All posts by z3u9t.icu

Liverpool’s James Milner has made more fouls per 90 minutes than anyone else in this season’s Premier League, WhoScored data shows.

Milner has started three top-flight matches so far this term, lining-up in midfield for the opening day win at Norwich and then slotting in at right-back against Crystal Palace and Manchester City in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Should Milner’s fouls have led to a red card?

He was at the centre of controversy against his former club City last time out. After being booked in the 42nd minute, he escaped a sending off for a challenge on Bernardo Silva in the second half. Pep Guardiola said after the game that he believed Milner should have been given his marching orders.

Jurgen Klopp has said that he hopes to have Alexander-Arnold back available for selection after the international break, when Liverpool are due to travel to Watford before facing Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

Fan feed Anfield Edition relayed the statistic about Milner’s foul concession, and here’s what some Reds supporters made of it, with one fan describing his tendency to give away free kick as an “accident waiting to happen”.

Liverpool fans express Milner concern

“He is lucky we weren’t down to 10 against City. Thank God the refs were shook off Anfield.”

Credit: @MauUprising

“Great servant and incredible work ethic but we need to move on from him.”

Credit: @ReneOuld

“Never…I would never have guessed…an accident waiting to happen.”

Credit: @Dazmay66

“He will cost Liverpool precious points this season which is why he mustn’t be used as a full back.”

Credit: @johnhak7

“That’s because he’s old and slow. Coaching role methinks.”

Credit: @StephenMcCaig2

“Get rid of him”

Credit: @LaVillanelle

In other news, many Liverpool fans were left livid as this Reds ace was snubbed.

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has confirmed that Leon Bailey will once again be missing from action ahead of their match against Spurs in the Premier League.

What’s the story?

The Jamaica international has had a mixed start to life at Villa Park following his summer move from Bayer Leverkusen, with injuries causing him to miss a couple of games in late August.

After making his recovery, Bailey showed exactly what he could bring to the table with an electric cameo against Everton, scoring one goal and setting up another as Villa ran out 3-0 winners.

However, after being forced off though injury just minutes after coming on against the Toffees, the 24-year-old looks set to be ruled out until after the international break; and speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of today’s fixture, Smith has delivered an update on the winger.

The manager said: “I’m hopeful that he will start training during the international break, and we will assess him then.”

Villa fans will be gutted

After initially seeing Bailey go down with injury, former Villa defender Alan Hutton responded by saying: “He’s a little bit different to some players because he’s so explosive. That’s kind of a red flag. You need to be careful, especially if you’re coming back from a hamstring injury or things like that. He’s that quick off the mark that he needs to be right.

“The intensity of the Premier League is massive so it’s always going to put strain on your body. They’re going to have to be careful with him, he is playing catch up.”

Hutton concluded: “I’m sure over the coming weeks, depending on how bad he is, they’ll take their time with him and try bed him in really slowly.”

Bailey’s display against Everton showed just why he can be a real game-changer for Villa with his sheer pace and skill, and coming up against a struggling Spurs side, he surely would have relished today’s contest.

Villa fans will no doubt be gutted at seeing him miss out today.

Meanwhile, Gregg Evans has dropped an Aston Villa transfer update…

Lee Ryder has claimed that Newcastle United could sign Tom Davies in a potential swap deal with Sean Longstaff before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Davies linked before

The St. James’ Park faithful were reportedly linked with a move for Davies in last summer’s window, before he ended up staying at Everton.

It seems as if they could revisit their previous interest this summer, as the new 2021/22 Premier League season draws ever closer.

The Latest: Swap deal?

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Tyneside journalist Ryder has claimed that Longstaff could be used in a swap deal to bring Davies to the North East.

The move has been played down at this moment in time, but it has not been ruled out.

The Verdict: Avoid

It seems a bit unnecessary for the Tyneside club to swap Longstaff for Davies, as they are both very similar players.

They both managed no goals and just one assist in the top flight last term, and while Davies, lauded as an ‘excellent’ player by pundit Paddy Kenny back in June, averaged more interceptions, clearances, blocks, dribbles and passes per game, Longstaff averaged more tackles, shots, key passes, crosses and long balls (Whoscored).

Put simply, they are both tenacious midfielders with an eye for a pass, but little potency going forward and plenty of room to develop their games further.

Longstaff is also a local boy and so the Toon Army would not be pleased in letting one of their own go, unless a much better replacement was brought in.

Thus, the Magpies should only look to add Davies to their squad if Longstaff was not included as part of a deal.

In other news, find out which Premier League NUFC are ‘desperate’ to sign here!

Crystal Palace shared images of defender Nathan Ferguson on their official Twitter page on Thursday.

And, as to be expected, a number of Eagles fans were quick to react to the update on social media.

Ferguson was brought to Selhurst Park back in July 2020 after his deal with West Brom expired.

It has since been revealed that Palace have to pay just £900,000 in compensation to the Baggies, however, the 21-year-old is still yet to turn out in red and blue.

The defender has suffered multiple injuries during his time with Palace, with the latest coming back in May when he tore his achilles, but it seems as if Ferguson may well be close to finally making his Eagles debut after being pictured on the training ground.

Unsurprisingly, fans are extremely excited to see what will certainly feel like a new signing finally donning the Palace shirt.

Palace fans react

This is what these CPFC supporters had to say in reply to the club’s official post regarding Ferguson, with many happy and one labelling it as ‘fantastic’.

“Oh I’m emotional”

Credit: @Kevbartleyy

“OMG Today is a good day”

Credit: @DrizzyCPFC

“Fantastic to see – keep going Nathan”

Credit: @LukeRemnant

“Omggggggggg barclays ain’t ready”

Credit: @CPFC_Ollie_

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @SWPalace

“This makes me so happy to see! What a journey!”

Credit: @Tolcheey17

“Comeback SZN!”

Credit: @DeePalace_

In other news: ‘Would be mad’ – Many CPFC fans stunned as ‘stupid’ transfer news emerges.

Speaking to Sky Sports, pundit Sue Smith has raved over a ‘huge boost’ out of north London involving Tottenham Hotspur superstar Son Heung-min.

The Lowdown: Son contract confirmed…

Reports had indicated that the 28-year-old agreed to put pen to paper on a new deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Football Insider recently reporting that terms had been finalised and a deal ‘done’.

Now, as announced today, Son has indeed extended his deal in north London – signing a four-year contract which will run until 2025.

The Latest: Smith raves over ‘huge’ Son boost…

Speaking to Sky, Smith has raved over the announcement whilst predicting Spurs supporters will certainly be ecstatic with the development.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-updates/” title=”Tottenham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

As well as this, she describes the news as a ‘huge boost’ for the Lilywhites.

“I think it’s a huge boost for everyone linked with Spurs,” she explained to the broadcaster.

“It’s just a huge boost like I say, he’s such a good player to watch, I really enjoy watching him every week in the Premier League.

“He’s vital to Spurs’ attack, I think when they go forward in terms of his running with the ball, his running without the ball, his assists, his goals.

“He’s a really intelligent player and Spurs fans will certainly be happy that he’s been tied down.”

The Verdict: Absolutely massive…

Given Spurs supporters have been waiting for the better part of 9 months for Son to officially extend his stay, with reports emerging as far back as October 2020, this certainly comes as massive bit of news.

The South Korea star was, by some distance, Tottenham’s second-most important player behind Kane and even managed to get into the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

Amid the noise surrounding Kane and his future, news of Son committing his future is definitely a welcome update – if the talisman does depart, Son will become the face of the club.

In other news: ‘Massive’, ‘Exactly what Levy wanted’…Sky pundit has also raved over this Tottenham Hotspur Stadium announcement, find out more here.

A major update has emerged for Southampton, one that could lead to them finding a potential heir to Danny Ings’ throne.

What’s the talk?

According to Le10Sport, Ligue 1 outfit Nantes have decided that they are willing to part ways with striker Randal Kolo Muani this summer for a fee in the region of £8.5m (€10m).

Muani is out of contract at the end of next season and Nantes are hoping to cash in now before they lose him on a free transfer. The report claims Bundesliga side Frankfurt have already failed with a bid for Muani as they were unable to match Nantes’ price tag.

Last month, Le10Sport claimed that Premier League clubs Southampton and Crystal Palace are interested in signing the forward to bolster their squads ahead of next season. French side Lyon were also mentioned as being extremely keen in the report, although no bids from Lyon, Palace or Southampton have been made as of yet.

Danny Ings heir

Southampton CEO Martin Semmens could land the heir to Ings’ throne by landing a deal for Muani in the transfer window. Ings is out of contract at the end of next season and The Telegraph reported last month that Manchester United are considering a swoop for the English centre-forward. This could open the door for a striker to come in and take over from Ings, if the former Liverpool man does depart from St. Mary’s, and Muani could be that man.

Ings scored 12 goals and registered four assists in 29 Premier League appearances for Southampton in the 2020/21 campaign, averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.84. Muani, meanwhile, racked up nine goals and four assists in 35 starts for Nantes in Ligue 1, averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.91. This suggests that he could be on a similar level to Ings, as the Saints man only managed a few more goals, whereas Muani achieved a superior match-by-match rating across the season.

The £2k-per-week dynamo is also six years younger than Ings. This means that Muani could have the potential to improve further and become a key player for Southampton for years to come if they are able to sign him from Nantes in the coming months.

At the age of 22, Ralph Hasenhuttl could coach Muani into becoming the leading figure for Saints, with the French forward having already shown he has the quality to perform on a similar level to Ings.

Even if Ings stays at Southampton and sees out of the final year of his contract, Muani could be a great addition to the squad. Muani could compete with Ings and Che Adams for a starting spot and potentially learn from the former in order to improve his own game before taking over his throne in 2022.

For £8.5m, this is a deal that Semmens must look to get done.

AND in other news, Saints must act swiftly to land “complete” £5.5k-p/w ace, compared to Virgil van Dijk…

Everton’s transfer window has hardly been a barnstorming affair but the business Rafa Benitez has concluded has surprisingly paid off.

Demarai Gray is looking like an instant bargain after scoring twice in two games following a mere £1.7m move.

His goals have been vital in the Toffees securing seven points from their opening three matches but they aren’t done in the market just yet.

What’s the word?

Anything can happen in the remaining few days of the transfer window but despite Everton’s restricted finances, they are looking to conclude business.

Richarlison could still depart Goodison while James Rodriguez is looking increasingly likely to leave.

The Colombian is due to return to Porto in a swap deal involving Luis Diaz. That news broke on Friday and on Saturday, Fabrizio Romano posted an exciting update on the progress of the move.

He said: “Everton are confident to complete the agreement with FC Porto to sign Luis Díaz. Talks progressing on a permanent move – James Rodriguez expected to join Porto if salary agreement will be completed. Luis Díaz wants Everton as priority, now waiting for final agreement.”

Complete player

If Benitez can conclude a deal for the 24-year-old then he will have every right to be delighted. After all, the Toffees require an extra dose of quality in the final third to take them to the next level.

Gray has started his Everton career in scintillating fashion but if Richarlison does head for the exit door, it would leave them in the lurch.

That’s why the acquisition of Diaz is such an exciting one. He starred at the recent Copa America for Colombia, scoring four goals in five outings. He has hit the ground running in the top-flight of Portuguese football this term too.

In fact, he’s arguably been one of the best players in the division. The winger has beaten the goalkeeper on two occasions and claimed an assist in his first four outings.

Those numbers add to the nine goal involvements he managed in Liga NOS last term.

Diaz doesn’t just bring goals and assists to the table, however. He has won an impressive three aerial duels per game this term and has managed 2.3 dribbles per outing.

If we compare those statistics to those at Everton, he stands out considerably. Only Mason Holgate and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have won more aerial battles while no one has been able to replicate his dribbling.

On that evidence, he’d be a wonderful signing for Everton and a deal that surely suits the Toffees more.

They’ll be losing an unhappy ageing player and signing a young vibrant individual with the world at his feet. Benitez should be extremely pleased with Marcel Brands’ work.

AND in other news, Forget Gray: £22.5m-rated Everton dud who won 100% duels stole the show vs Brighton…

Sunderland manager Lee Johnson will surely be over the moon with his side’s start to the season as they have racked up four wins from their five competitive matches so far.

The Black Cats have won three of their four League One games and beat Port Vale in the first round of the Carabao Cup this month. They now travel to face Championship side Blackpool in the second round of that competition, having been pipped to promotion by the Tangerines last season.

After a 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon at the weekend, with Carl Winchester scoring the only goal of the game, Sunderland will be looking to use their momentum to progress in the cup.

On the Chalkboard

This game has presented Johnson with the perfect opportunity to make changes to his team. He will want to fresh up a few positions in his side to rest legs and give others the chance to come in and stake a claim for their position in the XI moving forward.

One player who should be unleashed against Blackpool is summer signing Niall Huggins. He joined the club from Premier League side Leeds United this month and is yet to make his debut for the Wearsiders, with this Carabao Cup clash the ideal game in which to give him his bow.

Winchester has been playing out of position at right-back in the league, which means that Huggins could come in to allow the 28-year-old to play in his favoured role. He is a midfielder by trade and could slot into the midfield for Luke O’Nien, thus allowing Huggins to make his debut for the club at right-back.

After the official announcement of the 20-year-old’s arrival, Johnson hailed him as an interesting and versatile player with who he is looking forward to working with. He told Sunderland’s official website:

“Niall is an interesting player and tactically he’s very versatile – he is also very good physically in terms of his speed and acceleration and he’s a good dribbler, whether that’s playing left back or right back. He’s a bright kid and he’s had a very good education at Leeds, but now it’s the right time for him to step into that first-team environment. Niall is another one that we have added to our stable of quality young players, so we are very happy to have him and we’re looking forward to working with him.”

This shows how highly the Black Cats manager rates him and why the 20-year-old deserves this opportunity to put in a strong performance at right-back and lay down a marker for the rest of the season. It’s his time to show what he can do and prove that Johnson was right to bring him to the club this summer.

If he can come in and produce an excellent showing at right-back, it could convince the former Bristol City head coach to hand him a few starts in League One. It is down to the player to prove himself, though, and duly give Johnson some selection headaches.

AND in other news, SAFC handed boost over £900k-rated “shining light”, Johnson will be delighted…

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce is said to have made a check on QPR centre-back Rob Dickie amid a potential move for him in the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

With a number of Newcastle’s centre-backs facing an uncertain future at St James’ Park this summer due to their contracts expiring, it’s no surprise that Bruce appears to be targeting a new defender to bolster his ranks.

And, according to The Shields Gazette’s Liam Kennedy, the Magpies made checks on QPR’s Dickie during the season just gone, with the likes of Celtic’s Kristoffer Ajer and Schalke’s Ozan Kabak – who was on loan at Liverpool – also name-checked as potential transfer targets.

Kennedy also added: “Uncertainty remains over the future of both Fabian Schar and Federico Fernandez with both heading into the final days of their contract at United. A one-year extension clause will be activated with Schar, but the Switzerland international is far from certain to stay.”

Bye-bye Fabian Schar

As per Whoscored, with an average match rating of 7.17 in the Championship last season, Dickie was actually ranked as the seventh-best performing player in the entire division, and the third-best central defender behind only Michal Helik and Grant Hanley.

And, when you look at the 6 foot 4 titan’s key defensive numbers, it’s easy to see why.

He averages an impressive 1.3 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game, with the latter stat actually putting him right at the top of the table when compared to the entire Newcastle squad.

Dickie also appears to be a genuine ball-playing centre-back too, making more than ten passes than the man at the top for the Magpies (57.6 passes per game), while only Fabian Schar can better his 3.1 successful long balls per game out of Newcastle’s defenders.

During his time with Oxford United, Dickie was heavily praised by manager Karl Robinson, who dubbed him as “unbelievable”, and said: “I know he’s quick, I know he’s talented, I know he’s great in the air, but I need to see what he’s like when he’s on the floor and see how he stands up. In the second half, I thought Rob Dickie was magnificent.”

Dickie appears to be ready to make the step up to the Premier League given how he has dominated the Championship, and his development into someone who can play out from the back should go down a treat at St James’ Park.

With Schar potentially exiting Tyneside this summer based on Kennedy’s claim, Dickie could be an ideal replacement for the Swiss centre-back.

Meanwhile, Newcastle must land this defender who bullied Ivan Toney…

Newcastle United showed during the previous January transfer window how capable they are when it comes to bringing new players to the club.

Having spent a total of £91.89m in January according to Transfermarkt, this certainly seems to have been a turning point for the Toon.

Since January, Eddie Howe’s side have only lost three league games and won their four previous matches.

Now that the summer transfer window is approaching, it seems as though an early hint has been dropped over one potential area that the club could look to strengthen at Darsley Park before next season starts.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones had this to say about the possibility of Newcastle signing a striker in the summer.

He commented: “It could honestly be anyone. They’re just going to throw money at whoever seems available from across Europe. So, I still think that they’ll sign a massive name this summer up front.”

Great news for Newcastle fans

In January, the Magpies secured a deal for striker Chris Wood from fellow Premier League side Burnley for a fee of £25m.

Since then, the 30-year-old has found the back of the net on two occasions and appeared in all but one of their league games. As a result, there is clearly a need for greater quality in that area of the pitch.

In terms of who the ‘massive name’ could be, the Toon have recently been linked with a swoop for Benfica striker Darwin Nunez.

With 33 goals in 39 appearances for the Portuguese club this season, he would definitely fit the bill for what Newcastle are said to be looking for in the summer.

Having scored 21 goals in the league since the start of January, it’ll be exciting for the Toon fans to hear that the club may not only be looking at bringing another striker to St. James’ Park but also a potentially big name as well. Their record isn’t great but someone of Nunez’s calibre could certainly put that right.

Now that Howe has been able to take his side into the top half of the table after their dismal start to the season, adding a top striker to their ranks could propel the team even further up the table.

With that in mind, it could mean that finding regular game time next season may be a challenge for Wood and Callum Wilson should the club manage to add a consistent goalscorer to the squad.

In other news: Howe can finally axe “nervous” dud as NUFC plot bid for £197k-pw gem who’s “top-level”