All posts by n8rngtd.top

According to Corriere Adriatico, via Sport Witness, Crystal Palace are one of several sides interested in signing former Brighton & Hove Albion right-back Ezequiel Schelotto in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

It is believed that Schelotto, who has been without a club since being released by Brighton in the summer, is wanted by Serie C side US Sambenedettese, but ‘there might be some obstacle’ in the form of the Eagles.

The 31-year-old free agent fell out of favour at the AMEX Stadium but has also attracted interest from the likes of Championship club Watford and Italian side SPAL

However, Sambenedettese president Domenico Serafino has been in constant communication with his agent to try and engineer a move for Schelotto, which has given Steve Parish the golden opportunity to pull the plug on any potential transfer.

Must avoid Edgar Davids 2.0

Not that he’d like to admit it, but Roy Hodgson has a bit of a problem at right-back. Nathaniel Clyne hasn’t quite cut the mustard, which has led Football FanCast to call for the club to cut ties with Clyne, and new summer recruit Nathan Ferguson is sidelined due to injury, whilst Joel Ward isn’t getting any younger. Yet it’s fair to say that Schelotto isn’t the answer to all their problems – we can’t understand their reported interest at all.

Back in the summer of 2010, former Netherlands international midfielder Edgar Davids arrived at Selhurst Park on a pay-as-you-play deal, despite the fact the 37-year-old had been without a club for almost two years. What could possibly go wrong? Well, as it turns out, just about everything, as he struggled to get to grips with Championship football and made just seven appearances in all competitions before leaving the club by mutual consent.

While Schelotto may be a good fit for Watford – he has a decent amount of experience in the European leagues – it’s fair to say that he simply wouldn’t be the right man for Palace.

Would the one-time Italy international be any better than Clyne? Not at all if you take a closer look at the statistics.

Clyne 29, is two years his junior, and the differences don’t stop there, either. Last season, the Italian produced low numbers for tackles (0.4) and interceptions (0.8) per game, of which Clyne tops with 1.3 and 1.7 respectively, and he failed to offer much in the final third, attempting just 0.6 dribbles per game in the Premier League, via WhoScored.

With that in mind, coupled with the fact he earned around £32,000-per-week in wages at the AMEX Stadium, Parish must simply avoid signing Schelotto at all costs, as he could turn out to be yet another expensive mistake.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke was Roy Hodgson’s unsung hero against Arsenal…

Sheffield Wednesday will need to act during the upcoming transfer window if they are to salvage their season in the Championship, and there’s one name that could help them tenfold…

What’s the word?

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast over the weekend, Owls legend Carlton Palmer tipped his former club to make a move for prolific goalscorer Dwight Gayle.

He believes the 30-year-old would be a “good fit” for the Yorkshire outfit whilst reliable reporter Dom Howson revealed last month that the Newcastle United forward was someone the club had looked at previously.

The £7.2m-rated talisman is yet to feature this campaign due to injury but is set to return in the New Year, and he could well face a battle for minutes at St James’ Park with Callum Wilson looking the obvious first-choice for Steve Bruce.

Striking solution?

Gayle is also out of contract in the summer, so his future as a Magpie is by no means certain, so Hillsborough chief Dejphon Chansiri ought to strike next month.

It’s no surprise that Wednesday are rock bottom of the Championship given they started the season with a points deduction but the signs would still be there regardless.

They are among the lowest scorers in the division, managing just nine goals in 17 appearances – that’s barely a goal every other game. That right now is Pulis’ biggest headache.

Garry Monk never truly replaced the goalscoring exploits of Steven Fletcher, his 13 from last term will take some doing to match this time around.

Currently, there are three players on two goals as the Owls’ top scorers – Barry Bannan, Callum Paterson and Josh Windass – whilst Jordan Rhodes only has one goal and summer signings Izzy Brown and Elias Kachunga are yet to score, per WhoScored.

In Gayle, the Yorkshiremen would be getting a proven striker at this level as he’s bagged 59 goals in 100 appearances in the Championship, most recently notching a whopping 23 in 39 matches whilst on loan to West Brom in 2018/19.

Former PL shot-stopper Paul Robinson praise Gayle to Football Insider earlier this year, he said: “He is a great striker. His movement, he brings something different to Joelinton. He needs players around him but Gayle brings other players into it. He brings the team together.”

Whilst Kyle Bartley once hailed him as “immense” and “dangerous,” also claiming that he’s a “proven goalscorer.”

This is exactly who the Owls need to target in January, so it’ll be on Chansiri to get a deal done for the £40k-per-week monster.

AND in other news, Sheff Wed passenger who had fewer touches than Wildsmith let Pulis down vs Huddersfield…

Many Liverpool fans believe that Taiwo Awoniyi is not the right man to replace Divock Origi if the Belgian decides to leave.

The 23-year-old is currently on loan from at FC Union Berlin over in Germany, where he is certainly catching the eye.

From 13 Bundesliga appearances, Awoniyi has scored five goals and provided two assists, getting regular first-team football under his belt in a competitive league (TransferMarkt).

The Nigerian centre-forward has had an array of loan spells since arriving at the club in 2015, spending time at the likes of FSV Frankfurt, NEC Nijmegen, Mouscron, KAA Gent, and Mainz last season. In total, he has scored 38 times from over 100 outings combined.

Awoniyi has never made a first-team appearance for Liverpool. With speculation surrounding Divock Origi’s future still unclear, Anfield Edition presented the facts for supporters to stick their teeth into.

Despite this, supporters were convinced that Awoniyi is not good enough to play for the club, and that his Belgian teammate is a better player.

Fans not convinced by Awoniyi

“I’ve watched him and can say with confidence that he’s not good enough. Not even close to Origi. The best that could happen is we get a nice offer for him”

Credit: @SilverDeGeneral

“He won’t ever be a Liverpool player due to being one for 5 years now and never getting a permit. I give up on him”

Credit: @LfcRedLady

“Has done nothing for years now so would be the perfect time to sell him while his stocks are up”

Credit: @bugyutari

“No, we need to sign someone with world-class potential.”

Credit: @Subindra99

“He is not good enough for Liverpool, I think Liverpool should sell him for good price”

Credit: @Elflew59

“No will be sold”

Credit: @pete_pizza2020

“Sell him Edwards!”

Credit: @noma

In other news, Fabrizio Romano provided an intriguing update on Georginio Wijnaldum’s Anfield future.

Leeds United have been linked to several new defensive options this month. However, an update from Phil Hay clarified that they are not expecting any new signings before the window shuts.

According to French outlet Le10Sport, the Whites were named alongside Southampton in the battle for Romain Perraud’s signature. The report claims that despite the Frenchman still having four years on his current deal, interest is mounting for his services.

Should Leeds have signed Perraud?

Marcelo Bielsa has been faced with several injury concerns this season, with summer signings Robin Koch and Diego Llorente both out of action. Not only has the Argentinian been plagued with fitness issues, but the idea of Ezgjan Alioski leaving the club is looking more and more likely.

Fotomac reports that the left-back has been linked to a move to Galatasaray, with the Turkish outfit are looking to replace Marcelo Saracchi and eyeing Alioski with his contract being up at the end of the season.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-leeds-transfer-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Leeds news!”]

If the North Macedonian leaves Elland Road, Bielsa will be left with only youngster Leif Davis as his option on the left flank. Whilst he can rely on Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas and their versatility, it’s simply not a feasible option to deploy his players out of position for the foreseeable future.

Leeds should have moved for Perraud, as they would have been signing a ready-made replacement for Alioski. According to WhoScored, the Brest defender already has more goalscoring contributions than the Leeds ace, as well as a higher average of interceptions and clearances per match.

Perraud also has similar stats to Alioski when it comes to passing accuracy and aerial duels won as well as tackles. With the former also being younger than the Leeds left-back, he has a lot more in his tank to give to the cause and would have been a very smart option to bring in, in case Alioski’s future lies beyond Elland Road.

With a Transfermarkt value of £7.2million, Perraud likely wouldn’t break the bank if Andrea Radrizzani decided to loosen the purse strings. He could’ve be the ideal addition to the squad ahead of tonight’s deadline.

In other news, Leeds must revisit transfer swoop for Divock Origi…

Despite the fact Neil Lennon is struggling for reliable personnel in his attack, it doesn’t look like Leigh Griffiths is going to get his chance to shine. Whilst he has been putting in solid performances off the bench, it’s looking more and more likely that this is all he will be able to contribute this season and perhaps beyond.

After stating he wants to cement himself in the top 20 all-time goal-scorers for the club, he still hasn’t started a game under Lennon this campaign. He currently has three goals for the season, all scored during a substitute appearance. Even during Odsonne Edouard’s absence, the manager opted to play Mohamed Elyounoussi out of position than rely on Griffiths.

A huge blow for Griffiths

The striker take part in Scotland’s all-important clash against Serbia on Thursday, but former Celtic icon Miodrag Krivokapic has tipped him for a fringe role for his country too.

“His physical condition is an eternal problem and at the start of the season he had to train separately at Celtic because of his fitness issue,” the ex-Hoops manager told the Daily Record. “I am convinced Scotland will use him from the bench because their manager Steve Clarke will prefer Lyndon Dykes instead.”

Indeed, Griffiths was slammed by Lennon for his fitness problems and he was furious that the 30-year-old returned to training “overweight”. It’s clear the forward is trying to make amends and help the Bhoys out of a rut, but it appears that Lennon’s mind is made up, for now at least.

“Griffiths has neither speed nor height, but he just has that something about him. He knows how to play,” Krivokapic continued. “And most importantly of all, he has an incredible sense of where the goal is.”

This is indeed the case with the £15,000 per-week ace, who has fallen out of favour after injuries hit him hard over the last year. Despite his love for the club and his willingness to cement himself in the rich Celtic history, it’s becoming more and more clear that he doesn’t cut the mustard for Lennon and co.

In other news, Celtic could turn it all around following the return of key player Christopher Jullien…

Crystal Palace are interested in signing Reading defender Omar Richards, if recent reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

Earlier this week, we told you about Roy Hodgson’s interest in Royals skipper Liam Moore. Now, it turns out the Eagles have turned their attention to his teammate as well.

According to The Reading Chronicle, Palace face stiff competition from Premier League rivals West Ham for his signature.

It’s claimed that Hodgson’s side have a long-standing interest in the former England U21 international, as they have been keeping close tabs on the situation for some time.

Sign him up!

Let’s face it, Palace have the oldest squad in the Premier League, which has become a bit of a problem in recent times. Don’t get me wrong, having an experienced defence isn’t always a bad thing, as Brazilian centre-back Thiago Silva has impressed for Chelsea, but there will come a point where they will have to start planning for the future.

To compound the problem even further, several Palace players are out of contract in the summer, including defenders such as Scott Dann, Gary Cahill, Martin Kelly and Mamadou Sakho, as well as academy graduate Tyrick Mitchell, who has made six appearances in the Premier League so far.

Palace fans will have to wait and see if Mitchell will decide to try his luck elsewhere instead, as Hodgson has backed the left-back to follow in the footsteps of Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Meanwhile, HLTCO regular Dan Cook believes “the vultures will begin to circle” as the uncertainty surrounding his future at Selhurst Park continues to build.

In fact, we’d even go so far as to say that the 22-year-old would be the perfect replacement for Mitchell.

Once hailed as an “outstanding” player by former Reading boss Mark Bowen, the £1.35m-rated ace has played seven games in the Championship this season, whilst he has made 2.9 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 2.3 clearances per game, via WhoScored. By comparison, Mitchell has only managed fewer than one interception in the Premier League so far, as per WhoScored.

Whether Richards is a one season wonder or not, it’s surely worth the risk anyway, especially when you take into account the fact that he could be available for a cut-price deal as his contract is set to expire next year. Get it done Eagles, whilst you still can.

AND in other news, Steve Parish must sanction audacious swoop for Crystal Palace target Liam Moore in January…

West Ham United must use Josh Cullen’s pre-season statement against him and force the central midfielder to accept a late offer to join RSC Anderlecht before Deadline Day.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail’s Adrian Kajumba, Belgian giants Anderlecht are interested in forging a late effort to sign Cullen and are hopeful of sealing a deal before the window slams shut on Monday.

Cullen, who has two caps for the Republic of Ireland, has struggled to establish himself in manager David Moyes’ plans since returning from a loan spell with Charlton Athletic in the Championship last season, with the Scottish coach only awarding him a Carabao Cup outing against his former loan side in the Second Round.

Bar those 90 minutes at the London Stadium, Cullen’s name has not yet featured on any first-team team sheet with the 24-year-old instead left at home to watch the action unfold.

The Westcliff-on-Sea-born midfielder had been keen to establish himself in the West Ham senior squad after starting all 34 of his second-tier outings either side of an ankle ligament injury last term, stating that this season is his time to make it happen.

“I’ve always said all along, through all the loans, the end goal is to be at West Ham,” the Hammers academy graduate told West Ham TV. “I’m 24 now so it’s time to make it happen.

“It’s been a different pre-season, a shorter one than normal, but I’ve loved every minute of it under the gaffer. Having worked under him and his staff during his first spell here, to come back and work under him again, I’ve loved it.”

Time to force the move

As much as Cullen is eager to forge a successful senior career at the club he’s been with since 2010, his time is now surely over and it is the responsibility of the Hammers to force a move if the offer is there.

Anderlecht’s interest comes at a point in Cullen’s career when he has just the one year remaining on his contract and is failing to the earn opportunities to impress Moyes and convince the ownership that he deserves an extension put before him.

Moving to Belgium, however, would see Cullen land the chance of competing at one of the top club’s in the country as they look to right the failings of last season, having ended the campaign down in eighth place and 27-points behind champions Club Brugge.

Vincent Kompany’s side would certainly appear to need reinforcements, too, as the former Manchester City centre-back has only overseen three wins from his side’s first seven league games to already be trailing the leaders by six points.

If the chance to play is not there under Moyes, West Ham must use Cullen’s “make it happen” comment against him and ensure the player does not waste another year of his career.

AND in other news, West Ham have been dealt a setback in the club’s efforts to land the missing spark of David Moyes’ midfield.

Sunderland travel to Gillingham this Saturday on the back of a 2-2 draw with Rochdale, and Black Cats boss Phil Parkinson must consider changes to his starting line-up at Priestfield Stadium.

The Stadium of Light natives have fallen out of the League One Play-Off positions following Tuesday’s stalemate at the Crown Oil Arena, with Parkinson’s men now trailing Charlton Athletic by a point.

Sunderland had started the season in sublime fashion with an unbeaten run of six games, but allowing five goals to be scored in their last two fixtures has taken the wind out of the sails before visiting a side they have failed to beat in their last four meetings.

Gillingham, themselves, are struggling this season having lost five of their nine third-tier fixtures already, and boast one of the division’s worst defensive records with 13 goals shipped.

But Parkinson’s hope of taking a first Sunderland win at Gillingham since 2018 must come with changes to his starting line-up. So, with that in mind, here’s a predicted XI he could favour…

Parkinson has favoured a 3-5-1-1 formation in three of Sunderland’s last five League One fixtures, with the shape used against Charlton Athletic, Crewe Alexandra and Portsmouth before changing to a 3-4-3 at Rochdale for the first time since September’s 1-0 win over Peterborough.

The change in system did not return the Black Cats to winning ways, however, and the performances of certain players must see North East giants revert to more a successful formation.

Lee Burge will more likely than not retain his place in goal having started all eight of Sunderland’s third-tier fixtures to date, while making on average 1.8 saves per game accounting for 70% of all efforts struck, per SofaScore.

In defence, Parkinson will be expected to recall Luke O’Nien after he saw red late on for a second yellow against Portsmouth and sat out the Rochdale affair as a result, where the £3,600-per-week Tom Flanagan deputised but could only win two tackles and two interceptions, per WhoScored.

Dion Sanderson also featured against Rochdale and should retain his place on the right-hand of Parkinson’s backline amid concerns over Jordan Willis’ patella tendon injury, given the Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee’s eight clearances and 81% pass success rate at the Crown Oil Arena.

Sunderland’s midfield should be the focus of much of Parkinson’s tinkering this weekend, with the change in shape allowing for Josh Scowen to return to partner George Dobson and Max Power in the engine room after starting on the bench at Rochdale.

The 27-year-old has so far averaged 1.0 shots, 1.3 key balls, an 83% pass success rate, 1.3 tackles and 2.7 duels won a game in League One this term, per SofaScore.

Parkinson must also consider bringing Chris Maquire back into a central role in behind top-scorer Charlie Wyke, having struggled on the wing at Rochdale with no successful dribbles, shots on target or key passes.

Lynden Gooch also failed to impress on the left-flank against Rochdale and ought to be replaced by Aiden O’Brien, who Sunderland icon Kevin Phillips is excited to see in action following his summer arrival.

“I have made some enquiries because I know the people down at Millwall and they have given me some very good feedback about him,” Phillips told Football Insider. “I am excited to see this kid performs in League One.

“He has a bit of everything about him. He can play as a nine, a ten and he can play out wide. A player that gets himself in the box and can score a goal, I am very excited to see this lad play.”

AND in other news, Phil Parkinson has been urged to start a Sunderland star who “has a bit of everything”.

A number of Liverpool fans have criticised Dejan Lovren for going to Anfield to join in the communal celebrations on the night that the Reds became Premier League champions in what one supporter branded an act of “pure stupidity”.

In an interview with Russian journalist Vladimir Kolos, which was shared on his Twitter profile @kolos_vladimir and latterly on @LFCTransferRoom, the former Reds defender admitted that he left the hotel where his team-mates were watching Chelsea’s win over Manchester City to drive to Anfield, where many supporters had assembled to celebrate Liverpool’s first league triumph in 30 years.

Despite being urged by Jurgen Klopp to remain at home if the title was secured, given the message of social distancing amid the global pandemic and with top-flight games being played at empty stadia, hundreds of Kopites gathered outside the club’s stadium that night, with Lovren revealing that he went along to savour the moment.

He said: “They told us, ‘Guys, don’t even go to the stadium because you will have problems. We cannot keep you safe’. The party [at the hotel] was already over and I said to myself, ‘It’s 12 o’clock, it’s too early to sleep. I will take the car and go to Anfield just to experience this’. I drove myself there.

“My God, tens of thousands of people celebrating…I just wanted to feel this emotion because we didn’t have a good celebration in the stadium, so I needed to do it. I was really happy that I did it. It was a good experience.”

The Croatian, who is now at Zenit St Petersburg, was frequently criticised for defensive errors in his time at Anfield and, even after leaving Merseyside, he has continued to draw the ire of some Liverpool fans over his “reckless” act on the historic night of 25 June.

Here is a flavour of the reaction on Twitter:

Liverpool fans, what did you make of Lovren driving to Anfield to take in the communal celebrations? Share your views in the comments section below!

It has been an extremely busy couple of days for Newcastle United who have finally properly dipped their toes into the summer transfer market. And of course, the signing of Ryan Fraser must be the cherry on top for the Magpies.

With AFC Bournemouth getting relegated at the end of the 2019/20 Premier League season, their players, even the biggest stars, have suddenly been put on sale, either willingly or forcefully, and Newcastle are just one of the teams looking to profit from that.

Getting someone of Fraser’s quality into the team is an incredible piece of business and this is indeed looking likely to be a prosperous relationship for the immediate future.

According to Alan Hutton, his old manager Steve Bruce has managed to seal a brilliant deal with Fraser. He was simply gushing over the player when speaking exclusively to Football Insider.

Here’s what he had to say: “Oh, it’s got to be one of the best when you think about it. Was it two seasons ago it was probably his best season? He was brilliant.

“He looked so confident, he was flying, loads of pace, scoring goals, setting up goals, it was great to watch from my point of view for Scotland. He’s a great signing for them.”

Of course, Fraser really is a big reinforcement for Newcastle and it will be interesting to see him perform in the new colours in the coming weeks.

The new season is just around the corner…

Verdict

Last season was a real struggle for Fraser but that’s partly because the team as a whole were struggling as well. But in 2018/19, he scored seven goals and assisted further 14 across 38 Premier League matches.

So the quality is certainly there and it will be up to Bruce to help him rediscover his flame for the new campaign.