All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Manchester United are known as a club that gives the youth an opportunity to shine, and that has been no different this season.

Kobbie Mainoo is the main player to have taken the Premier League by storm – recently scoring the winner away to Wolverhampton Wanderers – but Willy Kambwala and Omari Forson are also examples of that being true.

Alejandro Garnacho was the breakout ace of last season, and he has excelled this campaign with seven goals in all competitions, but let's take a look at who Erik ten Hag could give a chance to next.

Carrington's finest

As mentioned, Mainoo has developed into a key player for the Red Devils this campaign after making his debut against Everton towards the end of November. The 18-year-old has played 12 more games since, starting all of United's last five matches and scoring twice in the process.

However, the prime example of someone who all academy players should mirror after progressing through the ranks at Carrington is Marcus Rashford, who is now valued at £85m by CIES Football Observatory.

The number ten burst onto the scene in February 2016, scoring on his Premier League debut against Arsenal and scoring on his United debut in the Europa League.

His goal-scoring ability and pace have frightened opposition defenders ever since, and he has scored 128 goals in 387 appearances for his boyhood club, which the forward has described as a "dream come true."

At just 26 years of age, the Wythenshawe star is already on his way to becoming a United legend, despite the constant criticism he receives from the fanbase, and he has been one of the standout performers over a decade of frustration, disappointment, and underperformance.

Shola Shoretire could be next to shine

Shola Shoretire is a youth player who has been around for years, and it was around three years ago this month that he made his debut in the Premier League against Newcastle.

It was that season that he also made his UEFA Europa League debut, was United's top scorer in the Premier League 2 and won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award, which is what Rashford won in the 2015/16 season.

Last campaign, the English attacker gained first-team experience in the men's game as he enjoyed a 16-game loan spell at Bolton Wanderers in League One, where he netted just once.

Premier League 2

9

4

4

EFL Trophy

3

2

0

As you can see, the 20-year-old is absolutely dominating every opponent in the youth team this season, and he is just waiting for another opportunity to thrive in the first team.

He did get minutes during United's pre-season tour, but he didn't get the chance to play with the frequent starters, although it shouldn't be too long until he gets his chance, as he is a "special player" according to Statman Dave – and based on the clip below, it is difficult to disagree.

Shoretire is just as much of a goal-scorer as he is a creator, which makes him just like Rashford, who has 74 career assists for the Red Devils.

Ten Hag will hope that another English attacker breaking through the academy could reach similar levels as the England international and become Rashford 2.0.

With the transfer window closed, clubs must turn to the free agent market if they want to make further additions throughout the remainder of the season. We've already seen the likes of Derby County take full advantage of that to sign former Stoke City man Dwight Gayle and now we could see Sheffield Wednesday or Bolton Wanderers go down a similar route.

Bolton and Sheffield Wednesday eye free agent

The two clubs are in contrasting positions, of course, with Bolton competing for an automatic promotion spot in League One, sitting level on points with second-place Derby and only behind on goal difference. Sheffield Wednesday, meanwhile, are fighting to survive in the Championship and sit four points adrift of safety in England's second tier.

Yet, even though both are in such different circumstances, they remain level in the race to seal a deal that could go on to decide their fortunes, be that securing promotion or avoiding relegation. According to TeamTalk, Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton are eyeing moves to sign Ravel Morrison, who is once again a free agent following his release from DC United – the third club to release the former Manchester United youngster in his career.

Now 31-years-old, it really could be last chance saloon for Morrison, who must get his next move right. With Bolton and Sheffield Wednesday interested alongside Peterborough United, the midfielder has a crucial decision to make. Of course, if Morrison does complete a move to Bolton, then he will be directly competing against former club Derby in the race for promotion.

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What could add a bitter taste on top of potential promotion defeat at the hands of their former player is the fact that Morrison enjoyed his best spell at Derby, featuring at Pride Park more than any of his other 12 clubs, making a total of 38 appearances.

Morrison could get last chance at success

Morrison may look back on his career at what might have been rather than what was. A Manchester United academy graduate, the future was promising. Ultimately, however, his potential was left unfulfilled and now Morrison has been left facing the reality of awaiting one final chance of success in English football.

Manchester United

Academy graduate

January 31, 2012

West Ham United (released)

January 31, 2012

February 8, 2015

Birmingham City (loan)

August 6, 2012

June 30, 2013

QPR (loan)

February 19 , 2014

June 30, 2014

Cardiff City (loan)

September 24, 2014

December 16, 2014

Lazio

July 1, 2015

February 14, 2019

QPR (loan)

January 31, 2017

June 30, 2017

Atlas (loan)

August 31, 2017

June 30, 2018

Ostersund

February 14, 2019

July 16, 2019

Sheffield United

July 16, 2019

January 9, 2021

Middlesbrough (loan)

January 31, 2020

July 31, 2020

ADO Den Haag (released)

September 21, 2020

January 9, 2021

Derby County

August 7, 2021

July 21, 2022

DC United (released)

July 21, 2022

January 1, 2024

With Bolton, Sheffield Wednesday and Peterborough reportedly exploring moves, Morrison will hope to finally settle into a side and avoid a fourth career release.

Sunderland dropped down to tenth in the Championship standings last night after a disappointing 1-0 away defeat at Huddersfield Town, the still managerless Terriers narrowly getting the better of Michael Beale's Black Cats.

Dominating the possession at 66%, alongside registering five shots on target, Sunderland just couldn't break down a resilient Huddersfield back four in West Yorkshire with a number of Beale's players underperforming on the night.

Abdoullah Ba was hauled off just after the hour mark in a notable below-par showing from the young Frenchman, the Championship playoff candidates cursing the 20-year-old's dire display.

Abdoullah Ba's performance vs Huddersfield in numbers

Struggling ever since settling the world alight against Stoke City at the end of January – helping himself to a goal and an assist against the Potters – Ba continued to underwhelm the Black Cats away fans against Huddersfield.

The 20-year-old midfielder managed just 30 touches of the ball at the John Smith's Stadium, unable to inject any creativity into proceedings.

When Ba attempted to cut open up the Terriers defence with mazey runs forward on occasion, the Sunderland number 17 was inaccurate and wayward – failing to complete any successful dribble attempts from his three managed on the night.

Ba also failed to even register a single effort on the Huddersfield net when he was still on the pitch, the 5 foot 11 creator passive throughout before Beale decided to take him off.

The attacking midfielder wasn't the only passenger-like performer going forward from a Black Cats perspective however, with lone striker Nazariy Rusyn also flopping away in West Yorkshire.

Enduring another sticky patch in front of goal – after netting only the second goal of his Sunderland career against Middlesbrough recently – the Ukrainian centre-forward's first-team spot could be up for grabs based on his lacklustre performance away at the Terriers.

Nazariy Rusyn's performance vs Huddersfield in numbers

Rusyn is now goalless in his last two games for the Black Cats off-the-back of the Huddersfield game, with the 25-year-old never really looking at ease at the John Smith's Stadium when attempting to score.

Substituted off the pitch by Beale not long after Ba was taken off, Rusyn registered three efforts on Lee Nicholls' goal during a forgettable 72 minutes with none unfortunately trickling into the net behind him.

Moreover, Rusyn would manage to complete just four passes all game from a meagre 15 touches as the contest ended up simply passing him by.

Minutes played

72

Shots on goal

3

Touches

15

Accurate passes

4/6 (67%)

Duels won

2/8

Possession lost

6x

Only successful with two of his eight duels in the 1-0 loss to further pile on the misery, it was no real surprise to see Rusyn given a poor 5/10 rating by Sunderland Echo journalist Phil Smith in his post-match thoughts – Smith stating that the Ukrainian attacker made 'next to no impact' troubling the Huddersfield defenders.

With Mason Burstow looking lively late on in a brief cameo off the bench – creating one big chance despite only being on the pitch for a mere nine minutes – there could well be a selection dilemma for Beale to address up top as Sunderland face off against ex-manager Tony Mowbray at the weekend against Birmingham City.

Beale will aim to nip his side's inconsistencies in the bud fast, with Sunderland's struggles on the road tough to take after easily overcoming Plymouth Argyle last time at home.

If they aren't dealt with soon, the Wearside club could be left behind in the ongoing race to make it into the top six.

Everton have had many in-comings and outgoings over the last few seasons with both their playing and coaching staff, with some additions becoming flops and others becoming 'cult heroes' among the Everton fan base.

The Toffees haven't had the best of times lately and currently find themselves in 17th place, just one point outside of the relegation zone.

Granted, the fact that Sean Dyche's side have had a ten point deduction thrown their way this season needs to be taken into account. However, it feels as if the Toffees should have done much better than what they have done.

One of the key reasons why they only find themselves just outside of the drop zone is the fact that they are the third-lowest scoring team within England's top flight.

To rub even more salt in the wounds of the Toffees, Neal Maupay, a striker whom they loaned to Brentford at the start of the season, has only been involved in one less goal than that of their main strikers, Beto and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

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These figures will undoubtedly be frustrating for Dyche as he was the one who sanctioned the move. In the past, Everton have had some elite-level strikers with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Tim Cahill and even Samuel Eto'o all plying their trade for the club at different points. They notably had immense success away from Goodison but there is another who perhaps isn't so elite now shining elsewhere; Salomon Rondon.

Salomon Rondon's career before joining Everton

After joining the Toffees on a free transfer in the summer of 2021 from Chinese club, Dalian Professional, he was reunited with his former manager for a third time after the pair were both at Newcastle and Dalian Professional at the same time.

There was a lot of anticipation around his signing, as, with his previous two stints in England, the Venezuelan produced some solid numbers.

Whilst with his first English club, West Brom, whom he joined for a fee of £12m, he stayed at the club from 2015/16 until the 2017/18 season.

During his time representing the Baggies, he played a total of 120 games and amassed 38 goal contributions with 20 of those coming as his goals. This return sparked the interest of Newcastle's Benitez who made the Venezuela international his number one target.

He then later joined the Magpies on a season-long loan, which resulted in Dwight Gayle being loaned to West Brom in return.

Speaking on his arrival at Newcastle, Rondon said the following: "It's one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League and I knew about the interest of the gaffer, so I'm happy to be here."

Then manager, Benitez, also weighed in on the addition of Rondon to his squad. "I am delighted to sign Salomón," he said.

"When we were looking for options up front, we knew how important experience would be. Salomón has been in the Premier League for a while, and he knows how demanding it is. He, together with Yoshinori Muto, will give us different options and will improve the competition between the strikers, which is always positive for the team."

Despite appearing a total of 33 times for the Magpies and managing to contribute to 19 goals, Newcastle rejected the chance to sign the forward permanently.

That is despite being the first forward since Alan Shearer in 2003 to win Newcastle's 2019 Player of the Year award.

At the time, many thought this was a mistake on Mike Ashley's behalf as, in the same season, Rafa Benitez also left the Tyneside club.

Rondon has since spoken about his Newcastle departure. "It was a beautiful year for me. I loved it because the supporters were behind me all the time," he said via Goal.

"I enjoyed playing with the number  9 shirt, I scored goals and the atmosphere at St James’ Park was amazing. Always, I will remember that season. Was I disappointed to leave? Yes, because I was waiting for something. I was waiting for Rafa."

However, it wasn't long before the pair were reunited in China where Rondon spent just a year.

It was after his stint in China, where he managed a total of 14 goals, that sparked the interest of Everton and Benitez.

Rondon's time at Everton in numbers

You guessed it, the then 31-year-old was brought back to the Premier League thanks to Benitez, who was the manager of Everton at the time.

However, his stint with the Toffees didn't go as swimmingly as his previous campaign in England did for Newcastle.

During the two seasons in which the stocky forward represented the blue of Everton, he only amassed a total of 31 appearances and managed to only be involved in four goals.

This was a major fall from grace for the former Newcastle Player of the Year and was the main reasoning behind why, during his time with Everton, he was branded a flop.

His time with the Toffees was held in that bad a regard that his contract was terminated. This termination was in aid of the Venezuelan seeking more playing minutes after being isolated from the squad by then manager, Frank Lampard.

What happened to Rondon after Everton

Following his termination, Rondon found himself in Argentina, representing River Plate. He had initially signed a two-year deal which would've kept him at the club until December 2025.

However, much like his Everton stint, he left the squad less than 12 months into his contract. Despite being at River for less than a year, he managed to re-find his form somewhat and garnered a total of 35 appearances whilst bagging ten goals.

Indeed, this isn't the greatest of returns, however, it's an awful lot more than what he managed to do with Everton.

Now in the 2023/24 season, the 34-year-old has found himself plying his trade in Mexico's top league for CF Pachuca.

Since his arrival in Mexico, it feels as if he has once again found his goal-scoring form which he showed whilst playing for Newcastle.

In just nine games, he has managed a total of seven goal contributions which is more than that of Calvert-Lewin and Beto individually.

Although Rondon has had quite a roller-coaster of a career, it feels as if he has now found somewhere where he can live out his twilight years.

Aston Villa finally returned to the Premier League in the summer of 2019 after they spent three seasons down in the Championship following their relegation to the second tier in 2016.

The Villans decided to bring lifelong fan Dean Smith to the club to lead their promotion charge towards the start of the 2018/19 campaign, and he led the team back to the top-flight via the play-offs, with the likes of Jack Grealish and Tammy Abraham at his disposal.

Villa made a number of signings throughout that season in an attempt to win promotion back to the big time, including current first-team star John McGinn.

However, not all of their additions during that campaign turned out to be a success on the pitch, as goalkeepers Orjan Nyland and Lovre Kalinic both failed to impress.

How much Villa paid to sign Lovre Kalinic

After Nyland started 23 of the club's Championship matches during the first half of the 2018/19 campaign and saved 67% of the shots on his goal, Villa decided to go in a new direction between the sticks.

Smith swooped to sign Croatian shot-stopper Kalinic from Belgian side Gent for a whopping fee of £7m during the January transfer window in 2019, and this move turned out to be a nightmare.

That came after the giant had kept three clean sheets and conceded 24 goals in 14 Pro League appearances during the first half of the term for his former club.

He had kept 29 clean sheets in 79 matches for Gent in total during his time with Genk, and his performances in Belgium were seemingly good enough to convince Villa that there was value in spending a significant fee – in Championship terms – to bring him in to replace Nyland.

Unfortunately, for all parties involved, Kalinic did not hit the ground running in England as he struggled badly in the second tier before being displaced by Jed Steer.

The left-footed shot-stopper started seven matches in the Championship and only saved 61% of the shots against his goal, which was 6% lower than Nyland's success rate.

He conceded a whopping 12 goals in those seven games, which illustrates how weak his displays were between the sticks, and struggled in possession with a pass success rate of 49%.

As you can see in the chart above, Kalinic did not stack up well against his positional peers in the Championship during the 2018/19 campaign.

He fell short when it came to stopping crosses, which meant that the goalkeeper did not alleviate much pressure off his defence, and saving shots – two of the core elements of goalkeeping.

The Croatian flop also ranked within the bottom 8% of Championship goalkeepers for defensive actions outside his penalty area (0.31) per 90, which shows that the former Gent star was not a proactive player who came out to bail out his backline on a regular basis when the ball was played in behind.

How much did Lovre Kalinic earn at Aston Villa

According to Spotrac, Kalinic earned roughly £817k-per-year throughout his time at the club. However, he was not always with Villa before his permanent exit in 2022.

The Smith flop spent the first year with the Villans, which suggests that the side paid the full £817k of wages during that period, but he was then sent out on loan to Toulouse for the second half of the 2020/21 campaign, and it remains unclear as to how much of his wages they contributed to.

He then spent the next six months with Villa before going out on loan to Hajduk Split. This means that the shot-stopper may have earned around £408k between his loans with Toulouse and Split.

The 33-year-old dud was on loan to the Croatian side for 18 months before the Villans opted to allow him to join them on a permanent basis on a free transfer in 2022, despite his contract in England still having 12 months left to run on it at the time.

Given that it is unclear how much of his wages Split and Toulouse covered, Villa paid Kalinic a minimum of £1.25m in wages during his time with the club before letting him leave for nothing.

This means that the goalkeeper drained them of at least £8.25m, and only made eight competitive appearances for the first-team, without making a positive impact on the pitch, which is why Smith had a mare with that signing.

The fee Villa paid for John McGinn

Meanwhile, Villa swooped to sign Scottish central midfielder McGinn from Hibernian during the 2018/19 campaign for a reported fee of £2.75m on a four-year contract.

Signed in the same season as Kalinic, the impressive maestro has provided far more value for money over the years as he has established himself as a regular starter for the club over a number of seasons, despite being signed for £4.25m less than the shot-stopper.

McGinn started 39 of Villa's matches in the Championship as they won promotion to the Premier League that term, and contributed with six goals and nine assists from the middle of the park.

Since the club's ascent to the top-flight, the left-footed dynamo has made 162 appearances for the club at the top level of English football, with 16 goals and 19 assists to his name to date.

This season, the 29-year-old star has been an influential figure in midfield for Unai Emery's side as they compete to secure Champions League football for the 2024/25 campaign.

Appearances

28

Starts

28

Goals

Six

Big chances created

Nine

Assists

Three

Dribbles completed

43

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Scotland international has provided a big threat at the top end of the pitch with his quality as a scorer and a creator from midfield.

In fact, McGinn has a reason to be frustrated with his teammates as they have not made the most of his outstanding creativity, with three goals scored from the nine 'big chances' that he has created for his fellow attackers.

Overall, the Scottish ace has been a fantastic signing for Villa as he remains a key player for the club almost six years on from his arrival in 2018, whilst Kalinic barely got on the pitch before being let go for nothing after being brought in for more money than McGinn under Smith.

It's been a season of ups and downs for Tottenham Hotspur but form is starting to settle and the pursuit of Champions League qualification might just bear fruit.

That eventuality looked nailed-on in the early phase of the campaign, with new manager Ange Postecoglou breathing fresh life into the outfit and firing Spurs into the ascendancy.

Winter arrived and with it furious bleak clouds, a spate of injuries and suspensions sending Tottenham's Premier League progress into a nosedive; a lapse in fluency bringing title aspirations down to hopes of a top-four finish.

Now, with the campaign approaching the business end, Tottenham have been impressive and perch in fifth place, having closed the gap to three points on Aston Villa in fourth after an emphatic 4-0 win at Villa Park one week ago – and with a game still in hand.

Precise recruitment in the transfer market has been the centre of Tottenham's success, with Postecoglou's project marrying into Daniel Levy's system, but there will need to be further accuracy on that front if any promise from the 2023/24 campaign is to turn into the milk and honey of lasting success.

Tottenham have done a good job of shipping out the deadwood so far, with the likes of Davinson Sanchez, Hugo Lloris and Eric Dier some of the high-profile names cast away.

Some peripheral players still need to leave, with Ryan Sessegnon's time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium surely running out.

Why Spurs signed Ryan Sessegnon

Having enjoyed something of a prodigious start to life on the senior stage with Fulham, Sessegnon signed for Tottenham in a £25m deal back in 2019, when he was just 19 years old.

The dynamic wideman, competent in any left-sided role, was remarked to be "one of the bright sparks" during Tottenham's 2019/20 campaign, his first at the club, but while he was young and lively he was also inexperienced and unrefined and so made just four starting appearances in the Premier League, albeit scoring in a 3-1 Champions League defeat against Bayern Munich.

Unfortunately, nearly five years after transferring to Tottenham the 23-year-old has completed just 57 fixtures for the club, with injuries and poor performances punctuating a once-promising career that has bitterly stagnated.

He's out of contract next summer and there is a sense that his Spurs career is at its end, especially given that he played just one match for the first team in 2023/24, coming off the bench against Burnley in the FA Cup third round in January.

Sessegnon's woes have of course been compounded by the injury issues that have derailed a promising start to life, having scored two goals and provided six assists during the 2018/19 Premier League season, his last with Fulham.

But there's no denying that he has flattered to deceive, with Spurs insider Jon Wenham even remarking that he looks like a "Championship player" when he does muster up enough fitness to grace the pitch.

That said, an endless recurrence of a hamstring problem such as Sessegnon has suffered would stifle even the most talented Premier League stars, and for this reason, he can't be considered in the same breath as some other recent Tottenham duds.

One such flop is Sergio Reguilon, who hasn't played for Spurs in nearly two years but remains on the books and must be axed to continue the revival under Postecoglou.

Why Sergio Reguilon has flopped at Spurs

Wenham has recently described Reguilon as "chaotic" after revealing that Levy is bound to make a "huge loss" on the Spaniard, who is currently marked with a paltry £5m worth, according to Football Transfers' valuation model.

This feeling of disappointment would not be so profound were the 27-year-old not at the centre of a £32m outlay, signing from Real Madrid with a weight of expectation in 2020 after being named the La Liga's best left-back in 2019/20 while on loan with Sevilla, winning the Europa League.

No doubt, he does have his qualities. Reguilon ranks among the top 7% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles and the top 5% for blocks per 90, as per FBref, but it's been some time since he played in a Tottenham shirt competitively.

Indeed, after two years plying his trade for Tottenham, Reguilon completed a loan move back to his homeland and joined Atletico Madrid, though this was a woeful sojourn that provided him with a series of injuries and just two starts in La Liga.

Wenham – seemingly a vocal critic of this ace – has also remarked that he is the "worst of the bunch" when discussing the transfer activity under Jose Mourinho's management.

Not accounting for his £53k-per-week wages across the past two seasons, which might even have been covered by Tottenham, at least partially, Reguilon has bled the club over £37m, when combining his earnings across those first two years with his transfer fee.

Per appearance

£559,000

Per goal

£18.75m

Per assist

£4.2m

Per clean sheet

£1.7m

Per booking

£3.4m

Sessegnon is still relatively young and has been beset with a torrent of fitness problems, and while it hasn't been plain sailing on the injury front for Reguilon by any stretch, he cost more money and has had ample time to establish himself as a star down N17.

With Destiny Udogie performing so well in a Tottenham shirt, it's hardly likely that Reguilon will reclaim his place in the side any time soon, even if he is averaging 2.3 tackles per game in the Premier League this season (having spent the first half of the campaign on loan with Manchester United, switching for Brentford in January), as per Sofascore, also winning 58% of his duels.

Having signed a five-year contract in 2020, Reguilon is seemingly out of contract in 2025, and it's highly unlikely that his deal will be renewed.

Liverpool will reclaim their spot at the summit of the Premier League with victory at home against bottom-placed club Sheffield United this evening, with Arsenal a point ahead having played a game more following their win over Luton Town.

It's truly been a season of wonder for Liverpool, who have been fuelled in their pursuit of silverware by the poignancy of Jurgen Klopp's farewell parade, having already claimed the Carabao Cup in February.

With three games upcoming in eight days for the Reds, Klopp will likely make some tweaks after battling to a hard-earned 2-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, with a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United looming on Sunday.

Liverpool have had torrid luck on the injury front this season but have combatted such misfortune expertly, players stepping up and youth prospects stepping into the senior set-up to produce some wonderful performances.

The severity of the crisis has lessened of late but there remains a host of first-team stars sidelined.

Liverpool team news

In what is a massive boost for the Anfield side, Curtis Jones has been cleared after spending a month-and-a-half on the sidelines with an ankle problem, with Andy Robertson also in contention after missing out against the Seagulls with an issue sustained on international duty with Scotland.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota are nearing a comeback but won't return to full team training until next week, with Alisson Becker following soon after. Joel Matip, Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic remain longer-term absentees.

Defensive midfielder Wataru Endo appears to have picked up a knock and Klopp said he needs to be assessed ahead of the clash against the Blades.

With the trip to Theatre of Dreams only days away, Klopp will be keen to rotate some of his fit-and-firing phenoms too, with Darwin Nunez one of the likely players to move to the bench later on.

Darwin Nunez's season in numbers

Nunez arrived on Merseyside with a weight of expectation after joining Liverpool from Benfica in a club-record £85m transfer in 2022, but he finished his maiden campaign in England with more questions than answers.

Dynamic and multi-dimensional in his attacking efforts, the Uruguay international only scored nine goals in the Premier League and missed a whopping 20 big chances, with his profligacy leading to pundits like Frank McAvennie claiming that he "can't handle" playing for the Reds.

There was promise, such promise, in these performances, and it's important to remember that he arrived young and raw at a testing time in Liverpool's recent history, the squad slumping and the potency and steel of the midfield non-existent. Nunez has taken the shards of quality and sculpted a new lofty height of success this season.

Indeed, the 24-year-old maverick has scored 17 goals and provided 14 assists in all competitions for his teammates this season, despite starting just 28 games.

As per FBref, he now ranks among the top 16% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 3% for assists, the top 11% for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive carries and the top 10% for tackles.

Matches played

29

27

Starts

19

18

Goals

0.48

0.54

Assists

0.16

0.38

Shots taken

4.46

4.74

Shot-creating actions

2.87

3.70

Progressive passes

1.54

2.50

Progressive carries

3.24

2.55

Successful take-ons

0.96

0.65

Ball recoveries

2.34

2.72

Tackles

0.59

1.09

Nunez just keeps on trying. The best players are not those who succeed without fail but those who fall short but push forward through adversity and dire straits to emerge victorious.

He's made something of a habit of pushing and poking opponents relentlessly in this regard, and while he's become an inherent part of Liverpool's offensive line, Nunez must be rested ahead of the Old Trafford trip.

Especially when there's a fine replacement in Cody Gakpo to serve in his stead. However, the Netherlands international needs to come up with a good display after suffering in form across recent fixtures.

Cody Gakpo must be unleashed vs Sheffield United

Gakpo has been comparatively clinical this season and has been used across a range of different roles, perhaps a bit of a victim of his own versatility, unable to quite hit the rich vein of form that supporters have anticipated.

Centre-forward

20

9

3

Left winger

8

3

2

Right winger

7

1

0

Central midfield

7

0

0

Take a look at the table. What do you see? Here is a player who has been playing with tactical flexibility that James Milner would tip his hat to, and through all of this Gakpo has bagged 13 goals during his first full campaign at the club, having started 25 matches.

Moreover, the 24-year-old ranks among the top 15% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for pass completion, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 19% for progressive carries, the top 16% for successful take-ons and the top 4% for tackles per 90.

It's quite the spread of skills, but Gakpo's performances on the pitch do leave something to be desired, particularly poor when Liverpool fell to defeat against Manchester United before the international break, branded with a 3/10 match rating by Independent's Jamie Braidwood.

His natural finishing instinct is all well and good, but to succeed at Liverpool, competing against high-level forwards such as Nunez, Mohamed Salah and co, Gakpo will need to prove that he can make a real impact when he is provided with a starting berth.

Of course, he's done this many times already but now he must bring it all together, prove himself the dynamo that enhances Liverpool's team.

Liverpool hit the jackpot on 9/10 star who’s already worth more than Trent

Jurgen Klopp played a blinder bringing this influential star to Anfield.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 1, 2024

If he flatters to deceive against lowly Sheffield United it is hard to envisage Klopp handing him a prominent role across the business end of the campaign.

It's a big opportunity, but Gakpo – who is now valued at a remarkable £86m, according to CIES Football Observatory – has demonstrated his ability to pop up when it matters and you wouldn't put it past him to lift himself back toward his finest form.

Many eyes are understandably already on Liverpool's trip to Old Trafford to meet Manchester United on Sunday but Jurgen Klopp's side must first ensure victory over Sheffield United in the Premier League tomorrow evening.

The Blades are marooned at the bottom of the table and have been luckless on their return to the big time, albeit there's no argument that they have been abysmal defensively and will bear the worst defensive record in Premier League history should they ship 13 more goals across their nine remaining fixtures.

First-placed Liverpool have created the most big chances in the division this term with 77 and one would judge that the hosts' firepower would prove too big a hurdle for Chris Wilder's team, but stranger things have happened.

Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota all remain sidelined but Curtis Jones is likely to be involved in some capacity and Andy Robertson has overcome the issue sustained on international duty.

With the key showdown against the Red Devils coming days later, Klopp might make four changes to the team that defeated Brighton & Hove Albion to return to the league summit last time out.

1 GK – Caoimhin Kelleher

Alisson should return between the sticks this month but not just yet. Still, Caoimhin Kelleher has hardly been poor in his absence, has he?

The Irishman's commanding displays have been vital for Liverpool over the past several months and he will have more than a few suitors lurking around during the summer.

2 RB – Joe Gomez

Conor Bradley's been described as "one of the biggest revelations of 23/24" by talent scout Jacek Kulig but he will return to the bench tomorrow, rested ahead of the showing at the Theatre.

A bit of a positional nomad this season, Joe Gomez should slot back into his natural position, and he should be well up for the occasion against the Blades.

3 CB – Jarell Quansah

Jarell Quansah started against the Seagulls and he will retain his spot tomorrow evening, with Ibrahima Konate likely spared ahead of the weekend's meeting.

Hailed as an "absolute monster" by Kulig for his FA Cup performance against Arsenal, the 21-year-old academy talent has been sublime this term and looks fit for purpose for years to come.

4 CB – Virgil van Dijk

He's played a lot of football this season but Liverpool's captain will command from the rearguard once again. Virgil van Dijk has been sensational this season and if the Merseysiders do clinch the Premier League title, he will have possibly played the most important part.

He'll be confident in blunting the opponents' blade at Anfield tomorrow.

5 LB – Andy Robertson

Robertson missed out against Brighton but he is in contention to return against Sheffield United as he continues his bid to rekindle his former fluency down the left channel.

It's been a stuttering season for the Scotland captain but he should find ample opportunity to project his creativity onto his attacking peers tomorrow.

6 DM – Wataru Endo

He's just great, isn't he? Wataru Endo will anchor the Liverpool midfield across both forthcoming Premier League fixtures and he will do so with diligence and conviction.

A tough-tackling, assured presence in the centre of the park, Endo is so important and allows the flair-fuelled peers ahead of him to strut their stuff with confidence.

7 CM – Alexis Mac Allister

We're running out of superlatives for Alexis Mac Allister, who produced the magnum opus of his Liverpool career (so far) against his former outfit on Sunday, simply mesmeric in his creative and controlling display.

As per FBref, the 2022 World Cup winner ranks among the top 5% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 10% for shot-creating actions, the top 16% for passes attempted, the top 17% for progressive passes, the top 19% for tackles and the top 2% for blocks per 90.

Some player. Some impact.

8 CM – Ryan Gravenberch

It's been a campaign of promise for Ryan Graveberch, yes, but it's also been a season in which the talented 21-year-old's deficiencies have been discernible.

Still, Gravenberch is elegant and silky on the ball, with impressive playmaking ability and sharp intelligence. He needs to mesh it all together and he will have a great chance to do just that against United.

9 RW – Mohamed Salah

Is there any question about who will perch on the right flank of Liverpool's frontline? Mohamed Salah has been as brilliant as ever in front of goal and boasts a return of 22 goals and 13 assists from 33 matches in all competitions.

Interestingly, he's scored just one goal from five matches against the forthcoming opposition, yet to assist a teammate.

10 LW – Luis Diaz

Luis Diaz is an indefatigable machine on that left flank for Klopp's side and it's hard to imagine he won't inflict a spate of problems on Sheffield United.

As per Sofascore, the Colombian has scored seven goals and supplied three assists from 23 starting appearances in the Premier League this term, completing 85% of his passes and averaging 1.3 key passes, 1.6 dribbles, 3.5 ball recoveries and 4.4 successful duels per game.

Glasgow Rangers failed to secure all three points in what was a crucial Old Firm derby on Sunday, but they still remain in control of their own Premiership title destiny after the 3-3 draw.

If they can win their remaining seven games – including a clash against Celtic at Parkhead – then the Light Blues will claim their first league title since 2021, completing a remarkable turnaround from where they were at the end of September.

If they play like they did during the first half on Sunday, however, Philippe Clement will have to wait until next season to get his hands on the title, as the performance was abysmal, which is putting it politely.

The right side of the defence was targeted time and time again with plenty of success – Daizen Maeda opening the scoring from that channel – and the Gers were lucky to go into the interval just two goals down.

The team talk delivered by the Belgian clearly worked wonders as they put in a more astute second-half display, scoring three legitimate goals, which included a last-minute screamer by Rabbi Matondo.

Despite a much-improved performance during the second 45 minutes, several players were underwhelming, with Fabio Silva one who failed to offer much going forward.

Fabio Silva’s performance in numbers vs Celtic

The Portuguese forward will be remembered for his theatrics following every foul, rather than his actual performance.

Silva was fouled three times during his time on the pitch, with each accompanied by a series of rolls on the ground, exaggerating everything.

He did win the penalty in the second half, which James Tavernier converted, yet even John Beaton cautioned him for simulation before VAR intervened and overturned his decision.

Silva had two shots on target, missed a big chance and completed just nine passes in what was a lackadaisical performance against Celtic.

The on-loan Wolves starlet also lost possession 16 times in just 69 minutes, while winning only four of the ten duels he contested, being bullied off the ball more often than not.

Goals

0

Assists

0

Accurate passes

9/17

Total duels (won)

10 (4)

Possession lost

16

It was his first ever Old Firm experience, yet the 21-year-old couldn’t quite cope with the pressure as he was replaced with Rabbi Matondo with 20 minutes remaining.

Fabio Silva’s stats since joining Rangers

Prior to the game, Silva had been one of the Gers' finer performers of late, especially as he was deputising for the injured Abdallah Sima on the left wing.

In his first 14 games for the Ibrox side, he scored four goals and proved to be a real menace out wide, giving Clement an extra attacking option.

He may have even added to his goal tally in the top flight, missing five big chances, while the forward averages 1.9 shots, succeeds with 0.5 dribbles and averages 0.6 key passes per match.

On Sunday, however, Silva’s performance was dismal and with a big clash against Dundee on Wednesday evening – giving the Gers a chance of moving two points ahead of Celtic – some changes will be required to the starting XI, absolutely no doubt about that.

Matondo definitely deserves a chance from the first whistle after netting a sublime equaliser, but it is Sima – the replacement for Scott Wright against Celtic – who has proven he is undroppable after his cameo appearance.

Abdallah Sima cameo vs Celtic in numbers

The winger made his return to the first team for the clash against Hibs last weekend, coming on for the final ten minutes in a bid to give him some much-needed minutes on the pitch.

He had missed the previous 13 games due to suffering a hamstring injury while away on international duty with Senegal, but it looks as though he has recovered in time for the climax of the season.

Sima offered a sense of urgency when he came on every time the Gers were attacking, something that Silva couldn’t quite grasp during the first half.

He attempted two dribble attempts, but failed with both while delivering three crosses during the second period as the Light Blues began to slowly get into the game.

With the score still 2-1 to Celtic, Dujon Sterling pounced on a poor pass from Callum McGregor to create a chance, with the ball eventually ending up with Sima, who struck a delicious shot which took a deflection into the net.

It was another goal to add to his collection since joining on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion last summer, with his second-half performance surely convincing Clement that he must be unleashed from the start against Dundee.

Abdallah Sima’s statistics at Rangers

His goal against Celtic was Sima’s 16th of a wonderful campaign, with more to come over the remaining seven Premiership matches, hopefully.

It isn’t just his goals that have made him one of the club’s most dangerous attacking options. When compared to his teammates in the top flight, Sima currently ranks third for shots (2.8) along with ranking first for successful dribbles (1.4) per game, showcasing his talents on the wing throughout the season.

In two previous meetings with Dundee, the 22-year-old has scored once and registered an assist, particularly impressing in the 3-1 at Ibrox in December.

Along with his goal, Sima won a penalty, succeeded with two of his three dribble attempts, managed four total shots, and won ten of his 12 aerial duels contested during the match.

A complete display and there is no doubt he can terrorise their backline once again should he be unleashed in the starting XI.

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The Senegal international has clearly worked hard to get back to full fitness following a few months out, but it looks as if he hasn’t been away at all, especially judging by his display in the Old Firm match.

Dropping to the bench may stand Silva in good stead, giving him a rest ahead of a clash against Ross County in the highlands on the weekend, where Clement will need every one of his players firing on all cylinders.

Another goal or two by Sima on Wednesday will see Gers leave Dundee with all three points, with Premiership glory in their own hands.

Aston Villa are reportedly a "serious threat" to sign an "extraordinary" attacking player this summer, with Monchi's influence potentially proving key.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans continue to be linked with lots of new signings ahead of the summer transfer window, although they will have to adhere to Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. The hope is that Champions League qualification is sealed, generating more freedom to chase reinforcements in the process.

One individual who has been backed to move to Villa Park is Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney, who is currently out on loan at La Liga side Real Sociedad. The Scot appears to be surplus to requirements at the Emirates currently, so they could sanction his permanent exit at the end of the season. He is seen as an upgrade on Alex Moreno, and has worked under Unai Emery before during the Spaniard's spell in charge of the Gunners.

Torino wing-back Raoul Bellanova is also seen as an option on the right-side, once again being looked at as an improvement on a current Villa player – this time Matty Cash. The 23-year-old has six goals and five assists to his name in Serie A so far this season.

Villa are thought to be showing an interest in West Ham defender Ben Johnson too, looking to hijack a move ahead of plenty of competition for his signature, while Inter Milan and Netherlands ace Denzel Dumfries has also emerged as a target.

Aston Villa want "extraordinary" new striker

According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via Sport Witness], it's not just full backs they're chasing – Aston Villa want to sign Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee this summer, and are a "serious threat" to Serie A rivals AC Milan and Inter, posing a "danger" to their own interests.

Bayern Munich reportedly have a €40m (£34.2m) buyback option in his current contract, but aren't currently showing any great interest in triggering it.

Zirkzee is such an exciting young player and the fact that Villa are rivalling two huge clubs for his signature says so much about the strides they have made under Emery and Monchi since they arrived at the club, with the latter's relationships thought to be aiding Villa's advances.

The £19,000-a-week-earning forward has scored 11 goals in his league this season, also chipping in with four assists, while Bologna manager Thiago Motta has heaped praise on him.

At 22 years of age, Zirkzee is still such a young player whose all-round should only become more polished, and Emery could turn him into a wonderful footballer over time. The Dutchman could provide great competition with Ollie Watkins leading the line at Villa Park, potentially also wreaking havoc in tandem with the Englishman.

Unai Emery asks Aston Villa to sign "excellent" player as he signs new deal

He has a release clause in the region of £50m.

ByCharlie Smith Apr 23, 2024

There is the obvious threat of Bayern suddenly deciding to trigger his clause, or the Bologna ace choosing Milan or Inter, but Emery has turned Villa into such an exciting proposition, especially if they are in the Champions League next season.