All posts by z3u9t.icu

Crystal Palace must swoop for Ainsley Maitland-Niles this summer after being linked with a move for the Arsenal midfielder.

What’s the story?

According to Chris Wheatley, the Arsenal reporter for Football.London, the 23-year-old’s situation is being closely monitored by Palace, who have made an inquiry regarding the England international.

Maitland-Niles enjoyed a six-month loan spell with West Bromwich Albion at the backend of last season, but he doesn’t appear to be part of Mikel Arteta’s long-term plans at the Emirates Stadium.

Parish must swoop

After making his Gunners’ debut back in 2016, Maitland-Niles has gone on to make 121 appearances for his boyhood club in all competitions.

However, the versatile youngster has failed to hold down a regular place in the starting XI, often finding himself playing in a variety of positions depending on injuries and suspensions.

After an impressive run of form at the end of the 2019/20 campaign, Maitland-Niles earned himself a call-up into Gareth Southgate’s England squad, impressing former Nottingham Forest full-back Stuart Pearce as he played for his country.

“I think he’s been outstanding. I was surprised he didn’t get the nod to start before Saka last Thursday (against Wales). That was strange, for me. Saka hasn’t done anything wrong, but I’m a big fan of Maitland-Niles,” said Pearce.

“I saw him last season against Wolves, and he was up against the big lad Adama Traore. He was brilliant and coped really well up against him. For me, he’ll be integral to any success Arsenal have this season.”

Nevertheless, despite Pearce’s opinion, he found himself back on the Arsenal bench soon after and headed out to West Brom in search of regular game time just a few months later.

In 15 league outings for the Baggies, Maitland-Niles failed to register a single goal or assist as the Midlands outfit suffered relegation, although his overall performances showed promise.

Upon his arrival at the Hawthorns, he declared his desired to play in midfield and stake a claim for a place in England’s Euro 2020 squad.

That dream sadly failed to come true, but with experienced campaigners James McCarthy and James McArthur entering the final few weeks of their current contracts, a place in the Palace engine room may just be up for grabs.

Maitland-Niles could solve the south London outfit’s midfield conundrum for many years to come, and chairman Steve Parish would be foolish to pass up an opportunity to purchase the £14.4 million rated prodigy.

And, in other news…Huge update emerges in Palace’s managerial pursuit, fans will be absolutely gutted 

According to The Sun, Glasgow Rangers are interested in signing Reading’s Josh Laurent this summer.

The Lowdown: Rangers planning ahead

With this season now wrapped up, the Gers can fully concentrate on 2021/22 and beyond. Ross Wilson has already been busy, bringing in Fashion Sakala on a free transfer from Oostende (rangers.co.uk).

There are likely to be a few more new arrivals over the coming months, though, as the Ibrox outfit prepare for a Champions League campaign in the late summer.

The Latest: Gers eye Laurent

One name who has popped up on the Gers’ radar is Reading midfielder Laurent.

He only signed for the Royals last summer, but the deal was just two years in length, meaning he would be out contract next year. According to this report, Brighton are also in pursuit, with a potential bargain fee of £8m mooted.

The Verdict: Top target

While Laurent may be a relatively unknown name outside the English Championship, he has enjoyed a fantastic season at the Madejski Stadium.

The 26-year-old was almost an ever-present in Reading’s midfield, playing 45 out of a possible 46 games in the Championship (Transfermarkt) as his side narrowly missed out on the play-offs. His performances even earned him the club’s Player of the Season award, while Reading manager Veljko Paunovic described him as “fantastic” (readingfc.co.uk).

A fee of £8m would be a considerable one for the Gers to pay, but a new central midfielder should be high up on the list of priorities. Steven Davis recently signed a new one-year contract (BBC) but, at the age of 36, he is unlikely to be able to play every week, while Ryan Jack remains injury-prone.

Therefore, Laurent – who has 14 career goals to his name – could be an astute signing for the 55-time Scottish champions if they beat Brighton to the chase for him. Indeed, £8m may even seem like something of a bargain if he were to replicate his Reading form at Ibrox.

In other news, many Rangers fans slammed this journalist’s comments.

Aston Villa could land a dream upgrade on Anwar El Ghazi in Flamengo star Giorgian De Arrascaeta.

What’s the story?

With the Premier League season now over, Dean Smith’s side can now concentrate on the upcoming summer transfer window and how best to strengthen the squad ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

According to Uruguayan outlet Traspasos (via Sport Witness), Villa have made an enquiry about signing De Arrascaeta this summer, although it was revealed that so far there has only been initial contact and nothing more.

Better than El Ghazi

With 74 goals in his career thus far, De Arrascaeta has offered a consistent goal threat despite playing as a left-sided winger, although he can also play off the striker.

The 26-year-old has been in fine form for Flamengo since joining the club, with a user on Twitter putting a spotlight on the enormous success he has enjoyed out in Brazil by revealing: “Giorgian De Arrascaeta has won the Campeonato Carioca for the third season in a row, as Flamengo beat Fluminense in the state championship final last night. The Uruguay international has now won 9 trophies in 29 months at the club. That’s basically a trophy every 97 days.”

Writing for World Football Index, Tom Robinson described the 26-year-old as someone “blessed with excellent technique and vision”, and at Flamengo he has “quickly became a fan favourite with his mix of skill, invention and goal threat from midfield”.

In the Copa Libertadores, the South American version of the Champions League, the Uruguayan has been in scintillating form, scoring two goals and providing four assists, one of which came last Thursday.

If you compare his performances in that competition compared to what El Ghazi has produced in the Premier League, then it really is night and day.

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As per Sofascore, the Uruguayan doubles the amount of key passes, has far more touches of the ball, makes more crosses, and is also more of a defensive presence too, winning more interceptions, tackles and duels per game in comparison to the Aston Villa man.

De Arrascaeta is proving that he is a player for the big occasion by shining in the Copa Libertadores, and his goal threat, creativity and hard work off the ball makes him a perfect upgrade on El Ghazi.

Meanwhile, this Villa academy star was outstanding against Liverpool in the FA Youth Cup…

Pedro Neto’s injury at Wolves may well prove crucial for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, it has put a significant dampener on a campaign where injuries have been rife all season long for the Old Gold.

Secondly, it could rule him out of the start of next term and finally, it may stop him from moving elsewhere during the summer.

As Neto was taken from the field after just half an hour of their clash with Fulham, the club’s worst fears were confirmed soon after. The 21-year-old had broken his knee cap and was now set to miss the next six months of action.

It’s a huge blow but it would be even more devastating if they lost him permanently. Before the Portuguese suffered that injury, he’d been linked with a mega £50m move to Manchester United.

However, if and when he moves will now be dependant on the timescale of his injury. If Neto returns quicker than usual then we could well see him at Old Trafford next season.

Should that happen, Wolves will need to find a replacement.

Nuno Santo and co could do much worse than target Peterborough’s Siriki Dembele, somebody touted with a switch earlier this season. The attacker is out of contract in a few months time and as a result, won’t cost Wolves a single penny if they try to sign him.

We’ve already compared Dembele to former Wolves man Bakary Sako because of his exploits in League One but you sense the former’s potential and ceiling are far greater.

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Capable of playing through the middle or on the flanks, he’d make a wonderful replacement for Neto. He is bright, energetic and can score and create in equal measure.

This season Dembele has scored 12 goals and registered a further dozen assists. It has been an outstanding campaign for the 24-year-old who has fired his team back to the Championship.

He is an artist on the ball and in much the same way Neto does, the Peterborough forward beats players for fun.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast a few weeks ago, Posh director of football Barry Fry told readers to “watch this space” in a relation to a bid and ongoing contract negotiations.

That was after handing the player a phenomenal review; “Siriki can get the ball in his own half and with dazzling dribbling ability, he can beat four or five players and score a wonder goal or cross it for somebody else to score,” he began.

Fry added: “He’s very, very exciting. He’s got the best stats outside the [English] Premier League, I think.”

Looking towards a player who has been plying their trade in League One this season might not be the smartest of ideas on paper but if one thing is clear, it’s that Dembele is a weapon.

Signing him on a free transfer is low risk and would be particularly shrewd for a player of his qualities.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Neto: Wolves can forge perfect duo by signing “phenomenal” 30-goal bully…

Newcastle have suffered a blow before their Premier League clash against Leicester City, with Steve Bruce revealing that 18-year-old Elliot Anderson is set to miss out.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against the Foxes, the Newcastle manager said: “He picked up a knock in the last game he played and it’s set him back a little bit. We’re not sure how bad it is but it’s a hip problem. He’s going to be struggling for the next couple of weeks.

“We’re delighted with his progress – he’s only 18 – and he’s got a big future, we hope, as long as he keeps his head down and keeps working well. But, as I said, he’ll be struggling a bit for the next couple of weeks I would have thought.”

The news came just after Bruce had admitted that Anderson had a good chance of featuring for the first team in the Premier League before the end of the season, saying: “There’s a chance. We understand that he’s making big strides. And he’s only 18, the boy, but he’s in and around us. Yeah, he might get a chance before the end of the season. I’ll look at it, and what we’ve got. We’ve got our big players fit at the top of the pitch, of course, in Allan, Callum and Joelinton. He’s got fierce competition.”

Anderson has played just three minutes of top-flight football all season, coming on in the closing stages of the 3-0 defeat to Arsenal back in mid-January. The lack of game-time for the talented teenager has led to plenty of Newcastle fans on different occasions calling for Bruce to bring him into the first team fold, but that has fallen on deaf ears.

Just recently, Magpies supporters voiced their anger at seeing him fail to even make the matchday squad against West Brom, while after he made his debut for England’s under-19s, they urged Bruce to unleash him in the Premier League.

Anderson has already earned rave reviews for his ability and potential, with his former youth coach John Forrest telling The Athletic: “He knew how to dominate a game, which is a natural skill that’s hard to coach. He really was an outstanding footballer. He stood out, even then.”

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In fact, several of his former Magpies academy team-mates said he was the “most talented player” in the team, and that he was also “supremely driven”.

News of him now missing out on a chance to make a rare appearance in the Premier League will no doubt leave many Newcastle fans gutted – and especially the player himself, having been deprived of what seemed a likely chance to feature in the top flight.

Meanwhile, Newcastle boss Steve Bruce must drop this “liability” tonight…

Frank McAvennie has exclusively told Football FanCast that he’s “gutted” that Scott Brown isn’t going to receive a proper send off from the Celtic faithful.

Brown, one of the most successful players in the history of Scottish football, recently confirmed that he’ll be ending his stay in Paradise following more than 14 years of service after deciding against penning a new one-year deal.

The Celtic captain has opted to move north of Glasgow and join Aberdeen as a player-coach at the end of the campaign.

Brown, a no-nonsense midfielder, won 22 trophies at Celtic Park, including 10 Scottish Premiership titles following more than 600 games in the famous green and white, leaving him seventh on their all-time record appearance list.

But with fans not allowed in grounds until next season, Brown won’t get the chance to say goodbye to the Celtic faithful, meaning the next time he plays in front of a packed Celtic Park could be in the red of Aberdeen.

McAvennie told Football FanCast that he would have loved Brown to stay for another season:

“I’m disappointed. He’s the last of a dying breed, he doesn’t mind shouting at people and loves a tackle.

“I’m gutted, because the fans aren’t getting a chance to say goodbye to him. And it’ll be fun because he’ll come back to Celtic Park, the fans will go mad, Scott Brown they’ll all be singing, and he’ll go through someone in midfield and the mood will change, but that’s Scott.

“I would have loved him to stay.”

Everton dropped more points in the race for Europe away to Brighton on Monday night.

The Toffees, who were without 10 players through injury, played out a goalless draw with their relegation-threatened opponents.

Having failed to win for the fourth league game in succession, they have slipped seven points off the top four. They retain a game in hand, but their form is a real concern.

Why is the mood flat at Everton?

Everton may end up looking back on their season as one of missed opportunities, with this latest setback a continuation of their struggles against lower-placed opposition.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side have been beaten by Burnley (16th), Newcastle (17th) and Fulham (18th) in 2020/21 and this week picked up only two points from their meetings with the 15th-placed Seagulls and 13th-placed Crystal Palace.

Lucas Digne was the only Everton player to send out a post-match tweet in the 12 hours following the final whistle. “Still believe in our chance with the good spirit,” he wrote, defiantly insisting that the Toffees’ top four hopes are not dead.

However, these fans on Twitter weren’t up for replicating the Frenchman’s optimistic stance.

Everton fans struggle to buy into Digne’s optimism

“Work hard? Well not one of you worked hard yesterday”

Credit: @steainsey

“Lucky to finish in top 10 the way we going and that’s poor (missed our best midfield all season though) keep going and start taking free kicks please”

Credit: @David42797784

“Not one clear cut chance in 90 mins…I like your positivity, but that was a truly poor performance last night in an attacking sense.”

Credit: @Agassi1980

“Really??! We don’t create enough, can’t score or defeat lower teams at home… I truly hope and wish.”

Credit: @DSteveF

“Not today please. Not today”

Credit: @chilemjh

“I just remember you owe me 90 minutes of my life Lucas”

Credit: @JoakoCalvo

“It’s over mate, we try again next season”

Credit: @Kevin76199061

In other news, Everton have been urged to make a move for this London-based outcast.

Gabby Agbonlahor has been left to slam the displays of both Joelinton and Ryan Fraser for Newcastle United so far in the 2020/21 term.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Aston Villa and England international striker was very critical of the duo, and also suggested that Steve Bruce may drop them for the remainder of the games in the season:

“You look at Joelinton, he hasn’t turned up all season for Newcastle. He’s still not turning up.

“For me, Steve Bruce has now got to work out what 11 players are going to fight for him and fight for the club and pick them. If that’s Dwight Gayle, if that’s Andy Carroll, if that’s Matt Ritchie, if that’s the Longstaff brothers in midfield. 

“Whoever is going to fight for him and the club – that’s what it’s about now.

“Certain players are letting him down, the likes of Ryan Fraser, the likes of Joelinton, they’re not doing anything, they’re not showing any hunger, they’re not showing any fight.

“I’m sure Steve Bruce will be making changes for the games coming up.”

Newcastle need more from Joelinton and Fraser

The St. James’ Park faithful certainly need to see more from both Joelinton and Fraser from now until the end of the campaign if they have ambitions of avoiding being relegated from the top flight down to the EFL Championship.

The former continues to fail to live up to his hefty transfer fee, with a mere three goals and three assists in 28 games in total over all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt).

Considering the recent injuries to the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin, Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron, both of these players have certainly not shown why they should be playing in Steve Bruce’s team instead, as they look destined to be squad players from now until they leave the North East club.

In other news, find out what big double injury boost NUFC have received here!

Steven Gerrard has suffered a big blow at Ibrox after it was revealed that Rangers defender Nathan Patterson will be suspended for four games after he and five other teammates broke lockdown restrictions earlier in the season.

With James Tavernier only making a return to training recently, the manager faces a real headache as to who to select at right-back for upcoming fixtures, with Patterson set to miss the games against Cove Rangers, Hibernian and St Johnstone, as well as the Old Firm derby, although that could change depending on whether or not the Light Blues progress in Sunday’s cup tie.

After being internally punished by the club, the 19-year-old has managed to work his way back into Gerrard’s good books with recent strong performances and has really stepped up in the absence of Tavernier.

The teenager impressively scored his first goal in Rangers colours in the 5-2 Europa League win against Royal Antwerp and has been a regular in the first team since then, starting four of the last five games before the international break.

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After that goalscoring return, Gerrard was full of praise for Patterson, saying: “He’s got an opportunity and he needs to learn from this and make sure it doesn’t happen again. He’s a wonderful footballer with a big future ahead of him.”

With Tavernier unlikely to be thrown straight back into the fray, it seems as if Gerrard has a huge decision to make. He may have to put his faith in Leon Balogun in the right-back position for upcoming fixtures, although the Nigerian struggled there in the Old Firm derby and against Royal Antwerp recently.

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Although the title is already wrapped up, Gerrard will be desperate to finish the season unbeaten, so the lack of a natural right-back for upcoming fixtures could prove to be a blow for the 40-year-old manager.

In other news… Wilson should reignite Rangers interest in 27 y/o gem who’s “got all the attributes”

Plenty of Liverpool fans had their say on James Milner during their Premier League encounter against Fulham on Sunday.

The 35-year-old made just his eighth league start of the season as manager Jurgen Klopp made seven changes to the team which lost 1-0 to Chelsea in midweek.

Milner, who earns £140,000-a-week at Anfield, was notably complacent in the midfield as his team attempted to overturn their wretched domestic form, gifting the ball to Ivan Cavaliero as the Cottagers almost scored as a result. Per Fotmob, Milner lost seven duels, misplaced three long balls and committed three fouls.

Manager Jurgen Klopp surprised many when Georginio Wijnaldum was brought off on the hour mark for Sadio Mane, with The Athletic’s James Pearce calling for Fabinho to take the veteran’s place in the second half.

With this in mind, some Liverpool supporters slammed Milner for being “miles off the pace” and a few even suggested that his time at the club may have come to an unfortunate end.

Milner lambasted by Kop faithful

“Milner has to come off! He is done at this club.”

Credit: @Andy_Melville

“Probably the worst I’ve seen Milner play for us!”

Credit: @aaron_price88

“GET MILNER OFF THE FIELD NOW!!!”

Credit: @b_t_jones

“Mr reliable James Milner having a stinker too.”

Credit: @LFC_talk_YNWA

“Get Milner off, he’s miles off the pace and get Fabinho back on in midfield”

Credit: @p_cord23

“Milner is not very good anymore”

Credit: @TimGale031181

In other news. Liverpool blockbuster move in trouble as ‘unplayable’ star’s hefty demands emerge