All posts by h716a5.icu

Everton have been no stranger to costly transfer errors over the years, with one of the more notable blunders having been the signing of former Real Madrid playmaker, James Rodriguez, with the Colombian spending just a solitary season at Goodison Park.

A World Cup Golden Boot winner in 2014, the dynamic midfielder arrived on Merseyside to much fanfare, with manager Carlo Ancelotti having looked to have pulled off something of a coup in bringing in a player whom he’d previously managed at the Bernabeu and at Bayern Munich.

With the 88-cap magician approaching the end of his contract in the Spanish capital, the Toffees were able to secure what at the time had appeared a relative bargain fee of around £12m, with the player signing on a two-year contract.

Amid all the fanfare, however, there were those who had seemingly foreseen what was to come with regards to the one-time Porto man’s time in English football, with pundit Ally McCoist one of those who voiced his doubts over the move.

Speaking to talkSPORT (01/09/20, 7:50) at the time ahead of the confirmation of the deal, the former Rangers hero noted that while the move would be something of a “statement signing” as far as the club were concerned, it may not pay off quite as intended, as he fired over a strong warning:

“The one thing you want when you sign a player is if the guy is [eager] to turn up for work. By that I mean, fit to play, available for selection and do they play? That would be a concern of mine.

“Look, he’s extremely talented. There’s no getting away from it. I’m not sure he is a Real Madrid standard player. I know he had an absolutely fantastic World Cup [in 2014]. But it would concern me.

“If he turns up for his work, he would be a great signing. If he’s fit and you get him playing, I think it would give Everton a real, real boost. It is a statement, a real statement to make – Only time will tell on a signing like that.”

Ancelotti and co were ultimately left wishing they had headed that warning, with McCoist having almost perfectly epitomised just how it would pan out for Rodriguez at the club, with the player offering notable moments of quality, although was too often restricted to the treatment table.

Initially, the former Monaco man had made a sparkling start to life in his new surroundings as he provided six goal contributions in just his first five league games, notably getting off the mark with a stunning strike in the 5-2 win over West Bromwich Albion.

After that blistering opening, the 5 foot 11 man’s form would quickly tumble as he was repeatedly struck down by injury, while his willingness to put in the hard yards defensively was also repeatedly questioned, with pundit Gabby Agbonlahor notably stating at one stage: “he throws his arms in the air if someone doesn’t pass to him and his work rate is non-existent.”

Fellow pundit Darren Bent also likened Rodriguez to former Arsenal man Mesut Ozil for being “not very effective” with regards to putting in a shift, with the fleet-footed “maverick” – as also dubbed by Bent – almost proving something of a passenger when his side didn’t have possession.

That approach was unsurprisingly at odds with Ancelotti’s replacement Rafa Benitez who swiftly ditched the Colombia international in the summer of 2021, with the club likely to have been thankful to get his reported £200k-per-week salary off the wage bill.

Looking into his crystal ball, McCoist had almost foreshadowed what was to come, with the now 31-year-old mercurial talent impressing somewhat in an attacking sense – with 15 goal involvements in 27 appearances – although largely struggled for a consistent run in the side, having never truly got up to speed.

Leeds United once again failed to turn in a swashbuckling performance such as those witnessed earlier this season against Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, with Jesse Marsch’s side ultimately having to settle for a point in a largely drab goalless draw at Elland Road.

Indeed, with the Whites currently on a four-game winless run – including a 1-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, a 1-1 draw with Everton, a 5-2 defeat at Brentford and Sunday’s stalemate with Villa – August’s high-octane 3-0 win over Chelsea now feels as if it were a lifetime ago.

However, with Leeds’ U21 side securing their sixth win from seven games in 2022/23 on Tuesday evening – a particularly enthralling 5-3 Papa John’s Trophy victory over Tranmere Rovers – perhaps it may be wise for Marsch to take a closer look at some of his up and coming starlets in a bid to inject some fresh impetus to his senior side.

Although, with Joe Gelhardt – the 20-year-old who the American left out of his 20-man squad to face Villa last weekend – being the two-goal hero for Michael Skubala’s side in midweek, the 48-year-old could well be left somewhat red-faced by crawling back to the youngster he spurned just a matter of days ago.

Indeed, if the £8.7m-rated talent hoped to send his manager a message at Prenton Park, he certainly did so, scoring two exceptionally well-taken goals, making two key passes, taking four shots at the Tranmere goal and drawing four fouls – with these returns seeing the England U21 earn a match-best SofaScore rating of 8.4.

The Yorkshire Evening Post journalist, Joe Donnohue, also awarded the striker a match-topping nine in his own player ratings, as well as stating of Gelhardt’s display: “Two very well-taken goals – power and placement. Worked hard off the ball from start to finish. Like [Wilfried] Gnonto, uses his body so well to his advantage.”

As such, with a testing trip to Crystal Palace up next for the Whites, it would appear an extremely wise move for Marsch to reverse his Villa decision on the £16.5k-per-week Gelhardt, as the player who Leeds Live’s Beren Cross claimed is “going to change games” could very much prove to do exactly this at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a setback regarding the fitness of Dejan Kulusevski.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via BBC Sport), Antonio Conte revealed that, despite being pictured in training with the first-team squad on Tuesday, the winger will not be a part of the squad to face Eintracht Frankfurt tonight, as the club’s doctors informed him there would be a 5% risk of the Swede picking up a further injury if he were to feature in the Champions League clash.

Regarding the condition of the 22-year-old, Conte said: “He’s almost ready. He had an MRI scan and that was positive. I spoke to the doctors and they said we could have a 5% of risk if he played.

“It would be stupid to take the risk and lose him for the rest of the games and I don’t want to take any risk as he’s an important player.”

Blow for Conte

Considering just how influential a part of the Tottenham front three Kulusevski has proven himself to be following his arrival in north London back in January, the news that the winger will not take part in tonight’s crucial Champions League meeting will undoubtedly come as a big blow to Conte’s chances of picking up three points from the clash.

Indeed, over his 18 Premier League appearances last season, the £70.5m-rated talent made an immediate impact at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, scoring five goals, registering eight assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.4 shots, making 1.4 key passes and completing 1.4 dribbles per game.

These returns not only saw the Swede rank as Spurs’ third top-goalscorer, second-best assist provider and joint fourth-most frequent big chance creator, but his average SofaScore match rating of 7.21 also saw him rank him as Conte’s fourth-best player overall in the top flight of English football last time out.

Kulusevski has continued this fine form over his seven Premier League fixtures so far in the current campaign, having already bagged one goal, provided three assists and created two big chances for his teammates, with these returns seeing the £110k-per-week forward average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.91 – ranking him as Spurs’ 10th-best performer in the league.

As such, it is clear to see just how “important” – in the words of Conte himself – a player the 22-year-old is in the Tottenham front three, leading us to believe that Kulusevski’s continued absence will most certainly come as a huge blow to Spurs chances of picking up all three points against Eintracht this evening.

Everton podcaster and Scout/Analyst Ryan Williams has been left wowed by the expected signing of Cork City goalkeeper David Harrington.

The Lowdown: Injury setback

As per The Irish Independent, Harrington is ‘expected’ to move to Goodison Park in the January transfer window as a transfer has been agreed in principle, although it has been ‘held up’ by his need for surgery on his shoulder.

Wales are currently tracking the Irishman, who qualifies for them through his father, with the Republic of Ireland already having the likes of Gavin Bazunu, Caoimhin Kelleher and Mark Travers to call upon.

The Latest: ‘Remarkable’ numbers

Taking to Twitter, Williams has been left wowed by some ‘remarkable’ numbers on Harrington, via Wyscout, sharing his incredible prevented goals and saves percentage:

“It’s not a high level of football, but Harrington’s numbers are remarkable. Using Wyscout, of almost 1,200 GKs with > 1,500 minutes in senior leagues under 26 in the past calendar year, only 2 have combined more prevented goals in total + p90 as well as a higher save %.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-8/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Smart signing

With three of their four senior goalkeepers aged 35 and over, signing the 22-year-old Harrington would be a smart piece of business from the Merseyside club.

The Irishman seems a capable understudy to Jordan Pickford, having kept 14 clean sheets and conceded just 19 goals in 29 games in the Irish top flight so far in 2022 (Transfermarkt).

As highlighted by Williams, his stats are very impressive as well despite playing in an inferior league, and if the Toffees are willing to let go of two of Asmir Begovic, Andy Lonergan and Eldin Jakupovic next summer, then Harrington should prove to be a valuable squad member.

It has been a hectic week at Aston Villa after the midweek sacking of Steven Gerrard following a heavy defeat at Fulham but the Villans must re-focus their attention for an important game against Brentford on Sunday.

Gerrard was relieved of his duties after seeing his side fall 3-0 at Craven Cottage on Thursday, a loss that left Villa hovering just above the relegation zone in the Premier League.

There is no time for the players to dwell on the Liverpool legend’s departure, however, as they need three points against the Bees on Sunday if they want to distance themselves from the bottom three.

Aaron Danks is the man in charge of the Midlands club this weekend and he will be hugely relieved about the news that emerged not long after the defeat at Fulham.

Douglas Luiz was sent off in London for a perceived headbutt on Aleksandar Mitrovic, with VAR encouraging the referee to produce a red card.

However, in a baffling turn of events, the Premier League have now reversed their decision and rescinded Luiz’s red card, meaning that he is available for selection at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon.

The former Manchester City dynamo has been a mainstay at Villa since joining the club in 2019, making 122 appearances, in which he has contributed seven goals and eight assists.

The 24-year-old machine also recently committed his future to the club and looks set to be an important player for Villa for the significant future, no matter who arrives as the new manager.

Back in 2021, Luiz’s impressive form caught the eye of his former manager Pep Guardiola, with the Citizens boss full of praise for the young midfielder.

He said:

“He’s an important player for Aston Villa. A guy who’s clever with the ball, so physically strong. He’s a lovely, lovely guy.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“659225”]

In the absence of Boubacar Kamara, who remains injured for the foreseeable future, it was vital that Villa have a defensive midfielder available for Brentford, so Danks will be delighted that Luiz’s red card was overturned.

Football Insider pundit Tam McManus believes Leeds United could sack Jesse Marsch, should they fall to another Premier League defeat this weekend.

The Lowdown: Board backing Marsch

Leeds are currently in the bottom three and are eight games without a win after their 3-2 defeat to Fulham on Sunday.

Despite that, the Whites board are still backing Marsch to turn things around at Elland Road, with the American set to be in the dugout once again this weekend.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are Leeds’ next opponents, and McManus believes that the trip to Anfield could be Marsch’s final game in charge.

The Latest: McManus’ comments

Talking to FI, McManus feels a defeat to Liverpool ‘might do it’ when it comes to Marsch’s future, believing that Leeds’ owners may start to panic.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-9/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

“I think for any manager on the run Leeds are on, as soon as you drop into the relegation zone, I think the owners start panicking.

“I mean, look at the finances – relegation from the Premier League is not an option when you look at how much money is at stake.

“I think he is under serious pressure. They started the season well, but you look at their next games and they have Liverpool away next Saturday.

“If he doesn’t get sacked before then, which is likely, then a loss to Liverpool might do it. He’s on borrowed time, basically. A lot of supporters are still upset about how Bielsa left, he was a real cult hero to those fans.

“They went on a terrible run and dropped into that bottom three, then they pressed the panic button. I think they might do that again.”

The Verdict: Why not now?

Marsch has failed to pick up a win in eight relatively favourable fixtures, so why not make the change this week? The head coach looked like a defeated man against Fulham on Sunday, and the Whites won’t be expected to take anything at Anfield this weekend.

It will be interesting to see Leeds’ stance should Marsch fall to another defeat on Saturday, and they may look back on the situation and wish they acted sooner when it comes to a managerial change.

Decision effectively rules him out of T20 World Cup 2022, but he’ll reconsider if team’s circumstances become difficult

Mohammad Isam27-Jan-2022Tamim Iqbal has made himself unavailable from T20Is for the next six months, effectively staying out of contention for the T20 World Cup later this year. Tamim, however, said that he could reconsider this decision if the BCB asks him again before the World Cup, although he doesn’t believe it will be required.The announcement follows recent discussions between Tamim and top BCB officials including president Nazmul Hassan, who tried to dissuade him from taking the decision. Tamim had been mostly away from Bangladesh’s T20I side for the past 12 months.In a press conference in Chattogram on Thursday, Tamim insisted that it was a cricketing decision, and that his focus is on Tests and ODIs this year, but he will only reconsider T20Is if circumstances get difficult for the team.”There have been discussions about my T20I future,” Tamim said. “In the last few days, I have been doing meetings with the BCB president (Nazmul Hassan) and Jalal (Yunus) and Kazi Inam (Ahmed). They wanted me to continue T20Is till the World Cup (this year). I had a different sort of thinking. I will not be considering T20Is for the next six months. My full focus will be on Tests and ODIs. We are preparing for the World Test Championship and qualification for the 2023 World Cup. I will not be thinking about T20Is in the next six months. I hope that those playing will do so well, that the team won’t need me in T20Is. But if God forbid the team or cricket board needs me, and I am ready, I will possibly think about it.”Related

Tamim Iqbal announces retirement from T20Is

BPL draft: Dhaka sign Mashrafe, Tamim and Mahmudullah

Tamim drops out, says other players deserve a chance

Ahead of last year’s T20 World Cup, Tamim voluntarily pulled out of the tournament in order to give the other openers like Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Naim opportunities. Tamim said at the time that since he missed the lead-up to the T20 World Cup, it was only fair for him to skip the tournament.His last T20I was against Zimbabwe in 2020, after which he missed the rest of the three-match series due to a knee injury.Tamim is Bangladesh’s third highest run-getter in T20Is. He has played 74 T20Is for Bangladesh and four for World XI teams – three in Pakistan in 2017 and one against West Indies at Lord’s in 2018. He has 1701 runs for Bangladesh, at an average of 24.65 and a strike-rate of 117.47, while his overall T20I record is 1758 runs at 24.08 and a strike-rate of 116.96. He is Bangladesh’s only centurion in the format.Till the end of 2018, Tamim was one of the most regular members of the T20I side, having played 75 out of 84 T20Is (89.3%) that Bangladesh played. But in the last three years, he has only played three out of 38 matches.Tamim will continue to play in domestic T20 leagues, having already made two half-centuries for Minister Group Dhaka in the ongoing BPL.Tamim insisted that the new players who will be tried in his place should be given a long rope. He drew an example from his, and other senior Bangladesh cricketers’ early days, to compare the situation for the likes of Naim, Sarkar and Saif Hassan.”We handed chances to a number of youngsters in the last (T20I) series. We cannot lose hope in them quickly. We have to give them time. I think six months is a good enough time. I am pretty confident that I won’t be needed in T20Is. Even then, if the team management or cricket board feels otherwise, I will be open for discussion.”The team has to go forward. You know my stand ahead of the last T20 World Cup (of giving the young openers more opportunities), so it won’t be wise to judge anyone after one or two series. Many of us seniors went through three or four bad series, and then bounced back with maybe three good series on the trot. Considering those who will play in my place, I am sure they will find their feet and do well,” he said.

Newcastle United haven’t had players who have made it into the England squad since Andros Townsend in 2016 but since the arrival of Nick Pope and Kieran Trippier, the St James’ Park curse on English players has been lifted.

Both Trippier and Pope are set to be almost certain contenders to make it into Gareth Southgate’s final draft of his squad before heading to Qatar in a few weeks for the World Cup, however, thanks to the phenomenal form and performances under Eddie Howe over the last 12 months there could be some more Magpies that will get the golden opportunity to feature.

Callum Wilson is the third most in-form English striker right now and there has been plenty of conversation surrounding his inclusion in the England manager’s squad later this month, but he isn’t the only wildcard Southgate could play when the squad files onto the plane.

On Wednesday night, England regular Ben Chilwell sustained a hamstring injury in the final minutes of Chelsea’s clash with Dinamo Zagreb and reports are suggesting that the talented left-back could now miss out on his chance to join the team for the prestigious international competition.

As a result, it has opened up the topic of who could replace him in the team and there is an argument to suggest that Newcastle’s Dan Burn could be a latecomer to get a shot at replacing the Stamford Bridge star.

The 6 foot 5 ace – who was dubbed an “underrated” asset by talkSPORT’s Tony Cascerino – signed for the northeast club in January for £13m and played a key role in the centre-back position to help Newcastle climb to safety in the Premier League.

Since then, Burn has been worth his weight in gold to the Magpies and has been occupying the left-back role in the team, keeping his position’s more experienced player Matt Targett out of the team due to his outstanding performances on the left flank.

Over 13 appearances, the 30-year-old has a pass completion rate of 88% in his own half and has won the majority of his duels (57%), as well as averaging 2.9 clearances, 1.3 tackles and one interception per game, proving that he is reliable and solid in his position.

Southgate was in attendance at St James’ Park to witness Newcastle’s 4-0 thrashing over Aston Villa last weekend, and it will be difficult for the England manager to ignore how consistent and influential in the backline Burn has been.

The Newcastle defender could be at a great advantage in earning a chance with his country as the 52-year-old manager is renowned for playing defensively and deploying full-backs who remain disciplined in their defensive roles in a more careful approach to games.

Burn also offers Southgate versatility in terms of his experience and attributes in the centre-back role too, giving England a player who can cover more than one position with ease.

With that being said, it would be a huge opportunity for Burn if he was called upon to represent his country at the World Cup and Southgate should not ignore the qualities and impeccable form that the defender could offer England over the tournament.

A claim has emerged on Aston Villa and their potential pursuit of Villarreal central defender Pau Torres at the start of 2023…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Unai Emery will want to bring the defender in if he believes that the Spaniard is good enough for the Premier League.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “If he (Torres) is truly up to it, then Emery will know that and he’ll go and sign him. I think it’s as simple as that.

“There’s no-one else currently managing in the Premier League who will have as much confidence as Emery in him if that’s going to happen. It’ll be very interesting to see if it does.”

It has been reported that the club want to sign the central defender during the upcoming January transfer window, who is valued at around £40m by his club.

Big Tyrone Mings upgrade

Emery can land a big upgrade on former Villa skipper Tyrone Mings by securing a deal to sign Torres from Villarreal in the next window.

The England international has started 12 matches in the Premier League and averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.82 this season, whilst completing 83% of his attempted passes.

This comes after he averaged a score of 6.92 and completed 80% of his passes in 36 appearances in the top flight in the 2021/22 campaign.

Torres could be an improvement on the former Bournemouth man as he is a left-footed central defender who could slot in on the left side of Emery’s defence in the second half of the season.

The gem, who was once hailed as an “extraordinary talent” by his former coach Javi Calleja, has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.98 in 12 La Liga outings this term, completing 87% of his attempted passes.

He enjoyed a fantastic 2021/22 as he averaged a score of 7.09 and completed 86% of his passes, whilst scoring five goals and winning 72% of his ground duels – compared to Mings’ 59% and 52% last season and this term respectively.

These statistics suggest that Torres has the quality to perform to a higher level than the Villa central defender on a consistent basis, whilst he also has the ability to be a better option in possession.

Over the last 365 days, the Villarreal centre-back has completed 3.47 progressive passes per 90 and Mings has produced 1.84. This means that the Spaniard averages almost twice as many forward-thinking passes, which could improve how Emery’s side progress the ball up the pitch from the back.

Therefore, Torres could be a big upgrade on the Englishman both in terms of his defensive strength on the deck, his consistency in his performance, and his ability on the ball.

Everton are interested in making a move for exciting Sporting Lisbon youngster Fatawu Issahaku, according to a new transfer rumour from Portugal.

The Lowdown: Issahaku a top prospect

The 18-year-old has emerged as a talented prospect at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, making three Primeira Liga appearances this season, along with playing twice in the Champions League.

Everton’s Merseyside rivals Liverpool have also been linked with a move for Issahaku in the recent past as interest emerges from across Europe.

It now looks as though the Toffees could be in the mix to snap up the teenager, who already has 13 caps to his name for Ghana and could be named in their World Cup squad.

The Latest: Everton keen on Issahaku

According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo [via Sport Witness], Everton had a representative present to Issahaku in action for Sporting against Tottenham in the Champions League a fortnight ago.

The Toffees are eyeing up the winger as ‘part of the process of detecting business opportunities’ and they have ‘joined the list’ of British clubs’ watching him. Manchester United and Liverpool are both mentioned as well.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-8/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: One for the future

Issahaku may not be viewed as an immediate starter by Frank Lampard if Everton sign him, but he is a huge talent with a potentially big future ahead of him.

To already be so established at international level as an 18-year-old is a testament to his quality, and he has been hailed as a ‘great talent’ by Sporting manager Ruben Amorim.

Issahaku’s current Sporting deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2026, though, so Everton may not be able to get him on the cheap, while beating higher-placed Premier League clubs to his signature could also be tough for the Toffees.