in January, he could emulate Newcastle’s Almiron, who has been one of the standout performers in the Premier League so far this campaign, contributing eight goals and one assist in 15 top-flight appearances for Eddie Howe’s side.

According to FBRef, the Paraguayan is the second most similar player to Gerson when compared to other attacking midfielders across Europe’s top leagues.

The duo have registered extremely similar numbers with regard to goals per shot (both 0.22), aerial duels won (both 57.1%) and fouls drawn (16 vs 13). That final statistic in particular is extremely useful with the pair clearly canny operators capable of drawing opponents close to them.

WhoScored also suggests that both Gerson and Almiron excel at holding onto the ball – a fact evidenced by the number of fouls drawn. They’re also both good at finishing and long shots, while they both like to play short passes rather than going long.

Therefore, considering how impressive Almiron has been in the Premier League so far this season, Moyes would surely be foolish to turn down a player so similar, especially with West Ham’s current attackers toiling in front of goal.

The Scottish manager should definitely be looking to bring Gerson, who earns £66k-per-week at Marseille, to the London Stadium next month.

Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui will have a lot of changes to make after the World Cup break if he wants to turn the Old Gold’s season around.

Defeat against league leaders Arsenal on Saturday evening meant that Wolves will sit bottom of the Premier League at Christmas and the Spanish manager has a huge job on his hands if he wants to ensure that his new side retain their top-flight status.

While Wolves lost some big names such as Romain Saiss and Conor Coady during the summer transfer window, the crux of their squad from last season remains the same, which suggests that a number of players have simply underperformed in the current campaign.

One such example is versatile defender Jonny Otto, with the Spaniard having struggled immensely on his appearances this term, with the disappointing 4-0 home thrashing against Leicester City perhaps the prime example.

The former Atletico Madrid man was tormented throughout by Harvey Barnes, with Birmingham Live’s Alex Dicken lambasting the defender in their player ratings after the game, awarding him a dismal 2/10 and writing:

“Jonny was incredibly lucky not to be hooked after 20 minutes. He was at fault for both of Leicester’s first two goals with some dreadful defending. He did nothing but create problems for his own team.”

Former Wolves man Andy Thompson also expressed his concerns about the defender following that embarrassing defeat.

He said: “I just think at the moment that Jonny needs to come out. We looked at him on Saturday against Leicester and he looked heavy-legged and lethargic – which is unlike him. It’s very unlike him, but he looked like he was struggling throughout the game.”

Last season saw Jonny average a solid 6.75 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the Premier League, although he made just 12 appearances, so was clearly the second choice behind Nelson Semedo at right-back and Rayan Ait-Nouri at left-back.

However, this term has seen him already make 12 appearances in the top flight, averaging a 6.55 rating, and his decline in form and increased minutes is perhaps one of the reasons behind Wolves’ regression in the league.

Therefore, now that Lopetegui is officially manager and has time to work with some of his squad during the World Cup, he should definitely consider ditching Jonny from his first team after a shocking start to the campaign.

West Ham are reportedly leading the race for Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz and the Chile international could be a big upgrade on Michail Antonio in David Moyes’ side.

According to Football League World, the Hammers are in pole position to sign the former Nottingham Forest man, despite interest from fellow Premier League side Manchester United.

Brereton Diaz has exploded onto the scene across the past two Championship seasons, hitting 22 goals in the 2021/22 campaign for the Ewood Park outfit, while he already has nine goals to his name this term.

The 23-year-old is an integral part of Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side at Blackburn and considering they currently sit second in the Championship, the Lancashire side will surely be desperate to keep him in January.

However, his contract at Ewood Park is set to expire at the end of the season, meaning that they could be forced to sell in January if they want to avoid losing him for nothing in 2023, and West Ham could be the beneficiaries.

The Hammers signed Gianluca Scamacca in the summer transfer window as they looked to phase Antonio out of the first team, as while he is their top goalscorer in Premier League history, the 32-year-old looks as if he is already beginning to decline.

This was emphasised in last weekend’s defeat against Crystal Palace, as the Jamaica international came off the bench but wasted passes in two golden attacking areas, before the Eagles went on to grab a last-gasp winner.

Antonio has averaged a shocking 6.39 rating from WhoScored for his performances this season after scoring just twice in the top flight, compared to a 6.92 in the 2021/22 campaign, which emphasises how poor he has been and suggests that it is time he was dropped for good.

Brereton-Diaz, meanwhile, has averaged a strong 6.89 rating for his performances in the Championship and has averaged more shots per game (3.1 vs 1), a better pass success rate (76.6 vs 56.6) and more key passes per game (1 vs 0.5) than the West Ham forward.

Therefore, it seems clear that the 23-year-old would be a better fit in Moyes’ squad if the Hammers are to turn their form around this season, so GSB should look to sign the “extraordinary” £10m-valued striker – as dubbed by Tony Mowbray – after the World Cup.

Leeds United have made plenty of notorious transfer howlers over their history, with many combining to result in their 2004 relegation.

They then spent 16 years wallowing in the Championship and even League One, where they would be forced to scrape the bottom of the barrel due to their financial constraints.

Whilst there were a few blunders during this period too, they largely made some smart signings which helped to elevate them to a position where Marcelo Bielsa could lead them back to the Premier League.

One such signing who came and went before the legendary Argentine took over was Robert Snodgrass, who the Whites poached as a youngster from Livingston. It was reported that they only had to unload the £35k compensation fee to get him to join.

He spent just four years at Elland Road yet managed to feature an impressive 191 times. During this period, he scored 41 times and set up a further 40 goals, a sensational return.

However, financial constraints would once again force the club to offload one of their key assets, as Norwich City came calling and only had to pay £2.5m for his services.

Whilst it was likely an underpayment, Leeds’ manager at the time Neil Warnock still recorded an astronomical profit of 7,042% on the Scot.

Snodgrass might have been sold on for more in the future, but the only saving grace is that he never again reached the levels he had done for the Whites. The closest he would come to replicating his tally at Leeds after leaving was with the Canaries and Hull City, scoring 14 goals for both clubs.

It must have delighted the Elland Road hierarchy to see sports reporter Ian Abrahams label the winger “so poor” whilst playing for West Ham United.

The 35-year-old now lines out for Hearts in the Scottish Premiership and is yet to score in his opening five games as his team occupy seventh place in the table.

Although other clubs might have sold the winger on for higher fees than what Leeds first did, it was the Whites who earned the best profit margin from the initial price that they paid and also got the most out of him on the pitch.

They got it right with this deal.

Antonio Conte has dropped an update on the fitness of Tottenham Hotspur forward Lucas Moura ahead of this evening’s Champions League meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via football.london), the 53-year-old manager revealed that the winger, who has been sidelined since August as a result of a calf injury, will be available for selection for the visit of the Bundesliga side tonight.

However, the Italian went on to state that, with the Brazil international having only taken part in a few first-team training sessions since his return to fitness earlier this week, the 30-year-old will start the fixture on the bench.

Regarding the current condition of Moura, Conte said: “Lucas Moura is available despite having only two or three training sessions, but [on Wednesday] he is with us on the bench.”

A boost for Spurs

While it would appear unlikely that, even when fully fit, Moura would displace any of Son Heung-min, Richarlison or Dejan Kulusevski in Spurs’ frontline, the fact that the winger is once again available for selection this evening is nevertheless good news for Conte and his side – especially considering Kulusevski is himself currently sidelined due to injury.

Indeed, over his 34 Premier League appearances last season – only 19 of which came as starts – the £13m-rated forward proved just how important a part of the Tottenham squad he truly is, scoring two goals, registering six assists and creating 11 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.1 shots, making one key pass and completing 1.6 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the £90k-per-week talent average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.00, ranking him as Conte’s tenth-best performer in the top flight of English football last time out – a rather extraordinary feat considering just 15 of his outings came as starts in the league.

As such, Moura’s presence on the Tottenham bench will undoubtedly come as a boost to Conte ahead of the Eintracht clash this evening, especially considering the fact that the Italian’s side have struggled for goals in recent weeks – having bagged just one from open play in their last three fixtures – coupled with fellow right-winger Kulusevski also being unavailable for tonight’s fixture.

The wide man is, of course, famed for bagging one of the club’s biggest goals in Europe with that strike against Ajax, and supporters will once again be dreaming of a similar impact from the Brazilian should he feature tonight.

Everton have reportedly started to watch Udinese striker Beto ahead of the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Good start

Beto is enjoying a good start to the season, with four goals scored in his opening seven games in the Serie A, helping Udinese win five in a row in the league (Transfermarkt).

His impressive performances may now alert clubs with higher aspirations and deeper pockets, with the January window coming up after the FIFA World Cup ends in Qatar.

The Latest: Everton interest

As per Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), scouts from Goodison Park have started to watch Beto ahead of a potential move in January.

However, both Fiorentina and Napoli have also been looking at the six-foot-three striker after his ‘brilliant start to the season’, with the latter’s president, Aurelio de Laurentiis, ready to pay as much as €30m (£26.3m).

The Verdict: Depends on Calvert-Lewin

The need for the Merseyside club to sign another striker in January will depend on the fitness of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

He is reportedly in line to return from injury against Southampton after the international break, while new signing Neal Maupay recently grabbed the winner in the 1-0 win at home to West Ham United in the Premier League in his place.

Even though he has impressed this term, potentially spending nearly £30m on Beto would thus be a big gamble, but it could become a requirement if Calvert-Lewin cannot get over his persistent fitness issues.

Leeds United may end up making no further additions in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Phil Hay, with The Athletic journalist revealing on a recent episode of The Phil Hay Show that, despite Victor Orta still being linked with a number of targets in the transfer market, supporters could well see Thursday’s transfer deadline come and go without the club making any more signings

Regarding Leeds’ remaining transfer business, Hay said: “From the noises over the weekend, my gut feeling is that we might well go past the window and the deadline without anything else happening, but you never can tell at this stage.”

Marsch won’t like it

While it is true that Leeds have been incredibly active in the summer transfer window thus far, when taking into account that Orta is known to have been looking to add both a new left-back and centre-forward to Jesse Marsch’s squad prior to Thursday’s transfer deadline, Hay’s latest update is sure to be something that the 48-year-old manager won’t like.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and so much more!”]

Indeed, with Partick Bamford once again struggling with injury this season – with knocks having seen the Whites’ first choice number nine start just seven Premier League fixtures last season – coupled with Joe Gelhardt also having suffered with niggling injuries so far in 2022/23, the argument that the Whites are in need of much greater depth up top is a very easy one to make.

Furthermore, with both Junior Firpo and Stuart Dallas also being ruled out due to knocks at present, in addition to the former having struggled with the pace of the Premier League last season – averaging an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.60 last time out, ranking him as Leeds’ seventh-worst performer in the league – it is also evident that the left of Marsch’s backline is an area of the American’s squad that requires strengthening.

As such, while it is true that Leeds have started their 2022/23 campaign in impressive form – with the Whites currently sitting in fifth place after four games played – should Orta wish to give Marsch the best possible chance of avoiding a repeat of last season’s fight for survival, it would appear as if the Spaniard simply must do all he can to sign both a left-back and a striker in the coming days.

However, following Hay’s latest update, this does not appear overly likely – something that is sure to come as a gutting blow to both supporters and Marsch alike.