All posts by n8rngtd.top

Crystal Palace must make a considerable effort to extend Christian Benteke’s contract after the striker’s impressive recent form, pleasing the club’s supporters in the process.

The Belgium international has enjoyed his most productive season since 2016/17, bagging nine Premier League goals in 29 appearances alongside his solitary assist.

Benteke burst onto the scene when he arrived on English soil with Aston Villa back in 2012, notching up an incredible 19 goals in his maiden campaign with the Villans.

His incredible displays combined power and technique to devastating effect and earned some flattering praise from his then manager, Paul Lambert.

“Benteke has been colossal for us, he’s been unplayable in certain games,” claimed the Scotsman. But it’s been several years since the 30-year-old has reached those dizzy heights.

Three fruitful years at Villa earned Benteke a big-money move to Premier League giants Liverpool, although his inability to adapt to Jurgen Klopp’s gegenpressing style meant he lasted just 12 months at Anfield.

A move to Palace then materialised, and 15 goals in his first campaign at Selhurst Park appeared to suggest it was a match made in heaven, but things quickly turned sour for the 6 ft 2 target man.

Just six league goals followed between 2017/18 and 2019/20 as the Genk academy graduate become a pillar of ridicule in the English top-flight.

However, in one of the most surreal Premier League campaigns, Benteke has only added to the intrigue. A return to form has seen the Belgian start Palace’s last 11 league games, scoring in his last three outings for the south London side.

The capital club are approaching a crossroads with several first-team players out of contract over the summer, including Benteke, and many tough decisions need to be made by the hierarchy over the coming weeks and months.

Match of the Day 2 used a graphic over the weekend to show all of the stars who are currently set to become free agents, and it’s clear from these fans responses that Benteke is amongst the group that they wanted to be given a new deal.

“Clyne, Ward, Benteke, Cahill and maybe McCarthy and that’s it”

@cpfc_sean

“Benteke, Clyne, Townsend, Cahill McCarthy…”
@RICHPM14

“Clyney, Ward, Andros, Benteke and Cahill. That’s all for me”@FPTW_Benteke is Palace’s second-top goalscorer this season, so tying the forward down to a new deal would represent a smart bit of business by the club’s board.And, in other news…Forget Eze & Zaha: £9m-rated Palace beast who won 100% duels was Hodgson’s unsung hero – opinion

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that he would be surprised not to see Liverpool enter the race for Tottenham forward Harry Kane.

Kane has reportedly told Tottenham that he wants to leave the club in the summer and has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City and Manchester United.

According to Sky Sports, the Champions League and Europa League finalists, as well as Chelsea, have already been in contact with Kane’s representatives over a potential transfer.

And Hendrie believes Liverpool are another outfit who could soon enter the fray to sign the England captain this summer.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about Kane’s future, the Sky Sports pundit said:

“I don’t think it’s down to money for Harry Kane. I think it’s now down to winning trophies at that age and that’s why I feel if he’s available, I’d be very surprised if Manchester City and Manchester United, Liverpool aren’t having a tug of war over Harry Kane.

“When you’re so prolific in that area, I just don’t see how he wouldn’t fit the bill for any of the top three, top four football clubs.”

After the season they have had, easily surrendering their title to Manchester City, Liverpool could probably do with a signing like Kane.

With a £150m price tag floating about, though, it will obviously not be easy to get him out of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Many Wolves fans have been left to buzz as Tim Spiers shared the name of a new manager candidate.

Writing in his latest piece for The Athletic, the journalist has shared that Steven Gerrard is being looked at by the Midlands club as a potential replacement for Nuno Espirito Santo.

Frank Lampard is also on the running, while Bruno Lage still remains the frontrunner, although Gerrard was certainly the name that caught the eye the most among the Molineux faithful.

The Liverpool and England international legend has just enjoyed a great season with Rangers, winning the Scottish Premiership title off of the hands of Celtic while also going through the Gers’ league campaign without a single defeat.

Of course, Gerrard knows the Premier League very well too, and so he has emerged as an ideal successor in the eyes of several WWFC supporters.

Wolves fans on Gerrard manager update

These Wanderers buzzed as Spiers shared the update on Gerrard on his Twitter page:

“Gerrard…. no brainer”

Credit: @nakedguyonvespa

“I think most of us want Gerrard”

Credit: @MarkTFillingham

“If Gerrard is an option we should go all out for him”

Credit: @Vaughany1973

“Gerrard please.”

Credit: @Supermancooks

“Gerrard all day”

Credit: @DanielSparkrite

“Gerrard. Got to be.”

Credit: @goggs19591

In other news, find out what transfer update has left Wanderers buzzing here!

Celtic are still interested in a move for Burnley’s Robbie Brady, according to The Mirror.

The Lowdown: Hoops’ previous interest

The Hoops were linked with a summer move for Brady back in February, just days before Neil Lennon resigned as manager.

Reports then suggested Lennon could move for the Republic of Ireland international on a pre-contract agreement.

Brady, who can play as a left-back, left-midfielder or right-midfielder, will now be available for nothing in a matter of weeks, and it seems that Celtic are still keen.

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The Latest: Brady a man in demand

According to The Mirror’s live transfer blog (27/05, 15:27pm), Celtic, along with Crystal Palace, Southampton and Watford are all interested in the 29-year-old.

Brady made 21 appearances under Sean Dyche during the 2020/21 campaign, with his last coming back in March.

Burnley have decided to release the versatile international at the end of his deal, with Brady’s Turf Moor contract worth £35,000-a-week.

The Verdict: Could Celtic’s stance now change following Howe twist?

A move for Brady was likely spearheaded by Eddie Howe, who looked set to become the new Celtic manager.

The 43-year-old actually wanted to bring Brady to Bournemouth back in 2017, but Burnley won the race in a £13m deal.

However, Celtic’s talks with Howe to take over from Lennon have now reportedly collapsed in a huge off-field twist, so we feel that may impact the club’s reported interest in Brady.

Howe seemingly liked Brady as a player four years ago, so he may have been the one urging the Hoops to make a free transfer swoop this summer if he was appointed, but it doesn’t look as if he’ll be the man in charge next season.

In other news: Hoops make approach for Barcelona youngster, find out more here. 

Many Everton fans have been left to fume over a manager update involving Marco Silva.

As per Sky Sports, the former Toffees boss has been discussed as an option to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Goodison Park, following his departure to Real Madrid.

In his only full season with the Merseyside club, Silva failed to guide the Blues into the European qualification spots, finishing in a measly eighth place in the Premier League table in 2018/19, while he left them in the relegation zone the following campaign (Transfermarkt).

He also never managed to get EFC past the quarter-final stage of either the FA Cup or Carabao Cup (Transfermarkt), and thus the Goodison faithful never really took to him.

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Nonetheless, it is a bit of a shock to hear that Everton are considering hiring Silva once again, and it is no surprise to see so many Toffees against the idea.

Everton fans on Silva manager update

These Blues fumed as the manager update was shared on Twitter:

“Got to be a wind up this”

Credit: @LiamTownson

“No, no, no”

Credit: @ckukone

“Hate this finished club”

Credit: @JstinR7

“This has to be a joke”

Credit: @James_Mulville

“This is just silly now”

Credit: @ste50efc

“Why is this club only interested in going backwards?!”

Credit: @isobellebarrett

In other news, find out what manager update has left Toffees buzzing here!

Turning Newcastle United into European football contenders is not worth the money it will cost in Mike Ashley’s eyes, football finance expert Kieran Maguire explained in an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern.

While Newcastle are miles behind the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, making a challenge for Champions League football very unlikely, there is understandably a feeling that the club at least have the potential to fight for a Europa League spot.

With a capacity of 52,000, Newcastle have one of the largest stadiums in the country and are an English outfit with a rich history.

Ashley, however, will not try to unlock that potential on the basis that qualifying for the Europa League or Europa Conference League is not worth the money that will have to be put in to get there. That is what Maguire believes is in the back of the Newcastle owner’s mind.

“In order for Newcastle to push on and to be challenging for the top half of the table, for Europa League and Europa Conference League places, he would have to spend significantly more money,” The Price of Football author told TT.

“I suspect he will take the view that the rewards of getting into Europe’s minor competitions simply aren’t worth it because we’ve got Leicester, Everton, Arsenal, Spurs, possibly Wolves and West Ham.

“To get ahead of those involves spending an awful lot of money and that’s not Mike Ashley’s track record.”

Indeed, there is a lot of competition now to get into Europe. So if Newcastle want to join the party, then they have to improve their squad every summer, which you just cannot see happening under this current regime.

A number of Liverpool fans are angry at how Ben Davies has been treated at Anfield, following a report claiming he could leave this summer.

Jurgen Klopp had a horrendous season in the centre-back department, suffering scarcely believable bad luck in that area of the pitch.

Liverpool had to make do without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip for the majority of the campaign, with Fabinho and Jordan Henderson filling in defence at times.

The Reds’ shortage of defenders led to them signing both Davies and Ozan Kabak at the end of the January transfer window, but even they ended up having injury problems of their own.

In fact, Davies is yet to play a single minute for Liverpool, and according to ESPN, the club are happy to listen to offers for him this summer.

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Liverpool fans bemoan Davies update

These Reds supporters took to Twitter (via LFC Transfer Room) to provide their thoughts on the news, showing their sympathy for the former Preston North End man.

“This! We were unfair to the fella”

Credit: @SlimSEM_

“This is extremely unprofessional from LFC. Ben Davies’ dignified words and professional attitude should be rewarded. He could be useful for domestic cup games. I’m a big fan of Klopp’s man management, but this is disappointing”

Credit: @road_to_elysium

“I feel bad for him but honestly how could recruitment get it so wrong? I’m sure he’s trying his best but must have been shown up in training”

Credit: @fatpanda72

“This is horrible from the club”

Credit: @lfc_adrian

“I think this is very poor form from Liverpool”

Credit: @kloppsbeer

“We all knew he was brought in to sell on for £10-15m to boost the transfer kitty. Gutted he didn’t make an appearance for us”

Credit: @VocalistRKeith

In other news, some Liverpool fans are excited after the Reds were linked with a hugely exciting young player. Find out who it is here.

Queens Park Rangers have been handed a boost regarding the potential departure of Liam Kelly from the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claim that Ipswich Town are considering a £350k move for the Dundee United goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist, a deal which, if completed, could well see the Scottish Premiership side ramp up their interest in the QPR shot-stopper.

The Sun journalist Alan Nixon recently revealed in a post on Twitter that both Dundee and fellow Scottish top-flight side Motherwell are keen on the 25-year-old, with the duo believed to be considering a loan bid for the £360k-rated man.

Warburton will be buzzing

With Kelly having fallen down the pecking order at QPR over the course of the last two seasons, as well as the ‘keeper giving a rather revealing interview regarding his desire to leave west London this summer, the potential of Dundee firming up their interest in the former Scotland U21 international is sure to have left Mark Warburton buzzing.

Since joining QPR from Livingston in what was a £54k deal back in June of 2019, Kelly has so far gone on to make just 21 appearances for the club, conceding 35 goals and keeping three clean sheets along the way.

Last term, the £7k-per-week ‘keeper did not make an appearance for the Rs before being sent on loan to Motherwell for the latter half of the season, where he appeared to somewhat refind his level over 18 league appearances for Graham Alexander’s side, keeping six clean sheets and earning a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.97.

As such, should QPR receive a formal bid from either Dundee or Motherwell for the player whom Alexander dubbed a “fantastic” shot-stopper in the coming weeks, it would appear highly advisable for Warburton to allow the 25-year-old to pack his bags, as things have not quite worked out for the Scot in west London.

Warburton would be buzzing to get a fee in for a player, potentially adding to his own transfer kitty, whilst getting the player’s wages off the books would be very beneficial too.

In other news: Imagine him & Chair: Bhatia must sanction QPR swoop for “tremendous” 21 y/o dynamo

Birmingham City remain locked in talks in a bid to keep Alen Halilovic at St. Andrew’s this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Birmingham Live, who claim that Lee Bowyer’s side are working to tie the 24-year-old attacking midfielder down to a new deal at the club, with his current contract due to expire at the end of the month.

It had previously been reported that the Croatia international is attracting interest from clubs in Turkey, Italy, Spain and England this summer, although Birmingham Live claim that there has actually been little speculation surrounding Halilovic in recent weeks.

Fans will be buzzing

Despite having featured sparingly for Birmingham since joining the club on a free transfer back in November, something that was not helped by the midfielder picking up a couple of injuries over the course of the season, Halilovic’s trickery and creativity appears to have already made him something of a fan favourite at St. Andrew’s.

Over his 17 Championship appearances last season, only nine of which came as starts, the £720k-rated midfielder scored one goal – a spectacular 25-yard winner against Queens Park Rangers – as well as taking an average of 0.9 shots and making 0.6 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the 24-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.65, ranking him as Bowyer’s 19th-best performer in the second tier last term, however, this rating was undoubtedly impacted by the former AC Milan man’s lack of regular game time.

As such, with a full pre-season behind him, improving both his fitness and his tactical awareness of Bowyer’s system, we would not bet against the man whom Miroslav Bicanic dubbed a “phenomenal” player proving a roaring success at Birmingham next season, if the club are indeed successful with their attempts to tie him down this summer.

Either way, Bowyer’s desire to keep the Croat at the club this summer is sure to leave fans buzzing, as the midfielder’s re-signing would very much appear to be a further step in the right direction under the 44-year-old manager.

In other news: Forget San Jose: Bowyer must sanction BCFC summer swoop for “complete” £38k-p/w beast

Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips has been linked with an exit from Anfield this summer, leading plenty of Reds fans to respond on social media.

Coming out of nowhere into Anfield prominence, the 24-year-old defender had previously spent time on loan at Stuttgart before his eventual breakthrough into the Liverpool first-team in 2020/21 [Transfermarkt].

Featuring 20 times for the Reds last year [Transfermarkt], Phillips’ finest hour arguably came in a 4-2 victory at Old Trafford over arch-rivals Manchester United, as he scored a crucial header in their hunt for a top-four finish [BBC].

Brighton & Hove Albion and Burnley are now set to test the waters with regards to obtaining his services this summer [GOAL]. Liverpool are reportedly open to selling Phillips if the right fee arrives.

Consequentially, the Premier League duo may view Phillips as a potential replacement for Ben White and James Tarkowski, who have been linked away with Arsenal and Leicester City respectively.

In light of this news, loads of Liverpool diehards took to Twitter to voice their opinions.

Reds fans react:

Replying to GOAL journalist Neil Jones on Twitter, here is how some Reds summarised their feelings upon hearing the news:

“Crazy idea to sell him. He’s a quality CB and will only improve. He should be in the fist team alongside VVD.”

Credit: @Byrnzie800

“It would be madness to sell him”

Credit: @melpool2005

“It would be ridiculous to sell Nat Phillips. Now he has built some confidence, he is looking like the perfect partner for VVD.”

Credit: @Redrazor20

“No it wouldn’t, Vvd, Matip, Konate and gomez are all better than him, and he wants regular playtime, selling him would be good for both sides”

Credit: @lfcmarrk

“I think we should: 1. Give him a new 5-year contract. 2. Keep him for at least one more season. 3. Assess the situation next summer.”

Credit: @lfcredynwa

“He would be great as a squad player like 4th choice when have a fully fit squad down a incredible job last season. But now his has a taste of first team football can’t blame him for wanting to play regular now especially at his age. His value has gone up”
Credit: @ShaneMeneer

“Is it? I think the once in a lifetime run of CB injuries has scarred us all for life. But rationally, do we really need 5 CB’s plus Fab? One of Gomez, Konate, Matip will miss out on the match-day squad as it is”

Credit: @mdonald1987

In other news, a Liverpool defender is linked with an Anfield exit.