All posts by h79snht.top

Transfer expert Dean Jones says that Manchester United are ‘scouting’ Sassuolo central midfielder Davide Fratessi ahead of the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: United interest

As per Italian news outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, United have been closely monitoring Frattesi’s progress in Italy, although they could face stiff competition for his signature.

It is claimed that fellow Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur are also among his admirers, and he is believed to be valued at around €35 million (£30m) by Sassuolo.

They will be in a very strong position around the negotiating table should a firm offer come their way, as his contract does not run out until 2026.

The Latest: Scouting mission

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has shared that the Old Trafford outfit are ‘scouting’ Fratessi ahead of a potential move, and does not think that he can be compared to reported summer target Frenkie de Jong:

“I don’t think we can really compare him to Frenkie de Jong, and I don’t think I’d be looking at him along those sorts of lines, but they’re scouting him.

“But we have to consider United scout a lot of people, as does every club, it’s just one of those leaks that gets out that the club have been watching him.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news-7/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Bellingham alternative?

It has recently been reported that the Red Devils look out of the race to sign Borussia Dortmund and England superstar Jude Bellingham due to his enormous price, so Fratessi could be a cheaper alternative.

Hailed as ‘super talented’ by Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the 23-year-old has four senior caps for Italy, and has really come on at Sassuolo over the last year.

Indeed, he ranks in the 97th percentile for shots, 96th for non-penalty expected goals and 94th for touches out of all midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues (FBRef), and would offer Erik ten Hag another threat from the middle of the park.

Nonetheless, a deal looks like it could be done in January for the right price.

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale faces an almighty challenge to reclaim the Premiership title this season. The Ibrox side currently trail leaders Celtic by nine points and struggled to maintain any sort of consistency under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Despite the Dutchman signing seven new players during the summer transfer window, only Antonio Colak – who has scored 14 goals so far this term – has really settled and Beale has a big challenge getting the best out of some players who spent more time on the bench than on the pitch.

Scott Wright faltered under Van Bronckhorst, featuring just 39 times for the 47-year-old during his year-long spell in charge of the club and he often found himself isolated out on the right wing due to the manager’s negative tactical approach.

The £5.6k-per-week Scot joined the Ibrox outfit under Steven Gerrard in 2021 and won the Premiership title just a few months after arriving in Glasgow.

The 25-year-old did chip in with ten goal contributions during last season as the Light Blues reached the Europa League final and won the Scottish Cup for the first time in 13 years, and Wright scored the second goal against Hearts in the final.

Journalist Mark McDougall dubbed Wright “impressive” in Rangers’ first league match of the season against Livingston, however since then, he hasn’t really had the chance to secure a settled spot in the starting line-up.

Fighting against summer arrival Rabbi Matondo and Fashion Sakala, his opportunities under the Dutchman this season were limited, and although he has shone glimpses of his talents, against Dundee in the League Cup being a prime example, it hasn’t been enough.

Beale worked with the winger for ten months when he was the first-team coach under Gerrard and will know exactly how to bring the best out of the former Aberdeen dynamo ahead of the second half of the season.

Wright is clearly talented, otherwise, he wouldn’t still be at the club. All he needs now is someone to show plenty of faith in his ability and he will surely thrive again.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp could potentially receive a cherished piece of positivity on the injury front, following reports that Arthur Melo is well ahead of schedule in his return from the medical department. 

What’s the word?

Signing on a one-year loan deal from Juventus at the end of the summer transfer window, with an option to buy of £32m, Arthur picked up a serious muscular problem and was sidelined for an extensive period, making just one substitute appearance for Jurgen Klopp’s squad at present.  

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano confirmed the news on Twitter, saying: “Positive news for Arthur Melo. Brazilian midfielder will try to be back within the end of the month after first, positive medical check.

“New tests have already been scheduled in the next days/weeks but Arthur is pushing to return earlier than expected.”

Forget Jude

The overarching pessimism surrounding the Reds’ deal to bring Arthur to Anfield has been emanating with force, with the injury certainly not lessening concerns over his reliability in this ambitious Liverpool team.

Arthur has been part of a Juventus side that have slipped from their almighty pedestal and fallen from grace, although he has looked promising when he has played, and he will need to rekindle his fluidity and form swiftly if he wishes to prove his worth to Klopp and stamp his presence into the team. 

Last term, Arthur was beset with similar issues, missing 23 matches for the Old Lady and consequently making just 11 league starts all year. 

When he did play, he offered shades of impressive passing play that played a defining role in Klopp’s decision to take a gamble and bring him to Anfield. 

Liverpool are one of the many suitors for the marvellous Jude Bellingham, with the Borussia Dortmund ace likely to come at an astronomical fee, with figures in the region of £129m touted, and Arthur could prove a very cost-efficient alternative to the 19-year-old phenom.

As per Sofascore, the 26-year-old maintained a 90% passing accuracy and recorded 1.3 tackles per outing for Juventus last season, completing 91% of his dribbles and winning 64% of his duels.

Should he manage to shake off the cobwebs and free his legs from the injury shackles, he can conduct the Liverpool play from the centre, retaining the ball and starting positive plays as he pleases. 

As per FBref, the 22-cap gem ranks within the top 5% for pass completion and 9% for attempted passes when compared to midfielders across Europe’s big five leagues this past year, and he can be the difference in so many regards, instilling assurance, dictating the tempo, searching for openings in even the tightest defences when required.

Bellingham might be a prominent name on the lips of many a Liverpool supporter, but Arthur is an avenue for the club that must be explored; the “extraordinary” technician – as dubbed by Max Allegri – can save Klopp’s season, and with Liverpool currently in sixth place in the Premier League, the need for an addition, someone of his ilk, with his prowess and technical ability, sticks out like a sore thumb.

Newcastle United have had their hopes of signing Inter Milan’s defensive powerhouse Milan Skriniar slashed in Fabrizio Romano’s latest Daily Briefing report. 

The Lowdown: Prime time

At 27 years of age, Skriniar is now in and around his prime years in the game, and you can see this in his approach as a ball playing defender. 

The Slovakian, dubbed a ‘monster’ by broadcaster Carlo Garganese, has added around ten more passes to his game in comparison to last season on a per 90 basis, averaging 65 accurate passes per match, and it’s clear he’d fit in any ball-playing side in world football.

And perhaps unsurprisingly, plenty of sides are sniffing around as his contract ticks down to its expiry next summer.

This includes Newcastle, who allegedly bid for the dominant defender in the summer and have been named as ‘top candidates’ in a report from Italy this week.

The Latest: Romano dulls hopes

Writing in his Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside, the transfer guru covered Skriniar’s recent links to Tyneside. 

Currently, the Italian is not aware of any talks with the Magpies, despite what recent reports have suggested.

Taking to his exclusive column, Romano said:  “Despite what you may have read elsewhere, Milan Skriniar is not in negotiations to join Newcastle as of now.

“Chelsea were considering him last summer, PSG have always been leading the race, but Inter are still pushing to extend his contract.

“A new deal and the captain’s armband have been offered – it’s now up to Skriniar; he has to decide.”

The Verdict: “As of now…”

The “as of now” part of Romano’s update bodes well for the side long term. 

Whilst discussions between Skriniar and Newcastle have not commenced as of yet, that does not mean that talks will not occur later down the line, especially if he does not extend his deal.

Sure, competition with the likes of Chelsea and PSG sniffing around serves as somewhat of a January transfer blow for the side. But, the PIF-led project at Newcastle is an exciting one, especially with the side’s occupancy of an illustrious Champions League qualification place at current. 

As such, while talks are not underway, a move for the £70million star is not off the table just yet.

Liverpool have reportedly entered the race to sign Atalanta wonderkid Giorgio Scalvini, who is also being eyed by heated divisional rivals Manchester City. 

What’s the word?

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Reds are now looking to swoop for the 19-year-old Scalvini, who is also attracting the attention of European giants such as Inter Milan and Bayern Munich. 

Primarily a centre-back, Scalvini has earned plaudits for his ability and meteoric ascension to the Atalanta first-team, with the Italian outfit unwilling to part with their starlet for anything below £34m.

This might appear a lucrative fee for a player so poor in experience, but having displayed assurance and ability beyond his years, any deal achieved would likely prove prudent indeed for top sides chasing major honours. 

Klopp’s next Hummels

Jurgen Klopp will hope that he can forge a deal for the talented teen, and perhaps emulate the past success of Mats Hummels at Borussia Dortmund. 

Hummels, who has spent the majority of his career going back and forth between Dortmund and Bayern like a yo-yo, enjoyed the maiden period of his career under Klopp’s wing, when the manager led the Yellow Wall.

Rising to become one of Germany’s most illustrious defenders, the 33-year-old made a total of 242 appearances for the German head coach, winning two Bundesliga titles and the DFB Pokal.

And now the pathway to a similar fruitful career has been paved, with Atalanta’s hot prospect certainly enticed by the proposition of developing under Klopp.

Scalvini has made 11 appearances for the Orobici this season, starting eight times, and has quickly earned a regular spot in the starting line-up after initially perching on the periphery. 

His exploits have even earned him three appearances for the Italian national team, who are looking to reinvent themselves having failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, despite winning the 2020 European Championship the preceding year. 

Scalvini offers a positive flair to his game that evades the vast majority of central defenders, averaging 0.4 shots per match and already netting his first goal for the club in the opening period of the Serie A campaign. 

Statistical data from FBref also illustrates the teenage titan’s prowess across a variety of fronts, ranking him in the top percentile for touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 10% for dribbles completed and the top 3% for rate of tackles when compared to positional peers in Europe this past year, embodying the skill-set of the quintessential successful modern centre-back. 

He does, however, rank within the bottom 13% for pass completion among active centre-backs across major leagues, indicating an improvement must be made to the precision of his ball-playing skills, although at just 19-years-old he does indeed have time to nurture and develop. 

Labelled a “top talent” by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Scalvini could be the key to cementing Liverpool’s defensive pedigree over the coming years, and while the likes of Virgil Van Dijk and Joel Matip have been exceptional under Klopp’s reign, with both now 31-years-old, the future of the club must be considered.

Indeed, it is time for the German tactician to unearth his next Hummels-esque figure with the Italian youngster undoubtedly possessing the potential to become a figurehead if he receives the right guidance.

West Ham United have identified Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo as a potential replacement for Declan Rice, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Rice’s future

While Rice is contracted until the summer of 2024, with West Ham also possessing an option to extend his deal by an extra year, his future at the London Stadium is looking uncertain amid interest from a whole host of other Premier League clubs.

In the summer, the Englishman rejected an eight-year-deal totalling £83m, while he recently spoke of his desire to win trophies and compete in the Champions League, which does not seem likely to happen with the Hammers at this moment in time.

As such, David Moyes and the recruitment team have started to identify suitable long-term replacements, and Caicedo is now emerging as a potential signing if Rice decides to leave the club in the near future.

The Latest: Caicedo considered

According to the Daily Mail, Brighton are now reaching a point where they realise they might have to sell the Ecuadorian, in light of his fantastic performances for both club and country.

The Seagulls have placed a price tag of £60m on the central-midfielder, a figure that is deemed unlikely to deter other potential suitors Newcastle United, while West Ham are also named as an interested party, with the aim of securing themselves a long-term replacement for Rice.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-5/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Get it done?

No West Ham fan wants to see the Englishman exit the London Stadium, but if he must do so, then Caicedo would be the next best thing, given his level of ability at such a young age.

The 21-year-old is a staple in the Brighton midfield, making 14 appearances so far this season, and he has also already got 27 international caps to his name, having recently competed at the World Cup.

The ‘terrific athlete’, as lauded by South American football expert Tim Vickery, has some improvement to make with his pass completion, having averaged a rate of 85.5% over the past year, a little shy of the 90.2% figure attained by Rice, but he is showing some very promising signs in a defensive sense.

An average of 2.79 tackles and 1.61 blocks per 90 in the same timeframe places him in the 84th and 83rd percentile respectively, highlighting that he would be more than suited to taking on the defensive responsibilities in this West Ham team.

Chelsea have a ‘concrete’ interest in Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: World Cup winner

Mac Allister, who has scored 28 goals during his career, recently helped Argentina win the World Cup for the third time. The 24-year-old was left out in the opening defeat to Saudi Arabia but started every game after that, netting his first goal for his country in a 2-0 win over Poland.

His Transfermarkt valuation has rocketed to a career-high €42m as a result, and it seems as if Chelsea were left impressed by his displays.

The Latest: Chelsea keen

FI reporter Wayne Veysey shared a story on Saturday morning, revealing that the Blues have a ‘concrete’ interest in Mac Allister as they look to sign a top-class midfielder.

He claims that Graham Potter is keen on a reunion with the player, who could cost around £60m.

The Verdict: One to watch?

The Blues aren’t hanging around when it comes to 2023 additions with swoops for David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos and Benoit Badiashile, and it seems as if a move to Stamford Bridge for Mac Allister is one to keep an eye on as well.

Potter will know all about the player’s quality from his time on the south coast, and Mac Allister would also offer plenty of versatility in midfield.

He can play as a holding, central or attacking midfielder and showcased his ability on the biggest stage in Qatar, so a swoop could prove to be an inspiring one both in the short and long term.

West Brom continued their phenomenal form under new manager Carlos Corberan on Monday as they earned a 1-0 win over Reading to move within one point of the Championship playoffs.

Daryl Dike’s header was enough to seal the three points for the Baggies, ensuring that they would win for the fifth home game in a row without conceding a goal, with a promotion push now certainly on the cards despite the woeful start to the season under Steve Bruce.

While Dike will dominate the headlines after scoring the only goal of the game, it was arguably Conor Townsend who was Corberan’s star performer against the Royals.

As per Sofascore, the former Scunthorpe United man would earn an impressive 7.6/10 rating for his performance on Tuesday, with only Dike (7.8) rated higher of every player to feature in the game.

Townsend was certainly unlucky not to open the scoring when he crashed a header against the post in the first half, although his overall performance certainly warranted a goal.

During the 90 minutes, the left-back would contribute four clearances, one interception and three tackles, which is even more impressive when you consider that he has averaged just 1.6 tackles and 1.9 clearances in the Championship so far this campaign.

Against a dangerous Reading right-hand side featuring Junior Hoilett and Tom Ince, the 29-year-old was completely dominant, winning all five of his aerial and ground duels at the Hawthorns.

However, it wasn’t just his defending that made his performance so good, as he also contributed two key passes and two shots during the game, both of which are an improvement on his average of 0.7 shots and one key pass per game in the second tier.

Townsend has worked his way up through the divisions and is continuing to deliver at the top end of the Championship for Corberan, which journalist Chris Lepkowski seemingly predicted when praising the defender back in 2021 on the West Brom podcast The Liquidator.

He said: “There’s no shortage of endeavour there, I think we all appreciate that he isn’t the most technically adept left-back, but in terms of endeavour and enterprise, he is superb. You know every week that he will put a shift in, he may make mistakes, he may not always get that final ball on target or the cross on target, but you know you’re going to get a very solid defensive display.”

Had Townsend’s first-half header found the net, then he surely would have been recognised as the man-of-the-match on Tuesday but his overall display arguably puts him ahead of Dike as the star performer in Corberan’s side.

Wolves are reportedly interested in signing Atalanta goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini this month and the Italian could be a big upgrade on Jose Sa in Julen Lopetegui’s side.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport (via calcioatalanta.it), Lopetegui is keen to bring in some more competition for Sa at Molineux, with the inexperienced Matija Sarkic the current deputy to the Portuguese shot-stopper.

Gollini, who has featured in England previously with both Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, is currently on loan at Fiorentina but has struggled for regular game time in Vincenzo Italiano’s side, with the vast majority of his appearances coming in the Europa Conference League.

Although the Italian ‘keeper would likely be a deputy for Sa at first, there is little doubt that the 29-year-old’s form has regressed this term in comparison to his superb performances last season, so it can only be a good thing for the former Olympiacos man to have more competition for the starting spot.

While the 27-year-old has only made three Serie A appearances for Fiorentina so far this campaign, he has averaged an impressive 6.91 rating from WhoScored, which is significantly better than the 6.61 rating averaged by Sa.

If we compare their post-shot expected goals numbers then Gollini also leads the way, having conceded just 0.3 more goals than expected in his Serie A appearances, whereas Sa has underperformed by a worrying 3.2 goals.

Last season saw him concede 7.3 fewer times than was expected, which shows just how impressive he was last season and how disappointing he has been so far in 2022/23.

While Gollini was understudy to Hugo Lloris during his time with Spurs, he won over many, including former player Graham Roberts, who said that he “looked excellent”, hailing his “fantastic positioning and great distribution.”

If Lopetegui wants a goalkeeper who is good with his feet, then Gollini could also be a more reliable option than Sa in this respect.

He has registered a 72.5% pass accuracy in Serie A, compared to the Wolves number one’s 69.7% in the Premier League, with WhoScored also suggesting that he struggles with long passing.

If given a run of games by Lopetegui at Molineux, then there seems no reason why he couldn’t replace Sa after his disappointing performances this season compared to his debut campaign.

Manchester City remain very much in the chase for the Premier League title, with Pep Guardiola’s men sitting second in the table, just five points behind Arsenal with more than half of the season left to go.

It’s hard to fathom just how further Guardiola can strengthen his squad when it contains a plethora of riches that should be sweeping all in front of them. Still, the Spaniard knows how to pick a player which can fit his model, and Jude Bellingham could be an intriguing signing for City.

Last month, 90min claimed that the club were interested in Bellingham following his impressive World Cup campaign with England and now a recent update from Sky Germany states that City are willing to meet Borussia Dortmund’s asking price of €150m (£131m) to lure the midfielder to England.

By doing so, Guardiola could have the perfect heir to İlkay Gündoğan ready to slot straight into the starting XI.

Perfect Gundogan replacement

The German midfielder has played an integral part in Guardiola’s City juggernaut since joining from Dortmund in 2016, winning nine major honours with the club, including four league titles.

He has scored 51 goals in 277 appearances for City, made even more remarkable considering he has operated in either a central or defensive midfield role during his stint in England, although with his contract expiring at the end of the current campaign, a replacement will need to be found sooner rather than later.

There is no disputing Bellingham is one of Europe’s finest midfielders, and at just 19 years of age, there is massive scope for further development.

Compared to positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, the Englishman ranks in the top 10% for non-penalty goals, dribbles completed, touches in the attacking penalty area, and progressive passes recovery, clearly indicating that he would be an excellent signing and someone the 51-year-old could build his team around.

The Dortmund sensation has been wonderful in the Bundesliga this term, averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.38/10 from just 15 appearances, registering five goal contributions, and taking 2.1 shots per game, suggesting that he, like Gündoğan, possesses an attacking threat from the centre of the pitch.

Bellingham isn’t shy in assisting his team with defensive duties either, averaging 3.2 tackles, 1.1 clearances, and 1.4 interceptions per match, while winning a staggering 9.7 duels per game – a success rate of 62%.

Sky Sports reporter Adam Smithy described him as an “unreal talent” last year and if City wants to land the coveted Champions League trophy they have craved for so long, Bellingham could be the final piece of the puzzle.