All posts by n8rngtd.top

Celtic turn their attention back to the Scottish Premiership this weekend as they prepare to host fourth-placed Kilmarnock at Parkhead this afternoon.

The Hoops had their lead at the top of the table cut down to just goal difference during the week as their rivals moved level on points with them, with the same number of games played.

There is no getting away from the fact that Brendan Rodgers' side are very much in a title race and that makes every single match vitally important in their bid to win the league.

The Bhoys ran out 2-0 winners against St Mirren last time out in the SFA Cup, to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the competition, thanks to goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda.

Away from the attack, Rodgers could improve his side by moving Stephen Welsh, who started that match, out of the way for Gustaf Lagerbielke to finally be unleashed from the start.

Stephen Welsh's form this season

The 24-year-old defender only featured in four Premiership matches under Ange Postecoglou throughout the 2022/23 campaign but has already played five under the Northern Irish boss this term.

He has been a fairly unimpressive performer at the heart of the Hoops defence with his inaction defensively and lack of strength in physical duels.

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish defender has not stepped in to cut out many opposition attacks and has been dominated by attackers on the deck across his five league appearances for the club.

17 Celtic players have averaged more interceptions per game than Welsh, whilst 27 players within the squad have made at least one tackle for the team.

The 24-year-old enforcer started the club's last Premiership match against Hibernian and failed to impress. He lost five of his eight duels and did not make a single clearance, interception, block, or tackle throughout his 66 minutes on the pitch.

These statistics suggest that the academy graduate, who has made 66 competitive appearances for the first-team, did not do much to help his side out defensively, which is why Rodgers should be open to ditching him from the XI.

Why Lagerbielke should finally be unleashed

The Sweden international was signed from Elfsborg last summer on a permanent basis but has not been provided with many opportunities to showcase his quality this season.

Despite his lack of action on the pitch, the young defender's value on FootballTransfers has soared by 650% during his time at Parkhead and Rodgers could unearth a new star by bringing him into the side on a regular basis, particularly ahead of Welsh.

His last Premiership appearance came at the start of January and his last start in the division came against Motherwell back in September 2023.

The 23-year-old has made six appearances in the league, including four starts, for the Hoops this season and Celtic have not conceded a single goal in his 403 minutes on the pitch, with the only goal let in during those six games coming after he was substituted against Motherwell.

You could try to argue that this is a coincidence, given the limited number of matches, but his individual statistics suggest that he played a significant role in that defensive success in those six clashes.

As you can see in the table above, the 6 foot 4 titan was far more active defensively in his appearances for Celtic in the Premiership earlier this season than Welsh has been for the Hoops.

The Scottish defender has averaged 2.6 ball recoveries and 1.2 clearances per match to go along with his aforementioned 0.2 tackles and interceptions combined per outing.

This suggests that Lagerbielke has the ability to cut out and clear opposition attacks far more frequently each match on average than the Bhoys academy graduate.

The "hungry", as he was described by Rodgers, colossus has also won an outstanding 87% of his ground duels in the Premiership this season, which is a higher success rate than any other centre-back in the squad has managed this term.

It is also staggeringly better than Welsh's poor ground duel success rate of 25% and suggests that Lagerbielke would come in as a big upgrade on the 24-year-old dud, both in terms of his physical and defensive attributes.

This is why Rodgers must finally unleash him from the start for the first time in 2024 as he could offer more to the team than the Scottish lightweight has.

Liam Scales' emergence this season

Lagerbielke is a right-footed defender who could complement the left-foot of Scales in possession to ensure that Celtic are balanced when they play out from the back.

The Ireland international, who spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with Aberdeen, has emerged as a regular starter for the Scottish giants this season, with 23 league starts to his name so far.

He has been a dominant figure at the heart of the Hoops defence with a duel success rate of 65% across those 23 matches – winning 70% of his ground battles and 63% of his aerial contests.

This shows that, like Lagerbielke, Scales has the positioning and the physicality to dominate opposition attackers on the deck and in the air, whereas Welsh has been dominated by forwards in ground duels.

The 25-year-old enforcer has also made 2.6 tackles and interceptions per match for Celtic in the Premiership this season, which is more than Welsh and Lagerbielke combined.

Scales, who has completed 88% of his attempted passes in the Premiership, was also outstanding against Hibernian last time out in the top-flight, as shown in the table above.

He won 80% of his duels and made six combined clearances and blocks to keep Hibs from troubling Joe Hart's goal prior to Adam Idah's stoppage time winner from the penalty spot.

Rodgers must now unleash Lagerbielke and Scales as a pairing against Kilmarnock this afternoon as they could form a dominant partnership moving forward based on their respective performances this season.

Manchester United are reportedly prepared to trigger Viktor Tsygankov's release clause as they look to sign the Girona winger this summer.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Man Utd eyeing move for Tsygankov
• Ready to trigger release clause of Girona star
• Will compete with Arsenal to sign the winger

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils are ready to compete with Arsenal to secure the signature of 26-year-old Ukrainian winger Viktor Tsygankov from Girona in the ongoing transfer window. Per AS, Erik ten Hag has already spoken to the player and has informed him that he wants him at Old Trafford in the upcoming season.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Girona are keen on retaining the services of the star attacker after he enjoyed a successful 2023-24 campaign with the club. Tsygankov appeared in 34 matches across all competitions where he scored eight goals and contributed with seven assists. The Catalan club is expected to offer a new deal to the player, who is currently on an extended holiday after Euro 2024.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Red Devils are yet to submit a formal bid for the attacker, however, they are reportedly prepared to trigger the release clause in his existing contract which is set at €30m (£25m).

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Ten Hag's side are all set to travel to Norway where they are scheduled to play their first pre-season friendly against Rosenborg on Monday.

In January, Jurgen Klopp revealed that he would be stepping down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season, ending a glittering tenure at Anfield that has restored the club from a shadowed period.

In fairness, few supporters would contest that he reserves the right to dictate his future after such superlative work, and having rebuilt successfully with sweeping changes to the engine room last summer, the Merseyside outfit is in a fine place to start a new chapter with full focus on adding to the trophy cabinet and sustaining their position at the forefront of the Premier League.

Indeed, with the 2023/24 campaign now approaching the business end, Liverpool are at the summit of the top-flight, preparing for this weekend's Carabao Cup final against Chelsea and into the fifth round of the FA Cup and the Europa League's last 16.

It was indeed the centre of the park that was the crux of Liverpool's issues last term, with Klopp's self-branded heavy metal style of play no longer practicable, with Jordan Henderson, Fabinho James Milner and co seemingly past their sell-by date.

Such stars, so important throughout the German manager's silver-laden era, were shipped on, and while this was the right decision for each, they did still play a part at the club.

The same, regrettably, cannot be said for Naby Keita, who also departed last June upon the expiry of his contract in what can only go down as a colossal failure of a signing once brimming with excitement and anticipation.

Liverpool's signing of Naby Keita

Back in August 2017, news broke that Liverpool had agreed a club-record deal with RB Leipzig to sign talented centre-midfielder Keita, with the transfer to be formalised after the 2017/18 campaign.

The Guinea international had a £48m release clause but Liverpool were willing to pay a premium to secure his services, winning the race despite a vested interest expressed by Barcelona.

It was a deal to send a frisson of excitement coursing through Merseyside, with former Reds manager even remarking that he saw comparisons between the dynamic star and iconic Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard.

His ubiquity in the midfield did bespeak an all-encompassing nature that drew such comparisons, having clinched 37 goals and 26 assists from 152 fixtures in Germany with Leipzig.

But, alas, he was branded a massive "disappointment" by former player Dietmar Hamann – words surely echoed by the Liverpool fanbase – after year upon year of injury problems and consequent poor form.

Naby Keita's Liverpool career

In total, Keita chalked up 129 appearances for Liverpool and posted 11 goals and seven assists, and while there were inevitable flashes of quality throughout his time in England, he came unstuck and never produced the full scope of his natural skill set.

Never featuring from the outset more than 16 times in any one Premier League campaign, the 29-year-old quickly fell by the wayside and never regained his footing, winning much silverware at Anfield but offering contributions of inconsequential value.

Given that he earned a pretty penny at the club – £120k per week – it's hardly as if he didn't deplete FSG in all their frugality of their resources either.

His nightmare journey was indeed ended last summer and he closed the door on his Liverpool career and penned a deal with Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, snapped up for free but suffering a similar fare overseas.

Naby Keita's season in numbers

Returning to Germany, Keita at least left Liverpool with an array of shiny prizes, and while the rigours of Premier League football could hardly have helped his case as he fought and failed for fitness, Werder Bremen presented a clean slate.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

Of course, Keita had proved himself and then some on the German scene in the past and the slower pace theoretically hinted at more a fruitful career.

But the niggling woes that have eaten away at him are not easily rectified, and Keita's return to his erstwhile fluency is not something that will be easily restored, as if alchemised into something robust after taking leave of Klopp's high-octane set-up.

In fact, the diminutive ace has only featured three times for his current club, withdrawn before the hour mark on his lone starting berth, and yet to play since.

Only completing 69% of his passes that day, against Hoffenheim, Keita's ring rust was patently clear, losing all five of his contested duels and also being dribbled past.

While he's still only 29 years old, it will take a sustained run of competitive fixtures to bring him back to a semblance of his former level, and the likelihood of this is troublingly uncertain.

The worst part about the whole ordeal is that this is a player of elite talent, a midfielder of dynamic ability, catching the eye with his many-faceted strengths, stricken by ceaseless anatomical issues.

Keita was once described as a "world-class" footballer by his former Liverpool teammate Virgil van Dijk. His prowess was known to those around him, is known.

But unfortunately, the reality of his Anfield career is one of poignancy and wistfulness. He might have won the whole gamut of Liverpool's major silverware under Klopp's leadership, but he'd give a lot to rewind and start afresh, injury problems expunged.

Derby County were thankful to have new recruit Dwight Gayle at their disposal against Port Vale at the weekend, with the ageing free agent purchase heading home late into the first half to help Paul Warne's men win 3-0 in League One action.

The former Crystal Palace man, who is now very much in the twilight of his career at 34 years of age, could prove to be an ingenious short-term fix to Derby's mounting striker issues with the likes of James Collins and Martyn Waghorn currently in the Pride Park treatment room.

Another centre-forward has also found himself constantly plagued by recurring injury issues for the Rams, with the attacker in question boasting a rather handsome pay packet regardless of his lack of minutes in the past few months.

Conor Washington's time with Derby

Last featuring for his promotion-chasing side all the way back on Halloween against Northampton Town, where he managed to help himself to a goal and an assist, Conor Washington has been injury-stricken since to the dismay of Warne and Co.

Before a serious knee knock recently stopped him in his tracks, Washington was beginning to star for his new employers.

The experienced 31-year-old striker would bag three goals and chip in with two assists from 14 League One contests before disaster struck at Sixfields for the ex-Peterborough United man.

Now, however, with Warne revealing that Washington is likely to be out for the season, the 5 foot 10 forward's high wage should be under scrutiny.

Washington comes in at an extortionate £6.4k per week – according to Salary Sport – which puts him on a bumper wage compared to a number of consistent first-team performers who continue to provide and be impactful for Derby in their ongoing promotion hunt.

Astoundingly, the Northern Irishman earns a heftier pay packet than Nathaniel Mendez-Laing with talk surely having to come up soon over whether Washington should be kept on owing to his wage burning a big hole in the Rams pocket whilst he remains sidelined.

Conor Washington's wage compared to the Derby squad

Mendez-Laing, despite coming in with a staggering 26 goal contributions in all competitions this season, finds himself on a less luxurious wage than his injured counterpart – the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers winger earning just £4.9k in contrast.

Moreover, Washington's wage sees him earn more than standout youngster Eiran Cashin, according to Salary Sport, with the one-time Brighton target picking up a measly £3.3k per week whilst his 31-year-old teammate earns amazingly more than double.

Although Washington is some way off Conor Hourihane's inflated Rams wage – with the former Aston Villa midfielder way out in front as Derby's highest earner at £12k per week – it still would be a smart bit of business to offload the Northern Irish forward soon especially if he remains a regular fixture in the Pride Park treatment room.

Described as "struggling" behind the scenes by Warne off the back of this injury setback, there could well be a time in the not-so-distant future when the 50-year-old boss has to cut ties with Washington to kindly end his stop-start time in Derbyshire before more money is thrown away.

USMNT and England are eyeing moves for former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino as they look to replace their departing managers.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• USMNT and England linked with Pochettino
• Americans favourites to land Argentine
• Pochettino free to join national teams under terms with Chelsea

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Both the Football Association and the United States Soccer Federation are looking for a new manager after the departure of their coaches after defeats in Euro 2024 and the Copa America 2024 respectively. While Gareth Southgate left his role as Three Lions boss after the team's loss in the Euros final against Spain, Gregg Berhalter was removed from his position after USMNT failed to progress beyond the group stage in Copa.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE EXPLANATION

  The USMNT and England have been linked with a move for Argentine manager Mauricio Pochettino who is currently free after leaving the Chelsea job earlier in the summer. Per the terms of exit from the Blues, Pochettino can freely join a national team without compensation within six months of leaving the West London side. While the FA are open to appointing a non-English manager as their new head coach, their preference reportedly lies with British coaches, according to The Telegraph. The 52-year-old manager could also be enticed to move to the US considering the next World Cup in 2026 will be hosted in North America.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The USMNT are looking for a high-profile coach ahead of the next edition of the World Cup which they are hosting after 32 years. They are eyeing a move for a big name who has the experience of working with top names in world football.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• (C)Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

  England have been linked with a move for several top British coaches including Newcastle United's Eddie Howe. There were also rumours that the FA could consider appointing Jurgen Klopp at the helm, however, there are reports that the German has rejected the offer.

Tottenham legend Ledley King has privately told Spurs chiefs to make a transfer swoop this summer.

Spurs want to sign new defenders for Postecoglou

Despite already bringing in Radu Dragusin from Genoa for £25 million in January, reports in the last few weeks suggest that Ange Postecoglou's defence could look very different next season.

Club determined to sign Tottenham player as chiefs already open talks

They’re making moves behind-the-scenes pre-summer.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 19, 2024

Indeed, Postecoglou has already expressed the club's wish to bring in another centre-back, as the Lilywhites head coach claims it's an area which needs further reinforcement.

“If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at”, said Postecoglou on Spurs signing another centre-back.

“With all these things, it’s about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club. So it’s not just numbers. It’s more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit in to what we’re trying to build here.

“I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That is planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment.

“We’re a squad that needs to develop, and we’re looking for that younger demographic. But at the same time you’re looking for guys that have played."

As well as at centre-back, Spurs are identifying potential full-back signings, with Postecoglou believed to want alternatives to star defensive duo Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie. The pair have been crucial to Tottenham's success under Postecoglou and are a major foundation of their push for Champions League qualification next season, but there are arguably few quality alternatives to the duo behind them.

Emerson Royal stands out as the only choice behind Porro, while questions surround the longevity of Ben Davies at left-back and the torrid injury record of Ryan Sessegnon.

Tottenham told to sign Ben Johnson by Ledley King

Now, according to Football Transfers, Spurs legend King has told Tottenham to sign West Ham defender Ben Johnson to help fix their lack of depth at full-back.

The Englishman, who is now attracting interest from Tottenham as a result, is out of contract at the end of this season and could join the club for free. Former West Ham staff member Stuart Pearce highly rates the 24-year-old from their time together in east London as well.

"He's a wonderful professional to deal with and work with," said Pearce on the £20,000-a-week defender.

"We're very proud to have him out of our academy system as well, which is a real plus for us, especially with the connection to this club with the academy. I think he's just developing and getting better and better, and like with all young players, the more game time they have, the better they'll get, so I am delighted for the boy."

Amad Diallo has received "secret" advice from Yaya Toure as he sets sights on winning more silverware at Manchester United.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Amad caught up with Toure during holidays in Maldives
• Picked his brains on how to succeed in the Premier League
• Stopped short on revealing the secret mantra

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Despite Toure's legendary status at Manchester City, he was more than willing to share his wisdom with his Ivory Coast compatriot. However, Amad did not divulge the details of the counsel he received from Toure on his summer holidays in the Maldives, and instead teased that the effects of the advice would be evident by the season's end.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  WHAT AMAD DIALLO SAID

  Speaking about his interaction with Toure from United's training base at UCLA, he said: "This summer I met him on holiday and he gave me some advice – some secret."

  When pressed for more information, Amad remained coy. "It's a secret," he repeated. "He said something is good for me. He is a good guy. Yaya Toure scored a lot of goals with City. Meeting him on holiday and talking with him was very important for me. He gave me some advice for the future. Let's see what happens at the end of the season."

• Manchester United
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Amad has been honing his skills with another football icon, Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has returned to Old Trafford as an assistant to Erik ten Hag. The former Atalanta player, now 22, expressed his excitement about training with a club legend and said: "He's trying to get us to score more goals. If we want to win something this season we need to score a lot of goals. That is why he makes training. I'm happy to do that with Ruud and the manager."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Amad's hard work and new guidance appear to be paying off. The 22-year-old has shone in pre-season, notably earning praise from his manager for his stellar performance against Rangers, where he scored in a 2-0 victory for the Red Devils.

After a successful first season, Casemiro has struggled to maintain his form since, with the 32-year-old showing plenty of signs that he's now past his best – handing Manchester United a problem they must solve.

Man United transfer news

It looked like good business when Manchester United welcomed a player of Casemiro's calibre – a serial winner who was still a consistent starter at the heart of Real Madrid's midfield. Now in his second season, however, and the £70m price tag that the Red Devils splashed out looks more and more like another regrettable decision.

Man Utd were bled dry by “unreliable” dud who earned more than Garnacho

The Man United ace cost the club £48.5m over his 12 year stay.

By
Tom Lever

Mar 29, 2024

It's a decision that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been left to rectify in his first summer at Old Trafford, which could see a number of incomings and departures take place. Reports suggest, for example, that Christian Eriksen is likely to be among those shown the exit door now that Kobbie Mainoo has taken the Dane's place in Erik ten Hag's Premier League side.

Meanwhile, the future of Raphael Varane is still in doubt, with the Frenchman's contract set to expire in the summer of 2025 and United running out of time to cash in. Their first priority seems to be replacing Casemiro, however.

According to Sport in Spain, Manchester United have made signing Joshua Kimmich a priority this summer from Bayern Munich, who reportedly value their star at €50m (£43m).

Whilst United will have to fend off plenty of interest in the defensive midfielder, who can also play at right-back, they will hope to at least overpower Barcelona financially, leaving them to compete against the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool. Given that Kimmich's contract runs out in the summer of 2025, Bayern are running out of time to gain a transfer fee for their star man.

At 29 years old, Kimmich still has a few years left in the tank and represents one of the best options to replace Casemiro for a potential bargain price this summer.

"Monster" Kimmich is better than Casemiro

Before each of their current levels is even considered, Kimmich's versatility alone instantly makes him a more dependable option than Casemiro. The German would become the leader at the heart of United's midfield that Casemiro was meant to be for more than just his debut season, and quickly become one of the bargains of the summer transfer window if a cut-price deal is feasible. Kimmich's stats this season even prove as much:

What's more, Kimmich is a player who's certainly rated in Germany, with former Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick once saying via Bavarian Football Works: "Joshua Kimmich is an absolute professional, a mentality monster.

"He’s always in the game, he never gives up. He’s one who always pushes but of course, has enormous quality on the ball. His passes and his set pieces have enormous quality. That’s why he plays for Bayern Munich and is why we’ve also been so successful with him."

Now, United could find themselves benefiting from that quality as they look to replace Casemiro just two seasons after he arrived from Real Madrid.

Wrexham have broken their transfer record to sign Rotherham United midfielder Ollie Rathbone.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Wrexham break transfer record
• Rathbone arrives from Rotherham
• Not available for season opener

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rathbone has signed a three-year contract with Wrexham until the summer of 2027. has reported it to be a club record transfer, which means the fee is in excess of the £300,000 ($383,000) paid for Ollie Palmer in January 2022.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  On the eve of Wrexham's first game of the League One season, Rathbone has spent his whole career at that level or higher. The former Manchester United youth player got his senior break at Rochdale in the division, before helping Rotherham get promoted to the Championship and spending the last two seasons there.

• WHAT OLLIE RATHBONE SAID

  "I'm delighted. I'm really excited to be here and to get going,"Rathbone said. "To have back-to-back promotions, the club is obviously doing something very right from the outside looking in. There's nowhere I'd rather be signing. I'm really glad the move has been completed. It's going to be a long season, but I'm hopeful that we'll have another successful season."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Rathbone's arrival is still subject to final EFL approval, so he won't be in Phil Parkinson's matchday squad for the opening game of the season against Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday. But he could make his debut in the Carabao Cup first round against Sheffield United on August 13.

With Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side pushing for the Premier League title this year, they are relying on some of their biggest stars to help get them over the line, especially considering some of the crunch games they have coming up.

Bukayo Saka, although struggling with injury at the moment, has been superb so far in 2023/24 – contributing to 29 goals – and Declan Rice, who is fresh off the back of captaining England on his 50th cap, has lived up to his large price tag of £105m including add-ons.

It has been a less smooth ride for Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli, one of Arsenal’s most important players.

So far, he has just ten Premier League goal involvements, although his form has picked up of late, registering an assist against Newcastle and then a goal and assist away to Sheffield United.

With trophies to push for in the coming seasons under Arteta, there is no surprise that rumours have spread of late linking the Gunners to a new option out wide, with their apparent interest intensifying in recent weeks.

Arsenal 'like' Premier League winger

The player in question is Wolverhampton Wanderers and Portugal winger Pedro Neto.

The West Midlands outfit has made some excellent profit in the last year from sales, and Neto could be next in line to earn them a big payday. Indeed, according to Fabrizio Romano, Arteta's side are interested in bringing Neto to The Emirates.

The reporter revealed in his Daily Briefing on Wednesday: "Pedro Neto is a player Arsenal like and have looked at before, but we have to wait for Wolves to decide initial price tag to understand what Arsenal, Tottenham and more clubs will decide to do."

Gary O’Neil’s side could charge Arsenal upwards of £60m for the Portuguese winger, according to Nizaar Kinsella of The Standard. Neto could be one of a few big departures from Molineux, with Rayan Ait-Nouri another player of interest to Premier League clubs this summer.

This could be seen as a risky move on the Gunners’ part, considering Neto’s frustrating injury record. The 24-year-old has missed 109 games for club and country since joining Wolves from Lazio in 2019.

Arsenal will be one of many sides challenging for Neto’s signature this summer. The winger, who has five caps and one goal at full international level for Portugal, is also said to be piquing the interest of North London rivals Tottenham, and fellow title challengers Liverpool, ahead of the summer transfer window.

How Pedro Neto compares to Gabriel Martinelli

There is little doubt to Arsenal fans and neutrals alike that Arteta needs to recruit out wide, to give himself better options and allow Bukayo Saka to rest.

The 22-year-old has played 2275 minutes in the Premier League this season, according to WhoScored. William Saliba (2520) and Declan Rice (2399) are the only Arsenal players to have played more.

Neto could certainly be the answer to their depth issues. The 24-year-old has lit up Molineux this season, with two goals and nine assists to his name in just 18 Premier League starts. Despite his lack of game time, he is one assist away from joint-topping the list in the top flight this season.

Stylistically, Neto is very similar to Martinelli, so much so, that football analyst Ben Mattinson described him as ‘a right-sided Martinelli’ on X. He is a quick, direct winger who is a superb ball-carrier and a huge threat in transition, exactly like Martinelli.

Both Neto and Martinelli’s standout skillset is their ball-carrying, and they have very similar numbers per 90 minutes, according to Fbref. Neto averages 5.30 progressive carries per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 12% of positionally similar wingers in Europe, with Martinelli averaging slightly more, 5.46 progressive carries per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 11%.

The word ‘direct’ was mentioned earlier, implying their willingness to run at defenders and drive into the penalty box. This is reflected in both players’ numbers, as per Fbref.

Neto averages 2.34 carries into the penalty box per 90 minutes on average, placing him in the top 17%. Martinelli is even better, averaging 3.35 carries into the penalty box per 90 minutes, placing him in the top 4%.

Where Neto excels over Martinelli is his creativity. Aside from his nine Premier League assists this season, the 24-year-old averages 0.83 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes this season, placing him in the top 3%. In comparison, Martinelli averages 0.68 goal-creating actions per 90 mins, enough to place him in the top 15%. Neto’s superb creativity will only enhance the threat of the Gunners’ attack.

There is little doubt that Neto would improve Arsenal. He would offer something different to Saka on the right wing and would be able to come into games where Arsenal may have space in behind and be a huge threat. For the fee of £60m he could cost, it would be a smart move for Arsenal, although risky given his injury record.

Arsenal have an "unplayable" teen who could end up replacing Martinelli

The incredibly talented youngster could soon be fighting for a spot in the first team.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Mar 11, 2024