All posts by z3u9t.icu

Manchester City have shown over the years that they are not shy when it comes to signing players from their fellow Premier League clubs.

While the Citizens have a number of players currently in their squad that have been brought in from other top flight sides such as Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling among others, they’ve also done the same throughout previous stages of their history.

One player, in particular, that fits that bill is Gareth Barry, who the Manchester club signed from Aston Villa back in 2009 in a deal worth £12m.

During his time at the Etihad Stadium, the midfielder made 175 appearances in total across all competitions, scoring eight goals, providing 18 assists and winning an FA Cup and Premier League title in the process.

After leaving the club in 2014, it seems as though now, eight years later, City could find themselves getting a new version of the midfielder this summer.

Earlier this month, the Citizens were linked with a move for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who reportedly has a price tag of £60m.

Having worked his way through Leeds’ youth ranks, as Barry did at Villa, Phillips has made 234 appearances for the Yorkshire club across all competitions, scoring 14 goals and delivering 13 assists along the way.

In terms of Phillips being City’s and Pep Guardiola’s modern version of Barry, the former City title winner was described in The Guardian as “a technically gifted player with an eye for a pass and an ability to anticipate danger”.

That is along the same lines of the praise that Andrea Pirlo gave the Leeds star by saying that he was a “rock” in midfield for England during their Euro 2020 campaign, whilst also showing his technical passing ability by setting up Sterling’s winning goal against Croatia.

Having made a total of 139 tackles across the 2020/21 and 2021/22 Premier League seasons for Leeds, this highlights how much of a tough midfield opponent he can be and backs up what the former Juventus player and manager said about him.

The 26-year-old also found himself on the receiving end of praise for his international performances by former England manager Fabio Capello who called him a “phenomenal” player.

This shows that the England international has experience of playing with the likes of Sterling, Grealish, Phil Foden, John Stones and Kyle Walker, which may make it easier for him to settle in at City if he does join them this summer.

In other news: Imagine him & Grealish: Pep can form deadly MCFC duo by signing “refreshing” £30m star

Sunderland can save millions by delving into their Academy of Light, the place that produced Champions League winner, Jordan Henderson.

The Black Cats have another promising central midfielder on their hands in 19-year-old starlet, Harrison Sohna, though it is worth noting that he has not come through all steps of the youth set-up, having switched last year from Aston Villa U23s.

Having featured in just two goals and three assists along the way – this, despite functioning as a defensive midfielder for seven games.

His performances for the Black Cats’ reserve side have paved the way for opportunities to play in the first team. Though his three appearances for the senior side have all come under former boss Lee Johnson in the EFL Trophy, so he is yet to make his professional league debut, and yet to impress Alex Neil who will surely be looking to embed the youngster into the first team come next season.

Over the last year, Sohna has registered some stats that demonstrate why he deserves a chance to play a higher level of football.

His average of 58.7 touches, 44 accurate passes and 0.7 key passes better that of Corry Evans who averages 45.5 touches, 28.3 accurate passes and 0.3 key passes per game – with the 31-year-old featuring 33 times for the Black Cats in the standard League One season, including two additional appearances in the League One play-offs.

Right now is a tricky time to hand an inexperienced youngster a league debut in what is such an important game in the season-defining play-off final on the 21st May. Though, it would not hurt to let Sohna train with the first team from now and across pre-season to see how he fairs in the level above.

His stats are certainly promising and his playstyle is what has got him noticed, with his forward-thinking approach and ability to make something happen echoed by Josh Bunting: “Harrison Sohna against his former club with the goal, really like when he gets on the ball, always thinking forward and opens up trying to make something happen.”

With that in mind, he’s certainly one to watch in the northeast.

In other news: Sunderland make “an enquiry” to sign highly-rated journeyman, Neil surely ecstatic

A report out of Italy has now shared some big transfer news involving Hellas Verona star Antonin Barak and Tottenham Hotspur coach Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Spurs enter mix…

The in-form Serie A playmaker has exploded for Hellas over 2021/2022, attracting interest from Premier League sides, including Spurs.

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Fabio Paratici reportedly has his eye on Barak with reports suggesting a summer swoop could be on the cards.

The Czech Republic international is now attracting Conte’s personal interest as Italian Italian source Mondo Udinese.it make a major claim.

The Latest: Conte could convince…

According to their information, Tottenham’s manager could now ‘make an attempt’ to ‘convince’ Barak to join the Lilywhites.

This comes as he prepares for his first full campaign in charge over 2022/2023 and interest in the 6 foot 3 powerhouse from Conte is seen as an ‘excellent opportunity’ for Hellas to make a profit off his sale.

The Verdict: Underrated target…

Barak stands out as seriously key player for the Italian side, racking up 11 goals and four assists in the top flight alone.

He’s also their third best player going by average match rating over 2021/2022 and it’s clear to see why Conte is attracted by the possibility of signing him for Spurs.

Reports suggest Barak could leave his club for as little as €20 million (£17m), an arguable bargain fee given he is still in his prime and has struck double figures in his league.

For a price in and around that, Conte shouldn’t hesitate in trying to sway the player into a Spurs move, with reporters even branding Barak ‘phenomenal’ at international level (Sacha Nabet).

In other news: Fabrizio Romano: Conte could now lose ‘monster’ Spurs player who’s ‘expected to leave’! Find out more here.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has issued an update regarding the fitness of defender Ben White, ahead of Thursday’s pivotal Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

What’s the word?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, the Spaniard revealed that it remains uncertain as to whether the former Brighton man will be fit to feature against Antonio Conte’s side, having been absent since the win over Manchester United at the end of April.

Asked about the injury latest regarding his squad, the Gunners boss stated that: “Thomas [Partey] is still out, Kieran [Tierney] is still out, “Ben [White] is a doubt. We’ll have to assess him he’s feeling much better and Bukayo [Saka] is the same.”

The 40-year-old went on to add that it will be a close to call as to whether both White and teammate Bukayo Saka will be able to feature: “Very difficult to rate (a chance) with injuries, it’s just how they feel today,” he said. “That’s the last day we can assess them so we’ll have to see.”

White has missed the wins over both West Ham United and Leeds United due to a hamstring injury, while Saka was withdrawn late on against the Elland Road outfit. Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney remain on the sidelines.

Fingers crossed

Arteta will be praying that the England centre-back will be fit to feature at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with it set to be a titanic tussle between two bitter rivals going toe-to-toe in the race to secure fourth spot.

For the Gunners, however, the motivation is clear, with a win confirming their Champions League qualification ahead of their north London neighbours, with the Emirates outfit currently four points clear and with just two games left to play following the meeting with Spurs.

The club are on the cusp of a return to Europe’s premier competition for the first time since 2017 following a largely promising season, although defeat would ensure a nail-biting end to the campaign.

Should White be absent for that encounter, it would no doubt serve as an almighty blow, with the 24-year-old having been in imperious form since his £50m arrival last summer.

The £36m-rated man, previously dubbed “exceptional” by pundit Jamie Redknapp, has been a real force of nature at the back so far this term, averaging 3.1 clearances, 1.4 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per 90, while also winning a solid 59% of his total duels and keeping an impressive 13 clean sheets from 31 league outings.

Comfortable as both a central defender and at right-back, the £93k-per-week gem also offers his manager valuable versatility and flexibility, with his ability to also feature as part of a back three – as he did under Graham Potter last term – potentially useful up against Conte’s 3-4-3 system.

It would appear, however, that the one-time Leeds loanee faces a race against time to be fit, with it simply set to be a case of crossing fingers ahead of a game of such long-term importance. Should he miss out, though, the manager will understandably be gutted.

IN other news, Vieira 2.0: Arsenal gifted chance to sign “top-class” £25m ace, he could guarantee UCL…

A significant Rangers update has emerged on Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s bid to keep Rory Wilson at Ibrox beyond this summer.

The Rangers starlet has been in phenomenal form this term but sadly, the Gers could be on the verge of a disaster with him.

What’s the talk?

According to The Daily Record, the Rangers academy striker has told the club that he will be leaving Glasgow at the end of the season.

The Gers want him to put pen to paper on professional terms to remain at Ibrox but he will now be heading south of the border and Ross Wilson will need to get as much out of the deal as he can – with the club entitled to training compensation.

That report claims that he has made his mind up and is now set to reunite with Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa in the Premier League next term.

Van Bronckhorst will be livid

This update will surely leave the head coach livid as Wilson is a talented young prospect whose departure will come as a big blow to the club.

Rangers are on the verge of repeating the awful disaster that was Billy Gilmour’s exit from Glasgow back in the summer of 2017. Premier League side Chelsea snapped him up, at the age of 15, for a reported fee of £500k and he has made the step up to senior level in recent years.

He is currently valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt and has spent the season on loan with Norwich in the Premier League, after winning the Champions League with Chelsea last term. The midfielder has also been capped 12 times by Scotland at international level as he has shown that he has been able to adjust to playing at senior level.

His value has soared since leaving Rangers as a teenager and now he is worth an eight-figure sum and playing at the top level in England. Meanwhile, the Gers received an initial £500k for his services and have had to watch on from afar as their academy product has achieved success.

Rangers are now set to relive that nightmare with Wilson. By the end of March, the attacker was on 40 goals for the club in all competitions at youth level, which shows how impressive he has been for the academy and that he has big potential to make himself a star in the first team.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst will now be livid that the 16-year-old wants to leave Glasgow and is on course to sign for Villa this summer as he will not be able to utilise his talents in the future. He may now have to watch the striker catch fire in England and wonder what could have been…

AND in other news, Rangers played an Ibrox blinder with £22k-pw “cornerstone” who’s like “Graeme Souness”…

Crystal Palace are said to be considering a move for Manchester United full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

What’s the word?

That is according to Eagles reporter for The Athletic, Matt Woosnam, who claims the Selhurst Park side are pondering a swoop for their former £27m-rated player.

Woosnam reports that whilst it is not definitive that Palace will move for the Englishman, the right-back position is one that Manchester United believe they can upgrade in the summer.

This would most likely open up a loan opportunity for Crystal Palace to re-acquire their former starlet.

Supporters will love it

When Aaron Wan-Bissaka secured his £50m move to Old Trafford back in 2019, it looked as though Manchester United had found their next Gary Neville – a solid right-back that would be at the club on a long-term basis.

Though, his inconsistency has left the Englishman written off – particularly this season under interim manager Ralf Rangnick, with the 24-year-old tipped as one of the high-profile casualties at United this summer.

A return to link up with former club Crystal Palace and partake in their project under Patrick Vieira could be a tempting proposal.

And it would seem there is room for Wan-Bissaka to become a first-team regular, with Nathan Ferguson having struggled with injury, playing just eight minutes of football for the Eagles since July 2020, which renders ageing pair Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward as his only real competition.

Wan-Bissaka’s inconsistency in attack has spread through to some of his defensive numbers.

Whilst his pressures and tackles have faltered this season, his blocks and interceptions have improved. So too have his metrics as a dribbler, with the Englishman registering an average of around two completed dribbles per 90.

His average of three blocked shots offer another comparison that sees him better the numbers of Nathaniel Clyne, who achieves a specified block metric of 0.60 – one of the worst in Europe’s top 5 leagues amongst positionally similar players, as per FBref.

His pressures also falter to Wan-Bissaka, who has been dubbed as an “immovable object” by football writer Grace Robertson.

Even if it’s on a loan basis, fans would surely love a return for their former gem.

In other news: Vieira can repeat his Olise masterclass as CPFC plot bid for £15m “incredible talent” – opinion

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is set to demand north of £53 million for one of Sean Dyche’s star players as Barcelona eye up a move, according to a new report.

Nottingham Forest turn corner under Sean Dyche

It’s been 42 days since Ange Postecoglou became the shortest reigning manager in Premier League history after a nightmare stint at the City Ground, with Forest since appointing Dyche to steady the ship.

Arsenal 3-0 Forest

Premier League

Swansea 3-2 Forest

Carabao Cup

Burnley 1-1 Forest

Premier League

Real Betis 2-2 Forest

Europa League

Forest 0-1 Sunderland

Premier League

Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland

Europa League

Newcastle 2-0 Forest

Premier League

Forest 0-3 Chelsea

Premier League

The Englishman arrived at Forest with skepticism surrounding his controversial appointment, but so far, Dyche has seriously impressed.

His debut in the dugout saw Forest secure a 2-0 Europa League victory over FC Porto, their first in Europe, establishing early momentum before Forest defeated fellow strugglers Leeds United 3-1 at the City Ground — ending a nine-match winless domestic streak that went all the way back to the opening weekend under Nuno Espírito Santo.

Ibrahim Sangare’s first Forest goal kickstarted the comeback after Lukas Nmecha’s early strike, before Morgan Gibbs-White’s header and Elliot Anderson’s stoppage-time penalty completed the turnaround.

Even more impressive came Forest’s stunning 3-0 triumph over Liverpool at Anfield.

Murillo, Nicolo Savona, and Gibbs-White scored as Dyche put on a tactical masterclass against the Merseysiders, who are in catastrophic form right now amid reports that Arne Slot could lose his job.

The Tricky Trees have also shut up shop, conceding just once in their last four games across all competitions, and that is testament to the performances of Murillo, who also put in a Man of the Match display against Liverpool last weekend.

The Brazilian is attracting serious interest from elite clubs, including Arsenal, and we can now add the La Liga champions to his growing list of admirers.

Barcelona identify top target Murillo as Nottingham Forest demand £53 million

According to reports from Spain, Murillo has now ‘become Barcelona’s top target’ to reinforce Hansi Flick’s defence.

Forest are clear, they want north of £53 million for the centre-back and are in a very strong position to demand good money considering he’s contracted until 2029.

Good news for Dyche is that Barça are currently unable to meet this price tag due to their constraints around the La Liga salary cap and well-documented financial difficulties.

The prospect of Murillo leaving in January is unlikely at best as well, despite the admiration from top clubs, with journalist Pete O’Rourke telling Football Insider that Forest will block any winter move.

The 23-year-old finished last campaign as Forest’s best performer by average match rating, according to WhoScored, in what was a fairytale campaign where they nearly qualified for the Champions League under Nuno.

Forest have scope to demand even more money for their prized asset, and we could even see a potential bidding war next summer.

Danny Rohl is close to being named as the new Rangers boss, and Sky Sports have shared a live update from outside Ibrox after an “11th hour and 59th minute” twist.

Rangers on brink of Rohl announcement after late breakdown in talks

“Let’s start with the huge developments in the last half hour,” said a Sky Sports presenter live on TV on Monday afternoon. “Danny Rohl looks set to be named as the new head coach at Rangers.”

The 36-year-old former Sheffield Wednesday head coach had ruled himself out of the race to become Russell Martin’s successor last week when Kevin Muscat appeared to be front runner.

However, it emerged on Sunday night that no agreement could be reached with Muscat, which threw the Ibrox club into managerial limbo ahead of the Thursday night’s Europa League clash with Brann in Norway.

Sky’s Adam Binnie has now reported live from outside Ibrox, shedding some light on just how close they were to appointing Muscat: “The club continued into advanced talks with Kevin Muscat which fell through at the 11th hour, or the 11th hour and 59th minute.

“After all that falling out, that meant that Rohl was back in contention… now he is the leading candidate and is expected to take over.”

Rohl, who Binnie confirms was third choice after Steven Gerrard and Muscat, led The Owls to a 12th-place league finish in his only full season as a manager before leaving the troubled Yorkshire club in July.

Rangers’ Under-19 boss Stevie Smith was in interim charge for the 2-2 draw with Dundee United at Ibrox on Saturday. Former Gers defender Smith took over first-team training along with B team coach Brian Gilmour, goalkeeping coach Sal Bibbo and head of performance Rhys Owen, on Martin’s departure.

The Ibrox club sit sixth in the William Hill Premiership with nine points from eight fixtures and are 13 points behind leaders Hearts.

Gers fans disgruntled by the failure of Martin, the start to the season where Rangers were also bounced out of the Champions League play-off on a 9-1 aggregate defeat by Belgian side Club Brugge, and latterly the new boss recruitment process, have turned against chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell.

A banner was held up at half-time during the Dundee United game which read: ‘Stewart, Thelwell pack your bags and go before we pack them for you’.

It’s not been a great start to the season for Chelsea.

In the Premier League, Enzo Maresca’s side sits in eighth place with two wins, two draws, and two losses from their opening six games.

In the Champions League, they lost to Bayern Munich before beating Benfica, and in the League Cup, they just about got over the line against League One side Lincoln City.

Unsurprisingly, plenty of the Blues’ exciting young stars, like Jamie Gittens, have struggled this year, which makes their decision to sell an upgrade on him in the summer all the more perplexing.

Gittens poor start to life at Chelsea

Chelsea opted to spend around £48m on Gittens in the summer, and while such a fee now seems a little excessive, it didn’t appear too high at the time.

After all, the 21-year-old ended last season having scored 12 goals and provided five assists from 48 games for Borussia Dortmund.

Moreover, Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley even went as far as to claim he was “England’s best left winger in 2024/25”.

Unfortunately, it would seem utterly absurd to make such a claim today, as the Reading-born ace has so far failed to live up to expectations at Chelsea.

As things stand, the dynamic winger has made six appearances for the club, of which three have been starts, and yet he has not scored or provided an assist.

However, it’s worse than that, as, on top of having no end product, the summer signing hasn’t even had moments in which he’s looked promising, let alone good.

In almost all of his appearances, he ends up going missing, and when he does have the ball at his feet, he seemingly always makes the wrong decision.

For example, he failed to have a single shot on target in 70 minutes against Lincoln and gave away the ball with every other touch in his cameo against Benfica.

The performances have been so underwhelming that one content creator has labelled him as “shockingly bad.”

Minutes

29′

Expected Assists

0.01

Shots on Target

0

Dribbles (Successful)

3 (1)

Touches

16

Lost Possession

8

Accurate Passes

3/5

Key Passes

0

Duels (Won)

8 (4)

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Gittens’ poor start to the season has left some wondering why the club sold someone who looks like a far better player, someone some have even compared to Bukayo Saka.

The Gittens upgrade sold by Chelsea

The nature of Chelsea’s transfer strategy means that they are going to sell some young talents too soon, or without securing adequate backup.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

That seems to be the case with Noni Madueke, as even though he had his own problems at Chelsea, it’s hard not to look at him as a clear upgrade on Gittens at the moment.

Now, there will be plenty of you happily pointing out that, like the former Dortmund star, the new Arsenal is yet to score a goal or provide an assist for his new club.

However, ask a fan of the Gunners, or a pundit for that matter, and they’ll happily explain that while the lack of end product isn’t ideal, it doesn’t take away from the fact that, before his injury, the Englishman was a breath of fresh air.

The “mentality monster,” as dubbed by former personal coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst, has brought a level of directness that has been missing from the North Londoners for some time, and was so good in the game against Nottingham Forest that he got a standing ovation.

In fact, he’s been so exciting to watch that some have even suggested he could truly rival Saka for a place in the starting lineup, with former Chelsea and England defender Paul Parker saying: “With the way he plays, I actually think he’s better than Bukayo Saka.”

While that is almost certainly overdoing it, comparing Madueke and Gitten’s underlying numbers from this season makes it clear that the former Blues star is doing far more for his new side than his younger compatriot.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.13

0.28

Progressive Passes

0.53

2.50

Progressive Carries

4.21

5.91

Shots on Target

0.37

0.92

Key Passes

1.58

1.82

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.53

1.82

Shot-Creating Actions

3.09

3.20

Goal-Creating Actions

0.00

0.46

Successful Take-Ons

1.58

1.82

For example, even with the easier game against Lincoln, the former PSV Eindhoven star performs far better in key metrics, such as non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, passes into the penalty area, successful take-ons, and more, all per 90 minutes.

In other words, despite playing tougher opposition, the West Londoners’ former winger is putting up far better numbers than their new one this season.

Ultimately, things may well work out for Gittens, but as things stand, it looks like Chelsea made a mistake signing him and selling Madueke.

"We will be ready" – Pedro Neto reveals Chelsea "resilience" and sends Liverpool warning

The Portugal international has become a mainstay under Maresca.

ByBen Goodwin Oct 1, 2025

Celtic enjoyed another successful season in 2024/25 under Brendan Rodgers, winning another Scottish Premiership title while also lifting the Scottish League Cup.

The Hoops narrowly missed out on a domestic treble, however, attention is already turning to the new campaign with additions already made in the transfer market.

Kieran Tierney’s return to Celtic Park has now been confirmed, with the left-back joining on a free transfer after his contract at the Emirates expired. Talking after re-joining Celtic, Tierney was delighted.:

The Scot will be looking to add to his tally of 11 Celtic honours over the coming years, but who else could join Tierney and Fulham youngster Callum Osmand through the Parkhead door this summer?

Celtic's most expensive sales of all time

Celtic have let some of their finest talents move for big money in the past.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 3, 2025

Grok the AI tool on X, has predicted five more signings Celtic could make this summer, totalling more than £20m.

AI predicts 5 players Celtic will sign this summer 1 Mathias Kvistgaarden Brondby (£8m)

A new attacking addition looks set to be on the to-do list at Parkhead, with Mathias Kvistgaarden a long-term target for the Hoops.

Wanted by Celtic over the last 12 months, they have once again been linked with a move this summer. The closest Rodgers’ side have come to signing Kvistgaarden was in January after Kyogo Furuhashi left to join Rennes.

Grok have put an estimated £8m transfer fee on a deal as Celtic search for their Kyogo replacement.

2 Lennon Miller Motherwell (£5m)

Lennon Miller continues to be a man in-demand after starring at Motherwell, with Celtic among the many clubs looking to sign the talented teenage midfielder.

Recent claims have suggested that the Hoops are set to go back in for the 18-year-old after seeing a bid turned down in January, and Grok thinks a transfer could be worth £5m for the now Scotland international.

Amid reports of Sunderland looking at signing Miller for £10m, Celtic may well be delighted if they can sign him for half the price.

3 Harley Mills Peterborough United (£2m)

Despite already signing Tierney, Celtic could still yet bring another left-back to Glasgow to replace Greg Taylor.

Peterborough United’s Harley Mills may well be that man to provide competition to Tierney, with an approach made by the Hoops for the EFL ace.

Mills starred at Wembley for Peterborough against Birmingham in their Vertu Cup final victory, scoring a free-kick, and he could cost up to £2m according to Grok.

4 Nilson Angulo Anderlecht (£5m)

Celtic have been predicted to bring in a South American winger over the coming months, and Nilson Angulo, dubbed as “the next Neymar” in the media, may well be that man.

An Ecuador international, the Hoops recently expressed an interest in signing Angulo, who can play on either flank. He has already played in the Europa League for Anderlecht and is still just 21 years of age.

Grok say a ‘young, dynamic winger would fit Rodgers’ vision for Champions League impact’, and Angulo could be that man in a deal potentially worth up to £5m.

5 James Penrice Hearts (£2m)

Described by Grok as a domestic solution for defensive depth, Hearts left-back James Penrice is another who has been backed to move to Celtic Park this summer in a deal worth up to £2m.

This comes after Celtic scouted the 26-year-old, who impressed at Tynecastle in what was a struggling Hearts side.

As well as playing in his primary left-back role, Penrice can also turn out as a left midfielder or as a central midfielder, providing plenty of versatility for Rodgers.