All posts by z3u9t.icu

Everton are having a terrible season so far with numerous injury problems and poor performances all contributing to the difficult relegation battle they have found themselves in over the remaining weeks of the season.

Frank Lampard was brought in on Deadline Day to steady the ship after a series of shocking performances and lack of points on the board following a six and a half month stint with Rafa Benitez in charge at Goodison Park, but has struggled to inspire a run of good form since his arrival.

In the Premier League, the ex-Chelsea boss has managed eight, won two and lost six so far, as well as crashing out of the FA Cup to Crystal Palace last month missing out on a spot in the semi-final at Wembley, all of which is not ideal as Everton begin to run out of time to secure safety.

With that being said, the Blues boss should not take all the blame for the poor results he has racked up since he joined in January, as a number of players are failing to pull their weight, and one, in particular, has let the team down time and time again.

Michael Keane has scored two own goals that have led to defeat against Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspurs since the turn of the year, and most recently received his second yellow with a red card to follow in the defeat to West Ham United on Sunday afternoon. Surely this has to be the final nail in the coffin for the calamitous centre-back.

The £19.8m-rated defender who was dubbed a “liability” by Trevor Sinclair, has also been criticised for his negative impact on the Everton team, with Paul Robinson telling Football Insider that Keane is part of a problem that is “costing Everton dearly.”

At this point of the season Lampard really needs players he can rely on for the final push to make sure the Toffees stay inside the Premier League next season and when you look at Keane’s erratic behaviour on the pitch alongside his countless mistakes there is absolutely no reason why moving forward Lampard should put up with it and as a result, should sell the defender at his earliest convenience.

The Toffees now have ten games left to save their season and ensure they are playing top flight football next season, but it won’t be easy as they have a number of difficult fixtures ahead of them with Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United and Chelsea left to play, so picking up points against Burnley tonight at Turf Moor is an absolute must.

In other news: Signed for £0, then became worth £35m: Everton struck gold over “king of blunders”

Liverpool are interested in signing dominant Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer in the summer transfer window, according to reliable journalist Neil Jones.

The Lowdown: Bremer shining at Torino

The Brazilian has become a key player for the Serie A side, starting 28 games in the league this season and proving to be a colossal presence, even being described as an ‘animal’ by teammate Mergim Vojvoda.

Indeed, Bremer has averaged a monstrous 4.1 aerial duel wins per game – Joel Matip (3.9) leads the way for Liverpool in the Premier League this season – as well as 3.4 interceptions per match.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Bremer in the past and now a fresh update has emerged.

The Latest: Reds eyeing up move

According to Goal‘s Jones on Twitter, the Reds are ‘tracking’ the 25-year-old ahead of a potential summer move. Inter Milan are the front-runners to sign him currently, however, with numerous clubs showing an interest.

His current Torino deal expires in the summer of 2024.

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The Verdict: Goodbye, Joe Gomez?

It looks as though Liverpool’s interest is genuine, given Jones’ reliability, which surely suggests that one current centre-back could be moving on this summer.

With Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate all undisputed key men, that points towards Joe Gomez potentially enjoying a new challenge.

Reports have suggested that the 24-year-old could leave due to being desperate to make England’s World Cup squad, and it is hard to see that happening if he stays put, sadly.

Gomez is an excellent player but his current situation is unlikely to change unless injuries to others occur, meaning a summer exit makes the most sense.

In other news, an Italian source has made a Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

Arsenal are right in the mix challenging for the top four under new manager Unai Emery, who continues to impress in his first season over in English football.

The Gunners have put in some excellent performances at times, although once again inconsistencies have robbed them of a real chance of making a run at the top positions in the Premier League.

However, things are looking up in the long-term, and Emery will be confident of being a success with the Gunners as he continues to adjust to life on these shores.

With January very much a write off though in terms of new additions for the club, we here in the Tavern think the club need to start planning for the summer, and one man we feel would be a superb signing is PSV winger Hirving Lozano.

The Mexican winger, has been in quite superb form over in Holland this term, smashing in 15 goals and adding nine assists across all competitions, and his stock is definitely on the rise.

Lozano, who predominantly operates down the left, would be a superb addition for Arsenal, who often face a dilemma down that side of the field, with Aubameyang asked to fill the role or the under used Alex Iwobi sometimes slotting into the inside forward position.

The speedy PSV man would bring direct pace to the Gunners line up, something the team have lacked really since the days of Marc Overmars.

He’s bound to be a wanted man come the summer if he continues to perform as is, and Arsenal need to have their wits about them to ensure they sign the 23-year-old ahead of the competition.

Arsenal fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!

When Tottenham Hotspur splashed £28m on the signing of Sergio Reguilon back in September 2020, the Premier League side would have been well aware that the 25-year-old left-back may not be at the club for the length of his five-year £68k-per-week contract.

Indeed, with Real Madrid possessing a £43m buy-back clause for the Spain international – something the LaLiga side are reportedly planning to activate this summer – the defender could already be moving onto pastures new after just two seasons in north London.

As a result, Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici are reported to already be planning for life after Reguilon, with Genoa’s Andrea Cambiaso having recently been added to the 52-year-old manager’s list of potential targets to replace the £25.2m-rated Spaniard – according to Italian media outlet Alfredo Pedulla (via The Mirror).

And, considering how impressive the 22-year-old has been in Italy so far this season, it is not difficult to see why Spurs would be keen on landing the full-back ahead of 2022/23.

“He is a Paolo Maldini”

Indeed, over his 25 Serie A appearances in the current campaign, the ambidextrous left-back has been one of the few shining lights in a disappointing campaign for relegation-threatened Genoa, with the £4.5m-rated dynamo scoring one goal from an xG of 0.7 and registering four assists from an xA of 1.8, as well as making a highly impressive total of 330 pressures and 53 blocks over the course of the season.

In comparison, over Reguilon’s 23 Premier League outings this term, the 25-year-old who Jonathan Veal claimed looks “scared” when attacking has scored two goals from an xG of three and has provided three assists from an xA of four, as well as making a total of 275 pressures and 29 blocks in 2021/22.

Furthermore, Cambiaso’s agent, Giovanni Bia, clearly believes that the Italy U21 international has a huge future in the game, having stated of the £4.5k-per-week sensation back in February: “To make it clear, he is a Paolo Maldini.

“He can play on the right or the left as a full-back or in midfield. He is two-footed and has flexibility. I think he should be part of the new [Italy squad]. He has vision and quality – Italy needs players like that. We don’t have great full-backs at the moment. For me, he will be one of the full-backs of the national team for the next ten years.

“The boy is being watched by many teams. We will have to discuss with the club what is best for everyone. His contract is due to expire in 2023.”

As such, considering that is it being reported the Inter Milan, Juventus, Atalanta and Napoli target will be available for as little as €12m (£10m) this summer, should Reguilon indeed go on to re-join Real Madrid for £43m, it would appear highly advisable for Paratici to do all he can to land the Italian prodigy as the Spaniard’s replacement.

Indeed, not only does Cambiaso look to have a much higher ceiling than the 25-year-old, but he would also seem to be a much better fit for Conte’s tactical setup at Spurs.

AND in other news: Conte can unearth his next 243-goal talent in THFC prodigy who “runs over every blade”

Liverpool have the chance to reach their second cup final of the season today as they take on Manchester City in the semi-final of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium.

Their previous outing saw the Reds draw 3-3 against Benfica at Anfield in the Champions League on Wednesday, securing their place in the next stage of the competition.

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Speaking after their midweek draw, Jurgen Klopp said that Reds winger Diogo Jota picked up a knock against the Portuguese club but that “everybody should be fine” to play in today’s showdown.

With that in mind, here’s how we think Liverpool will line up this afternoon.

In goal, despite conceding three goals in midweek and two in the 2-2 Premier League draw against Pep Guardiola’s side last weekend, it seems likely that Alisson Becker will keep his place in the team.

For the back four, we think Trent Alexander-Arnold will come back in for Joe Gomez at right-back next to Joel Matip.

Having been described as looking “nervous” on the pitch at times this season, we predict that Ibrahima Konate will make way for Virgil van Dijk on this occasion.

At left-back, we think that Klopp will make a big call and keep Kostas Tsimikas in the team ahead of Andy Robertson given how the Greek international provided two assists in midweek.

Moving onto the midfield, having rested Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara in midweek, we can see those two coming back in for James Milner and Jordan Henderson, with Naby Keita keeping his place this time around.

Finally for the front three, it seems likely that Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane will make a return to the starting XI this afternoon to try and attack City’s defence.

Then, with Jota picking up that issue against Benfica, Klopp may not want to risk him this time and instead keep Luis Diaz, who the Reds boss described as being “crazy,” in the team.

Moving forward, with the Merseyside club having already won a trophy at Wembley this season when they secured the Carabao Cup back in February, the Reds will undoubtedly jump at the chance to make it to another final.

Therefore, whichever players Klopp decides to put out will all be hoping to secure a win against the reigning Premier League champions by any means necessary.

In other news: In talks: Liverpool eye move for “ice cold” £31.5m-rated gem, he’s Klopp’s next “star”

West Ham United are reportedly interested in acquiring the services of Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrick Schick this month, with the Hammers looking to add depth to their squad given their participation in three competitions.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, the East London club are looking to sign the Leverkusen forward this window, having not signed a striker since Sebastien Haller’s departure for Ajax last year.

The £36m-rated striker has been in exceptional form this term, having netted 18 goals in 16 Bundesliga appearances.

Schick joined Leverkusen in September 2020 from Italian outfit AS Roma, having spent the previous season on loan at their Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig, where the Czech Republic international scored ten goals in 28 appearances.

Since his move, the striker labelled a “genius” by his national team coach Jaroslav Silhavy, has scored 31 times in 56 appearances, an astounding tally.

However, the 25-year-old could seek a new challenge and make the move to the Premier League by joining David Moyes’ side.

West Ham fans will love him

It is no secret that the East Londoners could do with a new striker with winger Jarrod Bowen being their main goal output of late.

Michail Antonio started the season excellently, scoring five goals in his first six Premier League games of the campaign. However, the Jamaica international has only scored three league goals since September.

With Moyes’ side still juggling three competitions and possessing genuine ambition of securing Champions League football by May, the Hammers will need a recognised goal scorer that they can rely on.

West Ham have managed to find goals from all over the pitch, scoring 41 in their 20 league games thus far. However, that may not prove sustainable and the Irons could do with adding a recognised goalscorer up front to help secure a top-four finish and progress in the Europa League and FA Cup.

Schick has had an immense start to the season, scoring more goals than games played. Should West Ham be able to find a fee suitable to bring the Czech from Germany to England, they could be a serious force during the second half of the season.

Moreover, the Irons have already had two Czech stars succeed at the London Stadium with Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal being key contributors. Thus, fans would surely warm the forward pretty instantly should he make the move.

AND in other news, West Ham flop who lost the ball every 2 touches v Leeds may be costing Moyes top-four…

Glasgow Rangers have reportedly now told Josh McPake that he can leave in the summer.

The Lowdown: Loan after loan

McPake has been sent out on loan no fewer than five times by the Teddy Bears in his career so far, most recently to Tranmere Rovers back in the January transfer window.

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He has only managed to make one senior appearance for the club, and so his long-term future under Giovanni van Bronckhorst is uncertain after a nomadic stint in Glasgow.

The Latest: McPake update

Speaking to Football Insider, an Ibrox source has revealed that the Light Blues have now given the ‘green light’ for McPake to leave on a permanent deal, as he is ‘surplus to requirements’.

The Gers have personally ‘told’ McPake that he can go after his loan spell at Tranmere ends.

The Verdict: Shame

It is certainly a shame that McPake’s career at RFC has not quite worked out, especially coming through their youth ranks.

Described as ‘excellent’ and a ‘great talent’ by Harrogate Town manager Simon Weaver, another team that he has gone out on loan to, the 20-year-old signed a new deal at Rangers just last year, a testament to how highly-rated he is.

However, the summer seems the best time for both McPake and the club to part ways, as the Scottish winger looks to seek more regular first-team football and the Light Blues bank a potentially decent profit.

In other news, find out who has been ‘non-existent’ for Gers here!

West Ham have had to go through their latest Premier League season with only one recognised centre-forward in their squad in the shape of Michail Antonio.

This comes as a result of their deal that saw Sebastien Haller join Ajax back in the 2021 January transfer window for a fee of £20m.

With the upcoming summer transfer window in mind, it seems as though a road has emerged for the Hammers to make a swoop for another striker that will be very familiar to a lot of fans at the east London club.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Sun, Everton are willing to cash in on striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the upcoming summer transfer window, putting West Ham and Arsenal on red alert.

However, a deal is unlikely to come cheap with the England international currently valued at £40.5m according to Transfermarkt.

West Ham can replace Haller with Calvert-Lewin

Since making his senior debut for the Toffees back in December 2016 in a 2-1 league win over the Gunners, the Englishman has gone on to make 184 senior appearances for the Merseyside club across all competitions, scoring 56 goals and providing 17 assists along the way.

With 16 goals to his name in 33 league appearances last season, only Harry Kane (47) managed to have more shots on target than the Everton striker.

Despite only making ten appearances in the league this time around, the 25-year-old has still managed to find the back of the net three times and provide one assist as well as earning himself an overall performance rating of 6.84 from WhoScored, making him Everton’s joint-highest rated player for this campaign.

Labelled as a “fabulous” player by Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness, Calvert-Lewin could not only provide the Hammers with another strike option in their squad after Haller’s exit but also some hefty competition for Antonio as their first-choice centre-forward given his prominence in front of goal.

If Everton are willing to negotiate a deal for their star striker in the summer, then GSB must jump into action and try their hardest at getting the Englishman to swap Goodison Park for the London Stadium.

With the east London club chasing European football once again this season, the prospect of playing in continental competition for a London club could be a very tempting proposition for the striker.

In other news: West Ham must swoop for £75k-p/w monster who Moyes will love, he’s “the new Vidic”

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing exciting Fulham youngster Fabio Carvalho, but they are not alone in being linked with a move for the starlet.

The Lowdown: Carvalho shining for Fulham

The 19-year-old has been a key player for a Cottagers side currently leading the way in the Championship this season, scoring eight goals and registering two assists in 14 league starts. He has also represented England at various youth levels, including six caps for the country’s under-18 side.

The attacking midfielder’s performances have caught the eye of a number of clubs, and according to a fresh report, Leeds are among the suitors.

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The Latest: Leeds linked with Carvalho move

According to The Daily Mail, the Whites see Carvalho as an exciting option to bring in during the January transfer window, with a move to the Premier League this month potentially ‘too tempting to turn down’. Indeed, the 19-year-old rejected the offer of a new contract at Craven Cottage in November.

Liverpool and West Ham are also credited with taking an interest in the Fulham starlet, so it may not be easy for Whites to get a deal over the line if they are battling with two of the top flight’s current top five.

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The Verdict: Hugely exciting prospect

It is crucial that Marcelo Bielsa plans for both the present and the future, ensuring Leeds that continue to grow after he has left the club, and Carvalho could be a great prospective signing in that respect.

He possesses huge long-term potential, already a standout performer for a team who have scored a ridiculous 73 goals in just 27 league matches this season, and he has been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by his current manager Marco Silva.

The lure of Liverpool in particular could act as a stumbling block for Leeds, but a greater prospect of first-team action at Elland Road – where young talents like Charlie Cresswell, Cody Drameh and Joe Gelhardt have all earned Premier League starts this season – could possibly give the Whites an edge.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with a move for another talented attacking player. Find out who it is here.

A ‘substantial’ new kit deal for Liverpool would allow even more money to be generated for new signings, according to Leeds United employee and club ambassador and Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: New kit deal coming?

The Reds’ kit is currently sponsored by Standard Chartered, with their deal running out at the end of the next season and bringing them around £40million a year at the moment.

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Recent reports have claimed that Liverpool are on the lookout for an even bigger deal, however – one that could earn them as much as £50 million every 12 months.

With Jurgen Klopp’s men flying on the pitch, it would be a surprise if the Reds weren’t without suitors, as they look to continue battling for Premier League titles.

The Latest: Whelan makes claim

Speaking to Football Insider, reacting to recent news that Liverpool are currently in talks with multiple companies over a possible big money off-field agreement worth around £50million-per-year, Whelan got behind the idea of a new kit sponsor.

He claims that it’s a ‘no-brainer’ for companies to be attached to the Anfield club and Klopp’s side will ‘for sure’ never be short of options.

“Look, they’re a very marketable football club. One that many, many businesses would want to be attached to.

“Liverpool is a club that pretty much sells itself. It’s like Man United, Man City these days, Chelsea. Those big four sell themselves to companies because they want to be attached to that brand.

“They’re never going to be without a sponsor, that’s for sure, because of how successful they are. Because of the history behind the club, because of the demand worldwide support that they have.

“It’s a no brainer for a company to be attached and have a logo on the Liverpool shirt. It’s one of the biggest selling shirts in the world, not just in the country.

“That is going to be something substantial to the football club that’s going to help bring players in and give them the finances to push further and stay right there at the top of world football.”

The Verdict: Reds in a great place

There was a time when a £50million-a-year deal felt like a pipe dream for Liverpool but Klopp has transformed the club since arriving as manager back in October 2015.

The German has turned them into one of Europe’s best teams on current form, creating a team spirit and togetherness that should appeal to any possible sponsor.

It could be a case of Liverpool taking their pick from those interested in sponsoring their kit from 2023 onwards, such is their position of strength these days.

In other news, a pundit has backed one Liverpool player to sign a new deal. Find out who it is here.