It was another anonymous outing for £30m club-record signing Daniel James as Leeds United were thrashed by Premier League leaders Manchester City at Elland Road on Saturday evening.
The Yorkshire giants weren’t expected to pick up any sort of result against Pep Guardiola’s men but the 4-0 defeat only adds to their relegation worries with the side now sitting in the final safety spot, five points clear of Everton, who face Chelsea later today.
It could go down to the wire and Jesse Marsch will need his top stars to step up and be counted, especially those that have cost the club a hefty amount, such as the Wales international.
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Initially named on the bench for this encounter, the 24-year-old winger was called upon just before halftime as he replaced the injured Stuart Dallas.
The American head coach clearly felt as if the former Manchester United man could swing the game in their favour somewhat, having only been one-nil down at the break.
However, the rampant visitors came out all guns blazing in the second half and it left James something of a ghost-like figure throughout the 45 or so minutes he was on the pitch.
As per SofaScore, he registered only 13 touches of the ball – one every 3.5 minutes. That was even fewer than goalkeeper Illan Meslier (35), who managed to see the ball once every 2.5 minutes at least.
Even fellow substitute Joe Gelhardt managed more touches (14) in only 28 minutes and he was left playing a lone striker’s role, a rather damning indictment on James’ impact or lack of.
With such little involvement, the struggling Welsh dynamo was only able to muster up four accurate passes from seven attempts (57%), whilst he did miss one big chance with his only shot on target.
On that evidence, the £45m-rated star badly failed Marsch in his attempts to try and salvage something for the Yorkshire side up against the defending champions.
He’s now failed to score since early February with only two assists across his last ten appearances in the Whites’ strip.
It’s got to be massively concerning for the Leeds boss at this point.
AND in other news, 78% duels lost: Leeds’ “woeful” £55k-p/w liability drops another disasterclass vs City…
Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a bid to bring Dan Neil to north London in the summer transfer window.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to Pete O’Rourke, with the transfer insider revealing in a recent post on Twitter that Fabio Paratici is eyeing a move for the Sunderland midfielder at the end of the current campaign.
However, the journalist added that the 20-year-old is also attracting the attention of Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion.
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In his tweet, O’Rourke said: “Tottenham, Crystal Palace and Brighton are eyeing moves for Sunderland star Dan Neil.”
He’s a young Paul Gascoigne
Considering just how much potential Neil possesses, it is easy to see why Spurs would be interested in a move for the England under-20 international this summer.
Indeed, over his 39 League One appearances this season, the youngster has impressed in the middle of the park, scoring three goals, registering seven assists and creating seven big chances for his team-mates, along with averaging 0.7 shots and 1.1 key passes per game.
The £1.4k-per-week midfield talent has also stood out in metrics more typical of his position, making 0.5 interceptions, 1.2 tackles and 0.5 tackles and winning 3.5 duels per match.
These returns have seen the 20-year-old average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.83, ranking him as the Black Cats’ joint 13th-best player in the league as he played a crucial role in the club’s push to secure a play-off semi-final spot.
Furthermore, former Sunderland manager Lee Johnson appeared particularly excited about the midfielder’s future in the game, stating of Neil shortly after the youngster put pen to paper on a new deal at the Stadium of Light: “You can see and feel the passion that he has got for Sunderland when you are coaching him, and he’s a great kid and a really good football player with bags of potential, and we’ll try and hone that as quickly as possibly.
“He’s technically a very good player, you can see the way he manipulates the ball, and I think he has added another dimension to his game in being able to drop and drive, as we call it, and receive the ball and commit players.
“He’s got that lovely dribbling technique, a little bit like a young Paul Gascoigne almost in the way he sort of hops and drags it at the same time which, as a defender, makes it very difficult to commit because as soon as you do, he’s got the ability to skip by you.”
As such, it is clear to see just how exciting a talent Neil is, leading us to believe that Paratici sealing a deal for the 20-year-old this summer would be yet another masterclass by the Italian sporting director.
AND in other news – “Made contact”: Paratici in talks for Spurs’ first summer signing, Conte would love him
If Rangers are going to reestablish themselves as both Scottish football’s dominant side but also a force in Europe once again, their recruitment simply must improve.
Sporting director Kevin Thelwell gave an interview to the club’s official TV channel this week, his position very much under the microscope from supporters following a very underwhelming transfer window.
Summer signings such as Emmanuel Fernandez, Joe Rothwell, Jayden Meghoma, Thelo Aasgaard and others have either made little impact or not impressed so far.
Rangers supporters won’t like this, but they’re going to have to replicate Celtic’s largely successful player trading model, with the side from across the city regularly selling players on for a sizable profit, something the Gers rarely do.
In fairness to them, the Light Blues did manage this with Hamza Igamane who departed this summer, so could an “exciting” new recruit be the next one to follow?
Hamza Igamane's impact at Rangers
When Igamane arrived at Rangers, he was a complete unknown quantity, signing from Botola club AS FAR in his native Morocco for £1.7m.
Well, the young striker certainly impressed during his one season in Govan, scoring 16 goals across all competitions, of which four came in the Europa League, while also bagging a hat-trick against Hibernian at Easter Road back in January.
He will though be most fondly remembered for this thunderous strike at Parkhead in March, snatching a 3-2 Old Firm victory over Celtic during Barry Ferguson’s interim tenure, awarded the club’s goal of the season.
Igamane though did not plan on sticking around in Glasgow, sold to Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille for a reported fee of £10.4m in August, which may prove to be an absolute bargain as far as les Dogues are concerned.
He scored twice on his Ligue 1 debut against Lorient at Stade du Moustoir, netting seven times for Lille to date overall, including three in the Europa League, featuring a brace against PAOK last month.
Meantime, Igamane scored his first two senior goals for Morocco in September, on target during World Cup qualifiers against Niger and Zambia, set to be a key figure in Walid Regragui’s squad for both the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil next month and then the World Cup in the summer.
Consequently, Rangers supporters may actually feel as though they let the striker go on the cheap, albeit there was nothing the club could do once his release clause was met.
So, who could be the Light Blues’ next bargain signing to depart for a huge profit, after exponentially improving his value and reputation at Ibrox?
Rangers' next Hamza Igamane
As already noted, many of Rangers’ summer signings have not impressed, hence why Russell Martin was sacked after just 17 games in charge, while, despite improvements under Danny Röhl, they remain fourth in the Scottish Premiership and rock-bottom of the Europa League standings, still yet to pick up a point.
However, almost inarguably, the best-performing of all their summer recruits has been Djeidi Gassama.
The Mauritania-born French youth international arrived from Sheffield Wednesday for just £2.2m, available at a cut-price given that now-ousted owner Dejphon Chansiri was running the EFL Championship club into the ground at the time, which looks like being a complete bargain, with the table below documenting the winger’s importance.
Minutes
1,733
4th
Goals
6
1st
Assists
2
4th
Shots per 90
2.3
1st
Key passes per 90
0.9
4th
Successful dribbles per 90
1.8
1st
Indeed, only Jack Butland, John Souttar and captain James Tavernier have played more minutes than Gassama so far this season and rightly so.
The Frenchman ranks first when it comes to goals, shots per 90 and successful dribbles per 90, with five of his six goals to date coming in European competition, on target home and away against Panathinaikos, at the double when Viktoria Plzeň visited Glasgow, while also on target in defeat at Sturm Graz.
Upon his arrival, then-manager Martin labelled Gassama an “exciting player who will get supporters on the edge of their seats”, while the winger expressed his delight in being reunited with manager Röhl, who’d also been his boss at Hillsborough, describing the German as “like a father to me”.
Earlier in the campaign, when Rangers’ form was diabolical, former right-back Alan Hutton asserted that Gassama had been their “shining light”, now only likely to get better under Röhl, the coach who kick-started his rise at Sheffield Wednesday.
Well, according to Football Transfers, Gassama’s estimated market value has already increased to around £4.5m, more than double what Rangers paid to sign him.
Scoring goals in Europe will certainly attract interest, proving that the attacker can perform at a higher level than just the Scottish Premiership.
Thus, still only 22 years old, Gassama appears destined to become Rangers’ next Igamane-like sale, while, for now, Röhl has to build a cohesive team to get the best out of his star forward.
Not Chermiti or Miovski: £4.5m flop is one of Rangers' worst ever signings
Rangers recruitment has been poor for many years, so which “insane talent” not Youssef Chermiti nor Bojan Miovski is one of the club’s worst signings.
Tottenham Hotspur are finding their feet in the Premier League this season and there is a swell of internal belief surrounding one of their most promising stars.
Tottenham's resilience leaves Frank delighted
Over the years, external narratives involving Spurs have questioned their mentality to grind out results when the pressure is on, but Thomas Frank appears to be in a position to reverse that trend.
Speaking after Tottenham’s hard-fought 2-1 victory over Leeds United last weekend, the Danish boss made it clear that his side have the dig needed to secure momentous victories even in testing circumstances.
He stated: “I think if you want to build any successful team you need mentality and character and cohesion and togetherness. No matter if you play like Inter or Barcelona or whatever style of play, you need that willingness to do everything to win, and I think we are building that more and more in the team.”
Of course, stiffer tests are to come and Frank’s men will need to show they have the mettle to claim a regular stream of points. Regardless, one loss in seven Premier League fixtures is a marked improvement on last term.
Ambition inside the building will lead that charge, and Spurs’ reported move for Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is a sign that they aren’t willing to settle for just being part of the chasing pack.
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Putting that aside, Frank will need to focus on the talent he has at his disposal for now, even if the January window offers an opportunity to add new faces to his collective.
Listening to that advice, the Spurs manager now believes he has a player that can rival some of the world’s best in his position over the coming years.
Frank makes exciting Archie Gray prediction
Profiling his role, Frank believes Archie Gray could one day be as good as Declan Rice or Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, and has urged the former Leeds United man to take his game to the next level under his stewardship.
He stated: “I see him as a midfielder who can play six or eight. That is his position and these days midfielders need to be more complete.
Five similar players to Archie Gray (FBRef)
Marin Pongracic
Fiorentina
Clinton Mata
Lyon
Christian Mawissa
Monaco
Jean-Clair Todibo
West Ham United
Ismael Doukoure
Strasbourg
“You need to be a little bit of a six, a little bit of eight and 10 and two of the best in the world right now are probably Rodri and Declan Rice. They can do a little bit of everything. I see Archie, and they are big names to compare him to, but I see he has got the same potential.”
Making 51 appearances for a club of Tottenham’s standing at 19 years of age is a commendable achievement, though it remains to be seen if the England Under-21 international can one day rival two of the Premier League’s most established midfielders.
Manchester City will hope to ride the crest of a wave as they plot a route into the Premier League race, and the Citizens may also be preparing for a fight with Liverpool to sign a lucrative international at zero cost.
Manchester City look to kick on after derby victory
The Etihad Stadium paid witness to some raucous scenes last weekend as Manchester City swept aside Manchester United to move within six points of Liverpool at the top of the table.
Before the match, Erling Haaland urged his new teammates to take on added responsibility after a busy transfer window that saw his side lose a number of influential figures. When it mattered, they all stepped up to deliver a stirring display.
Speaking after his side recorded a convincing triumph, Pep Guardiola reserved special praise for his Norwegian talisman and homegrown hero Phil Foden, who both got themselves on the scoresheet.
Starting with Haaland, the former Barcelona manager said: “Erling has been incredible since the start but this season he is better than ever. I would say better than the Treble year. He’s dynamic and I don’t judge him for the clearance, we want him to score goals and to help us.”
Later, he added on Foden: “We missed him so much and the season before he was the best player in the Premier League so we need him, he has a work ethic. Phil is the core, the heart of the club, from the academy and he loves City. To have him back is good news.”
With 2026 not too far in the distance, Manchester City are set to block interest from Al Nassr in a £112 million move for Phil Foden, and they now have their eye on one of his international teammates.
Man City ready to up the ante to land Marc Guehi in 2026
According to The Mirror, Manchester City are huge admirers of Marc Guehi, planning a move and will throw everything at landing him on a free transfer in 2026, with Crystal Palace unwilling to sanction his exit in the January window.
Despite Liverpool’s well-documented interest in the former Chelsea man alongside Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Juventus, the Citizens are hopeful they can secure his services without having to pay a transfer fee, teeing up the saga of next summer.
Man City brewing homegrown Guehi in "one of the most talented teen CBs"
Manchester City could be brewing their homegrown Marc Guehi with this talented centre-back.
ByKelan Sarson Sep 14, 2025
Labelled a “monster in defence” by Bobby Manzi, Guehi has handled himself exceptionally well despite being at the centre of a failed move to Anfield on Deadline Day, even scoring once in seven appearances across all competitions.
Guardiola’s backline has been altered following the departures of Manuel Akanji and Kyle Walker, and there may be more movement to come as they step up their efforts to land Guehi.
It remains to be seen who will win the battle for his signature, with Barca and Real described as ready to move. But regardless, Manchester City seem ready to go all-in given the lucrative possibility of signing a reliable Premier League performer.
A Nottingham Forest player is now desperate to leave, after owner Evangelos Marinakis cost him a dream move, it has been revealed.
Marinakis causing a stir in the transfer market
On the whole, Forest’s summer transfer window is likely to be viewed as a success, given that they managed to strengthen their squad considerably ahead of their Europa League campaign, while also managing to tie Morgan Gibbs-White down to a new contract.
That is despite the fact Tottenham Hotspur had agreed a £60m deal to sign the England international, with Marinakis ultimately convincing the 25-year-old to renew his deal, before saying: “We are very happy about it. We share the same dreams and he is a talented player. He loves Nottingham Forest and has become a legend already.
“It didn’t take long to reach an agreement with Morgan – it was a very short conversation full of passion and love for the club. All of our supporters should know that this guy loves the club.”
However, a different player isn’t quite as happy to have remained at The City Ground, according to a report from GiveMeSport, which states Jota Silva is now desperate to quit, after a move to Sporting CP collapsed at the last minute.
Jota is now exploring a move to a club from Saudi Arabia or Turkey, given that their transfer windows remain open, and a pundit has blamed Marinakis for the Sporting deal failing to go through.
Speaking on CNN Portugal, journalist Bruno Andrade said: “There are many people you could blame, but especially Marinakis. He delayed the negotiations until the very last minute. In my view, the main reason was that he tried to push for a permanent deal in the final days. He eventually compromised for a loan with a purchase option, but by then he was already annoyed.”
Nottingham Forest now agree deal to sign gem with same agent as Chris Wood
Forest are set to complete a deadline day move for a defender.
ByDominic Lund Sep 1, 2025 Forest should cash-in on Jota in post-deadline deal
It is clear to see why the Portuguese winger is frustrated by the deal collapsing, given that joining Sporting CP was regarded as a dream move, but it is good news that he could be keen on a move to Turkey or Saudi Arabia.
There is no reason for Nuno to keep hold of a wantaway player, particularly one who has fallen down the pecking order at The City Ground, with the two-time Portugal international appearing for just 11 minutes so far this season.
The 26-year-old, who is thought to have cost around £6m, was also largely utilised as a substitute in the 2024-25 campaign, so it would make sense for Forest to cash-in, having secured the signings of Dilane Bakwa, Dan Ndoye and Omari Hutchinson this summer.
Having once been described as a “maverick” by former scout Mick Brown, Jota clearly has talent, but a move to Sporting CP would’ve made sense for all parties, given Bakwa’s deadline day arrival, so it is frustrating that a deal did not transpire.
As Barcelona advance in their bid to sign Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams this summer, the chances of Liverpool winger Luis Diaz moving to LaLiga dwindle considerably.
Earlier in June, The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed La Blaugrana had seen a formal approach for the Colombian rebuffed, with FSG unequivocal in their response: Diaz is not for sale this summer.
While transfer stances are pliable things, it does seem silly to let Diaz leave for anything less than a mammoth fee. Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon has been touted as a potential successor, but would the Three Lions star truly represent an upgrade, especially as he would cost up to £100m?
Coming off the back of his most productive campaign for Liverpool, and a title-winning term at that, the 28-year-old Diaz has also aroused the attention of Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, who would be more inclined to meet Anfield’s £70m valuation of the star.
If he does leave, Cody Gakpo at least provides Arne Slot with an existing presence on the left wing. Moreover, Florian Wirtz is Anfield-bound, and he’s more than capable of playing off the wide strip.
The latest on Florian Wirtz to Liverpool
Liverpool have pulled a blinder in securing Wirtz’s signature. The deal, which could rise to a British-record £116m fee, has been agreed, but not yet finalised, with a medical slated for Friday.
Florian Wirtz
Despite concrete interest from Manchester City and Bayern Munich, Liverpool have entered the final stages of a record transfer that should seal their position at the highest rung of a ladder which dangles over the scope of European football.
Typically placed as a central attacking midfielder, the German international ranked among the top 4% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
He’d raise the level of any forward he plays with, and while Diaz would go from strength to strength alongside Wirtz next season, should he leave, there’s another who may benefit from the Leverkusen superstar’s prowess.
Liverpool make approach for new forward
As per esteemed French outlet L’Equipe, Liverpool have entered the race for winger Malick Fofana, though Chelsea are leading the race, having already established direct contacts with Lyon for the 20-year-old.
However, Liverpool have now held talks with the representatives of Malick Fofana too, though they have joined a battle consisting of Manchester United and Nottingham Forest.
Lyon's Malick Fofana
Fofana’s fast ascent to prominence in Ligue 1 has caught the eye of several Premier League heavy hitters, and while he’s been priced at €50m (£43m), this stands far lower than what FSG would have to fork out for someone like Newcastle’s Gordon.
What Malick Fofana would bring to Liverpool
Belgian prospect Fofana may still be in the fledgling phase of a promising career, but he’s already proved he has the clean finishing and robust motions of a player capable of succeeding in the Premier League.
Lyon's Malick Fofana against AC Milan.
Joining Lyon from KAA Gent in January 2024, Fofana scored three times in the French top flight before the end of the 2023/24 term, only starting four matches.
Last season, though, he reached new levels while starting the year as a teenager, posting 11 goals and six assists across 41 matches.
In the French first division, he certainly demonstrated his aptitude, scoring five goals and assisting four more despite only starting 16 times. With only four big chances missed and six big chances created himself, there’s a lot to like, with the speedy star almost economical in his play, making smart choices.
As per FBref, he actually ranked among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues in 2024/25 for non-penalty goals scored, the top 2% for progressive carries and the top 14% for touches in the attacking box per 90.
As is probably clear, he’s a naturally potent threat, looking to drive up the pitch and into the penalty area with fleet feet before striking on goal. Fofana has been described as a “game-changer” by journalist Antonio Mango, and it’s clear to see why.
The wideman’s performances, interestingly, have seen FBref draw up Gordon as one of his most comparable players, and so for a portion of the fee, surely this would be the track to head down for Liverpool?
He might be unrefined, but Gakpo resides in the Merseyside squad and, more to the point, Wirtz will soon be settled into the way of life at Liverpool, thus providing an electric talent such as Fofana with an elite supply line to direct toward the end of his darting runs.
For a Liverpool side whose creativity levels already rank as the best that the Premier League has seen in recent years, this is a tantalising thought that will become an exciting reality for the Reds faithful.
24/25
Liverpool
112
23/24
Liverpool
102
22/23
Liverpool & Man City
103
21/22
Liverpool
97
20/21
Liverpool
82
Across the past four Bundesliga campaigns, Wirtz has averaged 2.4 key passes or higher per game three times, which is an incredible achievement and a clear depiction of the magic of Liverpool’s new addition.
His genius ball-playing and -carrying skills would be the perfect fit for any player worth their salt, but for Fofana, a raw talent with blistering pace and an already established prolific sense, Liverpool truly could be the perfect stomping ground for him to take the next step in his development, especially as the aforementioned Gakpo will ease any sense of being overburdened.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.Override
If Liverpool sell Diaz and replace him with Fofana, they will be turning a profit while providing Wirtz with a forward to direct his playmaking skills toward for many years to come. What’s not to like?
He's better than Gordon: Liverpool among favourites to sign £77m winger
Liverpool may need to replace Luis Diaz in the transfer market this summer.
Jay Stansfield might well have lost out on the honour of the League One golden boot, but his blistering 19 strikes in league action were vital in helping Birmingham City stroll to the title on a mammoth 111 points.
There was also Alfie May at Chris Davies’ disposal to gift the Blues even more firepower, seen in the ex-Charlton Athletic centre-forward chipping in with 16 league strikes of his own.
But, Birmingham won’t be content just sticking by Stansfield and May ahead of Championship football returning to St. Andrew’s, with Che Adams’ name continuing to pop up as a statement recruit in attack.
Birmingham's ongoing hunt for Adams
Late last month, it was revealed that Birmingham were keen on bringing Adams back to the West Midlands to gain a second-tier ready striker.
After all, Stansfield and May have predominantly plied their trade outside of the EFL’s division, with the ex-Fulham man only experiencing one season at the level when he was initially on loan with the Blues.
On the contrary, Adams’ main bread and butter lies in the unpredictable league, with the Scotland international boasting 49 goals at the intimidating level across his varied career to date.
But, there is another target now rumoured to be on Birmingham’s agenda who has also proven himself to be potent finisher at the level in the past and above, who could well be viewed as an upgrade on their former number nine subsequently.
Birminham could sign a bigger talent than Adams
Whilst Adams has been able to reach milestones such as scoring 100 overall career goals, there is one other target Birmingham should prioritise over landing their ex-attacker to show they really mean business.
This would come in the form of signing Danny Ings, with a report by journalist Graeme Bailey late last week revealing that the departing West Ham United striker is wanted by the newly promoted side as they aim to take the Championship by storm, alongside catching the eye of an equally eager Wrexham.
Although the 32-year-old is now very much deep into the twilight years of his playing days, he should still be able to slot into Davies’ XI and transform back into a goal machine, considering the well-travelled veteran has shown off his goalscoring prowess for various teams.
Indeed, his most prolific spell as a feared attacker came on the books of Southampton, where he rifled home a mightily impressive 46 strikes from a century of appearances. To add context, Adams would only help himself to a further two goals during his own time on the South Coast, even from a far heftier 198 contests.
Premier League
240
72
24
Championship
87
27
9
League One
27
7
3
Adams might well be able to brag that he has more career goals in the Championship – with Ings only on 27 next to the Scotsman’s 49 – but the 27 strikes the 32-year-old has tallied up in the second tier isn’t a weak amount by any means, considering he has only ever played three campaigns at the level.
Instead, the three-time England international has regularly terrorised Premier League defences when injury-free, meaning he would be able to come in and bring a sense of authority to proceedings alongside Stansfield and May.
After all, it’s not as if Ings has been labelled as “clinical” – as he was lauded by journalist Leanne Prescott previously – by fluke, with the ageing attacker no doubt wanting to see out his long career with a bang by showing there’s life in him still at St. Andrew’s.
Of course, everyone with connections to Birmingham would want to see Adams return purely to finish off his Blues tale.
But, if Ings is also available on a free, taking a gamble on the 5 foot 10 striker to come good might well pay off more instead.
Big May upgrade: Birmingham line up "expensive" move for £13m star
Birmingham could land a big upgrade on Alfie May by signing this £13m-rated striker.
It has been a bit of an underwhelming season in front of goal for Aston Villa. Despite the firepower at Unai Emery’s disposal, there is certainly a case to be made that they have left a little ot be desired going forward.
They have managed just 58 Premier League goals overall, a tally bettered by eight clubs in the top-flight.
The West Midlands outfit have also massively underperformed on expected goals. According to Understat, the Villans’ numbers for the metric lie at 66.05 xG, an underachievement of over eight goals. That is worse than all but five teams.
Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins celebrates scoring their first goal with Jacob Ramsey andMorganRogers
With that in mind, it might not be a surprise to learn that Villa are targeting a new attacker this summer.
Aston Villa’s new attacking target
It does seem as though the Villans are looking to add attacking firepower to their squad this summer. One man who could move to the West Midlands is former Manchester City man Ferran Torres, now plying his trade at Barcelona.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to a report from journalist Graeme Bailey, they ‘like’ the versatile Spanish forward, and could look to add him to their squad this summer. Crucially, not only is he is a player the club likes, but ‘so does Unai Emery’, as per the report.
The stars may well have aligned for Villa to bring Torres to the club, although they will face competition from a Premier League rival. Arsenal are also interested, and Mikel Arteta has worked with the forward when he was a coach in East Manchester.
FC Barcelona'sFerranTorrescelebrates scoring their second goal
A price is yet to be confirmed, but he cost Barca just short of £55m four years ago, so it might be a similar fee.
How Ferran Torres compares to Rashford
It has been a season to remember for Barcelona. They recently secured the La Liga title, beating rivals Real Madrid to the prize. Whilst Torres has by no means been the star of the show, he has played a huge role in their success under Hansi Flick.
FC Barcelona'sFerranTorresin action
The Spaniard has played 45 games in all competitions this season. In that time, the 25-year-old has found the back of the net 19 times and created a further seven goals. Surprisingly, he has played just 1,921 minutes, but that has left him with a goal involvement every 73 minutes on average.
Of Torres’ 19 goals across all competitions this term, he managed six of them in just five games in Barca’s victorious Copa Del Rey campaign. That included a hat-trick in a 5-0 demolition of former club Valencia at the Estadio Mestalla.
One player who Torres could replace in a Villa shirt this season is Marcus Rashford. The Manchester United star has been on loan at Villa Park for the second half of the campaign, where he has contributed to ten goals in just 17 games.
Despite the fact that there is a £40m buy option in his contract with the West Midlands outfit, it is not clear if Rashford will stay at the club.
Simon Stone of BBC Sport recently reported that the attacker thinks United ‘would be prepared to sell him for £40m to anyone this summer’, suggesting he may not stay at Villa Park.
When comparing the pair statistically on FBref, it seems like Torres would certainly be a good alternative to Rashford if he were to replace the Wythenshawe-born sensation. For example, he averages 0.47 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes compared to Rashford’s 0.53 shot-creating actions each game.
Goals and assists
1.23
0.70
Key passes
1.35
1.68
Goal-creating actions
0.47
0.53
Take-ons completed
0.82
1.64
Ball recoveries
2.06
2.43
There is no doubt it would be a shame for Villa if they were to lose Rashford this summer. However, should they sign the “special” talent that is Torres, as Antonio Mango called him, he would certainly be an apt replacement.
Emery loves him and the club wants to sign him, so it seems like the dream addition and someone who can fill the big boots of Rashford next season.
Monchi now in talks to sign "rare" star for Aston Villa in bargain transfer
Plans for Tottenham Hotspur’s summer rebuild are already underway.
Having won just one of their last nine, Spurs are languishing 16th in the Premier League, thereby on course for their lowest finish since being relegated in 1977.
Tottenham Hotspur'sSonHeung-minreacts
However, Ange Postecoglou’s team could, of course, salvage the campaign in a big way, preparing for the Europa League Final against Manchester United later this month, with both silverware and a place in next season’s Champions League on the line.
Of course, Champions League qualification would massively help their summer transfer plans, both financially and in terms of prestige, although, regardless of the outcome in Bilbao, this squad requires serious surgery, but do Tottenham already boast a more valuable attacker than their potential new signing?
Tottenham's search for attacking reinforcements
As previously reported by Danny Rust and Dean Jones of Give Me Sport, Tottenham are ‘planning to make an offer’ to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town this summer.
Having scored 12 Premier League goals for the Tractor Boys this season, the 22-year-old is certainly a man in demand, with Wayne Veysey of Football Insider noting that Chelsea, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest are amongst his potential suitors.
This is surely partly due to the fact that, as reported by Jacob Steinberg and Nick Ames of the Guardian, Delap has a £30m release clause, following Ipswich’s relegation, which looks a major bargain for a player Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labels an “absolute beast”.
Thus, Delap appears as though he would be an excellent addition for Spurs, but do they already boast a better attacker?
Tottenham's most valuable attacker
When Brennan Johnson joined Tottenham from Nottingham Forest for a reported fee of £47m in September 2023, a few eyebrows were raised, but he has certainly proved his worth, as the table below outlines.
Brennan Johnson
17
7
24
Dominic Solanke
15
8
23
Son Heung-min
11
12
23
James Maddison
12
11
23
Dejan Kuluševski
10
11
21
Pedro Porro
4
9
13
Pape Matar Sarr
6
3
9
Richarlison
5
2
7
As the table shows, no Spurs player has been directly involved in more goals than Johnson, 11 of which have come in the Premier League, also contributing four en route to Bilbao in the Europa League.
Paul Taylor of The Athletic labels Johnson “electric”, while Ali Tweedale of Opta’s the Analyst, outlines how the Wales international quickly went from Tottenham’s ‘lightning rod’ to their most important, most prolific attacker.
Meantime, Liam Tharme of The Athletic documents how ghosting in at the back post to score with a first-time finish has become Johnson’s trademark goal, making him a pivotal figure in Postecoglou’s team.
These performances mean Johnson is now Tottenham’s most valuable attacker, as the table below outlines.
Brennan Johnson
£60m
Dominic Solanke
£44m
Son Heung-min
£26m
Mathys Tel
£48m
Richarlison
£22.5m
Wilson Odobert
£21m
Liam Delap
£31m
Based on these market values, Delap’s aforementioned £30m release clause actually offers pretty fair market value, but the £47m fee paid to secure Johnson’s services was, in retrospect, actually a bargain, considering his current value of £60m.
Tottenham winger Brennan Johnson
So, while Delap may be a great signing for Spurs, whatever they’re planning for the summer, they need to ensure this gets the best out of their already excelling attacker.
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