All posts by h716a5.icu

As Newcastle United gear themselves up for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final encounter with Manchester United, one man who will likely be feeling that mix of nerves and excitement more than most is academy graduate, Sean Longstaff, with the North Shields native hoping to help steer his boyhood club to long-awaited glory.

As the 25-year-old has himself admitted, he is simply “living the dream” at present under Magpies boss Eddie Howe, having shaken off a tough spell under former manager Steve Bruce to emerge as a leading figure for the resurgent outfit.

The local lad will almost certainly be handed a starting berth for this weekend’s highly-anticipated meeting at Wembley, with that involvement set to come just under five years on from the midfielder making his senior debut for the club in the competition back in August 2018.

That early impact under Rafa Benitez had seen the towering gem catch the eye of upcoming opponents, Man United, in the summer of 2019, albeit with the Red Devils ultimately walking away from any deal having baulked at the Tynesiders’ reported £50m asking price.

Despite that initial promise, though, the 5 foot 11 machine was subsequently restricted to something of a bit-part role in the years that followed, having never made more than 15 Premier League starts in a single season prior to the beginning of the current campaign.

That lack of action now appears a distant memory for the club’s “unsung hero”, however – as lauded by pundit Tam McManus – with the Englishman having already started 19 league games this season, proving influential in the club’s rampant run of form both in the top-flight and in the cup.

For all the expectancy that Newcastle would simply splash the cash following the change in ownership, it is a testament to the work of Howe that he has more than put his faith in those already at the club, with Longstaff one of the more obvious beneficiaries of the 45-year-old’s appointment.

How much is Longstaff worth?

The playmaker’s rise of late is illustrated by the fact that he is now set to be worth in the region of £16m, according to Football Transfers, with that a rather sizeable sum considering that the £50k-per-week man cost the club nothing to develop him in the youth ranks.

Not that the northeast side will be looking to cash in any time soon, however, with Longstaff currently blossoming in the centre of the park, having scored three goals and provided three assists in 30 games in all competitions this season.

Praised for being “absolutely everywhere” in the midfield by the aforementioned McManus, the one-time Blackpool loanee has showcased his defensive prowess by averaging 1.3 tackles per game in the league this season, while also offering a threat creatively as he laid on five big chances from his 23 top-flight outings.

The relentless gem’s most telling contribution this term, however, came during the semi-final triumph over Southampton last month to help steer his side to the showpiece, having netted twice in the second-leg victory at St James’ Park.

It would no doubt be fitting if Longstaff were to again prove the hero come Sunday, although no matter the outcome of that mouthwatering clash, Newcastle do appear to have struck gold by persisting with the youth product.

Aston Villa could reignite their interest in Southampton talisman James Ward-Prowse this summer, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Ward-Prowse shining for Saints

Saints may be having a season forget currently, sitting rock-bottom of the Premier League, but Ward-Prowse continues to perform at a high level.

The 28-year-old has scored six goals from midfield in the league this season, with his winning free-kick against Chelsea on Saturday taking him one behind David Beckham’s record of 18.

Ward-Prowse has been linked with a move to Villa in the past and their interest doesn’t appear to be going away.

The Latest: Villa eyeing up move

According to Football Insider, the Villans ‘remain keen’ on the midfielder and could make a move this year even if Southampton survive relegation.

It is claimed that Unai Emery wanted to sign a midfielder in January but failed to land Matteo Guendouzi, so he is likely to return to that area of the pitch in the summer transfer window.

The Verdict: Brilliant summer signing

Ward-Prowse could be a brilliant signing by Villa this time around, bringing a combination of technical quality, bite and experience in the middle of the park.

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The 11-cap England international has not only continued to excel at free-kicks this season but he has also averaged 2.1 key passes and 1.7 tackles per game in the league, showing excellence and impact on both sides of the ball.

Should Saints suffer relegation to the Championship, it is surely a given that Ward-Prowse would move on and Emery could see him as the ideal figure to bolster his midfield options.

This is a player who now has 328 Premier League appearances to his name, despite still only being 28 years of age, while Nathan Jones recently described him as ‘absolutely world-class’.

Frank Lampard is a man with a big task on his hands at Everton, and with the club narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League following a vital 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace in their penultimate match last month, the supporters will be expecting much more next season.

The summer transfer window represents an opportunity for the Toffees manager to rebuild the squad, ship out underperforming deadwood and rejuvenate the players who will be staying for next season.

It has been a good start on that front, with the reported signing of defender James Tarkowski upon the expiry of his Burnley contract at the end of the month.

There could be another addition to the heart of defence, and Lampard could form a solid duo with a move for Olympiacos colossus Pape Abou Cisse, according to Greek journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos.

Everton were linked with the centre-back in January but a move didn’t materilise, although their interest appears to have resurfaced.

Cisse is valued at £7.2m and, at 26 years of age, he is just about to hit his peak years. It’s no secret that the Toffees’ defence was dreadful last season, conceding 66 goals in the Premier League (fifth-worst in the division), and this is an area that Lampard is clearly aiming to improve.

The Senegal international would likely be a rock-solid signing. He ranked fourth in the Olympiacos squad with a WhoScored rating of 6.71, while also winning two aerial duels per match. Tarkowski won 4.4 headers per game last season at Burnley, and the two players combined would be excellent at winning battles in the air, which could come in very useful while defending set pieces.

This prospective pairing could be the answer to Lampard’s defensive woes from last season, and although adding some top-quality attacking talent is desirable, improving the defence must be the priority at Goodison Park.

The Everton faithful could be set for an exciting summer ahead if Cisse comes to Merseyside this time around.

AND in other news, Everton given green light to sign £15m gem who’s “like a wardrobe”, he’s Lampard’s own Pogba

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

What’s the latest?

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

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

Klopp’s De Bruyne

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An update has emerged on Tottenham and their pursuit of Evan Ndicka in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to Foot Mercato, Spurs are the team leading the race to land the French centre-back from Eintracht Frankfurt.

The report claims that Ligue 1 side Marseille are keen to rival the Premier League side to his signature and are waiting for cash to come in before making their move.

It was recently reported that Frankfurt are willing to cash in on the £20m gem but it remains to be seen how much Fabio Paratici is prepared to pay for him.

Jan Vertonghen 2.0

By securing a deal to sign Ndicka this summer, Tottenham can find their new Jan Vertonghen at left centre-back.

The Belgian defender played 314 times for the club during his time in north London as he dominated attackers over the course of a number of years. He was also excellent at building the play on his left foot with a career average pass completion rate of 86.6%.

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Vertonghen was a staple on the left of Tottenham’s back four and Ndicka can now come in to be Antonio Conte’s own version of the now-Benfica machine.

The 22-year-old ball player has proven his quality in the Bundesliga with an impressive 2021/22 campaign. He averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.12 in the division, winning 60% of his individual duels and making 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game.

Former Frankfurt player Alexander Schur claimed the Frenchman “shows no nerves”. He has also been praised by his former boss Adi Hutter, with the head coach saying: “I honestly have to say that I was surprised by his development. Evan has developed phenomenally. He’s very attentive in the analysis of his own game. He’s very modest and always takes a lot on board.”

Ndicka has also shown his quality in possession on his left foot. He ended the Bundesliga campaign with a pass completion rate of 84% and chipped in with four goals and four assists from centre-back, showing that he can be a force at both ends of the pitch.

The gem has shown that he can be a strong, consistent, defender in his own half whilst contributing offensively, whether by finding a teammate in the build-up or being directly involved in a goal.

Therefore, Tottenham can find their new Vertonghen by sealing a £20m deal for Ndicka in the coming weeks…

AND in other news, Paratici can land Conte his next Son as Spurs eye bid for “disgusting” £60m “magician”…

Transfer insider Dean Jones has delivered his verdict on the potential Leeds United pursuit of Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino. 

The lowdown: Whites’ interested

This comes following a report from The Times claiming Leeds are among the frontrunners to sign Minamino this summer after the Japan international was made available by Liverpool.

The Whites have been heavily linked with the versatile 27-year-old previously, including under former manager and fan favourite Marcelo Bielsa.

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With Jesse Marsch now at the helm in Yorkshire and having worked alongside the mercurial Minamino previously at Red Bull Salzburg, the interest looks set to be ramped up…

The latest: Jones on Minamino

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones suggested having already clinched deals to reunite Rasmus Kristensen and Brenden Aaronson with Marsch, a similar move for the 40-cap Japan starlet would be smart from Victor Orta.

He said: “People like Minamino might be the guys that fit into that.

“They’re not going to sound like world beating signings, but they might just be exactly what Jesse March needs as he kind of transitions his side and adds steps to it.”

The verdict: No brainer

For the reported £17million asking price, signing Minamino would be a superb piece of business as Marsch looks to build a squad to steer way clear of the Premier League drop zone next season.

Despite being somewhat of an also-ran in the major tournaments since arriving in England, the man hailed as a ‘special’ player by former Liverpool forward Luis Garcia has managed 17 direct goal contributions in 54 outings for the Merseyside giants.

During 2021/22, Minamino notched up an impressive ten goals and one assist from just 24 outings, hitting the back of the net four times in five appearances in the Carabao Cup, earning an outstanding 7.38 Sofascore rating whilst taking 3.2 shots on average per game in the process.

Supremely versatile with the capability to play across the frontline and in deeper roles, adding the dynamic attacker to the Elland Road ranks could be considered an Orta masterstroke so long as the fee doesn’t get out of hand.

In other news: Leeds now eyeing move for ‘lethal and sublime’ gem, read more here

Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus has revealed that his future with the Premier League champions could be decided as early as next week as he considers the next stage of his career.

The Lowdown: Jesus linked with Arsenal

The Brazilian arrived at the Etihad Stadium in a £27m move from Palmeiras in 2016 and he has since gone on to make 236 appearances for the Sky Blues during his time in Manchester so far.

With just over 12 months remaining on his contract, a decision may need to be made this summer as to whether the 25-year-old will remain with City or move elsewhere.

It has recently been reported that top-flight rivals Arsenal are close to agreeing a deal with the forward as they look to replace the departing Alexandre Lacazette, but the Brazil international has now delivered a teasing update on his current situation.

The Latest: Jesus addresses his future

When speaking to reporters following Brazil’s recent 5-1 victory over South Korea (as quoted by Manchester Evening News), Jesus admitted that he is currently reviewing his options and is set to make a final decision on his future soon.

He said: “I’m looking to see what’s best for me and above all, for my career. From Tuesday, we’ll see what is the best.”

The Verdict: Time to move on?

When he initially joined City, the Sao Paulo native unsurprisingly found himself below Sergio Aguero in Pep Guardiola’s pecking order. However, following the Argentine’s departure last year, the 55-cap Brazil international has played a more integral role in leading the attacking line.

This season, the £91k-per-week starlet scored 13 goals and registered 12 assists across all competitions for the English champions (as per Transfermarkt) and was handed 21 top-flight starts, showing that he isn’t just a bit-part player to be used as a substitute and can do an effective job when given the opportunity.

However, with the signing of Borussia Dortmund beast Erling Haaland now confirmed, Jesus is likely to be resigned to a place on the bench next season and could struggle to get as much game-time as he enjoyed in 2021/22. Therefore, he may feel that this summer is the right time for him to leave City and start afresh in a new chapter elsewhere – maybe with the Gunners.

In other news… the Sky Blues are reportedly readying a bid for one of their long-term transfer targets

A big Ibrox development has emerged regarding Rangers and their plans with Ianis Hagi for the upcoming summer transfer window. 

What’s the talk?

Twitter transfer account The 4th Official has confirmed that the Premiership giants will not be cashing in on the winger ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

They tweeted: “Rangers have zero intention of selling Ianis Hagi. There is a feeling that this is a lowball offer that is done primarily to unsettle the player.”

This comes after reports of a €7m (£6m) bid from Galatasaray in an attempt to snap up the Romanian from Ibrox, with Ross Wilson rejecting the Turkish club’s offer.

Gio van Bronckhorst will be delighted

The Gers head coach will be delighted with this news, as it suggests that Hagi will be at Ibrox come the end of the summer transfer window.

He will be buzzing with Wilson’s reluctance to do a deal for the Romania international, as it shows that the club are willing to stand firm and fight to keep hold of their best players. They will not roll over and allow European suitors to take away their most prized gems without paying a hefty price for them.

Van Bronckhorst can therefore have faith that those making the decisions above him will do what is in the best interests of what happens on the pitch, rather than taking the £6m offer and banking the money to the detriment to the team.

Former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard previously lauded the 23-year-old’s mentality, saying: “We’re really happy with Ianis Hagi, he’s a joy to work with.

“He’s a student of the game. He’s always looking at areas to improve, whether that be from a physical point of view or tactically or technically. He’s someone you have to drag off the training ground.

“Ianis is always in the analyst department too. He’s never out of the gym, so he’s an absolute dream to work with, very low maintenance. We’re delighted with how he is developing and progressing and we’re happy to have him.”

These comments suggest that the midfielder is unlikely to be affected by any mind games at play with Galatasaray’s bid, as he is a hard worker and will not want to cause any issues which may affect his development by agitating for a move.

Hagi’s drive to be the best is also another reason why Van Bronckhorst will be delighted by Rangers’ stance on his situation. The Dutch head coach will surely be excited to work with the midfielder upon his return from injury, as he has shown that he has an appetite to develop and hone his skills.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Souttar: Rangers can seal dream deal by signing 23 y/o “real leader”…

Newcastle United have reportedly now ‘watched’ Brennan Johnson ahead of a potential move this summer.

The Lowdown: Play-off final day

The Toon Army can catch a glimpse of what Johnson can offer at St. James’ Park as he features for Nottingham Forest in the Championship play-off final against Huddersfield Town this afternoon.

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The Wales international has had an outstanding season, scoring 19 goals and making a further nine assists in total over all competitions, and has featured across the whole of the forward line for Steve Cooper’s team (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Newcastle watch

Taking to Twitter, The Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has revealed that the North East club are one of a number of sides to have ‘watched’ Johnson, but a lot ‘hinges’ on whether Forest can beat Huddersfield:

“Everton eye move for Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson, but a lot hinges on Forest fate in play-off final. Newcastle, Leicester, Brentford have also watched 21-yr-old.”

Expanding in his article, Hope added that he is likelier to leave if Forest lose the game, with a £20m fee being mooted.

The Verdict: Sign

Eddie Howe will be hoping for more options in attack come the start of the new campaign, and Johnson would certainly be a valuable addition to his squad.

Dubbed a ‘different animal‘ on the pitch by Paul Bodin, who worked with him when in charge of Wales’ U19s and later with the U21s, and a player who makes defenders ‘panic’ by former Premier League manager Alex McLeish, the 21-year-old could provide the same threat on the opposite wing as Allan Saint-Maximin does on the left.

Nonetheless, they could form a deadly duo capable of truly terrorising any top-flight side’s backline.

In other news, find out who PIF are now ‘ready’ to sign for NUFC here!

Tottenham Hotspur are set to battle it out with Arsenal to secure the signing of Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus, reports The Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Jesus’ talks with Arsenal

As per Fabrizio Romano, it is clear that the 25-year-old has asked to leave the Sky Blues this summer.

As a result, the Brazilian’s agent, Marcelo Pettinati, has confirmed that talks have already been held with Arsenal, and it is said that they are interested in the ‘project’ under Mikel Arteta.

However, Pettinati has also revealed that six more clubs are interested in securing his client’s signature.

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The Latest: Spurs keen to sign Jesus

According to a fresh report by The Telegraph’s reliable Mike McGrath, Tottenham are set to join Arsenal in the race to sign Man City striker Jesus.

Having pipped their north London rivals to a top four finish and a spot in the Champions League, Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte will be looking to strengthen his squad as they prepare to compete with Europe’s elite.

It is understood that Jesus’ agent is aware of Spurs’ interest in a deal.

The Verdict: Brilliant signing

Described as “a natural finisher” by former Tottenham forward Garth Crooks on BBC Sport, the 25-year-old’s underlying stats clearly justify this praise.

According to FB Ref, the Brazil international ranks in the 91st percentile for non-penalty goals and in the 95th percentile for non-penalty expected goals across positional peers in Europe.

With 58 goals under his belt in the Premier League and 134 in total for club and country,  Conte would be getting an experienced striker with many years left for him to perform at the top level.

Therefore, this would be a brilliant signing for Tottenham.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Paratici set to back Conte with major signings