All posts by z3u9t.icu

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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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.

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Leeds United return from the international break as they prepare to travel to Wales to take on Swansea City in the Championship this afternoon.

The Whites have had to wait until the majority of the other teams in the league played on Friday and Saturday, and now know that they can move into the automatic promotion places with a win over the Swans.

Daniel Farke’s side secured a 2-0 win over Queens Park Rangers at Elland Road in their last match before the break, and will be looking to build on that with another three points.

However, there were still some underwhelming performances from Leeds players in that victory over Marti Cifuentes’ team, with Manor Solomon potentially in danger of losing his place in the XI.

Manor Solomon's performance against QPR

The Tottenham Hotspur loanee was selected to start on the left flank against QPR and failed to make the most of his opportunity to impress.

In his 72 minutes on the pitch for Leeds, the Israel international missed a ‘big chance’ and failed to create any chances for his teammates, with that miss coming in the second half after his shot from close range was smothered by Paul Nardi.

Solomon failed with both of his attempted dribbles and lost five of his eight duels throughout the game, which shows that QPR’s players found it far too easy to get the better of him.

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The 25-year-old flop has now gone seven Championship games without a goal or an assist, since recording an assist against Hull on his debut, and Farke must ruthlessly drop him to the bench after another match without an attacking contribution.

The player who should replace Manor Solomon for Leeds

Dan James was on the bench against QPR and bringing him back in from the start would allow the German head coach to drop Solomon out of the starting line-up.

The Wales international had started the three league games prior to the last match and should be brought straight back into the XI for this afternoon’s clash with Swansea.

James, who was once hailed as “different class” by Ally McCoist, has begun this season with a return of two goals and three ‘big chances’ created in six Championship starts, which shows that he has been far more involved at the top end of the pitch than Solomon has been.

Appearances

40

Starts

28

Goals

13

Big chances created

13

Assists

7

As you can see in the table above, the Welsh speedster also proved his worth in the second tier during the 2023/24 campaign, with regular quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

The former Manchester United winger has the ability to provide a regular threat as a scorer and can break down opposition defences to create chances for his teammates on a regular basis, which is why he is such a key player for the Whites.

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With this in mind, Solomon must be ruthlessly dropped to the bench after his poor showing last time out in order for James to be unleashed from the start, with Wilfried Gnonto moving over to the left wing with the Welshman on the right.

Sheffield United could now pull off an excellent signing in 2025, it has emerged, as they look for a new option at fullback.

Sheffield United on course for promotion

With a third of the season now played, Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United side are on course for an immediate return to the Premier League. Having conceded just nine goals all season, the Blades sit top of the Championship, ahead of Burnley by two points and a further point clear of Leeds United.

Though promotion is by no means guaranteed, they look in great shape to be in the reckoning come the end of the campaign.

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And Wilder has urged his players to embrace the promotion push, explaining: “They see Sky Sports, they see it pop up on the right-hand side of the screen, they see they are winning games – we have to embrace that pressure.

“Embrace that pressure of being a team that’s started the season very well and are deservedly in our position. When we weren’t expected to go up in 2019 I said embrace the position we’re in, enjoy it. Would you rather be here than halfway up?

“We’re 18 games in now, we’re coming up to the halfway mark of the season. We’ve played three quarters if not more of the teams and we know about the teams we haven’t played – where Plymouth are going to be pitched and Cardiff, Burnley and West Brom.”

One player who has been a key part of their success has been loanee Alfie Gilchrist, who has started 15 games so far on the right side of defence. But, with no certainty about his future beyond this season, it seems as though Sheffield United may well be looking at an alternative defender.

Sheffield United want "elite" defender back at Bramall Lane

That comes as TalkSport report that the Blades are interested in re-signing Kyle Walker this summer, something that would have increased chances of success if they can secure promotion. The defender was part of the youth setup at Bramall Lane, but was snapped up by Tottenham quickly and has since gone onto become a Premier League legend, lifting six Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy with Manchester City.

Walker was dubbed “elite” at the beginning of the most recent campaign by fellow right-back and England teammate Reece James, who added: “His all-round quality as a player and person is at an elite level. He’s been at the top for a number of years and he’s a great professional.”

Appearances

404

Goals

8

Assists

36

Clean sheets

130

Premier League titles

6

However, recent reports suggest that his time at the Etihad could be coming to an end, and should he be allowed to leave the club, he would trigger a scramble for his signature, with Walker “expected to receive lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia and the MLS” as well as interest from his hometown.

Despite the lucrative offers, the Blades are likely to have the advantage in the race for the England international, with Walker having already made clear his desire to see out his career in Sheffield.

“I’d like to finish at Sheffield United. That’s something that I would actually like to do”, he told Rio Ferdinand’s podcast back in March.

“I was there from such a young age until that until I went to Tottenham and I only played five [league] games before I went to Tottenham, and then went back on loan for half a season. So I think I’ve got like 35 games and I’d like to go for as long as possible, to give back or even pass on my experience to the younger players that are coming through or players that are there then. If I can do that, then I’d like to, yeah.”

Though he is no longer the star player he once was, the 34-year-old could help bring vital experience to a side that set a record for the most goals conceded in a single season last time they were in the Premier League.

Glasgow Rangers delivered their most astute performance of the season in midweek as they thrashed Nice 4-1 in the French Riviera.

Philippe Clement will be looking for his team to keep their foot on the gas as they play St Johnstone away from home this afternoon. Given they are now trailing Celtic by a massive 14 points ahead of taking to the field in Perth, three points are imperative.

Truth be told, the Premiership title race already feels like a foregone conclusion, yet with another vital European game to come before Christmas, plus the small matter of a League Cup final, the Gers need to build momentum.

The Belgian may make some changes to his starting XI, which could see Jefte dropped to the bench after an average display in Europe on Thursday evening.

Jefte’s game in numbers vs Nice

The Brazilian has been a consistent member of the starting XI over the previous few months due to Ridvan Yilmaz’s absence, gaining vital minutes which will only aid in his development.

Against Nice, he struggled to make much of an impact, both defensively and going forward. He attempted four dribbles, yet succeeded with just one, while failing to deliver a single cross into the opposition box.

The defender won only one of his five duels contested, and he even lost possession 14 times throughout his time on the field, suggesting it was a sloppy display.

Chalkboard

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Yilmaz was brought on in the second half for just his second appearance since suffering an injury back in August. The Turkish left-back should certainly be given the nod over Jefte for the league match today.

The Rangers star that Clement must unleash

The £5m signing from Besiktas in 2022 has enjoyed a few purple patches during his stint with the Gers, but the supporters want to see more from the player, especially given his obvious talents.

Last season, the 23-year-old made 33 appearances in all competitions, and it would have been more had he not suffered yet another injury on international duty towards the end of the campaign.

Metric per 90

2022/23

2023/24

Accurate passes

23.9

24.1

Tackles

0.9

1

Total duels won

2.8

3.4

Successful dribbles

0.7

1.3

Key passes

0.7

1.5

Domestically, he created six big chances, averaged 1.5 key passes and succeeded with 1.3 dribbles per game, proving that he was the heir apparent to Borna Barisic, certainly in terms of his attacking nature.

Yilmaz also impressed defensively, as he won 56% of his total duels per game and made one tackle per match. Clement even hailed the Turkish star as a “fighter” last season, suggesting the player had a big future ahead under the Belgian.

Hopefully, his injury problems are a thing of the past as he works himself back to full fitness. The clash against St Johnstone represents an ideal chance for Yilmaz to make his first start since August, having played only six games this term – just four of which have come from the start.

Whether or not Clement will start the £12k-per-week ace is another question, but squad rotation will be crucial over the next few weeks.

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Manchester United’s prospective new manager Ruben Amorim has already tasked INEOS with signing three new players, according to a new report. The Red Devils are looking to close the deal for Amorim as soon as possible, as he’s been made their number one target to replace Erik ten Hag.

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ByBrett Worthington Oct 29, 2024 Man Utd news and updates

It looks to be a matter of when, not if, as to when Amorim is announced as the new Man Utd manager. The 39-year-old has agreed in principle to take the Old Trafford job, and Sporting confirmed to the Portuguese stock exchange on Tuesday that United are willing to meet Amorim’s release clause. The deal appears to be in the final stages, and he will become the youngest manager to manage the Red Devils in the Premier League.

One factor behind United going after Amorim is that they believe his arrival will help midfielder Manuel Ugarte. The Uruguayan failed to appear much under Ten Hag, and that became a concern for INEOS, as they see him and Kobbie Mainoo as the future of their midfield, and a partnership between the pair can help transform them.

The Portuguese isn’t through the door yet, but he has already suffered a potential blow, as Luke Shaw has suffered an injury setback. The left-back has yet to play for United this season, his last game for them being against Luton Town in February, as he suffered a calf injury in pre-season training and was expected to be back in the squad soon, but has now suffered a setback, but it is unclear how far away from a return he is now.

It appears to be only a matter of time before Amorim is named the new United manager, and he has already requested three new additions for his new side.

Ruben Amorim already requests Man Utd to sign three new stars

According to TEAMtalk, Amorim has identified Goncalo Inacio, Ryan Edwards, and Pedro Goncalves as players he would like to bring to Manchester United, requesting INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe to secure deals for the trio. All three players are at Sporting CP and have been key to what Amorim has achieved in Portugal, and he now looks keen to bring them to Manchester with him.

The Red Devils added five new players to their squad in January; three defenders, a midfielder, and a forward, but Amorim already has his eyes on where he would like to strengthen. Despite adding Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro in the summer, Amorim is keen to bring Inacio to Old Trafford with him, as he could be a possible replacement for Harry Maguire.

The defender is considered one of the best young defenders in Europe, and Amorim’s connection could give them an advantage, as he’s got a release clause of just over £50 million. As well as Inacio, Edwards is also seen as a player who could add quality to this United team. The Red Devils are looking to move Antony on, and Edwards may be seen as an ideal replacement.

Apps

185

Goals

17

Assists

11

The final player that Amorim seems keen on reuniting with is Goncalves, but he could be the most difficult to prize away from Sporting, as he’s considered a vital player for the club. Sporting would demand a big fee for his services and are reluctant to sanction his departure midway through the campaign.

Since Mikel Arteta entered Arsenal Football Club he has been ruthless with his decision-making. He takes no prisoners, that’s for sure.

After one too many misdemeanours, the Spaniard removed the captaincy from Pierre Emerick-Aubayemany and subsequently told him to leave the club.

There’s also the goalkeeper situation. Aaron Ramsdale was fine. He had some great moments in an Arsenal shirt. Remember that jaw-dropping stop to deny James Maddison’s free-kick against Leicester? Alas, Arteta had seen enough. In came David Raya.

The way he’s now phasing out Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus is also pretty ruthless but they aren’t good enough. Let’s be honest, here.

One of the more peculiar moves during Arteta’s reign was the freedom with which Granit Xhaka left the Emirates Stadium.

Why Granit Xhaka left Arsenal behind

The redemption arc of Xhaka’s Arsenal career was a sight to behold. This was a player who cupped his ear and tossed the captain’s armband on the floor during the reign of Unai Emery.

There was surely no way of coming back from that. Well, the Swiss defied the doubters, defied all critics and is now seen as a club icon for his performances under Arteta.

It was during the 2022/23 season that the midfielder shone brightest, scoring a career-best nine goals and also registering seven assists across all competitions. He had quickly become one of the finest central players in the Premier League.

However, he wanted to go and in swooped Beyer Leverkusen who snapped Xhaka up for a measly fee of £21.4m. Why did he go? Well, it was to seek a new challenge at a late stage in his career.

Since then, the now 32-year-old has enjoyed a fabulous time of it. He won the Bundesliga unbeaten last season and reached the final of the Europa League. He was among the Ballon d’Or nominees too.

Xhaka ended up ranking in 16th place, ahead of Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Declan Rice.

Did Arsenal miss him last term? Perhaps. That being said, club-record signing Rice did a pretty decent job in his stead, being named in the PFA Team of the Year for 2023/24.

That said, will the Gunners miss another midfielder? Quite possibly, for this young Frenchman is now ranking pretty closely to Xhaka in certain metrics.

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The 20th June 2020. It’s a poignant date in Arsenal’s history. An unsuspecting game with Brighton during that dreaded COVID season happened to alter the timeline of many careers as Arsenal lost at the Amex Stadium.

Berno Leno suffered a serious knee injury that led to Emiliano Martinez’s triumphant rise to become the best goalkeeper in the world. It was also Matteo Guendouzi’s last match in an Arsenal shirt.

Visibly angry at the challenge from fellow countryman Neal Maupay that hurt Leno, he somehow avoided punishment despite grabbing him by the throat.

Arteta had seen him enough, though, and that summer he was being sold in a £9m move to Marseille. Guendouzi left having flattered to deceive. He had mass potential but his attitude problems – as we saw in that clash with the Seagulls – often got the better of him.

Moving back to his homeland after initially being signed from Lorient, the France international did so having played on 82 occasions for Arsenal.

Described as a “monster in the making” by scout Jacek Kulig, the now 25-year-old is now impressing in Serie A for Lazio alongside Nuno Tavares. Remember him?

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After a summer move, Guendouzi has played 14 times in which he’s scored once and registered a solitary assist. But, it’s his Xhaka-like qualities that are going under the radar.

Indeed, as per FBRef, the former Arsenal man ranks among the very best Europe has to offer for progressive passes. Compared to players in Europe’s top five leagues this season, he sits in fifth place for that metric with 96.

He sits just ahead of Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi (91) and only just behind Joshua Kimmich (126) who ranks first and Xhaka (125) who sits second in the listings.

So, are there many other similarities between the two midfielders? Let’s take a look.

Goals

0.09

0.10

Assists

0.09

0.30

Pass success %

88.5%

90%

Short pass success %

94.4%

94.8%

Long pass success %

73.4%

72.5%

Key passes

1.13

2.20

Progressive passes

8.35

12.5

Tackles won

0.61

0.60

Let’s be honest. Xhaka is quite evidently the better football but it’s clear that there are plenty of similarities between the two players.

Arteta wasn’t to know but in a parallel universe, perhaps Guendouzi was the long-term heir all along? From a passing point of view, very little separates them and they also make a similar number of tackles per 90 minutes.

As data analyst Ben Mattinson once said, the now Lazio ace is a great “what could’ve been” player.

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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.

Is everything finally beginning to click into place for Ruben Amorim at Manchester United?

It feels as if Amorim has constantly been under pressure since taking on the poisoned chalice of the Red Devils gig, but recent results are now pointing in the direction that the Manchester side’s ongoing patience with their ex-Sporting boss is finally paying off, with an emphatic 4-2 win over Brighton and Hove Albion picked up on Saturday pushing the regular Premier League underachievers into a temporary top four position.

While a number of his new flashy summer recruits did stand out against the Seagulls, it was another night where Bruno Fernandes shone in attack, too, with the Portuguese playmaker very rarely falling victim to an off-day.

Why Bruno Fernandes was a standout

The alleged £47m forked out to land the skillful 31-year-old back in 2020 continues to look like a very wise use of cash.

Indeed, although he didn’t get in on the goalscoring act during the impressive 4-2 victory, he still managed to be a driving force for his team centrally to push them up the pitch, with three successful marauds forward tallied up by the much-loved number eight come the full-time whistle.

With nine ground duels won, the ever-present ace is still definitely proving his worth as a livewire, with plenty of credit in his bank for the season overall, as well, having assisted Harry Maguire’s late dramatic winner against Liverpool the match before this jubilant win back at Old Trafford.

With 187 goal contributions now next to his name donning United red, per Transfermarkt, it’s clear that Fernandes is one of the Premier League’s greatest transfer steals in recent memory.

Yet, there is a fresh, emerging hero in Amorim’s ranks who could already be viewed as another Bruno-like swipe, with the ace in question instantly hitting the ground running at the Theatre of Dreams after a statement £65m switch in the summer.

Man Utd have now uncovered their "best signing since Bruno"

Significant changes were needed in the summer in the Old Trafford attacking department, with a goal-shy Rasmus Hojlund not cutting the mustard up top.

Benjamin Sesko has already shown signs of promise as the Red Devils’ new leading marksman with two Premier League strikes next to his name, but it’s his attacking teammate against the Seagulls in Bryan Mbeumo who has been receiving the highest possible praise, having bagged a blistering two goals up against a leaky Bart Verbruggen.

Mbeumo doesn’t look fazed whatsoever by the pressures of being one of United’s main attacking sparks, much like Fernandes, who instantly slotted into the daunting Old Trafford environment all those years ago, with both of his confidently dispatched efforts against Brighton taking his Premier League goal tally to a weighty 46 overall for both Amorim and Co. and Brentford.

Five of those strikes have already come about as United’s flashy new number 19, but it’s his overall attacking game – away from his clinical edge in front of goal – that further places him on the pedestal of being the illustrious club’s “best signing since Bruno” in the eyes of statistician Statman Dave.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

2

Assists

0

Touches

59

Shots

3

Accurate passes

34/38 (89%)

Key passes

2

Big chances created

2

Successful dribbles

4/5

On another night, the Cameroonian could well have had an assist next to his name, with two big chances created off the back of Mbeumo, constantly wanting to bomb forward and entertain, much like a relentless Fernandes has shown he is capable of across his successful spell in England to date.

Deservedly so, Mbeumo would also be handed a 9/10 post-match rating by the Daily Express’ Archie Griggs, who simply stated that the red-hot 26-year-old was ‘the best player on the pitch’.

Further hailed as a star who has the “hunger to deliver a different level” by Sky Sports’ Gary Neville, it will be intriguing to see if United can keep up this winning sequence of games moving forward, as an Mbeumo-led effort potentially restores the Red Devils to their former glories.

With Matheus Cunha also at Amorim’s disposal, it really does feel like now or never for the Lisbon-born manager to bring successful days back to the red half of Manchester, with Fernandes lurking in the background also a wonderful asset to have on side.

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