Former Tottenham star Victor Wanyama hailed Harry Kane's finishing as he included the Bayern Munich striker as one part of his perfect footballer.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
| Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱 |
Glasgow Rangers looked to lower the average age of their playing squad in the recent summer transfer window, with plenty of movement in and out of Ibrox.
The Light Blues, firstly, allowed Jon McLaughlin, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe, and Borna Barisic to depart at the end of their respective contracts.
Philippe Clement and head of recruitment Nils Koppen also sanctioned the exits of Connor Goldson, Scott Wright, Todd Cantwell, and Ben Davies, either permanently or on loan.
Those exits freed up space for the Gers to bring in players to bolster the squad, with the likes of Nedim Bajrami, Robin Propper, Vaclav Cerny, Hamza Igamane, Connor Barron, Jefte, and Oscar Cortes coming through the door, albeit Cortes was on loan during the second half of last term.
This took the squad from an average age of 26.2 in the 2023/24 campaign to 25.2 this season, which suggests that Clement and Koppen did good work to bring down the age of the group.
The Light Blues now have a younger squad that is full of players with the potential to develop and grow in value, and they have recently been urged to go and sign another young player – Lyall Cameron.
Speaking on the Open Goal YouTube channel, former Rangers ace Andy Halliday recently told the Gers to “go and sign” Dundee central midfielder Lyall Cameron.
The retired Scottish defender has urged both the Light Blues and Glasgow rivals Celtic to pursue a deal for the 22-year-old dynamo in the upcoming transfer windows.
Halliday referenced Luke McCowan, who joined the Hoops from Dundee in the summer, and described his move as a ‘no-brainer’, and said that Cameron should be the next player to make the same transfer to one of the big teams in Scotland.
However, the pundit did add that the youngster may not be someone who makes an immediate and big impact at Ibrox, or Parkhead, but that he could arrive as a fantastic squad option for Clement to consider.
McCowan produced ten goals and five assists in 37 matches in the Scottish Premiership during the 2023/24 campaign, but is more experienced than Cameron – at the age of 26.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The current Dundee star turned 22 on Thursday and would arrive at Ibrox as a youngster with plenty of potential to develop and improve over the years to come, which could make him a dream for Connor Barron.
The Scotland U21 international joined Rangers in the summer transfer window after his contract with Aberdeen expired at the end of last season, with the Dons due a yet-to-be-agreed compensation.
He has already emerged as a key player in the engine room for Clement, starting six of his seven appearances in the Premiership so far, and has caught the eye with his displays.
The 22-year-old, like Cameron, is a young talent who still has plenty of time left ahead of him to grow and develop as a player during his time in Glasgow, which means that the pair could improve alongside each other over the years to come.
Barron has provided a metronomic presence at the base of the midfield for Clement in the Premiership so far this season, completing 91% of his attempted passes.
However, the Scottish youngster has struggled to offer much in the way of quality at the top end of the pitch from a midfield position, despite his efficiency in possession.
|
24/25 Premiership |
Connor Barron |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
7 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Assists |
0 |
|
Big chances created |
0 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
2.9 |
|
Ball recoveries per game |
3.7 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
As you can see in the table above, the former Aberdeen star has yet to contribute with a single goal, assist, or ‘big chance’ created in the top-flight.
He has, though, averaged 5.6 tackles, interceptions, and recoveries per game for the Scottish giants, which shows that he is adept at winning possession back for his side on a consistent basis.
Barron is excellent at breaking up opposition attacks and then keeping play ticking for his team with simple passes, hence his high pass completion rate, and that is another reason why Cameron would be a dream for him, as he has the quality on the ball to complement his compatriot.
The 22-year-old Dundee star is a central midfielder who likes to push forward to make things happen, with goals and assists, at the top end of the pitch.
In the 2022/23 campaign, Cameron contributed with an eye-catching 14 goals and five assists in 38 appearances in all competitions, to help his team to secure promotion from the Championship.
The Scotland U21 international, who was lauded as “terrific” by Gary Bowyer, followed that up with five goals in 28 appearances in the regular season in the Premiership last season for Dundee, in his first year at the top level.
These statistics show that the young whiz, who Rangers have been told to go and sign in the January transfer window, has the potential to offer a solid threat as a goalscorer from a central midfield position. Whereas, Barron has only scored two goals in the Premiership since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.
|
24/25 Premiership |
Lyall Cameron |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
7 |
|
Sofascore rating |
7.19 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Key passes per game |
2.1 |
|
Big chances created |
2 |
|
Assists |
3 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
As you can see in the table above, Cameron has yet to showcase his goalscoring ability for Dundee this season but has been in fantastic form as a creator of goals.
Only James Tavernier (2.6) has created more chances per game within the Rangers squad than the 22-year-old star’s 2.1 key passes per match in the Premiership this season, whilst no Gers player has registered more than two assists.
This suggests that Cameron would come in and be one of the biggest creative threats in Clement’s squad, if he can carry that form over to Ibrox.
After Sterling: Rangers should hand a pay rise to £22k-p/w star
The Light Blues attacking midfielder has enjoyed an impressive start to the season.
2
By
Dan Emery
Oct 9, 2024
Therefore, the SPFL dynamo could be a dream partner for Barron in midfield because he can offer a threat as a scorer and a creator, which the current Gers ace does not, and they can both develop and improve alongside each other at 22 years old.
It’s been an interesting season for Tottenham Hotspur so far this year.
Ange Postecoglou’s side have played some of the most entertaining football in the Premier League this season and have picked up some big wins along the way, like the ones against Manchester United and Aston Villa, but slip-ups against the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace see them remain out of the top four at present.
However, where the North Londoners have been inconsistent in the league, they have been exemplary and remain undefeated in both the League Cup and Europa League.
1
Lazio
8
9
2
Tottenham Hotspur
5
9
3
Anderlecht
4
9
4
Ajax
7
7
5
Galatasaray
4
7
6
Frankfurt
3
7
7
Midtjylland
3
7
8
Athletic Club
3
7
9
Bodo/Glimt
2
7
10
Lyon
4
6
In fact, the Lilywhites are second out of 36 teams in the latter, and with that, they can afford to rest a few players for the game against Galatasaray tonight, especially as one of the stars Postecoglou should start is more than good enough to help shut down Victor Osimhen.
Why Postecoglou should rest starters
Okay, there is certainly an argument to be made that, given the strength of Galatasaray and the intimidation factor their stadium can provide, Postecoglou should be looking to start his absolute strongest lineup tonight.
However, there are a couple of reasons why this might not be necessary or the best idea, with the first being quite obvious: injuries.
The club’s campaign was utterly derailed by a rash of unfortunate injuries around this time last year, and given how injury-prone the likes of Micky van de Ven, James Maddison, and Rodrigo Bentancur seem to be, it feels unwise to risk them tonight, especially when there is a potential banana skin waiting for the team on Saturday in the guise of Ipswich Town.
The second reason is that tonight’s game is the perfect opportunity to hand out more game time to those who might not start every week and to put them into what could be the most hostile environment of the season to test their mettle.
Moreover, as we saw against Manchester City and in the game against Aston Villa, the players outside of Postecoglou’s first-choice XI are good enough to make a difference in challenging games, and there is one player in particular who deserves to start, someone who could play a significant role in keeping Victor Osimhen quiet.
The Spurs ace who deserves to start against Galatasaray
As we said, several players deserve to start in Turkey tonight, but in this case, we are talking about Yves Bissouma in particular.
The Mali international has made ten appearances for Postecoglou this season, but in the last two games, he started on the bench, with Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr the manager’s preferred midfielders to play alongside the incredible Dejan Kulusevski.
Yet, in both games, he came off the bench to play a significant role in two outstanding wins.
Against City, he played the entire second half and was a constant nuisance for the Champions’ attackers, earning himself a 9/10 match rating from LondonWorld’s Rahman Osman for his tireless defensive work and sensational goal-line clearance to deny Nico O’Reilly from grabbing an equaliser.
The “world-class” defensive midfielder, as dubbed by Sky Sports presenter Adam Smith, didn’t do anything quite as eye-catching in his 34 minutes of action against Villa, but was once again a constant throne in the opposition’s side.
He won 100% of his ground duels, made two clearances, one interception, one tackle, lost the ball just twice, maintained a passing accuracy of 100% and took 29 touches.
He was so effective that despite his relatively short time on the pitch, the Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick awarded him an 8/10 on the night, writing that he ‘impressed again off the bench, snapping into tackles and helping Spurs to win the midfield battle in the second half.’
So, with back-to-back brilliant displays off the bench against two of the best teams in England, it would be fair to say the former Brighton & Hove Albion star has more than earned a chance to start tonight’s Europa League clash.
Ultimately, if he can keep the likes of Phil Foden, Ollie Watkins, Bernardo Silva and Savinnho quiet in the space of a week, he should be able to handle Osimhen, who’s not been playing top opposition week in and week out this season.
The new Kane: Spurs have unearthed their next £100m star in the making
The incredible attacker has been unreal for Spurs this season.
1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 6, 2024
Liverpool have always been regarded as a behemoth of the English game, but Anfield and its many supporters languished as a fallen giant for many interminable years and that’s a fact.
Jurgen Klopp stretched his influence onto Merseyside in 2015 and painted the football-frenzied city in brilliant red once again, but it wouldn’t be fair to say that Liverpool were bereft of joy and excitement in the overtures of the German’s appointment.
The 2014/15 campaign was drab and, perhaps more aptly, disastrous. It was Brendan Rodgers’ last full campaign and a return to disappointment for the club, but the year before, while bringing about no silverware, was an unforgettable rollercoaster.
Luis Suarez in the front seat, of course.
Luis Suarez's Liverpool brilliance
He might not have got his paws on the Premier League title, but Suarez’s name is certainly woven into the very fabric of Liverpool’s storied history.
The recently-retired Uruguay international joined Liverpool from Ajax in a £22m deal way back in 2011, having earned a reputation of great promise during his time with the Dutch giants.
His time on Merseyside was a thing of singular brilliance. Even now, over a decade beyond his departure date, Suarez is hailed among the finest players to have performed in England’s top flight, and perhaps the architect of the most awe-inspiring individual campaign since the modern Premier League was founded in 1992.
Still kicking about in the MLS with pal Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, Suarez has led an unforgettable career, and though the riches ran deeper with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in Spain, the 39-year-old’s 31-goal haul, with 11 assists too, across just 33 top-flight matches in 2013/14 almost single-handedly supercharged an unlikely title conquering.
It wasn’t to be. Suarez understandably wanted to leave in search of pastures new after that agonising failure. This was over a year before Klopp would even alight in Liverpool, remember, and when Barcelona offered a jaw-dropping £65m sum for his signature, it was a no-brainer.
Now, a new era. The annals record that one-time Suarez-fevered patch to be several ages in the background at Anfield, in fact. Klopp’s time has flown past and now Arne Slot is at the wheel.
This is a team studded with first-class stars, but there’s one in particular who could be Slot’s own version of the Uruguayan great, and no, it’s not Suarez’s countryman Darwin Nunez.
Luis Diaz could be Liverpool's next super-money star
As the more discerning minds might have guessed from the big blocked text right ahead, the man in question is Luis Diaz, who has gone from strength to strength under Slot’s wing this season.
Last year, Klopp utilised Diaz’s electric pace and penetrative dribbling to a positive effect, but Slot has seized such qualities and refined them into something potent and deadly.
Having scored 13 goals and supplied five assists across 51 matches in all competitions in 2023/24, Diaz was definitely effective, but under Slot’s wing, he’s notched nine goals and two assists from merely 16 appearances.
The 27-year-old carries a very singular threat, and in such a way, is a bit like Suarez in that he’s so distinctive. His loping gait is instantly recognisable and there’s a real menace to his attacking approach, crackling with energy and ideas upon every final third entry.
Matches (starts)
37 (32)
11 (8)
Goals
8
5
Assists
5
2
Touches*
43.8
41.8
Shots (on target)*
2.5 (0.9)
1.6 (0.8)
Pass completion
85%
87%
Key passes*
1.8
1.4
Ball recoveries*
3.4
2.8
Dribbles (completed)*
1.8
1.5
Tackles + interceptions*
1.0
1.4
Total Duels won*
4.6
4.0
As per FBref, Diaz ranks among the top 4% of Premier League attacking midfielders and wingers in 2024/25 for goals scored, the top 7% for pass completion, the top 10% for shot-creating actions and the top 15% for successful take-ons per 90, highlighting his robust style.
Of course, he’s not a centre-forward and nor is he stylistically similar to Suarez, but Diaz is one of Liverpool’s most profitable players to be sure, and recently bagged a Champions League hat-trick when placed at number nine by Slot during Liverpool’s 4-0 romping of Bayer Leverkusen.
His silky-smooth style of performance has even drawn comparisons to players such as Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala, who has been on fire himself this term, scoring nine goals and supplying four assists across 13 matches.
According to FBref, that is, with the stats-built site revealing that, stylistically, the respective stars align. With this in mind, Diaz could perhaps fetch a transfer fee surpassing that of Suarez’s, for Musiala has been attracting attention from Manchester City of late and is believed to be transfer-priced for a fee in excess of £100m.
He wouldn’t command the same dizzying transfer fee that Philippe Coutinho’s sale to Barcelona marked, but Diaz would certainly be sold for a handsome sum, and given that La Blaugrana have a long-standing interest in the South American, perhaps his stunning exploits could lead him to a lucrative transfer to Spain, much like Suarez.
Indeed, Diaz, who has been hailed as an “incredible” signing for Liverpool by Klopp, was pursued by outfits as mighty as Barcelona this summer, and The Athletic reported that Liverpool would only entertain proposals that far outstretched the £50m total fee that was paid to bring him in from Porto several years ago.
Perhaps, in today’s bonkers market, that £65m figure that Barca paid for Suarez might not even cut it for Liverpool. Whatever happens, the Reds have well and truly hit the jackpot with this one. Diaz is sure to play a significant part in the trophy-hunting efforts of Slot’s side, and maybe he’ll be allowed to venture off to Spain at some stage – for a most lucrative sum.
Biggest gem since Trent: Liverpool have found an £89m star in the making
Liverpool have an academy talent who could be every bit as good as Trent Alexander-Arnold.
ByAngus Sinclair Nov 12, 2024
كشف لاورينسيو ريجيكامب المدير الفني السابق لنادي الترجي التونسي، حقيقة وجود مفاوضات مع الزمالك، موضحاً أسباب رحيله عن تدريب الفريق التونسي.
وقال رجيكامب في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت” عن مفاوضات الزمالك: “كنت في القاهرة لمدة يومين، ولم أكن في مفاوضات مع الزمالك، قابلت مالك أحد الأندية من بلد أخرى في القاهرة”.
وتابع: “تحدثت مع أحد الوكلاء عن الزمالك منذ أسبوعين أو ثلاثة، ولم يصدر مني تعلقيات، هذا ليس عدلاً أن أتحدث أولًا، لأن الأفضل أن النادي هو من يتحدث وليس المدير الفني”.
هل الوكيل كان يتحدث بالنيابة عن الزمالك أم مجرد استطلاع رأي؟: “لا أعرف إذا كان يتحدث بالنيابة عن الزمالك أم من خلال نفسه”.
طالع أيضاً.. جراديشار: لم أكن أعرف الأهلي.. وتفاجأت مما شاهدته أمام بيراميدز
وأكد: “لا توجد مفاوضات مع أي نادٍ مصري سواء الأهلي أو الزمالك”.
وعن أسباب رحيله عن الترجي: “لا أعرف السبب، النتائج كانت جيدة، أعتقد أن هناك شيئًا ما حدث داخل النادي، بالنسبة لي الأمر أصبح في طي التاريخ”.
وأتم: “أتابع الكرة المصرية لأنني كنت في تونس، وكنا سنلعب أمام فرق مصرية في بطولة إفريقيا، لذلك كان يجب أن أتابعهم عن قرب”.
Former spinner led club to Championship title after taking over on interim basis
ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2022
Gareth Batty and Alec Stewart pose with the Championship trophy•Getty Images
Gareth Batty, who led Surrey to the County Championship title as interim head coach, has been appointed to the role full time. He succeeds Vikram Solanki, who left at the start of the year to take charge of IPL franchise Gujarat Titans.Batty only retired from playing at the end of the 2021 season, after a lengthy career representing Surrey, Worcestershire and England, and initially moved on to the coaching staff as one of Solanki’s assistants. After taking charge of the first team, he oversaw an impressive campaign that saw the London club win their first Championship since 2018.”I’m honoured to have been given the opportunity to be head coach at this great club on a permanent basis,” Batty said. “This year has been an incredible season and a steep learning curve for me as a coach but I have absolutely loved every second of it.”The hard work put in by the coaching staff and the players was crucial in the success this year and we’re looking to get straight back to it as pre-season begins. There’s a huge amount of potential in this group of players and I’m excited to get going again with our eyes firmly set on more success in 2023.”Surrey won eight of their 14 Championship games and were unbeaten until the final round of the season, by which point that had already secured the pennant. One of Batty’s most-significant moves as coach was to rely on a pace-heavy attack, with allrounder Will Jacks deployed as the frontline spinner to balance the side.Surrey topped the South Group in the Vitality Blast, only to lose their home quarter-final against Yorkshire, but were less successful in the Royal London Cup – in part due to the demands on their playing staff through the Hundred and England commitments.Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said: “After a full and proper process, Gareth was the outstanding candidate for the role of head coach of Surrey’s men’s side and has fully earned his opportunity. Alongside our backroom team, Gareth did an outstanding job last season, handling all the challenges that were thrown his way.”Batts is one of the most hard-working and forward thinking people in the game and his deep knowledge, commitment and dedication to the job that he brings every single day is a massive positive. His enthusiasm and his passion is infectious and this has been very well received by the group.”Batty was assisted by Azhar Mahmood and Jim Troughton during the 2022 summer, with both coaches expected to be retained on a permanent basis.
It’s not been a straightforward season for Tottenham Hotspur this year.
Ange Postecoglou’s side have alternated from looking like one of the best teams in the country, to one that handed Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town their first wins of the Premier League campaign.
The Australian has been able to turn his team into great entertainers, but that is also down to the fact that it’s hard to know which team will turn up on any given day.
It could be argued that the forward-thinking coach could use one of the first players he sold when he took the reins last summer, a player who’s been touted for a return to the England set-up by Gary Neville.
Spurs' 2023 summer departures
Before getting to the in-form player in question, let’s examine a few other Spurs stars sold in Postecoglou’s first summer, starting with the big one, Harry Kane.
Yes, after years of speculation, the England captain finally left North London last summer, but instead of remaining in the country, he joined German behemoths Bayern Munich for a fee said to be £86.4m.
The Lilywhites legend left the club with an unreal haul of 280 goals and 61 assists in 435 games, and while he’s already scored 61 goals and provided 21 assists in 61 appearances for the Bavarians, he is still yet to win his first trophy as an invincible Bayer Leverkusen finally pipped FC Hollywood to the throne last year.
Now, someone who didn’t leave with as much fanfare was Lucas Moura, who rejoined boyhood side São Paulo on a free after making 221 appearances for the North Londoners over five and a half seasons, in which he scored 39 goals, provided 27 assists and gave the fans that night in Amsterdam.
Since returning to Brazil, the 32-year-old has been in fine form and currently has 13 goals and nine assists to his name in 43 games this season, and was recalled to the Brazil squad and played in the World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in September.
However, he might not be the only Spurs ace sold last summer to be recalled to their national team in the near future.
The former Spurs star Postecoglou must regret selling
Many former and current Spurs stars have been or still are part of the England set-up, such as Eric Dier, Kane, James Maddison, and now Dominic Solanke.
However, the player Neville believes should be a part of the England squad, and Postecoglou could regret selling last summer, is Harry Winks.
The Australian and Daniel Levy opted to cash in on the 28-year-old midfielder when Leicester City came in with an offer worth £10m, and while that looked like good business at the time, it’s starting to look less so this season.
After playing a crucial role in securing immediate promotion back to the Premier League, the Hemel Hempstead-born “Rolls-Royce”, as dubbed by former professional Ian Baraclough, has continued his fine form into this one, so much so that there are reports that the Lilywhites may be interested in re-signing him in 2025.
If true, it’s not hard to see why, as not only has he already racked up three assists and one goal in just 11 appearances, primarily from defensive midfield, but his underlying numbers are seriously impressive when compared to the North Londoners’ defensive midfielders.
Non-Penalty xG+As
0.13
0.13
0.10
Actual Non-Penalty G+As
0.38
0.25
0.40
Assists
0.29
0.13
0.00
Shots on Target
0.29
0.25
0.40
Passing Accuracy
86.5%
91.0%
91.4%
Key Passes
1.37
0.34
0.68
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.21
0.00
0.00
Shot-Creating Actions
2.74
2.52
1.80
Goal-Creating Actions
0.32
0.00
0.00
Tackles Won
0.67
1.77
1.80
Blocks
1.05
0.85
0.91
Dispossessed
0.32
0.68
0.91
Fouls
0.57
1.77
1.20
Ball Recoveries
5.79
7.12
3.64
For example, while he comes out second or third best in some metrics against Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur, he comes out ahead in others, including but not limited to assists, key passes, crosses into the penalty area, shot and goal-creating actions, blocks and more, all per 90.
Ultimately, it might not be a popular opinion, and Winks might not make it back into the Three Lions set-up under Thomas Tuchel, but he has shown this season that the Premier League is where he belongs.
Moreover, when looking at his raw output and underlying numbers, it certainly looks like he could be doing a job for Postecoglou and Spurs right about now.
Their next Dele Alli: Spurs want to sign "incredible" Mikey Moore rival
The sensational attacker would be another exciting addition to Spurs’ young squad.
1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 19, 2024
da doce： Wolves have joined a queue of clubs looking to try and sign a young talent for a bargain fee this summer, it has emerged, as Gary O’Neil looks to strengthen his squad on the cheap.
Wolves target youth
da pixbet： Part of Wolves’ strategy over the summer was to buy younger talents to develop as they look to build a squad capable of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.
In the wake of Pedro Neto’s exit to Chelsea, the Old Gold replaced him with former Manchester City youth talent Carlos Forbs, who turns 21 in March, while the only player over the age of 24 signed was goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, who arrived from Crystal Palace.
Wolves’ summer signings
Player
Age at time of signing
Pedro Lima
18
Bastien Meupiyou
18
Carlos Forbs
20
Rodrigo Gomes
20
Tommy Doyle
22
Andre
23
Jorgen Strand Larsen
24
Sam Johnstone
31
It has yet to work out for the Molineux side, but their first wins of the season have pulled them clear of the relegation zone as things stand and O’Neil will be hoping that the players he has signed only continue to improve over the course of the season, with money scarce in the Midlands for any January or summer additions and the club looking to follow a self-sustaining model.
That could see players leave once more in the summer, with Matheus Cunha among those linked with a move away from the club, along with fullback Rayan Ait-Nouri.
However, that will not change Wolves’ youth-driven policy, and now they have joined the race to sign a potential bargain.
Wolves interested in signing Celtic talent
That comes according to Football Insider, who name Wolves as one of five sides showing an interest in Celtic forward Daniel Cummings after a series of impressive performances at youth level.
The 18-year-old has managed to find the net 22 times in 20 games for the youth sides this season, including five goals in five Champions League youth games for Celtic, helping the young Bhoys to three wins and leaving them above Real Madrid in the early standings.
Lage sold Ait-Nouri's replacement who's now ouranking every Wolves player
The former Wolves man is flourishing this season
ByJoe Nuttall Nov 28, 2024
But Cummings is out of contract with Celtic as things stand at the end of the campaign, and the reports claims that the teenager “could leave the club for a minimal fee with cross-border compensation only €310,000″ [£250,000], following in the footsteps of the likes of Ben Doak and Rocco Vata”.
It is added that “Wolves, Fulham, Ipswich, Sunderland and Burnley” all had scouts watching him in his most recent UEFA Youth League game, where he scored the only goal of the game as Celtic edged past Club Brugge before the senior team were held to a draw later in the day.
Still yet to make his debut for Brendan Rodgers’ table-topping senior side, several clubs are positioning themselves in the hope that it never happens, while Wolves will be among them, hoping that they can snag the talent on the cheap in several months time should contract talks not reach a resolution.
Potentially repeating their deal to sign Dominic Solanke a few months ago, Daniel Levy and Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly ready to pay £50m to sign one Premier League winger.
The Lilywhites returned to winning ways in style against West Ham United, putting their disappointing capitulation against Brighton & Hove Albion before the international break behind them. Despite falling a goal behind courtesy of Mohammed Kudus’ second goal in as many games, Ange Postecoglou’s side battled back well to eventually ease past their London rivals and seal a comfortable 4-1 victory.
As if Spurs need any further attacking reinforcements after such a display of goalscoring prowess, those in North London have been linked with summer moves to add even more excitement to their frontline.
The likes of Jonathan David and Benfica winger Kerem Akturkoglu. The former could of course partner Solanke to form quite the duo under Postecoglou, particularly if the Lilywhites also add another creative outlet when 2025 arrives.
According to reports in Spain, Levy and Tottenham are now willing to pay as much as £50m to sign Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth with Spurs reportedly preparing an opening offer to sign the winger.
Of course, Bournemouth and Spurs should already be familiar with each other in the transfer market given that Solanke swapped the South Coast for North London just a few months ago. Now, the two clubs could renew their relationship in what could see yet another Bournemouth player become part of Postecoglou’s ongoing project.
Tottenham join race to sign "superb" versatile new forward for Postecoglou
The Lilywhites could boost their frontline even further…
By
Tom Cunningham
Oct 19, 2024
Semenyo certainly seems to be one to watch. The winger first stole the headlines amid links to the likes of Spurs earlier this month and those rumours have only increased ever since to the point that the Lilywhites are seemingly set to step things up.
Although Solanke has shown enough glimpses of his best form to say that the goals will begin to flow in abundance sooner rather than later, the arrival of a winger he knows so well in the form of Semenyo would undoubtedly speed that process up.
Forming a solid partnership at Bournemouth last season, Solanke ended the campaign with 21 goals in all competitions, whilst Semenyo ended on eight as both earned praise around the Premier League. Analyst Ben Mattinson, one of those full of praise, spoke about the Cherries’ dangermen in the last campaign and went on to describe Semenyo as “underrated”.
Kicking on even further in the current campaign, Semenyo is now in line to follow in his former teammates’ footsteps and potentially complete a move to Spurs when 2025 arrives.
Quite clearly, Everton need to improve in attack. Looking at their recent form from one side of the road, it could be surmised that Sean Dyche’s side aren’t doing all that badly, with just one defeat from eight Premier League matches.
But an alternative viewpoint reveals that the Toffees’ colourless performances have left plenty to be desired. On Saturday, Everton drew 0-0 against Brentford at Goodison Park, having stumbled to a goalless draw at West Ham United before the November international break.
01/12/24
Man United
Old Trafford
04/12/243
Wolves
Molineux
07/12/24
Liverpool
Goodison Park
14/12/24
Arsenal
Emirates Stadium
22/12/24
Chelsea
Goodison Park
26/12/24
Man City
Etihad Stadium
29/12/24
Nott’m Forest
Goodison Park
With such a daunting run of fixtures coming up over the next month, something needs to change. Attacking success starts from the front, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin is still letting his side down.
Why Everton need to ditch Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Everton need to get rid of Calvert-Lewin, and luckily, it’s not going to be too strenuous an ordeal, with the striker out of contract in the summer.
There’s even a chance that TFG could be walking into the ownership and claiming some cash for the 27-year-old, with Fiorentina keen on strengthening their frontline, fronted by Moise Kean, this winter.
The drab draw against ten-man Brentford has done little to reduce the concerns around Dyche’s system and its long-term suitability. Calvert-Lewin perhaps had a more lively outing than usual this year, but it was still not enough to see him break duck.
As you can see above, tensions are beginning to boil over.
Writing in their post-match player ratings, The Liverpool Echo handed him a 6/10 score: ‘Was denied from close range on a couple of occasions before the break, firstly when he redirected an Idrissa Gueye drive and then when his near post effort was turned around the post by Mark Flekken, but for all his labours, he couldn’t find a breakthrough.’
What Everton need is a new striker.
Everton keen on new striker
As per a report from GIVEMESPORT earlier this month, Everton are among the clubs interested in signing LOSC Lille’s Jonathan David, though it’s understood that the Canadian striker might have reservations about moving to the Merseyside outfit.
His French employers are also reluctant to let him leave for a transfer fee this winter despite his contract expiring at the end of the season – like Calvert-Lewin.
He would relish the chance to move to the Premier League and given that Newcastle United might turn elsewhere, there could be a real opportunity to snap him up and finally restore some integrity to the attacking point of the Blues squad.
Why Jonathan David would be a significant signing
Only 24 years old, David has been hailed as “one of the best strikers in the world” by reporter Tony Marinaro, with his goalscoring performances over the past several years corroborating such a point.
2024/25
20
13
2
0.75
2023/24
47
26
9
0.74
2022/23
40
26
4
0.75
2021/22
48
19
0
0.40
2020/21
48
13
5
0.37
As you can see above, he’s invariably produced noteworthy goalscoring numbers across his five campaigns in France, though his maturity is discernible through increased playmaking numbers that denote impressive technicality.
Indeed, as per FBref, David ranks among the top 1% of centre-forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored (0.90) per 90 and the top 2% for pass completion (82.2%), further emphasising that very point.
It’s quite the stark difference to the striking fortunes of Calvert-Lewin, who ranks among the bottom 14% of centre-forwards for goals scored (0.22) per 90.
Whether Everton would succeed in bringing David to the club is another question entirely, but as long as efforts are exhausted in attempting what would be a marquee deal, at least supporters would see a statement of intent from the prospective new owners.
Who knows, it might reinvigorate Everton’s entire frontline. Of course, not all of the Blues membership require an injection of impetus, with Iliman Ndiaye dazzling since joining from Marseille in a £15m transfer this summer.
Hailed by the earlier-mentioned Boyland as “Everton’s new hope,” the Senegalese winger proved once again to be his outfit’s shining light in the recent draw against Brentford, handed an 8/10 match rating by The Liverpool Echo as he starred as the club’s ‘most potent force.’
Completing all four of his attempted dribbles, as per Sofascore, it’s clear to see why he’s held in such a positive light by the Toffees supporters, and it could be the partnership-to-be that sees David take to the Premier League without seam – maybe even lifting Everton away from the bottom layer of the division for good.
With David providing such crisp and accurate passing and boasting an elite-level scoring record besides, it could be the combination that Everton chiefs have craved for so long.
One thing’s for certain: Calvert-Lewin is not cutting it as he plods into the final months of his Everton career. The English forward has now gone eight top-flight fixtures without a paltry goal or assist, and TFG must surely move to secure a massive upgrade as soon as possible.
Signed by Dyche: Everton's "new hope" could be a £100m star in the making
Everton’s £15m man could be their own £100m star in the making.
ByAngus Sinclair Nov 22, 2024