Tag Futebol

An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their interest in signing Kieran Tierney in the upcoming summer transfer window…

What’s the latest on Kieran Tierney to Aston Villa?

According to Football Insider, the Villans have now joined the race to land the Arsenal left-back’s signature at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that the Gunners may be open to cashing in on the Scotland international in order to raise funds for their own signings in the summer.

It is stated that fellow Premier League side Newcastle United are also keen on a deal for the gem, who is said to be valued at around £30m by Mikel Arteta’s side.

Could Lucas Digne be sold?

It has been claimed that Villa could cash in on Lucas Digne this summer and Unai Emery must now ditch the Frenchman this summer by swooping to sign Tierney ahead of the Magpies.

The Villans signed the ex-Barcelona left-back for a whopping £25m package in January of last year but the 29-year-old has struggled badly this season.

A Sofascore rating of 6.67 across 19 Premier League appearances, which places him 15th in the squad, shows that the defender has consistently delivered subpar performances for the club in 2022/23, whilst the full-back has also only won 52% of his ground duels.

Tierney has only started four times in the division for Arsenal this season but did show promise in his 22 starts in the top flight in the 2021/22 campaign – averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.93 and winning 61% of his ground duels.

These statistics suggest that the ex-Celtic star has the potential to perform to a much higher standard week-in-week-out than Digne, who has failed to impress this term.

Over the last 365 days, the Scotsman has averaged an impressive 9.81 progressive passes and carries combined per 90 in the Premier League and European competitions. Digne, meanwhile, has only made 5.33 per 90 with that suggesting the Gunners ace would offer far more to the team in terms of his quality in build-up play.

The 25-year-old – lauded as “exciting” by Ray Parlour – ranks in the top 9% of left-backs in both progressive passes and carries over the last 365 days in Europe’s top five leagues, a sign that the gem is one of the best in his position at progressing the ball.

Tierney, who was once hailed as a “machine” by journalist Simon Collings, could, therefore, be a significant upgrade on Digne in terms of both his average performance level and the quality that the dynamo can offer in possession.

This is why Emery must ditch the £25m flop by signing the Arsenal talent.

Everton’s academy is wildly prestigious, having produced some of the country’s greatest footballers and continuing to do so even today.

It was just last month that they saw one of their graduates sell for a mouth-watering £45m, and that was before Anthony Gordon had really done anything of note within the game.

He was part of a fresh crop of youth talent, all of whom are poised to break into the first team sooner or later. Whilst some are thriving for the U23s, others are enjoying loan spells where the experience of senior football will help develop them both physically and technically. 

That is at least the goal with sending Lewis Warrington out to Fleetwood Town, as he seems the most likely to be their next big star.

Who should partner Onana at Everton?

Diminutive in stature but tireless in attitude, the 19-year-old has been mentioned alongside the first team for a couple of years now. His combative midfield displays earned praise, which he would then convert into silkiness that saw Tranmere Rovers fans fall in love with him during his temporary spell there.

His youth coach Paul Tait has been vocal in his adoration for the youngster, who boasts technical prowess to match his defensive steel. He claimed:

“He’s played number 10 for quite a bit of time at the Club and we’ve changed him to a number six this season. He’s got good body strength, he can look after the ball and he can pass and move. He was magnificent against City.”

Having progressed through the U18s and the U23s, his experiences on loan should see him return this summer with vast experience, ready to finally push for a spot in Sean Dyche’s side alongside Amadou Onana.

The Belgian is another who has captured the attention of late, with his domineering yet classy midfield displays drawing praise. As such, he records 2.6 tackles, one interception and an 85% pass accuracy per 90, via Sofascore.

To pair him with the nimble but similarly well-rounded Warrington could provide the perfect partnership to hold down the engine room in the 4-4-2 system.

How is Lewis Warrington performing on loan?

The teenage sensation has fast become a mainstay for the League One outfit, who are fighting to break into the top half of the table.

Across 20 appearances he has recorded a 6.88 average rating, which is underpinned by his two tackles and 0.8 key passes per game, via Sofascore.

However, what he boasts that Onana somewhat lacks, is the ability to bring the ball out from the back consistently, and beat his man. As such, he records a 79% dribble success rate, albeit facing a lower-standard of opposition.

With both seemingly complementing one another and covering each other’s deficiencies, this could be a perfect midfield pairing to thrive at Goodison Park for the foreseeable future.

Nottingham Forest are believed to be closing in on the signing of Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper, Keylor Navas, according to the latest reports.

What’s the word?

As per The Athletic’s Paul Taylor, the 36-year-old is in line to carry out a medical ahead of what would be a last-gasp move to the City Ground, with reports earlier in the day having suggested that the Premier League side were “pushing” in the hope of coming to an agreement.

Writing on Twitter regarding that developing story, the club insider stated: “Update on the earlier story… Keylor Navas will shortly undergo a medical, as Nottingham Forest take another step closer to securing another remarkable signing.”

Cooper’s best deal yet

Forest boss Steve Cooper has no doubt played his part in a number of notable additions in recent months – namely the arrival of experienced midfielder Remo Freuler from Atalanta and the loan capture of Atletico Madrid’s Renan Lodi, among others – although few have been quite as eye-catching as that of the impending Navas signing.

It could well be argued that the former Real Madrid man’s acquisition is the best of the lot, with the Garibaldi having seemingly been able to tempt a vastly experienced asset – who currently plies his trade for one of Europe’s top sides – to the club, having showcased his quality at the highest level over the last decade or so.

The 6 foot 1 titan was notably part of the side that claimed three successive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018 during his time with Los Blancos, having racked up 52 clean sheets in 162 games for the La Liga side.

To be able to have “one of the best goalies in the world” – as described by former PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino – on the club’s books is a real statement as far as Cooper and co are concerned, with such an addition potentially set to prove vital amid the injury absence of usual number one, Dean Henderson.

While Navas has only featured twice in all competitions at the Parc des Princes so far this season, he does boast a stunning record of 50 shutouts in just 108 games for the Ligue 1 powerhouse, having also been a consistent presence at international level with 110 caps to his name to date.

To be able to secure the services of such a top-drawer asset while still facing the potential threat of relegation is a real testament to Forest’s – and Cooper’s – pulling power, with it set to be no surprise if the one-time Levante man does go on to prove a colossal addition over the coming months.

Arsenal are now expected to focus their attention on trying to bring in a new right-back and midfielder this month with a deal for Leandro Trossard expected to go through.

What’s the latest?

The Gunners are now close to completing their first piece of business this month with the expected arrival of Trossard from Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Belgian forward has signed for £21 million plus £5 million in add-ons following his public fallout with Roberto De Zerbi on the south coast.

But it does not seem as if Edu Gaspar is settling for just Trossard this month with Fabrizio Romano believing his attention has already been turned to other areas. Arsenal are also closing in on the signing of Jakub Kiwior.

Speaking on his YouTube channel,  the Italian journalist has claimed the north London club will now look at potentially signing a new right-back and midfielder:

(4:30) “Arsenal, keep an eye on the right-back situation. We know that Fulham are interested in Cedric Soares, so let’s see if Arsenal will decide to do something in that position. They appreciate Ivan Fresneda of Real Valladolid but also many other clubs including Newcastle including Juventus, including Wolves so it’s an open race for a talented right-back Fresneda.”

“But Arsenal will keep an eye on the market in the final days let’s see if right-back, midfielder what kind of opportunities they will find on the market.”

Strengthening their title charge

It has been a sensational first half of the season for Mikel Arteta’s side who sit firmly at the top of the Premier League table having only recorded one loss in their 18 games.

And it seems as if they are not content with allowing this window to go by without strengthening their squad for the remainder of the season.

There is a lot on the line this season for Arteta’s men and they will be all too familiar with how the second half of the season can run away from them.

Just last season, the Gunners saw their hopes of a spot in the top four slip from their grasps in the final stages of the campaign as their north London rivals swooped in to take the prize.

However, there is even more on the line this season with the title there to be won by Arsenal following their impressive start.

And in the previous January window, Arteta may look back at it as a missed opportunity given they made no additions to their first-team squad.

With the likes of Cedric Soares heavily linked with an exit, it would be incredibly risky for Arteta to allow a squad player to leave and not replace him.

Especially when the current backup at right-back, Takehiro Tomiyasu, has had his injury issues since arriving at the club which have seen him miss nine games already.

And in midfield, although Thomas Partey continues to impress in the middle of the park, he is also no stranger to an injury and you do have to wonder what the absence of a big player like him could make to this Arsenal side.

There is still a long road ahead of the Gunners in their quest for the title, but adding further squad depth could certainly prove a wise decision down the line.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their attempts to add to their ranks at Ibrox during the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Belgian journalist Pieter-Jan Calcoen has revealed that the Light Blues are keen on a deal to sign central defender William Pacho as Michael Beale looks to improve his squad before the end of the month.

However, they will face competition from Ligue 1 side AS Monaco and it remains to be seen how much money Royal Antwerp are set to demand for their enforcer.

Calcoen Tweeted: “#RangersFC and #ASMonaco have already scouted William Pacho from #RAFC several times and would like to recruit the defender. Antwerp will want the main prize, which makes sense.”

Filip Helander upgrade

The Gers can finally replace Sweden international Filip Helander by landing an upgrade on him in the form of Antwerp’s Pacho this month.

Beale must move on from the former Serie A central defender before the end of the window as he has become a liability with his consistent injury issues.

Helander is projected to miss 52 competitive matches with his current foot injury, which he suffered in April of last year and is set to return in February, and was out for 53 games with two separate injuries between 2019/20 and 2021/22.

This means that he has been absent, due to injury, for at least 105 outings for Rangers and he struggled for form when he was able to get on the pitch last term. He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.75 across six appearances in the Premiership – making 1.1 tackles and interceptions per match.

Pacho, who is also left-footed like Helander, has averaged a score of 6.99 in the Pro League this season and made 3.7 tackles and interceptions per outing.

The 21-year-old, who was once described as an “interesting” young player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, was also part of Ecuador’s squad at the World Cup but did not get a minute of action in Qatar.

He is a young, up-and-coming defender who has shown plenty of promise with his performances in Belgium this season and he could be an excellent long-term addition to Beale’s squad.

His statistics this term indicate that he has the quality to be a big upgrade on Helander, both in terms of availability and his average performance level, if he can adapt to Scottish football and Ross Wilson must now work his magic to beat Monaco to the defensive titan’s signature.

Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray is facing the prospect of a busy month of business at the Stadium of Light during the January transfer window.

The Black Cats boss was hit with an early blow to his squad as Premier League side Everton decided to activate their recall option on striker Ellis Simms and the forward has now returned to Goodison Park, having initially been on a season-long loan.

He had averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.07 across 17 appearances in the Championship for the club – scoring seven goals and assisting two whilst creating five ‘big chances’ for his teammates.

The Englishman was consistent and reliable at the top end of the pitch for Sunderland and Mowbray and Kristjaan Speakman must dip into the market to source a replacement.

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie recently claimed that the Black Cats could pursue a deal to sign Blackpool centre-forward Jerry Yates to replace Ross Stewart if the Scotland international were to depart this month.

However, this was before Simms’ recall and the club must now swoop for the Tangerines marksman to take the Everton striker’s place in the squad, to compete with Stewart instead of replacing him.

Yates, who has been hailed as “immense” and “on fire” by Blackpool journalist Sean McGinlay, has been in terrific form in the second tier this term and could provide the goalscoring threat that Sunderland have lost at the start of this month.

The 26-year-old has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.96 and found the back of the net nine times in 25 appearances in the league this season. This suggests that he could have a similar impact to the one that Simms had in front of goal for the Black Cats, as both players have proven that they can score on a semi-regular basis at this level.

Yates has also shown that he can link-up play and provide for others by creating six ‘big chances’ for his teammates and registering two assists in the Championship, which means that he could replace Simms’ quality in both scoring and setting up goals.

Bringing him in on a permanent deal would also secure the long-term future of Sunderland’s striker department instead of having a player on loan until the end of the season, which would mean that there would be less cause for concern heading into the summer.

Therefore, Mowbray must push Speakman to strike a deal for Yates in the coming weeks as he could be a dream replacement for Simms.

Liverpool have joined arch rivals Man City in the race to sign Atalanta rising star defender Giorgio Scalvini, according to reports.

The Lowdown: FSG make plans…

The Reds and current owners Fenway Sports Group by extension are reportedly making transfer plans ahead of the January window with there being no shortage of links.

Jude Bellingham is reliably thought to be on their radar with Liverpool apparently leading the race for Borussia Dortmund’s superstar, who dazzled for England at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

However, the likes of Enzo Fernandez are also of interest to manager Jurgen Klopp who is attempting to revitalise his side’s fortunes in the Premier League.

The Latest: Liverpool join Scalvini transfer race…

As per Italian sources, it is believed that the Anfield side are now looking at signing colossal 6 foot 4 defender Scalvini.

The Atalanta starlet is considered a ‘top talent’ and La Gazzetta dello Sport report that both Liverpool and Man City are ‘at the window’ for his signature.

Both English sides, alongside Serie A heavyweights Inter Milan, are interested in Scalvini but his club have set an asking price of €40 million (£34m) to do business.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-35/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Get it done?

The 19-year-old is a player of real potential and we believe Liverpool should certainly make an attempt.

If Scalvini follows in the foot steps of endless legendary Italian centre-backs, this could be £34m well spent, and the fact City are also on his trail is a real indicator of the teenager’s undoubted talent.

Tony Mowbray’s Sunderland returned to Championship action with a bang as they beat Millwall 3-0 at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

The Black Cats swept the Lions aside with relative ease in their first match back after the break for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and have moved up to tenth in the table.

Amad Diallo opened the scoring with a simple finish from close range after excellent work from Alex Pritchard down the left allowed Ellis Simms to flick the ball into the winger’s path.

Pritchard then doubled the lead as he brilliantly evaded a number of challenges in the box before rifling in an effort that was too hot for the goalkeeper to handle.

Simms rounded out the scoring in stoppage time as he raced onto a ball over the top and lifted the ball over the Millwall shot-stopper before passing it into an empty net.

Whilst Pritchard was pulling the strings in midfield all afternoon and was heavily involved in two of the goals, the real hero for Mowbray on Saturday was central defender Danny Batth.

The former Stoke City man was a colossus at the back for the Black Cats as he repelled attack after attack with his sublime defending alongside Luke O’Nien.

He was crucial to Sunderland picking up a clean sheet in the match and made vital interventions in the first half to keep the game at 0-0, which provided the attackers with a platform to go and win the game in the second half.

Batth made a goal-saving clearance off the line in the first half after Anthony Patterson watched the ball go over his head and consistently won his individual duels and was in the right place at the right time to cut out attacks.

As per Sofascore, he won 11 of his 14 battles (79%) and made ten clearances, one tackle, one interception, and four blocks across the 90 minutes, whilst not being dribbled past a single time.

These statistics show that the 6 foot 3 titan was sensational for Sunderland as he dominated the opposition from a physical perspective and put his body on the line multiple times to preserve the clean sheet.

He was also composed and reliable on the ball as he completed 81% of his attempted passes and only lost possession 12 times from 77 touches, which shows that he was not a liability on the other side of the game.

Everton have been heavily linked with Ben Brereton Diaz since the summer and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the Toffees transfer target.

What’s the latest?

Fabrizio Romano took to his Substack page for Caught Offside to dispel rumours that Manchester United could compete with Everton for the Blackburn Rovers forward’s signature in January.

Romano revealed: “Nothing concrete for the moment, the strongest interest has been from Everton, back in the summer.

“My understanding is that there is currently nothing from Man United.”

He’s a Maupay upgrade

There is no doubt that Brereton Diaz would be a major coup for Everton in January as they have struggled to find the back of the net over the first half of the Premier League season so far, and with the potential for Dominic Calvert-Lewin to be sidelined with a hamstring injury, the signing couldn’t come at a better time.

Indeed, Everton did add a little depth to their forward line after losing Richarlison this summer with the signing of striker Neal Maupay but the former Brighton and Hove Albion ace has barely lit up Goodison Park with his presence in front of goal.

Maupay has scored just one Premier League goal in nine appearances and has been unable to register any assists or create any big chances for his attacking teammates, so it would make perfect sense for Everton to make another approach for Brereton Diaz in the new year as he would be a big upgrade on the newly-signed striker.

Over 20 Championship appearances so far, Brereton Diaz has scored nine goals, registered one assist and created four big chances, as well as making one key pass and taking 3.1 shots on goal, proving that he could be the natural finisher and attacking threat that Lampard needs in the team.

The £20m-valued ace has not only been a dominant presence in front of goal this season but has been a consistent and reliable performer for Rovers over his time at the club scoring 41 goals and registering 13 assists over 149 appearances, with a goal contribution every 172 minutes.

With that being said, if the powers at Goodison Park can pull off a deal for Brereton Diaz in January it could be season-changing for Everton in their pursuit to climb the Premier League table over the second half of the campaign.

Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch is set to be given time to turn things around at Elland Road, according to a reliable journalist.

The Lowdown: Marsch under growing pressure

The Whites were beaten 2-0 away to Leicester City in the Premier League on Thursday in what was a limp performance from start to finish.

The disgruntled travelling supporters made their feelings known during and after the game, with pressure now increasingly growing on Marsch.

Despite the American clinging to his job a little, it looks as though his sacking isn’t yet on the cards, following a new claim.

The Latest: Leeds show faith in Marsch

According to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, Marsch will have a few games to prove his worth and improve Leeds’ fortunes, rather than being relieved of his duties now.

It is noted that he was ‘jeered’ by his own fans at the Leicester game, but the Elland Road hierarchy have faith in him to get the Whites out of their current slump.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-53/” title=”Latest Leeds United news” 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”]

The Verdict: Fulham game feels huge

Sunday’s visit of Fulham to Yorkshire feels absolutely massive for Marsch, especially with a daunting trip to Liverpool on the horizon next Saturday night.

Failure to beat the Cottagers will surely lead to many dissenting voices inside Elland Road, and if another defeat ensures, the Whites’ hierarchy may feel that it is time to part ways with the 48-year-old.

That may not be in keeping with McGrath’s update, which suggests that Marsch may have at least until the World Cup break to prove his worth, but dropped points at home to Fulham, despite their improving form, could be too disappointing to ignore.