All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic ended their 2021/22 SPFL season with the best defensive record in the league having conceded just 22 goals in 38 games.

To further highlight their defensive strength, the Hoops faced fewer shots on target (76) than any other side in the top flight.

One figure that played a big part in Celtic’s title winning campaign at the back was Carl Starfelt.

Signed during the previous summer transfer window from Rubin Kazan on a four-year deal for a reported fee of £4m, the centre-back quickly became a prominent figure for Postecoglou.

Throughout his debut campaign, the Sweden international made 49 appearances across all competitions and played more minutes in the league than any other outfield player.

With the second-highest number of interceptions (42) and tackles won (30) to his name, Starfelt also had the joint-second highest average of clearances (3.5) and joint-highest average for aerial duels won per game (4.2) in Celtic’s ranks.

This highlights just how much of a capable defender he is and how significant he was for the Hoops this term.

Now that the campaign has drawn to an end, the summer transfer window will give Postecoglou the chance to potentially make some more changes to his squad so they can progress.

One figure that could potentially fit in the side well and possibly make a formidable defensive duo with Starfelt is Mohanad Jeahze.

The Hoops were linked with a reported £2m move for the Hammarby left-back, who has been labelled as a “class” player by Darijan Bojanic, last month.

With eight league appearances to his name this season, the defender has racked up the highest number of interceptions (18) and second-highest number of tackles (13) in Hammarby’s squad.

This shows how much of a tough defender he is and how he could be a solid fit next to Starfelt to make Celtic stronger on the left side of the defence.

Despite the current Celtic defender already showing his defensive talents, having another defensive full-back next to him, such as Jeahze, could make Postecoglou’s side an even tougher side to play against.

Taking into account how the Hoops will be facing off against some of Europe’s top teams in the Champions League next season, having some extra defensive reinforcements would not be a bad thing for the Parkhead club as they’ll be aiming to regain the SPFL title as well.

In other news: Better than Edouard: Celtic eyeing “feisty” 51-goal dynamo, supporters surely buzzing

Southampton are set to secure the signing of goalkeeper Mateusz Lis, according to Polish outlet Sport. 

The lowdown: Career so far

Despite coming through the academy at Lech Poznan, Lis failed to make a single outing for the club before heading to Wisla Krakow on a permanent switch in 2018.

The 25-year-old shot-stopper made 70 appearances for the Ekstraklasa outfit and was signed by Turkish Super Lig side Altay Sk for £630,000 (Transfermarkt).

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However, following just one full season in Turkey, the former Poland youth international looks to be on the move once more having come to the end of his deal…

The latest: Deal close

As per Sport, Southampton are believed to be ‘interested’ in the free agent and are set to sign Lis on a five-year contract as Ralph Hasenhuttl performs much-needed surgery on the goalkeeping department at St Mary’s.

It’s claimed that the six-cap youth international – who has been billed as a player with ‘long term potential’ by journalist Alex Crook – will spend the 2022/23 campaign out on loan upon completion of his move to the South Coast.

The same report also details the ongoing Saints interest in Fiorentina star Bartlomiej Dragowski, who is also on the radar of Hasenhuttl as the Austrian prepares for the departure of Fraser Forster and Willy Caballero.

The verdict: Smart signing

Securing the capture of Lis would be a welcome addition to the Southampton squad, although it appears there will be a season-long wait to see the new man in action.

Last season, the Polish goalkeeper made 3.7 saves per game, kept seven clean sheets and only made one error leading to a goal whilst earning an impressive 7.01 average Sofascore rating from 35 Turkish top-flight outings.

When using the Fbref comparison tool, Lis stacks up positively against Forster, boasting a 74.1 save percentage compared to the Englishman’s 66.3 per cent from the 2021/22 campaign, whilst also saving 2/9 penalties faced compared to 0/2 during the season, highlighting an almost instant upgrade on the current first-choice.

In other news… a talkSPORT reporter has made this huge Saints transfer claim involving one of their summer targets

A shock Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has now come to light involving Bayern Munich striker and big name Robert Lewandowski.

The Lowdown: Conte sets sights on summer…

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte, finishing the 2021/2022 Premier League season in style, guided his side to fourth-place and qualification for next season’s Champions League in a huge boost for the north Londoners.

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A resounding 5-0 win away to Norwich City sealed the Lilywhites’ spot in Europe’s most prestigious competition, coming courtesy of goals from Dejan Kulusevski (2), Son Heung-min (2) and Harry Kane.

All eyes will now be on how chairman Daniel Levy backs Conte in the summer market ahead of the Italian’s first full season in charge as the former Inter Milan boss eyes ‘at least’ six major incomings, according to reports.

The signing of a forward is reportedly among the Tottenham manager’s priorities for the next transfer window with a surprise claim now emerging involving Bundesliga superstar Lewandowski.

The Latest: Tottenham eye shock Lewandowski move…

According to French news outlet Foot Mercato, transfer chief Fabio Paratici has joined the mix for Bayern’s household name with Spurs now eyeing a move alongside their rivals Arsenal.

It is claimed that they wish to partner Lewandowski with Kane and are ‘interested in the idea’ of offering the Poland international a route out of Bayern.

The Verdict: Ambitious?

The 33-year-old is quite simply one of the best strikers in world football, as evident by his ridiculous haul of 35 goals and three assists across 34 German top flight starts over 2021/2022 (WhoScored).

His 13 goals and three assists in Europe further back just how relentless Lewandowski can be in the forward positions, with Football Analyst Statman Dave, as seen on Sky Sports, calling him ‘unplayable’.

Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has called the attacker a ‘huge player’ in the past also, but given he is widely believed to be eyeing a move to Barcelona, it appears Paratici could face an uphill battle to bring him to N17.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano: Spurs make contact to sign ‘monster’ player as his agents plan imminent club meeting, find out more here.

While it is undeniable that both Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta pulled off an astonishing feat in getting Leeds United back into the Premier League after a 16-year absence, since the Whites’ promotion back in 2020, the club have had something of a hit and miss record in the transfer market.

Indeed, spending just shy of £100m in the summer before their return to the top flight, Orta very much hit the jackpot with a few of his deals, with the likes of Raphinha, Illan Meslier and Joe Gelhardt undoubtedly being fantastic acquisitions by the Spanish sporting director.

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However, the same cannot be said for some of the big-money signings completed in the same window, with the likes of Rodrigo, Helder Costa, Robin Koch and Diego Llorente all already having varying levels of question marks hanging over their respective futures at Elland Road.

It was a similar case last summer, with both Kristoffer Klaesson and Jack Harrison – despite the former Manchester City winger enduring something of a below-par campaign this time out – looking to be solid longer-term investments, while the likes of Junior Firpo and Dan James have both struggled following their big-money moves to LS11.

However, it is undoubtedly the latter of the aforementioned players who has been the biggest transfer disappointment, with the £30m signing from Manchester United very much failing to live up to his incredibly hefty price tag.

Indeed, over his 34 Premier League appearances in the current campaign, James has struggled to find any real level of form for the Whites, scoring four goals, registering four assists and missing eight big chances, as well as completing an average of just 9.9 passes, ceding possession of the ball 9.4 times and winning a mere 2.9 duels – at a success rate of 39% – per game.

These returns have seen the £16.2m-rated man who Darren Bent dubbed “headless” average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.64, ranking the 24-year-old as Jesse Marsch’s ninth-worst player in the top flight of English football.

As such, considering the fact that the £52k-per-week forward is now worth roughly 46% less than the £30m fee Orta paid for his services last summer, in addition to the fact that the Wales international has endured an incredibly torrid season at Elland Road, it is clear for all to see that the Spaniard had a nightmare when bringing James to the club.

AND in other news: Marsch must place trust in “unbelievable” Leeds sensation, he thrives “under pressure”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will reportedly not be ‘fulfilled’ at the club until he has made them Champions League winners, according to Sky Sports pundit Alex McLeish.

The Lowdown: New deal almost complete

The 51-year-old is said to have reached an agreement with the club’s hierarchy over a new contract which would keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2025 at the very least, but fans of the Sky Blues will have no doubt felt concerned by what the Spaniard had to say following their recent European exit.

After crashing out of the Champions League following a 6-5 aggregate defeat against Real Madrid last week, Guardiola admitted that he might not be the right man to help City get their hands on the trophy for the first time in their history, and the former Scotland manager has suggested that time is ticking in the club’s hunt for European glory.

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The Latest: Pep wants Champions League crown

Speaking to Football Insider about Guardiola’s ongoing pursuit of a Champions League triumph with City to add to the two he won at Barcelona, McLeish said:

“Guardiola’s been a phenomenon all over the world. But the one thing that will be eating away at him is this Champions League trophy. It’s escaped him over these last six or seven years.

“The loss against Real Madrid will have been devastating for the mentality at the club, but there’s no way the boardroom at City will be saying: ‘Pep’s got to go’.

“They’re rightly rewarding him with a new contract. I believe he won’t be fulfilled at the club unless he goes on and wins that first Champions League.

“How long can they keep this incredible team they have together?”

The Verdict: Best man for the job

Guardiola came to City back in 2016 and has since gone on to enjoy plenty of success with the club, having guided them to multiple Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup triumphs in that time.

They are currently in a title race with Liverpool, and if they continue to win all of their remaining matches between now and the end of the season, they will be crowned top-flight champions once again by the end of May.

The ex-Barcelona boss, who was once hailed as “inspiring” by Reds manager Jurgen Klopp, might be experiencing some self-doubt regarding what more he could achieve at the club in the future.

However, he has already transformed City into one of the best teams in the world during his six-year spell in charge and definitely has the potential to keep accomplishing great things with them in years to come, having already become the most successful manager in the club’s history.

In other news… Man City are said to have registered interest in this surprising new transfer target

Liverpool will not be panicking despite the fact that Roberto Firmino appears to have suffered a setback ahead of the clash with Tottenham, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Big concerns

The Brazilian has been ruled out of action ever since he sustained a foot injury during the Reds’ 3-2 FA Cup semi-final victory over Manchester City last month, but Jurgen Klopp had previously claimed that the 30-year-old was ready to come back into contention for the Merseyside derby against Everton in April.

However, the German boss has since revealed that Firmino will be out for longer than he initially thought, and Dinnery, who runs the popular Premier Injuries site, has suggested that it would be wise to not rush the forward back as he continues his recovery.

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The Latest: Reaction to treatment

When asked about why he thinks the 55-cap international has suffered a bigger reaction than normal, Dinnery told Football Insider’s Adam Williams: “Sometimes things can take longer than expected.

“He might have been expected to respond in a certain way and it hasn’t worked out like that.

“It is a science but not an exact science. Individuals respond to treatment in different ways.

“If you suffer a setback or reaction, you need to make sure you return pain-free.

“They aren’t just thinking about the next game. They have got the rest of the league campaign and possibly a Champions League final.

“It is better to take that additional recovery time than rush him back. They are well-stocked in those positions now anyway.”

The Verdict: UCL final return?

Firmino has been a key player for Liverpool ever since joining the club in a £25m move from Hoffenheim in 2015, going on to make an outstanding 171 goal contributions in just 323 outings during that time.

Whilst the £34.2m-rated talisman has been a huge miss in recent weeks, the Reds have got plenty of cover in that department in the form of Diogo Jota, with Sadio Mane also thriving in a centre-forward role of late.

Hailed as being an “unsung hero” by BBC pundit Noel Whelan, the club will be hoping that Firmino will be available for selection again in time for the Champions League final on May 28th, where the Anfield outfit will be looking to get their hands on another piece of silverware in the hunt to achieve that unprecedented quadruple.

In other news… the Reds are set to battle it out against some European giants to secure the signing of a new target this summer.

Everton will return to action on Sunday as they travel to the King Power Stadium to play Leicester City for their second meeting in less than a month, and Frank Lampard has given an early injury update ahead of the game.

What’s the latest?

The Toffees boss took to Everton TV to talk about the plans for the last five games, and revealed a promising update on Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury progress:

“We have a week now [before the Leicester game] to get Dom more fit because he can be a big player for us – we know that – and to keep the levels in the squad high and positive.”

Supporters will be excited

Everton are in an extremely vulnerable position with their Premier League status hanging in the balance.

The side are currently 18th in the league table, two points deep into the relegation zone currently so the return of Calvert-Lewin will surely be welcomed and leave supporters excited ahead of the final hurdle in their battle for safety.

The star striker has had a horrendous season in terms of dealing with constant injuries that has seen him miss large chunks of the campaign, which has notably had an effect on the attacking output of the team and as a result, has led Everton into the desperate situation they have found themselves in.

Calvert-Lewin was out from August 2021 to January 2022 with a quad injury and broken toe, despite making ten appearances since his return the centre-forward has struggled to get back into form with just one assist and no goals since he scored against Brighton in August last year, just before he sustained his long-term injury.

With that being said, the fact that there is a chance he can return against Leicester will be a huge relief to Lampard and the team, giving them a huge boost to their forward line that could ultimately be the difference in Premier League or Championship football next season, as they approach the finale of their season over the next few weeks.

Lampard must find a way to keep the confidence and the momentum going in his team following a fantastic victory over Chelsea last weekend whilst they still have the opportunity to save themselves.

AND in other news: Forget Holgate: Everton must unleash “composed” 18y/o tank with “plenty of potential”

Troy Deeney has slammed Aston Villa’s “ego” problem and called out one of Unai Emery’s key players after their dry spell of form continued last weekend.

Villa winless after opening five games

Very few fans would’ve predicted Villa to be in the Premier League relegation zone after their first five games, but they’re currently occupying 18th place, after drawing three and losing two, scoring just one goal in the process.

Most recently, the Villans came up short at the Stadium of Light, drawing 1-1, despite Sunderland being reduced to ten men in the first half, with Wilson Isidor cancelling out Matty Cash’s opening goal.

The problems have continued to mount at Villa Park, with it subsequently being confirmed that sporting director Monchi is set to leave, in what could be another major blow for Emery, amid widespread speculation surrounding the manager’s future.

As mentioned, one of Villa’s main issues up to this stage has been the failure to score goals, with Ollie Watkins yet to find the back of the net, and Deeney has now singled the striker out for criticism.

The former Birmingham City man said: “The biggest problem is lack of goals, lack of goals from Ollie at this moment in time.

“At this moment in time, you’re the only striker there, you’re the one they’re looking towards and for the start of the season, you’re not delivering.

The talkSPORT pundit also went on to add: “At the moment in time, he just looks off it, he looks comfortable.”

Aston Villa heading for Benteke repeat over "top talent" & it's not Watkins

Aston Villa face echoes of the past as one of Unai Emery’s crop hints at an exit

ByWill Miller Sep 22, 2025

Not only is Deeney unimpressed with Watkins’ start to the campaign, but he is also concerned there may be an “ego” problem at Villa, saying: “It’s a weird one. I thought maybe with [Jadon] Sancho and [Harvey] Elliott coming in, there’d be a bit more dynamism to it. But they must not be fit enough as he’s not putting them anywhere near the starting line-up. It’s an ego thing now, a player-driven ego thing.”

“I think the manager is a very, very good manager, but you have to start looking now and saying: Why are the players trying to play inside the pitch? Why is Morgan Rogers not the focal point?”

Watkins needs to start firing after poor start

No one can deny the Villa striker has been a fantastic servant, having picked up 87 goals and 42 assists in 229 matches, but he must start firing sooner rather than later, having once again put in a poor performance against Sunderland.

The England international missed one big chance and touched the ball just 16 times throughout the match, finishing with a SofaScore match rating of just 6.3.

In fairness, the onus isn’t just on the former Brentford man to start improving, with fellow key player Morgan Rogers also failing to register a single goal or an assist this term, while Shay Given has called Emery out for labelling his players “lazy”.

It is a risky tactic for Emery to publicly criticise his players, but he will be hoping for a response from his side when their Europa League campaign gets underway against Bologna on Thursday.

It’s been a pretty good start to the season for Arsenal so far this year.

Mikel Arteta’s side may have lost to Liverpool before the international break, but they did so due to a freak free-kick.

Moreover, they’ve won their other three Premier League games without conceding a goal and came out 2-0 winners from their Champions League opener last night.

Moreover, the team was seriously strengthened over the summer, with stars like Eberechi Eze coming in, although he ended up costing more than three other stars of the squad did combined.

Eze's start to life at Arsenal

While his £67.5m price tag means he is still some distance away from being Arsenal’s most expensive signing, there was still an expectation that Eze would be able to make a quick impact at the club this season.

After all, he’s Premier League proven and racked up a brilliant tally of 14 goals and 11 assists in 43 games for Crystal Palace last season.

Unfortunately, although he did a couple of good things on his debut away to Liverpool, he was only given 20 minutes of action; therefore, it’s hard to take anything from that game.

However, he was handed his first start on the weekend, and considering he received an 8/10 match rating from Sam Tabuteau, it would be fair to say he made quite the impression.

His standout contribution came when he provided a brilliant assist for Viktor Gyokeres in the first minute of the second half, but he did so much more than that.

For example, he completed three dribbles, was accurate in 100% of his long balls, won two fouls and was generally a threat and positive outlet whenever he had the ball at his feet.

He wasn’t quite able to replicate this in Bilbao, though, as even though he didn’t put in a bad performance, he did struggle to have as much of an impact on the game.

In fact, in his 71 minutes of action, the Greenwich-born ace amassed a paltry combined expected goals and assist figure of 0.14, didn’t take a single shot on target and failed to create a big chance.

In short, we’ve seen what Eze can do at his best in the game against Forest, but we’ve also seen how starting out wide can sometimes cause him to fade out of games.

Arteta will be hoping to see more of the former for the price the Englishman cost, although the price of players doesn’t always reflect their ability, as a trio of Arsenal stars somehow cost the club less than Eze combined.

The Arsenal trio who cost less than Eze

Arsenal have made more than their fair share of bargain signings over the years, from Gabriel Martinelli to David Raya and even arguably Jurrien Timber.

Chalkboard

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

However, in this instance, we are talking about the defensive trio of William Saliba, who cost around £27m, Gabriel Maghalese, who cost £23m and Cristhian Mosquera, who cost just £13m.

In other words, the Gunners formed one of the best centre-back pairings in world football and signed an incredibly exciting prospect for a combined price of just £63m.

Let’s start with Saliba and Gabriel, as even though the North Londoners team is full of important players, an argument could be made that they are the most important.

They’ve now played 118 games together, winning 77 of them, drawing 18, losing 23 and averaging 2.11 points per game.

Appearances

118

Minutes

9819′

Wins

77

Draws

18

Losses

23

Points per Game

2.11

Goals Conceded

113

Moreover, the outrageously impressive pairing has only conceded 113 goals in that time, and it feels like they could let in even fewer this season.

Moving on to the young Spaniard, and while it is early, he’s already shown enough to convince some fans that he is going to be a superstar.

For example, in the game against Bilbao, the defensive “monster,” as dubbed by one analyst, made six clearances, took 93 touches, made one tackle and was accurate in 75 of 79 passes.

Moreover, FBref already rank him in the top 7% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for ball recoveries, meaning he can be relied upon to put out fires.

Ultimately, Arsenal have managed to sign two of the best defenders in the world and one of the most exciting up-and-coming defenders for less than Eze’s transfer fee, which is business that should be applauded.

Fewer touches than Raya: Arteta must drop 4/10 Arsenal star after Bilbao

Arsenal came through a tough clash with Athletic Club in the Champions League.

6 ByMatt Dawson Sep 17, 2025

Crystal Palace are now eager to sign a £20m midfielder, who could join as part of a swap deal for Marc Guehi in the summer, according to reliable reporter Alan Nixon.

Guehi could be heading for the exit door

It was widely reported that Palace chose to reject a £70m bid for Guehi from Tottenham Hotspur back in January, and their decision to hold on to their captain was vindicated by their surprise triumph over Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

However, the England international is yet to commit to a new contract, with just over a month remaining on his current deal, and it now looks as though he could be heading for the exit door, considering this summer will be the Eagles’ last chance to cash-in.

The 24-year-old defender would be keen on talks to join Tottenham Hotspur, who have now sealed a spot in next season’s Champions League, while there may also be a temptation to join former club Chelsea, with a £60m move possible.

Crystal Palace intensify transfer talks to bring winger to Selhurst Park

The Eagles are building for next term…

BySean Markus Clifford May 25, 2025

However, according to Alan Nixon, the two clubs may also be able to strike a deal of a different nature, as Crystal Palace are now keen on signing Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, who could join as part of a swap deal for Guehi.

Palace would prefer to pay straight cash for Santos, who impressed on loan at Strasbourg this season, and the Blues are now prepared to cash-in on the midfielder for a fee of around £20m, but a swap deal is not completely off the table either.

Santos is "one-man war machine" in midfield

The Brazilian is yet to make an appearance for Chelsea, but there are signs he could now be ready to start for a Premier League side, having made significant improvements to his game during the 2024-25 campaign.

On loan at French side Strasbourg, the Rio de Janeiro-born ace picked up ten goals and four assists in Ligue 1, while he is very impressive at winning back possession, as demonstrated by the number of tackles he has completed per 90 over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Tackles

3.47 (97th percentile)

Non-penalty goals

0.32 (97th percentile)

Blocks

1.45 (77th percentile)

Clearances

2.11 (79th percentile)

Having performed well across several key attacking and defensive metrics, the Chelsea gem is clearly a well-rounded player, and the 21-year-old has also received plaudits from football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who described him as a “one-man war machine in midfield.”

Santos could be a fantastic signing for Palace this summer, as Oliver Glasner looks to build a squad capable of competing in the Europa League next season, but they should be hesitant about sending Guehi in the opposite direction unless they receive a huge fee for their captain.