Category Uncategorized

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson has been reacting to the club’s reported interest in Aberdeen teenager Calvin Ramsay.

The Lowdown: Leeds keen on Ramsay

The Whites are yet to make a senior addition this month, with Mateo Joseph Fernandez the only player through the door at Thorp Arch for the under-23 side.

RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson is the club’s key midfield target, although Leeds have also been linked with Ramsay. The 18-year-old right-back has been a regular at Pittodrie this season, making 22 appearances, with Elland Road scouts heading north to watch him in action earlier this month.

Reports suggest that Aberdeen want in excess of £6m to part ways with the full-back this month, and Robinson has been giving his thoughts on a potential late move.

The Latest: Robinson’s comments

The 42-year-old, who regularly features as a pundit on Sky Sports, was talking to MOT Leeds News over a possible move for Ramsay.

He labelled the Aberdeen starlet as ‘quality’ but urged Leeds to strengthen in other areas before swooping for the teenager, saying:

“It’s not a lot of money but if you ask any Leeds fan if you want a right-back when you’ve got Luke Ayling, he’s been a top-class right-back for the last three or four seasons.

“Jamie Shackleton can play there, Stuart Dallas has played there. It’s not a pressing matter.

“Okay, signing good young players is always good for the club but they need a centre-half, they need a central midfielder and they need a centre-forward. They are far more pressing issues than a right-back.

“Yes, he’s a top player. Yes, he’s a quality young player who’s up and coming. But it’s not an area that Leeds fans will look at and say that’s what the team needs to improve.”

The Verdict: Spot on

As Robinson says, Victor Orta has bigger fish to fry in the final days of the January transfer window, so a move for Ramsay shouldn’t be a priority.

He could be a future star, but Leeds are well stocked in that department and also have youngster Cody Drameh gaining senior experience on loan at Cardiff City, and he could be Luke Ayling’s long-term replacement.

Orta was after a defensive and attacking midfielder this month, but at this stage it doesn’t look as if he’ll get either, with a move for Aaronson looking more likely for the summer.

He may have something up his sleeve to bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s midfield ranks, and if he does, he’ll need to act fast with Monday’s deadline fast approaching.

In other news: Leeds now open to offloading this centre-forward with ‘fast feet’ just days before January transfer window shuts

Tottenham Hotspur have had a bid accepted for Franck Kessie, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Italian outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness) claim that Spurs have reached an agreement with AC Milan over a deal for the Ivory Coast midfielder, who is out of contract in the summer.

It’s claimed that sporting director Fabio Paratici has recently made moves to sign the 25-year-old immediately, rather than waiting until the summer when no transfer fee would need to be paid.

It remains to be seen exactly how much the Lilywhites will have to pay to sign Kessie before Monday’s transfer deadline, though CIES Football Observatory currently value him at €30m (£25m).

Whilst some reports have suggested that Milan were looking for around €10m (£8.5m) to let him leave this month.

Conte needs him

This latest update should please manager Antonio Conte hugely.

As per football.london, a new central midfielder is amongst the Italian’s top three priority signings this month and that should come as no surprise as the likes of club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli are all available for an exit.

Ex-Chelsea man Gianfranco Zola alluded to this on a Premier League Productions show (23/01/22 at 7:20 pm).

“I think in midfield, they need to have more depth. Right now, he told me that he doesn’t have many players. And not many options. I think they also need a different type of player in midfield, in my opinion,” he said.

“They probably need a midfielder that can provide goals, like Eriksen used to do for them before. This is the type of player, in my opinion, they need very much.”

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-thfc-spurs-transfer-rumours-gossip-conte-paratici-levy-updates” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

Kessie is an absolute animal in the engine room and would be a player that Conte would quickly fall in love with – someone capable of providing those goals.

He is capable of influencing the game in both halves, having delivered 13 goals in the Serie A last term – a feat only bettered by Zlatan Ibrahimovic (15) – on top of averaging 1.4 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.2 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

This sort of box-to-box playing style has earned lofty comparisons to former Manchester City midfielder and Premier League champion Yaya Toure.

“I want Kessie in my team, he scores, he assists, he has personality, he has quality, he doesn’t lose the ball, he’s intelligent. I’m watching him carefully, with Roma it was devastating,” ex-Milan striker Antonio Cassano told Bobo TV (via MilanLive).

“It reminds me of the Yaya Toure of the best times. He is a different player, but in terms of impact. He is holding Milan’s midfield alone.”

Meanwhile, former Milan boss Vincenzo Montella believes the Ivorian sensation is an “extraordinary player” with “sublime intelligence” – hardly much of a surprise given his influence defensively and inside the penalty area.

If Conte badly wants a new central option, then Spurs shouldn’t look much further than Kessie and it appears they have edged ever so much closer to sealing such a move, as per the recent reports from Italy.

On the above evidence, he’s a perfect fit for the 52-year-old in north London, so Paratici and co must convince the player to move now, rather than in the summer.

AND in other news, “Spurs are on it”: Fabrizio Romano drops major transfer claim, fans will be buzzing…

تعرض ويسلي فوفانا للإصابة في مباراة فريقه تشيلسي أمام ميلان بمنافسات الجولة الثالثة لدور المجموعات في دوري أبطال أوروبا. 

وقد ظهر المدافع في فوز تشيلسي 3-0 على ميلان يوم الأربعاء على عكازين، وارتدي دعامة واقية في الركبة.

وكسرت قدم فوفانا مع ناديه السابق ليستر سيتي العام الماضي، مما أدى إلى مخاوف من تعرضه لضربة خطيرة مماثلة. إصابة فوفانا في مباراة تشيلسي وميلان 

تم إرساله لإجراء مسح لتقييم حجم المشكلة التي حدثت أثناء مطاردة مهاجم ميلان رافائيل لياو في الشوط الأول، وأجبره على الخروج بعد 38 دقيقة.

ويتنفس ويسلي فوفانا الصعداء، بعد أن علم أن إصابته الأخيرة ليست خطيرة وقد يعود في غضون 3 أسابيع فقط.

ويبدو الآن أن الضرر قد يكون محدودًا مثل التواء في ركبته، وبينما من المتوقع أن يغيب عن مباراة يوم السبت على أرضه مع ولفرهامبتون، فلن يخرج على المدى الطويل، بحسب صحيفة “ذا صن” البريطانية.

ترك زملاء فوفانا في فريق تشيلسي وهم يصلون أن إصابته لم تكن خطيرة، بعد مشاهدة المدافع يركض خارج الملعب.

بعد نشر صورة على “إنستجرام” يتعهد فيها بالعودة بشكل أقوى، استجاب رحيم ستيرلنج وماسون ماونت وتريفوه شالوباه برموز تعبيرية من القلب والصلاة.

كانت هناك مخاوف من أن إصابة فوفانا كانت خطيرة عندما بدا المدافع في البكاء وهو يشق طريقه خارج الملعب.

ثم شوهد التوقيع الصيفي الذي تبلغ قيمته 70 مليون جنيه إسترليني وهو يسير مع عكازين أثناء مغادرته الملعب.

سجل فيل فودين هدف مانشستر سيتي الرابع في مرمى مانشستر يونايتد بالمباراة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن الجولة التاسعة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

مانشستر سيتي يستضيف مانشستر يونايتد، وفي شوط واحد فقط، أكرمه برباعية عن طريق فيل فودين (هدفين) وهالاند (هدفين).

طالع أيضًا.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي بعد ثنائية هالاند أمام مانشستر يونايتد

فودين مثلما سجل الأول، سجل الرابع، بعرضية من إيرلينج هالاند على القائم البعيد، حوّلها في مرمى دي خيا عند الدقيقة 44. هدف فيل فودين الرابع لـ مانشستر سيتي ضد مانشستر يونايتد

West Brom welcome Reading to The Hawthorns this afternoon and will be hoping to take all three points to close the gap to second-placed Bournemouth.

Valerien Ismael’s men could be just three points behind the automatic promotion places if the Cherries lose today to Blackburn Rovers, so it is vital for Albion to go into this game all guns blazing. However, there could be a setback after Ismael revealed some concerning news in his press conference which will leave Baggies fans gutted.

The pandemic has been on the rise in the football leagues. Both Championship and Premier League clubs have been experiencing higher rates of infection in the last month, and now it seems that the West Brom camp has been hit too.

Ismael revealed the extent of the Baggies’ viral outbreak last night, telling the press: “We’ve got two positive cases and possibly a third one”, and adding that “two players will miss the game”.

The names of those who have contracted the virus have not been revealed, but we will surely see if any of the first team is affected when the line up is revealed this afternoon, and the West Brom manager will be hoping that it won’t unduly affect their chances of winning today.

This fresh blow to the squad will see the club needing to indulge in some damage control to ensure that the affected players haven’t infected others, causing a huge outbreak which couldn’t come at a more vulnerable time for the Baggies.

West Brom could be without eight players today, with a number of injuries also affecting the squad after Matt Phillips was written off for the upcoming clash at The Hawthorns, alongside Dara O’Shea, Ken Zohore and Kean Bryan, who remain sidelined without any certainty as to when they will return.

Ismael will already be working hard to keep his side in sight of a promotion place at the top of the Championship, but this latest setback with the viral outbreak could put a spanner in the works ahead of the January transfer window.

In other news: Ismael must secure this Premier League signing for Albion

MatériaMais Notícias

Num raro contato com jornalistas, ontem, Marco Polo Del Nero disse que está avaliando se irá ou não ao Mundial da Rússia no ano que vem. Exilado dentro do seu próprio país, com medo de cruzar as fronteiras, ser preso e acabar como Marin nas mãos da Justiça americana, o presidente da CBF ainda faz piada com coisa séria: “Está tão bom comigo aqui e o Brasil ganhando. Se eu for e o Brasil perder, vão dizer que sou pé frio.”

RelacionadasSeleção BrasileiraDel Nero reduz blindagem e até brinca sobre ausência em viagens: ‘Se for e perder, vão dizer que sou pé frio’Seleção Brasileira24/10/2017Parceiro – MSNMenos CBF e mais clubes, pelo bem do nosso futebolParceiro – MSN23/10/2017Seleção BrasileiraCom a Copa mais perto, Tite reduz leque e testes na SeleçãoSeleção Brasileira20/10/2017

Brincadeira de mau gosto. O Brasil já perdeu com ele. E muito. Ter no comando a CBF um cidadão investigado, envolvido no que de mais escabroso existe no submundo do futebol, já é uma derrota. Uma derrota moral e política, já que cada vez menos o país se impõe nos fóruns internacionais de decisões do esporte.

Aliás, salvo engano, Del Nero é o único dos citados nos escândalos da FIFA e da venda de direitos de TV que continua a exercer funções de mando numa confederação. Todos os demais se demitiram ou foram afastados. Pode até ser uma vitória para ele – que na entrevista de ontem classificou como “assunto pessoal” as acusações que vem sofrendo, como se a opinião pública e o futebol brasileiro nada tivessem a ver com isso. Mas é uma vergonha, que não é alheia, para o país e cada um de nós.

Manchester United are reportedly one of several sides eyeing up a move for Rennes midfielder Lovro Majer as the January transfer window fast approaches.

What’s the story?

According to French outlet Homme du Match (as relayed by the Daily Mirror), United are keen to secure the 23-year-old’s services over the coming months, although fellow Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur are currently at the front of the queue.

The report states that: “According to our information, the most interested club is Tottenham who have already placed the player at the top of their list of priorities for next season.

“Other clubs are also interested in the image of Manchester United or Bayern Munich, making it difficult to retain the player for many seasons at Rennes.”

Rangnick’s next Sabitzer

If the United hierarchy are able to secure Majer’s signature over the winter, then they could land Rangnick his next Marcel Sabitzer after the pair worked together during their time at Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig.

The Croatia international is in the mould of Sabitzer, now at Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, with the pair both able to unlock opposition defences with dangerous dribbles and perfectly-weighted through balls. The Bayern midfielder is mesmeric, bagging 13 times and supplying 11 in 77 outings under the new United boss.

Despite only arriving at the Roazhon Park last summer, Majer has already established himself as one of the most promising prospects in Ligue 1.

In his 23 appearances for his former and new employers this term, the £11.7m-rated magician has bagged six goals and provided a further six assists for his teammates, playing a pivotal part in their rise to second place in the top-flight table.

Majer’s outstanding exploits for Rennes have caught the eye of several impressed onlookers, including talent scout Jacek Kulig, who dubbed him “phenomenal” after enjoying a stellar run of form throughout November.

With Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba all out of contract next summer, Rangnick could be forced into the transfer market for a new attacking midfielder, and Majer, who has 38 career goals, appears to be an ideal replacement.

Only time will tell if Red Devils are able to secure the youngster’s signature, but it’s a deal that could get the 20-time English champions back on track.

And, in other news…Rangnick can become instant hit at Man Utd by signing “complete” £45m-rated “machine”

Leeds United are preparing an offer for Ajax right-back Noussair Mazraoui, according to The Sun.

The Lowdown: Mazraoui profiled

Mazraoui is 24 years of age and has progressed through Ajax’s youth system, spending time alongside Leeds colossus Pascal Struijk before the centre-back moved to Yorkshire.

The Morocco international, sponsored by Leeds’ partners Adidas, has made 118 appearances for the Dutch giants, with four of his nine senior goals coming this season.

Mazraoui can also play as a central or defensive midfielder and is out of contract at the end of the season, meaning Leeds could look at a cut-price move in January.

The Latest: Preparing offer

The Sun shared a story on Tuesday afternoon, suggesting Leeds have joined the race for Mazraoui’s services, with Arsenal and Roma also keen.

They claim that Victor Orta and co are preparing an offer to land the 24-year-old, who has hired super-agent Mino Raiola to help with his next move.

The Verdict: Smart option?

Mazraoui has been described as a player with plenty of pace, and so it seems as if he is a player who would fit perfectly into Marcelo Bielsa’s high-intensity style of play.

The full-back has contributed to seven goals during the current campaign from right-back and would also be able to provide cover in midfield – Bielsa has shown to be a fan of this sort of versatility, just look at Stuart Dallas.

He has plenty of Champions League experience for Ajax, and with Leeds looking to challenge for European football within two or three years, Mazraoui could be the calibre of player the club needs to go to the next level.

In other news: Third Leeds man may now return from injury v Spurs as source shares update. 

A major update has emerged on Frank Lampard, regarding a potential move to Rangers to take over at Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

According to Record Sport, the Gers held talks with the 43-year-old over a potential deal and have now settled on a short-list of three candidates, which does not feature his name.

The report claims that the discussions with Lampard were brief, whilst he also reportedly spoke with Norwich prior to their appointment of Dean Smith earlier this week.

Delighted

It had recently been reported that Rangers were not looking at Lampard at all, but this update reveals that the club were considering a deal for him at one point and went as far as holding talks with the ex-Derby County head coach since Steven Gerrard’s departure.

Gers fans will be delighted that Ross Wilson ultimately made the decision not to progress the talks further, as he could have been a poor appointment by the club. Wilson made a big call to axe Lampard from the running and is now eyeing three other candidates and that could benefit them in the long run, as the 43-year-old’s C.V is unimpressive.

He finished sixth in the Championship in his first season with Derby, despite xG suggesting they should have finished 18th. Lampard was then handed the Chelsea job and finished fourth in his debut campaign before being sacked 19 Premier League games into the next term.

Following his exit from Stamford Bridge, Italian midfielder Jorginho provided a damning assessment on why he failed in the role. He said:

“Look, I’ll be really sincere here on Lampard. I believe, given he was a legend at the club, he skipped some steps necessary for learning before moving to a big club.

“He came to a club where he is a legend, without having experience at other clubs. I think he came too soon, skipped a few steps ahead and wasn’t ready for a job at this level, to be honest.”

This provides an insight from a player who worked under Lampard for 18 months and shows why fans will be delighted that Wilson has opted against bringing him to Ibrox. He has not won a single trophy as a manager and his dismal xG statistics at Derby, followed by his sacking at Chelsea, suggest that he has had an underwhelming coaching career to date.

Therefore, Rangers fans will be happy that he will not be coming to Glasgow to potentially fail in a third job, with Wilson now looking at other candidates.

AND in other news, Time’s up: GVB could become an instant hit at Rangers by axing £1.8m-rated dud…

Leeds United have sold some terrific players in the modern era as the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Jonathan Woodgate, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Robbie Keane have sealed big-money moves away from Elland Road.

In and amongst their most expensive departures, however, is a player they sold whilst competing in the Championship – Chris Wood.

The New Zealand international left Leeds to join Burnley for roughly £14.7m in the summer of 2017, as Leeds missed out on the play-offs in the second tier. This remains the club’s third-most expensive sale in history, with Hasselbaink (£15.03m) and Ferdinand (£41.4m) the only players ahead of him in that regard.

He was sold for more than the likes of Keane, Robbie Fowler, Alan Smith, Harry Kewell and Fabian Delph. How did Wood get to that point, though?

The current £50k-per-week colossus was snapped up from Leicester by Leeds in the summer of 2015 for a reported fee of £3.2m. This was a gamble by the club as he was coming off the back of scoring one goal in seven Premier League games for the Foxes. He also failed to beat the goalkeeper in the Championship during eight matches on loan at Ipswich.

That risk paid off for Leeds, however, who ended up playing a blinder in the transfer market. He enjoyed a solid first campaign at Elland Road as he found the back of the net 17 times in all competitions, including 13 in the Championship, showing signs of promise as a young centre-forward.

Wood then exploded onto the scene in the 2016/17 season as he set the second-tier alight for the Whites. He averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.0 as he scored a phenomenal 27 goals, whilst also providing four assists, in 41 starts.

His sensational form in the Championship led to Burnley paying £14.7m for him at the end of that campaign, which meant that Leeds made a cool £11.5m profit in two years on the striker. Whilst this is a masterstroke from the club in its own right, what followed on from it proves that they played a blinder.

12 months on from the sale of Wood, Leeds signed Patrick Bamford from Middlesbrough for £7.11m. The ex-Chelsea man scored 16 goals in the club’s 2019/20 promotion campaign before firing in 17 top-flight goals for Marcelo Bielsa last term, proving himself to be a consistent scorer at the top level. Since then, he’s also earned his first cap for England too.

In four full seasons for Burnley in the Premier League, Wood, who was hailed as “first-class” by Peter Crouch, scored 10, 10, 14 and 12 goals in his four seasons at the Clarets. This suggests, purely based on goalscoring, that Leeds ended up being better off by making a huge profit on Wood and then replacing him with Bamford.

Since becoming one of Bielsa’s biggest projects, he has topped the Kiwi’s top-scoring Premier League season.

AND in other news, Leeds gem with 66.6% dribble rate stole the show on Sunday, he eclipsed £54m-rated ace…