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Pressure has significantly increased on Erik ten Hag at Manchester United in recent days, so much so they have identified a manager who could replace the Dutchman, according to a recent report.

The Red Devils put in a very disappointing and embarrassing performance against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, and that has resulted in speculation increasing over the future of Ten Hag. The Dutchman faces a defining week as trips to Porto and Aston Villa await before the next international break.

Man Utd chiefs now eyeing move for £2.3m-a-year Champions League winner

Onana has cemented his place in Man Utd’s starting XI, but the Red Devils could be about to add some fierce competition.

ByBrett Worthington Sep 30, 2024 Man Utd's next manager

Failure to secure wins against Porto and Villa could result in the end of Ten Hag’s reign at Manchester United. If that does happen, United will have to react quickly when it comes to bringing in a new manager, but according to the club’s former chief scout, Mick Brown, they may already have their replacement in mind.

Brown worked at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson, and he was key behind bringing Ruud Van Nistelrooy to the club in 2001. 23 years on, and Brown thinks Van Nistelrooy would be a “brilliant” fit to become the next manager at Old Trafford. Brown thinks the former striker should be a prime candidate to replace Ten Hag should a change occur.

“Ruud van Nistelrooy has come in, and I know him; he’s a top-class person. I was instrumental in signing Ruud. I think he’d be a brilliant fit. But at the moment, he can only do what the manager instructs him to do, so we haven’t seen too much of what he’s capable of.

“They’re going to have to do something because I don’t think there’s a long list of candidates out there waiting for the job. I think they could give him the job on an interim basis and see how he goes. If he does well, they might end up appointing him to take over on a full-time basis, as there aren’t too many other options out there.”

But while some may back Van Nistelrooy to become the next United manager, it appears the club also have their eyes on some big name targets.

Ratcliffe and Man Utd could hire a "fantastic" Inzaghi

According to The Daily Star, relayed by the Daily Mail, Manchester United are considering a move for Simone Inzaghi if they decide to sack Ten Hag. Pressure is starting to seriously grow on the Dutchman, and while he remains in charge this week, it is believed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will assess the situation during the international break.

Inzaghi, who has been described as a “fantastic” coach by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has been in charge of Inter Milan since 2021, and he is now an option that is being considered by the Old Trafford hierarchy. Inzaghi has won the Serie A, the Coppa Italia twice and guided Inter to the Champions League final in 2023 during his tenure, while he also won the Coppa Italia during his time with Lazio.

Games

165

Won

107

Drawn

31

Lost

27

The report states that Ratcliffe will seek the opinions of the Glazers, sporting director Dan Ashworth and chief executive Omar Berrada before deciding on his next move. The Italian has never managed outside of Italy, but his stock is rising very much as he continues to impress at Inter Milan.

An exciting Southampton youngster is expected to sign a new deal at St Mary’s amid interest from other top flight sides, according to a fresh update.

Southampton summer signings and form

The Saints brought in a whopping 18 new players after winning promotion back to the Premier League in the playoff final, however, those new additions so far haven’t had the desired effect on the pitch.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis

Man City

€23m

Aaron Ramsdale

Arsenal

€21.4m

Flynn Downes

West Ham

€17.85m

Cameron Archer

Aston Villa

€17.6m

Mateus Fernandes

Sporting CP

€15m

Ben Brereton Diaz

Villarreal

€8.3m

Yukinari Sugawara

AZ Alkmaar

€7m

Natan Wood

Swansea City

€3.5m

Ronnie Edwards

Peterborough

€3.5m

Welington

Sao Paulo

Free transfer

Charlie Taylor

Burnley

Free transfer

Adam Lallana

Brighton

Free transfer

Ryan Fraser

Newcastle

Free transfer

Rento Takaoka

Nissho Gakuen

Free transfer

Lesley Ugochukwu

Chelsea

Loan transfer

Maxwel Cornet

West Ham

Loan transfer

Juan

Sao Paulo

Unknown

Kuryu Matsuki

FC Tokyo

Unknown

Russell Martin’s side are yet to pick up a single top flight point, losing to Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Manchester United. The Saints have only scored one league goal, however, they are into the Carabao Cup last 16 after a penalty shootout win over Everton.

Talking after that win, Martin said: “I saw so much character, spirit, fight and togetherness and the game looked how we wanted it to look, apart from a few moments where we wanted a bit more attacking intent.

“I was really pleased with a lot of the performances and the way we reacted to conceding. I’m delighted for the players – they were brave and aggressive. I’m so excited about what’s to come. We just need that first win [in the Premier League] and everyone will relax a bit. I’ve got no doubt they will continue to grow.”

Away from the pitch, it looks as if the club may soon have some positive contract news to shout about.

Southampton contract update – Tyler Dibling

Southampton youngster Tyler Dibling has recently caught the eye on the pitch, being dubbed the “next big thing” after his impressive displays off the bench so far this season.

Now, according to GiveMeSport, those cameo performances have been catching the eye of numerous clubs, with Manchester United, Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Stuttgart all eyeing moves for the 18-year-old.

Fortunately for Saints supporters, GMS have revealed that Dibling is expected to sign a new contract with Southampton. They claim that ‘Southampton have secured a significant boost in their attempts to tie Dibling down to an extended deal as he is increasingly likely to sign on the dotted line due to enjoying his football on the south coast, but all parties are not in a rush to thrash out negotiations because he is already healthily contracted’.

They look set to reward Dibling, who is enjoying working under Martin at St Mary’s, with a pay raise. Martin also appears to be enjoying working with the teenager, saying: “I think the biggest thing I can say is if he’s playing it tells you what we feel about him at 18 years old. The stuff that he can do that we trust him with. Tyler from now to looking back even three months ago is a very different person and the growth in him has been huge.”

Trent Alexander-Arnold was coy in discussing his future, but it’s important not to read too deeply into the Liverpool vice-captain’s comments and instead understand that things will play out in due course.

You can be certain of one thing: Michael Edwards, Richard Hughes and Co will be fighting tooth and nail to reach an agreement with the homegrown superstar, who is of course playing the final campaign of his £180k-per-week contract.

The rather ominous obstacle in all of this is Real Madrid, Liverpool’s nemesis on the continent. The Reds have endured some tough times against Los Blancos over the years and now face the prospect of losing their biggest talent since Steven Gerrard to the European goliath. They are watching his situation closely, reports Fabrizio Romano.

How big an effect Alexander-Arnold’s friendship with Jude Bellingham will have is uncertain, but it could have been very different indeed, had the prodigious midfielder been signed to Anfield instead of Real Madrid.

Liverpool missed out on Jude Bellingham

Bellingham joined Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth £115m last summer after a prodigious few years in Germany.

He’s long been regarded as one of the biggest talents of his generation, and still only 21 years old, Bellingham is showing no sign of failing to reach the pinnacle of his potential, having played an instrumental role in winning the La Liga and Champions League last season.

Across all competitions in 2023/24, the England star scored 23 goals and added 13 assists across all competitions, wreaking havoc and being praised as “a gift for football” by his manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Matches (starts)

28 (27)

Goals

19

Assists

6

Pass completion

90%

Big chances created

7

Key passes*

1.7

Tackles + interceptions*

2.3

Ball recoveries*

4.2

Dribbles*

1.8 (59%)

Total duels won*

6.7 (55%)

The start to Bellingham’s current campaign has been disrupted by injuries but he placed an assist in the UEFA Super Cup as Madrid defeated Atalanta to start their season off with silverware, and returned last time out to help his side toward a dominant win over Espanyol.

He’s probably the most talented Englishman in the world, and he could have been doing it all at Liverpool. In April 2023, Liverpool withdrew from the race to sign Bellingham while he was still at Dortmund, with Jurgen Klopp’s side instead focusing on sweeping changes rather than one marquee deal that would preclude multiple other high-quality stars from joining the fold.

£115m was a tall figure, for sure, but Liverpool made an (unsuccessful) £111m move to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion later in the window. He ended up going to Chelsea but the money was clearly there.

Look, we don’t know the actual mechanics behind the saga. But Liverpool withdrew before the race heated up and instead moved to strengthen across a range of central positions. Still, it stings.

One that got away

The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.

Jude Bellingham's market value in 2024/25

Now, Bellingham is widely regarded as one of the world’s best and it is anticipated that he will rank highly among the world’s best in the Ballon d’Or rankings, with the results announced on October 28.

Had Liverpool prevailed, they may well have strengthened their stance vis-a-vis Alexander-Arnold, who might be Liverpool’s most talented player. But indeed, Bellingham is more so, and his metrics reflect that.

As per FBref, the £337k-per-week phenomenon ranks among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goal contributions, the top 1% for pass completion, the top 3% for progressive passes, the top 11% for tackles and the top 7% for interceptions per 90. He’s the very best of football’s complete midfielders.

His market value reflects exactly that. According to CIES Football Observatory’s player-valuing tool, the English ace boasts an audacious market price of £235m, which actually makes him the most valuable footballer on their database. Alexander-Arnold is good, but not quite that good.

Call this pragmatic, but Klopp successfully pieced Liverpool’s rusty midfield back together with exciting new components, and it’s worked a treat.

Still, Bellingham is a generational talent, and you can’t help but shake the feeling that he wanted to move to Merseyside…

Liverpool flop who left for £5m is now outperforming Jota & emulating Messi

Liverpool never got the best out of this dud.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 23, 2024

Aston Villa have made some impressive signings since Unai Emery took over as manager in October 2022. The Spaniard has been at the helm for four transfer windows now and has so far brought in 19 new faces. That included two signings in his first window, January 2023, where they signed Jhon Duran and Alex Moreno.

The most expensive player who moved to Villa Park during Emery’s reign at the club was Amadou Onana from Everton. The Belgian midfielder cost £50m and has been an instant hit in claret and blue, scoring twice already.

However, one of his best players at Villa was actually someone who was brought in before his time in the Midlands, Leon Bailey.

Leon Bailey’s value in 2024

Jamaican winger Leon Bailey has had a challenging time at Villa Park. The 27-year-old started his career in England slowly, after signing from German outfit Bayer Leverkusen for £25m in 2021. Since Emery took charge of the club, he has looked like a completely different player.

Emery is famed for transforming careers that have previously seemed on the decline, and that certainly goes for the enterprising winger, who struggled in his first few seasons in claret and blue.

His first campaign saw him play 18 times in the Premier League under Steven Gerrard, getting just one goal and two assists. When Emery became manager, his numbers improved, and he recorded four goals and assists apiece in 33 top-flight games.

Last season, the 27-year-old looked like the player everyone saw tear things up for Leverkusen. His output was superb, playing 52 games in all competitions, scoring 14 goals and grabbing himself 14 assists.

Competition

Games

Goals

Assists

Premier League

35

10

9

Conference League

11

2

4

FA Cup

3

0

0

Carabao Cup

1

0

0

Conference League Qualification

2

2

1

It is perhaps unsurprising that Bailey’s transfer value has shot up since he has found his best form. As per Transfermarkt, the Jamaican is currently worth £35.4m, more than £10m than they paid for him over three years ago. It is a testament to his impressive performances that he is now worth so much.

However, he is not actually the highest-valued player at Villa Park, with Pau Torres, one of Emery’s most trusted players, among those who currently sit ahead of him.

Pau Torres’ value in 2024

It was a happy reunion for manager and player when the Villans signed central defender Torres from Villarreal last summer. Torres had previously played under his fellow Spaniard at Yellow Submarine, where they won the Europa League together in 2021.

Villa had to pay just £31.5m to sign the 27-year-old, who is undoubtedly now a key player at Villa Park, with journalist Dean Jones suggesting that he is "thriving" in English football.

Emery is a manager for whom he has played 147 times, over 100 times more than any manager in his career. With that in mind, it is perhaps unsurprising that Emery chose to reunite with one of his most trusted players over the years.

For the Villans alone, the Spain international has played 42 games, including 29 in the Premier League, missing a short period of time last term due to an ankle injury. So far this season, he has played 90 minutes in each of their three top-flight games.

As football analyst H pointed out on X, the former Villarreal defender is an “amazing” player with the ball at his feet and is one of the more progressive centre-backs in the Premier League, as the stats suggest.

According to FBref, he averaged 4.68 progressive passes and completed 1.53 progressive carries in the Premier League last season. That ranks him in the top 18% and 5% of English top flight defenders respectively.

Given the fact he has performed so well for the Villans over the past season, Torres’ value has risen quite substantially. He is now valued at £37.9m, as per Transfermarkt, showing a great investment on the £31.5m they spent on him originally.

It has certainly been an excellent piece of business by the Villans, and he will no doubt continue to be a key man under Emery.

Aston Villa struck gold on amazing ace who's worth £35m less than Diaby

Villa have a superstar ready to take over Diaby with immediate effect

ByConnor Holden Sep 11, 2024

FootballFanCast previews Mauricio Pochettino's first game in charge at Chelsea, a Stamford Bridge clash against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool on the first Sunday of the 2023/24 Premier League season.

When is the match and is it on UK TV?

The match takes place on Sunday, August 13th, with the game slated to kick off at 4:30pm GMT.

Whilst the official UK broadcasters are yet to be confirmed for this game, based upon the timing of the match and the fact that it is two 'big six' teams facing one another, it is assumed that Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League will be the channels to watch the game on.

Who is Chelsea's key player?

Despite being 38 years old, Thiago Silva is still the rock that Chelsea builds their defensive success upon.

His reading of the game is still exemplary, and his leadership skills help to bring the best out of those around him.

Whilst Pochettino will be working on fixing the club's misfiring attack, having Silva maintain the side's strong defence will be vital for the Blues

Who is Liverpool's key player?

Mohamed Salah has lit up the Premier League since the day he arrived at Merseyside, and his consistency and threat are so important for Klopp's side.

The Egyptian has recorded an insane 199 goal contributions in 218 games for the club in the Premier League.

His fantastic dribbling quality in addition to his world-class finishing ability and chance creation could be the difference for the Reds on the opening day against a strong Chelsea defence.

How will Chelsea line up?

Predicting Chelsea's lineup for the opening day is incredibly difficult, with factors such as the new appointment of Pochettino as well as the potential sales of a number of previous starters making it a tough task.

The London side is heavily linked with Brighton's Moises Caicedo, who would replace the outgoing pair of N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic, as well as young forward Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal. T

he club is also linked with moves for a goalkeeper, additional midfielders and a forward as they look to replace a number of their rumoured outgoing players; which include Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Hakim Ziyech and more.

The Blues will be hoping that new addition Christopher Nkunku will be fit and ready to play after an injury-hit season with RB Leipzig and can help solve their goal-scoring problems, while both Benoit Badiashile and Armando Broja will be hoping to come back from their long-term injuries.

Pochettino has shown a lot of tactical flexibility in the past and could make a return to the 4-2-3-1 system he utilised at Tottenham Hotspur.

Should he choose to employ that system, Chelsea could line up like this:

Kepa Arrizabalaga; Reece James, Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill, Ben Chilwell, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher, Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku.

How will Liverpool line up?

The big question with Liverpool's lineup is whether Klopp will stick with the new system that he used at the backend of last season, which involved Trent Alexander-Arnold inverting into midfield, or return to his more traditional 4-3-3 system.

The Reds recently announced the signing of Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton, whilst also being heavily linked with moves for Khephren Thuram, Kouadio Kone, Ryan Gravenberch, Gabri Veiga and Nicolo Barella to bolster their midfield. Reports have also stated that the Merseyside outfit is interested in a centre-back this summer as well.

The return from injury by Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic will be massive for the side, with both Spaniards impressing last campaign, however, they may only be fit enough for a place on the bench.

Should Liverpool stick with their inverted system which brought them success at the back end of last season, they could line up like this:

Alisson Becker; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil Van Dijk, Andrew Robertson, Fabinho, Alexis Mac Allister, Khephren Thuram, Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Núñez.

What were the last 5 league meetings between the two teams?

The last 5 league clashes between Chelsea and Liverpool have resulted in only one win; for Chelsea in March 2021 when Mount scored the only goal at Anfield.

Since then the two sides have played out four consecutive Premier League draws, six consecutive draws in all competitions, with the most recent two league games being goalless affairs.

The best game between these two clubs in the Premier League recently was the 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in January 2022, when the Blues came back from 2-0 down thanks to goals from Kovacic and Christian Pulisic to earn a point in an end-to-end contest.

April 2023: Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool January 2023: Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea January 2022: Chelsea 2-2 Liverpool August 2021: Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea March 2021: Liverpool 0-1 Chelsea

Every Opening Day Premier League Fixture in FULL

Who is going to win?

It looks set to be an entertaining clash between two close-matched sides, however, the amount of uncertainty within Chelsea due to the new manager, the poor 2022/23 campaign and the potentially massive squad overhaul opens the door for a more settled Liverpool side who showcased that they can still perform at their consistent standard at the end of last season to take control of the match and win their first league game at Stamford Bridge in three years.

FFC predicts: Liverpool win

West Ham United reaped the rewards from Premier League rivals Chelsea's decision to release Declan Rice at a young age, but they could be at risk of a similar misjudgement.

Rice's talents were clear to see in West Ham's academy, and it was not long before he was making his debut for the club at the age of 18.

After 245 appearances for the Irons, however, culminating in last month's Europa Conference League triumph, his time at the club is set to come to an end when he joins Arsenal in a £105m transfer.

Considering what West Ham got out of Rice, plus the nine-figure windfall that his sale brings to the club, it is fair to say Chelsea will be left kicking themselves.

But could it be West Ham who are left questioning what could have been after releasing Armstrong Oko-Flex?

According to ExWHUEmployee, ambitious Championship side Sunderland have already taken the young winger on trial with a view to adding him to their squad.

Could West Ham regret letting Armstrong Oko-Flex depart?

Football is full of examples of players not cutting it at one club, only to then become a major hit at another – Rice being just one of them. For every instance of that happening, there are hundreds more where the club proved right in letting a player leave.

West Ham will certainly be hoping the latter is true in the case of Oko-Flex, who made just one senior appearance for the East London side, coming in a Europa League tie against Viborg at the start of last season.

Much was expected of the Republic of Ireland U21 international after he scored a hat-trick against Arsenal on his Premier League 2 debut soon after joining from Celtic, for whom he featured four times in the first team.

Oko-Flex was loaned to Swansea last season to gain experience, but he was recalled in January after making 13 appearances – all but one of those as a substitute.

Still, that was enough time on the field to give an indication of what the Irishman is all about, and his performances see him ranked favourably by FBref in their player comparison model.

Indeed, based purely on statistics, some top players in the Premier League are comparable to Oko-Flex, with Mason Mount of Chelsea and Alexis Mac Allister two names in particular.

The Dublin-born attacker, who also spent some time in Arsenal's academy ranks, averaged 0.30 shots on target last season, which compares to 0.49 for Mount, while the pair played 38.2 and 38.6 live passes per 90 minutes respectively – passes that are not from set-pieces.

They also tackle at a similar rate (1.82 per 90 minutes for Oko-Flex v 1.80 for Mount) and also average a similar number of touches (54.2 v 53).

Oko-Flex is far from being on Mount's level just yet, of course, but the early signs are positive enough, with Sunderland clearly seeing enough potential to give him a chance.

As he said during his time on loan with Swansea, Oko-Flex – on a reported £5.5k a week during his time at the London Stadium – is "hungry to play" and wants to be able to "make an impression" by featuring regularly.

Much like Rice before him, he will now get the chance to do that elsewhere. West Ham's loss could well be Sunderland's gain.

Burnley supporters can be forgiven for racing to Google to find out most of their transfer targets this summer, but that is nothing new since head coach Vincent Kompany's revolution started last year.

The Clarets have been linked with goalkeepers Bart Verbruggen and Jean Butez, both of whom are talented in their own right but are not exactly household names in England.

According to Belgian outlet HBVL, Royal Antwerp 'keeper Butez now looks the more likely option for Burnley to sign as Verbruggen is set to join Brighton and Hove Albion from Anderlecht.

Should the deal go through, Butez is expected to rival Arijanet Muric for the number one shirt next season on Burnley's return to the Premier League.

While some may be left wondering exactly who Butez is, Burnley have had great success in recruiting unheralded gems of late, thanks in large to Kompany.

Who is Jean Butez?

Much like Butez, many Burnley fans would not have heard of Anass Zaroury, Manuel Benson, Jordan Beyer or Ameen Al-Dakhil. As it is, each of those – the first three in particular – played an important part in the Clarets' promotion from the Championship.

Zaroury, for example, was signed from Jupiler Pro League side Charleroi and had never played outside of Belgium. Butez came through French side Lille's academy, but all 104 of his senior appearances have come just across the border in Belgium.

The Morocco international played in 34 of the Clarets' 46 league games last season and was given a rating of 6.95 by WhoScored – the sixth-highest of all Burnley players.

If Butez can make something close to the same impact, Kompany's side will stand a very strong chance of retaining their top-flight status beyond next season.

The 28-year-old, who measures in at 6 foot 2 and has previously been described as "very impressive" by football writer Josh Bunting, looks primed and ready to do exactly that at Turf Moor.

Butez kept the most clean sheets in the Belgian top flight last season – a league pretty much on a par with the Championship, according to Global Football Rankings – which goes a long way to explaining links with LaLiga side Villarreal.

As a goalkeeper who is also comfortable with the ball at his feet, as his 74.15% pass-completion rate showed last season, Butez may well be the next unheralded talent snapped up by Kompany. much like Zaroury was.

Newcastle United are creeping closer towards a breakthrough in negotiations for Leicester City's James Maddison, but still face a battle to reach an agreement for the England international.

What's the latest on James Maddison to Newcastle?

According to CBS Sports' Ben Jacobs, Newcastle "will move" for the 26-year-old after sustaining a vested interest in his services since failing with a £50m bid last summer.

The sticking point at present lies in the fact that the Foxes feel their prized midfielder is worth £55m, whereas Newcastle's sporting director Dan Ashworth is unwilling to pay more than £40m for a player relegated from the Premier League this term and with just one year left on his current deal.

Having qualified for the Champions League this year after two decades away, the Magpies are looking to make first-rate moves to bolster Eddie Howe's squad and an attacking midfielder has been highlighted as an area for investment.

Should Newcastle sign James Maddison?

The £110k-per-week star endured a torrid season with Leicester succumbing to the drop after years of impressive work under the tutelage of Brendan Rodgers, notably winning the FA Cup and the Community Shield.

However, Maddison can hold his head high after producing prolific and robust performances with regularity despite his outfit's woes, scoring ten goals and supplying nine assists from 28 starts in the Premier League, subsequently mentioned among the "world-class" crop of talent England boast at present by Dean Saunders.

The three-cap gem could catalyse Newcastle's midfield in a manner not too dissimilar to that of Martin Odegaard, with the Norwegian maestro thriving at the heart of Arsenal's centre over the past several seasons following his £30m permanent transfer to the club after an initial loan deal.

The Gunners captain is listed as the most comparable midfield player to Maddison via FBref's 'Similar Players" model, and ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 14% for rate of assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for progressive passes, the top 14% for progressive carries and the top 18% for successful take-ons per 90.

This illustrates the sensational calibre and impact the "wizard" – as dubbed by footballer Babayele Sodade – has had on this resurgent Arsenal team, now fighting at the forefront of the Premier League pack after years mired in obscurity.

Maddison could emulate this at St. James's Park, ranking among the top 1% of peers for rate of non-penalty goals, rate of assists and shot-creating actions, the top 11% for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90 – praised as a "monster" by journalist Josh Bunting.

Indeed, both players evidently possess that intricate ability to carry the ball forward and unlock a defence with relative ease.

Given the sheer brilliance of Odegaard's trade and his orchestrating prowess, it's clear to see that Newcastle would only flourish by procuring a signature worthy of matching the prominent player in both merit and effectiveness, and Maddison is the man for the job.

Newcastle United are preparing an offer to sign Wolfsburg star Felix Nmecha this summer, according to reports.

Who is Felix Nmecha?

Nmecha is a midfielder who currently plays his football for Niko Kovac’s side, having moved to the Bundesliga on a free transfer from the Premier League, namely Manchester City’s academy, back in 2021. During his two-year spell, he’s so far made 50 appearances for Die Wolfe.

The Germany international still has another two years to run on his contract, but having established himself as his club’s overall fourth best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 6.86, has caught the eye of the northeast outfit.

Eddie Howe has reportedly made it his priority to enter the market for new central reinforcements during the transfer window, with Matty Longstaff out of contract at the end of this month and leaving the club, and the 22-year-old appears to have been highlighted as a potential ideal replacement.

Are Newcastle signing Nmecha?

According to The Telegraph (via The Daily Mail), Newcastle are “set to make a bid” for Nmecha this summer. The Magpies are “readying an offer” for the midfielder having “tracked” him for months through the club’s scouts, and it’s stated that Howe is a “fan” of several of his qualities, including his “energetic” and “box-to-box” style of play. Wolfsburg are likely to demand £15m for their prized asset which the board deem to be “relatively cheap” and a price tag that they could easily afford.

Nmecha is naturally an attacking midfielder so is renowned for driving forward with his “quick” pace, as lauded by journalist Josh Bunting, and getting involved in the final third, and we feel PIF should definitely see if they could bring him to St. James’ Park.

Wolfsburg’s number 22, who was born in Hamburg, posted nine goal contributions (six assists and three goals) in 30 Bundesliga outings last season and recorded 37 shots over the course of the campaign, which was the third-highest total throughout his squad, via FBRef.

Standing at 6 foot 2, Nmecha, who has the versatility to operate in seven various positions across the pitch, would also add a different dimension to the centre with his height having averaged 1.5 aerial wins per league game, so him being available for £15m is an absolute bargain of a deal for a young player with the ability to add physicality and end product to the Magpies midfield ranks.

Arsenal are reportedly edging closer in their pursuit of Declan Rice, with the midfielder being the talk of the Gunners’ summer as the transfer window approaches.

What’s the latest on Declan Rice to Arsenal?

As reported by CBS journalist Ben Jacobs after West Ham United won the Europa Conference League on Wednesday, the north Londoners are ‘preparing a formal bid’ for the midfielder.

Jacobs claimed that Arsenal remain hopeful of agreeing a deal under the £100m mark, with Sam Dean from the Telegraph reporting that the Gunners will ‘step up’ their pursuit with a fee of £92m.

What could Declan Rice offer Arsenal?

Having won the Conference League trophy this week, the Englishman wrote himself into West Ham folklore by becoming the first Hammers captain to lift a European trophy since Bobby Moore in 1965.

The midfielder has been one of the club's top performers over the past few years, and could be a revelation at the Emirates should he make the switch from east to north London this summer.

Arsenal have had their share of British players over the years, and medalled with the idea that they could operate a British core with Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere in the middle of the park during the latter years of Arsene Wenger's reign.

The duo played alongside each other in north London for ten years before the Englishman departed, however, they had little opportunity to showcase their partnership during this time with both players suffering their fair share of injury troubles.

Hailed as “unbelievable” by Ramsey, Wilshere had a career tainted by injuries but was still able to shine when given the opportunity at Arsenal and was adored by all associated with the club.

The once anticipated duo weren’t able to live up to their expectations as a pair, however, the essence of their presence at the club could see their on-pitch potential fulfilled by the next generation of British talent at the Emirates.

Signing Rice could hand Arteta his answer to Wenger’s Wilshere, with the retired midfielder claiming that the West Ham man would be a ‘perfect fit’ in the Spaniard’s project.

Lauded as a “monster” by former Chelsea ace Frank Leboeuf, the Englishman averages 2.1 tackles per game this season, comparative to – but slightly better than – Wilshere’s 1.3 tackles per game in the 2013/14 campaign. The Hammers star has seen his ability to carry the ball improve throughout the years too, a quality that undoubtedly mirrors Wilshere's.

Arsenal star Emile Smith-Rowe has been tipped to have a future at the club, and could one day be the Ramsey to Rice’s Wilshere, to emulate the potential shown by the duo under Wenger.

In his impressive 2013/14 season, the Welshman averaged 1.3 key passes per game, as well as netting ten goals and registering eight assists from the midfield, via WhoScored.

Similar numbers were hit by Smith-Rowe last term as per WhoScored, who averaged 0.9 key passes per game, scoring ten goals and assisting two in just 21 appearances.

A potential duo of Rice and the 22-year-old Hale End graduate could be influential to Arteta’s midfield, operating in a similar way to the likes of Wilshere and Ramsey in fusing defensive and offensive attributes to create a perfect balance in the engine room.

With the deal expected to progress now that West Ham’s season has closed, this could be a huge deal for the Gunners.