All posts by n8rngtd.top

Celtic have made an offer for Busan IPark midfielder Kwon Hyeok-kyu, according to Sports Chosun.

The Lowdown: Early January business

The Hoops have made a head start on their winter window business by reaching agreements for two transfers.

Defenders Yuki Kobayashi and Alistair Johnston will officially be eligible to play for the club in the New Year after joining from Vissel Kobe and CF Montreal respectively.

A new forward also appears to be on the radar with links to Cho Gue-Sung, and it seems as if recruitment chief Mark Lawwell has made another move.

The Latest: Hyeok-kyu bid

Sports Chosun shared a transfer story in the last 24 hours regarding Hyeok-kyu and Celtic.

They revealed that the Hoops have ‘sent an offer’ to sign Hyeok-kyu and are ‘active enough to offer a fairly large transfer fee’.

The Verdict: One to watch…

Hyeok-kyu is primarily a holding midfielder but can also turn out in a more advanced role or out wide, according to Transfermarkt.

The 21-year-old has made 24 appearances for his current employers following a loan spell with Gimcheon Sangmu. He has been credited with having a ‘European physique’ and someone who has ‘high-level speed and excellent technique’.

Therefore, a move could be another shrewd one by Hoops officials and one that could be one to monitor heading into 2023.

Chelsea have ‘no agreement’ in place to sign Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: £105.5m release clause

The Premier League giants have been credited with a strong interest in the Argentina ace after a standout World Cup, with the 21-year-old reportedly wanting a move to Stamford Bridge.

The playmaker’s contract at the Estadio da Luz isn’t set to expire until 2027 but does include a £105.5m release clause, offering hope for any potential suitors that a deal could be struck before the end of his current terms in Lisbon.

The Latest: Romano’s update on Fernandez

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday evening, Romano revealed that whilst Chelsea have held discussions with Fernandez’s representatives and Benfica, there’s currently no arrangement for him to put pen to paper.

The Italian tweeted: “Understand there’s NO agreement after new meeting today between Chelsea and Benfica for Enzo Fernández. It was never a done deal, it’s not a done deal as of now.

“After meetings and talks, there’s still no agreement on key details, on clause and payment terms.”

The Verdict: Kante replacement?

N’Golo Kante will be out of contract at the end of the campaign, and after the Frenchman was linked with a summer exit in recent weeks, Fernandez would be the perfect replacement should the 2018 World Cup winner depart Chelsea.

The Argentina midfielder is a highly creative player, having posted eight goal contributions already this term, along with averaging 1.9 shots and 1.8 key passes per 90 minutes in the Portuguese top flight (WhoScored).

The Blues are falling behind in their pursuit of a top-four finish, but the prospective addition of Fernandez could help them in their attempts to bridge that gap to the Champions League places, so Todd Boehly should splash the cash to try and secure the 21-year-old’s services this month.

Sky Sports man Kevin Hatchard believes that West Ham will have to shell out a lot of money to land striker target Youssef En-Nesyri.

The Lowdown: Moyes looking for more firepower

Despite being backed heavily over the summer and handed eight new players, West Ham and David Moyes only find themselves above the bottom three via goal difference having won just four league games all season.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that West Ham are looking to bring in yet more bodies in their attempts to get out of their precarious league position, with Moyes seemingly under pressure at the moment.

Having scored just 15 goals in the league this season, West Ham clearly need more firepower, and that will be why they are once again being linked with Morocco star En-Nesyri, with the east Londoners previously trying to bring him to the London Stadium in 2021.

The Latest: En-Nesyri won’t be an easy signing

En-Nesyri appears to be a top target for the Hammers, but after his World Cup displays, his price tag appears to have gone up according to Hatchard, who’s been speaking live on Sky Sports about the current rumours.

He said: “Did well at the World Cup, hasn’t done that well for Sevilla. The team hasn’t done well, Jorge Sampaoli’s there now, having replaced Julen Lopetegui.

“They’re in a relegation battle, so it’s going to have to be a lot to tempt Sevilla to part company with him, but since he got a load of goals a couple of seasons ago, we’ve not really seen the same player, so there’s an element of risk there, I think.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-uodates/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/cropped-david-moyes-premier-league-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Would be a huge gamble for West Ham

It has recently been reported that the Hammers are keen on landing En-Nesyri for the rest of the season before splashing out £25m on the striker in the summer, which would be a sizeable outlay – especially when his goalscoring record is taken into consideration.

Since the start of last season, the Moroccan has just five league goals to his name, so that doesn’t necessarily show how he will help West Ham get out of this rut.

West Ham’s top scorer is currently Gianluca Scamacca with three league goals, but given that the Premier League is already 18 games old, that’s simply not good enough, and while En-Nesyri doesn’t necessarily look to be the answer given his poor form in front of goal, Moyes himself labelled the striker ‘incredible’ during the Qatar World Cup, so he’s clearly still a huge admirer.

Manchester City star Joao Cancelo could be unhappy at the club amid links with moves away, Luke Edwards has claimed.

What’s the word?

The Portugal star has lost his seemingly guaranteed place in the side, with youngster Rico Lewis starting ahead of him in some of their recent matches, while he has been linked with a number of overseas clubs, according to The Telegraph.

The 28-year-old has been outstanding throughout his City career, but seems to have hit a rocky patch since being sent off against Fulham back in November.

Speaking on the BBC’s Transfer Gossip Daily podcast, journalist Edwards claimed that Cancelo may not be happy right now given that he has been dropped, but this is unlikely to lead to a transfer.

He said: “I thought he was happy in Manchester, he was voted in the PFA Team of the Year last year, I’ve seen quite a lot of Manchester City and I thought he was one of their best players last season.

“I wasn’t particularly aware that he was playing badly this year, but this is Pep Guardiola – he criticised Kevin De Bruyne’s form, Grealish has been dropped, Foden hasn’t been in the team. This is what he’s like. What this story probably tells you is that Cancelo isn’t very happy. I suspect there is an element of that in there.

“Footballers tend to be a little bit like small children – spoiled small children, at that. He’s lost his place in the team and this is like a very polite way of throwing his toys out the pram and indicating that he’s not particularly happy.

“I think Manchester City will just ignore it. And I think Pep Guardiola, it won’t bother him in the slightest. I don’t think there’s any danger of him leaving this month.”

Unlikely to move

It would likely take a huge offer to convince City to part ways with such a crucial player, and Cancelo is arguably still one of the best around in his position.

He ranks in the top 2% of full-backs for shots, passes, progressive passes and dribbles, highlighting his excellence in attack, and it will surely only be a matter of time before he regains his spot in the side in the long term. In fact, he played the full 90 minutes against Manchester United this weekend.

City are starting to falter in the title race as they find themselves five points behind Arsenal following their defeat in that Manchester derby, and they will need to find their own form again if they are to defend their title. Perhaps reinstating Cancelo’s starting place and keeping him happy will go some way to doing that.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been linked with Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda recently and his arrival at Molineux could be a potential repeat of the disastrous deal to sign Nelson Semedo in 2020.

According to Estadio Deportivo, the 18-year-old’s stock is really beginning to rise after some impressive performances in Spain, with the teenage defender complimentary of Julen Lopetegui amid links with the Old Gold.

The Spain U19 international has made just 13 senior appearances in his career but is also said to be attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund as a result of his rapid progression under Juan José Rojo Martín at Valladolid, with any deal likely to set back interested sides around £18m.

In his nine appearances in the Spanish top flight so far this campaign, the teenager has averaged a solid 6.73 rating from WhoScored for his performances, registering an impressive 3.2 tackles per game, which is also the most of any player in Valladolid’s squad.

FBref suggests that Fresneda ranks in the top percentile for defenders across Europe when it comes to tackling, and it is here where his similarities with Semedo begin, as the Portuguese right-back also scores impressively in this metric.

The same website suggests that the former FC Barcelona man is the most similar player to Fresneda when compared with other full-backs across Europe’s top leagues, which doesn’t bode well for Wolves when you consider how much Semedo has struggled in his time at Molineux.

Despite his tackling ability, he has been exposed as a defensive “liability” – in the words of The Athletic’s Tim Spiers – on a number of occasions in a Wolves shirt, producing a disasterclass in the defeat against Brighton before the World Cup break, as he was sent off for a rash last man tackle.

This season has seen the two defenders register remarkably similar numbers with regard to expected goals per 90 (both 0.01), passes that led to a shot (both 15) and interceptions (both 13).

This emphasises that while both players can be trusted to make a good tackle, neither offers much going forward, which suggests that the Spaniard could follow in Semedo’s footsteps at Molineux and considering the 29-year-old has averaged a shocking 6.43 rating from WhoScored this season, that can hardly be a good sign.

While Fresneda is regarded as a “very special talent” – in the eyes of ESPNUK’s David Cartlidge – and undoubtedly has the potential to go far, his similar style of play to Semedo suggests that Wolves could be heading for another disaster if they were to sign him this month.

TalkSport pundit Simon Jordan has a “sneaking suspicion” Manchester United can sign Declan Rice in the summer.

The Lowdown: Rice on the move

The West Ham United midfielder is almost assured to be on the move in the summer amid the Hammers’ dire form and The Guardian reporting last month that he wants to win trophies and play in the Champions League.

Any hopes of keeping him in east London were dealt another blow this week after The Athletic revealed Premier League leaders Arsenal are confident they can reach a deal for the ‘£80m-rated’ midfielder.

The Latest: Jordan’s feeling

Speaking on TalkSport, Jordan revealed his feeling that Arsenal’s interest won’t go untested and that Erik ten Hag could be able to add Rice if United’s season continues to strengthen.

He said: “I’ve just got a sneaking suspicion – and I don’t think he’ll end up at Arsenal. I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that if Manchester United continue to progress and can knock on the door of something significant this season… he could occupy a quarterback role at Manchester United.

“I think we’re now talking about levels of between £70m and £80m, and that will make a deal happen.”

The Verdict: How would he fit?

Rice, who has been labelled a ‘monster’ during his time at West Ham, is undoubtedly a quality player who has shown through his performances in Europe – as he international level, where he now has plenty of tournament experience, that he’s ready to mix it at the top on a regular basis.

Despite the public interest from Arsenal, The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg revealed that United are also in the running for Rice and have “laid some of the groundwork for a summer move”.

However, it remains to be seen where the 24-year-old would fit into Ten Hag’s setup, with the holding midfield role currently occupied by Casemiro, whilst it seems a more attacking pairing of Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes is how the Dutchman wants to operate.

Rice doesn’t possess the same attacking and creative prowess of the most expendable of the midfield pair based on minutes, with Eriksen outperforming the Englishman in every goal and shot-creation metric this season on FBref, barring fouls drawn and defensive actions leading to shots – which can be explained by his deeper role.

Given Casemiro has only just arrived and made himself at home, we feel a move now doesn’t seem it would get the best out of Rice in the current setup, with his preferred role occupied by the Brazilian.

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that potential Tottenham Hotspur January transfer signing Nicolo Zaniolo could be “absolute fire”.

What’s the word?

With now less than a week remaining in the winter market, it remains to be seen what big deals are still to be completed by teams in the Premier League.

Spurs, however, will be delighted to have hijacked Everton’s move for Arnaut Danjuma recently and look set to make him their own.

Despite that, there have also been reports suggesting another attacking player could be joining the club with Zaniolo linked heavily too.

While speaking about the player on Chasing Green Arrows, Jones seemed pretty excited about the player arriving in England this winter.

The journalist said: “He’s had a tricky time at Roma, he’s such a good player. He’s had a tricky time, he’s had some injury problems, some real tough injuries as well for someone of his age, and the style of play that he has.

“But he is an exciting footballer. And I’ve given it a medium [likelihood] rating because there’s levels of competition here involved. And because we can’t be sure exactly how he takes to the Premier League and that he can stay fit.

“So I don’t want to go hype him up too much. If he was to fulfil his potential, though, this signing would be absolute fire.”

Worth the risk?

Antonio Conte has made it clear that he wants new signings this winter and the Italian probably won’t be satisfied with just Danjuma arriving as the club fight to maintain their status as a Champions League side.

Zaniolo could be a pretty exciting prospect – Jones certainly seems to think so – however, his injury record is something to consider.

After all, at the age of 23, he has already suffered two cruciate ligament ruptures, while a series of other fitness issues have slowed him down in recent seasons.

What’s more, the player’s attitude has come under some scrutiny of late with Roma fans booing him for a recent disappointing display in a Serie A game.

Aston Villa are expected to make a move for a new talisman before the conclusion of the January transfer window on Tuesday, and could move for LOSC Lille phenom Jonathan David.

Having sold centre-forward Danny Ings to West Ham United for £15m last week, Villan manager Unai Emery will indeed be aiming to wrap up a deal for a worthy replacement to spearhead the charge towards prominence in the Premier League once again.

While an £18m deal for 19-year-old forward Jhon Duran has been tied up this month, the Columbian gem is viewed as a long-term investment having signed from American MLS outfit Chicago Fire and still perching in the maiden period of his professional career.

With a move for David, who has been sensational in the French Ligue 1 since his arrival from Belgian outfit Gent in 2020, Villa could seal a deal for a highly sought forward with blistering pace, fierce physicality and a remarkable goal record.

Immobile 2.0

With Ings now gone, it would be a major surprise to see Villa see out the remainder of the January transfer window without securing the signature of a new first-rate forward.

While Olympique Lyonnais striker Moussa Dembele has been touted with a move to Villa Park, pushing for the signing of Lille’s David could be the deal that serves as the catalyst for success under Emery’s sagely tutelage.

This season alone, the Canadian sensation has scored 13 goals and provided four assists from 21 appearances, following on from a preceding term that saw him plunder 19 strikes across all competitions.

And with a resounding record for his national team – 22 goals from 38 caps – it is clear that the ace would bring an offensive calibre that could slot right into Emery’s blossoming system.

As per FBref, the “phenom” – as hailed by Tony Marinaro – ranks among the top 5% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion, which further adds fuel to the fire surrounding his prospective transfer, with a ball-playing aptitude only going to benefit Emery’s tactical set-up, putting emphasis on the counter-attack and swift transitional play.

The 23-year-old is a comparable player to prolific Lazio talisman Ciro Immobile, who has scored a remarkable 190 goals from 277 appearances for the Italian Serie A outfit.

With David averaging 1.9 shots over the course of his career, and the robust Immobile averaging 3.0, as per Whoscored, if the former can channel his output and turn the gear up in front of the net, he too could find success with regularity at Aston Villa.

Whether Emery manages to secure his man, who is valued at €50m (£44m) by his French side, remains to be seen, but a deal would represent a major play of the cards in English football and could be the catalyst for future success.

Deadline day was a relatively quiet one by Leeds United’s standards, with the addition of Weston McKennie on January 30th the latest deal that Jesse Marsch’s side completed in January.

The USA international joins on a loan deal from Juventus which includes an obligation to buy in the summer, becoming the club’s third signing in January after Maximilian Wober and Georginio Rutter.

Another body in midfield will allow Marsch to change things up at Elland Road, with the former Salzburg boss now having the option of an all-American midfield, with Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson.

The arrival of the 24-year-old Schalke man could see Adam Forshaw’s spell in the first team finally come to an end but Marsch might consider dropping another midfielder in Sam Greenwood.

While he is still only 21, the former Arsenal man has struggled on his rare appearances in the first team this season, notching just one goal and two assists in ten appearances, averaging a disappointing 6.40 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This ranks him as the 19th-best performer at Elland Road so far this season, so he is definitely a candidate to lose his place in the squad following the business done in January.

Since signing from Arsenal’s academy, Greenwood has certainly done the business with Leeds’ youth sides, hitting 21 goals and six assists in 40 appearances for the U21s but he is yet to show that sort of form with the senior side.

In 25 first-team appearances, the 21-year-old has just one goal and five assists, with Marsch opting to play him in a deeper role, which is yet to really pay off.

Although he looks to still have plenty of potential, you only have to look towards the impact of 19-year-old Wilfried Gnonto to realise that Greenwood might not have what it takes to be a regular in this Leeds side in the future.

McKennie should offer far more from a defensive perspective and has a great deal more senior experience than Greenwood, which could be vital in the second half of the season as Leeds look to retain their Premier League status.

Therefore, while Forshaw is seen as the one who will lose his place, it is arguably Greenwood who looks set to lose out the most from the signing of McKennie in January.

Manchester United are among the clubs monitoring Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic with a view to a summer transfer, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

What’s the word?

The Serbian striker could leave Juventus this summer, as the club look to aid their financial struggles, and he has now been linked with a number of clubs.

United are reportedly targeting a long-term number nine at the end of the season, with Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen linked, and Vlahovic could be another viable option.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Galetti revealed the price that Juventus could accept, as well as the clubs interested in a move.

“The Bianconeri have already set his price tag at around €80m,” he stated.

“In the Premier League, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are interested in him. They are monitoring the position of Dusan Vlahovic very carefully.”

A backup target?

Given Osimhen’s form for Napoli this season, as well as Kane’s experience in the Premier League, Vlahovic, who has been hailed as “unbelievable”, is arguably the least attractive of the three options, but if United cannot land either of the other two, he could be a viable alternative.

Whilst the 23-year-old has had a mixed season at Juventus, his goal record last season both there and at Fiorentina was nothing short of spectacular, scoring 29 times in 45 appearances.

Micah Richards described the forward as “lightning” during his hot spell at La Viola, and if he can replicate that form at Old Trafford, he could be the key to help Erik ten Hag’s side challenge for major silverware.

He was signed at Juventus as an eventual replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, and could be set to do the same at United, with the Portuguese superstar leaving the club by mutual consent in December.

If he does make the move, then he could form a deadly attack alongside Marcus Rashford, and at over 6″2 tall, he could replace the physicality that loanee Wout Weghorst has brought to the side.