All posts by n8rngtd.top

Leeds United have somewhat stagnated in their returning Premier League season after winning just one of their last five matches. Whilst they currently sit in a respectable 14th place in the table, things could rapidly turn bad for the Whites unless they start getting some more points on the board.

If they continue to struggle, they run a very high risk of losing some of their key players.

The likes of Luke Ayling has seriously impressed so far this term, performing well not only in his usual position at right-back, but adapting to a more central role in Marcelo Bielsa’s hour of need.

His versatility and strength are key components that other clubs will be looking for in a defender.

Once the January transfer window opens up, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if a few offers are made for the Englishman.

Leeds could lose Luke Ayling

Ayling has been one of Leeds’ key players throughout the last two seasons, shining during their Championship-winning campaign and indeed impressing this term as well.

The 29-year-old has attracted a lot of praise, with Alex McLeish recently paying him a huge compliment by stating he is “an example to youngsters everywhere”. He also lauded Ayling as an “impeccable” player who has adapted well to England’s top-flight, via Football Insider.

As he nears his 30th birthday, Ayling will be sizing up just how high his career can go. If a top club shows interest in his services and Leeds struggle to re-establish themselves in the Premier League, he could be tempted to take a move and try for more silverware.

The defender’s £45,000 per week contract runs until 2023 but if a Premier League club comes knocking, Leeds could squeeze a pretty penny out of them for the sale of Ayling. But they cannot afford to let him want a move away or they will lose an extremely valuable member of the club.

However, unless Bielsa changes up his tactics from his usual lineups and repetitive 4-1-4-1 formation, the Whites will be easily found out and losses will become more and more of a regular occurrence.

Indeed, this could spell a potential exit for Leeds’ star defender should he become indemand.

In other news, Andrea Radrizzani update could spell huge news for the Whites…

Glasgow Rangers fans are far from happy with the latest accessory from the club – a Gers-branded kilt.

As is the case with any club, the Ibrox outfit have released a whole host of products recently in an attempt to bring in more revenue to the club. Their partnership with Castore has seen the Liverpool-based company release a number of clothing options. One particular hoodie had a retail price of £170 – that did not go down well with the Rangers fans.

The tartan design on this latest release was decided after over 10,000 MyGers members voted, and was revealed by the club’s official account on Twitter. However, whilst many clearly liked it, there are plenty of others who were not happy – some made it clear they preferred the previous offering.

In a bid to share their discontent, the fans took to the social media platform to show their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say about the kilt below

In other news, Glasgow Rangers fans were delighted with this man during international duty.

Aston Villa have seemingly been given the green light to revisit one of their reported summer targets in the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

Speaking to Sport Bild, Werder Bremen president Hubertus Hess-Grunwald claimed the Bundesliga outfit could sell Milot Rashica in order to raise funds this winter.

He said:

“We are in the process of tapping all sources of money, exhausting all possible savings. And of course, we will see what potential transfer proceeds we can achieve.”

Sky Germany (via Bulinews) claimed that the Midlands outfit were in ‘advanced talks’ to sign the 24-year-old back in October, but evidently that didn’t come to fruition.

Grealish heir?

Villa sporting director Johan Lange would be wise to revisit this deal in two months time as he could land Dean Smith an ideal heir to Jack Grealish’s throne.

Yes, the England star signed a new long-term contract extension recently but reports still linger over a potential move to Manchester United. If he continues to impress for his boyhood club, then such claims will only increase tenfold.

He even claimed that is was 50/50 over whether or not he’d agree to fresh terms (Sky Sports via talkSPORT).

Therefore, Lange must strike sooner rather than later and there can surely be no one better and more attainable than Rashica right now.

The €30m-rated (£27m) left-winger scored 11 goals and provided eight assists last season for Bremen, and averaged 2.6 shots, two dribbles and 1.4 key passes per appearance in the league, via WhoScored.

Bundesliga.com have likened his playing style to that of Alexis Sanchez in his Arsenal prime, an ice-cold demon with pace to burn that can cut in off the left to contribute with goals and assists – just like Grealish, really.

Rashica’s head coach Florian Kohfeldt has claimed that he “makes scoring look easy,” all the more reason for Villa to revisit him as their attack would be an awfully frightening prospect.

Even if they keep hold of Grealish, just imagine him behind Rashica, Watkins and one Trezeguet or Bertrand Traore.

€20m (£18m) was reported to be enough back in the summer, according to Sport Bild, so it’s a move that Villa should absolutely look to do in January.

AND in other news, Dean Smith must rue failed Aston Villa swoop for Maupay 2.0…

Leeds United have had a tough time of it when it comes to selling their young stars over the years.

The sale of Harry Kewell was arranged in such a way that Leeds didn’t profit from it anywhere near as much as they should have, while two future England internationals in the shape of Fabian Delph and Lewis Cook were sold for just £12m combined.

However, one man they got a great price for was Jack Clarke.

It’s a little unfair to say that seeing as the winger is just 19 years old, but the fact that his transfermarkt value has dropped to £4.86m just a year after Tottenham paid £10m for him shows that Leeds got rid of him at the right time.

Of course, Spurs were paying for his potential rather than his current ability, but it seems as though Tottenham were sold on performances that he hasn’t been able to sustain since then.

Last term his form wasn’t even close to the level we saw in the 2018/19 season as he failed to get into Leeds’ starting XI before also struggling to force himself into QPR’s plans in two separate loan spells.

There’s no doubting that he looked a real prospect when he first burst onto the scene, with Noel Whelan waxing-lyrical about him back in 2019, saying:

“He has got a great ability to glide past players. I don’t think I’ve seen a winger really as talented as that, where it looks effortless, just to take somebody on and he really does get you on the edge of your seat, he’s one of those exciting players.”

However, despite this glowing review, it seems as though Clarke’s early promise was more of a bi-product of his confidence and momentum at that time instilling a fearlessness in him that made him very easy on the eye, but in the past 12 months, he hasn’t looked anything close to a £10m player.

Leeds sold him at the perfect time.

A number of West Ham fans have been slating the club’s decision to allow both Josh Cullen and Jack Wilshere to leave before the transfer window closed.

Cullen secured a late move to join Belgian side RSC Anderlecht on a permanent basis, with the midfielder having left to try and get more regular first-team football elsewhere, after he came back to the Hammers in the summer following the end of a loan spell with Charlton Athletic.

The 24-year-old was an impressive performer for the Addicks, creating seven big chances and averaging two tackles per game, via Sofascore. However, he was unable to force his way into David Moyes’ starting line-up in the Premier League at the start of this campaign.

Wilshere left West Ham on transfer deadline day with his contract being terminated by mutual consent, after the one-time England midfielder made just 19 appearances for the Hammers since arriving at the club after leaving Arsenal in the summer of 2018.

A lot of West Ham supporters have been critical of the club’s decision which leaves them short on options in the midfield area, and leaves them at risk of being left short across midfield were they to pick up any injuries between now and the January window.

West Ham fans what do you make of losing both Cullen and Wilshere? Let us know your thoughts

Liverpool have made just one dip into the transfer market ahead of the new campaign, which starts this weekend, but one mooted target is a name that simply won’t go away…

What’s the word?

According to the ECHO’s Paul Gorst, the Premier League title holders have relegated Watford sensation Ismaila Sarr “under consideration” ahead of a potential switch to Anfield.

It’s not the first time the Hornets winger has been linked with a move to the Reds after Alan Nixon at The Sun claimed they were prepared to meet the £40m asking price just over a week ago.

He believes Sarr is one of their top priorities given his ability to also play through the middle and that he would be patient over a spot in the starting XI.

Perfect fit

It’s no surprise to see Klopp keen on the Senegalese international after he haunted him back in February. The 22-year-old condemned Liverpool to their first league defeat of the season and he was integral to it.

Per SofaScore, Sarr not only bagged a brace and assisted another in the 3-0 victory, but also recorded six shots, two dribbles and one key pass. Andy Robertson had a torrid time having won just one duel as well as losing possession 22 times.

In addition to that, the Watford speedster would undoubtedly be a perfect fit for Klopp’s system given his comparisons to both Sadio Mane and Ousmane Dembele, who the German had at Borussia Dortmund.

Soon-to-be ex-teammate Abdoulaye Doucoure believes Sarr is a “Champions League player” as he “has exceptional qualities, [is] not just quick, he’s incredible at finishing, he can find space, keep the ball and I hope he’ll go very far.”

With Harry Wilson reportedly on the chopping block and the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain pretty average alternative options, it would make a ton of sense to clinch the tricky winger.

£40m is not much more than what they paid for Mane; look how that turned out.

AND in other news, Barcelona could hijack KEY Klopp target before October transfer deadline…

Obviously supporters of football clubs across the globe normally care more about what players are signed rather than those who are sold, and this is clearly shown at Manchester United as many supporters of the side continue to hope for Jadon Sancho to be acquired.

However utdreport have written an article, which they posted on Twitter, about how selling some players this summer is just as important as recruiting them.

In their article, they believe that with recent events affecting finances, they need to sell some of the dead wood in their squad, so that the club can continue progressing forward, to reach the necessary level to challenge.

They tweeted, ‘United managed to recuperate £72m in player sales last summer, the most since 2015. They’ve only managed to offload Alexis Sánchez so far this summer’, and it’s safe to say that this article has opened up a debate across the United fan base, with many frustrated at the club for not being able to sell some players to generate some finances, whilst some think it takes time but sales will happen. One even mentioned that the club need a Director of Football to help these sales happen.

The club definitely have some players who are surplus to requirements that they can sell and build up some finances to bring some players in. Players like Marcus Rojo, Sergio Romero and Chris Smalling can’t get close to the first team squad, so it would really benefit all if they moved on, but the club have not given themselves a lot of time as such players are still here with less than two weeks of the window remaining.

Here is what fans said following the news:

Man United fans, what are your thoughts on this? Comment below!

Joe Gomez believes that Liverpool are ‘hungrier than ever’ and are mentally prepared to face the challenges of the upcoming season.

In his latest interview with the club, the centre-back has discussed the team’s morale as they gear up to defend their first ever Premier League title.

“I think more than anything, the gaffer instils in us that it’s a mental battle more than physical half the time, so we’ll be ready and we have a squad full of quality to rotate when needs be,” Gomez told liverpoolfc.com. “The main thing is, mentally we are ready to go. And I think everyone is hungrier than ever.”

The Reds ran away with their first league title in 30 years last season, entering a whole new era as a club. However, a lot of fans appear to be worried after watching the team play during preseason and in the Community Shield.

Many supporters are crying out for new signings and as a result, one has responded to Gomez saying ‘we don’t care about this nonsense’. Another fan has slammed the 23-year-old for ‘deceiving yourself’ about the club’s current situation.

Liverpool have made just one senior signing so far in this window and some Kopites are worrying that it won’t be enough to keep the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City at bay.

Read more replies from the Anfield faithful below:

What do you think of Joe Gomez’s comments, Reds fans? Join the conversation in the comments below…

Another potential outgoing could be on the cards for Liverpool, with Joel Matip at the forefront of the attention. 

The centre-back has reportedly attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain who are looking to pursue a move for his signature this summer. That’s according to @Jordan_MChoco (relayed via @LFCTransferRoom), who claims manager Thomas Tuchel and sporting director Leonardo are admirers of Matip.

The Cameroon international has been with the Merseyside outfit since 2016, after he joined on a free transfer from Schalke 04 (via BBC Sport). Matip has participated in some huge games for the Reds, including the winning side that took on Tottenham Hotspur last season in the Champions League final.

However, despite his influence on the team, he is often left on the bench in favour of Joe Gomez. Matip also has a history of injury problems, missing 20 matches this season through a knee problem (via Transfermarkt).

Many Liverpool fans are fully against cashing in on the 28-year-old and have taken to Twitter to express this. One supporter has tweeted ‘they cannot have him’, whilst similarly another has firmly stated Matip is ‘not for sale’.

Read more replies from the Anfield faithful here:

Do you think Liverpool should look to sell Joel Matip this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Craig Hope has relayed a key update on the final game of the 2019/20 Premier League season for Newcastle United versus Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool as a spokesperson for the Northumbria Police (via Daily Mail) said that the fixture ‘has been discussed’ and at this current moment in time will be played at St. James’ Park.

As per the journalist, the match had been one of those that had been previously flagged by the police as possibly high-risk because of fears that the supporters from both sets of teams could end up gathering at the stadium despite lock down and social distancing regulations that have been put into place to try and stop the global pandemic from spreading across the country.

There was a worry first of all because the Reds have now been confirmed as champions of the top flight after Chelsea won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, meaning that they could not mathematically catch the Anfield outfit.

Given that it would be their last match of the campaign, there was a fear that the LFC faithful would gather around the stadium to celebrate their title win, and thus breaking lock down rules.

On the other hand, there was also a worry that some members of the Toon faithful would also gather around St. James’ Park to potentially celebrate the end of the Mike Ashley era, assuming that England’s highest division approve of the proposed takeover in the North East around that time.

Having both sets of fans there could have possibly put a strain on the local police, but it seems as if the game will still be played at the Magpies’ home ground until something else changes.

Geordies, would you be worries about a potential gathering outside the stadium? Comment below!