All posts by z3u9t.icu

Mohamed Salah’s recent comments about finishing his career at Liverpool have put a lot of pressure on FSG, according to James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Salah wants to stay for good

The Egyptian King was again unstoppable on Sunday afternoon, scoring a hat-trick the Reds’ unforgettable 5-0 win away to Manchester United.

There is constant speculation surrounding Salah’s long-term future but he recently claimed that, in an ideal world, he would stay at Liverpool forever. The 29-year-old made it clear that the decision over a new-and-improved contract lies with FSG and not him, putting the ball in their court.

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The Latest: Pearce makes FSG claim

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic on Sunday, Pearce said it is now up to the owners to sort out the situation, delivering an 11-word response to a reader’s question.

When asked if Salah had “checkmated” FSG by saying that he wants to stay at the club for the rest of his career, putting it up to the club to sort out a new contract for him, the journalist replied: “Certainly puts the pressure on the owners to get it sorted.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

Frankly, if Salah isn’t rewarded with a new deal after the level of performances he is producing, FSG will never be forgiven.

Liverpool have the world’s best player in their ranks on current form – he has scored 10 goals and registered five assists in just nine Premier League games this season – and he deserves to be paid far more than his current £200,000 weekly wage.

Granted, it isn’t always healthy to have one player earning comfortably more than anyone else at a club, but Salah is a special case because of his extraordinary talent. As Pearce says, the pressure should come on FSG to not let the impasse fester for much longer.

In other news, Liverpool are thought to be eyeing up a move for one exciting player. Find out who it is here.

Alisson Becker was frustrated that red smoke clouded his view during the first half of Liverpool’s FA Cup semifinal clash with Manchester City. 

The lowdown

Liverpool scored two goals in the first 17 minutes against Pep Guardiola’s side, with Ibrahima Konate netting a header from a corner before Sadio Mane charged down goalkeeper Zak Steffen and bundled the ball home.

The Reds were attacking the City end during the first half, with their own supporters watching from the opposite end of Wembley.

Fans threw red ‘pyro’ towards the pitch in celebration, and it left Liverpool’s starting ‘keeper Alisson ‘completely wreathed in red smoke’, potentially causing a distraction and restricting his visibility.

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The latest

The Liverpool Echo’s chief LFC writer, Ian Doyle, said Alisson wouldn’t be ‘too impressed’ with the obstruction caused by the flare.

And The New York Times’ Chief Soccer Correspondent, Rory Smith, made a similar observation, noting that the 29-year-old ‘doesn’t look desperately happy’ about the situation.

The verdict

Alisson actually endured a tricky first half, even as Liverpool stormed into a three-goal lead.

He misplaced eight passes during the first 45 minutes, including six of the 10 long balls he attempted (via SofaScore).

Liverpool writer Paul Tomkins insisted that, while the £150,000-per-week Brazilian was an ‘incredible goalkeeper’, his kicking had not been ‘as consistent lately’.

It’s hard to say whether the smoke was a significant factor, but it certainly can’t have been an assistance.

In other news, Liverpool are keen on this Real Madrid ace with PL experience.

As per Football Insider, former England number one Paul Robinson believes that Nathaniel Phillips is more likely to be allowed to leave Liverpool than Joe Gomez, amid strong interest from West Ham.

The Lowdown: West Ham’s centre-back crisis

West Ham are now running short in the defensive department due to injuries sustained by centre-backs Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma.

Ogbonna is expected to be out for the rest of the season after suffering from a cruciate ligament rupture on the 7th of November, whilst Zouma sustained a hamstring tendon injury during the Hammers’ 3-2 victory against Chelsea.

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The 27-year-old Frenchman is especially important to West Ham’s defensive success, as he leads the team’s statistics with 5.2 clearances and 0.5 offsides won per game. The Italian defender also deploys the high-line to perfection, sitting second with 0.4 offsides won per game.

As a result of this huge blow to David Moyes’ plans, Liverpool player Phillips has been shortlisted as a January transfer target, and it is believed that a fee around £12m would be enough to secure his services.

The Latest: Robinson reacts to Phillips links

As reported by Football Insider, Robinson, a regular pundit on Sky Sports, believes that there is more chance of Phillips leaving Liverpool in the January window than Gomez. The former Spurs keeper said: “Phillips has got more chance of leaving than Gomez has, that’s for sure.

“I still think a deal will be difficult to do though given the injury crisis Liverpool had last season.

“Phillips was brilliant at the end of last season but whether he is of the same level as Zouma and Ogbonna, I would question that.

“It’s an area that Moyes probably need to address though.”

The Verdict: Phillips a possibility

The Sunday Mirror have reported (as shared by Football Insider) that the Reds will block any attempt at luring Gomez away from Anfield.

However, it is understood that Jürgen Klopp will listen to offers for the 6 foot 3 Phillips, who is deemed to be lower in the pecking order at Liverpool. This could open up the possibility of the 24-year-old making the switch in January.

The Englishman may not be as technically gifted as Zouma and Ogbonna, exemplified by not having made a key pass when playing in the League cup this season, but Klopp has hailed his heading ability, saying that “in the air, he’s a monster!”

Therefore, Phillips may just be the perfect addition to help reduce West Ham’s defensive crisis and simply add a bit more depth and solidity where Moyes needs it most.

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard could sign the club’s modern-day successor to John Carew in towering Genk striker Paul Onuachu.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks had suggested that the Premier League side are interested in making a move for the 6 foot 7 man-mountain, and now, The Express and Star’s Luke Hatfield has thrown his backing behind a potential move.

He said: “Yeah, I mean, any player of that stature certainly does that (brings a presence to both penalty areas).”

Shades of John Carew

When Carew was in his pomp at Villa Park, Premier League defences were left bullied and terrified by the Norwegian’s incredible combination of power and technique.

Just like the former Valencia man – who scored 48 goals in 131 games for Villa – Onuachu is a real handful up front, with his natural height and physicality making him an unsurprising threat in the air especially.

Three of his 12 strikes this season in the Belgian top-flight have come from headers, while he wins a monstrous 62% of his duels in the air – to put that into context, Tyrone Mings wins just a touch more at just 66%.

The £19.8m-rated forward, was once dubbed a “goal king” by former Wimbledon star John Fashanu, while Alexander Scholz, Onuachu’s former teammate at FC Midtjylland, once claimed he was “impossible to beat.”

Onuachu’s profile makes him completely different to what Gerrard currently has at his disposal in the likes of Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings, and could give Villa a hugely imposing option off the bench or even to challenge for a starting spot.

It’s been so long since Villa fans watched Carew run riot at Villa Park. Onuachu’s arrival would give them another battering ram-like striker to idolise once again.

Meanwhile, Villa can finally replace Idrissa Gueye by signing this star…

This has been a seriously impressive winter for Aston Villa as Steven Gerrard sinks his teeth into a transfer market while manager of the Midlands club for the first time.

Lucas Digne and Philippe Coutinho are the marquee additions but in the mind of Johan Lange, there is more work to be done before the window slams shut.

What’s the word?

This has been a rather momentous 24 hours in the world of Villa’s recruitment team if you believe reports.

They are still very much interested in Yves Bissouma while an offer has even been tabled for Luis Suarez according to sources in Spain.

If that wasn’t enough, they’ve now been urged to make a move for another superstar plying his trade in the Spanish capital; Eden Hazard.

That’s the word of former Dutch star Johan Boskamp who told Het Nieuwsblad, via Sport Witness: “I really hope he changes clubs this winter

“Then maybe he can play 25 games in the next few months. Because if he stays at Real, I don’t think he will play many more games this season.

“And then the World Cup is coming up. It’s a tricky situation. I don’t dare say Chelsea are the answer.”

Boskamp continued: “Eden plays better in a team that has the ball. So I don’t know if he fits into coach Thomas Tuchel’s plans. He has also brought back Lukaku, and that is not going well either.

“They could also loan Eden to Aston Villa or another club. It doesn’t matter where; he just has to play. That’s the most important thing.”

Time to revive Hazard

The Belgian sensation has rather gone off the rails since swapping Chelsea for Real Madrid but there is no denying that he is still a remarkable player.

He has scored just five goals in 59 outings since a mega £89m move back in 2019 but the fact of the matter is that Hazard is someone who not only knows English football inside out, but is a player who performed spectacularly during his time at Chelsea.

The 31-year-old racked up a supremely high volume of 110 goals while contributing a seriously impressive tally of 92 assists as well.

In the process, Hazard won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and also took home two Europa League trophies.

It was his performances that played a massive hand in securing those honours and he was met with some eye-catching praise as a result.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp hailed him as a “special” player, while others mentioned the forward in the same breath as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Furthermore, he has been compared to one of the greats we’ve seen on English shores. Christophe Dugarry once said of the Belgium international: “He’s faster than Zidane, more technique than Thierry Henry.”

Of course, his stock has fallen since those appraisals, so much so that Madrid reportedly accepted a €40m (£33m) proposal from Newcastle for his services, only for the player to reject them.

With that in mind, he may well reject any potential advance from Lange and co too, but a six-month stint alongside Coutinho is surely attractive for Hazard.

His star isn’t burning quite so bright as it was but he is still special and there is never any reason to question his technique.

A fifth deal of the winter when you consider incomings and outgoings, specifically Hazard, is unlikely for Villa but if a deal can be struck, he’d be quite the coup.

AND in other news, Sky Sports journo drops exciting AVFC transfer update on live TV, fans surely buzzing…

Liverpool striker Divock Origi is increasingly close to joining AC Milan this summer, with the Serie A club’s board giving the ‘green light’ for the move.

The Lowdown: Origi leaving this summer

The Belgian seems a certainty to move on from the Reds at the end of this season, with his current deal expiring at that point.

Origi has been a spectator for much of the 2021/22 campaign, making just five starts in all competitions and finding himself well down the attacking pecking order.

He has been constantly linked with a summer move to Milan and it looks like a matter of time until it is completed now.

The Latest: Milan move edges closer

According to TuttoMercatoWeb [via Sport Witness], ‘the green light has arrived from the board’ of Milan, as he looks set to seal a transfer to Italy.

It is claimed that ‘only the signature is missing’ and that an ‘agreement’ has been reached, bringing an end to an unforgettable spell at Liverpool for Origi.

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The Verdict: One last legendary moment?

The 26-year-old have may become more of a bit-part player by the year but he will always be remembered for scoring some truly iconic goals for the Reds, from Everton to Barcelona.

With Liverpool still battling for an unprecedented quadruple, the hope is that Origi has one last huge moment in him – one that further enhances his legend at Anfield.

It would be a fitting way to end for him, only strengthening the argument that he is one of the Reds’ all-time great cult heroes.

In other news, David Ornstein has dropped a key Liverpool transfer update. Read more here.

A number of Wolves supporters have lauded Fabio Silva’s influential performance for Portugal Under-21s in their emphatic 11-0 win over Liechtenstein.

Another international break is now in full flow, halting the Premier League season in frustrating fashion for most fans.

It came at the wrong time for Wolves, in particular, with Bruno Lage’s side picking up some form, having won consecutive games against Southampton and Newcastle United.

One player who has been in impressive form for his country this week is Silva, who started for Portugal U21s on Thursday evening.

The 19-year-old scored and assisted twice apiece in the 11-0 rout of Liechtenstein, perhaps picking up some confidence, having failed to make a league start for Wolves this season.

Wolves fans hail Silva

It was an impressive performance from Silva, albeit against weak opposition, and these Wolves fans took to Twitter to show their appreciation for him.

“MY GOATTTTTT”

Credit: @Samwwfc_

“Fabio getting a chance and doing a madness? Couldn’t see that one happening”

Credit: @_KKWWFC

“My wonder kid”

Credit: @Wolvoryan04

“My star boy”

Credit: @jshwwfc

“Get in Fabs”

Credit: @oliviaashley

“Fabio Silva with a goal and 2 assists already? What a talent we have man”

Credit: @tylerwwfc

In other news, some Wolves fans have reacted to an update regarding one player. Find out who it is here.

Rangers have experienced the highs and the lows of the transfer market over the years and Ross Wilson is the latest chief at Ibrox to navigate his way through the windows.

He has pulled off some impressive deals, including the signings of Leon Balogun, Ianis Hagi and Joe Aribo, but he has also been culpable for signings such as Cedric Itten and Amad Diallo. This illustrates how difficult it can be to have a high success rate as you can never guarantee that a player will come good.

Whilst you can look at moves over the years and judge whether they were the right ones or not, you can also look back at players the Gers wanted and failed to get.

One famous player the club missed out on a deal for was Barcelona teenager Lionel Messi. The Gers reportedly enquired about a swoop when he was 17 in 2004 and did not take it any further after they were unable to secure a loan, with the Glasgow giants seemingly not exploring the chances of a permanent move.

Thankfully, the Argentine winger didn’t amount to much and hasn’t been heard of on the world stage since… right?

Well… not exactly. The forward was valued at just £2.7m by Transfermakt at the time of Rangers’ enquiry, which – for some context – is less than Fashion Sakala (£3.6m), Amad Diallo (£16.2m) and Kemar Roofe (£3.6m) are worth now.

Since then, he has won just the seven Ballon d’Or trophies and scored 680 goals for Barcelona and PSG combined, whilst also providing 314 assists. He scored 474 goals and manage 216 assists in 520 La Liga outings for the Catalan giants, winning four Champions League titles along the way for the Spanish side.

By the age of 30, Transfermarkt valued Messi at a whopping £162m. Rangers, meanwhile, have a total squad value of £118.85m, which illustrates how big of a talent the Argentine icon has been throughout his career.

His former Barcelona teammate Carles Puyol previously dubbed him an “alien” and legendary manager Jose Mourinho called him the “god of football”, with his out-of-this-world career statistics backing up the praise. He has dominated football throughout his time on the pitch and Rangers missed out on the chance to watch him play for the Light Blues.

Imagine Lionel Messi in a Gers kit firing in goals with his left foot at Ibrox, even if it was just for one season… it is the stuff of dreams and it could have been a reality. One that got away…

AND in other news, Gvb now plotting Rangers swoop for “exceptional” monster, he’d be a bargain “diamond”…

An update has emerged on Sevilla gem Diego Carlos, regarding Newcastle United’s interest in his services…

What’s the talk?

According to The Telegraph, the Brazilian defender is one of a number of players on the club’s list of potential centre-back signings.

The report claims that Eddie Howe wants a mobile player in that position who can play with the ball at his feet, with Carlos on his list of targets.

Coloccini 2.0

Eddie Howe must complete a deal to sign the £40k-per-week La Liga defender as he could be a superb addition to the side.

He has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.12 for Sevilla this term, making 1.8 tackles and interceptions per game and winning 64% of his duels. This is an improvement from the 1.6 tackles and interceptions and duel success of 53% he managed last season, showing an improvement over the past 18 months.

Does a South American centre-back who loves a challenge remind you of anyone? By signing Carlos from the Spanish side, Howe could land the next Fabricio Coloccini for Newcastle. The Argentine defender played over 200 times for the Magpies in the top-flight and the ex-Bournemouth coach could find the club’s new long-term defensive boss this window.

Spanish football analyst Domagoj Kostanjšak previously lauded the Sevilla destroyer, saying:

“He’s a really physical player – he’s built like a tank and they don’t call him ‘The Beast’ for no reason. He’s really good in the air and he’s decent on the ball as well – you have to be under Julen Lopetegui.

“He’s been in my top three or four centre-backs in Spain this season, along with Raphael Varane and Inigo Martinez – he’s been a bit of a revelation. He’s playing the best football of his career and he immediately settled in. I would say there is a shade of Kalidou Koulibaly about him – not the same quality, of course, but I would compare him to him.”

This suggests that he has the physical strength required to deal with Premier League forwards. Kostanjšak’s comment on Carlos’ ball-playing skills also shows that he fits the profile of player Howe wants for his side, as he is capable of playing out from the back and starting attacks with his passes. 

Therefore, he could be the perfect signing for Newcastle in January. He has proven himself to be a top performer in La Liga and could arrive to help the Magpies to more clean sheets in the second half of the season, with the potential to be at the club for many years to come – much like Coloccini was.

AND in other news, Howe can seal “absolute treat” for NUFC in swoop for monster who’s “Beckenbauer level”…

With the next January window on the horizon and Newcastle United currently finding themselves in a relegation battle, this could provide their new owners with the chance to improve their squad for the remainder of the campaign.

Taking this into account, it seems as though the Tyneside club are positioning themselves to make a swoop for a player who will be fairly familiar to a lot of Premier League followers.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Juve Live (via Sport Witness) that Newcastle are in pole position to make a swoop for Juventus and former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey during the upcoming January transfer window.

During his time with Arsenal, the midfielder, who is currently valued at £9m according to Transfermarkt, made a total of 371 appearances with the north London club across all competitions in which he managed to score 65 goals and provide 65 assists in the process with 40 of those goals coming in the 262 Premier League games he played in.

Since joining Juventus back in 2019, the 30-year-old, who has been described as an “intelligent” player by his teammate Federico Chiesa, has made 70 appearances for the Turin club across all competitions, scoring six goals and providing six assists along the way.

In terms of a potential move to Newcastle in January, this could be a great piece of business from the Tyneside club and their new owners to add a player to their current squad with such experience who could be a big help for some of their younger midfield options such as Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff.

Ramsey’s potential arrival could also provide Howe with the next version of Yohan Cabaye at St James’ Park, who often proved to be a goalscoring threat from midfield, having scored 18 goals and provided 14 assists in 93 appearances for the Toon between 2011 and 2014.

If the Wales international were to join Newcastle in January and become a useful attacking threat for Howe’s side, this could be just what they need to help push them away from the relegation zone and in the Premier League next season.

In other news – Offer on the table: PIF working to land NUFC deal for beast which will leave fans buzzing…