All posts by n8rngtd.top

David Sullivan could deliver David Moyes a complete forward with a move to sign AC Sparta Prague’s in-demand Adam Hlozek this summer, after reports by Tuttosport, via Sport Witness, earlier this week claimed that West Ham United are among the hunt.

Hlozek has suitors all across Europe after catching the eyes of scouts with his efforts in the Fortuna Liga, and would likely have already taken the step to join an elite side were it not for a metatarsal fracture.

It is alleged that half of Europe and a quarter of Italy chased the 18-year-old sensation last year, and that he continues to have a wealth of admirers after returning to fitness this month.

Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are understood to be keen on offering Hlozek a move to the Bundesliga, while AC Milan, Juventus and SSC Napoli are eager to see the forward take the next step of his career in Italy.

West Ham are now the latest side to have eyes on Hlozek as he begins to prove his potential once again, after opening the season with four goals and five assists in six Fortuna Liga games before being consigned to the treatment room.

There are not thought to be many doubts over the 18-year-old regaining his form, while Juventus hope Pavel Nedved – now the Vice-President at the Allianz Stadium – can have an influence over his compatriot’s future.

Hlozek is likely to be the focus for many sides in the next transfer window with his current contract set to enter its final 12-months in June, although Sparta are already working on awarding the two-time Czech Republic international a new deal.

“We have already started negotiations on the extension of the contract,” Sporting Direct and former Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky told iSport recently.

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Hlozek has been a first-team player for Sparta Prague since 2018 and already has 78 appearances to his name, in which the forward has offered 17 goals and 18 assists across all competitions.

The 18-year-old needs to add one more goal to his tally to make the current regular Fortuna Liga campaign his most prolific to date, while penning a current-best eight assists last term.

Rosicky has previously lauded Hlozek as a “great talent” not only for Sparta but also the Czech national side, and believes the attacker can grow into becoming a successful player as he has the ambitions to go far in the game.

Hlozek is not afraid to say no to tempting offers, either, having snubbed opportunities to join Bayern Munich and Arsenal in his youth, even though a trial with the Bundesliga side at the age of 15 left such an impression on the Bavarian powerhouse that they considered it to have been one of the best ever from a player so young.

He is now considered to be one of the top-50 young talents in world football and described by iSport as a ‘complete player’ worth 324 million Czech Krona (£10.5m). A fee that would be higher were it not for his lengthy spell out injured.

Reports by Tuttosport also describe Hlozek as ‘one of the most promising strikers in Europe’, with his powerful physique, good technique and excellent shot creating ‘exponential’ room for growth.

It remains to be seen if West Ham move for Hlozek in the summer and can edge-out the vast rival interest, but Sullivan would seemingly deliver Moyes a truly promising young forward.

AND in other news, West Ham have been tipped to sign a 12-goal striker who is “Moyes’ type”…

Aston Villa could hire their perfect Dean Smith successor in Rangers manager Steven Gerrard.

What’s the story?

The Villa boss has played a huge role in restoring the Midlands club back to the Premier League, earning promotion from the Championship a couple of seasons ago before ensuring survival on the final day of last year’s campaign.

This season has seen Villa take that next step, with a summer spending spree seeing them well in the hunt for a European place for the following season.

Despite that, Football Insider claimed that Smith’s long-term future at the club is far from certain, and that chief executive Christian Purslow has “strong interest” in luring Gerrard to Villa Park.

The 40-year-old has just steered the Gers to a league title in Scotland, and it remains to be seen whether he would be interested in a move south of the border.

Dean Smith’s perfect successor

Despite it still being so early in his managerial career, Gerrard has already earned himself a place in Rangers folklore, ending Celtic’s quest for a tenth successive league title this season and bringing back a taste of the glory days at Ibrox.

He said: “It has been a challenge and a process. You speak to a lot of people in a lot of areas as a manager to try and improve and get as much experience as you can. But I am who I am. I was an emotional player, I wore my heart on my sleeve, I tried to give everything I could. I feel results and I want to try and be as authentic and real as I can and I wouldn’t want to change away from that because that wouldn’t be me…”

His management style has earned him rave reviews from those who have had the chance to work under him, including former Tottenham and England striker Jermain Defoe.

He said of Gerrard: “I don’t think it surprised me (his success) because he’s a winner. He always talks about Rangers standards, even if you are winning 6-0 or 7-0, the standards can’t drop. It’s not really surprised me he’s done well, to be honest.”

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Pinpointed by Juventus icon and manager Andrea Pirlo as one of Europe’s most exciting coaches, Gerrard could lead a new era at Villa Park were Smith to leave anytime soon.

Given his age, the 40-year-old Liverpool legend could build a real long-term project at Villa which sets up the club not just for the here-and-now, but for the long-term future too.

Meanwhile, Villa should swoop for this “unstoppable” Premier League star…

Will Celtic ever find themselves a new manager? For the Bhoys, it has been a meticulous but frustrating search for Neil Lennon’s successor.

Roy Keane was the first favourite but now Eddie Howe has surpassed him in the pecking order. Former Borussia Dortmund boss Lucien Favre also appears to be in the frame.

What’s the word?

One name touted with becoming the next Hoops boss in recent months has been Frank Lampard

He was sacked from his role with Chelsea in late January and is yet to find a new role in football.

Lampard has rarely spoken out since leaving the Blues but he revealed the latest on his future when speaking to Sky Sports this week.

Amid links to Celtic, he revealed that a number of teams had been in contact with him:

“I’ve had some opportunities that have come up in the last six weeks, two months, that have been flattering but not the right thing,” Lampard began.

The Englishman continued: “Nobody wants to lose their job and come out of the game you love, but at the same time, when you go into this career, this will happen, no matter how good you think you are or whatever circumstances you are in.”

Good news for Celtic

Plenty of complications have emerged in the club’s pursuit of Howe in recent days. Firstly, it was claimed that the 43-year-old would not return to management until the summer.

Secondly, issues have arisen regarding Celtic’s choice of director of football. A deal to bring Fergal Harkin in was reportedly 90% done but Howe wants his companion at Bournemouth, Richard Hughes, to be given the role instead.

The issue with that, according to Frank McAvennie, is that Hughes doesn’t want to come to Glasgow.

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With that in mind, Celtic will need to find an alternative. The Bhoys view Favre in that light but if they are yet to contact Lampard then they need to get on the phone right away.

If no communications have been made with the former midfielder then it can only be a good thing that he’s turned down advances.

We are yet to official hear word of a direct line of contact between Lampard and Dermot Desmond so it could be the case that he’s rejected offers from other clubs.

The 42-year-old would be an ideal fit for Celtic so should certainly be in the conversation. He worked well at Chelsea when he was unable to sign any players, taking them to a place in the Champions League despite a transfer ban.

He is also exceptional at working with young players. He brought through the likes of Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount, Reece James and Tammy Abraham at Chelsea, establishing them as first-team players.

This could be game-changing for a club like Celtic who haven’t been good at handing their reserve players many opportunities. Cameron Harper left for New York Red Bulls because of a lack of chances while Karamoko Dembele could leave too.

AND in other news, Move over Elyounoussi: Celtic star who made 107 passes was their unsung hero on Sat…

Amid all the uncertainty over Harry Kane’s future at Tottenham Hotspur, there could be a future striking star bubbling beneath the surface in north London.

The academy system at Spurs has developed plenty of forwards over the years, with the England skipper obviously being the most successful, and before him, it was Peter Crouch.

Many thought Troy Parrott would be the next up-and-coming sensation to hit the ground running at the club but that doesn’t appear to be the case as he continues to struggle during his spell on loan to League One outfit Ipswich Town.

Instead, the door may have opened for Dane Scarlett, the youngest-ever player to feature for Spurs.

After a superb cameo performance and goal assist from the bench against Wolfsberger AC in the Europa League, Jose Mourinho waxed lyrical about his long-term potential.

“He is a diamond, a kid with incredible potential,” said Mourinho to BT Sport after the match (via The Athletic). “He has worked many times with the first team and that gives him a different personality. He is still 16, 17 soon (in March) and I believe next season he will be a first-team squad player because he has a lot of talent.”

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That bodes well for his chances of progressing into Spurs’ next big thing as his boss has clearly already mapped out a first-team place for him next season, whereas the same remains to be seen for Parrott, who has scored just once across loan spells in the Championship and League One this season.

But what sort of role could he have under Mourinho? Well, he’s provided clues about that too, adding:

“He is a striker, a number nine, I have been playing him from the sides similar to Marcus Rashford and he is very clever.”

The Manchester United superstar burst through under Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford, but it was under Mourinho where he truly started to hit the headlines, and that is something the Englishman has noted in the past.

“My time under Jose was a massive learning period for me and I feel like I understood football in a different way to what I understood football before that,” revealed Rashford to Sky Sports (via the MEN). “His style of coaching might not have been perfect for me – but it definitely made me improve as a player and as a person as well.”

We may well have to wait until next season to see more of the 17-year-old prodigy, but evidently, Mourinho could well be about to unearth his next Rashford in Scarlett.

Just last month, the youngster signed his first professional deal, tying him to the club until 2023, so all the signs are pointing towards him having a big say in Spurs’ long-term future. That’s for sure.

AND in other news, Spurs could find Rodon’s perfect CB partner in £25m colossus…

Fans of Southampton have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which Saints relayed the comments of Ralph Hasenhuttl following the club’s loss to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.

Speaking after the 2-1 defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, Hasenhuttl stated his belief that it was “unbelievable” how many chances his side missed in the match, as well as the fact that the loss did not reflect “what the game was about,” although admitted that, in the end, it is about which team is “more clinical” and who are “not so stupid.”

Indeed, despite edging the number of shots on target in the match, a clumsy challenge by Moussa Djenepo in the dying moments of the game resulted in Saints leaving the fixture empty-handed, as the winger’s foul on Harry Winks was deemed by VAR to have occurred inside the penalty area, with Heung-min Son converting from the spot to seal the three points for Spurs.

However, after Southampton relayed the manager’s comments on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing furious with Hasenhuttl’s assessment of the match, so much so that a great number stated their belief that it is time for the club to sack the Austrian coach.

So, what exactly did these Southampton fans have to say in reaction to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s post-match comments?

“You’ve done it, I’m done with football now till Ralph has gone.”

@lord_champion

“How long does this go on for!?? Seriously. I remember the Branfoot era. You’re lucky fans aren’t in the ground. Pathetic.”

@Sam_Gibbo1885

“Excuse after excuse, enough is enough. It’s the same every game – it’s so predictable.”

@ryanrd1905

“It’s exactly the result we deserved because one more we were an absolute shambles in the 2nd half.”

@SaintStu19

“Seems to have absolutely no idea about how to turn this run around and his game management is Sunday league level, the club appears technically bankrupt at all levels currently.”

@subseasaint

“Your time is up, Ralph – you need to go. We’re all fed up hearing from you and losing too many games.”

@neiltay70524924

“He’s got to go.”

@LewisZebedee01

“LEAVE OUR CLUB.”

@Too_Jazzee

In other news: ‘Not something to be proud of’, ‘Gutless’ – These Saints fans rage at club’s ‘shambolic’ update – find out more here!

According to reports from Portugal, sources close to Jose Mourinho have rubbished the rumours that the manager left Tottenham Hotspur because of the club’s commitment to the newly-formed European Super League.

With the news of Mourinho’s sacking coming shortly after Tottenham confirmed that they are one of the six Premier League clubs who will be joining the European Super League, rumours began circulating on Twitter that the 58-year-old refused to lead Spurs training because of the club’s decision to join the newly-formed tournament.

However, according to TVI reporter Henrique Marques (via Sport Witness), sources close to Mourinho have revealed these claims are “absolutely false”, with the insiders adding that the manager would never refuse to work with his team.

Transfer Tavern Take

While the news of Mourinho’s sacking certainly came at a surprising time, even without the confirmation from the sources mentioned in the report, Tottenham’s results so far this season are more than enough justification for Daniel Levy to want rid of the 58-year-old.

At present, the north London side occupy a disappointing seventh place in the Premier League table, having also been dumped out of the Europa League last 16 by Dinamo Zagreb, as well as the FA Cup by Everton.

As such, it would very much appear as if the proof was in the pudding for Mourinho prior to his removal as Tottenham manager on Monday.

In other news: Spurs eye £21.75m swoop for 6 ft 5 powerhouse after Levy turns nose up at £36m deal – fine out more here!

Is this the season that Everton finally qualify for the Champions League again?

With a game in hand, a win there could take the Toffees to within three points of an illustrious fourth-placed finish.

What’s the word?

Carlo Ancelotti has worked wonders on Merseyside and it says a lot that he’s now got them on a level playing field with their local rivals.

Of course, that’s somewhat down to the Reds’ wretched campaign but the Toffees have been impressive themselves.

Should they qualify for Europe, it will be interesting to see who they look to secure in the transfer window.

Whoever they pursue, it’s unlikely to be a centre-back. That’s according to Marcus Bent who was speaking to This is Futbol over the weekend.

When asked whether they’d sign a central defender, he commented: “I don’t think so. I spoke to someone at the club during the week, and they’re not talking about getting a centre-half.

“They said they’ve got depth in the squad and they’re not going to be buying anyone in the transfer window.”

Koulibaly is a must

It doesn’t matter how much depth you have at centre-back, if a player like Kalidou Koulibaly is on the table, he simply has to be signed.

The Senegalese defender has long been one of the most imperious in Europe, so much so that even city rivals Liverpool have targeted him.

His stock has fallen somewhat over the last year but he’s still incredibly highly rated, valued at around £50m.

News broke last month that Ancelotti’s mission was to bring an elite defender to Goodison Park and in Koulibaly, a player that was linked earlier in April, they’d certainly find that.

In fact, they could secure their very own answer to Virgil van Dijk.

The Dutchman has missed a large portion of this season with injury but he has become imperative for Liverpool, turning into one of the best players in world football and guiding them to a historic Champions League and Premier League win in recent years.

In terms of impact on the field, Koulibaly could have a similar influence on Everton.

Speaking about the defender last year, goalkeeper Pepe Reina said: “The defender who gave me more security? In a moment, Koulibaly was something extraordinary. In the national team [it was] Sergio Ramos.”

To be compared to Ramos says it all. Though, if we evaluate the statistics, you’ll see just how much of a phenomenal defender he really is.

In terms of tackling, the 29-year-old Everton target is streets ahead of Van Dijk, winning two per game last season and 1.3 this term.

In comparison, the giant Dutch defender has only won 0.6 tackles per match in the last two campaigns.

In terms of interceptions, it’s a pretty level playing field with Koulibaly registering 1.2 per outing last season and Van Dijk 1.1. As well as catching the eye with their reading of the play, they are both supreme when it comes to bringing the ball forward and passing out from the back.

In fact, the Napoli defender is actually better in this regard, finding a teammate with 87.6% of his passes throughout his career. The Liverpool centre-back, meanwhile, has completed 86.6%.

At £50m, Koulibaly would certainly be costly, but it could take Everton to a brand new level.

Just imagine what he and Carlo Ancelotti could achieve together in Merseyside.

AND in other news, “That’s why they’re going to offload him” – Exclusive: Ex-Everton star drops Silva signing claim…

According to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown, writing on Twitter, Tottenham Hotspur have ‘already begun’ approaching managerial alternatives to Julian Nagelsmann and Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers.

Indeed, Nagelsmann was recently announced as the new Bayern Munich boss in a big blow to Spurs whilst Sky Sports report that Rodgers is more than likely to stay at Leicester.

Journalist says Spurs have ‘already begun’ approaches

The Star journalist says that chairman Daniel Levy has already begun scouring managerial alternatives and always considered Nagelsmann a tough ask.

These names include Ajax boss Erik Ten Hag and Ralph Rangnick, with the former having a glowing reputation when it comes to developing young stars.

Tottenham will need to quickly move in their hunt for a new boss as the club seek to put a forgettable 2020/2021 season behind them.

Spurs are facing a fight to qualify for Europe this season and are out of all cup competitions having recently lost the Carabao Cup final to Manchester City at Wembley.

Transfer Tavern take

Interim boss Ryan Mason, in the meantime, is set to stay in charge until the end of the season but Spurs apparently want a more experienced manager in place for next term.

The priority is allegedly an attack-minded coach who can re-install an exciting brand of football, and the Lilywhites should go no further than Ten Hag.

He has been compared to Pep Guardiola in the past for his Johan Cruyff-ian philosophy (AS) and so could be the perfect alternative to both Nagelsmann and Rodgers.

In other news: Alasdair Gold drops stadium naming rights update, find out more here.

Nigel Adkins’ Charlton Athletic side head into Sunday’s fixture knowing that nothing short of victory will give them a chance of securing a top six finish in the League One standings come the final whistle.

Having slipped up in recent fixtures such as the 1-0 loss to Peterborough United, 2-2 draw against Crewe Alexandra and 1-1 stalemate with Accrington Stanley, whether or not Charlton can end the season in a play-off position is now out of their hands.

However, a 3-1 win against Lincoln City on Tuesday evening has given the Addicks a sliver of hope in their quest for a top six finish, as a Charlton victory against Hull City this Sunday, coupled with Portsmouth losing against Accrington Stanley and Oxford United failing to beat Burton Albion, would see Adkins’ side sneak into sixth place.

Will the 56-year-old decide to make any changes to the team which started against Lincoln? Here’s our predicted XI, along with the latest team and injury news…

With influential midfielder Jake Forster-Caskey being ruled out through injury, as well as Diallang Jaiyesimi – who has been sidelined due to a hamstring injury in recent weeks – remaining doubtful, Adkins has some big decisions to make for the clash with Hull.

As a result, we are predicting two changes from the side which lined up against Lincoln City last time out.

The first alteration sees Chuks Aneke come into the starting XI after putting in a Man of the Match performance against the Imps, with the 27-year-old scoring one goal and registering one assist despite starting the game on the bench.

The forward takes the place of 19-year-old Ian Maatsen, who is now without a goal or an assist in any of his last four fixtures.

The other change sees the injured Forster-Caskey replaced by Albie Morgan, which seems only logical as the 21-year-old was the man who replaced the injured midfielder in the game against Lincoln.

This means that Jaiyesimi, if he is fit, only makes the bench, while the remainder of the Addicks side remains unchanged.

In other news: Lost possession 15x: Charlton passenger who committed six fouls let Adkins down against Lincoln – opinion

A number of Liverpool supporters cannot believe that Jamie Carragher hasn’t included Mohamed Salah in his Premier League Team of the Season.

It has been an extremely difficult campaign for the Reds, who went into the campaign full of confidence having just been crowned champions. Everything seems to have gone wrong, however, with endless injuries to key players halting their progress, while VAR and no fans in stadia have made for a poor spectacle.

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One man who has continued to perform at a high level is Salah, with the Egyptian scoring 29 goals in all competitions. He hasn’t been totally blameless when it comes to Liverpool’s profligacy in front of goal, but he has stood well above his teammates this season.

Bizarrely, Carragher decided not to pick him in his Team of the Season on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, instead opting for Phil Foden, Son Heung-min and Harry Kane in attack.

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Liverpool fans fume at Carragher

These Liverpool supporters were hugely frustrated with Salah’s omission, taking to Twitter to vent their anger at Carragher, who has attracted the ire of many Kopites in recent weeks for other viewpoints.

“Son had a great season individually sure but still not better than Salah. Victim of his own success”

Credit: @plus7end

“Oh, Carra”

Credit: @MexicoCityLFC

“Boo this man. Mo Salah walks into it. Fabinho has had a better season than Kante too although Gundogan should take the 3rd midfield spot”

Credit: @ShakirSH35dv5e7

“I reckon Mo Salah could be THE most underrated player ever in the Premier League”

Credit: @Kjones1892

“The Salah agenda is real”

Credit: @GerrardEra

“No Salah, and Mount? What a clown”

Credit: @salim9081

In other news, Liverpool have received a potential major blow ahead of their clash with Man United. Read more here.