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da esoccer bet： Ruben Amorim has faced a vast number of challenges during his first few months as Manchester United’s manager, with his tenure yet to go to plan.

da 888： After taking over from Erik ten Hag back in November, the 40-year-old has only won eight games in all competitions with the Red Devils still sitting in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

However, they fell to yet another defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon, after an injury crisis emerged at Old Trafford, leaving Amorim with only one senior option in Victor Lindelof on the bench

.

Amad Diallo is the latest absentee, sustaining an ankle injury ahead of the clash in North London last weekend, with the manager confirming that the Ivorian is set to miss the remainder of the campaign.

Such a setback will contribute to the current problem in attacking areas which has seen the Red Devils struggle massively over the last couple of months.

Man Utd’s attacking problems in 2024/25

Since the start of the season, United have massively struggled in front of goal, scoring just 28 times in their 25 league outings, with only four teams registering fewer – three of which occupy the relegation places.

Marcus Rashford looked at one stage as though he could be the main man under Amorim, scoring three times in his first two outings of his reign, but after a fall-out behind the scenes, he was quickly banished from the side, eventually joining Aston Villa on loan.

Joshua Zirkzee is another player who’s failed to live up to expectations after his own move to the club, scoring just five times in his 37 appearances for the Red Devils across all competitions.

He’s subsequently dropped behind Rasmus Hojlund in the pecking order despite the Dane’s own lack of form, notching the same tally as his fellow forward in five fewer games.

The 22-year-old cost a huge £72m from Atalanta back in the summer of 2023, but like Zirkzee, has been unable to match expectations, subsequently being outperformed by one player who was sold a handful of years ago.

The former United ace who’s outscored Hojlund in 2024/25

Ole Gunnar Solskjær starred as a player and manager at Old Trafford, cementing himself as a real legend with the work he did on and off the pitch.

After his retirement, he took the plunge into management, eventually going full circle and taking charge originally temporarily in Manchester, before securing the role on a permanent basis ahead of 2019/20.

The Norwegian would land winger Daniel James in a £15m deal from Championship side Swansea City during the summer of 2019, looking to strengthen the attacking options at his disposal.

The Welsh international would score on his debut at the Theatre of Dreams, adding the seal to a 4-0 win over Chelsea – with the Red Devils looking like a force to be reckoned with.

After such a display, Solskjaer labelled the youngster as “exceptional”, but his first season would be his best at the club, before dropping down the order, limiting him to just 28 appearances over the following 18 months.

Most combined goals & assists in the Championship (2024/25)

Rank

Player

Team

Tally

1.

Joel Piroe

Leeds United

20

2.

Borja Sainz

Norwich City

18

3.

Finn Azaz

Middlesbrough

17

4.

Dan James

Leeds United

16

5.

Emmanuel Latte Lath

Middlesbrough

14

=

Josh Maja

West Brom

14

=

Josh Sargent

Norwich City

14

=

Manor Solomon

Leeds United

14

Stats via FotMob

He would subsequently join Leeds United in a £25m deal in the summer of 2021, banking the club a hefty profit, but potentially living to regret their decision amid his form in the Championship over the last two years.

James registered 13 goals last season as the Whites narrowly missed out on promotion, before already notching 10 goals and six assists this time around, outscoring current forward Hojlund as a result.

Whilst it’s safe to say his time at Old Trafford was a disappointment, the 27-year-old appears to have recaptured his best form, becoming the latest former United player to thrive away from the club.

The jump to the Premier League from the Championship is undoubtedly a big one, but given his consistent form in Yorkshire over the last few campaigns, the decision to allow James may be one they live to regret – having the pace and end quality that has been missing throughout 2024/25.

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da realsbet： Arsenal are now ready to offer Barcelona a substantial fee to sign a noteworthy name in Hansi Flick’s squad, with the Gunners already preparing for next campaign after their faltered Premier League title challenge.

Arsenal title hopes in tatters after 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest

da aviator aposta： Liverpool have now taken a seismic 13-point lead at the top of table, and it would take a miracle for Mikel Arteta to close the gap at this stage with just under 10 games remaining of the 2024/2025 campaign.

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The Champions League now stands as their only hope of clinching any major silverware this season, but Arsenal must contend for European football’s most prestigious honour without a recognised striker.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Man Utd (away)

March 9th

Chelsea (home)

March 16th

Fulham (home)

April 1st

Everton (away)

April 5th

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Gabriel Jesus could be out injured until 2026, according to some reports, while Kai Havertz is set to miss the rest of this season after surgery on his hamstring. These blows, combined with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli’s absences, have left Arteta very short of attacking options and ultimately derailed the club’s title challenge.

Attention is already turning to the next campaign, and how Arsenal can reinforce their ranks ahead of a potentially more successful chase for their first domestic crown in over two decades.

Reports suggest that Arsenal could even look to bring in two new strikers this summer, with Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko at the centre of their interest.

Meanwhile, with left-back Kieran Tierney likely to join Celtic at the end of this season, and Oleksandr Zinchenko appears out of Arteta’s long-term plans following January links to Borussia Dortmund.

Arsenal are monitoring Club Brugge left-back Maxim De Cuyper as a result, with reports in Italy claiming that they’re set to meet with the Belgium international’s representatives soon.

Thomas Partey and Jorginho are also out of contract at the end of this season, prompting Arsenal’s rumoured attempt to agree a pre-summer deal for Martin Zubimendi.

The Real Sociedad star would be a fantastic stand-in for Partey or Jorginho, but in the event Zubimendi rejects a move to the Premier League, then Arsenal are considering another option in Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.

Arsenal ready to make £62 million bid for Frenkie de Jong

The Boot Room reported last week that his representatives touched base with Arsenal to gauge their interest in the Dutchman, with a Spanish media source now sharing further news on him.

According to the report, Arsenal are prepared to make a £62 million bid for de Jong in the summer window, a fee which could tempt the Catalans into a deal considering the 27-year-old is out of contract in 2026.

Flick personally wants to keep de Jong at the Camp Nou, but Barça are yet to negotiate a renewal with the Netherlands international, which has opened the door for Arsenal.

While he isn’t enjoying his most fruitful campaign this season, de Jong has been lavished with praise for his overall quality, especially by Erik ten Hag, who was notably eager to sign him for Man United.

“Frenkie is an incredible player and for every club in the whole world he will strengthen the squad because he has a unique quality,” said Ten Hag.

“If you can get him in the squad your team will be stronger. In Spain he became even better. He’s a fantastic player, plays out from the back, he always has time, and it was a pleasure to work with him.”

da supremo： Pep Guardiola must be ruthless in the transfer window this summer if he is to take Manchester City back to the top of English football.

da 888casino： The Spaniard splashed millions on four new signings during the winter window – most notably Omar Marmoush – and while they all look promising, it might take a few months for the four to properly gel.

Over the years, he hasn’t been shy about spending money on bringing the best talent to the club, that’s for sure.

Manchester City’s most expensive signings under Guardiola

The former Barcelona manager has signed a host of players for over £60m in his spell as City boss. Ruben Dias cost £62m back in the summer of 2020 and instantly bolstered his defensive options, now captaining the club on regular occasions.

One of the most important signings made by the manager was that of Rodri, who cost £62.8m in 2019. He may have taken a year or two to settle, but now he is definitively the best player in the world, having won the Ballon d’Or a few months ago.

Josko Gvardiol was the second-most expensive signing made by Guardiola, splashing out £77.5m to secure his signature after some impressive showings during the 2022/23 campaign and he’s only gone from strength to strength, scoring ten goals from full-back over the last season and a half.

Only once has the manager spent £100m or more on a player since taking over the club in 2016 and this came three and a half years ago. Jack Grealish emerged as one of the brightest talents in the Premier League, leading to City spending £100m on him in 2021.

The Etihad side became the first English club to spend this amount on a single player, with Director of Football, Txiki Begiristain, delighted to sign him, admitting that Grealish was an “incredible talent” upon his arrival.

Despite this lavish fee, the Englishman hasn’t quite lived up to expectations.

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The former Villa talent scored five goals in his first season, winning his first Premier League title in the process. Since then it has been steady progress. That was, until, the last year or so.

That debut campaign was followed up with 16 goal contributions during the 2022/23 season, as City became the second English side to win the treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League trophies.

Since then, however, things haven’t been great for the 29-year-old. A tally of six goal contributions was a poor return last season and this stagnation has crept into his game throughout the current term.

The winger has netted just twice, against PSG and Salford City, while starting only 14 games in all competitions under Guardiola.

Despite this lack of impact on the pitch, Grealish is currently earning a staggering £300k-per-week at City, ranking him joint-third out of everyone at the club.

Only Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland – two of City’s most influential players – are ahead of him, suggesting that Guardiola must move Grealish on this summer.

Grealish’s Premier League stats this season

Goals

0

Assists

1

Key passes per game

1.4

Big chances created

2

Total duels won per game

2.8

Shots per game

0.8

Via Sofascore

He was previously linked with a move back to Aston Villa during the winter transfer window, but nothing came of it.

With two years left on his current contract, will the manager cash in this summer? He should do.

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da pixbet： Manchester United’s Europa League Round of 16 tie against Real Sociedad is on a knife edge. The Red Devils drew 1-1 in San Sebastian in the first leg on Thursday night, with a Joshua Zirkzee goal initially giving Ruben Amorim’s side a 1-0 lead in the second half.

da spicy bet： However, the home side struck back from the penalty spot just moments later. United captain Bruno Fernandes was deemed to have handled the ball, and after consulting the VAR monitor, the referee awarded the home side a penalty. Fernandes’ opposite number Mikel Oyazarbal converted.

It was a strong away performance in Europe for United, with Alejandro Garnacho grabbing the all-important assist.

Garnacho’s stats vs. Sociedad

It was a mixed bag of a night for 20-year-old Argentina international, Garnacho. His assist for Zirkzee’s goal was a good one, picking up the ball out on the right-hand side, delaying his pass and then weighting it perfectly for Zirkzee to run on to and fire into the back of the net with a lovely finish.

However, as good as that pass was, the winger struggled to make chances of his own count in key moments. This was something Samuel Luckhurst picked up on in his post-match ratings.

The Manchester Evening News journalist gave Garnacho a 6/10 for his efforts, and described his efforts on goal, which regularly found the side-netting, as ‘infuriating’.

Indeed, the United number 17’s stats on Sofascore suggest the mixed night he had in San Sebastian. He had 22 touches and created two chances, yet had five shots, finding the target with just two of them, and won one out of five duels.

In many ways, the game against Sociedad summed up Garnacho’s season. His goals and assist numbers are impressive, with 15 in 42 games across all competitions, but they have tended to come in clumps rather than consistently throughout the season.

If he does struggle for form towards the end of the season, perhaps Amorim will consider giving a debut to one of Carrington’s most exciting players.

Man Utd's next academy sensation

Garnacho is one of several exciting academy products to break through into the Old Trafford first team in recent years. Others include the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Toby Collyer, and, more recently, Chido Obi.

Perhaps the next in line will be 16-year-old attacker Amir Ibragimov. The England under-16 international has been impressive for the Red Devils academy this season.

In 22 appearances across all competitions, he has seven goals and four assists to his name.

Ibragimov’s record for Man Utd’s academy in 2024/25

Stat

Under-18 PL

FA Youth Cup

UEFA Youth League

Premier League 2

Games

15

4

2

1

Minutes

877

124

76

31

Goals

6

1

0

0

Assists

4

0

0

0

Stats from Transfermarkt

One of the most exciting things about Ibragimov is the fact that he is a genuine goalscorer. Earlier this season, he scored a hat-trick against Red Devils’ arch-rivals Leeds United, showing a big threat in front of goal.

With that in mind, it might be unsurprising that the youngster has been compared to one of the all-time great United players, and the club’s top goalscorer, Wayne Rooney. Journalist Jamie Jackson claimed that the England under-16 international plays the “Rooney role” for the United academy.

If Ibragimov gets anywhere near the levels that Rooney hit whilst in a United shirt, he will have had a successful career. The former United captain played 559 times for the club, scoring 253 times and grabbing 138 assists.

There is no doubt that Ibragimov is an exciting talent. Maybe a first-team debut will come too soon for him this season, but United fans could surely expect to see Ibragimov make his full debut sooner rather than later.

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da cassino online： Liverpool could allow an “outstanding” player to leave the club in the summer transfer window, with Real Madrid circling for his £50m signature.

Liverpool fail to turn up in EFL Cup final against Newcastle

da bet7： After the disappointment of Champions League elimination last week, the Reds lost 2-1 to Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final on Sunday afternoon.

Arne Slot’s side produced a flat performance throughout at Wembley, with too many players looking jaded, so Liverpool could have few qualms about the eventual result. For the boss, it was a failed opportunity to win silverware at his maiden attempt in his first season at Anfield.

It’s now a case of the Reds knuckling down and getting the job done in the Premier League title race, and thankfully, a 16-day break before their next game could be a blessing in disguise. That is still the main aim for the season, and always has been.

The defeat to Newcastle highlighted the need for additions to Liverpool’s squad when the summer window rolls around, though, with a new centre forward vital and fresh legs needed in defence, too. Now, a key current player who started against Newcastle has been linked with a move away.

"Outstanding" Liverpool ace linked with exit as Real Madrid circle

According to a report from Spain, Liverpool may entertain offers of £50m for Ibrahima Konate at the end of the season, with Real Madrid interested in snapping him up.

It is claimed that the Frenchman’s “contractual situation, in addition to potential negotiation deadlock, has set a scenario where the club would not frown upon his departure if a suitable offer arises.”

Selling Konate could ultimately be the wrong decision by Liverpool, considering he is an important starter who could lead the defence once Virgil van Dijk has eventually moved on. The Dutchman hasn’t yet signed a new deal, though, so there is no guarantee that he will still be at Anfield beyond June.

The 25-year-old is such an imposing centre-back when he is fit and firing, with Van Dijk hailing his quality after the 1-0 win at Wolves earlier this season:

“He is a fantastic player who still can be better. As you saw, he is important with the goal, he is defensively solid, a bit unlucky with the goal we conceded, but obviously the qualities he has are outstanding in my opinion. He is learning, growing, getting better and looking after himself much better in order to be ready every three days as that’s what asked.”

The only issue with Konate is injuries, but he has already started 22 Premier League games this season – the most for Liverpool in the competition in any campaign for the club – which suggests he has hopefully overcome that problem.

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If Van Dijk stays and Konate goes, it wouldn’t necessarily be a disaster for the Reds, assuming a top-quality replacement came in, but keeping hold of him is still the preferred outcome.

da imperador bet： Brendan Rodgers returned to Celtic in the summer of 2023 to replace Australian head coach Ange Postecoglou, who decided to join Tottenham Hotspur.

da brdice： The Northern Irish head coach, who enjoyed an almost-three-year spell at Parkhead between 2016 and 2019, came in off the back of Postecoglou winning a domestic treble in Glasgow.

Rodgers could not quite replicate that in his first season, winning the Scottish Premiership and the SFA Cup, but he is currently on course to land the domestic treble in his second campaign.

The Celtic board have backed the former Leicester City and Liverpool manager in the four transfer windows that he has had to date in his second spell, as they have not been afraid to splash the cash on new recruits to bolster the squad.

Not all of their recruits in the summer of 2023, in Rodgers’ first window, worked out, though, and Hyun-jun Yang was one player who seemed destined to become a flop at Parkhead.

How much Celtic paid for Hyun-jun Yang

Sky Sports reported that the Scottish giants splashed out a fee of £2m to sign the South Korea U22 international from Gangwon ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, in an attempt to bolster the manager’s options in the wide areas.

The young forward had scored nine goals and provided five assists in 71 first-team matches for Gangwon in his career, which immediately suggested that Celtic were not signing the finished article.

That proved to be the case in his debut season in Glasgow. Yang ended the 2023/24 campaign with a return of just one goal and three assists in 31 appearances in all competitions.

The young winger failed to provide any sort of consistent threat at the top end of the pitch, as either a scorer or a creator of goals, in the major competitions for the Hoops.

Hyun-jun Yang (23/24)

Premiership

Champions League

Appearances (starts)

24 (10)

4 (2)

Goals

1

0

Big chances created

5

0

Assists

3

0

Dribbles completed per game

1.3

1.0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Yang offered very little in the final third for Rodgers in either the Premiership or the Champions League last season.

His struggles in his debut campaign in Scottish football may have led some to wonder what the future would hold for him at Parkhead, particularly with the likes of Nicolas Kuhn, Daizen Maeda, James Forrest, and Luis Palma at the club last summer.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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However, Yang remained in Glasgow during last summer’s transfer window to stay and fight for his place in the squad, and has developed into a valuable squad player for Rodgers.

Hyun-jun Yang's Celtic improvement

The 22-year-old winger is only three appearances, with more than a month of the season left to play, away from equalling his matches played from last season, with 28 in the current campaign.

Yang has already beaten his tally of goal contributions from the 2023/24 campaign (four) with a return of five goals and six assists in those 28 outings in all competitions.

This shows that the South Korea international has developed and improved during his time in Glasgow, by adding more goals and assists to his game – despite playing fewer games so far.

Journalist Anthony Joseph described him as a “raw” player with “real potential” recently, suggesting that he could be the latest player to be improved by Rodgers.

At the age of 22, Yang still has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop further and emerge as a key first-team regular for the Hoops in the future. His current improvement suggests that the winger is on the right track and that Celtic may have hit the jackpot by landing him for £2m in 2023.

However, his impressive form for the Scottish giants this season, and the improvement in training that has led to it, may have just ended another forward’s career at Parkhead.

Luis Palma's Celtic career may be over

Luis Palma was also signed to bolster the club’s options out wide in the summer of 2023, when he arrived from Greek side Aris for a reported fee of £3.5m – £1.5m more than Yang was bought for in the same window.

The Honduras international, actually, enjoyed a fairly impressive debut season in Scottish football. He ended the 2023/24 campaign with a return of ten goals and ten assists in 36 outings in all competitions.

However, six of those goals and nine of those assists came in the first half of the season, before his form tailed off towards the end of the campaign.

Palma, then, struggled to get game time in the first half of this season, with 267 minutes across 12 outings in all competitions, as he fell out of favour whilst Yang stepped up as a brilliant squad option.

Luis Palma (Premiership)

23/24

24/25

Appearances (starts)

28 (18)

8 (1)

Goals

7

0

Big chances created

14

1

Assists

9

0

Key passes per game

2.4

1.5

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Honduras international’s form dropped off a cliff heading into the 2024/25 campaign, whereas, Yang’s output in the final third improved.

That left Rodgers with a decision to make on Palma, who was described as being too “wasteful” by John Hartson, and the Hoops boss opted to part ways with the winger.

Olympiacos signed him on loan in the January transfer window, with an option to make it permanent in the summer, and it was recently reported that they are interested in activating the €4m (£3.4m) option, which would spell the end of his career at Parkhead.

Therefore, Yang’s improved performances have, essentially, ended Palma’s time in Glasgow because he has stepped up to provide excellent competition for the likes of Maeda, Jota, and Kuhn, whilst the Honduran flop failed to provide a reliable option on the flank.

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Now, Yang has the chance to kick on and become a star for the Hoops, and Palma has the opportunity to start anew with a permanent return to Greece this summer.

da leao： West Ham United being in the hunt for a striker this summer is no secret and sporting director Mark Noble is continuing to spearhead talks over the potential arrival of an exciting talent, per a report.

West Ham United's desperate hunt for a striker

da fazobetai： Unfortunately, Michael Antonio and Niclas Fullkrug’s bad luck with injuries has left the Hammers short in attack this campaign, leading the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and even Lucas Paqueta to feature as auxiliary strikers.

Danny Ings has featured from the bench at times while Evan Ferguson has offered further support, but nobody has really grasped the nettle for West Ham in their time of need.

Graham Potter will be grateful that his side have done enough to stave off Premier League relegation barring an unmitigated disaster. Nevertheless, the need for a new spearhead in the forward line couldn’t be any more abundant at the London Stadium.

Exploring rumoured names, Lille’s Jonathan David is said to be high on West Ham’s wishlist amid his availability on a free transfer. Arsenal and Barcelona are also in the mix for his signature, though the former Chelsea boss is looking to push through a deal.

Strasbourg’s Emanuel Emegha is another on the Hammers’ radar and there are murmurs that more than one attacker could join the Potter revolution in light of their frustrations in front of goal.

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Only five teams have scored less than the Irons in the 2024/25 top-flight, signifying that assets for now and the future are necessary to evade their recent profligacy in years to come.

Noble will already feel he is being put through his paces to try and identify potential reinforcements, and he may be about to strike lucky in pursuit of a talented young forward.

West Ham continue talks to sign Celtic forward Daniel Cummings

Per Claret and Hugh, West Ham remain in talks to sign Celtic forward Daniel Cummings, who is out of contract at the end of the season. The Irons initially tryied to prize him away from the Glasgow giants in January and are still trying to do so.

Noble is said to be a central feature in discussions and the Hammers are aware that the Scotland youth international wants guarantees that he will be there or thereabouts in the first-team picture next season.

Daniel Cummings’ tally for Celtic first-team and Celtic B – 2024/25

Appearances

33

Goals

29

Assists

0

Dubbed “sensational” by Celtic B professional player pathway manager Darren O’Dea, he is someone who the Bhoys have tried and failed to tie down for several months despite his appearance in their Champions League defeat away to Aston Villa during the league phase.

The Hoops have their eye on Dundee United’s Owen Stirton as a potential replacement, indicating they are at the point of setting contingency plans in place should the young talent depart for cross-border compensation.

West Ham are in pole position to take advantage of his availability, but talks are yet to reach a conclusion, meaning there is still work to be done on that front.

da aviator aposta： Ask Arsenal fans what it is they need this summer, and the most common answer you’ll get is a striker.

da casino： No players hit double digits for Premier League goals in Mikel Arteta’s squad this season, whereas Arne Slot had three players manage the feat, with Mohamed Salah racking up an unreal 29.

Such an evident weakness in the squad has seen the club linked with a host of incredible strikers over the last few months, and while Alexander Isak is undoubtedly at the top of most supporters’ wishlists, his supposed £150m price tag now looks secure as ever following Newcastle United’s qualification for the Champions League on Sunday.

However, while the Swede may be out of reach, recent reports have linked the Gunners with another exciting centre-forward who has won comparisons to him, a centre-forward who’d be a significant Kai Havertz upgrade.

Arsenal's striker search

While it might not always feel like it, there are quite a few strikers who could be on the market this summer, and plenty of them have been touted for moves to Arsenal, such as Viktor Gyokeres and Joao Pedro.

Transfer Focus

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

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The former has long been linked with the Gunners and could finally be available for close to £63m in the coming weeks, which might just be a steal considering he’s racked up a sublime haul of 54 goals and 13 assists in 52 games for Sporting CP this season.

On the other hand, Pedro might be a harder transfer to justify, as while his tally of ten goals and seven assists in 30 games is impressive, his supposed £100m price tag feels exorbitant.

Fortunately, another striker has now been linked with the North Londoners, someone compared to the incredible Isak: Nick Woltemade.

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of a handful of clubs incredibly keen on the German forward.

The report claims that Arsenal and Serie A champions Napoli have already made contact with VfB regarding the talented goalscorer, while the likes of Atlético Madrid and West Ham United are currently keeping tabs on the situation.

On top of getting ahead of the competition, the North Londoners would have to stump up around €50m to secure the 23-year-old’s signature, which is about £42m.

It might not be the big-name signing some fans want, but on top of the comparisons to Newcastle’s superstar striker, Woltemade would be an upgrade on Havertz.

How Woltemade compares to Isak & Havertz

Before we take a look at how Woltemade stacks up against Havertz, the man he could replace at Arsenal, it’s worth examining this comparison to Isak and where it has come from.

In this instance, it stems from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, before creating a list of the ten most comparable players.

By doing this, it has been concluded that the Swedish international is the second most similar forward to the German across the last 365 days.

Woltemade & Isak

Statistic per 90

Woltemade

Isak

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.70

0.70

Progressive Passes

2.89

2.88

Shots on Target

1.28

1.34

Switches

0.11

0.10

Goal-Creating Actions

0.55

0.46

Successful Take-Ons %

43.7%

46.2%

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

The best way to see how this is worked out is by taking a look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including but not limited to non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots on target, switches, progressive passes, goal-taking actions and more, all per 90.

With his similarities to the Toon star cleared up, how does he stack up against the Gunners’ number 29?

Well, when it comes to their raw output, which is ultimately what matters most for a striker, it is the “exceptional” Stuttgart star, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, who comes out on top.

For example, in 33 appearances, totalling 2039 minutes this term, the Bremen-born poacher scored 17 goals and provided three assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.65 games, or every 101.95 minutes.

In contrast, the former Chelsea ace has scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 36 appearances, totalling 2809 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 140.45 minutes.

Ultimately, Havertz could still be an incredibly useful player next season, but as things stand, Woltemade looks to the superior striker, and therefore, Arsenal should do what they can to sign him this summer.

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da bet esporte： Celtic’s pre-season plans are starting to take shape, but will they get any new signings over the line before then?

da lvbet： On Monday, the club announced a green and white hoops Clásico, facing Portuguese champions Sporting at Estádio Algarve on 16 July, before confirming they’ll also take on Queen’s Park at Lesser Hampden 12 days earlier.

With trips to Cork, Como and now the Algarve already in the calendar for July, from a destination perspective, this is poised to be an exciting pre-season schedule for the Celtic support, but will they have a new midfielder to assess by then?

Celtic's continued interest in Lennon Miller

As has been widely reported, Celtic remain interested in midfielder Lennon Miller, with French outlet L’Équipe reporting that the 18 year old is valued at around £7.5m by Motherwell, amid interest from Ligue 1 side Strasbourg.

On Monday evening, Miller made his full-senior debut for Scotland, assisting Ché Adams’ second goal during the 4-0 demolition of Liechtenstein at Rheinpark Stadion, with his performance earning rave reviews.

Thomas Duncan of BBC Sport noted how the teenager exuded calmness while, speaking during the BBC’s coverage, Celtic legend Scott Brown said that “Lennon is really special…nothing fazes him”, adding that he undoubtedly has the quality to break into the Celts’ first team.

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However, with countless other clubs courting Miller this summer, should Celtic turn their attention to another midfield target instead?

Celtic's dream Miller alternative

As previously reported last week, Celtic have ‘already initiated’ talks to sign midfielder Demir Ege Tıknaz.

As Mustafa Akgün of Karabük Postası outlines, Tıknaz spent last season on loan at Rio Ave from Beşiktaş, but the Portuguese club have an obligation to buy for around £4.2m, planning to do just that before selling him for roughly double that amount.

The 20-year-old, who is currently with the Türkiye national team squad in America for friendlies against the United States and Mexico, is reportedly being courted by many big European clubs, including Celtic and Sporting CP, so the Scottish champions will need to act fast.

In an interview with the Athletic, Tıknaz compared himself stylistically to Sergio Busquets, stating “I always want to have possession… I’m kind of a playmaker”.

Meantime, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout compares him to another Spaniard, namely Rodri, labelling him a midfield “anchor”, praising his “passing, vision and football IQ”.

Analyst Ben Mattinson agrees, stating that Tıknaz ‘reads the game well’, praising his ‘timing of tackles​​​​​​​’ and ability to ‘steal the ball’.

As a result, according to Aryan Suraj Chadha of Goal, he has become one of the most ‘sought-after talents across Europe’, making 33 appearances for Rio Ave of the Primeira Liga this season, scoring four goals and registering two assists.

Nevertheless, the key question remains. How does he compare to Miller? Well, let’s find out.

Demir Ege Tıknaz vs Lennon Miller 2024/25 comparison

Statistics

Tıknaz

Miller

Appearances

33

39

Minutes

2,340

3,398

Goals

4

4

Assists

2

8

Big chances created

2

12

Tackles won (per 90)

2.1

1.8

Interceptions (per 90)

1.7

1.3

% of ground duels won

51.1%

57.9%

% of aerial diels won

53.1%

41.2%

Possession lost (per 90)

7.3

17.4

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and SofaScore

As the table outlines, while Miller is more of an all-rounder and an attacking threat, Tıknaz does come out on top for the vast majority of defensive metrics, namely tackles, interceptions and aerial duels, giving away possession significantly less frequently too.

So, while Miller is unquestionably a big talent, possibly to such an extent that Celtic will ultimately miss out on him, the Hoops should therefore make signing Tıknaz a priority.

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da mrbet： Everton are beginning to make big changes after a positive end to the season and could now have an advantage in the race for a prolific striker, per a report.

Everton announce departures after victory at Newcastle United

da betway： In the immediate aftermath of an impressive triumph at Newcastle United last weekend, Everton have announced that loanees Jack Harrison, Armando Broja, Orel Mangala and Jesper Lindstrom have returned to their parent clubs.

Carlos Alcaraz is still in discussions over a permanent move to the Toffees, while confirmation on others is expected shortly as the end of the campaign enters full swing.

Ashley Young will leave the building before a new era begins at the Hill Dickinson Stadium that could see a spate of new arrivals to excite supporters ahead of pre-season.

In controversial fashion, Liverpool winger Ben Doak is a surprise target for Everton and could complete an unexpected move across Merseyside, breaking a 33-year record since the last time the two rivals conducted business.

Lindstrom and Harrison’s departures have left the Toffees light on the right-hand side, so it is reasonable to suspect there will be movement across the front four positions.

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Centrally, Everton could now have a major advantage in their efforts to bring in a prolific striker following recent developments that have left the man in question impressed.

Liam Delap could join Everton after positive meeting

According to journalist Simon Phillips on Substack, Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap has been impressed by Everton’s pitch to him after a meeting over the England Under-21 international’s future, which still hangs in the balance.

His camp are set for a fresh round of talks with Newcastle United, and a decision on his next destination is expected this week as clubs battle to win the race for his signature amid his £30 million relegation release clause, but the striker was very happy after speaking with Goodison chiefs.

Liam Delap in 2024/25 – Premier League

Shots

68

Shots on target

32

Chances created

21

Expected Goals

9.34

Successful dribbles

40

Exceeding his expected goals total, Delap registered 12 goals in the top-flight this term alongside two assists in 37 appearances, which is a fine total in a first debut season for a side that eventually got relegated.

There is plenty of competition for his signature, but a likely shot at being the leading Everton striker in competition with Beto would see the former Manchester City star gain plenty of opportunities to continue developing under David Moyes.

Delap clearly likes what he sees from the Toffees’ initial discussions over a move to Merseyside, so it will be intriguing to see if a deal can be thrashed out between all parties.