Tag Futebol

Leeds United clearly allowed Jesse Marsch to spearhead plenty of the summer recruitment, exemplified through their return to RB Salzburg on two occasions.

 The second was to bring Rasmus Kristensen to Elland Road, to finally offer an alternative to the disappointing Luke Ayling.

Although he has impressed at times this season, there have been notable flaws to his game that suggest he would struggle as a long-term option without any proper competition.

He has an average 6.97 Sofascore rating in the Premier League, but only boasts one assist in 12 games.

However, his displays at the World Cup will worry his American manager.

He featured heavily as part of a Denmark side that crashed out of the group stages, finishing rock bottom of a group they were expected to cruise through.

The 25-year-old has recorded an average rating of 6.67 across the three games, recording a miserable 0.3 key passes per game. It seems like his offensive game weakened even further on the international stage.

This will likely explain the interest in West Ham United youngster Harrison Ashby, who Marsch could look to mould in his perfect image.

As reported by ExWHUemployee, the Hammers seem to be preparing for life without the 21-year-old who has earned praise from a variety of journalists for his ability on the ball.

Sam Delaney and Roshane Thomas were two who labelled him “one to watch” on the U Irons Podcast before noting:

“He’s big as well. He’s like a big unit. He’s only young, but he’s like a giant. Usually, you’re used to seeing smaller players in those wing-back positions, but he looked big, strong, he was very fearless, decent on the ball.” 

Having flitted between the under-23s and senior squad this season, the Scotsman still boasts one assist in just five Premier League 2 games.

Despite having only featured seven times for the Irons’ first team, he still has enough clout around the London Stadium to note this as a big blow for their academy.

But for Leeds, they could have a replacement for a man who might have shown his true colours in Qatar this World Cup.

Everton targeted Mohammed Kudus with a £15m bid in the summer but were unsuccessful in their pursuit of the player and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source.

What’s the latest?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Everton could return to make another bid for Kudus either in January or during the summer transfer window.

Romano told the CBS podcast House of Champions (12:13):

“I think next summer, or maybe January, let’s see. But next summer could be the right moment for him to go, to have an opportunity in the Premier League.

“As I mentioned, Everton have always been interested in signing him, but I’m sure other clubs in the Premier League will be interested in Kudus. He’s a very good player.”

Frank needs him

There is no doubt that Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements in their forward line after struggling to pose an attacking threat to their opponents over their first 15 outings in the Premier League this season.

Only Wolverhampton Wanderers have scored fewer goals than the Toffees in the top flight so far and due to their failure to break down opponents are now just one point shy of falling into the relegation zone when they return to action after Christmas.

As a result, the signing of Kudus would be a major coup for the Merseysiders as Frank Lampard will be hoping he will have the opportunity to add consistent and high-quality attackers during the January transfer window as it could be season-defining for Everton.

Over 14 Eredivisie appearances, the 22-year-old talent has scored five goals and completed 70% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 1.8 shots on goal and 2.6 duels won per game, and he is not only impressing at club level.

Kudus is representing Ghana at the World Cup in Qatar, putting on an exemplary performance in the 3-2 defeat to Portugal in their opening group stage where the player earned the highest rating (7.4) in his team according to Sofascore.

Over his 77-minute performance, Kudus completed 100% of his dribbles, won 75% of his ground duels and took two shots on goal in the difficult but tight clash between the two nations.

It was reported that the Ajax star could be available for around €10m (£9m) but the Toffees will need to fend off interest from several clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund.

With that being said, it would be a huge bargain and a great piece of business if Lampard could secure Kudus’ services at Goodison Park in January as he could be the difference that can save Everton in the second half of the season.

West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta is expected to be ‘available’ for the World Cup, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: Injury concerns

The Brazilian made his £51m arrival at the London Stadium from Lyon over the summer and has taken quickly to the Premier League, but he was dealt an unfortunate fitness setback early on in his Irons career.

The 25-year-old sustained a shoulder injury during the 1-1 draw at Southampton last month and hasn’t featured since, with reports at the time suggesting that he may only be sidelined for two weeks.

The Latest: Sheth’s update

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Sheth highlighted that there had been conflicting reports regarding the length of Paqueta’s absence, but revealed that the 25-year-old is on course to be fit to make the trip to Qatar.

The journalist said: “It has been a bit of a blow to have lost him. I’m sure there was conflicting reports on how long he was going to be out for.

“The latest prognosis is that he should be available for the World Cup at the very least. West Ham, I’m sure, will be hoping that he can play some part before that World Cup break.”

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The Verdict: Boost for Moyes

David Moyes has since announced in his pre-match press conference that Paqueta has rejoined training and could be involved when West Ham face Crystal Palace on Sunday, which is a huge boost for the Hammers.

The Brazil star has two assists to his name this season, and prior to his injury he was averaging 2.5 shots and 1.8 successful aerial duels per top-flight game, placing him first and third in the squad respectively for those metrics (WhoScored).

West Ham have slowly started to turn their form around after a difficult start to the campaign, and with three matches left before the mid-season break, they now have the chance to gather some momentum with the help of Paqueta’s highly anticipated return.

West Ham ‘cannot afford’ to sell defender Craig Dawson in the January transfer window, according to former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

The Lowdown: Worrying exit links

The 32-year-old is now into the final year of his current Hammers deal, having been a solid servant for the club since arriving from Watford in 2021.

Dawson has been linked with a move away from West Ham, however, with fellow Premier League side Wolves seen as the major suitors.

It remains to be seen if the Englishman will depart in January as he seeks to be closer to his family in the Midlands, but Irons insiders Claret & Hugh reported last week that the club believe Dawson will turn down any new contract offers.

The Latest: Robinson reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, the Sky Sports pundit said that selling Dawson would be a big risk, in terms of David Moyes’ squad depth:

“Dawson is a fans favourite – he has done extremely well there. David Moyes will be very reluctant to lose him.

“If the player wants to move further north for personal reasons, you would think West Ham would do it in the right way. It will not be one they will do in January though, no chance. That is a deal to be done in the summer.

“They cannot afford to lose him in January, not with the injuries they have had in that position already this season.”

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The Verdict: Keep hold until the summer

Robinson is correct in his assessment, with Dawson still such a steady pair of hands and someone who is capable of thriving at both centre-back and even right-back in a pinch.

Michail Antonio has hailed the veteran as ‘unbelievable’ and it makes sense to allow him to leave on a free transfer next summer instead of losing him in January – it’s not as if a 32 year-old with six months on his deal would command a big transfer fee anyway.

It still isn’t out of the question for Dawson to sign a new contract at West Ham but he may just feel that one more fresh challenge in his career is needed before he hangs up his boots.

Aston Villa have received a lift with the news that Lucas Digne’s injury is ‘not as bad as first feared’. 

The lowdown

France manager Didier Deschamps called up the left-back for Les Bleus’ UEFA Nations League fixtures this month, but the 29-year-old was forced to withdraw from the squad with an ankle injury.

Initial tests suggested that the player could be out for up to seven weeks with the fracture he had sustained, but a much more positive outlook has more recently emerged.

The latest

Birmingham Live journalist Patrick Rowe relayed news from French outlet L’Equipe, with the outlook drastically improving for Digne and Villa.

The reporter tweeted: “Lucas Digne’s ankle injury is ‘not as bad as first feared’ as per @lequipe.

“Further examinations have suggested that the player could return to action in mid-October. Big boost for #avfc.”

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The verdict

Villa fans may well be breathing a sigh of relief after hearing this news.

If Digne were ruled out for seven weeks from 20 September, the date that his France withdrawal was confirmed, then he wouldn’t be available for selection again until around 8 November. That would have enabled him to feature in just one match for Villa before the World Cup break.

However, it now sounds like he could be in contention for the home game against Chelsea on 16 October judging by the timeframe communicated by Rowe. That would represent a return to action a full six matches earlier than initially anticipated.

The 29-year-old hasn’t missed a minute of Premier League football so far this season, so he’s clearly a big player for Steven Gerrard’s side.

Social media plays a larger role than ever in the lives of football fans around the world. Since social media’s initial breakout in the early 2000’s its reach and engagement have soared higher than ever expected. This rise in social media fandom in the sport has given footballers and fans alike the perfect opportunity to keep in a constant loop and feel connected to their favourite footballers and feel closer to players than ever before. In this day and age, social media is now the go-to if you want to try and communicate with your favourite footballers and vice versa. Football stars are well-followed celebrities in their own right and many of them tend to use Twitter and Instagram as a remote mobile press conference after each and every game to grow their influence. It’s often used as a means of gaining influence and making themselves a more attractive prospect, a handy tool at their disposal when it comes to contract negotiations. However, the rise of social media influence on football culture also offers an opportunity for football clubs to get creative with their marketing and perhaps the best example of this is their output during the transfer window. The days of the boring boardroom snapshot are over as football clubs try to outdo each other with high-drama videos. From City announcing Haaland to Arsenal’s welcome for Vieira, the player announcement video is commonplace now. Here’s our collection of cinematic masterpieces and PR clangers from over the years.ÂErling Haaland to Manchester City in 2022It’s fair to say Manchester City’s long-awaited unveiling of Norwegian striker Erling Haaland was well worth the wait for City fans after his lightning-quick start to life at the Etihad with City now 1/4 to win the title according to the best betting sites. While his play on the pitch is anything but ordinary, his announcement video was pretty route one. Recreating a photo of an adolescent Haaland donning a City shirt while perched on a sofa, the video racked up 10 million views on Twitter. City’s social media team captioned the post “HE’S HERE!”, showing a level of excitement that was certainly not replicated by Haaland’s expression. Nonetheless, it was a smart announcement, even if Manchester City’s attempts to convince a sceptical public that Erling Haaland is a lifelong Blues fan are becoming a little tedious.

Stuart Taylor to Southampton in 2017

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Deliberately spoofing the over-the-top transfer video, Saints brought the full Hollywood approach to the relatively mundane signing of a reserve goalkeeper on a 1-year contract. The resulting advert was something you’d expect to see at the cinema rather than on a football club’s twitter page. Southampton opted to use a movie trailer-style approach to unveil their new man, including action film staples such as yachts, helicopters and a car chase along with intense music to build up the suspense. It might have been deliberately over the top but with over two million views the widespread reaction was to commend the marketing department behind the stunt.

Gianluca Scamacca to West Ham United in 2022

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West Ham’s announcement of the signing of Italian international Gianluca Scamacca was notable for two reasons. Firstly, it was posted via a classy remake of the opening credits to Channel 4’s cult 90s highlights show, Gazzetta Football Italia. Secondly, they spelt his name wrong in a classic example of how there is a propensity with social media to see the positive hype surrounding a new signing backfire with a simple mistake. The video was promptly taken down and reposted, attracting more attention to the £30m signing than probably would’ve been generated by an ordinary, accurately-spelt post. Maybe that was the plan all along.

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Paul Pogba to Manchester United in 2016

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Part cult, part music video, part footballing news, Paul Pogba’s return to Manchester United for a then-world record £89million was the transfer that cemented social media’s role as the primary means of communicating transfer news with the world. Timed for maximum impact in the Far East and the USA, the news appeared just after midnight UK time, a clear nod to the commercial reality that shirt and merchandise sales are now as much a part of the ROI of a transfer as on-pitch performance. The #PogBack hashtag sought to build a homecoming narrative as the player returned to the club he left in 2012, while famous grime star Stormzy’s inclusion helped spread the news to audiences far beyond football. For Adidas, with trainer sales and other sports to appeal to, it was a canny move.

Matt Paterson to Oxford City in 2017

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With Premier League transfers usually seen as quite a big deal, it isn’t always the same story when you go down a few leagues. Due to the huge reduction in funds and revenue, Oxford City decided to unveil their man with a picture of him signing his contract in McDonald’s with a free Barclays pen. The unusual location generated significant buzz, with Oxford’s tweet retweeted over 1,000 times and picked up by several sporting publications. Even the McDonald’s UK Twitter page got in on the act, retweeting and helping Oxford City share their news with wider sports fans who follow the restaurant.

Andre Moreira to Aston Villa in 2018

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Love Island is a modern-day reality TV phenomenon, and Aston Villa struck while the iron was hot with this one theming a Twitter announcement of new signing Andre Moreira around the ITV show. Demonstrating a clear attempt to piggyback on popular culture, their tweet that focused on “a new boy entering the villa” drew mixed reactions, some in stitches while others understandably dubbed it “cringe-worthy” or “embarrassing”. That being said, nearly 500,000 people have now viewed the tweet which has racked up over 2000 retweets and 8000 likes. It might be an example of blatantly jumping on the bandwagon but in the social media age, it is clearly an effective tactic of drawing attention.

Wout Weghorst to Burnley in 2022

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Try to ignore Wout Weghorst’s disappointing form at Burnley, and instead drink in the marvellous cinema of his social media announcement video. Leaning heavily on the 6ft 6 in Dutch striker’s enormous stature, Burnley produced a Jurassic Park-inspired video that likened their new £12 million signing to a terrifying prehistoric creature. Torrential rain, a battered jeep, deafening roars; their Deadline Day repurposing of a classic Hollywood scene was clever. Sadly, he didn’t look quite as scary when up against Premier League defenders.

Photo by Unsplash

Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley is reportedly attracting interest from clubs across Europe, following his impressive recent form at Parkhead.

What’s the word?

According to ESPN, the 21-year-old is earning admiring glances from the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal – as well as Borussia Dortmund – with a ‘late move’ for the Denmark under-21 international potentially in the offing before the end of the transfer window.

The report suggests that the playmaker – who only arrived in Glasgow on a £1.5m deal from MK Dons in January – could potentially be allowed to depart if a fee of around £15m-£20m is received, albeit with the Premiership champions having no real interest in sanctioning a sale.

The report adds that if a bid is made, it would most likely come from either Newcastle United or Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City, while O’Riley has also been scouted by both Wolfsburg and Lille of late.

Postecoglou must avoid disaster

While it is testament to the youngster’s form that he is already the subject of such vast interest from some of the continent’s leading clubs, those at Parkhead will likely be concerned about losing a player who has already become a key figure under Ange Postecoglou.

The title-winning coach simply must resist any approaches for the 6 foot 2 sensation over the next few days, with Celtic unable to afford to lose another midfield talent, having seen the long-serving Tom Rogic depart at the end of last season.

O’Riley – who has been tipped to become the heir to the Australian in Postecoglou’s side – made an instant transition to life in the Premiership after joining in the winter, scoring four goals and providing three assists in just 16 league games last term.

Dubbed a “pressing machine” by his former MK Dons boss Russell Martin, the former Fulham youth product has also started brightly in the early weeks of the new campaign, laying on one assist so far after starting all four league games for Celtic.

Having made the jump from life in English League One to the more pressurised environment at Parkhead, the £2.07m-rated ace has already enjoyed something of a meteoric rise of late, with another step up to a club in Europe’s top five leagues no doubt on the horizon.

For now, however, Postecoglou and co must hold firm and keep O’Riley at the club, particularly with a crucial Champions League group stage voyage set to get underway at home to Real Madrid next month. Cashing in on him before them could be disastrous, as finding an attainable, good-value replacement of equal quality before the transfer window shuts would be nigh-on impossible.

Aston Villa target Raul de Tomas could leave RCD Espanyol before the transfer deadline on September 1st…

What’s the word?

According to transfer insider and journalist Dean Jones, the Midlands outfit have “explored” a move for the Spanish forward and it’s thought that it would take just €25m (£20m) to seal his signature this month.

And now, Villa have been given a boost in their pursuit of the 27-year-old, who was once on the books of Real Madrid.

Periquitos CEO Mao Ye has told Spanish publication La Grada that “there are always possibilities” that the forward departs the RCDE Stadium before the end of the summer transfer window.

Lange must act

After drawing a blank in their Premier League opener against newly-promoted AFC Bournemouth, Villans sporting director Johan Lange must act quickly to land manager Steven Gerrard another forward option.

One of Villa’s biggest problems in recent times has been up top. Last season, for example, only one player surpassed the double-figure mark for goals – Ollie Watkins (11). And he wasn’t even in the starting 11 down on the south coast.

The Midlands outfit enjoyed a pretty solid pre-season but doubts have now quickly emerged with the side registering only two shots on target against the Cherries, who on paper have a rather weak squad.

Their manager, Scott Parker, even alluded to this ahead of kickoff.

“It’s clear that we are lacking in a lot of areas. That’s just very clear. We need to work out whether we want to give ourselves a chance of being competitive this year. At the moment, that is not the case,” he said (via Dorset Live).

De Tomas would certainly add a new attacking presence to the team, having bagged 17 goals in 34 appearances in LaLiga last term, fine form that continued on from Espanyol’s promotion-winning triumph a season earlier, where the Spaniard fired 23 goals across 37 games, taking his total to 45 for the club, via Transfermarkt.

The 5 foot 10 frontman describes himself as being a “pacey, competitive and technically gifted goal-scorer” and has been likened, in terms of statistical profile, to a player that Gerrard knows very well – his former Liverpool teammate Luis Suarez.

De Tomas is also averaging 3.12 shots and 1.24 shots on target per 90, which seems him rank inside the top 19% of his positional peers across Europe, as per FBref, so the Spaniard could help solve that problem in front of goal.

With Danny Ings misfiring on the weekend and Watkins sitting on the bench, Lange must deliver Gerrard another striking option and with Espanyol’s CEO seemingly open to a De Tomas departure, it would be foolish to not deliver a tempting offer in the coming days.

For just £20m, it could be a worthwhile investment.

AND in other news, Gregg Evans claims Aston Villa could make “one more” signing…

Nottingham Forest have wasted no time or resources in making sure they have a squad fit to compete in the Premier League when they make their long-awaited return this week after 23 years away from the top flight.

Steve Cooper and the powers at The City Ground have identified and secured deals for 11 players already, with a combination of Premier League experience and young talent from across the top European leagues, it will be interesting to watch the team come together when they take on Newcastle United in the first game of the season at St James’ Park this weekend.

It was reported that the Forest boss still wants to add a midfielder and another striker before the transfer window shuts, and with Orel Mangala close to becoming the 12th player to join the new-look Nottingham Forest team, the attention will now likely turn to the final position that needs filling.

The newly-promoted side have been linked with a number of forwards over the summer so far with Alassane Plea, Maxwel Cornet and Jordan Larsson all named as potential targets, as well as Watford striker Emmanuel Dennis who could be the cherry on top of the perfect transfer window if the Reds can secure a deal.

Despite being relegated with Watford, Dennis was a stand-out performer in the team last season in the Premier League, putting in impressive performances that has led to a number of top-flight clubs chasing his signature over the transfer window.

Over 33 appearances, the £25m gem who was hailed “very talented” by Claudio Ranieri scored 10 goals, delivered six assists and created seven big chances, as well as making an average of one key pass, 1.5 tackles and taking 1.8 shots per game – not to metnion finishing the season comfortably as the Hornets’ top goalscorer.

Cooper could even land his very own Jarrod Bowen, as the West Ham star was one of the most comparable players to Dennis over last season according to FBref.

Despite Bowen having more goal contributions (22) and more shot-creating actions (95), Dennis outperformed the forward in many other areas, including shots on target accuracy (44.3%), pass-completion rate (68.1%) and more shot-creating actions per 90 (3.17).

With that being said, the signing of Dennis would be a major coup for Forest if they can get a deal done this summer and it could certainly strengthen their forward line in their pursuit to retain their Premier League status next term.

AND in other news: Contact made: Forest in talks for “superb” £10m signing, just imagine him & Mangala

Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham has insisted that Richarlison will get plenty of game-time next season thanks to the Premier League reintroducing the five-substitute rule.

The Lowdown: Five subs reintroduced

Spurs announced the signing of the Brazilian from Everton at the start of the month after he put pen to paper on a five-year deal in north London, becoming the club’s marquee signing of the summer so far.

Earlier this year, it was confirmed that all teams in the English top flight would be allowed to make five substitutions per game as of next season, a rule which officials have decided to reintroduce since reverting back to three following the effects of the pandemic during the summer of 2020.

The Latest: Wenham’s Richarlison prediction

Speaking to Football Insider, Wenham admitted that he is confident of Richarlison getting plenty of minutes under his belt at Tottenham as a result of the new rule, regardless of the strength of the forwards already at the club.

He said: “I think the important thing is next season we will have five subs allowed in every game.

“You take the goalkeeper out and you are looking at changing half of your team, it’s a massive change. I think the idea of a set starting XI is going to go out of the window.

“You will now see a reliable 17 or 18 who are coming on in every single game at every club. I expect Richarlison will get plenty of game time.

“He will be coming in from a position of strength. Usually, when we sign someone like this we are replacing another player.

“What we have done is strengthen our strongest position. He got 10 league goals last year and has over 150 Premier League appearances.

“I’m delighted with the signing and it doesn’t matter if he isn’t better than Kane, Son or Kulusevski.”

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The Verdict: Promising future ahead

Since Richarlison’s arrival at Tottenham, it has been confirmed that he will be wearing the number nine shirt for Spurs next season.

Whilst he might not be guaranteed to start every game, it gives a strong indicator that he will play a huge part in Antonio Conte’s plans moving forward.

The 25-year-old was the standout performer in a struggling Toffees side last season as their top scorer and highest-rated player as per WhoScored. He racked up 16 goal contributions across all competitions, showing the positive impact he can have on a starting XI.

The Brazil international should be able to link up well with his attacking team-mates Harry Kane and Son Heung-min and make a real impression in the final third under Conte. As Wenham says, the reintroduction of five substitutions in the Premier League could be of huge benefit to Richarlison, and possibly to Spurs.