All posts by n8rngtd.top

Fans of Liverpool have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which relayed Stan Collymore’s calls for the Reds to launch a bid for Harry Kane this summer.

Writing in his column for The Mirror, the former Liverpool star claimed that Jurgen Klopp’s side need to ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ and urged the club’s owners to go ‘toe-to-toe’ with Manchester City’s spending this summer.

He continued by stating his belief that, if Pep Guardiola’s side manages to land Borussia Dortmund centre-forward Erling Haaland in the close season, Liverpool must ‘buy the next Robert Lewandowski’ or even put in a bid for Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane.

However, after the Liverpool Echo relayed Collymore’s claims on Twitter, fans of the Reds flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing to be firmly against the idea of their club making a move for the £108 million-rated Spurs man.

So, what exactly did these Liverpool fans have to say in reaction to Stan Collymore’s calls for Liverpool to sign Harry Kane?

“Harry Kane? No thanks. Son? Hell, yeah. Buy him today.”

@mynumbe17510130

“Injury-prone Harry Kane for £150mil+? No thanks!”

@KodaK203

“NOOOOOOOOOO”

@myhouseSTILL

“No thanks”

@simonmaroulis

“Sick-note!! No thanks”

@marionmurray13

“No thanks, Kane’s ankles are made of Rich Tea biscuits”

@Tom92855662

“As if we haven’t already got enough injury problems in the team? Spending another £100m+ on someone with Weetabix for ankles? No thanks… Son, however… Bring it on”

@strebby1

In other Liverpool news, this ‘catastrophic’ claim from James Pearce has shocked many fans, find out more here!

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso is a wanted man…

What’s the word?

Speaking on his ‘Here We Go’ podcast earlier this week, the Italian journalist revealed that “important” La Liga teams were asking about the 24-year-old playmaker ahead of the summer transfer window.

He said:

“Important Spanish clubs are asking about Lo Celso. They are persuading him because he was playing so well with Betis when he was in Spain.

“And they want to bring him back to La Liga, but the player is so happy at Tottenham right now, and there is no reason for him to leave this summer.”

Cash in, Levy

If this interest does transform into any offers this summer, then Daniel Levy and co must absolutely consider cashing in on him as he’s quickly becoming another Erik Lamela in north London.

Since joining the club over 18 months ago for a total of £55m, Lo Celso has been restricted to only 19 starts in the Premier League, which pretty much equates to one start per month, and that’s simply unacceptable.

Persistent injuries have been the major problem with the Argentine, just like his fellow countryman.

Lamela has missed a total of 133 matches over the course of his Spurs career, and as a result, he hasn’t started more than 20 league games in any season since the 2015/16 campaign.

The former Real Betis dynamo is quickly following this trend, having already missed 33 games through a range of injury problems, and it is not as if Lo Celso has made a major impact when playing as he’s only provided seven goals and four assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Spurs have long been paying the financial consequences of keeping Lamela, who earns a reported £85k-per-week in N17, and that should be used as a perfect example of why they cannot repeat the same mistakes with Lo Celso, who too is a high-earner on £70k-per-week.

Romano claims that the £45m-rated star is happy in north London. Likewise, his teammates are pleased to have him around, as seen in Harry Winks’ praise last term, having dubbed him “gifted” and “fantastic.”

But considering Spurs could miss out on Europe come to the end of the season, things could quickly change as you can only imagine that those ‘important’ Spanish teams are ones in and around the Champions and Europa League, otherwise why else are they so significant?

Levy is yet to get any bang for his buck, so should anyone come calling for Lo Celso in the summer, then it would be wise for the north Londoners to cash in whilst they still can; otherwise, they’ll be treading a path likely to lead towards him becoming Lamela 2.0.

His wages would be better off spent on a player capable of making a regular impact – perhaps that ‘transformative’ centre-back Mourinho is desperately craving.

AND in other news, Three Spurs stars who must buck up their ideas ahead of summer window…

Many Crystal Palace fans are delighted to hear the latest injury update on Wilfried Zaha provided by Roy Hodgson in his press conference before the match against Manchester United.

The Eagles manager said: “It’s quite good news really, he’s [Zaha] returned to training albeit a little bit modified. But he looks really ready to go again. We’ll have to wait for the green light from the medical staff, but it’s looking really positive.”

For the south London side, an injury to Zaha, especially a hamstring one, was awful news and could not have happened to a more influential player. He is their talisman and has managed nine goals and two assists in his 19 Premier League appearances this term.

In some of the games he has missed this season, like the matches against Burnley and Newcastle at Selhurst Park, Palace lacked creativity as they lost both games without scoring a single goal. Therefore, this update is great to hear for all associated with the club and hopefully he can return as soon as possible.

With the club currently 13th, the Ivory Coast international’s returncould be a huge boost for the club and give them an outside chance of finishing in the top ten.

These Palace fans on Twitter were naturally “buzzing” with the update on Zaha:

Here is how fans reacted to the news:

“Wilf’s been modified into RoboWinger. Beware!”

Credit: @antgodwyn

“We move”

Credit: @ReubenPinder

“PRAISE THE LORD”

Credit: @HLTCO

“So, in theory, both Schlupp and Zaha should be fit and firing by the time we play West Brom”

Credit: @TCPalacePod

“MY SWEET LORD”

Credit: @MATTT046

“Buzzing”

Credit: @letstalkpalace

In other news, many Palace fans reacted to these Hodgson comments!

Steve Bruce will be desperate for good news as Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson ramps up his return from a hamstring injury.

That’s according to Chronicle Live, who note that the forward has been able to do some light jogging sessions in a bid to get back as soon as possible.

The Magpies are yet to win a Premier League game without Wilson leading the line since his £20m arrival from AFC Bournemouth last summer, and have seen their lead over the clubs in the relegation zone be completely eliminated in recent weeks.

Newcastle held a 10-point advantage over Fulham when Wilson suffered a deep hamstring tear at home to Southampton last month, but now sit just a point above Scott Parker’s 18th-placed Cottagers – albeit with a game in hand over the west London side.

Wilson has been doing triple sessions in a bid to return as soon as possible after vowing to do ‘everything’ in his power to help the Toon avoid the drop, having been ruled out for six to eight weeks in a “devastating” blow for Bruce.

The £46,000-per-week frontman has also been working with Jonny King, a friend and physio from his time at Bournemouth, who helped Wilson during his recovery from minor knee surgery last year and a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in 2017.

Newcastle are conscious of not rushing the striker back too quickly and aggravating his issue given the nature of the injury and his explosive pace, but will hope to see Wilson return and add to his goals, with the Magpies having scored just twice in the four matches that the forward has sat out to date.

United were particularly toothless in attack last time out against West Brom, with Bruce’s side unable to beat Sam Johnstone despite five of his side’s nine shots being on target.

Only 37% of Newcastle’s shots found the target at home to Wolves, despite directing six of 10 on target at Manchester United after a sloppy 40% of their attempts required saving at Chelsea.

Bruce will surely be desperate for more good news on Wilson’s road to recovery as Newcastle near Aston Villa’s visit to St. James’ Park. As, while the summer signing will not be expected to feature on Friday, the upcoming international break will certainly prove useful in aiding his return.

United only play Villa and have a trip to fellow strugglers Brighton and Hove Albion before a short break in fixtures, after which Wilson will have reached the eight-week period that he was initially ruled out for.

That mark also comes with a home clash with Tottenham Hotspur in a tough run for the Toon with further games against relegation-rivals Burnley and European hopefuls West Ham, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester and title-elect Manchester City.

Newcastle will not be expected to take many points from that run without their 10-goal top-scorer on the pitch, with Wilson’s haul helping to beat the Irons, Burnley and Everton (twice) already this season while helping claim draws with Spurs and Fulham.

Dwight Gayle and Joelinton are each yet to score while carrying the strain in Wilson’s recent absence, too, making a quick but safe return for Wilson increasingly important for Bruce. If he can get his main man back after the international break, that could be huge for the Newcastle boss and his club’s hopes of staying in the top flight.

AND in other news, Newcastle eye summer swoop for £16k-p/w maestro once lauded for being “the most gifted” player…

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been reacting on social media after the club released some training ground footage ahead of the clash with Newcastle United on Friday evening.

One player fans didn’t see in the two-and-a-half-minute video was star man Jack Grealish, who has missed the last four games with a leg injury.

The 25-year-old has been influential under Dean Smith this season, scoring seven times and registering 12 assists in 23 appearances.

Villa have scored just twice in the 360 league minutes without Grealish on the pitch, picking up four points from a possible 12.

And it seems as if the playmaker could well miss out again, as based on the footage he was absent from the session shared on Villa’s official Twitter page.

Other noticeable absentees from the video were striker Ollie Watkins, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and right-back Matty Cash.

This is what these Villa fans had to say in regards to the Wednesday post, with some worrying about his absence, others praising ‘mind games from the club’ and one even describing the post as ‘trolling’.

Villa fans react to behind the scenes footage

“Hoping the lack of footage of Grealish and Cash is just mind games from the club.”

Credit: @grang3hill

“Good work admin, managed to not get Grealish in any of the shots”

Credit: @Daleeee

“Admin trolling us with no Grealish training content”

Credit: @ThassosF

“Grealish out again”

Credit: @MShauib1

“I just want Grealish back”

Credit: @hazedartwork

“Looks like Jack isn’t back on grass. Also couldn’t see Watkins/El Ghazi.”

Credit: @AVFCFaithful_

In other news: £25,000-a-week Villa man looks set for a summer exit, find out more here.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League striker Marlon Harewood believes Leeds are the ideal outfit for Patrick Bamford.

The 27-year-old has been thriving in the Whites’ team this season following their promotion from the Championship, not disappointing in front of goal.

Bamford has managed to reach double figures in English football’s top flight and there are now calls for him to be included in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad for the upcoming European Championships.

The former Chelsea forward has undoubtedly excelled in the current campaign, with Harewood praising both the player and Leeds’ playing style, believing it has greatly benefited the man leading the line.

“He’s had a lot of experience of working with a lot of different clubs and managers, and I think he’s just found his base at Leeds,” Harewood told FFC.

“And obviously, the way they play suits him very, very well, the manager… the way they play is just a breath of fresh air really. It’s nice to watch it, it’s exciting and he’s at the top of that tree, so he’s getting service from all angles. The wingers, the midfielders, they’re looking for balls, angles.”

With the Yorkshire club likely to stay up given their points tally and the amount of fixtures left, the 2020/21 Premier League season will be one to remember for Bamford. His goals have delivered Leeds into a favourable position and put him among some of the best forwards in the division.

Marcelo Bielsa will surely be hoping that Bamford can kick on next term as Leeds perhaps aim for something higher. As for now, though, the Nottingham Forest youth product can be satisfied with his contributions, contributions that look set to keep his side in the top tier of English football.

Reports by Tutto Juve over the weekend claimed that Juventus are willing to offer Everton the chance to sign Douglas Costa in a swap deal for Moise Kean, which could see Carlo Ancelotti solve his “impossible” Richarlison task.

Kean is thought to be lined up for a sensational return to the Allianz Stadium just two years after leaving the Serie A side for Goodison Park, amid doubts about Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-term future in Turin.

The Portuguese icon and Juventus are both yet to decide on whether they will continue together into the 2021/22 season, or if they’ll call time on their expensive partnership at the end of the current campaign.

Ronaldo staying would likely force Juventus into selling Paulo Dybala to avoid losing the Argentine for free in 2022, and if that’s the case, they could look to sign Kean as the Italian giants know that a deal for Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland would be too expensive for them.

Everton would be expected to value Kean at €40m (£34.5m) after his turn of form during a season on loan with Paris Saint-Germain, for whom he has scored 15 goals in 29 games, including against FC Barcelona in the Champions League.

Kean had struggled to live up to his initial £25m price tag upon joining Everton under Marco Silva, with the 21-year-old only scoring twice in 29 Premier League games during his maiden term.

Juventus would be unable to match a price tag in the region suggested by reports in Italy, so allegedly intend to present either Aaron Ramsey or Costa in a player-plus-cash deal with each valued at €15m (£13m).

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-news-on-everton” title=”Check out the latest news on Everton!”]

But it remains to be seen if Kean would be willing to accept a third-string role behind Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata back at Juventus, whom he left in 2019 after scoring eight times in 21 first-team appearances having only started six of those games.

Ancelotti deciding to cash in on Kean’s form with PSG and accept Juventus’ offer could see the Italian solve a problem of his at Everton, though, as the arrival of Costa would provide depth at left-wing that he has previously suggested is not currently on offer.

Speaking in November after losing Richarlison to a three-match ban for the red card issued at home to Liverpool, Ancelotti admitted that he struggles to find a like-for-like replacement for the Brazilian and has to alter his game plan when he’s unavailable.

“It is impossible to replace Richarlison. There is no player in the world like Richarlison. So we have to replace him with another player with different quality,” Ancelotti said, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo. “We have to change a little bit our style of play without Richarlison.”

Costa’s potential arrival at Goodison Park could solve that long-running issue, one which has seen Ancelotti field Lucas Digne in midfield six times this season with Bernard out of favour, only starting five of his 15 appearances to date.

The Juventus forward, currently on loan with Bayern Munich, has endured a challenging campaign in Germany with Hansi Flick often opposed to fielding him and is currently sidelined after sustaining a hairline fracture in his foot.

Yet the 31-cap Brazil international has earned a wealth of admirers over the years, including Tottenham Hotspur, as Costa has “unquestionable ability” in the opinion of Liverpool icon Steve Nicol.

Ancelotti would surely like to have a player of that skill at his disposal for when Richarlison is unavailable or needed elsewhere in the side next season.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti has set his eyes on bringing an £18m-rated titan to Everton this summer…

Sheffield Wednesday have been handed a massive boost this week…

What’s the latest?

Owls star Sam Hutchinson was pictured back in training after missing their south Yorkshire derby victory last weekend through injury.

The versatile 31-year-old, who can play in midfield and defence, was withdrawn early with a hamstring problem in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town.

Speaking after the win over Barnsley just days later, Owls boss Darren Moore revealed why Hutchinson did not feature: “We didn’t want to risk him today and it was the right decision. Hopefully, he’ll be ready to go and get back into training next week.”

And that now seems to be the case.

Big boost

It may well be the international break, but clearly, it gives Moore a chance to welcome back some of his injured stars ahead of what will be the club’s biggest nine-game run in recent times.

The Owls are living perilously in 23rd position, some six points adrift of safety, though they do hold a one-game advantage over 21st-placed Birmingham City.

Wednesday return to action a week Friday when they head to north London to face promotion favourites Watford, and having a vastly-experienced player like Hutchinson back will be a big boost.

The veteran midfielder has been playing at centre-back in recent matches, mainly due to the mounting injury crisis at the club. The likes of Dominic Iorfa, Chey Dunkley, Joost van Aken and Liam Shaw have all been on the treatment table, as per YorkshireLive.

Hutchinson was part of the Owls side that achieved back-to-back playoff campaigns under Carlos Carvalhal and was brought back to the club in January to pull them out of the mire.

As Wednesday reporter Dom Howson put it perfectly on his return, ‘ Hutchinson is a leader and an organiser on the field. His passion, determination and never-say-die attitude is infectious and can rub off on team-mates.’

The 5 foot 11 “effective midfielder enforcer” clearly has a big part to play in these final few matches – after only 13 games back, he’s already their sixth-best rated player as per WhoScored.

Moore will surely be thrilled to see the “full-blooded” Hutchinson back in training ahead of a season-defining run.

AND in other news,ÂSheffield Wednesday on verge of repeating Liam Shaw mistake

Many Everton fans have been lauding the news from football.london that Alisher Usmanov could invest in the Goodison Park club.

The Merseysiders have recently been told that they can proceed with plans for a proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, which could provide an opportunity for the Russian billionaire.

Usmanov revealed to the Financial Times last year that he was ready to increase his involvement with Carlo Ancelotti’s team, and further hinted at potentially striking a deal for the naming rights at the new stadium.

With the plans been given the green light, the 67-year-old tycoon may well get his wish, and that may not be the last of the money that he could pump into the Toffees.

The news has got several Blues excited over his potential involvement with the club, as they could stand to benefit from an embarrassment of riches.

Everton fans on Usmanov news

These Everton supporters lauded the news of Usmanov’s potential investment on Twitter:

“Welcome to the people’s club big dog.”

Credit: @Gazefc1979

“Oh go on then @chriscally1977 @wazzaevo @birdy9680 @Tr1ckyTrev88”
Credit: @BH_Design
“Ohhhhh hello”Credit: @jfenwickeverton“Up the Billionaire Blues”Credit: @JonathanDunn12“And with the changes coming in the FFP things are looking good for us”Credit: @mattiemahon

“Inject it £18.5 billion mate Mbappe is ours”
Credit: @Spinkseey9

In other news, many Everton fans were delighted with this transfer update.

The last few weeks have been landmark moments in the future of Celtic football club. Neil Lennon has left the Bhoys but further exits have occurred since.

What’s the word?

Celtic made a major announcement on Wednesday night, confirming that Nick Hammond would be leaving his role at Paradise.

Hammond had been with the Hoops since 2019, taking up the position of Head of Football Operations.

It was a job that saw the 53-year-old placed in charge of the club’s transfer strategy. Hammond was primarily responsible for bringing new players to Glasgow, an area he had mixed success in.

He spent £4.5m on error-prone goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas for instance, but he did help bring the effervescent David Turnbull to Parkhead.

Who is his replacement?

Hammond’s departure from Glasgow had been touted for a number of months now. Celtic had been hoping to rip up his role and open up the position for a director of football.

That, however, wouldn’t be possible until Hammond left the club. Thus, with the Hoops figure now on his way out, it could pave the way for a landmark appointment.

Celtic are planning to completely revamp and modernise the structure at the top of the club over the summer, something that’ll start with the entrance of Dominic McKay as the new CEO in the summer.

He’ll replace the retiring Peter Lawwell but another man who now looks set to arrive is Fergal Harkin.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-roy-keane-nicky-butt-jesse-marsch-scott-brown” title=”Latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

Football Insider reported last week that a deal to bring the Irishman to Parkhead was 90% done and with Hammond now on the verge of departing, it only feels like a matter of time before Harkin signs on the dotted line to replace him.

His arrival should come as a major boost to Celtic, especially given his background at Manchester City.

Harkin has been in charge of the loan system at the Etihad, developing players for the future and helping to make their pathway to the senior side more attainable.

That’s an area the Bhoys have failed in over the last few years. Cameron Harper has departed for America after a lack of first-team opportunities while Armstrong Oko-Flex nearly joined Huddersfield in January.

This summer could also see the exit of their hottest prospect, Karamoko Dembele. He’s out of contract at the end of the season and it doesn’t look as though he’ll sign a new one.

The imminent arrival of Harkin, therefore, feels timely.

AND in other news, Celtic may find the new Brown in rarely-seen 20 y/o who’s “not frightened of the game”…