All posts by h716a5.icu

Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that no bid has come in yet from businessman Jahm Najafi to acquire ownership of Tottenham Hotspur.

What’s the latest on Najafi’s interest in Spurs?

Recent reports indicated that American-Iranian businessman Najafi was set to launch a bid of over £3bn to buy Spurs, but no bid has come in yet and the stance of owners ENIC remains the same.

Najafi’s consortium already owns stakes in a number of clubs, and could introduce Spurs to a multi-club ownership model, similar to the model implemented by the City Football Group with Man City, Girona, New York City FC, Melbourne FC and a number of other clubs under the same ownership.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs explained the Spurs stance over a potential upcoming bid.

“Tottenham are very clear on their position that nothing has come in yet,” he stated.

“Nothing has been led on the Tottenham side to facilitate any kind of sale.”

“And then, of course, away from this particular group, who have looked at Everton in the past and who have got stakes in Augsburg (Germany), Estoril (Portugal) and Alcorcon (Spain).

“So, they already have a little bit of a foundation around football to build a multi-club model.”

Time for a change?

Spurs fans have expressed their discontent towards the club hierarchy this season, as inconsistent results and performances mean they could be set for another disappointing campaign without silverware.

They have not won a trophy since the 2008 League Cup, and many point to a lack of investment from the current ownership as a large factor for their failure.

They have also recruited badly, with a number of expensive signings such as Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso failing to make any impact at the club, whilst a high managerial turnover has seen the likes of Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo oversee unsuccessful tenures.

A change in ownership and direction could see a rise in fortunes, and with increased investment and a fresh sporting approach, Spurs could start to challenge for major honours again.

Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate has clubs ‘sniffing about’ him ahead of the summer transfer window, according to BBC pundit Alan Hutton.

The Lowdown: Standout performer

The Japan international made the move to the Scottish Premiership from Kawasaki Frontale in January 2022 and has taken to life north of the border like a duck to water.

Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph previously claimed that the Hoops were bracing themselves for bids for the 25-year-old in January, but no official offer ever made it to the Parkhead door.

Ange Postecoglou’s star picked up the man-of-the-match award for the 4-0 victory over Aberdeen last weekend, receiving 91.2% of the fan vote on Twitter, and it’s this kind of form that may already be seeing him attracting interest.

The Latest: Hutton’s verdict

Asked by Football Insider whether Hatate’s impressive form should be a concern to Postecoglou heading into the upcoming window, Hutton replied:

“I think that is just part of it when you play for Rangers and Celtic.

“You look at [Matt] O’Riley when he was going through a real good spell, there was talk of him possibly going.

“When Hatate first came to the club I really thought he hit the ground running then he ran out of steam a little bit but you can see why. He is all action, all energy, he is everywhere, tackling, scoring, creating.

“It would not surprise me if people are watching him. But I think credit has to go to Celtic and their recruitment policy.

“They are finding players that a lot of us did not know much about and to come in and show what they are all about so soon is great for the club and the player. So there probably is people sniffing about.“

The Verdict: Keep hold of him

Hatate has been labelled a ‘magical’ talent by journalist Josh Bunting, and given his form this season, Celtic must do everything they can to keep hold of him beyond the summer.

The 5 foot 7 ace has posted 12 goal contributions in 24 Premiership appearances, operating in three different positions during that time (Transfermarkt).

The Suzuka native is also currently averaging 1.8 shots and 1.3 key passes per league 90 minutes, highlighting the threat he brings to the side (WhoScored).

Hatate is an integral member of Postecoglou’s first-team squad and the thought of losing him will be a huge blow, but with his contract not expiring until 2026, the Hoops are in a very strong position.

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has been criticised for an ‘anonymous’ display as his side crash out of the FA Cup to Blackburn Rovers.

The Lowdown: Foxes defeated…

The Foxes were humbled by a Rovers side who displayed real determination and an underdog spirit.

Brendan Rodgers and his team were simply not at the races on a night to forget for the Premier League relegation-battlers, with Blackburn forward Tyrhys Dolan putting them 1-0 down just past the half hour mark.

Leicester then had a mountain to climb when attacking midfielder Sammie Szmodics doubled the away side’s lead, a strike which eventually gifted Rovers the win despite Kelechi Iheanacho’s late goal back.

The Latest: talkSPORT man hammers Vardy…

On a night to forget for Rodgers, with his side bowing out to a 2-1 defeat, talkSPORT reporter Jason Bourne criticised the display of Vardy on social media.

The Englishman was ‘pretty anonymous’ last night, according to Bourne, with the stats perfectly backing his point.

The Verdict: Right call?

As per SofaScore, the 36-year-old took fewer touches than any Leicester City starter on the night with just 19 – highlighting what was an ‘anonymous’ display.

Vardy did manage a key pass and two shots on goal with his limited involvement, one on target and one off, but this may well be a night to forget for the club legend.

The Englishman also completed just ten passes on the night, further reinforcing his struggle to get involved, with Vardy now looking to get back to winning ways.

Leicester take on strugglers Southampton in the Premier League this weekend and it’s a match which could be pivotal in determining who drops to England’s second tier.

There is no hiding away from the fact that Sunderland are in the midst of a poor run of form and they will be hoping to turn that around when they travel to Norwich on Sunday.

Tony Mowbray’s side are four games without a win in the Championship and have lost each of their last three matches in the division, with the latest coming in a 5-1 loss to Stoke at the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats are now six points off the play-off places and will need to turn their fortunes around and go on a run of positive results to give themselves a chance of securing a top-six finish by the end of the season.

Goalscoring has been an issue for Sunderland in recent weeks after Ross Stewart was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign and Ellis Simms returned to Everton, with Joe Gelhardt coming in from Leeds as the only arrival up front.

They have only scored more than one goal in a game once in their last seven outings in the Championship and Gelhardt has managed one goal in his seven appearances for the club in the division.

Will Harry Gardiner get a chance at Sunderland?

Goalscoring was no problem for the U21 side on Monday night as the young Black Cats beat Stoke, ironically, 4-1 in the Premier League 2 and one academy star caught the eye with an excellent display – Harry Gardiner.

The likes of Jewison Bennette and Isaac Lihadji also played in the match but it was the 19-year-old striker who impressed as the marksman scored twice and forced an own goal, which was initially credited as his hat-trick.

Gardiner has now notched six goals in ten Premier League 2 outings for the U21s this season with this coming after the dynamo managed six goals in ten appearances for the U18s in the 2021/22 campaign.

Mowbray must now promote the teenager, who journalist Josh Bunting stated is “scoring goals” and performing “regularly well”, to compete with Gelhardt for a place in the team.

The on-loan Leeds forward has been involved in two goals, one goal and one assist, in his seven Championship appearances and has missed three ‘big chances’ so far.

The youngster is struggling for form and bringing the 19-year-old academy striker into the side, off the back of his superb performance against Stoke for the U21s, could give him much-needed competition and a rest for the upcoming clash with the Canaries.

It is hard to gauge whether or not Gardiner can translate his form from youth level to the first-team squad but the only way to find out is to chuck him in at the deep end and to see if he sinks or swims. He could well become the club’s secret weapon during the back end of the campaign.

Leeds United’s struggles are in no small part down to the injury absence of Rodrigo, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Injury-hit campaign

The 32-year-old has endured a frustrating 2022/23 campaign to date, finding himself sidelined for a chunk of it because of injury problems.

Rodrigo has been limited to 17 Premier League starts, and while that is still a relatively solid number of appearances, he hasn’t featured since the end of January.

Despite that, the Spaniard is still easily Leeds’ top scorer in the league with ten goals, highlighting his importance.

The Latest: Journalist bemoans absence

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor highlighted the absence of the former Valencia star as a huge issue for Javi Gracia that’s gone ‘under the radar’:

“It’s gone under the radar that Rodrigo hit 10 Premier League goals earlier in the season, he’s been a big miss through injury.”

The Verdict: Need him back ASAP

There is no denying that Rodrigo has been a big loss for Leeds, with his aforementioned scoring statistics showing how dependent they are on his goals.

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The £100,000-a-week attacker is someone who is going to be pivotal in the Whites’ battle to remain in the Premier League this season, given his ability to be a match-winner.

This is a player with eight goals for Spain, outlining his pedigree, while Jesse Marsch described him as a ‘clever’ footballer during his time in charge at Elland Road.

The hope is that Rodrigo is back in the fold as soon as possible and his return could ultimately make or break Leeds’ season, as they desperately battle to avoid relegation.

Leeds United twice came from behind at the weekend to record a battling point, and whilst it was a fine result it once again marked a game without a win for the Whites.

They are in desperate need of some points in the Premier League, as they sunk into the relegation zone amidst shock wins for Everton and AFC Bournemouth.

With two goals against Brighton and Hove Albion, they made strides in the right direction, but they must now find consistency in their attacking play where they have previously been lacking. It is the main area that will likely relegate them, should they continue failing to score.

Therefore, in their upcoming game this weekend with Wolverhampton Wanderers, perhaps Javi Gracia could consider recalling Wilfried Gnonto after the youngster starred from the bench last time out.

Will Wilfried Gnonto start against Wolves?

The 19-year-old has started both of the last league matches on the bench, yet it was his quick thinking from a corner that afforded Jack Harrison the space to thunder home their second equaliser and Gnonto’s second assist of the season.

Whilst his numerous redeeming qualities alone should merit a starting spot, the fact that the Old Gold have a particular weakness to exploit makes the Italian starlet even more desirable to feature from the start.

In their recent clash with Newcastle United, it seemed that both sides were focusing their attacks down their respective left flanks. Allan Saint-Maximin was tasked with mesmerising Nelson Semedo, who has been lambasted in the past for his defensive deficiencies. 

The 6.4 rating of the Portuguese defender, the second-worst of anyone on the pitch, suggests the Frenchman succeeded. Not only this but he was dribbled past three times too.

Gnonto boasts many similar assets to the Magpies magician and could be recalled to emulate his performance. Journalist Phil Hay even took to Twitter to highlight the “magic” that Leeds’ teenage sensation boasted back in late-2022, so this notion is only supported.

Whilst Wolves remain a formidable team, the Tyneside outfit proved that with some hard work, they could be largely neutralised and kept at bay. Should they manage that, they will then need that touch of class that the £20k-per-week youngster boasts, thus making his recall imperative.

One win in eight Premier League matches and defeat in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United; merely one week ago, Newcastle United's resounding exploits under Eddie Howe's tutelage looked to have been hampered, but the engine is now churning once again.

Victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at St. James's Park last weekend preceded yesterday's enthralling encounter at City Ground, where an emphatic Alexander Isak brace sank Nottingham Forest and took the Magpies six points clear of Liverpool, who are sixth in the top-flight.

In both affairs, United entered the closing stages of the match with parity intact, exhibiting their guile and tenacity by seeking out late winners, with £63m record signing Isak's penalty in the 93rd minute against Steve Cooper's Forest integral in the pursuit of Champions League football.

And while successive victories have now been struck, dynamic wide man Allan Saint-Maximin failed to impress in Nottingham, withdrawn from action by Howe at the midpoint.

How did Saint-Maximin perform against Forest?

Last season, Saint-Maximin showcased his fleet-footed brilliance with regularity for his outfit, having signed from Nice for £16.5m in 2019, arguably enjoying his most fruitful year and plundering five goals and five assists from 31 league starts, once hailed as a "marvellous magician" by journalist Luke Edwards.

Howe did reveal in the wake of the encounter that the 26-year-old was struggling with a fitness issue, saying; “Allan wasn’t quite right today, physically, I didn’t think. He’s been carrying a tight hamstring.

"I don’t think it’s a pull, it’s just a little bit of tightness. For me, it was obvious during that first half that he probably wouldn’t be able to carry on."

As per Sofascore, the £70k-per-week phenom recorded a match rating of 6.6, shadowed by the excellence of Isak and Jacob Murphy on the alternating flank, with the duo picking up ratings of 8.2 and 7.4 respectively.

Saint-Maximin managed just one dribble on the night, completing 67% of his passes and failing with both of his attempted crosses and playing a largely peripheral role, branded "ineffective" by reporter Miles Starforth.

Perhaps an encapsulation of his miserable fortunes lies in his success with the ball at his feet; making a total of 20 touches, the ace lost the ball on ten occasions, failing to register a shot or make a single key pass, utterly nullified by the home back-line.

Centre-back Sven Botman arguably suffered the worst performance on the occasion, recording a lowly 5.9 match rating after making a detrimental error from which Forest talisman Emmanuel Dennis capitalised on to take the early lead, but with the £35m summer signing largely imperious this term, vital in asserting the Magpies' authority as the best defensive unit in the division, conceding just 19 goals.

Such a "poor" performance from the wily winger – as remarked by Chris Waugh – is a bitter reflection of the pro's travails this term, having scored just once and started on only nine occasions in the Premier League.

Saint-Maximin remains one of the most exciting and enterprising forwards in the division, but his potency in front of goal, both directly and from a supporting standpoint, must improve if he is to cement a role in burgeoning Newcastle's squad over the coming, potentially illustrious, years.

Newcastle United have emphatically stormed into European contention this season, and with just two points separating the Magpies from fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur, who have played two games extra, Champions League football gracing St. James's Park next term is a very real possibility.

The defence is oiled and imperious, the midfield cohesive and robust, up top, £63m summer signing Alexander Isak is offering glimpses of world-class dominance despite his season being heavily hampered by injury.

Isak has scored six goals from just seven starts in the Premier League, including three strikes from his past two matches, and the Swede looks to be a real force at the tip of manager Eddie Howe's system, prolific and hailed as "a unicorn for his mixture of size & technical ability" by radio presenter Kev Lawson.

His injury record is concerning, however, with the 23-year-old missing 13 competitive matches for the Toon thus far, and while 31-year-old forward Callum Wilson has been a steady presence up front in his absence, scoring seven goals from 19 league outings this term, Howe will be looking to unearth a strike partner for his record signing to solidify the frontline for years to come.

Newcastle's affluence could prompt technical director Dan Ashworth to delve into the transfer market yet again, but with such a potent forward already adopting the talismanic role, turning to youth prospect Michael Ndiweni could be the route to head down.

Who is Michael Ndiweni?

Ndiweni took U18 football by storm last season, scoring a laudable 13 goals from 17 appearances, including from 13 outings in the U18 Premier League and three from three in the FA Youth Cup.

This season, fortunes have been less fruitful as the 19-year-old has stepped up to U21 level, with just two strikes and one assist from 12 matches in the Premier League 2, though with just five starts to his name he is making steady progress and will hope to harness his "lethal" quality soon – as hailed by Ciaran Kelly.

With his "impressive" start to life with the Magpies, as remarked by journalist Matty Hewitt, only set to expand as he continues to acclimatise to life with the U21s, he will indeed be pushing on Howe's door for a senior debut, having already trained with the first-team on several occasions.

Hailed as a "real threat" by Mark Carruthers, Ndiweni might not find a place in Howe's plans this term but if he is to continue his development and notch up his goal threat with the U21s he could well find a place in the reckoning for contention at one of the Premier League's most exciting forces.

Indeed, with the injury records of both Isak and Wilson, there is every chance his first-team dreams become a reality in short time.

Liverpool had to share the spoils at Stamford Bridge last night in their Premier League clash with Chelsea but Jurgen Klopp will be relieved to take a point from the performance.

The Reds are now seven points adrift of the top four following their stalemate in west London and will need to take much more from their ten remaining fixtures ahead if they are to secure a Champions League qualifying spot for next season.

Despite having more possession (51%), more shots on target (4 v 3) and completing more accurate passes (449 v 437), Liverpool were unable to secure the important three points needed – lacking creativity and discipline throughout the game.

It was nothing new for the two teams who collected their third consecutive 0-0 draw against each other in the Premier League, despite the Liverpool boss making a number of big changes to his starting XI.

Kostas Tsimikas, Darwin Nunez, Curtis Jones, Roberto Firmino, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez were all brought in to give the line-up a refresh following the defeat to Manchester City and although a point was earned, the changes didn't make a big enough impact to secure all three points.

Similar inconsistencies remained and a lack of creativity from the midfield into the final third cost the Anfield outfit opportunities to take the game by the scruff of the neck and ultimately cost them the chance to close the gap with the top four even further.

Although the Merseysiders lacked quality all over the pitch and most players wouldn't feel that their individual performances were up to scratch, it was Tsimikas who arguably had the biggest nightmare after being handed a rare start over fellow left-back Andy Robertson.

How did Tsimikas play vs Chelsea?

The Greek left-back has been a worthy back-up for Robertson and has even competed for the position on occasions since his arrival at Anfield back in 2020.

However, under the lights at Stamford Bridge last night, Tsimikas struggled to make his presence known on the left flank and became more of a hindrance than a help.

Over his performance, the £50k-per-week dud was dubbed "shocking" by sports consultant Dinesh Kumar with his opening five minutes, in particular, a cause for concern.

Via Sofascore, the defender lost possession of the ball a whopping 17 times having failed to complete five of his six crosses on a truly wasteful evening.

He wasn't great from a defensive point of view either, failing to make any interceptions, losing five duels and committing three fouls.

The Greece international was also dribbled past once before being hooked for Robertson on 66 minutes.

There is a lot to take away from last night's performance for Klopp going into the Arsenal game on Sunday at Anfield and although Tsimikas is great for bringing on a fresh pair of legs in the second half, there is no doubt he remains in the shadow of Robertson in terms of quality on the ball and creativity.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Klopp continues to tweak his starting XI or revert to relying on his most experienced and trusted players for the clash against the league leaders this weekend. On the evidence of Tuesday evening, turning to Tsimikas again would be a big risk.

Chelsea's start to life after Graham Potter did not get off to the best start as the Blues produced another underwhelming display to draw 0-0 with fellow strugglers Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

What happened in Chelsea against Liverpool?

Interim manager Bruno Saltor reintroduced Wesley Fofana and N'Golo Kante to the starting lineup at Stamford Bridge but it was once again Chelsea's woes in front of goal that prevented them from taking all three points.

Mateo Kovacic should have opened the scoring when he rounded Alisson but he was denied by the recovering Ibrahima Konate before Reece James did find the net with a fierce volley, only to see his effort ruled out due to a narrow offside against Enzo Fernandez.

Kovacic wasted another golden opportunity in the second 45 when he fired over the bar with Joao Felix and James waiting for a square pass, while another goal was ruled out against Kai Havertz, as the ball hit his arm after rebounding off Alisson and going in.

While there were signs of promise from Chelsea, it is a game that they needed to win to keep their European hopes alive, and fingers should be pointed at the forwards and midfielders for again failing to deliver in the final third.

However, the defence deserves credit for keeping Liverpool out after looking so vulnerable against Aston Villa last weekend, and the returning Fofana was a big factor in that improved defensive display.

Who was Chelsea's best player vs Liverpool?

As per Sofascore, the former Leicester City man would earn a superb 7.9/10 rating for his performance on Tuesday, which ranked him as the second-best player on the pitch, with only fellow defender Kalidou Koulibaly rated higher.

The young Frenchman produced a phenomenal defensive effort which included three clearances, two blocks, five interceptions and a mammoth seven tackles, which emphasises how important he was to the clean sheet, with one of those blocks denying Fabinho a goal in the first half.

Considering the 22-year-old has averaged just two clearances, 0.6 blocks, two interceptions and 2.1 tackles per game in the Premier League so far this campaign, it seems clear that he really raised his game to the next level against the Reds.

It was no surprise that journalists were singing his praises on Twitter during the game, with Fofana labelled a "Rolls-Royce" by Sam Tabuteau as a marker of his immense composure and "unreal" by vlogger George Benson.

What was even more impressive is that the young centre-back knitted those defensive statistics together with an expert display at playing out from the back, having completed a total of 45 passes at a 90% success rate.

After returning from injury in February after a long spell on the sidelines, Tuesday's performance emphasised how vital Fofana can be for Chelsea in the future, and Blues fans will be hoping to see a lot more from him under the new manager at Stamford Bridge.