All posts by n8rngtd.top

Aston Villa appear to be on the track toward weaving past Premier League profit and sustainability (PSR) rules, with Douglas Luiz expected to join Juventus.

Homegrown product Tim Iroegbunam is also expected to join Everton for around £10m, with certain other deals being worked toward beneath the surface.

Fears that have been bubbling away over recent months have no doubt been allayed by the exciting news that a deal has been agreed with Chelsea for Ian Maatsen, expected to cost around £35-40m.

Strengthening further is key though, with Unai Emery masterminding a top-four finish that has rolled out the carpet for Champions League football. Signs are positive heading into a crunch period.

Aston Villa transfer news

Luiz's transfer to Juventus has been in the pipeline for some time now but a hitch has arrived in the form of Weston McKennie, one of two players – along with Samuel Iling-Junior – expected to head to Villa Park in a part cash, part player swap deal. The USMNT midfielder, however, now looks unlikely to be involved.

However, according to Fabrizio Romano, Villa are in negotiations to bring Enzo Barrenechea instead, with positive talks between all parties suggesting a deal could be concluded soon.

Romano continues to state that the Argentinian midfielder wants the move, and now it is simply up to Villa to close the deal.

Enzo Barrenechea's style of play

Born in Cordoban-province city Villa Maria (a good omen, perchance?), Barrenechea has been on Juventus' books since signing from Newell Old Boys for €3m (£2m) in the summer of 2019, with the 23-year-old only featuring five times for the senior squad but flourishing out on loan last season.

Frosinone might have been relegated last term – finishing 18th with 35 points, one fewer than 17th-placed Empoli – but Barrenechea successfully showcased his skills and used the experience to announce himself to the major stage.

Analyst Ben Mattinson hailed him as "one of the most intelligent prospects in Italian football", with his notable defensive skills marking him as a top-tier player in the making. As per FBref, the imposing midfielder ranks among the top 14% of positional peers for blocks and the top 17% for aerial duels won per 90.

He's less impressive than Luiz in regard to attacking play but 0.7 key passes per game for a lowly team that scored more goals than nine divisional rivals despite falling speaks of his impact, maintaining a measure of fluency that kept the team competitive.

The 6-foot Juve star would perhaps benefit Villa greatly in that regard. Luiz has already been replaced to a degree by Ross Barkley, who notched nine goal contributions from 30 Premier League starts for Luton Town last season, while the multi-purpose Conor Gallagher remains on the radar, albeit holding his reservations.

Luiz, while combative, tasked with holding the engine room together, proved to be a devastating attacking outlet under Emery's wing, clinching ten goals and adding ten assists in all competitions as Villa qualified for the Champions League.

The 26-year-old, to further evidence this point, ranks among the top 16% of central midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals and the top 17% for shot-creating actions per 90.

But, moreover and more pertinently, Luiz is a brilliant all-action player, with The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell even describing him as "one of the Premier League's most complete midfielders."

As per Sofascore, the Brazil international completed an average of 1.7 tackles, 5.3 ball recoveries and 4.2 successful duels per game in the English top flight last season. Indeed, the absence of his presence at the anchor of the midfield calls for a player of equal – or perhaps, even, superior – athleticism, calls for Barrenechea.

While the Turin-based talent wasn't Emery nor Monchi's first pick, he may well prove to be a bona fide success at Villa Park, surpassing any impact that McKennie would have made.

McKennie, firstly, is not a holding midfielder. The American has a range of skills but frequented the right flank with regularity during the 2023/24 campaign, with his creative qualities seeing him play in a more advanced position. With the aforementioned Barkley signing and John McGinn and, possibly, Gallagher on the books, is this the best move?

Or is, in fact, it wise to strengthen the defensive department? Not least because Boubacar Kamara is recuperating from a knee injury and will not be available until the latter months of the year.

McKennie, secondly, flattered to deceive during his loan spell at Leeds United across the second half of the 2022/23 term, starting 16 top-flight matches but being branded "terrible" by pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, spiralling into the second tier with Elland Road.

Barrenechea could be that perfect figure, still raw and unrefined but blessed with all the requisite traits for a prosperous Premier League career, even hailed as a “physical specimen” by journalist Antonio Mango.

Villa Park boasts a healthy squad of different talents, but Barrenechea has the skills to cement a starring role and could prove to be a masterful addition in a few years.

What Aston Villa’s starting XI could look like after £105m spending spree

Aston Villa will be looking to build on their momentous 23/24 campaign, having qualified for the Champions League.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jun 6, 2024

Arsenal could hold an interest in Leroy Sane this summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Express journalist Ryan Taylor, who claims that the Bayern Munich winger is a realistic target for the Gunners as they look to bolster Mikel Arteta’s wide options.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT this week, he said:

“Sane is an interesting one because we haven’t seen the same Sane we saw at City at Bayern, so whether that means he could become available, I don’t know.

“It would be fair to assume Arsenal would be interested in a player of his quality, he’s world-class on his day and he’s Premier League proven, so I do think he’s the kind of player they’ll be looking at, but nothing concrete at the moment as far as I’m aware.”

Earlier this month, CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs also revealed that the 26-year-old was a target for Arsenal before they tried to sign Raphinha from Leeds United.

Arteta can forget Raphinha

A move for Sane, who cost Bayern around £55m, could certainly make sense for the north London giants this window, though technical director Edu Gaspar will need to act quick as we’re less than five weeks away from deadline day.

Given his past experience in the Premier League with Manchester City, where he won two titles, the Germany international could be the perfect alternative to Raphinha, who instead sealed his dream move to LaLiga outfit Barcelona.

During his four years at the Etihad Stadium, Sane delivered a whopping 25 goals and 32 assists across 90 top-flight appearances, meaning he averaged one goal contribution every 106 minutes (almost one each outing), via Transfermarkt.

The one-time PFA Young Player of the Year has continued his fine form at Bayern, where he has provided 24 goals and 27 assists in 89 matches.

“He’s shown in the last few weeks what a great player he is. He plays with an ease – that’s impressive,” once claimed his former boss at the Allianz Arena, Hansi Flick.

When compared to his positional peers across Europe in the last year, the German sensation is evidently one of the best in the game right now. He ranks inside the top 1% for shots taken (3.99 per 90), the top 4% for non-penalty expected goals (0.44 per 90) and the top 6% for pass completion, via FBref.

With moves for Raphinha and even Serge Gnabry, who signed a contract extension recently, out of the picture, it would make sense for the Brazilian supremo to turn his attention to Sane.

AND in other news, Dharmesh Sheth drops £200m transfer claim at Arsenal…

After months of speculation, Leeds United’s worst fears were realised as talisman Raphinha made his long-awaited move to La Liga giants Barcelona, joining the Camp Nou outfit on a reported £55m deal after two years in England.

That departure has brought with it the need to find a suitable replacement, with Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe believed to be one of those names who could well come through the door to try and fill the void left behind by the outgoing Brazilian.

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Signed from Lille on a mammoth £72m deal in 2019, the Ivorian gem has failed to live up to expectations at the Emirates thus far, having struggled to establish himself as a regular fixture of Mikel Arteta’s side, notably making just five Premier League starts last term.

Despite the obvious disappointment regarding his move to north London – which has culminated in the Gunners reportedly being willing to cash in for as little as £25m this summer – the 27-year-old has no doubt shown glimpses of his talent in recent seasons, with there a sense that he had been deserving of greater game time of late.

The 2020/21 season proved particularly impressive for the France-born speedster as he chipped in with ten top-flight goals, while also providing ten goal contributions in just 13 games in that season’s Europa League run.

The “exciting” talent, as described by teammate Granit Xhaka, possesses a number of special attacking qualities, with one source stating that he is “lightning fast with beautiful technical ability`’.

Perhaps one of his greatest traits is his devastating ability to cut onto his favoured left foot from the right flank before unleashing a shot, with that quality seemingly reminiscent of Dutch legend, Arjen Robben.

That claim is not unfounded, however, with former Lille boss Christophe Galtier even suggesting that the pair possess similar attacking traits, while reports a few years ago suggested that Bayern Munich were interested in Pepe as a like-for-like replacement for the departing veteran.

Now retired after a brief, injury-plagued stint back at Groningen, Robben had enjoyed a hugely successful career at the elite level, turning out for the likes of PSV, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern and seemingly always delivering.

A winner of a plethora of major honours, the 38-year-old was a truly lethal force in his pomp, racking up 209 goals and 165 assists in 613 games in all competitions across his club career, while also scoring 37 times in 96 appearances at international level.

Much of his success came from that innate knack for cutting inside and unleashing an often composed, carefully placed finish, with the 5-foot-11 menace having honed his craft to such an extent that he was simply unstoppable at times, with defenders unable to prevent his genius despite knowing exactly what he intended to do.

Although it’s only been seen in flashes thus far during his time with Arsenal, the belief is that Pepe has the quality in him to produce Robben-like levels of performance, with it perhaps a risk worth taking for sporting director Victor Orta and manager Jesse Marsch to try and land the one-time Angers man.

AND in other news: Victor Orta plotting Leeds bid for “formidable” £19m sensation, he’s “one of the best”

Liverpool are reportedly interested in snapping up Ajax attacker Antony this summer, as they look to beat rivals Manchester United to his signature.

The Lowdown: Antony excels for Ajax

The 22-year-old winger has been an impressive performer for Ajax in recent years, playing a big part in them winning two Eredivisie titles in a row.

Antony scored eight goals and registered four assists in the league last season and his overall tally of 42 goal contributions (22 goals and 20 assists) in 78 games for Ajax outlines his potential, thriving under now United boss Erik ten Hag.

The Red Devils have been consistently linked with a move for the Brazilian this summer, but it could be that Liverpool are ready to swoop in and hijack the deal.

The Latest: Liverpool in talks

According to Yahoo journalist Jorge Nicola on Twitter [via Sport Witness], United are ‘not alone’ in showing an interest and the Reds are ‘keeping negotiations’ with Ajax, as well as with the player’s agent, Junior Pedroso.

It is thought to be ‘very possible’ that Antony secures a move away from Ajax this month, and while it isn’t specified who are the favourites to sign him, Liverpool are believed to be coming on ‘strong’.

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The Verdict: Jota replacement?

There is no denying Antony’s quality as a footballer – he was once described as ‘wonderful’ by scout Piet de Visser – but whether or not Liverpool need him is a different story.

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In Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez, Jurgen Klopp has five exceptional attacking options at his disposal, all of whom will be battling for minutes moving forward.

For that reason, it is easier to envisage him moving to United, but perhaps a serious diagnosis on Jota’s recent injury could change that tune. The Portugal international can fill in all three positions across the front three, so losing his services for an extended period of time would seriously harm the depth and increase the need for another option.

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly now fighting a number of clubs in the UEFA Champions League to try and bring Oscar Gloukh to Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Scouts sent

Speaking on the Heart & Hand podcast’s The Transfer Show (via Rangers News) a couple of weeks ago, podcaster and Gers supporter Andy Barnett – who is based in Israel – claimed that scouts from the Gers were ‘looking’ at Gloukh play for Israel’s under-19s in their 4-2 win over Austria last month.

The Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder also played in the European Under-19 Championship final for Israel against England and scored a brilliant opening goal on that occasion.

The Latest: More competition…

As per The Sunday Mirror (via Glasgow Live), Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team now have some added competition when it comes to potentially signing Gloukh.

Tottenham Hotspur, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax, who will all be playing in the 2022/23 Champions League, as well as Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma, are all thought to be interested in Gloukh, who is valued at around £10m.

The Verdict: Aribo replacement?

After Joe Aribo joined Southampton, Rangers will surely be looking for another attacking midfielder to fill the void left by the Nigeria international.

At just 18 years of age, Glouk is one of the most promising players coming through in world football. Indeed, journalist and podcaster Sam Tighe has even claimed to get a ‘whiff of Ozil’ about the teenager’s creative style, likening him to the 2014 World Cup winner and former German Player of the Year (Transfermarkt).

That is a very big compliment indeed, and respected outlet ESPN (via The Daily Record) go further in their praise, claiming that he is ‘technically brilliant’ and a ‘brilliant dribbler’ with an ‘exquisite touch’, even going as far as to say that he is ‘unplayable’ at times.

Nonetheless, to beat all of the European heavyweights to Gloukh’s signature would be a huge coup for the Teddy Bears.

Tottenham Hotspur could now make a surprise move for Jesse Lingard, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Daily Telegraph believe the free-agent midfielder is being considered by the Spurs hierarchy as they look to improve their homegrown quota heading into the 2022/23 season.

After sealing deals for wing-back Ivan Perisic, midfielder Yves Bissouma and Everton attacker Richarlison, the former Manchester United star is viewed as a central creative option.

Premier League rivals West Ham United remain keen on the 29-year-old, whilst the Toffees have also been linked with interest. Given that he is now out of contract, he would not cost a penny to Lilywhites owners, the ENIC Group.

Homegrown bargain

Spurs boss Antonio Conte isn’t afraid to strengthen his squad for the here and now, as seen by Perisic’s arrival. Even over in Italy at Inter Milan, the 52-year-old was quick to add some experience, with veteran Ashley Young making the switch from Manchester United in 2020.

Adding Lingard to his current options would certainly be a wise and shrewd move, especially considering their homegrown problems.

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The 32-time England international has racked up 165 appearances in the Premier League and has played a further 43 games across UEFA’s top competitions, via Transfermarkt.

Despite a 26.35), a key attribute which will tick a box for Conte.

FBRef also likens his playing style to Arsenal duo Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe.

Once dubbed “top-class” by former United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and “absolutely phenomenal” by talkSPORT presenter Adrian Durham for his form during a lucrative loan spell at the Hammers towards the end of the 2020/21 campaign, the Englishman could bolster Conte’s squad in a key area and, at the same time, fix their homegrown problems.

Signing Lingard, who won’t cost anything in terms of a transfer fee, would surely be a very wise decision from sporting director Fabio Paratici this summer.

AND in other news, Spurs agree on personal terms with this 21 y/o gem…

The agent of Leeds United transfer target Otavio is now in England ahead of a potential move for his client, according to The Mirror.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Otavio

The Whites have been heavily linked with a move for the ‘exciting’ forward (as dubbed by ESPN commentator Marc Lewis) in recent days, with reports suggesting that Leeds saw a £26m bid turned down.

Victor Orta and co were set to launch a new offer in the region of €40m (£34m), which would make the player the Yorkshire club’s most expensive signing of all time. However, it looks as if Leeds may have to rival Liverpool for the 27-year-old, with an update now emerging on that front.

The Latest: Otavio’s agent in England

The Mirror shared a story on Saturday evening regarding Otavio, with Leeds once again brought up in conversation.

They claimed that the player’s agent Israel Oliveira is in England trying to get a deal over the line, with Porto willing to do business at £38m.

Otavio has a release clause set at £51m, with the Portuguese champions expecting to receive an official offer from Liverpool and an improved bid from Leeds.

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The Verdict: Look elsewhere?

Leeds have never spent in excess of £30m on one player, but it looks as if they will need to do just that in order to land Otavio.

Not only that, they might also have to battle Jurgen Klopp’s side for his services, with the Reds offering Champions League football and the genuine possibility of winning major trophies.

Therefore, with a potentially lofty fee involved and Liverpool now in the race, it could be wise for Orta to look elsewhere for a potential Raphinha replacement in what could be a busy few weeks at Elland Road.

Leeds United and Manchester City have agreed a fee for Kalvin Phillips, Phil Hay reports.

The Lowdown: City rumours

Phillips has been heavily linked with a move to the Etihad over the past five weeks, with the Premier League champions identifying the 26-year-old as an ideal replacement for Fernandinho.

The Athletic previously claimed that City were visualising a final agreement between £45m and £50m for the Leeds man, and it looks as if that figure was extremely accurate.

The Latest: Hay’s post

Hay, who was one of the first to share Ryan Edmondson’s move to Carlisle United in recent days, took to Twitter on Friday evening to provide more exit news, this time on Phillips.

He stated that Leeds and City ‘have agreed a fee’ for Phillips and that a deal was ‘set to go ahead with clubs on the same page’. Fabrizio Romano has stated that a transfer will be worth an initial £42m which could rise to £50m with add-ons.

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The Verdict: Time to act

It looks as if it is just a matter of time until Phillips, labelled as ‘special’ by former Leeds man Andrew Hughes, is officially a City player, so Leeds should now be hard at work looking to bring in a replacement.

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Two players who have been linked with filling the gap left set to be left by Phillips are RB Leipzig’s Tyler Adams and RB Salzburg’s Mo Camara, both of which have worked under Jesse Marsch.

Camara has been teasing a move to Elland Road by replying to Whites supporters on social media, so it wouldn’t come as a shock if Leeds were to make a formal bid for the Mali international or Adams over the coming days following the news with Phillips.

Photo by Unsplash

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Nicolo Barella for a while and now a new update has emerged that details the club’s continued interest in signing the player this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to Italian news outlet Calcio Mercato, Liverpool are preparing a move for Inter Milan midfielder Barella, with a potential swap deal on the cards to bring down the club’s asking price for the player.

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As per the report, the Reds are willing to offer Naby Keita to lower the transfer fee of €90m (£77.2m) wanted by the Serie A club.

Klopp’s De Bruyne

It is no secret that Jurgen Klopp has been exploring the idea of bringing in a new midfielder at Anfield with Aurelien Tchouameni reportedly agreeing terms with Liverpool before making his move to Real Madrid earlier this month.

Liverpool’s midfield have a number of players who are already in their 30s with Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson and James Milner occupying spots in the centre of the pitch, and it is clear that the club is looking to the future with the desire to add youth into their already talented team.

Klopp is already a huge admirer of Barella, reserving high praise for the 25-year-old who he dubbed “top class” ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Inter Milan in the Champions League last season;

“He’s a really good player, a really good player and I like him a lot. He has all the things you want from a midfield player: he is aggressive, he is technical, he can run for ages and all these kinds of things. That’s a top-class player.”

The German coach could sign his very own Kevin De Bruyne to compete with Premier League title rivals Manchester City next season, as according to FBref, De Bruyne is the third most comparable player to the Italian star over the last season.

Although the Man City midfielder has a much better record when it comes to goal contributions, scoring 15 goals compared to Barella’s three, Klopp rarely deploys his midfielders with expectations of scoring and prefers to see effective link-up play and pressing from the centre of the pitch.

Barella has completed over 300 more passes, won over twice as many tackles, completed more dribbles and has a better pressure percentage (29%) than De Bruyne, all of which Klopp will value highly if he can acquire Barella’s services next season.

The midfielder also ranked first for the most key passes completed and ranked third in chance creation last season in the entirety of the Serie A.

With that being said, signing Barella would be a major coup for Liverpool if they could secure a deal for the player ahead of next season and offering Keita could be a great way to sweeten the deal with Inter Milan.

AND in other news: Klopp can repeat Konate masterclass as Liverpool plot move for “invincible” £103m gem

West Ham United are reportedly eyeing a deal for Hertha Berlin defender, Jordan Torunarigha, according to reports in Germany.

What’s the word?

As per journalist Florian Plettenberg, the Hammers have been named as one of the clubs who have “enquired” about the 24-year-old centre-back ahead of a possible move this summer.

The transfer insider has revealed that the 6 foot 3 giant has rejected a move to Gent – where he spent the second half of last season on loan – opening up the possibility of a €5m (£4.2m) move elsewhere: “News #Torunarigha : Gent made an offer (about 2 million € + bonuses). Player & Hertha have declined. Wolfsburg & West Ham have inquired about him. Probably: change within the Bundesliga! Price: around 5 million € ! conversations are ongoing”.

This news would suggest that David Moyes and co are plotting further centre-back additions, despite reportedly being close to confirming the signing of Rennes’ Nayef Aguerd.

Moyes’ next Zouma

Torunarigha may be something of an unknown quantity to most, although impressed during his temporary stint in Belgium last term, averaging 1.2 interceptions, 1.3 tackles and 2.3 clearances per game from his 11 league outings, while also winning a solid 55% of his total duels and keeping four clean sheets.

The towering colossus had previously spent all of his career in his native Germany with Hertha, with the academy product scoring six goals and providing five assists in his 81 games in all competitions for the Bundesliga outfit.

Although unlikely to come straight into the starting XI at the London Stadium, the £4.5m-rated man would provide quality depth to what had been a problem area last term, with Moyes in need of additional reinforcements as the club once again get set to compete in European competition.

He would also seemingly be a player that the former Manchester United man could gradually help to nurture and improve without the weight of expectation of a big transfer fee, with the Scot having previously proven his astute nature in the transfer market.

The £21k-per-week gem – who was part of Germany’s Olympic squad in Tokyo – could also prove to be the club’s next Kurt Zouma, with the pair sharing a number of statistical and stylistic similarities, according to FBref.

Signed from Chelsea in a £29.8m deal last summer, the Frenchman enjoyed a fine debut campaign in east London – despite off-field controversy – averaging 1.4 interceptions and 5.5 clearances per game in his 24 Premier League appearances, while also winning an impressive 62% of his aerial duels.

Like the younger man, Zouma is also 6 foot 3 and provides an imposing presence in the backline, with his recovery speed also proving vital on occasion.

The same can be said of Torunarigha who was been labelled “mobile and comfortable on the ball”, as per the Bundesliga website, albeit with one notable difference coming in the fact that he is left-footed – offering a unique option to Moyes’ side.

The “rough diamond” – as he has previously been dubbed by former boss Pal Dardai – may not be of the quality of the current Hammers man just yet, although he could blossom into a player of similar ilk if a deal can be done this summer.

IN other news, “A chance…”: Ex drops exciting West Ham transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing