All posts by z3u9t.icu

In what would complete their frontline, Newcastle United are now reportedly planning a €40m (£33m) offer to sign a Champions League winger who became one of few players to get the better of Arne Slot’s Liverpool side recently.

Newcastle transfer news

It certainly looks as though the Magpies are gearing up for the summer after enduring a frustratingly quiet last two windows. Currently just two points away from the Premier League’s top four, those at St James’ Park could yet get the chance to hand Eddie Howe the reinforcements that he so desperately needed the last time that his side competed on the European stage.

On that front, the transfer rumours have already been coming thick and fast with the likes of Caoimhin Kelleher threatening to steal the headlines. The Liverpool shot-stopper looks destined to depart Anfield when Giorgi Mamardashvili arrives from Valencia in the summer and Newcastle could take full advantage to end their goalkeeper concerns.

Newcastle now racing Barcelona to sign "unreal" gem dubbed Swedish Messi

He’s a rising star…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 11, 2025

It’s at St James’ Park that Kelleher could yet be reunited with a familiar face who he recently conceded against too. According to TuttoSport, Newcastle are now planning a €40m (£33m) offer to sign Johan Bakayoko from PSV Eindhoven this summer.

The young right-winger has impressed once again this season and was recently the star of the show as PSV defeated Liverpool in a 3-2 thriller. Cutting back on his right foot and sitting both Andrew Robertson and Jarell Quansah down, Bakayoko scored one of the goals of the Champions League group phase.

Now, the Belgian could get the chance to square off against the Reds more often with Newcastle reportedly set to swoop in. Meanwhile, by welcoming Bakayoko, Newcastle could form one of the deadliest trios in the Premier League.

"Dangerous" Bakayoko would complete Newcastle attack

Whilst Jacob Murphy has undoubtedly proved many wrong in the current campaign, there is still an argument that Newcastle lack an elite right-wing option, which is exactly what Bakayoko would provide for years to come. Described as “dangerous” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the young winger is destined to compete among Europe’s elite and could take Newcastle with him.

With 10 goals and three assists to his name so far this season, the 21-year-old would slot straight in next to Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak to form a stunning front three and one capable of taking Newcastle to another level.

Whether their reported planned offer is enough to lure PSV into a sale remains to be seen, but Bakayoko should certainly sit top of Newcastle’s wishlist when the summer arrives. The winger himself, meanwhile, looks set to have quite the decision to make regarding his future.

Liverpool’s rustiness over their last few games – which saw Arne Slot’s men exit the FA Cup in dramatic fashion to Plymouth Argyle and stumble to a 2-2 draw with bitter Merseyside rivals Everton – was very much on show again versus Vitor Pereira’s Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Indeed, the table-topping Reds ended up sneaking over the line to a 2-1 victory, despite racing into a comfortable two-goal lead in the first 45 minutes.

The well-known explosiveness of Matheus Cunha for the Old Gold would end up troubling Slot’s side, with many of Liverpool’s competitors to the Premier League title looking at the Brazilian this transfer window just gone as a viable buy.

Cunha's standout display vs Liverpool

Wanted by the likes of high-flying Arsenal and Nottingham Forest during the recently closed window, Wolves would have breathed a big sigh of relief when their ex-Atletico Madrid star actually stayed put at Molineux, instead of opting for a move away.

After all, Cunha had a mega total of 11 goals and four assists heading into Sunday’s clash, with his goal total now up to an even more sturdy 12 after his bright afternoon at Anfield.

That curled finish would gift the away side a lifeline in a contest that was increasingly becoming more and more nervy due to a catalogue of errors from the home outfit, resulting in Cunha tallying up a mammoth six efforts on Alisson’s consistently shaky net.

Thankfully, Liverpool would get back to winning ways just come the full-time whistle, with Slot left to curse the fact one star attacker missed out last minute due to a fitness test failing, who could have been his faltering team’s own Cunha.

Liverpool's very own Cunha

Slot definitely could have done with some more positive reinforcements in attack during a testing second 45 minutes, with Diogo Jota frustratingly firing blanks with just 20 touches of the ball, away from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah sharing out the crucial strikes.

Not having Cody Gakpo at his disposal would have hurt the former Feyenoord boss, with the Dutch attacker really coming into his own this season under a fresh set of ideas in the dug-out.

In total, the impressive 25-year-old forward has amassed eight goals and three assists across 24 Premier League appearances, meaning he could well have come in handy in attempting to kill off a spirited Wolves side.

Delving deeper into his FBref numbers also shows off his similarities to the constantly captivating Cunha, who was even deemed a “top player” by ex-Reds great Jamie Carragher, after his sublime goal stunned the Liverpool masses into silence to give Pereira’s visitors somewhat of a foothold in the back-and-forth affair.

Stat – per 90 mins

Gakpo

Cunha

Shots

3.22

3.21

Shot-creating actions

4.60

3.44

Progressive passes

3.47

4.70

Progressive carries

2.96

3.71

Successful take-ons

1.74

2.06

Touches in attacking penalty area

5.82

4.40

Progressive passes received

11.38

5.85

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that both the Dutchman and the Brazilian are very similar players – as noted by FBref among those in the Premier League – in attack in terms of wanting to constantly be involved in matters up the pitch with constant shots peppering the opposition goal, alongside always wanting to advance play with a tricky dart forward.

Amazingly, Gakpo even betters Cunha when it comes to shots averaged per 90 minutes over the last year, on top of trumping him with shot-creating actions, meaning the 25-year-old might well have made his team’s win more comprehensive if he wasn’t injury-stricken.

The table-toppers will know they have struck gold with Gakpo’s signature, considering he is worth in the region of £50m now as per Transfermarkt, when he was once purchased for a more modest fee in and around the £35m mark.

Slot will be keeping everything crossed that Gakpo shrugs off his injury issues quickly to return back to the main team fold, with more nervy and tight games coming his team’s way not needed in the race to lift the Premier League title.

Liverpool must rue selling "legend" who outscored Diaz & Nunez in 2024

He’s one of Liverpool’s greatest modern players at Anfield.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Feb 15, 2025

Manchester United officials have set their sights on signing a player from West Ham United this summer, with Red Devils officials under the impression that he’d suit Ruben Amorim down to the ground.

Players tipped to leave West Ham this summer

Aaron Cresswell, Vladimir Coufal, Danny Ings and Michail Antonio are all out of contract at the London Stadium this summer, meaning Graham Potter, co-chair David Sullivan and Hammers transfer chiefs could be forced to orchestrate a serious summer rebuild.

West Ham table £16.5m contract offer to sign "sensational" star for Potter

Graham Potter has identified his top target ahead of the summer, and the Hammers have now made a concrete approach.

ByDominic Lund Mar 4, 2025

Carlos Soler is also set to return to PSG after his east London loan, as things stand, with no official decision made on whether West Ham will trigger the £17 million option to buy in his temporary deal, while there are some reports that Jean-Clair Todibo could be sold right after his obligation to buy from Nice gets activated.

Lukasz Fabianski will leave on a free at the end of this season if West Ham don’t activate the one-year extension clause in his contract as well, which would put an end to the Pole’s seven-year stay at the club.

Newcastle United (home)

March 10th

Everton (away)

March 15th

Wolves (away)

April 1st

Bournemouth (home)

April 5th

Liverpool (away)

April 13th

Lucas Paqueta’s future remains uncertain, amid rumours that clubs in Brazil are interested in poaching the midfielder as he battles spot-fixing allegations off the field.

Mohammed Kudus has been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool ahead of the next transfer window, and there are suggestions that the Ghanaian’s contract includes an £85 million release clause which will become active this summer.

Kudus has apparently shown frustration behind-the-scenes at West Ham, and was unsettled during Julen Lopetegui’s brief tenure in charge. However, it is very debatable whether clubs will be prepared to pay £85 million for his services later this year.

Meanwhile, amid his excellent loan spell at Real Sociedad, defender Nayef Aguerd is believed to be attracting attention from elite clubs.

West Ham defender Nayef Aguerd attracting Man United interest

Real Madrid have already expressed interest in Aguerd, with the Morocco international standing out as Sociedad’s best performer by average match rating over 19 La Liga starts this campaign, according to WhoScored.

The 28-year-old is making a real success of his stint in La Liga, and Sociedad are believed to be attempting a permanent deal for the centre-back before next season.

However, as per a Spanish media source, Imanol Alguacil’s side will face stiff competition from Old Trafford.

Indeed, Man United are plotting a move to sign Aguerd from West Ham this summer, and the club are said to be convinced that the African would slot into Amorim’s system perfectly.

However, as per other reports, Aguerd won’t come cheap to suitors following his brilliant 2024/2025 campaign. West Ham will apparently demand around £42 million to sell Aguerd, which would give Potter’s side a £12 million net profit on the player after they paid £30 million to bring him in from Rennes on a five-year contract in 2022.

And breathe.

They may have made hard work of it, yet Rangers’ hopes of emulating 2022 live on, with the Premiership side edging into the Europa League quarter-finals after seeing off Fenerbahce on penalties.

Having put in a dominant display away in Istanbul a week ago to earn a 3-1 lead, inspired by the heroics of Cyriels Dessers and Vaclav Cerny, it looked as if the Gers already had one foot in the last eight, heading into Thursday’s meeting at Ibrox.

As it transpired, Jose Mourinho’s side were far more up for the task this time around, with Sebastian Szymanski netting in either half in superb fashion to wrestle the visitors level in the tie.

After an anxious extra half hour, the dreaded shootout was left to settle proceedings, with Jack Butland proving the decisive figure to help steer Barry Ferguson’s men into the next round.

Jack Butland's penalty heroics

It’s fair to say that it hasn’t been a particularly impressive campaign for both Butland and the Light Blues as a whole, with the one-time Stoke City stopper criticised by journalist Josh Bunting for getting in a “rut”, amid the final days of Philippe Clement.

Thankfully, however, the 32-year-old was back to his best when it mattered most for the Glasgow side, having come up trumps in the shootout, after actually only being forced into one save in the entire 120 minutes, as per Sofascore.

The Englishman first denied Dusan Tadic from the spot with an expert save with his feet, before then bailing out teammate Ianis Hagi, after producing a stunning dive to his right to keep out Fred’s attempt.

With substitute Mert Hakan Yandas then proceeding to blaze the decisive spot-kick over the bar, Butland was afforded the chance to lead the Rangers celebrations, having emerged as the heroic matchwinner after channelling his inner Allan McGregor.

The experienced goalkeeper was, of course, not alone in helping to steer the hosts into the last eight of the competition, with teammate Nico Raskin also putting in a statement performance in the centre of the park.

Performance in Numbers

The Rangers star who's playing like a £50m sensation

Unlike a week ago, this wasn’t the Old Firm side at their best, with Ferguson’s men having been made to work for their progression, after putting in a battling 120-minute display.

Central to that hard-working performance was midfield maestro, Raskin, with the 24-year-old once again producing a real all-action showing, alongside the impressive Connor Barron.

Raskin’s quality was typified by the fact that he won ten duels in total from his midfield berth, having also enjoyed an 80% pass accuracy, while providing one key pass as a marker of his forward-thinking prowess.

120 minutes

85 touches

80% pass accuracy

1 key pass

1 shot off target

1 shot blocked

0/1 successful dribbles

10 total duels won

17x possession lost

6 tackles

4 clearances

Indeed, Football Insider’s Harri Burton also noted the Belgian’s brilliant performance, handing him a 7/10 match rating, while writing that the former Standard Liege star is ‘quickly growing into one of the most important players at Ibrox’ and is now ‘a true leader on the pitch’.

That class is also evidenced by the fact that Raskin is deemed to be stylistically similar to Manchester United’s Manuel Ugarte, among midfielders in this season’s Europa League, as per FBref, with that some statement considering that the Uruguayan cost the Red Devils a reported fee of around £50m last summer.

Such a likeness between the pair is apparent due to their ball-winning brilliance, with the Rangers man ranking in the top 8% for tackles and the top 18% for interceptions per 90, while Ugarte, meanwhile, has enjoyed a similar record, after ranking in the top 23% and the top 8% for those same two metrics, respectively.

Much like the 23-year-old – who has been hailed as a “warrior” by talent scout Jacek Kulig – Raskin also possesses that much-needed midfield steel, having previously been described as a “pitbull” by journalist Bob Faesen during his days in Belgium.

While the Light Blues won’t be contemplating losing their 5 foot 10 sensation any time soon, his likeness to the £50m Ugarte, alongside his solid display on Thursday night, has showcased the trajectory that he could well enjoy in the years to come.

Rangers struck gold selling European hero who's now worth less than Raskin

Rangers hit the jackpot on a player sold by Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

ByRoss Kilvington Mar 11, 2025

When it comes to legends, Arsenal have a handful for seemingly every position on the pitch.

The likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira helped to define an era of English football and turned the Gunners into one of the most recognisable clubs in the world.

Go back slightly further, and Ian Wright, David O’Leary and David Rocastle also left their mark in the iconic red and white and remain beloved by the fans today.

However, there’s one supremely gifted player who almost won the lot at Highbury who’s most certainly not loved by the fans, Ashley Cole, and now it looks as if the club might have the next version of the Englishman, although this time, without the sour taste of betrayal.

Ashley Cole's Arsenal Career

Cole joined Arsenal as a teenager and, after making his way up through the club’s various youth sides, made his first team debut against Middlesbrough in November 1999, when he was just 18 years old.

The Englishman spent the second half of the 99/00 season on loan at Crystal Palace, where he made 14 appearances, all of which were starts, scored one goal and did well enough to convince Arsène Wenger to keep him in the squad for the following campaign.

The Stepney-born star truly established himself in the first team following an injury to Silvinho early in the season, and from there, he became an integral part of the team.

Appearances

228

Minutes

19561′

Goals

9

Assists

21

Goal Involvements per Match

0.13

Minutes per Goal Involvement

652.03′

Points per Game

2.05

In all, the 5 foot 9 ace, who was as capable going forward as he was defending, made 228 appearances for the North Londoners, in which he scored nine goals, provided 21 assists, averaged 2.05 points per game and won two league titles, two FA Cups and two Community Shields.

However, despite being a part of the club’s greatest-ever team, the Invincibles, and being viewed as one of their own by the fans, Cole made the shocking decision to join Chelsea in 2006, allegedly over pay.

The move completely and utterly destroyed his reputation among the fans, and while he might be considered the “best to ever play in this country” by pundits like Darren Bent, there is no such admiration for him in North London.

It has been a long time since Arsenal have been able to boast a potentially world-class left-back, but one of their recent academy graduates has just been compared to the man they lost almost 20 years ago.

Chalkboard

Arsenal's new Ashley Cole

While Arsenal are now stacked with incredible full-backs like Jurrien Timber, Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori, it should come as no surprise that the player we are talking about is Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Now, we are aware that it’s quite a comparison to make, given Cole’s immense career and how the Emirates faithful feel about him, but it hasn’t come from us; it’s come from Arsenal’s former under 16 coach, Dan Micciche.

Speaking to the Standard earlier this year, he claimed that the Hale Ender is so incredibly talented that should he remain a left-back, he could “end up being the next Ashley Cole” and pick up “100 caps for England.”

That might sound like hyperbole at the moment, but there are some undeniable similarities between the pair.

The first is that both came up through the Gunners’ academy system before making their debuts for the first team as a teenager and securing a place in the side far earlier than would be expected.

The second similarity is that, like the former great, the Islington-born maestro is seemingly unfazed by everything, and while he can sometimes overstep the mark, he’s prepared to make risky tackles and passes that other youngsters and more seasoned players might be afraid to.

Finally, while he doesn’t necessarily bomb up and down the touchline, the “unplayable” teen, as dubbed by Jack Wilshere, has shown himself to be just as effective in attack as he is in defence, be that with a defence-splitting pass or a gut-busting run through midfield and well-placed shot himself – as we saw last night.

Ultimately, in Lewis-Skelly, Arsenal have a genuine superstar in the making, and while fans might not like the comparison for understandable reasons, he could be the club’s best left-back since Cole.

Arteta's "world-class" signing is becoming Arsenal's modern-day Vieira

The exceptional international could be Arsenal’s next great leader.

3 ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 21, 2025

For Chelsea supporters with a vested interest in the England national team, this international break was a great deal more appealing to them.

That’s because Thomas Tuchel, a man who once occupied the Stamford Bridge dugout, is now in the Wembley hot seat.

He’s the head honcho of the England side, the man tasked with bringing football home. In America no less, in 2026, the German will hope to end 60 years of hurt.

If he’s to win the tournament, then a number of Chelsea players could well be key.

Cole Palmer missed the latest camp through injury but will no doubt play a big role next year having scored England’s only goal in last summer’s European Championship final. Doesn’t that feel like a long time ago now?

Much has changed for the Three Lions since then. Gareth Southgate departed his role, Lee Carsley took over on an interim basis and now Tuchel is at the helm.

He’s already sprung a few surprises, too, notably calling up Reece James.

Reece James' stunning England return in numbers

When Tuchel announced his first England squad nearly two weeks ago now, there were a few shocks.

This was perhaps a moment to mark a changing of the guard, a moment to get rid of the old and bring through the new.

Well, the head coach decided to merge the two ideologies together, combining youth with experience.

Myles Lewis-Skelly, Arsenal’s exuberant 18-year-old made his debut and scored during the 2-0 win over Albania but even his inclusion wasn’t the most surprising.

That honour went to Jordan Henderson and Kyle Walker who both now ply their trade on the continent with Ajax and AC Milan respectively.

Rivalling Walker for a place on the right-hand side of the defence was none other than James.

The Blues skipper has only played 14 times this season as he has his load managed following a string of injuries but Tuchel knows him well, having managed the 25-year-old on 74 occasions. For context, no other manager has used James more.

Speaking before the game with Albania, the boss was confident the full-back would stand up to the task.

Well, he certainly stepped up alright. Handed a rare England start in their 3-0 win over Latvia on Monday evening, it was James who opened the scoring.

The hosts won a free-kick on the edge of the area and it was the Chelsea captain who stepped up to take. Step up he did, curling a delicious set-piece past the goalkeeper.

While that goal will no doubt give Tuchel the confidence to select James again, it wasn’t just the attacking phases of the game that he impressed in.

The defender only misplaced one pass all night, had a whopping 118 touches, completed two tackles and made two interceptions. Forget about the level of opposition, it really was a complete performance.

Minutes played

90

Touches

118

Accurate passes

96/97 (99%)

Key passes

1

Accurate crosses

2/3

Duels won

2/5

Interceptions

2

Tackles

2

Shots on target

1

However, while James caught the eye, the rest of Chelsea’s England contingent shouldn’t be too confident of a call-up next time around.

Chelsea's England hopefuls

There are a number of England prospects in the current Chelsea side, ranking from that man James to the likes of Jadon Sancho, Levi Colwill and Noni Madueke, somebody who actually assisted a goal during the Lee Carsley era.

While it wouldn’t be out of the realms of fantasy to suggest all three could be at the World Cup next year if they find form, one Chelsea player who is seriously unlikely to be there is Ben Chilwell.

The £200k-per-week left-back could have been the answer to their lack of options on the left side of the backline but the fact of the matter is there’s far more promising options coming through.

Take the aforementioned Lewis-Skelly for instance, take two former Chelsea boys in Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall too.

Both Lewis-Skelly and Livramento were in Tuchel’s first squad but Hall was unfortunate to miss out having sustained a season-ending injury a few weeks ago.

So, there’s two left-backs Chilwell would have to usurp and despite his Chelsea connections, someone like Luke Shaw who was at the Euros is probably still in their mind.

So, we’re up to three left-backs and if you count Colwill and Dan Burns’ ability to feature in that position, you’re looking at five players standing in the way of Chilwell. Add players like Tyrick Mitchell and Leif Davis to the mix and it looks quite bleak for the former Leicester defender’s hopes of an inclusion.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

So, with Chilwell quite rightly not being called up for the matches with Albania and Latvia, it looks as though he’s already played his last game in an England shirt.

He’s played just 45 minutes of football for Chelsea this term and hasn’t exactly done a lot since a winter loan move to Crystal Palace was formalised, featuring in only five games and yet to start in the Premier League.

Barring a severe improvement in his injury history and game time, it’s unlikely we’ll see him in a Three Lions jersey again.

Aged 28 and once valued at £50m, that feels like a sad sentence to be writing.

7 left-back options for Thomas Tuchel's first England squad

With the likes of Luke Shaw, Lewis Hall and Joe Gomez all injured, someone could sneak into Thomas Tuchel’s first starting XI for England.

ByStephan Georgiou Mar 13, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made contact over a move for a top manager target who has already embarrassed Ange Postecoglou on more than one occasion.

Tottenham manager rumours with Ange under pressure

Spurs have had a season to forget so far under Postecoglou, although it could be recovered somewhat by winning the Europa League.

The Lilywhites are set to take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals as they aim to make the final in Bilbao and keep up Postecoglou’s record of winning a trophy in his second year in charge.

Chelsea (away)

April 3rd

Southampton (home)

April 6th

Frankfurt (home)

April 10th

Wolves (away)

April 13th

Frankfurt (away)

April 17th

However, with Tottenham in the bottom half of the Premier League, there have been rumours over a managerial change in north London.

A plethora of managers have been linked as replacements for Postecoglou at Tottenham, with leading candidates thought to be Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Fulham’s Marco Silva.

Tottenham now leading race to seal "special" free signing following talks

He looks set to join Spurs ahead of the 2025/26 season.

ByCharlie Smith Mar 29, 2025

Talking to Football Insider recently, ex-scout Mick Brown claimed it was Silva who is the top manager target at Tottenham.

“Tottenham, unless they put a run together from now to the end of the season, you would think that things might happen [to Postecoglou] there in terms of the sack for the manager.

“Silva would certainly be top of the pops in terms of competition for that [managerial] spot, that’s what I’m hearing from my sources there.”

Silva recently got the better of Postecoglou with Fulham defeating Spurs 2-0 prior to the international break, and a new update shows that Tottenham have made an opening move for the Cottagers’ boss.

Tottenham enquire for Fulham’s Marco Silva

According to reports in Portugal, relayed by Sport Witness, Tottenham have come forward and made an enquiry over a move for Silva.

It is claimed that Spurs, alongside Juventus, have both made contact over a move for the 47-year-old, who could be on course to leave Craven Cottage this summer after five years at the club.

Alongside the 2-0 defeat for Postecoglou at the hands of Silva, the Fulham manager also embarrassed the Australian in 2024, winning 3-0 against Spurs at Craven Cottage.

It looks as if Tottenham chiefs have liked what they’ve seen against Silva and have made an opening swoop for bring the “special” Fulham boss across London.

However, Juventus, who are on the search for a permanent manager themselves, have also acted, so it could be one to keep an eye on in north London over the coming months.

Sheffield United head into the Championship’s latest round of fixtures later today keen to get back to winning ways and eager to ensure Burnley’s stay at the very summit is premature.

Indeed, the Blades fell to an unexpected 1-0 defeat at the weekend away at relegation-threatened Oxford United, with a Siriki Dembele strike for the U’s the difference between the two sides.

Now, it’s up to Chris Wilder to inspire his troops to a win back on home turf, with Scott Parker’s Clarets only one point ahead at the top.

Millwall will be a stern opponent in South Yorkshire, but the United boss will know if he can get the very best out of certain key individuals, a much-needed three points will be heading their way.

Best summer signings at Sheffield United

Wilder should be commended – regardless of what happens this season – with how quickly he’s got his team back believing in themselves, considering they dropped out of the Premier League bottom of the pile last campaign.

Of course, he was helped last summer by a whole host of positive new additions entering his camp, with the £2m signing of Michael Cooper in-between the sticks proving to be a particularly inspired pick-up.

The former Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper has settled in swimmingly to his fresh South Yorkshire environment, with Cooper conceding just 28 goals from 38 Championship encounters, leading to a high 19 clean sheets piling up.

Moreover, away from how few goals are being conceded, Tyrese Campbell – who entered the building last summer on a free transfer – is ensuring there are plenty of strikes hitting the back of the opposing nets, with the ex-Stoke City attacker boasting ten Championship goals.

Whilst Campbell and Cooper are both undoubtedly transfer success stories, the South Yorkshire outfit have fallen foul to some blunders in this department, with one high earner often in the treatment room instead of playing on the Bramall Lane pitch.

The "outstanding" United striker who could be axed

Wilder would have expected this signing to be a rip-roaring success, considering the striker in question’s glittering goal record in the EFL.

Before joining the Blades, Welsh talisman Kieffer Moore had tallied up 56 career goals in the Championship alongside 33 League One strikes, but his time with the promotion chasers to date has been bumpy.

Games played

23

Goals scored

5

Assists

0

Games missed through injury

17

Days missed through injury

82

Wage per week

£25k-per-week

Looking at the table above, it’s clear to see that the ex-Cardiff City striker’s stay at Bramall Lane has been severely disrupted by injury, with Moore out of action for both club and country this season for a bumper 17 clashes.

Annoyingly, the experienced EFL head has shown spurts of his obvious quality when injury-free – with his five goals this campaign even seeing Wilder herald the 6 foot 5 attacker as “outstanding” – but Moore’s long absences from the side still fail to justify his steep £25k-per-week pay packet.

The United number nine’s wage looks even more extortionate when you consider both Campbell and Cooper earn less at £15k-per-week and £17.5k-per-week respectively, despite being concrete parts of Wilder’s starting XI during these last few crunch months in the tricky league.

With Moore not getting any younger either, it could be time for the Blades manager to consider the Welshman’s long-term future, with the signing so far going down as a slight misfire, despite some promising early performances from the unlucky centre-forward.

Sheffield United already sold their own Cannon who has "massive potential"

Sheffield United could well have dropped a clanger getting rid of their own Tom Cannon.

2 ByKelan Sarson Apr 7, 2025

One of Aston Villa’s standout players could still be on the move this summer, despite both the club and the player reportedly being “happy” with the current situation, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Villa thump Magpies to boost Champions League hopes

Aston Villa kept their Champions League hopes alive in emphatic fashion over the weekend with a dominant 4-1 win over high-flying Newcastle United at Villa Park. Ollie Watkins, Ian Maatsen, and Amadou Onana all found the net for Unai Emery’s side, while Magpies defender Dan Burn added to their tally with an own goal.

Forget Watkins & Rogers: 9/10 star is becoming Aston Villa's best player

Aston Villa secured a vital 4-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday

ByRoss Kilvington Apr 20, 2025

The result moved Villa within just two points of Newcastle. They’re also now just one point behind Manchester City and level with Chelsea, making the race for a top-four finish incredibly tight with only a handful of games remaining.

Next up is a daunting trip to the Etihad Stadium to face City on Tuesday, a fixture that could prove decisive in the push for Champions League qualification. Speaking after the weekend’s win, Emery stressed the importance of maintaining momentum.

“We can’t stop. We are involved in the key moment of the season. Through the Premier League, we are trying to reach our first objective,” he said.

On Watkins – whose goal drew him level with Gabriel Agbonlahor as Villa’s all-time top Premier League scorer – Emery added: “I’m so happy with how he’s performing and progressing under our management. His individual goal is important—for him, for us, for the club, and for our overall development. Hopefully, we can keep helping him to achieve more and more.”

Watkins could leave Villa Park this summer

While Unai Emery is clearly thrilled with Watkins—who has scored 15 Premier League goals this season—his future at Villa Park isn’t entirely secure. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Watkins could still leave the club this summer if the right offer arrives. Writing in his exclusive GIVEMESPORT newsletter, Romano noted that both Villa and the player are happy with the current situation, but didn’t rule out a move.

“They’re happy with Watkins and he’s happy at the club,” Romano wrote. “Then if a proposal comes, never say never – as it was the case in January.”

Watkins was reportedly the subject of a £40 million bid from Arsenal during the winter transfer window, though Villa ultimately chose to reject the offer.

Having already seen Jhon Durán depart for the Saudi Pro League in January, losing Watkins this summer would represent a major blow for Aston Villa – particularly if they’re unable to secure the permanent signing of Marcus Rashford from Manchester United.

That said, Villa have shown a knack in recent seasons for replacing outgoing talent with even stronger additions, so it wouldn’t be wise to bet against them pulling off something similar again if Watkins does move on.

While this season has been an incredibly tiresome one for the Tottenham Hotspur faithful, there’s a real chance it could now end in glory.

Thursday night saw Ange Postecoglou’s side beat Norwegian champions FK Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in the first leg of their Europa League semi-finals.

The scoring was opened by Brennan Johnson, who is now far and away the club’s top goalscorer, yet it would be fair to say he can be a player who splits opinion among fans and pundits alike.

That might explain recent reports that have linked the club with another free-scoring forward who could be even better than the Welshman.

Spurs' transfer targets

It’s no secret that Tottenham need to add more quality to the squad this summer, so before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other stars they’ve been linked to, like Jonathan David and Rayan Cherki.

Thanks to his contract running out at the end of the season, the former wouldn’t cost the club a penny in transfer fees, which could be simply sensational business, as in 46 appearances this year, he’s scored 25 goals and provided 11 assists.

Cherki, on the other hand, could cost up to £30m, but even that would be practically a bargain, as in 41 appearances, totalling 2894 minutes, the mercurial Frenchman has scored 12 goals and provided 19 assists for Lyon.

Transfer Focus

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

However, another name has now been thrown into the mix, one that should be familiar to Postecoglou: Daizen Maeda.

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Spurs are one of several teams interested in the Celtic star.

Moreover, alongside the Lilywithes, the report has revealed that Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool have all sent scouts to watch the dangerous forward this year.

The good news is that even though so many teams are interested in the Japanese international, he could be available for as little as £25m this summer.

It might not be a name that Spurs fans were thinking of before, but if Spurs can sign Maeda, they should; as if his record is anything to go off, he could be better than Johnson.

How Maeda compares to Johnson

So, the first thing to say is that while Maeda tends to play down the middle or off the left, he has got experience of playing on the right of a front three before, so it wouldn’t be a massive surprise to see him play there for Spurs.

In turn, this would put him directly up against Johnson for game time, so who comes out on top when we compare them?

Well, when it comes to the most important metric of all for an attacking winger, their output, it’s the Celtic monster who comes out streaks ahead.

For example, in just 47 first-team appearances, totalling 3711 minutes, the Hoops’ prolific ace has racked up an unreal tally of 33 goals and 11 assists.

In other words, the Osaka-born “physical beast,” as dubbed by none other than Postecoglou, is averaging a goal involvement every 1.06 games, or every 84.34 minutes.

Appearances

47

46

Minutes

3711′

3077′

Goals

33

17

Assists

11

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.93

0.52

Minutes per Goal Involvement

84.34′

128.20′

In contrast, the Lilywhites flying Welshman has scored 17 goals and provided seven assists in 46 appearances, totalling 3077 minutes.

That means he’s currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.95 games, or every 128.20 minutes, and while that is undoubtedly impressive, it pales in comparison to the Japanese dynamo.

Ultimately, while it would be absurd to expect his output to completely carry over to a tougher league, Maeda has been so effective this season that he’d certainly be worth signing for Spurs, and there is every chance he’s better than Johnson.

Postecoglou must now axe Spence to start "titanic" Spurs star

The talented ace could be just what Spurs need tonight.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 1, 2025