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A report has shared what West Ham United boss Julen Lopetegui has done to leave his players “surprised” behind-closed-doors, with pressure already on the Spaniard after a lacklustre start to the season.

Julen Lopetegui "definitely" at risk of West Ham sack

While it is still very early days, chairman David Sullivan and the Hammers hierarchy won’t be pleased at how West Ham have begun 2024/2025, having spent around £120 million on nine new signings in a statement of backing for their new head coach.

West Ham have "exciting kid" who could be Lopetegui's next Jarrod Bowen

He’s fearless and direct in the attacking areas.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 1, 2024

West Ham have won just once in the Premier League so far, and that came in late August with a 2-0 win away to struggling Crystal Palace. Since then, Lopetegui’s watched his side get put to the sword by Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool in all competitions, with Aston Villa also reigning victorious over West Ham on the league’s opening weekend.

It could’ve been worse as well, given it took a last-gasp Danny Ings strike to rescue a point away at Fulham, but West Ham did display fighting spirit to battle back from Bryan Mbeumo’s first-minute goal to salvage a draw away to Brentford on Saturday.

Match

Date

Opponent

Competition

Result

#8

28/09/2024

Brentford (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#7

25/09/2024

Liverpool (A)

Carabao Cup

5-1 loss

#6

21/09/2024

Chelsea (H)

Premier League

3-0 loss

#5

14/09/2024

Fulham (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#4

31/08/2024

Man City (H)

Premier League

3-1 loss

#3

28/08/2024

Bournemouth (H)

Carabao Cup

1-0 win

#2

24/08/2024

Crystal Palace (A)

Premier League

2-0 win

#1

17/08/2024

Aston Villa (H)

Premier League

2-1 loss

Former West Ham recruitment chief Mick Brown, who left the club in June, told Football Insider this week that Lopetegui is “definitely” at risk of being sacked by the east Londoners if things don’t turn around quickly – especially considering the Spaniard has big shoes to fill in club hero David Moyes.

“I think there’s more pressure on him after what David Moyes managed to do,” said Brown.

“When 60,000 people are saying they don’t want this and they want a different type of football, the board have had to be careful with their decision. It’s always difficult trying to judge what the owners and directors will do. Their knowledge of the game is not great and they’ve made many mistakes in the past. They were warned to be careful what they wished for, but having made that decision [replacing Moyes with Lopetegui], they’re wary of making another mistake.

“I don’t know Lopetegui and I don’t know how he works, but if we’re looking at the results he’s had so far, which is what the game is about, he’s definitely at risk.”

There have also been murmurs of a dressing room altercation between Lopetegui and West Ham star Mohammed Kudus, but this has now been played down by sources.

West Ham players "surprised" by Lopetegui's last-minute team changes

According to GiveMeSport, what Lopetegui has done behind the scenes has baffled West Ham players too.

Indeed, it is believed the 58-year-old’s been making last-minute changes to his starting-line ups. Lopetegui’s decision to switch to a back-three against Chelsea “surprised” West Ham players in particular, with his late tactical calls taking members of the squad off guard.

It would seem as if the former Real Madrid and Spain manager is still working out the kinks of his new-look team and figuring out his best line-up, but it is no shock that players would have their heads turned by a sudden change of plans on matchday either.

To try and muster a rich vein of form, things do need to settle behind the scenes, and reports of player unrest certainly don’t help in that regard.

Everton finally have a point next to their name in the early Premier League standings, after picking up a draw away at Steve Cooper’s Leicester City on Saturday.

Sean Dyche’s men would have wanted to travel back to Merseyside with all three points in hand, but a late equaliser from Stephy Mavididi for the hosts unfortunately denied the Toffees a first victory in the league.

There were still plenty of positives for the Everton boss to latch onto come full-time, despite the disappointing scoreline, which would have included the standout performance of new signing Iliman Ndiaye who shone throughout even when the rain biblically lashed down at the King Power Stadium.

Ndiaye's performance vs Leicester

Previously starring in the English game with Sheffield United, but in the Championship, Ndiaye will want to use his debut season with his new employers in Everton to prove he can dazzle and entertain when making the step-up to top-flight life.

The 24-year-old certainly left his impact on proceedings at the King Power in his early quest to prove himself in the Premier League when he scored the opening goal of the contest, having combined well with midfield teammate Abdoulaye Doucouré, before firing home a fierce shot off the post past Foxes goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.

Away from this stunning strike, Ndiaye was also trying to create openings to help get his teammates in on the goalscoring act, with four key passes notched up, alongside attempting five dribbles to keep the home side’s defence on their toes.

Substituted off with nine minutes left to go in the contest, the Senegalese attacking midfielder would have been pleased with his shift and will now be eager to push on going forward in upcoming league games to add to his Toffees account.

The ex-Blades gem wasn’t the only bright spark in the midfield areas versus Leicester, however, with Dwight McNeil also standing out for the visitors.

McNeil's performance vs Leicester

Lining up in the lone attacking midfielder spot again behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin seems to be working wonders for the former Burnley man, who picked up a goal and an assist against Aston Villa from his spot the game before travelling to Leicester.

McNeil couldn’t quite join Ndiaye in picking up another strike for his season resume though, but it wasn’t through lack of trying, with four shots registered at Hermansen’s busy net.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Shots

4

Touches

60

Accurate passes

32/36 (89%)

Key passes

3

Successful dribbles

2/5

Total duels won

5/11

Possession lost

15x

Looking at the table above, McNeil was a lively performer for the away side throughout, amassing 60 touches of the ball in total and always wanting to get his side on the front foot subsequently, with three key passes and two successful dribbles also tallied up.

Also winning five duels in the contest to give his game a bit of an added bite, the 24-year-old continues to be one of the first names on Dyche’s team sheet currently, with no minutes missed in the Premier League this campaign yet for the Toffees number seven.

McNeil was handed a 7/10 rating post-match by Liverpool Echo journalist Chris Beesley, who described some of the ex-Burnley midfielder’s passes on the day as ‘inviting’.

Despite both McNeil and Ndiaye performing well, that elusive first three points of the season still manages to evade the Toffees, with Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace up next for Dyche’s men at Goodison Park.

The under-pressure 53-year-old will no doubt go back to the drawing board when it comes to certain players in his starting XI, but both McNeil and Ndiaye are unlikely to be dropped for the test of the Eagles next weekend.

Maupay arrived instead: Lampard wanted Everton to sign "£100m player"

The Toffees appear to have made a major error in not signing the star.

1 ByEthan Lamb Sep 18, 2024

Leeds United lost a number of their key first-team players from the 2023/24 campaign after they failed to earn promotion back to the Premier League.

Daniel Farke had to watch on as Crysencio Summeville, Glen Kamara, Georginio Rutter, and Archie Gray all departed from Elland Road on permanent deals.

The Whites lost to Southampton 1-0 at Wembley in the play-off final in May and those four players opted to pursue top-flight football elsewhere this season.

One sale that, perhaps, went under the radar was the deal to send Luis Sinisterra back to Bournemouth on a permanent basis, after his difficult spell at Leeds.

Luis Sinisterra's spell with Leeds

The Colombia international was signed from Feyenoord, for a reported fee of £21.4m, by former Whites head coach Jesse Marsch ahead of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.

Unfortunately, the former Eredivisie star suffered muscle, ankle, and foot injuries that kept him sidelined for a combined 16 matches that term, which hindered his progress at Elland Road.

Appearances

19

Goals

5

Assists

0

Big chances created

0

Key passes per game

0.5

As you can see in the table above, Sinisterra did provide a decent goal threat from a wide position but struggled to offer much in the way of creativity, as Leeds were relegated from the Premier League.

The 25-year-old forward then seemingly decided that he did not want to play a full season in the Championship with the Whites, as he sealed a move on loan to Bournemouth in the top-flight.

Leeds struck gold with Luis Sinisterra

Leeds completed a deal, which became official this summer, to sell the Colombian flanker to the Cherries for a reported fee of £20m back in February.

The West Yorkshire outfit struck gold with that fee as the winger struggled in front of goal and with fitness issues during the 2023/24 campaign, in which he was outscored by central defender Pascal Struijk.

Sinisterra produced just three goals in 23 appearances for Bournemouth in all competitions last season, with two goals in 20 Premier League games.

Meanwhile, Struijk, who played at the heart of the Leeds defence, racked up five goals in 25 outings in all competitions, with three strikes in 23 Championship outings.

This illustrates how little the Colombia international provided at the top end of the pitch for the Cherries, as he was outscored by a centre-back and former teammate.

Sinisterra's injury issues were also prevalent, once again, as he missed nine of the last ten matches in the Premier League with a hamstring injury, which came after the club had already agreed to pay £20m to sign him permanently.

This means that the 25-year-old flop has only played 40 matches at league level in the last two seasons combined in the top-flight, for Leeds and Bournemouth, and scored seven goals in that time.

More assists than Rutter in 23/24: Leeds must regret selling £1m "animal"

The Whites had a shocker when they allowed the full-back to move on from Elland Road.

1 ByDan Emery Sep 11, 2024

Overall, Leeds struck gold by cashing in for £20m, making a loss of just £1.4m, as they managed to offload a player who has struggled with injuries and form over the last two years, particularly when you consider that Transfermarkt currently value him at just €17m (£14m).

Sinisterra has scored one goal in three Premier League matches so far this season but time will tell if he will be able to maintain a consistent run of form and fitness to ultimately make Leeds regret their sale.

Arsenal are set to take a break regarding incoming transfers following the signings of Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What has Arsenal's transfer window been like?

The Gunners have really attacked the transfer market as they look to take the next step forward following their success last campaign, finishing second after a title challenge with Manchester City and returning to the Champions League for the first time since Arsene Wenger was manager of the club.

The north London side's first move this window was completing the signing of German forward Kai Havertz from rivals Chelsea for a fee reported to be in the region of £65m. The 24-year-old spent three seasons at Stamford Bridge, with his greatest moment being scoring the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final against City.

The club have also agreed a fee of around £38m for Ajax defender Timber. The 22-year-old Dutch international has come through Ajax's youth system and last summer was the subject of heavy interest from Erik ten Hag and Manchester United before the club ultimately made the move for his former teammate Lisandro Martinez.

The defender has received praise from National team captain Virgil Van Dijk, who said that he "wasn't as far along as he [Timber] is (at the same age)".

The biggest move for Mikel Arteta this summer has undoubtedly been the move for Rice. The West Ham captain led his side to their first-ever European trophy and after weeks of tense negotiations, the two clubs finally reached an agreement on a £105m fee for the English international, who is set to undergo a medical soon. The 24-year-old also reportedly garnered interest from Manchester City, but he will play his football at the Emirates next season.

However, Jones has said on The Football Terrace's 'Done Deal' show that Arsenal will have to wait until the "second phase" of the window for any more incomings, especially in the wide areas, with the focus now on trimming down the squad with some outgoings.

"The focus has been so heavily on getting these first three guys through the door that there is no certainty over who they go for in that position [right wing] yet. So let's wait until the mini clearout starts to take place, the tidy up I should say, of the Arsenal squad takes place.

"And then we'll see, once that second phase is ready to be activated if Arsenal can go for those players in the wide areas."

Who will Arsenal sell this summer?

The club are set to listen to offers for a number of players this window as they look to recoup some of the £208m they have spent so far.

One player who has already left the Emirates is midfielder Granit Xhaka. The 30-year-old has joined German side Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £21.4m. The Swiss international spent six seasons with the Gunners, where he made 297 appearances across all competitions and had a spell as club captain.

Reports also state that his midfield partner from last season Thomas Partey could also be departing the club this summer, with Juventus interested in his signature. Partey enjoyed the best season of his Arsenal career last time out, making 45 appearances for club and country and recording WhoScored rating of 6.92. However, with the arrival of Rice and the reports that the club are looking at Southampton's Romeo Lavia, the Ghanaian could find his game time reduced.

A number of Arsenal defenders could also move on this summer, with Scottish full-back Kieran Tierney being most notably linked with a move to Newcastle United. The 26-year-old has struggled to beat out Oleksandr Zinchenko for the starting spot at left-back, making just six starts in the league last season, and is reportedly holding talks this week with the manager to figure out his future at the club.

Englishman Rob Holding is another player who could leave the club this summer, with journalist Ed Aarons reporting that the centre-back is expected to depart this summer, either permanently or via a loan switch. Holding make 24 appearances for the side last campaign and had an extended run of games following William Saliba's season-ending injury.

It is hard to guess how much Arsenal will make off these player sales, but the club will be hoping it is enough to fund the "second phase" of their already strong window.

In an ideal world, a £15m striker gets off to a flying start and establishes himself as a reliable goalscorer. In a not so idea world, however, that £15m striker picks up a season-ending injury on the opening day of the season. And, unfortunately for Wolverhampton Wanderers, it was the latter which occurred to Sasa Kalajdzic last season.

The former Stuttgart forward arrived off the back of six goals in 15 Bundesliga appearances in the 2021/22 season – ready to take the Premier League by storm. One damming injury later, however, and Wolves were left short in the goals department once again.

Despite scoring the least amount of goals in England's top flight last season, though, the Midlands side managed to comfortably survive in the end, much to the credit of Julen Lopetegui, who arrived, before steering them to safety.

Now, with Kalajdzic set to return, the former Sevilla boss could have himself a secret weapon next season. Or, at least, that's what transfer insider Dean Jones believes, who told Football FanCast:

“I mean, we’ve not seen what he’s fully capable in this league yet. And this is a player who was on the radar of clubs Tottenham before he made the move.

"So, he’s got a decent reputation in the game generally, and I think that for Wolves, he could be a bit of an unknown factor that helps them next season."

How good is Sasa Kalajdzic?

Given the departure of Diego Costa this summer, Kalajdzic may well find himself as the man that Lopetegui turns to at the start of next season. And, whilst, on paper, this is a 6 foot 6 striker that many will immediately identify as a target man, the former Stuttgart forward is much more than that.

He does present the obvious qualities as a target man, given his intimidating height up against defenders, but, as the stats show, he is also capable of playing in the neat and tidy system that the current Wolves boss prefers.

When compared to Raul Jimenez's 2022/23 season, Kalajdzic, in the campaign prior to his Wolves move, made 12 more progressive passes, nine more progressive carries, and made 16 more shot creating actions, according to FBref, highlighting just how much more involved in the build-up that the 25-year-old is when fully fit compared to the Mexican's output last year.

Lopetegui wants his sides to play from the back, and the progressive passing ability of Kalajdzic should provide the perfect end product to that tactic. Given his tall frame, too, the Austrian should have no problem holding the ball up, allowing the likes of Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence to get more involved next season.

So, whilst his £35k per-week wage was simply spent on the treatment room last season, Kalajdzic is more than capable of providing Wolves with an unexpected secret weapon next season, plus much more.

It's goals they need, and with Wolves' financial problems well documented, he could be an option that potentially saves them millions in the transfer market.

Liverpool were expected to sign "three midfielders" in the summer transfer window, but the position Trent Alexander-Arnold ultimately ends up playing in preseason could change that plan to be "two midfielders and a fullback", believes transfer insider Dean Jones.

Liverpool transfer news – who is linked to Liverpool?

The big transfer news for Liverpool this week has been the developments around Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.

The Athletic have reported that the club have met with the 22-year-old's representatives to discuss personal terms with a view to the player making a permeant move to Merseyside this summer, with things being stepped up.

A bit closer to home now, and the Reds have also been heavily linked with a move for Southampton's exciting young midfielder, Romeo Lavia, with the transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reporting that Liverpool have 'opened talks' with the South coast club.

The 19-time league winners have already completed one midfield signing this summer, Argentinian international Alexis Mac Allister, who the club signed from Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month for an estimated initial fee of £35m.

What has Dean Jones said about Liverpool's transfer window?

Jones made a point of assessing Liverpool's current players before making too many guesses as to who they might pursue in the summer and what positions they might focus on.

Speaking to Football Fancast, he said: "I think we should also consider what Liverpool have already to work with, and the use of Trent next season. I mean, I'm intrigued to know what actually we see from Trent. Once we get into preseason and where he's lining up.

Interestingly, he believes that the position Jurgen Klopp decides to play Trent in will have a huge impact on the club's overall transfer vision, adding: "Like we've been expecting three midfielders to be signed, really, over the course of this summer, but it could be two midfielders and a fullback that that turns into."

How good was Trent Alexander Arnold last year?

It was a mixed year for Trent, to say the least. While he still excelled in certain metrics and was often a joy to watch, he was also frequently caught out in the defensive side of the game.

Andy Jones of the Athletic pinpointed his display against Crystal Palace earlier this year as the perfect 'microcosm' in which fans could see his brilliant best and ever-increasing frailties, all in one game.

Klopp has recognised the growing criticism of his superstar right-back in recent seasons but defended him, arguing that some of the mistakes are due to a lack of rest, saying after the Palace game, "Trent plays all the games."

That said, at his best, very few, if any, can do what the Liverpool born-gem can do.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, Trent sits in the top 1% for expected assists, the top 2% of attempted passes and progressive passes, the top 4% for shot-creating actions and the top 8% for assists.

Those are the kind of underlying numbers that Klopp was referencing when he called the dynamic fullback a "world class talent" just a couple of years ago.

Whether Liverpool decides to persist with Trent in the backline or slowly move him into a midfield role, he will still be considered one of the game's best players if he can maintain the level of performance we have seen from him so many times before.

Liverpool have turned their attention to Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Edmond Tapsoba as Jurgen Klopp looks to recraft his side, according to reports.

What's the latest on Edmond Tapsoba to Liverpool?

According to 90min, Liverpool's interest in the Burkina Faso international is acting as a deterrent to Tottenham Hotspur, who are "wary" of several Premier League rivals as they look to bolster their defence.

The Reds are focussing their attention on their midfield with James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain leaving next week at the end of their contracts, and Alexis Mac Allister has already arrived for £35m.

But the defence also needs reinforcement and Tapsoba could be the perfect addition to return Anfield to its former vigour, with Die Werkself demanding around £61m for their star defender.

Who could Edmond Tapsoba replace at Liverpool?

Given Liverpool's defensive woes last season and inability to retain their Champions League status after finishing fifth in the Premier League, it's understandable that Klopp is hoping to secure a signature to bolster his backline.

While it is unlikely that Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate will be displaced from their starting berths at the centre of the Reds' defence, the pool of depth in the position needs expanding after Joe Gomez and Joel Matip failed to inspire confidence.

The latter, 31-year-old Matip, is approaching the final year of his contract with Liverpool and looks set to remain at the club, departing on a free next summer.

While he is still a valuable backup to have, Tapsoba would be an upgrade and could be viewed as the eventual heir to the Cameroonian, who has made 187 appearances since signing from German outfit Schalke on a free transfer in 2016.

He has won a wealth of major honours during his stay, but after starting just 12 times in the Premier League this term he has received criticism for his "awful" displays by CBS reporter Nico Cantor.

In the 24-year-old Tapsoba, Liverpool would sign a "monster" of a centre-half – as praised by journalist Antonio Mango – who could bring a progressive approach to match Matip's and an iron-clad determination, having averaged 1.5 tackles and three clearances per game last term and won 62% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

And given the £37k-per-week ace ranks among the top 5% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive passes, the top 8% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, he could indeed emulate Matip's role at the club.

Liverpool's 6 foot 5 colossus ranks among the top 6% for shot-creating actions, the top 9% for progressive passes and the top 1% for progressive carries per 90, with such parallels strengthening the claim that Tapsoba is a tailor-made replacement.

Liverpool must make their move and reconstruct the club's framework after a lacklustre year, and while Matip is undoubtedly a stalwart, his ship has sailed on Merseyside and Klopp must make his move to sign a burgeoning upgrade in Tapsoba.

Celtic are thought to be interested in signing Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi this summer, according to reports.

What’s the latest Celtic transfer news?

The Hoops ended their search for a new manager earlier in the week after bringing back Brendan Rodgers. The Northern Irishman, who won seven major honours with Celtic in 169 games in charge during his first stint in charge, agreed terms on a long-term deal.

Reports have suggested that Celtic will also back their new boss in the transfer market this summer to help continue the good work by Ange Postecoglou, and it looks as if Ndidi is a target for those at Parkhead.

The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones shared a transfer round-up in the last 48 hours and provided a Celtic transfer update.

When talking about possible players leaving the King Power Stadium following their relegation to the Championship, he stated that Celtic are interested in signing Ndidi.

Who is Wilfred Ndidi?

Ndidi is 26 years of age and is primarily a defensive midfielder who can also play as a centre-back if required.

Valued at a career-high €60m by Transfermarkt back in 2021, the midfielder’s current value stands at €25m and is under contract until 2024, so Celtic may be able to exploit a cut-price move due to his contract situation.

The Nigeria international has made 237 appearances for Leicester after joining back in 2017 – 138 of which have come under Rodgers. The new Celtic boss is clearly a big fan of the player, labelling him as “irreplaceable” back in 2021.

“He’s one of the top players in world football in the recovering of the ball.

“His reading of the game is so good and his football is improving all the time. We have many good players in his position, but he’s unique.

“He’s irreplaceable. For such a young player, he has been fantastic.”

As per WhoScored, Ndidi has averaged an impressive match rating of 7.11/10 and has experience of playing in the Champions League with the Foxes, so for the right price, could be a shrewd signing.

He would offer Rodgers a proven quality option who he already knows extremely well and would bring versatility n midfield and defence at Celtic Park, and with the club set to back the manager, a move could be one to watch closely alongside another linked Foxes player in Daniel Amartey.

Celtic are reportedly closing in on a deal to confirm Brendan Rodgers as the club's replacement for the recently-departed Ange Postecoglou.

The Hoops lost their Australian manager earlier this month as he opted to move down south to join Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur and majority shareholder Dermot Desmond is now in advanced talks to land his heir.

Rodgers is poised for a second spell at Parkhead after almost three years in charge of the Scottish giants before his switch to Leicester in 2019. He won seven trophies in that time and enjoyed great success that the Northern Irish tactician will now be hoping to replicate this time around.

The 50-year-old tinkerer will have the summer transfer window to bolster his side and one player he must swoop for is FC Utrecht star Anastasios Douvikas.

Who is Anastasios Douvikas?

The 23-year-old striker is a reported transfer target for the Hoops and the talented Greek marksman could come in and be the manager's next Moussa Dembele.

During Rodgers' first spell at Celtic, the French centre-forward was a prolific scorer who was able to provide a reliable source of goals over the course of two seasons.

He racked up 51 goals and 25 assists in 94 appearances in all competitions for the former Liverpool coach and these statistics show that the experienced boss was able to rely upon the ex-Fulham dynamo at the top end of the pitch.

Douvikas, who is reportedly available for a fee of £6.9m, could be Dembele 2.0 for Rodgers as his form for Utrecht in the Eredivisie suggests that the young ace has the potential to be a lethal scorer for Celtic next season.

During the 2022/23 campaign, the Greek international, who journalist Josh Bunting once hailed as "sharp", plundered 19 goals in 32 appearances.

He started 24 of those matches and his exceptional return in front of goal in the Netherlands indicates that he has the quality to replicate the former Hoops star's impressive strike rate of more than one goal every other game.

The 6 foot 1 frontman also showcased his creative ability as a centre-forward.

In the Eredivisie, Douvikas registered four assists and created seven 'big chances' for his teammates, which shows that the prolific scorer has the awareness and passing ability to open up defences for his fellow attackers to go along with his own goalscoring threat.

Therefore, Rodgers must push for the club to go through with a deal to sign the Greek ace as his statistics indicate that the Utrecht centre-forward could be the manager's new star striker.

Hearts head into a new era, with Steven Naismith being appointed as their new full-time manager until 2025, although he won’t be allowed to use that title just yet.

The Scot doesn’t have the required Pro Licence qualification to be able to manage in European competition, therefore Frankie McAvoy will have the title of head coach, with Naismith acting as the technical director, for now at least.

The former Scotland international will still be going about his business as usual, and he will be determined to build a squad which can secure a better finish than the fourth place they ended up last term, while qualifying for the Europa Conference League group stages for the second year in a row.

To do this, the 36-year-old will have to add some quality to his first team, and recently released Scott Arfield could be the ideal person to give the squad a boost according to former Hearts' winger Neil McCann.

He told BBC Sportscene (via Football Scotland): "I love Scott [Arfield]. I think he has been a magnificent servant coming up from Burnley. He wasn't at the starting point of his career. People might have said he was on the way down but I think he has performed brilliantly.

"He would be another super signing for someone like Hearts or Aberdeen maybe.”

Could Hearts sign Scott Arfield?

The 34-year-old admitted that he plans on playing until he is 40 and considering he made 43 appearances for the Rangers last term, registering ten goal contributions – nine goals and one assist – it certainly suggests he has plenty more to offer.

Indeed, with his relentless work rate and ability to score the occasional goal, the £10k-per-week midfielder could be perfect slotting in behind Lawrence Shankland during the 2023/24 campaign.

Arfield created two big chances and made 0.5 key passes per game for the Ibrox side last term, yet he averaged just 34 minutes a game, starting only seven league matches and there is no doubt these numbers would have been better had he played more.

Shankland was Hearts' top scorer with 24 goals, while also ranking first in the squad for overall Sofascore rating (7.11/10), shots on target per game (1.4) and scoring frequency (a goal every 127 minutes), pushing the club into the European places with his impressive strike rate.

Journalist Jordan Campbell lavished praise on the Canadian following his cameo against Hearts last November, saying: “Scott Arfield has added a lot of personality to the team since coming on. Cajoling teammates, pressing with intensity, trying to link things.”

If he could bring these qualities to the Jambos next season, he and Shankland would link up well.

Indeed, Arfield would be at ease doing the legwork while giving the 27-year-old plenty of ammunition to repeat his goal-scoring antics from recent years.

As such, the 5 foot 10 gem could be a shrewd piece of business for the new boss. Naismith, it’s over to you.