All posts by z3u9t.icu

Manchester United and INEOS are now willing to spend significant money on a “dominant” £33 million ace, according to a recent report.

Man Utd transfer news

Despite the summer transfer window not opening for a few months, the Red Devils continue to be linked with potential new faces – it is expected to be a busy period for the club as they look to move the deadwood on and bring in fresh, hungry players who suit Ruben Amorim’s style.

Man Utd scouts monitoring "incredible" £28m man who can out-jump Ronaldo

A new target man has now emerged on Man Utd’s and INEOS’ radar, as Ruben Amorim eyes reinforcements.

1 ByBrett Worthington Feb 20, 2025

It could be said that, given how the season has gone for United, there are multiple positions that Amorim and INEOS want to strengthen this summer. It looks as though Geovany Quenda could be the first signing of the summer, as the 17-year-old has now agreed personal terms with United.

Ben Jacobs revealed this week that the Premier League side were progressing in talks to sign Quenda from Sporting CP, but they want to make a deal at £33 million while the Portuguese side want £50 million, meaning a compromise will be needed.

Quenda is obviously someone that Amorim knows well and while that is an exciting addition for United, they will also be keen on strengthening a forward line that has lacked goals this season. The Red Devils have been linked with many forwards in recent weeks, with Youssef En-Nesyri the latest to be of interest to United.

United are monitoring the Fenerbahçe striker after being linked with the player in previous transfer windows. En-Nesyri is impressing in Turkey, scoring 15 goals in 22 Süper Lig games.

Man Utd willing to spend big on £33m Real Madrid playmaker

As United potentially close in on a deal for Quenda, they are also looking at signing another young talent, as according to a report from Spain, Man United have shown a strong interest in signing Arda Güler from Real Madrid and are willing to spend big to secure a transfer.

The 19-year-old joined Madrid in the summer of 2023 and, despite his struggles in Spain, United are willing to offer him a route out of the Spanish capital, as he continues to struggle for regular minutes.

It is said that Real Madrid will have to make a decision about the player’s future, as his quality is unquestionable, it is just a lack of minutes that could mean he leaves the club. The summer transfer window is expected to be significant in deciding his future.

Apps

40

Goals

9

Assists

5

Guler’s price-tag is said to be around the £33 million mark, which is probably lower than United would have expected. However, his lack of game time means he hasn’t really caught the eye while in Spain. This season, he has played 27 games in all competitions, but only nine have come as starts.

Guler has been praised by many players and managers in recent times, with Montenegro manager Robert Prosinecki labelling Guler as a “dominant” player: “His IQ is at a high level. He is a very dominant player with the ball. He always thinks about attacking.”

Newcastle United take on Brighton & Hove Albion this afternoon for a place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

Eddie Howe has already led the club to the League Cup final, but could he and the Magpies take a giant step towards making the final of the FA Cup for the first time since 1999 today?

The midweek defeat to Liverpool will still be ringing in his ears, especially as his side delivered a poor performance at Anfield.

With Alexander Isak missing the tie due to injury, Howe was forced to unleash Callum Wilson in the starting XI for the first time in over nine months.

Callum Wilson's struggles this season

Wilson had featured on just eight occasions for the club this season before the defeat in midweek, scoring a single goal.

He lasted 69 minutes at Anfield, failing to register a single shot on target during his spell on the pitch, while attempting zero dribbles, missed one big chance and made zero key passes.

He was isolated up front, completing only eight passes during the game while taking just 17 touches of the ball. Of course, it will take him a while to build up proper match sharpness, but this display against the champions in waiting was a poor one indeed.

With the chance to secure progress in the FA Cup this weekend, Howe could turn to the player who starred for the Magpies during the last round: William Osula.

The player who could replace WIlson at Newcastle

Osula joined the Magpies last summer from Sheffield United for a transfer fee in the region of £15m.

It was evident that Osula’s signing was one for the future, and he had scored three goals for the Blades during the 2023/24 campaign.

At the time of writing, the 21-year-old has made only 15 appearances for Newcastle, but his most telling contribution came against Birmingham City in the previous round of the cup.

It was a classic cup tie between established Premier League heavyweights and lower-league opposition. While the game was won by the Toon, Birmingham gave them an almighty scare.

Osula notched two assists on the night while playing on the right flank. The youngster attempted four dribbles during the match, succeeding with three, while making three key passes, creating two big chances and winning 12 ground duels.

It was a sublime display from the former Sheffield United man, and one that should give Howe plenty of reasons to unleash him today. Upon arrival at St James’ Park, his move was praised by Scoutedftbl on X, who said:

“Newcastle spending £15 million on William Osula is a prime example of clubs valuing profile and potential more than anything: he’s not done much in senior football, but he’s big, fast, direct, and 21 years old. Coaches like that, and sporting directors love it.”

He could be the difference against the Seagulls, especially with Isak potentially missing from the starting XI again for the crucial cup match.

"World class" £25m Brazil star almost certain to move with Newcastle keen

He is available for a cut-price amount.

ByHenry Jackson Mar 1, 2025

As he looks to rebuild his side following a campaign to forget, Pep Guardiola now reportedly wants Manchester City to sign a midfield star who put in an almost perfect display against Liverpool.

Man City transfer news

The Citizens have been shock strugglers this season, going from Premier League domination to a side who may well miss out on a top four place in the Premier League this season. There’s been many factors behind their downfall, with injuries playing a large part, but their need for a rebuild cannot be ignored in the face of an ageing squad.

The likes of Kevin de Bruyne are currently approaching the end of their Etihad careers, whilst Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and perhaps even star shot-stopper Ederson don’t look far behind the Belgian midfielder to commence a major overhaul.

The Premier League already received a preview of what could be to come in the January transfer window when Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov, Juma Bah and Omar Marmoush arrived. Now, with the summer approaching, the Blues look destined to return to the market in pursuit of further reinforcements.

According to reports in Spain, Guardiola now personally wants Manchester City to sign Joao Neves this summer in what would end their midfield woes once and for all. The 20-year-old only joined Paris Saint-Germain last summer in a deal worth a reported £60m from Benfica, but has emerged onto City’s radar nonetheless as they eye an ambitious move.

Man City want to sign Real Madrid star with both clubs happy on £50m+ fee

Pep Guardiola is a fan.

1 ByCharlie Smith Mar 8, 2025

If those at the Etihad needed any more convincing over Neves’ quality, then his immaculate display against Liverpool in PSG’s last 16 first leg tie should have put any doubts to bed.

Whilst Harvey Elliott’s late dagger handed Liverpool a vital victory, not many will argue that PSG were unfortunate to end a dominant display on the end of defeat in a game which saw Neves put in an untouchable performance.

"Fantastic" Neves would transform Man City

Neves didn’t come flying out the blocks at PSG, as was the case for Luis Enrique’s side as a whole this season but now at his best, the midfielder has been excellent. Against Liverpool, the 20-year-old won over half of his tackles, made four recoveries and won 80% of his ground duels to silence the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Dubbed “fantastic” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, it’s hard to believe that Neves is still just 20 years old and already playing at such an impressive level. Only likely to get even better, the sky is the limit for the PSG star.

The prospect of Neves forming a partnership with Rodri under Guardiola at Manchester City is undeniably a mouth-watering one, but it remains to be seen whether the Citizens will make their move.

Things might be going wrong on the domestic front at the moment, but in the grand scheme of things, Mikel Arteta has transformed Arsenal during his tenure.

The former captain has taken a side that were ridiculed for being weak, easy to play through, and naive and has turned them into one of the toughest teams in the Premier League.

The North Londoners boasted the best defence in the competition last season and look likely to be the best in class again this year despite now being a distant second on points.

However, for all the improvements he’s made to the team, Arteta hasn’t been able to sign or develop a world-class centre-forward.

Worse yet, one of his former strikers is still going strong away from the Emirates and has even won comparisons to the sensational Alexander Isak.

Why Arsenal need a new nine

Now, the main reason Arsenal so desperately need a new number nine at this moment in time is the simple fact that, with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus out injured, they don’t have a central striker.

However, the primary reason they’ll still need one when those two return is that neither one is prolific enough nor intimidating enough to lead the line of a title-challenging side.

For example, before his injury, Jesus had racked up a middling haul of seven goals and two assists in 27 games, and while Havertz had done far better with 15 goals and five assists in 34 games, that’s still not quite good enough.

Their main rival last season, Manchester City, have an inhuman bagsman leading the line in Erling Haaland, who, despite being accused of having an ‘off year’, has racked up 28 goals and four assists in 38 games this year.

Likewise, Mo Salah, who is Liverpool’s main goal threat, has put the ball in the back of the net 32 times in 41 games this season and provided 22 assists for good measure.

Even Newcastle United, who are fighting for a European place, have a superstar striker leading the line in Isak, who has a tally of 22 goals and five assists in 31 games.

With a record like that, it’s no surprise that the former Real Sociedad ace has been consistently touted for a move to Arsenal, but frustratingly, a forward who left the club under Arteta has now been compared to the Swede.

The ex-Arsenal star compared to Isak

So, when it comes down to a former Arsenal striker who left under Arteta and could feasibly be compared to Isak, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to find out the player in question is Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.

In his pomp, the Gabonese international, who Bukayo Saka once dubbed a “legend,” was a lean-mean-scoring machine for the Gunners, racking up a sensational haul of 92 goals and 20 assists in just 162 games and became the fastest player in the club’s history to reach 50 Premier League goals.

However, after losing form and falling out with the manager, he joined Barcelona for free in February 2022.

While he did reasonably well for six months, he joined Chelsea the following campaign, where he seriously struggled, and ended up joining Marseille just a year later.

Fortunately, he rediscovered his form in a big way on the French Riviera, and in just 51 appearances last season, he scored 30 goals and provided 11 assists, which earned him another move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah, where he has racked up 13 goals and two assists in 23 games.

Over the last year or so, such an impressive revival has seen him likened to the unreal Isak.

The comparison stems from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Swedish star is the fifth most similar forward to the former Gunner across the last 365 days.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.79

0.77

Non-Penalty G+As

0.72

0.72

Shots on Target

1.61

1.44

Expected Assists

0.15

0.11

Passes into the Penalty Area

0.93

0.84

Goal-Creating Actions

0.48

0.40

Now this is based primarily on last season, and the best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair ranked closely, including, but not limited to, actual and expected non-penalty goals plus assists, shots on target, expected assists, passes into the penalty area and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, hindsight is a wonderful thing, and Aubameyang probably had to leave the club for Arteta to carry on his project to bring Arsenal back to the top.

Still, we can’t help imagining how much better this team would be with someone like him leading the line.

Arsenal can end Merino experiment by starting £46m star who's "like Henry"

Mikel Merino must be given time away from playing as a striker for Arsenal.

5 ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 10, 2025

Turning their attention towards the summer transfer window, Newcastle United have reportedly joined the race to sign a 15-goal striker who’s already had the seal of approval from Alan Shearer.

Newcastle join £63m striker race

For the first time in two transfer windows, the Magpies could be ready to splash the cash this summer. Fresh from their Carabao Cup final victory over Liverpool to end 70 years of hurt, the rumours have come thick and fast over just who Eddie Howe could welcome with open arms this summer.

Names such as Senne Lammens and Dean Huijsen have been just two names among those rumours, with the latter particularly attracting attention from across both Europe and the Premier League.

Newcastle monitoring "special" record-breaking wonderkid who idolises Neymar

He’s some talent.

ByBarney Lane Mar 24, 2025

That attention should come as no surprise too. The Bournemouth defender has enjoyed a fantastic first season in the Premier League and has a release clause worth just £50m waiting to be triggered this summer. Whether Newcastle can jump ahead of the likes of Real Madrid in pursuit of his signature remains to be seen, however.

Meanwhile, Huijsen’s not the only target with a release clause that the Magpies could trigger when the summer arrives. According to TeamTalk, Newcastle have now joined the race to sign Matheus Cunha, who will be allowed to leave Wolverhampton Wanderers for a hefty £63m in the coming months.

The Brazilian has dragged Wolves to safety at times this season and opted to stay put during the January transfer window in an attempt to finish the job. Given that the Midlands club now sit as many as eight points clear of the dropzone, it’s fair to say it is all but job well done for Cunha and his teammates.

Now, the forward’s attention could turn back towards a summer exit, which may yet end with a trip to St James’ Park.

"Magnificent" Cunha has been more clinical than Isak

Those in Tyneside are, of course, well aware of what a top striker can do to a side after watching on as Alexander Isak steals the headlines week in, week out. In just a few months time, however, they could get double the joy if Cunha arrives to form a deadly partnership with the Swede – potentially taking Howe’s side to a new level.

Cunha has already received the ultimate Newcastle seal of approval too, earning the praise of Alan Shearer who told the Rest Is Football podcast: “He was unbelievable again.

“The goal he scored, the one he bent in the top corner was an unbelievable finish. He was superb, Gary O’Neil had to talk about him again after the game, there’s no doubt he’s getting the best out of him. He’s been one of the players of the season up to now, he’s been magnificent as he was again (vs Fulham).”

What’s more, if there were any concerns that the Wolves man wouldn’t be able to match Isak’s standards then the stats should quickly put those to bed, with 15 goals in all competitions this season.

Starts

24

25

Goals

13

19

Expected Goals (goals vs expected)

6.7 (+6.3)

15.6 (+3.4)

Assists

4

5

Overperforming his expected finishing rate in the top flight by over six goals, Cunha has been incredibly clinical and will no doubt find himself at the centre of a transfer saga this summer.

Director Andrea Berta has personally held talks over signing a high-earning player as one of his first actions at Arsenal, and it is believed the Gunners target could now be tempted to join Mikel Arteta’s side as a result.

Andrea Berta's list of forward targets at Arsenal

Rumours have surrounded the acquisition of a new striker for Arsenal this summer, with Newcastle United star Alexander Isak, Sporting CP sensation Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko all repeatedly linked.

Arsenal: Berta tells Arteta to sign "powerful" forward likened to Aguero

He’s been compared to Man City’s all-time top goalscorer.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 2, 2025

Following Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz’s long-term injuries, the need for another prolific option up top is made all the more prevalent, with midfielder Mikel Merino currently being used as an emergency makeshift striker.

Everton (away)

April 5th

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

TBD

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Arsenal are developing a strong interest in Gyokeres to fill the void from next season, according to David Ornstein, while fellow reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has tipped Berta to make an offer for Isak.

However, while a new striker is believed to be high on Berta’s agenda, the Italian also plans to upgrade Arteta’s wide options.

According to GiveMeSport, Arsenal are targeting a left-winger this summer, and they’re even pondering the possibility of bringing in someone who can compete with Bukayo Saka on the right-hand side.

Last summer, under ex-director Edu, Arsenal displayed a real interest in Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams for the role.

It was reported at the time that Williams was a top target for Arteta, off the back of an impressive 2023/2024 campaign where he bagged 19 assists in all competitions, but the Spain international opted to remain at Bilbao for this season.

The 22-year-old’s contract includes a £48 million release clause, and Arsenal’s interest hasn’t gone away. However, they face very stiff competition for his services, as Chelsea, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also targeting Williams.

Andrea Berta holds Arsenal talks with Nico Williams targeted

That is according to The Guardian and journalist Ed Aarons, who states that Berta has personally held Arsenal transfer talks with Williams’ representatives in “one of his first acts” as director.

In his report for The Guardian, Aarons also reports Berta’s influence could tempt Williams to join Arsenal over elite clubs in the race for his signature – following two years of heavy scouting from the Gunners.

The £200,000-per-week forward is also expected to push for a summer exit, but while his £48m release clause will be enticing, the major obstacle will lie in his rumoured wage demands. Williams apparently wants as much as £300,000-per-week at his new club, which would make him Arsenal’s highest-paid player.

The question is, would he be worth it? Williams carries a reputation as one of La Liga’s most highly-rated young attacking stars, completing the fifth-highest rate of successful take-ons per 90 in the entire division (WhoScored), and his exciting style would hand Arsenal another major weapon in the final third.

His return has lessened this season compared to last – scoring nine goals and assisting seven others in all competitions – but his form has picked up lately as we approach the summer window.

Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace have largely been in excellent form since the start of 2025, only losing three times in their last 11 Premier League matches, keeping eight clean sheets in all competitions this calendar year and earning themselves a spot in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

The Eagles didn’t start the campaign at 100mph. After losing the likes of Michael Olise and Joachim Anderson in the summer, Palace had to reassemble their tools, find ways to recruit and replace those players and then begin to build.

After the first ten matches of the season, Palace found themselves 17th, only picking up seven points in that time.

But due to their excellent form since then, Palace now find themselves in mid-table in the Premier League, with the top seven not too far out of reach.

So why did it take a while at the start of the season, and how much did Glasner’s side miss Olise?

Michael Olise's creative burden

Olise was sold to Bayern Munich in the summer, joining the German giants for a fee of around £50m. Since joining Bayern, Olise has been in sublime form, making 43 appearances, scoring 13 goals, and providing 16 assists.

But, the Frenchman was key in his time at Palace, making 90 appearances in his three years at the club, netting 16 times, providing 25 assists and totaling 5,782 minutes played.

Having Olise on the right and Eberechi Eze on the left made it tough for teams to contain the Eagles, with the duo often combining to create chances out of nothing.

With Olise gone, more focus being solely on Eze and a right-hand side that had to be re-invented, it was always going to take some time to find the best way to replace the French wingers’ presence.

That being said, Glasner has certainly found a way to do it.

Chalkboard

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

Glasner's "spectacular" duo have replaced Olise

Crystal Palace signed Ismaila Sarr from Marseille in the summer, joining for a fee of around £12.6m. The 27-year-old was the clear signing destined to take the spot of Olise on that right-hand side, but the difference in overall quality is clear, and therefore, a new dynamic on that side would be needed.

Daniel Munoz, working in tandem with Sarr on the right, has been Glasner’s key weapon to replacing Olise’s output, with both players proving to be very direct, making clever runs in behind and stretching play for their teammates. This right side has proven to be a key outlet for Palace this season.

Goals

0.17

0.29

Assists

0.14

0.11

xG

0.15

0.33

xAG

0.14

0.26

Progressive Carries

1.51

2.52

Progressive Passes

2.44

2.91

Shots Total

1.04

1.93

Key Passes

1.22

1.41

Passes into Pen Area

0.72

1.41

Shot-Creating Actions

2.29

3.85

Successful Take-Ons

0.61

0.60

When looking at the pair’s underlying metrics this season, you can see how their combined effort has helped to replace the French star, both getting forward and getting shots off, both putting balls into the box, chipping in with output and contributing in build up.

Munoz was described as “spectacular” by Jefferson Lerma and that is certainly one way to describe the pair down that right-hand side, working in tandem to attack in a direct fashion and create chances for the team.

Whilst Olise will never fully be replaceable, losing a world-class talent is always tough to replace, even more so when you are a mid-table Premier League side.

Therefore, Palace fans must be fairly happy with their right-side rebrand, with Glasner proving he can make it work.

Contact made: Crystal Palace make move to sign "Pique-esque" £5m defender

The Eagles have made an approach for a defender, who is also attracting interest from West Ham United.

ByDominic Lund Apr 10, 2025

Leeds United have been dealt a number of injury concerns ahead of the Championship run-in, with one star potentially out for four of the last six games.

Pascal Struijk injury update ahead of Leeds’ trip to Middlesbrough

The Whites are currently involved in a tight three-way battle for two automatic promotion spots in the Championship and have gone through one of their worst periods of form at the worst possible time.

Daniel Farke’s side have won just once in their last six second-tier games, which has allowed both Burnley and Sheffield United to take full advantage.

Leeds (82 pts)

Sheffield United (83 pts)

Burnley (84 pts)

Middlesbrough (a)

Millwall (h)

Derby County (a)

Preston North End (h)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Norwich City (h)

Oxford United (a)

Cardiff City (h)

Watford (a)

Stoke City (h)

Burnley (a)

Sheffield United (h)

Bristol City (h)

Stoke City (a)

QPR (a)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Blackburn Rovers (h)

Millwall (h)

Leeds now sit third with six games to go, and they were dealt another concern when defender Pascal Struijk limped off late on against Luton Town last time out.

An injury update has since been shared on Struijk, with the centre-back set to sit out the trip to Middlesbrough on Tuesday evening and then the home clash with Preston North End on Saturday lunchtime at the very least.

Farke has the option to use Ethan Ampadu at centre-back or the returning Max Wober, however, the manager’s midfield options are limited due to the injured Joe Rothwell.

Joe Rothwell could miss next 4 Leeds games with calf injury

As revealed by Farke, Rothwell “will be out this week and probably also for the Easter weekend” with a calf problem. The central midfielder was absent for the draw with Luton and looks set to miss Middlesbrough and Preston with Struijk.

However, worryingly, Rothwell could also be out for the trip to Oxford United on Good Friday and the Elland Road clash with Stoke City on Easter Monday.

The 30-year-old has been a regular in the matchday squad this season, making 39 appearances in all competitions. He’s produced some key moments in recent months, including providing two assists for Struijk in the 2-1 win over Sunderland.

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ByBrett Worthington Apr 7, 2025

Talking about Rothwell earlier this year, Farke was full of praise for the midfielder. “We don’t have to speak about his quality, he’s a pure baller – with the ball probably one of the best in this country. What he does in terms of passing, his technique and tidy touches is outstanding. Sometimes in this position, you need a few different skills or you would win Premier League title after title and have 150 caps for England.

“But when it comes down to dominate the game and be there with tidy touches, to drive the game forward, if you enjoy football you enjoy him playing. It’s great we have him as a really good option.”

Now, Leeds will have Ampadu, Ao Tanaka, Ilia Gruev and Josuha Guilavogui as central midfield options with Rothwell sidelined.

There is just a month left of the season, and as such, transfer rumours have started swirling around clubs in the Premier League, although for Tottenham Hotspur, those rumours concern the manager’s position.

Ange Postecoglou might be two games away from a Europa League final, but as things stand, he’s overseen 18 league defeats and has a real chance of leading the North Londoners to a 17th-place finish.

So it’s not surprising that the last week or so has seen a number of top coaches in England and abroad linked with taking over his job in the summer.

One of the most prominent candidates at the moment seems to be Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, although based on recent reports, the club might have just identified an even better option.

Tottenham's manager search

Before we get to the manager in question, it is worth looking at some of the other potential candidates who have been linked with the jobs over the last week or so, such as Marco Silva.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

The Fulham boss has done an incredible job in West London since being appointed in 2021, leading the Cottagers to promotion and turning them into a solid mid-table side who have beaten Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United this season.

Another impressive coach linked with the job in recent days has been Brentford’s Thomas Frank.

According to the Telegraph’s Matt Law, Lilywhites technical director Johan Lange is a big fan of the 51-year-old, and it’s not hard to see why, as, like Silva, he’s led his side up to the top-flight and turned them into a solid team that can give anyone a game, despite losing star striker Ivan Toney in the summer.

However, another name has also popped up as a potential replacement for Postecoglou, a manager who could also be a better option than Iraola: Roberto De Zerbi.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss is a ‘name that some at Tottenham appreciate.’

Known for being something of a passionate character, it could be the perfect match to get Spurs firing again in the summer and a better hire than the Bournemouth man.

How De Zerbi compares to Iraola

So, if Spurs are looking at De Zerbi and Iraola as potential replacements for Postecoglou, how do they compare to one another?

Well, from a basic stylistic point, both managers prefer to use a 4-2-3-1 formation when possible, which may be ideal for the North Londoners, as that could see the backline receive more protection and allow James Maddison or Dejan Kulusevski to flourish as the most attacking midfielder with pacey widemen on either side and Dominic Solanke leading the line.

Moreover, while the Italian likes to play a high line, he prefers to play two holding midfielders, per the football analyst, which could help stop said line from being exploited as often as it has under Ange.

With that said, how do the manager’s recent records look when compared?

Well, during his time with Brighton, the “genius” tactician, as dubbed by analyst Statman Dave, won 38 games, drew 20 and lost 31, which resulted in him averaging 1.51 points per game, whereas the Cherries boss has won 33 games, drawn 19 and lost 30 on the south coast, resulting in an average of 1.44 points per game.

Games (All Comps)

89

82

Wins

38

33

Draws

20

19

Losses

31

30

Points per Game

1.51

1.44

However, something to consider is that on top of securing the Seagulls European football in the 22/23 season, the Brescia-born boss is now managing one of the two biggest clubs in France, Olympique de Marseille.

He’s averaging 1.81 points per game on the French Riviera, so, unlike the former Rayo Vallecano man, he knows what it is like to take charge of a massive institution and all the intense pressure and scrutiny that comes with it.

Ultimately, De Zerbi and Iraola would almost certainly improve the football and results at Spurs next season, but the former has the experience of leading a ‘big club’, which might just make him the better candidate for the North Londoners.

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Arsenal are set to reach out for talks with a highly-rated forward, with one key issue thwarting Barcelona and their attempts to sign the player.

Andrea Berta plans summer rebuild at Arsenal

This highly-anticipated summer transfer window at Arsenal will be sporting director Andrea Berta’s first since his appointment in late March.

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ByDominic Lund Apr 27, 2025

Much has been made of Berta’s arrival after 12 fruitful years working for Atlético Madrid, where he orchestrated some high-profile deals and made a real name for himself as an astute operator in La Liga.

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

Mikel Arteta and Berta are set to work in tandem on the club’s transfer plans ahead of a potentially more successful Premier League title challenge next campaign, and some reports suggest that the Gunners could splash up to £300 million on new signings, in what would be a major rebuild.

Left-back Kieran Tierney is set to join Celtic when his contract expires, while Jorginho is also in line to leave on a Bosman in July as things stand. Arsenal are working to extend Thomas Partey’s contract, but there is no guarantee they will reach an agreement on terms, with ESPN reporting the Ghanaian will have to take a pay-cut.

Oleksandr Zinchenko will be put up for sale by Arsenal as well, and back-up keeper Neto is set to return to parent club Bournemouth when his contract expires.

With uncertainty surrounding the long-term futures of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard right now, there is also a firm belief that Arsenal could look to sign a new winger on either flank, not to mention a main man to lead the line.

It is set to be a busy debut summer for Berta in N5, and a diverse range of targets are being linked, especially in the attacking areas. It is no secret that Arsenal need a prolific forward to lead the line, which was made all the more evident by Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus’ long-term injury absences.

Arsenal set to contact Ademola Lookman as obstacle thwarts Barcelona move

Versatile Atalanta star Ademola Lookman could be Arteta and Berta’s solution, following another excellent Serie A campaign, where he’s bagged 18 goals in all competitions.

The Nigerian, who scored a hat-trick in last year’s Europa League final to win Atalanta the trophy and end Bayer Leverkusen’s historic 23/24 unbeaten run, has predominantly played as a second striker under Gian Piero Gasperini this term.

However, he’s also starred as a traditional centre-forward across 24/25, whilst being used out-wide occasionally, and this could really appeal to Arteta.

CaughtOffside report that Arsenal are planning to hold talks with Lookman, with a “serious obstacle” threatening Barcelona’s attempts to sign the 27-year-old. The Catalans’ financial problems mean they’re unlikely to afford his expected £55 million price tag, opening the door for Berta and other elite English sides to tempt him.

The African could be a versatile alternative to Matheus Cunha, who is believed to be on the verge of joining Man United (Fabrizio Romano). Called a “top player” by Gasperini, a move back to the Premier League appears to be a serious option for him.