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Everton are eying up a swoop for Mainz centre-back Moussa Niakhate during the summer transfer window as Frank Lampard aims to bolster his defence.

What’s the word?

That’s according to German outlet BILD, who have claimed that the 26-year-old wants to join a Premier League club this summer, with the Toffees and West Ham leading the chase.

With just one year left on his current contract, the centre-back could be available for a partly £8m, small change in today’s world of vastly inflated transfer fees.

Lampard needs Niakhate

There is no doubt that Everton have had a terrible season, and despite a recent resurgence in results which could prove crucial in their relegation fight, it has simply not been good enough for a club of their size and talents.

If Lampard remains in the job ahead of next season, his urgent priority is to sign a defender, and Niakhate fits the bill perfectly.

The £12k-p/w Mainz captain has been has described by manager Bo Svensson as both a “role model” and “clever” following his wonderful campaign which sees Die Nullfünfer currently sit ninth in the Bundesliga table.

Nikhate would be a big upgrade on Yerry Mina and Michael Keane in the Everton backline. He has made more interceptions (72) than the Toffees duo combined (70) and has also atttempted more tackles over the course of the league season (59) compared to Mina (17) and Keane (46).

These figures show how strong he is at the back and illustrate his ability to stabilise the Blues’ defence. His disciplinary record is excellent too, receiving only one caution, whilst Mina and Keane have each had three bookings this term.

freshpress-quiz ]

Everton need a player who is mature enough to marshal their defence, and Niakhate looks like he has all the attributes to succeed in England, while also being a discernible upgrade on the defensive options currently at Lampard’s disposal.

AND in other news, Everton can finally axe “poor” £68k-p/w dud by signing 22 y/o with “huge potential”…

Newcastle United are reportedly now eyeing a shock move for former Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the summer.

The Lowdown: Sunderland connection

Having being born in Washington in Sunderland, Pickford has strong connections with the Wearside club, as he made 35 appearances for them in total over two seasons.

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Now at Everton, he is also the number one goalkeeper for England, a testament to how far he has come since leaving the Black Cats.

The Latest: Newcastle lurking

Writing in his latest piece for talkSPORT, transfer insider Alex Crook has revealed that the St. James’ Park faithful are now ‘monitoring’ Pickford’s situation, as the Toffees prepare to listen to offers for him this summer.

He will ‘push’ for a move away from Goodison Park if they are relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season, but Tottenham Hotspur are also thought to be interested in his signature.

The Magpies will also find it ‘tricky’ to persuade him to move to Tyneside, given his SAFC connections.

The Verdict: Difficult

Although players have moved between rivals in the past, this deal does seem like a difficult one to do.

Described as having ‘world-class‘ shot-stopping ability by Blues manager Frank Lampard, Pickford will have no shortage of admirers if they were to go down, and the 28-year-old is in the prime of his career.

The Toon will be able to offer up the money to both him and the club, but that may not be enough to push a move through.

In other news, find out what ‘incredible’ NUFC update has now emerged here!

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring James Ward-Prowse to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Star, who claim that Spurs, alongside the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle United, are tracking the Southampton central midfielder closely, ahead of a potential swoop for the 27-year-old at the end of the season.

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However, the report goes on to state that any interested party would have to pay Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side a figure in the region of £60m in order to prise him away from St. Mary’s this summer – and even then, Saints may still not be willing to sell the England international.

He’d be a “machine” under Conte

Considering just how impressive Ward-Prowse has been for Southampton over the last few years, in addition to the fact that Conte is known to be looking to add some creativity to his central midfield options in north London ahead of 2022/23, it is easy to see why the 52-year-old would be keen on a deal for the Saints star this summer.

Indeed, over his 33 Premier League appearances this season, the £33.5m-rated talent has been in electric form for Hasenhuttl’s side, scoring nine goals, registering five assists and creating eight big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.5 shots and making 2.1 key passes per game.

The £100k-per-week midfielder has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.1 interceptions, 1.2 tackles, 43.2 passes, 1.8 long balls, 2.2 crosses and winning 2.8 duels per fixture.

These returns have seen the 27-year-old dubbed a “machine” by his Southampton teammates average a breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.31, not only ranking him as Saints’ best performer in the league but also as the joint 14th-best player in the division as a whole.

Furthermore, the signing of Ward-Prowse would also immediately make Tottenham a much more dangerous proposition from free-kicks, with the 10-time capped international having scored 14 Premier League goals from dead balls, ranking him second – behind only David Beckham – in the top flight’s free-kick scoring charts.

This ability saw Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola – one of the managers thought to be keen on a move for the midfielder this summer – dub Ward-Prowse as the best set-piece taker in world football, with the Spaniard stating:

“He is the best taker I have ever seen, right now in the world. He is so good, maybe this quality of a football player. He’s a team player, great quality without the ball. Set pieces and corners is exceptional.”

As such, being a player who is deadly in the final third, creative and tough in the heart of midfield and possesses a lethal free-kick, it is clear to see why the Southampton sensation is a player Conte would love to add to his Spurs squad this summer.

However, with a great deal of interest in the 27-year-old, Fabio Paratici will certainly have his work cut out if he is to secure the £60m+ singing of the South Coast star, but it would undoubtedly be well worth the trouble for the Tottenham sporting director.

AND in other news: “Eyeing move…”: Journo drops big Spurs transfer claim, he’s a “young Paul Gascoigne”

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini says life has been tough for him this season and has revealed a ‘radical change’ at the club since the arrival of Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Lloris competition

The 27-year-old arrived in north London in the summer on a season-long loan from Atalanta to add some serious competition for first-choice shot-stopper Hugo Lloris.

He has indeed made outings in the FA Cup, Conference League and Carabao Cup, but has failed to make an appearance in the Premier League, perhaps evidence that he is simply not good enough to really battle with Lloris.

That’s been a huge change for the man between the sticks, having played 32 games across all competitions for the Serie A outfit last campaign, and Gollini has admitted that the transition into English football hasn’t at all been easy for him, telling the Italian press: “It’s not easy to go from the Champions League to playing on the bench.”

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The Latest: Big fan of Conte

During that interview with Gazzetta Dello Sport’s SportWeek (via Sport Witness), the £9m-rated star revealed that he is a huge fan of his manager despite only playing three times since his compatriot arrived: “Everything has changed since Conte arrived.

“He brought everything that was missing, both to the club and to the group. Since his arrival, there has been a radical change from the point of view of mentality and work.

“Conte is also very human: he understands the players very well and knows how to adapt his work to the team he has at his disposal.”

The Verdict: Conte’s squad rebuild

Spurs do have the option to turn Gollini’s loan move into a permanent one in the summer, but whether his stay in the capital is extended or not will come down to Conte and sporting director Fabio Paratici.

The boss is said to be looking to reshape his squad during the upcoming transfer window, with a reported six new signings on the horizon, and so his future at the club will have to be contemplated ahead of the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Italian, who has been praised for being a “fantastic” player by former Tottenham defender Graham Roberts, has bags of potential to give, but it yet remains to be seen whether the hierarchy will offer him a real chance to prove it come the end of May.

In other news… a journalist has been reacting to Tottenham’s interest in one of their ‘spectacular’ transfer targets.

It’s been a great week for Chelsea, and an even better one for Estevao.

Enzo Maresca handed the Brazilian a start in the club’s Champions League game against Barcelona, his third on the bounce in the competition, and to say he shone would be an understatement.

The Catalan side couldn’t live with him, and thanks to some brilliant close control, he was rewarded with a goal early in the second half.

The teenage sensation looks destined to be a world-beater, so fans should be excited about reports linking Chelsea with a striker who’d be a dream teammate for him.

Chelsea target a dream signing for Estevao

While he has been billed as one of the next big talents for over a year now, nobody would have expected Estevao to have had the start to the season he has.

Transfer Focus

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

Across all competitions so far, the youngster has made 17 appearances, totalling 740 minutes, in which he has scored five goals and provided one assist.

Moreover, three of those goals have come in the UCL, while his only Premier League goal came against Liverpool.

In other words, the Franca-born gem has already proven that he’s more than capable of performing in the biggest games for the Blues, and that might explain why the club are now targeting a striker who’d be a dream teammate for him.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spain, which has claimed Chelsea are interested in Samu Aghehowa.

In fact, the report has revealed that the West Londoners are plotting to swoop for a couple of promising young stars in January, one of whom is the Porto star.

However, the Blues are not the only ones keen on the Spaniard, with reports from earlier this week linking Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur with a £79m move.

In all, it could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Samu’s immense ability and potential, it’s one Chelsea should fight for, especially as he’d be a dream teammate for Estevao.

Why Samu would be a dream signing for Estevao

The first reason, and the most crucial reason Samu would be an excellent signing for Estevao and Chelsea overall, is that he’s a proven and reliable output machine.

For example, across all competitions last season, the Spanish international made 45 appearances, totalling 3400 minutes, in which he scored 27 goals and provided three assists.

In other words, he averaged a goal involvement every 1.5 games, or every 113.33 minutes, which is all the more impressive given that it was his first campaign in Portugal.

Fortunately, that level of output does not look like an outlier, as so far this season, the Melilla-born monster has been even more dangerous.

For example, in 15 appearances, totalling 885 minutes, he has scored nine goals and provided one assist, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.5 games, or more impressivley, every 88.5 minutes, which is a rate of return that lends to journalist Zach Lowy’s description of him as “one of the best STs in Europe.”

Appearances

45

15

Minutes

3,400′

885′

Goals

27

9

Assists

3

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.66

0.43

Minutes per Goal Involvement

113.33′

115.57′

Points per Game

1.67

2.53

Now, on top of utterly bossing it in Portugal, the 6 foot 4 titan has also got some decent experience in a top-five league, as he spent the 23/24 season on loan with Deportivo Alavés, where he made 34 appearances in La Liga, totalling 1924 minutes, in which he scored eight goals and provided one assist.

Finally, on top of being someone who could help bolster Estevao’s assist tally with his impressive finishing, the four-capped international is still relatively young at just 21 years old.

This means that he could develop alongside the Brazilian and, over the coming years, create a potentially game-changing partnership with him.

Ultimately, given his ability and potential, Chelsea should do what they can to sign Samu in January, as he’d make the team far more dangerous and could be a perfect teammate for Estevao.

Shades of Estevao: Chelsea have another "left-footed magician" out on loan

Chelsea and Enzo Maresca could have another Estevao-type talent on their hands next season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 27, 2025

Newcastle United are perhaps ruing their decision to sell academy graduate Elliot Anderson last summer to Nottingham Forest. The England international, who was only capped for the first time last week, moved down to the East Midlands from his boyhood club for reasons relating to PSR.

Yet, he has gone from strength to strength at the City Ground, a testament to his ability that Newcastle fans no doubt saw at St James’ Park, too. That talent has been summed up by Thomas Tuchel, handing the youngster his England debut against Andorra last week.

Having Anderson alongside midfield options like Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, and Joelinton would have been excellent depth for Eddie Howe. With that being said, it gives the chance for a new academy star to break through, after someone like Lewis Miley.

Miley’s Newcastle career so far

It is easy to forget that England under-1 international Miley is just 19 years of age. He’s been in and around the first team frame at St James’ Park for a number of years, since first making his debut in the 2022/23 campaign.

In total, the Stanley-born midfielder has played 49 games for his boyhood club.

He’s managed to get himself on the scoresheet three times and has chipped in with four assists along the way, too.

Of course, it has not been easy for Miley to establish himself in the Magpies’ midfield with the aforementioned quality they have. However, his versatility may work in his favour, given he’s played as a number six as well as in his preferred number eight role.

The youngster has also struggled with injuries, missing the back end of the 2023/24 campaign and the beginning of the 2024/25 season. Since then, he has been unable to break into the side under Howe.

It remains to be seen if Miley can become Newcastle’s new Anderson, but, for now, it doesn’t seem likely that he can establish himself in the starting lineup. Instead, another teen star at the club might be the person Newcastle turn towards to replace Anderson.

Newcastle’s next Elliot Anderson

There must be something in the air at Newcastle to have developed Anderson and Miley, two young academy midfielders. Well, next on that list could be 19-year-old Alfie Harrison, a versatile midfielder who hails from Manchester.

Described as a “star in the making” by football writer Thomas Hammond, Harrison has shone for the Magpies’ youth team at under-21 level, after originally coming through the ranks at Manchester City.

After playing under-21 football in 2023/24, Harrison had his best campaign yet last season. The Mancunian midfielder, who has the first-team number 44 at St James’ Park, played 20 games in the Premier League 2, scoring three times and assisting seven.

He has also excelled in the EFL Trophy, too. The 19-year-old created three chances in his first game of the competition this season against Huddersfield Town, and also won two ground duels and one tackle, showing great all-round ability.

One of the standout features of his game is the versatility he offers. Whilst he is a midfielder by trade, Harrison can also operate out wide, which will teach him plenty of skills to add to his craft in the middle of the park.

Central midfield

15

6

Attacking midfield

8

6

Right-wing

4

1

Right midfield

2

2

(min 45 mins played)

Losing Anderson was certainly a huge blow for the Magpies, but perhaps Howe will decide to unleash a player with the creative talent of Harrison at some stage this season.

He will certainly add quality on the ball, just like their former midfielder.

In The Pipeline

Miley is certainly a great option for Howe to have in and around the squad, but perhaps a player with the skill of Harrison will be able to leapfrog him and become the new Anderson soon enough.

Anderson repeat: Newcastle must regret selling a "monster" for just £500k

Have Newcastle repeated their Elliot Anderson mistake?

ByWill Miller Sep 9, 2025

Liverpool have done it. When all is said and done at the end of the transfer window, which closes at 7pm this evening, Arne Slot’s side will have welcomed Alexander Isak to their ranks.

Isak, 25, has fought to leave Newcastle United and sign for the Premier League champions for many weeks, and after weeks of interminable waiting, now has his wish. Isak will sign for Liverpool.

27 goals for Eddie Howe’s Magpies last season, the Sweden striker is an unstoppable force, so many ways to hurt his opponents. However, FSG don’t seem content with merely the record-breaking man, and plan for more before the window slams shut.

Liverpool planning D-day business

When Marc Guehi scored a looping strike at Villa Park on Sunday evening, he celebrated with the passion and weight of a player set to jump ship.

Liverpool want the centre-back, but they are also ready to move for a new winger to complement Isak, with transfer insider Matt Thielen revealing Richard Hughes has received an offer from AC Milan for Liverpool to sign Rafael Leao as a part of the deal that could see Joe Gomez sign for the Italians.

Valued at £86m and also targeted by Arsenal this summer, the Portuguese winger, 26, would truly be the icing on the cake for the Redmen, adding with Isak quality of the highest class to Slot’s frontline.

What Rafael Leao would bring to Liverpool

Leao has been remarked to be “one of the best left wingers in the world” by analyst Ben Mattinson, and while Milan struggled throughout the 2024/25 campaign, he stood proud as a shining light, scoring 12 goals and supplying 13 assists across the campaign, 50 matches all told.

A consistently menacing forward season upon season, Leao is electric-paced and utterly terrifying when on the ball and hurtling down the flank. FBref data records that he ranks among the top 4% of wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per 90.

His world-class credentials and staggering price tag suggest that Liverpool could make an instant repeat of the deal that saw them land Isak by getting it done on D-day.

25/26

1

1

0

24/25

50

12

13

23/24

47

15

14

22/23

48

16

15

21/22

42

14

12

20/21

40

7

6

19/20

33

6

2

In fact, Leao has actually been described by Milan coach Stefano Pioli as looking like “the early Thierry Henry”, and that’s something that has been attributed to Isak over the past several years too, having been likened to the Arsenal and Les Bleus legend last season, bringing such flair and destructive quality to the final third.

While Leao has yet to unearth and maintain truly jaw-dropping levels in front of goal, he has the talent, all right, and might just reach that giddy level of his game with a move to Merseyside.

Rangy and robust, he’s the real deal and would provide Liverpool with the perfect contrasting skill set to Cody Gakpo on the left flank.

Similar to Isak in some ways, he would work wonders alongside the Scandinavian star, supplying and interchanging in seamless synergy.

In Isak, Liverpool have signed one of the finest centre-forwards in the business, but if they manage to wrap up a move for Leao too, there’s surely going to be no stopping the Anfield side, chock-full with world-class quality.

As good as Szoboszlai: £40m star dropped his best game in a Liverpool shirt

Liverpool dug deep to defeat title rivals Arsenal to maintain their perfect start to the Premier League season.

ByAngus Sinclair Aug 31, 2025

West Brom are said to be in talks with a manager who knows the Premier League well, as they look to nail their successor to Tony Mowbray in the coming weeks and months.

West Brom searching for Mowbray replacement

The Baggies’ season was ultimately a disappointing one, with Carlos Corberan departing for Valencia earlier in the campaign and Mowbray finding himself sacked just three months after taking charge, following a disappointing spell.

It is now a case of those high up at West Brom making sure the perfect manager comes in to steer the team to what is hopefully a successful Championship campaign in 2025/26 – one that ends in promotion back to the Premier League.

A recent report has claimed that the Baggies are believed to be big admirers of Ryan Mason, with the Englishman currently the assistant manager to Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham, winning the Europa League earlier this month.

Still only 33 years of age, Mason’s playing career was cut short by a serious head injury, but he is making waves in coaching and West Brom consider him a strong option to come. Now, a fresh update has emerged regarding him potentially heading to the Hawthorns in the near future.

West Brom in talks with 4-4-2 manager

According to Football Insider, Mason has “opened talks” to become West Brom’s new manager, with the report saying he is in “pole position” to take charge of the Baggies ahead of next season.

He has taken charge of Spurs 13 times as an interim manager, in between them finding another boss, and is an exciting young option, rather than a more tried and tested choice like Mowbray.

The 4-4-2-playing Mason could be an intriguing appointment at West Brom, during an era in which managers appear to be getting younger all the time, being trusted to take big jobs before they are experienced.

The former Spurs midfielder has shone during his time coaching in north London, with Ben Davies once praising him for the impact he had during a brief stint as manager:

“It’s not the easiest situation to come into [for Mason]. We’ve got a limited amount of games so it’s hard for him to come in and completely change things and do it his own way. But there’s been a clear message that we need to be as good as we can with the ball and tighten up without it. It’s pretty basic but that’s the way we’ve been training and working. Ryan’s instilled that belief in us that we’re able to do that.”

Tony Mowbray (2025)

17

1.12

Carlos Corberan (2022-2024)

107

1.59

Steve Bruce (2022)

32

1.13

Valerien Ismael (2021-2022)

31

1.45

Sam Allardyce (2020-2021)

26

0.73

Granted, there would be an element of risk with West Brom hiring Mason, given his lack of experience in management, but if the club feel he is now at a point where he can leave Postecoglou and go out on his own, they need to be trusted.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy has his eyes on a title-winning manager who Chelsea are also targeting to potentially replace Enzo Maresca, according to reports, with Ange Postecoglou’s future continuing to be the centre of debate around N17.

Ange Postecoglou comments on Tottenham future

The Australian, ahead of their all-important Europa League final, commented on widespread reports that Spurs’ clash against Man United could be his penultimate game in charge of the club.

Tottenham: Levy ready to trigger £100k-per-week rival star's release clause

Spurs are front of the queue for his signature.

ByEmilio Galantini May 21, 2025

The likes of David Ornstein suggested in the build up to Wednesday night that Postecoglou is likely to leave Tottenham regardless of their success in Europe, with his exit from N17 seeming far more likely than not after a regrettable domestic campaign.

Spurs are on 21 Premier League defeats this season and still counting, meaning Levy could look to part company with the 59-year-old amid intriguing links to a host of alternative top-level coaches.

Postecoglou, speaking ahead of their first European final since their Champions League loss to Liverpool in 2019, said that he is relaxed about his future irrespective of what happens.

“It doesn’t matter because the reality of it is the opportunity is the same, for me and more importantly for the club,” Postecoglou told reporters about his tenuous position as Spurs boss.

“I’ve said before that whatever happens beyond tomorrow is kind of irrelevant when you think about the opportunity that exists right now. That opportunity is to provide something special for the football club and for the supporters and for everyone who has worked so hard, not just this year but for the 15, 16 years, however long it has been without a trophy and also the 41 years without a European trophy.

“If I was worried about my tenure at this football club, it’s fair to say we wouldn’t have been in this position because I would have been distracted long ago. I’m pretty good at just making sure all my focus is on giving this football club the best opportunity that it’s had for a while to do something special. Whatever happens after that, mate, I’m very, very comfortable that I’ll continue on trying to win trophies wherever I am.”

Tottenham shortlist Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi

Spurs could look to Italy in search of Postecoglou’s replacement, with former Ajax boss Francesco Farioli being heavily linked with a move to Tottenham in the last few days after a rumoured recommendation from Fabio Paratici.

As per newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness, Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi is on Levy’s radar as well.

The outlet states that Tottenham have shortlisted Inzaghi as a manager target, and he’s also wanted by London rivals Chelsea as a potential heir to Maresca.

The £8.8 million-per-year tactician guided Inter to a Scudetto last season and could still pip Antonio Conte’s Napoli to this year’s Serie A crown, with both sides set for a fierce final day battle for the title.

As Inzaghi also prepares Inter for their Champions League final against PSG, noise will continue to surround his future after an impressive few years at the San Siro. If he becomes available, the “phenomenal” manager is arguably the standout name among Levy’s rumoured candidates.

Tottenham Hotspur’s dismal Premier League campaign continued on Sunday when they were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Crystal Palace in front of their own supporters.

A double from England international Eberechi Eze, who scored either side of half-time, wrapped up the three points for the away side, who could have had even more.

Ange Postecoglou did, however, make a host of changes to his starting line-up, possibly to rest players ahead of the Europa League final later this month, but not many of those coming in advanced their claims for more minutes.

There were plenty of players who failed to step up and are now in danger of losing their place in the team, or of not getting another chance to impress in the coming weeks.

On the flip side, however, one player who has improved his chances of breaking into the starting line-up moving forward is goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, after his impressive display against the Eagles.

Why Antonin Kinsky has created a problem for next season

The Czechia youth international was brought into the side to give the number one, Guglielmo Vicario, a rest ahead of the Europa League final.

Signed from Sparta Prague in January, the shot-stopper already knows that he will not be in the team that faces Manchester United because he was not included in the squad for the Europa League for the knockout stages.

However, his performance against Crystal Palace showed that he has the quality to create a problem for Postecoglou next season, because he is good enough to challenge for the number one position in the Premier League.

Kinsky made eight saves and prevented 1.32 xG in the defeat to Palace, which shows that he prevented an absolute drubbing by the Eagles, and the youngster may feel like he did enough to at least make the manager think about him moving forward.

Sofascore rating

8.9

Touches

50

Pass accuracy

68%

Saves

8

Goals prevented

1.32

Run-outs completed

1/1

High claims

2

Error led to shot or goal

0

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old star kept the scoreline down with a string of important saves, whilst also coming out to deal with balls in behind and crosses into the box, without making any errors.

Whereas, Vicario has made two errors that have led to shots and one error that has led to a goal in his last five appearances in all competitions, which shows that he has not been a reliable presence between the sticks of late.

This suggests that Kinsky has done enough to at least create doubt in Postecoglou’s mind for that position, as he could turn out to be a more reliable goalkeeper than the Italian heading into next season, which means that he could seriously challenge for the number one role.

On the flip side of that, Rodrigo Bentancur, who took even fewer touches (17) than Kinsky, was hooked at half-time in the defeat to Palace, and he should be ruthlessly ditched from the team by the Australian head coach.

Why Rodrigo Bentancur should be dropped

The former Juventus star was named in the starting XI after being left as an unused substitute in the 1-1 draw with West Ham United in the last Premier League game, although he did feature from the start away at Bodo/Glimt.

Chalkboard

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

Bentancur, however, failed to strengthen his case for a starting berth against Manchester United in the Europa League final as he put in a dismal first-half display that might put some doubt in the manager’s mind when it comes to selecting that vital line-up.

Minutes

45

Touches

17

Pass accuracy

71%

Shots

0

Key passes

0

Tackles + interceptions

0

Duels won

1/4

As you can see in the table above, the Uruguay international lost 75% of his duels and only completed 71% of his passes, which shows that he was loose in his use of the ball and struggled to keep up with the pace and physicality of the game out of possession.

Postecoglou opted to withdraw him from the match at the break, replaced by Yves Bissouma, and it is hard to argue with that decision when you look at what Bentancur did, or did not, offer in the opening 45.

The former Serie A star should, now, be ruthlessly ditched by Postecoglou for the trip to Aston Villa next time out in the Premier League, which will be the last match before the Europa League final.

That would then provide Bissouma with an opportunity to prove to the manager that he deserves to be in the starting XI for the final ahead of Bentancur.

The Mali international completed 87% of his passes and won three of his seven duels in the second half against Palace, which shows that he offered more in and out of possession than his teammate did in the opening 45.

Bissouma has greater athleticism in comparison to Bentancur and has the mobility to cover more ground and win more duels in the final against United, which is why Postecoglou should be concerned by the Uruguayan losing 75% of his duels against Palace.

As you can see in the clip against Brentford above, the former Brighton ace can start attacks with his ability to make recovery runs to win possession back for his side.

Appearances

26

24

Tackles per game

1.8

1.6

Dribbled past per game

0.6x

0.8x

Ground duels won per game

2.8

2.3

Ground duel success rate

51%

42%

As shown in the statistics above, Bissouma is better than Bentancur when it comes to being dominant in duels on the deck, as the ex-Juventus man has lost the majority of his ground duels in the Premier League.

It has also been an issue in the Europa League because Bentancur has been dribbled past 1.3 times per game on average, compared to Bissouma’s 0.3 times per match. This suggests that opposition midfielders find it harder to get by the Mali international, due to his strength in duels.

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Therefore, Postecoglou should drop the Uruguay international from the team for the clash with Villa to provide his midfield teammate with a chance to impress ahead of the final.