Category Uncategorized

Leeds United are preparing to step up their pursuit of Sporting CP winger Gonzalo Plata, according to Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Hot property

After taking the well-trodden pathway from South America to Europe when moving from Independiente to Sporting Lisbon in 2020, Plata struggled to make the desired impact in Portugal.

Sent out on loan to La Liga.2 outfit Real Valladolid for the 2021/22 campaign however, the Ecuador international has recaptured his best form and now is in the middle of a transfer tussle.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-4/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Valladolid are keen on making the move permanent but a hesitancy over his lofty release clause has alerted Leeds, and the Yorkshire giants are seemingly waiting to pounce…

The latest: Whites ready

As per Correio da Manha, translated by SW, Leeds ‘will advance’ with their own bid should Valladolid reject a €10million (£8.5million) option to buy.

Valladolid have currently bid just €7million (£5.9million) for the 21-year-old, who was described as ‘lethal and sublime’ by journalist Marina Marco back in November 2021.

It’s claimed that Sporting are ‘in expectation’ that Plata will move on this summer and Leeds are attentive to the situation, with the press in Portugal believing it ‘sounds like’ the Whites will win the race.

The verdict: Raphinha replacement?

At the mooted fee, a wholehearted move for Plata would make an abundance of sense for owner Andrea Radrizzani and Director of Football Victor Orta as the hierarchy attempt to bolster the Elland Road ranks.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Last term, the 27-cap Ecuadorian scored six times and registered five assists in 30 league appearances, earning a 6.96 Sofascore rating whilst winning 6.0 duels, making 1.4 key passes and completing 2.3 successful dribbles on average per game – that’s actually more take-ons per match than Raphinha.

Predominantly operating as a right-winger, Plata could feasibly be viewed as a realistic and affordable option to replace the Brazilian in Jesse Marsch’s squad as the former Rennes starlet continues to be linked with a move away from Leeds.

In other news, another Leeds transfer target has emerged.

West Ham’s loss away to London rivals Spurs on Sunday not only let their opponents leap-frog them in the Premier League standings, but also ensured they would head into the international break six points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, who also have a game in hand.

However, the worst consequence of the match might not yet be realised, as Michail Antonio could face a ban from the FA after swinging his forearm hard across Spurs defender Eric Dier’s face – with many calling it deliberate, despite VAR not picking up on the incident.

That is the view of former top-flight and FIFA referee Keith Hackett, who described the action as a “nailed on red”, after a clip of the incident – which was missed not only by the commentators, but the pundits on Sky Sports and Match of the Day afterwards – surfaced online.

In an interview with West Ham Zone, the expert called for retrospective action yesterday, but a decision could yet still be made given the severity of the incident.

“I think most people missed it,” said Hackett. “That is clearly a deliberate, illegal use of the arm against the opponent, and had it been seen, he would have walked – he got away it.

“This is exactly what VAR is for, where was VAR? He’s wiped him across the face, he’s got away with it.

“I just hope the Football Association pick up on it today, and for an act of violent conduct, which this is, can issue retrospective punishment.”

Should the FA pick up on the incident and decide to punish him with a suspension, it will be a huge blow to the Hammers’ Champions League ambitions – as despite already playing catch up to the teams above them, they are certainly still in with a chance if they keep the pressure on.

With Antonio being manager David Moyes’ sole option up top, the Scottish boss may be forced into a tactical reshuffle too, potentially playing striker-less or moving either Andriy Yarmolenko, Nikola Vlasic or Jarrod Bowen up-front.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

None of them can do the same job the 31-year-old Jamaica international does, though, having scored eight goals and assisted seven more in 29 Premier League appearances this season, averaging a 7.04 match rating, having bullied defenders all season with his superior strength and frightening pace.

On that evidence, they would have a big issue if he was out for any period of time.

In other news: GSB heading for big West Ham calamity that’ll leave the London Stadium faithful raging

Celtic have been dealt a major injury blow regarding Jota.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Daily Record, Ange Postecoglou confirmed that the 22-year-old Benfica loanee looks set to be sidelined for a number of weeks, after the winger pulled up with a hamstring problem in the 1-0 win over Hearts on Thursday night.

Speaking about the Portugal U21 international’s injury, the 56-year-old Bhoys boss said: ” Jota will miss a few weeks, but that’s why we carry a squad.”

Fans will be devastated

Considering just how impressive Jota has been for Celtic since making a move to Parkhead this summer, the news that the electric forward will miss at least a few weeks of action is sure to have left fans devastated.

Indeed, over his 11 Premiership appearances so far this season, the £3.15m-rated man has scored five goals, registered four assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of three shots and making 1.5 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the 22-year-old average an incredible SofaScore match rating of 7.38, ranking him as the seventh-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football.

The £7.1k-per-week winger has also impressed in Europe, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances over his five Europa League appearances, with these metrics seeing him average a SofaScore match rating of 7.40.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

As such, with the busiest month of the football season now upon us, the news that Jota will be ruled out until after Christmas is undoubtedly a major blow for Postecoglou and his side, as the absence of the forward will almost certainly reduce Celtic’s chances of keeping pace in the Premiership title race – something that will leave everyone associated with the club gutted.

In other news: Exciting Celtic January transfer update emerges, fans will be buzzing

Derek Rae took to Twitter on Wednesday morning to provide Celtic with a boost in their attempts to sign VVV-Venlo striker Georgios Giakoumakis.

The Lowdown: Terms agreed

The Hoops have been linked with a move for the 26-year-old for just over a week now.

Ange Postecoglou personally called the Greece international over a Parkhead switch, with Giakoumakis impressed by the approach.

Terms have reportedly been agreed between the two clubs for the striker, and it now appears as if Werder Bremen are out of the running for Giakoumakis.

The Latest: Rae’s post

Giakoumakis held face-to-face talks with Bremen over a deal, however, the Bundesliga side struggled to finance a move.

The German side were moving on to alternative targets, with Rae revealing details of a transfer for Marvin Ducksch from Hannover, labelling it as an ‘important’ development when it comes to Giakoumakis.

“Important one here for Celtic as well as Werder Bremen fans. Bremen are on the cusp of signing Marvin Ducksch from Hannover. Medical expected tomorrow. This will have the effect of ending Bremen’s interest in Georgios Giakoumakis, as I expected”.

A move for Duksch has since been announced by Bremen.

The Verdict: Time for Celtic to wrap up a deal

With Bremen now seemingly out of the picture, it appears as if the Hoops have the perfect chance to get a transfer over the line.

The quicker the better for Dominic McKay and co, as securing Giakoumakis could then give Celtic the chance to cash in on Odsonne Edouard in the final days of the window.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Should that materialise, Celtic may actually come out of the window with a profit, which could be viewed as a shrewd summer for the Hoops.

In other news: Celtic now looking at late swoop for ‘fantastic’ defender alongside Liam Scales move.  

Backing reports made through the media, Sky Sports have now dropped their own update on manager David Moyes’ situation at West Ham United.

The Lowdown: Moyes new deal?

Moyes has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks after a phenomenal 2020/2021 season with West Ham.

Indeed, the Scotsman guided them to what was an arguably unexpected Europa League finish, especially given they ended the season prior in 16th place – narrowly avoiding relegation.

As a result of his brilliant job at the London Stadium, the club recently rewarded him with the offer of a new deal – but Everton’s managerial situation threw a spanner in the works.

After Carlo Ancelotti left the Toffees for Real Madrid, Moyes became linked with a return to Goodison Park and worry emerged over his future in east London.

The Latest: Sky back reports of Moyes development…

Backing other claims, Sky Sports have now come out with their own update on the Moyes’ contract situation.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-2/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Indeed, in what is good news for West Ham fans, the broadcaster say Moyes has in fact agreed a new three-year deal.

“David Moyes, we’re hearing, agrees a new three-year contract,” explained Sky (via Football Daily).

“A very much deserved reward for the season he guided West Ham through.

“There have been talks of him going perhaps elsewhere, even Everton, a return there.

“But, it looks like he’s staying at West Ham, the terms have been agreed, it just needs to be finalised.”

The Verdict: Great news for the Hammers…

News of Moyes committing his future, with it now looking like he is indeed staying, definitely comes as great news for the Hammers.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The 58-year-old has done a fine job for West Ham, re-installing faith and excitement with a big 2021/2022 campaign looming.

West Ham have qualified for the Europa League group stage through their sixth-placed finish last season and supporters will be ecstatic to hear Moyes won’t be going anywhere.

In other news: West Ham now want to sign this ‘dangerous’ 25-goal monster, he’s ‘similar’ to van Nistelrooy…find out more here.

Southampton have been linked with moves for Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Winks recently but who would be the better addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side?

Harry Winks:

According to Football Insider, Southampton are keeping tabs on the England international, who has struggled to force his way into Jose Mourinho’s plans at Spurs in recent months.

The 25-year-old has made just seven starts in the top-flight this season and has struggled to impress, as he seemingly doesn’t suit Mourinho’s counter-attacking style of play, which perhaps relies on hard-tackling, box-to-box midfielders rather than a playmaker such as Winks.

Although he has now made 167 appearances for Spurs having progressed through their academy, he has just four goals and four assists to his name, so wouldn’t offer Hasenhuttl’s side much in an attacking sense.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles:

According to The Telegraph, Southampton are likely to return for Maitland-Niles in the summer after seeing a January loan move for the 23-year-old breakdown, with the Arsenal academy graduate keen to leave his boyhood club after a lack of first-team opportunities under Mikel Arteta.

Since joining West Brom on loan, the England international has made eight appearances for the Baggies and averaged a solid 6.61 rating for Sam Allardyce’s side and will have a chance to impress Hasenhuttl when Southampton travel to the Hawthorns on Monday evening.

Although he has suggested that he wants to play as a midfielder, some of his most impressive displays at Arsenal have come as a wing-back, so he could offer the Austrian manager excellent cover at full-back next season should he join.

Who would be better?

Maitland-Niles has clearly outperformed Winks this season despite playing in a poorer team, so would arguably be a better option in the summer for Southampton.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/southampton-saints-ralph-hasenhuttl-martin-semmens-st-marys” title=”Latest Southampton news, transfer rumours and more”]

He would offer Hasenhuttl more versatility and is younger than Winks so has more scope to improve in the future, whilst his reported interest in leaving Arsenal could see his asking price lowered.

Stuart Pearce claimed earlier in the season that he thought Maitland-Niles had been “outstanding” for Arsenal at the start of the season, so he could definitely add something to Southampton if he were to make the move to St Mary’s.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431″]

Therefore, Martin Semmens should perhaps forget about signing Winks and instead focus on bringing the £16.2m-rated Maitland-Niles to Southampton this summer.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Bertrand: Saints could repeat KWP masterclass by signing £9m-rated gem

It’s been a while since Crystal Palace could lay claim to having one of the best players in the country on their books, hasn’t it?

Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha is, of course, worth a shout, whilst Eberechi Eze may not be too far behind his teammate after his heroics against Sheffield United, but other than that, it’s fair to say that Roy Hodgson has been left with slim pickings indeed.

However, things could have been very different for the Eagles as had Steve Parish simply plucked up the courage in the summer, they could have had arguably one of the best strikers in the EFL at Selhurst Park right now. And no, we’re not talking about Bournemouth striker Joshua King.

According to The Guardian’s Ben Fisher, Palace missed the opportunity to sign former Peterborough striker Ivan Toney back in 2020 as they lost out to Brentford.

The Bees paid a club-record fee of £9m plus performance-related bonuses to prise him away from the Posh, which isn’t exactly a huge amount of cash, especially when you consider the fact Palace spent £7m on Connor Wickham.

It’s easy to say with the benefit of hindsight, but if Parish had been brave enough to pull the trigger, they could have had an absolute goal machine on their hands.

Toney is easily one of the best strikers in the Championship, he’s the joint-leading goalscorer in the competition this season, and his ridiculous record speaks for itself – 16 goals in 26 appearances across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

Posh director of football Barry Fry heaped praise on his former charge at the end of last season, saying: “Ivan has been an incredible signing. His improvement in two seasons with us has been remarkable.

“He was by far and away the best player in League One last season and he deserves a shot at the Championship or even the Premier League.”

Parish wouldn’t part ways with his money last year, and now just six months later, it looks like an inexcusable mistake as he’s turned out to be a true bargain for the Bees.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace given major boost after Roy Hodgson confirms Christian Benteke’s injury isn’t too serious…

For months and months, all signs pointed to Timo Werner heading to Liverpool this summer in a big-money deal.

But in the end, the Germany international penned a deal with the Reds’ Premier League rivals, Chelsea, and Jurgen Klopp’s side have missed out on a target they have been linked with for a very long time.

If the Merseyside club are still intent on bringing in a new centre-forward to Anfield, then reports touting them with a move for Lille star Victor Osimhen is a step in the right direction.

Can you name every one of Liverpool’s top goalscorers in the PL era?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

According to Rai Sport journalist Ciro Venerato (via Sport Witness), there have been “live meetings with the Liverpool chief scout”, and that the striker’s “agent is very close to the Liverpool CEO, who is pushing a lot for Osimhen”.

Whilst he may not be the same kind of high-profile player like Werner is, Osimhen’s achievements in Ligue 1 have shown that this is a talent who can also get to the very top of the game.

Even back when he had just signed for Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, he had made an immediate impression on his coaches, with then manager Andries Jonker saying: “He has great potential in him. He is ambitious, quick and highly unpredictable, he will be a star in the future if he maintains his focus.”

And at Lille, he has absolutely backed up those claims. Before the Ligue 1 season was cancelled, he had racked up an impressive 18 goals in 38 games across all competitions, whilst also providing six assists.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Just like Werner, he can operate off the left-flank too, and that kind of attacking flexibility will surely be something Klopp will relish having at Anfield what with his exciting and fluid front three.

Averaging 3.2 shots and 0.8 key passes per game, Osimhen has led the line superbly for Lille, with his 7.14 average match rating in the league ranking him joint-14th amongst all players in the division.

So whilst Liverpool may feel a tinge of regret at missing out on Werner, they can sign a truly exciting alternative to the German in Osimhen.

Tottenham Hotspur are unlikely to sign Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly this summer, per Sky Sports.

What’s the word?

Sky claims that the Senegal international is set to leave the Serie A club in the summer, with Spurs, Manchester City, and Chelsea all interested in securing his services.

However, the report states that he is more likely to move to PSG, with Koulibaly set to turn 29 in June and unlikely to offer any resale value for his Premier League suitors.

Mourinho’s produced some incredible footballing stars – how much do you know about them?

The Ligue 1 giants are reportedly willing to double his wages to £200,000-per-week.

Koulibaly has previously been valued at £100m by Napoli, the report states, though he is unlikely to leave for that amount in the next transfer window.

Got to be youth

Jose Mourinho needs to be looking for a young defender to come into the club.

They already have two players at centre-back over the age of 30 in Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, while Davinson Sanchez is 23.

There should be an attempt, then, to bring in a youthful partner for the Colombia international so that the defence is sorted out for the next decade.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

There have been links, via Football Insider, with the likes of Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake, who is 24, and that would be a shrewder, more sensible move.

At the end of the day, Ake is going to provide far more value for money, however good Koulibaly may be.

Meanwhile, Spurs’ Player of the Season has to be absolutely clear at this point.

Aston Villa will be looking to book a place in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup when they take on Liverpool at Villa Park, but the West Midlands side may be without a number of supporters who have been voicing their concerns over the pricing of the fixture and the quality of opposition that may be on show. 

[ad_pod ]

Due to the Club World Cup commitments of Jurgen Klopp’s side, the Merseyside outfit will be playing two games in less than 24 hours; fielding two separate teams.

This is despite a request from the club to consider an alternative arrangement for the scheduling, and consequently, some of the Villa fans feel that they may be paying a premium ticket price to see a ‘reserve match’, while other simply aren’t happy about the cost.

Although a League Cup quarter-final should be a great experience for the newly-promoted side, these fans have been venting their frustration. Here are some of the best reactions following a tweet from the club.