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As Jadon Sancho edges closer to finally bringing an end to his Manchester United nightmare, he could hand the Red Devils a parting gift in the form of the perfect upgrade.

Man Utd transfer news

Whilst those at Old Trafford are yet to officially get their summer business underway, deals for both Joshua Zirkzee and Matthijs de Ligt are reportedly on the cards with the two Dutchmen now in a position to decide their futures after being knocked out of Euro 2024 at the semi-final stage by England.

The latter represents the perfect replacement for Raphael Varane who left at the end of his contract last season following two seasons which were often disrupted by spells on the sideline.

Imagine him & Fernandes: Man Utd submit bid for midfield 'destroyer'

He is available for transfer after just one ear at his current club

ByJoe Nuttall Jul 10, 2024

Meanwhile, Zirkzee should add the attacking spark that the Red Devils have so desperately been lacking in the last year or so and provide Erik ten Hag a fresh face as Sancho nears a summer exit. The England international has endured a nightmare spell at Old Trafford and his public fallout with Ten Hag perfectly encapsulated his struggles before a rejuvenated loan spell at Borussia Dortmund.

Now, according to reports in Italy, there are talks of Manchester United signing Federico Chiesa in a swap deal that will see Juventus sign Sancho this summer. United would be killing two birds with one stone in quite the deal by finally showing Sancho the door and welcoming an instant upgrade in Chiesa, but although the Englishman has said "yes" to the Old Lady it remains to be seen whether it's a proposal that the two clubs can reach an agreement on.

If Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanted to steal the headlines this summer, then welcoming Chiesa whilst ending Sancho's Old Trafford spell to forget would certainly do exactly that. What's more, when the Italian is at his best, he could throw Marcus Rashford's starting place into significant doubt.

Why "direct" Chiesa is better than Sancho

Whilst it's been clear for some time that Sancho desperately needs a permanent move away from Manchester United, the same can be said for Chiesa at Juventus.

The Italy international struggled to rediscover his best form once again last season, as Juventus finished over 20 points behind Serie A winners Inter Milan. Now, with Thiago Motta seemingly looking to show him the door, Chiesa needs a summer switch and the chance to challenge for Rashford's starting place on Ten Hag's left-hand side.

Goals

9

7

Assists

2

2

Key Passes

54

23

Ball Recoveries

62

81

Even in a disappointing season, Chiesa's output was still fairly impressive and is the type of goal involvement that United needed to spark their season into life last season.

The winger already has some fans in the Premier League too, including Rio Ferdinand, who previously told the Metro: "He’s just a fantastic footballer. The intensity with which he plays with, we saw in the Euros he was the main goal threat for the Italians who went on to win the tournament.

"It’s his pace, his drive. He’s the one who is the threat, he’s potent, he wants to run in behind. He’s that modern day striker who can play anywhere across the front line and he’s as comfortable out wide as he is through the middle. He unnerves defenders with that pace, he’s so direct."

Arsenal are ready to pay around £25 million to sign a "creative" player over European heavyweights Barcelona this summer, as manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar look to add quality to one key area of the squad.

Arsenal targeting four key signings ahead of Premier League title challenge

The Gunners are believed to be in the market for a new goalkeeper, midfielder and forward (Simon Collings), after finally sealing a deal for Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori, who'll join Arsenal for an initial £34 million plus an extra £4 million in add-ons.

"Top-level" £50m Arsenal man has just agreed to join elite European club

He’s given the green-light.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 24, 2024

Calafiori has agreed a five-year contract at Arsenal and will earn around £65,000-per-week at the Emirates, with the highly-rated Italy international defender coming as their first outfield signing of the summer window.

His versatility as both a centre-back and left-back will come as a major boost for Arteta, with the Arsenal recruitment team shoring up two key areas of his team in one fell swoop.

Attention now turns to their other key transfer aims, and midfield is set to be a real talking point before the summer deadline day on August 30. The north Londoners extended Jorginho's deal by an additional season to maintain Arteta's numbers in that area, but it is perhaps clear that Arsenal need another option to alternate or partner with star man Declan Rice.

Arsenal officials reportedly believe Thomas Partey will be sold this summer, and the Ghanaian's days at London Colney appear to be numbered. Partey made just 14 Premier League appearances under Arteta last season and has entered the final 12 months of his contract, meaning he could well be let go for cash in the coming weeks.

Appearances

115

Goals

5

Assists

4

Bookings

24

Red cards

1

Minutes played

7,794

In the event of Partey's departure, Arteta will need a replacement for the 31-year-old, and one player who's been repeatedly linked in the last fortnight is Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino.

The 28-year-old, who starred for eventual Euro 2024 champions Spain at the tournament in Germany, scoring a winner against the host nation in their quarter-final clash, has also been lavished with praise for his La Liga form since joining Sociedad from Newcastle.

Branded a "brilliant creative CM" by IF Brommapojkarna performance analyst Marcus Bring, Merino racked up eight goals and five assists in 45 appearances across all competitions for Sociedad last season.

Arsenal ready to pay £25 million up front to sign Mikel Merino

According to Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo, Arsenal are ready to pay £25 million for Merino and beat Barcelona to his signing, and are believed to be extremely keen on getting him over the line.

Barca are still contending, though, and it is believed Merino is very much tempted by a move to the Camp Nou. However, the La Liga giants would have to pay his fee in installments, and wouldn't be able to offer him much more generous terms than Arsenal or his current club.

This could perhaps hand Arsenal an advantage over Hansi Flick's cash-strapped side.

Leeds United have submitted a verbal bid to sign a new attacker this summer, according to a new report.

Leeds eyeing new winger to replace Summerville

The Whites are preparing for their Championship opener this weekend against Portsmouth at Elland Road, but one player who won’t be there is last season’s Player of the Year, Crysencio Summerville.

The Dutch winger has now left for Leeds for West Ham, with Daniel Farke admitting after Leeds’ final pre-season game against Valencia that the club would like to bring in a new wide player but still need to comply with financial fair play rules.

Leeds United's summer sales

New club

Fee (Transfermarkt)

Archie Gray

Tottenham

£34.7m

Crysencio Summerville

West Ham

£25.1m

Glen Kamara

Rennes

£8.4m

Marc Roca

Real Betis

£3.8m

Charlie Cresswell

Toulouse

£3.8m

Diego Llorente

Real Betis

£2.7m

Robin Koch

Eintracht Frankfurt

Free transfer

Jamie Shackleton

Sheffield United

Free transfer

Kristoffer Klaesson

Rakow Czestochowa

Free transfer

Luke Ayling

Middlesbrough

Free transfer

Ian Poveda

Sunderland

Free transfer

Cody Drameh

Hull City

Free transfer

Darko Gyabi

Plymouth Argyle

Loan

Sam Greenwood

Preston North End

Loan

Sonny Perkins

Leyton Oreint

Loan

"Our situation is also quite clear, obviously after selling a winger, an offensive player like Cree everyone knows we'd like to add a player in a similar position, there's no doubt.

"It's not like right now we receive a full player like Archie Gray or Cree Summerville also lots of money and right now we can spend it. At the moment we still have to pay for a few sins in the past and make sure we're in line with all the financial rules and this is also the reason why sometimes a club has to take a decision also to sell a player.

"Obviously when you ask me as a manager you always want to keep your best players and even add a few more top players but we still have the situation that we've done something not in the perfect way in former years and right now have to pay the price.

"In the last season we were pretty disciplined and careful with what we spent. We have to be careful and it's an open secret, it's not like we take all the money from a transfer like Cree and can spend it right now. We have pretty limited resources.”

The top target to replace Summerville currently appears to be Norwich City’s Jonathan Rowe, with talks recently held over a deal for the England Under-21 international. Now, it appears as if Leeds and the 49ers Enterprises have gone one step further and have made an offer.

Leeds make verbal bid for Jonathan Rowe

According to Football Insider, Leeds have submitted a verbal bid worth £7m for Rowe, however, that is “nowhere near” Norwich’s valuation. The Canaries have swiftly responded to that proposal from Yorkshire, so it will be interesting to see if Leeds go back in with an improved offer.

Rowe enjoyed a solid campaign at Carrow Road when fully fit, scoring 12 goals and providing two assists in 34 Championship appearances.

He was also hailed by Norwich teammate Shane Duffy, who called Rowe a player who can produce “magic” and win games. "Give him a ball like that in that position, and he will do the rest – he's shown that since the start of the season when he picked up the ball on the halfway line and found the top corner. Jonny has got that bit of magic for us. He can win us games, and that's what you need at this level to be successful."

Newcastle United are now planning to send an "unbelievable" player out on loan this summer, with his exit expected to be sealed within a matter of weeks.

Newcastle transfer news

In what is arguably seen as a surprise move, the Magpies are reportedly interested in signing Sheffield United youngster William Osula, with a potential £10m move on the cards to strengthen their depth up front. More high-profile business has also been predicted, however, with a host of players linked with switches to St James' Park.

Two such figures are Neco Williams and Noni Madueke, of Nottingham Forest and Chelsea respectively, who could transform Newcastle down the right flank. The former could be viewed as a long-term replacement for Kieran Trippier, while the latter is considered a superior option to the likes of Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy.

Barcelona attacker Ferran Torres has struggled to set the world alight since trading Manchester City for the Camp Nou, and he has emerged as another option for the Magpies. Granted, his stock may have fallen since departing the Etihad, but he is still only 24 years of age, and has scored 20 goals in 46 caps for Spain.

Then there's Leeds United youngster Crysencio Summerville, who is coming fresh off the back of a superb season with the Whites – one that saw him named the Championship's best player in 2023/24. He has been linked with Newcastle and could even be viewed as a replacement for Anthony Gordon on the left wing, should he move away after just one year at St James'.

Newcastle want to loan out "unbelievable" ace

According to a new claim from Football Insider, Newcastle want to sort a loan move for young attacker Garang Kuol this summer, having been left out of the pre-season squad for the trip to Japan. The report adds that "a deal is expected to be arranged for him to be loaned out of St James’ Park within the coming weeks", allowing him to enjoy more regular football elsewhere.

As the update alludes to, Kuol arrived at Newcastle amid so much "fanfare" back in 2022, joining from Central Coast Mariners as a highly-rated Australian teenager. He even caught the eye of Barca legend Xavi.

Kuon has really struggled to live up to the hype, though, with a loan move to FC Volendam not working out at all, and only one goal and assist apiece arriving in a total of 16 appearances.

Journalist: Newcastle now plotting £10m move for towering 20 y/o target man

He already has some Premier Leagie experience.

ByHenry Jackson Jul 29, 2024

In fairness to the Australia international, he is still extremely young at 19, but he needs to head off on a more successful loan spell next season, in order to prove to Newcastle that he is worth persevering with, rather than them selling him for good in the near future.

A marquee player is now "working very hard" to join Chelsea via his representative doing all the legwork, as another pretty exciting transfer window at Stamford Bridge continues to offer many twists and turns before deadline day.

Chelsea fail in Omorodion bid as they renegotiate Gallagher exit

Despite reaching an agreement with Atletico Madrid over the signing of young striker Samu Omorodion, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano giving his famous 'here we go' to the transfer as well, the move fell through at the eleventh hour due to contractual issues (Sky Sports).

Chelsea could now offer £150k-per-week ace with Lukaku to seal Osimhen deal

The Nigerian is back on their radar after failing to sign Omorodion.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Aug 13, 2024

This has resulted in Conor Gallagher's move to Atletico stalling, as the La Liga side were seemingly going to reinvest the cash received for Omorodion to seal a deal for the England midfielder.

As such, despite his medical being completed and documentation finalised, Gallagher has been forced to fly back to London, as he waits for Chelsea to find a solution and reopen the door for his switch to Spain.

“The Conor Gallagher situation at Chelsea remains one of the biggest sagas of the summer transfer window," said Romano in a Chelsea update on Gallagher to CaughtOffside.

“The player is back in London and is now back at Cobham to train today, but not with the Chelsea first-team squad as he’s not considered an important player or regular starter under manager Enzo Maresca. So, after everything was done, contracts ready, medical okay with Atletico Madrid, the two clubs have still not signed the contracts because of what happened with Samu Omorodion.

Metric

Output

Squad rank

Minutes

3,137

1st

Goals

5

=4th

Assists

7

2nd

Pass success rate (%)

91.5

3rd

Tackles per game

2.3

3rd

Interceptions per game

1.2

1st

Overall rating

7.13

2nd

via WhoScored

“Now Chelsea and Atletico are negotiating over Joao Felix, trying to find a solution to the situation. Gallagher is waiting and the deal remains on, but the England midfielder is no longer in Madrid, he’s in London waiting to understand if Chelsea and Atletico can find a solution.

“It’s a crazy situation as Gallagher starts training at Chelsea.”

Felix will be key to this situation, as Chelsea enter talks to re-sign the Portugal international as an alternative to Omorodion. The 24-year-old could indirectly grant Gallagher his desired move to Atletico, and it is believed Felix has already agreed to join Chelsea before deadline day.

Felix "working very hard" to join Chelsea via Jorge Mendes

The player's agent, Jorge Mendes, is apparently in England right now – attempting to get his £51 million client a move to Stamford Bridge (Fabrizio Romano).

Reporter Graeme Bailey, speaking to Chelsea News this week, says Mendes is "working very hard" to seal a transfer to Chelsea on Felix's behalf, so it is pretty clear at this point that the ex-Barcelona and Benfica sensation wants to sign for Maresca.

“I think there is a belief that Felix to Chelsea might get done," said Bailey.

"Jorge Mendes is working very hard on that deal. There is a belief that will happen.”

Sean Dyche’s Everton will be looking to make amends for last weekend’s 3-0 defeat against Brighton and Hove Albion as they travel to face Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon.

His side will be without numerous key first-team members for the trip to the capital, with Ashley Young suspended after his red card last time out, with regular centre-backs Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski both nursing injuries.

It will likely be a makeshift backline, a scary thought when coming up against the likes of Heung-min Son, Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski, as Ange Postecoglou's side look to claim all three points in their first league game of the season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Alongside the injuries, Dyche has numerous dilemmas across the pitch, as he tries to secure the Toffees’ first win of the new Premier League campaign.

23/12/2023

2-1

Loss

15/10/2022

2-0

Loss

07/03/2022

5-0

Loss

13/09/2020

1-0

Win

06/07/2020

1-0

Loss

He could look to drop one player who failed to impress during the season opener, despite producing some impressive numbers during the 2023/24 season.

Abdoulaye Doucoure’s stats against Brighton

Despite finishing the season prior as the club’s joint-top scorer, midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure produced a performance to forget on the opening day of the new season last weekend.

The 31-year-old started in a similar role to last season, in a more advanced berth just behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but he was unable to make a positive impact on the game or the result.

In his 63 minutes on the pitch, the Malian only managed 23 touches – just one touch nearly every three minutes – giving possession away eight times, as he failed to make the most of his time on the ball.

Doucoure was also caught offside four times, with all of his offences coming within the first 45 minutes, putting an end to any momentum the Toffees had within the final third.

Minutes played

63

Shots taken

1

Passes completed

12/17 (71%)

Times offside

4x

Tackles won

0/1 (0%)

Possession lost

8x

Touches

23

As a result, he could be replaced by one Everton talent who is more than deserving of a start after his cameo off the bench during the defeat.

The man to replace Doucoure against Spurs

After joining the Toffees in a £15m deal from Marseille during the off-season, attacker Iliman Ndiaye was restricted to a place on the bench during last weekend’s loss to the Seagulls.

However, he was brought on for Doucoure with just 27 minutes remaining, making more of an impact on the encounter than the former Watford ace despite featuring for 36 minutes fewer.

The "outrageous" talent, as previously described by ex-teammate Chris Basham, only had 13 fewer touches, but managed to achieve a higher success rate of duels won – putting himself about in the hope of changing the game for Dyche’s side.

Despite being brought on for his attacking abilities, Ndiaye managed to win three tackles – an average of one every nine minutes – as he worked tirelessly to make an immediate impression on the fanbase.

In what was a disappointing day for the entire side, he was unable to provide that spark that could change the game for the Toffees, but did demonstrate moments of quality which could earn him a start in North London this afternoon.

Out of the new additions this summer, the 24-year-old was arguably the most exciting after his previous stint in England for Sheffield United, where registered 36 goals and assists in just 88 games in total.

However, he’s yet to be handed that opportunity from the start to showcase what he’s capable of, with Dyche needing to hand him a first start over Doucoure if his side are to have the best opportunity of claiming anything from the meeting.

Fewer touches than Pickford: Dyche must axe 5/10 Everton man after Brighton

He couldn’t get into the game as the Toffees slipped to an opening weekend defeat.

1 ByJoe Nuttall Aug 17, 2024

Leeds United pushed up to fourth in the Championship table over the weekend with a comfortable 2-0 win over Hull City at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Whites took to the field for the first time since the summer transfer window slammed shut, after the deadline passed on Friday night, and that meant that they finally had a settled squad.

Daniel Farke does not have to worry about any more of his key players moving on from West Yorkshire, which was the case in the first few matches of the campaign.

The German head coach had to watch on as Archie Gray, Glen Kamara, Crysencio Summerville, and Georginio Rutter moved on to Tottenham Hotspur, Rennes, West Ham United, and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively.

Those sales did, however, allow the manager to dip into the transfer market to sign Largie Ramazani, Manor Solomon, Joe Rothwell, Joe Rodon, Alex Cairns, Jayden Bogle, Isaac Schmidt, and Ao Tanaka.

One player who has felt like a new signing at Elland Road is centre-forward Mateo Joseph, who has taken on a greater role at the start of this season.

Mateo Joseph's promising start to the season

The 20-year-old centre-forward has been tasked with leading the lines for the Whites so far in the 2024/25 campaign, as Farke has placed his faith in the academy graduate.

Joseph has had to bide his time for this chance, after 20 appearances as a substitute in the Championship last term, and is now looking to make the most of his opportunity in the starting XI.

The former England U20 international had caught the eye at youth level with a stunning return of 19 goals in 33 matches for the club's U21 side, which earned him a call-up to the senior team.

He scored three goals in all competitions for the Whites during the 2023/24 campaign, two of which came in a 3-2 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup.

So far this season, Joseph has started all four of the club's matches in the Championship and has impressed with his contributions in the final third.

Appearances

4

Goals

1

Assists

2

Big chances created

3

Ground duel success rate

38%

Aerial duel success rate

8%

As you can see in the table above, the Spanish youngster has been directly involved in three goals in four games, albeit with only one goal in four games as a number nine.

Whilst his efforts in the final third have been impressive, for a 20-year-old in his first run of stars, Joseph does need to improve his work out of possession.

The young forward has been dominated on the ground and in the air by opposition defenders and will, hopefully, learn from his experiences in recent weeks.

His 8% aerial duel success rate shows that centre-backs are finding it far too easy to get the better of him in the air and that will have to change in matches where Leeds will need an outlet to hold the ball up when they are under pressure.

Joseph's struggles off the ball also show that, whilst he has been one of the top performers for Leeds, he's not been the best of Farke's stars.

Instead, that title should go to central defender Pascal Struijk, who has been the true hero of the season so far since his return to the heart of the defence.

Pascal Struijk's frustrating 2023/24 season

The Dutch centre-back missed the last 27 matches of the 2023/24 campaign with a season-ending groin injury that was sustained at the end of December.

That blow meant that Ethan Ampadu, a defensive midfielder by trade, was forced to play as a central defender alongside Rodon in the second half of the season.

It was a frustrating injury for Struijk and for Leeds as the former Ajax man had enjoyed a fantastic start to the season next to the Spurs loanee at the back.

Appearances

23

Pass accuracy

90%

Ball recoveries per game

6.1

Ground duel success rate

61%

Aerial duel success rate

61%

As you can see in the table above, the Dutchman was a dominant force at the heart of the defence for Farke in the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, winning 61% of his duels on the deck and in the air.

Pascal Struijk's form this season

The left-footed defender returned from injury this summer and has started the season as the manager's first-choice centre-back next to Rodon in the Championship.

He has been the star of the show and the real hero for Farke, so far, with his composed and dominant performances in the second tier for the Whites.

Struijk started the season with a goal against Portsmouth in the 3-3 draw at Elland Road, converting coolly from the spot after a penalty was awarded to the home side.

Since that crazy match on the opening day, the Dutch colossus has kept three clean sheets in three Championship games, with West Brom, Sheffield Wednesday, and Hull all failing to score against Leeds.

The 24-year-old titan has been a dominant force at the back once again, winning 62% of his duels, and has won 100% of his attempted tackles in the division, which shows that he has barely put a foot wrong defensively.

Meanwhile, Rodon has only won 52% of his duels and has lost 80% of his battles on the ground, whilst making 2.8 ball recoveries per match.

As you can see in the graphic above, the towering defender has recovered the ball five times per match and registered 95 touches of the ball per game on average.

Struijk has made 18 progressive passes and delivered two shot-creating actions with those touches, which shows that the centre-back looks to play forward and progress the play for his team.

These statistics, and the team's record of three clean sheets in four league matches, suggest that the Dutchman has been the key to the club's success on the pitch, stepping up when Rodon has struggled, and that is why he has been the real hero over Joseph.

Leeds hit gold on amazing star who's worth more than Ramazani & Solomon

Leeds United will hope this star can continue delivering under pressure.

1 ByKelan Sarson Sep 1, 2024

Sunderland have been dealt a blow with the news that a player could be set for a three-month injury absence, according to manager Regis Le Bris.

Sunderland back in Championship action

The Black Cats could barely have asked for a better opening to their 2024/25 season, sitting top of the Championship table and winning all four matches in the process.

Le Bris has made an imperious start to life as Sunderland manager, beating Cardiff City and Portsmouth away, as well as picking up home wins against Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley.

The Championship outfit return to domestic action on Saturday, following the international break, with a long trip to Plymouth Argyle coming their way. Their opponents are languishing in 22nd place, failing to win in the league so far this season, so another three points could be expected.

A lack of injuries have certainly helped Sunderland of late, allowing Le Bris to largely name his strongest possible starting lineup, but an injury update has now emerged that acts as a blow.

Le Bris confirms injury blow for Sunderland

In quotes provided by The Sunderland Echo, Le Bris confirmed that Sunderland youngster Ahmed Abdullahi will miss an extended period of action through injury, having had groin surgery:

"Ahmed is different because he will have surgery. He will probably have ten to 12 weeks off the pitch. It wasn’t so clear when we signed him. We need an expert to understand exactly what the problem was. Now, we know. The diagnosis is clear and it will be solved after this surgery. He had this pain, a soreness in his groin, for a long time. It was not very clear, but now I think it will be solved. All the players who have been away are back with no problems. Otherwise, there's no new injuries."

Admittedly, Abdullahi hasn't yet made an appearance for Sunderland since moving in the summer, so it is hard to describe him as a key man.

Sunderland could soon sell “wonderful” ace for more than Jack Clarke

Sunderland could soon see this star go for millions.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 12, 2024

He is an exciting young player, though, and not having him available for such a long time affects the squad depth at Le Bris' disposal. The 20-year-old could miss up to 16 matches, should he be out until three months from now, and his manager outlined his quality after he arrived from Gent last month, saying:

"He's a big boy, quick and strong. He's a good finisher, he's young, 20 – so like Eliezer he will need time to develop for sure and to integrate all the elements we have in the team. But he's a good signing. We know there is always pressure but of course, we understand they need time to develop and to make mistakes so that they can learn. This will be the case with Ahmed for sure."

The hope is that this ongoing groin issue will be solved with the surgery, as Le Bris alludes to, allowing Abdullahi to be an important figure for Sunderland during the second half of the season.

Ipswich Town, unlike their fellow promoted side Southampton, have at least managed to accumulate some early-season points in the Premier League.

Russell Martin’s Saints have disastrously lost all four of their top-flight games so far, whilst the Tractor Boys have picked up two draws against Fulham and Brighton and Hove Albion recently, having been shoved in at the deep-end with back-to-back losses against Liverpool and Manchester City.

The goals haven’t exactly been free-flowing for Kieran McKenna’s side so far either, but at least new recruits Liam Delap and Sammie Szmodics have managed to break their top-flight ducks, with Szmodics even netting away at Man City.

Ipswich's attacking performances this season

Again, the Tractor Boys do have an upper hand over Southampton when it comes to goals scored during the early stages of this Premier League season, with the Saints only managing a meagre one strike next to Ipswich’s two.

Both of those strikes came from Delap and Szmodics, with the former’s sublime strike against Marco Silva’s Cottagers really sticking out, having been his side’s stylish first goal back in the top division.

There will be an expectation in games to follow that the goals will start flowing after a frustrating goalless draw versus Brighton last time out saw Szmodics and Delap really struggle to get going.

Only mustering up 24 touches between them during the game on the South Coast, neither player would test Seagulls shot-stopper Bart Verbruggen with a shot on target, with McKenna left wondering now whether he should have prioritised adding more firepower to his team as the clock ticked down on transfer deadline day.

The former Manchester United coach turned beloved Ipswich boss would love to have Troy Parrott back at his disposal, specifically when you consider his red-hot numbers currently playing in the Netherlands, with the former loanee once just a forgettable flop in Suffolk.

Troy Parrott's numbers this season

Back in 2021, Parrott was loaned to Ipswich from his now ex-employers Tottenham Hotspur in the hope that EFL football would toughen him up and further sharpen his goalscoring tools.

The loan move would unfortunately not go to plan for the Dublin-born attacker, with only two goals registered from 18 appearances donning Ipswich blue, before he moved back to North London.

Games played

5

Goals scored

4

Assists

0

Expected goals (xG)

3.28

Scoring frequency

101 mins

Shots per game

3.6

Parrott has been an absolute menace for his new side in AZ Alkmaar however, away from his uninspiring stay in Suffolk, with four goals registered from five clashes meaning he has outscored both Delap and Szmodics whilst playing in the Eredivisie this season.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Amazingly, all four of those strikes came in just one game versus SC Heerenveen last time out, as Parrott’s side humiliated Robin Van Persie’s away outfit 9-1, which would have made the emphatic victory even sweeter for the Irishman considering his past Spurs loyalties.

Helping himself to plenty of goals when on the books of Excelsior Rotterdam on loan in the Netherlands last term, with 17 strikes from 32 contests, Ipswich would love to have this goal machine in their camp now, over the goal-shy version they obtained three years ago.

McKenna will hope that gaining George Hirst back as another striker option can boost his side’s attacking output moving forward, with the Tractor Boys number 27 coming on against Brighton in place of Delap after an injury-disrupted pre-season.

The popular Ipswich boss will also be aware that his side can be an entertaining watch when at the top of their game, but it was always going to be a difficult transition period acclimatising to the Premier League.

Yet, there is winnable game up next, as Ipswich face off against Southampton in a clash that will already impact the foot of the league.

Ipswich let an "intelligent" star leave for £0, now he's outscoring Delap

This former Ipswich Town striker is excelling at his new club.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 10, 2024

An “underrated” member of the Arsenal squad is always working to get better and ultimately prove himself, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano sharing news out of London Colney.

Unbeaten Arsenal prepare for Leicester City on Saturday

After coming through tough encounters against Tottenham, Atalanta and Premier League title rivals Man City unscathed and unbeaten, the north Londoners host Leicester City at 3pm on Saturday in what is their first home game in weeks.

Arteta dealt another Arsenal blow as "big talent" suffers hip injury

The Spaniard is already without a few key players.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 26, 2024

Manager Mikel Arteta is preparing his weakened side to take on the newly-promoted Foxes in a clash they should win comfortably, especially when factoring in their exceptional results against a trio of hard opposition in the last 11 days.

Arsenal’s seized all the bragging rights against Tottenham, courtesy of star defender Gabriel Magalhaes, who rose highest to head in their winner from a corner. David Raya’s heroics also ensured that Arteta’s side came away from Bergamo with their first Champions League point of the season, before the Gunners nearly defeated Man City at the Etihad Stadium.

Leicester City (home)

September 28

Southampton (home)

October 5

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

Liverpool (home)

October 27

Newcastle United (away)

November 2

10-man Arsenal held a 2-1 lead right until the dying minutes, with John Stones scoring a dramatic late rebound to make it 2-2. Gabriel’s contribution in this run of results cannot be overestimated, as the Brazilian wreaked havoc during set pieces and had a big say in their games against Spurs and City.

Arteta needs heroes in the absence of key men, with summer signing Mikel Merino sidelined and Martin Odegaard still recovering from an ankle injury.

Gabriel Magalhaes always working to improve at Arsenal

Supporters will be very thankful for Gabriel’s involvement as a result, with Romano now sharing news on the South American’s work ethic.

Arsenal signed the 26-year-old from Lille for around £23 million in 2020, and he has since gone on to form an exceptional partnership with William Saliba at the heart of Arteta’s defence. Romano writes that Gabriel is always working to improve at Arsenal, as he desperately seeks to prove his worth and help them win major silverware.

“Gabriel… another top player,” said Romano in his Dailybriefing.

“A super professional who is always studying how to improve, he was an excellent signing from Lille when other clubs (especially Napoli and Juventus) wanted him.”

Journalist Kaya Kaynak, speaking on The Arsenal Beat podcast, has also lavished Gabriel as an unsung hero.

“Gabriel Magalhaes is the most underrated player in the Arsenal team,” said Kaynak. “What’s underestimated about Gabriel Magalhaes, I think maybe, everyone accepts that he is fantastic defensively, they accept he’s strong, they accept he’s a leader, they accept he’s great in the air.

“But the one thing he never seems to have been able to get over is this, sort of, unwritten assumption that there’s a rick in him. That there’s an error never too far around the corner, and obviously that has been the case in the past…I think maybe people have had that with them as a bit of a legacy of what’s gone past, but interestingly enough, this season the amount of errors he has conceded leading to goals has been zero. So, he’s improved that, he’s cut that out of his game.”