All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United star Mateusz Klich is facing an uncertain future at Elland Road, having failed to deliver in recent months…

What’s the word?

That’s according to ever-reliable Mirror journalist David Anderson, who delivered his verdict on the Poland midfielder to GIVEMESPORT this week.

When asked if the 31-year-old was in doubt in west Yorkshire, he replied:

“I’d say so.

“He hasn’t quite done it, and don’t forget he’s someone that’s been singled out by the fans for abuse on social media. Remember after the Chelsea defeat just before Christmas, and he actually hit back at them, which isn’t what you really want to see.

“You look around that dressing room, and I think someone like Klich, he’s willing enough and he’s trying but he’s just not really delivering.”

Time’s up?

Klich has been ever-present in Leeds’ starting XI over the last few seasons and his regular involvement under former manager Marcelo Bielsa even led him to claim that he could play for “all the best teams in the world,” back in November 2020.

But that’s something that has since changed some 18 months later with the Pole struggling for form and consistency, albeit in a relegation-threatened Whites side.

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After Jesse Marsch’s arrival in the dugout, Klich only managed to play the full 90 minutes in two of his 12 league games in charge and he failed to start the final game of the season, the all-important 2-1 victory over Brentford, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored graded Klich as United’s 16th-best performer with a paltry average rating of 6.37. Only three players who started 15 or more games managed a poorer return.

Indeed, such performances led to some criticism, with Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison describing the £34k-per-week ace as “non-existent” and LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross suggesting that he got “bullied” by a relegated Watford midfield.

And with the arrival of Brenden Aaronson, a player that Marsch has worked with before at RB Salzburg, it does seem likely that the 38-cap international will be swept aside heading into 2022/23.

When you throw in the emergence of Lewis Bate and the likely return of Adam Forshaw from injury, then Klich could well be running out of opportunities at Elland Road.

His time is surely up now.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano: Leeds have “opened talks” to sign “the next Declan Rice”, could be Joffy 2.0…

Aston Villa have rarely struggled to remain consistent in achieving an adequate number of clean sheets over the course of a Premier League season. It shouldn’t come as surprise, however, when looking at the underrated yet always impressive goalkeepers that they’ve boasted throughout the years.

Just to list a couple of big hitters, David James and Peter Schmeical are among the names to have worn the number one shirt at Villa Park. Meanwhile, the likes of Shay Given and Brad Friedel have enjoyed success in between the sticks of the Midlands club.

These days, the task is left to Emiliano Martinez to keep the clean sheets. And what a job he’s doing. The Argentine has enjoyed some rise to the top since his days sitting on the Arsenal bench. He’s now considered to be one of the best goalkeepers outside of the Premier League’s top clubs.

Martinez will hope to continue his rise next season, and put himself in contention to jump up a few places in the list below – which ranks every goalkeeper to have worn the No.1 jersey for Villa in the Premier League by top flight clean sheets.

Stats revealed by TransferMarkt.

Every Aston Villa No.1 ranked on clean sheets

Mark Bosnich – 51 clean sheets

Thomas Sörensen – 46 clean sheets

Brad Friedel – 35 clean sheets

Brad Guzan – 20 clean sheets

David James – 12 clean sheets

Emiliano Martínez – 11 clean sheets

Shay Given – 8 clean sheets

Peter Enckelman – 8 clean sheets

Peter Schmeichel – 7 clean sheets

Tom Heaton – 4 clean sheets

As you can see from the list above, it is Mark Bosnich who leads the way – the very first number one in Aston Villa’s Premier League history. As it turns out, they started with the perfect goalkeeper, with his tally of 51 clean sheets placing him clear at the top.

Meanwhile, Thomas Sörensen, with 46 clean sheets, is the closest a No.1 has come at Villa Park to surpassing Bosnich. Five clean sheets short, however, Sörensen just couldn’t do enough.

As for the rest, the likes of Brad Friedel and Brad Guzan didn’t have bad spells at the Midlands club, either, keeping 35 and 20 clean sheets respectively.

Now with Martinez, who kept 11 clean sheets in his first season wearing the number one jersey, Villa will look to reach new heights next season. Under Steven Gerrard, Villa feel like a club on the up.

Individually, meanwhile, Martinez will be looking to surpass David James on 12 clean sheets, whilst edging closer to Guzan and Friedel on 20 and 35.

Newcastle United could still be in with a chance of signing Lille defender Sven Botman, despite suggestions that the Dutchman is on his way to AC Milan.

What’s the word?

That is the view of journalist Jacque Talbot, who – when speaking to GIVEMESPORT – suggested that the Magpies will be in the running for his signature, should he come back onto the market this summer.

Asked whether Eddie Howe and co could come back in for him in the upcoming window if his alleged move to the San Siro doesn’t take place, the respected insider admitted that is a possibility: “I’m told that that will be the case. I think with AC Milan, it sort of depends on the takeover that’s going on there.

“And I think Sven Botman’s probably one of the most exciting centre-backs in European football at the moment, and I think a lot of clubs will have a look at him rather than just AC Milan and Newcastle.”

The northeast side had been heavily linked with a move for the 22-year-old back in January, although were ultimately unable to get a deal done, as the centre-back stayed put for the remainder of the campaign.

Supporters delighted

It would seem then that there is hope renewed that the £27m-rated gem will be plying his trade at St James’ Park next term, with supporters seemingly desperate to see the Netherlands U21 international added to their defensive ranks.

While £13m winter arrival Dan Burn has proved a revelation in recent months, the former Brighton and Hove Albion brute was seemingly not a first-choice target, with the club looking set to bolster the backline with a high profile upgrade.

In Botman, PIF could well have found the ideal fit, with the £18k-per-week colossus having enjoyed another fine campaign in Ligue 1, the 6 foot 5 giant averaging 4.5 clearances, one tackle and one interception per game in his 25 league outings.

The subject of praise from legendary defender Paolo Maldini, the former Ajax youth product appears to have all the tools to be a success at the elite level, with both his stature and his ability in possession – enjoying an 88% pass accuracy last term – making him an all-around asset to any side.

Having shipped 62 goals in the 2021/22 season – the sixth-highest in the Premier League – Newcastle are crying out for a more solid figure to shore up their defensive unit, with Botman seemingly the man to do the job.

As for supporters, his arrival would mark yet another statement of intent under the new ownership and would only serve to build excitement as to just how far this team – and this club – can go in the coming years.

IN other news, Eddie Howe can now help NUFC sign “spectacular” £64m “nightmare”, he’s better than Saint-Maximin

Liverpool have made contact with the representatives of Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele as a potential replacement for Sadio Mane, according to Spanish outlet Sport. 

The lowdown: Man in demand

Unsurprisingly, as the one time £135.5million ace’s contract heads towards its conclusion, Dembele has been attracting plenty of interest.

Out of contract on July 1st (Transfermarkt), despite the best efforts of Barcelona to keep the skilful French forward, there is yet to be an agreement on terms and as such the 25-year-old will soon be free to negotiate with clubs across Europe.

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Having previously watched on from a distance, the Reds may now have thrown their hat into the ring to sign the World Cup winner…

The latest: ‘Finally’ Liverpool act

As per Sport, Liverpool are said to have ‘finally’ made contact with the 27-cap France star’s entourage regarding the possibility of a move to Merseyside.

It’s claimed that Dembele is ‘studying various proposals’ with one of them now being from the Anfield club as well as interest from Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.

The report also states that Jurgen Klopp could be preparing for life after Mane and therefore would view the winger once dubbed a ‘devastating player’ by journalist Andy West as a potential replacement in the Reds’ squad.

The verdict: Risk free option

Albeit plagued by injuries since making the switch to Spain, missing 102 matches in total, Dembele remains a fearsome prospect when fully fit and would represent a risk-free piece of business without what would be a lofty price tag in normal circumstances.

Capable of playing on either wing as well as centrally and therefore adding to the firepower at Klopp’s disposal, the versatile forward holds a stylistic likeness to well renowned attacking names such as PSG superstar Neymar and Bayern Munich duo Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry (Fbref), making the Frenchman a major coup, particularly on a free transfer.

Directly contributing to 15 goals in a relatively injury-free 2021/22 campaign, new Liverpool transfer guru Julian Ward should be all over adding Dembele to the ranks as a priority this summer.

In other news, one Liverpool player has hinted at a summer exit. Find out who it is here.

Sunderland’s Aiden McGeady is set to end his five year spell at the Stadium of Light this summer.

What’s the word?

That is according to The Scotsman Journalist, Graham Falk, who took to his personal Twitter account to issue a statement over the former Ireland international’s future.

Falk stated: “Looking likely that Aiden McGeady will be moving back to Scotland with Hibs. A fantastic servant to #SAFC, and one of my favourites of all time. You’ve got a good one there, Hibees fans. Good luck, Aiden.”

Major mistake

McGeady’s reunion with former Black Cats boss Lee Johnson at Hibernian will surely come as a blow to the Sunderland faithful.

Despite struggling with a knee injury this season, McGeady has still managed to make 14 appearances for Alex Neil’s side, chipping in with a healthy seven returns in the form of three goals and four assists.

Whilst he did not directly contribute to the Black Cats’ play-off success on the pitch, his experience in and around the dressing room would surely have helped the side to pull off such a feat.

McGeady has been there through thick and thin with Sunderland, joining them in the Championship and staying with them as they sunk to the third tier of English football.

Through the perspective of football romanticism, leaving after Sunderland finally achieved their objective of promotion is entirely apt, but looking at the bigger picture, Sunderland could surely make use of an experienced and clinical forward in what could be a tough survival campaign in the Championship next season.

The 36-year-old’s contract expires in the summer, so with the latest reports surrounding the Irishman, it looks as though his fate is sealed, with a reunion under Johnson seemingly wrapped up.

McGeady, who has previously been dubbed a “magician” by Roberto Martinez, has registered 34 assists in what is an outstanding return. With that in mind, it could be seen as somewhat of a disaster to let him walk through the exit door so easily.

He will no doubt be missed by the Black Cats fanbase in what is an odd decision to let go of a character who is worth so much to the dressing room.

In other news: Time’s up: Neil must finally axe Donald’s £6k-p/w Sunderland “flop” this summer 

A major Newcastle United update has emerged regarding their pursuit of Dean Henderson heading into the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Chronicle Live reporter Charlie Bennett has revealed that the shot-stopper is expecting a move to go through in the coming weeks, following a meeting with the Magpies earlier this month.

The journalist tweeted: “Understand Dean Henderson is keen on a Newcastle move and has made it known he prefers a permanent transfer to a loan deal. Also told player’s camp believe a deal is “close” after meeting club representatives in Northumberland last week. NUFC.”

Eddie Howe will be over the moon

The Toon head coach will be feeling over the moon following this claim for multiple reasons.

Firstly, it shows that the England international is committed to wanting a move to the Tyneside club. Henderson is not looking to join on loan with a view to earning himself a transfer elsewhere or a first-team spot at Old Trafford, which suggests that he is desperate to be at St James’ Park in the long-term.

Howe will surely want players who are prepared to be part of a long-term project rather than those who may only see themselves playing for the club for one or two years at most.

Secondly, the Magpies boss will be delighted to learn that a deal is ‘close’, as it means that PIF are on the verge of sealing their first signing of the summer before the end of May. The owners are being proactive and looking to make moves early, which will give the manager more time to work with new signings to integrate them into the squad ahead of 2022/23.

Finally, Howe will be buzzing because Henderson has the potential to be an excellent addition to the squad and challenge Martin Dubravka for his place in the team.

In the Englishman’s two Premier League seasons, he has played 49 games and kept 18 clean sheets for Sheffield United and Manchester United combined, averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.94 or higher across both campaigns. This shows that he has the ability to deliver on a consistent basis in the top flight, as he has been able to perform to a high level whilst keeping clean sheets regularly.

He also has the scope to develop even further at the age of 25. Howe can look forward to helping him fulfill his potential on Tyneside and making Henderson his number one for many years to come.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Bruno: NUFC can form a deadly duo by signing “outstanding” £34m “rock”…

Alasdair Gold has dropped a promising update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur centre-forward Harry Kane.

What’s the talk?

In a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, the football.london journalist revealed that, should Spurs go on to secure a top-four finish in the league, the 28-year-old’s long-term future in north London would not only be much less questionable but the England international could even be offered a new contract by Antonio Conte, Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy.

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Discussing the implications of Tottenham securing Champions League football, Gold said: “I don’t think there becomes any question about Harry Kane’s future. I wouldn’t be stunned if there ends up being a new contract for Harry Kane if Spurs get top four.

“You might think Harry Kane’s best thought would be to just see out his contract, but I don’t get the impression he’s that kind of guy. He loves Conte, and I think he’ll see where Conte is hopefully going to take them.”

Supporters will be buzzing

While it is true that, under the management of Nuno Espirito Santo and the lingering interest of Manchester City, Kane did not get off to the best of starts in the current campaign, following Conte’s arrival in north London last November, the centre-forward has very much refound his best form.

Indeed, over his 27 Premier League appearances under the 52-year-old manager, the £90m-rated striker has bagged 15 goals and provided his teammates with seven assists – averaging a direct goal contribution every 109 minutes for the Italian – a stark contrast compared to his one strike and one assist over nine league outings for Nuno Espirito Santo.

These returns have seen the £200k-per-week forward average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.34, not only ranking him as Conte’s second-best performer in the top flight but also as the joint eighth-best player in the league as a whole.

As such, should Kane indeed go on to put pen to paper on a new deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, it would undoubtedly be a development that will leave Spurs supporters buzzing – as, only a matter of months ago, the Tottenham talisman’s time in north London appeared to very much be up.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Gold drops big Spurs injury update ahead of Norwich, Conte will be sweating

When Leeds United splashed £13m on the signing of Junior Firpo last summer, Victor Orta would be forgiven for believing that he had secured the Whites’ first-choice left-back for the foreseeable future.

Indeed, after joining Barcelona in what was a €30m (£25.5m) deal back in 2019 – with the former Spain U21 international being handed a five-year deal that included a €200m (£170m) release clause – the 25-year-old went on to make 41 appearances for the LaLiga side over his two-year spell at the Camp Nou, helping the Catalans lift the Copa Del Rey in 2020/21.

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However, despite these early expectations, the £55k-per-week full-back has endured a torrid debut campaign in English football, suffering a number of injury setbacks and turning in a great many underwhelming performances on the left of Jesse Marsch’s backline.

Indeed, over his 22 Premier League outings this season, the £10.8m-rated defender has offered next to nothing going forwards, scoring no goals, registering two assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.9 key passes, taking 0.4 shots and completing 0.3 crosses per game.

The Dominican Republic international has also failed to impress in metrics more typical of his position, helping Leeds keep just one clean sheet, as well as being beaten by an opponent an average of 1.1 times per fixture.

These returns have seen the 25-year-old who Paul Robinson dubbed “inexcusable” average a quite disastrous SofaScore match rating of 6.57, ranking him as the Whites’ seventh-worst performer in the top flight of English football.

As such, while it is true that the £100k-per-week record signing Rodrigo also looks as if he could be moving onto pastures new this summer, it would appear an extremely wise move for Orta to also tell Firpo to pack his bags at the end of the current campaign – something which has been predicted – as the former Barca starlet simply does not look cut out for the English game.

AND in other news: Advanced talks: Fresh update emerges on big summer deal, Leeds supporters surely livid

A piece of early Rangers team news has emerged over the fitness of Ibrox centre-forward Kemar Roofe…

What’s the latest?

According to The Scottish Sun, Gio van Bronckhorst is expecting to be able to name the striker in his squad for their UEFA Europa League clash on Thursday.

The report claims that the attacker has reacted well to treatment on his knee injury over the last two weeks and is now set to make his return later this week.

Supporters will be buzzing

The Gers supporters will be buzzing with this news as it comes as a major boost to the club ahead of their clash with RB Leipzig on Thursday.

He has missed three games with a knee injury and Rangers only scored more than once in one of those matches, drawing and losing against Celtic and Leipzig after beating Motherwell 3-1. Whereas, the club scored nine goals in the last three games that Roofe featured in – against Celtic, Braga and St. Miren.

The ex-Leeds man hit form in April as he produced four goals and one assist in his five appearances in all competitions throughout the month. In the Premiership this season, he has scored ten goals in 21 outings as he has shown that he has the quality to be a difference-maker at the top end of the pitch.

Rangers will need a player with a knack for scoring as they face Leipzig on Thursday as they are 1-0 down on aggregate and need to overturn the deficit in order to make it through to the final of the Europa League.

Roofe has proven that he can step up in Europe for van Bronckhorst. The striker found the back of the net twice in the last round against Braga, with one being ruled out by VAR and the other being a winner in extra time to send the Gers through to the last four.

This highlights the importance of his return from injury as it hands Rangers a big boost to their options in the final third. He is a proven goalscorer and that is exactly what the Glasgow giants need against the German outfit in the second leg.

Therefore, fans will be delighted to learn that he is set to be fit and available for selection on Thursday night under the lights at Ibrox and will be hoping that he is named in the starting XI.

AND in other news, Rangers played an Ibrox blinder with £22k-pw “cornerstone” who’s like “Graeme Souness”…

Arsenal may be hesitant about making a big-money move for Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin off the back of his ‘really poor season’. 

That’s according to journalist Paul Brown, who was speaking to GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

The Athletic reported in the final week of the January transfer window that the Gunners intended to sign one of Calvert-Lewin, Dusan Vlahovic or Alexander Isak. The Serbian would ultimately join Juventus, while the other two targets stayed put at Everton and Real Sociedad respectively.

Calvert-Lewin hit 21 goals in all competitions during the 2020/21 season but has only managed three in a heavily disrupted 2021/22 campaign. The Englishman fractured his toe just three games into the season and duly spent four months on the sidelines.

Under contract at Goodison Park until June 2025, the 25-year-old is currently valued at £37.8m by Transfermarkt.

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The latest

Brown has said that Arsenal have previously made a concerted effort to sign Calvert-Lewin, but hinted that they may be having second thoughts over him now as he ‘doesn’t look like the same player’ following his injury-plagued campaign.

The journalist told GiveMeSport: “Calvert-Lewin, who I’m told is the guy they really pushed for.

“The fact that he’s hardly played the last few weeks and has had a really poor season and doesn’t look like the same player might make them think twice about spending too much money on him, but I do think that’s the type of player Arsenal want.”

The verdict

Mikel Arteta and Arsenal may choose to focus on the best version of Calvert-Lewin and put his woes this season to one side. The 25-year-old simply hasn’t been able to gain any sort of rhythm, failing to start more than three Premier League games on the bounce at any point.

On top of that, things have somewhat fallen apart for Everton, with Rafael Benitez sacked in January and the Blues now fighting to avoid a first-ever relegation from the Premier League.

That said, his value will surely be lower now than it was 12 months ago, so prospective suitors may sense an opportunity to land a comparative bargain if they make their move this summer.

Elsewhere, Joe Thomas was stunned by this ‘surprise’ sight from Sunday’s win over Chelsea