All posts by n8rngtd.top

Lee Bowyer believes that the Birmingham City owners are aware of his desire for steady progress in the Championship.

What’s been said?

In a recent interview, the Blues boss insisted that the club’s Trillion Trophy Asia owners accept the fact that progress under him will be steady rather than spectacular ahead of his first full season in charge at St. Andrew’s, as the 44-year-old looks to gradually rebuild his Birmingham City squad this summer.

As cited by Birmingham Live, Bowyer said: “I think they recognise what has happened at the club the last few years and what position – taking this year out obviously, being in relegation battles for the last few years.

“They recognise it’s not that simple, it’s like a stepping stone. You have to build slowly but surely and that’s what I intend to do. I am not going to go now from 15th or 16th and then climb into the top six. It is going to be very difficult.

“If we can just maybe next season get mid-table then progress from there, that’s my aim – just stay away from that relegation fight. Then you move from there.

“Then it might be ‘OK we might invest a little bit more’. Looking to the future they might then think ‘We’ll invest a little bit more’ and then we might have a push and try and get in and around those play-off places.

“You have got to become stable, haven’t you? I think we have got to stabilise the place because to keep having those relegation fights is not good. If we can stabilise and just finish higher each season then you are moving in the right direction as a club.”

Fans will be buzzing

As Bowyer states, the last few years have not particularly been a highlight of Birmingham’s illustrious history as a football club.

Having circled the Championship relegation zone in the past five seasons – finishing 19th, 19th, 17th, 20th and 18th in chronological order – it is clear that the Blues have lacked any real tactical direction under a variety of different managers.

Off the pitch, too, Birmingham’s owners have largely bought unwisely in the transfer market, spending a total of £43.62m in the last five seasons on incoming players – money that, considering the league finishes, has brought very little reward.

As a result of their spending on transfer fees and player wages, the club’s owners also were found guilty of breaking the EFL’s Financial Fair Play rules back in 2019, with Birmingham receiving a nine-point deduction, as well as having a business plan imposed on them by the league’s governing body.

As such, Bowyer’s comments revealing that Trillion Trophy Asia are content with him building the club back up slowly in order to eventually mount a push for a play-off place is likely to leave fans of the Blues buzzing, as, for the first time in a good while, it appears as if the club has a manager with a sustainable plan for Birmingham’s long-term future – rather than one chasing immediate glory, and he’s set to be allowed to carry out that plan by the board.

In other news: BCFC dealt huge transfer blow over “phenomenal” 24 y/o dynamo, Bowyer will be gutted – opinion

Everton have a strong desire to sign a winger this summer, as Football FanCast exclusively revealed earlier this month that a wide area was their key priority.

We’ve already seen a number of links ahead of the transfer window, with Gareth Bale spectacularly touted with a move to Goodison Park.

It remains to be seen who arrives but, with Theo Walcott heading to Southampton on a permanent deal and Bernard leaning towards an exit, they could be left short on the flanks. Fortunately, Carlo Ancelotti and Marcel Brands have already laid the foundations for their summer approach behind the scenes.

Considering how they lost out on European football towards the end of the campaign, they have a need to bounce back in swift fashion. One player who could help them do that is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of Rubin Kazan.

According to soccer.ru, the player doesn’t want to move to Zenit, which means Everton now lead the race to sign the 20-year-old. Leeds have also been in contact with his agent, as Football FanCast exclusively reported in April.

The Georgia international is one of Europe’s most promising stars, bursting into the limelight when he opened the scoring against Spain back in March. He is become one of the brightest talents emerging from the top-flight of Russian football and possesses some eye-catching characteristics.

Kvaratskhelia has scored seven goals and provided 13 assists during his two seasons with Rubin Kazan, proving to be a significant danger for opposition defences.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-everton-transfer-news-lukaku-leao-bissouma-berge-antony” title=”Read the latest Everton transfer news!”]

During the course of the 2020/21 campaign, the youngster completed a whopping 3.4 dribbles per game. For context, no player in the entire Russian Premier League has managed more successful dribbles than his tally of 78.

He’s also proven to be a menace at international level, registering 5.3 dribbles per match in the UEFA Nations League.

In a scout report by Jacek Kulig, someone renowned for spotting young talent, he wrote: “[He is] extremely dangerous on the counter thanks to his pace and acceleration. Likes to use tricks and skills to remain in possession of the ball.”

Possessing raw speed and the ability to beat a man on a frequent basis, Kvaratskhelia reminds us of former Everton star Andrei Kanchelskis. Also hailing from the Eastern bloc, the winger was devastating on his day, earning a move to the royal blue of Everton after shining at Manchester United.

A tricky winger, Kanchelskis scored 22 goals in 60 appearances for the Merseyside outfit. Like Kvaratskhelia, he had pace to burn and captivating dribbling.

In an interview with the former Everton star back in 1994, reporter Simon O’Hagan explained: “His explosive pace, rasping shot, and – when they come – emphatic goals have added an extra dimension even to a team of such extravagant talents as United.”

Former Manchester United winger Willie Morgan added: “It’s not that he’s the greatest dribbler, but he puts defenders under pressure because he runs straight at them, and there aren’t many in the modern game that do that. He’s been brilliant. He grafts, he gets stuck in, he enjoys playing. You have to mark him, and that helps create space for Mark Hughes in the middle.”

There are notable comparisons between the two but Kvaratskhelia will have to go a long way in order to live up to Kanchelskis’ legacy in the game. It will be intriguing to see if he follows in the latter’s footsteps by joining Everton.

AND in other news, Everton must sign “unique” £35m gem, Tim Cahill dubbed him a “special talent”…

Tottenham Hotspur legend Graham Roberts is doubtful over the potential appointment of Antonio Conte, insisting that he may not be “right” for the club.

The ex-Chelsea boss is reported to be leading the race to become the next Spurs boss following the sacking of Jose Mourinho.

Ryan Mason was placed in interim charge while chairman Daniel Levy hunted for a replacement and he now appears to have landed on his man, despite previous links with ex-boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Roberts remains wary of appointing another former Chelsea manager, given that Mourinho was also a legend at Stamford Bridge, though Conte did win the Premier League title in his first season in English football, having again taken over after Mourinho.

Conte also won Serie A with Inter Milan in 2020/21 but he walked away after a reported argument over the club potentially having to tighten its belt financially.

And Roberts does not think he fits the correct profile to be the next Spurs boss.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “Conte? I’m not sure he’s the right person for Tottenham Hotspur.

“He’s an Italian manager, he’s been at Chelsea. What are we going to do? Every time Chelsea get rid of their manager, we’re going to go for them are we?

“That’s not what the club’s about. It’s about people wanting to come to our club. We love playing easy football and that’s been taken away from us over the last 18 months and the fans are not happy.

“We have to get somebody that knows the background of the club and I’m not sure Conte is the person for that.”

West Ham United have been given an encouraging boost in their bid to sign Sam Johnstone this summer…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the West Bromwich Albion shot-stopper has privately told friends that he wants an instant return to the Premier League with the east London outfit following the Baggies’ relegation last month.

A source told the website that the 28-year-old is said to be “very keen” on signing for the Irons in the upcoming transfer window and he remains a firm target for David Moyes.

Just a few weeks ago, The Sun’s Alan Nixon claimed that the Midlands side would command around £20m to let their first-choice goalkeeper depart The Hawthorns, adding that the Scot would be willing to wait until his price tag drops to make a move, even if he’s seen as a long-term replacement for Lukasz Fabianski.

Imagine him and Ogbonna

For the sake of a few million pounds, the club’s owners GSB should probably just pay up to land Moyes his man as they’ll be investing in a key position for several years.

At just 28, Johnstone has several more seasons at the very top of his game, and with injury problems continuing to plague the Poland international, it would be a very wise decision to find a long-term successor sooner rather than later.

That is something they do not currently have amongst the first team set-up, with Darren Randolph (34) and David Martin (35) being fellow veteran options.

Despite being relegated to the Championship with the worst defensive record in the English top flight this season, the Baggies stopper has been one of the few shining lights and perhaps one of the better options between the sticks.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-west-ham-news-irons-transfer-gossip-rumours-more-moyes-striker-gsb” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]

As per the statistical website FBRef, Johnstone made the most saves in the division (161) by quite some margin and did so at a success rate of 70.6%, which was higher than Fabianski (69.4%) despite the Irons ‘keeper facing 65 fewer shots.

It’s no wonder that he has earned plenty of glowing acclaim from those around him and in the media, too.

Former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce suggested that the 6 foot 4 colossus was “one of the best [in the Premier League]” to talkSPORT back in December, whilst BT Sport pundit Glenn Hoddle claimed he had “been outstanding” every time he’s seen him play this season.

Furthermore, Steve Bruce believes Johnstone is an absolute “diamond” to work with on the training ground, so perhaps he could be the man to truly rival Fabianski for that number one spot next term. That may all boil down to whether or not the club can – or will – splash out that £20m, but they ought to do so.

On the above evidence, he would be a fine addition to Moyes’ current backline, where Angelo Ogbonna has excelled. He and Johnstone could be a rock-solid pairing heading into a Europa League campaign.

As former Irons striker Frank McAvennie recently told Football FanCast exclusively, the Albion star is “right up West Ham’s street,” so GSB must sanction a move for him this summer.

He wants it; Moyes wants it. Get it done, David Sullivan.

AND in other news, 6 foot 4 powerhouse who “will explode” could bolster West Ham’s European claims next season…

A number of Liverpool fans are excited about the prospect of Leeds United winger Raphinha heading to Anfield in what is effectively a swap deal with Harry Wilson.

Jurgen Klopp is sure to be eyeing up potential signings this summer as he looks to take his Reds squad up another level. Liverpool need to be back in a position where they are challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title, with a few additions likely to be required for that to happen.

One player who has been linked with a move to Merseyside is Raphinha, with the Brazilian one of Leeds’ star performers throughout the 2020/21 campaign – WhoScored ranked him as their best player in the recently-concluded season, during which he scored six goals for the Whites and set up another nine.

According to Futbol de Inglaterra [via Watch LFC on Twitter], Leeds are in negotiations for the signing of Wilson, who could be used as part of a deal which sees Raphinha going the other way. The Welsh winger has fallen out of favour under Klopp, spending numerous spells out on loan and making just two senior competitive appearances for Liverpool, so he looks highly likely to move on this summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-4/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans talk up Wilson-Raphinha swap deal

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the proposed swap deal between Wilson and Raphinha.

“Why this deal makes sense for all parties”

Credit: @Bearded_Kop

“I hope this goes through”

Credit: @Terminal_Ad

“Let hope it’s a direct swap”

Credit: @Deepstweets86

“Now this would be top transfer business if we can pull this off btw”

Credit: @TypicalFirmino

“Please”

Credit: @ffion_james_

“£25M + Wilson that sounds like a fair deal”

Credit: @FplFlynn

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to an announcement regarding a huge Reds player. Find out who it is here.

Major news has emerged about Southampton goalkeeper Angus Gunn, it could lead to a masterclass from CEO Martin Semmens.

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic, Southampton goalkeeper Angus Gunn is closing in on a return to his hometown club Norwich City. Southampton have agreed a deal with Norwich that could rise to £7m if all clauses in the contract are met, with Gunn now set to discuss personal terms with the Canaries. Gunn is said to have held talks with Ralph Hasenhuttl earlier this year, where he was told that he would not be part of the Austrian’s plans moving forward.

Norwich will pay an initial fee of £2.5m for the former England under-21 international. The deal will hit £5m guaranteed for Southampton, with a further £2m in add-ons. This is £3m less than the £10m Southampton paid Manchester City for his services in 2018.

Earlier this year, Stoke boss Michael O’Neill admitted that Angus Gunn had been “unfortunate” at times in the Championship and praised the shot-stopper for his composure at the back. He told the Daily Echo:

“Angus has been really good since he’s come in, in a difficult situation.

“He’s been unfortunate in the goals that he’s lost. The goal down at Swansea when he had to come on at half-time – then the goals at Watford which were disappointing and harsh on him given the nature of the decision.

“The other two games he’s kept clean sheets, so we’re delighted.

“I think he gives good composure to his defence, kicks well, looks very assured with the ball at his feet and I think there is loads more to come.”

Semmens masterclass

This could turn out to be a masterclass from Southampton CEO Martin Semmens. The Saints could raise some valuable funds to make incomings of their own whilst discarding a player who was of no use to Hasenhuttl heading into next season. With all due respect to Gunn, he was the third-choice goalkeeper behind Alex McCarthy and Fraser Forster and stood little chance of getting any minutes in the Premier League.

Therefore, Southampton could potentially get up to £7m back for a player who has been unable to make an impact at St. Mary’s and who had no future at the club.

As the report mentioned, Hasenhuttl did not see a place for Gunn in the squad as he wants to go with McCarthy and Forster, so it is a shrewd move to sell the shot-stopper instead of sending him out on another loan and not receiving a fee for him.

The £10m flop can now play a crucial role in helping Southampton improve Hasenhuttl’s squad. Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor claimed the Saints are close to agreeing an £8.5m package for Brest left-back Romain Perraud. Gunn’s sale to Norwich could now cover a sizeable chunk of that fee and allow Southampton to reinvest cash in other areas to bolster the team.

Therefore, this sale could be a masterclass by Semmens. He’s getting rid of a flop and could well use the funds raised to strengthen Hasenhuttl’s options.

AND in other news, Semmens making unforgivable Saints blunder over £8.1m-rated flop with “wrong attitude”…

It’s not often a player comes into a national side and captains them instantly. However, for Wolves defender Conor Coady he’s had that incredibly rare honour.

The centre-back has captained the side in two of his first five caps for England and is now with the Three Lions during the ongoing European Championships.

Described as “phenomenal” by Old Gold reporter Tim Spiers for that very accomplishment, an impressive tournament could earn him a big move.

That being said, Coady may well struggle for opportunities with Harry Maguire to return from injury and Tyrone Mings ahead of him in the pecking order.

If he does earn a chance and catches the eye, it could provoke Everton to move for him.

After all, with the club strongly considering Nuno Santo as their new manager, Coady has naturally been linked with a move to Goodison Park.

Hailing from Merseyside, the centre-half epitomises what it means to be a leader. He is often seen shouting words of encouragement to his teammates and barking orders at those in the defensive line.

Notoriously, he struggles in a four-man defence but in a three, he is the complete sweeper.

Coady’s numbers don’t particularly do him much justice. He wins just 0.9 tackles and 1.1 aerial battles per game but that’s dictated by his role in the side.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-everton-manager-transfer-nuno-conte-wood-marcelo” title= “Read the latest Everton manager and transfer news!”]

Often playing in the middle of a three-man defence, it’s the 28-year-old’s role to mop up any loose balls and play the ball forward with his feet.

That’s an area he excels in, completing 88% of his passes this term, a tally only bettered by Yerry Mina of the club’s regular starters.

If Everton do complete a managerial move for Nuno, then it could see the duo reunited in a feared combination.

Speaking about the Portuguese manager last year, Coady commented: “He brought in a vision & he talked about a project [at Wolves]. The way he wants to play he makes it so easy for everybody to listen to him and pick up his ideas. That’s the biggest thing I can say. As a manager he’s amazing and what he has done for this club has been absolutely incredible.”

That’s a ringing endorsement for Everton supporters and with Coady clearly a player that Nuno trusts, this could be quite the duo for the Toffees heading into next season.

The England international isn’t the most terrifying of players but his leadership qualities are second to none in the Premier League. He’d be a superb addition for that reason alone.

AND in other news, Brands must seal Everton swoop for 56-goal “nightmare”, he’s a “very dangerous weapon”…

Swansea City have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Neco Williams to the Liberty Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that Liverpool are set to demand at least £10m for the 20-year-old in the summer transfer window, with the right-back believed to be keen on a move away from Anfield in a bid to play regular first-team football.

It is then reported that Leeds United, Southampton and Burnley have all expressed an interest in the Wales international. This news comes after TEAMtalk claimed earlier this month that Swansea, Cardiff City, Stoke City and Barnsley had enquired about the possibility of loaning the defender next season.

Fans will be gutted

The news that Williams is looking to move onto pastures new on a permanent basis this summer does not appear to bode well for Swansea’s chances of landing the right-back on a temporary deal, something that, considering the potential the youngster appears to possess, will leave fans of the club gutted as they’d surely love to have another Welsh international in their team each and every week

Indeed, having been with Liverpool since the U9 age group, the £7.2m-rated man has gone on to make a total of 25 senior appearances for the Reds and has developed significantly under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp.

The Welshman particularly impressed over his four Champions League appearances last season, helping his side keep one clean sheet, registering one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 1.8 tackles and winning three duels per game.

These metrics saw the £25k-per-week defender earn a highly impressive average SofaScore match rating of 7.13, ranking him as Liverpool’s eighth-best performer in the competition.

As such, it would very much appear as if the signing of the player whom Ryan Giggs dubbed an “outstanding” talent would have provided Steve Cooper’s side with a huge boost to their chances of going on to secure promotion to the Premier League next season.

However, with a loan deal now looking unlikely, and with the potential of Swansea not being able to afford Williams’ £10m asking price, it would certainly seem as if fans of the club should not hold their breath regarding a deal for the Welshman this summer.

In other news: Major Swansea City transfer development emerges that is sure to have Cooper buzzing

Despite controversially being left out of the England squad, former Hull City ace, Dean Windass, has advised James Ward-Prowse to stay at Southampton amid interest from free-spending Aston Villa.

Many fans were shocked to see Ward-Prowse excluded at the expense of Ben White in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, however, after the performances of both Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips, the England manager appears to have silenced his critics once again.

Something that is less of a surprise is that Ward-Prowse is being linked with a move away from Southampton, with Dean Smith’s Villa reportedly wanting to bring the set-piece specialist to Villa Park this summer.

The £75,000-per-week midfielder’s creativity and dead ball ability would certainly lift pressure off Jack Grealish’s shoulders, but he should reject any advances from Villa to stay with the Saints, according to Windass, who spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern:

“I can’t see Ward-Prowse leaving Southampton for Villa because, in my opinion, I think Southampton will finish above Villa next year.

“Why would he want to leave? He’s captain of Southampton and he’s a big fish in their pond so like I said earlier on, why would he want to go?”

Villa look to be making a big splash in the transfer market this summer having already confirmed the £33million signing of Emiliano Buendia who is coming off the back of yet another title-winning season in the Championship with Norwich City.

Southampton certainly ended up disappointing last season with a relegation battle, but some quality additions on the flanks could turn them into serious contenders in the top-half of the table.

Former Celtic defender Erik Sviatchenko has refused to distance himself on rumours linking him with a Parkhead return.

The Lowdown: Sviatchenko linked with Celtic return

Reports earlier this month suggested that the 29-year-old is in line for a return to Glasgow. Sviatchenko is thought to be on a list of potential transfer targets for new manager Ange Postecoglou.

He has a buyout clause in his FC Midtjylland contract and also is attracting interest from the Premier League, according to The Daily Record.

Should Sviatchenko remain with the Danish giants, he could well line up against Postecoglou in his first competitive game as Celtic boss after the two clubs were drawn against each other in the Champions League qualifiers.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-7/” title=”Celtic updates” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Sviatchenko’s comments

Talking to Danish outlet Tipsbladet regarding his future, cited by Glasgow Live, Sviatchenko said: “It is always difficult to comment on such rumours. We’ll see what happens.”

He added:

“Of course I also understand that Midtjylland is really happy that they have me, but we have also had a clear agreement and indication that when the right thing comes, I also get the chance for it.

“But of course there must also be that interest. And the interest is there, but it has to go up in a higher level.

“That’s why I always find it hard to comment on rumours. In two weeks there is suddenly something and then it is a new situation. It may also be that there is nothing.

“But I have told my people that if the right thing comes, then of course I am really interested.

“And if not, then I have also indicated that I am obviously motivated and ready for new times. So we have to see how it develops.”

The Verdict: A smart move?

Sviatchenko won six major honours with the Hoops during his first stint at the club, so it’s safe to say he knows what it takes to succeed in Scotland.

Brendan Rodgers was a big fan of the centre-back when the ex-Hoops boss had him at the club, playing 45 times under his watch, and praised him for conducting his own self-analysis during his time at Parkhead.

There should be space for him at Celtic this summer as well, especially if Kristoffer Ajer gets his wish and leaves for a top-five league.

Sviatchenko’s experience could help fellow centre-backs Stephen Welsh and Christopher Jullien going forward, and it seems as if he hasn’t written off a Celtic return just yet.

In other news: Postecoglou pushing Mario Vuskovic closer to Celtic move as news emerges, find out more here.