All posts by h716a5.icu

Journalists Sami Mokbel and Ian Ladyman of The Daily Mail have shared what could be a big update on Tottenham manager Antonio Conte’s future.

The Lowdown: Conte contract expiring…

The Italian is being linked with a Spurs exit at the end of this 2022/2023 Premier League season as there has been still no sign of a contract extension.

Conte’s current deal is set to expire this year, and while Tottenham have the option to extend it by a further 12 months, that hasn’t stopped murmurs of a managerial change.

Assistant coach Cristian Stellini has overseen first team action for the last few weeks after Conte’s gallbladder surgery, yet the former Chelsea boss may not return to the helm for long after his recovery.

The Latest: Conte edging towards Spurs exit…

According to Mokbel and Ladyman, co-writing for The Mail in the last 24 hours, Spurs ‘sources’ have indicated that there is currently zero appetite to trigger the extension in Conte’s deal.

There is apparently a sense ‘behind the scenes’ that it is best for both Conte and the club to part ways ahead of next campaign.

It is also believed that the 53-year-old is keen on a return to Italy, mainly to stay closer to loved ones, as most signs now point towards a parting of the ways.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-4/” title=”Tottenham latest news” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-tottenham-fans.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Time to go?

Spurs currently sit fourth in the table and stand a real chance to qualify for next season’s Champions League, yet there have been calls for him to leave.

Conte guided the north Londoners to a top four place last season too, resulting in subsequent investment over the summer transfer window.

However, some signings like Djed Spence failed to get a look-in, while January incoming Arnaut Danjuma has failed to get game time ahead of Lucas Moura in the last two matches.

This has resulted in members of the fanbase questioning both on-field and off-field decisions this season – making you wonder if the time is right for a change.

Former fan favourite boss Mauricio Pochettino is also available, and having proved his merit running Spurs before, some might wonder if it is a match made in heaven.

Tottenham supporters have been handed an update on their managerial situation involving the out-of-work Mauricio Pochettino.

The Lowdown: Spurs linked with new manager…

Spurs have been linked with a new manager at the end of this Premier League season, coming as Antonio Conte’s deal looks set to expire this year.

While Tottenham have the option to extend his deal by an extra 12 months, there have been suggestions that the Italian’s exit is far more likely than not.

The Lilywhites are monitoring Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi’s situation among others with an update now sharing the latest on their links to Pochettino.

The Latest: Pochettino a Spurs ‘contender’…

According to The Daily Mail, Spurs’ former manager is a ‘contender’ to replace Conte if he does leave north London.

Indeed, chairman Daniel Levy still holds a ‘close relationship’ with Pochettino, but it is believed that others senior figures within Spurs will need convincing over the Argentine’s potential return.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-4/” title=”Tottenham latest news” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-tottenham-fans.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Perfect candidate…

The 51-year-old would be a perfect candidate for Tottenham if Conte does quit the club, especially considering he is already more-than familiar with the club and players.

Having won a league title with Paris-Saint Germain, Pochettino would return to Spurs with more experience and silverware under his belt.

Pochettino was a popular figure at the club during his time at N17, winning praise from players like Heurelho Gomes, who called him a ‘football genius’.

As well as this, Real Madrid and their president Florentino Perez see Pochettino as a prime candidate to replace Carlo Ancelotti – which tells you all you need to know about his obvious credentials.

Everton have been in a more positive position since the arrival of Sean Dyche in January and after a vital victory over Brentford this weekend have put themselves in a great position to secure Premier League survival if they can continue over the business end of the season.

The Toffees climbed to 15th in the top-flight table thanks to the ten points tallied up over the former Burnley boss’ seven games in charge so far and with just 11 fixtures remaining they look in strong contention to avoid a drop into the Championship.

Indeed, Dyche will be channelling his entire focus into the relegation battle over the coming weeks and months ahead, however, come the summer some much-needed investment and quality depth will be needed to avoid trouble at the bottom of the table again next season.

It remains to be seen whether Conor Coady will remain on the blue side of Merseyside this summer when his loan spell comes to an end and whether the powerbrokers at Goodison will activate their option to buy the centre-back or not.

However, the Everton boss may already have his next James Tarkowski to take up the position and form a partnership with the formidable defender as academy graduate Jarrad Branthwaite has been thriving on loan with PSV Eindhoven.

How is Jarrad Branthwaite doing on loan?

Everton’s 20-year-old talent joined the dominant Dutch club on a season-long loan after breaking into the first team at Goodison Park last season tallying up 13 appearances and one goal.

Over 18 Eredivisie performances, Branthwaite – who journalist Jacque Talbot claimed is “really impressing” – has scored two goals and tallied up an 88% pass completion rate as a marker of his forward-thinking approach.

The young defender has also won 55% of his duels combined, as well as averaging 1.2 interceptions and 3.2 clearances per game, proving that he has made a solid and consistent impact so far.

Due to the young centre-back’s incredible form it has been reported that Liverpool, Manchester United and AS Roma are interested in securing his services this summer and his current manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has expressed a desire in retaining his key player beyond the loan spell:

“I told the previous technical director to sign Jarrad very quickly, and I say it now to the current one!”

“Jarrad has really fought his way into the team. He got his chance and took it. I am satisfied. I see Jarrad as a key player, and that’s how we see him internally.”

With that in mind, Dyche will have a lot of competition to keep hold of Everton’s rising star, however, if he can convince Branthwaite to come back to Merseyside next season there is no reason why he can’t pick up regular first-team football alongside Tarkowski in the back-line.

Indeed, his composing and reliable presence could well ensure the manager unearths his next version of the former Burnley defender.

Sky Sports pundit Karen Carney has hailed Ellis Simms’ finish against Chelsea as ‘unbelievable’ as Everton managed to snatch a draw on Saturday evening.

The Lowdown: Simms snatches point

Simms managed to snatch what could be a vital point for Everton in their battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League down to the Championship.

The striker received the ball just outside Chelsea’s penalty area, before brushing aside central defender Kalidou Koulibaly and producing a fine side-foot finish into the back of the net, in what was his first senior goal for the Goodison Park outfit.

Considering how late into the match it was, and what was at stake, the finish was even more impressive, and prompted a lot of praise in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

The Latest: Carney praises ‘unbelievable’ finish

Speaking in her post-match analysis for Sky Sports (19:28), Carney hailed Simms’ finish as ‘unbelievable’, adding that he will now receive ‘massive’ confidence from it:

“It was an unbelievable finish. The turn, the composure, and so late in the game. 

“The confidence flowing through Ellis Simms now will be massive.”

The Verdict: Earned a start?

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin continuing to struggle with ongoing injury problems, and Neal Maupay not being able to hit the ground running with just Sean Dyche’s team that Simms could now make his own.

The 22-year-old has only played seven senior games for the Toffees over the course of his career so far, with his last start coming in the 2-0 loss away at Liverpool in the Merseyside derby back in February.

However, his record at youth level is simply phenomenal, with no fewer than 58 goals scored and a further four assists made in 85 matches in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

He has also managed to score goals while on loan at Blackpool, Hearts and Sunderland, showing how much of a natural finisher that he is in front of goal, as exemplified by his finish against Chelsea.

As such, Simms deserves a chance to impress from the start again, with their next game coming after the international break at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, before matches against Manchester United and Fulham respectively to follow, with all three sides currently in the top half of the table along with Chelsea.

Arsenal and Edu are reportedly eyeing a shock summer deal involving Folarin Balogun and AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer this summer.

The Lowdown: January target

Arsenal’s interest in Bennacer was first reported back in December, as they were ‘monitoring’ his situation at Milan ‘carefully’ ahead of the January transfer window.

However, fellow Premier League rivals Liverpool and Chelsea are also thought to be in the race for his signature, while Milan themselves want to give him an improved contract, with his current deal set to expire in 2024.

Bennacer has changed agent since though, which could have potentially help force through a move away from the San Siro.

The Latest: Shock swap deal?

As per Italian news outlet Calciomercatoweb, the Gunners are continuing to monitor Bennacer ‘very closely’, with Mikel Arteta ‘appreciating his qualities’.

They are willing to include Balogun as part of a swap deal to bring the former Arsenal youngster in, as Milan could look to sign an attacker given the ‘uncertain future’ of winger Rafael Leao.

The Verdict: Could be interesting…

While Balogun is doing so well on loan at Reims, as he scored his 17th goal in Ligue 1 over the weekend and now has 18 goals and two assists in total across competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt), he may still struggle to cement a regular place at the Emirates Stadium once he returns.

With Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah already in the squad, the striker may struggle for regular game time, and so the North London club could look to cash in on him this summer.

Meanwhile, they want to sign a new central midfielder in the next window, with West Ham United’s Declan Rice and Brighton and Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo continuing to be strongly linked.

Bennacer could be an alternative option, and Arsenal could already hold an advantage given that he has played for the club before.

Indeed, the Algeria international played 32 times for them at youth level, and made one senior appearance in the League Cup back in the 2015/16 campaign (Transfermarkt).

Hailed as an ‘absolutely unbelievable‘ player by journalist Sam Tighe, the 25-year-old has really matured since then, and is now playing for one of the top clubs in Europe.

Thus, with Arsenal’s need for a midfielder, and the fact that Balogun will hold a sizeable market value off the back of this impressive season, this could be an interesting swap deal to explore.

Newcastle United are one of the sides who admire Wolverhampton Wanderers' Ruben Neves ahead of the summer transfer window.

Is Neves available to leave Wolves in the summer?

The future of the Portuguese midfielder is seemingly under speculation ahead of the summer with his contract at Molineux set to enter the final year over the summer.

And as a result, there have been reports claiming Liverpool have emerged as one of the clubs who would be looking to take Neves' career elsewhere in the Premier League.

As well as a possible move north to Anfield, there have also been some suggestions that Barcelona could be interested in making a move for the 26-year-old.

Speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, insider Graeme Bailey has claimed the Magpies could also provide some competition in the summer for his signature:

"I think he's been absolutely fantastic. He's captaining his team now, I think whoever gets him, it'll be a massive coup because I think he's only going to get better. We know Newcastle like him, I think he'd be a great fit there alongside Bruno."

Would Neves be a good fit for Newcastle?

Coming out of the January transfer window, it was made pretty evident that Eddie Howe was not pleased with the options he had been left with in midfield.

Having gone into the window looking to bring in at least one new face in that department, no new midfield signings were made and Jonjo Shelvey was sold to Nottingham Forest.

So ahead of the summer transfer window, it is apparent Howe will have the midfield identified as an area for improvement over the coming months.

One name which has been linked with a potential move to St. James' Park is that of Manchester United's Scott McTominay.

Comparing the two midfielders, the Portuguese ace has provided Wolves with much more of an attacking threat than the Scotland international has at United.

Having returned five goals to McTominay's one, Neves has also offered Wolves with a higher number of shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (via FBref).

As well as providing more passes per game, the Portuguese midfielder hasn't lacked in his defensive input with an almost identical return of tackles per 90 minutes as McTominay.

Given Newcastle are currently only three points off the Red Devils, there could well be a reluctance for Erik ten Hag's side to deal with Newcastle.

Therefore, a potential deal with Wolves could well prove easier to pull off in the summer, although the calibre of clubs also interested in Neves could prove a serious issue for the Toon.

Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Manchester City youngster Taylor Harwood-Bellis in the summer transfer window.

Is Harwood-Bellis having a good season?

The 21-year-old is currently out on loan at Burnley and he has enjoyed an impressive spell there this season, helping the Clarets lie on the verge of a return to the Premier League. He has started 27 games in the Championship since arriving from the Etihad, being given plenty of minutes by City legend Vincent Kompany, who is excelling in charge.

This is invaluable experience for Harwood-Bellis, who has averaged 3.1 aerial duel wins and 2.5 clearances per game in the league in 2022/23 to date, as he looks to reach his potential as a highly rated centre-back. It is clearly going to be difficult for the Englishman to make the grade at City, however, with the Premier League champions having a wealth of top-quality options in that area, from Ruben Dias to Nathan Ake.

For that reason, Harwood-Bellis – whose current deal expires in the summer of 2024 – could look for a new challenge at the end of this season and leave the Citizens permanently in the summer, and a fresh exit rumour has now emerged.

Could the youngster head to Newcastle this summer?

According to 90min, Newcastle are "one of a number of Premier League clubs showing a strong interest" in Harwood-Bellis ahead of the summer window. City are believed to have plans in place "to hold extension talks at the end of the season", although it remains to be seen if he will want to sign a new deal.

It is claimed that the youngster "recognises he is some way down the pecking order" under Pep Guardiola, which is why joining another club could make more sense.

While Harwood-Bellis is clearly a big talent for City to have in their ranks – Kompany has called him "incredible" – it could be best for his development to move on at the end of the season. Granted, if he is happy to sign a new contract and be a bit-part player, that would be no great issue as far as City are concerned, but there is the risk that this would stunt his progress.

He has shown this season what an effective player he can be when given a chance, even at just 21, and in order to match his promise, he needs to be a regular starter for a team from this point onwards.

Everton are renowned for their transfer disasters since the arrival of Farhad Moshiri, which has seen over £500m spent with nothing to show for it beyond relegation battles and financial troubles.

As a result, it will come as no surprise that the club's owner has forged a fractured relationship with the Goodison Park faithful over the years with managerial sackings almost every 12 months and overpriced signings making little to no impact having been the harsh reality of their downfall.

Indeed, former manager Frank Lampard and sporting director Kevin Thelwell sparked a U-turn in the poor recruitment and reckless spending that had become common culture with not only the acquirement of free agent James Tarkowski, who has quickly become an important player in the team, but a clear out of the expensive yet uninspiring signings of the past.

Since the summer transfer window, Lampard and Thelwell sent Allan, Salomon Rondon, Cenk Tosun and Jonjoe Kenny packing, whilst more failed signings in Dele Alli, Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin were shipped out on loan to leave behind the squad players who they believed offered something to the team.

However, there is no denying that Everton wouldn't be in the vulnerable situation they have found themselves this season if it wasn't for the financial recklessness that has occurred for over half a decade, something that could now see them suffer further consequences beyond potential relegation with an FFP investigation.

One player who perhaps epitomises Moshiri's spending is former Barcelona midfielder Gomes, who is currently out on a season-long loan with LOSC Lille.

How much is Andre Gomes worth now?

There were high expectations for the Everton midfielder when he signed his five-year £22m deal until 2024 back in 2019 after spending a season on loan at Goodison Park in the previous campaign.

The Toffees finished eighth in the Premier League ahead of their permanent signing of Gomes, where he made 29 appearances in all competitions – scoring one goal and delivering two assists over the campaign.

Since then, the Portuguese flop has never been able to reach the consistency he showed during that loan spell, whether that be in goal contributions or appearances made in the team.

Last season before his loan move to Lille in the summer, Gomes was the fifth worst-rated player in the 31-man squad with an average rating of just 6.35, as per Sofascore.

Over 14 Premier League appearances, the midfielder – who was rather harshly dubbed "useless" by journalist Mohammed Butt – lost 64% of his duels and tallied up just a 77% pass accuracy.

Furthermore, he offered only 0.3 key passes and failed to score a single goal, proving that he had minimal impact and became more a hindrance than a help.

Despite seemingly reviving his career with Lille, Gomes is now worth 88% less than his initial transfer fee paid by Everton four years ago with the player's market value set at €3m (£2.6m) according to CIES Football Observatory.

The Toffees will now struggle to recoup anything worthwhile from a potential opportunity to sell Gomes ahead of his contract expiration next summer with the Portugal international having become just another player added to the long list of transfers that have failed and drained Everton's financial resources.

Tottenham Hotspur are a club in disarray, left in disrepute after the tumultuous reign of Antonio Conte.

The Italian was brought in with the sole thought that he would bring silverware to the otherwise barren N17, however after nearly a year and a half in the dugout, and having launched into a scathing rant about the failing mentality of everyone involved in the operation, he admittedly had to go.

This leaves them once again back to square one, seeking a new head coach who is expected to lead them into a brighter future.

However, the same crop of players who continue to let every manager down will remain.

The first port of call for the new man must be to cull this current squad, which is laden with weak-minded and low-quality assets for the level they aspire to attain.

Many suggest that upon the arrival of a new boss, everyone gets a clean slate; a fresh chance to impress someone with no preconceived notions about a player's technical quality or personality.

However, for many, their mere continued presence within a consistently-failing dressing room should be enough to see that new opportunity revoked. Whilst plenty could have been selected for such scrutiny, Harry Winks springs to mind as a particular character who already has one foot out the door.

How is Harry Winks playing out on loan?

Having been at the club since 2002, joining the academy at the tender age of just five, it has been a long journey for the central midfielder to break into the first team.

However, the 27-year-old has since made 203 senior appearances for his boyhood club across a nine-year spell in north London, which should conclude this summer.

Conte may have made plenty of mistakes during his tenure, but to exile the £50k-per-week maestro was likely a smart move given his lack of career progression and the abundance of alternative talent within his role. Since moving on loan to Sampdoria, this decision has only been proven right by his dwindling displays.

The ten-cap England international has only managed a 6.71 average Sofascore rating in the Serie A, a league famed for the drop-off in speed when compared to the Premier League.

It seemed like a lack of cutting-edge and rapidity in shifting the ball often saw Winks' career labour, as he did not manage to surpass an average Sofascore rating of 6.84 during his six recorded seasons in England's top flight; so to see him struggle in Italy only exacerbates this worry.

For comparison, this season has seen Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur achieve a 7.15 and 7.21 average rating respectively.

The steady decline of Winks' pedigree was first picked up by journalist Ryan Rosenblatt, who branded him "terrible" back in 2020 before former manager Alex McLeish suggested that even Oliver Skipp had surpassed him in the pecking order: "All of a sudden he’s deemed not good enough. This is why I’m bracketing the young boy Skipp to Harry."

Having recorded 0.6 key passes and 0.8 tackles per game in his most recent season in the Premier League, a searing indication of the lack of mastery in any one facet of the game, the chance of this midfielder making a comeback this summer is slim.

As such, Daniel Levy should look to allow his contract to come to its natural conclusion, marking the start of what should be a transfer window of vast change.

Insider ExWHUEmployee has handed West Ham United a big boost ahead of kick-off as David Moyes has a "virtually fully fit squad".

What's the latest West Ham team news?

The Hammers will play host to league leaders Arsenal on Sunday afternoon in what looks to be a tough task for the team 15th in the division.

At least their plight for Premier League survival was aided by a 1-0 away win at Fulham last time out. Though fatigue may play a part as they travelled to Belgian mid-week to pick up a 1-1 draw with Gent.

With that being the case, manager Moyes will no doubt be relieved to have plenty of options to pick from when his team lines up against the Gunners.

Indeed, only Italian forward Gianluca Scamacca looks set to be out as he needs to have an operation on his knee that could put an end to his season.

This means the only real issue for Moyes is who he needs to play. Indeed, while writing an update on The West Ham Way Patreon page, Ex noted that he faces a "dilemma" on whether to recall Lucas Paqueta.

He began: "West Ham go into the clash against top of the table Arsenal with a virtually fully fit squad to choose from."

But added: "There is a dilemma in midfield as to whether he decides to recall a fit Lucas Paqueta, who made an impact when coming on in Europe or keep with two upfront in Ings and Antonio. He also has to decide whether Maxwell Cornet is ready to start a game yet."

Is Lucas Paqueta fit for West Ham?

The Brazilian midfielder has been out recently with an issue that saw him miss the win over Fulham last weekend. He did, however, return to play 16 minutes off the bench against Gent – and so is presumably fit enough to be involved against the Gunners.

Seeing as he has 29 games in total for West Ham in his debut season, you might expect Paqueta to come right back into the starting team. But Moyes' men managed just fine without him in that last league game.

What's more, he played the full 90 in the game prior which saw the Hammers thumped 5-1 at home by Newcastle United. After the game, the injured midfielder was replaced by an attacker with Danny Ings coming into the team against Fulham.

Seeing as the striker netted in the week against Gent, Moyes may not want to take him out of the team. He may of course feel as though it would be too risky to play two strikers against Arsenal and so maybe Michail Antonio will drop to the bench, with Ings alone up top and Paqueta in to make a midfield three.

Evidently, Moyes has much to consider.