All posts by n8rngtd.top

An update has emerged on Sporting defender Nuno Mendes, regarding Manchester City’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, as transcribed by Sport Witness, Manchester City are not prepared to give up in their pursuit of Sporting left-back Nuno Mendes and are continuing to show an interest in signing him this summer.

The report claims that Sporting may need to lower their £43m (€50m) valuation of the defender. They believe that January is the window in which they will decide to cash in on the full-back, despite City’s current insistence on signing him now.

Pep needs him

Txiki Begiristain must get a deal done for the teenager this summer. Pep Guardiola needs him at The Etihad and Txiki could deliver a major boost to the Spaniard’s squad by securing Mendes’ services.

Benjamin Mendy’s time in Manchester has been blighted by injuries and he has never been able to sustain a prolonged run of form. In the 2020/21 campaign, he played 13 Premier League matches and averaged an uninspiring WhoScored rating of 6.61. This suggests that it could be time for the ex-Monaco man to be replaced so that Guardiola can have a reliable left-back option to call upon instead of playing Oleksandr Zinchenko and Joao Cancelo out of position to cover for Mendy.

Mendes enjoyed a terrific season with Sporting in Portugal as they won the Liga NOS title. The 19-year-old played 29 games in the league and averaged a sublime WhoScored rating of 7.24. He managed 1.7 tackles, 2.1 interceptions and 1.1 clearances per game, along with 1.1 key passes and 1.5 dribbles in an attacking sense.

This shows that he is consistent at both ends of the pitch despite his young age, with former Portugal international midfielder Costinha having praised the “strong” defender earlier this year.

He told GOAL:

“He is strong physically and in his head. He has an excellent left foot and he has very good pace. Sometimes, I think he needs to learn more about defending, but he is only 18. He has so much time to improve.

“I don’t think he is going to stay here for a long time.”

The £36m-rated beast could, therefore, be exactly what Guardiola needs at City this summer. He could be the club’s first-choice left-back for the next decade if they are able to sign him, as he is still in the infancy of his career at the age of 19. He has proven that he has quality and potential with his performances for Sporting, which is why Txiki must get this deal done. Left-back is the an area of Guardiola’s team that needs addressing, bringing in an excellent teenager could solve that issue for years to come.

AND in other news, Txiki must avoid Man City error over “exceptional” £120k-p/w wizard, Pep would hate it…

Southampton fans want to sign Adnan Januzaj after they were linked with a move for the former Manchester United man.

The Saints are currently preparing for the next campaign after they finished in 15th place in the Premier League table and reached an F.A Cup semi-final last term. That is likely to include new signings – they are on the verge of completing a move for Stade Brestois left-back Romain Perraud (The Athletic), and they now appear to have someone else on their radar.

That man is £10.8m-valued Belgium international Januzaj (Transfermarkt). According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, the Saints are set to do battle with Brighton to sign the 26-year-old, who currently plays for Real Sociedad. He has managed 18 goals and 18 assists in 124 games for the club (Transfermarkt).

The news was shared on Twitter by @TheSaintCentre, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts when asked whether he would be a good signing.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Januzaj link

“Yes”

Credit: @I_amDarren

“Yeah”

Credit: @PSmith1994

“Yeah”

Credit: @calcashin666

“absolutely”

Credit: @yourboyandy8

“Yes. He’s been good for Sociedad, so why not.”

Credit: @_ScottWinter_

“On a free, definitely. Might keep Redmond out the side which can only be a good thing.”

Credit: @sam_arthur

In other news, Southampton want to sign this Champions League midfielder.

According to Foot Mercato (via Inside Futbol), Southampton are making a late push to sign Arsenal’s William Saliba on loan – but it could end in disappointment as he wants to join Marseille, which could prove to be a major obstacle in the Saints’ pursuit of him.

The Lowdown: Southampton prepare for new term

Southampton are preparing for the new season and have recently confirmed the signing of Romain Perraud from French side Brest (southamptonfc.com).

He is unlikely to be their only signing of the summer, and it seems the Saints now have their eyes on another defender.

The Latest: Saints eye Saliba

As per this latest report, Southampton are joined by Newcastle in a late push to sign Saliba on loan for next season.

However, according to The Athletic, the 20-year-old wants to join Marseille, although Arsenal would rather that he stay in the Premier League.

The Verdict: Up-and-coming talent

Signed by Arsenal in 2019, the £16.2m-valued defender (Transfermarkt) returned to Saint-Etienne immediately on loan before joining up with the Gunners in 2020. He is yet to make a senior appearance for the north London outfit, instead making a move to Nice in January of this year, but he has been compared to Raphael Varane by his childhood coach Fabio Frasconi (planetfootball.com) and should have a big future ahead of him.

Marseille are a big draw in Saliba’s native France, so it makes sense that he would want to go there. However, if Arsenal really want him to stay in England, he could blossom under the guidance of Ralph Hasenhuttl if they send him to Southampton. It remains to be seen whether the youngster can be convinced to choose the English south coast over the French one.

In other news, many Southampton fans have been reacting to this transfer news.

Gabriel Agbonlahor thinks that one Aston Villa target would not be guaranteed a place in Dean Smith’s starting line-up if he moved to Villa Park this summer… 

What’s the talk?

Agbonlahor has said that he would not pick reported target Harry Winks over any of the club’s current midfield options. Villa are reportedly keen on a deal for Winks, who is valued at £30m by Tottenham, and Agbonlahor believes John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba would be ahead of him.

He told Football Insider:

“I think Winks is a good player.

“But we can’t underestimate the talent we’ve got in midfield already.

“Winks would be a great signing but I wouldn’t pick Winks before John McGinn, Douglas Luiz or Marvelous Nakamba.

“Just because he’s a good player it doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to get into the team.”

Fans would be fuming

Villa fans would be fuming if the club decided to spend £30m on a player who would be the fourth choice in his position. Agbonlahor believes that he would be the fourth-best central midfielder at Smith’s disposal and, if that is the case, NSWE would be heading for a disaster by bringing him to Villa Park.

Winks averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.37 in the Premier League for Spurs last term. McGinn, Nakamba and Luiz all managed better scores for Villa, with all three players hitting 6.52 or higher. This suggests that Agbonlahor’s assessment of where he would fit within the squad is accurate and that Winks would not arrive as a guaranteed starter as he has not shown that he is a sizeable upgrade on the existing options in that area of the pitch.

Former Tottenham defender Graham Roberts offered a scathing verdict on Winks last month, calling him “Mr Conserative” and claiming that he is now an average player. 

Roberts told Football FanCast:

“He’s gone Mr Conservative, he plays simple, and if I don’t give the ball away, I’m a great player.

“You’re not, he’s become an average player, and that’s being fair.”

Winks has a career average of 0.5 key passes per game, whilst completing 90% of his passes – including 2.3 long passes per game. This aligns with Roberts comments about him being ‘Mr Conservative’, as he is completing a high percentage of his passes without taking many chances or attempting a significant amount of longer balls to open up defences.

Therefore, NSWE must avoiding making a grave error and should retract their interest in Winks. Instead, they should look to sign a player who is able to take up a starting spot and improve Smith’s team, as the supporters would be left livid if £30m was wasted on a reserve option.

AND in other news, Villa must replace Grealish with £100k-p/w “freak of a talent”, Smith would love him…

Carlton Palmer has suggested that Southampton should sell Danny Ings this summer, despite the influence he has in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

What has been said about Ings?

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, Palmer suggests that the South Coast club should actively be looking to cash in on the England international this summer, saying:

“I don’t like players going down into the last year of their contract.

“I would sit down with him now and say, ‘Right, listen, if you’re not going to commit to a long-term contract, it’s better that you move on now.’ Do the business now, move him on. Get some money for him and move him on.”

Should Southampton sell Ings?

Other than perhaps James Ward-Prowse, Ings is arguably the most important player in Hasenhuttl’s side at the moment, evidenced by the 22 goals he scored in the 2019/20 season, and the 12 goals he managed last season despite regular spells on the sidelines.

Although he is showing signs of improvement, Che Adams lacks the natural finishing ability of Ings, and without the former Liverpool man in their side next season, Southampton could seriously struggle to score goals.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-southampton-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Southampton transfer rumours and news!”]

The likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have all been linked with the 28-year-old forward this summer but Hasenhuttl has claimed that he will remain a Southampton player, despite him clearly favouring a move to a ‘top six’ club who can offer regular European football.

Whilst it would be a tough decision, the Austrian cannot afford to lose Ings on a free transfer next summer and with it clear that he won’t agree to a new deal at the club after rejecting a new four-year contract recently, cashing in on him might just be the right thing to do.

After rejecting an offer from the club last season, Ryan Bertrand was left out of Southampton’s remaining fixtures, so why should Ings’ situation be any different if he is no longer committed to the Saints?

Although he is an “outstanding” forward, as Eddie Howe put it, the money from his sale could be used to bring in a replacement such as the heavily-linked Adam Armstrong, and that would be a much more preferable situation than losing Ings for free next season and not having the money for a replacement, so Hasenhuttl should make the tough decision to sell him this summer.

And, in other news… Forget Armstrong: Southampton should swoop for “incredible” £4.05m-rated gem

As quoted in a football.london Q&A, Alasdair Gold has some news which ‘will probably upset’ Tottenham Hotspur fans.

The Lowdown: Spurs in Aouar mix…

Multiple reports from France have emerged over the last week detailing Tottenham’s interest in Lyon midfield star Houssem Aouar.

Le10 sport broke news that Spurs had joined the race for his signature alongside north London rivals Arsenal, with the player’s asking price thought to be no problem for chairman Daniel Levy.

This has been backed by Ligue 1 correspondent Julien Laurens on Twitter, but Gold now has some further news for supporters.

The Latest: Gold shares Aouar news…

As quoted in football.london, when asked about Tottenham and the Aouar situation, Gold shared his own update.

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The reporter explained that while it may ‘upset’ Spurs fans who want to see him in north London, there is apparently no ‘concrete’ link to the 23-year-old. He stated:

“I know this will probably upset people who have decided they want him but, at this current moment in time, there does not appear to be anything concrete in that link, just a player the club have looked at in recent seasons.

“As I’ve said before Tottenham are very much focusing on getting central defenders in through the door first and they’re working through that renowned Fabio Paratici method of negotiating for up to 10 players in that position before making the move on one or potentially in this case two of them.

“Whether they come back around for Aouar later in the window is another thing (and whether he will still be available), but he doesn’t sound like a priority right now with any funds being put towards Nuno Espirito Santo’s defence.”

The Verdict: Glimmer of hope?

While this update appears doom-mongering, Gold did not rule out Spurs coming in for Aouar at some point in this transfer window, but of course that all depends on his availability and the state of play at N17.

It is no surprise that Paratici is prioritising Spurs’ defence this summer, given that it has been a problem area for quite some time.

While the French playmaker comes at an enticing price, rumoured to be around €25m (£21.4m), Tottenham are still on a sell-to-buy mission and any available funds must be used accordingly.

In other news: Bid made – Paratici swoops with fresh offer to sign ‘absolute beast’ for Spurs, find out more here.

Jack Rosser, from the Evening Standard, doesn’t think that West Ham’s permanent pursuit of Jesse Lingard is over, but told The Transfer Tavern that his preference is to remain at Manchester United.

David Moyes is desperate to bring the 28-year-old back to the London Stadium this summer after his heroics during his loan spell last season helped the Hammers qualify for the Europa League.

Lingard scored nine times, finishing just one behind joint top scorers Tomas Soucek and Michail Antonio despite playing just 16 matches, and added five assists during his short stay with the club.

However, United have since offered the attacker a bumper new contract at Old Trafford, with his current deal expiring next summer.

After narrowly missing out on the England squad for the Euro’s, Lingard is already back in pre-season training for the Red Devils and featured in their friendly with Derby last weekend.

However, despite everything pointing towards Lingard staying with his boyhood club, Rosser doesn’t think the Hammers chances of re-signing him are 100 percent over.

He told The Transfer Tavern:

“I wouldn’t say it’s completely dead. I’d say there’s still a chance, but now I would maybe be a bit surprised to see him back at West Ham.

“His preference is to stay at Manchester United, Rashford has gone for surgery, they have signed Sancho, but they’re not exactly blessed with players like Lingard.”

Aston Villa have confirmed the signing of West Brom starlet Finn Azaz to add to their exciting youth ranks.

What’s the story?

The 20-year-old joins Dean Smith’s side from The Hawthorns, although the Midlands club have revealed that he has immediately been sent out on loan for the upcoming season to League Two side Newport County.

Academy manager Mark Harrison said: “Finn is a clever, creative, technically astute, attack-minded player, who had a successful loan at Cheltenham last year.

“When we were made aware he was available on a free transfer and discussing possible moves to other clubs, we decided to pursue his signature and we are delighted that he has signed for us.

“With his loan to Newport he will be able to continue his development under the watchful eye of Adam Henshall and Mile Jedinak, who are overseeing our loan strategy and will provide feedback to the first-team coaching staff.”

Fans will be buzzing

Having already seen a former West Brom starlet end up at Villa Park in Louie Barry, Smith has now enticed yet another hot prospect from their arch-rivals make the move across.

Last season saw the Baggies sent the 20-year-old out on loan at Cheltenham and he became a regular presence for the Robins as they clinched the League Two trophy and promotion.

Azaz, a central midfielder by trade but equally capable of playing out wide, played 44 times in all competitions last season for Cheltenham, scoring three goals and providing two assists.

As much as Villa should get a ton of credit for the signings of first team stars like Emi Buendia, Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez in recent summers, their work in landing a bunch of exciting young talents is equally as important and impressive.

The club brought in Barry from Barcelona, while they also signed a promising star in Feyenoord’s Lamare Bogarde.

Villa’s future appears to be in great hands thanks to their exceptional recruitment at academy level, and it’s exactly why this latest news of Azaz’s capture from West Brom should have fans absolutely buzzing once again.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has dropped a major update on the future of this Villa man…it’s not Grealish

Serie A expert Conor Clancy believes that Joakim Maehle would cost over £20 million if a Premier League club wanted to sign him this summer.

Maehle currently plays for Atalanta and has been with the club since January, when he joined from Belgian club Genk.

Since then, he has gone on to make 25 appearances for the Italian side, providing two assists from right-back.

The Denmark international also enjoyed an exceptional tournament at Euro 2020, playing in every game as they reached the semi-finals, where they were ultimately beaten by England at Wembley.

Maehle scored twice in the tournament, against Russia and Wales, and laid on an assist against the Czech Republic.

Southampton have been linked with a swoop to bring the full-back, who is also capable of playing on the left side of midfield, to the Premier League.

And Clancy believes they would have to pay over £20m to acquire his signature.

The editor in chief of Forza Italian Football said: “To a Premier League club, anything above 20 million, you never know, but if he were to join another club in Europe, 10 to 15, it’s that Premier League inflation.

“Atalanta only sell if it works for them so he’s not going to be sold for 15 million because there’s no reason for Atalanta to do that six months after signing him.”

Glasgow Rangers have confirmed the signing of former Manchester United youngster Charlie McCann (rangers.co.uk).

The Lowdown: Gers’ preparations building up

The Gers have enjoyed a mainly successful pre-season campaign. They beat Partick Thistle 1-0 before losing to Tranmere by the same scoreline, and they then drew with Arsenal 2-2. That was followed by a 0-0 draw versus Brighton and a very impressive 2-1 victory over Real Madrid.

New signing Fashion Sakala scored in that win (rangers.co.uk), and John Lundstram has also made the move to Glasgow. Steven Gerrard is likely to want to add other fresh faces as well judging by these latest developments.

The Latest: Gers close to McCann

Now, the Gers have added a new player to their squad – they have announced the signing of McCann from United.

As per the Manchester Evening News, the Ibrox outfit will part with £750,000 to capture his services. He will initially play with Rangers’ B side.

The Verdict: Big money

This is surprisingly big money for a player that, initially, will only be in Rangers’ development side. The Gers are yet to spend a single penny in transfer fees, with both Sakala and Lundstram joining on free transfers, so Steven Gerrard and Ross Wilson clearly think a lot of the 19-year-old.

In 67 youth games for United, he has managed 17 goals and seven assists (Transfermarkt). Clearly, he is player with plenty of talent – it remains to be seen whether he can eventually have an impact with the 55-time Scottish champions in a first-team capacity.

In other news, Rangers fans were far from happy with this man’s exit.