All posts by z3u9t.icu

West Ham signing Andy Carroll was always going to be a gamble for the club, and after seven seasons in east London, it all comes to an end.

Manuel Pellegrini is reportedly set to release Carroll this summer when his contract expires this season, along with a slew of names who will be ending their time in east London, and fans will be expecting replacements in the upcoming transfer window.

The attack is already surely set for a major rehaul this summer, and with Carroll leaving it is likely the West Ham boss will have a lot of work to do in order to improve this area of the team, and one name who has been thrown about could help the club massively.

According to CalcioMercato, the Hammers are interested in Hoffenheim striker Andrej Kramaric, who has been in scintillating form this season in the Bundesliga with 16 goals and four assists in 28 appearances for the German side.

If West Ham are to improve their attack and replace Carroll, Kramaric, who is valued at £31.5 million on Transfermarkt, would be a smart target to fill such a quota.

The Croatian international has experience in the Premier League with a brief spell at Leicester City, in which he was considered a flop, but since then the striker has grown leaps and bounds as an attacker since his move to Germany, flourishing as one of the top strikers in the country as well as a major threat for his national team, and Kramaric would suit West Ham to a tee.

His physical presence and ability to hold up play make him ideal for the Hammers system, and with players like Felipe Anderson around him to support and create chances for, Kramaric would be a major coup for the club.

Carroll will be missed by the fans, but in Kramaric supporters will have a new striker to call their own and a player who can take the club into an exciting future.

West Ham fans, would Kramaric be a good signing for the Hammers? Let us know!

Chelsea’s last Premier League fixture of the season against Leicester City may seem like a game that has little real significance after the west London club secured their Champions League spot last weekend.

But with a chance to finish in third place ahead of their fierce rivals Tottenham, Maurizio Sarri’s men will be desperate for the three points.

As for Leicester, despite missing out on a Europa League place, they have still managed to improve immensely under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers.

And heading into the match, two players who will look to impress are James Maddison and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who will both be aiming for a place on the plane to the Nations League finals in June.

But how do the two young, attacking English midfielders compare? Who should be regarded as the better talent? Let’s analyse it further below.

James Maddison

Let’s start with the Leicester man who signed for the club in a reported £22m summer transfer from Norwich City. The attacking midfielder showed an abundance of promise during his time with The Canaries. He scored 14 goals and assisted eight in his final season at the club and has continued to progress this season.

The 22-year-old has both scored and assisted seven goals in 35 Premier League appearances this campaign. However, it’s not just his stats that are impressive. The Englishman has seamlessly fit into the Premier League. He looked a match for any of Manchester City’s midfielders in their recent close affair. Maddison has great vision, an eye for goal and is as good a crosser as any. He has emerged as one of England’s and the Premier League’s brightest prospects.

The midfielder is now valued at £27m (as per Transfermarkt) but it would certainly take more than that to prize him away form Leicester. Maddison will thrive under the ball-playing management of Rodgers, who will be desperate to keep him this summer. There will be an array of teams interested, however. It will be fascinating to see if Leicester can keep hold of their key men, of which Maddison is definitely one.

TT Grade: A Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has had a difficult career at Chelsea, largely struggling to break into the team over the years. The 23-year-old joined the London club aged eight, but has only this season truly emerged as a prominent figure in their squad despite making his debut in 2014.

The midfielder has always been recognised for his talent, but has been brushed aside in a Chelsea team that has relied more on transfer incomings than its academy. A successful loan spell at Crystal Palace saw the youngster get his chance under new boss Sarri, however. The Englishman has scored six goals and assisted two in 23 league appearances this season, 17 of which have come as a substitute. Although worse figures than Maddison, he has played significantly fewer games. In fact, Loftus-Cheek has played only 812 minutes in the league this season, compared to Maddison’s 2765 – quite a difference.

Loftus-Cheek is now valued at £22,5m (as per Transfermarkt) and it would be no surprise if his stock continues to rise in the coming years. Clearly the talent is there, but it’s difficult to analyse his ability on such few minutes. Additionally, the midfielder played more than twice the minutes while on loan at Crystal Palace last season, but managed just two goals and four assists. It would be interesting to see how Loftus-Cheek would perform if given a full season in the first team.

TT Grade: B TT Verdict:

When comparing the two domestically, Maddison has to take the win. Yet, Loftus-Cheek has 10 caps for England, including three at the World Cup. Maddison, on the other hand, is yet to make his full debut for England. However, with the season drawing to a close, it would surprise few to see Maddison ahead of the Chelsea man in the England pecking order.

Chelsea and Leicester fans, who would you rather have in your team? Would Loftus-Cheek compare admirably if given the same amount of time? Comment below.

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Get French Football News have carried quotes from Serge Aurier where the defender has insisted that he does not want to leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

Tottenham signed Aurier from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 and it would be fair to say that the Ivory Coast international arrived with a big reputation.

It has not quite happened for the right-back, however, and he only appeared in eight of Tottenham’s 38 Premier League matches during the 2018-19 campaign.

It is clear that all is not well when it comes to the relationship between head coach Mauricio Pochettino and the 26-year-old.

However, Aurier has claimed that he is not looking to leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in this summer’s transfer window.

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Spurs fans have been on social media offering their views on the defender.

And it would be fair to say that there are a number of differing opinions.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

If you were to ask a Liverpool fan a few years ago which academy player they expected to be a star, the most common answer would be Harry Wilson.

The Welsh playmaker was tipped for greatness in the early days of his Liverpool career after making his international debut at just 16 years of age, becoming the youngest ever player to play for the Dragons, and this season has seen Wilson really establish himself on the world stage.

The Wrexham-born winger has been a revelation at Frank Lampard’s Derby County this season, scoring 18 goals and assisting six.p Indeed, the Championship play-off final awaits Derby County after beating Leeds in the semi-final, and it has been Wilson’s performances that have caught the eye of many Liverpool fans.

The 21-year-old’s sensational campaign out on loan has seen fans call on Jurgen Klopp to involve Wilson in the first-team next season, and the German would be wise to listen to supporters.

Wilson will be a suitable backup for both Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah with the Welshman able to play on both wings. The Reds aren’t exactly blessed with a large amount of wingers, so he could more than useful.

It might have taken a while, but Liverpool fans are finally getting to see what Wilson is capable of after years of promise, and now Klopp has to ensure the winger is included in his plans for next season.

Liverpool fans, should Wilson be part of the first-team next season? Let us know!

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According to Wolves Bite, Wolverhampton Wanderers attacker Ivan Cavaleiro has emerged as a target for Fulham this summer, and Wolves fans have been quick to have their say on the story on Twitter.

The Birmingham Mail reported earlier this month that Nuno Santo is willing to listen to offers for the 25-year-old, but he wants north of £12m for him.

Now Wolves Bite say that the Cottagers are keen on the Portuguese striker, who scored five goals and provided a further two assists in 29 appearances in all competitions this term.

He certainly hasn’t had as much of an impact as he would have liked following an impressive campaign in the Championship, helping the west Midlands outfit win promotion to the Premier League.

The attacker has found first-team minutes hard to come by, with the likes of Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota establishing themselves as key starters under Santo.

Are Watford the most likely club to break the top 7 next season? The fans in the video below certainly agree the ‘W’ part in the statement is correct…

Wolves supporters certainly seem split on the potential of Cavaleiro leaving, and while said there is “no room for sentiment”, another disagreed and said it would “be a shame to see him go”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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West Ham United are hoping to sign Fabian Delph from Manchester City this summer, Football Insider report.

What’s the word?

Manager Manuel Pellegrini is reportedly a big admirer of the England international, who offers the ability to play at left-back or in midfield.

Delph’s current contract expires at the end of next season and he has struggled for game time in 2018-19.

He made just 11 Premier League appearances as City won the Premier League title and did not feature at all in the club’s final 15 outings, of which they lost just one.

Pep Guardiola’s side are reportedly willing to allow Delph to leave provided they receive an acceptable fee.

The 29-year-old has made a total of 89 appearances for City and has also won 18 caps for England.

He was included in Gareth Southgate’s squad for last summer’s World Cup, as the Three Lions reached the semi-finals.

No better than Masuaku

Arthur Masuaku has emerged as West Ham’s first-choice full-back in recent months.

But the signing of Delph is unlikely to challenge him too much.

Per WhoScored, the former Aston Villa man averages 2.1 tackles per game to Masuaku’s 2.5; 1.2 interceptions to the Hammers’ man’s 1.6 and 1.5 clearances to the 26-year-old’s 2.4.

Their comparison in attack is much of a muchness too; Delph has 0.2 more shots per game but has fewer key passes and dribbles.

Add to that the wage demands that will surely come with signing a Manchester City star and one concludes that Pellegrini should perhaps be looking elsewhere this summer, particularly as the Englishman is unlikely to start all that many games.

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Per a report from French outlet Le Quotidien Du Foot, Aston Villa are one of the teams interested in Nantes midfielder Valentin Rongier.

What’s the word?

After achieving promotion to the Premier League the Villans aren’t hanging around in an attempt to bolster their squad ahead of the new campaign.

In midfield, Harry Arter has already been the subject of interest from Dean Smith’s men but now they’re also eyeing up a move for a similar player from overseas.

Le Quotidien Du Foot report that they’re showing an interest in Rongier, who was a consistent figure in Ligue 1 during 2018/19.

A number of clubs are interested in his services, however, so it might not be easy to obtain his signature.

Southampton are sniffing around the player whilst Lyon and Saint Etienne are also in the mix according to the publication.

Villa not learning from past mistakes

On paper the addition of Rongier looks as though it would be a solid acquisition. In the league last season the 5 ft 8 midfielder scored four goals whilst also laying on five assists for his teammates.

The Frenchman is a well rounded player but if Villa did move for him, it would be a sign of how the club haven’t learnt from their previous mistakes.

When they were last in the Premier League, they completed a similar move for Jordan Veretout.

He also made the switch to England from Nantes but was nothing short of a flop, failing to find the back of the net as they were relegated. The 26-year-old is now highly rated but his time in the Midlands was somewhat of a disaster.

Villa have links in France with Olivier Monterubbio who is now a scout for the club, but they need to be careful when buying from Ligue 1.

Their previous acquisitions from France have been incredibly hit and miss.

Jordan Amavi and Idrissa Gueye were both brilliant captures but Yacouba Sylla and Jordan Ayew didn’t have the same success. The latter rarely convinced, scoring just seven goals as Villa were relegated.

Veretout’s signing didn’t go well either and it remains to be seen how Frederic Guilbert adapts. After achieving promotion, Villa need to be far more considerate in their approach and ideally target players with Premier League experience.

Rongier feels like a risk at the moment and should he arrive, it could upset the settled midfield Smith already has.

That being said, it would add depth ahead of what will be a massive season for Villa.

Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara has admitted it’s a dream of his to one day play in the English Premier League, as reported by The Sunday Post.

What’s he said?

Kamara signed up at Ibrox back in January after putting pen to paper on a pre-contract basis, before the club negotiated a budget price with Dundee that ensured he made an early move.

He was a massive surprise in the second half of the season, emerging as one of the most exciting players in Steven Gerrard’s starting eleven, leaving fans in awe of his ability considering his modest transfer fee of just £100,000.

Last week the Finnish international was linked with a move to Brighton & Hove Albion by website TEAMtalk, sparking speculation his stay at Ibrox could be a rather short one.

Kamara though has been quick to point out he’s perfectly happy at the Gers, even if he does dream of playing in the English top-flight.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

As quoted by The Sunday Post, the 23-year-old said:

“Rumours are part of football. Yes, it would be a dream to play in the English Premier League but, for the moment, I am happy to play for Rangers.

“I had to prove myself here, and have developed a lot, mentally. It’s a big challenge to play in front of the fans at Ibrox. They have high demands, but I like that.

“I’ve really enjoyed it, and getting praise from a manager like Steven Gerrard feels really good. Sometimes it feels crazy that he’s my manager. You have to calm down and not think about it too much!”

Harnessing his hopes

Having driven, ambitious players should be seen as a positive rather than a negative and although the best PR move for Kamara would probably be coming out and saying he wants to stay at Rangers forever, his comments just highlight the realities of the modern game.

It can be a challenge for a club like Rangers to keep their best players but over the last few seasons they’ve mostly managed to do just that, retaining talents such as James Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos.

Steven Gerrard knows what it takes to become a Premier League legend and there simply isn’t a better realistic place to learn his trade than at Ibrox.

The Rangers boss should tap into his English ambitions and use that as a motivating factor to get the best out of him over the next couple of years.

If he continues to improve at the current rate, not only will he be one of the best players at club but could also fetch them a rather large transfer fee.

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It’s been quite the rise for Daniel James. The Welsh wizard was lighting up the Championship last season, and his form and performances saw him deservedly being linked with a move to the top-flight.

And the 21-year-old has now made the big step up to Manchester United with confirmation of his move from Swansea announced on Wednesday.

Taking to

/BynN2Jenp2h/” data-lasso->Instagram to share his delight, James posted a snap of him in his new United kit and wrote about his pride to be joining the “biggest football club in the world”.

Understandably, many of his former teammates at Swansea passed on their congratulations to the winger and wished him well for his future.

As well as those from his former colleagues at the Liberty Stadium, both Diogo Dalot and the official United Instagram account also welcomed him to Old Trafford.

In 38 appearances across all competitions last season, James struck the back of the net five times as well as providing a further ten assists.

The lightning-quick forward became United’s first signing of the summer at a reported £15m, and will be expected to be joined by several other new faces as the Red Devils plan their rebuild for next season.

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Aston Villa fans are keen on signing Ethan Ampadu after he was linked with a loan move to the club this summer.

Manager Dean Smith is on the hunt for players he feels can keep Villa in the top-flight next season after their play-off promotion.

The Guardian report that Ampadu is one of the potential arrivals, on a loan basis, should Chelsea determine his development is best served with a move away from the club.

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The 18-year-old prospect hasn’t had much first-team action at Stamford Bridge but did play UEFA Europa League and FA Cup football last season, as well as bringing his Welsh international caps total to eight.

A player with versatility who can play in defence or midfield, he’d be an attractive option for a club like Villa, who will be looking to stretch their transfer resources to their maximum over the next couple of months.

Supporters are certainly interested in seeing the deal be completed, taking to Twitter over the weekend to share their thoughts…