All posts by n8rngtd.top

We get it, it can be hard to look beyond the Champions League final. However, that does not appear to have any bearing on transfer rumours and the fact that Tottenham Hotspur’s name continues to be thrown about.

Winning Europe’s elite tournament would certainly be a crowning achievement for Spurs and Mauricio Pochettino; it is for any club.

However, it can also provide the team with an opportunity to make themselves a serious player in the transfer market and convince a number of footballers to join them, rather than any other potential suitors they may have on the cards. Let’s face it, we all know Champions League football talks but playing for the winners, well that is something else!

As with all sides in the summer, strengthening the squad becomes somewhat of a priority and Tottenham must ensure they do that this time around. None of last year’s shenanigans please!

And, one man that is thought to have piqued the interest of Spurs would have to be considered an excellent target and one Daniel Levy should look to bring to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

According to a report by El Desmarque on Tuesday evening, Tottenham are thought to be interested in Real Madrid outcast Dani Ceballos. The Spaniard has played just an hour of football in his last eight games under Zinedine Zidane; if that does not signify that your time is up, we do not know what else will.

However, the interesting part of the report from the Spanish media outlet is that it claims Spurs will be willing to pay between €40million and €50million (£35.1m and £44m) to take him off Los Blancos’ hands amid interest from arch-rivals Arsenal and Juventus.

Tottenham, well Mr Levy, is not exactly known for putting up that amount of money to sign a player, so it remains to be seen if he will.

However, that aside, Spurs would be getting an excellent footballer in Ceballos and one that they must seriously think about acquiring.

A versatile midfielder, Ceballos can be rather reliable in the deeper areas of the field with his defensive capabilities as he is a strong tackler, whilst he can also be utilised further forward. He has an exceptional passing ability when playing the ball to his team-mates, whilst his finishing has started to improve as he plays more regularly. He is comfortable on the ball as the Spaniard likes to dribble with it at his feet, whilst he can also be quite safe in possession.

The 22-year-old would add more creativity to the side as they have had to rely on the likes of Christian Eriksen to provide them with all the imagination over the last few years.

You know what to do Mr Levy; get it done!

Tottenham fans, what are your thoughts on Ceballos? Let us know below!

[ad_pod ]

After two years away Aston Villa are back in the big time. It was an incredibly topsy-turvy season for the Villans but rejuvenated under Dean Smith, they peaked at the right time and then beat Derby in thrilling fashion at Wembley to return to the Premier League.

For large parts of the play-off final they were excellent and throughout, they were led by one of their most enigmatic characters in Anwar El Ghazi.

The Dutchman, who signed on loan from Lille at the start of the campaign, has been inconsistent to say the least but when it mattered, he was on hand to open the scoring for his side at the end of the first half.

He ghosted in at the back post from Ahmed Elmohamady’s ball into the box and was able to capitalise on Jayden Bogle’s lapse in concentration to head home.

It was a huge goal from the winger and this may represent his finest moment yet. The 24-year-old has previously scored in the Nou Camp for Ajax but this had far more riding on it, £170m in fact.

But it may also have had a lot riding on it for El Ghazi on a personal level. He admitted at the final whistle that he wanted to stay at Villa, sharing his love for the club after achieving promotion.

Fortunately for him, there is an option to buy this summer. Surely following this performance they’ll look to trigger it? Villa would be foolish not to.

His display wasn’t just typified in the goal, however, but his all-round contribution to the tie was immense.

He gave Bogle a torrid afternoon, completing four dribbles as he ran rampant down the left-hand side. That was again evident when he was allowed to cut inside and fire a deflected shot towards goal which John McGinn found the net from.

Rather surprisingly, El Ghazi was also effective in defence, making two tackles as he showed his commitment to the cause by tracking back.

If there was ever a game that merited signing a player permanently from, this was it. Rated at €5m (£4.5m), per Transfermarkt, Villa may end up not having to pay very much for his services.

Stepping up to the Premier League will be a hard task, but given his technical qualities, there are plenty of reasons to suggest he has what it takes at a higher level.

[ad_pod ]

West Ham United have completed the signing of goalkeeper David Martin from Millwall, the club have confirmed, leaving fans remarkably underwhelmed.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side have secured the signing of the stopper on a two-year deal, with the option to extend it for a further year. He will officially move on July 1st.

Martin is perhaps best known for his spell at MK Dons, for whom he played between 2010 and 2017.

The son of West Ham legend Alvin Martin, he has also been on the books at Liverpool and was with the Anfield club between 2006 and 2010. He never played for the club in the Premier League, however, and took in loan spells at Accrington Stanley, Leicester City, Tranmere Rovers, Leeds United and Derby County.

Supporters have subsequently been left somewhat disappointed by the deal, especially considering they completed a deal for another goalkeeper, Roberto, just a few days ago.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

[ad_pod ]

When looking back at the strangest Premier League signings over the last five years or so, Jordan Hugill’s arrival at West Ham United has to be up there.

The Hammers paid a reported £10m to sign the forward from Preston North End in the final hours of the 2018 January transfer window.

Hugill has only played 22 minutes of first-team football for the London club, though, and joined Middlesbrough on loan for the 2018-19 campaign.

The 6 ft ace managed seven goals for Boro last term but is due back at West Ham this summer and will likely be hoping to battle for a first-team spot.

It was actually the striker’s 27th birthday on Tuesday, which led to a message from West Ham’s Twitter account.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

As expected, the club’s fans filled the response section and many took the chance to poke fun at Hugill due to his limited action, in addition to that infamous bubbles video.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]

Everyone loves a bit of banter. And in Liverpool’s case, having won another Champions League title earlier this month, it’s fair to say spirits are running high.

Many of Jurgen Klopp’s side have been on international duty, and one man who has enjoyed things in particular is defender Andy Robertson. The left-back struck the opening goal of Scotland’s 2-1 win against Cyprus in Euro 2020 qualifying, and certainly seemed to enjoy it.

The 25-year-old’s rocket from 20 yards saw him net a rare goal, which prompted an amusing response from Reds teammate James Milner.

The midfielder, who seems to have fully shed his tag of ‘Boring Milner’, posted a video on

/BygDrzBFUit/” data-lasso->Instagram mocking Robertson’s goal and celebration, and included captions of ‘don’t try this at home’ and ‘left-back union’.

The pair were cornerstones of Liverpool’s success both domestically and in Europe this season, and were amongst the side’s most consistent performers.

Indeed, Robertson in particular enjoyed an incredible campaign in terms of helping the side to score goals, with a mind-boggling 13 assists from left-back.

The Scotsman continues to progress at Anfield since his move from Hull in the summer of 2017, and forged one of Europe’s most devastating full-back partnerships with Trent Alexander-Arnold last year.

[ad_pod ]

The busy festive period is something teams in English football just have to get on with.

Even with the winter break this year, the run towards the end of December and the start of January is relentless for any team in this country.

For Sheffield United though, they have it that much harder. The Premier League fixtures, which came out on Thursday, have put the trickiest spell of matches in this period of congestion.

Tough games

In the back end of December the Blades have to travel away to Manchester City and Liverpool within three days of one another. The fixture immediately following that is a grudge match with West Ham which will have a lot of bad blood as no United fan has forgotten the Carlos Tevez debacle which saw them relegated back in 2007.

Following the game against the Hammers, Chris Wilder’s side travel to the Emirates Stadium, and to round things off, just three days after that they have to play the reigning champions once again.

Squad depth is key

During this vital run of games, United will have to rotate heavily to make sure their team is fully fit before each match. Therefore, making sure that there is enough depth in the squad will be vital for Chris Wilder.

To make sure all bases are covered, the Blades probably need to sign a few new players as they currently look light in a few positions.

For example, Enda Stevens doesn’t currently have a proper understudy, and beyond John Fleck and Ollie Norwood, the Yorkshire side aren’t well-equipped in the midfield.

Which Sheffield United players won’t cut it in the top-flight next season? Ingood Nick discusses in the video below…

Christmas and New Year is hard enough as it is for a Premier League side, but United’s task is made that much harder due to the fact that they have to play so many top teams during that period. If they want to pick up points during this time they need to have adequate depth throughout the team.

Everton are looking to build on what eventually turned into a decent season for the club under manager Marco Silva.

Despite some inconsistencies in performances at times, the Toffees did eventually appear to start getting things rights under Silva, and with a few shrewd additions over the summer, things could really be on the up for the Merseysiders.

This weekend then has seen Brazilian star Richarlison reportedly make his own attempts to lure some top talent to Goodison Park, with the former Watford ace supposedly trying to entice Brazilian teammate and Ajax winger Dave Neres to the club.

And here in the Tavern, we feel this would be a superb piece of business for the Toffees if they could follow Richarlison’s lead.

The 22-year-old hit double figures in both goals and assists last season as the Dutch giants returned to the pinnacle of European football with a tremendous Champions League run, and his electric playing style and goal getting habits would be most welcome Goodison.

Much like Richarlison, Neres has that brilliant knack of being able to produce something out of nothing, whether that be a wonder strike or a piece of magic down either wing which allows him to lay goals on a plate for his teammates.

The Toffees have at times struggled to have impact from wide areas, with Dom Calvert-Lewin not a natural wide player and fellow Brazilian Bernard failing to really produce the sort of form which is going to help Everton towards the top four.

If the club want to progress and keep pushing forward, signings like Neres are the way to go, and the thought of him and Richarlison lining up for the club is enough to excite even the most hard nosed Everton fan.

[ad_pod ]

A lot of the rumours regarding Newcastle are surrounding the future of Rafael Benitez, whose contract runs out at the end of the month, and the mooted takeover of the club by the Bin Zayed group.

There are, however, some transfer stories to bring you. Today’s transfer roundup for the Toon includes an update on the potential loan exit of a 23-year-old, news on a centre-back target as well as competition for a 19-year-old goalkeeper.

Greek interest in Aarons

According to SDNA, Greek side Panathinaikos are interested in taking Newcastle winger Rolando Aarons on loan next season. The wages may be a stumbling block, but the North-East outfit are willing to pay some of them to see him leave on a short-term basis according to the report.

Johnson speaks out on Webster

Bristol City manager Lee Johnson has spoken out against claims that that the club will accept offers of £12m for Adam Webster. When asked, Johnson told Bristol Live: “No, no, no, no, no, no”. Newcastle have been credited with an interest in the player according to TEAMtalk.

Blackburn also interested in McCracken

Blackburn Rovers have entered the race to sign Norwich City goalkeeper Jon McCracken on a free transfer this summer according to Football Insider. Newcastle have also been credited with an interest in the 19-year-old, but Blackburn are now trying to beat the Premier League side to his signature.

[ad_pod ]

Today’s Newcastle transfer roundup includes a candidate ruling himself out of replacing Rafa Benitez, interest in a former Premier League striker and the pursuit of a Sporting Lisbon star.

Vieira doesn’t want Newcastle move

Patrick Vieira has ruled himself out a move to Newcastle. As reported by Get French Football News, the former Arsenal man said at a press conference, “I am at OGC Nice long-term. I have no intention of going elsewhere. I’ve always felt good here & with the people around me. I can’t see myself anywhere other than OGC Nice.”

Interest in Mounié

TEAMtalk is reporting that Newcastle have made enquiries about the potential signing of Huddersfield Town’s Stevie Mounié. The Benin striker is seemingly available this summer following the Terriers’ relegation from the Premier League last season, with Huddersfield set to sell. Watford and Crystal Palace also interested.

The Toon want Dost

According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, Newcastle want to sign Sporting Lisbon’s Dutch striker Bas Dost. The former Wolfsburg striker currently has a deal that runs until 2021. The North-East club are joined by Sevilla in their interest in him.

[ad_pod ]

Slaven Bilic continues to work hard at West Brom as he prepares his new Baggies squad for the upcoming campaign. Today’s West Brom transfer roundup includes a positive update in the pursuit of a Croatian playmaker, interest in a former Aston Villa defender and an accepted offer for one of the club’s centre-backs.

Krovinovic move close

Portuguese outlet Record is reporting that Benfica’s Filip Krovinovic is set to join West Brom on loan this season. The eventual fee could cost the Midlands club €800,000 (£717,000) overall if the Baggies gain promotion.

Interest in Hutton

After the Sun on Sunday (via Football League World), claimed West Brom are interested in taking Alan Hutton to the Hawthorns, Express and Star were quick to report otherwise – ruling out a move for the former Aston Villa defender. They want younger players on cheaper wages.

Watford sign Craig Dawson

Defender Craig Dawson has left West Brom to join Watford is has been confirmed. The Hornets have signed the 29-year-old centre-back on a four-year deal. Dawson played 225 games for the Baggies, scoring 15 goals.