All posts by n8rngtd.top

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie is convinced Jesse Lingard would choose West Ham over his old side if it were a choice between the two.

This comes after Football Insider reported that Villa are interested in signing the 28-year-old attacking midfielder following his impressive loan spell in east London.

Lingard has been in red-hot form since joining West Ham from Manchester United back in January, already hitting double figures for goal involvements.

It is no wonder that Villa have now seemingly joined the race to sign the England international.

Hendrie, however, is not giving his former club much of a chance given how settled Lingard looks at the London Stadium.

When asked by TT whether the Villans had a shot at signing Lingard, he said:

“I’d be very surprised if he turned his back on them [West Ham] to be honest. Playing for Manchester United, he’s won trophies, he’s been involved in big international games and he’s a big player.

“So I think if he had to choose out of the two, I’d be certain it’d be West Ham just for the season he’s had and the boxes he ticks for them.”

With West Ham also likely to feature in Europe next season, and possibly even in the Champions League, it is easy to see why the Hammers would be in the driving seat to sign Lingard permanently.

Former Tottenham captain Graham Roberts has exclusively told Football FanCast that the club are likely to appoint a new manager after the season finishes.

Jose Mourinho was sacked last month with Spurs at risk of missing out on qualifying for the Champions League for the second consecutive season.

But Daniel Levy has since missed out on appointing any of his top three targets.

Julian Nagelsmann left Leipzig, only to become the new Bayern Munich boss, Brendon Rodgers confirmed that he’ll be staying at Leicester, whilst Ajax boss Erik ten Hag ended speculation by penning a new contract in the Dutch capital.

Ryan Mason was placed in interim charge for the remaining six Premier League matches and has made a bright start with victories over Southampton and Sheffield United sandwiching the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City.

The likes of Graham Potter, Scott Parker and Nuno Espirito Santo have also been mentioned as potential replacements for Mourinho, but Roberts doesn’t expect an announcement until the end of the campaign.

He told Football FanCast:

“Ryan Mason has been told he’s got it until the end of the season, so I’m not expecting anything before then. If we win our last four games, you got a chance of the Champions League, but you need to win all four.

“The aim is either to finish in the Champions League or Europa. They threw the last cup final away and have got four more.”

As per an update by reliable journalist James Pearce of The Athletic, writing on Twitter, Liverpool supporters’ union Spirit of Shankly have held ‘positive’ talks with club CEO Billy Hogan over fan representation on the board of directors – with Reds fans reacting as this ‘great news’ comes to light.

The club are seeking to gain back the trust of supporters following the infamous European Super League saga, with Liverpool receiving huge backlash for their involvement and eventual break away from the plans.

Owner John W Henry released an apology video to supporters after his and Fenway Sports Group’s controversial move to join the breakaway division, which was quickly suspended after founding members opted out of the project.

Relaying SOS’ statement for The Athletic, Pearce has shared that the supporters group came to a ‘positive’ consultation after sitting down with Hogan and includes a ‘formal agreement’ to improve collaboration and involvement between fans and the club.

Flocking to this update, while the relationship may still have ways to go in regards to repairing trust, these Reds supporters had their say with some praising this initial step.

Find all of their verdicts down below.

Liverpool fans flock to Pearce update

“good. right way to go about it”

Credit: @DxnLFC_

“Great news”

Credit: @KloppStyle

“Great work by all!”

Credit: @Lloydy_2020

“A step in the right direction. If FSG have any sense they will listen.”

Credit: @davidc98

“Brilliant we done it the right way”

Credit: @chrisduanecook

“Well in!”

Credit: @_tahmiddd

In other news: Liverpool offered chance to sign this La Liga star, find out more here.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Everton defender Michael Ball believes supporters at his old club would welcome the signing of Gareth Bale.

The Welsh forward is currently on loan at Tottenham from Real Madrid and is set for a return to Spain in the summer. However, with only a year remaining on his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu, his future could be away from the Champions League semi-finalists.

If that does turn out to be the case, according to El Chiringuito (via TEAMtalk), Everton could be his new home, with former manager Carlo Ancelotti keen on a reunion.

For Ball, this is a transfer that he cannot see Toffees supporters being against. On the rumours, he told FFC:

“I think the Everton fans would like to see that happening. I think Carlo would like to see that happening. Carlo wants players to make an impact straight away, he wants players to push for Europe, challenge that top four and start making a bit of a noise.

“Carlo wants instant success; Gareth has obviously got that in abundance. If he comes to the football club, he will raise the levels of the players around him.”

Bale has really come to life of late, recently scoring a brilliant hat-trick against Sheffield United. He is also a player Ancelotti obviously knows well from their time at Real Madrid, so a move to Goodison Park does not sound like the craziest idea.

Tottenham Hotspur host their final home game of the 2020/21 season this evening as they welcome Aston Villa to North London, and there will even be fans in attendance for the first time all campaign.

Spurs are still in contention for a place in Europe next season as they currently sit in sixth place, knowing a victory would move them to within one point of Liverpool, who play Burnley later tonight.

Interim head coach Ryan Mason will need to get his team selection spot on and whilst the Midlands outfit haven’t been below 11th all campaign, there isn’t a better time to play them as they have won just two of their last 12 matches.

Last time out, the Lilywhites eased to a 2-0 victory over Wolves.

However, there are now emerging doubts over the chances of Gareth Bale featuring once again. When asked if the Welshman would start, Mason claimed he was “not sure.”

It could mean that Spurs need to find a spark from somewhere else, so perhaps it’s time to recall Tanguy Ndombele to the starting XI tonight.

The £45m-rated Frenchman has been snubbed from the off in their last four matches in all competitions, with Mason preferring Dele Alli in the no.10 role and Giovani Lo Celso a little deeper.

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Ndombele had started to come into his own this campaign, providing six goals and four assists, and on his day, is one of the highest-quality players on the pitch.

There aren’t many in this current Spurs squad that can pick up the ball and drive with it. The 24-year-old dynamo tops the charts – by some distance – for dribbles per game (2.4), with the next best ‘regular’ being Harry Kane (1.4) and Bale (1.4).

Furthermore, Ndombele manages 6.52 progressive runs every 90 minutes, meaning he is the most productive in moving the ball towards the opposition’s goal or into the penalty box – no other Spurs regular is better, not even Heung-min Son, Lucas Moura or Bale, via FBRef.

If the Real Madrid loanee is out, then Mason could benefit massively from having Ndombele’s presence on the pitch, rather than on the bench.

According to Spurs’ backup goalkeeper Joe Hart, via football.london, the box-to-box monster is a “world-beater” and “unplayable,” so it seems a recipe for disaster to leave a player of this calibre out of your squad.

Against Villa in the reverse fixture, the former Lyon star was dominant in the engine room, where he recorded a whopping six successful dribbles, won 92.3% of his midfield duels, and made 94% of his passes, as per SofaScore, causing the likes of John McGinn and Douglas Luiz all sorts of trouble.

Forget Bale, Ndombele could well be Mason’s game-changer this evening. He must be unleashed from the off.

AND in other news, Levy could transform Spurs’ fortunes by hiring 62 y/o “scientist” who’s “Bielsa-esque”…

Tottenham midfielder Elliot Thorpe will leave the club in the summer, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Mason knows him well

Thorpe, who can play as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder, is yet to make a senior appearance for Spurs.

He’s been a regular for the club’s Under-23 side this season, though, making 18 appearances, scoring twice.

Interim manager Ryan Mason knows the 20-year-old well, coaching the youth team before his promotion following Jose Mourinho’s sacking.

The Latest: Hoffenheim and Leicester keen

Football Insider, who have been informed by a recruitment source, report that Bundesliga side Hoffenheim have joined Leicester City in the race to sign Thorpe over the coming months.

They claim that the midfielder will leave north London when his contract expires next month with Tottenham set to fail in their bid to agree on a contract extension.

Thorpe was training with the first team when Mourinho was in charge, but it seems as if his days at the club are now numbered.

The Verdict: Not ideal for Spurs

It seems as if the club wanted to keep Thorpe at the club, going off the reported contract extension offer, so the latest news could come as a blow to Spurs officials.

The fact he was called up to first-team training by Mourinho this season may show he has the ability to make it at the top level, and he doesn’t have a shortage of suitors.

Both Hoffenheim and Leicester could be smart destinations for the youngster. Several youngsters have left Premier League sides to gain valuable experience in the Bundesliga, such as Jadon Sancho.

Meanwhile, Brendan Rodgers has given youth a chance at the King Power, so it’ll be interesting to see where Thorpe decides to go.

In other news: Spurs eye Premier League forward as Harry Kane replacement, find out more here. 

West Ham United are one of several Premier League teams eyeing a move for one of the Championship’s emerging stars, and no, it’s not Ivan Toney…

What’s the word?

According to Football League World, the Irons are registering strong interest in AFC Bournemouth winger Arnaut Danjuma ahead of the summer transfer window.

Southampton, Brighton and Hove Albion, Everton and Wolves are amongst the other top-flight teams mooted with a move for the 24-year-old attacker.

It remains to be seen how much Danjuma would command, and with the Cherries looking at back-to-back seasons in the second tier of English football, they could struggle to keep hold of his services.

Transfermarkt currently value the Dutchman at £10.8m, whilst he’s under contract at the Vitality Stadium until 2024.

Benrahma 2.0

If West Ham can win the race for the Bournemouth hotshot, then they could well be onto another winner.

We know that the East Londoners have had plenty of success when luring talent from the lower divisions, in which Jarrod Bowen, Craig Dawson and more recently, Said Benrahma have been a hit.

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In fact, the latter draws some similarities to Danjuma as he’s another player capable of producing something out of nothing – someone with that spark; a bit of magic.

The 5 foot 10 dynamo was in electrifying form this campaign, helping the south coast outfit to the playoffs by providing 17 goals and seven assists, including strikes in both legs against Brentford, But it wasn’t enough to see them into the final.

It’s no wonder that Cherries boss Jonathan Woodgate has waxed lyrical about his qualities, via the Bournemouth Echo, he said:

“He seems in a good place. He’s confident. He’s working really, really hard for the team now, which I think is important. If you add that to your game, you can only get better. He’s got a lot of ability,” before later adding: “Sometimes when games are 0-0 and it’s tough and it’s really tight in games, that’s when you rely on people like Arnie, Junior (Stanislas), Dominic Solanke to produce moments of magic. All three can do that.”

Also described as “exceptional,” Danjuma could be the Hammers’ next fine wing addition from the lower echelons of English football. He does have a little bit of experience in big time too, featuring 14 times prior to Bournemouth’s relegation, and has also picked up two caps for the Dutch senior side.

Furthermore, Danjuma’s 1.8 dribbles per game are only rivalled by Arthur Masuaku (2.4), whilst his 2.1 shots per outing are more than both Benrhama (1.2) and Bowen (1.4), so evidently, his skillset is an improvement based on their respective seasons.

This would be an astute signing from GSB and David Moyes, they must get it done this summer.

AND in other news, ÂMoyes set to receive major West Ham transfer boost…

Mauricio Pochettino could sensationally return to Tottenham Hotspur in what could be a major boost to their chances of keeping Harry Kane…

What’s the word?

According to football.london, Spurs have held talks with their former manager over a potential return to the club who sacked him nearly 18 months ago.

It’s thought that the 49-year-old would be interested in coming back to north London despite signing a one-and-a-half-year contract at Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain, who have relinquished the league title to Lille and also fell short in the Champions League this season.

Pochettino has made no secret of his intentions to one day return to the Lilywhites to complete his ‘unfinished business’, but this would certainly seem earlier than expected.

What does it mean for Kane?

There have been reports suggesting that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is targeting an attack-minded coach, with an appetite to develop the club’s young stars – pretty much Pochettino 2.0, so there isn’t a better candidate out there than the man himself.

But what does his potential appointment mean for wantaway striker Harry Kane?

Sky Sports claimed earlier this month that the 27-year-old wanted to leave the North London strugglers in a bid to add trophies to his goal-laden career, something which does not seem likely at Spurs.

Premier League champions Manchester City, Europa League runners-up Manchester United, and Champions League finalists Chelsea are all on high alert ahead of the summer transfer window.

Several of the managerial candidates believed to be in the running for the Spurs vacancy have been hugely underwhelming, with names like Belgium boss Roberto Martinez – who failed at Everton – and Brighton’s Graham Potter among a four-man shortlist, as per The Athletic.

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The Lilywhites aren’t likely to win silverware any time soon with the majority of the names on the list, especially given that they finished seventh this campaign and are in desperate need of a squad overhaul.

However, Pochettino surely gives them a fighting – and much better – chance of trophies, considering that he overachieved at the club massively.

Across five seasons, having spent very little in the transfer market, the Argentine delivered three successive top-three finishes in the Premier League, four Champions League qualifications, surpassing arch-rivals Arsenal after decades of dominance, and of course that historic first Champions League final.

He was also the man responsible for transforming the club behind the scenes, introducing state-of-the-art sports science work.

It’s no wonder many around football have praised him, including trophy-laden City boss Pep Guardiola, who once hailed his work at Spurs as “overwhelming” and “extraordinary”, whilst he has also dubbed him “one of the best managers in the world.”

Furthermore, Kane has spoken glowingly about his relationship with the 49-year-old, with whom he struck up a crucial partnership throughout those five seasons.

Speaking to Sky Sports’ Gary Neville on the The Overlap YouTube channel, he revealed: “[Pochettino] was the perfect guy for me to come into because we worked so hard, training was so tough. We done a lot of work in the gym. I was at a real development stage of my career. I was kind of just developing into my body and things like that and with that extra training, extra gym work kind of his guidance at that aspect. He gave me a lot of confidence.”

Kane added: “We built up a real good relationship. We understood each other, not just football but personal as well. We had some great years and great moments and obviously would’ve loved to have won something with him, won a trophy with him. It didn’t quite happen but I will always cherish the relationship and the years we had together for sure.”

Rehiring Pochettino could well be Levy’s trump card in their desperate attempt to keep hold of Tottenham’s star striker.

If that does appear to be the case, then the Spurs chairman must go all-out for the PSG manager this summer, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Levy could transform Spurs with landmark DOUBLE swoop…

Chris Hughton will make a decision over Joao Carvalho’s Nottingham Forest future this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent claim made by Sarah Clapson, with the Nottingham Post journalist reporting that the Forest midfielder will have a lot of work to do in order to convince Hughton that he should be kept at The City Ground this summer.

However, Clapson goes on to state that the 62-year-old will take a look at the attacking midfielder in pre-season, if UD Almeria, where the 24-year-old has spent the season on loan, do not take up their option to buy the £3.6m-rated man.

The journalist said: “If Almeria don’t take up the option to buy him, Chris Hughton will have a look at him in pre-season. Trying to find other moves for him, in the current climate, could well be difficult. I still think he’d have a lot to do to really convince Chris Hughton.

“On his day, he can be brilliant, but he lacks consistency. He can be hit and miss, and he does go missing in games. In the Championship, particularly if you’re pushing for promotion, you can’t afford that. You need somebody who’s going to be on it the majority of the time.

“With the way the manager plays, he also wants the team to be really defensively solid. Even as an attacker, you need to help out defensively. That’s not one of Carvalho’s strengths – it wasn’t while he was at Forest and it hasn’t been while he’s been on loan at Almeria. He’d have to do a lot to convince Hughton he can do that job.

“He faces a big pre-season if nothing happens for him before then.”

Fans will be divided

Having moved to Nottingham Forest from Benfica in what was a club record £13.2m deal back in the summer of 2018, it would be a fair claim to make that Carvalho has not quite lived up to his price tag so far in his career with the Garibaldi.

Over his total of 67 appearances for the club, the former Portugal U21 international has scored six goals and registered nine assists.

The £15k-per-week 24-year-old has also failed to impress over his 32 LaLiga 2 fixtures for Almeria this season, scoring no goals, providing three assists and missing three big chances, as well as taking an average of 0.8 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the midfielder average a SofaScore match rating of 6.76, ranking him as Rubi’s 16th-best performer in the Spanish second division – with Almeria’s campaign not over just yet, as they face Girona in the semi-final of the LaLiga 2 play-offs.

As such, with Carvalho having not pulled up any trees since joining Forest three years ago, either for the Reds or while on loan, it would appear unlikely that many of the Forest fanbase would be willing to welcome the 24-year-old back to their first team this summer.

Having said that, considering how much money the club paid for attacking midfielder, and how much promise he appeared to have before joining up with Forest, perhaps some factions of The City Ground faithful would like to see Hughton give the Portuguese man a chance in the starting XI next season.

Either way, the future of Carvhalo at Forest appears to be extremely uncertain at present, and only time will tell which way Hughton eventually leans regarding the midfielder this summer.

In other news: NFFC dealt transfer blow over £10k-p/w “leader” that will leave Hughton devastated

Glasgow Rangers fans are livid after a Gers-supporting policeman was demoted due to a joke he made about the club’s title celebrations.

This past term was a fantastic campaign for the Ibrox outfit. They won their first major trophy in 10 years as they lifted the Premiership title, and they even went the league season unbeaten (BBC).

As they received the trophy at their home stadium after beating Aberdeen on the final day of the season, thousands of Gers supporters took to the streets to celebrate.

There were some ugly scenes in George Square – 20 fans were arrested on the day (firstpost.com) – but the celebrations were generally peaceful. However, the police are continuing to investigate the scenes, and have now demoted a Rangers-supporting policeman after he made a joke on Twitter.

The news was shared on the social media platform by The Scottish Sun, and it attracted plenty of anger from the Rangers supporters. They took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say below

“Sacked, for a joke. Bang out of order”

Credit: @Rangerswin55

“Absolute shambles”

Credit: @DM_RFC

“Dreadful development”

Credit: @AAA85854725

“Absolutely ridiculous.”

Credit: @june_crichton

“It was obviously a joke post. So having a sense of humour is now illegal in Scotland? This is actually disgusting. The reporting of it equally nefarious.”

Credit: @steviesouness

“This is a farce, it was clearly a joke.”

Credit: @AwkwardCharming

In other news, Kieran Maguire has made this Ibrox claim.