The Athletic’s Phil Hay has delivered a worrying claim about Leeds United and the San Francisco 49ers.
What’s the story?
As revealed in recent days, the investment arm of the 49ers have the ability to buy the Yorkshire club for more than £400m by January 2024, making a full takeover very much on the cards.
Hay said: “This takeover isn’t going to happen as quickly as next month (unless something changes drastically) so any signings done in January would have to be done/funded within the existing 56-44 share split.
“As for the Championship, that would change the club’s valuation, without a doubt. Leeds wouldn’t be worth £475m at that level. But all bets are off if a club gets relegated from the EPL. The ramifications can be huge.”
Premier League safety is key
As Hay has suggested, relegation to the Championship is almost unthinkable when you consider the kind of consequences that could have not just in terms of being without Premier League football, but also the potential impact it could have on a potential takeover too.
The Whites only have to look to Tyneside and Newcastle and the looming spectre of relegation with which they’ve had to contend over these past couple of years before their takeover eventually went through.
If the 49ers do end up going through with a full takeover, that could spell exciting times at Leeds in terms of potential new signings and the ability to compete with teams far higher up in the table than they are right now.
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Premier League safety will be absolutely paramount, though, and it’s exactly why Hay’s claim that “all bets are off if a club gets relegated from the EPL” might just worry fans, with the Whites still hovering a bit too close to the bottom three.
Meanwhile, Adam Pope has dropped an early morning Leeds United update…
Tottenham Hotspur head into the international break sitting top of the Premier League after three games.
That, of course, means very little at this stage but so far the Nuno Santo era has got off to a very encouraging start.
Although, there should be some caution as Jose Mourinho had the north Londoners in the exact same position back in December. And by mid-April, he was sacked.
There is, however, still a lot to come from this squad.
Harry Kane is yet to properly start his season after his late return to training amid intense transfer speculation, whilst we’ve hardly seen any of the new summer signings in action.
Spurs ended deadline day with a bang by bringing in Emerson Royal from Barcelona and cancelling Serge Aurier’s contract.
But Nuno may have an ace up his sleeve with another one of his additions this transfer window – his likely trump card, Bryan Gil.
The 20-year-old gem signed in a €25m (£21.5m) deal from Sevilla, which also saw Erik Lamela move in the other direction. In signing a six-year contract, it shows that the young Spaniard is seen as one for the future.
But he can make an impact now.
The £27m-rated dynamo started both UEFA Europa Conference qualifying clashes against Pacos de Ferreira, where he provided an assist in the second leg to help steer Spurs into the group stages.
Gil is yet to feature for more than two minutes in the Premier League but that should change after the international break.
Versatility, creativity and energy.
Those are the three key things the Spain U21 international can provide Nuno with in attacking midfield.
“The Spaniard has a lovely style about the way he plays the game, with real confidence in what he does,” claimed football.london’s Alasdair Gold following his debut last month.
Meanwhile, Gil’s style has been likened to one of the Portuguese’s former players, Pedro Neto.
According to Twenty3, the 5 foot 9 dynamo and the Wolves sensation are “almost identical in terms of output last season” – Both are said to be high volume dribblers that are more creative than goalscoring.
Indeed, Gil averaged 1.7 crosses and 1.9 key passes per 90 in La Liga last season, via WhoScored. Only Kane and Heung-min Son were more creative in Spurs’ squad.
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Similarly, the Sevilla youth product has been likened to Jack Grealish by ESPNUK editor David Cartlidge. “Bryan Gil a potential star in the making,” he claimed prior to the move. “Spurs landing a very, very exciting talent if reports hold true. Still raw and with lots to polish but he’s easily top 5 most exciting young talents in Spain.”
“[He’s a] LW with potential to be a AMC in the future, unbelievable amounts of technique, agility and good in 1v1s. A left foot on him you’d kill for as a footballer. Player comp for those who are unaware of him probably Grealish.”
This sort of unpredictability and quality to play anywhere along the front three is exactly what Spurs need to keep their fine form up this season.
Also lauded as a “big talent” by football scout Jacek Kulig, it’s time for Nuno to unleash Gil in the big time.
AND in other news, Paratici masterclass: Spurs eye “extraordinary” £34m-rated gem, he won’t cost a penny…
A source from Newcastle United has dropped some insight on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium after news emerged of Rafael Benitez’s move to Merseyside.
The Lowdown: Benitez wanted
Liam Kennedy, who has been following the whole takeover saga closely, has claimed that Rafa Benitez is wanted by the potential owners-in-waiting to return to the North East should a deal between Mike Ashley and the KSA group be pushed through, as he helped bring them to the table in the first place.
However, the former Liverpool manager is set to be appointed at Everton, meaning that it is now very unlikely he will return to St. James’ Park.
The Latest: Consortium insight
As per Football Insider, the KSA consortium are ‘devastated’ that Benitez is set to be appointed as the new manager at Goodison Park.
A source from the Tyneside club has told the news outlet that his appointment is ‘devastating for the consortium’, after they were previously told that the Spaniard was keen on a return to the Magpies.
The Verdict: ‘Devastating’ indeed
It is certainly ‘devastating’ not just for the consortium, but for the Toon Army as well, that Benitez is set to be appointed as the new Toffees boss.
Many NUFC fans have previously called for him to come back, and so he would have certainly been a popular appointment to take over from Steve Bruce, and would have been a good way for the consortium to immediately get fans on their side.
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Benitez also has a vast amount of experience in managing in the Premier League, and his overall CV is certainly very impressive, a coach who would have been perfect in taking Newcastle into a new era.
In other news, find out which Magpies ace Liam Kennedy thinks time is up for here!
Marcel Brands should plot a move for Everton to sign VfB Stuttgart winger Silas Wamangituka to solve a key issue with Carlo Ancelotti’s side that Friday’s win over Arsenal exposed.
The Toffees were linked with the Bundesliga dynamo by Eurosport last month, who claimed that Wamangituka had caught the attention of a number of Premier League sides with his direct style of play, immense pace and finishing ability.
Wamangituka is Die Roten’s second-best scorer and playmaker with 11 goals and five assists in 25 German top-flight appearances this term, before requiring surgery for a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament rupture sustained against Bayern Munich on March 20.
The DR Congo native was seen to have been one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting talents before his injury, and is in line for a new contract at the Mercedes-Benz Arena that will increase the 21-year-old’s wage from €1m (£17k-p/w) to €1.5m (£25k-p/w) a season.
It remains to be seen what impact his likely lengthy spell on the sidelines has for the potential suitors assessing swoops for the £22.5m-rated forward, who is under contract at Stuttgart on his current terms through to the summer of 2024.
But the issue should not prevent Brands from plotting plans to sign Wamangituka amid Everton’s search for a new, young attacking option, as the 6 ft 2 maestro can solve a key issue in Ancelotti’s system that Friday night’s 1-0 win over Arsenal exposed.
Die Roten’s rumoured plans to present Wamangituka with a £25k-p/w contract would also be no issue for the Toffees’ to better, with Spotrac and Sportekz figures showing only Joao Virginia (£10k), Anthony Gordon (£10k), Jarrad Branthwaite (£15k) and Robin Olsen (£23k) as currently earning less.
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Everton fortuitously beat Arsenal on Friday through an own goal from Bernd Leno, when the German failed to keep out Richarlison’s pass across the six-yard box that posed no serious threat.
Richarlison had been involved in one of the Toffees’ better chances to score earlier in the game, when the Brazilian was freed to run at the Gunners backline by a powerful pass from Allan only for Leno to save the eventual effort.
Everton too often lacked the pace to get in behind the Arsenal defence beyond that and struggled to purposeful impose any pressure at the Emirates, by either getting to the ball too late or moving possession too slowly without a willing runner.
Wamangituka would be expected to offer that presence in Ancelotti’s attack if Brands can seal a deal, for an exciting forward Stuttgart boss Pellegrino Matarazzo claims has “no bounds” to his “huge” potential and teammate Orel Mangala can only praise.
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“He is a calm guy but on the field, he is really wild. He is really good at dribbling and is really fast,” Mangala said, via quotes by Bundesliga.com.
Wamangituka has averaged 1.9 successful dribbles and won 5.5 ground duels per game in the Bundesliga this season, which would see the winger rank first in both accounts at Goodison Park with Richarlison (1.75) and Allan (5.4) Everton’s current respective leaders for their efforts in the Premier League, per SofaScore.
Obviously, Wamangituka’s injury will be a topic of concern for potential suitors, but his immense potential and stunning record in Germany should see that Brands explores a deal to solve a key issue of Ancelotti’s current squad.
AND in other news, Everton have been urged to sign a £30m star who “doesn’t have limits” despite Carlo Ancelotti’s concerns…
Nuno Santo finally appears to have cracked the code. After a minor thought of relegation, Wolves have now tasted defeat just once in their last six Premier League outings.With this season being somewhat of a write-off, though, they can already start preparing for next term.
What’s the word?
Part of the preparation for next season will be considering who they should and shouldn’t sign in the transfer market during the summer.
One name that’s been linked in the last few days is young defender Odilon Kossounou. The Club Brugge centre-back has been attracting the eyes of Wolves but it’s thought that Inter and AC Milan are also chasing his signature.
The youngster is supposedly rated at around £20m so would be fairly costly for a player of his stature in the game. That being said, Jeff Shi isn’t afraid to spend money on potential. After all, Wolves shelled out £35.6m on teenager Fabio Silva last summer.
Upgrade for Wolves
One of the Old Gold’s biggest problems this season has been in defence. As of the beginning of February, they had kept just a solitary clean sheet in the league since October.
However, they have finally begun to find some sort of remedy, keeping three shut outs in their last four outings. That being said, with Nuno tinkering with a three-man and four-man defensive shape, there is still work to be done in improving what has been a shaky backline.
Perhaps the addition of Kossounou in the summer window would help. Standing at 6 foot 2, he’s a sizeable object to get past and consequently, is a defensive brute. For instance, he is one of the best tacklers of the ball in the Jupiler Pro League.
In Belgium’s top tier this season, the 20-year-old has a tackle success rate of 87%. For context, that betters Romain Saiss, who has managed to succeed with only 55% of his tackles in comparison.
Kossounou is also better in the air than Wolves’ Moroccan centre-half, winning 57% of his aerial battles compared to Saiss’ 46%.
Although the Brugge defender is impressive on the ground, he’s also technically adept – just look at the assist he claimed last month against Cercle Brugge.
Clearly, he’s got excellent vision and for a Premier League defender, Kossounou’s link-up passing would rank at an impressive 81 out of 99 according to Smarterscout’s ratings. They have a video-game-like ratings system where they accumulate a host of stats to work out player abilities.
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Possessing a success rate of 85% in terms of his passing, he’s adept at bringing the ball out from the back and with that in mind, he’d certainly suit the style of play Nuno likes to operate with.
With problems at the back one of the brunt of Wolves’ problems this term, signing someone as stern in the challenge as Kossounou would undoubtedly help their cause.
AND in other news, Forget Jose: Wolves should have signed 18-goal Mendes client instead, he’s an “entertainer”…
So, the dust has settled on the tumultuous, glorious 2019/20 season, when even a global pandemic didn’t dampen the spirits of Liverpool fans as they watched their team claim the crown for the first time since 1990. Not content with merely winning the league, the Reds smashed records on their way to the top, including having had the biggest lead in the history of the top-flight, and having the earliest title win ever.
Of course, the one thing tougher than getting back on the perch is staying there. And with trailers like Manchester City and Chelsea reloading their squads during the transfer window, all eyes are on how new blood might rejuvenate Liverpool’s rivals as the struggle for supremacy in the new season begins.
First up, let’s consider the Reds themselves, and how the squad may look in the very near future. There’s been a lot of debate about Roberto Firmino this year, with the Brazilian striker receiving flack for his scoring abilities in 2019/20. Sure, he achieved a haul of nine goals during the Premier League campaign, but only one was at home in Anfield, and he significantly under-performed in the context of his xG, or Expected Goal, numbers. As a result, despite being an integral part of the formidable front three alongside Mané and Salah, and despite being a bona fide Reds superstar, many continue to debate his value to Liverpool.
Of course, his advocates point out that Firmino’s worth can’t be measured in goals alone, and Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has praised him as the “engine room” for both offense and defence. “We just don’t think about it,” Klopp said. “It’s not important who scores. We need Bobby for other things. We need Bobby in exactly the spaces where he was today. We need him as the link-up for all the other things.”
And the nay-sayers have since been silenced by Firmino’s performance in the pre-season friendly against Stuttgart, where he contributed to the 3-0 thrashing and has notched 3 goals in 3 pre-season fixtures. But, despite their continued strong showing in the aftermath of the triumphant season, Liverpool won’t be resting on their laurels. All eyes are on Thiago Alcantara, the Spanish midfielder who played such a key part in Bayern Munich’s victory over PSG in the Champions League final. There has been heated speculation that Alcantara is a shoo-in for a transfer to Liverpool, which would make the Reds even more dangerous when the ball is in the middle of the field. Questions definitely still remain over how Liverpool’s midfield will look when they line up against Leeds on September 12th, as the future of Gini Wijnaldum has also been mired in speculation. Nonetheless, the pursuit of Thiago is proof that Klopp is not being complacent. As Sky Sports journalist Vinny O’Connor has put it, “They have to improve because if you look at the likes of Chelsea at the moment, Man City are going to improve, Man Utd have had a run that has taken them into the Champions League once again.”
Speaking of the other big teams, how are things shaping up for them during the summer transfer window? Manchester City, runners up in 2019/20, are methodically rebuilding in the run-up to the next season, signing Valencia winger Ferran Torres (who is hungry for Man City’s “open, aggressive style”), and Bournemouth defender Nathan Aké. Indeed, shoring up their defence is a key concern for Pep Guardiola, as it seems he still has his sights set on Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly. The Senegalese star is one of the top centre-backs in Europe, and could make a decisive difference to City’s ambitions to topple Liverpool. And how can we ignore the rampant speculation surrounding that little Argentine player at Barcelona who seemed keen for a reunion with Pep. Whilst it won’t be happening this season, who knows if we’ll be seeing Messi line-up in sky blue in a year’s time.
As for the other half of Manchester… Well, Gary Neville has been damningly unequivocal about how the Red Devils absolutely require rebuilding, saying: “I don’t think this Manchester United team at this moment can challenge for the title next season… I think that Ole needs three or four more of those as a minimum before he can even think about getting up into third or second place.”
It’s no secret that United would like Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho to be a part of any potential restructuring, but negotiations have been mired in mud, with the transfer fee among the sticking points. The goal-scoring machine that is Sancho would certainly bring some all-important pep to Man United’s attacking line-up, and fans are impatient for a breakthrough here. Yet it’s also been reported that Manchester United are prepared to pay even more than the Sancho asking price for Barcelona’s teenage sensation Ansu Fati. Whatever happens, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seems determined to do whatever it takes to regain United’s former glory, saying: “We have to be better. We’re too far away from where we need to be and want to be.” Ole will be hoping the introduction of Donny van de Beek into a midfield with Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes is a step in that direction.
Meanwhile Chelsea have been the busiest of the bunch this transfer window, with deals confirmed for Bayern Leverkusen midfielder Kai Havertz, Leicester left back Ben Chilwell, and one-time PSG captain Thiago Silva. But the big, looming question for Frank Lampard is how to replace the Blues’ goalkeeper. Current No.1 Kepa Arrizabalaga has been criticised for his dismal performances last season, with former Premier League player Jamie O’Hara dismissing him as a “complete waste of money”.
Lampard is evidently dissatisfied, and it’s clear Chelsea cannot move forwards with a serious bid to climb up the table without sorting out their goalie conundrum. A name currently in contention is Lille’s Mike Maignan, although all bets are off on how things will pan out between the sticks with what may be Chelsea’s most crucial transfer of the window. All in all, it promises to be an exciting new dawn for the Blues, and with the money spent it’s evident Roman Abramovich has renewed enthusiasm and appetite to take on Manchester City and Liverpool.
On to Leicester City, who were riding high in the top four – with a Champions League spot within touching distance – before being cruelly displaced to fifth place by Manchester United in their last league fixture. What now for the club?
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One key concern is finding a striker to partner with Jamie Vardy, with manager Brendan Rodgers keen to bolster the “attacking element of the team”. A hotly tipped candidate in the frame is Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, who had a working relationship with Rodgers back when the latter was Celtic manager. But the Foxes also need to consider the damage inflicted on their momentum by injuries. Many have noted that, if they want any hope of catching Liverpool, the squad needs to build up depth so they won’t be left flailing when key players are sidelined by busted body parts, which was a major problem for the team last season. Losing Ben Chillwell to what some fans may consider a rival is a blow, but eagerly await the debut of a replacement who impressed with Atalanta this season in Timothy Castagne.
And then there’s Spurs, who finished in sixth place. Despite the lack of fireworks, manager Jose Mourinho has been as cool and unruffled as ever, bluntly refusing to get caught up in transfer mania. “Are we going to buy 10 players? No,” he said. “Are we going to buy players for £100m? No. We are going to improve. We are going to keep the structure of this team because we have absolutely no interest in seeing one of our fundamental players leave.”
That said, some cover for Harry Kane wouldn’t go amiss, and Napoli’s Arkadiusz Milik has been reported to be in “tentative talks” to provide the requisite back-up firepower for the Lilywhites. Meanwhile, midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg made the move over from Southampton in August. Will his arrival, along with that of Burnley’s Joe Hart, actually re-shape Tottenham’s fortunes in the coming season and cause the likes of Man City or Liverpool to sweat? It’s going to be very interesting to find out.
Graham Callaghan joined the View from the Gwladys podcast and discussed Everton’s draw with Manchester United and how Tom Davies’ performance heavily impacted the result.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men tallied a decent result against the Red Devils at Goodison Park last Sunday as the two teams shared the spoils following a 1-1 draw. But it was very much a game of two halves for Callaghan who believes that the Toffees largely depended on Davies’ display. The midfielder was poor in the first half but as soon as his game picked up, so did the whole team.
Here’s what Callaghan said on the View from the Gwladys podcast (4/3/2020): “I thought in the first half Davies was poor. I think that’s why we had a poor first half. I think in the second half, he got a lot tighter to their midfield players. He put himself about a bit more, that’s what you rely on Tom Davies to do. First half he wasn’t at the races, second half he was. And I think that went a long way to improve our performance.”
Davies truly was one of the best players on the pitch. In fact, according to Sofascore, he was the joint-third best performer for the Toffees, only behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Leighton Baines and level with Michael Keane.
He made one key pass, seven accurate long balls and one dribble on the day but picked up a yellow card in the process as well, which definitely did a number on his overall rating.
But as Callaghan remarked, it was his impact as the game went on that ultimately helped Everton keep up with Man United.
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Everton fans, do you agree with Callaghan’s verdict? How would you rate Davies’ performance? Let us know in the comments down below!
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
If any of the St Mary’s faithful out there were expecting masses of cash to be thrown around on the south coast this January, there may be some bad news in store for them.
In a Q&A chat with The Athletic’s Southampton correspondent Carl Anka, one person asked if there was an update on reported centre-back target Aaron Long, or any other news on a centre-back coming to the club during the January window.
Anka’s response left a lot to be desired, although there was one nugget of information that is telling.
What did he say?
The question put to Anka was written as follows: “Any updates or thoughts on Aaron Long or any other CBs coming in during the Jan transfer?”
Anka then responded: “Played a fun game with a Southampton staff member this week where they got me to imagine what positions I’d spend £30m on. Which is pretty much in line with their £15m spending cap. I’ve looked into Long and he seems… fine as a CB. As ever, my focus is on current Saints players right now.”
Suggests Gao Jisheng won’t splash the cash
Anka’s analysis on Long, as aforesaid, left a lot to be desired with the vague description that the USA international is ‘fine’ – however, the spending cap news is interesting.
The Mirror (print version, 12 November, page 53) revealed that Hasenhuttl is targeting a right-back and a ‘top quality’ centre-back in the January window, and while that might still happen, the St Mary’s faithful probably shouldn’t expect any marquee names to come in due to Gao Jisheng’s cap of £15m per player, it seems.
In the modern transfer market, that kind of money doesn’t stretch too far – in fact, that is the maximum amount that the Saints spent on their two main summer arrivals in £15m Che Adams and Moussa Djenepo, who also cost £15m.
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Those who hold Southampton close to them may presumably be hoping for defensive reinforcements, as they have been forced to watch their beloved side conceded 35 goals in 16 Premier League outings this term, more than any other team.
However, they should not get their hopes up too much given this fresh spending cap news.
In other news, this Southampton man responded superbly to Hasenhuttl’s open criticism of his lifestyle…
England’s Euro 2020 qualifying win over Bulgaria was marred by the shocking acts of racism which saw the game halted on two occasions, with the officials nearly abandoning the whole match.
Gareth Southgate’s men made a statement through their football as they eased to a 6-0 victory in Sofia amongst what was a shamefully toxic atmosphere.
Marcus Rashford, Ross Barkley, Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane all contributed to the scoreline as the Three Lions went three points clear in Group A.
The issue of racism was clear to see in the lead up to the game as several sections of the Vasil Levski Stadium had been closed off after incidents back in June, but that wasn’t enough to stop the inexcusable abuse that ensued.
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Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings was one player targeted by the home crowd in what should have been one of the most momentous occasions in his career in earning his first England cap, but instead it will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
The 26-year-old handled himself professionally and gave an impressive interview post-match considering everything he had to deal with throughout the 90 minutes.
Several of the B6 faithful have taken to social media to throw support behind their newly-capped England international.
One supporter said the centre-back did himself, Villa, and the country proud as he was a hero that ‘stood tall’ in the face of racial abuse, while another claimed he had become a ‘national treasure’.
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Others labelled him an ‘inspiration’ and a ‘Rolls-Royce’ of a player with a further fan naming him the best player on the pitch on Monday evening.
Sheyi Ojo was on the scoresheet as Rangers recorded a 2-0 win over Progres Niederkorn in the first leg of their Europa League second-round qualifier on Thursday night.
Midfielder Joe Aribo opened the scoring in the 20th minute before Ojo struck in the 54th minute to ensure that Steven Gerrard’s side would take a two-goal advantage into the second leg of the European tie.
Ojo joined Rangers on a season-long loan last month, with the 22-year-old being deemed surplus to requirements at Liverpool for the 2019-20 campaign.
Liverpool’s loss is very much Rangers’ gain, though, with the Scottish giants seeing the best of the England Under-21 international on Thursday night.
Ojo took to social media in the aftermath of the victory.
And it will not come as a surprise to learn that the Rangers supporters were out in their numbers to lavish praise on the winger.
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A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below: