All posts by z3u9t.icu

It’s been an extremely encouraging start to life under new manager Patrick Vieira for Crystal Palace, but a major stumbling block could be just around the corner for the French tactician.

The Eagles are set to lose four first-team stars for up to a month in January due to their involvement in the rescheduled Africa Cup of Nations.

Jeffrey Schlupp and Jordan Ayew ARE expected to feature for their native Ghanawhile Wilfried Zaha and Cheikhou Kouyate are set to represent Ivory Coast and Senegal, respectively.

The 24-team tournament, postponed from last year amid the pandemic, is due to get underway in Cameroon on January 9 and run until February 6.

It means the quartet could miss the Eagles’ derby clash with Brighton at the Amex Stadium on January 15, and the visit of Liverpool on January 22.

They are also likely to miss Palace’s third-round FA Cup tie, which is likely to be played on the weekend of January 8. They could also be absent for the Premier League game away to Norwich, currently scheduled for February 8, if their nations go deep into the competition.

It’s set to leave Vieira extremely threadbare in attack, given the club were unable to replace Andros Townsend over the summer, but the solution could be a rather simple one.

Teenage winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi was brought into the first-team fold at the backend of last season under former Palace manager Roy Hodgson, earning a place on the bench on three occasions as 2020/21 drew to a close.

“He dealt with it very well,” said Hodgson (as relayed by The Athletic), who chose to take Rak-Sakyi to Everton as a non-playing squad member for a draw at Goodison Park.

“For such a young man, he’s shown a remarkable maturity, and a remarkable sangfroid as well, coming into a group of senior players who he’s probably only watched from the terraces before. You wouldn’t notice that with his performances in the training sessions where he’s really taken on the responsibility.

“Everyone’s taken to him and been appreciative of him and what he can do. I’m very pleased with him and very pleased for him. We believe at Crystal Palace that he has a big future and he will get better and better,” the ex-England boss concluded.

And Rak-Sakyi showcased just how much of a threat he can be last season, bagging eight goals and providing a further eight assists in just 16 appearances for Palace’s U18s, before being promoted into the U23s.

The 19-year-old was rewarded for his standout displays last term after Vieira handed him his Premier League debut off the bench against Chelsea in the club’s curtain-raiser at Stamford Bridge. That could be the first of many top-flight outings for the youngster this term.

A tally of five goals and two assists in just six outings for the youth side this season suggests Rak-Sakyi will be ready to make the step up when needed in January, meaning Vieira will be able to continue to progress in south London despite the absence of several key players.

And, in other news…Report provides exciting Crystal Palace transfer update, fans will surely be delighted 

Wolverhampton Wanderers will face a Burnley side without Ashley Westwood in their Premier League clash this afternoon.

What’s the story?

The Clarets midfielder was forced off on a stretcher in their 1-1 draw against West Ham last weekend and has since had to have surgery on his ankle, after fracturing and dislocating it.

Caretaker boss Mike Jackson said to the media, as quoted by Birmingham Live: “It is a fracture and a dislocation. The operation went really well.”

Although, Jackson did provide a positive update on left-back Erik Pieters, saying: “Erik Pieters is doing a lot of running on the grass and is where he needs to be.”

However, after surgery, the 32-year-old now faces a long period on the sidelines and will certainly be absent for Wolves’ meeting with the Lancashire outfit at Turf Moor this afternoon.

A boost for Wolves

It goes without saying that we wish Westwood the very best in his recovery from a serious injury but given his importance to the Clarets, it will be a boost to Wolves that he is missing for this encounter.

The significance of today’s match for both sides is of serious magnitude with both fighting at different ends of the table.

Burnley boosted their survival hopes on Thursday evening with a 2-0 win at home to Southampton but still find themselves one point off safety with 17th-place Everton having a game in hand.

As for Bruno Lage’s men, European qualification is still very possible but will require a strong run of form to close out the season, with the West Midlands outfit currently eighth but five points behind sixth-place Manchester United with two games in hand.

Wanderers are also battling with West Ham, who currently occupy seventh, for a European place with the Hammers three points ahead, although Wolves do have a game in hand.

Lage’s men are in a good position, however, they are slightly reliant on results elsewhere going their way whilst also needing to win their own matches.

At 32, Westwood boasts plenty of experience whilst making 27 appearances in the top-flight for the Lancashire outfit this term, making him a key fixture in their plans.

Therefore, the knowledge that Burnley will be without one of their regular players in Westwood for a crucial match will be a major boost for Lage and co.

AND in other news: Wolves now plot bid to sign “unique” £31.5m-rated livewire, just imagine him & Jimenez

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports reporter Angelo Mangiante has made a West Ham United transfer claim involving Borussia Monchengladbach powerhouse Denis Zakaria.

The Lowdown: West Ham in 2022 free agent tussles?

The Switzerland midfielder isn’t the first potential 2022 free agent to be linked with a move to the London Stadium in recent weeks, with head of recruitment Rob Newman seemingly eyeing a plethora of pre-contract swoops.

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Indeed, Burnley defender James Tarkowski and Napoli winger Lorenzo Insigne are other names on the West Ham agenda, with their deals also set to expire at the end of this season.

Newman was brought in to help David Moyes in the transfer market and is gearing up for his first transfer window in his new role in east London after leaving his post as chief scout at Manchester City (The Athletic).

Making a claim on West Ham’s transfer plans, and by extension Newman’s, Mangiante has some news for Hammers fans.

The Latest: Newman eyeing Zakaria swoop…

As per the Sky journalist, writing on his personal Twitter feed, West Ham and Newman are now eyeing a swoop for Zakaria, with his contract at Monchengladbach running out next year.

It is believed that the Switzerland international is now attracting the Irons’ interest alongside the likes of Liverpool and Everton.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Despite the presence of Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and Alex Kral in the defensive midfield roles, we believe that Zakaria could be a rather shrewd addition from West Ham’s perspective.

Whether it be for a small transfer fee in January or as a free agent next summer, the 40-cap international would come with a plethora of experience on the biggest stages in football already, not to mention sell-on potential given he is still just 25 years old.

He has received no shortage of praise in the past either, with Gladbach legend Gunter Netzer previously calling him ‘enormously valuable’ to the Bundesliga side (Planet Football). Meanwhile, Germany hero Lothar Matthaus once likened Zakaria to Real Madrid star Toni Kroos, highlighting his obvious ability (Planet Football).

Also capable of playing as a centre-half, the 6 foot 3 powerhouse could tick many boxes for West Ham, and it is feasible that they could give him a new lease of life in the Premier League.

In other news: West Ham could already back Moyes with £17.1m bid to sign another 6 foot 3 colossus in January, find out more here.

Celtic have been name-checked with an interest in Bologna left-back Aaron Hickey by Calciomercato.com.

The Lowdown: Hickey in Italy

Hickey, who shares the same agent as Hoops star David Turnbull, has been in Italy for just over a year now. He left Hearts for Bologna in a deal worth just £1.53m and has gone on to make 32 appearances – 20 of which have come this season.

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Capable of playing as a left-back or left-midfielder, the 19-year-old, labelled as a player with ‘quality’ by Bologna manager Sinisa Mihajlovic, has scored five Serie A goals in 2021/22 after being linked with a move to Celtic over the summer.

The Hoops valued Hickey at £4m compared to Bologna’s £8m asking price, but it seems as if they’re still keen on his services heading into 2022.

The Latest: Late-night news

Calciomercato.com shared a story late on Thursday evening regarding Hickey.

They claimed that the defender has ended up in the sights of Burnley, Celtic and Manchester City, with his current deal running until 2024.

The Verdict: Left-back wanted

Ange Postecoglou seemingly has his eyes set on bringing in a new left-back in the New Year, presumably to challenge Greg Taylor.

Barnsley’s Callum Styles and Hibernian’s Josh Doig are just two names that have been mentioned in recent weeks, and it appears as if the Hoops are still keeping tabs on Hickey.

Reo Hatate looks set to move to Parkhead in January, however, he is reportedly viewed as a midfield addition, even though he can play at left-back.

On that basis, you’d expect that the Hoops could launch a move for Styles, Doig or Hickey over the coming weeks, and should one arrive, Celtic could then look to move on outcast Boli Bolingoli, who has hardly featured this season and was linked with an exit over the summer.

In other news: Ange may look to sign 3rd Irishman for Celtic who can play in 3 positions – reliable journalist. 

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s attempts to add further signings to their ranks in January…

What’s the talk?

Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has revealed that the Magpies are unlikely to sign Divock Origi or Dominic Solanke this month as they go in search of a striker to bolster their squad.

He tweeted: “Understand Newcastle haven’t gone in for Burnley’s Chris Wood, as it stands, but he has been put to them (same agents as Trippier). One of several striking options being considered. Azmoun of Zenit among them but Origi/Solanke unlikely, I’m told. Either way, NUFC need to act fast.”

Howe will be gutted

This update will surely leave Newcastle manager Eddie Howe feeling gutted, as both Origi and Solanke are strikers who could come in and make an impact at St James’ Park in the second half of the campaign.

The Belgian is a proven Premier League performer and the Englishman is a player who the 44-year-old knows well from his time at Bournemouth in the top flight.

Upon signing him for the Cherries in 2019, Howe said this about the ex-Liverpool man: “Dominic is technically gifted, very athletic and has the physical profile that will give us something different in our front line.

“He has done very well for England at various age groups, has a huge amount of potential and I’m really excited about working with him.”

This shows that he rates Solanke highly, which is why he will be gutted a deal now appears to be off the cards this month, especially given the striker’s form this season. The 24-year-old has scored 18 goals in 25 Championship matches for Bournemouth, after managing 15 last term, and this suggests that he could be ready for another shot at the top flight.

Meanwhile, Origi has won the Premier League and Champions League for Liverpool, scoring in the final of the latter. He has found the back of the net 40 times in 167 matches for the Merseyside club, showing that he knows how to score at the very top level.

This is another reason why Howe will be gutted with this update from Hope, as the Belgian could have come in and scored vital goals for Newcastle. The ex-Bournemouth boss will now be hoping that quality alternatives are identified and brought in as quickly as possible to bolster his attacking options, especially with injured top scorer Callum Wilson facing several weeks on the sidelines.

AND in other news, “We understand”: Keith Downie drops big NUFC transfer claim which will leave fans gutted…

Crystal Palace are still searching for a new striker as the January transfer deadline approaches.

Roy Hodgson has been desperate to bolster his forward options to help lessen the goalscoring burden on Wilfried Zaha. Christian Benteke has struggled for form and fitness this season and Jordan Ayew has failed to have the desired impact during his loan spell. Despite Connor Wickham netting last week, a new forward would help them steer them away from danger.

Time is quickly running out for Palace to bolster their attacking options and Hodgson has limited time available. His best chance of completing a deal could be a loan move. With few options currently available, the ex-England manager should return to his former employers to solve his problems.

One man he could look to is Liverpool outcast – Divock Origi. Valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, the Belgian was expected to leave the club in the summer after slipping down the pecking order. However, Origi made himself a hero on the Kop again after netting the winner in the Merseyside derby. Since then, he has been overlooked after struggling away to Burnley.

The former Lille man will be eager to prove himself in the Premier League and moving to Palace could help him relaunch his career. A pacey, powerful forward with an eye for goal, his arrival would give Hodgson the quality option he has been searching for in attack. If he can rediscover his confidence quickly, he would be scoring for fun alongside Zaha at Selhurst Park.

With his Liverpool contract set to expire in 2020, the Reds are unlikely to stand in his way should he choose to depart and Palace could secure his services at a great price in the summer.

Crystal Palace fans, thoughts?

Former Premier League striker Gabriel Agbonlahor believes Victor Orta’s and Leeds United’s failure to bring in adequate back-up for Kalvin Phillips, Patrick Bamford and Raphinha could see them relegated.

The Lowdown: Leeds struggling

After a strong first campaign back in the top flight last term, when they finished ninth in the table, Leeds are struggling this term.

As it stands, they are 17th, and have won just one of their opening eight matches in the league (Sky Sports), getting quite frankly dominated by a fellow struggler in Southampton last time out.

The Latest: Agbonlahor unhappy with transfers

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor believes Leeds’ poor transfer window could see them relegated to the Championship. He said:

“You can’t go into a Premier League season and have a squad of players that means if only three of them are injured you’re going to struggle.

“What if one of them gets an injury that will rule them out for the whole season? What happens then?

“Leeds are in very, very big danger of going down this season. I’ve said it before and people didn’t believe me, now look.

“Southampton did to them what they have been doing to teams last season. Southampton battered them. You look at the stats of shots on goal, Southampton battered them.

“They’re in big trouble, Leeds. they need to get their star players back.

“You look at Raphinha, he’s been carrying them all season. They’re in big trouble, definitely, definitely in a relegation battle.”

The Verdict: More should have been done

Leeds did bring in two new faces during the summer transfer window in Junior Firpo and Dan James, and you could argue the latter could fill the role of Raphinha when the Brazil international is not available. However, the Whites remain without a viable replacement for Bamford or Phillips.

Bielsa’s influence has been integral to Leeds’ rise, but they cannot continue to impress if they squad does not receive the needed reinforcements. In the Premier League, it is vital to have a strong squad given the physical demands, and Leeds may indeed be lacking in some departments.

In other news, one pundit says this man was always destined to play for Leeds.

According to a report from Brazilian news outlet Vasco Noticias, Wolves are among the clubs battling to sign Vasco da Gama starlet Andrey Santos. 

The lowdown: Neves replacement?

This comes as speculation increases surrounding the future of talismanic Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves.

Already linked with Barcelona, Manchester United and Arsenal in recent days, the future of the 25-year-old at Molineux appears to be in serious doubt.

A report from South America has now highlighted a possible long-term successor…

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The latest: Wolves in the mix for Santos

As per the report from Vasco Noticias, the Old Gold have joined Benfica, Monaco and AC Milan in the race to sign 17-year-old midfielder Santos in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that Wolves have made an ‘enquiry’ over the teenager but ‘no conversations’ have yet progressed to a formal offer being made as Bruno Lage attempts to strengthen the ranks in the Midlands.

A previous report from UOL had cited interest from Barcelona and Everton in the six-cap Brazil under-16 starlet.

The verdict: Get it done

Albeit only a sample size of four fleeting senior appearances from which to judge, the fact that Santos has already made strides into first-team action at such a tender age is a testament to his prodigious talents.

Despite possessing a €30m (£25m) buyout clause, it has been reported that Vasco da Gama would be willing to sell their teenage star for between €6m and €7m (£5m-£6m).

At that price, this deal would represent a relatively low-risk option for Wolves should Neves indeed depart, and given the levels of top European interest, those in power at Molineux should be actively attempting to bring Santos to the Black Country.

In other news, Wolves man wanted by Portuguse giants. Find out who it is here.

Despite already signing two new players already, Everton were rumoured to be interested in signing their third, with Phillippe Coutinho linked with a move to Goodison Park, but Fabrizio Romano may have just put a dampener on it.

What’s the word?

Transfer insider, Romano, took to his Twitter account this afternoon to claim that Aston Villa have accelerated their interest in the Brazilian forward, Tweeting;

“Aston Villa are in direct contact with Philippe Coutinho agent to negotiate potential loan move, as first reported by @tjcope @helenacondis. It’s not a done deal/agreed yet.

“Coutinho has been discussed with 3 Premier League clubs. He’s open and prepared to leave Barça.”

This could be a huge blow to Rafa Benitez’s transfer plans, as the club was named as one of the teams interested in acquiring the player during this transfer window.

Everton fans will be livid

Despite the allegiance with fierce local rivals, Liverpool, Everton fans have been responding positively to the rumours that the club could be in contention to sign the £380k-per-week player, with many taking to social media to welcome the speculated move.

One Toffees fan Tweeted: “Like it or not, Coutinho walks into this current Everton side.”

Benitez could split the opinion between fans with the signing of Coutinho, but the rewards of having the attacking threat that the Brazilian has been proven to offer at Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Barcelona far outweigh the emotion of supporters not being happy to see a player who has scored against them three times in the Merseyside Derby during his time at Anfield.

Even though the forward has struggled to make an impact at Barcelona, he has scored 25 times and bagged 14 assists in 125 appearances for the club, but hasn’t been given the opportunity to establish form in the side, especially this season where he has only started in five games.

Everton need to start picking up points in the Premier League, currently sitting 15th in the table just six points ahead of the relegation zone, and adding players who are proven and experienced in getting results is essential for the side to revive their season in the short time they have left to fix it.

As a result, the idea of Coutinho joining their league rivals instead is sure to have left fans rather livid with proceedings.

In other news: Alan Myers reveals more about clubs chasing Lucas Digne

Leeds United failed to pick up their third Premier League win of the season as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Leicester on Sunday.

Harvey Barnes’ quick reply after Raphinha’s opener secured a point for the Foxes as Leeds were unable to record back-to-back wins after their 2-1 victory over Norwich last weekend.

The point does mean that Leeds now sit 15th in the Premier League table heading into the final international break of 2021, with 11 points from 11 games.

Axe him

One worrying trend, however, that continued against Leicester was the poor form of left winger Jack Harrison, as he put in a disappointing display.

Per SofaScore, he lost a whopping 12 of his 18 duels on the pitch throughout the game as he also surrendered possession of the ball 24 times. The winger failed with six of his ten attempted dribbles and missed a big chance in front of goal as he continues to wait for his first Premier League goal of the season.

Harrison has not contributed with a single strike or assist in the top-flight this term, despite starting eight matches for the Whites. He has averaged a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.48 and lost 68% of his duels over the course of the campaign, highlighting how much he is currently struggling.

At the end of last month, Bielsa admitted that he cannot praise Harrison for his performances this season, but did explain why it is difficult for the ex-Manchester City man. He told Leeds Live:

“You ask me a question where you know that I can’t praise his performances up until now. But what’s happening to Harrison is happening to all our players in the squad where they have better or worse moments and nobody is able to maintain a regular consistency in their performances especially when they are playing in attack.”

This shows that Bielsa is fully aware of the £15k-per-week lightweight’s poor form, but is seemingly hoping that he is able to turn it around in the coming weeks. However, the signs are not getting any better for Harrison, with his showing against Leicester lacking in strength and quality.

Therefore, Bielsa should drop Harrison from the XI after the international break and give others a chance to stake their claim. A spell on the bench could allow the forward to recharge and prepare himself to come back fighting for his place.

AND in other news, Forget Raphinha: Leeds dynamo with 79 touches ran the game for Bielsa vs Leicester…