All posts by z3u9t.icu

Mohamed Salah is not demanding £500,000 per week to extend his Liverpool’s contract, according to the Liverpool Echo.

The lowdown

The Mirror floated the figure, which is more than double his current salary of £200,000, over the weekend. Salah is into the final two years of his contract at Anfield, and while talks are ongoing, the two parties have yet to make a breakthrough.

Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have all penned new deals in recent months (via The Athletic), but there’s said to be interest in Salah from European giants such as Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

The Egyptian international joined Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017 and has since gone on to score 127 goals in 206 appearances for the Reds.

The latest

The Liverpool Echo reported that Salah’s demands are ‘not in the region’ of the £26m per year which was ‘suggested over the weekend’.

The Anfield club are ‘continuing to press ahead’ in negotiations in the hope of addressing a ‘priority’ and putting any speculation over the Egyptian’s future to bed.

The verdict

Had Salah genuinely been demanding £500,000 per week, then there was a very real risk that talks would break down altogether. That kind of sum could shatter a club’s wage structure.

Still, you’d imagine he is in line for a substantial salary hike, with the Reds under pressure to tie down arguably their biggest asset for the remainder of his peak years.

Kylian Mbappe’s potential move to Real Madrid may have strengthened Salah’s hand further, as there’s a very real chance that PSG could start sniffing around as the 29-year-old edges closer to the end of his current deal.

In other news, another Liverpool player could join Firmino on the treatment table.

As per Spanish news source Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), an update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer plans for Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele.

The Lowdown: Spurs offer made for Dembele…

The same outlet recently revealed (via Sport Witness) that Fabio Paratici and co have already made an offer to sign the France international as his contract winds down.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-5/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Free to leave as a free agent in 2022, Dembele can negotiate a pre-contract move in January with Spurs apparently swooping in with an offer for the player to his entourage.

Paratici apparently plans to gift manager Antonio Conte ‘quality players at zero cost’ with an update emerging on their hunt for the former Borussia Dortmund sensation.

The Latest: Spurs in hunt…

According to Mundo’s sources (via SW), Tottenham are in the race to sign Dembele and are considered ‘posh suitors’ for his signature.

It is believed that the 24-year-old, as things stand, is in favour of extending his stay in Catalonia but representatives are taking too long to give a concrete answer as they stall given interest from other clubs including Spurs.

The Verdict: Ideal signing?

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, branding Dembele ‘a little crazy’ and an ‘incredible player’, certainly highlights that the £45 million-valued man has bags of ability.

Barca agreed an initial £96.8m move to sign the attacker in a deal potentially rising to £135.5m (BBC), backing just how highly-rated he was at the time, but a plethora of injury issues have followed since despite spells of good form.

For this reason, a swoop for Dembele, even on a possible free deal, could be risky from Tottenham’s perspective.

That said, if Conte can get the best out of the young starlet and somehow resolve his fitness issues, what an ideal signing to excite fans for a new era in north London.

In other news: Levy now open to another big name exit as Conte tells Spurs to sell ‘magnificent’ man, find out more here.

Manchester United lost 1-0 to Everton at Goodison Park this afternoon, leaving their chances of a top four finish and Champions League football next season in serious doubt.

The Toffees are currently the fourth-most out-of-form in the Premier League over the last six matchdays, and after today’s defeat the Red Devils have become the seventh-most out-of-form, losing their eighth top-flight game of the season.

Despite having 67% possession, more shots on target and over twice as many passes completed today, United could not take anything from their clash on Merseyside, with players such as Alex Telles summing up their wastefulness on the ball, losing possession a team-high 28 times.

The Toffees took the lead in the 27th minute when Anthony Gordon’s shot deflected off Harry Maguire into the back of the net behind David de Gea. The visitors had more than hour to redeem themselves but failed to impose themselves successfully on Frank Lampard’s resilient Everton side.

One player who put in yet another nightmare performance for the Red Devils was Marcus Rashford, who failed to make a sufficient impact in the game, perhaps becoming more of a hindrance than a help.

According to SofaScore, United’s golden boy – who Gary Neville called “terrible” – was the worst-rated player on the pitch (5.9) and for good reason, losing all seven of his ground duels and 87.5% of his duels overall.

The forward also lost possession of the ball every 2.7 touches and failed to complete any of his three dribbles before he was hooked by Rangnick in the 64th minute, being replaced by Anthony Elanga.

It has been reported that the 24-year-old is intending to leave Old Trafford this summer after coming through the club’s academy and breaking through into the first team; and when you consider the season he is having, it would be no surprise if his desire to leave the club will be heard and delivered by United.

Rangnick will need to hope that the teams immediately ahead of them suffer the same fate during their fixtures this weekend to give his side a slight chance of redemption to keep their Champions League chances intact. One thing is for sure; Rashford did not do United’s top-four push too many favours today.

In other news – “Erik ten Hag has..”: Romano drops exciting Man Utd update this morning, it’s great news

This January could be an almighty one for Newcastle United as they enter the transfer market for the first time under the guidance of PIF, their oil-rich new owners.

Trying to push any cash from Mike Ashley’s wallet in recent years was a strenuous task but it’s thought the club’s Saudi investors will be far more lapse with their finances.

What’s the word?

That could certainly be the case after an exciting new update from journalist Duncan Castles.

The reporter was speaking on his Transfer Window Podcast this week and told listeners to expect something pretty big from the Magpies in January after PIF decided to change their strategy just a few weeks after being in the northeast.

He said: “Initially, the idea was to be conservative in the January window, they didn’t want to do deals then.

“They were conscious that it’s hard to do deals then, the prices can be high and availability is limited, but they now feel that they have to use the window to its maximum potential.

“I’m hearing talk of maybe five or six players coming in.”

Fans buzzing

This is a piece of news that Newcastle supporters will have simply been dying to hear.

For so long the Toon Army have been starved of a lack of ambition at St James’ Park but Castles’ new claim seems to suggest that the Magpies will launch quite an offensive strategy in the January transfer market.

It remains to be seen who those five or six players are but it wouldn’t be a surprise if a few of them are marquee acquisitions.

Talented forward players like Mauro Icardi, Nicolas Pepe and Dusan Vlahovic have all been linked while the twinkle-toed Donny van de Beek is an option and the bulldozer that is Stefan de Vrij has popped up on their radar too.

Of course, it would be wise of Amanda Staveley and co to pull off a few shrewder deals too, gently balancing out the squad before truly flexing their financial muscles in the summer of 2022.

Either way, the idea of signing a whole new crop of players will surely leave supporters delighted, especially when you consider the considerable rebuild that Eddie Howe needs to pull off.

He has walked into a mess in the northeast with the Magpies sitting towards the foot of the table and in danger of relegation.

Therefore, any further help in January would be appreciated, let alone from half a dozen potential new recruits.

The buzz has died down a little since the initial period of being taken over but this is something that will no doubt create more hype around the club.

AND in other news, Howe could find his new Ake if Newcastle swoop for “very intelligent” £26.8m beast…

According to The Daily Express, there has been a major development in West Ham United’s hunt to sign Manchester United star Jesse Lingard in January.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye Lingard deal…

Numerous reliable sources have backed that manager David Moyes has identified the signing of Lingard on a permanent deal as one of West Ham’s major priorities this month.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-updates/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Club insider ExWHUemployee claimed recently that the Irons are set to make a move early this window while reliable reporter Jack Rosser of The Evening Standard reiterates that Moyes is still very much eager.

This comes as Lingard’s current deal at Old Trafford expires in the summer with no sign of fresh terms as The Express now share a major update involving West Ham.

The Latest: West Ham ‘at the front of the queue’…

As per the outlet, West Ham are ‘at the front of the queue’ to sign United’s attacker as they enter pole position for his January signing.

It is believed the Irons are now ‘ready to table’ another bid to sign Lingard as he remains Moyes’ top target, with West Ham’s manager personally ‘working on a package’ to tempt him behind-the-scenes.

The Verdict: Exciting…

Given Moyes’ is currently readying an offer for the 29-year-old as he aims to seal his permanent signing, this update comes as an exciting one with West Ham now favourites.

Lauded as ‘absolutely phenomenal’ and the best player in the Premier League on form at one stage last season (Adrian Durham, talkSPORT), Moyes himself has been very public in his praise for Lingard.

The Scotsman waxed lyrical over England’s international ace, calling him ‘incredible’ for his performances on loan at the London Stadium over 2020/2021.

He bagged a brilliant nine goals and four assists in just 16 English top flight starts, leaving little wonder Moyes wants a return, and Hammers supporters may be hoping he gets his wish before January 31.

In other news: West Ham source: Newman eyeing bid for brand new forward target as club greenlight January sale, find out more here.

Celtic defender Christopher Jullien isn’t expected to make his return from injury this month, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou’s hopes

The 28-year-old hasn’t featured for the Hoops in 2021 after suffering an injury when blocking a shot against Dundee United last December.

Ange Postecoglou revealed towards the end of September that he was hoping Jullien would be back in training at the beginning of October.

However, that hasn’t come to fruition, and it seems as if Celtic supporters will have to wait longer to see the defender in action.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-15/” title=”Celtic updates!!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Source shares update

Football Insider shared a story on Sunday evening where Frank McAvennie was giving his thoughts on the French defender and his return.

Within the report, they shared information from a Celtic source, who claimed that Jullien isn’t expected to return before the end of the month.

The Verdict: Frustration

If Jullien returned to training at the beginning of the month, who knows, he may have featured for the first time under Postecoglou before October came to an end.

Celtic still have five fixtures to play before November comes around, so it is frustrating that the wait to see the centre-back will continue beyond Halloween.

Hopefully the 28-year-old will make his return before the year is out and can establish himself as first choice at the back once again, just like he was before that fateful injury.

In other news: Former Celtic player thinks Ange may land ‘exciting’ ace in cut-price deal who has the same agency as Ronaldo

An update has emerged on Getafe midfielder John Patrick, regarding Leeds’ interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds are one of a number of clubs interested in signing the midfielder in January on a pre-contract deal.

The report claims that the 6 foot 4 teenager is out of contract at the end of the season, with Manchester United, Everton, Burnley and Leeds all eyeing up a potential swoop.

Imagine him and Phillips

Leeds chief Victor Orta must move for John and get a deal done for the youngster to bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s squad in the January transfer window. The 18-year-old is a promising young player who could develop under the Argentine’s watchful eye and be a key part of the future at Elland Road alongside Kalvin Phillips in midfield.

He became the youngest player to play for Getafe in their history last season, at the age of 17 years and 42 days, against Sevilla. Patrick is also an international at youth level for Ireland, having snubbed England and Spain to play for his mother’s country of birth.

The midfield enforcer made five more La Liga appearances for Getafe in the 2020/21 campaign after becoming their youngest player, although they all came as a substitute. This suggests that he was catching the eye in training and proved to the manager that he was ready to play at senior level, despite his incredibly young age.

An Irish journalist hailed him an “exciting” player with high technical quality as he lauded the prospect on The Jack McDonald Show on YouTube (24/03/21). He went on to say that Patrick is still finding his way as a young player and can look lost at times, despite possessing considerable ability on the ball.

This suggests that he could be a project for Bielsa to work on in the coming seasons. He could help develop him into becoming a midfield enforcer, given his height and hyped-up technical quality, alongside the already impressive Phillips.

The Leeds-born beast averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.01 in the Premier League last term, making 4.2 tackles and interceptions per game. This shows that Phillips has been able to impose his strength on the opposition in the top-flight, regularly winning the ball back and performing to a high standard.

If Bielsa could develop Patrick to a similar level then it could be a masterstroke by him and Orta to seal a deal in January. Patrick has the physical and technical aspects to his game that mirror Phillips. The experience and know-how may be lacking but that’s something Bielsa could offer him on the training pitch.

Imagine a midfield consisting of Phillips, who loves a tackle, and the colossal figure of Patrick for Leeds in the Premier League. Opposition teams would fear having to battle against them on the pitch and that could give the Whites a significant mental edge in matches.

AND in other news, Leeds must sanction swoop for £8.5m gem with “crazy technique”, he’s Raphinha 2.0…

West Brom are interested in making a late-summer move for Oostende centre-back Jack Hendry, according to a report which emerged on Saturday.

The Lowdown: West Brom make flying start

The Baggies enjoyed a memorable win on Saturday night, beating Peterborough United 1-0 thanks to Semi Ajayi’s last-gasp strike.

The victory means Valerien Ismael’s side are second in the Championship table with four wins and a draw in their opening five matches.

The Latest: Hendry linked with move

West Brom’s squad looks strong currently, but they are reportedly keen on strengthening it further, with The Daily Mail claiming they are interested in signing Hendry.

Oostende are thought to be willing to sell the Scotland international, having only just snapped him up from Celtic, in order to make a quick profit.

Burnley, Southampton, Sheffield United and Newcastle United are all mentioned as potential suitors, however, so the Baggies could have a battle on their hands to sign the defender.

The Verdict: Ideal late signing

Hendry could be an ideal man to come in right at the end of the transfer window. He is described as ‘quick, technically good and strong in the air’, and would surely enhance West Brom’s chances of promotion further, having won the Belgian top flight’s player of the season crown last term.

At 6 foot 5, he is a towering presence at the heart of the defence, while seven caps for Scotland proves that he is capable of playing at a high level.

At 26, he is also at a good point in his career and could provide competition for the likes of Ajayi, Kyle Bartley and Dara O’Shea.

In other news, one player has been tipped to make a permanent move to West Brom. Find out who it is here.

Eddie Howe will be looking for his first win in charge of Newcastle United tonight as his side host Norwich at St. James’ Park.

The Magpies remain the only side in the Premier League without a single win to their name, but a win against the Canaries would move them up to 19th and above Dean Smith’s side.

Howe was in the dugout for the first time on Saturday as he watched his team lose 2-0 to Arsenal at The Emirates, thanks to goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

Axe him

One player who should be brutally axed from the starting XI is Brazilian forward Joelinton, who struggled badly against the Gunners at the weekend.

The former Hoffenheim attacker should be taken out of the team and placed on the bench as Newcastle cannot afford to carry any passengers in a vital relegation clash against Norwich.

This game represents a huge opportunity for the Magpies to kickstart their season with a win, against the team 19th in the table, and it could be a tough, physical, battle between two sides scraping to save their lives.

Therefore, Howe needs players in his team who he can rely upon to stand up to the physical side of the game and compete across the pitch off and on the ball. The £80k-per-week dud’s display against Arsenal suggests that he does meet those requirements.

Per SofaScore, he lost a whopping 13 of his 20 duels on the pitch. He also completed just eight passes in 67 minutes, whilst failing with two of his three attempted dribbles. His statistics over the course of the season do not make for much better reading, as he has lost 61% of his ground duels in the Premier League this term and scored one goal in 12 games.

This shows that he has been too weak in the top-flight and is not a player Howe can rely upon in a game where he needs his players to step up to the plate in terms of physical battles.

Therefore, he should be ruthlessly axed from the starting XI and another player should be given a chance to show what they can do, whether that be out wide in a formation change or alongside Callum Wilson in the front two.

AND in other news,  Howe must unleash £10.8m-rated NUFC “dark horse” vs Norwich, it’s his time to shine…

Nottingham Forest are interested in a deal to bring Zian Flemming to The City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Dutch media outlet Voetbal Primeur, who claim that the Fortuna Sittard attacking midfielder is edging closer to an exit from the Eredivisie side, with Dane Murphy thought to be extremely interested in the 22-year-old.

It is then claimed that Forest are yet to match the Dutch club’s asking price with an offer, although the report does not state how much Sittard are demanding in order to part with the youngster.

However, a previous report by Nottinghamshire Live estimated that Flemming’s value is around £1.5m, before claiming that Sjors Ultee’s side are looking “a few million more” than this figure.

Imagine him & Johnson

With only Derby County having scored fewer goals than Forest’s 37 in the Championship last time out, it is clear that this is a problem Dane Murphy must address before the new season kicks off in a little over a week’s time.

And, with Brennan Johnson having already returned from a prolific loan spell at Lincoln City last term, the further addition of Flemming should be a mouthwatering prospect for both Chris Hughton and fans of the club alike.

Indeed, over his 33 Eredivisie appearances last season, the £1.08m-rated man scored 12 goals, registered seven assists and created eight big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots and making 0.8 key passes per fixture.

These returns saw the attacking midfielder earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.04, ranking him as Sittard’s third-best performer in the top flight of Dutch football.

As such, while Lewis Grabban’s six goals and Cyrus Christie’s three assists ranked top of Forest’s Championship goals and assist charts respectively last season, the addition of Flemming’s 19 goal involvements combined with Johnson’s haul of 11 goals and five assists at Lincoln would certainly appear to shake things up at The City Ground, while also bringing with it the real possibility of firing the Reds back towards the top of the second tier table next season.

In other news: Murphy could seal Forest transfer masterclass with swoop for £2.25m-rated “top player”