Tag Futebol

According to French journalist Julien Maynard, Aston Villa are prepared to make an offer for Marseille midfielder Morgan Sanson.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith’s side have enjoyed a superb start to the Premier League campaign, finding themselves eight points off fourth-placed Liverpool but with three games in hand on the reigning champions.

Now, it appears Villa are intent on taking another major step, with Maynard claiming that after following him for several months, the club are “preparing to make an offer” for Sanson in this January transfer window.

Imagine him and Douglas Luiz

With reports in recent days and weeks claiming that Conor Hourihane could be set for a departure this month, it’s no surprise that Smith has set his sights on bringing in another central midfielder.

And in Sanson, they could find someone who could be the perfect partner for Brazilian lynch-pin Douglas Luiz.

The £18m-rated Sanson has been a crucial part of Marseille’s midfield over the past few seasons, and this campaign has been used as both a central midfielder and as a more advanced number ten.

The Frenchman is a creative force from the middle of the park, averaging 1.1 key passes per game and creating five official big chances in just 11 Ligue 1 games. Compare that to Luiz who’s averaged 0.8 key passes and created just one big chance in 14 Premier League matches.

Sanson could slot in alongside Luiz and become the creative heartbeat of Villa, letting the Brazilian do his job of winning the ball back from the opposition and then setting Smith’s side on their way going forward.

It would be a perfect blend of qualities, and ensure Villa have a genuinely class option as Hourihane’s potential replacement.

Meanwhile, Villa may already have the perfect Jack Grealish understudy…

Many Everton fans were left to slam the display of Andre Gomes despite their 2-0 away win over Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

The Goodison Park club earned their first win over their bitter rivals at Anfield in the division for over two decades with a goal from Richarlison and a Gylfi Sigurdsson penalty to inflict Jurgen Klopp’s fourth loss at home in a row.

While there were some very good performances for Carlo Ancelotti’s team, Gomes’ flattered to deceive, picking up a booking fairly late on in the first half and making some needless fouls that could well have accumulated to get himself a second bookable offence and thus a red card.

The central midfield player lost out on around 92% of his duels and also failed to record a single shot, successful dribble, interception, key pass or accurate cross in the game, earning him a very measly 5.7 overall rating on Sofascore as he was substituted off just short of the hour mark.

Everton fan reaction to Gomes display

These Toffees supporters slammed his performance on Twitter, with one Blue even going as far as to call the former FC Barcelona man a ‘liability’:

“Get Gomes out… too timid defensively #LIVEVE”

Credit: @mmcguriman

“Cannot sit back for 90 minutes and hang on. Gomes off, just giving the ball away and offers no protection at all #LIVEVE”

Credit: @taylor_rich1978

“Is Ancelotti not seeing the same game as the rest of us? This ain’t working lad #LIVEVE get some grafters on. Doucoure garbage. Gomes garbage. No tackles going in. Garbage”

Credit: @DjAnt1B

“Glad he’s been subbed, had a poor game all round and was a red card in waiting #Gomes #EFC”

Credit: @Trev_EFC1878

“Gomes off and also sold #efc”

Credit: @MaisOuiMaisOui_

“Gomes becoming a liability out there #EFC”

Credit: @SchneiderErnie

In other news, find out why a Merseyside derby preview left fans fuming here!

Liverpool were reportedly interested in signing Napoli centre-back Nikola Maksimovic this month and the Serbian international could be the man to ease their defensive woes.

It was suggested recently by talkSPORT’s Jim White that Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis claimed that Liverpool were previously interested in the 29-year-old, and expects them to still be interested due to their current injury problems, although he suggests that he has not heard anything of late about their interest.

If the stats are anything to go by, Maksimovic would go some way towards fixing Klopp’s problems in defence this season.

The German manager is set to be without the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez for the majority of the campaign, which has led to a frankly ridiculous number of different centre-back pairings so far this season.

Adding someone such as Maksimovic would add experience and consistency into Liverpool’s backline, with the Serbian having enjoyed a relatively injury-free career thus far. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Joel Matip.

The Reds have scored just six goals from set-pieces so far this season, which has them seventh out of all the Premier League sides, whereas last season they finished joint-top of the rankings with 17, which certainly suggests that they are missing the aerial threat of Van Dijk, with the Dutchman scoring five goals in the top-flight last season.

If Liverpool were to return for the Napoli centre-back this month, he could help replace that aerial threat, as he stands at 6 foot 2 and winning aerial duels looks to be one of his main strengths.

The Serbian has won on average two duels per game in Serie A, and 3.3 duels per game in the Europa League.

Fabinho, meanwhile, has averaged 2.1 won duels in the Premier League and just 0.8 duels in the Champions League, so you could definitely argue that Maksimovic is stronger in the air than the Brazilian.

Therefore, Michael Edwards should return for the 29-year-old this month, as with Transfermarkt valuing him at just £13.5 million, he could be a relatively cheap, short-term solution for Klopp’s side this season.

And, in other news, Bye-bye Matip: Klopp must swoop for £50m titan destined for “an amazing future”…

Leeds United have taken to the Premier League like a duck to water, they belong amongst the big boys and that much was clear from their season-opener at Anfield against Liverpool.

The Whites were perhaps unlucky to come away in a narrow defeat. That display left Jurgen Klopp in awe, he said after the match: “What a game, what an opponent, what a performance from both teams.”

That was the rest of the league’s one warning shot.

And whilst they may only sit in 12th place, they have indeed grasped the top-flight by storm.

After two poor performances against Leicester City and Crystal Palace, Marcelo Bielsa’s men have bounced back with a pair of frightening displays.

United picked up four points from Europe-chasing duo Arsenal and Everton, and despite scoring just one goal, the Yorkshire giants amounted a whopping 48 shots across both fixtures.

The Championship-winners are more than holding their own in the big time, so much so that they have created more ‘big chances’ than Pep Guardiola’s City and the lethal-looking attack at Frank Lampard’s disposal; seen in the following table as per Phil Hay at The Athletic:

Leeds have done this largely without the influence of Pablo Hernandez too, especially over their last three outings as he’s not even been named in their matchday squad.

That means they’ve created those 48 shots at goal without a major creative influence, so perhaps this is a signal of things to come for the 35-year-old Spaniard.

He was first dropped for the Palace game and Bielsa hinted it was down to team selection. He told West Yorkshire Sport post-game: “The decision may seem strange but I choose the 18 players who I feel are most apt for the game.”

It has since been revealed that he’s been absent with a muscle injury, but in all honesty, he may not be needed anymore.

Hernandez, on his day, can produce game-winning class. We saw that frequently during the title run-in – six of his nine goals came in the second half of the season, as did five of nine assists, per Transfermarkt.

Last week, former Leeds defender Pontus Jansson told Sky Sports’ EFL podcast that his old teammate was “something special” as he put him alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the best players he’s played with.

But we’re just not seeing that in the Premier League anymore, Hernandez hasn’t provided any goals or assists, and is averaging a measley 0.3 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

By comparison, Jack Harrison (2.6), Mateusz Klich (1.8), Kalvin Phillips (1.7) and summer signing Rodrigo (1.1) have all been more creative.

Time is running out for the long-serving Garry Monk signing. This could well be the beginning of the end for the Elland Road favourite, maybe they ought to get rid entirely.

AND in other news, Leeds will forever regret not signing “unplayable” £20m dynamo as he continues to soar…

Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Giovani Lo Celso has responded to the scathing criticism thrown at him by his manager Jose Mourinho with an emphatic showing for Argentina on Friday morning.

The 24-year-0ld has been in and out of the Spurs squad for most of the season, starting just one of five Premier League appearances, and it appears that the Portuguese boss is rather unhappy with his fitness.

Following their win over Ludogorets in the Europa League, the Special One slammed the attacking midfielder, speaking to Sky Sports he said:

“[Lo Celso was] Good with the ball and not very good without the ball. His physical condition is not good. He didn’t have a pre-season.

“During the lockdown during the previous season he had problems – he didn’t train in that period when other guys were training so he has been up and down in his preparation.

“I feel that when he plays he’s not the Gio that we know, not the Gio that we know that he can be an amazing player.”

Well, the £31.5m-rated international delivered quite the masterclass in response this week.

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni had to call upon the Spurs star just half an hour into their World Cup qualifier against Paraguay following a pretty serious injury to Exequiel Palacios, and playing as a no.8, he absolutely thrived.

Per SofaScore, Lo Celso recorded five tackles, three key passes (one more than Lionel Messi) and one successful dribble. He also made 88% of his 50 passing attempts, had 64 touches and won ten of 17 duels, so he was heavily involved.

Unfortunately, the South American’s couldn’t make the most of his influence as they drew at La Bombonera, the famous home of Boca Juniors.

Within 15 minutes of coming on, Lo Celso provided Nicolas Gonzalez with an assist for the White and Sky Blues’ only goal of the game.

The former Real Betis maestro has been lauded as “extraordinary” and called a “very, very good” player, so perhaps Mourinho has been a little unfair with his recent comments.

AND in other news, Forget Sanchez: Mourinho must blame “absolute freak” for his biggest Spurs problem yet…

West Ham United reviving efforts to sign AFC Bournemouth’s Joshua King in January could be problematic with the Norway forward already unsettled on the south coast.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Irons chiefs are putting in the groundwork to signing King in the mid-season market when the 28-year-old will have just six months remaining on his £45,000-per-week contract.

Hammers boss David Moyes was disappointed not to have welcomed King to the London Stadium this summer having favoured his potential capture over Said Benrahma, with reports the Cherries ace was his first-choice target.

Moyes is said to have spearheaded West Ham’s efforts to sign King and held multiple personal conversations with the forward, but was unable to strike a deal after seeing bids worth £13million rejected with Bournemouth chasing in excess of £17m amid interest from Aston Villa, Brighton and West Bromwich Albion following their relegation.

West Ham believe they may now be able to welcome King to east London in the winter market having laid the foundations for a deal, with Bournemouth’s asking price expected to be significantly lower – potentially around £10m – due to the limited time left on his current contract.

The Irons also feel King is keen to sign for the club, while the forward himself recently told TV2 that “it hasn’t been the easiest months for me mentally,” after failing to secure a return to the top-flight.

“If it had been up to me, I would have already signed for a club and started the season, played four games and been in top form,” King told the Norwegian television network.

“I think the club would rather me be here, but as I said, I felt like I had done mine and been loyal to the club for many years. We had an agreement between us after what happened in January.”

Bournemouth rejected two approaches from Manchester United in the January market, with the second worth £25m believed to have left King encouraged that a deal would be struck for the attacker to return to his former side. The Red Devils did not return with a third offer, however.

Potentially problematic signing

While King was keen to return to the Premier League and felt he had served his time at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth will have been glad to retain a player who scored 48 goals and recorded 15 assists in 161 top-flight games over the past five seasons, despite only playing a third of his matches as the recognised striker.

His efforts would certainly have been a welcome addition for Moyes at the London Stadium, but reviving hopes of signing the 28-year-old in January could be problematic if the Norway international continues to dwell on failing to seal a transfer this summer.

King’s former teammate Ryan Fraser fell into trap of dwelling on failing to secure a transfer, having remained with Bournemouth in the summer of 2019 amid links to Arsenal. His form ultimately suffered as a result and forced the Scotland international to apologise for not playing for the team.

“I felt bad about it – this last month I’ve been trying to put it right,” he told BBC Radio Solent in January. “I think everyone knows by now what’s happened, to be honest. I’m just trying to play my football. Obviously, it affected me the first four months of the season.

“I wasn’t myself, I didn’t play for the team. I’m honest enough to admit that. I look back at it, I spoke to my family about it and it just looked bad on me. I didn’t help the team. It shouldn’t have taken me that long to realise, but I’m my own worst critic and I apologised to the lads.”

Fraser had only managed to contribute one goal and three assists when he apologised to his Bournemouth colleagues, and ended the season with just one more assist before snubbing a short-term contract extension and joining Newcastle United as a free agent.

The 26-year-old had been one of the Premier League’s top-creators in 2018/19 with only Chelsea’s Eden Hazard (15) recording more assists than his 14, but Fraser clearly struggled to deal with a failed transfer and has played just 92 minutes for the Toon after five matches in the top-flight this term.

AND in other news, a £27m-rated West Ham man must utilise the east London outfit’s transfer failings to his advantage.

Celtic will want to put the past few days behind them as they have suffered two defeats which could impact on their hopes domestically and in Europe.

After a chastening home defeat against Glasgow Rangers left them four points behind their rivals in the Premiership, the Hoops began their Europa League group stage campaign with a 1-3 home loss to AC Milan.

Manager Neil Lennon remains upbeat about the season despite those setbacks as he spoke following the Milan defeat.

What Neil Lennon had to say following the Milan defeat

Speaking via the Daily Record, the Celtic manager said: “We’re making too much of one result and one performance. We will come back stronger than ever and we’re looking forward to the challenge and the challenges that lie ahead. We’re not panicking, we’re staying calm.

“We have a great belief in the players and I have every right to believe in them because of what they have done and what they can do. I am past the stage of my career where criticising players probably works and I don’t think they deserve it.

“I think they should be cut a bit of slack. They will come again and they will be stronger than ever and looking at them they have got the bit between the teeth again.”

Lennon eager to move on from poor results

Despite the bad week, it is fair for the manager to remain upbeat, as Celtic still have a game in hand in the Premiership and five more games in their Europa League group. His mentality also shows that he is the right man to get them out of this rough patch, as he has guided them to four league titles and multiple domestic cups at the helm of the club.

Lennon has only lost 47 of his 308 games in charge, so his record at Parkhead across his two managerial stints commands respect.

The manager has had a lot of success in Glasgow and has the second best win percentage in the Bhoys’ history, just behind Martin O’Neill, so there is no reason for Celtic to panic despite consecutive home defeats.

Celtic fans, have a look at the fan base discussing Lennon after the Old Firm defeat here!

It was an Old Firm derby to remember for all associated with Glasgow Rangers, who won 2-0 to extend their lead at the top of the Premiership, and defender Connor Goldson has been lauded by numerous fans of the club following his performance.

The centre-back and vice-captain helped his team to keep a clean sheet against Celtic and also made a huge impact at the other end of the pitch by scoring both goals, per Sofa Score.

Aside from his match-winning brace, the 27-year-old former Brighton defender also won three aerial duels and one ground duel, per SofaScore, which saw him pick up a 9.2 match rating from the website.

The ‘Gers are now four points clear of Celtic, who have a game in hand, and these members of the Ibrox faithful were naturally ecstatic, hailing Goldson as “outstanding” and “on a different level”.

Here is what Glasgow Rangers fans had to say following Goldson’s performance:

‘Gers fans, what are your thoughts on Goldson’s performance? Comment below with your views!

The chatter over Kai Havertz potentially joining Chelsea this season still has many fans and professionals glued to the story. 

The move looks set to be announced any day now as a recent Sky Sports report claimed that the German wants to joins the Blues as soon as possible.

Havertz recently agreed terms with Marina Granovskaia, which will see him earn £7.3m per year – a weekly wage of £140,000. Only the final details remain to be confirmed as Chelsea look set to splash a further £90m on a new recruit in this window.

German football expert Raphael Honigstein has given his thoughts on Havertz as a player and what could be waiting in his future once he joins Chelsea.

“He’s in a position where he could dominate the German national team over the next decade, depending on his position,” he said on the Transfer Talk podcast (via Sky Sports). “Will he play in the No. 10 role and become the new Mesut Ozil or will he settle a bit deeper and become the new Toni Kroos? He’s got the ability to play almost anywhere in front of the defence.”

Indeed, Havertz boasts an exceptional goalscoring return so far in his career. The 21-year-old tallied 12 league goals and six assists last term, taking his total so far up to 36 goals and 25 assists in 118 Bundesliga appearances (via Transfermarkt).

Should he be announced over the next few days, he will become Lampard’s sixth senior signing of the summer and join fellow German and new addition Timo Werner in hoping to help the Blues challenge for silverware this season. They will undoubtedly want to build on their fourth-placed Premier League finish and push for the title instead – a goal which could seem more attainable if Havertz arrives at Stamford Bridge and fufils Honigstein’s prophecy.

Do you think Kai Havertz will be a game-changer for Chelsea? Have your say in the comments below!

Newcastle United could well be in for a huge windfall if their prospective takeover goes through.

The Saudi Royal Family have been linked with the purchase of the north-east outfit for the last few months, and should the deal go through, it would see the Toon become arguably the richest side on the planet. The transfer rumour mill has been going into overdrive, and the Magpies have been linked with a whole host of world class players – Kylian Mbappe and Kalidou Koulibaly are to name but two.

However, Dan Barlaser does not seem too fazed by the speculation – he appears to be relishing the chance to return to St. James’ Park. He has been playing for Rotherham this term in League One, and has impressed with an average WhoScored rating of 7.24, and he has taken to Instagram to share that this was the best year in his career and that he is leaving the club as a better player.

The Chronicle has picked up on the post and asked their supporters whether they believe Barlaser has a future at the club – the Toon supporters don’t appear to think so.  One even said that there ‘must be no takeover’ if Barlaser is being considered – they are probably right in as much as the midfielder probably wouldn’t get an opportunity if the new owners came in.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!