All posts by z3u9t.icu

Aston Villa are stepping up their pursuit of fresh faces and could look to draw other suitors into a bidding war for a star who has already walked the walk in the Premier League.

Aston Villa look to bring in established arrivals

Most of the Villans’ signings so far have been with a developmental approach in mind, except Marco Bizot’s arrival from Brest, but that could now all be about to change as the window begins to heat up.

Reports have suggested Aston Villa are keen on bringing in Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson and they have made an enquiry to see whether they may be able to tempt him away from Stamford Bridge.

Speaking about his future, Alan Shearer believes the Senegal international could be on his way out of West London due to Joao Pedro and Liam Delap’s arriving at his current employers.

He explained: “As soon as Pedro came in and scored the two goals and [Liam] Delap’s already there, if there’s one person that’s going to be shifted out then my guess it would be Jackson.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if they’ve already offered him to other football clubs and they’ve enquired about it.”

Talks opened: Aston Villa now strong contenders for "phenomenal" £35m star

The Villans believe they can win the race for an attacking midfielder.

ByDominic Lund Jul 16, 2025

Toulouse defender Jaydee Canvot could join Aston Villa to strengthen their backline, and it is believed that Unai Emery and company are keen to force a deal through as soon as possible for the 18-year-old.

Contact has also been made to bring Conor Gallagher to the Villans, presenting an opportunity for the England international to make his Premier League return after a successful season at Atletico Madrid.

Now, Emery could be set to bolster his engine room further by sparking a bidding war for a star who could now be set to move from one of Europe’s top clubs.

Aston Villa to spark bidding war for Douglas Luiz

According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa are making ‘concrete moves’ to sign Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz, and they are said to be preparing a proposal to land the Brazil international, who could complete a sensational return to Villa Park.

Everton have submitted a loan offer with an option to buy the Rio De Janeiro-born man, while West Ham United are another interested party as the Serie A giants wait for the Villans and Co to launch a bidding war.

Douglas Luiz at Aston Villa – would he be a good signing?

Appearances

204

Goals

22

Assists

24

Labelled “underrated” by Paul Merson, Luiz has failed to set the heather alight at Juventus, and they are willing to sanction his exit, leaving the decision up to his camp based on the type of project he would be most tempted by at this stage in his career.

Taking away the emotional attachment for a second, Aston Villa could land a proven Premier League star who is capable of dictating tempo for a little over £30 million (loan fee and buyout option – £30.2 million), all-in, which would be a sound deal given their slim room to work with financially.

Still looking to spend big this summer, Everton have now reportedly made contact to sign a Champions League-winning star for David Moyes.

Everton announce Aznou arrival

Resuming their summer business for the first time since welcoming Mark Travers from Bournemouth, Everton officially announced the arrival of young left-back Adam Aznou earlier this week. The former Bayern Munich gem has arrived in a deal reportedly worth around €12m (£10m) with add-ons included and represents an impressive coup by all involved at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Speaking for the first time since putting pen to paper, the 19-year-old told Everton’s official website: “I’m so happy to be here. I’m so proud to be part of this team.

“The project they gave me is really good. The Premier League is the best league in the world so I’m really excited to start. The stadium is really nice. It gives you a good feeling and it’s good for our fans to support us. It’s perfect for us. I just have to say I’m really thankful to be here. I’m really proud so I will give everything in every training session and every game.

“[Moyes] talked with me, he spoke with me about the team and how he wants me. So I decided directly when I spoke with him. I decided really quickly because of the words he gave me. He gave me confidence, so I decided to sign.”

Even after the Bayern Munich youngster, however, Everton are not done there on the transfer front. The Friedkin Group still have money to spend and have reportedly set their sights on welcoming their most impressive addition yet as a result.

Everton hold concrete talks to sign Grealish

As reported by AreaNapoli and relayed by Sport Witness, Everton have now made a serious first approach to sign Jack Grealish from Manchester City this summer after identifying the Champions League winner as a key target.

The England international has looked destined to leave Manchester City for at least a year now and it became clearer than ever that his future lies elsewhere when Pep Guardiola left him out of his Club World Cup squad earlier this summer.

Their new Gordon: Everton set to hold talks over signing big-money PL star

Everton eye sensational transfer for Manchester City’s treble-winning winger

ByWill Miller Jul 30, 2025

City’s trash could quickly become one of Everton’s most prized assets, however. At his best, Grealish played a pivotal part in City’s historic treble win in the 2022/23 campaign and remains a talented serial winner despite recent struggles at the Etihad.

On top of that experience, the £16m-a-year star, who is represented by the same agent as Jordan Pickford, is also a player who starred at international level under Gareth Southgate.

The former England boss told reporters in 2020 after defeat against Belgium: “I thought Jack Grealish had an absolutely outstanding game. Losing Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford, we lose a lot of speed. But I can’t fault the attacking play until the last chance.

“I saw what I knew I would see from Jack, someone with the bravery to play. He took the ball in tight areas, his technique was good, we knew he would buy a lot of free-kicks.”

Hill Dickinson Stadium is now officially open for business.

On Saturday, Everton’s senior men’s team played at Bramley-Moore Dock for the very first time, although they’re still waiting for their first goal at their new home, beaten 1-0 in a pre-season friendly by Roma.

This brought to an end a rather miserable pre-season for David Moyes’ men, winning just one of seven fixtures, this against EFL League One side Port Vale, scoring just six goals in these matches.

Thus, it is no wonder Moyes is seeking attacking reinforcements ahead of his team’s Premier League opener against Leeds United at Elland Road next Monday night, so could the Toffees sign an exciting young striker?

Everton's need for firepower

With stalwarts Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucouré having both been released following the expiration of their contracts, Everton were always going to need to add attacking threat to their squad, having scored a miserly 42 goals in the Premier League last season.

Transfer Focus

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

Well, the Blues have so far signed striker Thierno Barry from Villarreal and attacking midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea, but more is required.

Thus, they have reached an agreement with Manchester City over the signing of Jack Grealish on a season-long loan, a move that Graham Ruthven of Total Soccer Show believes will be “exciting”.

Meantime, according to a report from Spain, Everton are “interested” in signing striker Franculino Djú, adding that he is valued at around £17m by FC Midtjylland, with Roma and RB Leipzig also considering a move.

Sport Witness add that the 21-year-old’s performances in the Danish Superligaen have ‘attracted interest’ from several of Europe’s top clubs, but could Everton steal a march and bring the youngster to Merseyside?

What Franculino Djú would bring to Everton

Born in Guinea-Bissau, Franculino joined Benfica’s academy at the age of 15, but never made a senior appearance for the Portuguese giants, instead moving to Midtjylland on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, with Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout stating that the Danish side hit the “absolute jackpot”.

That’s because, to date, he has scored 40 goals in 79 appearances for the Wolves, thereby averaging a goal every 118 across all competitions.

Ten of these goals have come in European competition, including a hat-trick against Omonia 12 months ago, scoring seven goals in six appearances so far this season, bagging a hat-trick when Sønderjyske visited Herning, also breaking the deadlock during last Thursday’s Europa League qualifying victory over Fredrikstad.

The aforementioned Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labels him “unstoppable”, adding elsewhere that he has a “big future ahead”.

Farzam Abolhosseini of Tipsbladet asserts that he was the “highest-scoring teenager” across Europe last season, while Joost van der Leij documents how ‘finishing’ is the youngster’s primary asset.

Meantime, writer Tom Maston praises his “impressive strike-rate”, with Jake Entwistle of Scouted adding that he is a ‘well-rounded’ centre-forward, comparing him to the in-demand Alexander Isak, a man who could also be set for a move to Merseyside.

So, let’s analyse his statistics in the Superligaen this season so far.

Goals

6

1st

Goals per 90

2

1st

Goals inside the box

6

1st

Assists

2

2nd

Shots

10

5th

Shots on target

6

3rd

Shots on target %

60%

11th

Goals-per-shot

0.6

2nd

Big chances missed

2

3rd

Big chances created

1

14th

Average SofaScore rating

8.53

1st

As the table documents, Dju has absolutely been on fire at the start of this season, scoring seven times in all competitions already, adding to the 11 Superligaen goals he bagged last season, netting 16 times overall.

If any Evertonians are sceptical, worth noting that, according to Global Football Rankings, Denmark’s top division is the 13th strongest league in the world, just below the EFL Championship and the Eredivisie, so he is performing at a relatively high level.

So, why would he be a better signing than possible future teammate Grealish?

Well, the England international is set to join Everton on loan but an expensive one, with reports noting that this is set to cost the Toffees around £15m in a loan fee and wages, with Grealish currently earning around £300,000-per-week.

Franculino, on the other hand, could prove to be a bargain at just £17m in the long run.

If the Blues are going to get back to where their supporters believe they belong, challenging for European qualification, they’re going to have to work smarter in the transfer market, buying lesser-known players for low fees, before ultimately selling them on at a huge profit.

Franculino certainly fits that profile, with the striker seemingly ticking both boxes, boasting enough quality to improve Everton’s team right now.

Meanwhile, at 21 years old, his value will surely increase exponentially over time, while Grealish only does the former. The experienced England international has barely kicked a ball in recent years and he’s out of form.

Dju, on the other hand, is bang in form.

Just imagine him & Ndiaye: Everton aiming to sign PL star alongside Dibling

As Everton chase Southampton’s Tyler Dibling, David Moyes also wants the Toffees to sign a “magic” Premier League winner who was once worth £100m.

Aug 10, 2025

It’s not really been the summer West Ham United fans would’ve been hoping for at the end of last season.

The club have made a few good additions to the squad, including Mads Hermansen, Kyle Walker-Peters, and El Hadji Malick Diouf, but it doesn’t feel like it.

Moreover, they’ve missed out on several targets over the last couple of months, such as Jacob Ramsey, which is always going to make morale worse.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as if reports are to be believed, the Irons could be closing in on someone who’d be their own version of the former Aston Villa star.

West Ham close in on their own Ramsey

Talk of West Ham being seriously interested in Ramsey started to pop up around the start of the month; some reports even went as far as claiming that the Englishman was the Hammers’ top target.

Transfer Focus

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

Unfortunately, Newcastle United stole a march on the East Londoners and secured the services of the talented midfielder for around £40m late last week.

However, things could be about to get a lot better for the Irons’ faithful, as it now looks like the club are closing in on another exciting talent who has been compared to the new Toon star.

At least that is according to a recent report from Jacob Steinberg, who has claimed that West Ham are still very interested in Mateus Fernandes.

In fact, he goes further than that, revealing that the club have now made an “improved offer” for the Southampton star.

It’s unclear how much the bid was, but according to stories from earlier this window, around £50m should be enough to get the deal done, which might be fair value for a player of his quality, especially as he’s been compared to Ramsey.

How Fernandes compares to Ramsey

In this instance, the comparison stems primarily from FBref, which looked at players in similar positions in the Premier League last season before concluding that Ramsey was the ninth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to Fernandes.

The best way to gain a better understanding of how such a conclusion was reached is by taking a look under the hood, at the underlying numbers in which the pair ranked closest.

In this case, these include metrics such as expected and actual non-penalty goals plus assists, live passes, shot-creating actions, blocks, carries and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.22

0.22

Non-Penalty G+As

0.19

0.22

Expected Assists

0.11

0.12

Goals per Shot

0.05

0.05

Live Passes

36.7

32.3

Shot-Creating Actions

2.41

2.83

Blocks

1.33

1.28

Carries

27.8

27.6

Successful Take-Ons

1.52

1.39

In other words, like the Englishman, the Portuguese maestro is an all-action midfielder who can impact the game in an attacking sense, while also being happy to chip in with some of the defensive work here and there.

Another trait the “outstanding” 21-year-old, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, shares with the former Villa ace is his versatility.

While he’s primarily a central midfielder, he can still play in several other positions, which in turn would give Potter far more tactical flexibility before and during matches.

Ultimately, it won’t be a cheap or easy transfer to get over the line, but Fernandes looks to be a special player, and therefore, West Ham should do what they can to bring him to the London Stadium.

Sheringham 2.0: West Ham in race to sign Premier League "proven goalscorer"

The vastly experienced goalscorer could be a brilliant signing for West Ham and Graham Potter.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 20, 2025

West Ham United are now seriously considering a spectacular move for an “unstoppable” striker, who has made a flying start to the 2025-26 campaign.

West Ham need to sign new striker before deadline

Following Michail Antonio’s departure earlier this summer, West Ham brought in Callum Wilson, but with the 33-year-old joining on a one-year incentive-based deal, he is unlikely to be a long-term solution, especially given the former Newcastle United man’s recent injury record.

Season

Games missed through injury

2022-23

9

2023-24

28

2024-25

29

Jarrod Bowen has led the line for the Hammers in the early stages of the new season, but the 28-year-old is yet to get on the scoresheet, and even clashed with a fan after the most recent 3-2 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the EFL Cup.

With Niclas Fullkrug also set to turn 33 this season, the Hammers could without doubt do with signing a young centre-forward, capable of leading the line at the London Stadium for years to come, and they have now set their sights on a striker who ticks those boxes.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, West Ham are now seriously considering a spectacular move for FC Midtjylland striker Franculino Dju, who is attracting widespread interest after making a flying start to the new campaign.

The Irons and Serie A side Como are among the clubs prepared to make an early move for Dju, with both sides expressing a willingness to offer a fee in the region of £11m for the 21-year-old’s services, although it could be difficult to get a deal over the line.

West Ham in shock talks for "one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United's history"

Potter is in a desperate situation.

ByCallum Kemp Aug 27, 2025

The youngster is viewed as a player with top-class potential by Graham Potter’s side, but FC Midtjylland are very reluctant to sell, given that it would be near-impossible to replace their star player, with the summer transfer window set to draw to a close very soon.

"Unstoppable" Dju has made fantastic start to the campaign

Scout Jacek Kulig has been left enamoured by the way in which the young centre-forward has started the campaign, recently lauding him as “unstoppable”, and it is evident to see why.

The Guinea-Bissau international already has nine goals to his name in all competitions, and he is showing signs of real development, having eclipsed his league goal tally from the 2024-25 campaign at this early stage.

It would be a risk for West Ham to sign Dju, given that the Midtjylland star is yet to prove himself in a major European league, but the Hammers are in desperate need of a new centre-forward, with Wilson making little impact in his three outings up to this point.

It is also an added bonus that the former Benfica man is still very young at 21-years-old, given that Potter is well-known to have worked with the oldest squad in the Premier League last season.

Such is the toxicity of an online fanbase that very rarely do you get a signing that unifies a bunch of supporters, particularly Arsenal.

Their fans love a vent, they love sharing their frustration but there is also an incredible collective unity. That was seen when Eberechi Eze signed for the Gunners on Saturday.

While a deal was wrapped up by Wednesday evening, this move has been in the pipeline for a couple of weeks now with reports suggeting that they had initially agreed the framework of a move back on August 10th.

After that, Spurs stole in and it looked as though Andrea Berta and Co were set to ignore their summer-long interest.

Well, an injury to Kai Havertz turned the tide. Arsenal need another body and they brought one in swiftly, spending over £60m to bring the Crystal Palace star to the north of London.

If reports are to be believed, they might not be done just yet.

Another late signing for Arsenal on the cards

With the arrival of Eze it is highly likely that Arsenal are now done the in the transfer market when it comes to incomings.

That won’t faze many fans, for this has been a cracking window.

Yet, the one player that’s continued to elude the club despite several months worth of links is Real Madrid winger Rodrygo.

Reports earlier in the window suggested that talks had been held but interest has never been followed up. Well, according to reports in Spain, a bid was actually made for the Brazilian.

Transfer Focus

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

Reportedly, Arsenal have actually submitted an offer worth £67m for the player. However, amid interest from Manchester City, Madrid are not prepared to sanction a sale unless their asking price of around £78m is met.

As a consequence, this is probably one deal too many for Berta this summer.

Why Rodrygo is as exciting as Eze

Wow, just wow. What a deal this is. The moment that Arsenal were able to steal Eze away from their biggest rivals is an event that fans won’t be forgetting in a hurry.

Eze certainly feels like the missing piece of the puzzle. Capable of playing from the left wing or behind the striker as more of a number 10, he’s a maverick, he’s a dribbler, he’s a goalscorer, he’s a creator. He’s got everything in his locker to be a success at Arsenal.

2024/25

43

14

11

2023/24

31

11

6

2022/23

40

10

4

2021/22

19

1

1

2020/21

36

3

6

What fans have perhaps bemoaned the most over the last year is the predictability of the club’s tactics but Eze will certainly help give this attack some unpredictability.

Rodrygo would help do the same and one might still argue that, despite added depth on the left wing now, they don’t have an elite option.

We’re clutching at straws here, but Noni Madueke’s favoured position is on the right and Eze’s preferred role would be more central.

Thus, signing Rodrygo, whether it be now or in the future would be the final piece of the puzzle on the left of Arteta’s forward line.

While he did go 17 games without scoring at one stage last term, the 24-year-old still netted 14 goals and supplied 11 assists. Remarkably, that is the exact same haul as Eze registered for Crystal Palace across all competitions in 2024/25.

In the words of former teammate Luka Modric, he’s a “superstar” talent. He’s also a maverick, just as Eze is, ranking among the top 20% of positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per 90 minutes and among the best 13% for progressive carries per 90, via FBref.

In the shadow of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr at Madrid, since new boss Xabi Alonso came to the club he’s not received much game time and it feels like it’s only a matter of time before Rodrygo grows frustrated and forces a move away from the Spanish capital.

This is a deal that will likely go into 2026 but there’s no doubt that he’s a fabulous player, someone boasting the same level of unpredictability and excitement in attack as Mr Eze.

He'd get Gyokeres firing: Arsenal in talks for "world-class" star after Eze

Arsenal could be about to land another top-level star after agreeing a move for Eberechi Eze.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 23, 2025

Everton have been blessed with some standout attacking talents over the years.

Stars such as Tim Cahill, Romelu Lukaku, and Richarlison remain as beloved hall-of-famers to this day, with the current crop at David Moyes’ disposal in the form of Jack Grealish and many others giving these past heroes a run for their money.

Indeed, Grealish has already tallied up an outrageous four assists donning his new Everton blue, finally released from the shackles that held him back at Manchester City.

However, there is a different star in the exciting attacking ranks that could well be Moyes’ modern-day take on Steven Pienaar, with the South African winger yet another revered figure on Merseyside from the Scotsman’s first distinguished reign in charge.

Down memory lane: Pienaar's heroics at Everton

While Pienaar did line up for some gigantic clubs during his career, such as Ajax and Borussia Dortmund, the Johannesburg-born attacker is more well-known for his stints on Merseyside.

The nimble and slick forward would go on to amass a mammoth 229 games for the Toffees across two permanent spells, with a sublime 26 goals and 45 assists also coming his way to cement himself as one of the club’s most recent greats.

Moyes would become so enamoured by the skilful former Ajax man that he would bring him to Sunderland during his doomed stint on Wearside, with the well-travelled boss even dubbing him a “terrific” asset to have back in 2012.

Pienaar’s reputation for routinely bamboozling Premier League defences for fun down the flanks does draw some obvious similarities to Grealish, but there’s another Toffees ace strutting his stuff under Moyes and he’s a similarly vibrant source of entertainment.

The £22m "match-winner" who is Everton's new Pienaar

Of course, Pienaar is remembered with extreme fondness when delving into nostalgia based on Everton being a force to be reckoned with during large parts of his stay.

Indeed, during his breakout 2008/09 offering of ten goal contributions, the Merseyside outfit would finish in a sensational fifth spot in the final Premier League rankings.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

On top of that, the Pienaar-led side would also fall at the final hurdle in the FA Cup against Chelsea, losing 2-1 to the Blues at Wembley to finish as runners-up.

History could well repeat itself now, with the good days looking like they’re returning to the blue half of Liverpool, courtesy of Iliman Ndiaye wrongfooting defenders galore – much like Pienaar – with the goals also there to back up his tricky displays.

While Grealish is, of course, stealing most of the headlines, Ndiaye has also proven himself to be a bright spark for Moyes’ men during the early stages of the campaign.

Indeed, his two goals in league action to date have steered the Toffees to an early fifth position, the same spot Pienaar and Co. managed to reach way back in 2009.

Sheffield United

88

22 + 14

Marseille

46

4 + 5

Everton

41

13 + 0

Everton has really relied on the Senegalese forward’s magic since he sealed a switch from Marseille to Merseyside last summer, with a weighty 13 strikes next to his name from 41 total contests also helping his lowly team beat the drop last season, before embarking on a far more positive adventure under Moyes.

However, much like Pienaar needed the warmth of Goodison Park to come his way after a zero-goal stint in Germany, it’s clear that Ndiaye also needed the confidence boost of a return to England to regain his mojo after a forgettable stay in France, with the £22m-rated star now even being heralded as a “match-winner” for his consistent quality to create something from nothing by ex-Everton attacker Aaron Lennon.

Pienaar was also often lauded, too, for his split-second moments of genius, having been noted as being an “influential character” to have around by former teammate Phil Neville.

The dream will now be that Ndiaye can keep up this sparkling individual form to secure a top-half finish or even more for the Toffees, as an exciting new dawn at the Hill Dickinson Stadium continues to breed more optimism.

Everton sold "world-class" talent who's now playing like Grealish & Gordon

Everton could have used a player of Grealish and Gordon quality in their new-look team…

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 4, 2025

Celtic get a break from Scottish Premiership and European football this weekend as they prepare to take on Partick Thistle in the quarter-finals of the League Cup.

The Hoops will be looking to seal their place in the last four of the competition in their efforts to retain the trophy that they won on penalties against their Glasgow rivals last season.

Brendan Rodgers’ side beat Falkirk 4-1 in the last round of the League Cup, thanks to goals from Dane Murray, Alistair Johnston, and Daizen Maeda, along with an own goal from Liam Henderson.

The Celtic boss did make a host of changes to his starting line-up for that clash, as the likes of Viljami Sinisalo, Johnny Kenny, Arne Engels, Murray, and Auston Trusty were given chances to impress.

This clash with Partick Thistle on Sunday provides the head coach with another opportunity to rotate his team and see what the players on the fringes of the squad have to offer, despite it being a quarter-final.

One player who feels like an almost guaranteed starter is summer signing Kelechi Iheanacho, who arrived on a free transfer from Sevilla the day after the deadline for the window passed.

Why Kelechi Iheanacho should start for Celtic

The Nigeria international made his competitive bow for the Scottish Premiership champions against Kilmarnock last time out, coming off the bench for the final 20 minutes.

Iheanacho came on to replace Maeda, who had scored the opening goal in the game, in the 70th minute and the hosts went on to equalise through David Watson, who powered home a header from a corner.

However, as shown in the highlights above, the left-footed ace kept his composure to score from the penalty spot in the 96th minute to win the match for the Hoops on his debut for the club.

Minutes

20

Touches

9

Shots

3

Goals

1

Passes completed

3/5

Duels won

0/2

As you can see in the table above, Iheanacho was keen to make an impact after coming on for his debut for the Scottish giants, as evidenced by three of his nine touches being shots.

He wanted to get on the scoresheet on his debut, clearly, and the penalty provided him with the perfect chance to get off the mark instead of it dragging on for any more matches.

The 28-year-old marksman should now be thrown into the starting line-up for this League Cup clash with Partick Thistle because it is the ideal chance for him to start and get 60 or 70 minutes under his belt to build his fitness back up.

His last competitive start at club level came for Middlesbrough against Norwich City in the English Championship in April, so it may take time for him to get back to his best from a physical perspective.

The former Manchester City and Leicester City marksman will be looking to get on the scoresheet again this weekend to force himself into contention to start against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League on Wednesday night.

Iheanacho is not the only star who should be brought into the starting line-up against Partick Thistle on Sunday, though, as there is another rarely-seen talent who should be given a chance to shine.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Paulo Bernardo has only started one game in all competitions, against Livingston in the Premiership, and should finally be unleashed from the start for this League Cup clash.

Why Paulo Bernardo should start for Celtic

The Portugal U21 international only played 23 minutes off the bench against Falkirk in the last round of the competition, and he has been an unused substitute in the last three games in all competitions for the Hoops.

Bernardo, who has also only played once in the Premiership this season, has rarely been used by Rodgers this season, as the likes of Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate, Benjamin Nygren, Luke McCowan, and Engels have been preferred ahead of him.

The Portuguese star, who was described as “tenacious” and a “baller” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, did play 1,272 minutes of action in the Premiership last term, per Sofascore, as he started 13 of his 28 outings in the division.

Bernardo, who scored a brilliant goal against Rangers in his first season at the club on loan from Benfica, produced two goals and three assists in those 13 starts, which shows that he can make an impact in possession.

xG

0.22

Top 7%

Goals

0.14

Top 20%

xG on target

0.23

Top 8%

xA

0.21

Top 11%

Chances created

2.20

Top 9%

Assists

0.21

Top 13%

As you can see in the table above, the central midfielder ranked highly among his positional peers as a scorer and a creator of goals per 90, which shows that he was an efficient player who made the most of the limited opportunities afforded to him by Rodgers.

On top of offering a threat in the final third from a central midfield position, the ‘tenacious’ talent also held his own in physical duels in the Premiership for the Hoops last season.

Bernardo averaged 2.76 tackles and interceptions per 90 for Celtic, winning 63.8% of his tackles and 53.8% of his overall duels, per FotMob, which shows that he was strong in the tackle and not easily bullied by opposition players.

Hatate, for comparison, only won 53.1% of his tackles and 43.8% of his duels, per FotMob, in the Premiership last season, which suggests that the Portuguese ace offered even more to the team out of possession.

These statistics suggest that Bernardo has the qualities on and off the ball to put in well-rounded performances in the middle of the park, but he has not had many chances to showcase his ability in the current campaign, with one start under his belt.

Therefore, Rodgers should drop Hatate to the bench to unleash the former Benfica man against Partick Thistle, to provide him with an opportunity to prove that he deserves more minutes, either as a starter or off the bench, in the weeks and months to come.

Rodgers must finally bin Celtic flop who earns more than Iheanacho

Celtic must finally part ways with this flop who earns more than Sebastian Tounekti and Kelechi Iheanacho.

ByDan Emery Sep 17, 2025

Chelsea left Old Trafford with no points for their Premier League tally and a sense of frustration after being defeated by a Manchester United side who have fallen by the wayside under Ruben Amorim.

Not quite, actually. United played with coherence and tenacity against the Blues, even if Robert Sanchez was dismissed in the opening stages and then the Red Devils came together to rise two goals to the good.

That was not a team who played as if they were directionless and lost under their Portuguese tactician with his controversial formation. Could it be coming together? Time will tell, and consistency must be the order of the day if the Premier League giants truly wish to enter the ascendancy once again.

If this is truly going to be the case, and Man United are going to succeed under Amorim and challenge for silverware of the highest level once again, as is their due, then Bruno Fernandes is essential to reaching lofty goals.

Fernandes continues to inspire

Hardly a revelatory statement. Fernandes has been Manchester United’s talisman supreme right from the moment he shook Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s hand and signed for the club in an initial £47m deal.

The Portuguese Magnifico has been a pillar of strength throughout the turbulent river of a journey over the past five years, and against Chelsea, he scored his 100th goal for the club on his 200th Premier League appearance.

Operating in a different, deeper role than has been the norm this season to accommodate Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system. It’s been somewhat rocky, but the 31-year-old continues to inspire and he has since been singled out by podcaster Adam Joseph for being a “truly special player” with a “remarkable” ability to maintain his fitness and form and presence as a leader.

To think that the captain came close to leaving his ship this summer, having been offered a lucrative package to leave Europe and forge a new career over in the Saudi Pro League.

Ultimately, Bruno opted to stay – a further illustration of his commitment to putting this club back on their perch. However, he can’t do it alone, and while Amorim and INEOS have completed a series of exciting summer signings, there’s an existing member of the squad who has the potential to step up and become a leader in his own right over the coming years.

Man Utd's future talisman

Fernandes isn’t quite a veteran of the game, but having turned 31, he’s certainly one of the most experienced superstars in the Premier League.

On the other end of the spectrum at Manchester United is Amad Diallo, whose breakout year in red last season has put his name on the map.

Signed from Atalanta for a £19m fee as a teenager in January 2021, the versatile winger had completed a series of loan spells before coming into his own last year, scoring 11 goals and assisting ten more across 41 matches in all competitions. His performances led journalist James Copley to hail him as a “wizard” when on the ball.

The six-cap Ivory Coast international has much still to learn, but he provided the Red Devils with a different attacking dimension last year, offering a focal point from across the wide positions.

Right winger

128

42 (35)

Attacking midfield

33

10 (3)

Centre-forward

22

9 (1)

Left winger

20

9 (4)

He might not be on Fernandes’ level yet, but he can surely reach such a position with careful work over the coming campaigns, recorded by data-led platform FBref to rank among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 19% for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive carries, the top 6% for ball recoveries and the top 5% for tackles won per 90.

FBref also note that Amad’s most statistically comparable players are Paris Saint-Germain’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, as well as Marcus Rashford, who needs no introduction.

It was the 23-year-old who kept his composure to strike a vicious blow on an unforgettable occasion in last season’s Manchester derby. No such luck this year, but he did play an important role in claiming all three points against Chelsea, nestled behind Benjamin Sesko in the first half, alongside Bryan Mbeumo.

His continuing rise can be examined through his market valuation, which in recent years has skyrocketed up to something in the ballpark of £46m, data provided by Football Transfers. That’s over double the fee United first paid for him, so it seems they got this deal right.

As a reference point, Football Transfers also note that Fernandes is worth around £41m, which isn’t a fair reflection of his actual worth within the United squad nor indeed what Saudi suitors were willing to pay during the summer transfer window.

But, in any case, Fernandes no longer carries the same staggering price tag as he once did, having passed the barrier of his twenties over a year ago now.

Amad, eight years his junior, showed signs of a certain quality that would allow him to take the skipper’s proverbial place when the fateful day of his departure does arrive, having even been singled out as a “candidate for the Ballon d’Or” in the future by former Fiorentina goalkeeper Giovanni Galli in the past.

Tonight’s ceremony will not include the Ivorian’s name, but if Man United manage to rise to the fore once again, and Amad maintains a presence as one of the club’s biggest stars, he might just make good on such one-time praise in the coming years.

Earns as much as Mbeumo: Man Utd must sell star who's "nowhere near it"

Manchester United still need to make a series of changes in the forthcoming transfer markets.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 19, 2025

Chelsea are working to back Enzo Maresca with the signing of a centre-back in the January transfer window, and they’ve reportedly reached out to the representatives of a Premier League star this week.

Chelsea's defensive shortage laid bare after summer failure

Maresca went public with his desire to bring in a top defender during the summer, coming after Chelsea failed with a move for Dean Huijsen and Levi Colwill was sidelined for the majority of 2025/2026.

Despite looking at their options, Chelsea couldn’t find the right profile to come in and bolster Maresca’s backline (Simon Phillips), and BlueCo are now paying the price.

Chelsea were the summer’s second-biggest spenders behind Liverpool, according to the BBC, but despite their large investment in recruitment, they failed to address key areas defensively with Maresca left extremely short.

Liverpool

£415,000,000

£187,000,000

£228,000,000

Chelsea

£285,000,000

£288,000,000

-£3,000,000

Arsenal

£255,000,000

£9,000,000

£246,000,000

Newcastle

£250,000,000

£152,000,000

£98,000,000

Man Utd

£216,000,000

£68,000,000

£148,000,000

Nottm Forest

£205,000,000

£107,000,000

£98,000,000

Tottenham

£181,000,000

£36,000,000

£145,000,000

Sunderland

£162,000,000

£44,000,000

£118,000,000

Man City

£152,000,000

£53,000,000

£99,000,000

West Ham

£124,000,000

£55,000,000

£69,000,000

via BBC

Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana and Colwill all missed Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League through injury, and with Trevoh Chalobah suspended for their crunch Premier League clash against Liverpool this weekend, Maresca has just three options to choose from.

Fofana and Tosin won’t return until after the October international break, with the former undergoing concussion protocol and the latter nursing a calf problem.

This leaves Maresca with Josh Acheampong, Jorrel Hato and Benoit Badiashile as his only central defensive choices, so it is likely the Italian will go for a pairing of Hato and Badiashile for Liverpool’s visit to Stamford Bridge.

Hato is regarded by Chelsea as more of a left-back to support Marc Cucurella (Ben Jacobs), while Badiashile is himself only just coming back from a long-term injury — having made a first start in three months against Benfica on Tuesday night.

It is a dire situation, and one which will undoubtedly frustrate Maresca behind-the-scenes after he was clear that the club need more central defensive options.

According to reports, Chelsea and Maresca are in agreement that the signing of a centre-back should be prioritised for January, with the west Londoners now at work on finding the right profile (Pete O’Rourke).

Chelsea hold talks with Marc Guehi ahead of potential January deal

Now, as per journalist Simon Phillips, Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi is being discussed as an option for January.

The England international, who was on the verge of joining Liverpool in a summer deadline day move, could leave for a very cheap fee mid-season or for free next summer, and Chelsea are thinking about luring Guehi away from Selhurst as soon as the next window.

Phillips reports that Chelsea have reached out to Guehi’s camp for discussions this week as they make centre-back enquiries, and Palace would rather sell in January than lose him for nothing later in 2026.

The “sensational” defender, who left Cobham for Palace in 2021, would be the perfect solution to Chelsea’s defensive crisis.

January could be too soon for Marc Guehi's Palace exit

Guehi has established himself as an England regular and Premier League stalwart during his time at Palace, and he could be one of the snips of 2026 as his contract ticks down towards expiry at the end of this season.

However, it is very debatable whether Oliver Glasner would be happy with chairman Steve Parish selling his star defender midway through the campaign, and this would certainly threaten to cause a stir considering just how crucial Guehi is to Palace.

The Eagles are currently on an 18-game unbeaten run and Glasner really won’t be keen on losing a player who’s so vital to his set-up, unless Palace manage to source a quality replacement.

Reports in the summer even suggested that Glasner threatened to leave Palace if Guehi was sold to Liverpool, with the transfer later called off, but this has since been denied by the tactician.