All posts by z3u9t.icu

Reliable journalist Alan Nixon has told Derby County supporters to hold their horses after some contract news this week prompted excitement about Chris Kirchner’s potential takeover.

The Lowdown: Buchanan signs

Kirchner announced on Twitter last week that he has secured a deal to become the new owner of the Rams, but it is still dependent on the sale of Pride Park.

Mel Morris’ ownership of the ground has been a huge roadblock throughout the takeover process, but a recent contract development had fans thinking maybe things were on the up.

Indeed, the news that the club have triggered Lee Buchanan’s contract extension seemed to imply a takeover was as good as done, given the fact that Phil Jagielka was unable to extend his deal in January due to the ownership situation.

The Latest: Not so fast…

After hearing of the developments on Buchanan, Nixon offered a worrying reaction, urging supporters to ease their excitement.

“Before anyone gets ahead of themselves…” he said on Twitter.

“Taking up contract options and making contract offers on time is SEPARATE from any suggestion takeover deal is done. It had to be then or players would walk. The takeover thing depends on stadium and is being worked on.”

The Verdict: Worrying

It is certainly worrying that the situation with the stadium is still not resolved – Kirchner only has until May 31 to complete the finer details on the takeover, so time is running out to pry the ground away from Morris.

Wayne Rooney’s team have already been threatened with more points deductions both for outstanding loans and separately for failure to pay playing staff, so the fact Buchanan’s contract is sorted is of course good, but it’s seemingly not the sign of things to come fans were hoping it was.

Time is ticking for Kirchner to get his deal over the line, and it looks like it’s all going to come down to Pride Park in the next seven days.

Newcastle United reportedly now ‘want’ to sign Jules Kounde in what would be a club-record move this summer.

The Lowdown: January bid

As per Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), the St. James’ Park faithful ‘offered’ Sevilla as much as €70m (£59.3m) to try and sign Kounde in the January transfer window, but a move never materialised.

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That would have been a club-record deal, and now it seems they are going to try their luck again in the summer.

The Latest: Wanted

According to Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), the North East club still ‘want’ to sign Kounde, and are now a ‘rival’ to FC Barcelona for his signature.

However, the La Liga giants cannot afford to pay his €90m (£76.3m) release clause, which could well open the door for the Tynesiders.

The Verdict: Difficult

With teams like Barcelona weighing up a move for Kounde, there is no doubt that he will be a wanted man this summer, and so the Magpies may find it difficult to persuade him to join without any European football to offer.

Dubbed ‘world-class’ by former Tottenham Hotspur and England international goalkeeper Paul Robinson, the France international has played in the UEFA Champions League this season, and will be next term should Sevilla get a point in their last match of the league campaign.

Nonetheless, he is only 23 years of age, and may not feel like a move to the Toon suits him at this stage of his career.

In other news, find out which £36m-rated star NUFC could now sign for free here!

Liverpool could sign Bayern Munich star Serge Gnabry in a swap deal with Sadio Mane this summer, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.

The Lowdown: Mane linked with exit

On Monday, Mane was linked with a surprise exit in the summer transfer window, with Bayern believed to have spoken to his representatives over a possible move.

The Senegalese superstar is out of contract at Liverpool in 2023 and the Bundesliga giants see him as a primary transfer target, especially with Robert Lewandowski potentially moving on.

Another key aspect of this update is also doing the rounds, though, now suggesting Liverpool may not be looking just for cash…

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The Latest: Gnabry to come in?

According to Sky Germany’s Plettenberg, Liverpool are considering a swap deal with Mane and Gnabry, bringing in the Bayern winger as their current superstar’s replacement.

The former Arsenal man has enjoyed an impressive spell in Germany, scoring 64 goals and registering 40 assists in 170 appearances, as well as winning the Champions League in 2020.

The Verdict: Good player, but no thanks

While Gnabry is an outstanding player in his own right – Rio Ferdinand has hailed him as both ‘phenomenal’ and world-class’ – it would still be preferable for Liverpool to keep hold of Mane.

Granted, he is three years older than the Bayern hero, but he is an incredible physical specimen, meaning he should still be a top-level player well into his 30s.

Mane has only just started to thrive in a new central role under Jurgen Klopp and it would be a huge blow to see him decide to move on now.

If a swap deal did happen however, Gnabry would certainly fit the bill, given his pace, directness and end product, but the hope is that it won’t come to fruition.

In other news, James Pearce has dropped a key Liverpool transfer update. Read more here.

Bruno Lage will be without Daniel Podence for Wolves’ trip to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, according to a report by Nathan Judah.

Taking to Twitter, the journalist stated: “Podence is a bit of a grey area, has an injury and potentially could play through injections, but he’s unwilling at the moment because he might aggravate that problem.”

The Molineux side have been without the 26-year-old for the last three games and in that time have failed to score a single goal – coincidence much? As a result, Lage will need to find a burst of attacking threat from somewhere and must not shy away from unleashing Pedro Neto in Podence’s absence.

Lage must unleash Neto

Wolves face a tough ask in their quest to bring European football back to Molineux for next season. In their final four Premier League games, they take on Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, with Norwich as the penultimate match.

With goals having been hard to come by this season for the Old Gold, with only 33 in their 34 top-flight games, they cannot afford to be shy in front of goal against three of the league’s best defences.

This is where the under-utilised Neto, who has been described by journalist Sanjeev Jasani as “unbelievable”, comes in.

The 22-year-old has made just nine appearances this season after missing more than half of the campaign due to a knee injury that he sustained towards the end of last term – as per Transfermarkt. he has been sidelined for a mammoth 295 days.

In those nine Premier League appearances, he has started just once, with all of his other outings coming from the bench.

Wolves are in dire need of a player who can provide a cutting edge in the final third, and given his previous form before his injury, Neto is certainly that player.

He bagged this season’s metrics, that would see him as Wolves’ second-highest scorer and leading assists provider in the current Premier League campaign, had he replicated those numbers.

Given that Chelsea boast the third-best defence in the league having conceded just 29 goals this season, it’s apparent that a Wolves side who have failed to score over their last three matches will require something special to find the back of the net against Thomas Tuchel’s side. Neto cold be the man to provide it, particularly with Podence laid low.

In other news: Lage can finally axe “rubbish” liability as Wolves can unleash the next Phil Foden 

Manchester City have not been reluctant to approach some of their fellow Premier League clubs to sign their marquee names in the past.

Some players who have made moves to the Etihad Stadium from other top-flight clubs include Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling, Kyle Walker and John Stones.

Now that the summer transfer window is set to open for business in the coming weeks, it seems as though the Citizens have their eye on securing the signature of another one of the Premier League’s top talents.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Daily Mail, City are interested in signing Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba on a free transfer this summer.

With his current contract at Old Trafford set to expire at the end of June, the Frenchman could be set to call time on his six-year second spell with the Red Devils.

Pogba re-joined the Manchester club in the summer of 2016 from Juventus in a deal worth a then world-record fee of £89m after leaving for free in 2012.

In 233 senior appearances for City’s rivals, the 29-year-old – who is currently picking up a wage of £290k-per-week – has scored 39 goals and provided 51 assists from midfield.

Despite playing just 20 league games for United this season, the 2018 World Cup winner has still delivered nine assists for his current team, which is more than any other player in their squad.

Also, with an average of 1.6 shots per game, only Cristiano Ronaldo (3.6) and Bruno Fernandes (2.4) have a higher average of players currently in Ralf Rangnick’s squad. This show just how much of an attacking danger the Frenchman can be from midfield.

From a defensive point of view, Pogba also has an average of 1.8 aerial duels won per game. Taking into account how United are the only team with a higher percentage for aerials won this season than City, adding the 29-year-old to their ranks could be a great way to make the English champions even stronger in the air.

Described as a “work of art” by his recently deceased agent Mino Raiola, Pogba could be a solid addition to Pep Guardiola’s squad if the Citizens are able to work out a deal for him in the summer.

In addition, taking a player off their rivals to potentially become an important figure for City and win trophies would presumably leave many fans in the blue half of Manchester ecstatic.

In other news: Big blow as behind-the-scenes transfer development emerges, it’s bad news for Man City

Celtic saw many players come and go out of the club during their previous summer and winter transfer windows as Ange Postecoglou made his mark on the squad.

Now that the next summer window is on the horizon, this will once again give the 56-year-old the chance to make any further changes to the squad that he sees fit.

In terms of which players that could or should be moved out of the club, we feel that the duo of goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas and striker Albian Ajeti should not be wearing Celtic shirts next season.

With a combined total of eight SPFL appearances between them this season, this shows just how far down the pecking order they are.

Looking at Barkas, the shot-stopper has only made two appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions in this campaign, conceding a goal in each of them.

The 27-year-old was slammed by Michael Stewart for his “catastrophic” error against FC Midtjylland that led to Celtic drawing 1-1 against them in their Champions League qualifying match back in July.

As for Ajeti, the striker has only started seven of the 17 games he’s appeared in, scoring three goals and providing one assist in the process.

Back in March, Frank McAvennie claimed that it was “unbelievable” that the attacker was still taking money from the club as a result of his dire performances.

When the Switzerland international has been able to get on the pitch in the SPFL, his performances haven’t done much to add cause for concern for the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi or Giorgos Giakoumakis in terms of their place in the side.

According to WhoScored, the centre-forward has only been able to earn himself a rather disappointing overall season rating of 6.47/10, making him one of the lowest-rated players in Postecoglou’s squad to start more than one league game in this campaign.

Moving forward, if Celtic have the chance to offload the duo in the summer, then they should absolutely do it without hesitation.

If they can then pick up some money in the process, this would be an ideal situation for them as the disastrous duo are not offering much to the team as things stand apart from rinsing the club financially.

In other news: Celtic now eye bid for £1.8m-rated gem with “serious Haaland vibes”, Ange will love it

Manchester United are rivalling Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal for the signing of Bayern Munich and France winger Michael Olise.

The 23-year-old has arguably matured into one of the best wingers in world football, excelling in a Bayern shirt since joining from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2024.

Olise has six assists already in the Bundesliga this season, which is more than Bruno Fernandes (three) and Bryan Mbuemo (one) combined in the Premier League, with a half-dozen league goals also coming his way, outlining his end product.

The Frenchman is a hugely sought-after player, which is no great surprise, given his age and talent – Liverpool have been linked with a move – and Bayern will be desperate to fend off any interest in him.

United may have spent big on attackers in the summer transfer window, bringing in Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, but they are likely to be on the lookout for further additions in 2026, in order to make competition for places as fierce as possible.

Man Utd in the mix to sign £123m-rated Michael Olise

According to Caught Offside‘s Mark Brus, Manchester United are showing “serious interest” in £123m-rated Bayern star Olise, but Liverpool and Arsenal are also in the race to snap him up.

Olise would be a spectacular addition for United, with Bayern centre-back and teammate Dayot Upamecano heaping praise on his brilliance in the past, saying: “He’s a magician. His technical level is very high. He can do everything. He can score, set up, and even defend.”

That said, the one confusing aspect of United potentially signing him is the fact that he plays a similar role to Mbeumo, in terms of being a left-footed right winger who cuts inside to wreak havoc.

It could be argued that the Red Devils don’t need both, especially with Amad Diallo continuing to grow as player in that role, with those funds being focused on other key positions, such as central midfield.

Man Utd have advantage over Chelsea in race for "midfield sensation" Assan Ouedraogo

He has a massive future in the game.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 25, 2025

That’s not to say that United should pass up the chance to bring in Olise, though, and beating Liverpool and Arsenal to him would be a massive statement, and he has the talent to light up Old Trafford for years to come.

Man Utd have advantage over Chelsea in race for "midfield sensation"

Everton have begun the 2025/26 season in encouraging fashion under David Moyes, demonstrating a level of resilience that has been a hallmark of the Scot’s management.

Their 8th-place standing with eleven points from three wins reflects a side gradually regaining confidence.

This includes victories against Wolves, Brighton, and a dramatic comeback over Crystal Palace, which ended the Eagles’ club-record 19-match unbeaten run.

A narrow defeat to Liverpool has also shown that Everton are competitive even against stronger opposition. This resurgence mirrors personal story arcs within the squad.

Several players are rediscovering form or thriving in new roles, their performances central to Everton’s improvement.

Last season, Everton climbed from mid-table mediocrity to 13th place following a strong second half of the campaign.

The current season sees similar trajectories, with key individuals revitalising their careers and contributing decisively in both goals and assists.

For a team balancing Premier League and European ambitions, these personal revivals are proving crucial.

Analysing Jack Grealish's revival at Everton

Few players embody Everton’s resurgence like Jack Grealish, the 30-year-old forward whose career has been revitalised since joining Goodison Park.

After struggling with injuries at Manchester City – missing 17 games over the past two seasons due to hip and groin problems – Grealish has found a regular rhythm under Moyes.

He has played 557 Premier League minutes in seven games, scoring one goal and providing four assists, already approaching last season’s totals.

Grealish’s influence is evident in his match-winning contributions.

He scored a 93rd-minute winner against Crystal Palace, securing the comeback that saw Everton climb the table.

Moyes’ decision to place faith in Grealish has clearly paid off; the player himself is thriving, enjoying regular minutes and responsibility.

This consistent involvement has also caught the attention of England manager Thomas Tuchel, who emphasised that regular football is vital for World Cup consideration.

Statistically, Grealish demonstrates why he remains central to Everton’s attacking identity.

In his most successful season – the 2022/23 treble-winning campaign – he averaged 6.27 progressive carries per 90, 4.39 progressive passes per 90, and covered a progressive passing distance of 113.3 metres per 90.

He completed 84.1% of his passes, generated 4.55 shot-creating actions per 90, executed 1.97 successful take-ons per 90, and made 42 carries per 90, with 33.9 touches in the attacking third.

These numbers illustrate not only his creativity but his ability to influence games consistently, reinforcing his value to Moyes’ project.

Grealish has become synonymous with Everton’s resurgence, his technical ability, vision, and leadership setting the standard for others in the squad, such as his heir apparent Tyler Dibling.

His reinvention in blue serves as a blueprint for younger or previously underutilised players seeking to find their feet at Goodison Park.

Everton's other Grealish-type sensation

Another player following a similar path is Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, the 27-year-old central midfielder who joined Everton from Chelsea on a five-year contract worth £28m.

At Chelsea, he had a bit-part role, mainly appearing as a substitute and in Conference League fixtures, though he did feature in the Club World Cup final win against PSG.

At Everton, he has taken on a more central role, playing seven times in all competitions this season, scoring once and providing one assist.

Described as a “revelation” at the King Power by Brendan Rodgers in the past, Dewsbury-Hall’s having a similar impact as a highly effective cog in Moyes’ machine.

Aggressive in duels, adept at reading the game, and confident in possession, he combines defensive responsibility with ball-carrying ability.

Statistically, he ranks in the 74th percentile for pass completion (80.4%), 82nd percentile for progressive passes per 90 (5.46), 87th percentile for tackles per 90 (1.90), and 98th percentile for clearances per 90 (1.54).

Matches Played

6

Goals

1

Assists

1

Progressive Carries

10

Progressive Passes

34

His ability to break up play while advancing the ball mirrors some of Grealish’s influence higher up the pitch.

While Grealish brings creativity and goal involvement, Dewsbury-Hall contributes through stability, aggression, and intelligence in midfield.

He covers ground, reads the game well, and consistently makes positive choices on the ball.

Like Grealish, he is rediscovering form and impact, highlighting Moyes’ capacity to rejuvenate players who may have stagnated elsewhere.

If he continues on this trajectory, Dewsbury-Hall could become a central figure in Everton’s midfield, much as Grealish has in attack.

His development underscores the importance of trusting players, particularly those previously underused, and demonstrates how Moyes can cultivate personal resurgence that directly benefits the team.

For Everton, while young Dibling looks a player for the future, both Grealish and Dewsbury-Hall represent key pillars of their season – one providing flair, the other balance – with the potential to help maintain top-half stability and mount a challenge for European qualification.

Moyes can ditch Barry & Beto to unleash "special" Everton star in new role

Everton may be able to solve their issues in front of goal with this player

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 10, 2025

Thomas Frank’s appointment as Tottenham Hotspur boss generated huge excitement amongst the fanbase this summer, with the Dane having the chance to build on the Europa League triumph.

He spent seven years in charge of Brentford before his arrival, often relying upon talents such as Bryan Mbeumo to provide the goods within the final third across the capital.

The Cameroonian international thrived under Frank’s guidance in the Premier League, netting 20 times in the top-flight last season, subsequently making him one of the division’s hottest properties.

After the 51-year-old took charge of the Lilywhites, a real sense of excitement built at the prospect of the Dane bringing the 26-year-old with him in an attempt to sustain the recent European triumph.

However, despite interest in his signature, Mbeumo would move to Manchester United in a £71m transfer – a huge amount of money and potentially a slight overpay.

As a result, the new boss has had to rely on another summer addition and one player already on the books to try and provide the impact he desires within attacking areas.

Kudus & Johnson’s start to the 2025/26 season at Spurs

After missing out on Mbeumo’s signature, Spurs forked out £55m for the services of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United to try and hand the manager his next version of the Cameroonian.

Such a deal may have been an expensive one, but it’s a transfer that has been worth every penny to date, with the Ghanaian already registering one goal and four assists in his first ten outings.

His first goal for the Lilywhites came in the recent triumph over Leeds United, subsequently highlighting his ability to pop up with crucial goals when the side need him most.

Kudus isn’t alone in falling into that category, with teammate Brennan Johnson also able to score key goals for the Lilywhites, as seen by his winner in the Europa League final last campaign.

Whilst he’s already scored three times across all competitions, the Welsh international has failed to start a single league game since the end of August and has rapidly fallen down the pecking order.

The 24-year-old will likely be disappointed with his lack of action, which has potentially been impacted by the arrival of Kudus during the recent transfer window.

Whilst both are hugely talented players, it remains to be seen if any can reach the levels produced by Mbeumo in recent times, but one other star already in the ranks could achieve such a feat, given the similarities in their careers.

The Spurs star who could be Frank’s next Mbeumo

Over the last couple of seasons, Spurs have splashed the cash to try and compete with teams around them, as seen by the respective deals to land Kudus and Johnson.

Around £400m has been spent in recent years to catapult the club to the needed success, with such spending undoubtedly helping them claim European glory back in May.

Various recruitment strategies have been in place over recent times, often signing a mixture of youth talent for the future, or players entering their prime and able to make an immediate impact.

However, players sometimes cross over both categories, as seen by the arrival of attacker Wilson Odobert from Burnley back in the summer of 2024.

A deal for the Frenchman certainly came out of nowhere, with the Lilywhites hierarchy paying £25m for his signature after the Clarets suffered relegation back to the Championship.

Whilst the 20-year-old has only made 30 appearances throughout the injury, he’s still managed to impress in North London and show glimpses of his potential and talents.

Odobert, who’s been dubbed “phenomenal” by one analyst, has already scored three times for the club, two of which came during their Europa League-winning campaign in 2024/25 – already highlighting his ability to produce the goods in key moments.

Whilst his goalscoring tally isn’t as impressive as Mbeumo’s, the similarities are there for everyone to see, with the Frenchman moving to England from Troyes.

The now Man Utd talent did the exact same upon his transfer to Brentford back in the summer of 2019 – subsequently needing time to make a huge impact in England.

Games played

16

Goals & assists

1

Pass accuracy

85%

Successful dribbles

1.3

Chances created

0.9

Shots taken

1.4

Touches in opposition box

4.1

Recoveries made

3.6

He struggled to register double figures in goals for each of his first three top-flight campaigns, but the Bees’ patience was certainly rewarded, as seen by his tallies and fee generated in recent times.

Odobert could do the exact same for the Lilywhites in the years ahead, with the club and fanbase needing to support the winger in his attempts for success in North London.

At just 20, he has bags of time to live up to the potential he arrived with, but it’s crucial that Frank works his magic once again to create another world-class attacker.

Spurs have signed an incredible "freak talent" who could be their new Bale

The sensational gem could become Tottenham Hotspur’s new Gareth Bale.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 8, 2025

Should he get anywhere close to Mbeumo’s level, it would be a sensational piece of business and one that could help the Lilywhites sustain their recent success in Europe or even domestically.

Newcastle United are expecting movements from both directions in the summer transfer market, with Eddie Howe looking to make astute investments after qualifying for the Champions League.

Though the Magpies are skating on thinner ice than most of their Premier League rivals in regard to the PSR front, they should be able to emerge from the market unscathed, making as many as four first-team additions.

Howe will certainly be hoping to secure a new defensive signature, with The Telegraph already revealing rekindled interest in Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, who is worth £65m and has one year left on his contract.

However, PIF might want United to make a shrewder signing, and there’s one in particular which could fit the bill.

Newcastle to intensify talks for new CB

According to Caught Offside, Newcastle are ready to up their pursuit of Monaco defender Wilfried Singo, who is also being targeted by Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

Talks are expected to intensify soon, with further suitors across Europe looking to get involved given the Ivory Coast international is available for a bargain €35m (£30m).

The 24-year-old has a wealth of choice to pick from, should he leave, but Newcastle’s interest dates back to 2022, so they may be able to tempt him to join the fold at St. James’ Park.

What Wilfried Singo would bring to Newcastle

Singo rose from Serie A side Torino’s academy before joining Monaco in a €9m (£7m) deal back in August 2023, having since gone from strength to strength in France and earned praise as a “freak athlete” and a “duel monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Powerful and pacy, Singo’s strengths have been utilised on the wide flank at times, but there’s no question he’s at his best in a central defensive berth.

His eye for goal and natural progressiveness have even led him to be linked by FBref as Real Madrid star Dean Huijsen’s most comparable player, ranking among the top 1% of centre-halves across Europe’s top five leagues this season for goal involvements, the top 15% for progressive passes and the top 8% for progressive carries per 90.

It becomes even clearer when assessing the respective defenders’ metrics from the recently completed campaign.

Matches (starts)

27 (23)

32 (26)

Goals

1

3

Assists

2

2

Touches*

65.9

63.9

Pass completion

87%

84%

Key passes*

0.3

0.5

Ball recoveries*

5.1

3.3

Tackles + interceptions*

3.0

2.7

Clearances*

4.0

6.1

Duels (won)*

4.7 (60%)

3.6 (56%)

Huijsen was on Newcastle’s radar, as per the BBC, after his exemplary season with Bournemouth, but when Los Blancos came calling, activating his £50m release clause, the Spain star only had one destination in mind, rejecting a wealth of Premier League interest.

Given the Magpies’ desire for Guehi, too, it’s clear this is a priority position, and Singo’s ostensible availability could lead to an official in the coming weeks, not that talks are intensifying.

Technically proficient and a confident and commanding defensive presence, Singo could prove to be Newcastle’s very own version of Huijsen next season, providing the requisite quality at the back to ensure the club can wade deep into Champions League competition and challenge for a place at the forefront of the Premier League.

Newcastle line up "magical" £59m CF who's like Cunha & Mbeumo

Newcastle are plotting to sign a few new forwards this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 5, 2025