All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Chelsea are seemingly starting to build some serious momentum.

On Saturday lunchtime, the Blues swatted aside Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the City Ground; Josh Acheampong breaking the deadlock, Pedro Neto firing home a free-kick and then Reece James making the points secure.

This result saw Ange Postecoglou sacked as Forest manager mere moments after full-time, ending his 39-day tenure.

Meantime, that’s now back-to-back league wins for Enzo Maresca’s team, who will take on Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday, but the Blues boss will be concerned by his growing list of absentees.

Levi Colwill, Benoît Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Enzo Fernández, Dário Essugo, Cole Palmer and Liam Delap all missed out due to injury, while Malo Gusto’s stoppage-time red card means he will sit out next weekend’s clash with Sunderland suspended, with João Pedro already banned for the Champions League tie.

Of course, one of these absentees is significantly more noteworthy than the others, so how should Maresca fill the void of his talisman?

The latest on Cole Palmer's injury

In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Maresca confirmed that Cole Palmer will be sidelined “for another six weeks”.

The 23-year-old has been plagued by injury issues throughout this season already, withdrawing following the warm-up at West Ham in August, before hobbling off inside 20 minutes at Old Trafford last month, not seen since.

With fierce London derbies against both Tottenham and Arsenal to come in November, as well as a Champions League clash against Barcelona, not having Palmer available for these games would be a major blow.

Minutes

3,191

2nd

Goals

15

1st

Assists

8

1st

Shots

121

1st

Shots on target

44

1st

Key passes

87

1st

Progressive passes

214

2nd

Shot-creating actions

202

1st

Goal-creating actions

15

2nd

Big chances created

24

1st

Attempted take-ons

113

1st

As the table emphasises, in the Premier League last season, Palmer ranked first for pretty much every available attacking metric; the second and third-highest goal-scorers, namely Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke, have both been sold.

This time round, despite only starting two matches, accumulating 235 minutes, Palmer has already scored twice, on target against Brentford and Bayern Munich, both on the road.

Maresca added, during his aforementioned press conference, that “to replace Cole is difficult, because Cole is a very important player for us, probably one of the best players in the Premier League, so to replace that kind of player is always difficult… we don’t have another player like Cole, because Cole is unique”.

Of course, he is right, no current member of the Chelsea squad is at Palmer’s level just yet, but which player could get there soon and appears best-suited to start in his absence?

Chelsea's perfect Palmer deputy

Against Nottingham Forest, Maresca deployed a starting lineup surely no one could’ve foreseen, with Gusto alongside Roméo Lavia at the base of midfield, while Andrey Santos, Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho were deployed in-behind João Pedro.

He then made a triple alteration at half-time, Moisés Caicedo, Jamie Gittens and Marc Guiu all introduced, but there was still no room for Estêvão Willian, not brought on until the 78th minute, as he continues to be under-utilised.

In the previous game, the 18-year-old had announced himself to the world by scoring the injury-time winner against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, connecting with Marc Cucurella’s low cross at the back post.

Despite his tender age, Estêvão arrived in West London with a big reputation, not least after he scored against Chelsea during the Club World Cup quarter-finals for Palmeiras in July.

Even before that, he had been touted as a future global superstar.

Respected analyst Ben Mattinson has labelled him a “future Ballon d’Or winner”, while Brazil’s all-time top-scorer Neymar believes the teenager “will be a genius”, adding that he is a “big talent that is surging in Brazilian football”.

Before joining Chelsea for a reported fee of £29m, Estêvão scored 27 goals and registered 15 assists in only 89 appearances for Palmeiras, winning the Brasileirão title in 2024.

At international level, he scored his first senior goal for Brazil during a World Cup qualifier against Chile at the Maracanã in September, before netting twice as the Seleção smashed Korea Republic 5-0 in Seoul just last week.

Across his final season and a half in the Brasileirão, the youngster scored 13 goals, registered 12 assists, created 12 big chances and completed an average of 2.3 dribbles per 90.

Of course, moving to the Premier League is a step-up, but these numbers should not be dismissed because, according to Global Football Rankings, the top division in Brazil is the ninth-strongest league in the world.

Thus, both in terms of the eye test but also the statistics, Estêvão appears to be, stylistically, the best fit to replace Palmer.

His talent certainly warrants more than the four starts from ten matches he has enjoyed to date, not starting any of the last four matches.

So, with Chelsea’s next three games against Ajax, Sunderland then Wolves in the EFL Cup, Maresca must make Estêvão a central figure in his team as he seeks to find a way to fill Palmer’s void.

Worse than Garnacho: Maresca must axe 4/10 Chelsea flop who had 55% passing

Chelsea were 3-0 winners away to Forest but this star struggled

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 18, 2025

Leeds United could now sign a set piece master on an initial 18-month deal this January, according to a Sky Sports reporter.

Farke addresses Leeds January transfer plans

Daniel Farke may currently have his Whites side top of the Championship, however, it isn’t all positive at Elland Road. The club have begun 2025 by throwing away leads late on against both Blackburn Rovers and Hull City, with goalkeeper Illan Meslier having another afternoon to forget last time out.

Farke continued to back Meslier in his latest press conference, though, saying: “We were all angry after the last game. Our supporters have the right to be critical, there is pressure and that is normal we have to accept that. But some pundits and comments were pretty disrespectful. The outside world love to try and divide us, but we are close together and we back our players.

“We were not happy with the last game, we want to improve his consistency and it is important to address this, but his performances have been good enough to make sure we are top of the league. We are all convinced Illan will deliver more good moments for us and we back him, there is no panic and he is a very, very good goalkeeper.”

The German also stated how the club are expecting a quiet winter window: “Younger players for their development it makes sense to send them out on loan, we will assess the rehab of Patrick and how that progresses, but overall we are in a very good position and I expect a very quiet January.”

Leeds could sign their next Archie Gray in "one of the best CMs" around

Leeds United could be about to land a new version of the talented youngster.

1 ByEthan Lamb Jan 10, 2025

One player who has recently been linked with a move to Leeds is Hoffenheim forward Mergim Berisha, who previously scored 23 goals under ex-Whites boss Jesse Marsch.

New Leeds update on move for Mergim Berisha

Now, taking to X, Sky Sports journalist Ben Heckner revealed that Leeds are indeed keen on Berisha, who could potentially be on the move in an initial 18-month loan with an option to buy in 2026, with Werder Bremen also keen.

Berisha hasn’t exactly been prolific for Hoffenheim this season, scoring once and registering one assist in 540 minutes of action. He did come in for praise from Germany coach Antonio Di Salvo back in 2023 after Berisha was handed his first senior international call-up.

“We brought Mergim on when he was still as Salzburg. He works very well with his back to goal, can shoot with his left and right and takes good free-kicks. You can see from his hit rate in the Bundesliga that he can prevail.”

Should Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt both move on, then a move for Berisha could make sense, despite his poor goal tally this season, making this one to watch over the coming weeks.

Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement may have been offered plenty of backing by new CEO Patrick Stewart, but the Ibrox faithful know that he isn’t the right choice to lead the club into the future.

Indeed, during the 3-1 victory over St Johnstone in Glasgow on Sunday afternoon, the Union Bears departed in the 55th minute as a sign of protest against the board and their decision to back the manager.

With the January transfer window in full swing, the only thing that might save Clement will be a deep run in Europe and winning the Scottish Cup.

The Premiership title race is all but over, as Celtic currently top the standings by a staggering 15 points.

The only positives from recent weeks have been the performances of certain individuals. Nico Raskin has impressed in recent weeks, even captaining the Gers to a memorable 3-0 win over Celtic at the start of the year.

Hamza Igamane has been the other big positive in the previous few months, emerging as someone who shouldn’t be dropped from the starting XI.

If he maintains this current form, then there will be a host of clubs queuing up to secure his signature this summer.

Hamza Igamane’s amazing season in numbers

Rangers were in need of another striker last summer. Despite Cyriel Dessers scoring 22 goals, he wasn’t the answer for Clement.

The arrival of Igamane for a fee believed to have been £1.7m was certainly a surprise, especially considering the youngster had not played senior football outside of Morocco before.

While seen as a big gamble, if the striker could settle and score goals, there was no doubt the Light Blues might strike gold on the Moroccan starlet.

Struck gold they have. Just seven months after moving to Scotland, Igamane has emerged as a hot prospect, one that has already scored 12 goals in just 21 appearances for the club thus far.

A few weeks ago, it was reported that Everton had sent scouts to watch the striker during the Europa League clash against Tottenham Hotspur. Igamane did his chances of a big move no harm by scoring the opener against the Premier League outfit.

Although the 22-year-old has eventually settled into the rigours of Scottish football, it has been in Europe where he has showcased his true talents and that he belongs at this level.

Across four Europa League games, he has netted four goals, scoring once every 48 minutes, along with having a stunning 67% goal conversion rate in the competition.

Furthermore, averaging 1.3 key passes and 1.3 successful dribbles on the continent indicates that Igamane offers more than just a clinical threat in the final third.

He has already endeared himself to the Ibrox faithful, who see the striker as the ideal heir to Alfredo Morelos, with the pair sharing similar attributes.

The more goals he scores, the higher the interest will be heading into the summer transfer window. If a big-money move comes in, he might just make the Light Blues a significant profit.

Having excellent players operating behind him will allow Igamane to improve as the season progresses. Though, should he stay, he could well be complemented by one of the SPFL’s top young talents.

Rangers eye move for Dundee star

According to the Sun, Rangers are considering making a pre-contract move for Dundee starlet Lyall Cameron, who has enjoyed a wonderful season at Dens Park.

Cameron was briefly linked with a move to Glasgow last summer, but nothing materialised in the end. Celtic were the ones to sign a Dundee star, bringing Luke McCowan to the club, who has settled in well at Parkhead.

Could Cameron perhaps follow in his former teammate’s footsteps by making the switch from Dundee to Glasgow?

The report from the Sun claims that the Gers are leading the chase for Cameron’s signature, although there is plenty of interest from other parties.

Fabio Silva

Wolves (loan)

2024

Mohamed Diomande

FC Nordsjaelland

2024

Oscar Cortes

Lens (loan)

2024

Todd Cantwell

Norwich

2023

Nico Raskin

Standard Liege

2023

The chance to win trophies and compete in Europe on a consistent basis suggests a move to Ibrox could be the perfect one for the player to take his game to the next level.

Why Rangers should sign Lyall Cameron

Earlier this season, following a game against Rangers, analyst John Walker took a look at his performance, saying: “Had a look at him closely v Rangers on Saturday & he was an absolute stand-out.”

Transfer Focus

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

So, he’s already stood out against Clement’s side but what could he offer if he signs in the summer? Well, in the Premiership this season, the Dundee sensation has already scored five goals and registered four assists. When taking into account all competitions, he has registered a total of 15 goal contributions.

This tally is made even more remarkable considering he has operated either in the centre of the Dundee midfield or at times, as a defensive midfielder.

Should he move to Ibrox, could his future be in a more advanced role? It’s something that would see him linking up directly with Igamane.

Considering Cameron has created four big chances in the top flight throughout 2024/25, along with averaging 1.7 key passes and succeeding with 0.6 dribbles per game, he could be excellent if he moved slightly further forward should he join Rangers.

Averaging 59.7 touches of the ball per game demonstrates his willingness to often get involved during games, not shying away from the challenge of more illustrious teams.

These statistics should be enough for Clement to see that he could add a quality midfielder to his squad for nothing, boosting the homegrown quota in the process.

Aged just 22, Cameron still has plenty of development to do. A move to Ibrox could be fundamental in achieving his dreams while improving as a player.

At the time of writing, the youngster has 12 caps for the Scotland U21 side. Switching to Rangers ahead of next season could see him garner the attention of Steve Clarke, who might find it hard to ignore him.

Enquiry made: Rangers could sign a "vastly experienced" Barron upgrade

Rangers could target a player who can potentially leave his club for free

ByRoss Kilvington Jan 11, 2025

Chelsea certainly haven’t been afraid to splash the cash recently as Todd Boehly aims to take the club back towards the summit of the Premier League after numerous years away from a title battle.

The Blues hierarchy have spent around £1.2bn on new signings since 2022 to try and propel themselves back into the reckoning – a huge risk given the limitations of the division’s PSR and FFP rules.

Bedding in all the new talent and establishing a settled squad has proved difficult for numerous managers over the last couple of years, but Enzo Maresca appears to have found the winning formula at Stamford Bridge.

The Italian has won ten of his 17 matches in charge after his summer appointment from Leicester City, losing on just three occasions – achieving a win percentage of 59%.

It’s very rare that the 44-year-old ever makes drastic changes to his league starting lineup, with the consistency allowing his side to sit in third place during the current international break.

One player in particular has been impressive since Maresca’s arrival, taking his game to the next level despite his impressive debut campaign in West London last year.

Moises Caicedo’s stats for Chelsea in 2024/25

After his English record transfer of £115m from Brighton during the summer of 2023, Moises Caicedo was always going to have the price tag looming over his head – undoubtedly bringing increased scrutiny should he underperform.

However, nearly 18 months on from his move to the capital, you very rarely hear anyone complain about the price tag paid for the 23-year-old – a sign that he’s clearly making the impact required for such a fee.

The Ecuador international made 48 appearances for the Blues in all competitions during his first season at the Bridge, but it has been his start to 2024/25 that has seen the youngster take his game to the next level.

Caicedo has only missed 14 minutes of Premier League action throughout the first 11 matches of the season, playing a crucial role as a ball-winner at the base of Maresca’s side.

He’s already won 25 tackles this campaign, an average of over two per game – the highest of any player in the current first team – an example of his importance to the Italian.

However, he’s also had an effect in attacking areas, contributing with two assists before scoring his first goal of the season with a perfectly placed volley against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Any side in the world would be lucky to have a player of Caicedo’s quality, but the Blues already have another version of the big-money man who could be crucial for Maresca during his time at the helm.

Chelsea's new Caicedo

Although the club are currently stacked with numerous midfield options, it may be about to get even worse ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos joined the club back in January 2023 for around £18m, before joining fellow top-flight side Nottingham Forest at the start of the last campaign.

However, his move was a disaster, featuring just twice before being recalled and sent to French side Strasbourg, a decision that has allowed him to flourish and take his game to the next level.

After spending the last six months of last season on loan, he returned to Ligue 1 with the same side for the current campaign, achieving a phenomenal start in the last few weeks.

The 20-year-old has already found the back of the net five times in his ten appearances, having a big impact in the final third despite primarily being a deep-lying midfielder.

However, the “monster” Brazilian talent, as dubbed by Brazilian analyst Nathan Joyes, has also excelled defensively, winning 2.47 tackles per 90 this season, with a total of 37, putting him just one behind £115m man Caicedo.

Given the impact so far during his temporary stint away from Stamford Bridge, it’s evident that he has the potential to improve further but also battle for a regular first-team role next campaign.

Games played

10

11

Goals & assists

5

3

Progressive carries *

1.2

0.8

Tackles won *

2.5

2.3

Take-on success *

53%

47%

Aerial success *

70%

65%

He’s yet to make a competitive appearance for Maresca’s side since his transfer, but his time with Strasbourg is giving the youngster all of the experience needed to be a success with his parent side.

It would prevent any more money being spent by the club’s hierarchy, allowing for an unbelievable partnership at the base of the Blues midfielder for many years to come.

Chelsea set to unearth their own Yamal in "crazy" £100m star in the making

Chelsea could have their very own Lamine Yamal with this “crazy” talent.

ByConnor Holden Nov 14, 2024

Glasgow Rangers head into the final international break of the year on a relative high after three positive results across three different competitions for the Ibrox side.

The Light Blues came from 1-0 down to beat Motherwell 2-1 in the semi-final of the League Cup at Hampden Park, which has set up a final against Celtic next month.

Philippe Clement’s side then battled it out in Greece to secure a 1-1 draw with Olympiacos in the Europa League, to keep them in the fight to secure automatic qualification for the last 16.

The Scottish giants then won 1-0 against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday, thanks to an early goal from centre-forward Cyriel Dessers.

Rangers had to play the bulk of those three games without attacking midfielder Tom Lawrence, though, as he went off injured in the first half against Motherwell.

The Wales international faces up to six weeks out injured with a thigh issue and the Belgian head coach has had to find solutions to his absence, with Mohamed Diomande moving up into a number ten position instead of his usual role in the double pivot.

Tom Lawrence's form this season

Lawrence has suffered from injuries throughout his time at Ibrox and these persistent issues could play a part in the club’s thinking when it comes to renewing his contract.

His current deal at Ibrox is due to expire at the end of May next year and it remains to be seen whether or not the Scottish giants are willing to extend it.

Since his move to Glasgow on a free transfer from Derby County in the summer of 2022, Lawrence missed 56 matches for club and country in his first two seasons in Scotland, and is projected to miss ten games with his current injury – taking the total to 66.

His fitness problems are frustrating because his form on the pitch for the Light Blues this season has been, largely, impressive, both in the Premiership and in the Europa League.

On the European stage, the 30-year-old playmaker has scored two goals and created one ‘big chance’ for the team in just three appearances – scoring against FCSB and Lyon.

Appearances

8

Starts

7

Goals

3

Big chances created

3

Assists

2

As you can see in the table above, Lawrence has provided a big threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from an attacking midfield position in the top-flight.

However, his quality on the pitch is not useful to Rangers when he is consistently unavailable for selection, which is why Clement and Nils Koppen may be looking at potential signings to come in and take his place long-term, with his contract coming to an end next summer.

Rangers eyeing up Romanian star

At the end of last month, the Daily Mail reported that Rangers are interested in FCSB attacking midfielder Darius Olaru ahead of the January transfer window.

The outlet stated that Clement and his recruitment staff are big fans of the Romania international and that they could make a move for him ahead of the second half of the season.

It added that his current contract with the club is not due to expire until the summer of 2028, which means that Rangers will have to splash out a significant sum of money to convince FCSB to part ways with him.

The 26-year-old magician is valued at €7m (£5.8m) by Transfermarkt but it remains to be seen how much exactly the Romanian giants will demand for his signature if any clubs come in with offers in January.

This is not the first time that the Gers have been linked with an interest in the player. He was reportedly a target for former Rangers boss Michael Beale in the summer of 2023.

FCSB owner Gigi Becali also named Rangers as one of the clubs that could be in the market to sign the attacking midfielder from his side back in the summer of 2022, when Giovanni van Bronckhorst was in charge, with Ross Wilson as the sporting director.

Transfer Focus

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

Despite a whole new recruitment set-up, with Clement and head of recruitment Koppen, Olaru appears to still be a target more than two years on from that initial interest, and he could come in as a brilliant replacement for Lawrence.

Why Rangers should sign Darius Olaru

The Scottish giants should swoop to sign the 26-year-old whiz because he is physically and technically reliable, having avoided serious injuries and produced regular quality on the pitch in recent seasons.

Since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, Olaru has only missed six games through injury, 60 fewer than Lawrence in the same period, and this suggests that he is more likely to be available week-in-week-out for Clement.

So far this season, the Romanian wizard has already contributed with ten goals and five assists across 21 appearances in all competitions for FCSB, which shows that he has made a big impact at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

The Rangers target has also averaged 2.2 key passes per game across ten matches in the Super Liga this term, whilst no midfielder or forward has averaged more than 1.6 per match in the Premiership for the Light Blues.

FCSB chief Mihai Stoica once claimed that Olaru is “like” Manchester City magician Kevin de Bruyne, due to their creative quality, and that was evident on his form last season.

Appearances

36

Goals

15

Big chances created

19

Key passes per game

2.1

Assists

5

As you can see in the table above, the Romania international created a whopping 19 ‘big chances’ in 36 league games for his teammates, to go along with 15 goals.

These statistics show that Olaru has de Bruyne-like creativity, as the Manchester City star has provided 171 assists in 390 matches for his club, but has not been rewarded enough by his teammates, whose wasteful finishing meant that his assist tally did not fairly reflect his creativity.

Morelos 2.0: Rangers let go of a "big talent" who's now scoring for fun

The former Glasgow Rangers centre-forward has thrived since moving on from Ibrox.

ByDan Emery Nov 6, 2024

Overall, the FCSB sensation could brilliantly replace Lawrence by coming in to provide reliability in his availability as well as being an attacking midfielder who can consistently contribute with goals and assists.

A fresh transfer report has claimed that Newcastle United are keen on completing the signing of a “truly magnificent” attacking player from La Liga, with his current club happy for him to leave.

Latest Newcastle news

The Magpies enjoyed another brilliant Premier League outing on Monday, winning 2-0 away to Manchester United and comprehensively outplaying their opponents at Old Trafford. Alexander Isak and Joelinton got the goals for the visitors, who must be eyeing a top-four finish after an improved run of form of late.

The January transfer window could see Newcastle delve into the market for new signings, should Paul Mitchell and Eddie Howe feel that fresh faces are needed to aid their quest to seal a return to the Champions League.

The Magpies are reportedly the front-runners to acquire the signature of AC Milan centre-back Fikayo Tomori, with long-term defensive reinforcements needed, considering Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Jamaal Lascelles are all now in their 30s. A return to the Premier League is thought to appeal to the Englishman, having fallen out of favour a little at times this season.

Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin also continues to be linked with a move to Newcastle in 2025, although a summer switch looks more likely than a January transfer, allowing him to head to St James’ Park on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Newcastle want to sign "truly magnificent" Barcelona gem

According to Caught Offside, Newcastle are “among the clubs” who are keen on signing Barcelona youngster Vitor Roque, with the La Liga giants also willing to allow him to move on.

The 19-year-old is currently on loan at Real Betis, having struggled to be deemed a key player by Hansi Flick, and Tottenham are also believed to be in the mix to sign him. Barca would rather use him in a swap deal with Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, though.

The £55,000-a-week Roque could be an exciting addition for Newcastle, even though his time in Spain hasn’t gone to plan, with only two goals coming his way in 16 Barca appearances to date.

At 19, he is far too young to be written off as a top-level footballer, however, and football talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed him as both “truly magnificent” and someone with “crazy potential” in the past.

Roque wouldn’t arrive at Newcastle as a regular starter, given his age, but he could be a great backup option to Alexander Isak leading the line, arriving as a young replacement for the likely outgoing Callum Wilson.

11 duels won: 8/10 Newcastle monster was even better than Isak & Bruno

The Newcastle United titan was a wall at the back for Eddie Howe on Monday.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 31, 2024

If the Magpies were able to bring in both the Brazilian and Calvert-Lewin, it could give Howe the attacking depth that he craves moving forward, making his side an even more daunting proposition.

Wolverhampton Wanderers face yet another difficult task in the Premier League this weekend as they seek their first three points of the season.

Gary O’Neil’s men have been given a poor draw when it comes to fixtures, taking on Arsenal, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and now Liverpool in the opening six games.

If they can somehow come away from the clash against the Anfield side with a point or better, then the Old Gold can start to look forward in a more positive way.

O’Neil could make a few changes for the clash, with Jorgen Strand Larsen potentially dropping to the bench this weekend.

Jorgen Strand Larsen’s game in numbers vs Villa

The on-loan striker has scored just once for the Molineux side but was given the task of leading the line against Villa last weekend.

Despite taking the lead, Wolves suffered a 3-1 loss, but Larsen didn’t play too badly. During the match, he attempted two shots, won four of his six aerial duels and lost possession just twice – albeit while touching the ball on just 12 occasions.

All he needs now is to turn these performances into goals, then his confidence will soon begin to soar.

For the Liverpool clash, however, could O’Neil mix things up slightly and choose someone who has already found the back of the net for the club this term?

Goncalo Guedes has already netted three times since returning from a loan spell at Villarreal, although they have come in the EFL Cup.

Why Goncalo Guedes should be unleashed by O’Neil

The manager has unleashed the Portuguese gem in both cup games so far. Along with his three goals, he has also created a big chance, averaged 1.5 key passes per game and has taken four shots per match, underlining how impressive he has been in front of goal.

The £27m signing from Valencia in 2022 hasn’t exactly enjoyed the best of times in the Midlands, yet it looks as though O’Neil is set to give him a chance to showcase his talents this term.

Journalist Andy Brassell lavished praise on the player when he was signed, saying: “For Wolves I think Guedes will be absolutely fantastic, they need that little bit of extra bang up front, maybe they could be in a bit of trouble if they’re not scoring goals.

“He’s someone who can play as a striker or as a winger, lightning quick, on his day as good as it gets.”

The key for Guedes now is to ensure he delivers decent performances in the Premier League when called upon.

His display against Brighton in the cup could well see him secure a start against Liverpool, but he will need to back this up.

Goals

1

Assists

0

Key passes

2

Total shots

4

Touches

32

Possession lost

12

Wolves aren’t quite in trouble, yet. But they will need to pick up points soon, otherwise O’Neil could come under some pressure.

Their fixtures have been tough, no doubt about it, but this is a team that beat Chelsea twice and Manchester City last term. The next few weeks could be interesting indeed.

Wolves wanted to sign "unplayable" star for £21m, now he's worth £103m

Wolves wanted “super” striker, who’s now worth five times the amount

ByConnor Holden Sep 27, 2024

It’s been a brutal start to the Premier League season for Everton this year.

Sean Dyche’s side have lost four from four, they’ve conceded 13 goals, scored just four of their own, and seem utterly incapable of holding on for a win after blowing a 2-0 lead for the second time in as many games yesterday.

While the Toffees did take the lead during the game at Villa Park and at one point looked on course for a first win of the campaign, there were several notably poor performers, including one who’s becoming a real problem for the Merseysiders and ended up taking fewer touches than Jordan Pickford in goal.

Pickford's performance in numbers

Now, the first thing to clarify is that Pickford has proven over the years that he is a great keeper, one more than capable of playing for a Premier League side pushing for Europe, but following a 3-2 loss, it’s rather difficult to shower a shot-stopper with praise, even if his performance wasn’t too bad.

For example, the Liverpool Echo’s Chris Beesly gave the Englishman a 6/10 on the day for his all-round display, but was sympathetic when it came to his involvement in the three goals, claiming that there’s ‘little you can do’ about a goal like Jhon Durán’s and that ‘he could do nothing about Watkins’ finish for the equaliser.’

So, while the former Sunderland ace cannot be entirely blamed for the three goals, the 6/10 rating seems fair, especially as his individual statistics from the match aren’t particularly impressive either.

Minutes

96′

Saves

4

Goals Conceded

3

Goals Prevented

-0.64

Runs out

2

Punches

1

Touches

42

Passes (Accuracy)

22/31 (71%)

Long Balls (Complete)

21 (12)

Clearances

1

For example, in his 96 minutes of action, he made four saves but produced a prevented goals figure of -0.64, succeeded in his two runs out, punched one ball, took 42 touches, was accurate in only 71% of his passes, and completed just 12 of 21 long balls and made one clearance.

In all, while he conceded three goals, Pickford was let down by his defence, and while he wasn’t great, he also wasn’t as bad as the scoreline would suggest, which is something that cannot be said about one of his teammates who took fewer touches than he did.

Ashley Young's performance in numbers

Yes, likely to no one’s surprise, veteran full-back Ashley Young is the problem player Dyche must consider dropping from the starting XI.

The former England international has buckets of experience, both in defence and on the wing, but it would be fair to say that for part of last season and so far this season, he has caused more problems for the Toffees than he has solved, and his display at Villa Park yesterday was another underwhelming one – to put it diplomatically.

The former Villa man was given a 5/10 by the Echo’s Beesly after the game, who wrote that it was simply ‘more pain for him back at the Villa’ and that he was ‘targeted in the right-back berth early on’.

Minutes

96′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Expected Assists

0.01

Clearances

5

Tackles

3

Ground Duels (Won)

5 (4)

Possession Lost

5

Key Passes

0

Touches

40

Crosses

0

Long Balls (Complete)

7 (4)

Passes (Accuracy)

19/23 (83%)

Dribbles

0

Fouls

1

That might sound like a harsh rating to give the 39-year-old, but based on his statistics from the match, it’s more than fair.

In his 96 minutes of action, the Stevenage-born ace took just 40 touches, lost possession five times, produced an expected assist figure of just 0.01, was accurate in just four of seven long balls, didn’t attempt a single cross or dribble, committed one foul, maintained a passing accuracy of just 83%, made five clearances and three tackles and won four of five ground duels.

Ultimately, while it wasn’t Young’s worst performance in an Everton shirt, it was another one in which he wasn’t particularly sound at the back and offered little to nothing going forward.

If Dyche wants to ensure the Toffees’ survival and lead them back to where they belong, he should look to drop the Englishman going forward.

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West Ham United recorded yet another loss, their seventh of the season, as Ruud van Nistelrooy took charge of Leicester for the first time, guiding them to a 3-1 thrashing over the Hammers.

Julen Lopetegui’s side had more of the ball (61% possession), took more shots (31) and generated more xG in the game (3.10).

However, despite the Foxes only having eight shots in the game, they managed to create seven big chances, more than West Ham’s five big chances, which starts to tell the story of how Lopetegui’s side are struggling this season.

West Ham's big pressing issue under Lopetegui

West Ham are conceding 15.8 shots per game this season, the fourth most in the division. Teams are able to carve through the Hammers press with relative ease, due to the spacing between their lines of pressure.

The front four look to press high, aiming to lock off one side of the pitch, and force play down one side. The issue here is the depth of their midfield pivot and back four during this phase of pressure.

Teams are able to easily find the spare man around the West Ham front four, then attack the big space left between the front four and back six (pivot and back four). This pressing scheme is extremely disconnected and is becoming a key issue for the side.

So much so that Lopetgui’s future looks in doubt, and West Ham already look to be assessing their options for his predecessor.

West Ham looking at Italian manager

According to reports from Calciomercato, former Juventus manager, Massimiliano Allegri, is on West Ham’s managerial shortlist should they sack Lopetegui.

Interestingly, the Italian was in London last week to watch Tottenham take on Roma, and he’s allegedly been taking English lessons too. Perhaps this mean he could be lining up a role in England?

The biggest issue with this appointment, however, would be the money involved, as the reports claim Allegri would demand around £6.6m per year, which is double the £3.3m of Lopetegui.

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That being said, he would be a great move for the Irons. The Italian coach was with Juventus from 2021-2024, with his side finishing third in Serie A last campaign.

Playing in a 3-5-2 formation, Allegri’s side conceded just 11.6 shots per game, the sixth lowest in the Serie A last season. This could be the extra defensive unity the Hammers need in order to start getting results.

One man who could benefit from this is winger Jarrod Bowen, who could play as the secondary striker in this 3-5-2 system. Bowen has averaged 2.84 shots per 90 this season, generating 0.19 xG, and scoring 0.31 goals per 90.

Last season, the England international was scoring 0.47 goals per 90 minutes, and generating 0.35 xG per 90, often playing as a striker for the Hammers.

By unleashing him in a front two, he would have the freedom to drift into wide channels, link play, and make runs in behind, working off of a more physical striker, such as Niclas Füllkrug, who scored his first goal for West Ham in their 3-1 loss against Leicester.

This new role could allow Bowen to thrive, getting the best out of him, and allowing his output to increase, which could go hand in hand with West Ham climbing the table. Other positional changes could see the likes of Mohammed Kudus playing as a wingback, and Edson Alvarez playing as a central centre-back in a back three.

One thing is for sure, change is needed for West Ham, as they drop ever closer to that dreaded relegation zone, and the owners will want to strike before it is too late, looking to get their season back on track.

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Arsenal have been struggling for goals as of late. The Gunners have failed to find the net in three of their last six games in all competitions, drawing blanks in defeats to Bournemouth, Newcastle and Inter Milan.

Across those three games, Arsenal had 36 shots on goal, suggesting that creating chances isn’t so much the problem for Mikel Arteta’s side, but finishing them off is.

Even prior to their goal drought, fans had been imploring Arteta to bring in a world-class striker, in the hope that it would finally allow Arsenal to mount and sustain a serious Premier League title challenge. Despite links with a number of huge stars, including Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres, Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, however, no such move has materialised.

Gunners now want Kolo Muani

According to TBR Football, Arsenal have now identified Paris Saint-Germain striker Kolo Muani as a man who could potentially solve their woes in front of goal. The 25-year-old striker, who joined the Ligue 1 giants in 2023 from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal worth £76.4 million, is out of favour with PSG boss Luis Enrique and has not featured in any of the club’s last three league games.

TBR Football claim that PSG are now open to allowing Kolo Muani to leave on loan this January, and that Arsenal are interested in bringing him in on a short-term basis. Manchester City, Manchester United, and West Ham United are also keen on the France international, according to the report.

A separate report from L’Équipe’s Florian Plettenberg earlier this week went one further, claiming that a number of Premier League clubs, though it did not name which, have already contacted PSG about a loan move for Kolo Muani. Plettenberg’s report also claimed those requests include the option to make the move permanent.

Would Kolo Muani solve the Gunners' striker woes?

Kolo Muani started his career in his home country, signing his first professional contract with FC Nantes in 2018. He went on to make just shy of a century of appearances for the Canaries before moving to Frankfurt in 2022.

In his only full season at Deutsche Bank Park, the Bondy-born striker scored 23 goals in all competitions, helping Oliver Glasner’s side finish as runners-up in the German Cup.

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Since his big money move to the French capital, however, Kolo Muani has struggled to replicate that form. Last term, he scored just nine goals in 40 games across all competitions, while this term he has just two in 10, though most of his appearances have come from the bench.

Despite his struggles at PSG, however, he still remains a regular for the France national team. To date, he’s made 25 appearances for Les Bleus, scoring eight goals. Speaking about Kolo Muani last month, France boss Didier Deschamps said: “He’s interesting, he’s radiant, He is confident and has a very specific profile where in his runs with the ball there is presence. He is a good header and with us he is very often successful.”