Chelsea star Reece James has given an encouraging update about his fitness as the full-back continues his recovery from injury.
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Manchester United are "planning to sell" a £115,000-a-week player this summer and replace him with a Premier League ace, according to an update from journalist Rudy Galetti.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has come in and made an instant impact, masterminding changes behind the scenes such as new CEO Omar Berrada, making it clear that his vision is to see his boyhood club return to the top of English football. He is expected to ensure that plenty of funds are available to make new signings during the summer transfer window, and United continue to be linked with a host of players.
Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo is reportedly wanted by United in the summer, having become an important figure for the Cottagers, while AC Milan star winger Rafael Leao is a big-money option whose arrival could even spell the end for Marcus Rashford at Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe is also thought to be keen on securing the signing of Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes, who could get the best out of Bruno Fernandes in a United shirt. The Brazilian has shone at Molineux this season, featuring 28 times in the Premier League and averaging 3.8 tackles per game.
Adarabioyo is one centre-back option for the Reds Devils, but Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite could be a more high-profile addition, with an £80m switch to Old Trafford mooted. Meanwhile, Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners is considered a possible upgrade on Scott McTominay, as United look to strike a deal in the summer window.
According to Galetti on X, Manchester United are keen on selling Antony this summer, replacing him with Crystal Palace star Michael Olise in the process:
This is exactly the type of business that United should be looking to do in the coming months, with Antony offering nowhere enough since arriving for a whopping £85m from Ajax back in 2022, especially as his £6m per year salary means he is earning £115,000 per week.
In that time, he has scored just 10 goals in 77 appearances – only four of those have come in the Premier League – with a disappointing five assists to his name in that time, too.
Olise could represent an upgrade on Antony, with his end product for Palace standing out far more than the man he could replace for the Red Devils. Despite playing in an inferior team, the Frenchman has six goals and three assists in 12 league matches in 2023/24, with injuries preventing him from registering an even more imposing tally.
|
Antony vs. Olise in the Premier League this season |
Antony |
Olise |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
25 |
12 |
|
Starts |
12 |
8 |
|
Goals |
0 |
6 |
|
Assists |
1 |
3 |
|
Shots per game |
1.2 |
2.6 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.7 |
2 |
|
Dribbles per game |
0.9 |
2.3 |
At 22, Olise still has most of his career ahead of him, too, and his quality cutting onto his left foot from the right wing could be everything that United hoped Antony would be.
Leeds United's automatic promotion hopes were hit with another blow as they were beaten 1-0 by Blackburn Rovers at Elland Road on Saturday.
The Whites are competing to secure an instant return to the Premier League, having been relegated at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, but missed out on the chance to return to the top two at the weekend.
Sammie Szmodics' second half goal was enough to land all three points for the away side, which has left the Yorkshire-based outfit in third place – behind Leicester City and Ipswich Town, who also both failed to win.
Daniel Farke's side still have time, with three matches left, to work their way back into the top two places, or else they will have to go through the lottery of the play-offs to earn promotion.
Despite not knowing what division they will be playing in next season, Leeds are reportedly already looking at targets to potentially sign in the upcoming summer transfer window – including one current Championship star.
A recent report from TEAMtalk earlier this month named the Whites as one of the teams interested in a swoop to land Southampton centre-forward Che Adams.
The Saints, who can move level with Leeds on points if they win their two games in hand, are competing with Farke's men to earn promotion back to the Premier League, but could lose one of their key attackers in the summer.
His current contract at St. Mary's is due to expire at the end of the season and the report claimed that no extension has been agreed between the two parties as of yet.
The outlet named Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers as the other team keen on a deal to sign the soon-to-be free agent, as they have been long-term admirers of the Scotland international.
It also stated that European clubs have been made aware of his potential availability, but no names outside of Leeds and Wolves have been provided.
TEAMtalk claimed that Leeds want to improve their attacking options for the 2024/25 campaign, and believe that Adams would be a valuable addition to their team whether they are in the Premier League or the Championship.
However, it still remains to be seen whether or not the former Birmingham City marksman will put pen to paper on an extension with the Saints before the end of the current season.
If he is available for £0 in the summer, Farke could snap him up as a bargain signing to be an upgrade on Leeds number nine Patrick Bamford.
The former England international has struggled throughout the campaign, barring a run of form at the start of 2024, and has let the side down with his wasteful finishing at times.
Bamford started the season on the bench behind Georginio Rutter and Joel Piroe and failed to score a single goal during the first half of the term in 2023.
He then produced eight goals and two assists in his first 13 appearances of 2024 in all competitions, which suggested that the former Chelse prospect was on course to finding his best form at the top end of the pitch as Leeds chase promotion back to the top-flight.
Instead, the goals have dried up for the 30-year-old dud. He is currently on a run of six Championship games without a goal for the Whites, and the team have only won two of those matches, as Bamford has missed a staggering five 'big chances' in that period.
|
Leeds' biggest xG underperformers |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
23/24 Championship |
xG |
Goals |
Difference |
|
Georginio Rutter |
14.38 |
6 |
-8.38 |
|
Patrick Bamford |
10.2 |
7 |
-3.2 |
|
Ethan Ampadu |
2.26 |
0 |
-2.26 |
|
Joe Rodon |
2.22 |
0 |
-2.22 |
|
Glen Kamara |
1.16 |
0 |
-1.16 |
|
Stats via WhoScored |
|||
As you can see in the table above, the Leeds number nine has been one of the most wasteful players in the squad with the chances that have come his way.
He has only found the back of the net seven times from an xG of 10.2, and his recent missed 'big chances' have clearly had an impact on results – with two wins in six during the business end of the season for the club.
Farke could land a dream upgrade on Bamford by securing a deal to sign Adams, who has proven himself to be a useful player in the Premier League and the Championship.
Last season, the Scottish marksman scored five goals from 6.63 xG across 28 appearances in the Premier League for Southampton, just underperforming his xG overall. Whereas, the Leeds forward only scored four goals from 8.61 xG in 28 matches in the top-flight.
This immediately suggests that the Saints star could be more reliable, albeit not prolific, in front of goal in the Premier League if the Whites win promotion this term.
Their respective form in the Championship this season also indicates that Adams, who has scored 15 goals in all competitions, has the edge over Bamford, both in and out of possession.
|
23/24 Championship |
Patrick Bamford |
Che Adams |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
32 |
35 |
|
xG |
10.2 |
12.24 |
|
Goals |
7 |
13 |
|
xG difference |
3.2 |
0.76 |
|
Assists |
1 |
3 |
|
Stats via WhoScored |
||
As you can see in the table above, the 27-year-old marksman, whose streaky scoring was once described as a "ketchup bottle phenomenon" by former boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, has scored more goals, provided more assists, and overperformed his xG in comparison to the Leeds man.
Bamford has also lost 60% of his duels against opposition defenders in the Championship, which shows that players have found it too easy to get the better of him in physical contests.
Whereas, Adams has won 52% of his duels in the division for Southampton and this indicates that the Scottish ace would provide more of a physical presence to hold off centre-backs to bring his teammates into play in the number nine position, to go along with his superior play in the penalty box.
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Therefore, Farke could improve his attack by signing the Saints star for £0 this summer as his statistics suggest that he is a better finisher, creator, and battler than Bamford at Championship level, which is why the impressive dynamo could be a fantastic signing for the club.
Former Tottenham and England star Andros Townsend is 'stuck' in Turkey without a club after seeing a risky transfer decision backfire.
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The Lionesses striker was twice denied by the crossbar on Saturday, but Jonas Eidevall's side were still able to progress to the next round.
You could almost hear the sigh of relief when the final whistle went and Arsenal secured their place in the second round of Champions League qualifying on Saturday night, by virtue of a 1-0 win over Rosenborg. The Gunners crashed out at this stage last season and so as long as that second goal continued to evade them, despite a dominant performance, the nerves were always going to build among the home faithful. Fortunately for them, an opportunistic finish from Norway international Frida Maanum was enough to break the hearts of the team from her homeland and put Arsenal into Monday's draw.
It was a positive start from Jonas Eidevall's side and, after warning shots were fired by Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo, Maanum opened the scoring with less than 20 minutes played, with a helping hand from some rather calamitous Rosenborg defending. The Norwegian side fell behind in their shock win over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday but rallied late on to set up this clash and it was clear that their plan from this point onwards was to replicate that success. They rode their luck to stay alive in the game, though, with Russo hitting the crossbar and Maanum firing just wide before the break.
It was more of the same in the second half, with the only difference being that Rosenborg became increasingly more adventurous. That will have no doubt had the Arsenal fans getting a little more nervy as Russo again struck the woodwork and Kyra Cooney-Cross followed her lead seconds later, while Leah Williamson saw a header cleared off the line. But Maanum's early finish proved to be enough to move the Gunners on to the second round of Champions League qualifying, with them to find out their next European opponent in Monday's draw.
GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Meadow Park…
Glasgow Rangers may still be in the hunt for the Premiership title, but it will take a dramatic turn of events for the trophy to return to Ibrox following a three-year drought.
Not only will the Gers have to beat Celtic at Parkhead – something which has happened just twice since 2010 – but they will likely need their rivals to drop points in either of the two games after that too.
It appears as though the dropped points to Motherwell, Ross County and Dundee since the beginning of March will prove to be Philippe Clement’s undoing, but he can only do so much with the squad at his disposal.
Former manager Michael Beale endured a poor summer transfer window last season, which saw the Englishman splash millions on players who have either missed large sections of the season due to injury (Danilo) or have simply not been good enough in front of goal (Cyriel Dessers), leading to the club potentially having to undergo yet another rebuild this summer.
Much will depend on how many players Clement moves out this summer with regard to his budget for improving the team, but a few of Beale’s signings could be those who move on, notably Cyriel Dessers and Danilo.
Beale spent £4.5m on the Nigerian before splashing £6m to bring Danilo to Ibrox from Feyenoord last summer as he sought to bolster his attacking options.
Both have endured tough spells during their maiden year in Glasgow, although Dessers has a chance to finish as the club’s top goalscorer this season.
Since joining, the 29-year-old has scored 20 goals and grabbed eight assists in all competitions, which, on the surface, represents a decent enough debut season at the Light Blues.
|
Premiership Stats – 2023/24 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Metric |
Danilo |
Cyriel Dessers |
|
Goals |
4 |
14 |
|
Assists |
1 |
3 |
|
Shots per game |
3 |
2.9 |
|
Big chances missed |
9 |
24 |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
7 |
However, in the top flight alone, Dessers has missed a staggering 24 big chances in 32 games, which means if he was more clinical, the striker could be sitting on 30 or more goals.
His lack of consistency – world beater one minute to taking four chances to score the next – means that his future is currently undecided at this moment in time, although he could be a decent backup option for next season.
Danilo, on the other hand, hasn’t had much time on the pitch to really make a solid impression. The Brazilian has only played 21 times this term due to a succession of injuries, scoring six goals in the process.
The 25-year-old missed nine games in September and October due to a broken cheekbone suffered against St Johnstone before a knee injury sustained against Hearts in December ultimately ruled him out for the rest of the campaign.
Due to the hefty fee paid to sign the forwrad, it looks as though Clement will utilise him next season when he returns to full fitness as he showed promise during his time on the pitch.
Dessers is currently valued at £3.4m according to Transfermarkt, while Danilo’s valuation by the same source is now £5.1m, showing that both players now have values below the fees that Rangers paid to sign them. Hardly a promising sign.
Interestingly enough, the Light Blues managed to sell a player back in 1995 for a fee which, in current money, actually works out as more than Danilo and Dessers’ market value. We're talking about Mark Hateley.
With Graeme Souness in charge, Hateley became the next big English player to sign for the Light Blues, following in the footsteps of Chris Woods, Terry Butcher, and Gary Stevens.
The former AC Milan striker endeared himself to the Ibrox faithful during his maiden season, scoring twice against Aberdeen in the final match of the season to ensure Rangers won their third league title in a row, and he would become a key player under Walter Smith.
The next three seasons at Ibrox saw Hateley and Ally McCoist become one of the finest striking partnerships in the club’s history. The little and large duo were excellent as the Gers swept up the majority of domestic prizes on offer.
He scored 62 goals across those three years in the league alone, with more notable efforts coming in the Champions League against Leeds United while scoring in both domestic cups.
After 13 goals in just 23 league matches during the 1994/95 campaign, Hateley was sold to Queens Park Rangers at the start of the following season.
After five highly successful seasons in Glasgow, Smith sold the Englishman to QPR for a transfer fee in the region of £1.5m, which wasn’t a bad piece of business considering he was approaching the final stages of his career.
In 2024 money, however – with Totally Money adjusted for inflation over the years – that transfer fee would be worth a staggering £14.5m.
This means that Hateley’s transfer value is worth more than Danilo and Dessers combined, showing how much the club hit the jackpot by moving him on nearly 30 years ago.
The Englishman would return for one final fling at Rangers towards the end of the 1996/97 season as the club were chasing history.
With an injury crisis engulfing the squad, Smith signed Hateley ahead of the final Old Firm clash of the season, and it proved to be a stroke of genius as he bullied the Celtic defence throughout, with a 1-0 win being secured.
He may have scored just once in four appearances, but it was clear he was ready to do anything for the club as they were edging towards securing their ninth title in a row.
If only the current squad had players with this mentality, they wouldn’t be trailing their Old Firm adversaries by three points with just three matches left, especially with how poor Celtic have been this term.
With a big summer ahead for Clement, he will be hoping to add his own version of players such as Hateley and McCoist, who contributed so much to the club.
Much will depend on his budget, but if a decent offer comes in for Dessers or Danilo, the 50-year-old may take the money and run.
Market Movers
Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?
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Mikel Arteta's men have found themselves in an intense Premier League title race for the second year running. Yet, there are still areas of the squad and starting lineup that need to be upgraded if they are to challenge Manchester City for a third campaign running next year.
One of the most apparent positions to address is the number nine, as while Kai Havertz is doing an admirable job there, he wasn't signed to be a central striker and, based on recent reports, it looks like the Gunners are looking at bringing in someone to take that place from him, and they could be the perfect alternative to Alexander Isak.
According to a recent report out of Spain, Arsenal are still on the lookout for a new striker who could 'make a difference at key moments', and the latest player to catch their attention and end up on their list of targets is Stuttgart ace Serhou Guirassy.
The report has revealed that other Premier League clubs like Manchester United and Newcastle United have also shown interest in the Guinean marksman, but the Gunners' interest is the 'strongest', with them viewing him as a strong alternative for Isak, should their rumoured pursuit of him come to nothing.
The good news for the North Londoners is that if they do decide to push on and sign the 28-year-old this month, it won't cost them very much at all, as Stuttgart are said to have priced him at just €17m, which comes to around £15m.
While Guirassy may not be the high-profile signing that fans are clamouring for, bringing him in at a fraction of the cost of the Toon star could be a shrewd move from Arsenal, especially after his impressive form this season.
Now, after a rocky start to life as an Arsenal player, Havertz has finally found some form as the Gunners' starting number nine, and Isak continues to score goals for the Toon whenever he's fit and starting.
So, with that in mind, why would Arteta and Co want to replace a player who's inform and reject one who has consistently shown his class in the Premier League?
Well, the short answer is goals and lots of them.
As impressive as the German has been since the turn of the year, and for all the goals the Swede has scored in black and white, neither player can match the Stuttgart star's tally this season.
|
Guirassy vs Isak vs Havertz |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Players |
Guirassy |
Isak |
Havertz |
|
Appearances |
28 |
37 |
49 |
|
Goals |
27 |
24 |
13 |
|
Assists |
3 |
1 |
6 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
1.07 |
0.67 |
0.38 |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
|||
In his 28 games this term, the "unstoppable" Guinean, as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has scored 27 goals and provided three assists. In comparison, Arsenal's number 29 has 13 goals and six assists in 49 games, while the Magpies' star striker is slightly closer with 24 goals and one assist in 37 games.
The comparison is just as one-sided when looking at the trio's striker-relevant underlying numbers, with the Arles-born poacher producing a higher non-penalty expected goal and assists figure, scoring more non-penalty goals, taking more shots, taking more shots on target, and having a better conversion rate for his shots, all per 90.
|
Guirassy vs Isak vs Havertz |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Stats per 90 |
Guirassy |
Isak |
Havertz |
|
Non-Penalty Goals + Assists |
0.99 |
0.73 |
0.51 |
|
Non-Penalty Goals |
0.93 |
0.67 |
0.40 |
|
Shots |
3.72 |
2.85 |
2.16 |
|
Goals per Shot |
0.25 |
0.23 |
0.19 |
|
Shots on Target |
1.64 |
1.43 |
0.95 |
|
Goals per Shot on Target |
0.57 |
0.47 |
0.42 |
|
All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season |
|||
Ultimately, it's clear that Guirassy is a far better poacher than Havertz, and while Isak is a little closer in terms of goals scored this term, the supposed £15m price tag on the Guinean's head makes his potential transfer a no-brainer.
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The Gunners ace has been at the club for a long time but has done little to justify his significant wage.
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Jack Salveson Holmes
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Tottenham have been tipped to sign a speedy £14 million player for 2024/2025 as manager Ange Postecoglou pleads for change.
Despite beginning the Premier League campaign in electric fashion, and once having Champions League qualification within their reach, Spurs' form has taken a serious nosedive in recent weeks.
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Intermediaries have contacted the club.
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Emilio Galantini
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Four consecutive Tottenham defeats in the top flight have gifted Unai Emery's Aston Villa the advantage in pursuit of fourth, who now sit seven points above the north Londoners, even if Postecoglou boasts one game in hand and could narrow that gap to four.
Barring a late capitulation from Villa and unlikely fight back from Spurs, it seems all but confirmed that the latter will be playing Europa League football next season, but that is still a real step up from their disastrous 2022/2023 under Antonio Conte and a succession of interim head coaches.
|
Tottenham's last five Premier League results |
|---|
|
Liverpool 4-2 Tottenham |
|
Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham |
|
Tottenham 2-3 Arsenal |
|
Newcastle 4-0 Tottenham |
|
Tottenham 3-1 Nottingham Forest |
Postecoglou, speaking to the press, highlighted recently that real change is needed at N17, and it will take more time to build his long-term project.
"We need change. Change has to happen," said Postecoglou on what the Spurs squad could look like next season. "You can’t want to alter your course and expect the same people are going to be on that. It’s just not going to happen. We’ve had two windows and we’ve had some development of players, for sure, but when I say we’ve still got a long way to go, that’s what I’m talking about."
A few key decisions are set to be made when the transfer window reopens, on both incomings and outgoings. One of the big talking points will be how to proceed with loanee Timo Werner. The German, who joined from RB Leipzig on loan in January, could be snapped up on a permanent deal – with Spurs possessing the option to make his move indefinite.
Werner has impressed Tottenham staff with his application behind-the-scenes, but there are concerns over the "lightning quick" ace's often wasteful finishing in front of goal.
Regardless, speaking to Tottenham News, Sky Sports presenter Dan Bardell has tipped Spurs to seal a permanent deal for Werner this summer – who will cost them around £14 million.
“I think for that price, they’ll probably action it. I can’t see why they wouldn’t. I think they need a centre forward in the summer," said Bardell.
“Werner just gives them that multifunctional player who is so important in the modern-day Premier League. He can play left, he can play up front and as a second striker. I’d be really surprised if they didn’t action that.
“He’s had good and bad games. He’s missed chances and he’s scored a couple but he’s always involved in games.
“Spurs can pen teams further forward because he does provide that pace on the break. For £14 million, I would think that it’s actionable.”
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