All posts by h716a5.icu

Leeds United dropped down into the bottom three of the Premier League table as they were beaten 3-2 by Fulham at Elland Road on Sunday.

The Whites have now lost four straight games and are without a win in eight in the top-flight after failing to make the most of taking the lead against Marco Silva’s men.

Rodrigo had given Jesse Marsch’s side a 1-0 advantage in the first half as he headed home from close range after Jack Harrison’s deflected effort looped into his path.

However, goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic, Bobby Decordova-Reid, and Willian ensured that the away side picked up all three points in Yorkshire.

Crysencio Summerville pulled a goal back in stoppage time, his first at Premier League level, but it was not enough to mount a real comeback for the hosts as Fulham were able to hold on for the win.

Forget Rodrigo and his goal, Joe Gelhardt’s contribution off the bench was a huge positive for Leeds and he sent a big message to Marsch with his display.

The young gem made an instant impact as he assisted the second goal for the club after coming on in the 84th minute for Pascal Struijk.

Whites reporter Beren Cross described his play to set up the goal as “magic”, with the youngster avoiding multiple attempted tackles before teeing up Summerville.

Bundesliga social media manager Alex Chaffer also described his lack of game time this season as an “absolute disgrace” and this latest cameo from the young talent is a big message to Marsch, saying that he should be getting more minutes on the pitch.

Luis Sinisterra and Jack Harrison produced one key pass each in 64 and 90 minutes on the pitch respectively. Gelhardt came on and matched their contributions in just 11 minutes, whilst also completing 100% (3/3) of his attempted passes in the game.

Last season, he produced two goals and four assists in five Premier League starts – playing 732 minutes in total – and created four ‘big chances’ for his teammates in that time. This means that he had a goal contribution every 122 minutes, whilst his assist on Sunday means that he has one in 152 minutes this term.

Gelhardt has shown serious quality in limited minutes since the start of the 2021/22 campaign and this latest cameo should be a big enough message to convince Marsch, if the American remains in his post, to hand him more minutes in the coming weeks.

Arsenal’s winning run came to a halt in the Premier League this afternoon after they were held by Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium and manager Mikel Arteta will be rather relieved that they managed to walk away with a point.

The Gunners took an early lead through Granit Xhaka after he drilled home a cross from Ben White inside the penalty area and were then left to rue their missed chances as after the break, the Saints looked the more likely to go onto win the game.

They equalised midway through the second half when Mohamed Elyounoussi fed a delicate ball in past Arteta’s backline for Stuart Armstrong to slot the ball past Aaron Ramsdale.

Whether it was match fitness or complacency, there were plenty of Arsenal stars that just weren’t at the races down on the south coast, of those Gabriel Jesus could be included, having registered the worst rating of any visiting player, as per Sofascore figures.

Thomas Partey and Takehiro Tomiyasu, who was deployed in an unfamiliar left-back role, were other notable disappointments but perhaps the player who fell most in that bracket was the usually-reliable dangerman Bukayo Saka.

No Arsenal player lost possession (15) or was dribbled past more times (twice) than the England international, proving not only wasteful but lightweight in his battles and that was reinforced by the fact that he won just 40% of his ten duels as he struggled to get the better of Romain Perraud, via Sofascore.

The 21-year-old is amongst Arteta’s most lethal threats in the final third, considering the versatile winger had delivered eight direct goal contributions from their opening ten games, in which nine have been victories.

But neither of his two shots against the Saints’ stopper Gavin Bazunu were on target and nor did he create a chance from his 29 pass attempts, which were completed at an accuracy rate of just 72% – only one other starter for the north Londoners saw a poorer effort and that was the goalkeeper, who attempted a whopping 12 long balls.

‘One of his most forgettable games of the season thus far,’ wrote The Sun in their post-match ratings column, whilst football.london reporter Kaya Kaynak claimed Saka was ‘not as influential as he has been in the previous few matches.’

As such, forget about the likes of Jesus and Partey, it was the £70k-per-week star who massively let his manager and the team down with a pretty anonymous and lightweight showing against Southampton today.

He’ll need to buck up his ideas quickly with games against PSV Eindhoven in the Europa League and Nottingham Forest back in the league before the end of the month.

AND in other news, Sold for £2.5m, now worth £17.5m: Edu had a shocker on “fearless” £13k-p/w Arsenal gem…

Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams has picked up a ‘minor muscle injury’ which ruled him out of the defeat to Fulham, according to journalist Joe Donnohue.

The Lowdown: Adams misses Leeds defeat

Jesse Marsch’s side suffered a dispiriting 3-2 reverse at home to the Cottagers on Sunday afternoon, which drew a loud chorus of boos at the final whistle and has ramped up the pressure on the manager.

Leeds had to get by without Adams at Elland Road, with the American not named in the matchday squad, and it has since been confirmed why the summer signing from RB Leipzig did not feature against Marco Silva’s team.

The Latest: Adams suffers injury

Taking to Twitter, Donnohue stated that Adams was ruled out with a muscle injury, although it has at least been cited as a ‘minor’ one.

The Yorkshire Evening Post journalist tweeted prior to Sunday’s match:

“Tyler Adams has picked up a ‘minor muscle injury’, hence his absence from the squad this afternoon.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-53/” title=”Latest Leeds United news” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Losing Adams for a sustained period would be a massive setback for Leeds, considering that he has already made himself a favourite under Marsch since arriving in the summer, making 10 starts in the Premier League.

His tenacity as a midfield powerhouse has been highlighted by a whopping average of 4.1 tackles per game in the league, the highest of anyone to start more than one top-flight match for the Whites this term.

A match average of 1.3 key passes (third-highest at Leeds) also outlines his quality on the ball, leaving little wonder as to why Marc Roca has dubbed him “amazing”.

Hopefully his absence is nothing more than a short-term one and that a place in the starting line-up will come his way in Saturday’s trip to Liverpool.

Sky Sports’ north-east reporter Keith Downie has claimed that Newcastle United could look to make a ‘big-money’ signing in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Flying high

The St James’ Park outfit are currently flying high in third place in the Premier League table after a convincing 4-1 win at Southampton on Sunday afternoon.

They had a net spend of £122.4m in the summer, which included bringing in Alexander Isak as a club-record signing, and PIF could look to go again in January in order to try and cement the Magpies in the Champions League placed come the end of the season.

The Latest: ‘Big-money’ signing to come?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Downie has claimed that Newcastle could look to make another ‘big-money’ signing in January, alongside a potential loan deal.

The Sky Sports reporter said: “I just feel that they’ll look at January, and because it’s a difficult window, I can see maybe one signing arriving in January, one sort of big-money signing arriving.

“And maybe potentially using a loan if they can, if there’s a player that’s out of favour at another club.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Exciting

These are exciting times for the Toon Army at the moment, and it could get even better for them come January if another marquee signing is secured.

They have been linked with big-money moves for the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk and Real Betis attacking midfielder Nabil Fekir in recent weeks, so it will no doubt be fascinating to see who they end up going for.

The long-term project under PIF is still at its early stages for Newcastle, but another big-money signing could accelerate their plans and help to secure Champions League football for next season.

Manchester United have been dealt a blow in their attempts to sign rising star Benjamin Sesko, with Fabrizio Romano claiming that the Slovenian will join RB Leipzig.

The Lowdown: Sesko on fire at Salzburg

The 19-year-old has emerged as one of Europe’s most exciting young attacking players, even being compared to Erling Haaland by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Sesko has already scored 17 goals in 62 appearances for Red Bull Salzburg despite still being a teenager, while he also has four goals in 15 caps for Slovenia.

The £40m-valued striker has been linked with a move to United recently, but it looks as though the Premier League giants are set to miss out on him.

The Latest: Man United dealt Sesko transfer blow

Writing for Substack [via Caught Offside], Romano stated his belief that Sesko would be joining another Red Bull-owned club in RB Leipzig, treading a familiar transfer path for Salzburg players.

The Italian outlined:

“Another player being linked with United is Benjamin Sesko, but I’m less sure of the truth to these rumours.

“Sesko signed for RB Leipzig last summer and it will be completed in 2023, so I’m told he’s going to Leipzig. Man Utd have been tracking him for a long time, this is not new – last summer Man Utd and Chelsea were interested, but he’s going to Leipzig.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-updates-9/” title=”Latest Man Utd updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: One for the future?

Missing out on Sesko would be a blow for United, who need to look at bringing in a high-quality centre forward to replace the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Anthony Martial eventually, with doubts emerging in recent weeks surrounding the Old Trafford futures of those two players.

A couple of years at Leipzig could see the Slovenian become an even more rounded and formidable footballer, though, so United could potentially look to snap him up further down the line whenever he has outgrown the Bundesliga club.

To be likened to the hugely prolific Haaland is enormously high praise, and Sesko does look like a special talent who could be a monster transfer target for the Red Devils in years to come, possessing pace, power and ruthlessness in front of goal.

Former BBC pundit Noel Whelan has been reacting to rumours linking Aston Villa with a move for Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard.

The Lowdown: Hazard transfer speculation

Reports earlier this month suggested that Unai Emery has given the green light to a potential move and that the Villans see the 31-year-old playing a ‘leading role’ as they look to reinforce their attack.

Hailed as ‘clinical’ by his manager Carlo Ancelotti, Hazard has netted 200 goals for club and country during his career and looks set to feature at the World Cup later this month as Belgium’s captain.

He will enter the final 18 months of his Bernabeu contract in the New Year, and Whelan has been giving his thoughts on a possible Premier League return for the former Chelsea star.

The Latest: Whelan’s comments

Talking to Football Insider regarding Hazard and Villa, Whelan thinks that the Belgian may not be needed in the Midlands and referred to the player’s injury history.

The 47-year-old said: “When I look at what they’ve got in that attack, I’m not sure they need him. He’s not a player who would be on my radar right now.

“There are players already in the squad and the system who can play all the way across that front three – Bailey, Watkins, etc. There are so many wide players, now it’s just about finding the right system and the right set-up.

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

“They’ve got the perfect manager for that. If anyone can get a team working, it’s Unai Emery – that’s why he was brought in.

“For me, someone like Hazard isn’t the way forward. I think they’ve got more than enough in that area, and there’s always a possibility that Hazard can only give you 20 games a season.”

The Verdict: A risk?

Hazard is now 31 and hasn’t had the best of times in Madrid after joining them in 2019. He has suffered 16 separate injuries in Spain, so there’s no guarantee of his fitness, which could make a move by NSWE and Villa quite a gamble.

Although he has plenty of Premier League experience and quality, it appears as if Hazard is past his prime, with his Transfermarkt valuation plummeting over the last four years.

It could be one to keep an eye on, though, especially as a recent update name-checked Villa again with a loan-to-buy deal worth €20m (£17.4m) mentioned.

Leicester City have joined the race to sign Middlesbrough full-back Isaiah Jones, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Attracting interest

Following Michael Carrick’s arrival at the Riverside Stadium, the 23-year-old has been playing in more of a midfield role rather than his natural wing-back position, but he has still managed to flourish under his new manager’s guidance.

The Wearsider’s contract in the northeast isn’t set to expire until June 2025, but his impressive performances in the Championship appear to have caught the eye of several clubs in the Premier League.

The Latest: Leicester keen on Jones

Speaking to TEAMtalk, Graeme Bailey revealed that Jones is now being monitored by a number of top-flight suitors, with Leicester recently joining in the fray, although Boro are set to stop any move from happening until at least next summer.

He said: “No Middlesbrough player has benefited more from Michael Carrick’s appointment than Isaiah Jones. Carrick has switched him to right midfield from right back. And I am told that he is impressing a lot of clubs.

“He was already on the radar of the likes of Crystal Palace and West Ham. But now others are keen too including the likes of Wolves, Leicester and Southampton. But they can forget about a January raid.

“Boro’s play-off hopes have been reignited and Carrick is going to be backed. Which means they won’t be selling one of their prized assets.”

The Verdict: Justin alternative?

James Justin has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery, and whilst it will be difficult to prise him away from Middlesbrough, Jones would be an ideal alternative to have on the right flank.

The Lambeth-born talent has been dubbed a ‘real threat’ going forward by Joe Nicholson, and it’s not surprising given that he has 12 assists and four goals to his name since becoming part of the senior squad at the Riverside (Transfermarkt).

Boro are considered play-off contenders right now after a resurgent autumn, but if their form drops for any reason, Jones could well be tempted to look in the direction of the King Power Stadium to further his development.

Tottenham Hotspur are well aware of Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae, according to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge.

The north Londoners have long been linked with a move for the South Korean colossus, who is currently competing alongside Heung-min Son at the World Cup in Qatar, ever since his days at Beijing Guoan.

Despite moving to Super Lig giants Fenerbahce and more recently to Napoli, the 26-year-old appears to very much still be on the Lilywhites’ radar.

Earlier this month, Italian outlet Calciomercatoweb suggested that Spurs had ‘concrete interest’ in Min-jae but Gli Azzurri president Aurelio De Laurentiis was prepared to do everything to keep him in Naples, although he is thought to be valued in excess of €50m (£42.8m).

Now, speaking to Football FanCast, the reliable journalist has given his thoughts.

“Spurs wanted him two or three years ago,” he said.

“He’s very well known at Tottenham and wrongly, I think people looked at him as just bringing in a friend of Sonny’s.

“He’s really impressed for Napoli, whether they’re going to renew that interest [in January], I don’t know but the club are more than aware of him and have tried to pursue him in the past.”

Indeed, the 6 foot 3 colossus has been in fine form for the Serie A leaders, resulting in his presence at the World Cup.

As per WhoScored, Min-jae is Luciano Spalletti’s highest-rated centre-back for the season so far (seven or more starts) and he also leads the way for clearances per game and only one midfielder in the whole squad has a better passing success rate, meaning he’s not just defensively sound as he is evidently adept with the ball at his feet, too.

The South Korean sensation has been nicknamed as the “monster” and even lauded as “one of the best in the world” by his teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, so it’s clear that Spurs may have missed out massively in the past.

That said, they should still look to pursue the centre-back in 2023 as he could be a very valuable addition to Antonio Conte’s squad – you only have to imagine him alongside someone like Cristian Romero to realise the potential that could have.

Therefore, sporting director Fabio Paratici must launch a move for Min-jae at the turn of the year. He may have to pay more than what Spurs could’ve three years ago but given his form and the glowing endorsements from those around him, the 26-year-old would be a wise investment.

Everton have decided that they ‘want to stick’ with Frank Lampard for the foreseeable future, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Lampard backed by Everton board

The Toffees find themselves one point above the Premier League relegation zone after recording just three wins from their opening 15 games, which has seen the manager receive calls for the sack by some supporters at Goodison Park.

However, club chiefs have since reaffirmed their commitment to the 44-year-old and revealed that they won’t be relieving him of his duties, which has now been backed up by a further claim.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones stated that Everton are going to stand by Lampard, but insisted that results upon the return of domestic action will have a significant bearing on the 44-year-old’s future.

He said: “For now I’m told that Everton want to stick with Frank Lampard and they’re going to try and persist with him for as long as they can.

“I guess early January results will tell us how long that’s going to be feasible and whether they can see out the whole season with him, and what the actual hopes can be for Lampard as manager.“

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-8/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Wrong call

The Toffees have undoubtedly been hit by some horrid injuries this season which will have had an impact on their fortunes, but making the decision not to sack Lampard is the wrong one.

The Londoner has lost 19 of his 38 games in charge on Merseyside and is only averaging 1.13 points per match (Transfermarkt), which is represented by his team’s lowly position in the table.

Everton will face bottom club Wolves at home in their first game back after the World Cup break, which presents the perfect opportunity to collect a much-needed victory.

Any other outcome, though, and it could be game over for Lampard.

Newcastle United are the most interested club in signing Real Mallorca midfielder Kang-In Lee, according to reports from Spain.

The Lowdown: Magpies make enquiry

The South Korean is currently in Qatar having been named in Paulo Bento’s World Cup squad and come off the bench to provide an instant assist against Ghana on Monday, but that hasn’t quelled any speculation surrounding his future in La Liga.

The Magpies recently made an enquiry for the 21-year-old despite him still having two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract, and whilst nothing has yet come to fruition, Eddie Howe appears keen on bringing him to the Premier League.

The Latest: Newcastle eyeing Lee

According to Spanish outlet Marca (via Sport Witness), Newcastle are ‘the club most interested’ in signing Lee, regardless of plenty of ‘competition’ from England.

The South Korean has a €17m (£14m) release clause in his contract, which is stated to be ‘perfectly’ affordable for English top-flight suitors, and Mallorca are already ‘starting to fear’ that offers may arrive in January.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: One for the future

Lee has been described as an ‘advanced playmaker’ by Jacek Kulig, and looking at his numbers, he is someone who would well be worth Newcastle’s efforts in paying the release clause.

The 21-year-old already has three assists and two goals to his name this season and has the versatility to operate in five different positions, which is remarkable for someone of his tender age (Transfermarkt).

PIF’s target would likely be considered a signing for the future, and there seems little doubt that he is someone who would flourish under the guidance of Howe at St James’ Park.