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With the halfway point of the 2023/24 season now firmly in the rearview mirror, it would be fair to describe Arsenal's Premier League campaign as mixed thus far.

The Gunners are flying in the Champions League but currently find themselves five points behind Liverpool on the domestic front despite sitting atop the table just a few weeks ago. While there are several reasons for this dropoff, one of the most significant is the poor form of their frontline.

Mikel Arteta has seen his side score just 37 goals this season, which is the lowest out of the current top five and 11 fewer than Manchester City, so with this in mind, fans should be delighted with the latest player touted for a move to N5 as he could be the perfect Gabriel Jesus upgrade.

Arsenal's striker search

According to a report from Football Insider last week, Arsenal are on the lookout for a new striker in 2024 and are among a number of clubs 'considering' a swoop for Feyenoord's Mexican number nine, Santiago Gimenez.

The report revealed that, alongside the Gunners, West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham are all interested in the incredibly exciting forward this year, meaning a bidding war could break out between the London clubs.

While the interest from their city rivals is far from ideal for the north Londoners, report states that it could take an offer of between £30m-£40m to secure Gimenez's signature is undoubtedly good news.

This would still represent a significant investment from the Gunners, and beating their fellow London clubs to his signature will surely require an awful lot of work. Still, it would be worth the effort for a striker who scored 15 goals last season and is well on his way to doubling that total this year.

How Santiago Gimenez compares to Gabriel Jesus

Now, it could be seen as unfair to single out Jesus for criticism when speaking about Arsenal's lacklustre frontline this season, as, after all, the former City man has three league goals so far, whereas Gabriel Martinelli has just two.

However, the 22-year-old is there to do more than just score goals, although when he is in goalscoring form, he can be a real threat, as he ended last season with 15 league goals to his name.

So, with a new number nine being at the top of Arteta's wishlist this year, who better than one who has already netted 19 league goals and two Champions League goals in 21 appearances this season?

Dubbed "the most prolific striker in Europe" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Feyenoord's Gimenez has been like a man possessed this year, and while the step-up to the Premier League would almost certainly reduce his goalscoring rate somewhat, it would still likely be a massive upgrade on Jesus' lethality in front of goal.

With that in mind, how do the pair's underlying numbers compare? Well, perhaps unsurprisingly, given the polar opposite veins of form the pair are in, the "Mexican machine", as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, dominates in the majority of relevant statistics.

For example, the "insane" 22-year-old, as described by Mango, produces almost double the non-penalty expected goals and assists figure as Jesus, scores more than four times as many goals, provides more assists, takes more shots on target, scores from fewer shots on target and even wins more aerial duels per 90 than the Brazilian.

Stats per 90

Gimenez

Jesus

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

1.07

0.60

Goals

1.24

0.29

Assists

0.26

0.10

Progressive Passes

1.50

2.69

Progressive Carries

1.90

2.02

Shots on Target

2.03

1.35

Goals per Shot on Target

0.58

0.21

Aerial Duels Won

1.18

0.96

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season

While it is quite a one-sided comparison, Jesus does come out on top in progressive passes and carries per 90, suggesting that he makes a more holistic contribution to the team, but with Arsenal so desperately requiring a clinical finisher, that could be an area of his game that other players can cover.

Arsenal could sign £103m Rice partner who's "Cazorla-esque"

Arsenal could sign their next Santi Cazorla by making a mega-money move in 2024.

ByMatt Dawson Jan 16, 2024

Ultimately, Jesus is a very talented player, but he is not a clinical striker, and as such, with the title race still ongoing, the Gunners should be going after Gimenez.

Steve Patterson’s men grateful for the late return of rain as their lacklustre efforts go unpunished

Paul Edwards13-Jun-2019
“When an hour is all thou hast, make much of that hour.” The phrase might be found on an old sampler reminding folk of the virtues of the Protestant work ethic yet it carried topical power on the final morning of this wet game at Guildford. For against the background clatter of staff gracelessly stacking chairs long before this match ended, Surrey’s Morne Morkel took three wickets in 12 balls, thereby establishing a dominance that would reach its climax when Yorkshire were bowled out for 148 just before tea.Steve Patterson’s batsmen thus spent the truncated last session of this suddenly dramatic game ensuring cock-up did not become total calamity. They achieved that goal although it was fitting that the weather came to their aid. Bad light trimmed four overs from the 38 Yorkshire might have faced but the openers, Adam Lyth and Will Fraine, had negotiated their way to 30 without loss when the draw was agreed amid gloom and approaching showers. All the same, a contest which had hitherto been notable mainly for its appalling weather had suddenly acquired much greater interest and that was a fitting reward for the tough souls who had braved both wind and rain on this last day.”Vigilance is the watchword of the righteous.” That saying, too, might once have been embroidered and framed in God-fearing households yet it has carried a powerful admonition for Yorkshire this week, quite regardless of their beliefs. To borrow a more modern idiom, they have not always been at it during this game. They didn’t expect to play on the second day and had to be roused from their hotel by coaches who were astonished to see Surrey warming up and groundsmen preparing the pitch. Then on this final morning, with nothing but bonus points seemingly at stake, they batted as if shocked into timidity by the intensity of Ben Foakes’ attack.But any tendency to pile blame on Yorkshire’s batsmen for their side’s collapse should be balanced by recognition of the excellence of Surrey’s bowling. That quality was apparent when Morkel dug in the first ball of the morning with perfect accuracy and a disconcerted Gary Ballance could only fend a catch to Dean Elgar in the gully. We little knew it but the tone of the day had been set. Next over Morkel pitched the ball up and had both Fraine and Jack Leaning caught behind by Foakes, who dived in front of first slip to make the second snare.After bowling only four overs Morkel was replaced by Jordan Clark who took his first wicket for his new county when Jonny Tattersall’s thoroughly irresponsible slash edged the ball high to Rikki Clarke at first slip. Next ball the same combination did for a rather less culpable Dom Bess and one’s thoughts went back to the July morning last summer when Clark, then wearing Lancashire’s colours, dismissed Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Johnny Bairstow with successive balls. There was no repeat of that famous hat-trick this damp morning in Guildford but the sense of panic among the batting side was similar.There was a rain break but it did not douse Surrey’s fire. Immediately the players returned Tom Kohler-Cadmore was caught down the leg side off Clarke for 14 and made his way off the field rubbing his hip. Three wickets had fallen for no runs and there was really no telling which way this game would go.As it turned out, an utterly unpredictable morning was followed by the most of predictable of early afternoons in a week which has taught us all to value the high days of summer. The rain set in and prevented any resumption until 2.30pm. But still the pattern of the cricket did not change. Despite Jordan Thompson’s late aggression – the debutant included a huge six off Clarke in his 34 – the 55 runs added by his side’s last three wickets could not prevent the follow on being enforced. After taking four wickets in the innings, Morkel took an excellent catch over his head at long leg to remove Thompson off Matt Dunn. Surrey’s cricketers then beetled off to have tea and prepare to bowl again. Yorkshire had lost all their wickets for 97 runs, the last nine of them in 26 overs.But the excitement was over. Lyth and Fraine batted with immense care in the final session of this game and spectators were left to wonder what might have happened had not 56.3 overs been lost on this last day. Surrey now have a free week but can be emboldened by their cricket at Guildford. Yorkshire, for their part, were probably grateful they could skedaddle home with five points for the draw. Not so far away, Somerset were the big winners from this rain-wrecked four days. Even in mid-June neutrals may be tantalised by the thought that this may finally be the Wyverns’ year.

Chelsea have reportedly held Stamford Bridge talks to sign a Premier League striker, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Chelsea eyeing new striker

The Blues may well be busy in the final days of the January transfer window, with the possibility of a new striker being needed in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad.

Nicolas Jackson is currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations, and besides the Senegal international, Armando Broja is the only fit and available senior striker on the books, which may surprise some given the club have spent over €1bn since Todd Boehly’s arrival.

Pochettino’s attacking options could soon be down to just Jackson as well, given recent reports have claimed that Chelsea are open to selling Broja on a permanent basis. The Albanian has no shortage of suitors in the top-flight, with Crystal Palace, Fulham, West Ham and Wolves all expressing an interest in a potential £35m transfer.

Should that be the case and Broja ends up leaving for one of the mentioned clubs, then a new forward may need to be landed if the club are to continue to climb up the Premier League table.

Four forwards that have been offered to Chelsea are AZ Alkmaar’s Vangelis Pavlidis, Zenit St Petersburg’s Mateo Cassierra, Cercle Brugge’s Kevin Denkey and Atletico Mineiro’s Paulinho as short-term solutions, but it looks as if the Blues are eyeing an option closer to home.

Chelsea hold “internal talks” for Aston Villa forward

According to Romano, Chelsea are eyeing up a move for Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran and have held Stamford Bridge talks over a potential deal. However, any move also appears to be dependent on Broja’s future.

However, since then, it has been revealed that Duran is set to be sidelined for the next three weeks with a hamstring injury, something which could scupper a move as Jackson will be back at the Bridge in that time.

Duran made the move to Villa Park 12 months ago but has struggled to make a significant impact under Unai Emery, mainly playing second fiddle to Ollie Watkins. The 20-year-old, who is a Colombia international, could therefore be open to the idea of moving to London, should the opportunity arise for more game time.

He may also represent a shrewd replacement for Broja, with some of the pair’s career stats highlighted below, as per FBref.

Matches played

98

88

Minutes

4,287

4,594

Goals

19

18

Expected goals

9.8

16.1

Assists

7

2

Expected assists

1.9

3.4

The youngster has also previously earned the praise of Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, who hailed the forward on X back in 2022:

It looks as if a deal for Duran will be one to keep an eye on, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Blues make their move.

Bayern Munich have confirmed the shock appointment of Vincent Kompany as their new head coach, with the Belgian replacing Thomas Tuchel.

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Kompany takes charge at BayernClub to pay hefty compensation to BurnleyHas signed a three-year deal until 2027WHAT HAPPENED?

The Belgian manager is all set to write a new chapter in his professional coaching career at one of the top European clubs despite failing to keep Burnley afloat in the Premier League after a disastrous season at Turf Moor. Bayern have shown their faith in Kompany and according to have coughed up around €10-12m (£8.50m/$11m – £10m/$13m) as a compensation fee to Burnley to lure him to the club. The former Manchester City centre-back has been awarded a three-year deal that will keep him at Allianz Arena until 2027.

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Bayern have had a frustrating few months in their search for a replacement for Tuchel – who might restart his career in the Premier League after leaving the German club. Several candidates, including Xabi Alonso, Julian Nagelsmann, and Ralf Rangnick, have rejected the Bavarian giants, with Kompany actually ending up being the ninth choice for the job.

WHAT KOMPANY SAID

Speaking to the club's official website, Kompany said: "I'm looking forward to the challenge of FC Bayern. It's a great honour to be able to work for this club – FC Bayern is an institution in international football. As a coach, you have to stand for who you are as a person: I love having the ball, being creative – and we also have to be aggressive on the pitch and courageous. I'm now looking forward to the most basic things: working with the players, building a team. When the foundation is in place, success will follow."

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WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

Kompany will have little time to prove his mettle as Bayern's boss. The German heavyweights will seek immediate results as they are not willing to settle for anything less than the top domestic honours – the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal titles, and a respectable finish in Europe. With a formidable squad at his disposable, which includes the likes of Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala, the Manchester City legend still has his work cut out.

Kobbie Mainoo has been tipped to be England's next Paul Gascoigne at Euro 2024, with Gareth Southgate urged to start the Manchester United star.

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Mainoo earns England call upTipped to become breakout star at Euro 2024May have chance to impress against Iceland WHAT HAPPENED?

Mainoo has enjoyed a whirlwind season; from breaking through at United, to earning his first England cap, before heading off to Germany for Euro 2024. Such is his talent, former Three Lions defender Stuart Pearce believes the 19-year-old could be England's star player at the tournament and that he should be in that starting lineup against Serbia for their opening game on June 16.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT STUART PEARCE SAID

He told BoyleSports: “Kobbie Mainoo could end up being England’s unexpected star player at Euro 2024, which often happens in these major tournaments. In my time we had the likes of Des Walker and David Platt who enhanced their reputations, even Paul Gascoigne. Mainoo has to take everything in his stride having been arguably the best player in the FA Cup final, he has fit in seamlessly at Manchester United and given the club a huge lift. He’s also stepped in for England and taken that in his stride. That’s the beauty of English football at the moment, young players get the opportunity and they already look very rounded and very comfortable in the environment.”

Pearce added: “In midfield, you have to go with Declan Rice in the middle, Jude Bellingham behind Harry Kane with Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden on the wing. There is another midfield slot alongside Rice and I think at this moment in time it goes to Kobbie Mainoo who has done extremely well for United. It’s a youthful XI with a team of players all in good form and Southgate has the option of playing someone like Mainoo or leaving Rice on his own and going for another attacking player, potentially in Cole Palmer."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

England are trying to win their first tournament since the 1966 World Cup. Gareth Southgate's has an embarrassment of riches in his 26-man squad but getting the balance right is not necessarily easy. Some big calls will have to be made and Southgate will have to decide if the teenage midfielder is ready to be unleashed on the big stage.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Red Devils academy product Mainoo could get further game time for England when they take on Iceland at a sold-out Wembley on Friday night in their final Euro 2024 warm-up game, before taking on Serbia nine days later.

The media slammed one Chelsea man as "the worst" player on the pitch against Wolves, following yet another poor Premier League performance from the Blues.

Chelsea 2-4 Wolves

The Blues were soundly beaten 4-1 away to Liverpool in midweek, and while their opponents are clearly incredibly strong at the moment, the display was hugely disappointing overall, with a lack of quality and fight on show.

A response was expected, and needed, against Wolves on Sunday afternoon, and when Cole Palmer gave Chelsea the lead at Stamford Bridge, everything looked good for Mauricio Pochettino's side.

No sooner had the hosts taken the lead than Matheus Cunha equalised with a deflected effort, and the Blues momentum seemed to be lost from there. Axel Disasi then scored an own shortly before half-time, giving Pochettino's men a lot of work to do in the second half.

Cunha scored his second goal of the afternoon midway through the second half and completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot before Thiago Silva pulled a goal back late on, as Chelsea endured one of their most miserable outings of the season so far.

Media slam Conor Gallagher vs Wolves

Taking to X during the game, The Blue Co. Project Podcast slammed Conor Gallagher's performance for Chelsea against Wolves, saying he was the "worst player" on show at Stamford Bridge.

"I cannot support this manager if he continues to play Conor Gallagher. Conor Gallagher is the worst player on Chelsea. THE WORST."

Meanwhile, CFC Central described the midfielder as "clueless", in what was another damning verdict on a shocking afternoon for the west Londoners.

Gallagher has been one of Chelsea's regular performers during what has been yet another disappointing season, showing plenty of endeavour in the middle of the park and starting 22 Premier League games in total.

There is no doubt that he was short of his best against Wolves – he wasn't alone in that respect, in fairness – with the Englishman losing 67% of his total duels. He only won four out of his 11 ground duels, according to SofaScore, and lost his only aerial duel. Gallagher also gave the ball away on 11 occasions, failing to have a big enough impact at the heart of the midfield by failing to have a shot on target.

As for Chelsea overall, this was simply not good enough for too much of proceedings, and further questions could be asked of Pochettino, who has certainly not impressed on the whole since taking charge of Chelsea last summer. The Blues are languishing in 11th place in the Premier League table, and it looks increasingly as though this is going to be back-to-back seasons of not qualifying for Europe at all.

"Embarrassing" – Paul Merson singles out £150k-p/w Chelsea man for showings

The Sky pundit doesn’t hold back.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 3, 2024

Vast improvements are required moving forward or pressure is going to be really growing on Pochettino, but every step in the right direction feels like it is followed by two the other way.

Bavuma, Alex Wakely guide Northants through afternoon on final day

ECB Reporters Network27-Jun-2019Temba Bavuma’s first half-century in the Specsavers County Championship earned Northamptonshire a draw with Leicestershire at Wantage Road.Bavuma’s 68 helped see out the final day with Northants reaching 206 for 6, leading by 212 before a draw was agreed at 4.50pm.Bavuma steered Northants through a fairly quiet afternoon with Alex Wakely, who made 46, and although wickets fell either side of tea, the lead was large enough for Leicestershire to shake hands before the final hour and take 10 points from the game. Northants also took 10 points but are left winless after seven matches and bottom of Division Two after Durham’s win at Sussex.With the second day lost entirely to rain, time was against either side trying to force a result and the final day began with only Leicestershire holding an outside chance of victory but any ambitions were snuffed out by Bavuma.The South Africa international had failed to make a significant score in eight innings before this and will be relieved to have finally passed fifty in this his fifth match of an eight-game stint. A number of previous starts – five times he had passed 20 – were not converted to larger scores but he would have breathed a sigh of relief to go to a half-century in 108 balls with eight fours.He took his time to settle, playing and missing against the new ball having arrived in the 10th over. He drove loosely at Neil Dexter, getting an outside edge that flew just out of the reach of point, and top-edged a hook at Mohammad Abbas that flew down to the fine leg fence, but later drove Will Davis sweetly through the covers and flicked the same bowler past midwicket before sweeping Colin Ackermann’s off-spin for four after tea.It looked like the final period of the game could bring Bavuma a maiden century for his new county but he hooked at Dieter Klein and was caught at deep-square. It was just after Adam Rossington had run past a delivery Ackermann fired down the leg side and was stumped for 19 and it kept Leicestershire’s hopes alive for a short while.After resuming 273 for 7 to reduce the first-innings deficit to just 6, Leicestershire knew the new ball needed to do damage and Abbas struck with his first ball to have Rob Newton well held at second slip for a golden duck. Ricardo Vasconcelos then fended a delivery to short leg but Bavuma and Wakely steadied Northants into the afternoon.Wakely played pleasantly for the second time in the game but Abbas slanted a delivery into him to win an lbw decision and then Rob Keogh edged Chris Wright to Paul Horton at first slip. Bavuma couldn’t quite see Northants to the close but the home side had enough batting in reserve to kill Leicestershire’s dreams of a late heist.

Juventus winger Federico Chiesa has emerged as a summer transfer target for Bayern Munich as his contract approaches its final year.

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Bayern eye new attacking targetChiesa out of contract in 2025Transfer considered possibleWHAT HAPPENED?

reporter Florian Plettenberg has shared that Chiesa's name has been added to Bayern's shortlist. The Italy winger is out of contract next summer and an initial price range is estimated at a relative bargain €30-40 million (£25m-£34m/$32m-$43m). But with Chiesa away at Euro 2024, no decision is expected to be made on his part for several weeks.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Juventus are unsurprisingly said to be open to extending Chiesa's contract beyond next season, but a transfer is ultimately thought to be possible given that he is expected to have plenty of options on the table. Liverpool were notably linked just last month, with Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain both also rumoured to be interested within the last year.

DID YOU KNOW?

Chiesa scored 10 goals for Juventus in all competitions in 2023-24, marking a return to his best form after suffering an ACL injury in January 2022 that had massively disrupted two seasons. Even just the idea of having him link up with Harry Kane should have Bayern fans licking their lips in anticipation.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

Bayern won't get an answer on Chiesa for a little while, but there is still plenty to be done for new manager Vincent Kompany. The Belgian currently has precious time to familiarise himself with his new surroundings before pre-season training begins early next month for those not on international duty. With Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting moving on and Thomas Muller to turn 35 in September, the attacking ranks are in need of fresh blood if the Bundesliga title is to be wrestled back from Bayer Leverkusen.

Fifties for Paul Horton and Hassan Azad but Leicestershire stumble after Carse’s three wickets

ECB Reporters Network19-Aug-2019Three wickets from Brydon Carse has put Durham in a strong position after day two of their Division Two clash against Leicestershire at the Riverside.The hosts were able to capitalise on their excellent performance from day one, recording their highest total of the campaign. Ned Eckersley scored an unbeaten half-century in his first game as captain before declaring on 544-9.Leicestershire’s openers Paul Horton and Hassan Azad provided resistance as both players notched half-centuries, but Carse struck three times with his extra pace to reduce the visitors to 152-4 at the close, still 392 runs behind the hosts.Azad pens new deal

Hassan Azad, Leicestershire’s opening batsman, has signed a new two-year deal with the county. Azad graduated from the University of Loughborough with a degree in Chemical Engineering this summer, and has piled on over 800 runs in his first Championship season, winning the PCA’s player of the month award for July. “It still has not sunk in that this is what my life is now,” he said after winning that award. “Going to the ground every day, training and playing in games… I am really grateful.”

Durham began the morning session with the opportunity to build on their platform from day one. Nathan Rimmington scored quick runs to move the hosts towards the 400-run mark. The nightwatchman hit two boundaries through the off side against Will Davis, but the bowler had his revenge to bowling Rimmington for 25. Eckersley arrived at the crease and guided his team over the mark, reaching maximum batting points for the first time at home since August 2017 against Derbyshire.Liam Trevaskis worked his way patiently to 37 after being dropped by Harry Swindells. However, Gavin Griffiths broke through his defences, pinning the left-hander lbw to deny him a half-century. Eckersley continued his knock after the break, although the pace of the home side’s innings was disrupted by the weather.The newly-appointed skipper found his timing after missing the Vitality Blast fixtures, recording his third half-century of the season from 59 deliveries, including three boundaries. Carse at the other end upped the ante as the hosts pushed beyond the 500-run mark, eclipsing their highest total of the campaign. Eckersley was given a life on 63 as fatigue appeared to wear down the Leicestershire attack when Griffiths dropped a simple chance at fine leg.Carse attempted to push for his half-century, but was run out seven runs short of the milestone by Wright. Eckersley immediately called time on Durham’s innings, walking off with an unbeaten 71. Leicestershire needed a solid response from their openers and received it from Azad and Horton. Both players survived lbw shouts, but were able to grind out their fifty partnership in the 15th over.After tea, Horton was also caught short of his ground by Carse at the non-strikers end, with the ball just missing the stumps. The latter made the most of his escape, scoring his third half-century of the season from 81 deliveries. Leicestershire were finding the pitch to be tame, blunting the home side’s attempt to take control of the contest.Horton brought up the century stand for the first wicket with a single down to fine leg. However, from the first delivery of the next over he produced a loose drive to a rising delivery from Carse and was caught at slip by Durham debutant Angus Robson. The Durham quick notched his second wicket of the over as Neil Dexter feathered an edge behind to Eckersley. Azad resisted at the other end with a strong defence, reaching his fifty from 117 balls.Trevaskis made further inroads for the hosts when he turned one through Mark Cosgrove’s bat and pad, dismissing the veteran for 21. Azad’s stoic knock was ended by a brilliant delivery from Carse, with the opener helplessly gloving to Peter Handscomb, who produced a fine diving catch at leg gully to hand Durham momentum at the close.

Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways in the Premier League over the weekend as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 at home on Saturday.

The Lilywhites bounced back from a 2-2 draw with Everton by securing a win over Roberto De Zerbi's side, thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Brennan Johnson.

Heung-min Son, on his first appearance since returning from international duty, supplied the assist with a perfect cross to the back post for the former Nottingham Forest attacker to convert into an empty net.

It was a third Premier League goal of the season for the Wales international, whilst Timo Werner failed to register a goal or an assist on the opposite flank.

Both players arrived at Spurs this term, with the former in the summer and the latter in January, but some may wonder what could have been with one of the club's reported targets.

Tottenham's interest in Wolves star

During the January transfer window, it was reported that Tottenham and Liverpool both had an interest in Wolverhampton Wanderers star Hee-chan Hwang.

Football Insider claimed that both clubs were monitoring his performances as the South Korea international had been on fire in the Premier League for Gary O'Neil's side.

The outlet claimed that a move ahead of the second half of the 2023/24 campaign was unlikely but added that Wolves are fearful of a summer exit for their impressive attacker.

There was no mention at the time of how much it would have cost Spurs to sign him in January, or how much they are prepared to demand at the end of the season.

Ultimately, Tottenham did not decide to test Wolves' resolve with an offer to sign Hwang and missed out on acquiring his services last month.

Whilst they may revisit their interest in the summer, Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy could have landed an upgrade on Werner, who they signed on loan from RB Leipzig, if they had convinced their rivals to part way with Hwang, who has more goals and assists than Johnson this season.

Brennan Johnson's season in numbers

The Welsh whiz has made 21 appearances in the top-flight since his move from Nottingham Forest and has failed to provide consistent quality in the final third.

His finishing has left a lot to be desired as the 22-year-old winger has scored three goals from an xG of 4.80, which suggests that he has let his teammates down at times with wasteful finishing.

Whereas, his fellow attackers have more than made the most of the chances that Johnson has created for them, as the young gem has recorded four assists from an xA of 1.93.

In total, the Spurs forward has produced three goals and four assists in 24 matches in all competitions, with three appearances in the two domestic cups, which is a return of one goal or assist every 3.43 games on average.

It has been far from a perfect first season at Tottenham for Johnson but he has plenty of time left, at the age of 22, to develop and improve over the years to come.

Whereas, Werner, 27, was brought in to make an instant impact on loan and Hwang would have offered far more than him at the top end of the pitch.

Werner's struggles in front of goal

The Germany international joined the club from RB Leipzig last month and registered an assist on his debut against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Werner is five appearances into his career in North London and is still on the search for his first goal for the club, although he did add another assist in the 3-2 win over Brentford at the end of January.

His lack of consistent quality in the final third should not come as any real surprise given his struggles with Leipzig during the first half of the season.

The 27-year-old winger scored two goals, from 2.36 xG, and failed to provide a single assist, from 0.10 xA, in eight Bundesliga outings for the German side. He also ended up with zero goals and zero assists in four Champions League matches for his parent club.

In total, Werner has two goals and three assists to his name in 19 appearances in all competitions for Spurs and Leipzig combined so far this season, which is just shy of one goal contribution every four games on average.

This shows that the former Chelsea attacker has not provided outstanding quality as either a scorer or a creator of goals for either side, as a striker or a winger.

Why Hwang would be an upgrade on Werner

Meanwhile, Hwang's performances for Wolves this season suggest that Spurs could have brought in a better player than Werner – an upgrade – if they had secured his services in January.

The 28-year-old dynamo has proven his quality in the Premier League with a string of impressive displays for the Old Gold since O'Neil's arrival in the dugout last summer.

He has produced ten goals, three assists, and four 'big chances' created in 20 top-flight appearances, which includes 17 starts, and scored one goal in one EFL Cup match.

This means that Hwang has racked up 11 goals and three assists in 21 outings in all competitions for Wolves, which is a return of one goal or assist every 1.5 games, and that is seven more goal contributions than the aforementioned Johnson has managed.

Appearances

12

20

xG

2.93

5.96

Goals

Two

Ten

xA

1.07

2.34

Assists

Two

Three

Big chances created

One

Four

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Old Gold star, who was recently hailed as "fantastic" by O'Neil, has offered more at the top end of the pitch than Werner throughout the 2023/24 campaign.

Whilst the German attacker has underperformed his xG with wasteful finishing, Hwang has been lethal in front of goal with roughly four more goals than expected.

The £70k-per-week whiz currently ranks within the top 6% of Premier League attacking midfielders and wingers for non-penalty goals (0.56) per 90, which illustrates how impressive his scoring has been in the top-flight.

Therefore, Spurs missed out on a big Werner upgrade, who has also outperformed Johnson, by opting against a swoop to sign the Wolves dynamo in January.