Aggie Beever-Jones makes a second Lionesses start on Tuesday as one of three England changes after injuries to Alessia Russo and Lauren James.

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• Russo & James started Friday's 5-0 win over Belgium
• But withdrew from England squad ahead of rematch
• Lionesses' boss Wiegman makes three changes to XI

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Russo and James both started in the Lionesses' 5-0 win over Belgium on Friday night in Bristol, with the latter assisting England's first goal. However, the Chelsea star was subbed off at half time due to a hamstring issue and Russo herself came off in the second half with an issue. In the days that followed, both were then forced to withdraw from the squad altogether ahead of the trip to Belgium for the reverse fixture.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Both dealt big blows to England, who had also lost an in-form Chloe Kelly to injury just before the camp began. The Lionesses are also already without Lauren Hemp, Alex Greenwood and Georgia Stanway, with all three having had knee surgeries this season that have put their participation in this summer's European Championship, where England will be defending champions, in doubt.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Tottenham forward Jess Naz and talented teenager Michelle Agyemang were handed call-ups in light of the injuries to Russo and James, strengthening the options at Sarina Wiegman's disposal ahead of Tuesday's game in Leuven. However, it is Beever-Jones who has been chosen to play on the left in the absence of James and Nikita Parris, the experienced Brighton striker, will lead the line instead of Russo. There is one other change to Friday's team which sees Jess Park replace Ella Toone in midfield. Hannah Hampton remains in goal, ahead of Mary Earps, for the third game in a row.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

  Wiegman will hope to have Russo, James and Kelly all available when the Lionesses meet up in late May for the final fixtures of this stage of the UEFA Women's Nations League, at home to Portugal and away at Spain. That will be England's last camp before the squad for Euro 2025 is named, placing further emphasis on the opportunities granted to the likes of Beever-Jones and Parris in Belgium on Tuesday.

Jordan Thompson produced the best Hundred bowling figures of the season as London Spirit trounced Manchester Originals by 52 runs to register a second successive win and go top of the table.Seamer Thompson, who took two wickets at The Oval last week, followed that up with a remarkable 4 for 21 from 20 balls to steamroller the Originals for just 108 at Lord’s. He was ably backed up by the rest of the Spirit attack to ensure a second successive defeat for the Manchester side as the home side’s total of 160 for 6, Zak Crawley top-scoring with 41 from 34, proved to be more than enough.The result continued a notable turnaround for Eoin Morgan’s team, who have already recorded more victories than they managed when finishing bottom in last year’s inaugural tournament.Having opted to bat, Spirit soon lost Adam Rossington to a first-ball duck, leg before to Sean Abbott, and they struggled for momentum despite some powerful blows to the boundary by Crawley. His partnership of 54 from 33 with Morgan raised the home side’s prospects of a sizeable score, with the skipper walloping both Tom Hartley and Matt Parkinson over the fence to reach 37 from 26.However, the batting side could make little of Paul Walter’s nagging line and changes of pace – the Originals’ left-armer finishing with miserly figures of 2 for 18 from his 20 deliveries.With Morgan eventually mistiming a drive off Walter that sailed into the hands of long-on, another two quick wickets left Spirit wobbling slightly at 120 for 5. They were revived by a belligerent cameo from Kieron Pollard, who smashed 34 from just 11 deliveries – including two brutal sixes off Fred Klaassen’s final set – to propel his side up to the 160 mark.Originals were counting on an explosive start from Jos Buttler – but England’s white-ball captain departed for just 6, skying Thompson as Mason Crane raced from short third to grab a difficult diving catch behind the keeper, Rossington.Spirit’s seamers ensured boundaries were few and far between in the early stages, with only three registered from the first 37 balls and the visitors continued to shed wickets at regular intervals. Thompson foxed Wayne Madsen with a slower delivery and then had Walter caught at point, while the most eye-catching dismissal was that of Andre Russell, run out at the bowler’s end by Liam Dawson’s direct hit from point.Viewing the carnage from the other end, Phil Salt (36 from 34) did his best to hold Originals’ innings together – but, when he was bowled by Dawson, any faint hopes of a recovery evaporated.

After a lightning-quick start out of the blocks as Wolverhampton Wanderers manager, Vitor Pereira has struggled to get his team firing on all cylinders again.

An unbeaten start to life as Wolves manager saw wins against Manchester United and Leicester City clinched, but the Old Gold are now without a victory from their last three Premier League clashes, as Pereira and Co continue to look at the relegation spaces anxiously.

To make matters worse, the future of their main star Matheus Cunha is seemingly now up in the air, as the Portuguese manager attempts everything in his might to stop the wheels from falling off.

Matheus Cunha's future at Wolves

As per fresh reports, Nottingham Forest are now eyeing up the standout Brazilian with the likes of Arsenal also waiting in the wings ready to pounce as Cunha debates penning a new deal at Molineux or uprooting to a flashier side.

Criticised for his poor body language by journalist Liam Keen during his team’s latest dismal defeat to Chelsea, it does feel as if it could be a losing battle for Wolves to keep their sensational South American situated in the West Midlands long-term.

Losing such an important part of the jigsaw would be an obvious blow for the relegation-threatened side to come to terms with.

Indeed, Cunha has tallied up a ridiculous 14 goal contributions in the league this season, but it doesn’t have to be completely earth-shattering.

Wolves target potential Cunha replacement

Instead, Pereira could look towards other exciting attackers available on the market to try and fill Cunha’s potential void, with one target a fascinating watch when at the top of his game.

As per a report by Portuguese outlet O Jogo – which has been relayed by Sport Witness – Wolves are considering making an offer to sign Sporting ace Geny Catamo this January as Pereira looks to boost his side’s wide options.

The exciting number 21 is also being looked at by Wolves’ near neighbours Aston Villa, on top of also garnering interest from the likes of Genoa and Udinese over in Italy. For the Old Gold boss’ sake, he’ll hope the full-throttle winger / wing-back – who can play on the left or the right – chooses Molineux as his next onward destination.

After all, Catamo – much like Cunha – has caught the eye this season in Portugal with his knack for coming up trumps in crucial moments, with an emphatic finish above gifting his side the win against arch-rivals Benfica back in December.

In total, the Mozambique international has four goals and four assists next to his name this season for his current employers, which isn’t overly mindblowing when weighed up next to Cunha’s jaw-dropping numbers.

Nevertheless, this would still be a vital addition, notably because not only could Catamo feature further forward, thus replacing Cunha, but his ability to feature as a wing-back could also make him a viable replacement for Rayan Ait-Nouri who also continues to be linked away.

1. Matheus Cunha

21

10

4

2. Jorgen Strand Larsen

22

7

2

3. Rayan Ait-Nouri

21

3

5

4. Goncalo Guedes

19

2

4

5. Mario Lemina

17

1

3

As can be seen by glancing at the table above, Wolves are slightly over-reliant on Cunha and in some part to Ait-Nouri to deliver the goods.

Thus, while losing the pair of them would initially sting, Wolves have been here before with Pedro Neto and Ruben Neves and managed to survive. Key additions such as Catamo on the flanks could potentially soften the blow on this occasion.

Wolves struck gold with "sensational" ace who's worth more than Manu Silva

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ByJoe Nuttall Jan 22, 2025

It’s safe to say Chelsea certainly haven’t been afraid to splash the cash after the takeover of Todd Boehly back in May 2022, spending over £1.3b on new signings.

Such additions have allowed for Enzo Maresca to be an instant hit at Stamford Bridge, leading the Blues into the top four after his first 20 matches at the helm.

However, given their recent form in the transfer market, it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if they were to delve into the window and make another statement signing or two.

The American has already signed two players for over £100m – showcasing his willingness to make additions to give whatever manager all the tools to be a success.

Various names have already been touted with a move to West London, furthering strengthening their ambitions of a return to a top-four spot in the Premier League come the end of May.

Chelsea January transfer update

A centre-back has been high up on Maresca’s shopping list since moving, with injuries to Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile could see him delve into the market for a new defender.

Marc Guehi has already been mentioned over a potential return to the Bridge, just a couple of years after departing to join Crystal Palace for £18m.

The Blues boss said he “likes” the Englishman, but wouldn’t be drawn on whether he’s set for a move in his pre-match press conference ahead of the FA Cup this weekend.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is another name recently linked with a big-money transfer, but Manchester United, Liverpool and PSG are also in the race for his services.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Napoli are holding out for €80m (£67m) for the winger this winter, potentially adding another dimension to Maresca’s already potent front line.

However, despite the interest in the Georgian attacker, the Blues could target an alternative to the 23-year-old, allowing them to sign their own version of a leading European star.

The Kvaratskhelia alternative who could be Chelsea’s own Vini Jr

Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior has rapidly developed into one of Europe’s leading attackers over the last couple of years.

The Brazilian winger came second in the recent Ballon d’Or ceremony, finishing behind Manchester City’s Rodri – highlighting his rapid rise to stardom under Carlo Ancelotti.

His figures from last season are nothing short of remarkable, scoring 24 times and registering nine assists in 39 games across all competitions, helping Madrid win yet another Champions League title.

However, the Blues could land their own version of the star in the form of English winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, with it being reported in the last week that scouts have been monitoring the Borussia Dortmund star who’s available for £50m this window.

The 20-year-old was once a part of the club’s academy setup, before moving to Reading and Manchester City, eventually making his name in the Bundesliga.

He’s scored five times in 15 league matches throughout 2024/25, leading to FBref ranking him as a similar player to Vini Jr based upon the figures he’s produced in this season’s Champions League, in particular.

When delving into the numbers, Bynoe-Gittens has matched or bettered the Brazilian in numerous key areas, highlighting what a superb addition he would be such the hierarchy conduct any transfer.

The Dortmund ace, who’s been labelled “one of a kind” by one analyst, may have registered fewer combined goals and assists, but has placed more shots on target per 90, subsequently having a higher success rate – evidently being more accurate with his efforts.

He’s also completed more take-ons per 90 and completed more of his attempted passes – handing the likes of Cole Palmer added opportunities to increase his own goalscoring tallies.

How Bynoe-Gittens compares to Vini Jr in 2024/25
Statistics (per 90)	Bynoe-Gittens	Vini Jr
Games played	15	15
Goals & assists	8	13
Shot-on-target accuracy	52%	29%
Shots on target	1.2	0.9
Pass accuracy	77%	74%
Take-on success	49%	40%
Take-ons completed	4	3.1
Stats via FBref

£50m may seem a hefty sum to splash out on a player who was already on the club’s books, but they would be signing a superb Kvaratskhelia alternative who has the ability to improve further in the years ahead.

Bynoe-Gittens’ comparison to Vini Jr is completely justified, with the Blues potentially landing a leading European talent to help lead the club’s quest to return to the summit of the Premier League.

Chelsea now want £58m PSG star with the same agent as Moises Caicedo

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Emilio Galantini

Jan 9, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly interested in signing a midfield target who Arsenal are already confident of securing this month.

Tottenham transfer news

Ravaged by injuries and suffering several moments to forget as a result, it’s been as bleak as it can get for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham who are in desperate need of fresh faces before the transfer deadline arrives. On that front, several names have threatened to steal the headlines as the Lilywhites.

Among those names includes Brian Brobbey, who has even reportedly been spotted in London amid talks to swap Ajax for the Premier League. With Dominic Solanke currently sidelined, signing the Dutch forward would certainly be an intelligent move from those in North London this month but it remains to be seen whether they’ll splash out.

Speaking about his side’s need for fresh faces this month, Postecoglou told reporters earlier this week, via The Standard: “There’s not a lot more depth I can give. “I’ve still got to manage this team and get them ready. We got back [from Germany] at 2am last night. I’m not out there trying to find opportunities for the club, that’s not my role at this time.

“There isn’t time to do it. I have daily communication with Johan [Lange, technical director] in particular and he’s trying everything he possibly can to get the help we need. I don’t think I’m stating anything other than the obvious and for me to come here and say something else would be disingenuous: this playing group needs help.”

Lange threatening to open "surprise" Tottenham talks for once-£84m striker

Spurs are yet to seal an outfield signing this window.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 25, 2025

Following that public plea, recent reports suggest that Postecoglou could yet get his wish this month. According to The Boot Room, Tottenham are interested in signing Sverre Nypan this month but face competition from rivals Arsenal, who are reportedly confident that they’ll sign the young midfield talent ahead of Spurs and Manchester City.

"Decisive" Nypan set to increase Tottenham frustration

Stuck in the depths of the Premier League’s mid-table and even flirting with the relegation battle at times this season, Spurs are struggling to attract fresh faces who could finally turn things around for Postecoglou. And Nypan may yet cause them further frustration, with Arsenal swooping in alongside fellow interested club City, who the midfielder watched in action against Chelsea this weekend.

The 18-year-old is undoubtedly a player who could play a large part for the Lilywhites alongside the likes of Archie Gray, but it seems as though it would take some move to convince the Rosenborg star into a winter switch over other clubs. Described as “decisive in the final third” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Nypan could be exactly the calibre of player that Spurs need.

With just over a week left until the transfer window slams shut, Postecoglou has made his side’s desperation for reinforcements no secret and those in North London must now act.

After losing his Western Australia rookie contract in 2019, David took a different route to make Australia’s T20I squad

Andrew McGlashan01-Sep-2022It felt appropriate that Tim David reflected on being called up to the Australia squad from the UK, where he has played the T20 Blast and the Hundred over recent months, on his way to the CPL in the West Indies where he will have a handful of games before heading to India and a likely Australia debut.He has forged his own, very modern, route in the game and it has now taken him to the top. Quite how he fits into Australia’s XI for the World Cup remains to be seen, but over the last couple of years Singapore-born David has built a record as a finisher that few can match and which has already brought him success around the globe.It wasn’t something he singularly focused on when he lost his rookie contract with Western Australia after the 2018-19 season, but he has followed the path that was opening in front of him.”It probably hasn’t been a sole focus, it’s just naturally evolved into that way,” he said. “My first opportunity after being released by Western Australia was to go and play for Singapore, so went and did that then came back at the opportunity to go to the [Hobart] Hurricanes.”From there the only thing I was going to do in professional cricket was play T20, so you focus on those skills and I have had more opportunities from there. It may look unorthodox but I’ve been out playing a lot of T20 cricket and really stoked to be getting to this point.”Related

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David detailed the situation that unfolded earlier this year when he had been picked in Australia’s T20I squad to face Sri Lanka and found out hours before he was due to fly to the PSL. He believed the certainty of games with Multan Sultans would be better value for him and national selector George Bailey was on board.”To be honest, at no point there was being picked for Australia really something I was thinking about,” he said. “I was flying to Pakistan later that day and got the call from George and at that point I didn’t know what to do. I thought, they’ve just won the World Cup and that was still a really strong team.”I’ve always tried to make decisions that are best for my career. I thought that would be an opportunity for me to improve and if I could do that over a period of time then maybe I was going to be a player who could be an asset to the Australian squad. For George to be able to see that and be really supportive of that it was great.””It may look unorthodox but I’ve been out playing a lot of T20 cricket and really stoked to be getting to this point”•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

The next part of the conversation will likely come after the World Cup where there are more bilateral T20I series that will overlap with domestic tournaments. If David was to hold a CA contract – which he would be eligible for if he played 12 T20Is this season – then he would not have the same freedom, particularly during the September-April period.How the game accommodates a player such as David without hindering their earning potential will likely be a topic of much debate in the next few years. Bailey was unsure whether he would become a trendsetter for how to build a career outside of traditional domestic set-up, but his body of work had made him impossible to look beyond.”He’s been a star of the Big Bash for some time,” Bailey said. “We get to the end of the Big Bash and we like to look at who is leading the run chart and facing the most balls, but if you look at franchise and international teams around the world the ability to finish an innings, whether that’s two, 12 or 20 balls, is highly sought after.”It’s a different journey, no doubt about that, and when you get the opportunity to hear about the journey it’s great. He has been part of our domestic systems…but it’s certainly unique. I think it’s really challenging for players to just be a franchise cricketer without having a base or support network. And it’s new, too. You might see it more and more but there are some challenges as well.”For now, all roads lead to the World Cup for David. Via a couple more stops along the way.

Liverpool have suffered something of a winter blip, drawing four of their past seven Premier League matches and trailing Tottenham by a goal to nil after the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie.

The finely crafted fluency has been knocked out of balance in recent weeks, of that there’s no doubt. But first-placed Liverpool still hold a four-point advantage over Arsenal, having played a game less, and will be determined to put Spurs to the sword at Anfield next month.

Arne Slot will retain his cool and composed demeanour, working in conjunction with sporting director Richard Hughes to advance the Liverpool cause to the best of his ability. Liverpool are pushing for silverware and many supporters are hoping that FSG will green-light a mid-season signing to propel the Merseysiders further forward.

Liverpool's January transfer plans

Liverpool’s contract-related issues have been discussed ad nauseam. Most of the noise has circled around Trent Alexander-Arnold, but Hughes and co better watch out, for Mohamed Salah is being courted by Saudi Pro League giants Al Hilal.

Liverpool still expect Salah and Virgil van Dijk to extend their time at Anfield, though Alexander-Arnold’s future is more nebulous. This bulky problem is the chief reason why efforts have not been expended concerning incomings. Left-back Milos Kerkez is top of the wishlist, for example, but not expected to be targeted to replace Andy Robertson until the end of the season.

Then there’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The prized Napoli winger, 23, is slated to complete a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain despite Liverpool showing their hand last week.

Matches (starts)

17 (15)

19 (14)

20 (12)

Goals

5

8

6

Assists

3

2

2

Shots (on target)*

2.9 (1.0)

2.0 (0.9)

1.8 (0.7)

Big chances missed

2

5

4

Pass completion

83%

87%

85%

Key passes*

1.7

1.4

1.2

Dribble (success)*

1.1 (31%)

1.2 (43%)

1.1 (67%)

Ball recoveries*

2.6

2.6

2.2

Total duels (won)*

4.2 (44%)

3.2 (37%)

3.3 (54%)

It’s a tad frustrating to watch initial intrigue come to nothing for such a talented player, but with Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo holding down the fort in that area so spectacularly, it was perhaps not the best track to head down this month. Both Redmen are arguably outstripping the Georgia international this season.

And anyway, Liverpool might have an up-and-coming talent in Rio Ngumoha who could prove to be Slot’s very own version of Kvaratskhelia.

Rio Ngumoha could be Slot's Kvaratskhelia

Sometimes, a fledgling talent comes along and you just know they carry something special. Ngumoha is that talent, though the 16-year-old must be eased into Slot’s senior set-up over the coming years, allowed to develop naturally with sporadic chances among the big boys.

Ngumoha was poached from Chelsea’s esteemed youth academy last summer, and it’s fair to say that Cobham officials were left hot under the collar as they lost one of their finest to the Merseysiders.

The highly-rated youngster’s signature was stuck due to some protracted administrative hold-ups throughout the summer but the move was completed in September and he has instantly made waves within Liverpool’s youth scene, leading to some high praise.

Reporter Lewis Bower even said: “I’ve probably never seen anything like it before. In terms of his ceiling, it’s frightening.”

The electric-paced wideman has already racked up 13 appearances for Liverpool’s respective youth sides this season, notching four assists and impressing with his ferocious athleticism and fleet-footedness.

His starting berth against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup last weekend was a perfect illustration of the high regard that Slot holds him in, for the Dutch coach is notoriously cut-throat when it comes to team selection.

Minutes played

72′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Shots (on target)

2 (0)

Touches

30

Accurate passes

16/18 (89%)

Dribbles (completed)

7 (3)

Ground duels (won)

9 (3)

He might not have scored against Liverpool’s League Two opponents last week, but Ngumoha gave an excellent account of himself on his professional debut, frustrating throughout with zappy dribbling and not afraid to get stuck in defensively either, displaying a combativeness that Slot will have appreciated.

After the 4-0 home victory, The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle even awarded Ngumoha with a 7/10 match rating, writing: ‘Announced himself on debut with some tricky runs down the left before break and released ball at right time. Encouraging display.’

There’s something delicately artful yet supremely sturdy about his ball-carrying ability, his silkiness. The mechanics behind the youngster’s skillset suggest that he could indeed be a superstar down the line if afforded enough time to grow into his skin.

To be sure, Liverpool could have made good use of a high-class winger such as Kvaratskhelia, but Slot has options aplenty and FSG will not want to do something hasty that could inhibit more calculated ventures down the line. They could well have saved themselves millions by not plumping for the £68m Napoli man.

When Jurgen Klopp stepped down at the end of the 2023/24 season, many across Europe might have felt that Liverpool would need to lower their station as the inevitable decline took hold with a cold grip.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

But Slot’s project looks fit to last – and is only just beginning. There’s so much talent in the first team, fighting for titles, but in youngsters such as Ngumoha, Liverpool might have some prodigious potential that could prompt reflective glances back to windows such as this one, when Kvaratskhelia was on the radar, and cause fans to breathe a sigh of relief.

For Ngumoha could be something so much more.

Liverpool chasing £50m “warrior” who’d be Slot’s own Gakpo signing

Liverpool may yet conduct some business during the January transfer window.

ByAngus Sinclair Jan 16, 2025

Liverpool fans would have been expecting some teething issues this season as Arne Slot got up to speed with the English game after his arrival from Feyenoord.

Instead, the Dutchman has taken to the pressures of the revered Anfield dug-out like a duck to water, with only one Premier League defeat next to his table-topping team’s name from 23 outings.

Whilst it does seem unlikely that the Reds will splash any cash between now and deadline day – owing to their status at the very top of the league – an opportunity could well open up that Slot and Co cannot turn down, with a long-term target potentially making them an even more frightening prospect to contain.

A market opportunity on deadline day for Liverpool

As per reports from late last month, Liverpool are avid admirers of Lyon gem Rayan Cherki, with an enquiry even lodged by the Reds over the availability of the entertaining attacker.

It was stated that Cherki could be allowed to head for the exit door out of the Ligue 1 giants for around just £20m, which is an amount Slot’s men would happily pay to land the exciting forward.

But, that switch might have to wait until the end of the season instead of getting over the line at the death, with this move one to keep an eye out on in case a last-gasp development takes place.

Regardless of whether a deal gets wrapped up at the 11th hour – with Liverpool reacting to Borussia Dortmund’s reported interest – or remains in the pipeline for a future date, landing the enigmatic 21-year-old at some point would undoubtedly boost the Merseyside club’s already spellbinding attack.

The Reds might well even end up signing their very own version of Cole Palmer if the dazzling Frenchman’s performances in Ligue 1 are anything to go by.

Why Cherki could be Liverpool's own Palmer

The self-assured skills of Cherki – a “future Ballon d’Or winner” in the eyes of The Athletic’s Alex Barker – bear a lot of similarities to the coolness Palmer exudes week in week out lining up for Enzo Maresca’s men.

But, it’s also his ability to fire home an opportunity – which has seen Palmer ridiculously boast 20 goal contributions already in the Premier League – after all that showboating that further builds up a case that the in-demand 21-year-old could become Liverpool’s own iteration of the Blues superstar.

In Ligue 1 action this season, the Lyon number 18 has helped himself to an impressive three goals and three assists from ten league starts, with a further seven goal contributions coming his way in the Europa League and Coupe de France when running more and more defences ragged.

Their comparative FBref numbers below further highlight how alike they are as both silky yet daring operators of the ball, with the likes of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo no doubt loving life at Anfield even more if Cherki was supplying chances for them.

Total shots

3.03

3.79

Shot-creating actions

7.77

6.13

Progressive passes

9.79

6.02

Progressive carries

5.01

3.90

Successful take-ons

4.32

1.58

Touches in attacking penalty area

7.17

4.44

Progressive passes received

8.46

6.41

Amazingly, Cherki actually betters Palmer in a lot of their attacking metrics across the last year, with more take-ons successfully managed by the Lyon ace when contrasted with the Chelsea number 20 among other glowing statistics.

Once labelled as an “outrageous” player to watch by football journalist Dean Jones, Liverpool will hope they aren’t beaten to Cherki’s signature anytime soon, with the prospect of winning such an entertaining talent for just £20m a dream late move for all involved.

Dream for Salah: Liverpool keen on £67m star who's "destined for greatness"

Liverpool are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Bundesliga sensation.

ByDan Emery Jan 31, 2025

It’s not been a full-blown disaster, but it would be fair to say that, as things stand, this season has not gone to plan for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side are out of the FA Cup, as good as out of the League Cup, and six points off Premier League leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand and, to top it all off, are set to be without the talismanic Bukayo Saka for at least a couple more months.

The England international injured his hamstring just after Christmas, and while the team has tried to cope without him, it’s evident that they miss his creativity and decisiveness out wide.

Fortunately, recent reports have linked the club with an exceptionally talented winger who could help carry the attacking burden in his absence and then form a sensational partnership with him when he returns.

Arsenal target attacking phenom

According to a recent report from the Independent, Arsenal are one of several clubs interested in Bayern Munich prospect Mathys Tel.

Transfer Focus

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Alongside the Gunners, the report claims that Manchester United, Chelsea, and fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur are keen on signing the incredibly exciting talent.

The good news is that the report has revealed that the Frenchman is ‘very open’ to a move to the Gunners due to the club’s stature and the possibility of regular game time thanks to Arteta’s limited options in attack.

However, the bad news is that according to a separate report from ESPN, Spurs have already seen a €60m – £50m – offer accepted by Bayern, although based on several other stories, it would appear that there is still a chance for Arsenal to get their man, as the 19-year-old is taking his time to decide his next move.

In all, it could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Tel’s ability and immense potential, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be unreal in the same team as Saka.

Why Tel would be incredible with Saka

So, if Arsenal are able to get their hands on Tel this month and bring him to the Emirates, why would he be so great when playing alongside Saka specifically?

Well, there are a couple of reasons, and the first is his raw output.

Now, the young Frenchman has barely played this season, so not much can be gained by looking at his statistics from it, but last year, even though he still didn’t play much football, he was incredibly effective.

Tel’s 23/24

Appearances

41

Starts

10

Minutes

1406′

Goals

10

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.39

Minutes per Goal Involvement

87.87′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, in 41 appearances totalling just 1406 minutes, the “2-footed ball-striking machine,” as dubbed by respected football analyst Ben Mattinson, scored ten goals and provided six assists.

That means he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 2.56 games, or every 87.87 minutes, across a campaign that started when he was just 18, which is simply sensational.

Just imagine having a player as clinical and dangerous as the 19-year-old off the left of a front three, while Saka starts off the right, who, prior to his injury, had racked up a monstrous haul of nine goals and 13 assists in 24 games, the team would be a nightmare to play against for opposition defenders.

The second reason the “elite level goal-scorer,” as dubbed by Mattinson, would be a dream teammate for the Gunners’ number seven is the fact that, due to his output and “top movement,” per Mattinson, he’d force teams to stop double and tripling up on the Hale Ender, thus opening up space for him to operate in.

In short, a winger pairing of Tel and Saka would be dynamic and dangerous enough to terrify any defence in world football, and if one of them ends up being marked out of the game, the other will be right there to score or assist a goal at the drop of a hat.

Ultimately, it might be a lot of money to spend on someone so young, but the Bayern prospect looks like the real deal, so the Gunners must do all they can to ensure he comes to the red side of North London.

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The exceptional striker would be incredible for Arsenal.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 30, 2025

Bryan Mbeumo is set to be at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war this summer amid interest from Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United.

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• Mbeumo wanted by Premier League rivals
• Enjoyed strong season for Brentford
• Bees set price for forward

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per CaughtOffside, there is interest from a quartet of Premier League clubs in signing Mbeumo this summer, with the Gunners and Spurs both keen, along with Manchester United and Liverpool. Brentford have set an asking price of up to £55 million ($73m) for the forward, and Mikel Arteta's side appear to be leading the race at present.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Arsenal are said to be keen to add depth to their forward line, while Spurs have struggled to keep Richarlison fit in a testing season. Mbeumo has scored 18 goals in 33 games this season, with the Bees in 11th in the Premier League table.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 25-year-old has a contract until 2026 and Brentford are aware that they may be fighting a losing battle to keep him. As a result, clubs are beginning to jostle for position ahead of the summer window.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Brentford play Nottingham Forest on Thursday before a clash with Manchester United. All eyes will be on Mbeumo.