All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United are making a major howler over Gjanni Alioski, and it surely won’t have Marcelo Bielsa happy.

What’s the story?

The Whites have already waved goodbye to the likes of Pablo Hernandez and Gaetano Berardi following the end of the Premier League season, and Alioski has also been linked with an exit from Elland Road this summer, with his contract coming to an end soon.

However, the club’s director of football, Victor Orta, has indicated that he and Alioski have had some positives talks “face to face”, and it appears a new contract may be on the way for the left-back.

He said: “I don’t know. He has a contract until the 30th of June. He understands our position, I understand his position. The last two days we have had good conversations face to face. That is really necessary. I ask him three things: his answer made me very happy. Now it is on his side.

“Now, he needs to decide on the player he is next season. It is not about Leeds, it is about his personal intention. I have to praise Gjanni on one thing. Gjanni does not have a big contract, but the level of intensity that Gjanni played the last 10 games without a contract? It makes me so proud. He played the last 10 games with that physicality and intensity.

“It convinced me a lot. It makes me think, is he playing for a new team? But then, he has had offers before – I know he has had offers. But he is playing at this level because he wants to stay. I feel really proud. His behaviour from start to finish has been absolutely amazing.”

Bielsa won’t be happy

While the £55k-a-week earning Alioski may have enjoyed a decent end to the season – including a really impressive display in the victory over Spurs – it still doesn’t mask the fact that overall, he’s been a bit of a let-down for Bielsa and someone who makes costly mistakes defensively – something Noel Whelan has previously blamed him for.

He told Football Insider: “Alioski was diabolical to be quite honest with you. The free-kick, where he is trying to get a megs in the wrong area, that was his first mistake. The second mistake was back to the Alioski of old.

“We saw that weakness on the left-hand side again. The right thing was to take him off, 100 per cent. He was a liability. Another game which highlighted our need to go into the market for a left-back.”

He added: “Leeds need a natural full-back there that you know can cover most bases, definitely defensively because as much as he gives everything, he is a liability. He’s not the best of defenders.”

Reports have already linked the Whites with a move for Stade Brest’s Romain Perraud, and given Alioski’s performances, it’s surely time for Leeds to move on.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/leeds-united-marcelo-bielsa-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-elland-road-rodrigo-de-paul” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

If the Whites want to take the next step, then being ruthless with players, even those as long-serving as Alioski, needs to happen. Giving him a new deal will have Bielsa fuming at keeping someone who he quite frankly can’t trust in his starting line-up over the long-term.

Meanwhile, Graham Smyth has dropped an exciting update…

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has shared the latest news concerning Declan Rice’s future at West Ham United.

The Lowdown: Rice’s contract

As per reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, the 23-year-old has turned down a third contract offer by the Irons. Consequently, he has revealed that the England international is open to a move away from east London at the end of the season.

However, Romano further claims that David Moyes still insists that his vice-captain is untouchable this summer.

Rice still has two years remaining on his current West Ham deal, and the club have the option to extend this by a further year, putting them in a fairly strong negotiating position.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-developments-4/” title=”West Ham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Ornstein’s news

Taking to Twitter, Ornstein revealed the latest news on Rice’s situation, claiming: “West Ham expect to keep Rice now but sell in 2023.”

In the adjacent article, Ornstein shared the details reported by West Ham correspondent Roshane Thomas.

Thomas reported that the Irons are determined to keep their star player this summer, but they have conceded to the idea that they will have to sell him in 12 months time.

The Hammers will extend the midfielder’s contract by a further year and will then look to sell him for at least £150m in 2023, when he has two years remaining on his current deal.

The Verdict: Big dilemma for Moyes

Whilst Moyes insists that Rice is not for sale, £150m seems like a fair price for a player looking to compete at the next level. If a bid is received totalling this fee, GSB will likely be eager to accept, even though it appears Moyes will be reluctant to do so.

This will present the boss with a big dilemma; with the aim of Champions League qualification, he may be thinking that this goal isn’t possible if the club is willing to sell their best player.

Thus, Rice’s transfer saga could prove to be a majorly divisive point between the now beloved gaffer and much-maligned owners.

In other news: West Ham United: Declan Rice at centre of transfer tug-of-war

After rescuing a point against one of the proposed European Super League’s founders last week, Leeds stopped another one of the potential breakaway clubs on Sunday when they held Manchester United to a goalless draw.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side grabbed a last-gasp point against Liverpool thanks to a late header from Diego Llorente, and while they couldn’t find a breakthrough against the Red Devils, they will no doubt be very pleased with another impressive result against one of the Premier League’s big six.

But, while much of Bielsa’s team put in a superb shift to deny the visitors at Elland Road, there was one man who really let his manager down: Helder Costa.

Once again starting in place of the injured Raphinha, who of course limped off towards the end of the historic victory over Manchester City a couple of weeks ago, Costa just made a mockery of his manager’s faith in him.

As per Sofascore, in the 72 minutes that he was on the pitch, the Portuguese ace could manage just 19 touches, far fewer than even goalkeeper Illan Meslier who had 49. In fact, Costa could only make a miserable five – yes, five – successful passes in the entire time that he was played. Even the man who replaced him for around 18 minutes, Mateusz Klich, made more.

Costa also made no attempted dribbles, provided no accurate crosses whatsoever, and registered no key passes either – it was about as anonymous a display as it could have been, and you would have been forgiven for thinking Costa just wasn’t playing at all.

And, in his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross just gave him a six, noting: “No telling contribution in the final third aside from a shot deflected onto the roof of the visiting net.”

The Portuguese ace just struggled to get to speed with the game, and it was a performance that rather summarised his entire season – it’s now his eighth successive Premier League match without a goal.

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

It’s no surprise that former Leeds man Noel Whelan just recently called him a “massive flop”, and on the basis of his display against United on Sunday, Raphinha’s return just can’t come soon enough for Bielsa and the club’s fans.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign their own Andy Robertson in this starlet…

Writing on Twitter, Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor has made a West Ham United transfer claim involving Ukraine international striker Roman Yaremchuk.

The Lowdown: West Ham in striker hunt…

As per C&H, the striking position is a priority for manager David Moyes this summer as West Ham seek to bring in a much-needed alternative to current forward man Michail Antonio.

The Englishman was a key player for West Ham over 2020/2021, scoring 10 goals and assisting five others in 24 Premier League starts, but he was also sidelined consistently throughout the campaign.

Yaremchuk has been touted as one of the forwards on Moyes’ radar after an impressive Euro 2020 campaign, with journalist Taylor now backing these claims on social media.

The Latest: Journalist backs Yaremchuk interest…

Dropping a claim on Twitter, the Express reporter states that Gent’s colossal 6 foot 3 forward is ‘100%’ a target for West Ham this summer.

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

Yaremchuk netted 17 goals in the Belgian Pro League last season and also enjoyed stellar Euro 2020 outings under national team boss Andriy Shevchenko.

The 25-year-old scored two goals in five matches for Ukraine at the major tournament and currently holds a market value of around £15.75 million according to Transfermarkt.

The Verdict: Great option…

Only in his mid-20s and a big physical presence, Yaremchuk arguably has the credentials to shine in England and could make West Ham some profit in the future with the potential for a bigger sell-on value.

The forward is currently in great form for both club and country, bagging 23 strikes in all competitions for Gent over 2020/2021, and Moyes could find a fantastic Tammy Abraham alternative in the player.

One would have to assume he would come a lot cheaper than Abraham, given the latter is homegrown and younger, but perhaps his physicality makes him the perfect deputy for Antonio.

In other news: ‘Blimey’, ‘I am salivating’…West Ham fans flock to ‘exciting’ club announcement, find out more here.

Jack Grealish could be persuaded to snub a move to Manchester City and remain at boyhood club Aston Villa, according to former City star Paul Stewart.

Grealish is among the Premier League champions’ top transfer targets, with Pep Guardiola looking to land the creative midfielder and Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane in a double deal worth £225million.

However, Villa are in a strong negotiating position as their captain still has four years remaining on his £120,000-per-week deal.

Villa boss Dean Smith is desperate to see Grealish remain at the club and reports suggest his current employers are readying a club-record £200,ooo-per-week contract offer in a bid to persuade him to stay.

Grealish, who was England’s poster boy during their run to a first ever European Championships final earlier this month, came through the ranks at Villa Park and has made 213 appearances for the club he supported as a boy.

Stewart, who featured for Manchester City during his playing career, would not be surprised to see Grealish remain at Villa beyond the closure of the transfer window next month.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “Jack is Aston Villa through and through. If they offer him the money, that might just give them the edge to make him want to stay for another season.”

Many Southampton fans have been fuming over the performance of Theo Walcott in their 2-0 defeat at Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday night.

Sadio Mane and Thiago grabbed the goals to give Jurgen Klopp’s men all three points at Anfield, with the Saints left to rue some missed opportunities.

Walcott did not have the best of games against the Reds, as the former Arsenal man lost out on four of his duels and also failed to record a single shot on goal, dribble or cross (Sofascore).

He was subsequently taken off in the 66th minute after failing to make any real impact, recording a mere 25 touches of the ball in total and losing possession on 11 separate occasions in the match (Sofascore).

Southampton fans slam Walcott’s performance

These disgruntled Southampton fans slammed his performance on Twitter, with one supporter going as far as to claim that the 32-year-old was ‘shocking’:

“Walcott seriously has to be in the minus points rating for his performance tonight. God awful #SaintsFC”

Credit: @saintadam1981

“Get Walcott off. Just runs into people. Absolutely awful #saintsfc”

Credit: @saintstevo85

“Walcott really is terrible, isn’t he? #SaintsFC”

Credit: @HarryStokes_93

“Walcott bottles tackles too #SaintsFC”

Credit: @miserygutscoop

“Walcott on the counter makes my eyes hurt #SaintsFC”

Credit: @RahilMajid

“Get Walcott off at half time. Shocking #SaintsFC”

Credit: @JamesBe43198539

In other news, find out what big Ryan Bertrand hint has been dropped!

Former Leeds United man David Norris believes that Paulo Gazzaniga would be a fine signing for the club if they were searching for a back-up to Illan Meslier.

Gazzaniga is set to leave Tottenham Hotspur upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the month.

He spent the second half of the season on loan at La Liga club Elche, playing eight times in the Spanish top-flight and keeping two clean sheets.

The Argentine has been with Spurs since 2017 but is set to end a four-year association with the club at the end of the month.

In total, the former Southampton ‘keeper made 37 appearances for Spurs, regularly deputising for Hugo Lloris whenever the Frenchman was injured.

He was undoubtedly the number two in the squad behind the Spurs captain, and Norris believes he could well be a fine signing for Leeds if they are in the market for a goalkeeper.

Indeed, Kiko Casilla is likely to leave the club this summer after falling out of favour under manager Marcelo Bielsa, and bringing Gazzaniga in would add depth in Meslier’s position.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “It’s always interesting with keepers because you’re either a number one or you accept that you’re a number two.

“You don’t really go, ‘I’ve done my number two, I want to be a number one now’, and they only want to be a number one. Number two keepers seem to understand that. They are the number two keeper and not many teams will have two number ones, because they’ll have two keepers that want to play all the time, it’s not going to work.

“So it depends on if he’s happy to come from being a number two at Spurs to being a number two at Leeds or whether he’s looking now to move and play somewhere and be a number one.

“Spurs, Leeds, two massive clubs, if you’re number two at Spurs and then number two at Leeds, it’s a sideways move, it’s not a drop down.”

Liverpool are reportedly amongst a host of clubs monitoring the situation of Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz as manager Jurgen Klopp looks to strengthen his engine room options.

What’s the story?

According to reliable journalist Christian Falk, who is the head of football for German outlet Sport Bild, the Reds have joined fellow Premier League sides Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal in taking a close look at the highly-rated 18-year-old.

However, Falk also revealed that Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich are leading the race for Wirtz’s signature ahead of a possible move in 2023.

He tweeted: TRUE @ManCity scout Florian Witz (18) intensely. Also @ChelseaFC @LFC @ManUtd and @Arsenal are interested. But: @FCBayern is leading the race for a Transfer in 2023″.

Jurgen Klopp would love him

Wirtz was awarded his first-team debut at just 16 thanks to his natural physical prowess and immense talent and has gone from strength to strength ever since, scoring 14 goals and providing 12 assists in 53 appearances for Leverkusen.

The youngster appears to have taken his already impressive game to another level this season, though. In just six outings for Gerardo Seoane’s charges, the attacking midfielder has bagged five goals, laying on a further four assists for his teammates.

His outstanding displays for the BayArena outfit have attracted the attention of several sides, although Wirtz’s immediate future appears to lie with the eternal bridesmaids as Wirtz is reportedly happy to stay at Leverkusen in the short term.

Nevertheless, with Liverpool’s squad in need of some younger, fresher legs and Klopp preferring to work with a smaller squad full of versatile players, the German tactician would surely love to bring his compatriot to Anfield in the near future.

Wirtz is comfortable in a variety of positions having played as a No.8, No.10, left-winger and striker throughout his short career, an attribute which will be extremely appealing to Klopp.

It remains to be seen whether director of football Michael Edwards can pull off another transfer masterclass and secure Wirtz’s signature, but if he can, it would surely go down as one of his best pieces of business.

And, in other news…3 key passes: Liverpool beast who took 100 touches excelled on the European stage 

A number of Manchester City fans do not believe comments from Tottenham sporting director Fabio Paratici, who said that Harry Kane is happy to stay at the north London club.

The Citizens managed to capture Jack Grealish for a fee of £100m (Sky Sports), but they spent the majority of the summer transfer window also chasing the Spurs striker. The England captain handed in a transfer request as he attempted to force through a move, but City were unable to get their main centre-forward target through the door.

Paratici has now been discussing Kane’s future and he has said that the striker loves Tottenham and appears happy to be there. He added that the club made the right decision to keep him in north London, even though the 28-year-old has not yet found the back of the net in the Premier League this season.

As per Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, the Spurs chief stated: “Harry Kane loves Tottenham. We’ve decided to keep Harry last summer to start the re-building, and we’re happy with our choice. There’s no need of any new talk with Harry. He knows how to share the sense of belonging to Spurs.”

Those comments were shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra and duly attracted plenty of attention from City supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on what Paratici had to say.

Let’s see what these City fans had to say about the comments from Paratici

““Decided” to keep him, because nobody wanted to pay the excessive fee”

Credit: @D4NNY_F0X

“Looks like it”

Credit: @gbmcfc

“he’s happy”

Credit: @Cardozo2Tete

“And what does Harry say”

Credit: @blairyib

“Really???”

Credit: @nazhdilber

“Can’t believe a word of this as he publicly said he wanted to leave Spuds but Levy out priced a move and we are now supposed to believe he wanted to stay !?!? Smells of a January move to me but hopefully not to City”

Credit: @pettifet

In other news, lots of Man City fans were unhappy at this news

An update has emerged on Wolves winger Adama Traore, regarding how much Liverpool are willing to pay for him…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, Liverpool have opened negotiations with Wolves over a deal to sign Adama Traore this summer. The Premier League giants have told Wolves that they are prepared to go as high as £25m for the Spanish international.

However, the report claims that Wolves are unhappy with this valuation and are demanding that any interested clubs will need to pay £50m to snap him away from Molineux ahead of next season.

Fans would be gutted

Wolves boss Bruno Lage must avoid a disaster this summer and stick firm to his valuation of the forward.

He cannot allow Liverpool to bully him or the club into lowering their asking price as Traore is likely to be a key player in the upcoming campaign. Thus, they must reject any offers of £25m.

That is not to say that the club should not be flexible in any negotiations. For example, if Liverpool came in and offered £40m upfront and £5m in add-ons, or a deal within that region, then it could be enough to tempt the Midlands side.

What they must avoid is selling him on the cheap as fans would be gutted if one of their best players was easily let go. Supporters will want to see the club working hard to have the best squad possible and selling a player for 50% of the reported valuation would not be a piece of business that aligns with that expectation.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has publicly shown his appreciation for the winger, as he labelled Adama “unplayable” following a clash with the Reds last season; “What a player – it’s not only him but he’s so good,” the German said.

Jordan Henderson also added that he’s tricky to come up again, saying:

“[Traore] is very tough, strong, powerful, quick.

“He’s difficult to play against. But the lads did brilliantly against him. I thought we did really well with that.”

The 25-year-old dynamo is a key player for Lage and the club should be trying to do everything they can to keep him. Whilst he was only able to contribute two goals and two assists in the Premier League last season, his overall performances were still encouraging as he averaged an excellent WhoScored rating of 7.11.

No Wolves player managed a higher rating and Adama averaged the most chances created and dribbles completed per game (5.6) for the club. This suggests that his lack of assists may have been more an issue with the players he was providing the service to rather than his own end product.

Although his lack of goals was a cause for concern, hopefully, he will rectify that next term.

AND in other news, Wolves must act quick to land “excellent” £43m gem likened to Ronaldo, Lage needs him…