All posts by z3u9t.icu

Aston Villa have now burst into the race for a “special” player who is expected to cost over £60m, according to a report.

Villa locked in transfer battles with Newcastle

With Villa and Newcastle both set to compete in Europe next season, it is no surprise the two clubs are shopping in similar talent pools, and they are battling it out for the signature of FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, who is protected by a £85m release clause.

The Villans’ pursuit of a new striker comes amid doubts over Ollie Watkins’ future, with Sky Sports recently revealing that Manchester United are now exploring the conditions of a potential deal for the England international.

However, striker is not the only position in which Unai Emery is looking to strengthen, with the manager also setting his sights on a new winger, according to a report from talkSPORT.

The report states that Aston Villa have now burst into the race for Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga, with the Sweden international also being targeted by Newcastle, and widespread recent reports have suggested the Magpies are in advanced talks.

Villa are now set to compete for Elanga’s signature, however, having conducted checks on the Forest star, but a deal is likely to be on the expensive side, with their Premier League rivals set to hold out for a fee in excess of £60m.

Forest have no desire to sell one of their key players, having already knocked back a £45m bid from Newcastle, which means Emery’s side will need to be willing to spend big to get a deal over the line.

"Special" Elanga could excel at Villa Park

The former Manchester United man has gone from strength-to-strength since leaving Old Trafford, playing a key role in Forest securing survival in the 2023-24 campaign, before going on to feature in every Premier League game last season.

Season

Appearances

Goals

Assists

2023-24

36

5

9

2024-25

38

6

11

As such, the 23-year-old clearly has the talent to excel at Villa Park, but there are doubts over whether NSWE would be able to justify an outlay of over £60m+ outlay, considering they are currently looking to sell the women’s team to avoid a PSR breach.

The next Tielemans: Aston Villa submit bid to sign "incredible" £34m star

Aston Villa fans would love to welcome in this new signing who could be Unai Emery’s next Youri Tielemans.

1 ByKelan Sarson Jul 1, 2025

Should Watkins complete a move to Man United, Villa should have money to spend, but the number one priority at that point would surely be to bring in a new striker, having also lost Jhon Duran in the January transfer window.

Consequently, even though Elanga has been lauded as “special” by Forest boss Nuno, there are doubts over whether the right-winger would be a necessary signing for the Villans, and a move to St. James’ Park may be more attractive, as Champions League football is on offer.

Birmingham City are not slowing down in the summer transfer window in their attempt to bolster their squad ahead of a return to the Championship next season.

The Blues recently confirmed the signings of James Beadle, Tommy Doyle, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Demarai Gray to improve their options across the pitch.

They are not done there, though, as L’Equipe recently reported that Rennes striker Kyogo Furuhashi is closing in on a move to Birmingham for a fee that could rise as high as £10m, which is how much the French side paid to sign him in January from Celtic.

Kyogo, who failed to score in six matches for Rennes, is not the only player who is reportedly on the verge of making the move to St. Andrew’s to join Chris Davies’ squad.

Birmingham City set to complete double deal

A fresh claim from GIVEMESPORT backs up L’Equipe’s news that the Japanese striker is closing in on a transfer to the Championship side this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

The report adds, though, that the League One champions are also set to sign attacking midfielder Kanya Fujimoto on a free transfer, following his exit from Gil Vicente.

GIVEMESPORT claims that both Kyogo and Fujimoto are ‘expected’ to join the club before the end of the weekend, as the Blues close in on a big double deal.

The outlet reveals that Birmingham kept tabs on the former Gil Vicente star throughout the 2024/25 campaign, and they are now making their move for him.

Why Fujimoto is even more exciting than Kyogo for Birmingham

Despite Kyogo being set to sign for £10m and Fujimoto due to arrive on a free transfer, the latter looks to be the most exciting signing out of the two players.

Birmingham are signing Kyogo off the back of a very difficult season for him. As aforementioned, the striker did not score in six league games for Rennes before being immediately sold six months after joining.

The 30-year-old forward also only scored ten goals from 14.14 xG in a dominant Celtic team in the Premiership during the first half of the season, which shows that he significantly underperformed in front of goal.

This shows that Birmingham are spending a huge fee on a player who is declining and heading into the latter stages of his career, which is a big risk because there is a chance that his form does not improve.

xG

4.00

Top 4%

Goals

5

Top 3%

Shots on target

13

Top 5%

xA

2.77

Top 14%

Assists

5

Top 3%

Chances created

35

Top 8%

Successful dribbles

19

Top 16%

Whereas, as you can see in the table above, Fujimoto is arriving at the club off the back of a very impressive season with Gil Vicente in the Portuguese top-flight.

At the age of 26, he is coming into the prime years of his career and appears to be at the top of his game, ranking highly among his positional peers as both a scorer and a creator of goals in Portugal.

Fujimoto was once described as a “silky dribbler who’s dangerous in the pockets behind the striker” by analyst Ben Mattinson, and his statistics back that up, as he ranked highly as a dribbler to go along with his goal contributions.

The Japanese ace is a midfielder who can score and assist goals efficiently, outperforming his xG, and has the performances to suggest that he can hit the ground running at St. Andrew’s.

Birmingham City enter race to sign £6m "monster" ahead of Sheffield United

The Blues have joined the race to sign a defender from a Premier League club.

2 ByBrett Worthington Jul 2, 2025

This is why he is an even more exciting signing for Birmingham than Kyogo, who is coming off the back of a poor year in France and in Scotland, and is not in the prime of his career anymore.

Having partied hard in Dubai and Ibiza, Liverpool lifted the Premier League aloft and then went on to make a huge statement in the transfer market, the biggest one that’s ever been seen in English top-flight history.

The Reds have landed full-backs, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, from Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth respectively, but Florian Wirtz’s arrival was a great deal more exciting than both.

Richard Hughes and Co were able to broker a £116m deal with Leverkusen, thus making him the most expensive player in English football.

No pressure then, Florian. To be fair, if there is any pressure, it’s likely he’ll thrive.

Wirtz has been the poster boy for Bayer for a number of years now and has already cemented himself as one of the finest 10s in the game, scoring 16 goals and registering 15 assists in 45 matches last season.

Now, however, an even bigger deal could be sorted before the transfer window shuts in a few months.

Liverpool looking to spend big again in July

If you thought June was a big month for the Reds then perhaps July could be even bigger.

It’s likely FSG will commence the new month by announcing the arrival of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.

Last week, it was revealed that Liverpool were closing in on an agreement on personal terms with the centre-back and this weekend, reports have suggested that talks are set to take place with Palace in a bid to conclude a move.

Transfer Focus

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

That being said, he’s not the only Premier League star who could walk through the doors of Anfield in a few weeks.

It’s an incredibly unlikely one but the rumour mill continues to link Newcastle forward Alexander Isak with a move to Merseyside.

Reports over recent weeks suggest that the Swede is Liverpool’s dream target for the rest of the window and understandably so. Yet, with an alleged asking price topping £200m, it will be nigh on impossible to get him out of St James’ Park this summer.

Well, this weekend, the Chronicle have reported the latest on the saga. They note that ‘reporters who cover the club [Liverpool] have been told not to dismiss a July bid for Isak.’

Sadly for the Reds, there are several obstacles at play here, not least the striker’s asking price but the fact that he remains contracted until 2028.

Eddie Howe has held talks behind the scenes with Isak about his future and the Toon appear to be confident of keeping him in the north east.

Why Isak is even more exciting than Wirtz

It wasn’t long ago that former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes explained that the “absolutely exceptional” Wirtz is “probably the best midfielder in the world.”

It’s hard to dispute that statement given his numbers last season, but Liverpool are in dire need of a new centre-forward and Isak ticks every single box imaginable.

A “world-class assassin” in the words of Newcastle legend, Alan Shearer, the Swede has proven himself to be what some believe, including analyst Raj Chohan, “the best striker in the world”.

While fellow Swede Viktor Gyokeres, who scored 54 goals in 52 matches last season, was Europe’s top marksman, he did so in an inferior league to the Premier League.

Whether the Sporting powerhouse comes to England and scores a similar amount next season remains to be seen, but Isak is proven over here already and could well be Liverpool’s ticket not just to top-flight dominance but Champions League dominance.

While Mo Salah ran rampant across the continent last season, scoring 34 and assisting 23 in all competitions, if there is any weakness to pluck from this Reds side it was that they perhaps lacked another reliable goalscorer.

Wingers by trade, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz did score 18 and 17 goals but as far as out-and-out centre-forwards are concerned, Diogo Jota only scored nine and Darwin Nunez ended the campaign with seven.

1. Mo Salah

52

34

2. Cody Gakpo

49

18

3. Luis Diaz

50

17

4. Diogo Jota

37

9

5. Dominik Szoboszlai

49

8

6. Darwin Nunez

47

7

7. Alexis Mac Allister

49

7

Jota is notably injury-prone and Nunez looks as though he’s on his way to Napoli, so, after the arrivals of Wirtz and Co, adding a striker to their ranks is paramount.

Unlike Wirtz, Isak has proven he can do it in the Premier League before and is already well poised to take over the mantle from Salah as Liverpool’s leading man in attack.

Last season, he bagged 27 times in 42 outings, adding to the 25 in 40 he netted the campaign prior. He’s a menace, a captivating talent who quite possibly has Ballon d’Or level potential running through him.

Wirtz was no doubt a big statement but Isak, wanted by Europe’s elite, would be an even bigger one. He’s the most exciting forward around and Liverpool could soar to new heights with him at Arne Slot’s disposal.

Gordon upgrade: Liverpool open first talks to sign "generational" £85m star

Liverpool might need to replace the sought-after Luis Diaz in the summer transfer market.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 27, 2025

As rumours continue to rumble on over Chelsea’s chase to sign Hugo Ekitike, the Blues have reportedly opened talks to sign a fresh alternative option this summer.

Chelsea face competition for Hugo Ekitike

Ekitike is certainly a man in demand this summer. According to reports, Chelsea are joined in the race for the Frenchman’s signature by both Liverpool and Manchester United in a deal which could yet cost as much as £84m. As ever, the Blues will be keen to make a statement against their Premier League opposition, but Liverpool’s fresh ruthless streak in the market could yet prove to be a problem on that front.

If those at Stamford Bridge do suffer a rare defeat in the transfer window then they must still turn towards alternative attacking options. Nicolas Jackson’s red card against Flamengo as his side lost 3-1 at the Club World Cup once again highlighted why Chelsea could do with an upgraded and more reliable option to lead their frontline.

Disappointed by the forward’s second red card of the season, manager Enzo Maresca told reporters: “It happened against Newcastle and today. I am not 100% sure it’s a red card compared to the Newcastle one. It’s a little bit of a bad moment for Nico. The red card has nothing to do with Nico’s future… Nico knows in both games it was not good for the team.”

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There could be more bad news for Jackson following his red card if recent rumours are anything to go by, too. With the race to sign Ekitike hanging in the balance, Chelsea have reportedly turned their attention towards another option.

Chelsea open talks to sign Kolo Muani

According to L’Equipe, as relayed by Get French Football News, Chelsea have now opened talks to sign Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain this summer. The Frenchman is currently still on loan at Juventus courtesy of their participation in the Club World Cup, but will have a decision to make regarding his future sooner or later.

It’s then that Chelsea could push on and welcome a player who may replace Jackson. It would certainly be a deserved move for Kolo Muani too. The forward struggled at PSG, but has finally rediscovered his most clinical form whilst on loan in Italy.

Minutes

1,518

2,220

Goals

10

10

Assists

2

5

Expected Goals

9.4

12.3

Having previously been described as “complete” by France teammate Kylian Mbappe, Kolo Muani has finally returned to his clinical best at Juventus. Whilst Jackson has underperformed in expected goals, the Chelsea target has matched his 10-goal tally in around 700 less minutes with an XG of just 9.4.

Still just 26 years old, Kolo Muani would be an ideal alternative to Ekitike for Chelsea this summer.

Arsenal are in the market for a new attacker this summer, and sporting director Andrea Berta has been handed a boost in regard to one target who appears to have his eyes firmly on a move to N5.

Arsenal maintaining Benjamin Sesko talks

The Gunners have been seriously pursuing RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko for the last fortnight.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 11, 2025

Talks have been held with the Bundesliga side over a move for their talismanic forward, who scored 21 goals in all competitions last season, with Arsenal and Leipzig reportedly negotiating to find middle ground on the fee.

While reliable reports suggest that Saudi sides are now expressing a keen interest in Sesko to rival Arsenal, the player’s priority is to remain in Europe, and it is believed by some media sources that the 22-year-old has already agreed personal terms (CaughtOffside).

There appears to be cautious optimism that a move can eventually be struck for the Slovenia international, but in case a deal falls through, Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres remains on their shortlist (Fabrizio Romano).

The Swede is fresh off an excellent campaign, where he bagged 54 goals in all competitions, helping Sporting to their first domestic double in 20 years.

Gyokeres’ ruthless finishing has attracted interest from across the continent, with Man United also rumoured to be contending for his services. However, he definitely won’t be leaving for £59 million, as Sporting president Frederico Varandas confirmed to the media this week.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

“I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for 60m euros plus 10m euros because I never promised that,” Varandas said.

“To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres – neither today nor last season.”

Viktor Gyokeres prioritising move to Arsenal with meeting held

While a lot of negotiation still needs to be done over a potential fee, if Arsenal decide to go there in the event they cannot agree a Sesko deal, they can be encouraged by the 27-year-old’s stance on a move to the Emirates Stadium.

According to CNN journalist Nuno Farinha, speaking on CNN Portugal, Gyokeres’ agent held a meeting with Arsenal chiefs on Wednesday to lay groundwork over a potential transfer.

Farinha also says that Arsenal has always been Gyokeres’ preferred landing spot, with the ex-Coventry City star seemingly prioritising a move to north London over Man United.

While a lot of debate is surrounding Gyokeres’ price tag, especially after Varandas’ comments, Portuguese newspaper Record recently stated that Sporting have been demanding around £67 million.

“His overall game is good. He is big and strong, he can play on the ball and his finishing is ridiculously good,” said pundit John Wenham to Tottenham News.

“That would be an exciting signing.”

Arsenal are now ready to make an opening offer for a “fantastic” striker who’s “always a threat”, according to journalist Alan Nixon.

Gunners' search for a striker continues

It appears as though Mikel Arteta may finally be about to bite the bullet and bring in a new striker this summer, with the Gunners being credited with an interest in several different forwards from across Europe, including Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, however, has made the bold claim that any new striker will eventually end up being dropped for Kai Havertz, given how important the German is to Arteta’s style of play.

That prediction follows on from Carragher’s comments back in March, when he suggested that a lack of creativity was the real issue for the north Londoners last season, rather than not having a top striker at their disposal: “The problem they have is not a finishing problem. It’s a creation problem.

“They don’t create enough chances. That’s the biggest problem that they’ve got right now.”

Regardless, Arsenal appear to be continuing their pursuit of a new centre-forward, and Nixon has now revealed they are ready to offer Blackburn Rovers more than £1m for 17-year-old Igor Tyjon.

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The Gunners are now prepared to make an opening bid for Tyjon, who is a highly-rated young striker, although he only featured twice for Blackburn in the Championship last season, indicating that he could be some way off Premier League level.

"Fantastic" Tyjon could be a future star

While he is yet to make an impact at first-team level for Blackburn, the teenager has received high praise in the past, with former manager John Eustace saying: “Igor has been a standout young player since I have been at the football club. He had a fantastic pre-season. He’s just played for England in the week. I was delighted to give him his debut today. He has worked, very, very hard.”

“He’s a 16-year-old boy and we have to remember that. He is certainly one for the future.”

Blackburn U21s boss Mike Sheron has also been left impressed by the starlet, adding: “I love his bravery and his positivity. We asked him to play off the left tonight and he’ll receive the ball in any situation.

“He’ll turn, he’ll try to go forward, he’s positive, he looks after it, he’s always reliable in possession and he’s always a threat.”

As such, Tyjon could be a shrewd signing for Arsenal this summer, and he may one day be capable of leading the line, but their primary goal this summer should be to bring in a proven top-level striker, in order to compete for the Premier League title next season.

There has been a lot to be negative about for Arsenal fans this season.

From their never-ending slew of injuries to bizarre suspensions and the fact that they once again failed to win a trophy.

However, while we certainly wouldn’t disagree that this year has been a disappointment for Mikel Arteta’s side, there have also been a few genuine positives.

For example, a number of players have stepped up throughout the year and improved their standing in the team, including one who’s looked at entirely differently by the fans but shouldn’t be at the club at the start of next season.

The Arsenal stars who stepped up

So, before we get to the player in question, it’s worth going over a few of the other stars who did themselves proud in an otherwise underwhelming season, such as Bukayo Saka.

Yes, the Hale Ender was out of action for just over three months with a hamstring injury, but when he was on the pitch, he’s only further proven to people that he is well and truly world-class.

For example, in 37 appearances, totalling 2619 minutes, the 23-year-old scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists, which comes out to an unreal average of a goal involvement every 1.42 games or every 100.73 minutes.

Appearances

37

Minutes

2619

Goals

12

Assists

14

Goal Involvements per Match

0.70

Minutes per Goal Involvement

100.73′

The Englishman also stepped up against Real Madrid, just like another of the team’s leaders from this season, Declan Rice.

The former West Ham United captain started the season somewhat slowly, but after Christmas, he looked back to his very best, and if he wasn’t breaking up opposition attacks in the middle of the park, he was starting them himself.

Moreover, the fact that he scored not one but two utterly superb free-kicks against Real in the Champions League cannot be overlooked – not that it is, mind.

Someone who doesn’t receive quite as much attention but should is Jurrien Timber, who, off the back of his ACL injury in the 23/24 season, managed to cover for the injured Ben White brilliantly this season, making 48 appearances across all competitions, 42 of which were starts.

Interestingly, the former Ajax star wasn’t the only defender to seriously improve his standing in the team this season.

The Arsenal star who should never play for the team again

So, it’s probably not too difficult to work out that the defender we are talking about is, of course, Jakub Kiwior.

The Polish international, who joined the club for £20m in January 2023, played something of a bit part for most of the campaign, right up until Gabriel Magalhaes saw his campaign end with a hamstring injury against Fulham on April 1st.

Following on from that game, the former Spezia star started every Premier League and Champions League game, including both legs against Real, in which, aside from a small mistake in the first leg, he was near enough perfect.

It was a totally unexpected run of genuinely impressive form from the 25-year-old, who only in December was branded as “shocking,” as having “no outstanding physical qualities”, and simply not “good enough” by Arsenal podcaster Phil Costa.

So, you may be asking yourself, why are we saying the “exceptional” international, as dubbed by Arteta, should never play for the club again?

Well, simply put, now is the best time to sell him and earn a tidy profit, with reports from last week claiming that he now has a price tag of £60m on his head, which works out to a 200% increase on the fee paid by the Gunners.

Moreover, it would also be in his own best interest, as when Gabriel is back, his game time will dramatically decrease and then decrease some more if Riccardo Calafiori can sort out his fitness over the summer.

Ultimately, Arsenal should say their thanks to Kiwior and move him on this summer, while his valuation is justifiably high as it is.

Better than Sane: Arteta makes £50m winger Arsenal's new priority signing

The international star would be a great addition to Arsenal’s squad this summer.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 29, 2025

Regardless of what happens at Wembley this coming Saturday, Sheffield United will know it will be a busy and hectic summer ahead in South Yorkshire.

If promotion out of the Championship is won, Chris Wilder will need to add in some exceptional new bodies to give his team a fighting chance at securing survival, whilst sticking it out in the second tier will also bring about its own set of difficulties in terms of players such as Gustavo Hamer potentially wanting to move on.

Jack Robinson is looking likely to be a casualty whether promotion is won or not, considering the former Liverpool centre-back is yet to pen a new deal at Bramall Lane, alongside some restless natives finding lots of faults in his performances this season.

Therefore, one top priority this summer will be to bring in a fresh, imposing presence to line up in the heart of defence, with these three potential signings perhaps names on Wilder’s shopping lists, irrespective of whether they’re soaring up to the Premier League or stuck inside the EFL.

1 Harry Souttar

Harry Souttar could well return to United during the busy window, having been on the books of the Blades for 22 memorable games this season before his injury troubles took over.

When he was fit, the 26-year-old battled away valiantly for the cause, with Souttar averaging a high five duels won across his 21 Championship contests, on top of picking up 13 clean sheets.

It would be a major risk to go back in for the injury-ravaged defender – considering he is still sidelined with his torn achilles tendon – but there is definitely unfinished business between Souttar and Wilder’s men and he could be just what is needed when back to full fitness if Robinson does exit.

2 Harry Darling

Swansea City star Harry Darling is the talk of the town in the Championship at the moment with the Welshman looking likely to move on from his current home shortly.

Whoever does pick up the 25-year-old will win his services for free too, which has already piqued the interest of teams such as Birmingham City, but United have been admirers from afar for some time and he could be a sterling option to have around the building if Robinson does depart.

Games played

39

34

Goals scored

5

0

Assists

3

0

Touches*

74.5

68.6

Accurate passes*

53.9 (88%)

45.6 (86%)

Ball recoveries*

3.9

3.4

Clearances*

5.0

4.8

Total duels won*

4.9

5.4

Clean sheets

12

12

Looking at the table above, whilst Robinson does better Darling in terms of duels being won this season, the wantaway Swans defender appears to be more Premier League ready in most departments next to his experienced counterpart.

Indeed, the “heroic” star – as he was previously lauded by ex-boss Luke Williams – managed to chip in with five goals and three assists as a lively body at the back even as his current employers finished in 11th position, whilst also bettering the 31-year-old with more ball recoveries and clearances averaged.

Therefore, he might well be ready for a move to Wilder’s men, considering he’s proven himself as a top performer at EFL level with the potential to go on to become a Premier League-capable talent.

3 Jimmy Dunne

Similarly, adding in Queens Park Rangers’ powerhouse Jimmy Dunne to their defensive options would gift United another stylish body, away from the imposing figures of Robinson and Anel Ahmedhodzic.

The Blades were reportedly keen on Dunne’s services in January, and much like Swansea’s mid-table predicament, a move to United would presumably be appealing for the Irishman away from sticking it out with the lower Hoops.

With Dunne also capable of producing a moment of magic like this, he could be just the daring new option that makes Robinson’s first-team spot insecure.

Winning a mammoth 8.4 duels on average this season just gone too, the 27-year-old can further apply himself well as a gritty presence, meaning he could go on to form an intimidating defensive duo with the aforementioned Ahmedhodzic.

Wilder's own Dan Ballard: Sheffield United have struck gold with £14m star

Chris Wilder actually possesses his own Daniel Ballard ahead of Sheffield United’s playoff final showdown versus Sunderland.

ByKelan Sarson May 15, 2025

Arsenal may have saved themselves from a potential embarrassment on Sunday afternoon, but that does not change the fact that this summer has to be a monumental one.

Mikel Arteta told us it would be early last month, and while the arrival of Martin Zubimendi is certainly exciting, the area that needs reinforcing more than anywhere else is the attack.

Moreover, while the team’s need for a new striker – or two – is undeniable, a dynamic, direct, and dangerous left-winger is arguably just as crucial to support Bukayo Saka’s efforts on the other flank.

The good news is that the board seem to agree, as recent reports have linked the club with one of the most exciting wingers in world football, someone who’d be a massive upgrade on Leandro Trossard.

Arsenal's winger search

Given Arsenal’s lack of threat off the left this season, the last few weeks have seen several top-quality wingers, such as Rafael Leao and Daizen Maeda, linked with the club.

Transfer Focus

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

The former could reportedly be available for around £85m, and while that is a considerable sum of money, his tally of 12 goals and 13 assists in 48 games this season suggests he’d be worth it.

Maeda, on the other hand, could be the Gunners for just £25m, which might be a steal considering he’s scored 33 goals and provided 12 assists in just 49 games this season.

However, Andrea Berta and Co might be after someone slightly cheaper than the AC Milan star but with more experience in a top-five league than the Celtic ace, which is where Nico Williams comes into play.

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal is one of several teams incredibly interested in the Spanish superstar.

In fact, he goes a step further, revealing that the North Londoners are ‘at the front of the queue’ for the dynamic winger, and that Berta and Co have already held talks with his camp.

If Arsenal successfully convince the 22-year-old to join them this summer, they’ll have to pay his £48m release clause to get the deal done, but even so, he’d be more than worth it and a significant upgrade on Trossard.

How Williams compares to Trossard

If Arsenal get their way and bring Williams to the Emirates in the coming weeks and months, he’d likely only join with the promise of regular game time, which in turn would put him up against Trossard, but who comes out on top?

Well, when it comes to their raw output, it’s the Spaniard who emerges victorious.

For example, in just 44 appearances, totalling 3050 minutes, the Pamplona-born star has scored 11 goals and provided seven assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.44 games, or every 169.44 minutes.

In contrast, the Belgian international has scored ten goals and provided nine assists in 54 appearances this season, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.84 games, or every 175.78 minutes.

What about when we take a look under the hood, then? Which winger has the more impressive underlying numbers?

Non-Penalty G+As

0.49

0.49

Progressive Passes

3.14

3.80

Progressive Passes Received

11.3

7.57

Progressive Carries

5.69

2.81

Shots

2.67

2.62

Shots on Target

1.12

0.84

Passing Accuracy

70.2%

74.8%

Key Passes

2.08

1.39

Shot-Creating Actions

5.34

3.28

Goal-Creating Actions

0.63

0.44

Successful Take-Ons

3.36

1.25

Ball Recoveries

4.28

3.45

Aerial Duels Won

0.44

0.29

Unsurprisingly, this is another comparison in which the “world-class” Bilbao star, as dubbed by journalist Zach Lowy, comes out on top and quite comfortably at that.

For example, he does better in most relevant metrics, including, but not limited to, progressive carries, shots and shots on target, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons, key passes, ball recoveries, aerial duels won and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while Trossard could still be a valuable squad player, Williams is the far superior winger in practically every facet, and he’s eight years younger. Therefore, Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign the Spaniard this summer.

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In 2006, West Ham United made the double Argentine signing of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, after the pair impressed at the 2006 World Cup.

Despite only being at the club for three years (one season playing), Tevez is easily one of the best centre-forwards to play for the club.

His record at Upton Park, netting seven goals and providing four assists in 29 appearances, might not be the best record to shout about but his career record elsewhere speaks volumes.

Indeed, as the Argentine striker went on to play for both Manchester United and Manchester City, he netted a further 107 goals in English football, providing 46 assists and winning multiple Premier League titles in the meantime.

West Ham's bid to sign a new striker

Since Tevez left the club, West Ham have been trying to find a quality striker.

They came close with cult heroes such as Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho but fell short of the mark with their big-money signings like Sebastian Haller and most recently Gianluca Scamacca.

So, how do they fix the curse? Well, signing one of the most feared strikers in Europe ought to do the trick.

Indeed, according to reports from GIVEMESPORT, Graham Potter is putting pressure on influential figures at West Ham to wrap up the signing of Lille striker, Jonathan David.

He is out of contract this summer and will be available on a free transfer but Inter Milan are also sniffing around the deal, which is why Potter wants things wrapped up quickly.

Whilst the 25-year-old forward is available on a free, it is reported David is demanding a gross salary of around £7.8m-per-season, along with a £13m signing bonus. This would consequently make the move a costly one, but it could end up being worthwhile.

Why David could be West Ham's best striker in years

David has made 44 appearances for French outfit Lille this season, scoring 23 goals, providing ten assists and totalling 3,505 minutes played.

The Canadian striker has shown over the years he is a prolific goalscorer, and he could be exactly what the Hammers need. Notably described as “one of the best strikers in the world” by Canadian football expert Tony Marinaro, he’s also been celebrated as a “mind-blowing” forward by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

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That quote gives a great insight into why he could be their best striker for a good number of years but the stats also tell us a great deal.

Three of West Ham’s biggest signings in recent years have been in a bid to fix their striker woes, with Haller joining back in 2019 for a fee of around £45m, Scamacca signing in 2022 for £35.5m and Niclas Füllkrug penning terms for about £27m last summer.

Goals

0.60

0.59

0.37

0.25

Assists

0.23

0.15

0.06

0.04

xG

0.59

0.35

0.24

0.32

Progressive Carries

1.16

0.77

1.26

0.67

Progressive Passes

2.10

0.96

1.65

2.34

Shots Total

2.24

2.35

3.00

2.14

Goals/Shot

0.17

0.25

0.08

0.12

Key Passes

1.10

1.73

1.26

0.95

Shot-Creating Actions

2.35

2.69

2.33

2.02

Touches (Pen Area)

5.17

4.81

3.69

4.72

Aerial Duels Won

0.53

4.81

1.65

8.45

When comparing all the West Ham strikers’ underlying metrics from their first season at the club against those of David this season, you can see how the Canadian striker differs, generating a higher xG per 90, having better output and having the highest volume of touches inside the penalty area.

One key difference is the fact that David, like Tevez, is a bit smaller. Standing at only 5 foot 10 he’s a great deal smaller compared to the other strikers who are above 6 foot and more known for their aerial prowess. However, the Canadian brings the level of clinical finishing currently missing at the club, whilst also injecting some youth into their ageing striker cohort.

If West Ham can get this one over the line, it would be a much-needed addition to their side, adding not only goals but a young presence up front to link up with the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, forming an exciting attacking unit for the Hammers.

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