All posts by h716a5.icu

Ally McCoist has revealed only Glasgow Rangers’ financial situation prevented him from signing Jamie Vardy before he moved to Leicester City.

Vardy has blossomed into one of the best strikers in the Premier League since moving to the Foxes. He has scored 99 goals in the English top flight, has fired the Midlands outfit to a Premier League title and even has a record for scoring in the most consecutive matches (11).

However, it could have been a very different story according to McCoist. He explained on talkSPORT (via The Herald):

“I remember looking at him when he was at Fleetwood and I was at Rangers. I couldn’t get the money to get him.

“I had John Brown, my chief scout, look at him two or three times. It was an absolute no-brainer but we couldn’t get the money to get him.

“He’s been fantastic. We couldn’t get the money at that time, it was amazing. And we weren’t talking a lot of money, it was unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable.

“That’s just more the position our club was in at that particular time, to tell you the truth.

“Thankfully for Jamie, he made the correct decision and never let me anywhere near him.”

At the time, Vardy had been lethal with Fleetwood, scoring a huge 31 goals in 36 games in the Conference, whilst also providing 17 assists as well. In the end, Leicester spent £1m on him, making him the most expensive non-league player of all time.

Now valued at £14.4m by Transfermarkt and with 26 England caps to his name, it is arguably the best £1m Leicester have ever spent. For McCoist and the Gers, though, they may just have to think of what might have been.

Let us know what you think below!

Tottenham Hotspur are the overwhelming ‘favourites’ to sign Southampton star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer, reports say. 

Jose Mourinho has identified Hojbjerg as the missing piece of the puzzle he needs to rebuild Tottenham’s midfield.

According to The Athletic, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, Spurs are the front-runners to complete his signing in the summer, amid interest from Everton.

Carlo Ancelotti has wasted no time at all in trying to sign the Danish international, as the Toffees have already submitted a £14m bid for his signature.

Southampton initially valued him at £25m in January, although they are now willing to accept £20m for him as circumstances have changed, but Everton’s offer has still fallen short.

The Dane has set his sights on a move to Spurs over any other club, as he is keen to learn from Mourinho.

Hojberg, 24, has played 33 games in the Premier League this season, supplying one assist, taking 1.4 shots, winning 2.4 tackles and completing 1.5 clearances per game on average (stats provided by WhoScored).

Ralph Hassenhuttl removed the captain’s armband from the midfielder after he refused to sign a new deal at St Mary’s, and he even suffered the ignominy of being dropped from the squad altogether, although he played the full 90 minutes at right-back in the 1-1 draw with Brighton.

While he will not be available for a cut-price deal as Spurs had initially hoped, he should be more than affordable, as Daniel Levy spent £53.8m on Tanguy Ndombele last year.

A move for Hojbjerg could see Kyle Walker-Peters head in the opposite direction, although the Lilywhites have not launched a formal bid as of yet.

Spurs could see a changing of the guard if Hojbjerg arrives in north London in the summer, as former Pochettino favourite Harry Winks could be forced to make way, while questions remain over Ndombele’s future at the club.

Tottenham fans, do you think Daniel Levy should sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer? Let us know down below!

Name: Kai Havertz

Club: Bayer Leverkusen

Date of Birth: 11 June 1999

Position: Attacking midfielder

KAI HAVERTZ – HIS CAREER SO FAR

By now, everyone is already aware of who Kai Havertz is and what he can do. But it’s also easy to forget we’re still talking about a 21-year-old youngster who has his whole career ahead of him. And so far, he’s only been a part of a single club, advancing through the ranks to eventually step onto the biggest stage for Bayer Leverkusen’s seniors in the Bundesliga.

Of course, before becoming a fully-fledged professional, Havertz was part of amateur side Alemannia Mariadorf and then a second division side Alemannia Aachen after that. Eventually, aged 11, he was snatched up by Bayer Leverkusen and never looked back ever since. The youngster’s game time was limited throughout 2013/14 and in 2014/15 he would already start shining, bagging seven goals and two assists across 23 games for the U17 side in the U17 Bundesliga West.

The season after that, Havertz exploded, registering 18 goals in another stellar campaign and it was there and then Bayer Leverkusen knew he couldn’t be kept in the youth squads anymore. Following 53 games in which he scored 26 goals and assisted further three, the youngster was moved up to the seniors to make his grand bow, becoming the club’s then youngest-ever debutant in the Bundesliga.

Needless to say, brilliance followed soon afterwards and another record was broken when he netted his first goal for the team, becoming their youngster-ever goalscorer and then the youngest player to reach 50 and 100 league games in the German top flight. Everyone knew Havertz was going to be special and so far, he’s been proving them right.

Now, he can already boast with a total of 148 games played for the senior team, scoring 45 and assisting 31, often carrying the team even when they’re struggling. Of course, he is not all about the final product and the kid can be the cog to push his teammates forward. For that reason, it doesn’t surprise to see him courted by the biggest of teams in Europe.

The 21-year-old could be in for a huge transfer in the immediate future.

TRANSFER LATEST

It goes without saying that being such a highly developed young prospect comes with lots of benefits and one such benefit is the constant interest from the biggest European clubs. There have been multiple transfer rumours connecting Havertz with a switch to Chelsea as Frank Lampard looks to add another deadly piece to his exciting jigsaw.

Further transfer news suggested the Blues will, however, have to wait until after Bayer Leverkusen’s Europa League run even though it was initially suggested the deal could be struck before that.

That’s basically the latest Bayer Leverkusen news to come out on the topic of Kai Havertz but with the transfer window now open and ready for action, we can expect all sorts of new updates almost on a daily basis.

PLAYER PROFILE

Havertz is an extremely dynamic player that loves to roam the final third. Generally, however, his position on the pitch can best be described as a no.10 or an attacking midfielder. He loves to position himself in those areas behind the striker where he’s allowed the creative freedom to directly influence play.

And it helps that this ensures he is always close to the action and close to the box. Havertz is a good dribbler and has a keen eye for a pass. Looking at his skill set, it’s easy to see why teams often put an emphasis on stopping him progress by tight man-marking or completely cutting off his supply.

He’s often been described as a player who can essentially do everything, plays well with both feet and has drawn comparisons with the likes of Mesut Ozil and Michael Ballack. Not bad players to be compared to at all.

Manchester United’s hopes of signing Jadon Sancho have been dealt a blow by Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc. 

The Dortmund chief recently told reporters “we plan on having Jadon Sancho in our team this season, the decision is final. I think that answers all our questions.”

Recent reports revealed the Red Devils have drafted a shortlist of alternative replacements if they cannot sign Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s top target this summer.

According to ESPN, Ed Woodward has held informal talks with Barcelona to sort out a deal for Ousmane Dembele.

Now Spanish publication Sport claims that, as cited by The Manchester Evening News (via @utdreport), Barca are willing to sell the 21-cap France international this summer if Man United meet their valuation.

The future looked bright for Dembele by all accounts but the Barca winger has turned out to be a complete-and-utter flop. The £135m signing has struggled to hit the ground running, having only managed nine appearances last season before succumbing to yet another injury.

Barca consider him surplus to requirements and will let him leave the Nou Camp on loan with the option to buy. It is believed that the Blaugrana want to sell him for €90m (£81m) in the summer.

He has been hampered by constant injury setbacks which has practically been the story of his career to date.

Naturally, many United fans blasted the transfer news on social media, with an angry supporter insisting Dembele is “another Bailly” in reference to the injury-prone defender. Another added “what a joke” while one fan tweeted he is “made of glass.”

Scroll through some of the scathing reactions so far…

United fans, do you think Woodward should sign Dembele? Let us know down below!

It may have taken a late strike from new signing Albian Ajeti to eventually get the job done, but Celtic picked up all three points in their clash against Dundee United on late Saturday afternoon.

The Hoops dominated the game in terms of all the important statistics, taking far more shots (23), boasting 65% possession, and winning more total duels too (68).

How’s your Celtic knowledge? Always been a loyal fan? Well can you spot Stilian Petrov from John Hartson? Give it a go if you’re brave enough …

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

One man who had an important part to play in the game, was Nir Bitton. The Israel international started his first league game of the season, and helped Neil Lennon’s side keep a clean sheet in their 1-0 win.

As per Sofascore, he made three tackles, two interceptions, a game-high of 86 touches, and won seven of his 12 individual duels too. And after seeing his performance, Celtic fans took to Twitter to share their reactions.

Some Celtic fans however didn’t seem too impressed, with a couple of supporters criticising his passing in particular, saying that some of it was “slack” and that there was “no sense of urgency”.

Being a more natural holding midfielder, it was no surprise to see Bitton look comfortable on the ball whilst playing at centre-back on Saturday.

He made 65 successful passes, and completed an impressive 12 of his 15 attempted long balls too. But whether he is the long-term answer as a centre-back in this Celtic side remains up for debate, and with Kristoffer Ajer still in the squad, Lennon will have a tough decision to make going forward.

Sunderland have been handed a significant boost after learning that Aiden McGeady’s wages will not go towards the club’s wage cap figure.

After spending last season on loan with Charlton Athletic, Republic of Ireland international McGeady returned to the Stadium of Light as his contract entered its final year.

The £653,000-valued attacker returned to training with the Black Cats’ under-23s earlier this summer but a recent calf injury limited his involvement.

And, it has now been reported by Northern Echo that McGeady will not be part of Sunderland’s senior squad next term and that the club are desperately trying to offload him.

With the introduction of a salary cap in the EFL, concerns had arose as to whether the Irish winger’s wages would count towards the club’s wage cap.

However, Sunderland Echo have now been informed by sources close to the EFL that with McGeady not being included in Phil Parkinson’s 22-man squad list for the new season, his salary will not count towards the £2.5m limit.

The future of the attacker is now unknown with the new season starting this weekend.

Parkinson must ensure that his decision to leave McGeady out is the right one. The Irishman has proven over the years that he is a very good asset – he has 27 goals and 13 assists in 98 games for the Black Cats – but obviously Parkinson does not believe that will come in handy next term.

The money not utilised by McGeady’s wages then must be used elsewhere, surely.

Do you think Aiden McGeady should have been given a chance by Phil Parkinson this coming season? Let us know in the comments section below…

West Ham United have been linked to a new striker this week and it’s a player that has haunted east London before…

What’s the word?

According to Italian transfer expert Ciro Venerato (via Arena Napoli), the Irons are one of the teams interested in veteran Napoli forward Fernando Llorente this summer.

It’s claimed that Carlo Ancelotti is also keen to bring him back to the Premier League having been the man to bring him to the Serie A outfit last summer.

The 6 foot 4 colossus is seemingly free to leave the Stadio San Paolo, although it remains to be seen how much he could cost with Transfermarkt valuing him at just under £3m.

Past it now

Llorente is a player that many at the London Stadium will know well as the Spaniard enjoyed three seasons in the Premier League from 2016 to 2019, playing for both Swansea City and Tottenham Hotspur.

During a League Cup tie with the Irons in 2018, the 35-year-old caused Manuel Pellegrini’s Hammers side all sorts of problems, scoring in a 3-1 victory.

David Moyes’ current defensive pairing Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop struggled to cope with his physical presence – Llorente won 60% of his duels whilst the Frenchman committed one foul and had to put in one last-ditch tackle, per SofaScore.

However, he could potentially be another expensive flop with him reportedly on over €60k-per-week (£54k-per-week) at Napoli.

In the past, Llorente has caused mixed reaction in the press – Frank Lampard once said in 2017 that there was a “sluggishness” about him and “sloppy” whilst Irons legend Trevor Sinclair believes his hold up play is “superb” and that he’s a “great plan B”.

It’s unlikely that a 35-year-old is going to come into United and outscore Sebastien Haller despite only scoring seven times last season, therefore, Moyes should steer well clear of this move.

AND in other news, West Ham make PL regular their number ONE target…

In our Transfers that shook the club feature, Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at deals that had many may not have seen coming and the impact that they had during their time by using statistical data and pundit remarks.

6 February 2016 was a day that Manchester City supporters knew they were watching genuine Premier League title contenders at the Etihad Stadium…except it was the visiting team who were taking the plaudits.

Leicester went home with a comprehensive 3-1 victory in which Riyad Mahrez excelled, scoring one goal and setting up another on a momentous day during the Foxes’ ultimately successful pursuit of the title.

Nearly two years later, the Algerian winger looked set to be going back to the Etihad to finalise a move to Manchester, only for the Cityzens to dramatically back out of a deal that would have cost them £59m, a figure to which they wouldn’t commit to paying (as per BBC).

If Mahrez was afraid that his chance of a move to Pep Guardiola’s side had passed, however, he need not have worried. Six months later, Manchester City confirmed his signing in a then-club record £60m deal, with the Algerian instantly stating his desire to win the Champions League, having already lifted the Premier League trophy with Leicester.

He would take time to settle at the Etihad, though, as he later admitted in an interview with The Mirror that at first he struggled with Guardiola’s demands, saying: “His concern was about my work-rate first, because at Leicester it was more of a team rate where we were trying to counter.”

Mahrez’s first season at Manchester City saw him make just 14 Premier League starts as he tried to carve out a place in a star-studded line-up which claimed 100 points the previous term and racked up another 98 that season in successfully retaining their league title.

The winger ended the 2018/19 campaign with 12 goals in all competitions, the same amount he scored in the league in his final season at Leicester. It was a respectable tally, albeit not an overwhelming one from a player for whom the Cityzens broke their transfer record.

His first season at the Etihad was a brilliant one for the club as they won four trophies but a modest one for him as he tried to prove his worth to Guardiola. The following campaign was the inverse of that – frustrating for City as they fell well short of eventual Premier League champions Liverpool; redemptive for Mahrez as he found his feet in Manchester.

The Algerian ended the league season with 11 goals and 12 assists, setting up three goals in the opening day 5-0 thumping of West Ham and firmly winning over Guardiola, who said that the 29-year-old “played in a different level” in his second campaign at the Etihad and also described him as an “incredible talent” (as per mancity.com).

Mahrez goes up against his former club this weekend as Leicester visit the Etihad and, while he may not have made it off the bench in Monday’s win at Wolves, his manager knows that the winger can be trusted to cause havoc in the final third of the pitch.

With 25 goals and 28 assists in 94 games for Manchester City, the Algerian has gone some way to repaying his £60m fee and proving that the club were right to go back in for him after the abortive January 2018 transfer.

Man City fans, what have you made of Mahrez’s time at the club so far? Comment below with your views!

Manchester United made a mess of the transfer window. The Red Devils had made a bright start by bringing in Donny van de Beek from Ajax at the beginning of the summer. Alex Telles joined Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side from FC Porto. But a last-minute swoop for former Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani has caused controversy.

And could Ed Woodward already be regretting the decision not to sell Sergio Romero?

What’s the word?

According to ESPN, a number of first-team players are angry with the Argentine’s treatment at Old Trafford. Romero has fallen down the pecking order after Dean Henderson’s return and his hopes of joining Everton on deadline day were dashed due to United’s demands of a £10m transfer fee.

It’s claimed that the Toffees were unwilling to meet United’s asking price and decided to sign Swedish international Robin Olsen on a season-long loan from AS Roma instead.

Major mistake?

Despite the fact the free agent didn’t cost the club a single penny, it seems the Red Devils have made a major mistake. Henderson has made a phenomenal start to life at Old Trafford, keeping two consecutive clean sheets in the Carabao Cup.

Solskjaer confirmed Romero was “disappointed” to lose his place prior to the Europa League semi-final against Sevilla but heaped plenty of praise on the goalkeeper for his professionalism. However, he has also been left out of the Champions League squad in favour of Lee Grant, which suggests he has fallen even further down the pecking order.

Henderson seems to have seized the opportunity to become the backup option for Solskjaer’s first-choice shot-stopper David de Gea after a successful spell at Sheffield United. And Romero is reconsidering his options as a result. The former 96-cap Argentina international is interested in a move to Major League Soccer.

Per SofaScore, the 33-year-old played nine Europa League games last season, and kept seven clean sheets, whilst he averaged 1.2 saves and only conceded 0.2 goals per game, which shows he has shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

The last thing United need is a bloated squad, so you can only imagine the money they would have made if they’d sold him in the summer. With all of their latest acquisitions, they will need to balance the books and it makes no financial sense to be paying £70,000-per-week on a goalkeeper who it seems is unlikely to play at all this term.

And the MLS Secondary Transfer Window stays open until October 29th for transfer, trades and loan deals, which has left them with ample time to find a potential buyer. Get him gone, Ed, and do the right thing.

AND in other news, Forget Solskjaer: Facundo Pellestri could benefit most from Bruno Fernandes at Man United…

Leeds United had a great transfer window this summer and while their near-£100m outlay saw them add a plethora of new talent to their ranks, it shouldn’t be forgotten that they missed out on their number one target.

Indeed, Ben White isn’t a Leeds player after a summer-long transfer pursuit, and it seems as though they may never land him.

The centre-back, rated at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, has predictably taken to the Premier League like a duck to water after a somewhat shaky start in his first two games.

White has really come into his own in recent weeks, and his performance against West Brom over the weekend showed that perfectly.

The Seagulls star was brilliant against the Baggies, making four tackles and three interceptions, while his ball-playing abilities were abundantly evident as he completed two dribbles and had a pass accuracy of 91.7%.

One of the main things White was criticised for last season was his lack of aerial presence, with Noel Whelan saying:

“He is not as dominant in the air as centre-backs like Harry Maguire and Pontus Jansson. But he is better on the ball than Jansson and just as good as Maguire.”

However, he’s seemingly improved on that this term as well, winning five aerial duels against Crystal Palace last weekend.

Leeds may have landed Robin Koch and Diego Llorente at centre-back, but they should still be kicking themselves over the fact that White didn’t come through the door.

He was so highly rated at Leeds and it was easy to see that he was a ready-made Premier League star, with Whelan often waxing lyrical about him.

“Ben White ticks every box,” Whelan told Football Insider. “He is a brilliant defender who’s only going to get better in the years ahead. He does everything really well – mobile, athletic, great distribution, confident on the ball, makes good decisions, his positioning is good.”

The fact that he’s been touted as a potential Virgil van Dijk replacement at Liverpool tells you all you need to know about him, he’s a top-quality defender and at the age of 23, he still has room to improve.

Leeds may forever regret not breaking the bank to sign him.