All posts by h79snht.top

Nottingham Forest are ‘closing’ in on the signing of Brighton and Hove Albion’s Neal Maupay, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: After Freuler

The Reds kicked off their Premier League home campaign with a 1-0 victory over West Ham on Sunday afternoon in what was an impressive display against the Irons.

Steve Cooper has already made 15 new signings this window, with Atalanta midfielder Remo Freuler being the latest to put pen to paper at the City Ground, but the boss still hasn’t finished there.

Reports emerged over the weekend linking Forest with a move for the 26-year-old, who was left out of the Seagulls’ matchday squad for their game vs Newcastle, creating further speculation surrounding his future.

The Latest: Maupay set to make it 16

Taking to Twitter, Romano confirmed that Forest are in the last stage of negotiations with Brighton, with Maupay set to join on a four-year contract. He wrote:

“After Freuler, Kouyaté and Dennis in the last 24h… Nottingham Forest are closing also on Neal Maupay deal for £15m package fee [add ons included] as he will be the next signing.

“Final details being discussed with Brighton then it will be done. Deal until June 2026.”

The Verdict: Perfect for Cooper

Having already spent over £100m on new arrivals, it’s clear that Forest want to do everything they can to maintain their top-flight status, and Maupay would be a fantastic addition to the starting XI.

The Frenchman, dubbed ‘magnificent’ by Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison, has netted 26 goals and provided seven assists during his time in the Premier League, and brings a wealth of experience having made 102 appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

Maupay will more than be able to compliment his fellow attacking players, and Cooper will be hoping that he will be able to get the best out of his new striker for the exciting season ahead.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Leeds United see goalkeeper Illan Meslier as ‘untouchable’ following rumours of an Elland Road exit.

The Lowdown: Meslier links

The 22-year-old has been a key member of the first-team squad at Elland Road ever since taking the gloves from Kiko Casilla towards the end of the 2019/20 season.

Meslier, who Patrick Bamford labelled ‘unbelievable’, has made 75 Premier League appearances for the Whites under both Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch.

His impressive displays have resulted in interest from Leicester, Manchester United and Tottenham, with Meslier’s current Leeds deal running until 2026.

The Latest: Romano’s update

Romano took to Twitter on Wednesday afternoon to provide an update on the Frenchman following rumours regarding his Leeds future.

The transfer expert revealed that Leeds ‘have no intention to negotiate with Man United’, adding that Meslier is viewed as ‘untouchable’ and a ‘key part of the project’ at Elland Road.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-49/” 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: One of Orta’s best signings

Meslier has to go down as one of Victor Orta’s best buys as Leeds’ director of football. He cost just £5.85m from Lorient and has gone from strength to strength with the Whites and has now already broken into the top 50 for most saves made in Premier League history.

It won’t come as a surprise that he is catching the eye of a number of Premier League sides, but unless a mega-money offer comes in, the club are under no pressure to sell for the foreseeable future.

You’d like to think that Meslier will only get better at Elland Road, so when Leeds do decide to cash in, they could be in line to make a huge profit.

An update has emerged regarding interest in Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka in the final few days of the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Dean Jones has confirmed that Manchester United have made a firm approach to bring the Slovakia international to Old Trafford before next week’s deadline.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “That offer has been made. I think United have tempered their expectations here of who’s going to actually come in at this stage of the transfer window, knowing that David De Gea’s spot is not particularly up for grabs.”

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the two Premier League clubs are in negotiations over a deal and that the player would be interested in making it happen.

He tweeted: “Martin Dúbravka is prepared to agree on personal terms with Manchester United, not an issue – he’s very keen on the move. Up to the two clubs now, talks ongoing. #MUFC Loan with £5m buy option clause not mandatory now discussed. Kevin Trapp deal, 100% off.”

Ashworth risks Newcastle blunder

Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth must now avoid a big blunder in the final days of the transfer, window as sanctioning an exit for Dubravka would be a big loss for the squad.

The 33-year-old has been demoted to being the club’s second-choice option between the sticks this season, but that is still an important position for Eddie Howe.

It only takes one injury or suspension for him to be called upon in a vital position, and that is why it is crucial to have such a reliable player as a backup to Nick Pope.

Steve Bruce found that out the hard way last term as Karl Darlow was pressed into action in the top flight and struggled badly. The former Nottingham Forest man made eight appearances in the league and averaged a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.47, making one error leading to a goal and another leading to a penalty.

In that time, he failed to keep a single clean sheet and had a save success rate of 62% as Newcastle conceded 15 goals in those eight matches.

Dubravka then came back into the team and enjoyed a solid campaign under Howe. He averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.88 and saved 68% of the shots against him, keeping eight clean sheets in 26 matches.

This came after he averaged a rating of 6.99 in 2020/21 and saved 70% of the shots that he faced. He did not make a single error leading to a goal or penalty in either of those campaigns, which shows that he is a reliable pair of hands in goal.

Therefore, the departure of the 33-year-old – who Paul Robinson previously dubbed an”inspirational signing” – would be a huge downgrade to Newcastle’s goalkeeping department on a matchday.

He has proven himself to be a better option than Darlow, whose statistics suggest that he was a liability last term, and that is why it would be a blunder to end up with the Englishman deputising for Pope this season.

Ashworth must now fight to keep hold of the Slovakian shot-stopper to avoid a situation arising where Newcastle lose Pope to injury and do not have quality cover ready to come in.

Nottingham Forest have submitted a ‘last-gasp offer’ to sign Strasbourg striker Ludovic Ajorque, according to reliable journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Attracting interest

The 28-year-old still has two years remaining on his deal with the French giants, but has been consistently linked with a move to the Premier League for the majority of the summer.

Wolves were reported to have made a bid for him but have now signed Sasa Kalajdzic, whilst Everton have also been credited with an interest, but the Reds now appear to be coming in with the intention of hijacking any potential deal.

The Latest: Forest make Ajorque offer

Taking to Twitter, O’Rourke revealed that Forest have made a proposal for Ajorque, but are set to face competition for his signature. He wrote:

“Nottingham Forest are making a last-gasp offer for Strasbourg striker Ludovic Ajorque who is also a target for Crystal Palace and West Ham.”

The Verdict: Surridge alternative

Sam Surridge is being linked with a late switch to Championship side Middlesbrough, so Steve Cooper will need to be on the lookout for a replacement, and Ajorque would be a welcome addition.

The 6 foot 4 forward, dubbed ‘remarkable’ by former Strasbourg manager Julien Stephan, has made 62 goal contributions (45 goals, 17 assists) in 127 career Ligue 1 appearances, via WhoScored.

A player with this kind of return will be exactly the profile the boss wants to recruit, and whilst the deal is most likely only a loan, Ajorque could play a significant role in helping keep Forest in the top-flight.

West Brom are still looking into the possibility of signing more free agents in order to boost their squad depth.

The Lowdown: Baggies’ squad depth lacking

The Baggies have made a disappointing start to their Championship, sitting 16th in the table and already having plenty of work to do in the promotion battle.

Steve Bruce enjoyed a hugely frustrating end to the summer transfer window, missing out on the signing of Josh Onomah at the eleventh hour, acting as a big blow.

While the window is now shut, there is the potential to sign players currently without clubs, with a move for Tom Rogic thought to be in the advanced stages.

The Latest: Rogic and a striker?

According to The Express & Star, West Brom are ‘in the market’ for free agents, with Bruce and the recruitment team planning to ‘scour forward and midfield options’.

No specific names are mentioned but it seems clear that the Baggies are very much looking for another goalscorer to go alongside the addition of Rogic.

The Verdict: Get it done

This is an encouraging update regarding West Brom’s transfer business, with Bruce in need of bringing in one or two new faces to increase his options for the season ahead.

A lack of end product has been a clear in the first month or so of the 2022/23 campaign, winning just one out of eight league games, so midfield and attacking positions should rightly take precedence.

Daryl Dike’s thigh injury has put too much pressure on the shoulders of Karlan Grant to score goals regularly, while John Swift and Jed Wallace arguably haven’t contributed enough since joining in the summer, scoring twice apiece.

Glasgow Rangers enjoyed a busy summer of transfer business as Ross Wilson brought a host of new players into Ibrox during the window.

The Gers sporting director dipped into his war chest to bolster Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad, after cashing in on both Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey.

Rabbi Matondo, Antonio Colak, Malik Tillman, Ridvan Yilmaz, Ben Davies, John Souttar, and Tom Lawrence all came through the door, permanently or on loan.

Colak was brought in to bolster van Bronckhorst’s options at the top end of the pitch and the Croatian has been a sensational addition to the squad. He has scored nine goals in 13 matches in all competitions to date, including six in seven in the Premiership and three in four in their Champions League qualifiers.

The former PAOK man has established himself as the first-choice number nine at Ibrox and displaced Alfredo Morelos from the starting XI. Now, where does this leave Kemar Roofe?

He has not played a single minute of action in any competitive competition this season and was recently left out of the squad for the group stages of the Champions League.

Last season, he was called upon to step up when Morelos picked up an injury and struggled at times. Journalist Josh Bunting claimed that the Light Blues were “toothless” with him and Fashion Sakala up front in place of the Colombian and FFC published an article back in April berating a disappointing display from him against Celtic in a huge match in the top-flight.

That came two months after we criticised a poor display in the Old Firm clash that cost the Light Blues their place at the top of the table.

The £26k-per-week lightweight lost 71% of his aerial battles in the Premiership last term and lost 72% of his individual duels in total in the Europa League.

Between those two competitions and the SFA Cup, Roofe scored 13 goals in 34 appearances and this shows that he does have the quality to pop up with goals – albeit nowhere near as impressively as Colak in his short time at Ibrox so far.

He has been dominated by opposition defenders on the physical side of the game and does not offer as much as their new Croatian signing in front of goal, which is why it is now time to ditch the striker in January.

Therefore, he has been unreliable for van Bronckhorst both in terms of availability – missing 23 games so far since the start of last season – and in what he provides on the pitch with his disappointing displays against Celtic and his inconsistent scoring record.

Roofe, who turns 30 in January, is the third-choice option at the top end of the pitch and injuries appear to be hindering his progress at the club, which is why the head coach must ruthlessly ditch him in the next window.

Newcastle United have been dealt another injury setback ahead of their Premier League meeting with Fulham on Saturday afternoon.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Craig Hope, with the journalist revealing in a recent report for the Daily Mail that Matt Ritchie looks unlikely to be available for selection for the trip to Craven Cottage this weekend.

It’s stated the 33-year-old picked up a calf injury during training last week – although it is hoped the midfielder’s layoff will be minimal.

Problems mounting for Howe

Injuries are now starting to stack up for Howe with Ritchie’s setback coming following the news that Alexander Isak, Chris Wood and Jonjo Shelvey all look set to sit out the Fulham fixture due to their own respective knocks, while Elliot Anderson and Allan Saint-Maximin are also doubts for the trip to west London.

While it is true that, following Matt Targett’s loan move to St. James’ Park back in January – a deal that the club made a permanent switch this summer – Ritchie has seen his game time become much more limited for the Magpies, the midfielder’s absence this weekend will nevertheless come as a blow to Howe.

Indeed, the former Scotland international has been a mainstay in Newcastle’s 20-man matchday squads so far this season, being an unused substitute in all but one of the club’s seven Premier League fixtures in 2022/23 – playing one minute of the 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers back in August.

Despite this, the £1.63m-rated talent has still proven this term that he is a reliable option to be called upon when required, something that will be of huge importance considering the hectic fixture schedule before the World Cup in Qatar.

He demonstrated how valuable a rotation option he can be when playing the full 90 minutes of Newcastle’s 2-1 Carabao Cup victory over Tranmere Rovers last month – with the 33-year-old earning an impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.0 for his efforts on the night.

Furthermore, the 16-cap international’s positional versatility also makes him an incredibly useful part of Howe’s first-team squad, with the £45k-per-week winger filling in at left-back for the vast majority of his 18 Premier League appearances last season.

As such, while Ritchie was never overly likely to be handed a start at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon, it is clear to see that the midfielder’s absence from the bench will nevertheless come as a blow to Howe – particularly following the news that Isak, Wood and Shelvey will also be unavailable for selection against Fulham.

Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw has suffered another injury setback ahead of this afternoon’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa at Elland Road…

What’s the latest?

The Athletic’s Phil Hay relayed the news from manager Jesse Marsch’s press conference, he said:

“Marsch starting on injuries: Forshaw has a twisted ankle and will miss the weekend.”

Another setback for Marsch

The long-serving 30-year-old has featured four times for the Yorkshiremen this season, including a start in their League Cup win over Barnsley, and is the only true backup to starting duo Marc Roca and Tyler Adams.

Marsch clearly views the former Middlesbrough man as a very big part of the squad as he considers him one of five players in the leadership group behind the scenes.

“He’s set up a leadership group with us five and Rodrigo,” Forshaw told the Daily Mail recently. “He sees the importance in the lads who have experience.”

Indeed, Forshaw played an essential role in Leeds’ relegation battle, with his leadership and tenacity proving crucial in the absence of the now-departed Kalvin Phillips.

After the arrivals of Roca and Adams in the summer, Marsch reiterated Forshaw’s importance to both him and the squad, he told reporters (via LeedsLive):

“Adam’s an important player for us. He’s a big leader for us. He helped set up [a] couple of goals with some of the plays he made. He’s a very reliable leader and player for us. No question.”

Since arriving in the dugout, the American has suffered from numerous injury problems, including some devastating ones to his key stars, ranging from captain Liam Cooper to leading talisman Patrick Bamford.

Forshaw himself has also had a miserable past with injuries, so this latest setback will be a gutting blow, having missed as many over 77 matches since his arrival in January 2018.

Therefore, his absence is frustrating news, both on and off the pitch, for the Leeds manager, the supporters and the midfielder, too.

AND in other news, Leeds had a shocker on £22m-rated “superstar” for whom “football is like Disneyland”…

Everton striker Salomon Rondon is expected to leave the club in the near future after falling out favour under Frank Lampard, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The Lowdown: Rondon out of favour

The Venezuelan joined the Toffees last year but he has failed to set the world alight at Goodison Park, scoring just three goals in 29 appearances overall.

So far this season, Rondon has found it extremely tough to enjoy regular action, only starting once in the Premier League and playing just 89 minutes in the division.

At 33, it seems that his best days are behind him, and it increasingly looks as though he has no future at Everton.

The Latest: Everton exit predicted

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Phillips claimed that Rondon would be moving on from Goodison Park in January, with Frank Lampard not seeing him as part of his plans. Indeed, there have even been reports that the striker could leave for the United Arab Emirates this coming week.

Phillips said of the Venezuelan:

“He’s pretty surplus to requirements under Frank Lampard. You could see it, even when they were short on numbers in attack last season and this season, Rondon was rarely called upon, only for some minutes at the end of the game.

“His future is clear, they’re going to get rid of him in January.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-8/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Makes perfect sense

Rondon may have scored 36 goals in 91 caps for Venezuela, but he looks a pale shadow of the player who used to score frequently for West Brom and Newcastle, and he offers little to Everton these days.

Lampard’s side are in a promising run of form, especially after winning 2-1 away to Southampton on Saturday to stretch their unbeaten run to seven games in all competitions, and the team feels like it is moving on nicely without the striker.

A move away from Merseyside would surely suit Rondon too, allowing him to play more regularly elsewhere and spend the remainder of his career on the pitch rather than on the substitutes’ bench.

Newcastle United finally picked up their second league win of the season last week as they eased to victory over the ten men of Fulham.

They now face a wholly different challenge today, though, as they welcome another west London opponent in Brentford to St James’ Park.

This marks a game where neither side is in rip-roaring form, with the Bees having just one win from their last six in the Premier League, and the Magpies winning only once in the top flight since the opening day.

Eddie Howe has been dealt some injury boosts and a few big setbacks over the week, which may force him into some changes.

With that in mind, here’s the Newcastle XI that we’re predicting for today’s clash…

We expect to see just the two changes from the side which won 4-1 at Craven Cottage last week.

Nick Pope will continue in goal, hoping to maintain his impressive club form despite his recent England struggles. He will sit behind an unchanged defence, with Dan Burn continuing to deputise at full-back whilst Fabian Schar and Sven Botman thrive as a partnership.

There’s just the one tweak in midfield, as despite a fine performance from Sean Longstaff against the Cottagers, the return of Joelinton will surely see the 24-year-old drop to the bench.

Facing Thomas Frank’s hard-working side – who ran 13.8km more than the Manchester United team they obliterated in August – perhaps the relentlessness of the Brazilian might offer slightly more than Longstaff, who has been known to have some “poor” displays, as journalist Adam Musgrove once claimed.

A second injury boost should see the sensational Allan Saint-Maximin return to the starting line-up, replacing Jacob Murphy from last week. When available, the Frenchman is arguably the first name on the Newcastle team sheet.

On the opposite flank will surely be Miguel Almiron, whose sensational brace lit up Craven Cottage a week ago. He will continue on the right-hand side, hoping to maintain his goalscoring form.

That leaves the centre-forward role, where injuries strike once again in a negative way. Aleksander Isak will remain sidelined but is reportedly closing in on a return.

Callum Wilson impressed last week, and although he managed to score, he was replaced after 60 minutes. Although he will likely start today, whether he can last a full game remains to be seen.