All posts by z3u9t.icu

When Steven Gerrard was handed the Rangers job back in 2018 there was one question that is bound to have popped up in the minds of supporters… how can he use his Liverpool connections to improve the side?

The answer to that question came fairly quickly as he landed Ryan Kent on loan from Anfield in his first transfer window in charge at Ibrox. Kent joined on a season-long loan and quickly caught the eye before earning a permanent deal with the Scottish giants the following summer.

Transfermarkt valued him at £1.58m at the time of the move, having scored six goals and provided six assists in 23 Premiership matches for the club on loan. This showed an immediate impact from Gerrard in terms of what he offered off the pitch with his notability within the game and links to Premier League side Liverpool allowing the Gers to strike gold on this occasion.

Kent has established himself as one of the best players in Scotland over the past few seasons since joining the club. He has been nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award in two separate campaigns, whilst also winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2019.

Former Gers attacker Kris Boyd previously heralded Kent as being phenomenal and praised the way he excites supporters with his style of play.

He said: “There’s Ryan Kent who is phenomenal – he gets you off your seat. His numbers have increased season after season. Even if the team are not at the level we saw at the start of the campaign, he is still a threat. He is so comfortable with the ball – it is like he has superglue in his boots!”

Last season, Kent averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.23 in the Premiership as Rangers won the title. He racked up an impressive ten goals and nine assists to help the Gers claim the crown ahead of Celtic, proving that he has the quality to be a difference-maker for the club.

This has led to the 24-year-old’s reputation and profile improving considerably since he joined the club permanently in 2019. At the time of writing (06/10/21), Kent is valued at £12.60m by Transfermarkt. This is a stunning 697% value increase in two years since the move became official.

Gerrard hit the jackpot with Kent and Rangers have benefitted from his quality on the pitch ever since. His exponential rise in value could also see the club benefit from a financial standpoint. If they ever decide to cash in on him, which could provide a huge boost to the coffers if a Premier League side, for example, comes in with a big-money offer.

Therefore, the signing of Kent was a masterstroke by Gerrard. Hopefully, he will continue to grow and improve as a player, with his market value following him on an upwards trajectory.

AND in other news, Davis 2.0: Rangers must swoop for £4.1k-p/w “exciting talent”, he won’t cost a penny…

Tottenham are considering going back in for Nottingham Forest loanee Djed Spence, claim Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Spence profiled

Spence is on loan at The City Ground from Middlesbrough and is primarily a right-back who can also play as a right midfielder.

Labelled as a ‘massive player’ by Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff, the 21-year-old has made 22 appearances for Forest and helped them defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup earlier this month.

Reports in recent weeks suggested that Antonio Conte was close to signing the Englishman, and it now appears as if Spurs could go back in for Spence after a move for Adama Traore collapsed.

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The Latest: Sky Sports claim

According to Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre, relayed by Football League World, Spurs are weighing up another move for Spence.

The update claims that even though Tottenham won’t be able to use the player this season, they are still considering a late January swoop.

The Verdict: Good news

Out of all the Forest players who have played 15 or more games this season, Spence has been the best, as per WhoScored, so a late winter window deal ahead of the summer could be an exciting one.

He’s clearly an impressive young talent, and who knows, he could fit the right-wing back mould Conte wanted Traore in over the coming years.

Missing out on Spence now could also be a risk ahead of the summer, especially with Transfermarkt believing Arsenal, Inter Milan and Roma are circling – securing a deal now could be extremely beneficial for the long-term future under Conte.

In other news: ‘Agreement reached’ – Spurs breakthrough as player Conte and Paratici love now ‘happy’ to sign. 

Coming after star West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice turned down two new contract offers in the summer, it appears the club have been dealt another potential blow surrounding the player.

The Lowdown: Rice new deal saga…

Reliable outlets like The Evening Standard and The Guardian reported over the summer that Rice snubbed two fresh deal offers at the London Stadium and wished to be informed of any incoming bids.

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Thankfully for manager David Moyes and co, Rice also didn’t try to force any move away and swiftly returned to action with West Ham upon finishing England duty and his personal break.

A silver lining at the end of what was some concerning news then, it appears West Ham may now be dealt another potential Rice blow as a new report emerges.

The Latest: West Ham dealt another potential Rice blow…

As per 90min, the Hammers and Moyes could indeed face a fresh challenge in tying down their star man.

Rice, who started 32 Premier League games for West Ham last season, expects the 2021/2022 campaign to be his last in east London.

While the 22-year-old would be open to signing fresh terms on the condition of a release clause, West Ham’s own rule of not including them in contracts for any of their players means a new deal is ‘unlikely’.

Rice is currently focused on this season with the Irons but has no shortage of suitors, with Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool all making their interest known according to this report.

The Verdict: Key player, big money…

Making the joint-most interceptions per 90 on average last season (1.8), the England international is well and truly a key player and West Ham’s unlikelihood of tying him down could come as a blow.

It will certainly be interesting to see if he does in fact move on at the end of this season, but if he keeps performing at such a high level, potential suitors will need to fork out big money.

A £100 million price tag on Rice has been mooted while manager Moyes believes he is worth even more than that, so while fans will of course want to keep their talisman, an offer at or over that price tag would surely be taken under consideration.

In other news: ‘Yayyy’, ‘Ooooo’, ‘Actually mental’…West Ham fans rave over ‘fantastic news’, find out more here.

With less than two weeks to go until the end of the transfer window, West Ham United are still yet to find a new central defender.

After their win over Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon, Irons manager David Moyes reiterated his desire to bolster his backline as he told reporters, via football.london:

“I have 17-year-old centre-half Jamal [Baptiste] who I want involved in the first-team training but undoubtedly I am going to try and add to the squad.

“And I will be adding a defender and maybe other players as well but then if I don’t, then I will be happy if the players perform as well as they did today.”

His attempts to secure two mooted targets have proven frustrating in recent weeks.

First, the Hammers appear to have been rejected by Chelsea star Kurt Zouma, and now it seems as if Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic is the latest name they’ll likely miss out upon.

According to 90min, the east London outfit have pulled out of the running to sign the Serbian colossus after talks with his representatives slowed down in recent weeks.

Amid these setbacks, West Ham have been linked with another option in the form of versatile Aston Villa ace Kortney Hause, and whilst he’s not as big of a name as the aforementioned duo, he could well be the man to end Moyes’ central defensive nightmare.

Football Insider reported earlier this week that the 26-year-old had been added to the Irons’ list of transfer targets ahead of Deadline Day on August 31st.

The Englishman has fallen down the pecking order at Villa Park due to the loan arrival of Axel Tuanzebe, whilst he meets the criteria of what Moyes is reportedly seeking.

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Valued at just £4.5m by Transfermarkt, Hause could be a bargain as the former England under-21 international will undoubtedly cost a cheaper wedge than either Zouma or Milenkovic.

Despite having little game-time last season (seven league starts), the 6 foot 3 colossus excelled under Dean Smith, earning a 7.17 average WhoScored rating. This also saw him manage an average of 1.1 interceptions and 5.6 aerial duels (bettering England international Tyrone Mings) won every 90 minutes, which goes to show that he has a solid ability to read the game.

In the past Hause has been described as an “absolute beast” by The Athletic’s Tim Spiers, whilst the Express & Star’s Matt Maher once claimed that he had “bags of potential.”

Across stints at both Villa and Wolves in the Midlands, he hasn’t been able to fully display such an ability on a regular basis, which is why the Hammers could be a move he very much needs.

Overall, and on the above evidence, the 26-year-old machine – who can also play at left-back – appears to be a typical Moyes centre-back. It’s time to move on from Milenkovic and Zouma.

Hause could end the Irons’ transfer nightmare.

AND in other news, “They are still keen”: Romano drops huge West Ham transfer claim, fans will be buzzing…

A number of Manchester City fans want Raheem Sterling to depart the club after he was once again linked with a move to Barcelona.

The Citizens have enjoyed a generally positive start to the season. As it stands, they are third in the Premier League table, just two points behind leaders Chelsea, who they beat 1-0 at Stamford Bridge last weekend (Sky Sports). On Sunday, they were involved in a thrilling 2-2 with Liverpool at Anfield, taking four points from visits to the two teams ahead of them in the table.

One player who has not been involved as much as he would like this term is Sterling. The England international has started just two league matches (used more regularly. As per Mundo Deportivo (via AS), Barcelona have the money to sign Sterling in January and it is now down to Pep Guardiola and the 26-year-old to decide whether to entertain any prospective offers from Camp Nou.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from Man City supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to respond to the latest rumour, with many hoping that the club will cash in on the England winger, who according to WhoScored has been one of the champions’ least effective performers this season.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Sterling news

“sell him !!”

Credit: @achmadepp

“Please Pep sell him”

Credit: @mcfcjosh9320

“Yes, and use the money to buy Haaland”

Credit: @Centurions_21

“If they’ve got a spare £80-90m down the back of the sofa we should be making this deal happen. Has definitely reached a ceiling at City and is 3rd choice on both sides of the pitch now.”

Credit: @Stubamford86

“I mean its kinda perfect cos Sterling gets another chance to prove himself until January and just gets sold if he cant get better”

Credit: @mcfcdavid_27

“Would be a great move for all parties. Dream. Move for Sterling in a league he would thrive, we already have an abundance of players in his position. Additional funds for a world class ST, in January or the summer. Be sad to see him go if it materialised.”

Credit: @LMLee123

In other news, Man City fans have reacted to an update on this striker.

West Brom may have been handed a boost in their rumoured pursuit of Manchester City youngster Liam Delap, with the youngster admitting he’s keen to get regular game time under his belt.

What’s the story?

Delap has caught the eye with some strong performances for Manchester City’s Under-23s team in recent seasons, which has seen him feature in Pep Guardiola’s senior side in recent months.

The 18-year-old signed for Manchester City back in 2019 and will be looking to go from strength to strength with the Premier League champions moving forwards.

Speaking in a recent interview with Sky Sports (via Football Daily), Delap has revealed that he trusts the club to make the right decision on his future, when quizzed on West Brom’s rumoured interest in landing his signature.

“Every minute that I get, it’s just an added bonus. As a footballer, you just want to play as much as you can, and that’ll be my target this season. 

“Obviously it’s up to the club. What’s happened at the club so far has been amazing for me, and I trust them to make the right decision, as I’ve been extremely happy with everything that’s happened at City, and I’m really happy here. I’ll see what the club want me to do from here.”

The Express and Star have previously revealed that West Brom are interested in a deal to sign Delap on a season-long loan deal, and the forward’s recent comments on his short-term future could heighten the Baggies’ interest in landing his signature this summer.

‘Phenomenal’

Delap has scored 40 goals in 54 appearances across all age groups so far in his career in professional football, but now could be the ideal time to send him out on loan.

He’s unlikely to be a regular starter in the City first-team, so a temporary move away from the Etihad Stadium could be the best possible move for all parties involved, as he looks to further his experience in senior football.

A move to West Brom could be the ideal destination for Delap as well, with Valerien Ismael looking to strengthen his attacking options this summer as he targets promotion back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.

The former Barnsley boss already has some strong and proven options in a similar position in his squad, with the likes of Callum Robinson, Kenneth Zohore and Karlan Grant being on the club’s books.

But Delap could provide West Brom with something different, as he’ll be eager to make a name for himself in first-team football.

You don’t feature for City’s first-team by chance, and that’s a credit to the quality that Delap has managed to get gam time so early into his professional career.

The youngster was labelled as ‘phenomenal’ by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, and it’ll be interesting to see where the City talent ends up this season.

But his recent admission on wanting regular game time could be a real boost in West Brom’s hopes of signing him, as the Baggies are much more likely to be able to offer Delap minutes this term, especially compared to City.

West Brom supporters would love to see a young, quality player like Delap arrive this summer to give their club a boost as they look to get promoted at the first time of asking.

AND in other news, West Brom have seemingly made a decision about the future of this player…

Fabian Delph is among a trio of players that Everton are hoping to sell in January, according to French journalist Santi Aouna.

The lowdown

The England international joined the Toffees from Manchester City ahead of the 2019/20 season in a deal worth an initial £8.5m. He has played just 36 games for the club since, having been hit with a succession of injuries which have sidelined him for nearly 50 matches in total.

Everton generated only £14.4m through player sales and loan fees in the summer as they struggled with Financial Fair Play requirements.

The latest

Aouna, a journalist for French publication Foot Mercato, tweeted that ‘Everton would like to get rid of several players’ after the turn of the year.

He identified three of those who could be set for the exit door – Delph, left-back Lucas Digne and striker Cenk Tosun.

The verdict

Delph is probably the most surprising inclusion in Aouna’s list. Digne has reportedly fallen out with manager Rafael Benitez, and Everton have already lined up a potential replacement in the form of Vitaliy Mykolenko.

Meanwhile, Tosun is on the periphery at Goodison Park, having played just six minutes of football since he returned from injury at the start of November.

On the other hand, Delph has started three of the last seven matches for which he has been available, indicating that he is regarded as a valuable squad player by Benitez, and has won plaudits for his ‘excellent’ contribution in recent weeks.

Based on the players’ Transfermarkt valuations, though, they could bank around £37m from the sales. Perhaps that’s the overriding reason for Everton apparently wishing to get that trio off their books once and for all.

In other news, could this Everton ace also head for the exit door?

Rangers have been hit with a worrying injury setback over Ibrox central defender Filip Helander…

What’s the latest?

Gers boss Gio van Bronckhorst has revealed why the towering centre-half was forced off on Sunday, as Leon King came on for him at half-time in the 4-0 rout.

Kemar Roofe scored a hat-trick and Joe Aribo found the top corner with a stunning strike as the Light Blues moved back to within six points of their rivals at the top of the table, but they now have an injury concern to deal with.

The head coach told the Daily Record: “Helander fell a bit awkward so he is having a scan now.

“Hopefully in the next few hours or by tomorrow we’ll know the extent of his injury.”

Van Bronckhorst will be gutted

Van Bronckhorst will surely be gutted with this setback as it potentially leaves him without another strong option heading into a busy period of matches.

Rangers are still competing in the Premiership, the League Cup and the Europa League, for now, and will need as many players available as possible to share the load. The head coach will want to rotate the team, as he did against St. Mirren to ensure that he is not overloading players and this blow to Helander could leave him with one less player to pick from.

Van Bronckhorst is not blessed with natural centre-back options as it is, with Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun the only senior players aside from Helander. Calvin Bassey, who is a left-back by trade, can play there, though, and he has academy prospect Leon King waiting in the wings.

However, the boss will not want to put too much pressure on the youngster so soon into his career with huge matches coming up this week against Braga in Europe and Celtic in the cup. This could be a season-defining week and not having the Sweden international available is, therefore, a big blow as he could be needed in the cup if any injuries are sustained in the European clash.

Last season in the Premiership, Helander averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.10 for the Gers across 22 appearances. This shows that he does have the quality to be a top performer for the club and that is why losing him over the next few weeks would leave van Bronckhorst gutted, with the head now surely now praying that it is not a serious injury for the defender.

Fingers crossed…

AND in other news, Forget Roofe: Rangers ace with 5 key passes showed GVB he’s no longer “useless” today…

A number of Liverpool supporters believe Jurgen Klopp may have hinted at extending his stay as Reds manager beyond 2024.

Liverpool return to action on Saturday evening, welcoming an in-form Arsenal side to Anfield. It has the potential to be a thrilling encounter on Merseyside, with Mikel Arteta’s team winning their last three league games in a row.

Not only that, but the Reds lost 3-2 away to West Ham in their last league outing and also dropped two points at home to Brighton, raising doubts over their title aspirations and making this a massive contest.

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Ahead of Saturday’s game, in his pre-match press conference [via James Pearce on Twitter], Klopp discussed his future and admitted his time at Anfield is still “far away from being over.”

The German’s current Liverpool deal runs until the summer of 2024 but the hope is of course that he stays well beyond that date, considering his brilliance as manager and the success he has enjoyed.

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Liverpool fans flock to Klopp news

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to react to the news, clearly believing Klopp could extend his contract.

“SIUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU « It’s far away from being over »”

Credit: @Lfc_Klopp

“Sounds like he might consider extending”

Credit: @MobPsycho1OOO

“Good spirits”

Credit: @gerald_ynwa

“Extension incoming”

Credit: @_michaelwall94

“Klopp contract extension and #Mbappe22 announced early next year, some say I’m a dreamer”

Credit: @ex_leeds

“Far from over is what I see and that makes me immensely happy”

Credit: @LFCaditya_

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to another key injury update. Read more here.

Manchester United are on the cusp of appointing a new manager to take over at Old Trafford this summer, and after a new transfer update has emerged, Erik ten Hag may not be the only new addition at the club ahead of 2022/23.

What’s the word?

According to Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United have already discussed a potential move for Darwin Nunez this summer.

Romano tweeted: “Darwin Nunez will leave Benfica in the summer, fee around €80m. Man United already discussed his name internally – Arsenal wanted him last January as West Ham but Darwin was not for sale.”

Ten Hag will love him

The Mirror has reported that the Dutch coach is likely to have full involvement in recruitment as per the terms of his move to Man United at the end of the season, something that would suggest that Ten Hag has already given his seal of approval to make an approach for the Benfica striker.

Nunez has been attracting a lot of interest from Premier League clubs, with both Liverpool and Arsenal speculated to be interested in making a move for him, and a bid from West Ham was rejected last January, but, with a brand new project on the horizon at Old Trafford, the striker could well be tempted by a move the Red Devils in order to become the main man in Ten Hag’s forward line.

The 22-year-old Uruguayan has scored 31 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions so far this season, with the £36m-rated hitman playing a huge role in Benfica’s Champions League campaign – in which the Portuguese side have reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 2016.

Nunez has also found the back of the net against some of the biggest sides in European football’s most prestigious club competition this term, bagging five goals in games against Liverpool, Barcelona, Ajax and Bayern Munich, and will hope he can revive Benfica’s chances of progression to the semi-finals against Liverpool in the second leg tonight.

A move to Manchester United could certainly take the striker’s career to the next level, however, if the current squad can’t secure Champions League football this season, it could become a major issue in signing a player of Nunez’s calibre this summer.

AND in other news: Man United eye move for “brutal” £45m-rated monster, he’s miles better than Maguire