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Leeds United failed to earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking with a 1-0 defeat to Southampton at Wembley in the play-off final in May.

They had finished third in the Championship table, just shy of Ipswich Town and Leicester City in the automatic promotion places, but failed to get over the line in the post-season tournament.

The Whites then lost several of their key players from the 2023/24 campaign, as Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville, Georginio Rutter, and Glen Kamara all moved on from Elland Road.

Daniel Farke was able to dip into the market, though, to sign Largie Ramazani, Joe Rothwell, Alex Cairns, Joe Rodon, Jayden Bogle, Ao Tanaka, Isaac Schmidt, and Manor Solomon to bolster his options across the pitch.

The German head coach also made an addition to the team without making a new signing by bringing Brenden Aaronson back into the group, after his spell out on loan, and has struck gold with the USA international.

Brenden Aaronson's pre-Farke Leeds career

Jesse Marsch swooped to sign the attacking midfielder from RB Salzburg for a reported fee of £24.7m in the summer of 2022 and he endured a difficult debut year in England.

The move came after a return of 13 goals and 15 assists in 66 appearances for the Austrian giants, including two assists in eight Champions League outings.

Aaronson did not do enough on the pitch to justify his price tag at Leeds, though, and his struggles on the pitch contributed to the club's eventual relegation from the Premier League in the 2022/23 campaign.

Appearances

36

Goals

1

Assists

3

Ground duel success rate

43%

Aerial duel success rate

17%

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old dud only produced four direct goal contributions despite featuring in all bar two of the top-flight matches.

One goal in 36 outings, which came in his third league appearance against Chelsea, shows that he did not offer much of a goal threat for the Whites.

The American flop was dubbed a "lightweight" by pundit Jon Newsome when speaking to BBC Radio Leeds in February 2023 of that season, which is backed up by the statistics above as he lost the majority of his duels on the deck and in the air.

He did not provide enough at the top end of the pitch, with a lack of goals and assists, and was a liability out of possession, as defenders found it far too easy to get the better of him.

Put simply, the £24.7m-rated flop could not adapt to the quality or the physicality of the top division in England and his issues were amplified by playing in a struggling Leeds team that ended up being relegated.

Aaronson's German loan struggles

Aaronson did not opt to stick around for the club's first season back in the Championship, and made the decision to join Union Berlin on loan for the 2023/24 campaign.

The former Salzburg star had the chance to play Champions League football with the German side but did not enjoy his appearances in the competition.

He featured in all six of their group matches and failed to contribute with a single goal or assist as his team ended the group with zero wins under their belt.

Appearances

30

Goals

2

Big chances created

4

Assists

2

Duel success rate

45%

As you can see in the table above, Aaronson, as was the case in the Premier League, rarely made an impact at the top end of the pitch for Union.

Across the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns combined, the midfielder scored three goals and provided five assists in 66 top-flight matches in the Bundesliga and the Premier League.

This highlights his struggles in the final third over the last two years and shows why some may not have expected him to return to Yorkshire to play a key role this season.

Farke has struck gold with Aaronson

Farke has since revealed that the decision to send the playmaker out on loan was made before his arrival at Elland Road to replace Sam Allardyce last summer.

After his dismal spell in the Premier League under Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Allardyce, the youngster may have wanted a fresh start and to get away from his problems on the pitch, but – 12 months on – he has made his return.

The German head coach decided this summer that the USA international will be a part of his first-team squad at Elland Road this season and, so far, it has proved to be a masterstroke as the midfielder has made himself undroppable.

He almost made the perfect return to competitive action at Elland Road on the opening day with a late strike to secure a 3-3 draw with Portsmouth, albeit there was a chance for him to score a second and win the game that went begging shortly after.

The right-footed wizard was made to come off the bench against West Brom in the 0-0 draw after the clash with Pompey but has started the last two games and caught the eye with his displays.

In two starts against Sheffield Wednesday and Hull, Aaronson has produced one goal, three key passes, and three successful dribbles, to go along with a pass accuracy of 89%.

He has provided a dynamic and relentless presence in the number ten position with his reliable and creative passing, progressive dribbling skills, and an eye for goal.

The American gem ranks within the top 90.8% of his positional peers in the Championship for goals per 90 (0.81) and the top 76.1% for pass accuracy (85.9%), which speaks to his quality in front of goal and his reliability in general play.

Leeds messed up selling "dangerous" star who's now worth more than Tanaka

The Whites seemingly made a mistake when they parted ways with the midfielder.

2 ByDan Emery Sep 2, 2024

This is why the young whiz is now undroppable for Farke, as he has been sublime since coming in as a starter, and that is why the German coach has struck gold by bringing him back to the club this summer.

Mikel Arteta personally "dreams" of bringing a £68 million forward to Arsenal, and it is believed the Spaniard is plotting a unique bid to sign him.

Arteta agrees new Arsenal contract as transfer plans continue

It's been a hectic week at London Colney, as Arteta and his coaching staff prepare for their all-important North London Derby clash away to Tottenham on Sunday.

Related Arsenal hold extensive internal talks over signing £86m starlet for Arteta

He’s very highly regarded in north London.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Sep 12, 2024

Arsenal look set to be without Mikel Merino, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard for their trip to Spurs, giving the Gunners a real selection headache.

Arsenal's next five Premier League games

Date

Tottenham (away)

September 15

Man City (away)

September 22

Leicester City (home)

September 28

Southampton (home)

October 5

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

It is believed Arteta is planning to use Raheem Sterling as a false-nine against Tottenham, dropping Kai Havertz back into midfield, as they also sweat on Riccardo Calafiori's fitness after the defender picked up a calf injury on international duty.

While supporters anxiously wait for official injury updates ahead of Spurs, some very good news has at least come out of the club today. Indeed, widespread reports claim Arteta has just agreed a new three-year contract with Arsenal, which will keep him at the club until 2027.

The Spaniard's current deal was set to expire at the end of this season, prompting some concern over Arteta's long-term future, but Arsenal no longer have to worry about retaining their manager as they continue to work together for the foreseeable.

Arteta is rumoured to have a big say on Arsenal transfers and regularly holds internal discussions with sporting director Edu Gaspar over whom to bring in. Now that the 42-year-old has committed his future to the club, it is believed there is one player in particular very high on his wishlist.

Arteta "dreams" of signing Inter Milan striker Marcus Thuram

According to Inter Live, Nerazzurri striker Marcus Thuram is seriously wanted by Arteta. The Frenchman has started 2024/2025 in fine form, scoring four goals over his opening three Serie A starts of the new season, following up a 23/24 campaign where he bagged 13 goals and seven assists in Serie A alone.

This form has not gone unnoticed in London, as it is claimed Arteta "dreams" of signing Thuram for Arsenal, and he is even prepared to offer striker Gabriel Jesus plus a substantial amount of money in a player-plus-cash bid.

It is unclear whether the Serie A champions would entertain such an offer, but other reports have stated that Inter value Thuram at no less than £68 million. The former Borussia Monchengladbach forward has averaged an impressive 3.7 shots at goal per 90 so far this season, and a very high match rating of 8.27 according to WhoScored.

Since Unai Emery took over at Aston Villa, they have quickly implemented a higher line in defence, often described as an “offside trap”. The unity of the backline, communication for timing, and recovery pace are all important to successfully implement this principle effectively.

Last season, Villa conceded 61 goals in the Premier League, 15 more than they conceded in the 2022/23 season, which started under the management of Steven Gerrard, before being taken over by Emery.

One of Villa's most important defenders was new signing Pau Torres, who made 39 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals, providing one assist, and contributing to ten clean sheets in his 3,211 minutes played.

That said, he's been joined in the backline by a player whose stock is now rising significantly, particularly after an impressive cameo at Euro 2024.

How much Villa signed Ezri Konsa for

Ezri Konsa was signed for £12m from Brentford back in 2019, with Dean Smith considering the 21-year-old at the time a key target due to his "high potential".

Konsa made 47 appearances for Brentford, scoring one goal and contributing to 12 clean sheets in his 4,173 minutes played.

Smith happened to be in charge at Brentford during the 2018/19 season, before being sacked in October, which saw the ever-impressive Thomas Frank take charge. However, this short time working with Konsa was enough to convince him of his talent, bringing him to Villa a year later and subsequently hailing him as a "a Rolls-Royce of a player".

Since joining Villa, Konsa has gone from strength to strength, making 191 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing two assists while playing in a few different positions, chiefly at centre-back and right-back.

Ezri Konsa's transfer value in 2024

When joining the club back in 2019, Transfermarkt only valued Konsa at a measly £3m, despite being signed for a £12m fee at only 21 years of age.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

191 Aston Villa appearances later, plus breaking into the England squad, competing at the Euros, and achieving eight caps so far for his country, Konsa's value has risen significantly according to Football Transfers, now valued at £33m.

Passes Attempted

63.9

66.4

68.6

Pass Completion %

91.9%

87.4%

89.3%

Progressive Carries

1.10

1.60

0.19

Progressive Passes

3.97

4.85

2.98

Passes into Final Third

4.02

5.43

3.84

Passes into Pen Area

0.39

0.37

0.23

Tackles

1.46

1.01

1.24

Interceptions

0.70

0.50

0.48

Aerials Won

0.94

0.89

1.20

Compared to Villa's other central defenders, Konsa ranks best for defensive actions per 90, averaging 1.46 tackles compared to the 1.01 per 90 of Torres, and the 1.24 per 90 of Carlos. He also averages 0.70 interceptions per 90, more than both of his main competitors for a starting berth.

Konsa also proves to be the most secure on the ball, with the highest pass completion of the trio. However, Torres is the more progressive of the three, averaging 4.85 progressive passes per 90, and 5.43 passes into the final third on average.

Carlos only betters Torres and Konsa in one of the metrics analysed, and that is aerials won, winning 1.20 per 90, compared to the 0.94 of Konsa, and 0.89 of Torres.

As Konsa continues to go from strength to strength, it is obvious why his value continues to peak, especially since making the England squad, and competing in European football with Villa, further showcasing his qualties on and off the ball.

Aston Villa's "serious talent" is now worth 111% more since Emery took over

He is one of their most exciting talents

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 12, 2024

The players have undergone another round of testing, the results of which will be available later on Tuesday

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2021

South Africa Women’s Emerging departed Bangladesh despite one match remaining•BCB

Five members of the touring South Africa Emerging Women’s side have tested positive for Covid-19 in Sylhet late on Monday before they left for Dhaka.The players have undergone another round of testing, the results of which will be available later on Tuesday. If the members return positive, they might have to stay in isolation for 14 days in Dhaka or until they are tested negative for Covid-19. The rest of the contingent, including the support staff, who have tested negative on Monday, flew out of Dhaka early on Tuesday.The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh had announced on Sunday that international flights will be suspended for a week from April 14 with the commencement of the hard lockdown in the country. As a result, the visitors had to depart early, cancelling their last game in the five-match one-day series scheduled for Tuesday. South Africa had reached Dhaka on Monday afternoon from Sylhet after playing four one-day matches against the Bangladesh Emerging Women’s team.The series, which began on April 4, was held behind closed doors in bio-secure environment due to an upsurge in Covid-19 cases. The visiting team had arrived in Bangladesh on March 29.

Hardik Pandya is inching closer to his goal of bowling “in all games at the T20 World Cup”, with his team-mate in Sri Lanka, Suryakumar Yadav, confirming that the allrounder has been sending down more and more deliveries in training ahead of the limited-overs series.”He did bowl in the England series [at home earlier this year]. I was part of it – in all the T20 games, he bowled,” Yadav said ahead of the series. “In the decider ODI also he bowled when the team was in a crunch situation, so it was good.Related

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“I think that the team management and Hardik knew their responsibilities really well, so they were taking a call. Here, in the intra-squad game, he did bowl in the nets. He is bowling. It is his and the team management’s call how they want to go about it. But yes, he is bowling and it is a very good sign.”Pandya was not picked for India’s long Test tour of England, which included the World Test Championship final, as part of the long-term project to get him to full bowling fitness following back surgery. As Yadav pointed out, Pandya did bowl in some of the games against England, but not for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2021, which was pushed back after 29 matches following reports of multiple Covid-19 cases among the teams.Pandya last played a Test in 2018, in England. His utility, particularly in overseas Tests, has been recognised but for that, he has to be in full bowling capacity. For now, Pandya is focussed solely on the T20 World Cup later this year.”I started bowling in the IPL and my focus is on the World Cup,” Pandya said in a chat with last month. “I want to make sure that I will be able to bowl in all the games at the World Cup. I am just trying to be smart and make sure that I don’t miss that. On the bowling front, what matters is how fit I am.”Even after my surgery, I didn’t drop my pace. I was not able to drop my control. My bowling is related to my fitness. The fitter I get, the better it comes out. As a fast-bowling allrounder, I tend to get injuries. It is bound to happen and I am okay with it.”For India, I have realised that my bowling brings a lot of difference because the balance changes. In IPL, I am lucky to have a franchise where there is so much love that I was able to pick my batting and make sure that for India, I am able to be at my best. I have to make sure I am fit to be able to bowl and if I bowl, that brings balance to the side.”

أدلى شريف عبد المنعم، نجم الأهلي السابق، بتصريحات نارية حول قرار لاعب المارد الأحمر، بالرحيل، عبر فيها عن استيائه من طريقة تعامل الأخير مع ملف رحيله.

وينتهي عقد أكرم توفيق لاعب الأهلي، بنهاية الموسم الجاري، ويحق له التوقيع لأي نادٍ آخر خلال شهر يناير الجاري، وفقًا للوائح الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”، وسط أنباء تؤكد قراره بالرحيل ورفض التجديد بالمبلغ الذي عُرض عليه من قبل الإدارة، بسبب عرض آخر مُغر من الدوري القطري.

وقال شريف عبد المنعم في تصريحات عبر برنامج “اللعبة الحلوة”، على إذاعة “أون سبورت إف إم”، ردًا على سؤال: رأيك في قرار أكرم توفيق بالرحيل عن الأهلي؟ ليُجيب: “ماذا قدم للأهلي؟ أعطني أمارة يا أكرم على أي أساس.. هل الرجولة؟ تعرضت لإصابة باثنين صليبي والنادي وقف بجانبك، وبعد ذلك تقول أنا وأنا وتتحدث بهذه اللغة؟ بالسلامة، الأهلي وقف بجانبك كان عليك أن تقول للنادي تصرفوا كما تريدون”.

طالع أيضًا | حلمي طولان: رحيل أكرم توفيق عن الأهلي؟ راتبه الجديد يؤمن حياة الشرقية كلها

وأشار: “أحمد سيد زيزو عندما وصلت له عروض خارجية، طلب التجديد لنادي الزمالك، ولم يُقرر الرحيل من تلقاء نفسه، والإدارة جلست معه لمناقشة الأمر، لكن لم يقل أنا وأنا ورحل”.

وشدد: “(في ناس حفيت عشان تخرج من الأهلي بشكل شيك وكرامة)، لأن الأهلي أساس كل شيء، أنا لا أكره له أن يرحل بسبب أنه سيتقاضى 90 مليونًا، لكن أختلف مع لغة الحوار”.

واختتم: “الأهلي يعمل حسابًا لأي لاعب طوال العمر، فكان لا يجب أن تأتي في توقيت الجميع يُنادي بالصفقات وأنت ترحل، إن الأهلي يشتريك بالغالي فكان لا بد أن تضع هذا في رأسك، الأهلي لا يبيع أبنائه، هل باع النادي محمد عبد المنعم؟”.

Celtic are yet to make their first signing of the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business last month, but it is not through a lack of trying.

BBC Sport recently reported that the Scottish Premiership champions had an offer rejected for Ireland international Adam Idah, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Parkhead.

The outlet claimed that the Hoops submitted a bid that was worth between £4m and £5m for the 23-year-old attacker, but that was not enough to tempt Norwich City to cash in on the forward.

It now remains to be seen whether or not the Bhoys will go back in with an improved effort to sign the 6 foot 3 marksman, after his impressive spell in Glasgow last term.

However, Celtic do already have a striker who they have hit gold with and Brendan Rodgers could look to extract more from Kyogo Furuhashi, who is currently worth more than Idah.

How much Adam Idah is currently worth

HITC have reported that the Canaries are looking for a fee in the region of £8m to allow their academy graduate to move on from Carrow Road, which could be twice as much as Celtic offered for him if their offer was at the lower end of the £4-5m range.

That valuation has come off the back of Idah's impressive performances in the Premiership for the Scottish giants during the second half of last term.

23/24 Premiership	Adam Idah
Appearances	15
Starts	5
Goals	8
Big chances missed	7
Assists	2
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the right-footed dynamo plundered an exceptional ten direct goal contributions in 15 appearances, despite starting just eight games.

Celtic struck gold with Kyogo Furuhashi

The Hoops already have a centre-forward who is currently worth more than him, though, as Football Insider reported earlier this summer that the club value Kyogo at a whopping £25m.

That is a staggering 433% increase on the £4.6m they reportedly paid to sign the attacker from Vissel Kobe in 2021, which shows that Ange Postecoglou struck gold by bringing the Japan international to Parkhead as his value has skyrocketed.

It also shows that he is currently valued at a considerably higher fee than the £8m wanted by Norwich for Idah, and that may be down to the goalscoring potential he has.

Premiership	22/23	23/24
Appearances	36	38
Goals	27	14
Big chances missed	16	24
Conversion rate	31%	14%
Assists	2	5
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Kyogo struggled in front of goal last season with ten more 'big chances' missed than goals scored in the Premiership.

However, the 29-year-old star's form during the 2022/23 campaign under Postecoglou shows that the quality is there for him to be a prolific scorer in Scotland, which means that all hope is not lost for him at Parkhead.

Imagine him & Hatate: Celtic given chance to sign new midfielder

The impressive central midfielder has already worked with Brendan Rodgers before.

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Dan Emery

Jul 3, 2024

If Celtic fail to agree a deal with Norwich for Idah, Rodgers must do everything possible to get Kyogo back to his lethal best in the top-flight to reinforce that the Hoops struck gold when they snapped him up three years ago.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has wasted no time in immediately bolstering his new side, as he attempts to lead the club through the transitional period to try and return to the Premier League’s top four.

He’s already added centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo and central midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to his Blues squad, bringing the latter from Leicester City after the pair helped the Foxes secure an immediate return to England’s top flight.

The Italian will be hoping that the duo can make an instant impact at Stamford Bridge, with a real impetus on the new Blues boss to hit the ground running after his appointment during the off-season.

However, despite the recent additions, Maresca is still on the hunt for a new forward to lead the line for Chelsea, with numerous players linked with a big-money transfer to the Premier League this summer.

Chelsea’s hunt for a new striker

At this point, there aren’t many strikers in Europe who haven’t been linked with a move to Chelsea, with two forwards the most consistently linked with a switch to West London.

Newcastle forward Alexander Isak was linked a few weeks ago but the Magpies are reluctant to sell their star man with the PSR deadline now having passed.

The interest is hardly a surprise given his record of 21 Premier League goals in 27 outings, but any deal would set Maresca’s side back at least £100m this summer.

The Blues have also been linked with a deal to sign Napoli forward Victor Osimhen, following up on their long-standing interest in the Nigerian talisman.

Current Chelsea man Romelu Lukaku could be included in a move for Osimhen, but as it stands, PSG have the edge over Maresca’s side in the race for his signature.

However, his potential move to the French side could allow for a domino effect, allowing the Blues to sign current PSG man Randal Kolo Muani.

Journalist Graeme Bailey confirmed that Chelsea have been offered the chance to sign the Frenchman despite only arriving at the Parc des Princes for £75m back in September 2023.

In talks with intermediaries, they have allegedly reached out to clubs to inform the likes of Chelsea that Kolo Muani and his teammate, Goncalo Ramos, will be available.

Whilst it’s unknown how much a deal for the 25-year-old would cost, he could prove to be an excellent addition and the perfect alternative to Isak and Osimhen.

Why Kolo Muani could be the perfect Isak & Osimhen alternative

With the two main options undoubtedly setting the Blues back upwards of £100m, Kolo Muani could prove to be a cheaper, but just as effective, alternative to the duo.

With PSG wanting to sign Osimhen, they may offload other forwards to make way for his potential arrival, with Kolo Muani one option that may have to be sacrificed.

However, their loss could be Chelsea’s gain, with the 25-year-old averaging a better goal-per-shot-on-target ratio than both Isak and Osimhen.

He’s also won more aerial duels than the aforementioned duo, fitting the bill perfectly for that focal point that Maresca is hunting for during the transfer window.

Games

28

30

25

Goals + assists

12

23

18

Goals per shot on target

0.54

0.44

0.33

Aerials won

50%

20%

44%

Take-ons attempted

87

74

40

The “superb” ace – as he was dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – has also demonstrated his ability with the ball at his feet, attempting more take-ons than the other transfer targets, allowing him to also play on the shoulder as well as with his back to goal.

The club’s hunt for a new striker has been going on way too long, with Maresca needing to be more direct with his approach to find the man to lead his forward line next season.

Kolo Muani might not be as glamorous as the likes of Isak and Osimhen – he doesn't score as often – but he certainly would prove to be a great option at the top end of the pitch.

He’s demonstrated his talents in the air and with the ball at his feet, but also his ability to find the back of the net – three features which are vital in a centre forward, but more importantly will help Chelsea mount a serious push for the Premier League’s top four.

He's better than Isak: Chelsea battling PL rivals to sign £86m "powerhouse"

He’s been a player in demand so far this summer.

1 ByEthan Lamb Jul 17, 2024

Amid their high-profile chase and talks to sign Bologna defender Riccardo Calafiori, Arsenal believe a £17 million forward could come in to alternate with Bukayo Saka as they eye a potential summer move.

Arsenal in talks with Bologna over Calafiori deal

After a week of intense speculation, reliable media sources like Fabrizio Romano confirm that Arsenal have opened talks with Bologna over a deal for Calafiori.

Arsenal placing bid to sign £200,000-per-week forward alongside Calafiori

The Gunners appear to finally be getting busy.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 4, 2024

The 22-year-old was pivotal for Bologna last season and helped the Serie A side qualify for next season's Champions League. His talents were also evident on the international stage at Euro 2024 – standing out as one of Italy's best-performing players during the tournament before they went out to Switzerland in the last 16.

Calafiori could cost as much as £42 million to prise away from Bologna this summer, but that hasn't deterred Gunners sporting director Edu, with Arsenal expected to make a formal bid for the ex-FC Basel starlet.

Statistics

Calafiori

Gabriel

Games

29

34

Goals & assists

7

4

Progressive carries

28

13

Pass accuracy

90%

89%

Tackles won

37

28

Interceptions

56

31

Aerials won

71%

55%

Indeed, Edu could be about to make an offer to sign Calafiori after already getting the defender's green-light in regard to personal terms. Romano, taking to X this week, stated that formal club-to-club negotiations are now underway.

The defender can operate as both a centre-back and left-back, which could make him appealing to Arteta as Calafiori would come in and reinforce multiple positions in the Spaniard's squad.

If they manage to get a deal over the line, amid stiff competition from Chelsea, attention will then turn to which attackers they could bring through the door. Arsenal are widely reported to be targeting a winger and striker, with both Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams and Napoli star Victor Osimhen on Edu's radar.

Saka dazzled with 20 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for Arsenal last season, but Arteta is apparently seeking an alternative back-up.

Arsenal eyeing Edon Zhegrova to alternate with Saka

According to Football Transfers, Lille winger Edon Zhegrova is in Arsenal's thinking when it comes to new additions who could provide a different option on that side.

The Kosovo international scored 12 goals and racked up 10 assists over 47 appearances in all competitions last campaign, and it is believed Arsenal view Zhegrova as potential cover for Saka on the right wing.

While there are no formal talks ongoing with Lille, it is believed the 25-year-old is looking to leave the club, which could work in Arteta's favour. Other reports have claimed that Zhegrova could cost around £17 million, which is affordable from Arsenal's perspective.

The transfer window has been open for over a week now, and while there has been some movement, Tottenham Hotspur have kept their powder dry thus far.

However, recent reports suggest that could be about to change – much to the delight of Ange Postecoglou.

Daniel Levy and Co look to have their sights set on an incredibly exciting youngster from the continent who could form a fantastic partnership with Dejan Kulusevski and help the team climb back up the Premier League table.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Tottenham are incredibly keen on Feyenoord's star right-back, Lutsharel Geertruida, so much so that they have already offered him a contract.

The report claims that the offer is a long-term deal that runs to either 2029 or 2030 and that to tempt the Eredivisie side to sell, the Lilywhites may have to pay a fee of around €25m, which converts to £21m.

Alongside the North Londoners, the story has claims that Liverpool are also interested in the player, but nothing has been said about how advanced they are in their pursuit.

In all, it could be a tricky transfer to get over the line with the outside interest, but considering his performances last season and the reasonable price, one well worth pursuing – especially as his combination with Kulusevski could be unreal.

Why Geertruida would be a great teammate for Kulusevski

In the 2022/23 season, Kulusevski managed to rack up a haul of two goals and eight assists in 37 games, while last season, he did slightly better and returned eight goals and three assists in 39 games, but he has yet to match or surpass his 2021/22 tally of seven goals and 11 assists.

It would be fair to say, then, that considering how talented the Swede is, he has yet to hit his potential in North London, which is where Geertruida could potentially come in to help.

Able to play across the backline, U23 scout Antonio Mango claims the Dutchman possesses a great deal of "tactical nous and football IQ," which helps him excel defensively. However, he's also a fantastic attacking full-back, which could really help the Lilywhites winger.

In his 47 games for Feyenoord last season, the "impeccable" 23-year-old, as dubbed by Mango, scored nine goals and provided five assists, which is one more goal involvement than Pedro Porro managed last term, suggesting that this signing could also be a great way of getting even more out of the Spaniard at the same time.

According to WhoScored, two of the Rotterdam-born star's most significant strengths are his passing and ability to hold on to the ball, which marries up well with Mango's description of him possessing "monumental composure" and FBref's genuinely impressive scout report, which comes from looking at players in similar positions across the next best 14 competitions and ranking players on specific metrics.

Geertruida FBref scout report

Stat

per 90

Percentile

Non-Penalty Goals

0.21

Top 1%

Non-Penalty Expected Goal

0.22

Top 1%

Non-Penalty Expected Goals and Assists

0.37

Top 1%

Pass Completion

89.6%

Top 1%

Progressive Passes

7.94

Top 1%

Passes Attempted

69.47

Top 5%

Total Shots

1.16

Top 10%

Shot-Creating Actions

2.96

Top 15%

All Stats via FBref

For example, they have placed the 6 foot 1 titan in the top 1% for non-penalty goals, non-penalty expected goals, non-penalty goals plus expected assists, pass completion and progressive passes, the top 5% for passes attempted, the top 10% for shots total and the top 15% for shot-creating actions, all per 90.

Ultimately, Geertruida is both a competent defender and an incredible attack-minded full-back who might be able to help Kulusevski reach his true potential by forming a deadly partnership with him on the Lilywhites' right-flank under Postecoglou's progressive management.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 25, 2024