Tag Futebol

Sunderland’s previous League One outing saw them comfortably beat Morecambe 5-0 thanks to goals from Ross Stewart, Nathan Broadhead, Alex Pritchard and Leon Dajaku, making it the second league game of the season where they’ve managed to put five goals past their opponents with the first being their 5-0 victory over Cheltenham Town back in September.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, Sunderland have the opportunity to add even more firepower to their squad after a recent report from The Northern Echo claimed that Lee Johnson is “considering recalling Jack Diamond and Josh Hawkes from their respective loan spells in order to increase his options in the second half of the season.”

Taking into account how many injuries Sunderland have at the moment, particularly in the defensive areas, Johnson could have the mindset of overpowering their opponents in an attacking sense, in the same way they did with Morecambe, to make up for their defensive weaknesses, which could make it a smart move to have the likes of Diamond and Hawkes at his disposal again.

In 12 League Two appearances for Tranmere Rovers, Hawkes has managed to score one goal and provide two assists whilst playing in a number of different midfield and attacking positions.

For Diamond, he has racked up five goals and four assists in 17 appearances for Harrogate Town across League Two and the FA Cup.

This shows why Johnson reportedly wants the duo back at the Wearside club in January to see if they can continue their good starts to the season back at Sunderland and help the Black Cats win promotion back to the Championship.

If Johnson can guarantee Diamond and Hawkes regular playing time back at Sunderland for the remainder of the season, then Kyril Louis-Dreyfus should definitely bring them back in case his squad are struck down with any more injuries that could be a setback for their promotion hopes.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Providing the duo do return in the winter and are able to have a positive impact on the team and their results moving forward, this would be a massive boost for the fans who would undoubtedly be thrilled, especially if the team manages to secure promotion.

In other news: Johnson could solve major SAFC predicament by unleashing “terrific” 21 y/o sensation – opinion

Sheffield United are closing in on a deal to bring Robin Olsen to Bramall Lane.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Fabrizio Romano, with the journalist revealing on Twitter that Slavisa Jokanovic’s side are nearing a deal for the AS Roma goalkeeper, who is expected to join the Championship side on a season-long loan as Aaron Ramsdale’s replacement.

In his tweet, Romano said: “Robin Olsen is close to [joining] Sheffield United from AS Roma, here-we-go soon. He’s expected to be Ramsdale’s replacement, deal agreed on [a] one-season loan.”

Fans will be buzzing

While the loss of Ramsdale will have come as a major blow to everyone involved with Sheffield United, if Jokanovic manages to secure the signing of Olsen prior to Tuesday evening’s transfer deadline, it would undoubtedly soften the hit of losing the English stopper.

Indeed, the 31-year-old Swede impressed over his seven Premier League appearances while on loan at Everton last season, with the £2.7m-rated ‘keeper keeping two clean sheets, conceding an average of just 1.3 goals and making three saves per game.

These metrics saw the man who Alexander Isak dubbed an “incredible” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.87, ranking him as the Toffees’ 12th-best player in the top flight of English football.

As such, considering that Olsen’s level of performance would more than likely improve upon dropping down a division – on paper, at least – the signing of the Sweden international would be quite a coup for the Blades.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Furthermore, with Jokanovic desperately requiring a boost to kickstart Sheffield United’s Championship campaign – as the 53-year-old has seen his side pick up just two points over their opening five league fixtures of the season, leaving them languishing in 23rd place in the table – the last-minute signing of a player who boasts the quality and experience of Olsen could well prove to be the spark the Blades manager has been craving.

In other news: Witcoop drops SUFC transfer claim on “exciting” £2.6k-p/w ace, fans will be buzzing

Ange Postecoglou is already eyeing up his former players as Celtic have been linked with a move for Yokohama F. Marinos forward Ado Onaiwu, via Glasgow Live.

The Lowdown: Postecoglou to assess targets in quarantine

Postecoglou was confirmed as Celtic’s new manager on Thursday, 106 days following Neil Lennon’s resignation in February.

The 55-year-old left Yokohama F. Marinos to pen a 12-month rolling contract at Parkhead, and he’ll reportedly assess potential targets during his isolation period in Scotland.

It appears as if he may well already have his eyes on one of his former players if recent reports are to be believed.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-5/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Onaiwu links

According to the Daily Record, relayed by Glasgow Live, Postecoglou is ‘on alert’ regarding Onaiwu’s future.

The 25-year-old, who has scored 65 goals in his career to date, is out of contract in January 2022, so now is the time for his club to cash in if he is not going to sign a new deal.

Onaiwu, who is yet to turn out for his country, has impressed at club level and was actually called up to Japan’s senior squad recently.

The Verdict: New manager not wasting time

There’s no denying Postecoglou will need several summer signings, especially in the attacking areas, so a cut-price move for Onaiwu could be a solid starting point.

Odsonne Edouard has told friends he will be quitting Parkhead for Leicester City, Mohamed Elyounoussi has returned to Southampton and Leigh Griffiths’ future is up in the air.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Should Edouard and Griffiths depart, the Hoops would be left with Albian Ajeti as their only recognised centre-forward.

On that basis, bringing in a player who has scored goals for the new Celtic manager previously could be priceless in his first season in the Hoops hotseat.

In other news: Celtic to miss out on long-term target, find out more here. 

After seeing off relegation-battling Fulham last weekend, Aston Villa return to Premier League action when they take on champions Liverpool at Anfield this afternoon.

Dean Smith’s side had to come from behind to beat the Cottagers at Villa Park, with goals from Trezeguet and Ollie Watkins sparking a second-half comeback.

While a trip to the reigning champions may sound like a daunting prospect, Villa will have fond memories of the last time they played Liverpool in the league, a 7-2 drubbing which saw Ollie Watkins grab a hat-trick.

Aside from Jack Grealish’s continued absence, Smith doesn’t have too many injury concerns with which to contend, but might opt to make a couple of key changes considering how the game against Fulham panned out.

With that in mind, below is a look at how Villa might line up against Liverpool.

In goal, Emiliano Martinez will be looking to keep a clean sheet after going three Premier League games without one, while the back four should also remain unchanged.

The midfield could see January signing Morgan Sanson drop out of the starting line-up, with John McGinn coming back in alongside Douglas Luiz.

After bagging a brace against Scott Parker’s side last week, Trezeguet has surely done enough to warrant a place in the first team, and he could replace Anwar El Ghazi just like he did at Villa Park six days ago.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-aston-villa-transfer-rumours-and-news-copy-copy” title=”Latest Aston Villa transfer rumours and news”]

The other big change could see the rarely-seen Keinan Davis start up front alongside Ollie Watkins in a slight tweak in formation, with the 23-year-old – who has played just 103 minutes of Premier League football this season – having sent an emphatic message to his manager with a superb cameo against Fulham.

It would certainly be a big call to go with two up top against a team like Liverpool, but it could well be the kind of tactical surprise which catches out Jurgen Klopp’s side.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Predicted XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Traore, Luiz, McGinn, Trezeguet; Watkins, Davis.

Meanwhile, Dean Smith must start this “unbelievable” star vs Liverpool today…

Celtic are taking a strong interest in bringing Preston North End midfielder Ben Pearson to Parkhead, according to reports.

Pearson on Parkhead radar

The 25-year-old was previously described as “the best No.6 in this league (Championship)” by manager Alex Neil.

From 11 appearances, Pearson has provided just one assist all season, as opposed to last season where he appeared in 38 second-tier domestic matches.

According to well-respected journalist Anthony Joseph, Celtic are keen to secure a pre-contractual agreement for the former England U20 international.

He added that initial contact has been made for Pearson, so it appears Nick Hammond is already planning for the summer transfer window – perhaps his attention would be better focused on January.

Transfer Tavern Verdict

This is a bit of a strange move for Celtic to make. While Pearson could possibly be a good signing – there certainly is no guarantee of that, and a ‘pre contract’ agreement means it is a summer switch for Hammond and the Hoops.

After losing to arch-rivals Rangers yesterday and falling further behind in their pursuit of winning 10-in-a-row, the Hoops will need to invest in the squad heavily to get back to where they belong.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

That being said, Pearson could prove everyone wrong and become a star man for Neil Lennon in the future. Time will tell.

In other news, Celtic receive transfer boost as they aim to bring ‘excellent’ talent to Parkhead this month.

Former Sunderland defender Jack Baldwin has reacted after leaving the club and sealing a move to Bristol Rovers.

Black Cats manager Phil Parkinson is expected to see a number of players leave and come in as he looks to bounce back after failing to gain promotion to the Championship earlier this year.

One player who has now departed the club is Baldwin, who spent last season on loan with League Two side Salford City, seeing his deal at the Stadium of Light end on June 30.

Shortly after his exit from Sunderland, it was reported that talks with Bristol Rovers had begun for the defender to sign a permanent deal and it has now been confirmed that the defender has joined The Pirates.

Speaking after exit from Sunderland and move to the Memorial Stadium, the 27-year-old said (as quoted by Sunderland Echo):

“I’m delighted to be here.“Speaking with Ben [Garner, manager] early on this summer, I’m thrilled that we have managed to get everything sorted so early on, with the current climate.“I had chats with Ben quite a few times before signing and he’s a positive person. He knows the type of football that he wants his team to play and that style matches the way that I see myself playing.“There’s a lot of positivity around Bristol Rovers, so that makes it a great time to be joining and I’m excited to get started.”Baldwin made a total of 42 appearances for Sunderland during his time at the club.

Another player moves on from Sunderland, leaving Parkinson with space in his squad to bring in someone else.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

However, the lure of a move to the Stadium of Light is not exactly what it used to be and Baldwin’s decision to move on and join another League One club could act as a signal that Parkinson may have a tough transfer window.

Do you think Sunderland should have kept hold of Baldwin? Let us know in the comments section below…

Former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips has told Jan Vertonghen to leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer, per Football Insider.

What’s he said?

The defender has a contract that expires in the summer.

Ajax manager Erik Ten Hag has already confirmed that the Dutch giants are interested in signing him should he become available in the next transfer window.

Vertonghen was, of course, substituted against Southampton in their FA Cup fourth-round replay, leading to a dejected reaction from the 32-year-old.

And Phillips believes the time has come for him to call time on his Spurs career.

He said: “You saw the reaction of Vertonghen when he came off in the last game.

“He wasn’t happy. You could just see he was in dismay.

“He’s been a good servant for the club, but it might be just time for him to move on and fresh blood to come in.”

Spot on

Phillips has nailed this.

Vertonghen is coming to a fork in the road, with his contract expiring and there being interest from his former club in bringing him back.

The big fat Tottenham quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Spurs?

An exit from Spurs this summer would hardly be earth-shattering given the publicity surrounding his contractual situation.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

But Spurs need to bring in younger blood in the summer.

Vertonghen is 32 and will turn 33 in April, while Toby Alderweireld, his usual defensive partner, is 30 and will be 31 next month.

A younger defender is required this summer, regardless of Vertonghen’s future.

Meanwhile, Spurs targeted this striker in January!

Whilst the majority of the transfer talk surrounding Manchester United has revolved around potential striker targets, it appears the Red Devils also had plans to reinforce their options in defence.The Times have claimed that the Red Devils were scouring the market for a new left-back, with Leicester ace Ben Chilwell amongst a number of players who were being considered for the role.However, it has now been suggested that following the rapid rise of Brandon Williams – the academy product netted in the thrilling 3-3 draw with Sheffield United last weekend – the club have shelved plans to sign a player in that position.After hearing the transfer report, United fans took to Twitter to reveal their frustrations with the news.[ad_pod ]Many supporters of the Manchester side insisted that this is a major oversight on the part of their club, with one fan in particular claiming that cancelling long-term plans based on a couple of impressive performances is “typical clown stuff”.Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

Meanwhile, Gary Neville has urged Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to adopt this one key Jose Mourinho trait.

[ad_pod ]

Having arrived with the moniker of being the ‘Alpine Klopp’, Ralph Hasenhuttl sufficiently turned things around at Southampton last season to ensure their Premier League safety.

Their start to the current campaign has been slightly mixed in terms of their results, picking up seven points ahead of their clash against Bournemouth on Friday night.

Hasenhuttl raised some eyebrows before kick-off with his team selection and tactics, playing Cedric Soares at left-back, and Kevin Danso at right-back – both of them playing in unfamiliar roles.

The square pegs in round holes approach back-fired and the Saints slipped to a 3-1 defeat to Eddie Howe’s side. After seeing the tactical disaster at St Mary’s, Southampton fans flooded to Twitter to vent their frustrations with their manager.

Watch Southampton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Many fans of the south coast club pointed fingers at the Austrian’s “absolutely bizarre” decision to use players out of position, with one fan in particular also urging him to “stop messing around”.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Check out some of the reaction of Southampton fans below:

[ad_pod ]

Celtic are showing interest in Derby County defender Max Lowe, according to The Daily Record.

What’s the story?

With The Times reporting that Arsenal have made a second bid for established first-team left-back Kieran Tierney, the Scotland international’s future at Celtic Park appears to be hanging in the balance.

The Record say that Max Lowe is now one of the transfer options that the Hoops are pursuing, with an inquiry made to Derby County about his availability on a short-term basis or as a permanent signing.

Lowe spent last season on loan at Aberdeen and the paper claim that, despite having plenty of time left on his contract at Derby, his future at the club is uncertain.

How can Celtic improve next season? A Hoops fan tells us how in the video below…

Needed with or without Tierney

Valued at £315,000 by Transfermarkt, Lowe made 42 appearances for the Dons last term, becoming a trusted member of Derek McInnes’ squad at Pittodrie.

Playing in a Scottish Cup semi-final and League Cup final against Celtic, testing himself against James Forrest, he’s already had a taste of the level required to be a success at the Hoops despite falling short on both occasions.

Celtic badly need a left-back this summer with no direct back-up to Tierney available following the departure of Honduran veteran Emilio Izaguirre.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Watch Celtic Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Lowe would appear to have the ability to at least do a job domestically as back-up to Tierney, so pursuing him this summer makes sense even if the 22-year-old star does not move to Arsenal or indeed another top European club.

If Tierney does end up moving then it still makes sense to get Lowe in the door, although the club will need to dip into the transfer market once again and sign real quality as a replacement.