All posts by z3u9t.icu

A Newcastle United transfer claim has been made, regarding a player they have on their list of targets this month…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Marcos Senesi is a defender the Magpies are looking at as they attempt to bolster their squad before the market closes.

He told Football FanCast: “Yeah, he’s someone that’s on their list. Newcastle have probably the longest list ever in a transfer window this January; a lot of players on it.”

Excited

Newcastle fans will surely be excited by this big claim as Senesi could be a shrewd addition to the squad for the second half of the campaign.

The 24-year-old has established himself as a top defender in the Eredivise since the start of last season and the defence is an area in which the Magpies need to strengthen significantly.

Norwich, who have played a game more, are the only team in the division with more goals conceded than Eddie Howe’s side and they have kept one clean sheet in the league, showing that they are in dire need of reinforcements at the back.

In Senesi, they could find a player who is able to come in and solve some of their problems. He has shown that he can deliver consistently brilliant performances for Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, with an average SofaScore rating of 7.27 last term and 7.18 so far this season.

The Argentine defender has won 67% of his duels in the Dutch top-flight and made 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game from centre-back. This shows that he is strong in his individual battles and able to regularly win the ball back for his side, which is something he could do for Newcastle to improve their defensive record.

Therefore, fans will be excited by the prospect of him coming in before the window shuts. They will surely be buzzing to read that the club’s recruitment team are looking at talented young defenders who could come in and make an impact, whilst also holding the potential to improve further.

Howe could work with Sensei on the training pitch to hone his talent and develop him over the years, as he has plenty of time ahead of him at the age of 24. This is another reason why this deal could be an enthralling one for the fans and for the Toon as a whole.

AND in other news, “They’d like to sign..”: Reporter delivers big NUFC transfer claim, it’ll excite Howe…

Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick is eyeing up a move for Leeds United hero Kalvin Phillips, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Phillips’ future unsure

The 25-year-old has become a modern-day Whites great, helping the club return to the Premier League and becoming a vital player for England, too.

Phillips’ performances have caught the attention of some of the country’s biggest clubs, however, and Leeds could find it tough to keep hold of him.

The Englishman’s current Whites deal expires in the summer of 2024, with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City linked with moves in recent times.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Man Utd keen on move

According to ESPN sources, Rangnick sees Phillips as one of three ideal midfield options to come in next summer, as United look to return to the top of English football.

Also mentioned in the report are Amadou Haidara and Jude Bellingham, who are both impressing at RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund, respectively.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-27/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Surely not joining them?

Many Leeds fans may understand Phillips deciding to move on at the end of the season, considering his potential interest in testing himself at Champions League level and potential to win major trophies.

That being said, the thought of him copying Alan Smith and moving to United is a grim one for Whites supporters, given the rivalry that exists between the two clubs.

Moving to Old Trafford could tarnish Phillips’ reputation, which would be a huge shame after 226 appearances and so many influential displays, so seeing him move elsewhere would be preferable if he does decide to leave.

In other news, a key update has emerged regarding Leeds’ January spending. Read more here.

Wesley Hoedt ‘probably would fit the bill’ as a Connor Goldson replacement at Rangers. 

That’s according to freelance journalist Pete O’Rourke, who was speaking to Give Me Sport.

The lowdown

Goldson is out of contract at the end of this season and Football Insider reported at the start of this month that, as per an Ibrox source, he had rejected the offer of a new deal in Glasgow. The former Brighton defender is apparently intent on testing himself in the Premier League once more.

Meanwhile, Hoedt permanently left Southampton in the summer to join Belgian outfit Anderlecht, having had loan spells at Celta Vigo, Royal Antwerp and Lazio. The 27-year-old penned a four-year contract and is valued at £3.6m by Transfermarkt.

The Dutchman has been named as a target for the Gers by the Daily Record (as relayed by Ibrox News) ahead of the winter transfer window.

The latest

O’Rourke has claimed that the Gers will be putting together a shortlist of centre-backs who they could pursue if Goldson leaves, and Hoedt may be among those lined up.

The journalist told Give Me Sport: “I’m sure they are drawing up potential replacements for Goldson, and I think Hoedt probably would fit the bill.”

The verdict

Hoedt has experience of some of Europe’s top leagues, having made 65 Serie A appearances and played 41 times in the Premier League during his career. He has also been capped six times by Netherlands, although his last international outing was in March 2017.

While Southampton ultimately decided to offload him, he won some plaudits for his displays in England. For example, Liverpool’s hugely successful manager Jurgen Klopp hailed him as a ‘really, really good player’.

For a reasonable fee at the age of 27, he could be a smart pick-up by Rangers, especially if Goldson flies the coop next year.

In other news, some Rangers fans ripped into this player against St Mirren

Celtic are closing in on a deal to bring Reo Hatate to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claim that Ange Postecoglou’s side are doing all they can to tie up a deal for the Kawasaki Frontale left-back ahead of the opening of the winter market, with the Bhoys believed to be attempting to fast-track the 24-year-old’s switch to Parkhead.

The report goes on to state that the Hoops have all but agreed terms with both the J League side and the defender, and are confident that Kawasaki Frontale will not stand in the way of the Japan international making a move to Glasgow prior to the expiry of his contract at the end of January.

Finally, it is said that Celtic are hoping to have Hatate’s work permit application and the surrounding paperwork completed before January 1, and are hoping that the left-back can make his debut in the Old Firm clash on the second of the month.

Postecoglou will be buzzing

Considering just how much of a problem position left-back has been for Postecoglou so far in his time at Celtic, should the Bhoys indeed manage to get a deal tied up for Hatate in the coming weeks, it would undoubtedly be an outcome that will leave the 56-year-old buzzing.

Indeed, the 24-year-old has highly impressed over his 29 J League appearances this season, scoring five goals, registering two assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of two shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

The £720k-rated defender has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.3 tackles, 52.4 passes and winning 5.3 duels per fixture.

These returns have seen the Japan international average a SofaScore match rating of 7.16, ranking him as Kawasaki Frontale’s fifth-best performer in the league, as well as the joint 15th-best player in the entire division.

As such, considering the fact that Greg Taylor has been sidelined for the vast majority of the current campaign due to injury, while Boli Bolingoli’s two appearances in all competitions this season prove that he is clearly not a player in Postecoglou’s first-team plans, the signing of a new left-back in the January window – particularly one as exciting as Hatate – will undoubtedly come as a major boost to the 56-year-old’s chances of going on to reclaim Celtic’s Scottish Premiership crown come next May.

In other news: “I’m sure..”: Celtic figure drops promising transfer claim that’ll delight Bhoys fans

Rangers are back in Premiership action today with a home clash against Dundee in their latest push for the league title.

Looking beyond today’s match, it seems as though the club have been handed a fresh injury boost which will surely have a lot of fans buzzing.

What’s the news?

Speaking ahead of the clash against Dundee this afternoon, Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst revealed that Leon Balogun will train with the squad on Sunday after missing their two previous league games and should be back ‘soon’.

The 33-year-old defender has played 18 games across all competitions so far this season, which shows just how important he is for the team and why having him back in training again will be such a big positive for the Gers.

Averaging 3.3 clearances, 1.8 tackles and 1.4 interceptions in the league this term along with winning 64% of his duels, Balogun’s overall league performances have earned him a season rating of 7.06/10, making him Rangers’ fifth-highest rated player in 2021/22 according to WhoScored.

Since joining the club in 2020 on a free transfer from Wigan Athletic, the defender – who is currently valued at £720k by Transfermarkt – has made 46 appearances for Rangers across all competitions, with one goal and three assists to his name for the club.

Moving forward, if Rangers can secure a win today and then have the Nigerian back to full fitness and staying fit for the rest of the season, it could give the team a great chance of securing the title once again in 2022.

Looking even further down the line, with Balogun’s current contract at Ibrox set to expire at the end of the season, it’ll be intriguing to see whether or not the club decide to offer him a new deal to keep him in their squad for a little bit longer.

Taking into account his performances this season and his evident defensive abilities, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they were to offer him a new contract.

In other news: “We understand”: Journalist drops major Rangers transfer update which will leave fans fuming…

Loads of Glasgow Rangers fans have been left fuming as a post emerged from Ewan Murray.

The Scottish football journalist has now claimed that the Light Blues were not ‘excellent’ in their performance against Hearts in the Scottish Premiership a couple of weeks ago, despite what he had heard and read.

He added that the display ‘smacked of grasping for hope’, which really wound up the Ibrox faithful.

Steven Gerrard’s men ended up drawing the game 1-1 at home, but had no fewer than 27 shots on goal, with ten of those on target, and overall dominated a lot of the key stats in the fixture (SofaScore).

Given that the Teddy Bears dropped more points at home in their 2-2 draw with Aberdeen on Wednesday night, it seems as if Murray is trying to get the fans to bite, and that’s exactly what’s happened.

Rangers fans on Murray post

These Gers supporters were left fuming as Murray posted his thoughts on the match on his official Twitter page:

“I agree with the 5 live reporter who said Hearts stole a point and that there was only one team in the game, and Rangers should’ve been out a sight, but what would he know?”

Credit: @Gordygfl

“Absolute nonsense, it should have been a 3 or 4 to nil game vs Hearts”

Credit: @FacelessRanger

“The only thing missing from that game was Morelos’s shooting boots. Don’t kid yourself on that Hearts troubled us at all.”

Credit: @8MmAaRrKk

“You’re talking nonsense, Ewan. Dominated the first half. Sat off second half. Still had 3 excellent chances in the second half.”

Credit: @mendrinkmilk

“Rangers shoulda been out of sight from hearts in the first half. You seem to be tweeting more about Rangers than golf recently. And btw, we’re top of the league for a reason”

Credit: @brianpaton9

“He’s deluded hahah thank God you have some sanity.”

Credit: @Rfc1872I

In other news, find out whose display against Aberdeen was blasted here!

Flocking to Twitter, many West Bromwich Albion fans have slammed striker Callum Robinson for his display against Middlesborough on Saturday.

Valerien Ismael’s men, looking to keep chase with the automatic promotion pack, are eyeing a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking after their relegation last season.

They currently sit third in the Championship table and are well in contention to climb back into England’s top flight, but an inconsistent run of results since the beginning of October has hindered them somewhat.

Victories over Bristol City, Birmingham City and Hull City have been marred by defeats to Swansea, Stoke and Fulham since last month and West Brom may need to start performing on a more consistent basis to truly fight till the end.

During their contest against Boro at The Hawthorns this afternoon, one man who certainly didn’t help in that regard was Robinson – with Ismael replacing him at half time due to his ineffective display.

According to SofaScore, the Republic of Ireland international managed zero shots on or off target and lost 100 per cent of his aerial duels against the visitors.

As well as this, he only found a teammate with 43 per cent of his passes – by far the lowest in the XI – leaving little wonder why fans weren’t too pleased with his display.

Find all of their verdicts down from Twitter down below.

West Brom fans slam Robinson…

“Robinson is not a centre forward. Never will be. Awful first touch. Lost possession far to many times and far to weak for the goal. Hugill has to start every game until we get a new striker in January. Liability.”

Credit: @BradPoole31

“When can we discuss how poor he’s been for weeks?”

Credit: @danstanna

“The praise got to his head he has been non existent since.”

Credit: @1toowatch

“Where’s the Robinson that scored 5 in 2 games for Ireland?? He’s doing nothing for us”

Credit: @JDWBA2

“No shots, Robinson given the ball away every time he’s had it, Townsend SHOULD NOT be playing in a back 3 and we look devoid of ideas. It’s simply awful stuff.”

Credit: @369ell

“I don’t think we have a player in worse form than Robinson tbh”

Credit: @dannyw_92

An update has emerged on Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce, regarding his future at St. James’ Park…

What’s the talk?

Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has dropped a fresh update on the future of the 60-year-old following PIF’s recent takeover of the club.

“Amanda Staveley says NUFC owners have [the] ambition to match superpowers like Man City & PSG.

“Also: Bruce set to be replaced, with owners ready to settle £8m payoff, Rodgers among names mentioned. Shearer/Keegan contacted with view to ambassadorial roles.” he tweeted.

Hope’s report claims that the new owners, who have taken over from Mike Ashley, are poised to relieve Bruce of his duties and pay him the £8m required to end his contract early, which would be an exceptional return from Your Bonus Code.

Delight

This development from Hope will surely leave Newcastle fans feeling delighted for more than one reason.

Firstly, it means that Bruce is set to leave Tyneside after a difficult spell in charge of the club, with the ex-Sunderland and Villa coach far from loved in some sections of the fanbase.

A recent survey by the Newcastle United Supporters Trust found that 94.3% of the fans wanted Bruce to resign as manager, with 95.3% of fans believing that the club will be relegated this season.

The latter statistic may change following the takeover and the potential change of manager, although NUST will need to produce another survey to accurately realise that prediction.

This suggests that fans will be delighted, in the main, that Bruce is on the verge of being sacked.

The owners are showing an immediate intent to make changes at St. James’ Park and their willingness to part ways with £8m within days of arriving to sack the 60-year-old is a signal of intent from a footballing and financial standpoint.

Supporters could also be buzzing with this news because of what it means post-Bruce.

Once his exit is confirmed, should this report prove to be accurate, then Newcastle will be in the market for a new head coach under an ambitious new regime and that could be an exciting prospect for fans to look forward to in the coming weeks.

Irrespective of who they get in to replace Bruce, the decision to let him go appears to be a shrewd one on paper. Newcastle are currently 19th in the Premier League and winless after seven matches, with Norwich – who have lost six of their seven games – the only team with fewer points than the Magpies.

No team has conceded more goals than Newcastle and this dreadful start to the campaign has shown no signs of getting better in recent matches. This, along with the feeling amongst the fanbase towards Bruce, is why this decision by PIF could be an excellent one.

AND in other news, “An early casualty”: Reliable journo drops NUFC takeover claim, fans will be ecstatic…

Journalist Stuart Hodge has dropped a major claim on Rangers manager Steven Gerrard, regarding his future at Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

The Scottish reporter has claimed that the 2021/22 campaign could be the head coach’s last season in Glasgow as he attracts admirers from elsewhere unless the Gers fail to win the Scottish Premiership title.

Newcastle were recently touted with interest in Gerrard, but appear to have moved their attention towards Portuguese manager Paulo Fonseca.

Hodge told GIVEMESPORT:

“I think this will be his last season at Rangers.

“The only way I think it might not be is if they didn’t win the title. If that were the case, it could be a case of where he wants to win it back.”

Worries

These comments will surely frustrate Rangers fans as there appears to be a growing belief that this could be his final campaign at the club.

The speculation surrounding the Newcastle job and now this claim from Hodge plays into the narrative that Gerrard could take the next step in his managerial career within the next 12 months and that could be a horrible thought if you are of a Gers persuasion.

Gerrard is a key figure for the club and has achieved great success since his move to Ibrox in 2018. He ended Celtic’s domination of Scottish football by leading Rangers to the title last season and that, on its own, is surely enough to be deserving of immense admiration from the fanbase.

After years of the Hoops being the most successful side in the country, the Gers have been able to seize back control of Glasgow and the Liverpudlian has played a major role in that.

In 114 Premiership matches in charge of Rangers, the ex-Liverpool man has led his side to 82 wins and 267 points – averaging 2.33 points per game. They won the title last term and are currently sat top of the table on 23 points after winning seven of their opening ten matches.

This illustrates just how important Gerrard is to Rangers, with the retired England international re-installing a winning mentality at Ibrox and piecing together a side capable of winning trophies. His impressive management is exactly why supporters will be worried by the speculation over his future.

AND in other news, Possession lost 20x: Rangers lightweight with 75% duels lost let Gerrard down badly…

Some Rangers supporters have laid into Jack Simpson’s performance in the first half at home to Motherwell.

After the disappointment of losing 2-0 to Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday evening, Steven Gerrard’s side returned to Scottish Premiership action on Sunday.

The Gers had a major incentive going into the game, with a draw enough to take them top of the table, but a victory clearly more preferable.

Gerrard’s men took an early lead through Fashion Sakala, as they took control of proceedings at Ibrox and largely outplayed their opponents.

One player who failed to convince in the opening 45 minutes however was Simpson, as he continues to adjust to life in Scotland.

Rangers fans react to Simpson performance

These Rangers fans were unhappy with the defender’s first-half showing, taking to Twitter to show their unhappiness.

“It’s impressive how often Jack Simpson has made me feel so unconfident with our back line”

Credit: @carsonritchie__

“I’m usually optimistic about players and give them time to settle etc but canny see Jack Simpson ever being good for us”

Credit: @GregMcBride_

“Would honestly have Marge Simpson over Jack Simpson”

Credit: @Grantmckay01

“I can’t keep defending Jack Simpson Homer would be more useful”

Credit: @willytoonsly

“Jack Simpson really does give me the fear”

Credit: @harricrowe

“Honestly think we would be better with homer than jack Simpson at centre half tbh”

Credit: @wmstirling_

In other news, a pundit is thrilled by an update regarding one Rangers player. Find out who it is here.