All posts by z3u9t.icu

Suffering defeats against both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, losing Raphael Varane and Mason Mount to injury, and watching on as Erik ten Hag and Jadon Sancho had an incredibly public disagreement, it's fair to say that Manchester United have endured one of the worst starts to the Premier League season that they could have imagined.

Their poor start to the season has come as quite a surprise, too, given that they had a fairly successful summer of arrivals at Old Trafford. Such is the unpredictability of England's top flight, however, the Red Devils have been one of the most disappointing sides in the league.

Now, to add the cherry on top, reports suggest that the Glazer family – the owners of Manchester United – have made a crucial decision, regarding the sale of the club, leaving Gary Neville particularly bewildered.

What have the Glazers done now?

According to The Daily Mail, the Glazers have decided to take Manchester United off the market after failing to receive their desired £10billion price-tag for the Premier League club since putting them up for sale in November.

The owners will now reportedly put the club back on the market in 2025, when they hope financial and environmental factors will attract higher bidders.

Reacting to the news, Gary Neville has told Sky Sports this is just the owners' latest scheme to drum up more offers: "I just can't believe that the report is true.

"It's part of the game playing and the manipulating of stories that they have been doing for a long time. I don't see any way that they can keep hold of the club because they've got no money.

"Anyone that has a bit of knowledge of the financial situation at the club will know that it is desperate. They keep putting it down to FFP, they keep saying that they can't bring players on board and stuff like that.

"They have spent and invested money this summer but they have to bring money in and that will either be through a dilution, some sort of debt on the business – which no one can imagine because of the debt that is already on the business – or they sell. I think the most likely route is that they sell.

"They are trying to bump the price up which is the negotiating tactic of many. They don't panic, so they stand strong, they don't rush, they are knowledgeable business people and know that the more they prolong this process they might get an extra quid or two out of it.

"I can't believe the story to be true because they need money desperately into the club."

How much did Manchester United spend this summer?

With the Glazers still at the helm, United spent a total of €207m (£177m) in the summer transfer window, as per Transfemarkt, welcoming seven fresh faces.

Having splashed the cash once more, the pressure may start to build on Ten Hag to get results out of his United side once more. The Dutchman at least has the international break to attempt to fix any glaring problems in his system, and after that, the Red Devils must start getting results again.

Liverpool have identified Ryan Gravenberch as a potential midfield option in the summer following their recent blow in the race for Jude Bellingham.

Have Liverpool pulled out of the Bellingham race?

The pursuit for the signature of Bellingham in the summer took a major twist over recent days with Liverpool believed to be one f the three main sides eyeing the midfielder.

Alongside the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid, it is believed Liverpool were seriously interested in potentially signing the 19-year-old.

However, reports have now suggested the Reds have pulled out of the race as a result of the finances expected to be involved in the possible sale of the England midfielder.

Now, it appears the Merseyside are weighing up their options for potential alternatives as they look to plan for the new campaign at Anfield.

It has been a largely underwhelming campaign for Liverpool this season and one they will be hoping some reinforcements over the summer could turn around.

One name which has been floated around as a possible alternative for Bellingham is the £155k-per-week Bayern Munich midfielder, Gravnberch.

Indeed, speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, insider Graeme Bailey has suggested the 20-year-old is a player who Jurgen Klopp's side are said to be keen on:

(23:50) "A very interesting name to keep an eye on and I suspect he'll be very strongly talked about with Liverpool. They like him, as you say. So I think he'd be very much under consideration for them. Could be a very good pickup for a Premier League team."

Could Gravenberch be a good Bellingham alternative?

It has to be noted potentially missing out on Bellingham will naturally feel like a huge blow given the high praise that the youngster has received over the early stages of his career.

However, the Dutchman, Gravenberch, is a player who landed at Bayern in the summer from Ajax with huge expectations following his time in the Eredivisie.

Under his previous manager, Julian Nagelsmann, the 20-year-old was hailed despite the lack of game time he was receiving from the starting XI: “It’s not easy for Ryan but he’s gonna be one of the best midfielders in the world," he said.

The midfielder has made 17 appearances in the Bundesliga and only one of those have come from the starting XI with a total of 323 minutes of league action (via Transfermarkt).

Gravenberch has been described as "special" by talkSPORT's Mark Goldbridge and last season he certainly showed that having provided more shot-creating actions than Bellingham did last season (via Fbref).

Of course, this has to be caveated by the fact he was playing in a different league to Bellingham last season, however, the Dutchman (67.4%) also provided more successful take-ons than Bellingham (55.1%).

Missing out on the statement signing of Bellingham will hurt for Liverpool fans, but it seems there are other players who could bolster Klopp's options in the middle.

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale bolstered his attacking options earlier this month as the club officially confirmed the signing of Sam Lammers from Atalanta on a permanent basis.

The Light Blues have now added four players to their squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, with the Dutchman following Jack Butland, Kieran Dowell, and Dujon Sterling in committing to the Scottish giants this summer.

However, the Gers do not appear to be done in the transfer market and are eyeing another striker to compete with Lammers, Antonio Colak, and Kemar Roofe.

Who is Josh Maja?

The Glasgow giants reportedly have a genuine and long-standing interest in signing Bordeaux centre-forward Josh Maja in the coming weeks.

His contract with the Ligue 2 side is set to expire at the end of this month and, as it stands, the Nigerian international is poised to be available for nothing.

Beale could strike gold by signing the 24-year-old striker as current Gers attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell could make him unstoppable next season.

The English maestro arrived at Ibrox in January from Norwich and enjoyed a terrific start to life in Scotland. He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.36 and chipped in with six goals and four assists from the middle of the park across 16 league outings.

Cantwell created five 'big chances' and produced 1.3 key passes per game for his teammates, despite having played less than half of the campaign.

The 25-year-old, who completed 89% of his attempted passes in the Scottish Premiership, is able to open up the opposition on a regular basis to create significant chances for his fellow attackers, whilst his goal return last term also suggests that the ex-Norwich magician can make a big impact on his own.

Maja, whose "rare" talent was hailed by former Rangers striker Jermain Defoe, could benefit from Cantwell's creativity after an impressive season with Bordeaux in Ligue 2.

The £10k-per-week finisher averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.08 across 37 league appearances and contributed with 16 goals and six assists for the French side.

These statistics show that the 5 foot 11 dynamo, who scored 17 goals in 49 games for Sunderland's first-team, has the potential to be a prolific scorer for Rangers if provided with the right service.

Cantwell could be the player to do that for him as the 25-year-old wizard has proven himself to be an excellent creator for the Light Blues and his constant supply line to the forwards could make Maja an unstoppable threat up front for Beale in the 2023/24 campaign.

The Nigerian gem's ability to assist others from a number nine position, which resulted in him being able to create eight 'big chances' in 22/23, also means that opposition defenders would have to deal with his creativity, in potentially assisting Cantwell, as well as his finishing quality in the box.

Chelsea have already waved goodbye to a number of first-team regulars this summer, with more set to follow in the coming days as part of a mass squad overhaul.

While the likes of Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic and Manchester United-bound Mason Mount will be missed, others have either had less of an impact at Stamford Bridge (Kalidou Koulibaly) or simply have not played as much of late (N'Golo Kante).

One player who very much will be missed should he move on this window is long-serving captain Cesar Azpilicueta, who has once again been linked with the exit after an 11-year stay at the club, during which time he has won every trophy on offer.

Amid claims personal terms have already been agreed between Azpilicueta and Inter on a two-year deal, The Sun reports new Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino is willing to let the defender leave for a nominal fee – or indeed, for free.

That is because Pochettino is already happy with the options he has available at right-back, with Reece James hopeful his injury issues are behind him, while Malo Gusto is now part of the squad after signing from Lyon in a £26m deal in January.

James will start the new Premier League season as Pochettino's first choice down the right, but Gusto showed last season at Lyon – whom he re-joined in January on loan for the remainder of the 2022/23 season – that he may well have a big part to play this season for the Blues.

Who is Chelsea full-back Malo Gusto?

Gusto spent two seasons as a first-team regular for Lyon, racking up 51 Ligue 1 appearances since the start of 2021/22 and catching the eye with his attacking play down the flank.

As pointed out by Football.london writer Bobby Vincent, the 20-year-old "is very dangerous going forward" and also "has an eye for a cross". That is very much reflected in the stats, with his 6.55 crosses per 90 minutes last season very similar to the number recorded by James at Chelsea (6.59), as per FBref.

There are other similarities between the pair, too, as they also completed a similar number of passes per 90 minutes last season (64.6 for James, 66.2 for Gusto) and also won a near-identical number of tackles (1.45 v 1.47), suggesting the France U21 international will be a good fit for Chelsea.

Using FBref's player comparison tool, there is a full-back even more alike Gusto in terms of their statistical profiles: Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies.

The pair won a similar number of tackles per 90 last season (48.8% for Gusto, compared to 46.2% for Davies), hit the target from a similar number of shots (42.9% v 42.1%) and registered blocks at a similar rate (1.24 v 1.23).

They also had the majority of their touches in the middle third of the field (43.6 v 40.2) – highlighting where they spend most of their time – and played 4.80 and 4.85 passes into the final third per 90 respectively.

Whether it is the next Davies that Chelsea have signed or a younger version of James, it is clear that Gusto is a talented player who is capable of challenging for a first-team place once Azpilicueta's exit is finally sanctioned.

Chelsea's 2024 transfer plans are already taking real shape as a report shares some promising news on their bid to sign a striker for Mauricio Pochettino.

Who have Chelsea signed this season?

The Blues, lead by owner Todd Boehy, alongside co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, oversaw a summer transfer window of serious spending.

Indeed, Chelsea showcased true ambition with the additions of Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Robert Sanchez, Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Djordje Petrovic, Angelo and Deivid Washington – who all joined the club for around £397 million.

To fund this business, many former squad members had to make way, with Kalidou Koulibaly, N'Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Cesar Azpilicueta, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ethan Ampadu and Callum Hudson-Odoi all departing Stamford Bridge.

Pochettino's reign has well and truly begun with the aforementioned arrivals, though it hasn't exactly been the greatest of starts for the Argentine.

Losing to both West Ham and, most recently, Nottingham Forest; Chelsea's only win of the season to date has been a 3-0 victory over newly-promoted Luton Town.

The west Londoners also dropped points at home to Liverpool on the opening day, with defender Ben Chilwell saying there is still a lot of work to do.

"Very frustrating result and everyone is very disappointed in the changing room right now," explained Chilwell after their recent 1-0 loss to Forest at home.

"If you look at the stats we dominated the game, had the possession, but the most important stat is the goals. We lost in that department and lost the game, that is the black and white of it and we need to improve."

Will Chelsea sign a striker?

One position they didn't exactly shore up with a superstar was their striking position, despite links with the likes of Harry Kane and Napoli star Victor Osimhen.

The latter player, who has been in scintillating form for the past two years, has been repeatedly mentioned as a Chelsea transfer target by various sections of the media.

Osimhen is truly one of Europe's most deadly strikers right now, having scored 26 goals in 30 Serie A starts last season. The Nigeria international has continued in that vain this term; already bagging three goals in his first league games.

His signing would be a truly exciting one from Chelsea's perspective, and there has been a very promising bit of news concerning his possible arrival.

This comes courtesy of Football Transfers, who say Pochettino and co are "leading the race" to sign Osimhen over Premier League rivals Arsenal.

As they enter pole position for the 24-year-old, FT sources indicate that there is a "possibility that a deal may already have been agreed upon" with the player.

Presumably referring to personal terms, it appears Chelsea have taken quite the leap forward for Osimhen's signing just under two weeks after the summer window shut.

We believe the African superstar would be near-perfect to lead Pochettino's line, especially going by his imperious goal record and praise from Gianfranco Zola, who called him "devastating".

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani is expecting his next Manchester United offer to be accepted, according to The Guardian.

What’s the latest Man United takeover news involving Jassim?

Jassim has made two bids for the Premier League giants so far, with the latest coming last month after initially missing the deadline. The Qatari banker’s revised offer was thought to be a world-record figure at more than £5bn, but as we know, he is yet to receive the green light to proceed with a takeover.

The Glazers have now scheduled a third and final round of bids, with a deadline set for next Friday. Sky Sports have reported that Jassim remains committed to taking full control at Old Trafford, and it looks as if he is confident of doing just that despite recent reports suggesting the Glazers could stay as majority owners by securing outside investment.

The Guardian’s Jamie Jackson shared an Old Trafford update regarding Jassim on Tuesday, stating that he ‘remains confident he will succeed with his bid to buy Manchester United’.

He believes his offer, which would be debt free, will be accepted, whereas Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid would include borrowing.

Down to the Glazers…

As mentioned, the Glazers feel they could stay in Manchester and look to double the value of the club over the next ten years by bringing in investment. The likes of Ares Management Corporation, The Carlyle Group, Elliot Investment Management and Sixth Street Partners all want a stake in the Red Devils, but Jassim is seemingly upbeat about the chances of a full takeover.

His next offer will more than likely need to reach the Glazers’ £6bn asking price to stand a chance of a takeover going through over the coming months. We should find out more over the coming weeks, but with time ticking, Jassim may be looking to get things done quickly in order to help Erik ten Hag in the transfer market.

Manchester United’s hectic run of February fixtures continues away to Barcelona in the Europa League this evening, with the Red Devils set to return to the venue of one of the greatest nights in their history – Camp Nou.

While there may not be quite the glamour of that fabled triumph over Bayern Munich in ’99 – with United now competing in the continent’s second-tier competition – tonight’s clash still promises a potentially mouthwatering feast of football, with Erik ten Hag’s resurgent side facing off against the runaway leaders in La Liga.

With it already set to be a stern challenge to pick up a positive result in Catalonia, the Old Trafford outfit have the further headache of being without a number of key figures, with the likes of Scott McTominay, Anthony Martial and Antony all missing through injury, while both Lisandro Martinez and Marcel Sabitzer are ruled out through suspension.

How will Man United line up against Barcelona?

With those selection issues in mind, Football FanCast predicts that Ten Hag will make three changes from the side that claimed victory over Leeds United last time out, with notable alterations set to take place defensively.

Ahead of long-serving stalwart David De Gea – who recently brought up 400 Premier League appearances –  will likely be a centre-back pairing of Raphael Varane and Luke Shaw, with club captain and defensive “liability” – as per writer Zach Lowy – Harry Maguire set to make way.

With Shaw’s move into the centre set to see Tyrell Malacia remain at left-back, the other full-back berth could well be taken up by £50m “monster” Aaron Wan-Bissaka – as once lauded by CBS Sports reporter Aaron West – with the Englishman’s defensive strength potentially set to be required.

The biggest positive for the former Ajax boss will be the return of influential midfielder Casemiro, amid his current league suspension, with the Brazilian rock set to be supported by compatriot Fred and playmaking gem, Bruno Fernandes.

As for the forward line, the absence of both Antony and Martial should ensure that there are no alterations from the win at Elland Road, with teenage starlet Alejandro Garnacho likely to offer a game-changing presence off the bench once again.

Liverpool are interested in completing a deal to bring Napoli defender Kim Min-jae to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Kim's future?

Football Insider has reported that the Reds are willing to listen to offers for Joel Matip and Nat Phillips this summer, meaning that central reinforcements will be needed should they depart. South Korea international Kim only made the move to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium last year, but having been a regular feature under Luciano Spalletti with 27 Serie A starts in his debut season, he has been attracting interest.

Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna (via Liverpool Echo) recently credited Jurgen Klopp with an interest in the 26-year-old, whose camp would reportedly be happy to green-light a move, and despite his contract not set to expire for another two years, there is a way he could be brought to Anfield in the coming months.

According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United have all “expressed an interest” in Kim and activating the £40m release clause included in his terms. The English trio are among “several” other unnamed clubs across Europe who are also monitoring his situation, but it’s claimed that he would “prefer” a move to the Premier League.

It is thought that Spurs could hold a “slight advantage” as a result of him being international teammates with Son Heung-min, but his representatives are aware of the “many other” options. Napoli, however, are keen to keep hold of him and could therefore look to remove his exit clause by offering him a new deal.

Would Kim be a good signing for Liverpool?

Kim has been dubbed a “rock” at the heart of Napoli’s backline by Serie A expert Matteo Bonetti, and should the opportunity to sign him arise, he could be the ideal long-term partner for Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool.

The Nike-sponsored star is currently averaging 3.8 clearances and 2.8 aerial wins per league game, highlighting his physical presence both on and off the ground, whilst recording a 90.5% pass success rate, displaying his confidence and composure on the ball (WhoScored).

The 6 foot 3 defender is also capable of chipping in from time to time when it comes to the opposite end of the pitch, having scored six goals and provided two assists throughout his career, via Transfermarkt, so for someone who has the ability to make a positive impact at both ends of the field, he is perhaps the perfect profile of defender for Klopp.

Everton yet again find themselves fighting for survival in the Premier League this season and Sean Dyche has now been tasked with the challenge to ensure they don't fall into the Championship.

The Toffees are just two points clear of the relegation zone in 15th and just like last season, the club faces a real threat of falling into the second tier if the tide doesn't turn over the remaining ten fixtures.

There are several variables that can be pinpointed to Everton's struggles over the last 18 months with Richarlison's exit in the summer particularly playing a huge part in the side's lack of goal contributions this term.

Everton have the joint-worst goal tally in the entire Premier League with summer signings Neal Maupay and Dwight McNeil failing to convert enough chances in front of goal to compensate for the Brazilian's departure. That is further made worse by Anthony Gordon's shock move to Newcastle United in January.

However, it's not just poor transfer business that has been plaguing the performances at Goodison Park as the Merseysiders racked up the worst injury record in the entire top flight last season with numerous players unavailable for selection for months at a time.

It is without a doubt that the most impactful injury concern has been Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the striker constantly picking up injuries ever since he suffered a toe fracture and quadriceps injury back in August 2021.

How much has Dominic Calvert-Lewin cost Everton?

The 26-year-old has become one of the Premier League's most recognisable number nines over his career at Everton and even earned a place in the senior England squad after impressing Gareth Southgate with his performances under Carlos Ancelotti's guidance back in 2020.

However, in the last two seasons, the striker's injury troubles have put his promising career on a downward spiral with the player only making 30 appearances and scoring just six goals in all competitions since the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign.

To be exact, it has been 81 weeks since the Everton talisman – dubbed "frustrating" by Henry Winter – suffered the first major injury that left him in recovery for the rest of 2021 and has earned £100k-per-week or £8.1m in total since then, despite his lack of contribution and constant unreliability.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville recently slammed Everton's mentality for still depending on Calvert-Lewin to be their saviour in the relegation fight this season following the 2-0 loss to Liverpool:

"They’ve [Everton] got to stop talking about Dominic Calvert-Lewin, it’s as if they’re waiting for something to sort of save them – it might never come.

"For me, this idea that they always mention, ‘when we get Calvert-Lewin back we’ll be okay,’ no you won’t. You can’t wait for him. You’ll be relegated if you’re waiting for him."

Neville's comments present a harsh truth for the Goodison faithful and for Dyche when he assesses the next steps, should Everton survive relegation this season, as the club can no longer wait for the striker to make a comeback and instead must look at their options in the transfer market to ensure they can improve next season.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Everton finally accept that their beloved goalscorer could potentially never reach the heights he once and instead invest his wages or a potential transfer fee that could provide them with a prolific and reliable striker next season.

A big update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers attacking midfielder Alex Lowry and his current injury situation…

What’s the latest on Alex Lowry’s fitness?

Light Blues head coach Michael Beale has revealed that the academy product is suffering from an ankle issue and is likely to be out for the next month, which comes after fellow midfielder Malik Tillman was out against Kilmarnock due to a knock.

He told the Glasgow Times: “The day before the Partick Thistle game when he was in the thinking to start; no one near him, the ball came he turned and had a problem with his ankle.

“It was a six-week injury which he is two weeks into. He is out of the boot at the moment.

“But Alex is probably four weeks from being ready to play.”

Is this bad news for Michael Beale?

This will surely be a frustrating blow for the Gers boss as it is another setback for the teenage midfielder in what could have been his breakthrough season at Ibrox.

Lowry made 12 competitive matches between August and October of the current campaign with a knee injury, which left him playing catch-up at the start of Beale’s reign after the team returned to action following the World Cup.

He has only made 11 matches for the academy side.

His phenomenal form for the club’s youth team, and van Bronckhorst’s decision to include him in the first team in 2021/22, highlights the immense talent that the youngster possesses but he will be unable to hone and develop his skills by being on the sidelines nursing an injury.

Beale will not be able to work with the teenager on the training pitch – over the next four weeks – to help him grow and get to a point where the dynamo can play regular football for the senior side and that is why this is frustrating news for the head coach.

It is particularly disappointing that this blow has arisen at the same time as Tillman, who has scored seven goals and provided four assists in the Premiership, is missing with an injury of his own.

The USA international’s absence could have opened the door for Lowry, even if it was just as a substitute, to get minutes in recent weeks and in the upcoming clash with Hibernian, which the Bayern Munich loanee is set to be out for.

Hopefully, the Rangers teenager will be able to return from this latest setback next month and burst into Beale’s plans before the end of the campaign and put his woes behind him. For now, however, it is frustrating for all parties.