All posts by h716a5.icu

Aston Villa have been busy in the summer transfer window as they have brought in four signings to bolster the squad.

Boubacar Kamara, Diego Carlos, Robin Olsen, and Philippe Coutinho have all put pen to paper on permanent contracts with the club – after the latter two spent time on loan at Villa Park last term.

Steven Gerrard may not be done yet, though, as he continues to look for ways to improve his team with a view to finishing as high up in the Premier League as possible.

The head coach may want further reinforcements and could look to the attack to freshen up the XI – bringing in a gem to complement the likes of Ollie Watkins, Coutinho, and Emi Buendia.

One player who has been touted with a switch to the Midlands this summer is Rangers winger Ryan Kent and the club must now snap him up before the end of the window.

Gerrard previously labelled Kent “a constant threat” during his time managing the club and it was once claimed on Sky Sports’ YouTube channel that he is “the Mbappe of Scottish football” and he can now be the Villa boss’ own version of the Frenchman next season.

Like the PSG superstar, Kent is a right-footed forward who can play on the left – cutting in on his right foot – or through the middle as a striker. He is a dynamic and versatile forward and he has shown that he can both score and assist goals.

In the 2021/22 campaign, he produced three goals and 20 assists in all competitions for the Light Blues. The season before that, Kent managed 11 goals and 13 assists for Gerrard – showing that he does have the potential to make a big impact in the final third on a regular basis.

Whilst he may not come to the Premier League and deliver 28 goals and 17 assists (Mbappe’s 2021/22 Ligue 1 return), the Rangers man could chip in at the top end of the pitch to take some of the goalscoring burdens away from the natural number nines.

The £18k-per-week wizard also has time on his side to develop further, at the age of 25. He can, therefore, be an asset in the short and long-term for Villa, with Gerrard having already proven that he can bring the best out of the attacker.

Now, imagine Kent flying down the wing and cutting inside to score and create Premier League goals in Mbappe-esque fashion.

AND in other news, “I’m told..” Transfer insider drops big AVFC claim that’ll leave supporters excited…

Everton are ready to battle with several Premier League clubs for the signing of Chelsea’s young talisman Armando Broja.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sky Sports News, who claim that the Toffees have made an approach to sign the forward this summer.

Breaking the news live on air, they reported: “Everton are another of the clubs that have approached Chelsea in terms of signing the striker Armando Broja. Chelsea want to assess Broja in pre-season before making a decision on his future. West Ham are one club that approached Chelsea last month – they remain interested, as do Newcastle.”

Previous reports have claimed he could cost in the region of a whopping £58m.

Imagine him and DCL

With Richarlison having just left Everton for Tottenham Hotspur, perhaps Frank Lampard could employ a slight shift in formation to allow two strikers to play up front together.

Broja and Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a partnership that would certainly frighten Premier League defences, with their respective blistering speed and aerial prowess.

Last season the Albania international notched up six Premier League goals whilst on loan at Southampton, but impressed due to his willingness to run the channels and press defenders.

His huge frame made him a handful for defenders and afforded his other attackers more space to create. What is slightly more important is the fact he managed 33 league games, whereas Calvert-Lewin only managed 17 due to his injury-ridden season.

If the latter can find fitness then Lampard will be delighted, but if not at least he will have a central striker that he can rely upon to be available and shares many of the qualities the 25-year-old possesses.

One thing that the two do share and excel in is their aerial duels, as the England international ranks in the 95th percentile for aerials won.

Broja ranks in the 85th percentile, meaning that if a decent delivery was to be stuck in, there’s a good chance one of these two would meet it.

The 20-year-old’s surprise emergence last season led former Italy international Sergio Porrini to say the following about his talents: “From last year to this he has grown a lot and at Southampton he has exploded.

“His greatest qualities are in his progression, especially the ball and chain. . Less good on the other hand with his back to the goal, in the construction of the action, but in the spaces it is devastating.”

These two strikers could form an overwhelming strike partnership that would bully Premier League defences, if Lampard is only willing to experiment with his system and take the risk on this relatively unproven talent.

AND, in other news: Thelwell plotting bid for “massive” £13m Everton target, just imagine him & Gallagher.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their attempts to improve the squad at Ibrox in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, Rangers are plotting a bid to snap up forward Malik Tillman ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that the player is open to the idea of making the switch to Scotland because of the prospect of regular first-team football.

It is stated that the Gers are attempting to securee a permanent deal to sign him, although it remains to be seen how much Bayern Munich would want for him.

Gio van Bronckhorst’s Roberto Firmino

Rangers can land the Dutch head coach his own version of Liverpool false nine Roberto Firmino by signing Tillman this summer.

The 20-year-old predator is a promising young talent who has shown plenty of promise in his short career so far and could be an excellent signing for the club.

In the 2019/20 campaign, he produced 16 goals and nine assists in nine outings for Bayern’s U19 team. He also scored six goals for Germany’s youth sides before committing his international future to the USA.

His efforts at youth level for club and country led to talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbing him a “very interesting” attacker and seven first-team outings for Bayern – scoring one goal.

Kulig previously listed his strengths as “pace, finishing, dribbling, off the ball movement, creativity, technique” and compared his style of play to that of Firmino’s.

Across first-team and youth level for Bayern, he has scored 42 goals and provided 25 assists – to go along with his six strikes at international level. This suggests that he has the potential to score and assist goals from a false nine position, just like Firmino has over the years for Liverpool.

The Brazil international has scored 98 goals and set up 74 for the Reds since arriving in England and won the Champions League and Premier League along the way.

He has been able to achieve success with Jurgen Klopp’s side at the pinnacle of club football, making a big impact in the final third along the way, and Rangers now have an opportunity to sign their own version of him.

Tillman is a player with huge potential, as evidenced by his statistics and Kulig’s scout report, meaning he is a player worth taking a gamble on as he could develop into someone who can score and assist on a regular basis in the future.

AND in other news, Rangers in talks to seal “electrifying” deal that’ll leave van Bronckhorst delighted…

The Northern Echo journalist Scott Wilson has now revealed some transfer news on Sunderland target Jack Rudoni.

The Lowdown: Bids made

It had been reported that the Stadium of Light outfit had made bids for Rudoni, but Huddersfield Town, Bristol City and Blackpool were also in the race to sign the AFC Wimbledon midfield player.

He enjoyed a standout season with the Dons, scoring 12 goals and making a further seven assists in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt), and was voted as their Player of the Year (POTY).

The Latest: Huddersfield bound

Taking to Twitter, Wilson has revealed that Rudoni is now heading to Huddersfield, in what is a ‘blow’ to Alex Neil’s side:

“Blow for SAFC as Jack Rudoni heads to Huddersfield. Four-year deal in the pipeline. Around £600,000 up front, with total deal potentially worth around £1m. Black Cats had two earlier bids turned down…”

The Verdict: Shame

It is a shame that the Wearside club have missed out on signing Rudoni to one of their rivals in the Championship.

Dubbed an ‘excellent‘ player by former Dons boss Mark Robinson, his 19 goal contributions were more than any Black Cats midfielder managed last term, which is impressive considering that he was playing for a relegated team.

Nonetheless, Rudoni is only 21 years of age, and so has the potential to develop into one of the Championship’s best midfielders, should he get off to a good start at the Terriers.

All in all, SAFC will be disappointed that they have missed out on this deal.

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United and their plans for the rest of the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Northern Echo journalist Scott Wilson has revealed that the Magpies are preparing to table offers for multiple targets as they look to improve their options in the wide areas.

He tweeted: “TRANSFER LATEST: NUFC ready to bid for three different Premier League targets – Jack Harrison, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes – but none currently fall within their price range and, at this stage, their respective clubs are in no mood to budge…”

The reporter then added: “Ideally, they want a wide attacker for about £25m. That’s roughly where they value all three of those players. The problem, of course, is that Leeds, Everton and Leicester think different!”

Supporters will be excited

This claim will surely leave supporters feeling excited as it suggests that the club are now at a stage where they are ready to start making serious moves to bolster their attack.

Newcastle are yet to sign a forward player in the window and this update confirms that they have now identified their targets and are willing to make firm offers for them.

Whilst Leeds, Everton and Leicester are holding firm at this moment in time, the situation may change once the Toon officially make an offer. A compromise could be made by one, or both, of the teams as the window heads into the final few weeks and clubs attempt to wrap up their business.

The Premier League campaign kicks off in under a fortnight and the aforementioned trio will not want any players who do not want to be there disrupting things on the pitch. There is no suggestion that will be the case with Harrison, Barnes or Gordon, but serious interest from Newcastle could tempt them into forcing a move.

Supporters will also be excited by the potential of one of them joining the Magpies this summer as they would all be excellent signings.

Harrison has racked up 16 goals and nine assists in the last two Premier League campaigns, whilst Barnes has scored 15 goals and provided 14 assists in that time. 21-year-old Gordon, meanwhile, is an up-and-coming winger and chipped in with four goals and two assists last term.

These statistics show that they are all capable of making an impact in the final third in the top-flight, or at least have the potential to go on and do so, and that is why supporters will be buzzing with the club’s interest in them.

AND in other news:  “Not going to happen..”: Sky Sports journo drops NUFC claim that’ll frustrate Howe

Southampton only had three players in their squad who netted five or more goals in the Premier League last season.

One player who didn’t reach this particular mark is Adam Armstrong.

After arriving at St Mary’s from Blackburn Rovers last summer on a four-year deal reported to be worth around £15m, the attacker could only find the net twice in the Premier League throughout his debut campaign on the south coast.

Despite recently securing a deal for Sekou Mara from Bordeaux, the remaining weeks of the summer transfer window could give the Saints the chance to bring in a potential upgrade on the former Blackburn ace, who clearly found goals rather hard to come by since his move from Ewood Park.

One man who has been linked with a move to the south coast club and who would certainly be an upgrade on Armstrong is Moussa Dembele.

With 300 senior appearances to his name for Lyon, Celtic and Fulham, the 26-year-old has found the net 135 times in total.

This highlights the clear goalscoring talent that he has and the experience that he’d be able to offer to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

In fact, even though he played in just seven more league games than Armstrong last season, the Frenchman still netted 19 more goals than the Saints attacker.

In addition, the former Celtic star racked up more shot-creating actions and successful dribbles than the Englishman, and also a higher rate for shots on target and goals per shot on target (per FBRef).

This backs up why the striker was hailed as an “exceptional” player by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola in the past.

It also makes it clear to see that Dembele would be a major upgrade on Armstrong after his disappointing debut season in the top flight with Southampton.

Should Hasenhuttl feel the need to add another attacking figure to his squad before the summer transfer window closes, securing a deal for Dembele could be the best way to do it, as the Lyon centre-forward has shown he has what it takes to be a consistent goalscorer in France, Scotland and England in the past.

AND in other news – “Will continue”: Tanswell relays big transfer update that Saints supporters will love

Wolves haven’t been particularly busy when it comes to adding new players to their squad throughout this summer’s transfer window in the same way that some other Premier League clubs have.

With Nathan Collins being the only new face to arrive at Molineux so far this summer, the Old Gold may be waiting for the final weeks of the window to get their business done.

Having only seen last season’s three relegated teams score fewer goals than them in the 2021/22 Premier League, it would make sense for the Old Gold to target someone who can help in an attacking sense.

One figure with whom the Molineux club have been mentioned and who could fit this bill is Borna Sosa.

Despite being a left-sided defender, the Croatian has shown he can be a very useful attacking figure, which could make him a smart prospective signing for Wolves and an upgrade on their current left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Across 83 appearances for Stuttgart, the 24-year-old has three goals and an impressive 23 assists to his name.

To further highlight Sosa’s attacking talent, comparing his previous Bundesliga campaign with Ait-Nouri’s most recent Premier League season with Wolves, the Croatian racked up more shots at goal, shot-creating actions, goal-creating actions and crosses than the 21-year-old (via FBRef).

This shows that, certainly from an attacking point of view, the 24-year-old – who is currently valued at €13m (£10m) according to Football Transfers – would be a deadlier figure than the current Wolves full-back and give the Old Gold’s attacking players the chance to score on a more consistent basis.

It also backs up why Stuttgart coach Pellegrino Matarazzo said that the player has “huge potential”, and also why the club’s sporting director Sven Mislintat described Sosa’s left foot as a “weapon” for their side.

In terms of a potential move to Wolves, the departure of Fernando Marcal from Molineux this summer shows that they could do with adding another full-back to their squad.

Based on his clear attacking talent, the Stuttgart gem could be an excellent prospective addition to Bruno Lage’s side and make it easier for them to find the net on a more regular basis.

AND in other news: Steve Madeley drops behind-the-scenes transfer claim that’ll have Wolves supporters fuming

Everton boss Frank Lampard is keen to raid former club Chelsea in order to land Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi, according to reports.

What’s the word?

As per 90min, the Toffees are said to be ‘in talks’ regarding a summer deal for the 26-year-old, with the Stamford Bridge outfit believed to be open to a departure in order to help lower their current wage bill.

The report suggests that any move to sign the 6 foot 1 menace – who spent last season on loan at Besiktas – would be a permanent one, bringing an end to his six-year stay in west London.

Lampard is seemingly hoping to utilise his Blues connections in order to secure a triple swoop before the September deadline, with the report also outlining that the Merseysiders are eyeing moves for both Billy Gilmour and Ross Barkley.

Imagine him and McNeil

While it has never worked out for Batshuayi during his time at his parent club – having been shipped out on loan on five occasions over the past few years – that’s not to suggest that he couldn’t thrive at Goodison Park, having showcased his talent during those temporary stints.

His latest loan move to Turkey proved particularly fruitful for the £69k-per-week marksman as he netted 14 goals and provided five assists in 33 Super Lig games last term, enjoying something of a career rejuvenation in Istanbul.

Once dubbed “prolific” by journalist Alex Wood, the £9m-rated ace also continues to impress on the international stage for the Red Devils, having scored 25 goals in just 45 caps thus far since making his debut back in 2015.

Equally, prior to his £33m move to Chelsea, the Brussels-born hotshot had also enjoyed stunning spells in both Belgium and France, scoring 44 goals in 120 games at Standard Liege, before bagging a further 33 times in just 78 appearances at Marseille.

Should he be able to recapture the form that he showed early on in his career – as well as last season – then Lampard and co could well have a real talent on their hands, with the former England international potentially able to pair the forward with new arrival, Dwight McNeil.

The 22-year-old has already sparked excitement over his potential impact at the club having netted twice on ‘debut’ in the recent pre-season victory over Dynamo Kyiv, after joining on a £20m deal from relegated Burnley earlier this week.

Comfortable all across the front line, the Englishman could be the man to supply the goods for Batshuayi to feed off in attack, with such a dynamic partnership likely to help ease the blow of the departure of former talisman, Richarlison.

Goals were undoubtedly an issue last term as the Toffees netted just 43 times in the Premier League, with McNeil’s wicked delivery and the Belgian’s finishing prowess likely to prove the perfect solution to those attacking woes.

AND in other news: “Still keen..”: Journo drops big Everton transfer update that’ll worry supporters

Leeds United remain in with a chance of bringing Cody Gakpo to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Dutch media outlet ED, who suggest that, with both Leeds and Nottingham Forest are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the PSV Eindhoven winger ahead of launching a potential move, the Premier League duo could still have a chance to seal a £35m deal for the 23-year-old in the coming weeks.

The report goes on to state that, should PSV fail in their attempts to qualify for the Champions League – with the Eredivisie side set to face Glasgow Rangers in a play-off for a spot in the group stage of the competition after defeating AS Monaco 4-3 on aggregate in the third qualifying round – the Netherlands international is more likely to leave the club this summer.

An “enormous” coup

Considering just how impressive Gakpo was for PSV last season, in addition to the fact that the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have all been linked with a move for the 23-year-old this summer, should Orta manage to get a deal over the line for the Dutch attacker, it would certainly be an enormous coup for the Whites.

Indeed, over his 27 Eredivisie appearances in 2021/22, the £27m-rated forward was in breathtaking form for Roger Schmidt’s side, scoring 12 goals, providing 13 assists and creating 11 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.0 shots, making 2.6 key passes and completing 2.9 dribbles per game.

For context, all of those statistics would top the tree at Leeds, with the recently departed Raphinha managing 2.5 shots, 1.9 key passes and 1.8 dribbles per match, numbers that eclipsed everyone else at Elland Road in 2021/22.

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The above returns saw the £7.4k-per-week Gakpo average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.51, not only ranking him as PSV’s best performer in the league but also as the fourth-best player in the division as a whole.

The seven-cap international also caught the eye over his four Europa League outings last time out, scoring two goals and creating two big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 3.0 shots, making 2.8 key passes and completing four dribbles per fixture.

These metrics saw the player who Ryan Haber dubbed “unpredictable” and Wierd Duk labelled an “enormous talent” average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.47, ranking him as the fourth-best player to feature in the tournament.

Gakpo once again impressed over his five Europa Conference League outings in 2021/22, bagging three goals, registering one assist and creating one big chance, as well as taking an average of 2.2 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 2.8 dribbles per game.

These returns saw the 23-year-old once again earn an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.42, ranking him as the joint 10th-best performer in the competition.

As such, with Gakpo quite clearly being an extremely consistent goalscorer and creator in the final third, as well as being a forward who boasts an eye for a defence-splitting pass and a player who loves to run with the ball at his feet, it is not difficult to understand why Orta would be interested in a deal to bring the 23-year-old to Elland Road this summer. Boasting better stats than even that of the effervescent Raphinha, it’s clear the signing of the Dutchman would very much look to be an enormous coup for Jesse Marsch’s side.

Indeed, with it being well-documented that the Spaniard is looking for further attacking additions prior to the closure of the summer transfer window, the PSV star would certainly be a huge weapon in the Whites’ arsenal in the 2022/23 campaign.

West Ham United boss David Moyes is aiming to be busy before the end of this summer window as journalist Toby Cudworth makes a triple transfer claim.

The Lowdown: Hammers ambition…

Having already signed Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes, Alphonse Areola, Gianluca Scamacca and Maxwel Cornet, it is reliably believed that the east Londoners are certainly not done there.

West Ham’s current defensive crisis has prompted links to many centre-backs across Europe, including the likes of Thilo Kehrer (PSG) and Dan-Axel Zagadou (free agent).

Moyes has also made clear his desire for new additions in statements to the press, even saying that his side need to do far more before this window closes.

The Latest: Cudworth makes triple transfer claim…

Taking to social media, 90min reporter Cudworth has made an exciting triple West Ham transfer claim.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-4/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Indeed, the 90min correspondent has claimed that Moyes and co want ‘at least’ three new signings before getting on with the 2022/2023 Premier League season (Twitter).

One of these players could be Kehrer as Cudworth backs that a bid has indeed gone in for the player.

The Verdict: Needs to be done…

As highlighted by the lack of defensive options for Moyes, with youngster Ben Johnson having to play a makeshift central defensive role against Man City last weekend, a new centre-back is surely priority.

Talks have apparently been held for multiple targets at the back and it is believed that West Ham want a new attacking midfielder also.

Going by the Hammers’ squad shortage in key areas, three signings before September 1 seems more than reasonable, with potentially two of those coming at the back.