All posts by n8rngtd.top

A huge update has emerged on Leeds United’s chances of landing Morgan Gibbs-White in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to The Guardian, the Wolves attacking midfielder would prefer to remain at his current club instead of sealing an exit ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that Nottingham Forest and Everton are also keen on the £25m-rated gem, who spent last season on loan at Sheffield United.

Leeds have been touted with interest in the England youth international this summer as Victor Orta looks to improve Jesse Marsch’s squad.

Supporters will be gutted

This update will surely leave the Whites supporters feeling gutted as Gibbs-White has the potential to be an excellent signing for the club.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-more” title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Marsch’s team narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League last season and have lost Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips to Barcelona and Manchester City respectively. Although, they have bolstered their team with a host of new signings; Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra, Tyler Adams, Marc Roca, Darko Gyabi, and Rasmus Kristensen.

Gibbs-White would be another exciting addition to the squad after an impressive campaign on loan at Bramall Lane in the Championship last term.

He caught the eye with a string of impressive performances in the second tier. The gem racked up 35 appearances and averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.16, which shows that he consistently delivered strong displays for the Blades, despite them falling short of what was required in the play-offs to reach the top-flight.

Gibbs-White showcased his ability in the final third as he chipped in with 11 goals and nine assists from an attacking midfield position. He created a whopping 16 ‘big chances’ for his teammates and made 1.6 key passes per game as he proved that he can score and assist goals on a regular basis.

At the age of 22, he also has the potential to develop as he gains more experience. He has plenty of time left ahead of him to improve and hone his skills at the top level, which means that he could be an exceptional signing both in terms of what he would offer in the immediate term and in the future.

Therefore, Leeds supporters will be gutted that the player has decided that he wants to remain at Wolves, as his preference suggests that he will not be arriving at Elland Road before the end of August.

AND in other news, Victor Orta closing in on “elite” £31.5m Leeds signing, he’s one “worth waiting for”…

The 2022/23 Championship season kicks off on Friday night and Sunderland have endured a slow summer transfer window in the build-up to the opening match.

Alex Neil has brought in Daniel Ballard and Aji Alese on permanent deals from Arsenal and West Ham respectively, whilst also snapping up Jack Clarke and Leon Dajaku after their loan spells last term.

They are yet to make a single addition to their attack outside of players they had in their squad last season and they have lost Nathan Broadhead, who is now back with his parent club Everton.

This means that the Black Cats head into their opening game against Coventry at the weekend with one senior striker on the books – Ross Stewart.

Kristjaan Speakman could land the club their next version of the Scottish goal machine, though, as he is reportedly keen on a deal to snap up Ellis Simms from Everton.

The gem, who played one game for Sunderland’s under-18s earlier in his career, has the potential to be a lethal scorer for the club, after experience in the Premiership and League One.

Stewart found the back of the net nine times in 41 Scottish top-flight games prior to his move to Wearside. Since making the switch to the Stadium of Light, the Scotland international has produced an eye-catching 29 goals in 65 appearances in all competitions.

Meanwhile, Simms scored seven goals in 21 outings for Hearts and managed 10 goals in 22 League One games for Blackpool. Throughout his career at senior and youth level, he has racked up a whopping 75 goals and seven assists in 135 matches, which shows that the phenomenon has the potential to be a consistent scorer for Sunderland.

Toffees reporter Chris Smith once called him a “clinical finisher”, and one of his former coaches John Ebbrell previously hailed his talent in front of goal, saying: “What I do know with Ellis, if he ends up one-vs-one with the goalkeeper, he’s scoring.

“From experience, I know if you have time to think for that finish it can be difficult but Ellis is really calm and composed in those situations. He very rarely misses.”

Simms’ sublime statistics in his short career so far back up these claims and paint the picture of a young player who is ready to settle down at a club on a permanent basis.

Sunderland must now snap him up from the Toffees and offer him the chance to prove that he can be the club’s next Stewart, whilst competing with the Scotsman for a place in the team or possibly playing alongside him.

AND in other news, Neil plotting Sunderland bid for £500k target who “rarely misses”, imagine him & Pritchard…

Everton youngster Lewis Dobbin is nearing a loan move to League One side Derby County, according to The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland.

The Lowdown: Dobbin’s future with Everton

The 19-year-old made his Toffees first-team debut last season and signed a long-term deal with the Merseyside club in January.

As per The Athletic, there had previously been fears that the England under-19 international may leave Goodison Park, so insiders at the club were relieved when the youngster committed his future to the Blues earlier this year.

Dobbin came on as a substitute for Frank Lampard in Everton’s FA Cup win over Boreham Wood, thus far his only appearance under the 44-year-old.

The Latest: Boyland’s update

Boyland has shared an update on the Toffees’ upcoming plans for Dobbin this season.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist claimed: “Derby at the front of the queue for Everton’s Lewis Dobbin, with a loan move expected to be confirmed soon”.

Speaking about the youngster to The Athletic last month, Lampard said: “Lewis Dobbin is one where a loan probably will be the best thing for him.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-7/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Good experience

With just five senior appearances to his name, a loan move to League One would be a brilliant experience for Dobbin, as it would allow him to adjust to the physicality of the men’s game.

Dubbed a ‘talented winger’ by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Everton will have big plans for the 19-year-old, who produced 14 goals and 11 assists in 36 appearances for the Toffees’ under-18s.

Therefore, with Derby set to push for promotion this year following the disaster of last season, a loan switch to the Rams would appear to be a great move for Dobbin’s development.

Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has shared a Manchester City transfer update involving Udinese defender Destiny Udogie with contact made.

The Lowdown: City in left-back hunt…

Following Chelsea’s hijack of a move for Brighton star Marc Cucurella, City and manager Pep Guardiola are believed to be on the lookout for alternative left-back options.

The Premier League champions, after selling Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal, are arguably in need of cover on that side as Guardiola seeks more balance on his flanks.

Eastlands officials have reportedly cast their eyes on Anderlecht ace Sergio Gomez with reliable sources claiming that they’re currently in talks to sign the 21-year-old.

However, Gomez is not the only player City have made contact for as Di Marzio shares the latest news.

The Latest: Udogie contact made…

Indeed, the Sky journalist and reliable transfer reporter claims the Sky Blues have made an approach over signing Udogie from Udinese.

Di Marzio states that City have ‘inquired’ over the 19-year-old and are ‘on the outside’ with Brighton and Inter Milan when it comes to the race for his signature.

It is believed that Tottenham are in pole position and currently pressing for his signing.

The Verdict: No surprise…

Still only a teenager, it’s clear by Udogie’s 2021/22 performances that he is a player with huge potential.

At a very young age, he finished last season as one of Udinese’s top-four Serie A performers based off average match rating per 90, even racking up five goals and four assists as an attack-minded full back (WhoScored).

Former Udinese boss Gabriele Cioffi holds Udogie in high esteem, having called him ‘extraordinary’, with all these factors leaving little surprise that City are now eyeing a move.

However, going by this latest update, it appears Guardiola’s side have some work to do with Spurs currently out in front.

Dharmesh Sheth has dropped an update on reported West Ham United transfer target Thilo Kehrer.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Sky Sports reporter revealed that, following David Moyes submitting an opening offer for the Paris Saint-Germain centre-back on Tuesday, the 59-year-old manager has now lodged a second bid with the Ligue 1 side after the club’s initial offer was rejected – with further reports suggesting Christophe Galtier’s side want around £17m for the defender.

In his tweet, Sheth said: “West Ham United have made an improved offer for PSG defender Thilo Kehrer after having their first bid rejected.”

Imagine him & Zouma

Considering just how talented a defender Kehrer undoubtedly is, the prospect of the 25-year-old lining up alongside Kurt Zouma in the heart of the Hammers’ backline will certainly be an incredibly tantalising one for all involved with the club – not least Moyes himself.

Indeed, the £19.8m-rated talent proved his ability over his 27 Ligue 1 appearances in his debut campaign with PSG back in 2018/19, helping his side keep eight clean sheets, as well as making an average of 2.4 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 2.3 clearances and winning 5.1 duels – at a success rate of 61% – per game.

For comparison, over Zouma’s 25 Premier League fixtures last season, the £25.2m-rated centre-back helped the Hammers keep five clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 0.5 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 5.5 clearances and winning 2.8 duels – at a success rate of 59% – per outing.

Furthermore, the £78k-per-week Kehrer also clearly poses a threat going forwards, with the 25-year-old scoring one goal, registering two assists and creating one big chance in the French top flight that season, as well as completing an average of 45.9 passes, 1.4 long balls and taking 0.5 shots per fixture.

These returns saw the “two-footed” player average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.00 in 18/19, a rating that, should he have achieved at West Ham last season, would have ranked him as the Irons’ fourth-best player in the Premier League.

As such, should Moyes believe he is able to help the Germany international refind this level of form at the London Stadium this season, the Scot could well form an extremely deadly duo with Kehrer and Zouma – a partnership centre-forwards would fear up and down the country.

Leeds United are eyeing a surprise move for Brighton forward Neal Maupay, according to 90min.

The Lowdown: Maupay to Forest?

The Frenchman, who was hailed as ‘quality’ by Irish broadcaster Nathan Murphy, appears to be on the verge of ending his three-year association with the Seagulls.

Nottingham Forest have reportedly agreed a package worth £15m with add-ons for the 26-year-old, who is into the final 12 months of his Brighton contract.

However, a transfer is yet to be announced, and it looks like there could be a late twist involving the 91-goal forward.

The Latest: Leeds linked with Maupay

90min shared an update regarding Maupay’s future on Tuesday, with a number of clubs looking to hijack Nottingham Forest’s proposed move for the Frenchman.

They claimed that both Everton and Fulham have made contact over a potential deal and that Leeds are ‘keeping a close eye on the situation’ due to Patrick Bamford’s recent injury scare.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-49/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Unlikely

Maupay has scored more goals against the Whites than any other club (four in seven appearances) but has a history with Leeds supporters, having once shared a provocative Instagram post of him celebrating a goal against the Whites in front of their fans.

He appears to be on the verge of joining Forest, so a surprise move to Yorkshire does seem unlikely at this stage.

Leeds could do with a forward like Maupay to provide competition to Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt, but it looks as if they may go down the route of bringing in a young exciting attacker in Wilfried Gnonto.

Former Scotland defender Alan Hutton has been reacting to the transfer speculation surrounding Celtic striker Giorgios Giakoumakis. 

The lowdown: Premier League interest

Earlier this week, reputable transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claimed that a number of clubs are ‘interested’ in Giakoumakis, including Premier League outfits.

However, the Italian journalist stated that the 27-year-old Greece international is ‘untouchable’ at Celtic Park having joined the Hoops last summer from VVV-Venlo.

Upon hearing about the reported admiration, one onlooker has suggested that the Scottish champions could be willing to sanction a sale should the price be too good to turn down…

The latest: ‘Wait and see’

Speaking to Football Insider, BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Hutton claimed that the Bhoys’ hierarchy would listen to offers for the 11-cap ace.

He said: “Of course (they would sell). Look at the likes of [Odsonne] Edouard, he went for £14million. If we’re talking about a big sum of money of course Rangers or Celtic, doesn’t matter who the player is, will always want to bring in a large fee.

“I think we’ll have to wait and see what kind of money we’re talking about. If it’s a silly bid from a team that’s trying to fight relegation, why would you leave? Celtic, who have got Champions League football who are going for the league, they’re fighting on all fronts.

“Does he start week in week out? No but that’s because they’re so strong at this moment in time. Surely you want to be part of that. I think it all depends on what club and how much we’re talking.”

The verdict: No deal

As Ange Postecoglou prepares his charges to embark on a UEFA Champions League group stage campaign to accompany domestic commitments, keeping players such as Giakoumakis in situ will be imperative.

Albeit the Celtic squad is blessed with attacking options and with the possibility of further reinforcements in the shape of Sead Haksabanovic and Ross Barkley to come, the powerful Greek frontman remains an important part of the plans having featured in all three Scottish Premiership games so far.

Should offers be forthcoming, the Glasgow giants would be expecting to field bids well in excess of his £3.6million market value, particularly given the four remaining years left on a contract at Parkhead.

Fabrizio Romano has relayed an update regarding the future of Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, Romano relayed comments made by City’s CEO Ferran Soriano, originally to El Chiringuito TV, when asked whether the 28-year-old will remain at the Etihad Stadium this summer amid rumours linking him to Barcelona.

In response, Soriano said that the Portuguese international is “of course” staying with the Premier League champions.

A recent report from The Athletic claimed that the player is now focused on staying with the Citizens, which – in addition to these latest comments from Soriano – should be a massive weight off the shoulders of not only a lot of City fans but Pep Guardiola as well.

Guardiola should be buzzing

City signed the Portugal international from AS Monaco in 2017 in a deal worth £43m. Since then, Silva has gone on to make 254 appearances for the Manchester club across all competitions, scoring 49 goals and supplying 51 assists along the way.

His latest goal ultimately rescued his side a point during their recent 3-3 draw against Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

To highlight how much adoration the City manager has for the player, Guardiola said about him following his performance against Burnley last October. “He is so intuitive; he always gives us the extra ball that we need. The performance of Bernardo has been extraordinary again.

“He is so generous and the effort and the way he plays is fantastic. We are so lucky to have him. He was an incredible signing for us. All I want is his happiness. He deserves the best. He is a joy to have as manager. When he doesn’t play he always tries to do his best.”

In terms of what Silva offers to the team, in 2021/22 no other player in Guardiola’s squad completed more live-ball passes which led to a shot at goal than the 28-year-old (100).

In fact, only Bruno Fernandes (109) and Martin Odegaard (105) delivered more of these passes than the City star in last season’s Premier League.

Taking all this into account, this latest update regarding the former Monaco gem’s future at the Etihad should hopefully put to bed any doubts over a potential exit this summer, which will surely be a massive positive for everyone connected to the club.

Newcastle United could yet to return with an offer for Watford striker Joao Pedro, despite the recent capture of Alexander Isak.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth – via Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre – who revealed that another move for the Brazilian starlet has “not been ruled out”, having previously seen a second bid of around £25m rejected earlier this month.

The transfer insider stated: “The Isak deal came out of the blue a little bit, and up to that point Newcastle were in discussions with Watford about Joao Pedro.

“Since Isak has signed, the big question has been whether anyone else will come in. Eddie Howe certainly hopes so. I’m told it’s gone quiet with Joao Pedro, but also that it’s not been ruled out. Newcastle’s bid was worth £30m, with £25m guaranteed. It was the structure of the add-ons which was still under discussion.

“Now Isak is in, I wonder if Newcastle go back and try to sort out those add-ons? Yes, they do want to bring in players – let’s see if one will be Joao Pedro.”

Pedro would be “incredible” under Howe

While it remains to be seen whether Newcastle will return with an improved bid for the 20-year-old before the transfer window closes, supporters will no doubt be excited at the suggestion that PIF could well still be eyeing another high-profile addition following the club-record addition of Isak.

In what looks set to be a “frantic” next few days for the Magpies before the Thursday night deadline, in the words of Sheth’s Sky colleague Keith Downie, Toon manager Eddie Howe could see his squad bolstered even further, having already wrapped up four major deals so far this summer.

Adding the “incredible” talent that is Pedro – as described by Watford manager Rob Edwards – into the mix would further improve the Magpies’ firepower, with the youngster having proven a hugely menacing attacking threat during his time at Vicarage Road.

The £12.6m-rated marksman – who was signed from Fluminese in 2019 – has recorded a respectable tally of 15 goals and six assists in 79 appearances for his current club, scoring three goals in the Premier League last season.

Although not prolific, the highly-rated prospect can provide that killer touch when required, while his ability to feature all across the front line could be hugely beneficial amid the dearth of quality wide options in Howe’s ranks.

The £12.5k-per-week gem has also started the new season in fine fashion, having nine goals in his last Championship campaign in 2020/21.

A player that Howe can well nurture and develop over the coming years, the “intelligent” gem – as dubbed by his former boss Claudio Ranieri – could well be an asset who can go on to light up St James’ Park in the years to come, with his obvious talent indicating that he could well be ‘incredible’ for the Tynesiders if they can sign him over the coming week.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a timely injury boost ahead of their long-awaited return to the Champions League this evening…

What’s the latest?

Spurs boss Antonio Conte now has a near-fully fit squad to choose from heading into kick-off tonight after Spanish winger Bryan Gil returned to training on Tuesday morning.

Press Association reporter George Sessions showed the 21-year-old dynamo in action alongside his teammates in a post on Twitter, though Lucas Moura is still absent through injury.

Boost for Conte

Whilst Gil isn’t a first-choice starter at Hotspur Way right now, the hectic fixture list does represent an opportunity for him to be given a chance, even from the bench, where he has the ability to change a game.

It’s interesting that the Lilywhites kept hold of him during the summer transfer window, despite plenty of interest in his signature on loan, so Conte must trust him enough to contribute over the next few months.

Tonight’s encounter in Group D is Tottenham’s fourth game of seven across a three-week period, so the Italian head coach will certainly need to rotate his starting lineup if his side is to remain competitive across all competitions.

Spurs have defending Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday night before making the trip to Portugal to play Sporting CP next week. A quick turnaround and plenty of travelling indeed.

Gil enjoyed a loan spell at LaLiga side Valencia during the second half of last season, where he won over supporters very quickly with performances that have been described as ‘fast, electric, daring, confident and with enough quality to avoid rivals, gain meters and be differential in the danger zone.’

In the past, the Spain international – who was once dubbed a “big talent” by scout Jacek Kulig – has earned comparisons to both Neymar and former Spurs star Christian Eriksen as football.london reporter Alasdair Gold previously touted him to fill the Dane’s void one day.

“I think we’re going to see a very talented young player coming to the fore. He’s kind of got a bit of everything: he can pass, he can dribble, he’s very creative, he has clever movement,” he said on his podcast.

“They’ve just got to decide, is he a guy that can ultimately become the new Eriksen, because the more and more I watch him play, I think the ability’s there to do that.

“Some have even made a [Luka] Modric comparison and said, maybe he could end up coming even deeper and becoming that kind of player.”

Either way, it’s very clear that Spurs have some player on their hands and given the need to rotate, he could be an ideal alternative to either Heung-min Son or Dejan Kulusevski and that’s why his availability will come as a nice, timely boost for Conte this evening.

AND in other news, Spurs must avoid 2023 disaster on “unplayable” talent, it’s Conte’s worst nightmare…