All posts by z3u9t.icu

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have erupted over big news on Vladimir Coufal.

As well as benefitting from the arrival of recruitment chief Rob Newman in a new Hammers transfer era, manager David Moyes is also eyeing a number of new contracts for his first team stars.

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Indeed, as explained by Claret & Hugh, West Ham have fresh deals for some key players in the pipeline, with Coufal, Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice linked to being offered fresh terms.

According to sources in Italy, Angelo Ogbonna could also sign a contract extension, but now some big news has emerged on Coufal’s situation specifically.

According to reporter Roshane Thomas of The Athletic, the Czech Republic star has put pen to paper on a new three-year deal with the option to extend it by a further year.

The 29-year-old was crucial to Moyes last season, averaging the joint-most tackles per game for West Ham in the Premier League and marking himself out as a real fan favourite.

Taking this into account, it’s little wonder that numerous Irons supporters have absolutely erupted on social media upon hearing of his contract extension – one even called it the “best news ever”.

Check out some of their best verdicts below.

West Ham fans erupt over big Coufal news…

“Best news of the week!”

Credit: @_samhowell

“SIUUUUUUUUUU”

Credit: @alex_cvb

“Absolutely MASSIVE news!!”

Credit: @dave_lapointe

“YESSSSSS”

Credit: @morgzwhu

“This is absolutely superb news, well done Moyes and the board 👏🏻🔥⚒ Another step in the right direction”

Credit: @MartynHobbs12

“That’s big”

Credit: @conwhufc03

“Best news you’ll see today #GSBOUT irons irons irons”

Credit: @joehalford1990

“This is the best news ever”

Credit: @StefGoodridge

In other news: Reliable reporter says West Ham fans ‘should be excited’ by another development, find out more here.

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.

Former Leeds United star Jon Newsome has told The Transfer Tavern that there is no chance of Sergio Aguero moving to the club this summer.

The Manchester City legend is leaving the Etihad at the end of the season after a legitimately legendary career at the club.

Signed from Atletico Madrid in 2011, he has gone on to make 385 appearances for the club, scoring 257 goals.

He scored that fabled 96th minute winner as they beat QPR to win their first Premier League title, and he has gone on to win three more league titles, along with the FA Cup, and five League Cups. That could become six with a win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup final this month.

One report from 90min claimed that Leeds were in the running to sign the legendary striker this summer but Newsome doubts it, with his wages alone enough to cripple most clubs financially, while he also doesn’t think he would be a stylistic fit for Bielsa’s side.

He told TT: “I can’t see it, in all honesty, I can’t see that being a possibility.

“I don’t think Sergio Aguero would fit into the Leeds United, Marcelo Bielsa way of playing.

“We’ve got Patrick Bamford who leads the line, and then he has either a 10 plus a striker playing in the hole, or an attacking midfielder playing in the hole there.

“And just things like the wage structure of the club. Suddenly, you bring in Sergio Aguero on a free, you’ve given him half the city to sign.”

This season has been the very definition of a horror show for Celtic and everyone at Parkhead.

The Bhoys have surrendered their grasp on the league title and they will finish the 2020/21 campaign without a single trophy to their name.

It ends what has been a decade of complete dominance for the Hoops and throughout the rest of the season, nothing but pride is at stake.

They capitulated in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup last weekend, ruing not only a missed penalty and a succession of excellent chances but also their defending.

As Rangers won 2-0, it was their two full-backs who had to be held accountable from a defensive point of view.

On the chalkboard

Diego Laxalt has had a very inconsistent stay at Celtic. Going forward he has looked like creating plenty of chances but when he tries to defend, he is left all at sea.

Against Dundee United a few weeks ago he was tortured by Lawrence Shankland and he was left at the mercy of Joe Aribo in a similar fashion last Sunday.

The Rangers winger led Laxalt a merry dance down Celtic’s left-hand side and the Uruguayan was powerless to stop it.

For the opening goal, he wasn’t even in the picture as Steven Gerrard’s men countered and then scored acrobatically from Steven Davis.

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Though, for the second strike, Laxalt was worse. The AC Milan loanee was turned inside out by Aribo who then rolled the ball across goal. Jonjoe Kenny didn’t track Ryan Kent and he then inadvertently put the ball in his own net.

It was a shocking performance from the left-back, a player who surely won’t warrant the £7.2m fee Celtic could pay to sign him permanently in the summer.

John Kennedy has to take the decision of dropping him when the Hoops face Aberdeen on Wednesday night.

He was a liability last weekend and has to be taken out of the firing line. After all, his performance sparked considerable criticism.

Celtic podcaster Paul John Dykes called his first-half against Rangers a “nightmare” during the interval while John Hartson had some very choice words for the defender.

Speaking on Premier Sports’ live coverage of the clash, Harton said he “does nothing” before unleashing the following: “Well he went off after half time obviously and John Kennedy would have been disgusted with his left-back. He’s from good stock as well. He’s on loan from AC Milan. He is a good player.”

Unfortunately, Laxalt has rarely shown that he’s a good player while in Glasgow.

With little time remaining in the season and nothing to play for, it feels pointless to field an individual who is almost certainly going to depart in a few months.

Kennedy needs to axe him for good, starting on Wednesday evening.

AND in other news, Celtic may have their new Tierney in “tricky” 18 y/o who’s rarely-seen at senior level…

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

Daniel Levy must cash in on forgotten Tottenham Hotspur defender Juan Foyth this summer amid latest claims from his loan club, Villarreal…

What’s the word?

Speaking to Spanish outlet AS, Villarreal boss Unai Emery revealed that he would like to sign the 23-year-old permanently following a successful spell thus far, he said:

“If I would keep [him]? The truth is that it is something that we must wait, but if it were up to me, yes, I would keep [him] with us.”

Although it is claimed that the La Liga outfit may not be able to afford the €15m (£13m) option to buy, so they will have to negotiate with the Spurs chairman in order to keep hold of him past the current season.

Get rid

The report goes onto suggest that Foyth has been one of Emery’s most utilised players, featuring 23 times in all competitions, which is one fewer appearance than what he’s managed for Spurs since the start of the 2018/19 season.

Indeed, the versatile Argentinian has struggled to break into the first-team in north London and the fact that Jose Mourinho was willing to ship him out despite losing the vastly-experienced Jan Vertonghen speaks volumes.

It’s hard to envisage him ever coming back and making an impact at this stage, especially as the Spurs boss is lusting for a ‘transformative’ signing at the back that can echo the rewards of Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool, and Ruben Dias at Man City.

Finances will be tight once again, so it would be wise to now cash in on Foyth to get the money rolling ahead of the summer.

The £9m-rated defender, who earns a reported £36k-per-week in N17, will merely be stealing a wage if he returns to Spurs at the end of the season as he’s surely a fourth or fifth choice behind the likes of Eric Dier, Toby Aldweireld, Davinson Sanchez and Joe Rodon.

If Mourinho gets his wishes, then he’ll only slip further down the pecking order.

In the past, Mauricio Pochettino has lauded the “clever” centre-back someone with “a lot of potential” and “quality” but we’ve never really seen it – last season in the Premier League, he averaged a 6.03 WhoScored rating, which would see him sit comfortably as their worst player this season.

Villarreal want to keep hold of him, so Levy may not get a better time to offload the 2017 signing. It’s time to get rid.

AND in other news, 22 y/o gem could be a perfect replacement for Matt Doherty…

A concerning claim has emerged after Tottenham Hotspur’s move to appoint Paulo Fonseca fell through last week…

What’s the word?

The 48-year-old looked likely to be announced as Jose Mourinho’s successor before the saga took yet another stunning twist after the club broke off talks, as per the BBC.

More details about the situation have since emerged with Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) revealing that Spurs’ new director of football betrayed the former AS Roma boss by turning his attentions to Gennaro Gattuso, which soon caused fan backlash on social media.

It’s claimed that Fonseca and Paratici spent two days at Lake Como discussing plans and that’s when things began to falter, also suggesting that it wasn’t related to finances.

“In reality, however, it is Paratici who changes course when he realises that Fonseca would like to play with his preferred form, the 4-2-3-1, and not with the three-man defence.”

There was also said to be a disagreement over the backroom staff, with the Italian wanting him to work with people in Spurs’ current set-up.

Concerning news

It’s blatantly obvious that Spurs are in a mess right now.

Fonseca was even considered to be their sixth-choice option, behind names like Julian Nagelsmann, Brendan Rodgers, Mauricio Pochettino and Antonio Conte, so to not secure him is rather damning.

But what is most concerning is the potential influence of Paratici on the pitch.

When the 48-year-old was announced over a week ago, Spurs claimed in a statement that he would be “responsible for managing and developing the club’s sporting operations, facilities and footballing infrastructure.”

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He’s the first man since Franco Baldini in 2015 to hold such a position in North London but could he already possess too much influence on the playing squad, coaching staff and tactics?

It seems bizarre for a director of football, who is supposed to act as a talent spotter and deal with transfer negotiations off the pitch, to be so directly concerned with how the team shapes up on it.

Not only will it lower the pool of candidates that he’ll have to choose from – something that is already drastically decreasing by the day it – but it also means the next head coach will have very power or much of a say in anything.

Seeing as the Spurs faithful have already protested against Levy and the ENIC Group in recent weeks, this latest development will not go down well whatsoever.

It’s a worrying time to be a Lilywhites fan right now, that much is now clear.

AND in other news, Fresh twist emerges in Spurs’ managerial saga that’ll surely leave fans buzzing…

A number of Liverpool supporters have been hailing Sadio Mane after the Reds superstar contributed towards the building of a hospital in his hometown in Senegal.

The 29-year-old has been one of the biggest figures of the Jurgen Klopp era at Anfield, maturing into a truly world-class footballer. Mane has scored 97 goals in 218 appearances for Liverpool, winning the Champions League and Premier League along the way.

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Not only that, but the Senegalese’s likeable personality has shone through during his time at Anfield, making him one of the most popular figures at the club. He has a selfless, down-to-earth attitude on the pitch and he is clearly the same off it, with his latest gesture summing him up as a person.

As reported by African sports journalist Nuhu Adams on Twitter, Mane has paid €530,000 (£455,000) for a hospital to be built in his hometown of Bambali, having already done the same with a high school in the village.

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Liverpool fans hail Mane gesture

It is a special gesture from the Liverpool forward and these Reds fans have taken to Twitter to shower him with praise.

“I would visit Bambali one day to see Sadio, my very own favourite player”

Credit: @presidentofdsen

“What makes me happy is that the players we love are an inspiration as a human being. Sadio is a hero on and off the pitch”

Credit: @AbhayJogekar

“I’m proud of Sadio Mane as a Liverpool supporter”

Credit: @huntelaar19

“What a fella”

Credit: @TheRedDebate

“What a king”

Credit: @MbappeLFC_

“Make Sadio president imo”

Credit: @AudunMan

In other news, a reliable journalist has provided a key update on the future of one Reds player. Find out who it is here.

Some fans of Manchester City have been reacting to a post on Twitter which relayed a report regarding the future of Sergio Aguero.

According to the report by The Sun, the striker is happy at Manchester City, but with the 32-year-old’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, it is claimed that the Argentine would be unwilling to take a pay cut to his £230,000-per-week wage in any new contract offered by the club.

As a result, it is then reported that, while Pep Guardiola’s side do want to keep hold of the club’s all-time top goalscorer this summer, City are unprepared to offer Aguero a contract of the same worth as his current deal, largely due to his injury problems of late.

After City Xtra relayed this report on Twitter, some fans of Manchester City flocked to have their say on the matter, with many stating that they would not have a problem with Aguero leaving the Etihad Stadium this summer. One even called the 32-year-old “washed” in a damning assessment of his career trajectory – the striker recently ended a 14-month Premier League scoring drought.

So, what did these Manchester City fans have to say in reaction to the report regarding Sergio Aguero?

“Ya I love Kun but he should just leave tbh.”

@KZN22_

“Want to keep him? What are the club thinking? He should leave as soon as possible.”

@mbaalthani8

“This is just sad man.”

@Harry_MCFC891

“Some poorly run club will pay it, so good luck at his next club.”

@normski_1970

“No way there’s a team in the world that would give him that.”

@MCFCDavid027

“He’s washed, let him go.”

@gggd_MCFC

“Hate to say it, but he doesn’t deserve to be on £230k atm. I love serge, but what’s he done recently to earn it?”

@kae_16__

“If it’s a money problem, it’s time to go.”

@MendyLaChevre

In other news: These Man City fans were ecstatic as this transfer news emerged – find out more here!

If you were initially left perplexed by Everton’s transfer business in the window, then you can forget about criticising them for now.That’s because the Toffees have taken seven points from nine available in the first three games of the season, despite spending just £1.7m in the market.What’s the word?That being said, the end to the ongoing window could be a bizarre state of affairs for the Merseyside outfit.Rafa Benitez is still intent on concluding some business, with Luis Diaz potentially arriving from Porto in a swap deal with James Rodriguez.That deal is certainly a cunning one, but a prospective move which fails to make much sense is Salomon Rondon. Everton have been interested in the powerful Venezuelan forward for a while now but they have actually opened negotiations just a few days before the deadline.That’s according to Alan Myers, who delivered the following seven-word update via Twitter on Sunday evening: “Everton in talks to sign Salomon Rondon.”Fans must be annoyedBenitez knows Rondon incredibly well from his time at Newcastle United. In fact, the striker was one of the most swashbuckling attackers in the Premier League. If he had more goals in him, he’d be incredibly difficult for defenders to handle.In total, the Venezuela international racked up 26 goals in 61 appearances under the Spaniard, but the way in which Everton could sign Rondon in the coming hours should leave supporters aghast.That’s because he’d be replacing Moise Kean in the squad. The Italian’s days have been numbered at Goodison Park for months now and he appears to be on the cusp of re-joining Juventus.He was in red hot form for PSG last season, however, scoring against Barcelona in the Champions League on his way to netting 17 goals for the club in all competitions.On that evidence, it’s tricky to suggest that he’s not up to the standard to play for Everton. Combine that with the fact that Kean is only 21 and it makes the decision to axe him even more peculiar.Bringing in a young player as his successor would be smart work but Rondon is a strange replacement. For starters, he is now 31 years of age, and secondly he is set to command a pretty hefty salary judging by his £8m-per-year (£154k-per-week) wages in China.Kean is a talented individual who possesses immense potential but the former Newcastle forward is at the opposite end of his career.He might well offer valuable back-up but this whole sequence of events should leave Everton fans angry at the club’s transfer plans.AND in other news, Everton keen on signing “explosive” £42.8m-rated gem, he could be another Walcott…