All posts by h716a5.icu

Tottenham Hotspur appear to have made several of their underperforming defenders available for transfer this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare, who claims that the North London outfit will have to sell players before they can buy due to the club’s finances.

Serge Aurier and Davinson Sanchez are among the names mentioned, both of whom played a regular amount of game time under Jose Mourinho last season, whilst Toby Alderweireld has expressed his desire to leave this window.

Get rid!

It leaves new manager Nuno Santo with plenty of interesting decisions to make, especially if other clubs do come forward with offers for any of the defensive trio.

One player he should almost certainly look to offload is Sanchez, who cost Spurs a whopping £42m in 2017 under Mauricio Pochettino (a then club-record fee) and has simply failed to live up to expectations.

The 35-cap Colombia international started four of their five opening Premier League matches in 2020/21 but a particularly calamitous display that saw Spurs throw away a three-goal lead meant he lost his place in the starting XI for several months.

Sanchez made 17 starts in the top-flight and featured a total of 32 times across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt. However, his performances often drew stern critics.

His penultimate appearance in the Premier League saw another lead thrown away after Newcastle United found an equaliser late on, courtesy of an error from the 25-year-old.

As a result, Sanchez was dubbed a “real liability” by former Republic of Ireland star Kenny Cunningham to the OTB Football podcast (via This is Futbol), whilst ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara described him as an “absolute disgrace” on Twitter.

Only Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (1.8) averaged more fouls per game than Sanchez (1.2) of any player to start over 15 matches in the Premier League last season, too, via WhoScored.

That merely adds to the reasons why Nuno should not want to keep him around.

Valued at €20m (£18m) by CIES Football Observatory, the young centre-back has seen his worth decrease dramatically, perhaps due to his poor performances but at that price, it does suggest that Spurs could cash in for a decent enough amount to put it towards any new additions.

If he’s not shown a positive sign in the four years he’s been here, then there’s no point in the Portuguese putting his faith in him. He’ll only let him down.

It’s time to show no mercy and cash in on the Pochettino flop.

AND in other news, Paratici can become an instant hit if Spurs sign 54-cap gem who’s “similar to Eriksen”…

Following the appointment of Nuno Santo as Tottenham Hotspur’s next manager, an exciting transfer claim has been made…

What’s the word?

The 47-year-old was finally hired as Jose Mourinho’s successor after a long ten-week process and now, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the North Londoners will turn their attentions to the transfer market.

He delivered the fresh claim to supporters on Twitter, where he wrote:

“Tottenham director [Fabio] Paratici now at work for Nuno. Levy still intentioned to keep Harry Kane.

“[Heung-min] Son expected to extend his contract soon.

“Talks ongoing with Bologna for [Takehiro] Tomiyasu offering €18m (add ons included).

“Spurs have also [Jules] Koundé and [Joachim] Andersen in their list.”

Full steam ahead

There are a few things to take away from this update but overall, it should not only leave fans buzzing but also Nuno too.

It’s no secret that Spurs’ defence was one of their biggest problems under Mourinho, particularly during the 2020/21 campaign. A combination of individual mistakes and a lack of cohesion in the backline meant the Lilywhites had one of the worst defensive records in the top eight.

The central partnership of Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier was slammed as one of the worst in the Premier League, Sergio Reguilon’s form tailed off massively following injury, whilst Serge Aurier has been back to his calamitous ways, being dubbed a “liability” once again.

It was so bad that at one stage Mourinho utilised 16 different defensive combinations.

That’s why the links to new defenders are hugely encouraging as it means new sporting director Paratici has already noted the key areas of weakness and is looking to instantly rectify them to give Nuno the best chance of success.

In Tomiyasu, the Portuguese head coach would be getting a versatile option that can play through the middle and on the right, meaning whatever formation he opts to deploy, there will be a space for him.

Whilst Kounde and Andersen could be upgrades on the aforementioned duo of Sanchez and Dier, the latter is rather interesting considering the 25-year-old impressed during a loan spell at Fulham last term. He would need no time to settle in.

There is also encouraging news on both Son, who looks set to sign a new long-team deal, and his goalscoring partner Kane, who appears to be staying at the club despite requesting to be sold this window, leading to interest from Spurs’ top-flight rivals, as per Sky Sports.

The Portuguese boss would be dealt an instant blow if he were to lose their leading talisman.

Both of those updates gives Nuno a further boost and that should leave many thrilled ahead of the new season.

AND in other news, Nuno Santo can save Spurs millions by unleashing 20 y/o “machine” who is “Tottenham’s future”…

MELBOURNE, Nov 23 AAP – Victoria’s Matthew Elliott turned a season of starts into the big score that always beckoned to apply the screws to South Australia on the second day of the Pura Cup match at the MCG today.

Adam Cooper23-Nov-2002MELBOURNE, Nov 23 AAP – Victoria’s Matthew Elliott turned a season of starts into the big score that always beckoned to apply the screws to South Australia on the second day of the Pura Cup match at the MCG today.Elliott’s superb 191 gave the Bushrangers a 175-run lead at the halfway mark of the first-versus-second clash, and erased some of the frustrations this season has produced personally.The left-hander has failed to go on from several decent starts this season and also missed out for Australia A against England in last week’s run-feast in Hobart when a blow to the elbow forced him to retire hurt.He made amends today in a seven-hour stay (21 fours, one six) to spearhead Victoria to 5-377 at stumps in reply to South Australia’s 202 after Redbacks captain Greg Blewett won yesterday’s toss and batted.A 189-run stand between Elliott and Brad Hodge (96) had the effect of a torturer slowly tightening the rack on an opponent that fielded in dry heat and got little help from a placid pitch.Like Elliott, Hodge has failed to fire this season and looked destined for a sparkling century until Blewett had him LBW.But Elliott was the mainstay and his 24th Pura Cup ton for Victoria continued a run of big centuries before he was out nicking a tired cut shot 15 minutes from stumps.It also erased the disappointment of Hobart, where everything that could go wrong did.”I think I’ve just kept it a bit more simple, particularly since Hobart,” Elliott said.”I think you can come away from a game like that and say ‘Oh, everything’s going against me, I retired hurt one ball and I dropped four catches and the world’s against me’.”That’s just what happened, I didn’t go there to drop catches or to retire hurt first ball, so I think sometimes you can beat yourself up too much about those sort of things.”I went out there this game and tried to be positive and watch the ball and it worked out pretty well.”It was a pretty good wicket and I made the most of it.”South Australia lost paceman Ryan Harris (1-25) to a side strain in the first session and, indicative of their day, Blewett (3-32) finished with the best figures despite not bowling himself until the last session.

Newcastle United cannot take a gamble on a player like Jack Wilshere, former Premier League striker Dean Windass has warned.

While there is nothing currently to suggest that the Tyneside club will move for the 29-year-old this summer, he could quickly become an appealing option.

Wilshere is, of course, an experienced Premier League player who would be available for free following his release from Bournemouth, while some reports earlier claimed Steve Bruce would not have that much money to play with this transfer window.

Taking that into account, Wilshere is arguably an attractive proposition, with some Newcastle fans calling for his signing only last year.

That is not a sentiment that Windass shares, however. He told TT in an exclusive interview:

“Couldn’t take a gamble on that, you just couldn’t take a gamble. Listen, I’m not saying Jack’s… you know, he’s a great footballer, but I just can’t see Steve playing that sort of player.

“You’ve got to be very fit now to play in the Premier League and I don’t think Jack’s Newcastle’s sort of type.”

As far as midfielders go, it is another man with Arsenal connections that Bruce will surely be focusing on.

Joe Willock has already proven himself in a Newcastle shirt, bagging an impressive eight goals in 14 appearances last season.

The Somerset players were all back in training at the County Ground in Taunton this morning after their innings defeat inside at the hands of Leicestershire last week that consigned them to the basement of the county championship next season

Richard Walsh16-Sep-2002The Somerset players were all back in training at the County Ground in Taunton this morning after their innings defeat inside at the hands of Leicestershire last week that consigned them to the basement of the county championship next season.This is the first time that the Cidermen have experienced life in the second division of the four day game and they will be looking for a quick return to the top flight.Mike Burns who is only four runs short of his 1000 runs for the season and who has narrowly missed out on a century on four occasions including 97 at Grace Road told me: "We are all bitterly disappointed. We are all professional sportsmen and know exactly what is expected of us out there in the middle. We have been trying our hardest all season but it just hasn’t been going our way."Looking forward to the final match of the season against Lancashire at Taunton on Wednesday the all rounder told me: "Although there is nothing on it for us all the boys will want to do well to end the season on a high note to carry forward to next season."Regarding 2003 he told me: "We will be looking to strengthen our squad with another overseas player and then bounce straight back into the first division in both the championship and the NUL."Looking forward to the Lancashire game Somerset coach Kevin Shine told me: "We will be playing for an immense amount of pride. We are all very hurt by what has gone on this season and we will be looking into the reasons behind it."The coach continued: "Collectively there will be no taking our foot off the accelerator now, we will be doing the things that we have tried to do all season."

Hampshire Hawks need 164 for victory after a half-century from Australian Stuart Law rescued the Lancashire Lightning innings as the home side struck early on at the Rose Bowl

Farid Bakri23-Jul-2002Hampshire Hawks need 164 for victory after a half-century from Australian Stuart Law rescued the Lancashire Lightning innings as the home side struck early on at the Rose Bowl. Having won the toss and elected to bat, Lancashire had lost Glenn Chapple (10) and David Byas (2) by the sixth over as Dimitri Mascarenhas and Alan Mullally both struck.Chapple, opening along with Mark Chilton was the first to go. The pinch-hitter was held by Robin Smith in the covers as Mascarenhas claimed his first wicket of the day/night match. When David Byas was bowled by Mullally, Hampshire were on top and Lancashire stumbled to 20/2 and needed a mainstay to ensure they did not crumble. That they found with Law but, as wickets continued to fall, Lancashire needed more that one man.Chilton was on 10 when he edged Mascarenhas to wicket-keeper Nick Pothas who held on to a spectacular diving catch one handed to his right. The ball was too close to his body for the intended cut. Neil Fairbrother had failed to open his account when he was caught by Zimbabwean Neil Johnson to leave his side on 55/4.Law continued to bat sensibly and with Graham Lloyd put on 47 for the fifth wicket. The latter took a liking to Johnson, punishing him for four in consecutive balls as he looked to push the run rate on. By the 27th over, however, Lancashire would have been doubting their decision to bat, losing both Lloyd (25) and Warren Hegg (0) within the space of a few deliveries.Gary Yates came in to partner the defiant Law and soon compiled a valuable 40 parternship before Johnson replied with two quick wickets. He had Law – whose batting had been a lifesaver until then – caught by Smith for 66 and then celebrated the fall of Yates for 17 when he was caught by Derek Kenway.The tail-enders failed to offer any sort of resistance and Lancashire were back in the pavillion when Peter Martin was caught behind off the bowling of Chris Tremlett with his side on a seemingly below-par 163. However, on this pitch offering generous movement to the seamers, it might yet prove to be a difficult target for the Hawks to reach.

West Ham United could be eyeing up a cheap Jesse Lingard alternative amid emerging reports…

What’s the word?

According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, the Irons are set to battle it out for Sassuolo attacking midfielder Filip Djuricic, with Premier League rivals Southampton also keen on signing him.

The 29-year-old has just one year to run on his current deal, so he could be available for a relatively low fee this summer transfer window. CIES Football Observatory values him at only €10m (£9m).

Cheap alternative

It’s widely thought that the permanent signing of Lingard is amongst David Moyes’ top priorities this summer, with him having enjoyed a phenomenal half-season at the London Stadium.

The Manchester United loanee bagged nine goals and provided four assists on the Hammers’ way to qualifying for a place in the Europa League. He ended the campaign as their second-highest rated player (7.22) behind Tomas Soucek (7.36), as per WhoScored.

That’s how crucial he was to their fortunes, so it’s no wonder the 58-year-old Scot wants him back.

“I hope Jesse’s here [next season], we’d like to keep him, he’s done an exceptional job for us but there’s no guarantees, he’s not our player,” claimed Moyes after the final game of the season. “I hope Jesse realises we’ve been good for him as well, and that he joined a club on the up.”[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-the-latest-gossip-and-much-more” title= “Read the latest West Ham news, transfer rumours, gossip and more!”]Therefore, it does seem perplexing that the East Londoners would consider a move for former Premier League flop, Djuricic. Could the club’s hierarchy be eyeing up a cheaper deal to save on finances? It’s possible.The former Saints loanee would certainly be a cheaper target than Lingard, who could command in excess of £30m after a phenomenal loan spell in the capital.Djuricic delivered nine direct goal contributions for the Serie A outfit this campaign, where he recorded a total of 55 key passes. A total only bettered by Aaron Cresswell (58) in this current West Ham squad.But his time on the south coast was largely forgettable, having made just nine appearances despite then-manager Ronald Koeman’s glowing endorsement.”[He] is technical, fast. He can play in different positions in midfield. He can play on the left side, on the right side,” the Dutchman said.Considering he’s now 29 and has suffered many underwhelming spells at teams like Benfica, Mainz, Sampdoria and Anderlecht, a move for the Serbian international just fails to make much sense whatsoever.David Sullivan and co should be throwing money to bring Lingard back to the London Stadium, not eyeing a move for a player that has failed in the big time plenty of times before.

AND in other news, Abraham one of 4 signings: Predicted West Ham XI for 2021/22…

Crystal Palace are interested in Torino midfielder Sasa Lukic, according to Gianluca Di Marzio, as cited by Sport Witness.

The Lowdown: Lukic profiled

Lukic can play as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder and has 18 caps to his name for Serbia.

The 24-year-old has made 113 appearances for Torino after joining from Partizan Belgrade in 2016 for £1.53m. He spent time out on loan at Levante during the 2017/18 season and is currently valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, the highest valuation of his career.

Lukic was a regular in Serie A last season, making 32 appearances mainly as a central and attacking midfielder, and it seems as if his displays have caught the eye at Selhurst Park.

The Latest: Palace ‘moved with major insistence’

According to the report, Lukic has ‘many suitors abroad’, one of which appears to be Palace. The Eagles and Spartak Moscow have ‘moved with major insistence’ for the midfielder, and both destinations reportedly appeal to the player.

Lukic, who is on £13,000 per week, is under contract with his current employers until 2024.

The Verdict: A smart target?

Palace, who are still without a manager, appear to be in line for major changes on the pitch as well as off it. The Eagles have 11 senior players on their initial release list, published by the Premier League in recent days.

One man included was James McCarthy, and should he depart, Palace would be left with just four senior central midfield options on the books. Attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze is one of those, but he’s out until next year with a long-term Achilles injury.

It appears as if central midfield reinforcements could be needed for the Eagles, and bringing in Lukic – who can play in all kinds of midfield roles – may be a smart move by the south London club.

In other news: Many CPFC fans buzz at Conor Gallagher update, find out more here. 

Stung by a heavy defeat in the opening game, Pakistan has forced Super Challenge II into a series-deciding clash at the ‘Gabba next Wednesday after registering a hard-earned two wicket win over Australia in Melbourne tonight

John Polack15-Jun-2002Stung by a heavy defeat in the opening game, Pakistan has forced Super Challenge II into a series-deciding clash at the ‘Gabba next Wednesday after registering a hard-earned two wicket win over Australia in Melbourne tonight. Spirited bowling was complemented by patient batting as the tourists dug deep into their reserves of skill and commitment to secure victory with seven balls to spare.Unlike Wednesday’s series-opener, this was a high-standard encounter. As a contest, it had much to offer too, with Pakistan waiting until the last half-hour of a prolonged arm wrestle to genuinely secure its win.The sophisticated strokemaking talent of Younis Khan (56*) was the key, delightful footwork and crisp hitting allowing him to persistently guide the ball through and over the field on a day when almost every batsman struggled. Crucial, too, was his patience in a difficult period in the middle of the innings during which spinners Shane Warne (2/49) and Darren Lehmann (1/17) rudely interrupted the progress of Yousuf Youhana (29), Rashid Latif (16) and Shahid Afridi (3).Pakistan’s pursuit of the paltry Australian total of 167 had sputtered into difficulty at various stages of the evening session as wickets were frittered away at regular intervals. But the young right hander was able to play the lead role in partnerships of 35 with Latif; 19 with Wasim Akram (10); and 18 with Waqar Younis (8*) to haul his team back from the potential ruin posed by scorelines of 3/21 and 5/85.Earlier, the direct hit run out of Saeed Anwar (0) from mid off, and the departures of Imran Nazir (6) and Azhar Mahmood (4) in the space of a single Brett Lee (2/44) over, had posed grave threats to the satisfactory progress of the Pakistan innings.In truth, though, Australia should never have been given a chance to win after a typically explosive opening to the match from Akram.Amid cold conditions, the teams had played a slow-burning match to mark the beginning of the series three days ago. As Akram (3/18) set to work, though, this one could barely have exploded into life any faster.The first serious questions of the afternoon – not to mention the prayers of the series’ promoters – had been answered when Lee and Shoaib Akhtar were included in the respective elevens. There still remain few players as pleasurable to watch in full flight as Akram, however, and it was the 36-year-old former Pakistan captain who duly stole all the headlines once play commenced.In a frenzied beginning, the redoubtable left arm paceman struck with the first and third deliveries of the match, initially finding a feint outside edge as he drew Adam Gilchrist (0) into nibbling at an outswinger of exceptional quality. Ricky Ponting (0) then made a similarly forlorn exit when a defensive shot caused the ball to jam off a combination of bat and pad, and loop in a gentle low parabola to the jubilant bowler.Fellow members of the upper order should have been quick to join their captain and vice-captain among the ranks of the fallen.But Jimmy Maher (12) survived a pair of desperately close lbw and run out decisions and Damien Martyn (56) encountered two anxious moments of his own, top edging the ball just short of fine leg as he hooked at Akram with his score at 3 and then benefiting from a controversial decision with his score only four runs advanced.A mistimed pull at Akram had sent the ball toward Waqar at mid on, and the Pakistan skipper initially appeared to have clutched the ball cleanly just above the turf. Neither Martyn nor umpire Darrell Hair, standing only a short distance away from Waqar, seemed fully convinced, though, and an ensuing series of replays failed to shed further light on the catch’s validity for third umpire Simon Taufel.Pakistan paid a heavy price in that Martyn’s escape set the stage for a defiant 66-run stand for the fourth wicket with Lehmann (31).On a pitch again offering consistent pace and bounce – as well as appreciable turn at times – it was only when Afridi (3/28) proceeded to encourage Martyn to cut a low catch to backward point that the tourists redressed the balance. The leg spinner swiftly made further important breaches of the home team’s defences when he trapped Shane Watson (8) and Warne (1) on the line of the crease.Akhtar (2/30), the speed of whose deliveries peaked at the match-high reading of 151.9 kilometres per hour, then mopped up the remnants of the innings by bowling Andy Bichel (7) and having Michael Bevan (30) caught behind while cutting.The Australians ultimately lost 5/29 in the closing stages of the afternoon session to pair a poor finish with the disastrous start that they had made after winning the toss.

Some Everton fans have been left to laud a manager update from Paul Joyce on David Moyes.

Writing in his latest piece for The Times, the football journalist has claimed that both the West Ham United boss and former Wolves coach Nuno Espirito Santo are among the names that will come under consideration to replace Carlo Ancelotti, who has left Goodison Park to go and manage Real Madrid.

Of course, some of the Merseyside club faithful still have a deep connection to Moyes given what he achieved when he managed them before, guiding them to a very impressive fourth-placed finish in the Premier League in the 2004/05 season, as well as three other finishes inside the top six (Transfermarkt).

He also got the Toffees to the final of the FA Cup in the 2008/09 campaign (Transfermarkt), and seems to have grown stronger since his exit, now coming off the back of a great season with the Hammers.

Nonetheless, some Blues have been calling for the Scotsman to come back after reading about the latest update from Joyce.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-updates-3/” title=”Everton updates! (3)” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Everton fans on Moyes manager update

These EFC supporters lauded the manager update on Moyes as it was shared on Twitter:

“Would have him tomorrow”

Credit: @oHeyzey

“Bring him home”

Credit: @JohnnyStaunt

“Bring him home @everton”

Credit: @charliie1878

“Yes!”

Credit: @grunt_annoyed

“Yes”

Credit: @jamie_byrom

“I’d have him back. Let’s all be honest here, Ancelotti was awful last season, 10th is a terrible season.”

Credit: @BramleyMoore24

In other news, find out what transfer update has left Toffees fuming here!