All posts by z3u9t.icu

West Ham United released a number of senior players recently, including the likes of Mark Noble, Ryan Fredericks and David Martin.

One other man who waved goodbye to the east London club is Andriy Yarmolenko.

Signed from Borussia Dortmund for £17.5m in the summer of 2018, the winger went on to score 13 goals and deliver seven assists in 86 appearances for the Hammers.

Now that the summer transfer window has opened for business, this will give David Moyes the chance to potentially bring in a suitable replacement for the Ukraine international.

One player with whom the Hammers have been linked and who could fit this particular bill is Hull City winger Keane Lewis-Potter.

At the age of 21, the Englishman would be a decent replacement for Yarmolenko in terms of being a potential long-term feature for West Ham given his young age.

A product of Hull’s youth system, the winger has already made 121 senior appearances for the club, showing just how highly rated he is there. In that time, he has scored 30 goals and delivered 12 assists along the way, highlighting just how much of a goal threat he can pose.

To further highlight his impressive and consistent attacking prowess, the youngster had more than twice as many shots at goal (103) in the Championship this season as any other Hull player, also delivering 129 crosses (third-highest in the squad).

Labelled a “special talent” by his former manager Grant McCann, Lewis-Potter reportedly has a price tag of £18m, which is rather close to the fee that the Hammers shelled out for Yarmolenko four years ago.

Also, with West Ham no strangers to signing players from the Championship – such as Jarrod Bowen, who also came from Hull – securing a deal for the current Tigers attacker could be a great piece of business for them once again.

Should Moyes feel the need to add another attacking figure to his squad this summer, the Hull prodigy could be his dream heir for the exiting Yarmolenko and potentially give West Ham their new long-term attacking star if he is able to make the step up to the Premier League.

In other news: Moyes can seal dream West Ham transfer with £50m “work-force”, imagine him & Bowen

Leeds United are interested in Red Bull Salzburg striker Junior Adamu, according to Sky Sport Austria. 

The lowdown

The Athletic’s Phil Hay wrote last month that Jesse Marsch wanted to add a centre forward to his ranks. He reported at the time that Marsch was looking for a Premier League striker, but it seems that the 48-year-old has now broadened his search.

Leeds have already completed one signing from their manager’s former club, sealing a £24.7m deal for Brenden Aaronson, and they are also on the verge of securing a second in the form of right-back Rasmus Kristensen.

The 21-year-old is under contract with the Austrian Bundesliga champions for another three years.

The latest

Sky Sport Austria claimed that Adamu is ‘in demand’, with interest from both the German Bundesliga and the Premier League.

‘According to Sky information’, Leeds, Southampton and West Ham United are all in the race to sign him. However, there is further competition from Champions League outfit RB Leipzig, Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt and Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin.

Transfer expert Marc Behrenbeck added that Adamu ‘can be bought for 10 million’ Euro, the equivalent of £8.5m.

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The verdict

Adamu managed nine goals and five assists in 43 appearances in the 2021/22 season, which is a slightly underwhelming record on the face of it. However, it’s worth stressing that he only started 23 games, while he averaged a direct goal contribution every 147 minutes.

His record of 11 goals in 13 outings for Austria’s under-21 side also underlines his potential, and £8.5m is a reasonable fee to stump up.

The likes of Erling Haaland, who scored 86 goals in 89 games for Borussia Dortmund before making a £51.2m move to Manchester City, and Patson Daka, who bagged 11 in his first season for Leicester, have already come off the centre-forward production line at Salzburg.

Adamu may not quite be on their level, but he did score an ‘absolutely brilliant’ goal (in the words of Chris Sutton) against Bayern Munich in the Champions League round of 16 earlier this year, and that may well have caught Leeds’ eye.

In other news, a chief sports writer shares a key development concerning Kalvin Phillips.

Leeds United have been handed a huge boost in their bid to bring Noa Lang to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with Het Laatste Nieuws (via Sport Witness), the Club Brugge winger suggested that the Jupiler Pro League side’s fixture against RSC Anderlecht on the final day of the season could have been his last game for the Belgian champions, with the 22-year-old going on to suggest that he will be available to sign for the same €25m (£21m) fee he was 12 months ago.

The Netherlands international then went on to reveal that Leeds made three separate offers for his services in the summer of 2021, before suggesting that Victor Orta and his transfer team flew out to Holland in order to discuss a potential switch to Elland Road.

Regarding his future, Lang said: “As long as I am under contract, and there is nothing concrete, I will never refuse to play for Club. They do not deserve that. By the way, for the same money, it will all start in August, just like last year.”

When asked about Leeds’ interest, the forward added: “They were concrete, yes. Leeds made three offers. We even negotiated – they flew to the Netherlands.”

Huge coup for Leeds

Considering just how impressive Lang was in Belgium this season, coupled with his recent come and get me plea to the Whites, it is easy to see why Orta is reported to once again be interested in a move for the 22-year-old this summer.

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Indeed, over his 37 Jupiler Pro League appearances this term, the £19.8m-rated talent was in devastating form, scoring seven goals, registering 12 assists and creating 19 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.0 shots, making 1.9 key passes and completing 1.7 dribbles per game.

These metrics saw the £20k-per-week forward who Jacek Kulig dubbed “unstoppable” average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.20, ranking him as Brugge’s joint fifth-best performer in the top flight of Belgian football.

As such, should the Whites’ Spanish sporting director be confident that Lang would be able to replicate this level of form in the Premier League after his potential switch to Leeds, it would very much appear as if the Dutchman would be a huge coup for just £21m.

And, with Raphinha looking to be an all but certain departure from Elland Road this summer, Jesse Marsch’s side will be in need of a new winger to replace the Brazilian’s attacking threat – with Lang looking to be something of an ideal candidate.

AND in other news: Orta could land his next £47m asset as Leeds eye 21 y/o with a “huge amount of talent”

Everton are in need of big changes to make a positive impact after a disastrous season in the Premier League, however a new update has emerged on the future of a key player that could cause a huge problem at Goodison Park.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to Brazilian news outlet Globo Esporte, Richarlison has given an update on his stance when it comes to his future at Everton and what he expects from the summer transfer window.

The Brazilian winger told the publication:

“I’ve already made it clear to the board, I’ve already talked to Lampard too, with my managers and they know what I want. Let’s wait for June.

“Now I can’t talk, because when I talk about leaving a club I’m kind of like this, because of the history I have at Everton, the affection that the fans have for me when I talk about leaving I’m kind of speechless.”

Supporters will be concerned

When it comes to the relegation fight Everton found themselves in this season, Richarlison has been one of, if not the most crucial player for the team in their successful survival in avoiding the drop into the Championship so supporters will rightly be concerned by these comments.

Not only was the forward the top goal-scorer for the Toffees this season, he scored six goals in his last nine appearances over the final ten games of the season when the battle was at its tightest, proving that he is such a key player for the team and would be a massive loss to the squad if he were to leave Goodison Park this summer.

The winger has become a fan favourite for his consistent output since he joined four years ago scoring 53 goals and contributing 14 assists, proving that he has been a reliable player for the supporters to get behind and his departure would likely be something the Goodison faithful would prefer not to happen.

Ultimately, if Richarlison is serious about leaving the club this summer Frank Lampard and Farhad Moshiri must come together to find a like for like replacement as losing the player’s attacking threat could be massively detrimental to Everton next season.

AND in other news: Everton plotting move to sign “world class” £97k-p/w gem, Lampard needs him badly

Gio van Bronckhorst looks set for a big Rangers lift over Ibrox defender Leon Balogun heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to The Scotsman, the Gers centre-back has ‘intimated’ that he wants to extend his stay in Glasgow beyond this summer.

His current deal expires ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and the club are set to hold talks with him in the coming days and weeks to thrash out fresh terms.

Supporters will be buzzing

Gers supporters will be buzzing with this news for multiple reasons.

Firstly, it indicates that Balogun wants to stay at Rangers. The fans will be pleased by that, as it shows that he is committed to the club and passionate about playing for them, which has been evident in his strong performances on the pitch as he spares no effort in matches.

Balogun wears his heart on his sleeve with crunching challenges and lung-busting recoveries. Supporters surely want to see players who give their all for the team and the Nigeria international certainly does that, with this latest update reaffirming his love for the Gers.

They will also be buzzing as keeping the defender at Ibrox will be a huge boost because of what he can do on the pitch next season. He is an experienced, quality operator in the Scottish top flight and he will no doubt be a crucial player for Van Bronckhorst again next term if he puts pen to paper on a new deal.

The 33-year-old has played 40 Premiership matches since the start of the 2020/21 campaign and helped the team to keep 14 clean sheets in that time. He has won an impressive 61% of his total duels since arriving in Scotland, which proves that he is able to deal with the physicality of the league.

His European form will also come in handy for Rangers’ Champions League qualifiers this summer. In the Europa League, Balogun averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.96 across 10 appearances in the competition as the club made it all the way to the final before losing on penalties to Eintracht Frankfurt in Seville.

He made a whopping 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game at the heart of the defence, being a rock in Europe for Van Bronckhorst. This suggests that he will be a brilliant option to call upon again in 2022/23, both domestically and on the continent, and that is why fans will be delighted with this claim on Balogun’s future.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Lundstram: GvB can form scary Rangers duo by signing £4.5k-p/w machine…

West Ham United have reportedly made ‘enquiries’ about the possibility of signing Everton forward Moise Kean this summer, according to an Italian source.

The Lowdown: Kean’s return to Italy

The Toffees first signed the 22-year-old from Juventus on a five-year deal back in 2019, but after frustration at a lack of game time at Goodison Park, the striker made the switch back to the Italian giants just two years later with the option to make it a permanent deal for £24m.

Kean might not have had a successful spell in the Premier League previously, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t thrive in a different environment – look at the likes of former Chelsea flops Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah – and it sounds as if there is a potential suitor for him in the form of the Irons.

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The Latest: West Ham make ‘enquiries’

In a new article published by Italian outlet Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), it’s claimed that West Ham have made contact about the attacker ahead of the upcoming transfer window, and ‘certainly like’ his profile.

The source further states that Juventus are ‘trying to figure out’ whether Kean can be sold on for a ‘sufficient’ price after deciding that he is ‘not a firm part’ of their plans moving forward.

It’s reported that Massimiliano Allegri’s side are in need of a ‘particularly generous’ club to generate a big fee to make the deal worthwhile, and the Hammers could be just the team.

The Verdict: Competition for Antonio

The 12-cap international could be the perfect fit for David Moyes at the London Stadium, having scored 16 goals and registered three assists in the Serie A over the course of his career, as per Transfermarkt.

Kean, who was once hailed a “quality” player by Italy manager Roberto Mancini, could be an ideal candidate to provide some serious competition for Michail Antonio up front, with the club heavily reliant on their number nine without actually having an alternative option in the building.

West Ham are guaranteed a place in the Europa Conference League at the very least next year no matter what happens on the final day of the season against Brighton, but if they did manage to leapfrog Manchester United in the Premier League table, this could be a huge pulling factor for the talisman when deciding where his next destination will be.

In other news… a Sky Sports pundit has reacted to a major West Ham contract update.

According to Corriere dello Sport (via SaintsExtra), Southampton and Fulham are both interested in signing Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha upon the expiry of his contract this summer.

The Lowdown: Saints’ keeper situation

According to a fresh report by The Athletic, Saints will inform Fraser Forster that his deal with the south coast outfit will not be extended, meaning he will leave the club at the end of the season.

The Athletic claim that they are looking to bring in a younger replacement, with Forster being 34 years old.

This would be in addition to the England international’s rival to the No. 1 shirt, Alex McCarthy, who penned a new three-year deal in 2021.

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The Latest: Saints interested in Strakosha

Taking to Twitter, SaintsExtra shared Corriere dello Sport’s news that Southampton are interested in signing Lazio’s Strakosha and the player wants to move to England.

“Southampton & Fulham are both expressing an interest in 27-year-old Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha – the Albanian is due to become a free agent in July, & has his sights set on the Premier League.”

The Verdict: Good signing

Former Lazio youth coach Alberto Bollini has been speaking very highly of Strakosha, claiming that he rates the 6 foot 4 colossus as a “10/10”, because “he has extraordinary athleticism”.

Southampton’s recruitment clearly agrees with these statements, as they were linked with signing the 27-year-old last summer, too. However, at that point in time, the Albanian was valued around £25m.

Therefore, if the Saints are able to sign a player they were eyeing around that price on a free this summer, this will turn out to be a great piece of business by the club.

In other news: Southampton: Kegs Chauke contract update

Manchester United have been handed a significant boost in their pursuit of Barcelona midfielder, Frenkie de Jong in the summer transfer window

What’s the word?

That is according to reports in Spain that claim there is a very high chance that De Jong will be transferred to Manchester United before the end of the season.

Taking to Twitter, a reporter said: “Before the end of the league and with a 95% probability, Frenkie de Jong will be transferred to Manchester United. It is a pure economic issue. Barça needs to sell a player who has not been top at the club.”

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The Dutchman’s release clause rates him at a whopping £340m but the club will hope to be able to secure a deal for just £58m, a mere snip in comparison.

A 95% chance

With such a high probability stated by a well known and respected source, it looks as though Manchester United have as good as got their midfield transfer target, something that will no doubt serve as great news for everyone associated with the club.

It would be a sensational move for United, with incoming manager ten Hag surely one of the biggest reasons that the Red Devils have been able to pull off such a coup.

It has to be said though, the fact that Barcelona are willing to sell their 25-year-old star comes as a shock, considering the praise that Xavi heaped on the young Dutchman as recent as April 23rd.

The Barca manager shut down rumours which were then clarified by super-journalist Fabrizio Romano:

“Barca manager Xavi shuts down rumours on Frenkie de Jong leaving & Man Utd links,” Romano stated. Xavi then said: “Frenkie’s a very important player for me and for the club. He has to mark an era.

“I’m happy with him. If it were up to me he’ll continue for many years at Barca.”

For comparison, Paul Pogba averages 47.42 passes per game at a completion rate of 83.5%, though 6.61 of these are passes into the final third.

Although a shock, the United faithful will certainly take the latest news as a major positive, having almost bagged one of the best passers of the ball in the world right now, with his average of 90.3% pass completion percentage elite in the 30 La Liga appearances that the 25-year-old has made for Barca this season. He averages 56.70 passes per game with 5.59 of these passes into the final third.

Still, the £164k-per-week player, who has been dubbed a “genius” by Xavi, possesses an ability to pick out a pass that is entirely beneficial for United, who will most certainly look to implement a mass-possession style of football under incoming manager Ten Hag.

What a reunion this could be for de Jong and the Dutch boss who will surely be elated at the potential acquisition. What a boost it represents for Man United too, in what looks to be the first official deal of the new era.

In other news: Better than Pogba: MUFC can land dream Rice alternative in “exceptional” £50m monster