All posts by h716a5.icu

It looks like Newcastle United versus Aston Villa in the race to sign Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United, according to a source at Football Insider.

The lowdown

Phillips and Leeds are scrapping for Premier League survival as the season enters its final week.

The Whites currently sit in 17th place, a point ahead of Burnley, but they have played a game more.

The Daily Mail’s Matt Hughes recently claimed that Phillips is one of the players with a release clause that will become active if Jesse Marsch’s side drop.

It’s thought to be in the region of £30million, half the £60million figure quoted by The Times’ Jonathan Northcroft earlier in the year.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-6/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The latest

The publication report that Phillips’ future is very much ‘up in the air’ amid the risk of Leeds being relegated.

Talks between the player and the club over a new deal have also stalled, adding to the uncertainty around the plummeting price tag.

A ‘recruitment source’ has told FI that Newcastle and Villa are ‘leading the race’ for Phillips, having each identified him as a ‘top target’.

They currently have the edge on Manchester United in the battle for his signature.

At this stage, they’re laying the ‘groundwork’ for a potential deal.

The verdict

Phillips, England’s reigning player of the year, could form part of an excellent midfield trio at St James’ Park.

In theory, he may play alongside Newcastle’s newly-crowned POTS Joelinton and £37.9million January addition Bruno Guimaraes, who has himself been dubbed ‘different class’ by journalist John Gibson.

Given Phillips’ credentials – he was also named in The Guardian’s Euro 2020 Team of the Tournament – this is the kind of trio that can elevate Newcastle to another level.

This is a player who left Xavi ‘extremely impressed’ after his ‘superb’ showings on the run to the Wembley final, and so signing him at a 50% discount would be something to celebrate on Tyneside.

In other news, Newcastle are ‘confident’ of landing this forward.

Manchester City have reportedly identified Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips as their leading transfer target to replace Fernandinho during the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Telegraph, the Premier League champions believe that ‘his age and his energy and intensity fit the mould of what they need’.

A product of Leeds’ youth system, the England international has made 234 appearances for the Yorkshire club across all competitions, scoring 14 goals and providing 13 assists in the process.

With 23 appearances to his name across the Premier League and Carabao Cup this season, the 26-year-old has played 18 of those in a defensive midfield role.

Having played three times as a centre-back, this could point to why City see him as a suitable replacement for Fernandinho, as the Brazilian was also able to play in both of those positions when needed.

Former Leeds player Barry Douglas hailed Phillips as a footballer who “has got unbelievable attributes,” and is “one of the best at what he does”, with Transfermarkt currently valuing him at £45m.

Guardiola would love him

According to FBRef’s scouting report on Phillips, he is currently rated in the high 90’s for his pressures, tackles and blocks, which highlights just how tough he is to play against.

Even though City ended the recent campaign with the highest average for possession per game in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola would undoubtedly love to have a player such as the Elland Road hero in his squad to make his team a more solid outfit when they don’t have the ball.

Taking into account how City have not been shy when it comes to signing players from fellow Premier League clubs in the past, with a number of those being England internationals, it’s easy to see why they have now been mentioned with a move for the Leeds stalwart.

Now that Jesse March’s side have avoided relegation, though, this could make it harder for City or any other club to sign Phillips this summer.

However, given the number of trophies that Guardiola’s side have won in recent years, and that they regularly play in the Champions League, this could potentially sway Phillips into saying goodbye to boyhood club this summer, just like Jack Grealish did to Aston Villa last year as he made the move to the Etihad Stadium.

In other news: City can repeat Grealish masterclass as Pep eyes move for “phenomenal” £100m-rated gem

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent and reliable journalist Alasdair Gold has now shared an update on the club’s pursuit of Southampton star James Ward-Prowse.

The Lowdown: Spurs in chase…

As reported by credible outlets, Spurs and head coach Antonio Conte have a firm interest in the Saints star this summer who has long been admired in north London.

The Athletic recently backed that he is a target for the Premier League giants as club chief Fabio Paratici scours the market for fresh central midfield additions.

However, it is also believed that Ward-Prowse’s club could make life difficult in prising away their star player, with Gold now sharing what he knows on the situation.

The Latest: Gold shares Ward-Prowse update…

According to the reliable football.london reporter, Spurs actually ‘came close’ to agreeing a deal for the Englishman but didn’t ‘pull the trigger’.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

As such, with Ward-Prowse now quadrupling in value, Gold claims it cost around £45 million for the north Londoners this time round.

He explained:

“In terms of James Ward-Prowse, he’s someone Spurs have liked for a long time and I understand they came close to agreeing a deal for him a few years back but did not pull the trigger. Now he’s worth almost four times his value from back then. You’re looking at around £45m and I’m not sure whether Spurs spend that sort of money in that central position when other areas are a priority. Admittedly he does bring some qualities that others don’t have, not least with those set pieces.”

The Verdict: Return with a bid?

It wouldn’t hurt to test Southampton’s resolve with a formal offer, even despite the challenge in taking Ward-Prowse away from St. Mary’s.

Described as ‘sensational’ by former Spurs striker Darren Bent, the 27-year-old stood out as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s key asset by some distance in the top flight over 2021/2022.

According to WhoScored, he finished the campaign as their top goal scorer, averaging their highest match-rating per 90 with the most key passes in the final third to boot.

Homegrown and able to contribute to fixing their quota issue in that respect, whilst an uphill battle, a move for Ward-Prowse may be worth the attempt at least.

In other news: Alasdair Gold also suggests £122,000-per-week ‘genius’ is open to joining Tottenham! Find out more here.

It has been over a week since Rangers ended their season by winning the Scottish Cup with a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Ryan Jack and Scott Wright.

The Gers failed to win the Premiership as they finished runners-up to their arch-rivals and they lost the Europa League final on penalties in Seville, with a win at Hampden on the final day a good way to finish the campaign.

With no Rangers football to enjoy, supporters may have tuned in to the play-offs in England during the previous weekend.

Nottingham Forest secured their promotion to the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Huddersfield at Wembley and any Gers fans watching will have recognised their captain – Joe Worrall.

He spent the 2018/19 campaign on loan in Glasgow as he made 32 appearances and scored one goal for Steven Gerrard. At the end of his time at Ibrox, it was reported that the now-Aston Villa boss opted against pursuing a permanent deal as he wanted to go after alternative targets in the window.

This was a huge disaster from the head coach as he has developed into a superb centre-back who is now set to play in the top-flight for Forest next term.

Midlands reporter Matt Davies once compared him to “Wolverine” after a speedy recovery from injury and his steeliness at the back played a significant role in Forest’s promotion. He made himself a rock at the heart of the defence

In the Championship, he averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.07 as he helped his team to keep 16 clean sheets. He won 63% of his duels and made 3.7 tackles and interceptions per game as he delivered brilliant performances on a regular basis.

Worrall was exceptional on the big stage in the play-off final. As per SofaScore, he made six tackles, one interception, two clearances and won seven of his 12 duels as he stood strong to keep the likes of Danel Sinani, Lewis O’Brien and Jordan Rhodes at bay.

Earlier this year, the 6 foot 4 colossus was linked with a £15m move to West Ham and he was touted with a switch to Brentford for the same price in 2021. Premier League clubs have taken an interest in the defender and his valuation – pre-promotion – seemed to be clear.

Forest may demand more for his services now that they find themselves in the top division but he is, at worst, a £15m player on current form and that is why Rangers had a howler with him.

The Gers opted against attempting to bring him back to Ibrox and they will now have to watch him either seal a big-money move to West Ham, or play regular football in the Premier League with Forest.

AND in other news, GvB can find Kemar Roofe 2.0 in Rangers swoop for “clinical” gem who “rarely misses”…

A behind-the-scenes Rangers development has emerged regarding one of the Ibrox club’s key staff members… 

What’s the talk?

The Telegraph’s John Percy has revealed that the club’s doctor is set to leave the Light Blues to move south of the border.

He tweeted: “Bit of #lcfc transfer news (sort of): Leicester are appointing #Rangers doctor Mark Waller to a similar position after agreeing compensation. Dr Waller has previously worked with the Eng u21s, Liverpool & Villa, and his appointment is regarded as a huge coup ahead of next season.”

Gio van Bronckhorst will be frustrated

Percy’s claim that the move is a ‘huge coup’ for Leicester suggests that losing him is a big blow for the Gers, and head coach Gio van Bronckhorst will therefore be left frustrated with this development.

Waller’s CV proves how highly he is rated within the game, as he has held positions with two Premier League clubs, Rangers and England’s under-21s. The Foxes have now swooped to snap him up and the Light Blues will duly be left scrambling for a doctor to take his place ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

This will be particularly frustrating for Van Bronckhorst as he has a couple of significant players currently out with injury. Whilst the club have other medical staff at the training ground, Waller is clearly held in high regard, and his expertise may have been helpful in helping them get back to fitness as quickly as possible.

Ianis Hagi and Alfredo Morelos are both working their way back from their respective blows and hopefully the loss of the Gers doctor will not impact their recovery.

Having them available will be huge for Van Bronckhorst as they are both proven performers in the Scottish top flight. In the last two Premiership seasons, Morelos produced 24 goals and 12 assists for the Gers, showing that he can both score and set up goals on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, Hagi scored nine goals and set up 13 in that time as he made vital contributions from a variety of midfield positions. The versatile Romanian has the quality to create chances for his team-mates whilst chipping in with goals himself, providing Morelos with attacking support so that the Colombian does not carry the goalscoring burden on his own.

These statistics illustrate how much of an impact both of them can have in the Premiership, and that is why Van Bronckhorst will be frustrated if any staff changes behind the scenes affect their respective recoveries.

AND in other news, “I was told”: Insider drops exciting Rangers transfer update, it’s a big boost for Van Bronckhorst…

Manchester City have been dealt a huge blow to their chances of securing a deal for reported target Alessandro Bastoni this summer.

What’s the news?

Journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently shared a post on his official Twitter page relaying comments from the defender’s agent.

He said: “Bastoni will stay at Inter for sure. He has a contract and he’s happy with Inter – there’s no problem.”

Inter signed the defender back in the 2017 summer transfer window from fellow Italian club Atalanta, only to then loan him back to his previous side for the following year.

The centre-back then spent another loan spell away from his current side with Parma before returning to Inter during the 2019 summer window.

Overall, the 23-year-old has made a total of 118 appearances for his current club across all competitions, chipping in with three goals and delivering eight assists along the way.

Bad news for City

With 31 Serie A appearances under his belt this season, Bastoni won more tackles (35) than any other defender at Inter as well as finishing in the top five in terms of the number of blocks (40), interceptions (38) and clearances he made (71).

This all highlights how much of a capable defender he is and what he could offer Pep Guardiola’s side.

With Milan Skriniar (1987) being the only defender at Inter that completed more league passes than the Italian (1601) this season, it shows why City were reportedly after him given how three of the Premier League’s top 10 passers in this latest campaign are City defenders.

Now that Bastoni’s agent has all but confirmed that his client will stay at Inter this summer and is currently happy where he is, this will undoubtedly be bad news for City and crush whatever hopes they had of potentially securing a deal for him.

However, with Guardiola having the likes of John Stones, Aymeric Laporte, Nathan Ake and Ruben Dias in his squad, who all helped City end their latest Premier League campaign with the joint-best defensive record in the division, this could take some of the sting away from potentially missing out on signing the Inter defender.

In other news: Pep can land his next Mahrez as MCFC plot move for “delightful” £58.5m-rated hotshot

Everton are reportedly now fighting Tottenham Hotspur to sign Rodrigo Becao this summer.

The Lowdown: Another centre-back?

James Tarkowski is expected to join the Goodison Park outfit on a free transfer from Burnley, but they may not be done there in terms of bringing in central defenders.

The likes of Kim Min-jae and Chancel Mbemba have recently been linked with moves to Merseyside, as Frank Lampard is clearly looking to strengthen his defence further going into the new season.

The Latest: Becao interest

As per Tutto Udinese, as reported ‘in recent days’, the Toffees have now ‘come forward’ to sign Becao, as well as Spurs.

He has had an ‘excellent’ individual campaign with Udinese, and is valued by the Serie A side at between €15-20m (£12.8-17.1m).

The Verdict: Low risk

If the Blues can sign Becao for as little as £12.8m, then it would provide a relatively low-risk option as they look to strengthen elsewhere in the squad with limited financial wiggle room.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-7/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The six-foot-three colossus was a standout player for Udinese last term, ranking highly among his teammates in terms of aerial duels won and average tackles, interceptions, clearances, blocks and passes per game in the Serie A (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, at 26 years of age, the Brazilian is about to enter his prime, and so this would be a smart deal to do so long as the price is right.

In other news, find out what ‘amazing’ EFC update has now emerged here!

Liverpool have already been rather busy in terms of bringing new players to the Merseyside club during the current summer transfer window.

The Reds have now seen Fabio Carvalho, Darwin Nunez and Calvin Ramsay join the club on permanent deals.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-salah-gnabry-isak-romano” title= “Read the latest Liverpool news!”]

To compare that with their previous summer window when the only player they splashed the cash on signing was Ibrahima Konate, Jurgen Klopp’s men have been rather more proactive this time around.

Despite the one and only occasion that the Reds got their chequebook out last summer, it has since turned out to have been a good decision.

With 29 appearances under his belt across all competitions in which he scored three goals and provided one assist, the 23-year-old managed to get his hands on the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and play in the Champions League final.

In the 11 Premier League appearances he made, the former RB Leipzig centre-back won eight tackles and made 15 blocks, 28 interceptions and 47 clearances.

Now as the current summer window remains open, this could give Liverpool and Klopp the chance to replicate a similar sort of masterclass that they pulled off by securing a deal for the young defender.

Darwin’s a Red! Get your special edition Darwin Nunez tee here.

Earlier this month, it was reported in Italy that Liverpool are interested in signing Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt.

As another young defender making a name for himself in Europe’s top leagues, the Dutchman could follow in Konate’s footsteps and join Klopp’s ranks as a long-term option for the Champions League finalists.

In terms of his defensive capabilities, throughout his three Serie A seasons with Juventus, the 22-year-old has won 69 tackles and made 137 blocks, 84 interceptions and 371 clearances.

This highlights just how much of a solid defensive unit he already is at such a young age.

Having learned his trade in Ajax, the Netherlands international described himself as feeling “invincible” during his time at the club before moving to Juventus.

Even though he has a hefty reported price tag of £103m, FSG have shown by breaking the club’s record transfer fee to sign Nunez that they aren’t shy in splashing the cash this summer. De Ligt could be an investment worth making for the club on a long-term basis.

In other news: FSG can sign a perfect Raphinha alternative as Liverpool eye £75m “bundle of energy”

Reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano has provided an update regarding the future of out of favour Manchester United forward Anthony Martial. 

The lowdown: Flattered to deceive

Signed for £36million from AS Monaco in 2015 (BBC), Martial arrived at Old Trafford with a burgeoning reputation as being one of the brightest talents in European football.

Despite lighting up a 3-1 victory with a superb solo goal on debut against arch-rivals Liverpool, the move has ultimately proven to be a disappointing one as the Frenchman struggled for consistent form in Manchester aside from a 17-goal 2019/20 Premier League campaign.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news-3/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Having spent the second half of last season on loan at Sevilla, the future of the 26-year-old remains in the balance and one informed onlooker has now suggested United would still be willing to sanction another move this summer.

The latest: ‘Open to discuss’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, transfer insider Romano has claimed that the Old Trafford hierarchy remains ‘open’ to the 30-cap France international leaving during the transfer window.

He said: “For Martial, at the moment, the situation is still the same.

“He’s waiting to speak with ten Hag, but Manchester United are open to discuss in case they will receive some proposals in the coming days.”

The verdict: Time to go

Ultimately, despite an occasional talismanic display and his undoubted quality, Martial has simply failed to produce the regularity of performance that is required if the Red Devils are going to compete once again under Erik ten Hag.

Last season, the versatile attacker – who was once dubbed a ‘Ferrari’ by former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves  –  scored just twice and registered one assist in 23 outings across all competitions for United and Sevilla, the kind of form that only acts to highlight a need for a fresh start for both club and player.

Valued at £14.4million and under contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt), the club will almost certainly suffer a loss on Martial but with Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Elanga as well as the emergence of academy winger Alejandro Garnacho all making the attacker surplus to requirements, a move away seems the best option for all parties.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, according to French journalist Nabil Djellit. 

The lowdown: More to come

Despite only leaving Dinamo Zagreb for Leipzig last summer, Gvardiol took to life in the Bundesliga with apparent ease and looks almost certain to have a bright future at the highest level.

The 20-year-old played a part in the club’s DFB-Pokal success during the 2021/22 campaign and is already a fully-fledged senior Croatia international, having amassed 97 first-team club outings despite his tender years.

As Antonio Conte looks to strengthen his squad at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Gvardiol looks to be on a shortlist of defensive targets for the Lilywhites…

The latest: ‘Taken information’

Taking to Twitter, journalist Djellit claimed that Tottenham have ‘taken information’ from Leipzig over the possibility of signing the 10-cap starlet this summer.

He stated: “Very good this season in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig, Josko Gvardiol is targeted by Tottenham. The Spurs have taken information from the German club. The 20-year-old Croatian is under contract until June 2026. #Mercato #Spurs”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The verdict: No brainer

The emergence of Cristian Romero last term was a standout reason behind the improvement under Conte, but with the future of Joe Rodon still in the balance and uncertainty remaining over Davinson Sanchez’s ability to perform at the top level, signing Gvardiol would be a superb piece of business from Tottenham.

Adept at left-back or in the heart of the defence, the Croatian – who was billed as a ‘top talent’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – earned an outstanding 7.10 Sofascore rating in 2021/22 whilst winning 5.9 duels and making 1.9 clearances and 1.8 interceptions per Bundesliga game last season.

Valued at £31.5m and under contract in Germany until 2026 (Transfermarkt), this would represent an expensive outlay for ENIC and Daniel Levy, but one which would likely be repaid over time considering Gvardiol’s potential longevity as a top performer in elite club football.