All posts by z3u9t.icu

Italian icon Paolo Di Canio lasted less than a year at the Stadium of Light as he endured a rough time on Wearside in 2013.

He left Football League outfit Swindon in February 2013 and joined the Black Cats in March. The former West Ham maestro led the Mackems to 17th place in the Premier League in the final seven matches of the 2012/13 campaign, winning two of those games.

Di Canio was then given the opportunity to add to his Sunderland squad in the summer of 2013 and one player he wanted to bring to the club was his fellow countryman Lorenzo Insigne.

Fabio Andreotti, his agent at the time, confirmed that the Black Cats were interested in a deal to sign the Napoli forward. He said: “The Sunderland rumour is true. But Lorenzo wants to stay here, even if it means earning less money.

“His renewal? We just want justice, Napoli still haven’t contacted us, we are waiting for them.

“We have clear ideas and he wants to stay. However, there have been clubs with enough courage to ask Napoli about his asking price.”

At the time, Insigne was valued by Transfermarkt at £9.9m. He ended up staying at Napoli as Di Canio was unable to do enough to tempt him into making the move to Wearside, and his form for the Azzurri over the years has been sublime, making his compatriot’s failure a big blunder.

Jurgen Klopp once dubbed the phenomenon “outstanding” and the player’s statistics back up that praise. In 428 matches for Napoli, he has scored 119 goals and provided 93 assists – including 26 goals and 18 assists in two Serie A campaigns between 2016/17 and 2017/18.

In December 2018, Transfermarkt valued him at a whopping £67.5m. This perfectly illustrates how much he kicked on over the years since Sunderland’s interest and shows the level of player the club missed out upon as they failed to convince him to make the switch to the Stadium of Light.

After failing to land the winger, Di Canio lost four of the first five games of the 2013/14 Premier League campaign and was swiftly relieved of his duties with the club sat at the bottom of the table.

Insigne was one that got away from Sunderland and for the Italian boss, whose blunder played a part in him ultimately losing his job. Who knows what would have happened with Di Canio at the Stadium of Light had he been able to sign Insigne to bolster his squad…

AND in other news, Speakman must avoid embarrassing Sunderland error over “sublime” gem who “can change a game”…

Celtic laid dormant like a small church mouse last season as the Hoops crumbled, fell and ultimately watched their stronghold over Scottish football evaporate into thin air.

It was a disastrous campaign for the Bhoys as they failed to win a single trophy and saw the back of their former manager at Parkhead in Neil Lennon.

Yet, enter Ange Postecoglou, an Australian-Greek coach who has overseen a quite colossal rebuilding project at Parkhead and put Celtic firmly back at the top of the Premiership.

He has overseen a Scottish League Cup triumph and few would now bet against Celtic winning the title as they sit six points ahead of fierce rivals, Rangers.

A number of his signings have been superb with the likes of Liel Abada, Kyogo Furuhashi, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Jota finding themselves involved in a mammoth 79 goals between them this term.

Yet, there is uncertainty over the future of Jota who Celtic could sign for £6.5m due to an agreement in his loan contract from Benfica.

Should they fail to agree a deal they may well have nightmares over a move that Lennon didn’t seal back in the summer of 2020.

That happens to be one for Noa Lang, a flying winger whose stock is now rising all the time.

Reports nearly two years ago now suggested the Hoops were fighting it out to bring the Netherlands international to Glasgow. Ultimately, a move didn’t happen and he eventually ended up joining Club Brugge from Dutch giants, Ajax, last summer.

His form since has been imperious with the attacker now dubbed a “phenomenon” by journalist Peter Vandenbempt, scoring nine goals and racking up 13 assists for the Belgian side.

That kind of form has seen his value rise exponentially, so much so that Arsenal are eyeing up a blockbuster £33m move for him.

Hindsight is a thing of beauty but it’s evident that Celtic missed the target when putting Lang in their crosshairs.

A failure to conclude a deal has not only seen them miss out on a wonderfully gifted footballer but also a pretty hefty payday too.

You can certainly file the 22-year-old under one who got away.

AND in other news, Sources: Deal now agreed for potential “£20m-plus” talent, it’s bad news for Celtic… 

Taking to Twitter, reliable ESPN reporter Moises Llorens has shared a big update on Barcelona attacker and Tottenham Hotspur target Ousmane Dembele amid his contract stand-off.

The Lowdown: Spurs table offer…

As reported in recent months, the France international is a target for Spurs and manager Antonio Conte as Lilywhites chief Fabio Paratici takes to the 2022 free agent market.

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According to Mundo Deportivo, Tottenham’s managing director is eyeing ‘quality players at zero cost’ for his countryman at N17 – including Dembele, whose deal runs out at the end of this season.

Spurs have also allegedly made an offer to sign the 24-year-old on a pre-contract, promising ‘a lot of money’ and the guarantee of being a key player (Mundo Deportivo).

After recent claims Tottenham will ‘push hard’ for his signing this month, ESPN journalist Llorens has shared a significant update.

The Latest: Spurs gifted possible boost,,,

According to his information, sharing news late Tuesday night, Dembele is set for a crunch ‘meeting’ today amid his contract stand-off at the Camp Nou.

However, it is now apparently very unlikely that the player signs an extension, with the difference in negotiations ‘practically insurmountable’.

Indeed, the La Liga giants would apparently see Dembele penning fresh terms as a ‘miracle’ in what could be a boost for Paratici and Spurs.

The Verdict: Time to strike?

The forward looks almost certain to leave as things stand, but does that mean Spurs should continue their alleged pursuit and sink the final blow?

Lauded as ‘exciting’ and ‘almost unplayable’ at times by Premier League legend Rio Ferdinand, Dembele’s ability is clearly rated and there is a reason Barca paid an initial £97 million to sign him from Borussia Dortmund back in 2017.

However, the winger also has a troubling history of hamstring problems and could command a hefty salary – with his current wages believed to be around £210,000-per-week.

An offer around this amount or over would make him the highest paid star at Hotspur Way, even above the likes of Harry Kane, and it would arguably be a gamble to invest that much in a player prone to absences.

Coming with plus and negative points, a move for Dembele before January 31 could prove potentially fruitful but with a big element of risk.

In other news: Conte green-lights move for £220,000-per-week ‘jewel’ as he lays out transfer demand for Spurs chiefs, find out more here.

Aston Villa have been busier than most teams across the whole of Europe in this January transfer window when it comes to bringing new players to the Midlands club such as Philippe Coutinho, Lucas Digne, Robin Olsen and Calum Chambers.

With that in mind and the fact that the Villans still have some time left to make yet another late swoop after bringing Chambers in from Arsenal just a couple of days ago.

One player that they could try and make a deal for before Monday is Manchester City youngster James McAtee, who has been mentioned to have caught the eye of Villa in recent days thanks to his performances for City’s U23 side.

As a young, English attacking-midfielder, the City prospect could be seen as Steven Gerrard’s own version of former Villa star Jack Grealish, who joined the reigning Premier League champions and current league leaders back in the previous summer transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of £100m.

Also, with the 19-year-old sharing similar qualities to the former Villa captain in terms of being able to score goals and provide assists with 42 goals and 26 assists under his belt in 84 appearances for City’s youth and senior sides, he could be an exciting talent for Gerrard to have at his disposal.

In terms of a potential late move to Villa, with the teenager, who has been labelled as one of the club’s “exceptional” young talents by Pep Guardiola, only having appeared in three senior games for City so far, he may feel that he would be better off at a Premier League club where he’d be more likely to get some first-team minutes under his belt, which could be at Villa Park should Gerrard see enough potential in him.

In addition to that, with current Villa youngster Carney Chukwuemeka apparently not keen on signing a new deal at the Midlands club due to a lack of regular game time, if he were set to leave Villa, this could pave the way for McAtee to get a shot at impressing in the first team.

Moving forward, before the window closes, Villa should definitely make an approach to City to see what the situation is surrounding the young prospect and if they would be willing to negotiate a deal for him.

If not, McAtee is definitely a player that Villa should keep their eyes on for the future in case his situation at the Manchester club does change.

In other news: Journalist claims £74k-p/w beast is “interested” in Villa move, fans would be ecstatic – opinion

Everton have enjoyed a 10-day break in the Premier League following their victory against Manchester United last time out, which saw Frank Lampard receive a huge boost in terms of the fitness in his squad – with a fresh update emerging from Finch Farm this weekend.

What’s the word?

Everton were back in training on Friday and have been posting images of the session on their official website’s gallery, with eagle-eyed supporters being able to spot two key players back involved.

Donny Van de Beek and Yerry Mina were both back in training following injury issues ahead of the important clash against Leicester City on Wednesday evening.

Lampard will be buzzing

Lampard will be buzzing that he has both first-team players back, especially Mina, who has been out for months and is one of the best defenders in the 43-year-old’s squad.

In early February, the centre-back sustained a high-grade quadriceps tendon injury against Newcastle United, which ultimately did not require surgery.

Indeed, Mina’s impact on the side has been huge this season – being involved in four wins and two draws over his 10 Premier League outings, proving that his inclusion makes a clear difference to the team.

When you look at his defensive play in more detail, the 27-year-old has won the majority of his ground and aerial duels combined (66%), as well as made an average of 2.7 clearances and 0.9 tackles per game, as per SofaScore.

Donny Van de Beek is also expected to return to action following a thigh injury sustained in the warm-up ahead of the West Ham United clash earlier this month, with the Manchester United loanee giving Lampard more depth to select from in his midfield ahead of the visit of the Foxes next week.

Indeed, Lampard will undoubtedly be hoping the winning momentum and confidence earned from the Man United victory will help his side continue their winning streak against Brendan Rodgers’ side on Wednesday night.

AND in other news: Everton plot bid for “extraordinary” £35k-p/w ace, Lamps can finally axe £75k-p/w flop

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte could make Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni his top defensive target ahead of the summer transfer window, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Bastoni linked with Spurs

Despite his desire to bring one in during January, Tottenham failed to sign a central defender for Conte. As a result, the Italian has ended up employing left-back Ben Davies as a makeshift left-sided centre-back.

However, according to Spanish sources, Spurs are already in the process of bolstering their defensive options and have submitted a £42m bid for Bastoni.

Inter remain reluctant to sanction a sale, so the 23-year-old remains on a list with the likes of Sven Botman, Josko Gvardiol and Nico Schlotterbeck as potential additions (via The Athletic).

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The Latest: Jones’ claim on Bastoni

Jones believes that Conte will make a big push to sign Bastoni from his former club.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, the reporter claimed: “I think there’s a good chance that Bastoni will emerge as the guy.

“At this stage, I keep being told there is no order at the moment, that they’ll see at the end of the season where they’re at and they’ll go from there.

“They have a shortlist, but it’s not in any sort of ranking, as it stands.”

The Verdict: Great signing if it comes off

Described by journalist Mario Sconcerti as a “young Bonucci”, Bastoni is clearly valued quite highly in Italy. This praise is warranted by his underlying statistics – the 23-year-old ranks in the 99th percentile for progressive passes received, the 94th percentile for shot-creating actions and the 91th percentile for progressive carries (via FBRef) among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues.

With Conte’s preferred back-three formation, Bastoni would suit playing on the left-hand side of the defence, with his ability on the ball complimenting this style of play.

Therefore, it would not be a surprise to see Conte make a big push for the Inter centre-back, who certainly seems like he would be an ideal signing in terms of what the Lilywhites boss is seeking in a defender.

In other news: One Tottenham man could lead a potential N17 mass exodus

According to The Sunderland Echo, Jack Ross has said that he is planning on keeping 18-year-old Benjamin Kimpioka at the Stadium of Light for the rest of the season. 

The striker could have gone out on loan for the rest of the season, but the manager has decided to keep hold of him, believing he could be an asset in The Black Cats’ promotion push.

With the departures of both Josh Maja and Jerome Sinclair this month, Sunderland currently look slightly thin on the ground when it comes to strikers.

Ross’ team have been linked with Championship striker Will Grigg, as well as League One duo Tom Eaves and John Marquis, but nothing has come to fruition so far. At this moment in time Kimpioka is a fail-safe, in case Sunderland cannot land anyone else.

However, while it will be beneficial for Sunderland to give the Sweden under-19 international some game time as the season goes on, particularly in a promotion run-in, Ross will certainly not want to depend on him too much. But by keeping hold of Kimpioka, Ross may be revealing more than he wishes to about the likelihood of their other targets arriving.

This would be calamitous if The Black Cats cannot land at least two of their three targets, and it could seriously dent their promotion chances. They will not want to be reliant on a player like Kimpioka, who, so far, has only made two league appearances. This is not the sort of figure a team wants in a title race.

The January transfer window is past the halfway point and Rangers have been active, with a number of deals already being completed by Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Ibrox.

They have signed James Sands on an 18-month loan from New York City FC and pinned John Souttar down to a pre-contract agreement which will see him arrive in the summer.

Nathan Patterson has also been sold for a club-record transfer fee. The right-back has joined Premier League side Everton to continue his fledgling career.

With players coming in at Ibrox, van Bronckhorst may need to make some tough decisions on who stays in Glasgow, and Scott Wright could be axed from the Gers’ squad…

Finally axe Wright

The £5.6k-per-week dud could find himself on the way out if the club lands one of their targets. One player with whom Rangers have been linked is ES Setif midfielder Ahmed Kendouci – Algerian outlet DZ Foot has claimed that he is someone the Gers are monitoring this month.

The 22-year-old is a versatile player who could operate in a multitude of roles for Van Bronckhorst in the second half of the season. He is capable of playing on either wing, in the number 10 position and as a central or defensive midfielder, which means that he is not limited in terms of what he can offer.

Last season, Kendouci recorded 10 goals and 10 assists for Setif in 34 league matches, showcasing his ability to score and set up goals regularly. Whilst Wright predominantly plays off the right wing, the Algerian can play in his position whilst also offering the flexibility of being able to fill other roles, and that could make him more valuable than Wright.

Ross Wilson previously hailed the Ibrox youngster as “determined” but his hard work has not paid off yet in a Rangers shirt, as he has been unable to nail down a regular spot. He has only started five games across the Premiership and Europa League this season and has averaged a modest WhoScored rating of 6.59 in Europe, suggesting that Steven Gerrard and now Van Bronckhorst have not deemed him worthy of being a consistent starter for the Light Blues.

This is why Setif’s creative conductor Kendouci could come in and prove to be an upgrade on the 24-year-old. Not only is he more flexible positionally than Wright, his goalscoring and creation statistics last season suggest that he could also offer more quality on the ball in the final third.

AND in other news, Rangers headed for huge January blunder as Wilson lines up decision which would anger the fans…

Wolverhampton Wanderers are targeting the signing of Newcastle star Allan Saint-Maximin who could be available this summer.

The winger has been used a lot by manager Eddie Howe since he arrived, however, 90min.com understand there are concerns at the club over his salary demands.

As a result, at the right price he could be available to clubs, and Wolves are interested in him as a potential replacement for Adama Traore.

Traore is currently on loan at FC Barcelona, and even if that deal isn’t made permanent it’s unlikely he will have any future at Molineux.

Saint-Maximin is better than Traore

Saint-Maximin would be a perfect replacement for Traore. Once a fans favourite, he decided to leave Wolves to return to his boyhood club Barcelona and ultimately the West Midlands side have been unable to agree a new contract with him.

Since arriving at the Spanish giants in January, he has made 12 appearances and registered four assists. He might be living his dream playing for the club where he started out, but there’s no guarantee he will get a permanent move.

As for Saint-Maximin, he has been key in Newcastle’s fight for survival and would be a great addition at Wolves.

When you compare him against Traore this season he excels in a lot of areas. He has more goals and assists combined per 90 minutes at 0.32 compared to the Spaniard’s 0.20.

The number of shots on target he has per 90 minutes also betters Traore at 0.85 compared to 0.54.

Statistics clearly show that he would be an upgrade on Traore who is valued at £25.2m. Wolves will be hoping that Barcelona or at least someone else will be willing to pay that, then they can put any money made, towards a transfer for Saint-Maximin.

The Frenchman is valued at £28.8m, and if the Magpies want to get him off their wage budget, it probably won’t take much to lure him away.

He’s been described by pundit Gary Neville as “breathtaking” on his day, so this is a move that Wolves won’t want to miss out on.

IN other news: Wolves ‘definitely in the hunt’ for Sporting Lisbon’s Joao Palhinha…

Blackburn Rovers have made an approach for Leeds United youngster Crysencio Summerville ahead of a potential January loan move, according to a fresh report.

The Lowdown: Summerville impressing at Leeds

The 20-year is one of the most exciting young players at Elland Road currently, having made seven first-team appearances so far this season.

Summerville has shone for the Under-23s in recent times, too, chipping in with a brilliant 17 goal involvements in 24 appearances – nine goals and eight assists – as well as being hailed as ‘lively and creative’ by Noel Whelan.

It could be that a temporary move away in the January transfer window makes sense in order to secure more regular playing time, however, and that could now be on the cards.

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The Latest: Blackburn make move

According to Football Insider, a recruitment source has claimed that Blackburn want to sign Summerville on loan as a replacement for fellow Whites youngster Ian Poveda, who is injured currently and has returned to Elland Road.

A decision to likely to be made after Leeds’ FA Cup third round clash with West Ham on Sunday.

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The Verdict: Ideal experience

While Leeds have been a little short of options this season because of injuries, allowing Summerville to enjoy more regular football elsewhere makes perfect sense.

It would give the winger an opportunity to test himself in the Championship, up against physical, senior footballers, proving to be invaluable experience further down the line.

That would be more beneficial to Summerville than the odd sporadic appearance for Leeds from the substitutes’ bench and he could return in the summer a more rounded player.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly eyeing up a move for a defender. Find out who it is here.