Tag Futebol

Leeds United are thought to be interested in signing AZ Alkmaar left-back Milos Kerkez this summer.

The Lowdown: Kerkez profiled

Kerkez is 19 years of age and is primarily a left-back who can also turn out as a left-midfielder if required.

The Hungary international made the move to AZ Alkmaar from AC Milan back in January 2022 and has gone on to make 41 appearances for the Dutch side, contributing to ten goals. He’s currently sponsored by Adidas and is valued at a career-high €7m by Transfermarkt.

The Latest: Transfer update

Sports Witness relayed an update from Record regarding Kerkez, where Leeds were mentioned.

They claimed that alongside Premier League rivals Brentford and Wolves, the Whites are interested in Kerkez, with the Eredivisie club set to demand at least €20m.

The Verdict: Radz and 49ers busy

It looks as if Andrea Radrizzani, the 49ers Enterprises and Victor Orta are already preparing for the summer with Kerkez the latest target.

Reports have suggested that Leeds also want Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, with contact already made to the player’s agent.

Elland Road officials appear to be busy after bringing in Javi Gracia as manager on a flexible contract, and you’d expect they’ll be hoping they can pursue these targets further, should Gracia keep the club in the top flight.

Leeds United correspondent Beren Cross has made an interesting managerial claim on Feyenoord’s Arne Slot.

The Lowdown: Slot speculation

The Whites have been linked with a number of managers in the last ten days, including Slot. An approach was made last week, with Leeds feeling that his intense and aggressive approach would fit in at Elland Road.

However, the Dutch coach, who has won 84 games as a manager, came out and said he would be staying with his current side, with Leeds still on the search for Jesse Marsch’s long-term successor.

The Latest: Cross’ comments

Cross ran a Q&A for LeedsLive on Wednesday, where he was asked a variety of Elland Road questions. When it came to a new manager, the Leeds reporter said the plan is still to find a new coach quickly, adding that Leeds would absolutely get a deal done for someone like Slot if he becomes available.

“The plan remains to find a permanent head coach as soon as possible, whether that’s this month, next month, before the end of the season or in the summer. That depends on when the targets they like become available. For example, if it became clear Feyenoord may be open to letting Slot go in three or four weeks, Leeds would absolutely get that deal done.”

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The Verdict: A gamble…

Leeds have decided to leave Michael Skubala in caretaker charge with crucial fixtures against Everton and Southampton coming up, a call which appears to be a big gamble.

The club have been turned down by a number of targets, including Slot, so it could have been a wise move to bring in an experienced interim manager who was out of work on an initial deal until the summer.

We will find out if the risk of keeping Skubala in charge pays off in the coming weeks, but it looks as if a potential move for Slot may not be off just yet.

West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca, amid his injury, could be ‘struggling’ to adapt to the physicality of Premier League football.

The Lowdown: Scamacca sidelined…

The Italy international, after signing from Sassuolo in the 2022 summer transfer window, has managed just three league goals under manager David Moyes.

Scamacca’s arrival originally ended the long and drawn out search for a back up to Michail Antonio but the forward has arguably found it difficult to score on a consistent enough basis.

He did score in West Ham’s 2-2 draw with Leeds recently but a knee injury sustained in that game has kept him sidelined since.

The Latest: Sky injury man makes Scamacca claim…

Speaking to Football Insider, injury expert Ben Dinnery, who contributes for The Athletic, says Scamacca could be ‘struggling’ with life in English football.

He said:

“It can be a sign that he is struggling to adapt to the Premier League.

“There is definitely some adaptation he needs to do since arriving in England but let’s not forget that football is a contact sport.

“Everyone picks up knocks and niggles and generally knee injuries are high up on the list in terms of incident rates.”

The Verdict: Great potential…

The 24-year-old has drawn comparisons with AC Milan big name Zlatan Ibrahimovic in recent seasons for his unorthodox playing style and clinical nature in front of goal.

Scamacca netted 16 goals in 36 Serie A appearances last season and the towering 6 foot 4 striker certainly has what it takes physically to adapt to English football.

His knee injury is an unfortunate one and it’s quite common for new signings to go through an adjustment period, especially when arriving in a division as tough as the Premier League.

The worry for Moyes will be how long Scamacca takes to come back fit and firing for what will be a crunch final few months of 2022/2023 – if the Scotsman isn’t sacked by then.

Tottenham Hotspur are ‘leading the way’ to sign Roma forward Nicolo Zaniolo and are ‘prepared to put more money down initially for the loan’, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs renew Zaniolo interest…

Spurs are reliably believed to have renewed their interest in the 23-year-old after repeated links last summer, with journalists like Gianluca Di Marzio breaking the most recent links.

There have been further reports since then claiming that the Lilywhites and London rivals West Ham are in the running for the Italy international’s signature.

90min even claim that the likes of Leicester City and Leeds United are also eyeing a move for Zaniolo, but Spurs and their fellow capital club are more frequently mentioned in the press.

While there are admirers from abroad also in Borussia Dortmund, it appears that Antonio Conte’s side are in pole position, according to an update from West Ham insider ExWHUemployee.

The Latest: Tottenham ‘leading the way’ for Zaniolo…

The reliable Hammers in-the-know claimed via Patreon that Spurs are currently ‘leading the way’ for Zaniolo ahead of West Ham for one main reason.

It is believed that Tottenham are ‘prepared to put more money down initially’ for a proposed loan with an obligation to buy.

In a further boost for Conte and Spurs, the Irons have had their offer rejected by Roma.

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The Verdict: Good news…

As things stand, it would appear that Spurs are the frontrunners to sign Zaniolo this month as club chiefs look for a creative spark and heir to Christian Eriksen.

The Sky Sports panel have described the 23-year-old as a player who can fill the void left by Tottenham’s former fan favourite, dubbing him a ‘Conte sort of player’.

As per WhoScored, the Italy international’s creativity is evident through his league numbers last season, having racked up a higher rate of successful take-ons and fouls drawn per 90 than anyone in Jose Mourinho’s squad.

The only caveat to this move would be Zaniolo’s current dip in form, having only scored one goal all season.

However, we believe that working under a manager like Conte, combined with the excitement of working in Europe’s highest-ranked league (as per UEFA’s association club coefficient), could reignite a spark in the midfielder’s game.

His physicality is also a bonus given that Zaniolo stands at a lofty 6 foot 3 and has been called ‘physically imposing’ by members of the media, seemingly making him tailor-made for a move to England.

Newcastle United target Matheus Franca has been hailed as a player with real talent amid the January transfer reports by Sky Sports’ South American expert, Tim Vickery.

What’s the latest?

The Magpies have been linked with a potential swoop for the Flamengo youngster this month as Eddie Howe looks to strengthen the fight on Tyneside for a spot in the Champions League.

And the reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has now claimed he is expecting the Magpies to begin their push for the 18-year-old again in the coming days.

Franca has only made 25 appearances for the Brazilian side in which he has been able to find the back of the net on six occasions (via Transfermarkt).

And despite the majority of those appearances coming from the bench, Vickery has been left wowed by the youngster from what he has seen in his early stages of his career in Brazil:

(27:50) “He’s an attacking midfielder. And there is real talent there. He’s very strong on the ball. He’s got a lovely dip in the shoulder.

“As I’m saying Flamengo are the experts at this model. They sell promises. They sold Vinicius Jr. They sold Lucas Paqueta, they sell promises in order to bring back players from Europe.

“They have a very strong team Flamengo. They are the champions of South America. It’s hard for Matheus Franca to get a game when they’re at full strength. So I think Flamengo would be open to selling him but they want money for him.”

One for the future

The Magpies are flying high this season in the Premier League with a real grasp on the top four following their bright start to the 2022/23 campaign.

However, Eddie Howe has expressed his belief that this month’s transfer window may be restrained by their need to adhere to the FFP regulations.

With this in mind, it does seem as if big money moves for their believed target James Maddison could be put back until the summer window where funds may be more accessible for the Toon.

And given the funds for big moves this month may not be there, this is seemingly providing PIF with an opportunity to build for the future through young prospects such as Franca.

Newcastle have already seen Garang Kuol arrive on Tyneside following his signing over the summer after the Australian was identified as a potential star of the future by Newcastle.

But it will be interesting to see whether the potential signing of Franca would see the Brazilian play a part in Howe’s squad for the remainder of the campaign if he is to join.

Having played so few games in his homeland, and of such a young age, it would make a lot of sense if the Magpies were to loan him back to Flamengo or to find him a possible short-term deal with a European side as they’re seemingly doing with Kuol.

Journalist Ashley Preece spotted Unai Emery’s moment of ‘anger’ during Aston Villa’s impressive Premier League victory away to Tottenham.

The Lowdown: Brilliant win for Villa

The Villans faced a tough task on Sunday afternoon, making the trip to a Spurs side who are looking to finish in the Champions League places this season.

Emery’s side picked up a thoroughly deserved 2-0 win, however, with Emiliano Buendia and Douglas Luiz scoring the goals for the visitors as they completely stifled and outplayed their hosts in the second half.

It was a third victory in four games for the Spaniard as Villa manager, but that’s not to say that he was happy with everything he saw in north London.

The Latest: Emery’s moment of ‘anger’

Writing on Twitter on Monday, Preece, who was in north London to cover the match, spotted Emery’s ‘anger’ at one piece of showboating from Buendia:

“Emery’s anger at Buendia’s rabona pass epitomises his sky-high standards.”

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The Verdict: Top-class manager

This is exactly the type of thing you like to see from a manager and it showcases Emery’s search for perfection and professionalism in his Villa players.

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While it is nice to see footballers express themselves, there is a time and place for it and away at a ‘big six’ club is not that, so Buendia was rightly lambasted by his manager in the process.

This has been a hugely encouraging start by Emery and incidents such as these will help Villa become a more formidable opponent moving forward, with a win at home to Wolves on Wednesday night hopefully up next.

Tottenham Hotspur will unlikely be able to sign Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie in January, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Tottenham target Kessie

Spurs recently emerged as the most likely party to sign Kessie if his current club decide to sell him this winter, although there are several offers on the table, as per Spanish sources.

However, a fresh claim has come to light which indicates that the 25-year-old could be set to remain with the La Liga club, at least for the remainder of this campaign.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones played down the rumours linking the Ivorian with a Premier League move.

The journalist said in relation to Spurs’ recent transfer links with the player: “I think a cheeky bid for Kessie in January would probably be a waste of time to be honest.

“He’s basically chasing a dream here. And I think he’ll give it the rest of the season before he even contemplates going anywhere else.”

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The Verdict: Blow for Tottenham

Once lauded as ‘fantastic’ by Serie A analyst Matteo Bonetti, the £69k-per-week earner would provide depth for Antonio Conte in Tottenham’s midfield engine room, providing a more defensive option to compete for a starting berth with the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

His acumen in cutting out opposition attacks is highlighted by an average of 1.62 blocks per game over the past year, placing him in the 86th percentile compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues.

He is not limited to defensive contributions either, as indicated by his match average of 2.85 touches in the attacking penalty area (95th percentile), so he appears to offer a well-rounded package.

While it seems that the Ivorian enforcer currently wants to make a name for himself at Barcelona, Spurs should continue to monitor him over the winter, as his multi-faceted attributes would surely be of great use to the north London club in their push for Champions League football.

Tottenham Hotspur could lose one of their prized assets in the near future.

According to reliable football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, young midfielder Nile John is attracting interest from Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion, as well as from abroad.

If the north Londoners aren’t careful, then they could have another Marcus Edwards situation on their hands.

The former Hotspur Way graduate left the club for a nominal fee back in September 2019 in a deal that has already stung the side as the English dynamo scored against Spurs in a recent Champions League clash between the two sides this season.

Edwards joined Portuguese giants Sporting CP from Vitoria just 18 months after leaving N17 and is worth around £52m, thanks to his release clause, according to Report (via The Sun).

Brighton are a great club for emerging young talent, so if they were to sign Nile, he’d undoubtedly become a future star, just like Edwards over in Portugal.

Gold has previously waxed lyrical over the 19-year-old gem, claiming that he has “great feet” and possesses “real quality.”

The London-born teenager is said to be skilful on the ball and have bundles of energy, so he could well be the attacking midfielder that Spurs have been longing for, for quite some time.

If Spurs were able to keep hold of him, then manager Antonio Conte could save chairman Daniel Levy millions in the transfer market, given the need for more attacking midfield options.

The club have been starved of talent in this role ever since the departure of Christian Eriksen in early 2020. The likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli have all departed the club already and neither of the Italian’s current options appear to be up to scratch for a no.10-like presence.

Therefore, Levy and co must do all they can to keep hold of John heading into 2023 and beyond.

AND in other news, Paratici could land Spurs’ next Kulusevski with January swoop for “fearless” £60m gem…

Journalist and Sunderland supporter Josh Bunting was critical of Bailey Wright after the Black Cats defender’s mistake cost his team a goal on Friday night.

The Lowdown: Wright mistake

With Tony Mowbray’s side 2-0 up with less than 15 minutes to go against Birmingham in their Championship clash, he would have expected his team to see out the match without any unnecessary pressure.

However, a miskick from Wright in his own penalty box allowed Lukas Jutkiewicz to score for the home side, making the final few minutes very nervy for the visitors.

The Latest: Bunting critical of Wright

Despite the hard-fought win for Sunderland, Bunting was critical of Wright’s mistake, claiming that it was a ‘huge’ one and a ‘poor’ piece of play from the Australia international.

The journalist tweeted: “Poor from Bailey Wright and he knows that, a player with that experience just has to do so much better with that. That’s a huge mistake at a vital moment to make. Daniel Ballard coming back after the World Cup is going to give this team such a lift and a boost.”

The Verdict: Not his best night

Wright will know that he made a mistake which ultimately could have cost his team the three points if Birmingham were more ruthless in front of goal, having had 22 shots in total to Sunderland’s six.

Aside from his error, the Black Cats defender lost out on five of his eight duels and made no interceptions or tackles, giving possession away 10 times (SofaScore).

Having had just 34 touches of the ball in total, Wright lost it every 3.4 touches on average, showing how shaky he was at times in possession.

Nonetheless, the 30-year-old will not let his performance affect him unduly, as he now heads to the World Cup in Qatar with Australia, necessitating a quick refocus.

Sunderland return to action in the Championship on Saturday as they take on Burnley at the Stadium of Light with the aim of bouncing back from their last outing in the division.

Tony Mowbray’s side lost 2-0 to his former side Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park and that result has left the club sitting 13th in the table as it stands.

The Black Cats had only lost one of their last six prior to their clash in Lancashire and they will now be looking to avoid back-to-back defeats as they take on Vincent Kompany’s men.

Mowbray may look to shake his team up after a disappointing defeat last time out and one player he must now unleash from the start is central midfielder Abdoullah Ba.

Elliot Embleton started in that position against Rovers but struggled to impress as he recorded a SofaScore rating of 6.6, making one tackle, interception, and block combined, whilst being dribbled past once in 64 minutes.

Ba came on for him and caught the eye in his 26 minutes of action. The Frenchman won 100% (3/3 and 1/1) of his individual duels and attempted dribbles, whilst completing one tackle and not allowing a single player to dribble past him.

His former boss Paul Le Guen previously claimed that he has “similarities” with Paul Pogba, Lassana Diarra, and N’Golo Kante, saying: “Of course, he still has a long way to go to reach the heights of these three, but I believe he has the potential and strength to become a star on the pitch.”

The 19-year-old may not play like a Pogba or a Kante yet but he seemingly has the scope to get there in the future and Mowbray must now see how he deals with starting a Championship match at his age.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig once described him as a “pearl” and hailed his attack-minded player from midfield on his website, writing:

“[A] player that always tries to find a vertical option in his game with dribbling, progressive runs, and passes/very capable of pushing his team forward to finishing positions.”

This suggests that he could help Sunderland to progress through the lines against Burnley, whilst his statistics off the bench against Blackburn show that he is strong defensively and can provide a shield in front of the defence.

Therefore, Mowbray must forget Embleton and finally unleash the French gem – who has only made five appearances as a substitute so far this season – from the start against the Clarets.