All posts by n8rngtd.top

West Ham United have submitted a bid for Eintracht Frankfurt winger Filip Kostic.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter to share news of the Irons’ approach for the Serbia international.

The Italian tweeted: “West Ham are working on both Filip Kostic and Gianluca Scamacca deals as they share the same agent. Talks ongoing, bid submitted – waiting to reach agreements.”

It would be a massive coup

West Ham captured the imagination of many onlookers last season during their run to the Europa League semi-finals, where they were beaten by eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt.

One man who was instrumental in the German club’s run to the final was wing-back Kostic, who was a constant threat down the left flank.

His invasive runs and pinpoint deliveries were indicative of a player who had previously played as a winger but has since been excelling in a slightly deeper role.

For David Moyes, he could finally provide some much-needed competition for Aaron Cresswell, whilst also covering several other positions due to his 43 times last season for Frankfurt, offering 22 goal contributions in all competitions.

Whilst his team finished comfortably mid-table in the Bundesliga, their European run was the stuff of dreams, as they batted aside Barcelona and Rangers to become only the third club to win the Europa League without losing a single game.

His average SofaScore rating of 7.25 in the Bundesliga and 7.33 in the Europa League was the highest amongst his team-mates in both competitions. He is an outstanding performer and would no doubt take the Premier League by storm, going by those metrics.

Indeed, only Thomas Muller and Lionel Messi have registered more assists than Kostic’s 44 in Europe’s top five leagues since August 2018.

It is therefore unsurprising to see him labelled “phenomenal” by journalist Ryan Taylor, as the 29-year-old ranks in the 99th percentile for shot-creating actions, total shots and assists per 90, and in the 98th percentile for progressive passes received. His offensive threat is often unstoppable.

He would likely be a huge coup for West Ham, and Moyes should do everything that he can to get the Serbian to the London Stadium, but this time in a claret and blue shirt.

AND in other news – “The club are…” – ExWHUEmployee shares worrying West Ham update, supporters will be gutted

West Ham United are now eyeing a move for Hoffenheim left-back David Raum as The Times share a significant transfer update out of east London.

The Lowdown: Hammers in hunt…

As per reliable reports, manager David Moyes and the Hammers hierarchy have adopted a scattergun approach to this summer window as they remain in discussions with a number of players.

Journalist Jacque Talbot recently claimed that Gianluca Scamacca, Armando Broja and Amadou Onana are all in simultaneous talks with West Ham and reports have also emerged over Jesse Lingard in the last few days.

Amid this plethora of transfer activity, Moyes apparently wants to reinforce the left-back position too.

The Latest: West Ham hold Raum talks…

Big name newspaper outlet The Times, sharing news in the last 48 hours, have made a claim involving Bundesliga standout Raum.

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Indeed, according to their sources, West Ham have ‘held talks’ over signing the Hoffenheim star as a possible long-term successor to Aaron Cresswell at full-back.

However, GSB and co may have to significantly invest given Raum is valued at around £33 million by his club.

The Verdict: Get it done…

As explained by German football expert Stefan Bienkowski, the 24-year-old has ‘become one of the best wing-backs in the Bundesliga’ and there is currently ‘a lot of hype’ about his abilities.

Taking this into account, £33m could even be seen as a steal for a player who’s been capped by Germany and would come with such a glowing reputation, racking up 11 Bundesliga assists last season.

As Cresswell approaches the twilight phase of his career, it is clear that Raum stands out as a serious candidate to succeed the Englishman.

A huge update has emerged regarding Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Djed Spence in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has revealed that Spurs are now closing in on a deal for the England under-21 international after discussions with Middlesbrough.

He tweeted: “Tottenham on the verge of total agreement with Middlesbrough to sign Djed Spence. Talks between Daniel Levy, Steve Gibson, player rep Scott Smith have produced a breakthrough. If all goes to plan medical expected in next 48hrs.”

Fabrizio Romano later added to the story, tweeting: “Tottenham are set to complete Djed Spence deal, confirmed and here we go! He’s gonna sign a five year deal, medical tests ready – final details discussed now & contracts being prepared. #THFC Fee will be £12.5m guaranteed plus add ons, total package will be just under £20m.”

Antonio Conte will be delighted

The Spurs head coach will be delighted by this latest development, as Spence would be an exciting addition to his squad for the 2022/23 campaign.

At the age of 21, the full-back is a player who can make an impact in the short run and the long-term for Tottenham. He played 42 games in the Championship on loan at Forest, producing two goals and four assists in that time as he showcased his attacking quality.

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His potential was illustrated by ITV pundit Ian Wright, who said: “If we are talking about right-backs performing at an unbelievable level, we’re talking about Reece James and Trent, but I have not seen a combative, technical, swashbuckling performance like that for a very long time.

“I said to him, in all seriousness, ‘That level we saw there? You should be in the Premier League.’ Simple as that.”

These comments suggest that Spence has the ability to put in an elite wing-back performance, although it is up to him to develop and prove that he can do it week in, week out to be on the same level as the likes of James and Alexander-Arnold.

Spence has the scope to become a full-back capable of making a big impact at the top end of the pitch, scoring and creating goals for the team.

He has plenty of years left ahead of him to hone his skills and build his consistency over time as he gains experience playing in the Premier League. The gem is a player who can benefit from Conte’s coaching and learn from the likes of Ivan Perisic, who is a vastly experienced winger/wing-back in Europe.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano delivers frustrating Spurs update that’ll leave Conte & Levy fuming…

Tottenham Hotspur are now keen on a move for Pervis Estupinan…

What’s the word?

According to El Periodico Mediterraneo (via Sport Witness), the north London outfit are targeting the Villarreal left-back and have even made contact with his representatives over a potential move.

It’s thought that manager Antonio Conte has made Sergio Reguilon available for transfer this summer and that he sees the Ecuador international as a viable replacement.

The 24-year-old, who is valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, was once on the books at Watford, though he never made a senior appearance for the former Premier League side.

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Emerson 2.0

It would be an interesting move from Spurs if they were to ship Reguilon out in favour of Estupinan, who may not even be an upgrade on the Spaniard. Last summer’s arrival of Emerson Royal should be enough to put the Lilywhites off completing this deal.

The ex-Barcelona full-back has struggled to adapt to life in England, leading to major concerns about his ability. According to The Times back in January, the Italian head coach wanted to sign a new right wing-back because of Emerson’s poor qualities in the final third.

There are some similarities to be had with the Yellow Submarines star, as he has struggled to influence the game further up the pitch – as per FBref, the 24-year-old dynamo has some of the worst attacking returns compared to his positional peers.

He ranks outside the top 70% of full-backs for shot-creating actions, averaging 1.34 per 90, and also ranks outside the top 70% for assists per 90, too.

Elsewhere, even former Spurs liability Serge Aurier (6.53) registered a better average WhoScored rating for the Yellow Submarines than Estupinan (6.52), who ranked 20th from all of Unai Emery’s players for the 2021/22 campaign.

Despite being lauded as “one of the best left-backs in LaLiga” and “underrated” by scout Jacek Kulig, it seems as if the former Hornets man would be something of a big risk to take this transfer window.

Spurs already know what they get with Reguilon and aside from some injury concerns, he is a pretty solid alternative to Ivan Perisic.

Given their track record with signings from the Spanish top-flight under the current regime, it would be wise for sporting director Fabio Paratici and Conte to swerve this deal.

Otherwise, they risk signing another Emerson and that’s surely a recipe for disaster at Hotspur Way.

AND in other news, Sky Sports drop exciting Spurs transfer update…

Newcastle United have seen several new players make moves to St. James’ Park in the January transfer window and the early stages of the summer market.

One figure that joined Eddie Howe’s ranks back in January that didn’t take long to become a big hit at the Tyneside club is Kieran Trippier.

Signed from Atletico Madrid in a deal worth £12m, the right-back scored two goals in his first four Premier League appearances for the Toon.

Unfortunately, the Englishman picked up an injury that kept him out of action until May, when he was then able to make two appearances before the end of the campaign.

In fact, with an overall performance rating of 7.38/10 from WhoScored, the England international ended the season as Newcastle’s highest-rated player.

With next season in mind, one player that the Toon could look to bring in this summer that would give Howe the chance to create a formidable duo on the right-hand side of the pitch is PSV Eindhoven winger Noni Madueke.

Last month, it was reported that Newcastle are one of the clubs in the top division with an eye on signing the attacker.

After spending time in the youth ranks of both Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur, the Englishman joined PSV back in the 2018 summer transfer window.

With 114 appearances for the Dutch club across their senior and youth sides, the 20-year-old has scored 36 goals and supplied 27 assists along the way.

In 34 appearances last season, Madueke found the net nine times and delivered six assists, all of which came whilst playing on the right-wing.

To further highlight what sort of player he is and what he’d be able to offer Howe on the pitch, former PSV midfielder Tommie van de Leegte had this to say about the youngster. “He’s fast and has the capability to trick his opponent. He brings creativity and is very explosive in his actions.”

This shows how a right-hand side duo of Trippier and the England youth international could be a deadly force for Newcastle.

Having already been linked with a £20m return to England last summer, Madueke would surely be a fine addition to Newcastle’s ranks.

AND in other news: Howe can land huge Almiron upgrade with Newcastle bid for “fearless” £18m-rated target

Everton correspondent Chris Smith has now revealed some interesting transfer news on Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura.

The Lowdown: Richarlison swap

As per The Daily Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur had offered the Goodison Park outfit £20m plus Bergwijn for Richarlison, which was rejected.

Moura and Harry Winks were also thought to be players who Spurs were open to including in a deal to sign the Brazil international, but the Merseyside club got straight cash in the end.

The Latest: Driven by Tottenham

Taking to Twitter, Smith of 90min has now revealed that the links to both Bergwijn and Moura were driven more by the Lilywhites, and the Toffees are looking to replace Richarlison quickly but have never considered trade offers:

“Also, to add, I’m told the links to Steven Bergwijn/Lucas Moura were always driven more by the Spurs side. They wanted to bring down the Richarlison fee & reduce their wages ahead of his arrival.

“Everton looking to replace Richarlison fast but never considered trades. Only cash.”

The Verdict: Interesting

It is certainly interesting to hear that Frank Lampard’s team would not consider trade offers for Richarlison, especially given that they were offered the chance to sign Bergwijn and Moura.

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The pair managed five goals and seven assists in the Premier League between them last season, despite often being left out of the side to accommodate Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min and Dejan Kulusevski (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, if the Blues want to sign either, it looks as if it will be another cash-only deal, and with confirmation that James Tarkowski has officially signed, they can now move on to attacking targets.

Liverpool were linked to a move for Otavio this summer with a bid expected this week from the club, however, a new update has now emerged from a reliable source on the rumour.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has now revealed there have been no negotiations to sign the Porto midfielder or Georginio Wijnaldum this summer.

Romano tweeted: “Both Liverpool and Porto deny all the stories about Otavio deal. There are no negotiations ongoing – also, the release clause is €40m and not €60m. Otavio and Wijnaldum are not in the list for Liverpool as things stand – still long market, but no talks for these two.”

Supporters will be gutted

There is no doubt that supporters will be gutted that Liverpool don’t seem to be closer to making a midfielder signing this summer, as the centre of the pitch was reported as a priority area that the club wanted to address this summer.

Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and James Milner are all now in their 30s, so signing new midfielders to come in to progress gradually in the team to take over in the midfield of the future is something that could do with being looked at this summer.

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With both Wijnaldum and Otavio off the cards as it stands, it is looking likely that the powers at Anfield are planning to hold out for Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham – who Liverpool are reportedly confident about signing this time next year.

It remains to be seen if the Reds will compete at the same outstanding level they did last season, winning both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, getting to their third Champions League final under Klopp and taking the title race down to the last day of the Premier League campaign, playing every game they possibly could.

Losing Sadio Mane is a big blow for Liverpool, alongside Divock Origi and Taki Minamino, who will both also leave the club this summer, while there are also reports that FSG are considering the sale of Mohamed Salah this summer after making no progress in contract negotiations.

However, despite Liverpool’s lack of progression with a midfielder so far, the window has only been open for almost three weeks and there is still plenty of time for things to change – and FSG will need to make a decision on whether they believe the current team and new additions are enough to continue to compete.

AND in other news: FSG submit Liverpool bid for £27m-rated “phenomenon”, he can be Klopp’s next Salah

Journalist Jacque Talbot has now shared the news that ‘meetings’ have taken place with Newcastle United over the potential signing of Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Luka Sucic.

The Lowdown: January transfer talks

Talbot revealed earlier this month that the St James’ Park club were actively pursuing a deal for the 19-year-old, with their interest in him dating back to last year.

There were talks raised over the possibility of signing the Croatian teenager in the January transfer window, but a move never materialised in the end.

The Latest: Talbot update on Sucic

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Talbot has now shared that it has ‘gone a bit cold’ on the Sucic front for Newcastle, after ‘meetings’ took place over his potential signing.

The reporter outlined: “It’s gone a bit cold to be honest. I was told they had meetings with him and had him on the list. They wanted to bring him in. For Eddie Howe, one of the positions he wants to fill is a central midfielder who’s quite young, can come in quite cheap and be able to help build.”

The Verdict: It’s a pity

It is a shame that Newcastle’s interest in Sucic seems to have cooled, given what he could offer to Eddie Howe’s team.

The 19-year-old has ‘big potential’ according to Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch, who managed him in Austria, and those words are evidenced by the youngster’s total of 11 goals and five assists from midfield for Salzburg in all competitions last season (Transfermarkt).

Sucic can play pretty much anywhere in the middle of the park (Transfermarkt), with the 6 foot 1 powerhouse averaging one chance created and 1.6 tackles per match in the Champions League last term (SofaScore), showing that he can perform consistently at the highest level.

Nonetheless, the Magpies may now have to look at other targets, unless a breakthrough emerges with the Croatian.

In other news, find out which ‘supernatural’ speedster is now of interest to NUFC

An update has emerged on Tottenham and their pursuit of Djed Spence in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Spurs are set to enter negotiations with Middlesbrough over a deal for the full-back later this month.

The Italian reporter has also stressed that Fabio Paratici has prioritised two positions after landing Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster and Yves Bissouma already this summer.

He Tweeted: “Djed Spence deal. No negotiations this weekend, Tottenham are really interested since March but still no official bid, new direct contacts expected next week. Right back* and centre back, two priority for Spurs on the market.”

Antonio Conte will be delighted

The Italian head coach will be delighted with this news for multiple reasons.

Firstly, he will be buzzing with Paratici’s prospective swoop to sign Spence as the defender is a promising young talent with the potential to make an impact in the first-team at wing-back next season.

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Ex-Premier League forward Ian Wright compared him to some of the best full-backs in the top-flight last season, saying: “If we are talking about right-backs performing at an unbelievable level, we’re talking about Reece James and Trent, but I have not seen a combative, technical, swashbuckling performance like that for a very long time.

“I said to him, in all seriousness, ‘That level we saw there? You should be in the Premier League.’ Simple as that.”

In the Championship, the 21-year-old chipped in with two goals and four assists in 42 starts on loan at Nottingham Forest – creating six ‘big chances’ for his teammates in total. This shows that he has the attacking quality to burst forward from defence to make an impact in the final third, which suggests that he would suit a wing-back role in Conte’s 3-4-3 system.

Therefore, the Italian manager will be delighted by the prospect of having the England U21 international available to him next season.

The head coach will also be pleased by this update from Romano as it shows that Paratici is hard at work and looking to get all of the club’s business done early. Despite signing three players already, the Spurs chief is prioritising other areas and plotting moves to improve the team.

This will leave Conte delighted as it will, hopefully, give him plenty of time in pre-season to bed players in and get them ready for the 2022/23 campaign.

AND in other news, Conte can axe £80k-p/w “nightmare” as Spurs plot bid for £50m gem who “rarely misses”…

Manchester United are eyeing a deal for Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski as Erik ten Hag aims to boost his attacking options.

With plenty of areas on the pitch that needs improving, it’s arguably the attacking third that needs bolstered the most.

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Cristiano Ronaldo was the only United forward to score more than ten goals last season (24) and this is what contributed to the side finishing in sixth place in the Premier League. The overreliance on Ronaldo is something that needs changed going into next season, with the club only winning one match while he wasn’t in the squad.

This problem could soon be solved, with the Sun reporting that Man United have joined the race to sign Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski this summer, but this will depend on Barcelona and their interest in the player.

The German heavyweights are demanding a fee of up to €80m (£68m) and this shouldn’t be much of a problem for the club.

Judging by his goalscoring record over the previous few seasons, it could well turn out to be a bargain, especially if he can settle into life in the Premier League.

The superlatives don’t do the player enough justice, he has been dubbed “extraordinary” by Tony Cascarino and “world-class” by former Borussia Dortmund manager Marco Rose.

He could certainly have the same impact as Ronaldo did when he joined last season and Ten Hag urgently needs goals, and to make a signing which would signal a statement of intent.

In 44 Bundesliga and Champions League matches last season, the Pole scored a staggering 48 times, double the number of Ronaldo.

The 33-year-old wants to leave Bayern this summer, despite having a year left on his current contract and Barcelona remains the favourites to secure the services of the striker.

If, and it’s a big if, Ten Hag can somehow pull off the move, it would surely rejuvenate the squad and get Old Trafford rocking again.

AND in other news, MUFC now in talks to sign £51m-rated “incredible talent”, he’s a huge Rashford upgrade…