All posts by z3u9t.icu

As per Pianeta Genoa, as shared by Sport Witness, West Ham winger Andriy Yarmolenko has been linked with a move to Italian side Genoa, following the appointment of manager Andriy Shevchenko.

THE LOWDOWN: YARMOLENKO STRUGGLING FOR PLAYING TIME

The Ukrainian attacker has made just eight appearances in the Premier League this season, with all of his minutes having come as a substitute.

Yarmolenko, an experienced Ukraine international with 106 caps, has struggled for playing time under manager David Moyes due to a combination of Manuel Lanzini, Jarrod Bowen, Saïd Benrahma and Pablo Fornals all being preferred options on the wing.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-developments-2/” title=”West Ham developments” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

This has severely limited the number of opportunities the 32-year-old has had this campaign, pushing him out of the Hammers’ plans as more and more exit links pop up.

THE LATEST: YARMOLENKO EXIT CLAIM

As per Pianeta Genoa (via Sport Witness), Serie A club Genoa have opened talks regarding the possible transfer of Yarmolenko. The winger’s contract is due to expire in the summer, so this may mean West Ham are forced into selling him in the January transfer window for a small fee.

Pianeta Genoa claim that the talks are progressing well, although it is unclear whether Genoa are in talks with the player’s agents or with West Ham directly.

THE VERDICT: TIME TO LEAVE?

Following the arrival of Shevchenko at Genoa, it is evident from these talks that the manager was impressed with Yarmolenko whilst he was in charge of the Ukrainian national side.

This would indicate a good level of playing time for the West Ham player, who, at 32-years-old, would surely relish the chance of regular first-team minutes as he nears the end of his career.

When on top form, Yarmolenko can put in dazzling performances in the attacking third – just look at the quality he produced at Euro 2020. Fan favourite Declan Rice even labelled the Ukrainian international as ‘special’ (per Hammers. News), and raved about his technical ability.

Yarmolenko could prove to be an asset for Genoa if the Hammers choose to let him go in January, and this feels like a win win for all parties if the Irons can indeed bank a fee and let an unwanted fringe player move on.

Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw has avoided serious injury…

What’s the latest?

In an update relayed by The Athletic’s Phil Hay, it appears as if the central midfielder is in line to be available for the Yorkshiremen’s clash with Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

“Good news from Forshaw on the hamstring front. Looks to have avoided a bad one,” the reliable journalist said on Twitter.

The 30-year-old star was withdrawn after just 22 minutes during Sunday’s impressive 3-2 victory over West Ham United, dealing manager Marcelo Bielsa his umpteenth injury blow of the season.

However, that does not appear to be the case, so the Argentine has just been handed a major boost heading into the weekend.

Significant boost for Bielsa

Indeed, Leeds have suffered from more than their fair share of injury problems throughout the 2021/22 season.

As many as 11 players were missing for their clash against Arsenal last month and their bench down at the London Stadium contained just one senior pro in Rodrigo, who was making his own return from injury.

The rest were some of the club’s most promising academy talent, including 15-year-old midfielder Archie Gray.

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

Bielsa has already been missing Kalvin Phillips at the base of his engine room – a position that Forshaw has stepped up to deputise in with aplomb, and so much so that he’s been rewarded with a new one-year contract extension.

“I am still very much liking the effort levels from Forshaw, the amount of ground he’s able to cover. I don’t think in any way that the system worked for him or for anybody else against City or against Arsenal, but again, it’s pleasing to see that his body is holding up to this,” Hay claimed of Forshaw to his podcast last month.

In Phillips’ absence, the 5 foot 9 dynamo has excelled, averaging 2.3 tackles and one interception per outing, which is hugely impressive in terms of defensive output but it’s his 2.3 long balls per game, via WhoScored, that suggests he’s slotted in seamlessly.

As such, it will come as a significant boost to Bielsa that his injury isn’t as bad as first feared. If he’s available to face the Magpies, then the 66-year-old will surely be buzzing ahead of kickoff when the time comes to name his starting XI.

Forshaw is a crucial player to Leeds, more so now than ever.

AND in other news, Deal agreed: Leeds eye bargain swoop for £4.5m-rated “pitbull”…

Leeds should still look to land Brentford star Ivan Toney this summer amid Jon Newsome’s transfer claim.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are keen on bringing Toney up to the Premier League, but Newsome has raised his doubts over a potential move.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, the former Leeds ace was asked whether he would go for a big-money deal for Toney if he had the choice.

He said: “In a word, no. No, I don’t think I would. I mean, if you’re looking at the players that they brought into the football club in the summer, all four of them are international football players and not one of them has got anywhere near the £35m price tag.

“So I’m not diminishing Toney’s ability and the impact that he’s had at Brentford this season, because I think he’s doing incredibly well, he’s doing really well.”

Far better than Bamford

Speaking last year, Peterborough’s director of football Barry Fry raved about Toney’s ability, saying: “He’s turned into a tremendous all-round footballer. It’s important to remember Ivan is not just an exceptional goal-scoring forward, he’s also an outstanding defender.”

The 25-year-old is clinical in front of goal, having found the back of the net an incredible 29 times in just 40 league games and only missing six official big chances all season. Compare that to Leeds’ number nine Patrick Bamford, who has missed more than three times as many big chances (21) despite playing fewer games (32) – you only have to see his performance against Liverpool to see that being ruthless isn’t his strong suit.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Latest Leeds transfer rumours and news”]

Aside from being a lethal finisher, Toney also betters Bamford in many key attacking areas. He averages more key passes and crosses per game, makes more tackles and wins back possession more per match, and comes out on top in twice as many duels per game too.

Then, when you factor in the fact Bamford has never crossed the 20-goal mark in a league campaign while Toney has done so in the last two campaigns, it suggests that the latter is much more potent in front of goal.

As Fry says, the Brentford ace is the archetypal all-round centre-forward, and given that he has seamlessly made the step up from League One to the Championship, he should be confident in his own ability of doing the same at Premier League level. It’s exactly why Leeds must swoop for the £16.2m-rated striker.

Meanwhile, this Leeds man let Bielsa down vs Liverpool…

A worrying Tottenham Hotspur injury update has emerged on midfielder Oliver Skipp…

What’s the latest?

Antonio Conte has revealed that the England U21 international is not closing in on a return as he is having issues with his recovery.

He has been out of action since January and it remains to be seen when he will be able to represent the club on the pitch again.

Charlie Eccleshare tweeted: “Conte on Skipp injury: ‘Skipp is having a bit of trouble with his injury – in this moment he’s not available. I know his frustration, but this new contract shows we trust him a lot and he will be very important for the present and future.'”

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-martinez-dybala-spence-conte-2” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

The head coach also spoke about the youngster’s new contract at the club, saying: “I’m very happy for Skippy because we are taking about a good player, young player. A player from the academy and you know very well the importance to this club of developing players from the academy. A fantastic guy.”

Supporters will be fuming

The supporters will be fuming with this injury update as it suggests that Skipp will not be back out on the pitch any time soon for Spurs.

They will be keen to see him in the starting XI as he is ‘one of their own’ and has shown glimpses of Premier League quality in his career so far.

The gem was handed his chance in the first team this term after a sublime season on loan with Norwich in the second tier. In 45 league appearances, he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.02 as he made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game and helped them to win the title.

He was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year for his efforts and carried that form over into the start of this season with Spurs as he started 14 Premier League matches before his injury and averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.81.

Skipp is a midfielder who mixes energy and defensive ballast with control and poise in possession and looks classy in a deep-lying role in the middle of the park. He has completed an impressive 90% of his attempted passes in the top-flight and fans will surely be keen to have his reassuring presence gracing the team again as quickly as possible.

This is why they will be fuming with this update from Conte as it is a huge blow for Spurs and Skipp and they will be hoping that he is able to overcome his issues sooner rather than later.

AND in other news: Conte can now axe “truly hilarious” £42k-p/w flop as Spurs eye £33m “difference maker”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United defender believes Georginio Wijnaldum will be wanting to be one of the top earners at Liverpool, hence why contract talks have dragged on for so long

Wijnaldum has been an ever-present for Liverpool since signing from Newcastle United in 2017, having made 225 appearances for the Reds, which has led the midfielder to want a new and improved contract at Anfield with Barcelona waiting to swoop in on the Dutch international.

The 30-year old’s current deal is set to expire this summer and despite being the scorer of some important goals in Liverpool’s recent history, like the one against Barcelona, both parties remain far apart in discussions with the midfielder admitting he’d be devastated to leave Anfield.

Speaking on the former Newcastle midfielder’s future on Merseyside and what he will be expecting from Liverpool’s owners, Howey exclusively told FFC:

“He’ll obviously want to be one of the top earners and rightly so because of what he’s done at the club.

“He’s helped change the fortunes of Liverpool, they’ve been Premier League, Champion League and Club World Cup champions and he’s been a big part of that with some very important goals.

“So, I can totally understand why Wijnaldum is wanting that new deal. At the moment, however, it’s just a really difficult time for Liverpool as well.”

Wijnaldum’s market value currently stands at £36 million and during a time where Liverpool have not been able to splash the cash, it could prove to be a big blow if the Dutch international walks away for free.

Liverpool are focusing on finishing in the top four this season, however after getting past RB Leipzig this week, Klopp may see winning the Champions League as the club’s best route into the competition next season.

Ukraine striker Roman Yaremchuk is a ‘concrete target’ for West Ham United, according to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti.

The lowdown

Yaremchuk, who is currently on Euro 2020 duty, plays for KAA Gent in the Belgian top flight. Last season, he scored 20 goals in 34 appearances in the Jupiler Pro League, ranking him joint-third in the division.

The 25-year-old has been with Gent since 2017 and has four years left on his current contract.

Yaremchuk has found the net in both of Ukraine’s Euro 2020 Group C matches so far. He headed Ukraine level against the Netherlands in their opener before Denzel Dumfries’ late winner, and he was also on the scoresheet in the 2-1 victory against North Macedonia last Thursday.

The latest

In a tweet, Galetti reported that the Hammers had developed a serious interest in Yaremchuk, who is ‘a concrete target’ for the east London club.

The journalist claimed that an offer in the region of €20m (£17.1m) will be enough to persuade Gent to part with him, but there’s also a hint that Serie A giants AC Milan might be ‘calling’ as well.

The verdict

West Ham’s squad does seem light at the top of the pitch, particularly with a European campaign on the horizon. They need quality cover and competition for sole centre-forward Michail Antonio, and Yaremchuk looks as if he’d provide just that given his impressive goalscoring exploits in Belgium.

A fee of £17.1m may be viewed as a little steep, but attacking depth is one of the key weaknesses in the squad which must be addressed, particularly given Antonio’s injury record. In order to mitigate that, it seems to be worth investing the aforementioned amount in the in-form Yaremchuk.

In other news, these West Ham fans flocked to links with another striker.

Some Liverpool fans believe Joel Matip could leave the club this summer, following news of the Reds’ likely signing of Ibrahima Konate.

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Reds are closing in on a deal for the RB Leipzig centre-back this summer, with talks believed to be at an advanced stage.

It is a potentially exciting piece of business for Liverpool, with Konate a highly-rated young defender who has impressed for the Bundesliga side.

While the youngster’s increasingly likely arrival at Anfield is good news for many, it may not be too positive for Matip with regards to his future at the club.

The Cameroonian has become something of a cult hero for Liverpool, but despite his popularity, his constant fitness issues are now problematic.

Matip is out for the rest of the season, at a time when Jurgen Klopp desperately needed him to stay fit, and he cannot be trusted to be available on a regular basis.

The addition of Konate, and possible permanent signing of Ozan Kabak, could mean trouble for the 29-year-old, whose contract admittedly doesn’t expire until 2024.

Liverpool fans believe Matip could leave

A number of Liverpool supporters have taken to Twitter to provide their thoughts on Matip’s future following the news on Konate, with several thinking that the Cameroonian’s Anfield days could be nearing an end.

“Could see Matip go”

Credit: @FalseFMatt

“”I reckon it’s Konate for Matip and we still sign Kabak on a permanent”

Credit: @icy7_YNWA

“Selling Matip and having both Kabak and Konate is such a good long-term investment”

Credit: @ABxLFC

“We might actually sell Matip if this Konate deal is happening”

Credit: @LFCSai7

“Bye bye Davies, Matip. Kabak, VVD, Konate, Gomez next season then?”

Credit: @unimpedance

“Matip….. IT’S TIME TO GO”

Credit: @Cameronn8_

In other news, Liverpool have been tipped to complete a double swoop this summer – find out more here.

Celtic interim boss John Kennedy has cleared up any confusion regarding a possible exit for Karamoko Dembele this summer.

The Lowdown: Dembele rumours

Dembele, 18, netted his first senior goal for the Hoops in a 4-0 win over St Johnstone on Wednesday evening.

The winger was linked with a summer exit back in January, with former Celtic man Mark Wilson adamant Dembele would move on at the end of the current campaign.

French sides Lille and Nantes were thought to be keen on the youngster’s services, and, at the time, it was believed his deal was set to expire at the end of the season.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-3/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Kennedy confirms length of contract

However, talking after the win over St Johnstone, as reported by The Scottish Sun, Kennedy cleared up Dembele’s contract situation, describing the teenager as ‘terrific’ in the process.

“There is a lot of speculation in terms of Karamoko being out of contract in the summer.

“I don’t know where that has come from because he has another year left.

“In terms of him, again a young player and every young player has a different pathway.

“Karamoko has been spoken about as the next superstar, but people develop physically at different rates.

“He is probably one who still has a bit of development, but is a terrific talent — we know that.

“It’s not a token gesture [his substitute appearance], he has done well in training recently.”

The Verdict: Gives Hoops vital time

With Dembele actually having another 12 months on his Celtic deal left to run, that may give the Hoops the time required to persuade him his long-term future lies in Glasgow.

He’s only made seven senior appearances for the club to date, and you’d expect he’d have to be guaranteed more game time for him to pen a new deal at Parkhead.

With sides in France recently keen and Kennedy admitting he has been spoken about as a ‘superstar’, the next 12 months for Celtic could prove crucial in regards to ensuring his future is with the Bhoys.

That said, a fresh faced new arrival in the dugout – one like Eddie Howe perhaps – could be just what he needs to really kickstart his career in Glasgow.

In other news: Celtic keen on versatile ace who could move to Parkhead for next to nothing, find out more here.

According to a report by Football Insider, West Ham United and GSB have made an approach to sign Liverpool attacker Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – with the club ultimately assessing his availability this summer. 

The Lowdown: Oxlade-Chamberlain emerges as target?

Links to the Liverpool midfielder have emerged as fairly new, with the wider consensus being manager David Moyes’ top priorities are both a permanent deal for Jesse Lingard and a new striker.

However, ExWHUemployee did recently claim that Moyes will look to strengthen at left-back, centre-back and in central midfield once he has acquired a new forward in particular (Patreon).

The Latest: GSB make approach…

Now, a West Ham United source has told Football Insider that GSB could look at Oxlade-Chamberlain as an option to bolster their midfield options.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-rumours-and-gossip-two-electric-boogaloo-copy/” title=”West Ham updates” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

It is said that the club have made an approach to ultimately assess his availability whilst also making third party contact over the possibility of signing Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer.

The Anfield club, however, value him at around £22 million and West Ham will have to invest considerably if they wish to bring him to the London Stadium.

He comes as a possible alternative to Lingard with the Irons loanee attracting plenty of suitors after a stellar few months in Claret and Blue.

The Verdict: Avoid…

On a reported £120,000-per-week, if Oxlade-Chamberlain were to command a similar salary in east London, it would make him the highest paid player at West Ham (spotrac.com).

Blighted by a serious knee injury this season, the 27-year-old missed 20 matches for Liverpool over 2020/2021 (Transfermarkt) and the last thing West Ham need is an injury prone signing.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, speaking on Oxlade-Chamberlain at the end of last year, was adamant that the Englishman is still an ‘outstanding player’ despite his fitness issues (The Guardian).

However, with the £22m price tag and salary, we believe that he is simply not worth the price for West Ham.

In other news: West Ham fans blast this ace who lost the ball 17 times against WBA,  find out more here.

Express and Star journalist Luke Hatfield believes it will take a serious bid for Aston Villa to consider selling Douglas Luiz before the deadline.

Birmingham Live reported that AS Roma head coach Jose Mourinho remains interested in Luiz ahead of the 11pm cut-off on Tuesday and that Luiz was a name mentioned not long after Mourinho took charge of the club.

The 23-year-old, defensive midfielder has made 78 appearances for Aston Villa during his time with the club, including playing Villa’s last two Premier League matches against Newcastle United and Brentford.

Luiz is now an Olympic Gold Medallist, as he was part of the Brazil team which went undefeated through the Olympics this summer and defeated Spain in the final 2-1 after extra-time.

Whilst there is interest in his signature from Roma, Hatfield believes it will take a serious bid for Villa to consider selling him, telling Transfer Tavern: “I don’t know how keen Villa would be to let him go now. Obviously if there was an offer which was too good to refuse then they’d probably consider it and have to wave goodbye to Luiz. 

“I think Villa will have been impressed by the way that Luiz has come back from action in South America and at the Olympics and he actually put in a really good performance on his return as well against Newcastle, I was pretty impressed by him.

“So, I’d be surprised if they’re willing to let him leave before the transfer window closes, but you know money talks, so if Roma come in with a serious bid and Villa think they can reinvest that cash in another area or in another player then maybe it’s one they consider.”

Villa have had a brilliant summer, strengthening their squad with real quality. With the new signings and getting four points from a possible nine so far in the Premier League, Villa will be hoping to improve on last season’s eleventh placed Premier League finish.