All posts by h716a5.icu

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that signing Atletico Madrid striker Matheus Cunha would be a ‘big coup’ for Leeds United.

The Lowdown: Contact made

As per 90min, Leeds, as well as Aston Villa and Everton, have made contact with Cunha’s representatives over a potential move, and are ‘actively trying’ to strike a deal for him in the January transfer window.

Cunha is interested in working with Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui, but ‘sources’ have claimed that he wants to explore all of his options before making a final decision on his future.

His entourage have also offered him to Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United, and Atletico are desperate to offload Cunha’s wages, and would be prepared to sanction a loan deal.

The Latest: Cunha a ‘big coup’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke has claimed that signing Cunha would be a ‘big coup’ for Jesse Marsch’s side:

“It’d be a big coup if they could land Matheus Cunha, who does seem like he is available. There’s going to be big competition for his signature. We’ve already seen the likes of Wolves and Aston Villa strongly linked with him.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

It has recently been reported that it is not clear how long Patrick Bamford is going to be out for with injury, meaning that the Whites need to strengthen their striker options in January.

Lauded as a player who is ‘very fast’, with ‘great technical skills’, ‘unpredictable gameplay’ and an ‘excellent goal instinct’ by his former boss Maurizio Jacobacci, Cunha showed early promise as a teenager at FC Sion, where he managed seven goals and four assists in 15 games under the Swiss (Transfermarkt).

Once hailed as ‘something special‘ by former Hertha Berlin head coach Bruno Labbadia, the Brazilian continued his impressive streak in Germany, managing 23 goal contributions in 40 games (Transfermarkt), while at RB Leipzig, he managed a further nine goals and three assists (Transfermarkt).

Cunha has not been able to reach the same heights at Atletico, failing to find the back of the net so far this term, but there is no doubt that the talent is still there.

If Marsch puts an arm around his shoulder on the pitch, then we could see the best of Cunha again, if the Peacocks are able to bring him to Elland Road.

With 2022 nearly reaching its conclusion, Manchester United fans have taken front seat on another year positively jam-packed with action.

Having completed the 2021/22 campaign without silverware once again, also finishing outside the top four and consequently missing out on Champions League action for the present term, there would have been more than a few glum faces around Old Trafford.

But with a monumental transfer window that saw the arrival of the likes of Casemiro, Antony, Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen, the horizon started to offer a bit more sunlight.

Not to forget Erik ten Hag’s deployment to the dugout, of course.

Well, the new season has been tumultuous as ever, and boy have there been some standout moments.

Bearing that in mind, Football FanCast have crafted a bumper quiz to test your knowledge on the recent exploits of the Red Devils.

There are 15 questions to test your mettle; will you emerge victorious, or leave feeling a bit too clever by half?

Newcastle United journalist Luke Edwards has poured cold water on recent transfer rumours linking the Tyneside club with a move for Chelsea midfielder Jorginho. 

The Lowdown: Newcastle linked with Jorginho

Earlier this week, it was reported that the £110k-per-week Italian is a prime target for the Toon heading into the upcoming January transfer window.

As things stand, the midfielder, who has starred in a Champions League win with the west London club, is set to see his contract at Stamford Bridge expire at the end of the season.

With the winter window close to opening, an update has emerged regarding the Magpies’ recent link to Jorginho.

The Latest: Conflicting reports

In a Twitter post, Edwards went completely against the rumours of a move for the classy midfield maestro.

“There is no interest in Chelsea’s Jorginho.”

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Attached to this post was an article Edwards wrote for The Telegraph where he had this to add about the links to Jorginho.

“Sources, though, have denied Newcastle have any interest in Chelsea’s Italy international Jorginho as he does not have the mobility to play in their midfield system and his wage demands would be far too big.”

The Verdict: Right call

Despite making more passes into the final third of the pitch (73) than any other Chelsea player in the Premier League this season as well as having the highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (42) at the club, Jorginho’s overall performances this season have not been particularly impressive.

Specifically, the midfielder’s efforts have earned him a rather underwhelming overall season rating of 6.57/10 from WhoScored, leaving 13 other Chelsea players with higher ratings than him.

That – and the two factors that Edwards mentioned in his recent article – makes it easy to see why the Magpies are apparently not looking to bring the Italian to St. James’ Park next month.

Aston Villa bounced back from their 3-1 defeat to Liverpool by picking up three points in a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday in the Premier League.

The first half was bereft of quality attacking play as the Villans sat deep and soaked up the majority of Spurs’ attacks with ease, without offering a great deal on the counter-attack.

Sky Sports co-commentator Don Goodman described the team’s play as “passive” at the start of the second half but that was the last thing that Douglas Luiz was when he decided to hit a long-range effort at Hugo Lloris and the Frenchman’s error allowed Ollie Watkins to tee up Emiliano Buendia for the opening goal.

Emery’s side then doubled their lead with just over 15 minutes to play as John McGinn and Luiz brilliantly combined for the latter to poke the ball past Lloris.

Villa were then able to see out the rest of the match with relative ease as they kept the likes of Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane quiet by remaining solid at the back.

Buendia got the scoring underway with a calm finish and produced some enjoyable trickery at the top end of the pitch but one player who may come away from the game as an unsung hero is central midfielder Boubacar Kamara.

Villa’s summer signing from Marseille bossed the middle of the park as he put in yet another fantastic performance in the Premier League this season.

He was superb in and out of possession for the Villans as he dominated midfield whilst remaining composed and reliable on the ball.

The Frenchman provided a key contribution to the second goal as he anticipated a pass towards Kane and nipped in ahead of the striker to pinch possession back in the Tottenham half, with Luiz and McGinn then doing the damage in the final third.

As per Sofascore, he also completed 83% of his attempted passes and created one chance, whilst completing 100% of his attempted dribbles, and this shows that he was able to deal with the ball in tight spaces and did not gift it back to Spurs on a regular basis.

Defensively, Kamara was immense for Villa and played a vital role in keeping Tottenham at bay. As per Sofascore, the enforcer won nine of his 12 individual duels (75%) and made three tackles, three interceptions, and one block – showing that he was able to cut out multiple opposition attacks and dominate their players in physical battles.

Therefore, he was the unsung hero for Emery as he did all the dirty work in midfield that allowed the likes of Luiz, Watkins, Buendia and McGinn to make things happen in attack.

West Ham are reportedly keen on Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz this month and his potential arrival at the London Stadium could see David Moyes finally ditch Michail Antonio.

According to The Sun, West Ham, Newcastle United, Everton and Leeds United are all keen on the Chile international but are currently unwilling to pay the Championship club’s current asking price of £15m.

The former Nottingham Forest man is out of contract at Ewood Park at the end of the current season, meaning that foreign clubs are now free to approach the striker on a pre-contract deal.

However, Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side are gunning for promotion from the second tier and are clearly doing all they can to keep their talismanic striker at the club for the second half of the campaign.

So far this season, the 23-year-old has contributed an impressive nine goals and four assists in 26 Championship appearances, averaging a strong 6.79 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Last season saw the striker manage 22 goals in the second tier, so he is clearly showing signs that he could make the step up to the Premier League. Given West Ham’s goalscoring woes so far this campaign, Moyes should seriously consider bringing him to the London Stadium.

Part of West Ham’s problem this term has been the regression in form of Antonio, along with the disappointing performances of Gianluca Scamacca.

The former will rightly be recognised as a club icon after becoming their top Premier League goalscorer but he is no longer good enough to be starting each week, as is emphasised by his two goals in 17 top-flight appearances so far this campaign.

The 32-year-old has averaged a shocking 6.36 rating from WhoScored and scores poorly in comparison to Brereton Diaz, averaging far fewer shots (2.7 vs 1.1), dribbles (0.8 vs 0.5) and key passes (one vs 0.4) per game.

It seems only a matter of time before the “phenomenal” star – as dubbed by scout Ron Dor – makes the move to the Premier League and while £15m might seem expensive given his contract situation, his goals could be the difference this season as Moyes’ side look to avoid relegation and given the form of Antonio, it seems clear that he needs to be ditched in favour of a younger replacement.

Newcastle United may dip into the market this month to bolster their squad heading into the second half of the season during the January transfer window.

Eddie Howe used the window to great effect last year as he brought in Bruno Guimaraes, Matt Targett, Dan Burn, Chris Wood, and Kieran Trippier to improve the team.

The Magpies are currently third in the Premier League table and strengthening the roster in the coming weeks could help them to push on for a Champions League place by the end of the campaign.

One player who could be on his way to St. James’ Park before the end of the month is Boca Juniors central midfielder Alan Varela, who is said to be of interest to the club.

The 21-year-old gem reportedly has a release clause of €20m (£18m) and the Magpies supposedly made an offer of €18m (£16m), which falls just short of leaving the Argentine side with no choice but to accept.

Journalist Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that a move for Varela “sounds plausible” and claimed that the club “like” the South American market.

Howe could now finally land a replacement for recently-departed defensive midfielder Isaac Hayden by securing a deal to sign the Boca Juniors star.

Hayden left the Magpies last summer to sign for Championship side Norwich on loan, after playing 14 times in the Premier League for the club last term.

The Englishman made 3.0 tackles and interceptions per match but his average Sofascore rating of 6.60 suggests that he did not do enough on a weekly basis, as he ranked 24th in the squad in that respect.

Varela, on the other hand, averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.02 across 22 appearances in the Argentine top-flight for Boca Juniors in 2022, which would place him eighth in the current squad if he could replicate his form in England.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig once hailed him as “wonderful” and a “controller” and his statistics for his club back that up, as he has made 4.0 tackles and interceptions per game and completed 88% of his passes.

These statistics show that the 21-year-old is an energetic gem who can consistently win the ball back for his side, whilst also being reliable in possession and rarely giving up the ball to the opposition.

Therefore, Varela could finally replace Hayden as the long-term defensive midfielder in Howe’s squad and Dan Ashworth must now push to complete this deal in the coming weeks.

Newcastle United centre-back Sven Botman could leave the club this summer if they don’t finish in the top four, according to pundit Tam McManus.

The Lowdown: Botman outstanding for Newcastle

The Dutchman joined the Magpies during last summer’s transfer window, being seen as someone who could take Eddie Howe’s defence up another level alongside the savvy but less physical Fabian Schar.

Botman has done exactly that, proving to be a rock at the heart of Newcastle’s defence, making 16 starts in the Premier League this season and averaging 3.1 clearances per game.

The hope is that the 23-year-old remains at St James’ Park for many years to come, but Champions League qualification could be key to that.

The Latest: Defender backed for exit

That’s certainly the opinion of McManus, who told Football Insider that he could see Botman leaving if a top-four finish isn’t achieved this season:

“The boy is unbelievable. How Newcastle got him for that price I will never know. You can see why AC Milan wanted to sign him.

“Eddie Howe has transformed that defence which is funny because everyone said he didn’t know how to organise a defence. Newcastle and Botman have been absolutely outstanding this season, how did none of the bigger clubs in the league get this guy?

“I said a few weeks ago that there may be interest in him this month, I think definitely the summer. That’s why Newcastle have to get into the Champions League.

“They need to keep players like Botman around because I think this guy is going to be one of the best in the world in a few years. He’s only in his early 20s as well so he is going to grow significantly and that is a really exciting thought.

“Think about how good he is going to be after a full season of Premier League football. Newcastle need to keep him so getting into that top four is really important now.”

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The Verdict: Surely he stays put?

It would be a massive blow to lose Botman after just one year in a Newcastle shirt, having been hailed as a ‘special player’ by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp.

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The hope is that he can see that something great is building at the club, though, regardless of whether or not the Magpies are in the Champions League next season.

Botman can be a future captain for Newcastle and one of the poster boys for this exciting new era, so him suddenly leaving in the summer would come as a big surprise.

Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Napoli sensation Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, and the winger could be a significant upgrade on Jack Grealish at the Etihad Stadium.

According to the Daily Mail, Pep Guardiola’s side are keeping tabs on the Georgia international after his incredible start to life at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Kvaratskheila only joined the Serie A giants from Georgian minnows Dinamo Batumi last summer but he looks set to inspire Luciano Spalletti’s side to the Scudetto this season, having starred in their 5-1 thrashing of Juventus last weekend to stretch their lead at the top of the table to nine points.

The 21-year-old boasts seven goals and seven assists in just 15 Serie A appearances so far this term, with WhoScored awarding him a phenomenal 7.55 average rating for his performances.

By comparison, Grealish has managed just two goals and three assists in 12 Premier League matches in the current campaign, averaging a more sedate 7.08 rating from WhoScored.

However, it is their respective performances in the Champions League which perhaps best emphasises the difference in output and quality. Kvaratskheila has two goals and three assists in five appearances, with a 7.59 average rating from WhoScored, compared to Grealish’s zero goal contributions in six appearances and 6.74 average rating.

The Georgia international also leads the former Aston Villa man when it comes to shots (2.9 vs 1.3), key passes (1.7 vs 1.6) and dribbles per game (1.7 vs 1.3), which suggests that he could be a much better option for Guardiola on the left hand side.

Unsurprisingly, the youngster won’t come cheaply, with his agent suggesting that the 21-year-old could easily fetch €100m (£86m) in the current market. However, given Napoli’s form in Serie A and the Champions League so far this term, he may not be particularly interested in leaving the Azzurri.

Napoli legend Marek Hamsik was full of praise for Kvaratskheila’s impact at the club and the way he has filled the void left by the departures of the club’s top two all-time goalscorers Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne in 2022.

The Slovakian said: “Kvara has incredible dribbling ease and he is among the best in the world. It’s incredible to see this Napoli team without the three most important players.”

Therefore, it is easy to see why City would be interested in signing the Georgian sensation this year, as he could make the Premier League champions a much more devastating attacking team if he replaces the inconsistent Grealish in Guardiola’s side.

Manchester United are eyeing up an audacious move for Tottenham Hotspur superstar Harry Kane this summer, according to a recent transfer report.

The Lowdown: Kane a Premier League great

The 29-year-old is undoubtedly one of the best strikers to have ever played in the Premier League, having racked up 198 goals in the division.

Only Alan Shearer (260) and Wayne Rooney (208) can better that tally in the league’s 30-year history, and Kane will surely be eyeing up the former’s record before his career is over.

United were linked with a move for the England captain earlier this week, with a more recent report building upon that.

The Latest: Man United eyeing up Kane

According to The Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel and Chris Wheeler on Friday evening, United are lining up a big-money move for Kane once this season reaches its conclusion.

The striker’s current deal at Tottenham expires in the summer of 2024 and he is yet to commit his future to the north London club. The report adds that ‘sources have indicated that Kane is open to joining United’, which could come as significant encouragement for those at Old Trafford.

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The Verdict: Could be game-changing

Kane really could be a sensational signing for United this summer, turning them from likely top-four finishers to strong title challengers, judging by his remarkable goal record.

His manager Antonio Conte has rightly dubbed him ‘world class’, and he is one of the most consistent and influential players in the country, hitting double digits for Premier League goals for nine consecutive seasons.

Although he turns 30 later this year, the likes of Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski have shown that top-quality strikers can be at their peak well into their 30s these days. The 35-year-old Frenchman netted a staggering 44 goals last season, and even that was surpassed by the Polish predator’s 50 prior to him turning 34 last August.

Kane would not only bring guaranteed goals to United’s attack but he would also be an all-round focal point, dropping deep and allowing space in behind for the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony.

A tally of 62 assists in a Spurs shirt in addition to scoring 265 times is proof that the legendary striker’s game is about far more than just goals, and he may feel that this is his last chance to earn a big move and win silverware for the first time in his career.

Liverpool’s once imperious ship now represents but a shadow of its former presence, with the Premier League giants struggling for form and fluidity this season; now signings must be made in order to secure future success.

Pre-season preparation flew out of the window after competitive proceedings kicked into place, with the Reds quickly fallen behind the pace-setters at the forefront of the division, and boss Jurgen Klopp does indeed now have work on his hands.

According to Dean Jones – writing for GIVEMESPORT earlier in January – assiduous Fulham centre midfielder Joao Palhinha had been distinguished as a transfer option for the Merseyside club this winter, and while he only joined the Cottagers in the summer for £20m, an enticing bid from Liverpool could prise him away from the clutches of his west London outfit.

The report continues to state that the impressive machine has been nothing short of a revelation for his newly-promoted side this season, and given the consistency of his prowess, he would enhance any outfit he played for.

Arriving in the Premier League for what is increasingly emerging as a bargain, the 27-year-old Palhinha has thus far scored three goals from his deeper position on the pitch.

But the most profoundly splendid elements to his skill set do not lie in his offensive strengths; with Sofascore recording his average league rating at 7.12 this term.

The 18-cap gem’s incredible 4.7 tackles per game have seen him dubbed “Casemiro-esque” by writer Zach Lowy, while his 1.9 clearances and 1.1 interceptions have proved invaluable for Marco Silva’s outfit, who perch proudly in seventh place after clinching promotion from the EFL Championship last year.

Also winning 64% of his duels and completing 82% of his passes, he is indeed the robust phenom Liverpool so dearly need to charge the batteries once again.

Should he arrive, he would be the perfect replacement for the likely-outgoing Naby Keita, who has been stricken with incessant injury issues since arriving at the club for £48m in 2018, only making one starting league appearance this season.

Keita has recorded a lowly 6.50 rating in the English top-flight from his bit-part role this term, and has only completed 75% of his passes and made 0.2 tackles per match, a sizable decline on the numbers registered by Palhinha.

As such, Julian Ward and co must do everything they can to land the Portuguese powerhouse, he has swiftly proven his mettle as a standout component in a thriving team, and among Liverpool’s crop of talent, one could only imagine the impact he would have from the middle, pulling the strings and serving as the “engine” – as dubbed by Statman Dave – to roar Anfield into formidable and unrelenting life.