All posts by z3u9t.icu

[ad_pod ]

Aston Villa have already brought back two of their promising loanees from last season in Anwar El Ghazi and Kortney Hause but another could now be walking back through the doors of Villa Park.

The Daily Mail have claimed that the Villans are aiming to sign Axel Tuanzebe in a deal they hope will cost no more than £8m.

Initially, it appeared as though the defender would remain at Manchester United after The Mirror suggested in May that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was willing to give him an opportunity in the first-team.

Yet, it appears as though Villa still remain hopeful of a possible return for the 21-year-old if The Daily Mail are to be believed.

Tuanzebe was vital under Dean Smith in the final months of last season, bouncing back from an injury he suffered over the Christmas period to help fire the Midlands outfit to promotion.

Boasting the ability to play in the middle of defence and at full-back too, he would offer a great sense of versatility to a Villa side looking to strengthen ahead of a return to the Premier League.

However, what do other writers at Football FanCast make of their ambitious plan to try and bring him back? Have a read below to find out.

Charles Jones

“One thing that is important for newly promoted sides from the Championship is keeping the core of players who got them promoted. Axel Tuanzebe was certainly a player who formed the backbone of that squad as he made 27 starts last season in the league and played in all three of Villa’s play-off games. Dean Smith has the right idea as he is looking at keeping the players who formed such an understanding with each other last term. A strong defence is important for any team in the Premier League and the addition of Tuanzebe would certainly be a big help.”

James Beavis

“If Aston Villa have the chance to sign Axel Tuanzebe for £8m, Dean Smith must not wait a second longer. The 21-year-old is clearly a promising talent having come through the ranks at Manchester United, and he proved during 30 appearances on loan at Villa Park last term just how effective he can be at the back as the Midlands club secured a Premier League return. The fact that he is young and has the potential to get better means he would be something of a snip at £8m in the current volatile transfer market. A defender who knows his teammates, the demands of the manager and the passionate supporters – what’s not to like?”

Ben Goodwin

“If Aston Villa can get Tuanzebe for as little as £8m then it’s a no brainer. He knows the club inside out, has a head-start on any other potential signings in terms of building relationships with players, and is young enough to improve further under the tutelage of Dean Smith. If he becomes a fixture in the side and helps them stave off relegation for several seasons, it could be the best £8m Villa have spent in years.”

[ad_pod ]

It seems that Romelu Lukaku is having the time of his life back in Los Angeles.

Manchester United’s star striker has posted an Instagram snap from a party he attended with Memphis Depay and Jerome Boateng.

The Belgian ace captioned it with “blurry nights” followed by some emojis, which leads us to believe that the lads definitely had plenty of fun in California.

Both of the aforementioned players responded to Lukaku’s snap. Depay hinted that the pair were discussing business while spending time together and also called them “young kings”.

Boateng was less chatty so he just signed off with a single emoji sending support and love to his Red Devil friend.

And while Lukaku seems to be enjoying himself as much as he can, things are far from set in stone back in Manchester. The Belgian’s future at the club is up in the air amid reported interest from Italian giants Inter Milan.

Whether United should stick or twist is still up for debate after an underwhelming 2018/19 campaign.

He bagged 12 goals and one assist in 32 Premier League games – only one less than the team’s top scorer, Paul Pogba – but that is a modest return for a player of whom so much is expected.

[ad_pod ]

Aston Villa’s pursuit of Adam Webster seems to be quite a big saga at the moment. The Sun initially reported Villa’s interest in the player at the start of June before they went onto actually submit a bid for the centre back.

That bid, however, was rejected according to Sky Sports. Their first ploy to get him in a deal worth £12m didn’t go to plan but now they’re considering returning for the player, per The Mirror (June 27, page 65).

It looks like they may have to pay a considerable fee in order to land him though as Bristol Live have reported that his club, Bristol City, are aiming to receive £30m for his services.

Webster was crucial for the Robins last term, featuring 44 times in the Championship, scoring three goals and winning a monumental 6.4 aerial duels per game.

He was a rock at the back but it appears as though Villa could be in danger of overpaying for the 24-year-old. But what do other writers at Football FanCast make of the situation? Check out their thoughts below…

James Beavis

“Aston Villa may be a Premier League club now, but enough is enough when it comes to transfer demands like this one from Bristol City. Yes, Webster did well for Lee Johnson’s men last season, but it was the first time he has even come close to playing a full campaign at Championship level. The 24-year-old has never played in the Premier League, so for the Robins to ask for £30m for his services is quite frankly ludicrous, even in this day and age of player valuations.

“£12m was a more than fair offer for the former Portsmouth man, and with City clearly wanting more, it is time for Villa to walk away before they overpay.”

Charles Jones

“£30m should be able to land you an experienced top-level defender, not a Bristol City man who didn’t even make the Championship Team of the Season.

“Don’t get me wrong, Webster is a decent player and I’m sure he would do a job, but at that price, Villa must asses some other options. There are bargains to be found throughout Europe, and that’s where the Midlands club should probably be looking. Newcastle paid ten times less for Fabian Schar than what Villa have been quoted for Webster and he has now caught the eye of some of England’s biggest teams. Value for money deals are out there, but Webster certainly isn’t one of them.”

Jack Saville

“£30m is an obscene figure for a player with no Premier League experience and Smith would be foolish to go near that valuation. Villa clearly need to conduct major surgery on their defensive unit but they need to be shrewd in their negotiations.

“If they’re going to splash out £30m on a new defensive enforcer, they must ensure that the player is experienced and proven in one of Europe’s top five leagues. This is a massive no-go for Villa.”

[ad_pod ]

English League One side Blackpool are keen to land a deal for Rangers forward Ryan Hardie this summer, according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon.

Hardie spent a productive spell on loan at Scottish Premiership side Livingston last season, scoring seven goals in 21 top-flight appearances, showing a bit of form that suggested he could play a back-up role at Rangers.

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

The 22-year-old signed a new contract with the Gers in January, keeping him at Ibrox until the summer of 2020, but it looks like he could be on his way out of the club already.

With Steven Gerrard adding Greg Stewart to his squad during this transfer window, the Rangers attack has been further strengthened and Hardie was missing from the club’s recent pre-season trip to Portugal.

Fans are sad to hear he could be on his way, having long tracked his progress coming through the academy to spending time on various loans.

These supporters have taken to Twitter over the last 48 hours to share their thoughts…

[ad_pod ]

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has now officially confirmed the 28-man travelling squad that will make up Manchester United’s summer 2019 pre-season tour.

The Red Devils will play five tour matches during their exhibitions, starting with Perth Glory and Leeds United in Australia. After that, they will clash with Inter Milan in Singapore, Tottenham Hotspur in China and then finally AC Milan in Wales.

The squad has already left Manchester, as Jesse Lingard shared an update from the team’s plane on their way to Australia. Rivals and friends were quick to react to the attacker’s

/BzngbVEAiv1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram snap.

Kenji Gorre and Crystal Palace’s Jeffrey Schlupp were among the first ones to the scene and they were clearly impressed by the sheer quality in Lingard’s snap.

Also amongst the replies was Scott Thomas, the director of Social PR, a Manchester-based PR agency, who called the lads “ballers”.

There were plenty other players and non-football personas replying too as the squad set off for Australia, where they will open their pre-season tour with a game against Perth Glory on Saturday.

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has issued a telling update on the futures of Cedric Soares and Wesley Hoedt during an interview with BBC Radio Solent (08:20).

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Telegraph reported in June that Saints were looking to move the two players on this summer, so it was something of a surprise to see them make the 26-man squad for the pre-season trip to Austria earlier this month.

Both players actually started in the 3-1 friendly win against Preston North End on Saturday, although right-back Yan Valery, as well as centre-backs Maya Yoshida and Jannik Vestergaard, were all missing from the squad for the clash at Deepdale.

Watch Southampton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

In an interview with BBC Radio Solent, Hasenhuttl was asked whether the pair could have a future at St Mary’s, and his response was pretty clear: “I don’t want to say they have no chance to play, but for sure the challenge is a big one because of the players here who have been successful in the last months.”

On their way out?

While the Austrian was complimentary about how the duo had returned for pre-season training in good shape, his stance on their future still appeared pretty clear even if they did start in Lancashire at the weekend.

Remember when Fraser Forster was challenging for the England No. 1 spot instead of Southampton’s No. 4? We throw back to a happier time for him in the video below…

Prior to the clash against the Lilywhites, Hoedt appeared to be way down the pecking order at centre-back having been one of only two outfield players not to feature against SCR Altach, while Cedric looks to be the back-up option to Valery following his loan spell with Inter Milan in the second half of the 2018/19 campaign.

As things stand it is hard to see a way back into the side as a regular unless circumstances change dramatically, and Saints could do with getting their reported £65,000 and £60,000-a-week salaries off of their wage bill.

Cedric also only has one year remaining on his contract, so it could be the south coast outfit’s last chance in the next couple of weeks to receive a fee for him.

Given how they have both been out of favour in the past, it wouldn’t be a surprise if both are no longer Southampton players by close of play on August 8 after Hasenhuttl’s latest comments.

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Football London, Crystal Palace are vying with Premier League rivals Aston Villa for the signing of free agent striker Jonathan Afolabi, but he would be an underwhelming signing in what is a problem position for the Eagles.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 19-year-old is searching for his next club after leaving Southampton, having been unconvinced that he would be handed too many first-team opportunities at St Mary’s.

Football London report that the south London outfit have offered the Republic of Ireland U19 international a contract, although they face competition from Villa for the attacker.

Watch Crystal Palace Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The report adds that sides from Russia and Spain have also expressed an interest in the player, who may well see a realistic opportunity to break into the starting XI should he move to Selhurst Park.

Underwhelming

Given the recent records of their strikers – Christian Benteke has four goals in 50 matches in the previous two seasons, Connor Wickham has only made 42 appearances for the club in four years due to injury issues and Alexander Sorloth is yet to score a Premier League goal for them – you might have expected that a new centre-forward would be a priority for Palace this summer.

In the video below, find out which Chelsea academy prospect is reportedly being lined up to replace Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Crystal Palace…

Former loanee Michy Batshuayi made an impact with six goals in 13 games in the second half of the 2018/19 campaign, and Eagles supporters were keen to see him return on a permanent basis.

However, that doesn’t appear to be on the cards right now and while they have completed the signing of Jordan Ayew, they still don’t have a proven goal-getter in their ranks.

Dublin-born Afolabi made a grand total of zero appearances for Southampton’s first team prior to his exit, and while his record of nine goals in 36 outings for their U23 side isn’t terrible, it doesn’t exactly set the pulses racing either.

If he signs and is expected to compete with the likes of Benteke, Wickham and Ayew for a starting spot, it will be disappointing to say the least.

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

Having signed from Ituano to very little fanfare, Gabriel Martinelli has arguably been one of Arsenal’s brightest performers in pre-season.

Along with some of the Gunners’ other talented prospects, the 18-year-old has shown tantalising glimpses of the potential he possesses, and delivered another statement-making performance against Barcelona on Sunday.

The Brazilian’s cameo display was full of energy and on more than one occasion showed he has a great knack of arriving at the right time for deliveries into the box.

Despite Unai Emery’s side falling to a late defeat in their final pre-season match of the summer, Arsenal fans took to Twitter to hail Martinelli’s impressive performance.

[ad_pod ]

Many urged the Gunners to play the teenager ahead of more established first-team stars like Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and felt he is already showing that he is deserving of more opportunities.

Indeed, some simply insisted that Martinelli is a “baller” and praised his directness and willingness to get into the box to score goals.

Check out some of the reaction of Arsenal fans below:

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

Lots of Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was revealed that former West Ham goalkeeper Adrian is close to signing for the club as a replacement for Simon Mignolet, who is heading for Club Brugge.

The Spanish stopper is currently a free agent after leaving the Hammers following the end of last season, in which he made just two appearances in the FA Cup and none in the Premier League after Lukasz Fabianski’s arrival.

The Champions League winners have been forced into the market after reluctantly accepting Belgium international Mignolet’s request to leave, as he had made clear to Jurgen Klopp that he no longer wanted to be Alisson’s deputy – the Reds have recouped an initial £6m from the 31-year-old’s exit.

Adrian had some good moments during his six years with the Irons – notably knocking Everton out of the FA Cup with the winning penalty in a shootout – and should be a solid, dependable figure to rely on as No.2 behind Alisson.

Let’s take a look at how the Liverpool fans on Twitter reacted to the news…

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

Patrick Bamford was on the score-sheet as Leeds United opened their 2019-20 Championship campaign with a 3-1 victory against Bristol City last weekend.

However, the 25-year-old could not inspire his team to all three points on Sunday as Marcelo Bielsa’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Nottingham Forest.

According to WhoScored, Bamford had five shots in the clash at Elland Road but was unable to find the back of the net with Pablo Hernandez getting the goal for the hosts.

And a number of the Leeds supporters have taken to social media to criticise the striker for some wayward finishing.

There is a lot of pressure on Bamford to score the goals this season when considering that Kemar Roofe joined Anderlecht in the latter stages of the transfer window.

On-loan Arsenal attacker Eddie Nketiah has been signed to boost Bielsa’s options in the final third. However, Bamford really needs to step up and have a big season.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the club’s fans can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]