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The Premier League has witnessed so many world class goalscorers in its time. This season there will be several superstars vying for the 2019/20 Golden Boot, as the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah and Sergio Aguero battle it out for the crown.

But who is the most clinical goalscorer ever in the Premier League, in terms of minute per goal?

The leaderboard of most clinical scorers in the history of England’s top-flight is comprised of players whose knack for not only finding the back of the net, but doing so frequently, made them international superstars.

Yet for all the superstars on the list, you might be surprised to find out where some of the game’s most prolific scorers, such as all-time leading goal scorer Alan Shearer with his 260 career goals, ultimately find themselves.

Here’s how the top-25 most clinical goal scorers in Premier League history stack up, correct as of the last round of fixtures on August 31, 2019…

25. Anthony Yeboah – 162 minutes per goal

Leeds fans will certianly remember the name Yeboah, and he just squeezes in the top 25 of the most prolific goalscorers in the Premier League.

The former Ghana striker averaged a goal every 162 minutes of league action, scoring 24 goals in 47 appearances.

24. Branko Strupar, 161 minutes per goal

Strupar may be a vacant figure in your memory of the most prolific strikers the Premier League has witnessed, but with a goal every 161 minutes, he ranks in the top 25.

The former Derby County striker scored 15 goals in 36 Premier League appearances and is deserved of his place in the rankings.

23. Divock Origi, 161 minutes per goal

The Belgium forward may not start under Jurgen Klopp, but he still remains one of the most clinical strikers in the top-tier of English football.

Origi has made 65 appearances in the Premier League for Liverpool, scoring 16 goals in the process.

22. Loic Remy, 160 minutes per goal

Remy played for four different Premier League clubs but that did not stop his goalscoring antics, netting everywhere he went.

The France striker scored 28 goals in the top-tier of English football, netting every 160 minutes.

21. Demba Ba, 160 minutes per goal

The Senegalese striker picked up his 43 Premier League goals for West Ham, Newcastle and Chelsea in just five seasons spent in England, finding the back of the net once every 160 minutes.

20. Ian Wright, 157 minutes per goal

While a vast majority of Ian Wright’s 113 Premier League goals came for Arsenal, the former England international closed out his career in 1998-99 with nine goals in 22 appearances with West Ham United.

Arsenal’s second-leading Premier League scorer of all time finished his career with 157 minutes per goal.

19. Michael Owen, 153 minutes per goal

The 2001 Ballon d’Or winner tallied 150 career goals in the Premier League in 15 seasons playing for Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City.

When his storied career came to an end, Owen had scored once every 153 minutes.

18. Ole Gunnar Solskjær, 151 minutes per goal

Manchester United’s current interim manager was himself an accomplished scorer during his playing days and had amassed 92 Premier League goals when his career came to a close following the 2006-07 season.

The Norwegian striker scored once every 151 minutes over his 234 top-flight appearances for the Red Devils.

17. Ivan Klasnic – 150 minutes per goal

Remember Klasnic? He may not be notoriously known as one of the best strikers in Premier League record, but his strike rate speaks for itself.

The former Bolton Wanderers forward scored 20 goals for the club, netting every 150 minutes of league action.

16. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 149 minutes per goal

Zlatan certainly comes with his controversy, but there is no denying his goalscoring nature.

The former Sweden international made his mark at Old Trafford, scoring 17 goals in 33 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils.

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has revealed that Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is looking to lure Leon King away from former club Rangers.

What’s the story?

Writing initially on Twitter, he said: “Some transfer news into @birmingham_live prior to kick-off as Gerrard looks to take full advantage of Leon King’s contract situation at Rangers. The 17-year-old was promoted to first-team sessions under SG. Cut-price deal for #avfc via @RichardCusackBM”

Then, in a follow-up article for The Birmingham Mail, Preece added: “Aston Villa are considering a move for Rangers youngster Leon King – who they could get for just over £200k. The Ibrox side are in talks with their talented 17-year-old over a new contract. The young defender has still to agree an extension with the Scottish champions and as it stands he runs out of contract in the summer and could move in a cut-price cross-border switch.

“King is seen as one of the top, young talents north of the border and he is already being tracked by a host of top English clubs, including Manchester United, Newcastle United and Leicester City.”

Gerrard’s influence

While Dean Smith oversaw the signings of the likes of Leon Bailey and Emi Buendia in particular over the course of the summer transfer window, there’s no questioning that having Gerrard as your club’s manager brings with it a far bigger pull and attraction.

The former Liverpool skipper is an icon and someone who players around the world will be familiar with, and whether it’s a young starlet like King, or a more established first-team star, the lure of playing for Gerrard could prove to be a difference-maker for Villa.

With Preece claiming that the likes of Manchester United, Newcastle and Leicester are all keeping a track of King, Villa face a real battle on their hands to sign the 17-year-old.

Gerrard’s own connection with Rangers as the club’s former boss could be decisive, however, while the prospect of working under a young manager who clearly rates him already could further persuade the teenager.

Villa fans will no doubt be delighted at Preece’s latest transfer update. After all, this feels like the ideal match for Gerrard and the player.

Meanwhile, this Villa man was an “absolute revelation” vs Man City…

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s transfer pursuit of Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata…

What’s the talk?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Magpies have already agreed personal terms with the centre-forward, to whom they are willing to offer a salary of €6.5m (£5.4m) per season.

The report claims that the Tyneside club will be able to snap him up from Atalanta if they pay €40m (£33.4m) up front and sign him on a permanent deal in the current transfer window rather than on an initial loan.

Masterstroke

Newcastle could seal a masterstroke this month by securing a deal to sign Zapata from the Serie A club, as he could save the Magpies’ season.

He is a proven goalscorer at the top level and is a multi-faceted forward who could offer a big threat for Eddie Howe’s side at the top end of the pitch. His vast skill set could make him a danger to opposition defences and he has the physical strength to endure the relentless nature of Premier League football.

His former teammate Papu Gomez previously hailed his physique, saying: “Zapata’s shorts look like underwear, he is so big. Sometimes I don’t even want to get close to him in a match because he’s a beast and it hurts. When he is feeling good he’s like a train – you throw the ball forward and ‘ciao!’”

This suggests that the 30-year-old will not be bullied by Premier League defenders and will be able to hold his own in individual duels. Therefore, there should be no concerns that he will be too lightweight for the English top flight, which means that his technical ability could be shown in full view.

In 152 games for Atalanta, he has scored 78 goals and provided 38 assists. This shows that he is an all-round centre-forward who can find the back of the net himself whilst also linking the play for others to allow his team-mates to score through his creative nous as the number nine.

Zapata has scored 35 headers, 52 goals with his right foot and 16 with his left foot, showing that he can find the net in a variety of ways whilst playing at the top level in Italy. This suggests that he could be a major asset for Newcastle and a terrific signing for Howe’s team, which is why PIF could land a masterclass if they can bring him to the club in the coming days.

AND in other news, NUFC could find the “next Paul Gascoigne” as PIF plot bid for £25m “freak of a talent”…

With Southampton now under new ownership after Sport Republic, backed by Serbian media mogul Dragan Solak, bought Gao Jisheng’s 80% stake of the club earlier this week, it hasn’t taken long for transfer rumours to emerge, this time linking the Saints with a very familiar face.

According to a recent report from El Nacional, Solak has identified Real Madrid star and former Saints player Gareth Bale as his first acquisition in charge of the south coast club.

Having started off his career at Southampton, Bale has gone on to make 536 senior appearances for the Saints, Tottenham and Real Madrid, scoring 183 goals, providing 140 assists and winning a plethora of trophies along the way, including four Champions League titles.

Despite being 32 years of age, the Welshman showed last season that he still has what it takes to perform at a high level in the Premier League by racking up 11 goals and two assists in 20 top-flight appearances during his loan spell at Tottenham. He also ended up as their second-highest rated player for the campaign, with an overall performance rating of 7.3/10 according to WhoScored.

Having been described as having a “magnificent” left foot by Sky Sports pundit Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Bale’s potential return to St Mary’s this month would surely stun a lot of Southampton fans. It would be a real statement of intent by Solak and highlight his aspirations for the club moving forward, considering Bale’s pedigree and experience.

However, given the Welshman’s previous struggles with injuries, which have also kept him sidelined for most of this season at the Bernabeu, this will need to be taken into consideration if Southampton decide to make a move for the winger this month.

If the Saints can manage to secure a deal for Bale, who is currently valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, and if he can overcome his injury woes, it will be interesting to see if he would be able to replicate the goalscoring form he showed at Spurs last season this time around for Ralph Hasenhuttl.

If this were to happen, he would surely give Southampton a great chance of potentially ending the season in or around the top half of the Premier League table, duly delighting a lot of Saints fans in the process.

In other news: Journalist drops positive transfer claim at Southampton which will have fans delighted

Crystal Palace are among the Premier League clubs targeting Celtic teenager Mitchel Frame, The Daily Record’s Scott Burns has revealed. 

The lowdown

With a week of the January transfer window remaining, the Eagles have yet to execute any first-team business, either in or out of the club, but they have strengthened their youth ranks with a couple of additions.

Right winger Killian Phillips (19) has joined from League of Ireland outfit Drogheda United, while the Eagles have also snapped up 18-year-old goalkeeper Serine Sanneh, who was a free agent.

Frame, who will turn 16 on Tuesday, would also very much be one for the future at Selhurst Park.

The latest

According to The Daily Record, Palace could battle with their fierce rivals Brighton and Hove Albion for the signature of the Celtic teenager.

Fellow Premier League club Newcastle United are also said to be interested in a player who is ‘catching the eye in the Celtic youth squads’, as per this report.

The verdict

The Scotsman’s preferred position for now is left-back, but at his tender age, he may develop the capacity to play elsewhere over the coming years.

Tyrick Mitchell is only 22 and could potentially have the left-back spot at Selhurst Park tied down for the next decade. He is considered one of the first names on Patrick Vieira’s team sheet, having played all but eight minutes in the Premier League for the Eagles so far this season.

That’s why it might be advisable for Frame, and indeed any other left-backs who might come through the ranks at Palace, to add more strings to his bow.

Celtic could put up a fight, having already seen promising talents like Leo Hjelde, Liam Morrison and Josh Adam lured away in recent times, so the Eagles can expect a strong battle over the next week if they intend to win the transfer race for the Hoops’ 15-year-old prodigy.

In other news, some Palace fans were not happy with this man’s performance against Liverpool

With Leeds United in the midst of a disappointing run of results in the Premier League with three defeats in their last three games, the upcoming January transfer window could well provide the Yorkshire club with the opportunity to strengthen and freshen up their squad to end the season on a high note.

With the window set to open in a matter of days, it seems as though Leeds have their eye on signing a player from one of Europe’s top clubs to help boost their midfield.

What’s the news?

According to a report from The Sun by journalist Alan Nixon, Leeds are interested in signing Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, who is reportedly available for around £20m.

Juventus originally signed McKennie on a loan deal from German club Schalke back in September last year before securing him on a permanent deal in the previous summer transfer window.

Overall, the 23-year-old, who is currently valued at £22.5m according to Transfermarkt, has made 63 appearances for the Serie A giants across all competitions, scoring eight goals and providing three assists in the process.

Labelled as an “exuberant” player by former Juventus director Fabio Paratici, McKennie has proved himself to be a useful midfield option for the Italian club this season by racking up an average of 1.2 tackles per game, 1.1 interceptions per game and 0.9 clearances per game in Serie A.

To put those numbers into perspective, current Leeds midfielder Mateusz Klich has managed to rack up an average of 1.1 tackles per game, 0.2 interceptions per game and 0.5 clearances per game, showing that Juventus man has what it takes to deliver the sort of performances that Marcelo Bielsa would be looking for, especially from a defensive point of view.

With the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Jamie Shackleton out injured, McKennie could be a great option for Victor Orta to start January off with a bang and add the midfielder to Bielsa’s squad, especially if he can make Leeds a bit stronger defensively, which is what they need at the moment given how they’ve conceded 14 goals in their three previous league games.

Consider how he was once dubbed a “rock” by Andrea Pirlo, and the American very much appears to be a perfect acquisition for Leeds.

In other news: Leeds United rocked by yet another injury issue that’ll surely have fans fuming – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur are considered the front-runners to secure coveted transfer target Stefan de Vrij, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Italian outlet Calciomercato claim Spurs are interested in a move to sign the Inter Milan centre-back and the Serie A champions could be open to selling him in the future.

His departure could raise finances to subsequently reinvest in a younger alternative, one that will be of more use to Simeone Inzaghi in the long term.

It remains to be seen how much de Vrij would command, though Transfermarkt currently value him at £45m, with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2023.

Major coup

The Lilywhites may remain unbeaten in all three matches under Antonio Conte, but their defensive problems are bubbling beneath the surface and sooner or later, this will be a big problem for the 52-year-old.

It is no surprise that he is targeting the addition of two new centre-backs this winter, per Duncan Castles.

Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez played a big part in last season’s turmoil at the back, whilst Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon may not be considered ready, and even left-back Ben Davies has been filling in as the only left-footed option.

Their problems have evidently continued into the current campaign as Spurs have the worst goal difference of any team ranked 16th or better right now.

Whilst summer signing Cristian Romero is seemingly acing a pretty length stint on the sidelines with what has been described as a “serious” hamstring injury.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-news-updates-transfers-antonio-conte-thfc” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

The Netherlands international is someone Conte knows well from their time together at the San Siro, where last season, he not only contributed to their title triumph but also towards them having the best defensive record in the league.

He will know too well about the Italian’s demands and system, so he would need little time to settle in and that not to mention his obvious qualities as an experienced 54-cap colossus.

In 2020/21, de Vrij averaged an impressive 93.8% passing accuracy across 32 appearances, excelling with the ball at his feet, on top of two aerial duels won and 1.3 interceptions per league outing, via WhoScored.

“Stefan is a great defender and deserves to be at a big club. He’s very tall, he’s strong and fast, he runs a lot – he’s a monster!,” claimed ex-Lazio teammate Mauricio to ESPN (via Football Italia), before later adding: “He’s a calm defender who never gets agitated.”

Also dubbed a “world-beater” by former top-flight striker Noel Whelan to Football Insider, the Inter Milan beast could be exactly what Conte needs to kickstart his era in north London.

Given their issues defensively, he could quite easily become Spurs’ biggest and best signing since Heung-min Son, who has made a big impact over the years.

Lilywhites chief Fabio Paratici must look to seal a move for de Vrij as early as January.

AND in other news, Conte could have a secret weapon at Spurs in rarely-seen £18m-rated “big, big talent”…

When Nuno Santo left Wolverhampton Wanderers at the end of last summer there were plenty of questions that needed answering.

Could Wolves ever replicate what they’d achieved under the former goalkeeper and would Jeff Shi find the right manager to lead them forward?

The first question is still unanswered but in Bruno Lage, they’ve found a head coach capable of taking them into Europe.

He has stabilised the defence with the Old Gold conceding the fewest-highest goals in the top-flight and all they need now, are regular goalscorers.

The imminent return of Pedro Neto will no doubt help while luring Hwang Hee-chan to Molineux on a permanent basis would also help.

However, Wolves’ forward line arguably hasn’t been the same devastating machine since Raul Jimenez’s unfortunate injury and Diogo Jota’s departure.

The latter joined Liverpool in a deal worth £41m and has gone from strength to strength since, now ranking second in the Premier League’s top scorers list.

But how can Wolves finally go about replacing him? Neto has done a solid job of it but sadly, Trincao has struggled to the heir in waiting this term.

The dazzling winger has struggled in English football and is yet to score in 16 Premier League outings. Fortunately, they may have their answer right up their sleeve.

The Midlands outfit have been linked with a rather remarkable swoop for Barcelona attacker Ousmane Dembele and they could either sign him for free in the summer when his contract expires or at a cut-price fee this winter.

Plagued with inconsistency, he very much looks like a player in the ilk of Adama Traore. Blessed with pace and the ability to beat a player, he has also struggled for regular goals, netting just once this season.

However, it must be remembered that he’s just 24 and has a considerable amount of potential to be extracted from his locker.

After all, this is a player who was not only hailed as “better than Mbappe” by Joan Laporta, but also as a player who is “better than Neymar” according to Josep Maria Bartomeu.

With that in mind, bringing the £27m-rated French flyer to Wolves in 2022 would certainly be a good idea. If he can discover the sort of form that saw him earn a move to Barca in the first place, then he very much has the ability to finally replace Jota at Wolves.

AND in other news, Forget Trincao: Wolves plotting swoop for “the new Iniesta,” he’d be a big upgrade…

Aston Villa may be set for a difficult summer, with the likes of Carney Chukwuemeka, Douglas Luiz and Matty Cash all being linked with moves away from the Midlands in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Brazilian superstar Philippe Coutinho still hasn’t had his future resolved, with manager Steven Gerrard desperate to keep him at Villa Park beyond his loan spell from Barcelona.

However, if he doesn’t make his temporary stay at the club permanent at the end of the season, the Liverpool legend may be forced into the transfer market to find a longer-term replacement for the midfielder – brought in to help replace Jack Grealish, and John Swift could be that man to fill the void.

What’s the news?

Having been long-term admirers of the Reading midfielder, the Championship side’s former manager John McDermott has claimed that the former Chelsea youth prospect could thrive in Gerrard’s team.

“It’s hard to say [If Swift could make it in the Premier League] – you could stick him in at someone like Aston Villa as technically he’s very good,” McDermott said on BBC Radio Berkshire. “He makes goals, he scores goals and I can see him ending up at somewhere like Aston Villa or someone like Leeds United.

“He can play, he sees a pass but it’s hard to say [how good he could be] until you put them in that environment.”

He can make the step up

Described as “super-talented” by former Royals boss Veljko Paunovic at the beginning of the season, the 26-year-old midfielder will be available for free this summer, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Having scored an incredible 11 goals and adding 13 more assists in 35 appearances for the struggling Championship relegation candidates, only Fulham duo Aleksandar Mitrovic and Harry Wilson have averaged higher match ratings than his 7.28, with the Serbian striker on top with a 7.65, and the Welsh winger just below with 7.40.

His form has been nothing short of remarkable, given Reading sit in 21st in the second tier, and with him taking 2.1 shots per game and 2.7 key passes per game – he is certainly capable of becoming a prime creator in the Premier League with his level of footballing intelligence, surrounded by higher quality players.

Grealish made 16 goal contributions last season for Villa before signing for Manchester City this summer in a deal worth £105.75m, and while Swift may not quite reach that valuation – his 24 goal contributions for Reading is evidence that he could be just as active in the final third – from an even deeper position than the England international.

That is something certainly worth shouting about if you are among Villa’s recruitment team.

In other news: Insider drops “serious” behind-scenes AVFC update that will scare supporters

Celtic have had a number of successful academy graduates make their way through to the first team at Parkhead over the years.

Callum McGregor and James Forrest are two great examples of players who have been able to rise through the ranks and establish themselves as key stars for the Hoops at senior level.

However, some talented prospects can slip through the cracks and that is what happened with left-back Aaron Hickey in Glasgow. He was brought to the club from Hearts in 2017 and did not make a single first-team outing as a teenager before Brendan Rodgers sanctioned his exit back to Tynecastle for nothing in the summer of 2018.

Two years later, Italian side Bologna snapped him up from the Scottish side and he is now attracting interest from England.

Fabrizio Romano recently reported that Premier League side Newcastle United are eyeing up a deal worth up to £20m for the youngster, which means his value has risen astronomically in the space of around four years. The Magpies are looking to snap him up this summer after watching him catch the eye in Italy this season.

In the Serie A, he has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 6.89 across 27 appearances. He has been able to showcase his attacking flair from full-back with four goals and one assist, whilst creating 0.5 chances per game.

Defensively, he has been solid throughout the campaign. Hickey has averaged 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game and has only been dribbled past 0.3 times per match, winning 60% of his overall duels in the Italian top-flight. This shows that he is a strong defender who also offers quality in possession, which makes him a modern-day full-back who can make an impact at both ends of the pitch.

At the age of 19, he also has the potential to improve further. He is in the infancy of his professional career and has plenty of time to develop further and progress as a left-back. If he is able to continue growing and raising his standards on the pitch then that £20m may start to look like a bargain and Celtic could rue their decision even more as time passes.

His former manager Daniel Stendl previously labelled him as an “extraordinary talent” and the youngster’s statistics in the Serie A at such a young age back that up. 

Hickey’s form since leaving Celtic and his immense potential as a player prove that Rodgers made a huge blunder by not offering him a route to the first-team and allowing him to leave fo nothing. He slipped through the now-Leicester boss’ clutches and the Hoops will surely be wondering what could have been, as they look set to watch him seal a potential mega-money move this summer.

AND in other news, £3m wasted: Celtic had a shocker on £7.9k-p/w “loner” who rinsed Desmond for 129 weeks…