Tottenham Hotspur are already set to feel the effects of their exciting new start under Thomas Frank, with Spanish giants Real Madrid setting their sights on another of the manager’s key players alongside their well documented interest in Cristian Romero.
Simons fit for Tottenham debut vs West Ham
The international break is over and so could be the wait for Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani to make their Spurs debuts. With a London derby against West Ham United set to take place tonight, both are in contention to take Frank’s frontline to a whole new level.
Simons is one that will particularly excite Spurs fans and rightly so. The Dutchman looked almost certain to head to Chelsea before the Lilywhites hijacked their rivals’ move to welcome an incredibly impressive talent. With 11 goals and eight assists in all competitions for RB Leipzig last season, fans in North London can expect quite the impact from their new star.
Whilst there was plenty of good news to enjoy during the summer transfer window, there are still some concerns on the horizon. Romero’s future is one of them. The Argentine is still attracting interest from Real Madrid despite recently signing a new contract and could yet be joined by another one of Frank’s key men in the near future.
Real Madrid now targeting Micky Van de Ven
According to Football Insider, Real Madrid are now targeting Micky van de Ven in what could be a major blow for Tottenham. The centre-back, who has returned to full fitness this season, has got off to an impressive start under Frank and has attracted interest from one of Europe’s biggest clubs as a result.
Tottenham ready to double star's wages as Chelsea eye surprise move for him
Their London rivals are apparently keen.
ByEmilio Galantini Sep 12, 2025
Reports have indicated that a move is unlikely at this stage, but Van de Ven is on Madrid’s list. The Spanish club have seemingly commenced their search for central defenders with the contracts of Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba set to expire next summer. As such, names such as Ibrahima Konate have emerged as top options as well as Romero and now reportedly Van de Ven.
Alas, the quick Dutchman is not someone that Spurs will be keen to lose anytime soon. Former manager Harry Redknapp was one of many to hand Van de Ven plenty of praise last season, telling reporters: “He looks a great signing. What amazed me is during the Euros this year, he couldn’t get into the Dutch team.”
O Palmeiras reencontrou o caminho das vitórias. Acabou com o jejum no Campeonato Brasileiro e trouxe de volta à torcida, pelo menos temporariamente, a esperança de quem sabe continuar lutando pelo título nacional. Nos vestiários após os 3 a 1 sobre o Fortaleza, no sábado (22), no Allianz Parque, o goleiro Weverton evitou fazer projeções sobre o futuro alviverde na competição.
– Não é uma frase clichê, mas o Palmeiras sempre vai jogar para ganhar a próxima partida. Não dá para a gente saber de verdade o que vai acontecer no final do ano. Não sabemos nem se vamos estar vivos. Tudo pode acontecer na vida da gente. Tem muita água para passar debaixo da ponte.
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Até aqui na rodada, a combinação de resultados deixou o Verdão na quarta colocação da tabela, com 28 pontos.
E, com isso, o arqueiro alviverde é direto que o resultado ante o Fortaleza, mais do que efeitos positivos em matéria de pontuação, é determinante para a retomada da confiança no plantel.
– Mais importante para a gente eram os três pontos, trazer de volta a confiança. Futebol a gente sabe, ela (confiança) vem com as vitórias. E acredito que a partir de hoje entraremos mais determinantes nas partidas – disse Weverton, que concordou ter tido uma boa atuação no jogo.
continua após a publicidade
– Todo mundo sabe o quanto a gente precisava da vitória. E é natural que você acabe se expondo mais. Não dá para ser diferente, você enfrenta um time bem treinado, que aproveita os espaços que se dão. O Fortaleza aproveitou e felizmente eu estava em uma noite feliz.
A former Liverpool coach says Premier League sides' use of the long throw is currently "too chaotic". Teams such as Arsenal, Liverpool, Brentford and Manchester United have been using this rejuvenated tactic this season as clubs seeks to take it to the opposition. But a long throw-in expert believes the quality of those deliveries have dropped off this term.
Tuchel talks up return of long throws
Earlier this month, England manager Thomas Tuchel declared that long throws are "back" and he sees the tactic as an important weapon in a team's arsenal as the Three Lions try and win the 2026 World Cup.
The former Chelsea boss said: "I told you: the long throw-in is back. But we do not have a lot of time. But once we arrive at the World Cup, all these things matter, so we will also talk about long throw-ins, we will talk about long kicks from the goalkeeper and not only playing short. But we cannot put everything into four days of training. But these things will matter. And let's see. I need to reflect now with my assistant coaches. All these patterns are back and crosses are back as well."
Ex-Bolton Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce was known as a strong proponent of utilising this approach, as was former Stoke City boss Tony Pulis. Like many things, football goes in cycles.
Allardyce told : "We got heavily criticised at the time. But we were ahead of the game, and lots of people, particularly at the bigger clubs, or even the press, were not too complimentary. Corners and free-kicks are extremely important. Long throws must be used. If a player's not comfortable, you don't use it. But if they are, you do. There's more and more set-play coaches than ever before. Arsenal have done very well on that. They've changed slightly this year because everybody's had to spend a lot of time trying to stop them against that particular corner."
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Throw-in expert calls out 'ugly' part of football
Thomas Gronnemark, who worked with Liverpool for five years under Jurgen Klopp and has been helping out at Brentford recently, has developed a reputation as a long throw-in expert. Indeed, he used to hold the world record for the longest throw-in at 51.33 metres. But he thinks English sides are using them poorly at present.
He told the: "You can say there are many more long throw-ins in the Premier League. You can say, 'Isn't that good?' No, not necessarily! There are far too many teams taking low-quality long throw-ins. Some of the throw-ins are just not long enough, so they're not dangerous, and sometimes it's about the strategy.
"To be honest, for most teams, throw-ins are a really ugly part because the quality is so low, the ball is being thrown into high-pressure situations where there are duels. There are too many chaotic throw-ins in the Premier League: the level from Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Newcastle is really low. Possession rates are at around 25 to 33 per cent on throw-ins under pressure. The standard is really low.
"When I was at Liverpool, the quality went up, but it's started to go down again. I think one of the reasons is that they're only training one or two routines in each zone. Yeah, it can work but your players have to learn to think throw-ins."
Brentford the most potent exponents of long throw
The report adds that Brentford have put 23 long throws into an opponent's penalty box this season, resulting in one goal, 11 shots, and an Expected Goals tally of 1.29 – the best in the division. While Gronnemark knows how important this tactic can be, it isn't always a fan's cup of tea.
He added, "It's also about entertainment for the fans. People might think that a guy who coaches long throw-ins wants a lot of them. Actually, I don't. I don't want to see every team take 10 long throw-ins in every game because then we have too much start and stop. People just look at the best teams and say 'they're having real success data-wise, so we'll do the same'. But they are forgetting that there's a lot of work, many years' worth, behind it. You have to do space creation around the opponents' penalty area."
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Coach calls out Premier League set-piece staff
Gronnemark also believes that more preparation on the training ground needs to happen before long throws are used in games.
"If you're a world-class throw-in taker, it's much easier to put the ball where you want with a throw-in than with a corner kick. How many corners hit the first man? It's hard to kick with your foot. It's much easier to throw with your hands if you have the right technique," he said.
"There are a lot of set-piece coaches now, and a lot of them treat the throw-in like a corner or a free-kick. So they say 'we can have one or two routines in each zone’' But the challenge is that the opponents' defending pattern will already mark this from the start then the players have a big challenge. Even with the biggest teams in the Premier League, you can see that if they make one move and it doesn't work then the players don’t know what to do – they're getting confused, frustrated because they don't have a high throw-in intelligence."
Leeds United have now been provided with an injury update on a key player, who manager Daniel Farke has previously described as “unbelievable”.
Leeds already struggling on the injury front
With three games played of the new Premier League season, Leeds are likely to be happy with the start they’ve made, having collected four points and kept clean sheets in both of their games at Elland Road.
That is despite the fact two first-team players have already suffered injury setbacks, namely Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu, who are set to spend a little while longer on the treatment table due to MCL issues.
Losing Tanaka will be particularly frustrating for the manager, as the midfielder made a fantastic start to the campaign, being voted Player of the Match for his performance in the 1-0 victory against Everton.
With the international break now upon us, the most important thing for Farke will be all his players returning to Elland Road unscathed, but there has already been a cause for concern.
As reported by the BBC’s Adam Pope, Joe Rodon has withdrawn from the Wales squad ahead of their matches against Kazakhstan and Canada, but thankfully it is not thought to be a major issue.
Leeds United's JoeRodonreacts
Pope added: “I’m told it’s not serious & he should be ok to face Fulham.”
It has since been widely reported that concussion protocols meant Rodon couldn’t be called up for his national side, which will no doubt be frustrating for the 54-time international, but it is a boost for Leeds that he should be fit for the trip to Fulham on September 13th.
"Unbelievable" Rodon has made impressive start to the campaign
Getting a positive result at the Emirates Stadium was always going to be a tall order, and the Whites struggled as expected, but otherwise they have made a promising start to the new campaign, and the Welsh defender has looked impressive.
The 27-year-old has started all three games, most recently putting in a solid display to keep Newcastle United at bay, with a point against a Champions League side certainly not to be sniffed at.
Statistic
Number completed
Duels won
4
Clearances
3
Interceptions
2
Passes completed
44/49 (90%)
Farke has also made it clear just how highly he rates the defender, who is widely reported to pocket £40k-a-week, saying: “He has unbelievable pace and it is good when we have to defend that high in the field, it helps.
“He brings also aerial threat into our game, we have many smaller, not the tallest players, (it’s) also important for us in terms of set-pieces he is strong in duals and build up passes in his technique.”
As such, the Leeds boss will be grateful Rodon’s injury is likely nothing to be worried about, ahead of their trip to Craven Cottage in just over one week.
Legspinner Parsons took 3 for 10 for Heat, who will be concerned about Rodrigues’ availability for the final due to wrist injury
Tristan Lavalette29-Nov-2024
Georgia Redmayne and Jemimah Rodrigues added 75 for the second wicket•Getty Images
Brisbane Heat produced a dominant performance to storm into the WBBL final, after Jemimah Rodrigues made Sydney Thunder pay for clumsy fielding at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.But there will be concern over Rodrigues’ availability for Sunday’s final at the MCG between Heat and Melbourne Renegades. She had to retire hurt after the tenth over of the chase, having aggravated a left wrist injury sustained earlier in the game while attempting to save a boundary during Thunder’s innings. While batting, Rodrigues grew in discomfort at the crease, especially after slamming down on a yorker from seamer Taneale Peschel.After being dropped three times, Rodrigues left the field having made 43 from 30 balls, before Georgia Redmayne took over with an unbeaten half-century as Heat mowed down the 134-run target with 28 balls to spare.After electing to bowl, Heat dominated most of the Challenger final, and were right on top to leave Thunder reeling at 69 for 7 after opting to bowl. Peschel and Hannah Darlington produced a WBBL record eighth-wicket partnership of 64 runs from 36 balls in the lone bright spot for Thunder.Redmayne, Rodrigues bury ThunderHaving let slip their stranglehold late in Thunder’s innings, Heat were dealt an early blow after opener Grace Harris was stumped in the second over after having charged at left-arm spinner Samantha Bates.Rodrigues made the most of a charmed life after being dropped on 0, 25 and 30. Her inventiveness came to the fore, and she combined well in a 75-run second-wicket partnership with Redmayne, who was imperious on the back foot.But Rodrigues was increasingly in discomfort, before pulling the pin on her innings. Her fitness will be a major talking point ahead of the WBBL final, and also for India’s upcoming ODI series against Australia.Grace Parsons bagged 3 for 10•Getty Images
Thunder rue missed chancesHaving finished their innings with the momentum, Thunder’s hopes nosedived with dropped catches. Rodrigues was first dropped on 0 by Anilka Learoyd at backward point off Shabnim Ismail, who, later on, herself spilt a chance at mid-off.Rodrigues’ luck continued when wicketkeeper Tahlia Wilson’s outstretched glove couldn’t stick a tough chance. With that, Thunder’s hopes sank as their season came to a bitter end.Jonassen in the thick of the actionRain had fallen in the lead up to the match, and Heat captain Jess Jonassen decided to bowl amid overcast skies. It proved to be the right move, with spin on offer for Charli Knott from the get go. Extra bounce troubled the Thunder batters too.Knott tied down opener Chamari Athapathth as the pressure intensified on in-form Georgia Voll, who has been called up to the Australia ODI team for the first time. She was out to continue her breakout season, and had extra motivation against Heat, her former team.Voll looked dangerous, and scored 20 of the total 25 runs in the powerplay. But on the first ball of the fifth over, she chopped on to a wide delivery from seamer Nicola Hancock.Jonassen had held herself back from the attack until the eighth over, and she timed her entrance perfectly with a first-ball wicket to knock Athapaththu over. Jonassen remained in the thick of the action as she pulled off a terrific catch with her outstreched arms at mid-off to dismiss opposite number Phoebe Litchfield, who, after the drinks break, tried to put the foot down.Legspinner Grace Parsons dominated mid-innings, and Thunder’s collapse was complete when Jonassen dismissed Sammy-Jo Johnson in the 14th over.Jonassen, however, did struggle at the death amid an onslaught, as her figures took a hit. But she has led from the front during Heat’s purple patch in the backend of the season in a welcome tonic for her after the disappointment of not making Australia’s squad for the recent T20 World Cup.Taneale Peschel and Hannah Darlington added an unbeaten 64 to take Thunder to 133•Getty Images
Darlington, Peschel combine for record standThunder’s batting throughout the season has relied on Voll and Litchfield firing in the top order. But they couldn’t make significant contributions in the Challenger against Heat, and Thunder’s middle order completely fell apart, as a succession of batters failed to execute aggressive strokes.They appeared set to be humiliated for a total under 100, but Thunder took the power surge in the 16th over, and Peschel effectively threw the bat. She was soon overtaken by Darlington, who targeted the region down the ground in devastating fashion, as they combined to lift Thunder to an unlikely total. But it ultimately proved not nearly enough.
The fast bowler had a session for more than an hour after the end of the India-NZ Test
Ashish Pant20-Oct-2024
Mohammed Shami hasn’t played a match since the 2023 ODI World Cup final last November•PTI
Mohammed Shami bowled for more than an hour on one of the main pitches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium after the conclusion of the first Test between India and New Zealand in Bengaluru on Sunday. He also took part in fielding drills as he works towards a comeback from an ankle injury that has sidelined him since November last year.The 34-year-old fast bowler had heavy strapping on his left knee but bowled at full tilt to India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, with bowling coach Morne Morkel watching over the session. He did not look in any obvious discomfort, bowling almost continuously and only taking a break for the fielding drill close to the boundary.Shami began his session around 2.30pm and after a few warm-up deliveries, he marked out his full run-up and used that for the rest of his practice. Once Nayar was done batting, Morkel placed cones on the pitch and stood behind the wickets as Shami continued to run in and bowl. He finished up at around 3.50pm.
Shami also had a bowl after the end of play on day two, on one of the practice pitches at the far end of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. He bowled for close to 45 minutes that day, off both a short and long run-up.Related
Shami '100%' pain free, but wants to play domestic cricket before Australia tour
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Rohit: Shami had a 'recent setback', don't want him 'undercooked' in Australia
India are waiting on Shami’s fitness ahead of their five-Test tour of Australia beginning in November. His previous appearance was the 2023 ODI World Cup final in November last year, and he had played that tournament with an ankle injury, taking 24 wickets in seven matches at an average of 10.70.Shami underwent surgery in London in February and has not recovered in time to play a part in this year’s Indian domestic season or the Test series at home against Bangladesh and New Zealand. After the start of the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand, Rohit Sharma had said that Shami had a “setback” with a swelling on his knee.”He has not played any cricket for over a year,” Rohit had said. “It is quite tough for a fast bowler to have missed so much of cricket and then suddenly to come out and be at his best. It is not ideal. We will want to give him enough time to recover and be 100% fit.”We don’t want to bring an undercooked Shami to Australia. That is not going to be the right decision for us.”
Nottingham Forest are stepping up their preparations for the new campaign and could now open talks to bring an exciting attacker to the City Ground, according to a report.
Forest look to rebound from Anthony Elanga departure
When talking about Nottingham Forest, there is one story that grabs most of the attention right now amid Nuno Espirito Santo and company returning for pre-season.
Following his excellent return last campaign, Anthony Elanga is travelling to undergo a medical at Newcastle United after both clubs agreed on a fee for the Sweden international.
Nottingham Forest's Anthony Elanga
Taking to social media platform X, Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie added: “Anthony Elanga is costing Newcastle £52m + £3m in add-ons (told those are difficult to achieve). The winger is currently on his way to Newcastle for his medical which is booked in to begin this (Tuesday) evening.”
Manchester United will inherit £6-7 million due to their sell-on clause for Elanga, who came through the ranks at Old Trafford, though Nottingham Forest are already profiling replacements and Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman is on their radar.
Intriguingly, Lyon’s Malick Fofana remains on the Tricky Trees’ radar, but Chelsea, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Napoli will provide stiff competition for his signature.
Nottingham Forest could land a better signing than Weah in £21m "mosquito"
Nuno Espirito Santo is looking to sign a Brazilian winger
ByRoss Kilvington Jun 29, 2025
Plates are beginning to spin as Nottingham Forest look to enjoy another season exceeding expectations, while the added carrot of Europa Conference League football at the City Ground could give them an edge when it comes to acquiring fresh blood.
Losing Elanga will come as a bitter blow, but sound recruitment in the East Midlands has propelled Nuno’s men into challenging the Premier League elite, and they could now be about to make a transfer statement.
Nottingham Forest to open talks for Johan Bakayoko
According to The Telegraph, Nottingham Forest are set to open talks to sign PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko with Elanga headed for Tyneside.
The Belgium international is viewed as a ‘top target’ at the City Ground and is part of a wider plan behind the scenes to bring in two wide players this summer to bolster the manager’s pool of options.
Anthony Elanga in 2024/25 – Premier League
Goals
6
Assists
11
Chances created
50
Completed dribbles
25
Successful crosses
43
Johan Bakayoko in 2024/25 – Eredivisie
Goals
9
Assists
1
Chances created
36
Completed dribbles
47
Successful crosses
21
Comparing well in direct comparison to Elanga, his profile appears to synchronise with Nottingham Forest’s style of play, even if the Swede is more of a creator while Bakayoko finds himself amongst the goals more often.
He was even previously a Newcastle target before they opted to sign Elanga, with the Magpies seeing him as a cheaper alternative, so it’s clear they possess similar attributes and both have room to develop further.
Intriguingly, the 22-year-old only has one year left on his deal at Philips Stadion, which could be a useful bargaining chip for the Tricky Trees if negotiations are to progress.
PSV are likely to demand £30 million for their star man, which would be a record total for Nottingham Forest if they were to press ahead. However, Bakayoko is definitely affordable and appears primed for a shot at the Premier League.
Nottingham Forest are now willing to make a £21m bid for a “superb” midfielder, which would be enough to get a deal over the line, according to a report.
Forest eyeing new signings amid Elanga uncertainty
After making an unexpected push for the Champions League places last season, there was also going to be interest in some of Forest’s best-performing players this summer, and the future of Anthony Elanga remains very much up in the air.
Newcastle United, who pipped the Tricky Trees to a fifth-place finish, are now thought to be closing in on a move for Elanga, which would be a major blow, given that the Sweden international amassed 17 Premier League goal contributions in the 2024-25 campaign.
As such, Nuno has been running the rule over potential replacements for the winger, with FC Porto’s Pepe believed to be of interest, having held talks over a deal for the 28-year-old, while Juventus’ Timothy Weah has turned down a move to the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest set to make £20m+ move for EURO 2024 Golden Boot winner
Nottingham Forest have joined the race to sign a promising young striker.
By
Brett Worthington
Jun 30, 2025
Having missed out on Weah, Nottingham Forest have now turned their attentions to another Serie A player, with a report from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) revealing they are now willing to make a €25m (£21m) offer for AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah.
Musah is described as being one of the key candidates to leave Milan, with the Italian club looking to raise funds for their own transfer business, and a move to the City Ground could be on the cards, as there is a belief he could shine in the Premier League.
AC Milan'sYunusMusahin action with Girona's Donny van de Beek
Milan would be likely to accept a £21m offer, but there is set to be competition for the central midfielder’s signature, with Wolverhampton Wanderers also willing to make a bid of the same value.
"Superb" Musah could flourish at Forest
Despite being just 22-years-old, the maestro already has plenty of experience in some major European leagues, making 108 appearances with Valencia, before going on to receive regular game time with current club AC Milan.
During that time, the USA international has displayed his versatility, predominantly featuring in central midfield, but also playing on both wings, perhaps due to his stellar dribbling ability, ranking in the 93rd percentile for successful take-ons per 90 over the past year.
Scout Jacek Kulig also lauded the American for his “superb” performances at the 2022 World Cup, showcasing his ability to perform at the top level, which could make the Milan ace a solid signing for a Forest side with aspirations of competing in Europe.
Nuno’s side should be wary of Wolves’ interest, but Europa Conference League football being on offer at the City Ground next season could give them an edge in negotiations for Musah.
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta and his ‘scattergun’ approach to the transfer window continues, with a fresh report claiming that discussions are now being held over a marquee Serie A star.
Arsenal told key Benjamin Sesko transfer condition as agent makes statement
He’s expressed what it will take for the Slovenian to leave Leipzig this summer.
ByEmilio Galantini Jun 19, 2025
Berta operates a different transfer strategy to his predecessor, Edu. Rather than identifying one key target to seriously pursue, the Italian is known to work on numerous deals simultaneously before landing on the best one for a key position.
“The best way of describing it is that Andrea Berta’s approach is different to Edu. If he was going to a party, he would lay out three or four outfits, try them all on and finally decide what to wear,” said reliable journalist Ben Jacobs on talkSPORT recently.
Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)
Money on new signings
19/20 – winter
£0
20/21 – summer
£81.5m
20/21 – winter
£900k
21/22 – summer
£156.8m
21/22 – winter
£1.8m
22/23 – summer
£121.5m
22/23 – winter
£59m
23/24 – summer
£208m
23/24 – winter
£0
24/25 – summer
£101.5m
24/25 – winter
£0
“With this race for a number nine, what’s happening is that both deals, for Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres, are being advanced or ‘tried on’ before a bid is made. Andrea Berta is out in the market, effectively lining up both deals, whereas Edu tended to pick one and be very meticulous, and then discreetly try and get it over the line, often with a series of bids.
“It was either a very smart tactic because Arsenal had confidence that they would get that man, or it dragged on, and we got more summer sagas. We won’t see that with Andrea Berta.”
This was echoed by Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg last month, who revealed that Berta held talks over “numerous” transfer targets for the wide area.
Recent reports from Turkey state that one of the many wingers on Berta’s Arsenal radar is Juventus sensation Kenan Yildiz.
Yildiz was said to have emerged as a “prime” Arsenal target recently, and a further update has now come to light on their interest.
Arsenal in discussions with Juventus over signing Kenan Yildiz
As per news outlet Juve FC, the Turkey international commands a valuation of around £85 million, following an excellent 2024/2025 campaign where he finished the Serie A campaign as the Old Lady’s best-performer by average match rating, according to WhoScored.
Juventus'KenanYildiz
It’s also reported that Arsenal have entered discussions with Juventus over signing Yildiz, despite their unwillingness to sell the 20-year-old, as they also try to tie him down with a new deal which could run until 2031.
Juve view Yildiz as a future star and cornerstone of Igor Tudor’s team, while the player himself isn’t exactly chomping at the bit to leave either, despite some contact made with his “close” circle.
The Turk is currently starring at the Club World Cup for Juve, scoring in their 5-0 win over Al Ain, and with £97 million worth of prize money on offer to the victors, Tudor won’t want to lose one of his star men before the tournament ends.
As good a team as Arsenal are, there has been one key factor in their failure to get over the line in the last few years: a lack of genuine attacking threat across the whole frontline.
Now, nobody can question the incredible talismanic abilities of Bukayo Saka, but it has to be said that down the middle and increasingly off the left, the North Londoners are lacking.
For example, despite them still being second in the Premier League, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Newcastle United have all scored more than them.
So, with that in mind, it’s not a surprise to see the team linked to an array of incredible wingers, including one who has won comparisons to the likes of Vinícius Junior and Lamine Yamal.
Arsenal transfer targets
The last few weeks have seen Arsenal linked with a whole host of incredible stars, so before getting to the player in question, it’s worth taking a look at some of their other supposed targets, like Rayan Cherki and Liam Delap.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The former could be available for around £30m this summer, so that, combined with his ability to play in multiple positions and brilliant haul of 31 goal involvements in 42 games this season, makes signing him feel like a no-brainer.
It’s a similar situation regarding Delap, as even though he’s not been quite as prolific, he’s still been able to amass an impressive tally of 12 goals and two assists in just 34 top-flight games this season, so his £30m release clause also feels too good to pass up on.
However, while both players have an immense amount of potential, Arteta and Co might be after someone already near the pinnacle of his game, someone like Rafael Leão.
Yes, according to a report from Spain last month, Arsenal are one of several teams keen on the AC Milan superstar ahead of the summer transfer window.
However, the North Londoners are not alone in their appreciation for the Portuguse superstar, as a more recent report from Caught Offside has also credited Chelsea with an interest in the winger, who they claim could be available for as little as €75m, which is about £64m.
It would be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Leão’s immense ability, one well worth fighting for, especially as he’s won comparisons to Yamal and Vinicius in the past.
How Leão compares to Vinicius and Yamal
So, before we get into the other reasons why Arsenal should be going all out to sign Leão this summer, it’s worth addressing these comparisons to Vinicius and Yamal and where they come from.
Well, in this instance, they stem from FBref, which looks at players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, and then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one.
In this instance, they have concluded that the Real Madrid star is the second most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Milan star across all of those competitions, while the Barcelona star has been ranked as the seventh most similar in this season’s Champions League.
Expected Assists
0.24
0.25
Goals per Shot
0.13
0.12
Goals per Shot on Target
0.30
0.31
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.32
0.31
Successful Take-ons
2.85
3.06
Live Passes
31.5
33.1
The best way to see how these conclusions have been reached is to look at the players’ underlying numbers and find the metrics in which they rank closely.
In the case of Vinicius, those metrics include things like expected passes, goals per shot and shots on target, crosses into the penalty area, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.
Expected Assists
0.23
0.20
Passing Accuracy
74.1%
74.5%
Key Passes
1.14
1.15
Successful Take-ons
4.43
4.59
Carries into the Final Third
3.64
3.44
For the comparison with Barça’s young superstar, the metrics include things like passing accuracy, expected assists, carries into the final third, key passes, successful take-ons, and more, all per 90.
The fact the 25-year-old shares an ability to take players on and beat them with two of the best players in the game is hardly surprising, as FBref place him in the top 4% of wingers for successful take-ons in Europe’s top five leagues, and The Athletic’s Alex Barker has called him “one of the best dribblers in the world.”
Finally, away from the incredibly flattering and promising comparisons, another reason Arteta should go out and sign the former LOSC Lille star is his output.
So far this season, the Almada-born dynamo has scored 12 goals and provided 13 assists in 48 appearances, which works out to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.92 games – something the Gunners could really do with off the left.
AC Milan's RafaelLeaoreacts
Ultimately, while it wouldn’t be cheap, Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign Leão once the window opens, as his output and technical mastery could help propel the club to glory.
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