All posts by h716a5.icu

West Ham United were left to rue what might have been as David Moyes’ side slipped to a 1-0 defeat away to Liverpool on Wednesday evening, with the Hammers squandering notable missed opportunities as they continued their miserable record at Anfield.

The visitors had gone into the match having won just one of their past 49 meetings with the Reds on the road – with that solitary triumph coming back in December 2015 – with it looking set to be more of the same as Darwin Nunez headed home early on.

The east Londoners did, however, have a perfect chance to drag themselves level just before the break only for Jarrod Bowen to see his spot-kick comfortably saved by opposition stopper, Alisson, while midfield maestro Tomas Soucek saw his late effort somehow denied by a brilliant block from the evergreen veteran, James Milner.

As it proved, it was ultimately a tale of frustration for the London Stadium outfit as Jurgen Klopp’s side claimed all three points after what was a hard-fought encounter, with the Irons now languishing in 13th after a mixed start to the new campaign.

One figure who notably underwhelmed on the night for the away side was summer signing Gianluca Scamacca, with the Italy international – who joined from Sassuolo on a £35.5m deal in the recent window – having been particularly anonymous in his centre-forward berth.

That lack of impact is best illustrated by the fact that the 23-year-old made a measly tally of just 17 touches in his 90-minute outing – 26 fewer than teammate Lukasz Fabianski between the sticks – while squandering possession on eight occasions as he failed to make the most of his rare involvement in the game.

The 6 foot 5 powerhouse also recorded just three passes and won only one of his five total duels, with the nine-cap marksman’s evening having been somewhat epitomised as he wasted a potential opening in the closing stages, lashing his strike high and wide from the angle.

The £27m-rated brute has enjoyed an encouraging start to life in English football thus far – having scored two goals in his past three league outings heading into last night’s clash – although was unable to showcase his quality against the Merseyside outfit, with his match rating of 6.4, as per SofaScore, the joint-worst on the day among his teammates.

Such a limp showing also saw Scamacca criticised by the Evening Standard’s Malik Ouzia, who awarded the towering striker a measly 4/10 match rating, while writing that the one-time Genoa man ‘barely had a kick’ against the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.

With a meeting with newly-promoted Bournemouth up next for Moyes and co on Monday, the former Everton boss will likely be hoping that his new acquisition can take on a more prominent role against the Cherries, having been simply anonymous last night.

Glasgow Rangers have a number of promising young players who are making their way into the first team after impressing in the academy side this year.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst is spoilt for choice when it comes to bringing gems up from the B team, and he has utilised the likes of Alex Lowry, Adam Devine, Charlie McCann and Leon King so far in 2022.

Those players may be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Nathan Patterson, who broke into the first-team squad before moving to Everton in the Premier League in January.

However, Rangers do not always make the best call when it comes to promising young players, and one talent with whom they had a nightmare was winger Malcolm Ebiowei.

The forward left Ibrox in the summer of 2021, just over a year after joining from Arsenal, to sign for then-Championship side Derby County, although it remains unclear as to whether it was a free transfer or if the club pocketed a fee for the talented youngster.

He quickly caught the eye in England as he scored seven goals in as many under-18 appearances for the Rams. This convinced Wayne Rooney to hand him a chance in the first team and he racked up 16 Championship games, scoring once and setting up two goals, in the 2021/22 campaign.

Derby coach Justin Walker hailed the teenager’s ability last term, saying: “I think he has been a breath of fresh air. You can see how much the fans have warmed to him, he gets people out of their seats. He has got that little bit of X-factor, if you like, that creativity we have lacked at times in the final third.

“The only thing probably missing from his game is a goal, but I am sure that will come. He has got so much talent, and more importantly his attitude and his character.”

His form led to him being snapped up by Premier League club Crystal Palace in the summer just gone. The young gem only signed a one-year contract with Derby, and this allowed the Eagles to swoop for him without negotiating a fee, aside from compensation.

Palace podcaster and content creator HLTCO claimed that Ebiowei will be “fun to watch” for supporters and compared him to a young Wilfried Zaha, while he has played two top-flight matches for the south London club to date.

The 19-year-old wizard is showing off his potential at the top level and Rangers fans may now be wondering what could have been, as he could have starred for the Light Blues alongside the likes of Lowry and McCann if he had remained at Ibrox.

Tottenham Hotspur have ‘been in contact’ to sign Inter Milan star Milan Skriniar in recent weeks, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Paratici plans emerge…

The Lilywhites, after securing a previously unlikely Premier League top-four finish last campaign, gave manager Antonio Conte their backing in the summer transfer market.

Club owners ENIC green-lit a £150 million equity increase to bolster Conte’s squad with Spurs completing eight major new signings – including a permanent deal for Cristian Romero.

Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie all put pen to paper on moves to north London with the latter of the seven remaining on loan at Udinese for this campaign.

However, a great opportunity has emerged to make another potential signing next year as Nerazzurri colossus Skriniar runs down his current Inter deal.

The Latest: Spurs make Skriniar contact…

Indeed, the north Londoners are now one of a host of clubs taking real interest in the 27-year-old who could leave Inter for nothing next summer.

Sharing the news for 90min and on Twitter, journalist Graeme Bailey calls Skriniar ‘one of Europe’s top central defenders’ and reveals Tottenham’s admiration for the player.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-3/” title=”Tottenham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

He claims that Conte’s side have ‘been in contact’ with the player’s entourage ‘in recent weeks’ as Paratici seemingly eyes a real coup for free.

The Verdict: Make the move…

Valued at around £57 million by Transfermarkt, landing him for nothing in 2023 would come as, arguably, Paratici’s best move since being appointed chief director.

Former West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop is certainly in agreement that Skriniar would be an upgrade on Conte’s current defensive crop, calling him a player who would make ‘absolutely perfect’ sense from the Italian’s perspective.

Spurs need world-class additions for their back three if they’re going to reach the levels of a side like Man City and Skriniar seems to fit the bill.

Liverpool are close to appointing a new club doctor in a significant backroom addition at Anfield, according to a positive new claim.

The Lowdown: No doctor at Anfield

The Reds have endured a difficult start to the season, and while performances have been lacking in quality, injuries certainly haven’t helped matters.

Jurgen Klopp’s men have had to make do without a host of key players for long periods, from Ibrahima Konate to Luis Diaz, and question marks have been raised over the club’s fitness methods.

A lack of a club doctor certainly can’t be helping matters, in terms of having an expert around, but an exciting update that emerged regarding the situation.

The Latest: New appointment close

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are ‘close’ to appointing a new doctor after an ‘extensive recruitment process’.

They are believed to be in ‘advanced talks’ with someone over the position, with an ‘experienced operator’ coming in to aid Klopp and the rest of his team.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/https-www-footballtransfertavern-com-liverpool-fc-news-liverpool-premier-league-mohamed-salah-news-updates-klopp/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Excellent news for Reds

This is great news for Liverpool, with the situation so far this season far from acceptable for a club who are clearly among Europe’s elite currently.

[freshpress-quiz id=“398089″]

Whether or not the lack of a doctor has had a negative impact on injuries is up for debate, but it certainly seems like a big coincidence if that isn’t the case.

The hope is that this new appointment will ease those issues during the second half of the campaign, allowing Liverpool to return to top form and push for a top-four finish.

With an EFL Cup fixture against Blackburn Rovers looming tonight, West Ham United have been handed a draw that is far tougher than initially seemed.

The Lancashire club are in a rich vein of form, having won five of their last six in the Championship, which has allowed them to break into the automatic promotion spots.

Not only this, but their lead marksman Ben Brereton-Diaz seems once again to have found his form, and will be looking to show the Hammers exactly what he is about with reports continuing to link him with a move there. He has nine goals already this league campaign.

David Moyes will have to decide on his priorities with this match in mind, but one decision he must make is to return Pablo Fornals to the starting lineup.

Not only does he offer a tricky and clinical option in the midfield, but it could provide some added rest for the likes of Lucas Paqueta or even Jarrod Bowen for their Premier League game this weekend.

Having been benched for their clash with Crystal Palace, the £22m-rated man was their standout performer in midweek as they cruised to victory over FCSB to top their Europa Conference League group.

His two goals earned him a 9.2 rating, as he stood up when his youthful teammates needed him most. 

The Spaniard was at his creative best in this game, with his 65 touches managing two key passes and a 93% pass accuracy.

A brace marked his third goal of the season, with his other being the only goal in their narrow win over Aston Villa.

Likely with aspirations of a run in the competition, Moyes will be keen on getting a result of some sort tonight. To do that, he might actually have to remove Bowen from the team given his lack of form.

With just two league goals so far in 14 games, he is a shadow of the marksman that found the net 12 times and assisted 12 more.

Fornals would provide a touch of class and a calmness to pick apart a resilient Rovers defence, using his “skilful” assets to full effect, as labelled by David Cartlidge.

It is something of a no-brainer, as he is a more than capable stand-in to face a stubborn lower-league opposition.

One of the key additions for Leeds United in the summer was Rasmus Kristensen, who was seen as the natural replacement for the disappointing Luke Ayling. It was a position renowned across Yorkshire for being in desperate need of a revamp.

The former Red Bull Salzburg man marked the first of two occasions where Jesse Marsch had returned to his old club for additions, with the six-foot-one stalwart impressing in his start to life in the Premier League.

He has battled well to cope with the demands of English football, earning himself a position in Kasper Hjulmand’s Denmark squad for the upcoming World Cup.

For all the £17.5m-rated man’s defensive quality – notably averaging 2.9 tackles and 2.4 clearances per game from his 12 top-flight appearances this season – it remains to be seen whether he boasts the offensive qualities to truly be a long-term fit for the spot.

The 25-year-old has only recorded one goal contribution all season in the league, with his lack of attacking impetus outlined in his 0.6 key passes per game.

That fact could be the reason behind the Whites’ reported interest in another right-back, with his long-term replacement sounded out in the form of Borussia Mönchengladbach youngster Joe Scally.

Due to Jesse Marsch’s well-reported interest in finding a new left-back, scouts were present in the clash between the German outfit and Borussia Dortmund, thought to be viewing the progress of Raphael Guerreiro.

However, in a report made by 90min, they claim that the strong American contingent at Elland Road could make Scally someone who may also be on their radar.

The 19-year-old is currently also valued at £17.5m by CIES Football Observatory and is also set to travel with the USA as part of the forthcoming World Cup, highlighting his pedigree despite his youth.

A player who is “one of the most talented right-backs in his age group in the world” – according to NFCYC sporting director Claudio Reyna – Scally racked up three goal contributions across last season in what was his debut season in Germany.

This season has seen him once again impress, as, despite not recording a goal contribution, he has created three big chances and averaged 0.5 key passes per game.

He clearly has an incredibly high ceiling, and with a sensational breakout World Cup in the works, to invest in him now might be a stroke of genius.

Whilst it may seem harsh to ditch the latter man from the side in January, the potential Scally brings is undeniable. He already has the defensive qualities Kristensen boasts of and has nothing but time to slowly improve his creativity to make him the perfect modern full-back.

Aston Villa have been handed a fresh boost in their pursuit of Barcelona’s Franck Kessie.

What’s the latest?

As per Il Giorno, as quoted by Libero Quotidiano, the agent of the Ivorian is pushing for a move to England rather than back to AC Milan, who he left on a free transfer only in the summer.

The Villans are noted as his main suitors alongside Fulham and Watford, with the midfielder “already tired” of his lack of playtime at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Although Kessie himself might prefer a return to Italy, relations between the player and the Rossoneri hierarchy are somewhat soured given the manner of his initial exit.

This could provide the perfect opportunity for Unai Emery to sign a dream midfielder in January.

Mousa Dembele 2.0

Boasting a bulky 6-foot frame but a fleet-footedness with the ball at his feet, he naturally could draw comparisons with former Tottenham Hotspur maestro Mousa Dembele.

The Belgian earned praise for how he glided across the pitch, quietly getting through untold amounts of work, whilst offering plenty in handling the transitions.

Kessie’s offensive game definitely lives up to that of the 35-year-old, who only managed to score ten times during his 249 games for the Lilywhites.

During his title-winning season in the Italian capital, the £120k-per-week brute scored seven times whilst averaging an 88% pass accuracy and 1.3 tackles per game, via SofaScore.

Whilst his all-around game certainly could be compared, what truly suggests that the 25-year-old could emulate Dembele is the comments made by former Milan striker Antonio Cassano.

On his vast qualities, he stated: “I want Kessie in my team, he scores, he assists, he has personality, he has quality, he doesn’t lose the ball, he is intelligent.”

These are all attributes boasted by his counterpart, and likely what led to his 91st-place ranking in The Guardian’s top 100 footballers.

Dembele truly was a special footballer, with Premier League fans often coming together to marvel at the stranglehold he would silently have over games.

Boasting all the physical assets to achieve similar feats, Kessie could star under Emery should he take the plunge to join Villa Park.

Aston Villa have been sorely lacking creativity this season, however, with the appointment of Unai Emery, there seemed to have been a resurgence of sorts before the World Cup halted domestic play.

Just two wins on the spin for the Midlands outfit helped propel them from nearby the relegation spots to 12th, such is the tightness of the bottom half of the table.

There will be hope that once this break is over that they can recapture this form to continue their resurgence, with some January additions sure to help that process.

One man who has earned recent links is Turkish international Hakan Calhanoglu, who has starred for Inter Milan of late, which would have undoubtedly caught Emery’s eye.

With reports touting both the Villans and Arsenal for his signature, it could prove a pivotal transfer race that will culminate in an expected fee of €30m (£25.7m).

With Philippe Coutinho having disappointed for some time now, the 28-year-old could act as a revitalised version who might form a remarkable partnership with Emiliano Buendia on the flanks.

Having initially starred as an inverted winger on the left, this season for the Italian giants he has been deployed in a more conservative central midfield role, confirming him as an “intelligent player” who is “a leader on the pitch”.

However, he has not allowed his creativity to be stifled, as he still boasts eight goal contributions across both the Serie A and Champions League, looking to build upon his eight-goal and 13-assist haul last season.

Should he make the move to Villa Park, he would offer immense versatility and a silkiness that will have fans quickly forgetting about Coutinho.

To boast these numbers from midfield, pushing him up the pitch and pairing him with Buendia could form a frightening wide presence given their respective abilities.

Calhanoglu has become one of the most productive players in Europe of late, and as such sits at the top of most metrics for his position.

The £153k-per-week dynamo ranks in the top 1% for assists and shot-creating actions, and the top 6% for total shots. Meanwhile, his Argentinian counterpart ranks in the top 6% for progressive passes per 90.

With Danny Ings having also hit goalscoring form since the departure of Steven Gerrard, having scored four in his last four, this potential addition would surely send his exploits in front of goal to another level.

Never before in his career would he have boasted such incredible service, and he could finally ignite his career at Villa Park as the spearhead of this front three.

Despite the fee touted, this could even prove to be a coup, should Calhanoglu translate his form into the Premier League.

West Ham United defender Kurt Zouma could potentially be out of action for up to four months due to his knee injury according to medical expert Ben Dinnery. 

The Lowdown: Zouma’s injury blow

In the early stages of West Ham’s previous Premier League game against Leicester City, Zouma was forced off with a suspected knee injury.

Last week, the east London club revealed that the Frenchman had undergone surgery on his knee and will now begin his recovery process.

With domestic football on hold to make way for the World Cup, it appears that one medical expert has shared some details regarding how long Zouma could be out of action.

The Latest: Dinnery reacts

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Dinnery, who contributes to Sky Sports, had this to say about Zouma’s current situation and how long he could be spending on the sidelines, hinting at a possible three to four-month absence in a worst-case scenario.

“Depending on the extent of that surgery – whether it’s just a bit of a flush out and a bit of a trim or it’s something a little bit more involved in terms of the meniscus – you could be talking a period of four to six weeks or possibly three to four months.

“Imaging may not have been conclusive but, suffice to say, it would give a strong indication that if the player wants to play pain-free going forward, that decision to take the operation was the correct move to make.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-5/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”] 

The Verdict: Fingers crossed at West Ham

Across the 14 league appearances he’s made for David Moyes’ side this season, the £125k-per-week defender has racked up the second-highest passing accuracy percentage at the club (85.9%).

Having made more clearances (68) than any other West Ham player, this further showcases how much of an important player he is for the team and what they could be missing if he ends up being out of action for a significant period of time.

Taking all of this into account everyone at the London Stadium will undoubtedly have their fingers crossed that it will be a matter of weeks rather than months until the centre-back is back in action for the team.

Crystal Palace are reportedly still interested in Watford winger Ismaila Sarr and the Senegal international could be the ideal man to replace Wilfried Zaha at Selhurst Park.

Patrick Vieira’s side were linked with the 24-year-old during the summer but he would remain with the Hornets in the Championship and has caught the eye with his performances, contributing six goals and four assists in the second tier.

It seems as if the Eagles could make another move for Sarr in next month’s transfer window, especially after some quality performances for the Lions of Teranga at the World Cup in Qatar.

In a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, the Guardian’s Ed Aarons provided the latest on Premier League interest in Sarr.

He said: “We talked about Villa last time, and Palace are still interested in him.

“But his contract’s coming to an end, I think it ends in 2024. So, there could be a good deal for somebody coming up.”

If Vieira wasn’t already interested in Sarr, he certainly will be after watching him play for the African Cup of Nations holders in Qatar over the past few weeks.

While Senegal’s tournament came to an abrupt end on Sunday night as they lost 3-0 to England, Sarr was a bright spark throughout their time in Qatar, with his 7.02 average rating from WhoScored – ranking him as the best player in Aliou Cissé’s side of those to feature in every game.

Palace will be looking for a direct winger who can dribble and shoot to replace Zaha, who looks likely to leave when his contract expires at the end of the current campaign, and Sarr’s statistics at the World Cup suggest he could be the ideal man.

As per Sofascore, only five players have taken more shots than the former Stade Rennais man, while only four players have completed more dribbles, with Sarr’s nine putting him on par with Lionel Messi – who is widely regarded as the best footballer of all time.

The Argentine has been fooling defenders with his extraordinary dribbling ability for nearly two decades so it certainly bodes well that the Palace target is keeping up with the Paris Saint-Germain star in that attribute.

Ben Foster labelled Sarr a “freak” talent during his time at Watford and it is easy to see why given his recent displays, so Palace should definitely be looking to bring him to Selhurst Park next month.