Tag Futebol

Leeds United’s academy has been famed for producing some impressive talent over the years, with Kalvin Phillips, Johnathan Woodgate, Alan Smith and James Milner just some of the names to have come through.

As is always the aim with the youth process, the club are looking to find their next big star to break into the first team.

Having lost Raphinha in the summer, they created a vacancy to be challenged by whatever newcomers might be after that spot. One might have expected Luis Sinisterra to be his direct replacement, but until he has truly eclipsed the Brazilian, the spot is always up for grabs.

That will at least be the mindset of Sean McGurk, who has been knocking on the door of the senior squad since moving to Yorkshire last summer.

The 19-year-old joined from Wigan Athletic as a highly-rated youngster, who had full confidence in his own game.

When asked what kind of a player he was, he issued the following response:

“People describe me as a player who is quite exciting, I like to create goals and score goals and I think that is the strongest part of my game.”

This will please fans, who have already had to see last season’s top scorer depart in the summer.

It could mark a like-for-like switch, as one goal-scoring inverted winger makes way for another to come through.

For the Latics, McGurk played a huge role in helping the under-18s side become Professional Development League National champions, scoring 13 goals in the process.

Whilst he is yet to truly set the Premier League 2 alight, his three goals and one assist suggest he is not wholly out of his depth.

There is a stunning goal scorer in there, and with the likes of Joe Gelhardt having made the same career moves as him thus far, it marks a clear path to the first team.

Constantly earning experience and improving, it will surely not be long before he can truly stake his claim for a spot on the wing.

If he can take his goal-scoring exploits for Wigan and translate them into the senior games, Leeds fans will soon forget all about Raphinha.

Fulham have made contact to sign Inter Milan defender Stefan De Vrij next summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Attracting interest

The centre-back will be out of contract with the Italian giants in 2023, and the fact that he could available on a free at the end of the season has alerted several Premier League clubs.

Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United have both been credited with an interest in the 30-year-old, though a new name has now entered the fold in the race for his services, and it’s coming from Craven Cottage.

The Latest: Fulham eyeing De Vrij

According to FC Inter News (via Sport Witness), Fulham have ‘contacted the entourage’ of De Vrij, and are ‘ready to move’ for him should he not agree to fresh terms with Inter.

The Dutchman is believed to ‘still prefer’ to remain in the Serie A, though the club have ‘frozen all talk’ of a new deal, which has now ‘opened the door’ for Marco Silva’s side, who are considered a ‘valid track’.

It’s stated that the Cottagers have the sufficient ‘money to invest’ and could offer their target ‘important sums’ to entice him to England.

The Verdict: Massive coup

If Fulham could pull off the signing of De Vrij, it would be a massive coup for everyone associated with the club given the profile of player he is.

The 6 foot 2 star, who Antonio Conte once said was ‘like Bonucci’, has Champions League experience under his belt and has made a name for himself on the world stage.

Knowing that he would be a guaranteed starter would surely give the Cottagers the advantage over their fellow competitors, so this will definitely be one to watch in the months ahead.

Nottingham Forest could be ready to add more defensive reinforcements to their side… 

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Tutto Atalanta, the Tricky Trees could move for Atalanta’s right-back Hans Hateboer.

The Dutch defender has reportedly lost interest in Italy and is ready for a new challenge, preferably in the Premier League.

Although Forest are yet to make a move, they are noted as one side who ‘like’ the player.

Imagine him & Lodi

With Steve Cooper closing in on a move for Atletico Madrid left-back Renan Lodi, he could quickly reinvent his wingbacks with a couple of stars from some highly rated European clubs.

With Hateboer offering more defensive security in a wing-back, he could provide the steel to the Brazilian’s finesse.

His incredible pace and physique have seen him labelled the ‘mad horse’ by Atalanta’s fanbase, as his tireless running draws humorous comparisons.

He featured 21 times last season in a defence that conceded on average 1.3 goals per game, the seventh-best in the Serie A.

The Dutchman would also bring a wealth of experience, having featured 16 times in the Champions League for his club.

To combine this with the pedigree and attacking talent of Lodi, who scored four and assisted six across all competitions last season, it could see them strike up a symbiotic relationship that Cooper could work into his pragmatic system.

It would see the explosivity that Djed Spence brought last season swapped to the left flank, with the solid role handed to the 28-year-old. That’s not to suggest that he won’t bomb forward on occasion, as the £24k-per-week ace ranks in the top 10% for progressive passes received and touches in the attacking penalty area.

He could bring his experience and take it into his prime years at the City Ground, which could be integral in steering Forest away from a relegation battle this season.

The move makes perfect sense for all parties, as it sees Forest gain a talented European stalwart whilst he can finally challenge himself in England’s top flight.

Combined with the inbound Lodi, it makes for a frightening prospect for the league who will have to contend with their contrasting styles but impressive skillsets on either flank.

Southampton’s hopes of signing Manchester City striker Liam Delap have been given a boost, as Pep Guardiola has confirmed that the teenage forward will leave the Etihad on loan.

What’s the word?

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have been heavily linked with the 19-year-old throughout the window, and while they are said to have made a bid to sign him permanently, a loan move seems more likely at this point after having a £16m offer rejected.

Guardiola confirmed earlier this week that: “We loaned ‘Macca’ [James McAtee, to Sheffield United], Liam is in that process because we have Erling and Julian and he needs minutes. The EDS phase is done. He has to try and go there and play the other ones.”

Shields must act

Southampton are arguably looking weaker up front than they did last season, as they have lost Armando Broja and Shane Long, with only 20-year-old Sekou Mara arriving as a new striker.

Delap, who reportedly earns £8k per week, has been in sensational form for Manchester City’s academy side in recent seasons, hitting 35 goals and nine assists in just 36 appearances for the U21s.

He also scored on his debut for the senior side in a cup win against Bournemouth so is clearly in Guardiola’s future plans, but is unlikely to get game time ahead of new signings Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez this season.

The forward, who Guardiola dubbed “exceptional”, could be exactly what Hasenhuttl needs in his squad after a difficult start to the season which has seen his side ship six goals, while all three goals they have scored have come from midfielders or defenders.

Reports have suggested that Che Adams could also leave St Mary’s, which again emphasises the need for a new striker, otherwise, Hasenhuttl would be left with very little depth in attack.

Delap could be a superb addition on loan, especially if he can follow in the footsteps of other successful loanees such as Broja and Kyle Walker-Peters in recent seasons.

Walker-Peters has been such a hit that he’s already been linked with some of the league’s big boys while Broja is set to earn his chance at Chelsea after bagging nine times throughout 2021/22.

A loan move could also open the door to a permanent swoop in the future, as we saw with the Walker-Peters deal, so head of recruitment Joe Shields must act quickly to bring him to the south coast after seemingly being handed a golden chance to seal a deal.

Celtic are working on sealing an imminent loan move for Lorient centre-back Moritz Jenz, reliable journalist Anthony Joseph has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Ange looking for depth

The Hoops are having a productive time of things this summer, nailing down Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota to permanent moves, while they are also reportedly closing in on the signing of midfielder Aaron Mooy.

Ange Postecoglou is looking to make his squad even more formidable in terms of depth, allowing him to chop and change throughout a busy 2022/23 season without the level dropping between the first XI and rotation players.

A fresh update suggests that yet another signing could now be on the cards.

The Latest: Celtic eye up Jenz move

Taking to Twitter on Monday evening, Joseph claimed that Celtic want to sign Jenz on loan, with talks currently ‘progressing well’:

“Celtic are in talks with Lorient over a potential loan deal for centre-back Moritz Jenz. The 23-year-old was a target last summer when he was at Lausanne-Sport. Talks are said to be progressing well for a season-long loan, but an option-to-buy clause is still to be negotiated.”

The Verdict: Good competition for places

This is an ideal piece of business by the Hoops, giving both Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt a healthy rival for playing time, ensuring competition for places is strong even if Christopher Jullien does manager to seal an exit.

Jenz enjoyed 16 starts in Ligue One last season and his pass completion rate of 84.7% suggests he will be able to thrive in Postecoglou’s ball-playing Celtic team.

It is becoming an increasingly impressive summer at Parkhead, and if the Lorient man comes in as well as Mooy, Celtic’s options will be looking superb moving forward.

Everton have been heavily linked with a move for Armando Broja this summer, and there has now been an update on the club’s pursuit of the player from a reliable source.

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic’s Everton reporter Greg O’Keeffe, the Toffees remain interested in signing the Albania international this summer.

In an article for The Athletic, O’Keeffe claims that the Chelsea youngster remains the number one target to replace Richarlison at Goodison Park following his £60m move to Tottenham Hotspur.

However, the reporter added that Thomas Tuchel wants to check out all of his young talents during the Blues’ pre-season tour of the United States and will then make a final decision on Broja’s future at Stamford Bridge. Also, the Daily Mail reported on Friday night that West Ham have submitted a £30m offer for the 20-year-old.

Lampard unearth new Richarlison

There is a Richarlison-shaped hole at Goodison Park that Frank Lampard will surely be desperate to fill before the Merseysiders return to Premier League action next month, and the 6 foot 3 Broja could be the perfect player to fill the void.

According to FBRef, the former Everton winger was the eighth most comparable player to the Chelsea youngster over the last 12 months, which is a strong reason for Lampard to progress in pursuing the 20-year-old.

Although Richarlison had more goal contributions (15) than the Albanian, Broja outperformed the Brazilian for shots on target accuracy (39.6%). He also had a better pass completion (61.9%) and dribble completion rate (48.4%), proving that Everton could have their next £60m star on their hands if they complete a deal for the Chelsea gem.

Lampard has made no secret of his admiration of Broja after giving him his start in Premier League football when he handed the Stamford Bridge talent his debut in the top flight in March 2020, ironically against Everton.

The Toffees manager spoke out about the towering young striker’s talents last season during a pre-match press conference when Everton faced Southampton (via Metro), saying: “Well I gave him his debut at Chelsea so I did know him! He’s a very nice, very good lad and a very talented young boy.

“He’s fast, strong, has a real eye for goal and he’s a very, very good young player so I’m very aware of his strengths.”

The signing of Broja is one which would be warmly welcomed by the Everton manager, and the Albanian would likely make the desired instant impact that the Toffees need, as Lampard is well aware of his strengths and talents and could therefore extract these without delay.

AND in other news – “Could be triggered…”: Fabrizio Romano drops huge Everton transfer update that supporters will love 

Bruno Lage and Wolves have been given the green light in their transfer pursuit of Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from L’Equipe, who claimed that the Ligue 1 club are intent on selling the Croatian defender this summer to avoid losing him on a free transfer next year.

As such, it is said that Marseille are willing to entertain offers in order to avoid a direct repeat of the Boubacar Kamara scenario, in which they lost a precocious asset for free due to the Frenchman running down his contract and consequently joining the Old Gold’s Midlands rivals Aston Villa.

As per L’Equipe, it is said that the Croatia international was the subject of a £13m bid during Lage’s first transfer window in charge at Molineux, with Marseille rejecting the offer and Wolves having not signed a centre-back since.

Ruben Dias 2.0

Operating in Jorge Sampaoli’s possession-based team (second-highest in Ligue 1 last term with 62.1%), Caleta-Car has clocked up metrics which are very similar to that of Manchester City colossus Ruben Dias.

Quite simply, with the similarity between the two players, especially throughout the possession phase, Wolves could well sign their own version of Dias in the Croatian asset.

Completing 73.18 passes per match at a success rate of 92.1%, Caleta-Car registers metrics which are scarily close to the Portugal international, who completes 74.12 passes per game at a success rate of 93.6%.

Elsewhere, they are both right-footed centre-backs, both 25 years of age, both scored two goals in their respective leagues, and are of similar height, with Dias standing at 6 foot 1 and Caleta-Car 6 foot 2.

The pair also boast a similar amount of carries, with Caleta-Car averaging 60.95 per game with around 5.22 progressive carries; whilst Dias averages 62.79 carries per 90, with 8.01 of these being progressive.

The similarities between the two are eerie, but with the Croatian rated at around £15m, it means that Lage could sign Dias 2.0 for Wolves. It’s a move which would massively bolster the Old Gold’s backline and comes with an element of safety, with his metrics hinting that the Marseille tank would suit Premier League football.

This is also backed up by Dejan Lovren’s admission, who believes that his compatriot can play in England and once said that he “will explode” onto the big stage.

In other news – “I keep hearing…”: Fabrizio Romano drops huge Wolves update that will leave supporters buzzing

Frank Lampard is under pressure to get his summer recruitment spot on if he wants to remain at Everton for the long haul.

Narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premier League with a 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace in their penultimate match last season won’t keep the fans on board for very long.

He appears to have made a solid start, with James Tarkowski close to signing for the Toffees and there will surely be more to come.

With there being plenty of areas to improve in the Everton squad, there could be a lot of transfer activity this summer. The likes of Jonjoe Kenny and Cenk Tosun leaving the club could free up wages for more attractive signings.

Portuguese outlet O Jogo (via Sport Witness) have claimed that Everton are interested in Porto winger Otavio, with Lampard looking to bolster his squad. They have made an enquiry but may have to pay up to €60m (£51.4m).

The player earns £29k-per=week at his current club and that will be expected to rise if a move to the Premier League materialises.

With the news that Brazilian forward Richarlison wants to leave the club, there could be a large transfer kitty that Lampard could utilise, and signing Otavio would be a wise move.

Although largely deployed on the right-hand side of midfield, Lampard may utilise his attacking potential and push him further forward where he can feed Dominic Calvert-Lewin plenty of chances, he notched nine league assists last season.

He isn’t shy of getting stuck in defensively either, something that Everton missed last season. Compared to positional peers in the top five leagues, Otavio ranks in the top 1% for pressures (28.99 per 90) and tackles (3.03), proving that he has the ability to be a success at both ends of the pitch.

He was dubbed “phenomenal” following a performance for Portugal and at 27 years of age, he could be about to approach his peak years.

It would be an expensive move but it could just prove game-changing to get Everton back to winning ways and Calvert-Lewin back among the goals.

AND in other news, Everton “still interested” in signing £107.8m duo this summer, Lampard will love them…

Everton are one of several Premier League sides to be linked with a move for Shakhtar Donetsk winger Manor Solomon, but the potential signing could prove to be a disastrous repeat of the deal that saw Bernard join the Toffees in 2018.

What’s the word?

According to Italian news outlet TuttoSport, Frank Lampard’s side are set to battle it out with Premier League rivals Arsenal and Aston Villa to sign the 22-year-old.

The Israel international, who is currently valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, has established himself as a regular for the Ukrainian side since joining in 2019, making 106 appearances, in which he has contributed 22 goals and nine assists.

Although this represents a decent return for a winger, the step-up in quality from the Ukrainian league to the Premier League is a significant one, with Bernard perhaps the obvious example.

Bernard 2.0

During his time in Ukraine, Bernard would contribute an impressive 28 goals and 35 assists in 157 appearances for Donetsk and, as a Brazil international, there was an air of excitement among Everton fans when he arrived at Goodison Park on a free transfer in 2018.

However, he would manage just 15 goal contributions in 84 appearances for the Toffees in his three years at the club and was swiftly moved on to UAE side Sharjah FC for a minimal fee last summer.

There was no doubt that Bernard had ability, but at just 5 foot 4, it was clear that the winger lacked the necessary physicality to compete in the Premier League, as he consistently averaged less than one duel and one shot per game in the English top-flight.

Unfortunately for Everton, Solomon stands at just 5 foot 7, so it is difficult to not draw similarities between him and Bernard, given their previous clubs, positions and stature.

The Toffees’ transfer business in recent years has been less than impressive and despite significant fees being spent, Lampard’s side came far too close to relegation from the top-flight last season.

Considering the Goodison Park outfit are already well-stocked in terms of wingers, with the likes of Demarai Gray, Andros Townsend, Anthony Gordon and Alex Iwobi all capable of playing out wide, it would be strange to see them splashing the cash on Solomon this summer.

Certainly, if he did make the switch to Merseyside and turned out performances similar to Bernard, then his signing would surely feel like a case of deja vu for Toffees fans, in what could down as yet another disaster by chairman Farhad Moshiri.

And, in other news… Moshiri can sign Lukaku 2.0 with Prem wonderkid…

Everton have secured safety in the Premier League ahead of their final game of the season after a difficult relegation battle and this afternoon the Toffees will travel to North London to play Arsenal.

Frank Lampard will be going into his first comfortable game since arriving at Goodison Park in January and can go into the clash against top four chasing Arsenal knowing that he has successfully completed the great escape from relegation to the Championship this season.

In terms of injury updates, Fabian Delph and Yerry Mina have both been confirmed as unavailable for the final game, and with Delph out of contract this summer it means that his outing against Watford may have been his last performance in an Everton shirt.

Andros Townsend and Nathan Patterson remain sidelined with long term injury issues, whilst Salomon Rondon will continue to see out his three-match suspension making him unavailable for selection for today’s game.

With that being said, this is how Football FanCast expects Everton to line up this afternoon…

We expect that Lampard will make just two changes to the team that beat Crystal Palace earlier this week, changing to a 4-3-3 formation.

The first change we predict is the introduction of Anwar El Ghazi who hasn’t been given the opportunity to show what he can offer to the Toffees since he joined on loan from Aston Villa in January, playing just 11 minutes over the last five months.

El Ghazi who was hailed “remarkable” by pundit Adrian Clarke, will unlikely feature on the wing as Anthony Gordon and Richarlison are likely to keep their spots, but could appear in an advanced midfield role if the Everton boss decides to give the player a chance to make his mark, replacing Andre Gomes.

We expect 28-year-old Gomes who was dubbed a “walking red card” by Greg O’Keeffe to lose his spot in the selection to make way for Donny van de Beek’s return to the side after being out with injury issues since the beginning of March, and will play alongside Alex Iwobi to complete the midfield three.

With safety secured it would be the perfect opportunity for Lampard to give opportunities to players that have been rarely seen but he will also want to end the season on a high by causing an upset at the Emirates against Arsenal who will be desperate to take all three points from the clash to keep their Champions League dreams alive for next season.

AND in other news: Lampard plotting Everton bid for £158k-p/w dynamo, he’d be a “joy to watch”