All posts by z3u9t.icu

Liverpool continue to be strongly linked with a summer move for Florian Neuhaus, with a journalist confirming the Reds’ interest.

The Lowdown: Neuhaus linked with Liverpool move

Gini Wijnaldum’s summer exit has highlighted the need for Jurgen Klopp to bring in a new midfielder this summer, given the Dutchman’s huge influence.

One player who has been linked with a move to Anfield is Neuhaus, who starred for Borussia Monchengladbach last season, scoring six goals and registering five assists in the Bundesliga.

The Latest: Journalist provides fresh update

Now, Sky Germany‘s Max Bielefeld has claimed that “there was definitely an exchange” between the German and Liverpool, although nothing too concrete has arrived yet.

Neuhaus is currently on Euro 2020 duty with Germany, meaning any possible transfer is unlikely to happen before his participation in the tournament is over.

The Verdict: Ideal Wijnaldum replacement?

Neuhaus is a classy footballer who could be a perfect replacement for Wijnaldum, possessing quality on the ball – he had an 84.4 percent pass completion rate in the league last season – but also a strong work ethic off it.

The 24-year-old averaged an impressive three tackles per game in the Champions League in 2020/21, highlighting his effectiveness defensively.

Neuhaus’ age also means he would represent a long-term addition, which is key, considering both Jordan Henderson and Thiago are both now in their 30s and Fabinho turns 28 later this year.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been left fuming at an update regarding the Reds’ transfer business. Read more here. 

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie believes Jack Grealish would be a better fit for Manchester City than Manchester United.

Grealish is currently being linked with a move to the Etihad, with The Independent recently reporting that there is an expectation that the Premier League champions will break the bank to sign the 25-year-old attacking midfielder this summer.

There has also been a lot of talk in the past about Manchester United wanting to bring Grealish to Old Trafford. However, out of the two teams, Hendrie feels the England international would be better suited to Pep Guardiola’s side.

On Manchester City’s reported interest in Grealish, the ex-Villa player told TT in an exclusive interview:

“It’s how Pep and Manchester City are going to go about their business because, you know, there’s big talk about Harry Kane possibly being available.

“I feel that this season they’ve used that false nine quite a bit and it’s been one of them where you just feel that if they are going to use a false nine, I feel Jack would fit the bill better at Manchester City if I’m being quite honest.

“I think Bruno [Fernandes] at Man U, he’s certainly their big player, key player. I think then you’ve got to look at the likes of [Mason] Greenwood, [Marcus] Rashford and you just think to yourself, they’re players that are definitely going to play.”

With Manchester City seemingly interested in both Kane and Grealish, it will be interesting to see if they go for both or just the one.

Whatever the case, it does look like attacking reinforcements are coming to the Etihad this summer.

In what appears to be the never-ending saga of Newcastle United and their potential takeover, the Reuben Brothers, who only wanted a 10% stake in the club, would be brilliant for the Magpies, according to former defender Steve Howey.

They already own several properties in Newcastle as well as the horse racing track, so are already familiar with the area and after their wealth reportedly increased by over £5 billion in the last 12 months, fans questioned why they didn’t buy the club outright themselves?

Mike Ashley also did not fare too badly on the Sunday Times’ UK rich list which was released last week, as he saw his wealth increase by a staggering £769 million, despite most of the high street being hit very hard during the COVID pandemic.

Whoever eventually gets handed the keys from Mike Ashley will have to run the club properly and invest sufficiently. Those are the thoughts of Howey, who spoke exclusively to Football FanCast:

“If the Reuben Brothers bought the club, then brilliant, as long as they invest and look after the club. That’s the same for PIF because ultimately, they might own it on paper, but it’s not their club.

“Basically, owners are just custodians, looking after the club. Football clubs belong to the fans, even though they don’t own it. So any owners that come in, you just want them to look after the club as best as they possibly can.”

Despite being in a relegation battle for the second half of the season, Steve Bruce managed to guide the Magpies to an impressive 12th place finish, the highest they have finished since the 2017/18 season when they finished 10th.

All the talk on Tyneside is for once, not about relegation or the takeover, but more focussed on what the club do with Joe Willock in the summer with fans and Bruce eager to bring the Arsenal youngster back to Tyneside for next season after his impressive eight goals in 14 appearances.

Celtic’s pursuit of Eddie Howe is still ongoing, but the Englishman isn’t having a say in the club’s search for a director of football (DoF).

That’s according to reliable reporter Alan Nixon, who answered questions from a Hoops fan on social media on Saturday evening regarding any off-field developments.

Howe verbally agreed on a move to Parkhead at the beginning of April before having second thoughts on becoming Neil Lennon’s long-term successor.

Reports had suggested that he wanted Bournemouth director Richard Hughes to come with him to Celtic Park but the Hoops were looking at Manchester City’s Fergal Harkin for the newly-created DoF role.

Nixon, who writes for The Sun, admitted Howe wouldn’t have a say on the new DoF. Asked on Saturday evening if Celtic were still going down the DoF route, Nixon said: “That’s been the plan”.

He was then quizzed on whether Howe would have a say, to which he revealed it is ‘up to the club’ – a possible telling four-word admission. The journalist outlined: “A manager is an employee… if the club want a director of football who is there for the long term that is up to the club to choose and decide.”

Transfer Tavern take

If Nixon is accurate in his reply, it doesn’t look as if Howe will have any input to the club’s DoF decision.

The two parties would need to work closely together in regards to discussions on players and potential signings, but we can see why the Hoops appear to be trusting their own instincts for the position.

If Howe was already manager and had been for some time, it may have been a different story. However, he is yet to put pen to paper on a Parkhead switch, so he can’t be demanding hierarchy assurances yet.

Reports have suggested that Howe is putting together his coaching staff, so that can only be a good sign ahead of a possible move to Glasgow.

In other news: Celtic source claims ‘absolute mess’ behind the scenes may scupper early summer signing, fnd out more here. 

Sheffield Wednesday are hoping to have their transfer embargo lifted this summer.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to the Yorkshire Live journalist Dom Howson, who claimed in a post on Twitter that the Owls are looking to have their embargo lifted prior to the summer transfer window opening on June 9th.

Howson also revealed in a recent Q&A session on Yorkshire Live that Darren Moore’s side are “quietly confident” of being successful with the application for the removal of their ban.

Positive news

After what has been an extremely disappointing campaign that fans of Sheffield Wednesday have had to endure, with their side finishing rock bottom of the Championship table, the news that the club believes they will be able to sign players in the summer transfer window is a positive update indeed.

With Dejphon Chansiri confirming that Darren Moore will be the man in charge of the Owls next season, the 47-year-old being able to actively recruit his targets in order to give Wednesday the best possible chance of promotion from League One is undoubtedly a good thing.

And, with no less than 18 contracted Wednesday players who have deals expiring this summer, many of whom are on extremely costly wages, Moore looks set to have something of a blank canvas at Hillsborough this summer, allowing him to mould the squad into one in his own image.

So, while the recent disappointment of relegation will no doubt still be hanging over the Owls fanbase, Howson’s claim that the club looks likely to be able to bring in fresh faces in the upcoming transfer window is something that will surely leave them buzzing – as this is very much the first step in getting their club back on track ahead of their campaign in the third tier of English football.

In other news: Sheffield Wednesday ace reveals “massive boost” that will surely delight Owls fans – opinion

Plenty of Crystal Palace supporters have been reacting to a report regarding Celtic target Eddie Howe on social media.

The former Bournemouth manager is thought to be on Palace’s radar to potentially replace Roy Hodgson at the end of the season. Howe reached a verbal agreement with Scottish giants Celtic, but the 43-year-old is reportedly now having second thoughts.

According to Football Insider, Palace have made contact with Howe ahead of a possible Selhurst Park switch. An Eagles source informed them that the club are assessing potential alternatives to Hodgson and have spoken to Howe.

Hodgson’s deal is up at the end of the current campaign, with Burnley boss Sean Dyche another who has been linked with a move to London.

Palace fans react

@cpfc_xtra shared Football Insider’s report on Twitter on Friday evening, which unsurprisingly received plenty of interaction from a number of Eagles supporters. Here is what some supporters had to say in reply to the post, which drew a rather mixed reaction.

“I hope this is true”

Credit: @The__Seeker

“Want.”

Credit: @HunterCPFC

“Yessss”

Credit: @cpfc_sean

“Doubt it”

Credit: @jackstacpfc

“We’ve been linked to every manager under the sun about 45 times each can we just get someone in”

Credit: @BenM_CPFC

“Spent about £200 mill and still relegated Bournemouth”

Credit: @shesco2_scott

In other news: Many CPFC fans buzz over teenage starlet after midweek antics, find out more here. 

Most supporters would have been forgiven if they had forgotten that Crystal Palace had signed goalkeeper Jack Butland.

Indeed, the former England goalkeeper has made just one appearance for the Eagles this season since his summer move from Stoke City, a drab FA Cup defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Having previously been talked up as one of the most promising stoppers in the Premier League with the Potters, Butland’s career is now at a new low.

As recently as May 2018, the goalkeeper was valued at £19.8m and being rumoured as a potential replacement for Thibaut Courtois at Chelsea.

He was fresh off of the back of a season where he was Stoke City’s undoubted number one, despite the club’s demotion to the Championship. The stopper had also racked up 20 clean sheets in the English top-flight.

Since then though, Butland’s rating has taken a huge drop of £17.1m, all the way down to £2.7m, with 27 goalkeepers in the Premier League now holding a higher transfer rating than Butland.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-crystal-palace-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=”Latest Crystal Palace news, transfer rumours and more… “]

Whilst Palace will certainly have not lost any money on the 28-year-old if they sold him for that amount, with him being brought to Selhurst Park for just under £1m last summer, they are now lumbered with a player who appears to be in habitual freefall.

Having signed a contract to 2023, the question has to be asked whether the Eagles will ever be able to recoup even that amount should he be sold.

It is certainly a huge drop off then for a man who had managed to accumulate nine caps for his country, even being named in his nation’s squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Considering he has not made an appearance for Palace this season in the Premier League, it now seems a baffling move for Steve Parish to have brought Butland to Selhurst Park last summer.

AND in more news, take a look at which current Palace wideman could have his Selhurst Park career ended by the arrival of Florian Thauvin…

When Kyril Louis-Dreyfus walked through the door as Sunderland’s proud new owner, there was a huge sigh of relief from many supporters.

After all, Stewart Donald’s time at the club was marked with overspending and, ultimately, a failure to get promoted.

It was the perfect Christmas present for the Mackems, as Louis-Dreyfus was announced late on 24th December.

Since he entered the Stadium of Light, he has had some very clear policies. One of them has been to improve the club’s academy and the pathway to senior level.

With the likes of Sam Greenwood, Bali Mumba and Joe Hugill all exiting the northeast in recent years, it’s led to an unhealthy academy. The under-23s didn’t win a single game last term, for instance.

However, we are already seeing the fruits of the new owner’s labour. In the Papa John’s Trophy final, young talents Dan Neil, Benji Kimpioka, Jack Diamond and Ollie Younger all appeared on the bench.

Diamond has received plenty of minutes this term but we believe Younger is now ready for a few more opportunities.

The 21-year-old played three times during the Black Cats’ run to Wembley in the EFL Trophy and has recently earned his league debut. That came in a 2-0 win over Rochdale, a match where Younger didn’t really put a foot wrong.

Traditionally a centre-half, the academy gem played at right-back on that occasion. Younger didn’t look out of place, winning 50% of his defensive duels and completing 80% of his passes. The defender also helped his side to record a clean sheet.

Speaking before that game, Lee Johnson waxed lyrical about the youngster, saying: “I do trust Ollie Younger, I think he is a great kid.

“I haven’t seen him enough in games yet to know whether he can handle that situation, but as a personality and in terms of his performances in training, he has been really impressive.”

With defensive injuries still plaguing the Sunderland squad – Jordan Willis, Bailey Wright and Tom Flanagan are all out – he should be entrusted more often.

That starts with the clash against Bristol Rovers on Saturday. They currently sit in the relegation zone, so on paper it’s a good match in which to trust Younger.

AND in other news, Sunderland must swoop for £1.2k-p/w “danger in the box”, he’s shades of Bergkamp…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who scored 306 goals for Wolves, believes Sergio Aguero may have spat his dummy out earlier this season when Pep Guardiola was keeping him on the bench.

Earlier this week Aguero announced that he would be leaving Man City at the end of the season when his contract expires, and he will depart as the club’s all-time top scorer.

He is set to have a statue erected outside of the Etihad alongside fellow ex-teammates Vincent Kompany and David Silva. Aguero will always be remembered for his famous last-minute winner against QPR which won City their first-ever Premier League title.

Speaking on why Aguero has not been happy for a long time at City and how the fans should treat him when he leaves, Bull told FFC:

“I think he may have spat his dummy out about five months ago when he wasn’t in the first team and he’s never put it back in since, and he’s been a little bit unhappy.

“He’s a bit like Podence and Neto with a low centre of gravity and they can stand tall while not getting pushed off the ball.

“All the Man City fans should pat him on the back and say ‘thanks for everything that you’ve done for us mate you’ve been absolutely unbelievable’.”

Aguero has been linked with a number of clubs this summer, but it’s Barcelona who appear to be lining up a move for the Argentine to link up with Lionel Messi.

Man City may look to replace the £230,000 per week striker this summer with Harry Kane or Erling Haaland if Pep Guardiola doesn’t trust Gabriel Jesus to lead the line for a full season.

Reports have suggested that Manchester United are unwilling to meet Tottenham Hotspur’s asking price for striker Harry Kane.

The England captain has been linked with a switch to Old Trafford for a considerable amount of time. With Edinson Cavani quickly approaching the twilight of his career having only signed a one-year deal at Old Trafford, albeit with the option of a second, the Red Devils have to make a move for Kane.

The Tottenham forward’s Premier League record really does speak for itself.

Now rated at £108m and being paid £200k per week at Tottenham, he has plundered an eye-watering 159 goals in 235 league appearances, an astounding record.

He has hit double figures in each of the last seven campaigns, even notching 30 during the 2017/18 season.

This all means that Kane has a strike rate of 0.67 goals per game, which is better than Marcus Rashford’s 0.31, Anthony Martial’s 0.33, Mason Greenwood’s 0.19 and of course Cavani’s record of 0.33.

With the mercurial Bruno Fernandes teeing Kane up with his 2.8 key passes per game, then an extremely fruitful relationship could well be in the offing in the future.

It won’t just be Kane’s goals that United will benefit from though. The 27-year-old’s creativity has improved just this season.

With ten Premier League matches to go in 2020/21, he already has 13 league assists, having added to those in his exhilarating performance in the 4-1 thumping of Crystal Palace.

The positives of Kane’s arrival at Old Trafford do not end there. Near neighbours Manchester City have also been backed to make a move for the Tottenham superstar in the near future.

If United manage to get there first, it could potentially signal a swing in power, not only in Manchester, but also in the Premier League.

So, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reportedly keen to recruit a striker as soon as this summer, no target makes more sense than Harry Kane.

AND in more news, take a look at Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s brilliant performance in the Red Devils’ 2-0 victory in the Manchester derby…