It's finally here; after a summer of non-stop rumours, international football and globe-spanning preseason tours, the transfer deadline is upon us.

While some Premier League teams still have plenty of work to do before the clock strikes 11 tonight, others seemingly have a lot less to do, including Tottenham Hotspur.

The North Londoners have already signed a plethora of talented players over the last couple of months, from Wilson Odobert to Dominic Solanke.

However, while the Lilywhites are unlikely to add any more big-name stars to Ange Postecoglou's squad today, they have been linked with a potential bargain in a signing reminiscent of Archie Gray's last month.

Tottenham's deadline day activity

According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham are one of several clubs who have been offered Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill.

Alongside the Lilywhites, the report has revealed that Everton and Fulham are just a couple of the clubs who have been made aware of the 28-year-old's availability.

The good news for the North Londoners, who are interested in the player, per the report, is that he's available for a cut-price fee of just £5m due to his contract expiring next summer.

He wouldn't be a game-changing signing for Spurs, but given the price and his experience, bringing him to the club before the window slams shut tonight seems like a great way to improve the squad.

Why Brownhill would be a good signing for Spurs

Okay, so before we look at why Spurs should sign Brownhill, let's examine how his transfer would be reminiscent of Gray's last month.

Well, to get straight to the point, it would see the club dipping back into the Championship to sign an incredibly important player from a team who was recently in the Premier League and, while the Clarets ace isn't going to be as crucial to Postecoglou's squad in the long term, he could be a useful addition for the here and now.

For example, he made 33 Premier League appearances, mostly in central midfield, for Vincent Kompany's side last season, in which he scored four goals and provided two assists, equating to a goal involvement on average every 5.5 games, which is quite impressive for someone in his position in a team that was relegated.

Appearances

33

Goals

4

Assists

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.18

Moreover, he had the captain's armband for the majority of those games and as Tottenham look to build a young and exciting team over the next few years, having an older head who's happy to play a supporting role and who also has leadership qualities can only be a good thing.

Lastly, across his entire career to date, the "fabulous player", as dubbed by former professional Lee Hendrie, has only missed 15 games through injury, meaning he could be relied upon to remain fit for the games in which he's called upon.

Ultimately, Brownhill is not a player who will change games for Spurs, and his potential transfer to the club would probably not even be picked up upon by fans of other clubs. However, he is a Premier League-proven midfielder with plenty of experience, a clean bill of health and leadership qualities, and he's supposedly available for just £5m.

Therefore, Levy and Co should look to bring him in before the window closes tonight, as he could be a dream squad player for Postecoglou.

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Glasgow Rangers do not have the best track record when it comes to bringing in talented young players to develop and then sell on for a profit.

Calvin Bassey is the only player the Light Blues have sold for more than £15m in their history, with a fee of up to £22.7m agreed for him to leave Ibrox in the summer of 2022.

The Gers have struggled to find and develop talent to be sold for huge sums of money on a regular basis and the sale of Todd Cantwell is perhaps the latest evidence of this.

Rangers signed the midfielder for £1.5m at the start of 2023, 18 months after he was valued at £40m by Norwich, but they failed to increase his value at Ibrox.

The former England U21 international left to sign for Blackburn Rovers at the end of the summer transfer window for a fee of £500k, taking a £1m loss on him.

Another player the club failed to extract a profit from was talented wide man Ryan Kent, who enjoyed plenty of success at Ibrox before leaving for nothing last summer.

Rangers fumbled Ryan Kent profit

After a season on loan from Liverpool in Glasgow in the 2018/19 campaign, the Scottish giants swooped to sign the English forward for a reported fee of £7.5m in 2019.

The former Reds flanker produced seven goals and zero assists in 21 appearances in the Scottish Premiership in his first season with the club as a permanent addition in the 2019/20 term.

Kent stepped up his game in the following campaign, though, and caught the eye with his fantastic contributions to the club's title success under Steven Gerrard.

20/21 Premiership

Ryan Kent

Appearances

37

Sofascore rating

7.23

Goals

10

Big chances created

9

Assists

9

Key passes per game

1.8

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the left winger provided a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Ibrox giants, with 19 direct goal contributions in 37 league outings.

It was then reported that he was a £15m target for Leeds United in the summer of 2021 but a move to Elland Road never materialised for Kent.

The forward then managed just five goals in the next two Premiership campaigns combined before moving on from Ibrox on a free transfer in the summer of 2023, signing for Turkish side Fenerbahce.

This shows that the Light Blues did not make the most of Kent's talent as they ended up with nothing in return for his exit after previously valuing him at £15m, following an exceptional season in the 2020/21 campaign.

Rangers have a player in their current squad who may have once been deemed to have been a bigger talent than Kent was at the same age after that title-winning season, in Romanian whiz Ianis Hagi.

Ianis Hagi was a bigger talent than Ryan Kent

Like the Englishman, the attacking midfielder initially joined the club on loan from Genk for the second half of the 2019/20 season, in which the youngster produced three goals and two assists in 13 appearances in all competitions.

After his six months on loan with the Gers, Hagi was snapped up on a permanent deal from the Belgian side for a reported fee of £3m in the summer of 2020.

The Romania international's form in his first full season with the Scottish giants suggested that he was an even bigger talent than Kent, as he outperformed the Englishman's exploits at the same age.

Season they turned 22

All competitions

Hagi – 20/21

Kent – 18/19

Appearances

46

43

Minutes played

2,801

3,438

Goals

8

6

Assists

15

9

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Hagi produced two more goals and six more assists in all competitions during the season he turned 22, which was the title-winning campaign, than Kent did in 2018/19.

The exciting midfielder, who was once named as one of the 50 best young players in the world by The Guardian in 2015, racked up seven goals and 12 assists in 33 games in the Premiership that term.

This shows that Rangers may have thought that they had a bigger talent than Kent by the summer of 2021, as the 22-year-old had outperformed the winger at a similar age in the same division.

Where Ianis Hagi is now

Unfortunately, a mixture of bad fortune and a decline in form meant that Hagi failed to fulfill his potential at Ibrox, at least to date, and he is now an outcast in the current squad.

He has not played a single game for Rangers this season and it has been claimed that one more appearance would trigger a wage increase of £6k-per-week, that would take him from £25k-per-week to £31k-per-week.

That is reportedly the reason why Philippe Clement has exiled him from the first-team squad and the midfielder rejected the chance to return to Romania before the summer transfer window slammed shut.

This comes after he spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Alaves to continue his recovery from a long-term knee injury that kept him out of action from January 2022 to January 2023 – forcing him to miss 69 competitive games for Rangers.

21/22 Premiership

Ianis Hagi

Appearances

15

Goals

2

Assists

0

Dribbles completed per game

0.8

Key passes per game

1.5

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Hagi's form after his superb exploits in the 2020/21 campaign took a hit, as he produced just two goal contributions in 15 appearances before his knee injury.

The versatile midfielder then managed two goals and two assists in 26 appearances for Alaves in all competitions during his loan spell, following his long-term absence.

Hagi, who won a penalty for Romania against Lithuania on Monday, has not been offered the chance to revive his Rangers career by Clement, due to the issue with his contract.

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The 25-year-old dynamo put a statement out last month revealing that he wants to play for the club and is willing to iron out the problem with his contract, but there has not been any update on his situation since then and he remains an outcast to the first-team squad.

أكد بيب جوارديولا المدير الفني لفريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي مانشستر سيتي على صعوبة مواجهة ريال مدريد، مؤكدًا أنه لا يستحق التأهل لدور الـ16 مباشرة.

مانشستر سيتي يستضيف ريال مدريد غدًا الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات ملحق دور الـ16 من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، على ملعب الإتحاد بإنجلترا.

وفي المؤتمر الصحفي للمباراة، قال جوارديولا: “نحن نقبل التحدي، ودائمًا ما تكون مرحلة خروج المغلوب صعبة، ولا نستحق أن نكون في دور الـ16، لذا نستحق أن نكون في الملحق الآن، لأننا لم نلعب بشكل جيد في مرحلة المجموعات”.

طالع أيضًا | سافينهو: سأحقق حلمي أمام ريال مدريد.. والتركيز مطلوب لمنع أي ريمونتادا قاسية

وأضاف بالحديث عن عدم حضور ريال مدريد حفل الكرة الذهبية، عندما علموا بفوز رودري: “أنا سعيد لـ رودري، وقدم فينيسيوس عامًا استثنائيًا أيضًا، وكان يستحق ذلك، لكن ليس لدينا أي مشاعر سيئة تجاه ريال مدريد”.

وواصل: “بالنسبة للعقد الماضي، ريال مدريد هو أعظم منافس يمكنك مواجهته، لأنه ليس من الطبيعي أن تلعب ضد نفس المنافس طوال الوقت، والنتائج مختلفة تمامًا”.

وأكمل: “من حيث التاريخ في دوري أبطال أوروبا، لا يمكننا المقارنة بين ريال مدريد أو بايرن ميونخ، وكذلك برشلونة وميلان، ولكننا كنا موجودين خلال العقد الماضي، وفي السنوات الأخيرة تمكننا من هزيمتهم”.

واستكمل: “لقد عانى كلا الفريقين من الإصابات خلال الموسم، وأعتقد أن ريال مدريد يتعامل مع الأمر بشكل أفضل منا، لأنهم ما زالوا في صدارة الدوري ويقاتلون ضد أتلتيكو مدريد وبرشلونة، وهذا ما يظهر ثباتهم”.

وأشار: “نحن قادرون على فعل كل شيء، ولا يمكنني أن أنكر مدى ثقتي باللاعبين الذين قاموا بعمل مذهل خلال السنوات العشر الأخيرة، نأمل في تقديم أفضل ما لدينا غدًا”.

وعند سؤاله عن موقفه من الرحيل في ظل سوء النتائج، أجاب جوارديولا: “لا أعلم ما إذا كان سيتم سؤال الطبيب عن منصبه؟ أنا هنا بسبب كل ما حققت في المواسم السابقة. لا أعتقد أنه سيتم طردي في الشارع بسبب سوء النتائج”.

واختتم: “إذا فزنا على ريال مدريد، سوف يكون ذلك بمثابة دفعة كبيرة لبقية الموسم. لا يمكننا أن ننسى قبل عقد من الزمان لم نكن هنا، والآن يرشحنا الجميع للبطولات”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em sua reta final no Brasileirão, o Fluminense terá o árduo desafio de fazer com que seu ataque se torne eficiente. Diante do América-MG, neste domingo (21), no Maracanã, o Tricolor das Laranjeiras tentará acabar com uma recente seca de gols do setor ofensivo na competição nacional.

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Desde que John Kennedy brilhou marcando duas vezes e Abel Hernández também deixou o seu na vitória por 3 a 1 sobre o Flamengo, o ataque rendeu bem abaixo do esperado. Os comandados de Marcão passaram em branco nas derrotas para o Santos (por 2 a 0), para o Ceará e o Juventude (ambas por 1 a 0).

Já nas outras partidas, o gol saiu com ajuda de jogadores de outras posições. O zagueiro David Braz decretou a vitória por 1 a 0 sobre o Sport. Já Yago foi inspirado ao definir o 2 a 1 sobre o Palmeiras.

Em meio a este cenário, o técnico Marcão contará com novidades na área. Fred volta a ficar à disposição após cumprir suspensão automática. Já Luiz Henrique treinou com bola e indicou que pode voltar contra o Coelho. Há uma dúvida também no meio de campo: Arias e Cazares disputam titularidade.

O Fluminense tem 45 pontos em 33 jogos (mesmo número de pontos do América-MG).

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has confirmed Declan Rice is available to face Crystal Palace after missing their Carabao Cup win over the Eagles.

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Rice missed Palace cup gameArteta issues update on RiceArsenal face Eagles againFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The England international missed Arsenal's 3-2 Carabao Cup win over Palace at the Emirates in midweek due to a minor injury. However, the club and manager Arteta have confirmed both Rice and defender Riccardo Calafiori are fit for the Premier League clash at Selhurst Park this weekend.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT MIKEL ARTETA SAID

Arteta told reporters on Friday: "They [Rice and Calafiori] are both available to be in the squad."

The club added that defenders Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu both remain sidelined with their respective knee injuries, while left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko could be available.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Arsenal cannot afford to fall further behind Premier League pacesetters Liverpool and Chelsea, with the Gunners six and four points back respectively. And having Calafiori and Rice back fit is a big boost for Arteta's men.

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AFPWHAT NEXT?

After taking on Palace on Saturday, third-placed Arsenal return to the Emirates next Friday to host lowly Ipswich Town in the Premier League.

Women’s cricket in India has been making headlines since India made the finals of the 2017 50-over World Cup and the 2020 T20 World Cup. By the end of 2021, India would have played two Tests after a gap of almost seven years: One just ended, in England, and there’s another lined up, a pink-ball Test – the second for women – in Australia in September. The BCCI has also been tapping talent with the T20 Challenge that is played alongside the IPL playoffs’ week every year.All of that would make it appear that women’s cricket in India is heading in the right direction. However, Saba Karim, who was until December the BCCI’s general manager for cricket operations, feels that the board needs to make the administration of the women’s game more professional and have a plan that is separate from that for men’s cricket. Only then, he says, can women’s cricket grow faster.Related

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“It is a good start, but there needs to be a solid plan, a plan different to that for the boys and men, for things to move forward and for us to build on it,” Karim said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo. “I feel the way to go forward is to make it much more professional, and growth of women’s cricket has to be different from boys’ cricket, and the planning has to be different. One has to have a different plan, a constructive plan, with lots of outreach programmes.”While Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jhulan Goswami Smriti Mandhana and a couple of others are household names in India, Karim said the pathway for young women to move from the lowest rungs to the top are yet to be properly put in place. “In India, we don’t have many girls who come and play, even now. One has to ensure that their passage from entering the system to the time they exit is without obstacles,” he said. “For instance, for a boy to walk two kilometres to play cricket, or to go to school, is easy. But it’s not for a girl. So how do we remove that? How do we make it more accessible?”Also, the BCCI has Under-19 and Under-23 cricket, but 40-50% of the girls end up playing [both] Under-19 and Under-23 for certain teams, because there aren’t too many girls playing. We had to have separate calendars so there was no clash. That isn’t the case with the boys, because there are so many players and there is so much talent. So the plan for women has to be different.”When India played the Bristol Test earlier this month, it wasn’t just the team’s first Test match in seven years. It was also the first long-format game the players had been involved in in years, with the BCCI discontinuing its women’s domestic first-class competition after the 2017-18 season.During Karim’s three-year term in the BCCI, domestic and women’s cricket were among his primary responsibilities, his mandate being to draw up roadmaps and structures for holistic development. There was the occasional chat at the BCCI – run by the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) for the best part of his time there – about women’s cricket, Karim said, but nothing that suggested a revival of the first-class and Test formats so soon.”Only England and Australia had Test matches, and no country was very keen to play, there were lots of constraints: lots of women cricketers are not professionals, getting out for so many days was a problem; not just in India, but elsewhere too,” Karim said. “I think that’s why the BCCI took the decision not to have Test matches, and therefore no first-class tournament.”There were discussions, there were talks, between some of the other nations too. More so after England and Australia introduced the points-system-based multi-format Ashes. This gained momentum in India too; the BCCI wanted to be in that position. I am glad it has happened. But to sustain it, we need multi-day cricket for women in the domestic circuit also. It might start from the Under-23 level, and take it up to the seniors.””The women’s IPL will have the same quality as the men’s IPL if there is a strong foundation”•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

It is, however, easier said than done, and Karim accepted that. “The only way forward is to have a full-fledged three-day competition. But the issue is not conducting the matches; the BCCI hosts an incredible number of matches anyway. The issue is the calendar – it’s packed, and we have limited time to conduct so many tournaments,” he says. “You can’t start before September, even mid-September, to accommodate the increase in the number of matches. It was possible because so many new venues came up, but it was a logistical nightmare for sure.”For a women’s multi-day event, we need to look at some more venues. Plus, don’t forget, this means an increase in the number of match officials, scorers, groundspersons, video analysts, the entire contingent. It’s not only about grounds. All that needs to be considered.”Karim, often in consultation with National Cricket Academy director Rahul Dravid, had chalked out a comprehensive plan to try and take Indian women’s cricket to the next level, and much of it involved a greater focus at the lower levels, and a lot of collaboration with the state associations.”Outreach programmes with Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns, schools, those were in the pipelines. The Women’s IPL [in discussions for a while now but yet to become a reality] is at the highest level, and that we can have. But for it to be successful, we need a stronger domestic circuit, a better structure,” Karim says. “The women’s IPL will have the same quality as the men’s IPL if there is a strong foundation. The way men’s cricket is played in India, we don’t need to do too much, because there is so much talent, so many players in the system. That has to happen for the women.”The onus, Karim said, was not just on the BCCI, but primarily with the states. “Initially, the responsibility of the state associations and the BCCI is to come up with a proper plan. A proper roadmap needs to be in place. That will come from the BCCI. But the BCCI can’t do everything. The states need to play their part to make it happen.”

The Premier League is back, and Manchester United got their campaign underway with a hard-fought win over Fulham, who caused them some real trouble last season.

Erik ten Hag's side may have only won the game 1-0, but they looked pretty good throughout the 90 minutes and gave the fans a reason to be hopeful ahead of a long ten months that'll hopefully end in Champions League qualification.

One of the best players in the first half was Casemiro, who showed why he could still be helpful for the team. Likewise, while he could be sold in the coming weeks, Scott McTominay came on for a late cameo and looked okay.

However, while they both looked perfectly fine in their time on the pitch, another starter has seen his valuation skyrocket past theirs'.

Casemiro and McTominay's valuation in 2024

So, based on recent reports, it does look as if McTominay's time at Old Trafford could be coming to an end, with Fulham particularly keen on bringing him to Craven Cottage this summer.

The West Londoners had a second offer rejected for the Scottish international earlier this month worth around £20m, but now it looks like they could come in with a third, improved offer.

However, Marco Silva's side are unwilling to match United's £30m valuation of the player, instead looking to seal the deal at around £25m, although whether the Red Devils are willing to accept that remains to be seen.

Some out there may question such a valuation on the 27-year-old's head, but given that he scored ten goals and provided three assists from 43 appearances last season, it seems more than fair.

Now, while the Lancaster-born ace has seen his stock rise slightly over the last year, his midfield partner, Casemiro, has seen his value plummet.

For example, he joined the three-time European champions for a whopping £70m in the summer of 2022, and while he enjoyed a stellar first season at the club, he struggled last year and, as a result, his valuation from Transfermarkt has plunged to just €20m, which converts to just £17m.

That might seem egregious for such a decorated player, but his fall from grace in the back half of last year was dramatic, with Jamie Carragher claiming that his "legs have gone", which was reportedly also the opinion of the club's coaching staff earlier this summer.

However, with all of that said, while Casemiro's value has plunged and McTominay's has risen, neither player is worth anywhere near as much as one of their young teammates.

Kobbie Mainoo's valuation in 2024

Of course, who else was it going to be? The young midfielder who has seen his valuation explode in the last year or so is 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo.

According to Transfermarkt, the Stockport-born gem is now worth €55m, which converts to around £47m, meaning he is currently worth at least £17m more than McTominay and a massive £30m more than Casemiro.

There may be some people out there who believe this valuation is just too much for a player his age, but based on his performances over the last year or so and his importance to United and England, it's entirely justified.

For example, despite being so young, he made 32 first-team appearances for the Red Devils last season, in which he scored five goals and provided one assist, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 5.33 despite playing all of his games in central and defensive midfield.

Moreover, following his impressive showing at the Euros this summer, the "absolute baller", as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, already has nine senior England caps to his name, which is a glowing endorsement of his immense talent and sky-high potential.

Mainoo's senior record
Team	Man United	England
Appearances	37	9
Goals	5	0
Assists	1	0
Goal Involvements per Match	0.16	0.00
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Ultimately, while some may be surprised to see that Mainoo is already worth substantially more than some of his more senior teammates, they shouldn't be, especially as his valuation will keep soaring if he keeps performing at this level.

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أوضح برناردو سيلفا، لاعب وسط مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي رأيه في المصري عمر مرموش، الوافد الجديد لفريقه، والتعاقدات الجديدة التي أبرمها النادي في انتقالات يناير.

وانضم عمر مرموش إلى مانشستر سيتي من آينتراخت فرانكفورت في يناير الماضي، وكذلك تعاقد النادي مع عبد القادر خوسانوف وفيتور ريس.

ووضع مرموش بصمته مبكرًا مع السيتي، حيث سجل ثلاثة أهداف في الفوز على نيوكاسل بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز في الجولة الماضية.

وقال برناردو في تصريحات لشبكة “TNT sports”: “الطاقة الجديدة جيدة دائمًا وعندما يكون لديك فريق ناجح مثل فريقنا في السنوات السبع أو الثماني الماضية، فأنت بحاجة إلى دماء أو طاقة جديدة”.

وأضاف” “أولاً، لمحاولة الضغط على اللاعبين الذين يلعبون، وخلق المنافسة داخل الفريق وأيضًا لتقديم شيء جديد، لأن عقلك يتعب”.

اقرأ أيضًا | ميدو يشبه مرموش بزميله السابق في توتنهام.. ويؤكد: يمكنه القيام بدور هالاند

وأردف: “أنت تفعل نفس الأشياء على مر السنين، وتحتاج إلى لاعبين جدد، لذلك من الجيد أنهم جاءوا للمساعدة، إنهم سيجلبون طاقة جديدة للفريق، وهذا جيد حقًا”.

ويستعد مانشستر سيتي لمواجهة ريال مدريد في العاشرة مساء اليوم الأربعاء، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” في إياب ملحق دور الـ16 لدوري أبطال أوروبا.

وكانت مباراة الذهاب حسمت بفوز ريال مدريد على مانشستر سيتي بثلاثية لهدفين على ملعب “الاتحاد”.

Newcastle United need a right winger. Jacob Murphy and Miguel Almiron are industrious sorts, but neither offer the kind of prolificness that Eddie Howe covets.

Much was made about the failure to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, but equally, landing a new winger would have been a real plus for a talented Magpies side that does have its flaws.

Anthony Gordon, typically a left-flanking winger, has played on the right against Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham this season, though he’s clearly at his best on the alternate side.

Indeed, Newcastle have been solid but definitely unspectacular across their three victories thus far, showing togetherness and a high-level understanding of their manager’s plan, but not dominating and wreaking chaos on their opponents.

Last season, despite their issues, Newcastle finished the campaign joint-second with Manchester City for big chances created (97), however, so far this year they are joint-ninth (alongside five other teams) with nine.

The frontline isn’t clicking together right now, with Gordon – who has reportedly signed a new long-term deal – and striker Alexander Isak yet to hit their stride.

How Isak & Gordon are performing in 24/25

Last season, Gordon was crowned Newastle’s Player of the Season after an emphatic campaign that saw him plunder 12 goals and 11 assists across all competitions. Isak was also in fine fettle, bagging 25 goals across 40 appearances and being praised as “world-class” and a “nightmare” by pundit Harry Redknapp.

Matches (started)

5 (5)

5 (5)

Goals

1

1

Assists

0

0

Shots (on target)*

1.2 (0.4)

2.2 (0.4)

Pass completion

77%

74%

Key passes*

2.4

0.8

Dribbles (completed)*

1.8

0.6

Ball recoveries*

3.2

1.4

Total duels (won)*

6.2 (57%)

2.0 (29%)

As you can see from the table above, neither United forward is enjoying the most productive of starts to the season. Their seven goals scored is the lowest of any side in the Premier League’s top seven, and though the campaign is still in its fledgling phase, it’s clear that the attackers need to raise their game.

Isak, for example, is flattering to deceive as his team’s centre-forward, scoring one goal that was served to him on a silver platter against Spurs. He did good work to get in the position though, insofar as running forward is good work.

Were a shiny new right winger to complete Newcastle’s frontline welcomed this summer, there might be more optimism. Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga was the subject of a £50m bid at the end of the transfer window, but the Toon’s interest was rejected.

This talk of a right winger makes us think of the time when Raphinha nearly moved to St. James’ Park – now one of Europe’s most in-form forwards, it’s a shame it didn’t come together.

When Newcastle missed out on Raphinha

Tell you what, Raphinha would be perfect in this Newcastle side. The missing piece. The answer to the problems that sit just beneath the surface.

Newcastle have claimed ten points from 15 to start their season off, which is an improvement on last year: in 2023/24, United had six points at the same stage, with three losses from five.

But there’s an incompleteness about Howe’s squad, and the aforesaid failure to land a winger like Elanga could prove detrimental in the scramble for ascendancy in the Premier League – there are plenty of teams with their eyes on continental competition.

None of that would matter had Raphinha been welcomed to Tyneside in 2019. According to the Shields Gazette, Raphinha was offered to Newcastle in the January transfer window in 2018/19 when he plied his art for Rennes, with the report suggesting that a shrewd fee of £12.5m could have been enough to get the deal done.

It didn’t materialise, and Raphinha – 23 at the time – signed for the Elland Road side in a move worth £17m plus add-ons. The rest was history, with the dynamic forward proving to be a key attacking instrument in the Whites’ Premier League exploits and even being hailed as a “magician” by former teammate Dan James.

The Brazilian’s recent exploits have seen him rise to some lofty heights as far as his metrics are concerned. Indeed, as per FBref, Raphinha ranks among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 3% for shots taken, the top 4% for assists and the top 19% for shot-creating actions per 90, speaking of a clinical nature that would improve any team across the continent.

Let’s take a look at the £201k-per-week star’s improvements made in La Liga this season – disclaimer, it’s been pretty significant.

Matches (started)

36 (25)

28 (17)

7 (7)

Goals

7

6

5

Assists

7

9

2

Touches*

47.5

34.1

62.3

Shots (on target)*

2.2 (0.7)

2.1 (0.8)

3.7 (1.9)

Pass completion

80%

81%

78%

Key passes*

1.6

1.5

3.1

Dribbles (completed)*

1.3

0.9

1.4

Ball recoveries*

4.3

2.6

4.3

Total duels (won)*

3.5

2.6

3.9

Five goals and two assists from seven matches is excellent going, and under Hansi Flick’s leadership, the 27-year-old appears to have found a manager who entrusts him with a starring role, placing him in the starting seat for each of his side’s contests so far. Moreover, he captained La Blaugrana during their most recent win against Getafe.

It’s quite clear that he’s comprehensively outperforming both Gordon and Isak at the moment. Not only is the South American outscoring both, he’s been more energetic and combative, more creative and influential.

Newcastle must rue the day that they failed to bring him in – he might just be the dream piece to finish the frontline. He might have made all the difference.

Howe must finally ditch Newcastle star earning as much as Gordon

He’s reached the end of the line…

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 27, 2024

Everton’s start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign has been nothing short of a disaster, with the club losing all three games.

It looked for large parts as though Sean Dyche’s side were going to claim all three points against Bournemouth, but after conceding three goals in the space of ten minutes, the Toffees broke the record for the latest time of being two goals ahead but ended up losing.

The Toffees have only scored two league goals this season, conceding ten, with Dyche’s side having real issues at both ends of the pitch despite the investment during the summer transfer window.

Injuries to the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite and Idrissa Gueye have certainly affected the squad, with the hope that the pair can return after the international break to turn the club’s fortunes around.

However, the forward line is still in need of improvement, with two players potentially helping Dyche’s side after the current international break.

Everton's goalscoring woes

During the defeat to Bournemouth, Dominic Calvert-Lewin registered his first two goal contributions of the 2024/25 campaign, providing the assist for Michael Keane’s goal, whilst hitting the back of the net himself just seven minutes later.

There will be real hope that the Englishman can kickstart his season after his recent form, hopefully beating his tally of seven goals from the previous campaign – helping the club improve their measly tally of just 40 league goals from last season.

However, Dyche’s side could be aided in their attempts with the deadline-day addition of Armando Broja from Chelsea.

The Albanian arrived at Goodison Park late in the day on a season-long loan from Chelsea, but he may not be available for another few weeks after he picked up a foot injury that scuppered his potential move to newly promoted Ipswich Town.

The 22-year-old has scored eight goals in the Premier League during his career, potentially adding another focal point to Dyche’s attack for the remainder of the campaign.

However, despite the recent additions at the top end of the pitch, the club will be kicking themselves after allowing a top defensive talent to depart Merseyside a couple of years ago.

Antonee Robinson’s market value in 2024

Having joined the club as an 11-year-old, left-back Antonee Robinson came through Everton's academy with the United States international spending 11 years at Goodison Park.

After various temporary stints in the EFL, the defender made a permanent move to join Championship side Wigan Athletic for a fee in the region of £2m – a bargain when looking at what he’s gone on to achieve.

Games played

154

Minutes played

12,797

Goals

3

Assists

14

Yellow cards

26

Red cards

1

Robinson has since moved to Fulham, making over 150 appearances for the Cottagers, with his market value soaring as a result of his consistent performances in the Premier League.

The “dangerous” USA international, as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, is now valued at £40m, according to reports, with his value higher than the £30m fee that Everton would have to pay to snap up Broja permanently.

His huge increase in price after his departure from Goodison is an example of some of the poor business conducted by the hierarchy in recent years.

However, five years on from his departure, Dyche and Co would undoubtedly wish they had kept hold of the 27-year-old, with his ability no doubt massively improving what has looked to be a shaky backline.

Everton have hit the jackpot on "monster" who's worth more than Broja

The Chelsea forward has joined on loan with an option to buy for £30m…

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 4, 2024