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West Ham’s current wage structure represents good value, with their best players earning the highest figures (mostly), with very few players presenting poor value for money with their wage packages.

Danny Ings is perhaps the most eye-catching at the top end of the wage list, earning £125k-per-week, the third highest at the club, despite playing more of a bit-part role.

The average wages in the squad are between £70,000-£100,000, with ten players earning between these two figures, including Max Kilman, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Niklas Fullkrug, and Mohammed Kudus.

Lucas Paqueta

£150,000

Jarrod Bowen

£150,000

Danny Ings

£125,000

Alphonse Areola

£120,000

Max Kilman

£100,000

Edson Alvarez

£100,000

Emerson

£95,000

Niclas Füllkrug

£90,000

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

£90,000

Mohamed Kudus

£90,000

The two highest earners in the squad, both making £150,000 per week, are Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta, largely seen as two of the Hammers’ best players.

Bowen and Paqueta's form in 2024/25

Bowen made 44 appearances last campaign, scoring 20 goals and providing ten assists in his 3,842 minutes played. It was a brilliant campaign in which the England winger was rewarded with a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Euros, with his value rising all the way to £42m as per Transfermarkt.

Paqueta, on the other hand, made 43 appearances last season, scoring eight goals, providing seven assists, and totalling 3,478 minutes played. The Brazilian is valued at a similar price tag by Transfermarkt, sitting at £46m.

Both players have started this season in a slower fashion. The skipper has three goals and provided two assists in his first nine appearances, which isn’t too bad, but Paqueta has scored just twice in his nine appearances so far.

That said, neither are quite as valuable as a certain Mohamed Kudus.

Mohammed Kudus' market value in 2024

Kudus, who was signed from Ajax for £38m last summer by David Moyes has been on quite the rise to stardom since moving to English football.

Such has been his productive form in the famous claret and blue that fellow Premier League sides such as Manchester City and Arsenal are sniffing around a player who boasts a larger market value than Bowne and Co with the Ghanain’s release clause sitting a pretty £85m.

Since joining the club, the 24-year-old has made 54 appearances for the club, scoring 15 goals and providing seven assists in 4,118 minutes played.

So, why is the hard-working player worth more than Bowen and Paqueta? Well, this could be due to his profile being slightly rarer and desirable for top clubs who want to add pace in transition, efficient attackers, and forwards that work hard for the team out of possession.

Goals

0.15

0.34

0.31

Assists

0.15

0.23

0.00

xG

0.33

0.15

0.34

xAG

0.13

0.33

0.10

Progressive Carries

5.47

3.88

1.03

Progressive Passes

2.34

3.88

6.72

Shots Total

3.09

2.73

1.54

Key Passes

0.78

2.84

1.38

Tackles

1.09

1.19

1.72

Blocks

1.41

0.90

1.21

Bowen and Paqueta are both 27 years old, whereas Kudus is just 24 years old, which does play a part in the valuation of players, so this is important to consider on top of the stats above.

Indeed, the metrics also show why Kudus is so valuable, putting in big defensive shifts, whilst still offering excellent goal threat, pace on the break, and driving his team forwards, shown by his 5.47 progressive carries per 90 which are streets ahead of his colleagues.

Kudus may not be West Ham’s most important player, but you can certainly see why he is so highly valued, and we could just see some of the “big six” begin to circle for his signature soon.

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ByConnor Holden Oct 9, 2024

As Alexander Isak continues to stall over a new contract, Newcastle United are reportedly weighing up a move to sign a potential replacement for the Swede in the form of a Champions League striker.

Newcastle transfer news

After such a disappointing summer, it always seemed inevitable that Newcastle would face their fair share of struggles on the pitch and that has very much become their reality in recent weeks. Without a Premier League win in their last five attempts, Eddie Howe’s side suffered their latest defeat at Stamford Bridge despite returning to the scoresheet courtesy of Isak’s second goal of the campaign.

Isak’s goalscoring return was well-timed too amid recent links with a move to the likes of Arsenal to spark concerns over his future at St James’ Park. Add reports that talks over a new contract have stalled and Newcastle certainly have every right to be worried about their star man.

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ByAngus Sinclair Oct 30, 2024

Potentially left with no choice but to seek a replacement, the Magpies may well turn their attention to Ligue 1 and one particular forward. According to reports in Spain, Newcastle are now weighing up a move to sign Randal Kolo Muani who has been shown the door at Paris Saint-Germain.

Struggling to find his best form since a hefty £76m move from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023, Kolo Muani could be on the move in 2025 to bring an end to what has been a frustrating spell. It’s then that Newcastle could decide to strike and help the forward back to his most clinical form last shown in the Bundesliga.

Still just 25 years old, the Frenchman still has plenty of time to become the player that PSG believed they had signed just one year ago, and they ‘would not be against a convincing offer from Newcastle for the French striker’ in the next transfer window.

"Complete" Kolo Muani could revive Newcastle attack

With Callum Wilson heading for the exit door as a free agent as things stand and Isak potentially following the Englishman out the door, Kolo Muani could emerge to revive Newcastle’s attack next summer. Of course, he has had his struggles at PSG but it is worth noting that it’s often difficult to adjust to the Ligue 1 giants – as proved by the great Lionel Messi.

Prior to his PSG struggles, Kolo Muani thrived at Frankfurt, scoring a stunning 23 goals and assisting another 17 in the 2022/23 campaign. If Newcastle can swoop in to end his Paris nightmare, then they could pave the way for that version of the Frenchman to make his return and fire Howe’s side back into European football in place of Isak.

The forward earned plenty of praise during that campaign, including from France teammate Kylian Mbappe who said via The Metro: “He is a striker who offers different game options to our team. He is very complete and has an impressive volume of play.”

In a striker domino effect, Newcastle could yet grant Kolo Muani the ideal opportunity to put PSG behind him next summer should Isak depart.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement has given a fresh update on the fitness of Tom Lawrence, having missed the weekend victory over St Mirren.

Rangers see off St Mirren without Lawrence

The Gers edged out St Mirren 2-1 at Ibrox on Sunday afternoon, as they continue to just about stay in touch with Celtic and Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership title race, still trailing by six points.

Mohamed Diomande and Vaclav Cerny scored the goals for Rangers, and while three points were clearly much appreciated by supporters, it was another performance that was far from wholly convincing, especially considering Clement’s men were hosting a side who now sit 10th in the table after the weekend action.

There is still big pressure on the Gers boss to keep his job, but one fair excuse that he does have is injuries to key players, which has stunted the rhythm of his side and affected the level of depth at his disposal.

One individual who was unavailable at Ibrox on Sunday was Lawrence, who picked up an injury in the 4-0 Europa League win at home to FCSB last Thursday. The 30-year-old scored in that game, highlighting his importance to the cause, and fans will be keen to see him back in the fold as soon as possible, with a huge trip to Aberdeen looming on Wednesday evening.

Clement provides Lawrence injury update

Delivering a simple six-word update regarding Lawrence’s fitness for Rangers [via Rangers News], Clement admitted that the Englishman’s situation is still up in the air ahead of the midweek clash with the Dons.

Gers supporters will be desperate to see the veteran midfielder back in the fold at Pittodrie on Wednesday, with his experience and match-winning ability so important away to a side who are enjoying a superb start to the season.

Few would have expected the Dons to be level with Celtic at the top of the table heading into November, and six points ahead of Rangers for that matter, but they will pose a big threat to Clement’s side, who frankly can’t afford to drop more points.

Lawrence being available would certainly make a big difference in that respect, with David McCallum hailing his impact when he played for the B team amid previous injury struggles, saying: “Tom was excellent around the group, sharing his experience, and we spoke before the game about that.

“That’s what some of these games are going to be about, when we get the odd occasion where a player, or two, drops down from the first-team squad to get important minutes.”

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ByRoss Kilvington Oct 27, 2024

Even if Lawrence was only deemed fit enough for a place on the substitutes’ bench, it would feel like a big boost for Rangers, considering he could make a difference-maker in the second half, delivering a moment of quality in a game that has the potential to be tight.

Celtic are back in action in the Champions League again this evening as they prepare to welcome Bundesliga side RB Leipzig to Parkhead in their fourth match.

The Hoops have picked up four points from their first three games in the competition, beating Slovan, losing to Borussia Dortmund, and drawing with Atalanta.

Brendan Rodgers’ side have already matched their points tally for their Champions League group, albeit in a different format, for the 2023/24 campaign, as they finished bottom with four points.

The Hoops will be hoping to push beyond that tally with a positive result against the German side tonight, as they head into the game off the back of an impressive win on Saturday.

Celtic faced off against Aberdeen, who are unbeaten in the Scottish Premiership, in the semi-finals of the League Cup at Hampden Park and produced a staggering 6-0 win.

Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, and Nicolas Kuhn scored the goals for the Hoops, with Maeda finding the back of the net three times.

Despite that impressive result and performance from the Scottish giants, there is one player who should be brutally ditched from the starting XI for this match – Kyogo.

Kyogo Furuhashi's performance against Aberdeen

The Japan international was selected to lead the line against the Dons and played 69 minutes of the 6-0 rout, scoring one goal and failing to register an assist.

His goal came in the 32nd minute after terrific and composed play from Maeda resulted in the centre-forward having a shot at an almost-empty net, with recovering defenders scrambling to get in the way, from close range.

The Hoops marksman was handed an eye-catching player rating of 9/10 by The Scotsman, who hailed how alert he was in the box and his knack for showing up in the big games for Celtic in domestic action.

Kyogo’s constant movement in behind and sharpness when making runs allowed him to stretch the Aberdeen defence and that created space for his teammates to work in, which meant that he did not have to have many touches of the ball to make an impact.

Of course, the Japanese forward also found the back of the net, with a relatively simple finish, and that is why it was a solid overall performance from the Hoops man.

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However, that should not be enough to keep him in the starting line-up for this clash with Leipzig at Parkhead this evening, due to the type of game that it could be.

Why Kyogo Furuhashi should be dropped

Rodgers must brutally ditch the 9/10 star from the team because it could end up being a similar match to the one they played in Bergamo against Atalanta.

In the game in Italy, the Serie A side had 66% of the possession and it was an evening where the Hoops had to dig in deep and exert a lot of physical power to cover ground and win duels across the pitch.

This clash with Leipzig, despite it being played at Parkhead, could be similar as they are currently second in the Bundesliga table, with six wins and just five goals conceded in nine matches.

Celtic are up against a top side, who have been in fantastic form in a major European league, and should not expect to be able to get a result without putting in a similar display to the one they put in against Atalanta.

Kyogo, therefore, is not suited to starting this match against Leipzig because he struggles with the physical side of the game when his team are not dominating the ball.

Appearances

10

3

Goals

4

1

Big chances missed

12

2

Duels won per game

1.0

0.7

Ground duel success rate

40%

33%

Aerial duel success rate

25%

0%

As you can see in the table above, the Japanese forward has been wasteful in front of goal in the Premiership and the Champions League, whilst also struggling in physical duels.

These statistics suggest that Kyogo would not be an ideal option to pick from the start in a game that could be dominated by the opposition, as defenders find it far too easy to get the better of him in battles – particularly in the air.

The Celtic star who should replace Kyogo

With this in mind, Rodgers must ditch the former Vissel Kobe star to unleash Adam Idah in his place, after the Irishman performed admirably against Atalanta last time out in the Champions League.

The Ireland international, whose ability was once described as “incredible” by the Northern Irish boss, has the physical frame and know-how to be the best option for Celtic for tonight’s potential game-state.

Against Atalanta, Idah won three of his five duels and two of his three aerial contests, whilst completing 14 of his 19 attempted passes, to provide the Hoops with an excellent focal point to alleviate pressure and get the team up the pitch when they needed it.

The summer signing from Norwich City stands at 6 foot 3 and has the size and strength to hold off opposition defenders to win vital duels in games where Celtic do not see much of the ball, which is not a quality Kyogo possesses.

Appearances

7

Starts

2

Goals

2

Duels won

7

Aerial duel success rate

60%

As you can see in the table above, Idah has also won the majority of his aerial battles in the Premiership and won seven duels in seven games, despite coming off the bench in five of those matches.

The 23-year-old dynamo, who scored off the bench against Slovan in the club’s first Champions League game of the season, has the qualities that Rodgers will likely need from his centre-forward this evening.

That is why the former Liverpool boss must ruthlessly ditch Kyogo, despite his 9/10 display against Aberdeen, in order to unleash Idah as the focal point for Celtic in the number nine position at Parkhead.

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The former Celtic forward has thrived since moving down south to the Premier League.

1 ByDan Emery Nov 3, 2024

Southampton have had their fair share of clinical strikers over the years, but unfortunately for Russell Martin in the here and now, no potent hero is leading the line for his rock-bottom Saints.

New summer recruit Cameron Archer is top of the goalscoring charts with just two strikes next to his name, while their top scorer from last season, Adam Armstrong, takes a worrying backseat when making the jump up to the Premier League, having only mustered up one league goal so far.

It’s a far cry away from his explosive goalscoring exploits that helped his side win promotion, alongside other memorable attackers from yesteryear who took the Premier League by storm.

Southampton's best strikers in the last decade

Armstrong is in that conversation despite his underwhelming output of late, with the former Blackburn Rovers striker far more at home in the league below by firing home 24 second-tier goals to seal his team’s return to the top flight.

Unfortunately for Martin and Co, the reliable EFL performer hasn’t ever made a name for himself in the elite division, having only tallied up a meagre five strikes in the Premier League across his career to date.

Still, the St. Mary’s masses will be patient with the number nine, knowing he’s capable of powering home goals like the one above when at the peak of his powers.

Unlike Armstrong, there have been other strikers from Southampton’s recent past who have thrived when playing in the Premier League, with Graziano Pelle helping himself to 23 Premier League goals when on the books of the South Coast club, to be remembered as an entertaining centre-forward.

There’s also the likes of Rickie Lambert who is etched into the Saints hall-of-fame, with 28 of his 117 goals for the Saints coming in the top-flight.

Saints struck gold with 2021 sale

Another name that could also come to mind is Danny Ings, who Southampton fans would have been gutted to see leave in 2021 after a fruitful spell at St. Mary’s.

Still, when you consider Southampton managed to sell the deadly attacker for £25m to Aston Villa, suddenly that sorrow doesn’t feel as sharp.

But, he was always going to be a big presence to replace, having helped himself to 46 goals playing for the South Coast outfit from 100 outings before relocating to Villa Park in a bumper move.

His impressive goalscoring heroics during the 2019/20 campaign would have piqued Villa’s interest, leading to a significant amount of cash eventually being splashed on the “lethal” attacker, as he was described by football pundit Chris Sutton at the time.

Unfortunately for the ex-England international, his time in the West Midlands wouldn’t go so smoothly, with Villa selling him onto West Ham United in January 2022 after finding the net on just 14 occasions from 52 clashes.

24/25

6

1

23/24

30

1

22/23 (West Ham)

22

3

22/23 (Villa)

21

7

21/22

31

7

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that Ings has lost his way since exiting the Saints, with his current club West Ham no doubt looking to move him on when his contract expires next June.

This had led to his transfer value tumbling all the way down to £7m, as per Transfermarkt, which is way off the £25m Southampton once managed to get out of their former star when everything he touched turned to gold on the South Coast.

Therefore, there won’t be too many restless nights now on Southampton’s end about parting ways with the 32-year-old, who continues to struggle after once pocketing his ex-employers a pretty penny.

There will be a restlessness in the air regarding the current crop of strikers at Martin’s disposal consistently firing blanks, however, as the newly promoted side struggles against the drop.

Southampton wasted £26m on Reed signing who earned more than Armstrong

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1 ByKelan Sarson Nov 13, 2024

Conor McGilligan has reacted to the news of Leeds United wanting to sign a £20 million+ player in January.

The Whites are back in Championship action on Sunday, as they travel to Wales to face Swansea City. Daniel Farke’s side could finish the weekend at the top of the table, depending on how results go.

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ByDan Emery Nov 20, 2024 Leeds United eyeing James McAtee loan deal

It has been a productive campaign for the Yorkshire side so far, but with January six weeks away, Leeds and the 49ers appear to have their eye on business they would like to conduct. It emerged this week that Leeds are interested in signing James McAtee on loan from Manchester City in the New Year.

The Whites have been linked with a move for the creative midfielder before, and a new report has revealed that the interest from Leeds remains the same. The Whites are looking to take McAtee on loan in January, as the Blues are willing to sanction a temporary departure, given his lack of game time under Pep Guardiola this season.

However, Leeds are not the only team interested in the England under-21 international, so it could be a race to win his signature when January arrives. Despite that, a YouTuber and Leeds fan has reacted to the news that the club want to sign McAtee in the New Year.

Conor McGilligan reacts to Leeds wanting to sign McAtee in January

YouTuber and Leeds supporter McGilligan took to X to react to the news of Leeds wanting to sign McAtee in January. The 22-year-old has remained with City this season after doing ever so well while on loan at Sheffield United this season.

But so far, McAtee has played just six times in all competitions, and only one of those has come in the Premier League. Therefore, speculation has led to teams looking at signing McAtee in January, with Leeds looking into a potential loan deal.

That is something that McGilligan believes would be the signing of the transfer window, as he wrote on X: “Probably be the signing of the window. But can you have him, Piroe, and Aaronson all competing at points for the 10 role?”

Apps

37

Goals

9

Assists

3

Leeds are a side that already has plenty of attacking options, especially in that number 10 position, but Farke may feel McAtee can offer something different to what the other players bring to the table now.

However, as stated before, there are plenty of other teams interested, Nottingham Forest being one side chasing McAtee, and a report stated that City could accept permanent offers in excess of £20 million, making a deal more difficult to do for Leeds if that is the case. As well as Forest chasing the midfielder, other Premier League teams such as Fulham, Leicester City, and Southampton are also interested in McAtee.

Glasgow Rangers are “ready to swoop” and bring a £15,000-a-week player to Ibrox in January, according to one pundit.

Rangers transfer rumours as pressure mounts on Clement

Manager Philippe Clement appears to be under big pressure to turn things around with the Gers, with his side third in the Scottish Premiership and already way behind rivals Celtic.

Ross County vs Rangers

December 8

Scottish Premiership

Rangers vs Tottenham

December 12

Europa League

Celtic vs Rangers

December 15

League Cup Final

Rangers vs Dundee

December 21

Scottish Premiership

St Mirren vs Rangers

December 26

Scottish Premiership

The 50-year-old was even linked with the Belgium job in recent weeks, however, his focus appears to be on turning things around at Ibrox after two away wins against Nice in the Europa League and St Johnstone in the Scottish top flight.

The January transfer window will allow Rangers and Clement to shake up their squad, should they wish, and Brighton striker Evan Ferguson appears to be on the club’s radar ahead of a potential loan move.

Rangers now in talks to agree new transfer fee for impressive £16k-p/w ace

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1 ByBen Browning Dec 3, 2024

Another forward who could move to Scotland on loan is Leeds United’s Joe Gelhardt. The £15,000-a-week attacker has found game time hard to come by at Elland Road and Rangers, who were keen in the summer, are once again interested ahead of 2025.

Pundit makes Rangers claim on Joe Gelhardt move

Talking to Football Insider, pundit and former scout Mick Brown had his say on Rangers and a move for Gelhardt in January, with Leeds yet to decide whether to sanction a loan or permanent exit. He’s been “told” Gelhardt is interested in a move away from Leeds and added that Rangers “will be ready to swoop”, with the possibility of playing in Europe potentially appealing to the 22-year-old.

“Rangers are having to look at different sorts of players now. You wouldn’t have thought previously they’d be after a player who can’t get in the Leeds team, but that’s their reality at the moment.

“Joe Gelhardt is a talented player, he had a very good reputation a couple of years ago. But he’s struggled to make much of an impact or to kick on there.

“He’s not been playing regularly for Leeds, and from what I’m told, he’d be interested in a move. As far as Rangers are concerned, that’s the type of player they have to be looking at. If Leeds let him go in January, even if it’s only on loan, they will be ready to swoop.

“They’re not the only club interested, but they’ll back themselves to win that race. They play in Europe as well, whether it’s the Champions League, Europa League, or even the Conference League, which is always a draw for players.”

Gelhardt, who came in for praise from Jamie Carragher after breaking into the Leeds side in the Premier League, can play as a centre-forward or a second striker and is under contract in Yorkshire until 2027.

Glasgow Rangers officially confirmed last month that Nils Koppen has been appointed as the club’s new technical director, following his spell as head of recruitment.

The Belgian chief will continue to work with head coach Philippe Clement to form the transfer strategy at Ibrox, whilst also taking on other responsibilities on the football side of the business.

They may now be preparing their plans for the upcoming January transfer window, which opens for business next month, with potential business in and out of the club.

One player who must finally be sold by the Scottish giants is a signing that was met with excitement by former Rangers head coach Michael Beale.

The Rangers signing that excited Michael Beale

In the summer of 2023, the Light Blues swooped to sign attacking midfielder Kieran Dowell on a free transfer from English Championship side Norwich City.

Beale hailed it as a “fantastic” piece of business and stated that he was “excited” to see what the former Everton man could accomplish during his time at Ibrox.

The left-footed whiz arrived in Glasgow off the back of a return of 12 goals and six assists in 75 appearances for Norwich in all competitions, including one goal in 19 Premier League matches.

Dowell, however, has, unfortunately, suffered with injury and form issues throughout his time with the Light Blues so far, and must now finally be sold by Clement.

Why Kieran Dowell must be sold

The 27-year-old flop’s contract does not expire until the summer of 2026 and this means that the club cannot wait until the end of the season for his deal to expire.

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They need to find a team to take him off them in the January transfer window next month, to save Rangers £16k-per-week in wages – £832k-per-season, although it remains to be seen whether or not there are any teams who would be willing to snap him up.

He, quite simply, has not offered enough to the team in his 18 months or so at Ibrox so far, as he has yet to prove himself to be a reliable option for the club, with two goals and two assists in 20 Scottish Premiership outings.

Games played

16

11

Games started

6

2

Unused substitute

7

11

Games missed through injury

36

1

As you can see in the table above, Dowell has only made 27 appearances for Rangers since the start of last season, with 37 matches missed through injury.

The most concerning part of that is that he has been an unused substitute on 18 occasions by Clement and Beale combined, which shows that there have been several points where the midfielder has not been deemed good enough to even come on as a substitute.

With this in mind, Clement must finally bin the Gers flop when the January transfer window opens for business, because Dowell has not done enough on the pitch to prove his worth to the club.

Potentially raking in a fee for the former Norwich man and getting rid of his £16k-per-week wages could, then, open the door for Koppen to bring in a fresh recruit to bolster the group ahead of the second half of the season.

Rangers signed their own Kante before he left after one forgettable year

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ByDan Emery Nov 25, 2024

Manchester City’s 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace last weekend left the reigning champions eight points behind leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.

The draw continued a run of poor form from Man City, who have claimed just one win in their last six Premier League outings and face a Manchester Derby at the Etihad next up.

Boss Pep Guardiola has come under criticism in some quarters for his team selection and in particular, the continued absence of wingers Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish – opting for more central players such as Matheus Nunes to play out wide.

Many believe that, especially with the return of talisman Kevin De Bruyne to full fitness, Guardiola needs to revert back to having flying wingers for the Belgian to seek out with his excellent range of passing. However, the form and numbers from City’s options so far this season do not make for great reading from Guardiola’s perspective.

Manchester City wingers struggling to hit the heights

Man City have tried to utilise many options in the wide areas this season to find a formula of turning around their season. Savinho and Doku started the season either side of Erling Haaland, however, an injury to Doku has meant that Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Nunes have all been deployed there.

Goals are usually something that goes hand in hand with Guardiola’s Man City yet there has been an over-reliance on forward Haaland this season with the midfield not chipping in as they usually do.

Haaland leads the way with 13 Premier League goals, but the next man in the charts for City is defender Josko Gvardiol and defensive midfielder Mateo Kovacic with three goals apiece.

Jeremy Doku has two Premier League goals but remarkably Foden, Grealish and Savinho are all yet to register a league goal in Man City colours this season.

If only Pep had another England international and a product of Manchester City’s flourishing academy to call upon…

Man City wonderkid thriving in the Premier League

Jadon Sancho, once a product of Manchester City’s academy, left the club to join Borussia Dortmund in 2017 without making a first-team appearance.

Sancho went on to make his name at Dortmund, with 120 goal contributions in 158 appearances across two spells. This sparkling form caught the attention of the hierarchy at Old Trafford with Sancho making his Manchester United move in 2021.

However, the England winger struggled to adapt at United, making just 18 goal contributions in 83 appearances across three seasons. This meant a summer move to Chelsea, where Sancho finally seems to have found a home to help his undoubted talent flourish.

As it happens, Sancho is currently outperforming Man City’s wide attacking options in many different areas.

Goals

2

2

0

0

0

Assists

3

2

1

1

2

Shots on target

42.9%

28.6%

10%

33.3%

35%

Pass completion

85%

79.4%

83.4%

88%

78.3%

Ball recoveries

24

22

20

18

31

Not only is Sancho leading the way in terms of goals and assists compared to City’s options, he also has the highest percentage of shots on target throughout the season.

With Guardiola priding his teams on keeping possession, Sancho is only second to Jack Grealish in terms of pass completion and in a side struggling to keep clean sheets, interestingly, the former is only bettered by Savinho in winning the ball back for his Chelsea side. A statistic that goes somewhat against the grain of Sancho’s ‘lazy’ label.

If the former United winger can keep his current form up at Stamford Bridge, Guardiola may begin to look on even more with envy at an academy product that slipped away.

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1 ByJoe Nuttall Dec 8, 2024

Crystal Palace are reportedly “checking in” on a “rapid” Liverpool player ahead of the January transfer window, with manager Oliver Glasner looking to reinforce his side after the New Year.

Crystal Palace transfer news

Palace’s 2-1 win over Southampton on Sunday means the Eagles have now lost just one of their last seven games in the Premier League. It’s form that has seen Oliver Glasner’s side rise to 15th place in the top flight and means they are now six points clear of the relegation zone.

Given they didn’t win a game until the end of October, it’s safe to assume that most fans will be pretty happy with their recent form.

Glasner, however, isn’t ready to rest on his laurels just yet, and is reportedly ready to use the January transfer market to further strengthen his squad. The Eagles have already been linked with a number of players, including Manchester City’s James McAtee and Millwall midfielder Romaine Esse, while Fluminense winger Jhon Arias is also understood to be on their radar.

Benfica winger Jan-Niklas Beste is another player Palace are reportedly keen on, with Sky Sports Switzerland journalist Sacha Tavolieri claiming the London club have “fallen under the spell” of the German and are already talking with the player’s advisors.

Tavolieri claims that Benfica are open to doing business, but only want to sell Beste on a permanent basis, and would hope to make back at least the £6.5 million they spent to sign him from 1. FC Heidenheim in the summer.

Palace eyeing Liverpool loan starlet

Another player who reportedly could be on his way to Selhurst Park after the New Year is Liverpool starlet Ben Doak. The young winger has impressed while on loan at Middlesbrough this season, scoring two goals and registering five assists in 18 games.

This year, he’s also been a regular fixture for Scotland, making six appearances for Steve Clarke’s side. According to journalist Alan Nixon, Palace “have now been checking on” Doak and could be “poised to move” for the 19-year-old in January.

Nixon claims that Doak’s preference would be to return to Anfield and fight for a place under Arne Slot, but that he would also be open to a switch elsewhere in the Premier League on loan.

Appearances

18

Goals

2

Assists

5

Shot per 90

1.63

Key passes per 90

2.59

Successful take-ons per 90

2.18

Doak was given widespread praise after he helped Scotland beat Croatia 1-0 in the Nations League back in November. Speaking about his performance, Scotland boss Clarke said: “He was good. It was good, but I thought he might be.

“He gets the assist for the goal with the run, could maybe have had a couple more, could maybe have scored one himself. That’s a contribution from a young player that we need to protect and look after, but realise that he is good for now and hopefully for a long time in the future.”

Former Scotland forward James McFadden, meanwhile, told BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound: “We all know he’s rapid and often you get players who are really quick but don’t have technical ability. But you can see he has got that. His first touch is good, it takes him where he wants to go.”