Tag Futebol

Nottingham Forest are reportedly moving in on yet another signing…

What’s the word?

According to French publication Foot Mercato, Lyon’s highly rated attacking midfielder Houssem Aouar has been waiting for two weeks for the Tricky Trees to confirm the deal.

The Premier League outfit had supposedly reached a personal agreement with the midfielder back in mid-August, but are yet to find the right amount to convince the club. It was also thought for a period of time that Forest could move for his teammate, Lucas Paqueta, instead.

Aouar is reportedly available for just €25m (£21m).

He could be the final piece of the puzzle

With Steve Cooper having already added an astounding 17 new players to his newly-promoted side, there is certainly plenty of blending to be done to ensure that this melting pot of new faces can turn into a functioning squad.

However, with one outstanding signing in the engine room, for one of Europe’s hot prospects, they could all be tied together. Indeed, Houssem Aouar could be that man.

Having been heavily linked to Arsenal among plenty of Europe’s elite clubs for many years now, for Forest to snatch the French superstar would not only mark a huge coup, but it would be a powerful statement of intent to the rest of the Premier League.

Last season the 24-year-old featured 36 times, scoring six and assisting a further four in a poor Lyon side that slumped to an eighth-placed finish.

Despite still being very early in his career, he boasts an incredible amount of experience that could lead to him coming to the City Ground and tying everything together.

With 164 games in Ligue 1 and plenty more appearances over both the Champions League and the Europa League, he would instantly become one of the more senior members of the Forest squad in experience.

Another huge component of his game that could see him become the glue that holds Cooper’s side together is his pass mastery, as he ranks in the top 1% for his pass completion rate.

Sitting in the midfield, Aouar could become the metronome of a disjointed Forest side who are looking for something that will unite their many new signings.

The “special” qualities of the Frenchman make him the perfect final player to be added to their squad, and given his experience, pedigree and stature, he might just be the final piece of Cooper’s ever-growing puzzle.

Leeds United are back in Premier League action today with their first game of the 2022/23 season seeing the Whites take on Wolves at Elland Road.

After ending their pre-season run of fixtures with an exhilarating 6-2 win over Cagliari, the Yorkshire club will undoubtedly be looking to get their new league campaign underway in a similar vein.

Taking into account the number of new signings that Leeds have made during this summer’s transfer window, Jesse Marsch’s starting XI this afternoon could have a rather fresh look to it.

One summer recruit that we feel should be in the team from the beginning to take on Bruno Lage’s side is Brenden Aaronson.

Aaronson must start v Wolves

After scoring 13 goals and providing 15 assists in 66 appearances for Red Bull Salzburg, the American joined Leeds on a five-year deal worth a reported fee of £22.2m.

During the 6-2 win over Cagliari, the 21-year-old provided a trio of assists, one of which saw him play a perfect pinpoint pass from his own half to set up Patrick Bamford as the Englishman fired in Leeds’ third goal of the game.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-much-more” title= “Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

To further highlight his attacking talent, with 26 league appearances to his name for Salzburg last season, the 21-year-old – who is currently valued at €33m (£27.8m) according to Football Transfers – had 52 shots at goal in total, leaving only three other players at the Austrian club with more.

Hailed as a “ruthless” player by Jim Curtin, as well as having a “monster mentality” according to another of his former coaches in Matthias Jaissle, Aaronson certainly seems to have what it takes to frighten Wolves and pose problems for the visitors’ defence this afternoon.

Bearing in mind how the Old Gold conceded 36 fewer goals than Leeds last season in the league, having a player like the American could be exactly what the Whites need in order to unlock Wolves’ defence and give them the best possible chance of starting their new campaign with a win in front of their home fans.

With Leeds having the likes of Stuart Dallas and Adam Forshaw out injured, this could allow Marsch to unleash Aaronson and give him his first taste of Premier League action today.

Leeds United midfielder Mateusz Klich has been linked with a return to Dutch side FC Utrecht.

The Lowdown: Summer exits

The Whites have been extremely busy this summer when it comes to incomings and outgoings ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge.

Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha have been the two high-profile Elland Road departees, with Leif Davis, Laurens De Bock and Kiko Casilla also moving on. [Transfermarkt]

A number of players have headed out on loan, with Helder Costa potentially next, and it looks as if Klich, labelled as ‘amazing’ by Noel Whelan, could join that list.

The Latest: Transfer news

Polish outlet Meczyki provided an update on Klich’s future on Wednesday evening, saying he is determined to leave.

They claimed that Utrecht, who had the midfielder on loan back in 2018, is a potential destination for the 32-year-old as he looks to play regularly ahead of the World Cup.

The report adds that Utrecht now have the funds to finance a possible loan move after selling Quinten Timber to Feyenoord for €8.5m.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-48/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Makes sense?

Klich has been a brilliant servant for Leeds and played his part in helping the club back to the Premier League. He’s racked up 178 appearances in a Whites shirt, and if he wants a move away, we feel the club should grant one.

Marsch hinted at an exit after the club’s final pre-season friendly on Sunday where Klich failed to feature, showing that he has dropped down the pecking order ahead of the new season.

Hopefully, Leeds supporters will be able to see him for Poland in Qatar later this year, and a temporary move away could help his chances.

Former Scotland striker Frank McAvennie has delivered a damning verdict on the future of Celtic forward Albian Ajeti. 

The lowdown: Flattered to deceive

Signed from West Ham for £5m in 2020 (Sky Sports), the Switzerland international joined the Hoops having failed to score in 12 appearances for the Premier League club.

However, the 25-year-old had previously directly contributed to 63 goals in just 95 outings for Basel and was a Swiss league and cup winner during his time in his homeland.

After just nine goals in two years for the Bhoys, Ajeti now appears to be facing an uncertain future at Parkhead, and one pundit has suggested that the Premiership champions should cut ties with the striker during the ongoing transfer window…

The latest: ‘Out the door’

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie – himself a former Hoops’ hitman – delivered a scathing verdict on the prospects of the 11-cap Swiss ace forging a role in Ange Postecoglou’s plans.

He said: “They really have to get someone out the door. For me, boys like Ajeti. He might be a good goalscorer but he’s not the manager’s cup of tea.

“I think the manager likes movement and he likes a lot of movement. He likes people to chase and that’s not Ajeti’s game.

”The last manager [Neil] Lennon didn’t really play him. This new manager has come in and it’s all about movement and everything that Ajeti’s not.

“That’s no disrespect to Ajeti, because he can score goals, but they need to get players like that out.”

The verdict: Cash in

The Lennoxtown ranks are well-stocked with an embarrassment of riches in the centre-forward department, with Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Georgios Giakoumakis, Liel Abada and returning youngster Johnny Kenny all capable of leading the line.

Ajeti’s 17 fleeting appearances last season yielded just three goals and one assist – including a brace against Ross County in November at Parkhead – while he completed 90 minutes on just four occasions in a campaign which was plagued by a long-term hamstring issue.

Therefore, it seems unlikely that the Swiss attacker – who was described as ‘intelligent’ and an ‘excellent finisher’ by Neil Lennon upon signing for the club – will be afforded the opportunity to make a major impact next term. Selling him now whilst there are still two years remaining on his contract means that the Parkhead hierarchy could command a worthwhile fee for him.

While it seems unlikely that Celtic will recoup their expenditure in full for Ajeti, even getting somewhere close to his £2.25m market value would add money to the coffers in order for Postecoglou to pursue targets such as the heavily-linked Fausto Vera.

Aston Villa are thought to be interested in signing Espanyol striker Raul de Tomas this summer.

The Lowdown: De Tomas profiled

The Spain international is 27 years of age and can play as a centre-forward or second striker.

He has been with Espanyol since 2020 and is under contract until 2026, sharing the same agency as four Aston Villa players. De Tomas has described himself as a ‘pacey’ player and has scored 107 senior goals throughout his career.

The forward is valued at a career-high £22.5m by Transfermarkt, and it looks as if NSWE and Johan Lange are keen on bringing him to the Midlands.

The Latest: Villa linked with De Tomas

According to reports from Spain, Villa are one of four Premier League clubs who are interested in De Tomas’ services.

They claimed that Steven Gerrard has an eye on the player, although Villa would be looking to lower Espanyol’s asking price after already signing Philippe Coutinho and Diego Carlos from La Liga clubs this summer.

The Verdict: Impressive few years

A new forward to challenge Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins is seemingly on the radar at Villa Park, so De Tomas could be among a number of attacking targets in mind.

He has enjoyed two impressive goalscoring campaigns in recent years, netting 40 goals in his last 71 league games since the beginning of the 2020/21 season.

De Tomas backed up 23 goals in the Spanish second tier with 17 in La Liga last season, so if the price is right, he could be the perfect third centre-forward at Villa alongside Ings and Watkins.

Leeds United are now closing in on their sixth summer signing in the shape of Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Mohamed Camara.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Kronen Zeitung, who claim that, after being heavily linked with a move to Elland Road this summer, Victor Orta has now agreed a €35m (£30m) deal with the Austrian Bundesliga champions for the 22-year-old – a record-breaking fee for Matthias Jaissle’s side.

The report goes on to state that, with negotiations having been ongoing for a number of weeks, a breakthrough was made in talks over the weekend, with the Mali international now reportedly set to join Jesse Marsch’s side ahead of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

Imagine & Adams

With Fabrizio Romano recently revealing that Leeds are also nearing a deal to bring RB Leipzig’s Tyler Adams to LS11 this summer, the prospect of Camara’s further addition to Jesse Marsch’s midfield options will certainly be an incredibly tantalising one for both supporters and the 48-year-old manager alike.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Indeed, over his 25 league fixtures last season, the £24.3m-rated talent was in sensational form for Salzburg, scoring one goal, providing three assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.9 shots, making 1.0 key pass and completing 1.8 dribbles per match.

The £2.9k-per-week midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his defensively focused position, making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.9 tackles, 45.8 passes, 4.8 long balls and winning 6.4 duels – at a success rate of 61% – per game.

These returns saw the player who Jacek Kulig dubbed “indispensable” average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.20, ranking him as the tenth-best player in the Austrian Bundesliga last time out.

As such, while the loss of Kalvin Phillips – who recently completed a £42m move to Manchester City – will certainly have come as a gutting blow to everyone involved with the Whites, should Orta manage to get deals for both Camara and Adams over the line in the coming weeks, it would very much appear as if the Spaniard will have done an exceptional job at replacing the 26-year-old in Marsch’s midfield ahead of the upcoming 2022/23 campaign.

AND in other news: “New Leeds player…”: Fabrizio Romano drops huge transfer update supporters will love

Leeds United are no strangers to signing big names – the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Keane and Robbie Fowler have all featured for the Yorkshire club.

Back in the Premier League for the last couple of seasons, too, Leeds have managed to attract La Masia graduates and other top La Liga talents. Surviving last season may just turn out to be the key to welcoming other top players this summer.

So far, they’ve already managed to seal a deal to bring American midfielder Brenden Aaronson in, with manager Jesse Marsch looking to put his stamp on the side, as well as right-back Rasmus Kristensen.

When Leeds have splashed the cash in recent times, they have been rewarded with good performances and top players. Raphinha is a key example of this.

The Brazilian arrived in 2020 and has undergone a rapid rise since, going on to notch 17 goals and 12 assists in the Premier League.

Using TransferMarkt, we’ve put together a list below of Leeds United’s most expensive signings of all time.

10) Junior Firpo: £13.5 million (2021)

Junior Firpo will likely be the first to admit that he didn’t have the greatest of debut seasons in a Leeds United shirt.

He was part of a backline that conceded 79 goals last season and received a performance rating of 6.49 on Whoscored.

9) Robbie Fowler: £15.12 million (2001)

Some people are quick to forget Robbie Fowler’s short stint at Leeds United. And that’s not to say he flopped, either.

During his time in Yorkshire, Fowler made an impact, scoring 14 times in just 32 appearances.

8) Helder Costa: £15.93 million (2020)

Not all transfers can work out well when the cash is splashed. And, unfortunately, Helder Costa is a prime example of that.

After a successful spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he won the Championship, the winger left for Leeds, before failing to deliver the same performances that earned him a move in the first place.

He managed just eight goals in 71 appearances.

7) Robbie Keane: £16.2 million (2001)

Much like Folwer’s, Robbie Keane’s time at Leeds United was shortlived. He returned 18 goals in 55 appearances and was sold as the club headed towards financial ruin.

From there, Keane’s career blossomed as he cemented his status as a Spurs icon.

6) Raphinha: £16.74 million (2020)

The latest success story at Leeds United, Raphinha is a wanted man this summer for good reason. The Brazilian single-handedly dragged the Yorkshire club to safety at times last season, and is clearly on course for bigger things.

£16.74 million turned out to be one of the best bargains in Leeds’ history, especially when considering the price they may receive when bidding farewell.

5) Diego Llorente: £18 million (2020)

The jury may still be out on Diego Llorente, who arrived in the summer of 2020 looking to become recognised as a game changer at the back for Leeds United. Almost two years later, however, he is yet to transform their defensive fortunes.

With a full season under Marsch to come, Llorente could still come good, with his work on the ball a key trait. But, for now, questions remain over whether the £18 million fee paid in 2020 was worthwhile.

4) Rio Ferdinand: £23.4 million (2000)

Rio Ferdinand could have become an Elland Road icon, had the club’s financial problems not forced them to cash-in on him amid interest from Manchester United.

Nonetheless, Leeds clearly saw his potential and shelled out the club’s biggest-ever transfer fee, prior to their top flight return in 2020, to sign him from West Ham.

3) Daniel James: £26.19 million (2021)

Daniel James always looked destined to play for Leeds United.

The winger is yet to justify his price-tag, though, with just four goals and four assists in 32 Premier League appearances in his debut season.

James will be hoping to enjoy a season away from the relegation scrap come August and have a far bigger impact under Marsch.

2) Rodrigo: £27 million (2020)

At the time of his arrival, Rodrigo felt like a statement of intent from Leeds United. Fresh off the back of promotion, they managed to sign a top La Liga player for what felt like a big fee of £27 million.

It was a signing which suggested their ambitions were higher than some expected, with survival an expectancy rather than a goal in their first season back up.

But Rodrigo has struggled to really make his mark in a Leeds shirt, with only 13 goals across the last two seasons. He may fare a little better under Marsch, however, assuming the Leeds boss won’t continue Marcelo Bielsa’s bizarre experiment of playing the forward in midfield.

1) Brenden Aaronson: £29.56 million

Now onto the latest addition to Leeds’ top ten signings, 21-year-old Brenden Aaronson. The midfielder that will add some much-needed creativity to this Leeds United side, easing the burden on the likes of Raphinha.

The American managed six goals and ten assists for RB Salzburg in all competitions last season. If he can replicate those numbers in the Premier League, then Leeds will be able to consider this club-record £29.56 million deal a solid investment.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has shared a behind-the-scenes claim regarding Celtic’s reported interest in signing Hammarby left-back Mohanad Jeahze.

What’s the talk?

Back in April, it was reported that the Hoops were looking to secure a £2m deal for the full-back.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Joseph had the following to say on the matter.

“They’ve already approached Mohanad Jeahze at Hammarby, and talks progressed to an advanced stage is what I was told.

“They haven’t gone any further yet, that doesn’t mean the deal is off the cards, it just means nothing has progressed any further.”

Worrying news for Postecoglou

Having spent his entire career in Sweden, the defender joined Hammarby back in August 2020 after leaving Mjallby AIF.

Since then, the 25-year-old has made 63 appearances for his current side across all competitions, scoring three goals and delivering 13 assists along the way.

With nine league games to his name this season, Jeahze currently has more crosses (46) and interceptions (19) under his belt than any other player at Hammarby, as well as the third-highest number of tackles won (13), demonstrating how good he is at both ends of the pitch.

It demonstrates why the Bhoys have taken an interest in the player and why they have been in talks with the Swedish club to take him off their hands.

It’s also why a lack of progression in talks to land the player is worrying news for those of a Celtic persuasion.

While there is still plenty of time left before the summer transfer window closes, it’s safe to assume that the Hoops manager would want to see any deal they aim to complete done as soon as possible.

With a previous report from The Athletic suggesting the Hoops are looking to get current left-back Boli Bolingoli off their books on a permanent basis this summer, if they manage to do that, this would only make their need to bring a new full-back in greater and potentially ramp up the pressure to secure Jeahze’s signature.

If the club are eager to bring the Hammarby star to Parkhead, then they should be doing all they can to get the deal finalised so they can then move on to other areas of the squad they may want to sign players for.

In other news: Celtic closing in on deal to sign “dangerous” 21 y/o sensation, Ange will be thrilled

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is ‘crazy’ for a potential summer signing who is now ‘seriously in danger’ of being sold, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Conte eyes overhaul…

After sealing Bosman deals for winger Ivan Perisic and goalkeeper Fraser Forster, Conte and Spurs have shown absolutely no sign of stopping there as transfer chief Fabio Paratici allegedly opens talks for more transfer targets.

A left-sided central defender is next on the agenda as links to both Inter Milan star Alessandro Bastoni and Villarreal defender Pau Torres start to heat up over the last week.

The former Chelsea boss is said to want the majority of his business done early this window as he seeks to shape the Spurs squad in time for his first Premier League pre-season in charge at Hotspur Way.

The Latest: Conte ‘crazy’ for Bastoni…

According to FC Inter News, the Lilywhites head coach is ‘crazy’ for the signing of Bastoni as he seriously eyes a summer move.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Beyond Conte’s personal interest, this report claims that while the 23-year-old would elect to remain at the San Siro, he is now ‘seriously in danger of being sacrificed on the altar of the balance sheet’ – in other words being sold due to Inter’s financial woes.

It’s added that Bastoni hopes for an ‘economic improvement’ in improved terms to stay at Inter with his agent apparently ‘working for the future of his client’.

The Verdict: Test their resolve?

Now that Inter are seriously considering a sale for Bastoni, we believe Tottenham should push the boat out and test their resolve with a major bid to land him for Conte.

It is believed that Nerazzurri chairman Steven Zhang has placed a €60 million (£51m) price tag on the Italy international with his age and glowing reputation making this fee very much value for money.

He has been lauded as a superstar already, not to mention labelled ‘world class’ by members of the media (Kaustubh Pandey, GIFN).

Bastoni has also been tipped to take the mantle of Azzurri defensive legend Giorgio Chiellini and while he seems in favour of staying, perhaps Spurs could press the issue with Conte’s presence and a major offer to the player’s club.

In other news: Paratici opens Spurs talks to sign ‘scary’ £183,000-per-week star once worth £130m! Find out more here.

West Ham United have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their important final day game against Brighton and Hove Albion today with Said Benrahma declared fit ahead of the clash.

The Hammers secured some form of European football next season after drawing 2-2 against title hopefuls Manchester City last weekend. However, they could finish the campaign in a Europa League place if they defeat Brighton and Manchester United drop points.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more” title= “Read the latest West Ham news!”]

Speaking in his pre-match press conference manager David Moyes said that Benrahma, who missed the City game through injury, will be back in the squad.

It will be the news Moyes wanted to hear with the Algerian having been a key player for the East London side this season. He has played 32 Premier League games and been directly involved in 14 goals in that time.

Most recently he produced a dazzling display in The Hammers’ 4-0 thrashing of Norwich City where he scored two goals. At just 26-years-old he has his best years to come and if he spends them at The London Stadium he could help the club push to get into the Champions League.

Journalist Toby Cudworth described his performance in that game as “what we’ve been waiting for”. The quality he can produce is the reason he was signed from Brentford permanently in 2021 for £20m after impressing on loan the season before.

If he can produce performances to that standard on a consistent basis then he could become their most important player. When you compare him to Jarrod Bowen, a player who gets spoken about a lot, their statistics are pretty similar.

Benrahma produces on average 2.86 shot creating actions per 90 minutes which is close to Bowens 2.96. He has also made 129 progressive passes this season which is one more than the Englishman.

They should be spoken about in a similar manner because both players are just as crucial to West Ham’s success on the pitch. He’s contracted till 2026 so if any other clubs were interested they would have to pay a lot of money for him.

If Benrahma continues with his recent form then we can only see one outcome from this match and that’s victory for The Hammers.

IN other news: Moyes must finally axe £27k-p/w WHU dud who’s causing “problems”, he’s cost them badly…