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The summer transfer window officially opens for business later this month and Arsenal appear to be in the market to land a new centre-forward to bolster their squad.
Mikel Arteta ended the 2023/24 campaign with Kai Havertz as his preferred number nine, despite the former Chelsea man starting the season in a central midfield role, eventually bumping Brazil international Gabriel Jesus down the pecking order.
The German attacker ended with a respectable 13 goals and seven assists in 37 Premier League appearances for the Gunners in his first year at The Emirates.
However, his impressive form in front of goal has not been enough to prevent Edu from pursuing alternative number nine options who could come in and lead the line next term.
According to GIVEMESPORT, Arsenal believe that they are the favourites to secure a deal to sign RB Leipzig centre-forward Benjamin Sesko during the summer transfer window. The report claims that Premier League rivals Chelsea and teams from Saudi Arabia are also interested in snapping up the Slovenia international, with six clubs in the running to land his signature.
It also states that the player's representatives have indicated that they want to have a decision on his future wrapped up before the European Championships start later this week, in order to ensure that his concentration is solely on the upcoming tournament.
This means that a final call on Sesko's next club, or if he will remain with the German side, is coming over the next few days, and the Gunners seemingly believe that they are in the driving seat right now.
The 21-year-old marksman has a £55m release clause in his current contract with the Bundesliga outfit and any of the interested parties will need to activate that in order to sign him, but they may not wish to do that until the player has made his decision this week.
This latest update should come as good news to Arsenal supporters, as the Slovenian starlet could be a fantastic addition to Arteta's squad ahead of next season. The Gunners should sign the young gem as he is a ruthless finisher who could provide them with a reliable number nine, who can more than make the most of the chances are created for him.
|
Arsenal's biggest xG overperformers |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
23/24 Premier League |
xG |
Goals |
xG differential |
|
Declan Rice |
3.79 |
7 |
3.21 |
|
Leandro Trossard |
8.92 |
12 |
3.08 |
|
Ben White |
1.36 |
4 |
2.64 |
|
Oleksandr Zinchenko |
0.67 |
1 |
0.33 |
|
Takehiro Tomiyasu |
1.9 |
2 |
0.1 |
|
Stats via WhoScored |
|||
As you can see in the table above, neither Havertz nor Jesus were among the most efficient finishers within the Arsenal squad in the Premier League this season. Meanwhile, Sesko rifled in 14 goals from an xG of 8.02 in the Bundesliga, which is an overperformance of 5.98. That would have placed him top of the list for the Gunners as the most ruthless goalscorer in the team.
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The Leipzig star, who was hailed as a "menace" by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has showcased his potential to be incredibly efficient in front of goal, which is why he could be a fantastic signing to bolster Arteta's attack and improve the team ahead of next season.
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Sheffield Wednesday aren't messing around when it comes to incomings through the door at Hillsborough already, with the defence significantly bolstered by the new quickfire additions of Max Lowe and Yan Valery.
Lowe entering the building was somewhat of a controversial one, considering his past allegiances to the Blades, but the Owls will not turn their noses up at the prospect of new recruits strengthening the squad, especially with the futures of other defenders still not secure.
Danny Rohl could soon wave goodbye to Dominic Iorfa from his back four, with a new contract not agreed upon as of yet, whilst Di'Shon Bernard is heading towards the expiry of his contract, who also plays in the heart of defence.
Iorfa walking away from South Yorkshire for good could sting, with the 29-year-old putting in competent shifts for the Championship strugglers on a regular basis last season.
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The former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender wasn't always the first name on the team sheet however, only accumulating 30 appearances in all competitions in the end, but was a warrior all the same for the Owls, when times were tough towards the foot of the league.
Rohl took a shining to the 29-year-old towards the back-end of the campaign in particular, though, starting the ex England U21 international in four of his side's last six second-tier games, with Iorfa repaying his manager's faith with solid displays.
|
Iorfa's numbers vs West Brom |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat |
Iorfa |
|
Minutes played |
90 |
|
Touches |
43 |
|
Accurate passes |
22/27 (81%) |
|
Clearances |
10 |
|
Tackles |
4 |
|
Duels won |
11/13 |
|
Stats by Sofascore |
|
The powerful number six for Wednesday really stood out in his side's penultimate contest of the 46-game schedule, as can be seen glancing at the table above, with a remarkable ten clearances registered and 11 duels won to shut out West Bromwich Albion, setting the Owls up for a fantastic 3-0 victory as a result.
Winning 5.3 duels on average per game across the full campaign, it would be a shame for Rohl and Co to lose such a battler ahead of the 24/25 season, especially if matches become as tense and as vital to win towards the bottom of the division again.
There could be an argument, on the contrary, that Iorfa being let go of doesn't have to be a move that Wednesday will regret down the line, however, with the defender's wage a handsome salary currently compared to other first-team performers, when examining the South Yorkshire club's wage bill via Capology.
The 6 foot 2 defender is pocketing £9.5-per-week on the books at Wednesday at this moment in time, with the likes of Anthony Musaba earning £9k-per-week in contrast, despite featuring 18 times more last campaign.
Musaba was, arguably, even more key in Wednesday pulling off an unbelievable relegation escape with his marauding runs forward causing second-tier defences all sorts of bother, as the Dutch winger picked up two assists and even scored a strike of his own in his side's final three league games.
Akin Famewo, who regularly partnered Iorfa in defence, will also feel he's worthy of a bump in pay this summer too, only earning £7.3k-per-week, as per Capology, even with 35 league appearances under his belt to Iorfa's 29.
Losing Windass on a free transfer will be a move that could haunt Wednesday for some time away from talk centring in on the ex-Wolves man, but when it comes to Iorfa, Rohl and Co could have more incomings up their sleeve to add depth, to line up alongside the other new defenders calling South Yorkshire home.
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Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez has not been in the best form for the Blues, however, Enzo Maresca is backing the Spaniard and will not drop him.
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If there is one area that Manchester United need to strengthen during the 2024 summer transfer window, it is in midfield. The Red Devils have potential outgoings and a loan expiration in the middle of the park, which could leave them light for numbers and in need of reinforcements.
Out of the midfielders in the squad, there are only a few players who are seemingly guaranteed to be staying at Old Trafford next season.
The captain, Bruno Fernandes, does not seem likely to leave, and neither does Mason Mount, who suffered an injury-riddled first season at Old Trafford. Kobbie Mainoo should stay, with the 19-year-old becoming a crucial player under Erik ten Hag last season.
Sofyan Amrabat’s loan from Fiorentina has now expired, and the Red Devils decided not to trigger the clause in the Moroccan’s contract which means they purchased him permanently. However, there is still a chance they could negotiate with the Italian side to keep him at Old Trafford.
The likes of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, and Scott McTominay could also depart the club. The Daily Mail reported in April that the Brazilian, along with the former Spurs midfielder, are two of ten players who could leave the club this summer.
There are recent reports from Graeme Bailey that academy graduate McTominay is of interest to Premier League rivals Fulham.
With that in mind, United may need to strengthen in midfield and have recently been linked with one of Fernandes’ international teammates.
The player in question here is Benfica and Portugal midfielder Joao Neves. The 19-year-old is wanted by a whole host of clubs this summer, with United thought to be one side interested in adding him to their squad.
According to a report from Portuguese news outlet Correio da Manha, via The Faithful, the Red Devils are one of the sides who have looked to 'formalise the proposal' for a deal to sign Neves this summer, although they were not successful in that bid.
As per the report, the Red Devils would have to pay the young star’s release clause, which is currently £101m, thus making him the most expensive player in their history.
French giants Paris Saint Germain have also had a £59m bid for the midfielder rejected by Benfica this summer, which means that both teams have had offers turned down already.
Whilst United and PSG are the only two sides to have launched, or are close to launching, a bid for the youngster, they are not the only interested parties. Two of United’s Premier League rivals, London duo Arsenal and Chelsea, 'have also shown interest' in bringing the youngster to their respective clubs this summer.
Despite being just 19 years of age, Neves had a crucial role to play for Benfica last season, which resulted in his selection for Portugal’s Euro 2024 squad. The youngster played a whooping 55 games last season for Benfica, mainly in defensive midfield, scoring three times and assisting twice, all in the league.
As a defensive midfielder, Neves is a wonderfully progressive passer, adept at breaking up play with his impressive ball-winning skills. Should United sign him, he would bring high levels of energy to the centre of the park, as well as impressive technical quality. Football analyst Ben Mattinson described the 19-year-old as "special", and for good reason.
The Portugal international could well be a better option for United to sign than Manuel Ugarte. The Red Devils have been heavily linked with the PSG number four, who is currently representing Uruguay at the Copa America.
According to a report from Diego Munoz on the 28th of June, Ugarte is 'close to joining' the Old Trafford club, with The Express confirming he would cost much of the £51m PSG paid for him last summer. Ugarte featured just 37 times in all competitions for Les Parisiens last season, with 25 of those games coming in Ligue 1.
The Uruguayan is an impressive ball-winner, although he is not as progressive as Neves. This is also shown when breaking down their passing stats on FBRef. Per 90 minutes, the Portuguese midfielder averages 6.65 progressive passes, compared to just 4.05 for Ugarte.
Not only that, Neves trumps the PSG man when it comes to final third passes. He averages 6.89 passes into the final third per 90, with Ugarte averaging less, at just 4.60 each game. The Benfica youngster also beats Ugarte when looking at their key passing stats, averaging 0.97 per game, compared to the Uruguayan’s 0.65 key passes.
|
Neves vs. Ugarte passing stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90) |
Neves |
Ugarte |
|
Passes completed |
71.5 |
56.5 |
|
Progressive passes |
6.65 |
4.05 |
|
Passes into the final third |
6.89 |
4.60 |
|
Passes into the penalty box |
0.89 |
0.28 |
|
Key passes |
0.97 |
0.65 |
|
Stats from Fbref |
||
The 19-year-old Benfica midfielder also puts up better numbers than Ugarte when it comes to ball carrying, although it is far closer. Firstly, Neves averages more progressive carries, with 1.67 compared to just 0.74 for the PSG midfielder. He also attempts 2.84 take-ons per 90 minutes, completing 1.60, which is also better than Ugarte. The 23-year-old attempts 1.86 take-ons, and completes just 0.98.
Where Ugarte does excel over Neves is off the ball. As aforementioned, he is a superb ball-winner, and this shows with his 6.42 combined tackles and interceptions trumping Neves’ 3.89 each game. Ugarte also slightly edges the pair’s ball recovery stats, too, averaging 8.42 compared to Neves’ 8.25.
Perhaps one of the biggest question marks over Neves at the base of United’s midfield is his height, standing at just 5"7. This means he could struggle in the air, especially given the physicality of the Premier League. However, he has far better aerial duel stats than Ugarte. The 19-year-old averaged 1.60 aerial duels won per game, with a win rate of 58.6% at league level. In contrast, Ugarte wins just 0.65 and has a win rate of 53.8%.
Should the Red Devils decide to pull the trigger and sign Neves, they would be adding a third member to their Portuguese contingency at Old Trafford, which currently consists of Fernandes and Diogo Dalot. Of course, having familiar faces to help him settle in will also be a massive benefit should they bring Neves to the club.
Overall, despite the large fee for Neves, this could be too good of an opportunity for United to turn down. He would add a plethora of technical qualities next to the likes of Mainoo and Fernandes, as well as being more than competent out of possession. He certainly seems like the ideal alternative to Ugarte and could be in the midfield for United for the next decade or more to come.
Ipswich Town's latest transfer business shows off a club that isn't content with just simply making up the numbers in the Premier League and enjoying the ride whilst it happens.
Instead, Kieran McKenna and Co want to stay up and thrive in the top flight if possible.
Splashing the cash to sign the likes of Omari Hutchinson, Jacob Greaves and Liam Delap – with both Delap and Hutchinson costing the Tractor Boys almost £40m alone – the Suffolk club will hope these bold purchases can help them keep their heads above water in the tough top division.
More ambitious buys could be soon on their way, including this potential deal for a new well-rounded midfielder on loan, who is attracting interest from the likes of Inter Milan away from being linked with a switch to Ipswich.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Ipswich are looking at snapping up the services of breakout Venezia star Tanner Tessman on loan this frantic transfer window, with Inter closing in on a permanent deal to sign him.
The two-time USA international starred last season for his current Italian employers as they successfully won promotion up to Serie A, which has alerted the reigned top-flight champions in Italy to his services, but they will allow him to leave on loan to further cut his teeth.
Feyenoord are also reportedly interested in the skilful 22-year-old, whilst Everton are also actively trying to strike up a deal with Inter, away from Ipswich's keen interest in the midfielder.
Tessman could shine at Portman Road next campaign, with the Venezia ace a well-rounded individual who would suit McKenna's gung-ho approach in attack, whilst also enabling the Tractor Boys to have another competent holding midfield partner alongside Sam Morsy.
The 32-year-old Ipswich captain could be a perfect partner for a growing Tessman to lean on in the Premier League, developing his game further, before heading back to Italy to try and make a name for himself at the San Siro.
Wildly described as a player who is like "[Manue] Locatelli and [Declan] Rice rolled into one" by football analyst Ben Mattinson, Tessman starred last campaign as a goalscoring midfield option, but also as a brute force capable of breaking up play from deep, and then orchestrating his own forward moves.
Tessman would score six goals and pick up three assists from 39 Venezia appearances last season on the way to his side's triumphant promotion, but when casting an eye at the table below, he's far more than just a presence who will bag some goals and set up teammates for chances.
|
Tessman's FBref numbers over the last year vs Morsy |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat – per 90 mins |
Tessman |
Morsy |
|
Total shots |
1.72 |
0.82 |
|
Shot-creating actions |
3.32 |
2.88 |
|
Attempted passes |
61.70 |
66.93 |
|
Pass completion % |
80.2% |
84.9% |
|
Progressive passes |
6.93 |
6.77 |
|
Progressive carries |
1.72 |
1.20 |
|
Successful take-ons |
0.92 |
0.60 |
|
Progressive passes received |
1.72 |
1.01 |
|
Tackles |
1.20 |
2.86 |
|
Interceptions |
0.94 |
0.82 |
|
Blocks |
1.09 |
1.27 |
|
Clearances |
1.80 |
1.01 |
|
Aerials won |
1.00 |
0.72 |
|
Stats by FBref |
||
Tessman actually betters Morsy in a number of their respective defensive areas, averaging more blocks, clearances and aerials won over the last year, with the potential now for the Venezia man to strike up a solid midfield partnership with the Egypt international, if a move gets over the line.
Massimo Luongo is also in the mix in the holding midfield positions, as McKenna starts to have the best possible selection conundrums to solve, as opposed to struggling to have significant depth for the might of the Premier League.
Ipswich would have only dreamed about being linked with the likes of Tessman back when they were swamped in League One, as the Tractor Boys continue to press on and sign more gems for their maiden voyage up to the elite division.
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Yet to officially get their summer business underway, Celtic are reportedly set to make a new and improved offer to sign a striker who Brendan Rodgers is a big fan of.
Improving a side who have just won a third consecutive Scottish Premiership title is no easy task, but as Rangers continue to welcome reinforcements ahead of Philippe Clement's first full season in charge, Celtic must ensure that they maintain their spot at the pinnacle of Scottish football. However, much of their focus so far has seemingly been centred around keeping hold of star players such as Matt O'Riley.
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To no surprise, the Dane has attracted a lot of interest after an outstanding season at Celtic Park, and could yet find himself on his way to the English Premier League as Leicester City reportedly make their move. O'Riley's exit would certainly be a blow for Rodgers and his side's attacking output, especially if the former Liverpool boss manages to welcome a player who'd be the ideal partner for the 23-year-old in the form of Adam Idah this summer.
The Bhoys have already seen one £4m offer rejected for the Norwich City striker, but reports suggest that this saga is far from over. According to Football Insider, Celtic are set to make an improved offer to sign Idah this summer, though it remains to be seen whether that offer matches Norwich's £6m asking price.
After starring on loan in Scotland in the second half of last season, Idah reportedly wants to leave Carrow Road in favour of reuniting with Celtic on a permanent basis. Given how he found his goalscoring touch in Glasgow last time out, the deal certainly makes sense for all parties involved if the Scottish giants can match the Canaries' price demands in the coming months.
As much as Celtic could do with Idah's goalscoring prowess, the Norwich man arguably needs a permanent switch to the Hoops even more. The 23-year-old was beginning to stagnate in Norfolk and looked increasingly unlikely to discover his best form until he burst into Scottish football to leave his mark, even scoring the winning goal in Celtic's Scottish Cup final win over Rangers.
|
Adam Idah stats (via Transfermarkt) |
Celtic 23/24 |
Norwich career |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
19 |
115 |
|
Goals |
9 |
17 |
|
Assists |
2 |
4 |
In 106 fewer appearances, Idah managed over half the number of goals at Celtic than he has scored throughout his entire Norwich career, highlighting the sudden rise that he enjoyed last season.
It's no surprise that Idah earned a big fan in Rodgers, who told the Independent last season: "The board know how I feel on Adam, that was the reason for bringing him in. He’s been a real catalyst for us, especially over the last few months.
"I knew what I was getting because I’d seen him in the Premier League at 18. He has all the attributes. He’s fast, dynamic, strong and I felt with better positioning, he’d get goals. What he’s done since coming in is show that he’s a goalscorer. He gets different types of goals."