All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United goalkeeper Elia Caprile is set to leave Elland Road on a permanent deal, with Serie B outfit Bari closing in on a deal.

The Lowdown: Caprile unwanted at Leeds

The 20-year-old has made 19 appearances for the Whites’ Under-23 side but he is yet to make his first-team bow, having arrived from Chievo Verona back in 2020.

Caprile spent last season on loan at Pro Patria, with Marcelo Bielsa unable to promise him even a hint of playing time at Leeds.

The young shot-stopper’s contract at Elland Road expires at the end of this month but it looks as though he will wrap up an exit sooner than that, heading to Italy for a fresh challenge.

The Latest: Youngster set for Bari move

According to Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio on Twitter, an agreement is in place for Bari to sign Caprile imminently.

“Bari: agreement in principle for Caprile, goalkeeper of Leeds United,” the reporter wrote on Monday, sharing that it will be a permanent transfer in an attached article.

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The Verdict: Right decision by Whites

While Caprile is a talented young goalkeeper, it has been clear for some time that he wasn’t going to make the grade at Leeds.

In Illan Meslier and Kristoffer Klaesson, Jesse Marsch already has two gifted young stoppers at his disposal, meaning there is no real pathway into the first team.

Caprile could instead blossom into a key player in Serie B with Bari, thriving back in his homeland and being afforded far more playing time than he would ever get at Leeds.

In other news, another Leeds player is thought to be ‘very close’ to leaving the club. Find out who it is here.

Celtic youngster Karamoko Dembele is attracting interest from Ligue 1 side Brest, according to a report in the last 48 hours from French outlet Foot Mercato. 

The lowdown: Teenage sensation

Following a debut in a 2–1 victory against Hearts when aged just 16, the fledgeling teenager has remained on the periphery of the Hoops’ squad ever since.

In the time that has passed the England and Scotland youth international has made nine further first-team outings for the Glasgow giants, opening his account in a 4-0 victory over St. Johnstone last year.

Now, as Dembele’s contract heads steadfast towards its conclusion at the end of the month (Transfermarkt), one potential suitor has emerged from the ether…

The latest: Brest keen

As per Foot Mercato, Brest are ‘one of the options’ for the one-cap England Under 18 starlet.

It’s claimed that the French top-flight outfit are ‘well placed’ to add Dembele – who was hailed as ‘exceptionally good’ by Dutch legend Ruud Gullit – to their squad this summer.

The report definitively states that the London-born ace’s future lies ‘elsewhere’ having spent four years a part of the setup at Lennoxtown.

The verdict: Another one?

Despite failing to make the desired impact after bursting onto the scene, Dembele remains a supremely talented individual with plenty to offer moving forwards, proven by playing a pivotal role in the Bhoys’ development side.

There has been a worrying trend developing in recent times as some of the most prodigious, highly thought of talents – such as now Liverpool revelation Ben Doak – move away from Celtic Park before they’ve had the chance to truly blossom.

In order to address the problem, the Hoops and Ange Postecoglou need to show that there is a pathway to first-team action for those nurtured in Glasgow so that the club can maintain a nucleus of its best homegrown youngsters for a longer period of time.

As for Dembele, after making just two appearances during an injury-ravaged 2021/22, it may bear out that the £225,000-valued winger was unlikely to make the grade at the Scottish Premiership champions anyway – time will tell.

A huge Newcastle United transfer claim has emerged on the club’s pursuit of Renan Lodi heading into the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Reporter Jacque Talbot has revealed that the Brazilian defender is the club’s number one target in that area of the pitch.

The Magpies will be pursuing a deal to sign the Atletico Madrid man in the coming months and will then look to snap up Matt Targett if they fail to bring their first choice in.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I’m told that with Targett, it’s going to be more of a secondary option. So, they’ve put the feelers out for Lodi, who’s their main priority signing for that left-back side. And if that falls through, then they’re going to go back to Targett.”

Eddie Howe will be buzzing

The Toon head coach will be buzzing with this news as it shows that PIF and Dan Ashworth are not willing to settle for the safe option.

Targett spent the second half of the 2021/22 campaign on loan from Aston Villa and he was a solid performer at left-back. He ended the season with an excellent SofaScore rating of 6.92 for his parent club and the Magpies combined in the Premier League, making an impressive 3.8 tackles and interceptions per game as he showcased his strong defending.

However, he is not a high-level left-back when it comes to crossing the halfway line and attacking the opposition’s goal.

As per FBRef, he ranks in the 62nd percentile or lower in shot-creating actions, non-penalty goals, non-penalty Expected Goals + Expected Assists, assists, and dribbles completed per 90 in the last 365 days among left-back’s in Europe’s top five leagues.

Lodi, meanwhile, ranks in the 74th percentile or higher in all of those categories and in the 92nd percentile or higher for both assists and non-penalty goals per 90.

The 24-year-old managed three goals and four assists in 17 starts in La Liga and the Champions League for Atletico as he proved that he can make a big impact in the final third. He has the quality to score and assist goals from full-back and this means that he can offer Newcastle another attacking threat in the Premier League next season.

However, he is a riskier signing than Targett as he has not played in England before and it is not a guarantee that he will adapt to English football.

That is the risk Newcastle have to take if they want to elevate their attack with a talented left-back option to provide a threat from the defence and that is why Howe will be buzzing with the club’s pursuit of Lodi.

AND in other news, Howe can axe £25m NUFC flop by signing “frightening” £94m predator who’s “the future”…

Newcastle United’s summer business is set to get underway as the transfer window opens next week and Dan Ashworth is able to get to work.

The former Brighton chief has arrived at St James’ Park as sporting director and will now be working with Eddie Howe to bring in new signings to bolster the squad ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

One player for whom the club have recently been linked with a swoop is Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly. Dean Jones of GIVEMESPORT has revealed that the centre-back is one of the Magpies’ main targets this summer, having worked with Howe at the Vitality Stadium previously.

Imagine him & Dan Burn

The Newcastle head coach can seal a terrifying Magpies centre-back pairing by signing the Cherries defender to pair up with Burn at St James’ Park.

Kelly, who joined Bournemouth for £13m three years ago, enjoyed an excellent season in the Championship as they won promotion to the Premier League, and he has earned plenty of plaudits during his time on the south coast.

Former Cherries boss Jonathan Woodgate previously took the time to salute the defender’s pace, saying: “At the minute he just looks like a bit of a Rolls-Royce doesn’t he? He looked very, very good (against Bristol City).

“I was impressed to be honest with you, especially when (Antoine) Semenyo tried to run him down the line and Semenyo gave him two yards and Lloydy overtook him. It’s eye-catching when things like that happen, especially as a fellow defender. When you see things like that, it’s like ‘you’ve got a bit’.”

In the 2021/22 campaign, Kelly averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.04 in the second tier across 41 appearances for Bournemouth. The 23-year-old won 64% of his duels and made 4.3 clearances per game as his team kept a whopping 20 clean sheets with him involved.

Meanwhile, Burn averaged a score of 6.98 in the Premier League playing for Brighton and Newcastle in the 2021/22 season. He won 60% of his duels and made five clearances per game, whilst also making 2.8 tackles and interceptions per match.

The towering Newcastle defender does not have the pace to make speedy recoveries and chase balls in behind but he can defend one-on-one and be an aggressive defender, as shown by his statistics. This means that pairing him with a player in Kelly who has the speed to cover him would be a dream deal for the Magpies.

Opposition forwards would be terrified by the prospect of either having to challenge Burn in a physical contest or beat Kelly in a foot race, and that is why Newcastle must snap the Bournemouth man up this summer.

AND in other news, PIF plotting NUFC bid for “tremendous” £30m “champion of the world”, he’s Ben Arfa 2.0…

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has swung his axe as the Lilywhites close in on a summer exit, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs summer reshuffle…

Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici met with Conte in Italy last week to discuss recruitment strategy ahead of what will be a very interesting window for the north Londoners.

The Lilywhites head coach secured a Premier League top four finish and Champions League football for the 2022/2023 campaign, prompting the club to green-light a major £150million equity increase.

Conte will benefit from the bulk of these added funds as Spurs look set to back their manager and ensure he has most of what he needs for his first full season in charge.

While new signings have been heavily tipped, so have exits from Hotspur Way, with Football Insider now sharing the latest development involving midfielder Giovani Lo Celso.

The Latest: Tottenham hold Lo Celso talks…

According to their information, a Tottenham ‘agreement is close to being reached’ over Lo Celso’s permanent departure to Villarreal with ‘extensive talks’ held.

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This comes as Conte swings his axe and deems the Argentine ‘surplus to requirements’.

As per this update, Spurs are keen to offload, so much so they’re willing to take a near-£10million loss.

The Verdict: Major update…

Dropping the asking price from £30million to around £20million, according to this report, certainly stands out as a major call.

Perhaps this is an indicator of Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy’s eagerness to back Conte and seriousness in going the extra mile to display a matched ambition.

Selling Lo Celso for that amount is generous to say the least, especially considering he thrived on loan under Unai Emery and was a key player on their run to the Champions League semi-finals.

In other news: Alasdair Gold says ‘exciting’ Conte target is now eyeing a move to Tottenham! Find out more here.

Rangers endured a season which was filled with incredible European moments but was let down by a lack of domestic success, although the Scottish Cup was won for the first time in 13 years.

It wasn’t all plain sailing, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst arriving in mid-November and leading the club to the Europa League final, which ultimately ended in heartbreak.

This summer represents the chance for the Dutchman to enjoy his first pre-season with the squad and enable him to bring in his own players, as there will almost certainly be some outgoings from Ibrox.

Despite the player recently signing a new one-year extension, the manager should be looking to offload Scott Arfield. The 33-year-old earns £16k-p/w and this could be spent on someone who is likely to contribute on a more regular basis and is significantly younger.

The Dutchman has been eyeing up a deal for English midfielder Joe Rothwell and the Gers’ interest has been high in the player even before Van Bronckhorst took charge six months ago.

The 27-year-old becomes a free agent in June, but there are other clubs interested, such as Premier League new boys Fulham and Bournemouth, who could probably both offer bigger wages than the Ibrox giants.

Axe Arfield, sign Rothwell

Although Arfield has scored one more goal than Rothwell this season (four to three), the Blackburn ace has registered an impressive ten assists in his 41 matches.

The 27-year-old also contributed more defensively than the Canada international, winning more tackles (26 to 22) and making nearly twice as many interceptions (48 to 26).

Rothwell can also provide an attacking threat in wide areas, as he made a staggering 141 crosses over the course of the season, compared to just six from Arfield.

The 33-year-old has impressed in short spells at Rangers this season, but his influence on the team diminished for large parts of the campaign, and it’s time that Van Bronckhorst brought in someone who could offer more from the middle of the park.

As the statistics suggest, Rothwell fits the bill perfectly, and a free transfer wouldn’t break the bank either. Having been dubbed “superb” by journalist Josh Bunting earlier this season, it’s a move which could well be a wise investment from Rangers, especially if Arfield can be axed.

AND in other news: Huge transfer twist emerges on Rangers summer target, supporters will be gutted

Aston Villa fell to a 3-2 defeat away at Manchester City this afternoon despite being 2-0 up with 15 minutes to go as Pep Guardiola’s side scored three goals in five minutes to secure their fourth Premier League title in five years.

Goals from Matty Cash and Philippe Coutinho either side of halftime looked as though they would stun City and offer a helping hand to Liverpool in the title race, however, Steven Gerrard’s side completely collapsed as the Citizens completed a dramatic comeback.

Despite seeing just 29% of possession, Gerrard’s side had shown quality via direct play prior to their collapse.

However, losing the midfield battle late on was a major contributing factor to the turnaround with John McGinn at the heart of it.

Usually reliable for Villa, the Scotsman made just 24 touches throughout the entire 90 minutes, less than half of the understudy goalkeeper Robin Olsen’s 55 who made his Villa debut with Emi Martinez rested ahead of international commitments.

Moreover, the 27-year-old attempted just 15 passes, completing nine with a 60% accuracy whilst also failing to complete a single long ball or cross.

Whilst completing nine passes, McGinn also lost possession on nine occasions as well as 75% of his attempted duels in a lacklustre display.

With the West Midlands outfit expected to reinforce in their midfield this summer, a poor display from the £70k-per-week midfielder to round off the season certainly won’t have helped his claim for a regular starting spot once again next term.

The likes of Geoffrey Kondogbia, Kalvin Phillips and Ibrahima Sangare have all been amongst the midfielders linked with a move to Villa Park this summer which could spell the end of McGinn’s, as well as other midfielders at Villa, spell as a regular in the Premier League.

On a wider scale, Gerrard will be keen to majorly improve every position with the Villans finishing the season in a disappointing 14th place, having finished 11th last season.

It could’ve been an excellent conclusion to a mediocre campaign at the Etihad, however, a mixture of collapse and revival from their world-class opponents meant that Villa couldn’t hold on to a famous win.

AND in other news: “Villa would…”: Gregg Evans drops huge transfer claim, supporters will be buzzing

Celtic will attempt to sign Alexandre Mendy in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Mendy shines for Caen

The 28-year-old attacker has enjoyed an impressive season for Ligue 2 side Caen, averaging a goal every other game with 16 strikes in 32 appearances.

Celtic have been linked with a move for Mendy in the past few weeks, with Ange Postecoglou now focusing on strengthening his squad ahead of next season.

It looks set to be a transfer that could be revisited in the summer, following a fresh claim.

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The Latest: Celtic backed to make Mendy move

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke talked up the idea of Mendy making the switch to Parkhead, alluding to previous swoops for the likes of Odsonne Edouard and Christopher Jullien from France.

The journalist said:

“It’s been a successful market for Celtic in the past, them raiding the French market, and maybe they’ll be hoping they could have more success if they do decide to pursue a move for Mendy as well.

“He looks like a talented player, and Postecoglou is planning ahead and looking to strengthen his squad with their Champions League football in mind next season.”

The Verdict: Shrewd acquisition

While some may turn their nose up at Mendy given that he’s playing second-tier football in France, he is a seven-cap Guinea-Bissau international, while his scoring record for Caen speaks for itself.

He is someone who could add real firepower in the final third for Celtic, with only Liel Abada (10) reaching double figures for goals in the Premiership this season among Postecoglou’s current squad.

The lure of Champions League football will surely turn Mendy’s head if the Hoops make a bid – with all due respect to Cean, a move to Parkhead would surely be considered a step up for the 28-year-old.

In other news, one pundit has discussed a potentially worrying Celtic development. Read more here.

Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United head into tonight’s Premier League meeting with Chelsea knowing that, should they wish to give themselves the best possible chance of avoiding the drop this season, they simply must pick up some kind of result at Elland Road against Thomas Tuchel’s third-placed Blues.

However, with right-back Luke Ayling being shown a straight red card in the 2-1 defeat at Arsenal last time out, in addition to the form of several of the Whites’ regular first-teamers having fallen off a cliff in recent weeks, the 48-year-old manager has a number of big calls to make concerning his starting XI.

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One such call will undoubtedly be in central midfield, a position in which, following Adam Forshaw’s season-ending injury, the American manager has struggled to find a suitable counterpart to the unflappable England international, Kalvin Phillips.

At The Emirates, Marsch started Mateusz Klich alongside the 26-year-old, however, with the 31-year-old turning in yet another abject display against the Gunners, it would appear an extremely wise move for the 48-year-old to drop the Poland international for what could well be a season-defining fixture this evening.

Indeed, over his 45 minutes on the pitch last time out, the £3.6m-rated midfielder was something of a passenger in the middle of the park, enjoying just 33 touches of the ball, completing 79% of his passes, ceding possession for his side on eight separate occasions, being beaten by an opponent twice and losing five of his six duels – a failure rate of 83%.

These returns saw the £34k-per-week player who The Short Fuse dubbed “embarrassing” and one prominent Leeds supporter dubbed “awful” average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.0 – the joint third-worst score of any player to feature in the match – with Marsch hooking the 38-time capped international at the break.

As such, with Lewis Bate having highly impressed upon replacing Klich last time out, and while it is true that the likes of Raphinha and Jack Harrison also failed to make any sort of mark against Arsenal, it is the Pole who Marsch simply must axe from his starting XI against Chelsea, as the midfielder could cost the Whites big-time against the Blues.

AND in other news: Marsch must finally unleash “standout” 19 y/o Leeds talent v Chelsea, he “isn’t afraid”

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Idrissa Gueye to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet Jeunes Footeux (via Sport Witness), who claim that, with a little over 12 months remaining on his current deal at Le Parc des Princes, Paris Saint-Germain may be willing to cash in on the defensive midfielder at the end of the current campaign.

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The report goes on to state that this has alerted Tottenham to the possibility of bringing the 32-year-old to north London this summer, with Fabio Paratici believed to be keeping a very close eye on the situation of the Senegal international ahead of a potential €20m (£17m) move.

Conte’s new Kante

With it being reported that the signing of a new central midfielder is one of Conte’s primary targets in the summer transfer window, it is not difficult to see why the 52-year-old would be interested in a deal to bring Gueye to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of the club’s 2022/23 campaign.

Indeed, according to FBref data, the £13m-rated dynamo ranks in the top 5% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues for pressures per 90, as well as the top 7% for tackles, the top 31% for interceptions, the top 8% for passes attempted, the top 1% for passes completed, the top 22% for progressive carries and the top 10% for non-penalty goals over the last 365 days.

Furthermore, the £99k-per-week talent who Joe Rimmer claimed is “absolutely everywhere” is also Premier League proven, having averaged extremely impressive seasonal SofaScore ratings of 7.30 in 2015/16, 7.25 in 2016/17, 7.00 in 2017/18 and 7.09 in 2018/19 with Everton.

As such, despite his advancing years, it would very much appear as if Gueye would still make a fantastic addition to Conte’s options in the middle of the park this summer, particularly if the 32-year-old is available for as little as £17m.

And, should Paratici go on to secure a deal for the Senegalese sensation, he may well have provided the 52-year-old Spurs boss with his new N’Golo Kante – the French defensive midfielder with whom Conte won the Premier League title at Chelsea.

AND in other news: Conte now plotting £17m offer for “fantastic” Spurs target, he’s better than Soucek