All posts by z3u9t.icu

A £40 million striker has now been described as “most likely” to join one of West Ham United or Crystal Palace in 2025, despite links to other elite Premier League sides, as Tim Steidten considers replacements for Danny Ings and Michail Antonio.

Ings rescues West Ham with 95th minute equaliser against Fulham

Manager Julen Lopetegui was minutes away from tasting his third defeat in four league games, and the Spaniard cut a frustrated figure on the touchline after Raul Jimenez’s opening goal for Fulham just past the 20-minute mark.

West Ham may be set for new talks to sign "fantastic" £7m-rated free agent

He’s readily available if the Hammers make their move.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 12, 2024

West Ham were often outplayed on a tough afternoon at Craven Cottage, and Marco Silva was adamant the home side also should’ve been awarded a penalty, following Max Kilman’s collision with Adama Traore.

The Irons did force Fulham to defend admirably in the second half, though, and they eventually found a last-gasp breakthrough. Silva’s men failed to deal with a 95th minute Jarrod Bowen cut-back, which fell to substitute Ings, who squeezed a clinical, low finish past goalkeeper Bernd Leno at the near post to salvage a dramatic draw.

“The belief and the effort was good, but it was a tough match today, and we could have done certain things better,” said Lopetegui after West Ham’s 1-1 draw with Fulham.

“I know playing Fulham at their home ground is always hard, and they were good today. But at the same time, we can do better, and we will work on a lot of things ahead of the next game.

“The second goal in a match is so important so often, because it can kill or close a game. I think we had spells in the first half, but they were better despite not having too many clear-cut chances. But it’s true that in the second half we were better, and the changes we made balanced things.

“We pushed forward and the players kept fighting and believing, and thankfully we got the goal we wanted when it mattered.”

Ings was heavily linked with a West Ham exit all summer, but it was the Englishman who ultimately spared their blushes in west London on Saturday. The 32-year-old is out of contract next summer though, as is Michail Antonio, with an update coming to light on the pair and a potential new striker next year.

Omar Marmoush "most likely" to join West Ham or Crystal Palace

It is believed Ings and Antonio remain firm contenders to leave West Ham in the next 12 months, with TEAMtalk suggesting that technical director Steidten and his recruitment team could look towards Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush.

The Egypt striker, who could cost around £40 million to sign in 2025, dreams of making a move to the Premier League after scoring 17 goals in all competitions for the Bundesliga side last term.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Antonio

Fullkrug

Ings

Goals

0.31

0.40

0.11

Assists

0.09

0.25

0.00

Progressive Carries

2.37

0.76

1.38

Progressive Passes

1.29

2.28

1.85

Total Shots

1.56

2.34

2.18

Shots on Target

0.71

0.93

0.69

xG

0.29

0.48

0.28

Shot-Creating Actions

1.83

2.52

4.00

Aerials Won

1.88

3.49

0.62

Stats taken from FBref

Marmoush is “most likely” to join West Ham or Crystal Palace, as per TT, with the Hammers considering replacements for both Ings and Antonio. Eintracht boss Dino Toppmöller, speaking to the press earlier this year, described the 25-year-old as a striker who possesses a “tireless” work rate.

The African attacker has also been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool, but it is Lopetegui and Oliver Glasner in the driving seat for his signature right now.

You know things are going pretty bad when for the first time in his entire career, Bruno Fernandes gets sent for an early bath.

It just about summed up the opening month and a bit of the new season for Manchester United, who surprise surprise, are getting no better under Erik ten Hag.

INEOS kept the faith with the Dutchman over the summer but they are yet to be vindicated by that decision with the Red Devils sat in 12th place with a goal difference of minus three. It’s grim reading for what is a historic institution. We dread to think what Sir Alex Ferguson makes of it all.

What supporters would give to see the glory days of Fergie brought back to Old Trafford. Sadly, they are some way off rediscovering that level of performance.

It’s a chaotic mess and Ten Hag doesn’t seem to be able to find a remedy to drag them from what feels like rock bottom. They will have to navigate the next few weeks without their captain too.

Bruno Fernandes' season in numbers

The Portuguese has been a wonderful servant to this great football club. During his time in Manchester to date, Fernandes has scored an impressive 79 goals and supplied 70 assists. He has been a marvel in the red shirt.

Sadly, this season his performance levels have dropped. The 30-year-old is yet to find the net and has only registered three assists in all competitions, only one of which has come in the Premier League.

To make matters worse, he was given a red card in the dismal 3-0 defeat to Spurs on Sunday, slipping and catching James Maddison with his studs. It was a harsh sending off but it ultimately summed up his lack of influence so far this term.

In the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace last weekend he gave the ball away a staggering 34 times and failed to hit a single shot on target. It didn’t get much better in their Europa League clash with FC Twente either where the Portugal international created just one goal-scoring chance, lost possession 19 times and completed just 75% of his passes.

Touches

113

Passes completed

60/83

Pass accuracy

72%

Number of times possession lost

34

Ground duels won

7/9

Tackles won

4/4

Key passes

2

Sunday’s awful display, meanwhile, saw a pass completion rate of just 74% while he didn’t win a single duel either.

It might not be the worst idea for him to sit out the next few games, then. He will be suspended for three matches which gives the likes of Mason Mount and Christian Eriksen a chance to prove themselves.

They could also look at bringing in some more young players like Toby Collyer and Dan Gore. However, they are not of a similar ilk. Isak Hansen-Aaroen is, however, but he’s already left the club.

What happened to Isak Hansen-Aaroen

It’s unlikely that the decision-makers at United will be losing too much sleep over seeing the Norwegian walk away last January.

Hansen-Aaroen wanted game time, he wanted first-team football and the Red Devils could not deliver that. So, he was off on his merry way to Werder Bremen in Germany, signing for a fee of around just £200k.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Why is this a loss? Well, Hansen-Aaroen would be a pretty handy replacement for Fernandes in the here and now. He wouldn’t do any worse than the current crop, that’s for sure.

After all, his playmaking abilities have already been compared to a fellow countryman and one of the finest in the Premier League.

A former teammate of his at Tromso, Yttergård Jenssen, is one name who has rushed to praise the youngster. “He has some skills that are completely raw. He’s so playful with the ball. And the way he moves on a football field… There’s something artistic about it. He is a bit reminiscent of Martin Ødegaard.”

Fine praise indeed for a player who is still only 20. The young Norwegian has featured just three times for Bremen since moving but his numbers at youth level speak for themselves.

He left Carrington having registered ten official assists at youth level alongside eight goals. They’re not jaw-dropping numbers by any means but the fact he’s left and immediately playing senior team football in a major European league suggests he’d have something to offer this current United side.

Sadly, they will never quite know whether he’d have made the grade or not at Old Trafford.

Man Utd must drop 4/10 star who Neville thought was "awful"

Manchester United resemble a sinking ship under Erik ten Hag’s stewardship.

ByMatt Dawson Sep 30, 2024

Liverpool reportedly remain interested in completing the signing of a summer transfer target, potentially bringing him in for less than his £68m release clause.

Liverpool transfer news

There is still some transfer news doing the rounds with the Reds, despite the window being shut, with both incoming and outgoing rumours emerging in recent weeks. Darwin Nunez is struggling to be a key man under Arne Slot and the Uruguayan has been linked with a move to Barcelona. The La Liga giants are even believed to be preparing an offer for him, potentially ending his time at Anfield in one of the next two windows.

Borussia Dortmund attacker Karim Adeyemi has emerged as a rumoured incoming target for Liverpool, with club scouts said to be scouting him, possibly viewing him as a long-term successor to Mohamed Salah, whose future continues to be up in the air.

One young player who has caught the eye in 2024 is Adam Wharton, with the Crystal Palace midfielder excelling since joining from Blackburn Rovers and even getting in England’s squad for Euro 2024. The Reds are seen as one of the clubs in the mix to acquire his signature.

Liverpool eye £50m signing of "unbelievable" ace

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are still interested in signing Palace star Eberechi Eze, having shown a willingness to snap him up during the summer transfer window.

The report states that the England international’s £68m release clause “will become available in the summer of 2025”, but with just two years left on his deal at that stage, teams are hoping to bring that price down in negotiations with the Eagles. Palace could end up with between £50-60m for him, according to this update, even though they are reluctant to sell.

Eze may not have the most earth-shattering start to the season for a struggling Palace team, bagging one goal and zero assists in seven Premier League appearances so far, but there is no denying that he would be a great addition at Liverpool.

The 26-year-old has stood out as one of the best attacking players in the league over the past 12 months or so, netting 11 times in the division last season, while Palace manager Oliver Glasner has lauded him in recent weeks.

“Who’s a better player than Eze? For me he’s absolutely top, if he was luckier this season he would have five or six goals. He’s always dangerous because he has the quality and ability at 1-1, he’s such an unbelievable finisher, in some situations he can improve, he’s a guy who can always score and he’s someone who everyone likes.”

Admittedly, Liverpool aren’t crying out for more attacking players, but with Nunez and Salah’s futures not exactly feeling secure, the England ace should be viewed as a great option to come in.

Liverpool wanted £235m star in the making but signed Szoboszlai instead

Liverpool’s midfield would have been taken to another level with this addition.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 7, 2024

The fact that the Reds could perhaps get him on the cheap – relative to his clause – is an added bonus, while his flair and versatility will surely appeal to Slot, with the Palace man capable of excelling out wide or in an attacking midfield role.

Newcastle United have a big one coming up this weekend, away against Everton in the Premier League. Defeat at Fulham almost two weeks ago was forgotten after a tremendous display kept Manchester City at bay last Saturday, but now, Eddie Howe’s side need three points.

The October international break is approaching, with the trip to Goodison the last before the two weeks of domestic absence. Newcastle are seventh with 11 points from six matches, but failure to win could quite conceivably see fourth-placed Chelsea stretch five points ahead of the Magpies, hosting Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

So then, Newcastle need to win. Everton claimed their first top-flight victory of the term against Crystal Palace last week and have escaped the confines of the relegation zone, but their dreadful start to the season will have done enough to convince the Toon support that they should be defeated.

Reports suggest Alexander Isak will have failed to regain his fitness after missing the past two fixtures. This means Anthony Gordon will likely deputise at centre-forward once again, with Harvey Barnes on the right and… Jacob Murphy on the right? Miguel Almiron?

It’s a little uninspiring. Newcastle needed to address their right-wing issue during the summer but failed to do so, and with Almiron being linked with a January exit, it’s quite clear that a blunder was made.

The latest on Miguel Almiron's future at Newcastle

According to TEAMtalk, Everton are joined by MLS and Saudi Pro League clubs in eyeing a deal for Almiron this January, with the 30-year-old winger nearing the end of the line at St. James’ Park.

Almiron is in the penultimate year of his contract and has played a bit-part role this season; the more robust Murphy has been preferred on the right side of the frontline.

And it’s understandable. The brilliant purple patch of 2022/23 seems like a long way away now, for Almiron bagged only three Premier League goals last season and has bagged just two Premier League minutes so far this season.

24/25

2 (0)

0

0

23/24

33 (23)

3

1

22/23

34 (29)

11

2

21/22

30 (19)

1

0

20/21

34 (28)

4

1

19/20

36 (35)

4

2

18/19

10 (9)

0

0

It’s time to go. Newcastle must cash in while they can still fetch a transfer fee, especially since the former club-record signing will be well aware of the Magpies’ efforts to sign an upgrade in the summer – a £50m bid was placed for Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga at the end of the window, but it was rejected.

The need for a ferocious flanker remains. If anything, Newcastle’s resolve has only been strengthened. Almiron is being pushed toward the exit, perhaps because Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo is being targeted. The aforementioned report claims as much.

Imagine Bryan Mbeumo at Newcastle

Newcastle have triumphed in convincing Gordon to sign a new contract with the club, but he plies his finest art on the left and, as Barnes does too, a player of Mbeumo’s ilk would be the perfect addition.

TEAMtalk’s aforementioned report revealed that Newcastle are scouting Mbeumo, aged 25, as they mull over launching an official offer in 2025. Almiron’s expected departure could accelerate plans and strengthen United’s bid to reclaim their place in the Champions League.

Mbeumo has proved himself over the past few years with Brentford, a stead scorer across each of his four Premier League campaigns, notching 27 goals and 21 assists across 104 matches in total.

He stepped up his game last year and has done so once again in 2024/25, with the Frenchman’s five-goal haul from the Bees’ opening six fixtures placing him among the division’s finest shooters – even surpassing the goal tallies of superstars like Mohamed Salah.

This is quite something, but Thomas Frank’s main man is hardly just a one-trick pony. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 8% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, passes attempted and progressive passes and the top 7% for progressive carries per 90, emphasising his athleticism and technique.

1.

Erling Haaland

Man City

10

2.

Cole Palmer

Chelsea

6

3.

Luis Diaz

Liverpool

5

3.

Bryan Mbeumo

Brentford

5

5.

Jhon Duran

Aston Villa

4

5.

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

4

5.

Nicolas Jackson

Chelsea

4

5.

Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa

4

One thing’s for certain, he’d be an upgrade on Almiron, having already surpassed the Newcastle ace’s haul from last season. During the summer, it was said that Brentford wanted The Bees a fee in excess of £50m for the versatile forward’s sale, and that could be even higher now that he has taken Ivan Toney’s place as the star striker at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Last season, The Athletic’s Jay Harris remarked that Mbeumo “cannot be stopped” in front of goal, with his prolific performances putting him in certain conversations with the likes of Salah and Arsenal phenomenon Bukayo Saka.

Now, he’s got a fantastic chance to produce his finest term yet on English shores, perhaps fuelled by the knowledge that Newcastle are hoping to sign him and bring him to Tyneside.

There’s a vacancy on the right in Howe’s system, and this talented player might just fit the bill.

Howe must drop Newcastle star who lost the ball 16x vs Wimbledon

It wasn’t the smoothest of nights for the Magpies…

1 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 2, 2024

Arne Slot’s tactical nous lends itself to success in the Premier League. Liverpool’s roaring start to the 2024/25 campaign confirms as much.

He’s personable and charismatic, but there’s a ruthlessness about Slot that’s refreshing to see. Jarell Quansah’s half-time substitution against Ipswich Town on the opening day proves as much. It was brutal and blunt but saw the tide turned and the tone set for the Reds, who have won nine matches from ten this term.

The Dutch coach has been reluctant, more or less, to make alterations, which might seem to run counter to that point above but is plain, for he has enforced only a few tweaks to the starting line-up since in the Premier League.

There’s a whole world of youth talent, at Kirkby or plying trade elsewhere (for now), with Trey Nyoni and summer signing Rio Ngumoha among the most talented. They aren’t the only ones though, with Ben Doak riding the crest of a wave since leaving on loan in August.

Ben Doak's performances this season

Doak could have provided Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool with much more last season but was ravaged by injury after a promising start, playing from the outset in three of the club’s Europa League group phase matches.

Told that his development would be best served on loan for the 2024/25 campaign, he moved to Middlesbrough in the Championship and has started the past three fixtures, scoring during a 2-0 victory over Stoke City.

That strike has been the standout but the young Scot’s underlying metrics have probably been more impressive. As per Sofascore, the 18-year-old has averaged two key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game, offering a consistent outlet for his teammates down the flank.

He’s since been recalled to the Scotland national team and proved to be a bright spark on a dreary evening last week against Croatia, hailed as the “standout” by former Scotland defender Willie Miller, playing with a fearless and combative approach that complemented his ball-carrying style.

He’s quite the talent, to be sure. But Liverpool might actually have a bigger and more exciting prospect in their midst.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Liverpool's biggest academy talent

It’s not Nyoni, who has plenty of quality but much to prove, but in fact Jayden Danns, who has already showcased his goalscoring pedigree at the highest level.

Sometimes, you just know. Danns’ brace against Southampton last season made a clear comment on his faculty for goalscoring, the keen-edged blade which he wields in the final third, apt to penetrate the meanest of defences as he continues to grow over the next few years.

Danns is still only 18 but announced himself in some fashion last season, indeed helping injury-hit Liverpool through the FA Cup fifth round against Saints in less than half an hour of action.

He had days before made his Premier League debut against Luton Town, featuring for mere minutes but making a positive impression as he held up play and contributed toward Harvey Elliott’s emphatic late sealing strike to make it 4-1 to Anfield.

Liverpool U18

33

24

4

Liverpool U21

8

3

2

Liverpool

5

2

0

Liverpool UEFA U19

1

0

0

Player. Danns had scored nine goals and added two assists over seven matches in the U18 Premier League for the Reds, bagging in every single one of those matches. Raw talent translation onto the senior stage can be rough at the best of times but his seamless switch speaks of his future role in the Premier League – hopefully for Liverpool.

Youth scout Antonio Mango even hailed him as “unplayable” after one of those matches, a 4-0 victory over Newcastle United, at youth level, and though he’s been sidelined with injury throughout the opening months of the new season, Slot will know the name and indeed consider unleashing him at some point down the line.

He must do so, for Danns’ composure and placement in crucial time-to-shoot moments is something to behold for one so young and inexperienced.

Danns is the real deal, with the prolific edge that could see him become an elite goalscorer and Liverpool’s biggest talent.

Ben Doak just dominated one of the PL's best players for Scotland

Liverpool fans would have been impressed with their ace’s performance for his nation.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 13, 2024

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is believed to hold real admiration for a Barcelona player, with the Gunners looking at potentially signing him as a result.

Arsenal's pursuing new attacker amid injury crisis

Arteta has been dealt a real injury crisis at N5, so much so that Edu Gaspar and his recruitment team are weighing up the possibility of bringing in much-needed back-up options over the coming transfer windows.

Arteta thinks "exceptional" Real Madrid player would be perfect for Arsenal

The north Londoners could look to raid the Bernabeu.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 23, 2024

Bukayo Saka’s injury on international duty with England, where he was forced off the field during their 2-1 Nations League defeat to Greece, has reportedly set off alarm bells within the Emirates Stadium and brought attention to their need for an alternative option.

Saka is expected to miss Arsenal’s clash against Liverpool as well and hasn’t taken to the field at all since England’s loss at Wembley. Some media outlets claim Arsenal’s plans to sign a left-winger have been accelerated by Saka’s injury, and there are a few targets who’ve already been named.

Appearances

10

Goals

3

Assists

7

Minutes played

803

Arsenal are exploring a quick January deal for Bryan Mbeumo, following his exceptional start to the season at Brentford. Meanwhile, other rumours suggest that Arteta is a real admirer of Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo and the Gunners could make a move for him in 2025.

Interestingly, Semenyo has already admitted that he’s a fan of the club, and wants to play for a top team at some point in the future.

“I am an Arsenal fan,” said Semenyo to The Athletic.

“I don’t conflict the two with my job. It is great to play against Arsenal, a team I have watched all my life and I want to play for the top clubs as well. In order for that to happen I need to prove it.

“Yeah, any team that plays Champions League, Europa (League) — that’s the aim. I know that’s not going to come with a click of my fingers, it’s going to take some time. It’s going to take goals. It’s going to take a lot of consistent performances. But I’ve worked all my life for that and I’m just going to continue working hard. That’s my mentality.”

Alongside the likes of Semenyo and Mbeumo, Barcelona forward Ferran Torres, who can play both out wide and up front, is believed to be on Arsenal’s radar.

Arteta loves Ferran Torres as Arsenal look at signing him

The Spaniard, who Arteta knows well from their time together at Man City, has played eight La Liga matches this season – bagging a goal and two assists – but the incredible form of Raphinha means Barca could consider selling to raise funds.

Arsenal are keeping tabs on Torres amid this situation at the Camp Nou, alongside Aston Villa and Newcastle United, and it is believed Arteta is a “huge fan” of the £161,000-per-week player.

That is according to The Boot Room, who also claim that Torres isn’t exactly clamoring to leave and is happy to remain a squad player under new manager Hansi Flick.

Chelsea and Enzo Maresca are concerned one of their rising stars is on the brink of injury having been picked to represent his country in the upcoming international break.

Palmer sparks Chelsea concern

Mercurial midfielder Cole Palmer sparked widespread concern among the Chelsea fanbase in the build up to their 1-1 draw with Arsenal after suffering a knee injury in their win over Manchester United the week before.

Chelsea star was nearly sold under Poch, now he's become undroppable

Chelsea ace was nearly axed under Pochettino, and now he’s a Maresca favourite

ByConnor Holden Nov 11, 2024

The Englishman, who is key to the Blues’ early season success, was caught on the knee by a reckless Lisandro Martinez challenge and was a major doubt for Chelsea’s home tie with the Gunners. However, he was named in the starting XI and played the full 90 minutes as his side held their out-of-form London rivals to a 1-1 draw courtesy of a stunning effort from Pedro Neto.

But that concern returned after the final whistle, when Palmer was spotted limping out of Stamford Bridge, casting doubt on his availability for Lee Carsley’s England squad, though Maresca moved fast to allay those fears.

“He is painful now but it doesn’t look something important,” the Blues boss explained.

Now, there is another member of the Chelsea squad that is causing Maresca concern ahead of the international break.

Chelsea defender set for tests

That comes as a report from France suggests that Maresca and Chelsea were concerned that Wesley Fofana would pick up another injury should he head on international duty with France, as he looks to keep his prize defender fit amid injury concerns. Fofana suffered consecutive knee issues upon his arrival at Chelsea from Leicester City, but has managed to leave that behind him this season, and has emerged as a key part of Chelsea’s backline.

Nonetheless, Maresca has been careful with the defender, leaving him out of the Conference League squad and minimising his gametime as much as possible, with reports suggesting he has agreed to play him just once a week until 2025.

Wesley Fofana so far this season

Appearances

10

Goals

0

Yellow Cards

6

Despite this, it has been claimed that Fofana, who played 90 minutes against Arsenal, ended the game with “knee inflammation”, which has rung alarm bells in west London.

Indeed, “Enzo Maresca’s side want the player to undergo tests this morning [Monday] in London”, and it has now been confirmed that Fofana will play no part in France’s upcoming internationals, with Inter defender Benjamin Pavard called up as his replacement.

Of course, this will come as good news for Chelsea fans, provided that it is indeed only inflammation, and they will be keen to see Fofana avoid any further unnecessary injuries after such a long spell on the sidelines.

He will have plenty of time to recover, with Chelsea’s next game not for almost two weeks when they visit his former side Leicester City, a reunion which he will be hoping to be fit for.

Manchester United have been given a new lease of life and optimism after the appointment of Ruben Amorim from Portuguese side Sporting CP.

Former boss Erik ten Hag was dismissed after United’s woeful start to the new campaign, winning just four wins in all competitions up until the end of October, when the Dutchman received his marching orders.

It comes after the board once again backed the 54-year-old in the transfer market, taking the spending to over £600m since his appointment back in the summer of 2022.

He was unable to secure a consistent challenge for a top-four spot in the Premier League, finishing eighth last season – only achieving qualification for the Europa League after beating rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Their recruitment over this summer has failed to push them back in the right direction and take them to the next level in the early stages of the campaign.

Manchester United’s summer transfers in 2024

Joshua Zirkzee moved to Old Trafford in a £36.5m transfer from Serie A side Bologna, aiming to add firepower to the Red Devils’ front line.

Up to now, the move has been a failure for the Dutchman, scoring just once, with the goal coming off the bench on his debut outing against Fulham on the opening day.

Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui both arrived in a deal from Bayern Munich, which combined to around £60m with the pair previously featuring together in the backline together at Ajax under Ten Hag’s leadership.

However, only the Moroccan full-back has cemented his place as a regular starter, starting ten of the 11 Premier League outings throughout the 2024/25 season.

Manuel Ugarte will undoubtedly have an increased role under Amorim after their time together at Sporting, but he’s only made three league starts since his £50m transfer from PSG after a summer of rumours.

However, huge promise remains around another one of their summer additions, with the hope that he can transform their backline over the next few years.

Man Utd could have their own £90m talent

Centre-back Leny Yoro had huge interest from major European clubs all throughout the summer after his impressive breakthrough season with Lille in Ligue 1.

The 19-year-old made 44 appearances in all competitions, playing a crucial role in the starting lineup despite his tender age.

However, he would move to United for a deal in the region of £52m, but picked up an ankle issue in pre-season that has restricted him from making a single competitive appearance for the Red Devils.

There still remains a huge amount of promise around the teenager despite his injury issues, especially considering he was likened to Arsenal star William Saliba by FBref for his displays last season.

When delving into their respective stats, the comparison is an understandable one, with Yoro matching or even beating Saliba, who’s been valued at around £90m by CIES Football Observatory.

The “world-class” youngster, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, achieved to same pass accuracy, but did average more tackles and interceptions per 90.

Games played

32

38

Goals & assists

2

3

Pass accuracy

92%

92%

Tackles won per 90

1.2

1.1

Interceptions made per 90

1.2

0.8

Aerials won

64%

60%

United’s backline has been in desperate need of improvement over the past couple of years, with the hope that Yoro can have a similar impact to that of Saliba at the Emirates.

Amorim will likely utilise his three-back system once again on his arrival to Old Trafford, with the Frenchman having the ability to become a fan-favourite upon his return to action.

Forget McTominay: Man Utd already sold a "monster" who Amorim would love

Manchester United must be regretting their decision to sell star who would’ve been perfect for Amorim.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 14, 2024

Arsenal are a club with a proud history of developing and integrating exciting youth players into their first team.

Whether it’s with their academy gems like Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and now Ethan Nwaneri, or talented youngsters they identify at other clubs like Cesc Fàbregas or Gabriel Martinelli.

Bringing through the next generation of superstars and not just buying them has always been a fundamental tenet in how the North Londoners operate.

So, recent reports linking the club to a tremendously exciting teenager in Brazil shouldn’t come as a surprise, and this youngster shares some similarities with Barcelona star Lamine Yamal.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in São Paulo’s exciting young talent, William Gomes.

In fact, alongside cross-city rivals Chelsea, the report has revealed that the Gunners have already sent scouts to watch the 18-year-old in action and have given ‘positive feedback on what they’ve seen so far.’

A potential price is not mentioned in the story, but another report from Caught Offside late last month claimed the youngster had a release clause in his current contract worth a whopping €120m – £96m – for clubs outside of Brazil, although it seems incredibly unlikely any team would offer anything near that.

In all, it could prove complicated to sign Gomes in 2025, but given his sky-high potential, it’s certainly worth trying, especially as there are some similarities between him and the superb Yamal.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Why Arsenal should sign Gomes

Okay, so let’s get straight into the similarities between Gomes and Yamal, starting with the most significant: their dribbling.

Like the Barcelona gem, the young Brazilian is a wizard with the ball at his feet, with U23 scout Antonio Mango describing the teenager as a “dribbling monster”, so much so that it’s “frightening what he’s capable of.”

It’s not just one scout that has highlighted the youngster’s immense close control, as talent scout Jacek Kulig also mentions his “dribbling” and “ball control” as two of his major strengths.

However, suppose you want hard data to show the similarities between the two teenagers.

In that case, you only need to look to FBref, which has ranked the Aracaju-born prospect in the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the next best 14 competitions for progressive carries and the top 11% for successful take-ons per 90.

Blocks

1.70

Top 3%

Tackles

2.39

Top 4%

Progressive Carries

4.77

Top 8%

Total Shots

3.24

Top 9%

Successful Take-Ons

2.56

Top 11%

Progressive Passes Received

10.06

Top 13%

Touches in the Opposition PA

4.77

Top 19%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.34

Top 20%

Likewise, it also ranks the young Spaniard in the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons and the top 14% for progressive carries per 90.

Overall, it’s clear that both players are sensationally gifted dribblers, but that isn’t the only thing they share, as both have been thrust into the limelight at a very young age.

The La Masia graduate already has 67 first-team appearances, and while Gomes is undoubtedly greener than that, he’s still made 15 first-team appearances and is now being touted for massive moves to Europe.

Ultimately, Arsenal could certainly do with a more direct winger who can take on and beat their opponents, and while he’s likely to be raw for quite some time, Gomes looks like he could be that player. Therefore, if the club can negotiate a significantly reduced fee, they should go out and get the young prospect before their rivals beat them to him.

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The importance of full-backs in Enzo Maresca’s system at Chelsea is key, often having to change their role based on the opposition and tactical game plan.

This has become very apparent at Stamford Bridge where Malo Gusto has seen himself popping up in all kinds of positions, overlapping to provide width, inverting into the pivot, and even finishing himself in the pockets as a number 10.

However, as good as Marc Cucurella has been – notably silencing Bukayo Saka in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal – if Maresca wants to deploy his left full-back in this role, he doesn’t get the same technical quality and creativity as he gets from Gusto on the right side, and that’s why the Blues are currently looking at a creative option for that role.

Chelsea looking at signing Premier League star

According to reports from CaughtOffside, Wolves defender, Rayan Ait-Nouri, is on the radar of Chelsea as a left-back option. Liverpool and Manchester United are also reported to be interested in the 23-year-old, which could see a bidding war for the highly rated defender who is allegedly valued at around £58m.

The Algerian has gone from strength to strength since joining Wolves from Angers back in 2021 for a fee of around £10m. Wolves boss Gary O’Neil has described Ait-Nouri as “incredible”, praising his versatility and work rate.

The flying wing-back has made 13 appearances so far this season, scoring three goals, providing two assists, and totalling 1,079 minutes played.

The 23-year-old could add extra creativity from the left-hand side, as he has shown this season already with his 5 goals and assists, and creative metrics that even rank ahead of Chelsea’s Noni Madueke.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Ait-Nouri vs Madueke comparison

Madueke has had a brilliant start to the new campaign under Maresca, making 14 appearances in all competitions, and scoring five goals in 975 minutes. However, he is yet to register an assist, becoming much more of a direct goal threat this season, rather than a provider.

On the other hand, Ait-Nouri has been playing in his dynamic left-back role, inverting into midfield at times, finding himself in the number 10 position, providing width almost as a left-winger at times, getting himself two Premier League assists already this season, better than Madueke in this regard.

Goals

0.25

0.00

0.33

Assists

0.17

0.00

0.16

xAG

0.09

0.04

0.19

Progressive Carries

1.68

1.27

6.45

Progressive Passes

3.10

2.84

3.55

Shots Total

1.18

0.22

3.77

Key Passes

0.97

0.29

1.29

Shot-Creating Actions

2.30

1.18

2.90

Tackles + Interceptions

3.27

3.10

1.78

When you compare the creativity numbers of Ait-Nouri against Madueke, who is a natural winger, and Cucurella, who has played a host of different roles already, you can see the Wolves defender provides more quality going forward than the Spaniard.

Ait-Nouri ranks closely to Madueke in progressive passes per 90, key passes per 90, and shot-creating actions per 90, whilst having better assists per 90 metrics than the England winger.

Cucurella, on the other hand, offers much less in the way of progressive qualities and creativity but instead adds defensive intensity and leadership at the back.

By adding the Wolves star to the squad, Maresca would have real flexibility in his decision-making, using Cucurella for certain game types, and the 23-year-old Algerian for others.

This would be yet another string to the Italian’s tactical bow, and something that could make the Blues that little bit more unpredictable.

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