All posts by z3u9t.icu

Glasgow Rangers are back in action in the Scottish Premiership once again as they prepare to face off against Aberdeen at Ibrox this evening.

The Light Blues have won their last five matches in all competitions and will be hoping to continue their fine form when they come up against the Dons, who appointed English boss Neil Warnock this week.

They secured a 1-1 draw with Celtic on Saturday, shortly before the former Huddersfield and Cardiff manager came through the door, and will be hoping for back-to-back Old Firm scalps.

Philippe Clement's side, on the other hand, head into this game off the back of a convincing 3-0 win over bottom-of-the-league Livingston at the weekend.

Goals from Fabio Silva, who scored his first for the club, Rabbi Matondo, and Todd Cantwell sealed all three points for the Scottish giants at Ibrox.

With games coming thick-and-fast at the moment, the Belgian head coach may look to rotate his squad in order to avoid burnout and to keep players fresh and ready for action when called upon.

The former AS Monaco boss must, now, unleash Ridvan Yilmaz from the start alongside Matondo on the left flank, after the Light Blues managed to keep hold of him during the January transfer window.

How close Ridvan Yilmaz came to leaving Rangers

Speculation over the Turkey international's future in Glasgow rumbled on throughout the month and through to deadline day at the start of February.

It was reported towards the end of January that Yilmaz had agreed personal terms with Turkish giants Galatasaray ahead of a possible move back to his home country.

That came after the Gers had already rejected an offer from the Super Lig side. They reportedly attempted to sign the left-back on loan with an option to make it permanent for around £3.4m, which was not tempting enough for the Light Blues to cash in.

The Daily Record revealed on deadline day that the club turned down another bid from Galatasaray as they were not willing to budge on their £4m valuation of the full-back.

A move to Italy was also on the cards at one stage but it was reported that Yilmaz turned down an offer to join Serie A side Hellas Verona in January.

In the end, based on what was reported, the exciting defender did not come particularly close to leaving Rangers at any point throughout the January transfer window.

No offers were accepted by the Scottish giants, no medical was completed with any club, and no contract was signed to join another team. It was merely interest and rejected offers from Verona and Galatasaray, albeit Yilmaz was seemingly willing to join the Turkish giants had they been able to agree a deal with the Gers.

Irrespective of how it happened, Rangers still have him in their squad and available for selection until the summer transfer window at the earliest.

Clement must now make use of the 22-year-old whiz and unleash him from the start against Aberdeen this evening to combine with Matondo on the left flank.

Matondo's exciting displays for Rangers

Abdallah Sima's injury has provided the Wales international with a huge opportunity to nail down a regular spot in the starting XI for the Gers over the weeks to come.

The former Manchester City starlet recently started against Hibernian in the Premiership and caught the eye with a terrific performance on the wing.

Minutes played

78

Goals

Zero

Key passes

Two

Big chances created

Two

Assists

One

As you can see in the table above, Matondo grasped his chance to shine with a sublime outing as a creator, which included an assist for Cyriel Dessers' goal in the 3-0 win.

The 23-year-old whiz was then a late substitute in the 1-0 win over St. Mirren before being named in the starting XI once again for the clash with Livingston on Saturday.

Matondo caught the eye once again with a superb goal and two completed dribbles on the left wing in the 3-0 win for the Gers last weekend.

He cut inside from the left flank and curled a terrific finish into the far bottom corner, leaving the goalkeeper standing like a statue in the middle of the goal as the ball found the back of the net before he could react.

Borna Barisic did provide the assist for the goal, with a pass to the winger, who then cut inside to score from distance, but Yilmaz's statistics this season suggest that he is more likely to provide the forward with quality service on a consistent basis.

Ridvan Yilmaz's creative quality in the Premiership

The Turkey international has already started more Premiership matches (11) than he did in the whole of last season (eight) and his improved performances reflect his increased minutes on the pitch.

Last term, Yilmaz, who was hailed as a "high-quality" player by former sporting director Ross Wilson, produced two assists and created one 'big chance' in nine appearances and eight starts in the top-flight, along with 0.7 key passes per game.

The left-footed wizard has featured in 16 league matches, starting 11 of those, and contributed with one assist and created four 'big chances' to go along with 1.7 key passes per game this season.

Starts

11

11

Big chances created

One

Four

Assists

Three

One

Key passes

26

27

Dribbles completed per game

0.2

1.3

Dribble success rate

25%

65%

As you can see in the table above, the Turkish full-back has provided more quality in the final third, despite being rewarded with fewer assists, as he has created more high-quality opportunities for his teammates and burst past opposition defenders far more frequently, with a significantly greater success rate.

The £12k-per-week dynamo is superb at driving forward from a left-back position to create chances for the team's attackers, which is why he could form an exciting link-up with Matondo.

Yilmaz could either provide the winger with opportunities to score or his overlapping threat down the left could distract defenders and leave the Welsh magician with the room he needs to cut in and replicate his superb strike against Livingston at the weekend.

Manchester United made it through to the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday evening but not without a scare against Newport County.

Truth be told, when have Erik ten Hag's side ever done something without a fright along the way? a 4-2 win may have made things look comfortable on paper but it was far from it, even if the Dutchman thought the Welsh side offered "nothing" throughout the 90 minutes. Harsh words indeed.

Attention could now turn to the transfer window although it seems unlikely the Red Devils will perform any significant business before the market slams shut on Thursday evening.

Instead, the focus is on the summer with one player already earmarked as a potential acquisition by the incoming new owners.

Man Utd lead race for Premier League talent

It will be interesting to see what United's tactics are come the summer with the backing of INEOS and the appointment of Omar Berrada who will join the club from Manchester City to become their new CEO.

With a history for tempting world-class talent to the Etihad – notably Erling Haaland and Rodri – it should be an exciting time in the market for a club who have made some notable howlers in recent years. Antony, who only scored his first goal of the campaign against Newport, tells you all you need to know there.

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It's already been suggested that Berrada is simply not in the business of overpaying for players but they could splash the best part of a reported £60m on Michael Olise.

A report over the weekend from Football.London focused on Chelsea's interest but revealed it may well be hard for the Blues to complete a deal.

That's because Olise has put the Red Devils firmly at the front of the queue should any suitor wish to sign him.

The Frenchman reportedly favours a move to Man United and as a result, they are closely monitoring the situation ahead of a potential summer swoop.

Why Michael Olise is perfect for Rasmus Hojlund

Rasmus Hojlund's Manchester United career is a curious tale. With Ten Hag craving a new striker last summer they put that enormous burden on the shoulders of a 20-year-old Dane with 27 senior goals to his name. The fee in question? An enormous £72m.

Unfortunately, his early displays left a lot to be desired. Despite firing home five goals in the Champions League it took him until Boxing Day to score in the Premier League.

The Scandinavian striker quickly became an overnight meme but to his credit, has bounced back tremendously well in the last month.

Hojlund now has three goals in his last four matches having bagged against Aston Villa, Manchester United and most recently Newport County in the FA Cup. It's amazing what happens when you actually offer your striker some service, isn't it?

The Denmark international has been devoid of that in his opening campaign with the club. Bruno Fernandes leads the way for key passes per game with 2.8 this season but beyond that United's attack has been feeding off scraps.

Luke Shaw and Alejandro Garnacho are the next best creators but the former has spent large parts of the campaign injured and the latter hasn't become a regular starter until recent months.

#1 Bruno Fernandes

2.8

#2 Luke Shaw

1.4

#3 Alejandro Garnacho

1.1

#4 Diogo Dalot

1.1

#5 Antony

0.9

As a consequence of United's lacklustre creativity and supply line to their main centre-forward, the idea of signing Olise, a "special talent" as described by journalist Ed Malyon, should be salivating.

The Crystal Palace star has been nothing short of a sensation when he's stayed fit, supplying 11 assists in the Premier League last term. That happened to be the highest number of any player featuring for a club outside of the top six. It's hardly a surprise, therefore, that Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison said he's "way better than Antony."

This term he's only recorded one assist but has proven he can add goals to his game too with Olise finding the net on five occasions in just nine appearances.

Even despite the 22-year-old's lack of assists in the current campaign, he is still outperforming the majority of United's squad for chance creation, supplying 2.2 key passes per match. Furthermore, he ranks inside the top 10% of positionally similar players in Europe for shot-creating actions per 90 minutes and the best 12% for assists per 90.

On that evidence, this is truly a player who Hojlund would adore playing alongside. The Eagles winger is simply begging for a big move with his performances at the moment and the Dane must hope it's United who secure a swoop next summer. It could well prove game-changing for his own career.

Celtic officially completed their first piece of incoming business during the January transfer window on Tuesday as they announced the signing of Nicolas Kuhn.

The 24-year-old forward has been signed from Austrian side Rapid Wien on a five-and-a-half-year deal for a reported to be within the region of £3m.

Appearances

16

Goals

Two

Assists

Five

Big chances created

11

Sofascore rating

7.22

There are still around two weeks left to go before the window slams shut and the Hoops are reportedly in the market to make further additions to their squad.

Football Insider recently reported that Brendan Rodgers would like to bring in three signings on top of the deal to snap Kuhn up from Austria.

The former Leicester City boss has identified three other positions that need to be addressed; goalkeeper, left-back, and centre-forward ahead of the second half of the campaign.

Celtic's search for a left-back

According to FootballScotland, the Hoops are interested in a swoop to sign impressive young full-back Owen Beck from Premier League side Liverpool.

The report claims that the talented youngster, who spent the first half of the season on loan with Dundee, has been on the club's radar since October.

It states that the Bhoys remain keen on a deal for the Reds academy graduate but look set to be made to wait as Jurgen Klopp weighs up the best way to go about dealing with his left-back situation.

Kostas Tsimikas and Andrew Robertson are currently out injured and this has left the German head coach with a dearth of options in that position, which has forced Joe Gomez to be deployed there in recent weeks.

Liverpool recalled Beck from his loan spell from Dundee to provide much-needed cover for their first-team. However, FootballScotland add that the Europa League side could send him back out on loan if Robertson or Tsimikas return before the end of the month.

This suggests that Celtic could have an opportunity to snap up the Welsh dynamo to bolster their left-hand side before the transfer window slams shut, if they remain patient.

A potential issue with that is that the Hoops could wait until near deadline day and then be left scrambling around to sign an alternative if Liverpool ultimately decide that they would rather keep Beck at Anfield until the end of the season.

The report also claims that fellow Scottish side Glasgow Rangers are also eyeing up the 21-year-old prospect, which means that there could be competition to land his signature if he does become available for a loan or permanent transfer.

If Rodgers and Celtic are able to snap up Beck to add to their left-back options before the window slams shut, the Liverpool whiz could supercharge current Hoops forward Luis Palma.

Luis Palma's outstanding start to life in Scotland

The Honduras international has made 21 of his 22 Celtic appearances on the left flank and this means that he would line up ahead of the Reds youngster in the team.

Palma joined from Aris ahead of the 2023/24 campaign after an impressive season with the Greek side as a scorer of goals from the flank.

He produced 11 goals and four assists in 20 league appearances for the club and that convinced the Hoops to swoop to secure his services last summer.

Since his move to Parkhead, the 24-year-old whiz has been electric on the wing for the Scottish giants with his ability to score and create goals at an excellent rate.

Only three players – David Turnbull (seven), Kyogo Furuhashi (eight), and Matt O'Riley (ten) – have scored more Scottish Premiership goals than Palma (five) for Celtic this season.

Meanwhile, no Hoops player has provided more assists than the impressive forward (nine) as he has been Rodgers' biggest creative threat at the top end of the pitch.

The former Aris star has racked up nine assists, 11 'big chances' created, and 3.4 key passes per game across 17 appearances and 14 starts in the top-flight so far.

Palma is capable of the spectacular and has been a consistent contributor in the final third. However, Rodgers could supercharge his star forward by signing Beck to bolster the attacking quality down the left flank.

Why Beck could help to supercharge Palma

The 21-year-old whiz is already a proven Premiership performer, thanks to his loan spell with Dundee, and could hit the ground running at Parkhead as he already knows the division and has performed to a high level in it.

Beck caught the eye with his marauding displays down the left wing for the Scottish outfit as he showcased his quality in and out of possession.

Defensively, the £2.8k-per-week talent produced consistently solid performances with 2.9 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per match. No current Celtic full-back has averaged more than 2.1 tackles or 0.4 interceptions per game in the Premiership this season.

This suggests that the Liverpool prodigy could cut out more opposition attacks to win possession back for his side in comparison to the likes of Alistair Johnston and Greg Taylor, which could create more counter-attacking opportunities for Palma to stretch his legs and cause havoc in transition with his creative brilliance.

Beck, who was once hailed as "spectacular" by scout Jacek Kulig, could also provide quality in possession and help the winger by offering a threat at the top end of the pitch that could attract more attention from opposition defenders and open up more space for the right-footed left forward to cut inside.

Touches per game

55.5

99.5

Key passes per game

2.0

1.9

Crossing accuracy

31%

15%

Dribbles completed per game

1.4

0.6

As you can see in the table above, the former Dundee star created more chances, completed more dribbles, and was far more effective as a crosser despite almost having half as many touches of the ball per match as Taylor.

Imagine what Beck could do if he had 44 more touches per game for Celtic than he had during the first half of the season in the Premiership.

His attacking output could be staggering and that is another reason why the Hoops target could supercharge Palma as the left-back could create a high volume of chances for the winger to add to his goal tally and climb the ranks within the squad, ahead of the likes of Turnbull, Kyogo, and O'Riley.

Liverpool and another Premier League club are interested in signing a highly-rated young defender, according to his current club's president.

Liverpool transfer news

It remains to be seen if the Reds will do any key transfer business during the January window, but they have certainly been linked with plenty of players of late. For example, Anfield chiefs are reportedly looking to hijack Manchester United's move for impressive young Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo, as Jurgen Klopp weighs up whether to bolster his defensive options or not.

Joel Matip's season-ending injury has acted as a major blow to the Reds manager, making it absolutely vital that Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate stay fit for long periods this season.

Away from the defence, Liverpool have been linked with a move for Barcelona winger Raphinha, with the former Leeds United man potentially leaving the La Liga giants in the near future. A stunning move for Paris Saint-Germain and France superstar Kylian Mbappe has been mooted, too, but it appears as though Real Madrid are in pole position to snap him up.

Liverpool want Kevin Mantilla

Speaking to La Voz [via Sport Witness], Talleres president Andres Fassi claimed Liverpool and Brighton are interested in signing centre-back Kevin Mantilla.

“It’s true, they have been following him for four months now. And they asked us for information about his physical records."

A report last year claimed that the Reds were keen on signing the 20-year-old, but a move has failed to come to fruition until this point. He is contracted to his current club until the summer of 2027, so it may take a hefty bid to prise him away any time soon.

Mantilla is still very much a player who is maturing, given his age, but he could be viewed as a long-term investment by Liverpool, coming in as a good backup option to begin with, and learning from playing alongside the likes of Van Dijk and Konate.

He is a 23-time capped Colombia Under-20 international, and assuming he continues on his current trajectory, he will surely make the step up to the senior international team at some point in the future.

Mantilla now has nine first-team appearances to his name for Tallares, and the fact that he can also slot in at both left-back and right-back at times could act as another reason to sign him for Klopp. The Liverpool manager is a fan of versatile players – the Reds have been linked with Sporting CP star Goncalo Inacio numerous times, who can play centrally and on the left-hand side of the defence – so it is a move that would make sense.

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Admittedly, the improved form of Joe Gomez this season and the emergence of youngster Jarell Quansah does mean the Reds are well-stocked at the back, even without Matip fit, but bringing in Mantilla at this point in his career would represent good business.

Tottenham Hotspur swooped to appoint Ange Postecoglou as their new head coach at the end of the 2022/23 campaign after his treble-winning season north of the border.

The Australian head coach was brought in from Celtic and backed in the summer transfer window, with the likes of James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Manor Solomon, Guglielmo Vicario, and Brennan Johnson all coming through the door.

Injury and suspension issues have caused problems for Spurs throughout the season but they are currently fifth in the Premier League and one point outside of the top four as it stands, as they look to compete for a place in the Champions League for next term.

Liverpool

1

45

Aston Villa

2

42

Manchester City

3

40

Arsenal

4

40

Tottenham

5

39

West Ham

6

34

The January transfer window opened for business last week and have already brought in Timo Werner on loan from German side RB Leipzig, whilst Radu Dragusin is closing in on a permanent switch from Genoa for a fee in excess of €30m (£26m).

Spurs transfer news – Morgan Gibbs-White

Postecoglou may not be done there with those two additions, though, as the head coach could look to bolster his options in the middle of the park.

At the end of 2023, The Daily Mail named Nottingham Forest central midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White as one of the players on the club's radar heading into January.

They claimed that Tottenham had sent scouts to watch him in action for the Tricky Trees against Manchester United on the 30th of December.

The England U21 international scored the winning goal, as shown above, in a 2-1 victory for his side with a stunning finish from the edge of the box in the 82nd minute to secure all three points for his side.

It was reported by The Daily Mail that Spurs wanted a centre-back, a forward, and a midfielder in January. They already have the forward – in Werner – and look set to secure the centre-back – in Dragusin – and that leaves a midfielder as the last piece of business on their to-do-list.

Tottenham should now push ahead with their interest in Gibbs-White as the impressive gem is a proven Premier League performer who also has the potential and room to improve and develop over the years to come.

The club could repeat the masterclass they played with Maddison last summer by looking further down the league to land a terrific creative midfielder.

Maddison's season in numbers

The England international is currently out of action with an ankle injury that has caused him to miss ten matches but his start to the campaign was electric.

Spurs snapped him up on a five-year deal for a reported fee of £40m from Leicester City after they were relegated to the Championship last year.

Cole Palmer

1

Phil Foden

2

Heung-min Son

3

Mohamed Salah

4

Julian Alvarez

5

As you can see in the table above, Maddison's impressive start to the season has kept him in excellent company as his statistics have been similar to some of the best players in the division, including teammate Heung-min Son.

The former Foxes star currently ranks within the top 1% of Premier League attacking midfielders and wingers for progressive passes (9.91) per 90 and the top 1% for shot-creating actions (8.17) per 90. This shows that he has been one of the most progressive and creative players in his position in the division this season.

Maddison, who has racked up three goals and five assists in 11 league games this term, arrived in North London off the back of a return of ten goals and nine assists in 30 top-flight matches for Leicester during the 2022/23 campaign.

He had, therefore, already proven himself in the Premier League for a team competing at the opposite end of the table and this allowed him to hit the ground running for Spurs before his ankle injury.

The statistics that show why Spurs should sign Gibbs-White

Forest signed Gibbs-White from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2022 in a deal that could reach £42.5m including add-ons and he has been a terrific addition to their squad.

During the 2022/23 campaign, the English whiz racked up five goals, eight assists, and nine 'big chances' created in 37 Premier League appearances, to help his side avoid relegation from the top-flight.

He ranked within the top 16% of the league's attacking midfielders and wingers for Expected Assisted Goals (0.24) per 90, which also placed him within the top 6% of forwards.

This season, Gibbs-White has chipped in with two goals and three assists in 20 Premier League games. The talented gem has also created five 'big chances' and produced 1.8 key passes per match in that time.

U23 scout Antonio Mango hailed him as a "menace" in the final third and described his style on the pitch as "arrogant", which suggests that he could carry the same swagger that Maddison carries himself with in matches.

His form at Championship level for Sheffield United during the 2021/22 campaign, prior to his move to Forest, also indicates that he has another level to get to at the top end of the pitch.

Gibbs-White, who still has plenty of time left to develop and improve at the age of 23, racked up 11 goals, nine assists, and 16 'big chances' created in 35 league outings for the Blades, on loan from Wolves.

This suggests that the potential is there for the 23-year-old ace, who can play as a number eight or ten, to reach Maddison's level of contributions in terms of goals and assists.

It would be a gamble, given that he is yet to reach the very top end of those statistics in the Premier League, but it is one that could be worth it if Gibbs-White fulfills his potential and turns out like the former Leicester star has.

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Therefore, Postecoglou could repeat his Maddison masterclass by swooping for another mercurial English playmaker from a team struggling at the bottom of the table this month.

Tottenham Hotspur have quietly climbed back into form after a testing period in the Premier League, with a multitude of absences derailing a fantastic start to the campaign.

Ange Postecoglou will not be content with the recent purple patch, however, with the Australian attentive to the fact that, with so many rivals pursuing a spot in the top four, the squad must be firing across all cylinders.

But this has been rather tricky given the Lilywhites' deluge of injuries to key members over the past few months, with the situation exacerbated by the imminent departures of captain Heung-min Son (Asia Cup) and midfielders Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr (African Cup of Nations) – all could miss over a month of club action.

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Nonetheless, Tottenham are just a single point behind fourth-placed rivals Arsenal after 20 matches and will be brimming with confidence after winning four of their past five matches, but the January transfer window must be used to strengthen.

With this in mind, rumours suggesting Spurs' interest in Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher may well hold some credibility…

Spurs transfer news – Conor Gallagher

According to reports from 90min at the end of 2023, Gallagher is one of Tottenham's main targets this month, with Postecoglou reportedly handing chairman Daniel Levy a shopping list requesting a midfielder, among other positions.

The reputable Fabrizio Romano has stressed recently that there are no active discussions between the London outfits at this stage, though this could change as the window rages on.

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And with Chelsea looking to collect £50m for their youth graduate's signature, facilitating lucrative spending on a centre-forward, Spurs could have a rare opportunity to sign one of their rivals' best players.

Conor Gallagher's season in numbers

Spurs actually attempted to sign Gallagher in the summer, offering £40m on deadline day, but saw the advance rebuffed as the Blues held out for more.

While Chelsea's stance on the England international's possible sale has been met with incredulity within many of the supporter circles in west London, Mauricio Pochettino loves the player and will fight to see him remain at Stamford Bridge.

But with Gallagher out of contract in 2025 and investment needed, Spurs could now capitalise to bolster their squad with a dynamic new centre-midfielder.

Rising to prominence with Chelsea last season after a successful loan spell with Crystal Palace in 2021/22, the 23-year-old played 43 times across all competitions but was unable to prevent the landslide in form that sank the club to an abject 12th-placed Premier League finish.

This year, however, having captained his squad on 11 occasions in the league, Gallagher has been immense in the Premier League, supplying four assists from 19 appearances, completing 91% of his passes, averaging 1.3 key passes, 1.4 interceptions, 2.7 tackles and 6.8 ball recoveries per match while succeeding with 77% of his 1.1 dribbles per match, as per Sofascore.

Pronounced to be a "pressing and transition monster" by one analyst, his functionality and fluidity in the engine room allow him to prosper across the various roles, with this dynamism reflected through his statistics above, showcasing skill in energy, command, control and creativity.

Spurs have an impressive contingency of stars in the engine room but are seeking to offload Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who is attracting attention from Serie A, with Giovani Lo Celso also out of contract in 18 months, with both player and club 'considering' his exit according to reports.

Conor Gallagher's style of play

What this means, when partnered with the knowledge that Postecoglou wants a midfielder, is that a formal approach for Gallagher really could crystallise over the coming weeks.

And given the dynamic and intricate nature of his skill set, Gallagher could prove to be the perfect player to complete the rebuild. ranking among the top 20% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries, the top 19% for successful take-ons, the top 11% for touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 18% for tackles and the top 1% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.

The £50k-per-week's rare blend of qualities could even allow him to serve as a sort of hybrid of James Maddison and Bissouma, enhancing the team and providing a conduit of sorts in the centre of the park, threading the thirds together.

1

Rodrigo Bentancur

Tottenham Hotspur

2

Boubacar Kamara

Aston Villa

3

Lucas Paqueta

West Ham United

4

Sandro Tonali

Newcastle United

5

Tomas Soucek

West Ham United

6

Joao Palhinha

Fulham

7

Cheick Doucoure

Crystal Palace

8

Scott McTominay

Manchester United

9

John McGinn

Aston Villa

10

Kalvin Phillips

Manchester City

*Sourced via Football Transfers

As the table shows, the 11-cap England international is comparable to a range of midfielders, with Lucas Paqueta of West Ham United and tough-tackling Joao Palhinha diametrically opposed stylistically.

But through this data, it can be deduced that Gallagher could emulate traits from both Maddison and Bissouma, with the former signing from Leicester City in the summer and winning the Premier League's Player of the Month award for August after dazzling with his inventive displays.

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Creating 2.9 key passes per game, the 26-year-old's creativity could be replicated somewhat if Gallagher was brought to the fold, with his four assists in the league this season the joint-highest of any Chelsea player in the league.

Similarly, his pass completion (91%) and defensive stats mirror Bissouma's, who has had his disciplinary issues this season but has been hailed for his "immense" displays by journalist Jordan Elgott nonetheless.

The £55k-per-week Spurs titan ranks among the top 1% of midfielders for pass completion, the top 4% for passes attempted, the top 7% for successful take-ons and the top 3% for tackles per 90, and while he's labelled more restrictively as a defensive midfielder than Gallagher, the Blues star can protect the backline with the same ferociousness.

Gallagher is a Premier League-proven player and would provide versatility in his craft to succeed under Postecoglou, and with the club getting three for the price of one with a successful move, efforts must be made to secure his signature swiftly.

Rangers have scored 77 goals in their 37 SPFL games this season, making Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men the second-highest scoring side in the top flight.

One player that has been a rather prominent attacking figure at Ibrox for the Gers is Ryan Kent.

In 24 league appearances, the winger has scored two goals and provided 11 assists along the way.

To further highlight how dangerous the Englishman has been in this campaign, no other Rangers player has averaged a higher number of dribbles per game than Kent (2).

Looking ahead to the upcoming summer transfer window, this could give the Ibrox outfit the chance to sign one player, in particular, that could go on to form a deadly attacking duo with the 25-year-old.

Back in April, it was reported that Rangers are one of the clubs interested in signing Sunderland striker Ross Stewart this summer.

After spending time with St. Mirren and Ross County, the striker joined the Wearside club in the 2021 January transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of £300k.

Since then, the 25-year-old has scored 28 goals in 64 appearances for the Black Cats across all competitions.

To further highlight how much of a dangerous centre-forward he is, only three other players have racked up more shots on target than Stewart (56) in the entire league.

Labelled as a player “who never gives up” by Kevin Phillips, Stewart could be an ideal summer signing for Rangers as they will be aiming to take the SPFL title off their Old Firm rivals Celtic.

This would also give Gers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst the chance to create a scary attacking pair at the top of the pitch between the Sunderland hitman and Kent.

With the winger’s talent for creating goalscoring opportunities for his side and Stewart’s impressive ability to put the ball in the back of the net, this could be just what Rangers need to bolster their attack and launch another title charge.

Moving forward, with Sunderland in the mix to gain promotion to the Championship, should the Wearside club fail in their attempt this time around, Rangers should definitely make a move to bring their star striker back to Scotland for a chance to bring the SPFL title to Ibrox again.

In other news: Big worry: Rangers dealt huge injury setback ahead of UEL final, GvB will be sweating

Does Tottenham’s summer business leave them in a position to challenge towards the very top of the Premier League?

Spurs’ two major summer additions came in attacking positions, recruiting Mohammed Kudus from fierce rivals West Ham for £55m, as well as bringing in Xavi Simons for £51.8m from RB Leipzig.

On the pitch, after swatting aside the aforementioned Hammers 3-0 on Saturday evening, Thomas Frank’s team have now won three out of four in the Premier League.

Next up, Spurs will commence their Champions League campaign with Villarreal the visitors to North London, set to feature in UEFA’s top-tier competition for the first time in three years.

However, would Frank’s team be even more imposing and imperious had Spurs not allowed a 16-year-old academy kid to leave a few years ago. As it happens, he may not be better than the aforementioned Kudus.

Mohammed Kudus' start to life at Spurs

Kudus was certainly the central figure of Saturday’s clash with West Ham, not exactly receiving a warm welcome back to the London Stadium, having become the first player to make the controversial switch since Scott Parker in 2011.

The Ghanaian is yet to score in five appearances for Tottenham, but did register two assists during the opening day victory over Burnley.

So, let’s assess his statistics from the start of this season.

Minutes

427

7th

Assists

2

1st

Shots

7

2nd

Key passes

9

1st

Shot-creating actions

16

1st

Goal-creating actions

3

2nd

Attempted take-ons

29

1st

Successful take-ons

12

1st

Big chances created

1

1st

Touches

168

8th

Average SofaScore rating

7.43

2nd

As the table documents, Kudus has certainly been one of Spurs’ most dangerous players this season, ranked first for assists, key passes, shot-creating actions, dribbles and big chances created.

Thus, there is no doubting his quality, but did an even better winger move in this transfer window for a very similar amount, one that Tottenham had on their books, but let go?

Former Spurs winger starring elsewhere

Born in Barnet, Noni Madueke actually spent four years in Tottenham’s academy, making one appearance for the club in the U18 Premier League, before leaving in 2018 due to a lack of first-team opportunities, making the bold decision to join PSV Eindhoven as a 16-year-old.

Well, over in the Netherlands, he scored 20 goals in 80 first-team appearances for the Eredivisie giants, including a brace during a 4-0 Johan Cruijff Schaal victory over Ajax in Amsterdam, earning a £28.5m move back to London in January 2023, joining Chelsea.

After netting 20 times for the Blues, Chelsea’s continued relentless spending under Todd Boehly’s ownership saw Madueke deemed surplus to requirements this summer, thereby making the surprise move to Arsenal, the Gunners paying £52m for his signature.

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This, largely due to the fee involved, raised a few eyebrows, but the 23-year-old has certainly impressed since swapping West London for North.

Last Tuesday, Madueke scored his first-ever England goal, on target as Thomas Tuchel’s team annihilated Serbia 5-0 in a World Cup qualifier at Stadion Rajko Mitić in Belgrade.

Then, the winger’s performance during Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday earned even greater plaudits.

Speaking during TNT Sports’ coverage, former Spurs striker Peter Crouch labelled him “unplayable”, while ex-Manchester United defender Paul Parker has gone so far as asserting “I actually think he’s better than Bukayo Saka”, a bold claim indeed.

In fairness, in the Premier League last season, Madueke ranked fifth for touches in the opposition box, fourth in terms of shots per 90 and third for both progressive carries as well as carries into the attacking penalty area, so no one should actually be surprised by the level of his quality.

Nevertheless, he has seemingly gone to another level since joining Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, which has surely got to sting for Spurs supporters.

Thus, of course, Tottenham are pleased to have Kudus in their ranks, but perhaps Frank’s side would be even better if Madueke was the man operating on the right flank, which he could well have been, had he not departed for Eindhoven seven years ago.

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ByDominic Lund Sep 14, 2025

It’s been a summer to remember for Chelsea so far this year.

Enzo Maresca’s side capped off a great season by winning the revamped Club World Cup, and the board have been incredibly busy in the transfer market.

For example, the likes of Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens were all through the door before they lifted the rather extravagant trophy in the US last month.

However, the Blues aren’t done there, as they’ve almost wrapped up the signing of Jorrel Hato and are closing in on another young talent who could be an even more exciting acquisition.

Chelsea close in on exciting talent

As things stand, it looks like the next transfer Chelsea are set to complete this summer is the one for Hato.

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The deal was given the ‘here we go’ treatment by transfers expert Fabrizio Romano yesterday evening, who revealed that the Dutchman has agreed to a “long term deal” at Stamford Bridge, and is set to cost “in excess of €40m,” which is about £35m.

There is no doubt that signing such a highly-rated young defender is exciting and will give Maresca plenty of options at the back, but the Blues aren’t finished there, and now look set to close a deal for another, even more exciting young player.

At least that is according to a recent report from Sports Zone, which claims that Chelsea are very interested in signing Emanuel Emegha.

In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that the West Londoners are now “closing in on an agreement over personal terms” for a transfer that would take place next summer.

It’s not clear how much the Strasbourg striker would cost the Conference League champions, but Transfermarkt value him at around €25m, which is about £22m.

He might not be a well-known name to Premier League fans, but Emegha looks to be a tremendously promising young striker, and someone who could well be an even more exciting signing than Hato.

Why Emegha would be a more exciting signing than Hato

So, the first thing to say is that we’re are not disputing that Hato is a seriously exciting addition to this Chelsea squad, as at just 19 years old he already has 111 senior club appearances to his name.

However, two things really get fans on their feet in football, and they are goals and players that can make things happen in an attacking sense, which just so happen to be two things Emegha can do.

For example, when it comes to the first, he managed to rack up an impressive tally of 14 goals and three assists in just 27 Ligue 1 appearances, totalling 2307 minutes, last season.

Appearances

27

Minutes

2307

Goals

14

Assists

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.62

Minutes per Goal Involvement

135.70′

In other words, despite starting the campaign at just 21 years old, the Dutch centre-forward was able to average a goal involvement every 1.58 games, or every 135.70 minutes.

When it comes to the latter point, we can see in his underlying numbers that he is more than just a poacher as well.

According to FBref, he also sits in the top 11% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, for carries into the penalty area per 90.

This suggests that, in addition to finishing chances at a reasonable rate, the “simply phenomenal” gem, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is also brilliant at getting the ball into dangerous areas.

Finally, according to respected analyst Ben Mattinson, the 22-year-old dynamo is also a “pacy runner” who’s brilliant at getting “in behind” defences, which is always the kind of player who’ll get fans up on their feet.

Ultimately, both Hato and Emegha are seriously promising talents, but given his position and goalscoring ability, it’s hard to deny that the latter would be the more exciting signing.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 31, 2025

Leeds United are eight points adrift of the automatic promotion places after they were beaten 2-1 by Preston North End at Deepdale on Boxing Day.

The Whites failed to pick up any points in Lancashire in the early kick-off as an Illan Meslier red card was followed by goals from Alan Browne and Liam Millar on either side of an equaliser from Pascal Struijk.

Ipswich Town dropped points later in the day against Leicester City and that meant that Daniel Farke's side would have been five points off the top two had they beaten Preston.

Instead, they are now fourth in the table – below Southampton who moved up to third – and eight points behind the Tractor Boys in the hunt for promotion back to the Premier League.

The January transfer window is open from the start of next week and Farke could dip into the market to give his team a boost ahead of the second half of the campaign.

Leeds transfer news – a number ten

Journalist Dean Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that he could see Leeds being tempted to enter the market for a natural number ten next month.

The Whites do not have an out-and-out attacking midfielder in their squad as it stands, and the reporter suggested that, whilst there is no guarantee anything will happen, it would not be a surprise to see something come up in that area of the pitch.

Dutch centre-forward Joel Piroe has been utilised in the number ten role so far this season and Farke could land an instant upgrade, just months after his arrival last summer, by swooping to sign Celtic's Matt O'Riley in January.

The Scottish Sun reported in August that the Hoops rejected an offer from Leeds for the Denmark international, who was also wanted by Italian side Bologna.

It was claimed that the German tactician was keen to bring the attacking midfielder to Elland Road to link up with the likes of Ethan Ampadu and Glen Kamara, who was close to a move to Yorkshire from Rangers at the time.

The Whites must now reignite their interest in the former Fulham whiz to bolster their squad in January as he could be a big upgrade on Piroe, who struggled again on Tuesday.

Piroe's performance against Preston in numbers

The summer signing from Swansea lined up as the number ten in Farke's 4-2-3-1 formation as Georgino Rutter once again led the line.

He played the opening 55 minutes of the match before being substituted as the left-footed attacker failed to make an impact on the game.

Piroe lost 100% (2/2) of his duels as the opposition found it far too easy to get the better of him in physical contests and he failed to engage in many battles to help his team out.

The Dutch gem also created just one chance for his teammates, which was not a 'big chance', and did not manage a shot on target in his 55 minutes.

Analyst Louorns on X went as far as to say that Piroe is "invisible" 90% of the time and that Leeds should have spent money on a player who offers more during matches than him.

Piroe's season in numbers

The 24-year-old marksman has been solid but unspectacular since his summer switch from Championship rivals Swansea earlier this year.

Piroe has racked up nine goals and one assist in 24 league matches for the Swans and Leeds combined, which is less than a goal involvement every other game on average.

Appearances

45

43

Three

Goals

22

19

Zero

Assists

Six

Two

Zero

Big chances missed

11

19

One

As you can see from the table above, he was a prolific scorer during his time in Wales but rarely contributed as a creator for his teammates and missed plenty of good opportunities in front of goal.

His finishing has left a bit to be desired so far this season for the Whites as the forward has only scored nine goals from 9.90 and missed seven 'big chances' across his 24 league outings.

He has also only managed one assist and produced 0.9 key passes per game, and this shows that the makeshift number ten does not provide his fellow attackers with chances to score on a regular basis.

These statistics highlight how underwhelming Piroe has been so far this season and O'Riley could now come in as an instant upgrade on him if Leeds can secure his signature.

The statistics that show why Leeds should sign O'Riley

The 23-year-old midfielder has been in fantastic form for the Scottish giants so far this season and could be an excellent signing for the Whites.

He has been superb in front of goal with nine goals in 19 Scottish Premiership matches for Brendan Rodgers' side, which means that the talented gem has as many goals as Piroe in five fewer appearances. This suggests that they both offer a similar level of goal threat from a midfield or number ten position for their respective sides.

Appearances

32

Sofascore rating

7.30

Goals

Three

Assists

12

Big chances created

16

The Denmark international, who was hailed as "complete" by journalist Josh Bunting earlier this season, can provide goals from midfield but he is also a sensational creator for his teammates.

O'Riley has produced 2.6 key passes per game and assisted five goals in 19 league outings this term, following on from 12 assists and 16 'big chances' created in 32 matches during the 2022/23 campaign.

Only Crysencio Summerville (three) has managed more than 2.1 key passes per clash in the Championship this season and this suggests that the Celtic star would be one of Farke's outstanding creators at the top end of the pitch.

These statistics show that the 6 foot 2 magician has the quality to come in as a big upgrade on Piroe, given their similar goal output and the drastic difference in creativity between them.

The Hoops whiz could help Leeds to unlock opposition defences, like Preston's on Boxing Day, more frequently than the Dutch forward, who is not a natural creator in the number ten role.