All posts by h716a5.icu

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany has 'emerged as a leading contender' for the Tottenham Hotspur job and would be interested in joining.

Who could replace Conte at Spurs?

Ever since former boss Antonio Conte departed the club by mutual consent recently, there have been a succession of both in-work and free agent managers linked to replacing him.

Chairman Daniel Levy is set to begin the club's hunt for a managerial successor off the field, with both Cristian Stellini and assistant coach Ryan Mason tasked with helping Spurs to a top four Premier League finish. Mauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann, Luis Enrique and Zinedine Zidane are among their targets for the role and many more appear to enter the frame on a consistent basis.

There have been reports of serious interest in Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner, for example, meanwhile Roberto De Zerbi of Brighton and Thomas Frank of Brentford are being eyed from closer to home.

Even Kompany, who has no experience managing in the English top flight, has been linked with taking over from Conte at Spurs.

What's the latest on Kompany to Spurs?

Now, a report by The Sun has shared some news on the 36-year-old potentially coming to Tottenham, with the newspaper describing him as a new 'leading contender' to become their new boss.

Furthermore, it is claimed that Kompany 'would be interested' in taking the job, with Levy personally thought to be impressed by his brilliant work at Burnley and exciting brand of football.

The Sun also relay that Spurs are putting together a shortlist with Nagelsmann, Pochettino, Enrique, Frank and Marco Silva all in the running to succeed Conte.

Could he do the job?

Kompany is a Man City legend and stood out as a pivotal figure during his time at Eastlands, with boss Pep Guardiola describing him as an 'incredible' and 'important' figure.

His Burnley side are seriously impressing and are on course to bounce straight back up at the first time of asking, all while scoring more goals and conceding fewer than any other second tier side.

Kompany's men have dominated that division with an entertaining brand of football and Burnley's imperious season arguably highlights their manager as one of Europe's most exciting young tacticians.

However, a job the size of Spurs could come to soon for the former City star, and we believe it is far more wise for him to continue his work at Turf Moor than jump into the chaos currently engulfing north London.

Arsenal may well be fighting atop the Premier League, enjoying a season that could well go down in history, but the pedigree of their title rivals cannot be forgotten.

Manchester City have been in this position countless times before, pushed to their limit by Liverpool only to surpass them on almost every occasion. They are a relentless machine, which would make this potential league victory all the more special.

There are so many moving parts and romantic storylines that have invested the country in this battle. With Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola, it offers a 'student becomes the master' dynamic, as two Spaniards boasting great tactical minds come together.

However, no matter what the conclusion of this campaign brings, one thing is for certain. The former Barcelona man will be keen to ensure there is no such scrap next year.

He will invest heavily, looking to build around his already phenomenal squad with further quality to allow them to challenge on all fronts once again. Therefore, if Arteta seeks to truly build a long-term dynasty at the Emirates, challenging for every honour too, he must seek to do the same.

Despite the rich talent running throughout the current squad, the exploits of some of their former players cannot be overlooked in relation to their most impressive recent assets. The mercurial midfielder Santi Cazorla springs to mind, with his potential successor, Gabri Veiga, seemingly keen on a move to north London.

Who is Gabri Veiga?

The tricky 20-year-old has burst onto the scene for Celta Vigo this season, scoring goals for fun in La Liga and deservedly earning links to some top teams, having been mentioned amongst many Premier League clubs who are seeking to bolster their midfield ranks tenfold.

But with a reported preference for Arsenal over the likes of Newcastle United and a €40m (£35m) release clause present, perhaps the Spanish contingent that has run through the club over the years could be a factor in his preference.

Cazorla stands out as the shining example of such a figure, with his ability remembered fondly by many fans of the Premier League.

A silky customer, the 38-year-old was equally as adept with both feet and could score or assist from anywhere. His ability over a dead ball also became legendary by the end of his tenure, and he would score 29 and assist 45 across 180 appearances.

Having recorded 24 goal contributions in his debut campaign in England, the 5 foot 6 magician would see his career marred by injuries that often left him sidelined for long periods.

However, his impact clearly remains lasting.

In Veiga, there is precedent to believe he could be moulded in such an image, especially given his nine goals and three assists already in the league at such a young age.

Not only this, but when compared to other midfielders across Europe he ranks in the top 1% for non-penalty goals, the top 7% for progressive carries, and the top 2% for successful take-ons (via FBref).

Also branded "incredible" and "dangerous" by Spanish football expert Euan McTear, this equally talented midfielder has all the attributes to emulate Cazorla's brilliance and help maintain their place at the top of English football.

Aston Villa host Bournemouth in the Premier League this afternoon as they attempt to head into the international break off the back of a win.

The Villans have won two of their last three matches in the division but were held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham United in their game last weekend.

Unai Emery's side took the lead through Ollie Watkins' header but Leon Bailey fouled Lucas Paqueta in the box and allowed Said Benrahma to equalise from the spot.

Despite being unbeaten in the last three outings, the Spanish head coach may look to freshen his team up in their last match before the break.

How will Aston Villa line-up against Bournemouth?

We predict that Emery will make three alternations to his starting XI. Firstly, Ashley Young could be recalled to start at right-back ahead of Matty Cash.

The Poland international lost 100% of his individual duels against the Hammers and the veteran – who has the third-highest Sofascore rating (6.92) in the squad – could come in to replace him after that weak display.

In midfield, John McGinn and Douglas Luiz could continue as the central midfield pairing as Boubacar Kamara continues to recover from his injury.

There could be two changes in the attacking areas, however, as Leon Bailey and Emi Buendia could find themselves on the chopping block.

Starting on the right, Bertrand Traore could be given a big opportunity to catch the eye to replace Bailey. The Jamaica international gave away a penalty against West Ham and has one goal and zero assists in his last 14 appearances, which could tempt the manager to take him out of the firing line.

Buendia, meanwhile, has one goal and zero assists in his last eight outings in the Premier League and has recorded a Sofascore rating of 6.5 or lower in four of those games. This could open the door for Jhon Duran, 19, to come into the team alongside Ollie Watkins at the top end of the pitch.

The dynamo, who talent scout Jacek Kulig once dubbed an aerial "threat", is yet to start his first league match for the club but scored eight goals and provided three assists in 14 MLS starts in 2022 and could offer more of an attacking threat than the Argentine playmaker.

Leeds United's board have been slammed by Simon Jordan over issues behind the scenes which could well be having an effect on the pitch.

What did Simon Jordan say about Leeds?

It has been another challenging season for the Whites who find themselves slumped in the bottom three of the Premier League table with just 12 games to go.

It still remains extremely tight around the bottom with two consecutive wins for Leeds potentially able to take them as high as 12th depending on results elsewhere.

However, issues behind the scenes surrounding the potential sale of the club to 49ers Enterprises have been questioned alongside other decisions made by the current owner.

Indeed, speaking on TalkSport, Jordan has questioned the behind-the-scenes running of the club and issues which may well be harming the club on the pitch:

"If you keep, a bit like Icarus, flying close to the sun, you're going to get burned in the end, aren't you? And you're now flying close to the sun again on the second season.

"And they haven't spent enormous amounts of money, but there's so much riding on this, you know, with Andrea [Radrizzani] probably going to leave the club if it stays in the Premier League with an acquisition structure that's in place, not possibly there if it's in the Championship.

"There's so much going on perhaps behind the scenes; you hear things about players that are being sold by one particular part of the football club that the other part of the football club may not want them to sell."

Is the Leeds board harming the club?

We have seen on numerous occasions that the club's sporting director, Victor Orta, has become involved in altercations with certain fans of the clubs at the games.

The Spaniard has, at times, been unable to keep his emotions in check which has seen him caught in the middle of some unprofessional incidents with the fans.

However, as mentioned by Jordan, if the board are selling certain players which others would have wanted to keep at the club, then of course there is the possibility for issues to arise on the pitch.

Leeds brought in a number of players this season but have not spent massively compared to others in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, they did see a lot of money come in through the sales of Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips last summer leaving the club with a net spend of just £28m (via Transfermarkt).

And this has been a major issue for the Whites in being able to bring some money back into the club through player sales.

Raphinha and Phillips aside, over the last two seasons, Leeds have brought in less than £1m in player sales and only a few million pounds through loan deals.

Naturally, that will limit any club's ability to spend and that could well be the reason why Leeds are struggling so much again this season with relegation a serious possibility.

And considering the club could potentially be sold if they are able to keep their Premier League status, relegation could have huge ramifications for the West Yorkshire club.

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Pablo Sarabia’s injury is ‘not expected to be serious’, according to journalist Liam Keen.

The Lowdown: Injury concerns

The Spaniard made the move to the Premier League from Paris Saint-Germain back in January and has made an instant impact at Molineux, though he’s recently been the subject of concern.

The Old Gold winger was noticeably missing from the match-day squad for the 2-1 defeat to Newcastle, with no confirmation beforehand that he’d had a problem, though a positive update has now emerged.

The Latest: Sarabia fitness update

Taking to Twitter, Keen relayed an update from Julen Lopetegui on Sarabia’s fitness after Sunday’s loss at St. James’ Park. He wrote:

“Lopetegui has confirmed Pablo Sarabia has an injury. He didn’t confirm what kind of injury, but I believe it’s his heel. The head coach also did not confirm how long he’ll be out, but it’s not expected to be serious.”

The Verdict: Boost for Lopetegui

Wolves are currently the joint lowest-scoring team in the division and need all the attacking help they can get, so Sarabia not facing a long spell on the sidelines will be a boost for Lopetegui.

The Madrid native already has one goal and a man-of-the-match award to his name and is averaging 1.4 shots per top-flight game (WhoScored).

The 30-year-old also has the flexibility to operate in an outstanding nine different positions so can play pretty much anywhere the manager requires him.

Sarabia will have a significant role to play in whether the Midlands outfit are able to maintain their top-flight status between now and the end of the season, and the boss will be delighted to have him back in the coming days and weeks.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy was spotted in Bahrain at the weekend having spoken to Jahm Najafi during the Formula One Grand Prix.

Why was Daniel Levy in Bahrain?

There are images to suggest Levy was at the Bahrain GP on the weekend to meet with Najafi who is a part of the McLaren Formula One team.

This comes on the back of the reports suggesting the Iranian billionaire could potentially be interested in the possibility of putting forward a proposal to purchase the north London club.

Meanwhile, back in the United Kingdom, Spurs were handed yet another blow in their turbulent season after tasting defeat on the road to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

However, speaking on his YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold has squashed the notion of a meeting between Levy and Najafi with the club suggesting it was all just part of Tottenham’s recent partnership with Formula One:

(56:15) “Spurs, as they would always do, very much maintaining that he’s only there as part of this freshly signed 15 year Formula One deal/partnership that Spurs have done. Which will bring various things including this go-karting track under the south stand.”

Will ENIC sell Spurs?

Despite reports emerging a few weeks ago suggesting the Lilywhites are being eyed by the Iranian billionaire, there have been more recent suggestions this may not be the case.

According to The Sun, there is now a belief that Najafi may have turned his attention elsewhere in the Premier League with Everton a potential option for the billionaire now.

So it does put the future of ENIC in north London in question with another potentially interested party seemingly turning their attention elsewhere.

But it would be interesting to hear what was said during their meeting on Friday in Bahrain with reports suggesting it was not in relation to the reports surrounding Spurs and Najafi.

This is almost hard to believe considering the publicity the reports picked up and the suggestions he has now turned his attention to Everton.

Regardless of what happens between the two parties, it has to be noted that there have now been two reports of potential interest in investing in Spurs since the turn of the year.

At the age of 86, and the frustration coming from the fans, it will be interesting to see whether Joe Lewis look to offload the club over the coming months.

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is mulling over continuing the club’s lucrative spending spree with a swoop for Napoli prodigy Khvicha Kvaratskhelia…

What’s the latest on Chelsea’s pursuit of Kvaratskhelia?

According to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, the Partenopei are preparing to double the wages of the man they signed only last summer, penning a five-year deal and departing Georgian outfit Dinamo Batumi.

Previously desired by Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea could look to increase the £550m spending spree and pump some attacking life back into the fold, with the Azzurri potentially holding out for as much as €100m (£87m) for one of their most coveted assets.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is reportedly moving swiftly to ensure his phenom is tied down for the long-term, but should Chelsea forge ahead with their interest, the allure of the Premier League and Stamford Bridge might be too great to resist.

Would Kvaratskhelia be “magic” for Chelsea?

Despite only costing Napoli a fee in the region of £10m, Kvaratskhelia is now one of the most touted forces in the world, part of a deadly offensive line in a Naples-based outfit that perches a remarkable 17 points clear after 24 Serie A matches this season.

And having plundered 12 goals and 15 assists from just 26 appearances this season, the 22-year-old is prolific in both direct potency and creative ingenuity; ferocious and unflinching.

Dubbed “magic” by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the former Rubin Kazan man’s average Sofascore rating of 7.38 in the league this term surpasses any player in the entire Chelsea squad, averaging 2.9 shots and making 1.6 key passes per game, creating a total of 11 big chances.

And with an 81% pass success rate and 1.4 tackles per outing, the robust nature of his game is a tantalising element, one which could leave him tailor-made for a starring role in the Premier League.

As per FBref, the Georgian, with ten goals from 19 international caps, ranks among the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers for goals, the top 1% for assists, the top 13% for shot-creating actions, the top 7% for progressive carries and the top 11% for successful take-ons per 90, and for a Blues team languishing in tenth place in the league and boasting just 23 goals from 24 matches, his inclusion could be invaluable to the club’s resurgence.

Liverpool gem Mohamed Salah is listed as a comparable player to the burgeoning ace, with the Egyptian’s phenomenal rate with the Reds leaving him among the pantheon of active forward talents; scoring 175 goals and assisting 72 more across 289 outings.

And with Salah averaging 3.1 shots and 1.7 key passes per match across the entirety of his career, as per WhoScored, Kvaratskhelia is clearly a machine of the same ilk, and already flourishing in one of Europe’s most deadly outfits, he could even transcend from the work that Salah has marvellously forged over the past years.

Quite simply, the £26k-per-week “genius” – as lauded by Carlo Garganese – is as dynamic as they come and offers a set of skills capable of unlocking the tightest of defensive lines and breaking the resolve of even the toughest opposition.

Given the sheer scope of the quality within Chelsea’s ranks, it appears a matter of when, and not if, the components will gel together and the cogs will start whirring at full force.

And with Kvaratskhelia arriving to ply his trade on English soil, Chelsea’s technical director Christopher Vivell would indeed land the wizardry and ‘magic’ of one of Europe’s most lightning-searing sensations to spearhead the new era.

Just imagine the havoc that would be wreaked in the Premier League…

Other than the obvious example of Declan Rice, West Ham have struggled to progress players from their academy into the first team in recent seasons.

However, Ben Johnson has shown over the last few years that he can now be considered a strong member of David Moyes’ squad at the London Stadium, with his market valuation continuing to soar.

How much is Ben Johnson worth now?

Since making his Premier League debut in the 2018/19 season, Johnson has gone on to make 79 appearances in total for the first team at West Ham, contributing two goals and one assist.

While he has featured mainly as a right-back, he has demonstrated impressive versatility in his career thus far, appearing in nearly every defensive and midfield position, so he is clearly a valued member of Moyes’ squad.

This season has seen the 23-year-old make 12 appearances in the Premier League, earning a 6.49 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This ranks him just behind Vladimir Coufal (6.53) and ahead of Thilo Kehrer (6.36) in West Ham’s squad, so it seems clear that the Englishman can be relied upon to be a big part of the Hammers’ defence in the future.

The youngster would earn plenty of praise from former goalkeeper Paul Robinson after he replaced Coufal in West Ham’s starting side back in 2021.

Robinson said: “It’s incredible because Coufal has been one of West Ham’s best players over the past 18 months.

“If you were Ben Johnson, you would have thought your only chance to play would be when Coufal was injured.

“But, Johnson’s performances have been of such merit that he deserves to be in the team. There is no doubt about that in my eyes. He has been absolutely brilliant since he has come in.”

There is little doubt that Johnson can be a big part of West Ham’s future if they can tie him down to a longer contract at the London Stadium, as his current deal is set to expire at the end of next season.

However, if he were to leave, the Hammers would be safe in the knowledge that he would command a sizeable fee, as his market value has shot up to €12m (£10.5m) according to Transfermarkt.

This represents a 1100% increase on the €1m (£876k) he was valued at back in 2020 when he first broke into West Ham’s team, a testament to his progression under Moyes.

Hopefully, for the Hammers, fellow academy players can look at Johnson’s journey into the first team and follow suit in the coming years, with the club undoubtedly striking gold with his marvellous development.

Journalist Liam Keen has criticised Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Nunes for his attitude and display during their defeat to Bournemouth.

How did Nunes play against Bournemouth?

Nunes has been one of Wolves’ standout players this season, and the summer signing has already been linked with a move to Liverpool.

However, in Wolves’ 1-0 loss to Bournemouth, he was far from his best, and completed just 78% of his passes as he gave the ball away carelessly on a number of occasions.

Speaking on the Express and Star Podcast, Keen claimed that his poor performance was not a reflection on his ability, but his mindset during the game.

“Matheus Nunes. I rate, he’s certainly a very good player, but he’s had peaks and troughs in a Wolves shirt. There were moments in that first half where he glided past the opposition and got into some good areas going forward. It was all a bit too easy for him,” he stated.

“At times when it is a bit too easy for him, he lets his guard down too much. And that’s what I felt like Wolves overall were doing, but I can use examples for him. His first touches, for a player of his quality, were so lackadaisical.

“The crossfield passes, and 10-yard passes that were totally out of bounds, were just not good enough unfortunately,  and it’s not because he isn’t good enough or doesn’t have the talent, it was that he was just allowing the game to pass him by, he knew he was better than the players around him.

“That’s a dangerous precedent to set. You cannot think that ‘right I’m head and shoulders above the players around me.’ And that’s what it looked like for me, and that meant that he got punished.”

Could Nunes leave in the summer?

Even if Wolves do survive the threat of relegation, it seems they may be resigned to losing captain Ruben Neves, who is in the final year of his contract, and losing Nunes as well would be a big blow.

Liverpool look ready to swoop in on the Portuguese midfielder, and his attitude in the Bournemouth defeat could be a worrying sign that he may push for a move if a bid comes in.

Nunes arrived at Wolves for around £38m, and whilst the club will likely make a profit on him if he moves on, losing two crucial central midfielders in the summer could be damaging, and may harm Julen Lopetegui’s chances of success next season.

The Spaniard has navigated Wolves away from the relegation zone, although there is still a long way to go before the end of the season with his side just three points clear of the drop.

Arsenal are still monitoring Real Valladolid youngster Ivan Fresneda ahead of the summer transfer window as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his squad.

What’s the latest on Ivan Fresneda to Arsenal?

In his daily briefing on CaughtOffside, Fabrizio Romano claimed that Arsenal are continuing to send scouts to monitor Fresneda despite missing out on him during the January transfer window.

The youngster has a release clause of €30m (£26m) which considering how highly rated he is, could prove to be a bargain for Arteta should he secure his signature in the summer.

Would Fresneda be an upgrade on Takehiro Tomiyasu?

Despite Arsenal sparkling for the majority of the Premier League campaign and leading the chase for what would be their first title since 2003/04, there are still some improvements to make regarding their starting XI.

The right-back slot is arguably the area under the most scrutiny, with Ben White – a natural centre-back – playing there for the majority of the season, with Takehiro Tomiyasu deputising when required.

The Japanese defender has been solid when called upon, making 1.3 tackles per game and winning 53% of his total duels while averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.66/10, however, his attacking input is poor, registering just one assist and creating only one big chance. Fortunately this is something Fresneda could offer in abundance.

Indeed, this season has seen the 18-year-old register more shot-creating actions (17 to ten), crosses (29 to nine), and touches in the attacking third (137 to 98) while succeeding with more take-ons (three to one) proving that he could offer Arteta a lot more going forward than Tomiyasu.

This doesn’t mean he shirks his defensive responsibilities, with the Spaniard displaying great maturity that has seen him already develop into one of the finest full-backs on the continent, as evidenced by FBref.

Fresneda ranks in the top 10% of positionally similar players across Europe’s big five leagues for tackles (3.39), interceptions (1.52), and clearances (3.16) per game, whereas Tomiyasu ranks outside the top 10% for all three metrics.

He has received substantial praise recently and none more so than from ESPN journalist David Cartlidge. He said: “Fresneda is a very special talent and any club will be lucky to sign him. He’s like a CM dropped in at full-back. Just over 6ft, athletic but above all excellent with the ball at his feet.”

Arteta is clearly looking to the future by scouting Fresneda, aiming to bring the average age of his squad down by signing young talent who have the potential to explode into life at Arsenal. The 18-year-old is certainly good enough to merit a spot in the starting XI, especially with his statistics this season and the 40-year-old will be hoping it’s second time lucky when the summer window opens.