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It feels like things are starting to come to a head down Anfield Road. Contractual concerns have descended on Liverpool’s season like a brooding cloud, and time is now running out.

Admittedly, such issues have failed to disrupt the brilliant football being played by Arne Slot’s men, who are four points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand, also first-placed in the Champions League and awaiting a Carabao Cup last-eight tie against Southampton.

It’s all rather exciting, not least because this is starting to look like a campaign that, at the very least, presents an incredible opportunity to win the biggest silver prizes.

But skipper Virgil van Dijk can talk to suitors from overseas in just three weeks; as can Liverpool’s homegrown vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold.

And so can Mohamed Salah, whose own contract, set to expire at the end of the season, has attracted the most noise. He’s been vocal, but recent reports suggest that all is not lost on this pivotal front.

Mohamed Salah's contract update

When David Ornstein speaks, the Premier League’s legion of fans listen. The Athletic correspondent has recently revealed that FSG are accelerating talks to extend the stay of, perhaps, Liverpool’s three biggest superstars.

By the time he is enjoying pre-season ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, the Egpyt star will be 33. There is an understandable hesitance on FSG’s part.

But Salah’s astounding potency simply cannot be overlooked. Having played 21 matches this term, the right winger has scored 15 goals and added 12 more assists. It’s Ballon d’Or-winning form, to be sure.

1.

Mohamed Salah

£350k-per-week

2.

Virgil van Dijk

£220k-per-week

3.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

£180k-per-week

4.

Andy Robertson

£160k-per-week

5.

Alisson Becker

£150k-per-week

5=

Alexis Mac Allister

£150k-per-week

5=

Ryan Gravenberch

£150k-per-week

5=

Federico Chiesa

£150k-per-week

Liverpool need to accept that Salah leaving is a possibility. Should that unthinkable scenario become a reality, a prize-winning replacement will need to be brought in.

Liverpool eyeing Salah replacement

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are thick in the battle for Juventus prodigy Kenan Yildiz, who the Serie A side would consider selling for a mammoth €80m (£69m) figure.

Yildiz, aged 19, has been among the finest breakout stats in Italy over recent years, with Liverpool joined by Manchester United, Aston Villa and Borussia Dortmund in sending scouts to watch him in action.

A versatile forward, Yildiz would be a worthy successor for a superstar like Salah, albeit one who would need time and patience to give rise to the height of his potential powers.

Transfer Focus

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

Why Kenan Yildiz could be a star at Liverpool

Yildiz might still be a teenager but he’s already earned a range of experience in Italy’s top flight, racking up nine goal contributions from 42 matches since leaving Bayern Munich’s youth set-up for Juventus.

Though he more frequently cuts inside from the left wing, Yildiz has been said to be “almost perfectly two-footed” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and it might be that as he develops, the young Turk becomes Slot’s starring focal frontman.

Although this is a player with the quality to replace Salah, he may actually assume the positional role of someone like Darwin Nunez, whose continual struggles for goals suggest that he won’t be the star number nine over the coming years.

But then again, the Turkey international isn’t someone who exists solely to score goals himself; instead, he brings a multi-dimensional technical arsenal that suggests he will become one of the silkiest and most dynamic forwards in Europe, should he continue to place sufficient blocks for his development.

As per FBref, the nifty teenager ranks among the top 7% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 6% for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 13% for shot-creating actions, the top 3% for progressive carries and successful take-ons and the top 1% for tackles per 90.

This is quite a lot of data to consume, but succinctly, it reveals a many-layered approach to Yildiz’s craft that is coated in natural-born prolificness.

Indeed, the up-and-coming talent has notched five goal contributions from just 11 starts in the Serie A this season, while also averaging 1.1 key passes, 1.6 dribbles and 5.0 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore.

It’s been such an exciting rise that Yildiz has even been compared against players of the highest calibre.

The Turkish native’s former coach, Sokyan Baskar, has actually claimed that his protegee is “more talented than Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Whether that is actually the case is dubious, but it does make for an interesting comment on the player’s capacity for success at the very highest level of the game.

And anyway, a natural liking for a header perhaps suggests that the 6 foot 2 ace is endowed with some of the athletic qualities that have shaped CR7 into one of the greatest sporting figures of his generation through a long and storied career.

Salah may well pen an extension to his lucrative Anfield deal, but the plain fact is that the 32-year-old will skid onto a downward curve at some point, and it would be prudent to land a young gun with the qualities to take his mantle.

Yildiz wouldn’t be expected to hit the same staggering heights from the offing, but he could find great success in learning from one of the greatest Premier League players to do it, before stepping up as Liverpool’s main man down the line.

Gravenberch replacement: Liverpool want "one of the best" midfielders

Liverpool have been excellent under Arne Slot but could do with a bit more in midfield.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 7, 2024

Liverpool are unrecognisable from the football team that Jurgen Klopp picked up from the wayside in 2015. That said, Arne Slot’s Liverpool side have more than a soft semblance to that of his predecessor’s.

Slot inherited a squad of high-class quality, and he’s been afforded that through Klopp’s lasting hot streak in the transfer market, both ruthless and pinpoint with additions and outgoings.

While the Reds have long been lauded for their ability to turn low-priced signings into megastars, there’s praise to be handed out for cashing in on players at just the right time.

Klopp's ruthless sales at Liverpool

Net spend is a term that Liverpool’s Premier League rivals like to scoff at, but there’s something wonderful about the Anfield side’s ability to collect hefty sums for disused parts and reinvest in what, in hindsight, proves to be a significant upgrade.

Be it Southampton’s £20m purchase of Danny Ings in July 2019, a forward who had never really got going on Merseyside, or the £19m sale of Dominic Solanke to Bournemouth, now a high-profile star with Tottenham Hotspur, signing for £65m this summer in what saw prudent Liverpool claim a sizeable sell-on fee.

While we’re talking of strikers, Christian Benteke, who has just beaten Lionel Messi to the 2024 Major League Soccer season’s top scorer, was sold to Crystal Palace for £27m under Klopp’s wing, despite a middling year at Anfield after joining from Aston Villa.

1.

Christian Benteke

30

33

2.

Lionel Messi

19

20

2=

Luis Suarez

27

20

2=

Denis Bouanga

32

20

5.

Cucho Hernandez

27

19

Forwards weren’t the only ones that Liverpool were able to shoo out the door for a healthy sum. Indeed, Mamadou Sakho was a polarising figure at Anfield, but he was sold for a pretty penny in the early phase of Klopp’s Reds tenure.

Mamadou Sakho was sold at the perfect time

It’s been more than a decade since Liverpool completed the £16m signing of Sakho from French giants Paris Saint-Germain. It was a coup: the Frenchman had been bestowed the Young Player of the Year award in France during 2010/11 and had also become the youngest captain in PSG’s history, wearing the armband aged just 17.

Brendan Rodgers had described him as a “monster in training”, and in fairness, there was plenty to admire about the centre-half, whose muscular physique and ball-playing ability set him apart from the lion’s share of up-and-coming Premier League defenders.

While Sakho had played a central part in Liverpool’s football prior to Klopp’s arrival, the German tactician was not a fan and ostracised him from first-team action following numerous disciplinary issues, only fielding him 29 times across the almost two seasons that the pair’s paths crossed.

Thus, it’s quite something that Klopp and Michael Edwards were able to get Crystal Palace to play to the tune of £26m in 2017, with the Eagles indeed purchasing the former France international after he spent time on loan at Selhurst Park during the 2016/17 season for a £2m fee.

It was the perfect time to sell Sakho, who made 64 Premier League appearances over four years for the south Londoners but of which just 18 came over the final two years.

Now, according to Football Transfers, the 34-year-old is worth just £300k marking a steep decline in the years since he plied his trade at Liverpool.

Once hailed as a ‘monster’ by his Liverpool boss, Sakho would have been a detriment to Klopp’s illustrious reign – but then, isn’t that why he was swiftly sold?

He's like Vini Jr: Liverpool could sign "10/10" Salah replacement for £50m

Liverpool are looking to replace Mohamed Salah with £50m-rated Vini Jr. clone.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 29, 2024

Arsenal have been transformed under the leadership of Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar over the last few years. The former has helped to make the team far more effective on the pitch, and the latter has helped turn things around in the transfer market.

For example, the North Londoners used to be known as terrible sellers and a team unable to get good money for their unwanted players, but with the Spaniard and Brazilian at the helm, that has changed.

Moreover, a particular area of improvement has been the Gunners’ ability to turn a massive profit on their academy stars in recent years, including one Premier League regular now worth millions less than he was sold for.

Arsenal's academy sales

So, before we get to the player in question, let’s take a look at some of the club’s recent sales involving academy stars.

The club sanctioned two this summer, with the ever-popular Emile Smith Rowe moving to Fulham for a massive £34m, including add-ons, and Eddie Nketiah moving to Crystal Palace for up to £30m.

The fee for the former is undeniably impressive, as he played just 475 minutes of action across the entirety of last season and while the latter played 1393, it was clear he had no future at the club, so for Edu to get the fee he did for him was equally remarkable.

It wasn’t just this year, though, as last summer, the Brazilian also managed to collect a whopping £35m for American international Folarin Balogun after he enjoyed a stellar campaign in France for Stade Reims.

However, you must go back three years to find arguably the most impressive sale of an academy player under the leadership of Arteta and Edu.

Joe Willock's valuation in 2024

The player in question is 25-year-old midfielder Joe Willock, who came up through the club’s youth system before making 78 first-team appearances between the 17/18 and 20/21 seasons.

However, when it was clear that he wasn’t in Arteta’s plans, he spent six months on loan at Newcastle United before he sealed a £25m move to the club in the summer of 2021, and as he was an academy player, that was £25m of profit for the Gunners.

Now, due to the Englishman’s impressive form on loan, when he scored eight goals in 14 games, some suggested Edu and Co could have asked for more, but this was at a time before Newcastle’s Saudi takeover and in the years since, the fee the Gunners received has been looking better and better.

This isn’t to say Willock has been a bad player for the Toon, but he has missed a whopping 48 games for them since making his move permanent, and while he has shown his quality here and there, he has also put in his fair share of “disappointing” performances as well, per The Athletic’s Chris Waugh.

In fact, in his 97 appearances since he joined the club on a permanent deal, he’s only scored eight goals and provided seven assists. This means he averaged a goal involvement once every 1.75 games while on loan but has averaged one every 6.46 games in the three seasons since.

Unsurprisingly, this underwhelming form and his injury problems have impacted his value, and, according to Football Transfers, he is now worth just €18.6m, which is about £15.5m, or £9.5m less than he earned the Gunners a few years ago.

Ultimately, Willock is a good player and one who deserves to be playing in the Premier League, but that is probably about it, and considering how things have gone in the years since, Arsenal did very well to get £25m for him.

Arsenal wasted £47m on Wenger flop who earned even more than Trossard does

Arsenal were far too eager to hand out massive contracts under the Frenchman.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 26, 2024

Liverpool Football Club have an interesting period of time coming up off the pitch. New boss Arne Slot has made a superb start to his tenure as manager, with his side currently sitting top of the Premier League table on 18 points, one more than Manchester City and Arsenal in second and third, respectively.

Off the pitch, however, some of their biggest stars have some important decisions to make regarding their current deal.. The contracts of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are set to expire at the end of the season.

Salah and Van Dijk would be not as much of a loss given they are 32 and 33 years old respectively. However, it would be a huge blow to lose local hero, Alexander-Arnold.

Alexander-Arnold’s contract situation

The 26-year-old England international is a product of Liverpool’s esteemed academy that has produced the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Steve McMannaman. He is the latest Merseysider off that famous production line.

The Reds’ number 66 has an extraordinary record for his boyhood club. He has played 319 times for the club, scoring 19 times and registering an incredible 83 assists. He has registered ten or more assists in the Premier League in three separate seasons.

The Englishman, who has 32 caps and four goals for his country, has been a crucial player for the Reds in recent years. He was imperative to Jurgen Klopp’s dominant Liverpool side in the late 2010s, helping win their first Premier League title and sixth European Cup.

Recent reports in Spain have suggested the right-back could make a move from Anfield to the Santiago Bernabeu and join Real Madrid on a free transfer. Los Blancos can negotiate a deal with him in January and could look to wrap it up before any other side, or Liverpool, beat them to it.

It is certainly a precarious situation for the Reds, who would no doubt love to keep hold of their star man. Not only would he leave the club, but they might not make any money on the departure, given he is set to depart on a free.

Alexander-Arnold is valued at £58.4m as per Transfermarkt, although that could be more if his contract was not set to expire, perhaps even as high as £100m. Liverpool might well have another player who could reach that value, given his performances this campaign.

Liverpool’s next £100m star

The player in question here is Netherlands midfielder Ryan Gravenberch. The 22-year-old has been in superb form under Slot this season and has been playing a relatively new role as a deep-lying midfielder.

This term, the Ajax academy graduate has played nine times for the Reds, completing 90 minutes in every single one of their games so far. He has been excellent from a defensive standpoint, using his long legs to win balls back with ease, before progressing play with line-breaking passes.

That is certainly something reflected in his stats from the 2024/25 Premier League season so far, courtesy of Sofascore. The midfielder has completed an average of 32.3 passes in the opposition’s half per 90 minutes and has won an impressive 4.9 ground duels each game.

Stat (per 90)

Gravenberch

Rice

Touches

84

52

Pass accuracy

89%

91%

Passes completed

60.9

33.3

Passes into opposition half

32.3

22.2

Ball recoveries

6

5

Tackles + interceptions

3.8

1.5

Ground duels won

4.9

1.5

He could be well on his way to becoming Liverpool’s own Declan Rice. The England international has emerged as one of the best number six and eight hybrids in world football and was sold to Arsenal from West Ham for £105m last summer, having been described as among the “top five” midfielders in the game by compatriot, Conor Gallagher.

The Gunners number 41 plays a similar role to that of the Dutch international now, and is of a similar profile – as FBref have noted, among midfielders operating in the Champions League this season – using his long limbs to retrieve the ball before progressive play or explosively carrying forwards.

Although he is worth just £33.4m, now, Gravenberch’s value as per Transfermarkt is continuing to rise thanks to his impressive performances this season, and he could well hit the £105m value of the man he is likened to, Rice, if he keeps it up.

Still only 22 years of age, the Dutchman is already looking like something of a “Rolls Royce” – as per journalist Declan Carr. If he continues these performances for the Reds this season, there is no reason why he cannot become their next player worth £100m or more.

Liverpool could unearth a bigger talent than Gravenberch in "special" teen

The Anfield star may well have another superstar on their hands.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 12, 2024

Glasgow Rangers will be aiming to enter the international break by putting their European disappointment behind them from Thursday evening and securing all three points against St Johnstone.

By the time the Light Blues take to the pitch, they could trail both Celtic and Aberdeen by eight points in the Premiership table. This means three points are imperative, or Philippe Clement will come under some severe pressure.

The 4-1 defeat to Lyon in midweek highlighted the gulf in class between the two teams, although if the Gers had players who were more clinical in the box, the result could have been different.

Due to the sharp turnaround between matches, Clement will likely make a few changes to his team ahead of the clash against the Saints on Sunday evening.

Several of the starting XI on Thursday evening should be dropped to the bench, giving others a chance to shine. With this in mind, Football FanCast predicts the team that the Belgian will choose tomorrow evening in what is a must-win game for the club…

1 Jack Butland Goalkeeper

The Englishman conceded his first goals since the 3-0 loss to Celtic during the clash against Lyon and will be hoping to record his fifth league shutout against the Saints.

Butland has shown flashes of his brilliance during the opening few weeks of the season as he remains a key part of the starting XI under Clement.

2 Neraysho Kasanwirjo Right-back

James Tavernier has held onto the right-back slot longer than anyone anticipated, especially after some poor early showings this season.

While his defensive qualities have always been suspect, his attacking output more than made up for this. Last season, he scored 24 times and grabbed 12 assists, yet he lost possession 24.6 times per game on average.

Against the Saints, on-loan defender Kasanwirjo could come into the starting XI in place of Tavernier. The Dutchman shone on his European debut against Malmö last week, finishing the game with an 88% pass success rate and making one key pass.

3 John Souttar Centre-back

The Scot has played every minute for Rangers this season, establishing himself as the first-choice centre-back at the club.

He and Robin Propper kept four clean sheets in a row before the loss to Lyon on Thursday evening and there is no doubt he will have to improve from that display at Ibrox. Given his options, Clement should continue to use Souttar at the heart of the defence.

4 Robin Propper Centre-back

Dutchman Robin Propper has played alongside Souttar in every game since the last international break, building a solid partnership. The Lyon game was hopefully just a blip for the duo as the club conceded four goals for the first time this season.

Despite the presence of Leon Balogun on the bench, Propper should be able to retain his place.

5 Jefte Left-back

Ridvan Yilmaz continues his recovery from injury, which means Jefte should continue to start at left-back. The Brazilian has been one of the finest signings made by Clement, showing plenty of promise despite his tender age.

He still has plenty to work on, but chances in the starting XI will enable him to continue his development.

6 Connor Barron Centre-midfield

The former Aberdeen midfielder has started all but one of the club’s matches this term as he already looks like he has been at Ibrox for years, barking instructions to older, more experienced members of the team.

Against Hibs last week, the Scot ran the show from midfield, taking 84 touches while succeeding with 89% of his passes. He also won four of his six ground duels, displaying his tenacious side.

7 Nico Raskin Centre-midfield

Mohamed Diomande is Barron’s usual midfield partner, but rotation could come into play tomorrow, meaning the Ivorian may drop to the bench in favour of Raskin.

The Belgian has started just once all campaign, being used as a squad option due to the midfield partnership of Barron and Diomande. Can he take his chance against St Johnstone?

8 Ross McCausland Right wing

Vaclav Cerny struggled against Lyon, missing an open goal which would have given the Ibrox side the lead after just seven minutes.

This could suggest Ross McCausland comes into the starting XI in place of the Czech winger. Indeed, the Northern Irishman has already scored twice this term, with one of those goals coming against St Johnstone in the League Cup.

9 Ianis Hagi Attacking midfield

Yes, he may have been languishing in the B team, and yes, he may not have played under Clement yet, but now is the time to finally unleash Ianis Hagi, especially as his recent contract dispute has been settled.

The £3m signing from 2020 looked like he was ready to exit Ibrox, but he knuckled down and showed his class during his B team outings. With Tom Lawrence coming off with an ankle injury in midweek, there is no time like the present to throw Hagi into the deep end.

10 Nedim Bajrami Left wing

While the majority of the team struggled against Lyon, Bajrami’s class stood out among the rest. It’s just a pity he didn’t have better players around him.

During the game, the Albanian made three key passes, succeeded with all seven of his dribble attempts and won 8 of his 11 contested duels, yet more evidence of his talents.

Sometimes, a cup game against a lower division opponent can be a potential a banana skin for Premier League sides, especially when things aren’t necessarily going their way elsewhere.

However, for Manchester United, last night’s match against League One Barnsley in the League Cup couldn’t have gone any better.

Erik ten Hag’s side ran out 7-0 winners against the Colliers, had 65% of the possession and took a mammoth 26 shots to their three.

It was about as one-sided an encounter as you are going to see this season, and in the process, two starters may have started to revive their careers at the club.

Marcus Rashford's performance vs Barnsley

Yes, despite starting the season in a similar disappointing fashion to how he ended last year, Marcus Rashford continued his goalscoring form from the weekend by putting two past Barnsley’s Gabriel Słonina last night.

However, the Englishman could have easily scored a hat trick had he not given Antony the penalty in the first half in a bid to restore the Brazilian’s confidence.

The Manchester-born star’s performance impressed 90min’s Tom Gott, who awarded him a 10/10 on the night, writing that it was a ‘dominant’ display and that in his opening goal, he ‘showed some real class.’

Unsurprisingly, the 26-year-old’s match statistics thoroughly support such a high rating.

In his 63 minutes on the pitch, he provided one assist to go with his two goals, took three shots on target, completed three dribbles, played one key pass, created one big chance, and even made a clearance.

Overall, Rashford played brilliantly last night, and while we can’t get carried away given the level of opposition, it was just another sign that the talented attacker could be on the way to reviving his United career this season, just like one of his teammates who also impressed at Old Trafford.

Casemiro's performance vs Barnsley

The other starter who certainly helped his case last night was Brazilian legend Casemiro, who, alongside summer signing Manuel Ugarte, put in a solid shift in the middle of the park and made life incredibly difficult for Barnsley.

The five-time Champions League winner has had a rough 18 months or so, but during his time on the pitch last night, he was constantly involved and ended the night with a whopping 109 touches of the ball and showed that when he has a more agile teammate alongside him, he can still be a useful cog in United’s defence and attack.

The 32-year-old impressed 90mins Gott, who awarded him an 8/10 on the night and wrote that the former Real Madrid star ‘made a noticeable impact in the final third,’ which is reflected in his statistics from the game.

For example, in his 93 minutes of action, the midfield “monster”, as he was once dubbed by journalist Muhammad Butt, made 79 accurate passes, played one key pass, was accurate in seven of his eight crosses, took one shot on target, succeeded in 100% of his dribbles, won six of nine duels, blocked a shot, and made one clearance, one interception and four tackles.

Ultimately, it was the perfect night for United, Rashford and Casemiro, and while we cannot jump to conclusions due to the opposition, both players have given Ten Hag something to think about as the games come thick and fast over the next few weeks.

Man Utd send officials to watch target have Michael Jordan-esque flu game

United’s hierarchy are keeping a watchful eye on a young star.

By
Brett Worthington

Sep 17, 2024

Tottenham Hotspur are a club with a proud tradition of promoting talented youngsters into the first team before they become international superstars.

For example, the likes of Ledley King, Harry Kane and he who must not be named all played in the club’s youth set-up before getting their chance in the first team and grabbing it with both hands.

That said, it has been a good few years since an academy product has successfully made the jump to first team star, but that could soon change.

While the media’s attention has been transfixed on Arsenal’s young Ethan Nwaneri, the Lilywhites may have an even more talented youngster on their hands.

Why fans are excited about Nwaneri

Okay, so before we move on to Spurs’ dazzling young talent, let’s examine why there is so much excitement around Nwaneri.

The Hale End prospect first caught the attention of the wider footballing world when, at just 15 years old, he became the youngest Premier League player of all time in September 2022.

However, he wouldn’t play another minute of competitive first-team football until the club’s 6-0 win over West Ham United last season.

Then, he finally made his full debut in the League Cup against Bolton Wanderers last week, in which he scored a brace and generally looked ready to contribute going forward.

Now, his development this season is exciting in and of itself, but it is also his impressive youth record that has led to such hype.

In 52 appearances for the Gunners’ various junior sides, the Enfield-born gem has racked up 27 goals and ten assists, which equates to an average of a goal involvement every 1.40 games.

While it might not be what Spurs fans want to hear, Arsenal have a star on their hands with Nwaneri, but the good news is that the Lilywhites have their own sensational youngster who could be even better.

In The Pipeline

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

Expand Collapse Spurs' very own Ethan Nwaneri

Yes, it shouldn’t surprise some of you, but Spurs’ tremendously promising academy gem is 17-year-old Mikey Moore.

Like the Gunners’ young prospect, the “outstanding” Lilywhites ace, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has now made five first-team appearances.

However, unlike his potential future rival, he has not been given the opportunity to start, but given how impressive his form has been for the junior sides, his first start is more a matter of when and not if.

For example, in just 33 games for Tottenham’s various junior sides, the “magnificent talent”, as Kulig describes him, has scored 20 goals and provided 15 assists.

This means he’s been averaging a goal involvement once every 0.94 games in the academy, which is a noticeably better average than Nwaneri’s.

Moore vs Nwaneri at youth level

Player

Moore

Nwaneri

Appearances

33

52

Goals

20

27

Assists

15

10

Goal Involvements per Match

1.06

0.70

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, while the pair have now moved up to England’s U19 squad, they really established themselves as future internationals in the U17 side, and in this age range, once again, Tottenham’s young prospect had the better numbers.

In his 12 games for the team, the Southwark gem scored ten goals and provided four assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 0.85 games, while the young Gunner scored 15 goals and provided two assists in 28 games, equating to an average of a goal involvement once every 1.64 games.

Ultimately, both clubs have extraordinarily gifted academy products in Nwaneri and Moore, but if their youth records are anything to go by, then Postecoglou and Spurs fans can rejoice in the fact that they may well have the more talented prospect.

Related Spurs may have just unearthed their new Christian Eriksen vs Man Utd

The incredible international is on fire at the moment.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 30, 2024

Brighton and Hove Albion's Chairman Tony Bloom has revealed just why Roberto de Zerbi was surprisingly let go from his post at the end of last season, stemming from a fundamental disagreement between the Italian and the club that was present from day one.

De Zerbi in demand

Ahead of Brighton's clash with Manchester United on the final day of the 2023-24 Premier League season, the Seagulls announced that Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi would be leaving the club.

"We have mutually agreed to end Roberto’s contract at a time that suits both parties allowing us the earliest opportunity to plan for next season, and Roberto plenty of time to consider his next move and his future", Bloom explained.

It came as a major shock, with De Zerbi having been hailed by fellow managers and the media for his stint at the AMEX Stadium, and having been linked with a move to Chelsea, Manchester United, Barcelona and AC Milan, only for his release clause on the south coast to prove prohibitive.

Roberto De Zerbi's Premier League stint

Games managed

70

Wins

26

Win %

37%

Points per game

1.39

Goals scored per game

1.66

He helped guide Brighton to their first ever taste of European football, but a tough season saw them slip to 11th as injuries and defensive woes crippled the Seagulls in the wake of the exits of Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister the previous summer.

Now at Marseille, the top level interest which promised to transpire never did, and now Bloom has revealed just why his sudden exit had to happen.

Fundamental disagreement over transfer strategy

That comes thanks to a major disagreement over the transfer strategy that Brighton utilise, which often revolves around selling their best assets for a massive profit and replacing them with young, largely unknown talents based on data-driven recruitment, as they did when replacing Caicedo with youngster Carlos Baleba.

The transfer and scouting department have the major and final say on proceedings, something that De Zerbi was clearly not keen to buy into, judging by comments made by Bloom about his departure.

"Roberto had thoughts on certain players, but that is not the way we as a club work. The club will decide on the players potentially to bring into the club, in conjunction with the head coach", Bloom explained to The Athletic.

"It’s not a situation, the way we work, that the head coach says, ‘I like this player and that player’, and that’s what we do (in terms of signings). If a head coach has some ideas, that comes in as part of the process, but a head coach really liking a player has got to fit many characteristics, it has got to fit with the data analysis we do.

All 20 Premier League clubs' record signings

From Manchester City to Ipswich Town, here’s a look at each Premier League club’s most expensive signing.

ByBrogan Clasper Sep 4, 2024

"When Roberto came in (After Graham Potter's departure in September 2022), we explained the process and the philosophy. If there is non-alignment between the head coach and the club, things are never going to work out long-term."

Clearly successful as a strategy to date, even the ability of De Zerbi in the dugout was not enough to convince Brighton to change their policies, and they will be hoping that in Fabian Hurzeler they have found a man who is just as tactically adept while also being happy to work with the players he is given.

West Ham United lost their opening fixture of the 2024/25 Premier League season, with Julen Lopetegui leaving several new signings on the bench and falling to Aston Villa in the capital.

It had to be him. Jhon Duran scored off the bench for the travellers to hammer the hosts down a peg, with Lucas Paqueta's penalty previously restoring parity before the break following debutant Amadou Onana's early header.

Lopetegui has much to chew on after his first competitive assessment and now must consider integrating more of the new arrivals to the starting line-up, with Michail Antonio among those likely to lose their place.

Michail Antonio fails to inspire

Antonio is a veteran and a stalwart. No West Ham player, past and present, has scored more for the Irons in the Premier League, but aged 34, his defects were clear against slick and stylish Villa.

Isolated up top, Antonio failed to hit the target and failed to win a duel, with his focal role at the front of the formation failing, simply, to inspire.

Given that the powerful Niclas Fullkrug has arrived from Borussia Dortmund for £27m and last term's Championship MVP, Crysencio Summerville, is also added to the frontline, Antonio might find himself rueing to grasp the occasion and prove to his new boss that he is the man for the job at No. 9.

Antonio's physicality and all-round confidence mean that he will play an important role throughout the campaign, even if he starts intermittently.

The same can't be said for Vladimir Coufal, however, who must be sweating for his place after a display against the Villans that left plenty to be desired.

Why West Ham must axe Vladimir Coufal

Disgruntlement hung across the London Stadium after some exciting defensive additions were kept on the bench for West Ham's 2024/25 curtain-raiser.

Coufal, who has collected a growing pile of detractors since the start of the year, did little to convince Lopetegui of his place in the starting line-up against Aston Villa, namely undone by poor positioning that opened up inroads for the visitors.

The Evening Standard's Dom Smith echoed this sentiment, branding the £35k-per-week defender with a 4/10 match rating and writing: 'Caught out of position by coming too centrally, allowing Lucas Digne and John McGinn to exploit the space down the left. And Duran got through late on, too, thanks to Coufal’s poor positioning.'

As per Sofascore, the experienced Czech lost eight of his nine contested duels and failed to complete a tackle while also committing four fouls.

West Ham's pre-season bore an undercurrent of defensive fragility but Lopetegui has been backed by the club, with technical director Tim Steidten signing Max Kilman at the start of the window and recently closing deals for dynamic centre-half Jean-Clair Todibo and former Manchester United star Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Wan-Bissaka, who started from the bench on Saturday evening, will hope to nail down a regular starting spot at right-back, displacing Coufal after years of the 31-year-old's solid service.

He was linked with a move away from east London before the summer transfer window opened for business, and despite losing Ben Johnson, the Hammers might be tempted to identify an understudy for their shiny new signing and axe Coufal from the squad.

Mounting a convincing challenge for European qualification is paramount for West Ham. Though there is plenty of work to do after an opening-day defeat against Aston Villa, Lopetegui has the tools to fashion success – he might need one or two more tweaks.

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By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 17, 2024

Dele Alli has been warned it will be “at least six months” before he is in a position to earn a new contract after suffering another injury setback.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Ex-England international is a free agentHas continued to train with the ToffeesNeeds to play before offer of fresh termsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Tottenham midfielder saw his previous deal at Everton expire when the 2023-24 campaign came to a close. He has been a free agent since then, but has continued to train with the Toffees in the hope of landing fresh terms.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Fitness issues continue to do Dele’s cause few favours, with the 28-year-old reported to have picked up another knock. Regular spells on the treatment table, having undergone another operation early in 2024, are preventing the ex-England international from staking any kind of a claim to contract talks.

GettyWHAT FORMER EVERTON SCOUT SAID

Former Everton scout Bryan King believes it could be next summer before Dele is in a position to resume his professional career, telling of the long-running saga: “The road is only getting longer for Alli. Decisions will be made when he can start playing again. He will need to be playing with the Under-21s for at least six months before the club can decide whether it is worth offering him a new contract. He has got a lot to prove if he wants to earn another contract. It is a shame because he was a very good footballer, and I’d imagine he still is if he can get back to full fitness.”

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WHAT NEXT?

Dele has not taken in a competitive appearance of any kind since February 2023, during a forgettable loan spell at Turkish side Besiktas. He figured on just 13 occasions for Everton, after joining them in January 2022, and has seen it suggested that he may have to step away from the Premier League spotlight in order to get himself back on track.