Unai Emery's Aston Villa trumped Pep Guardiola's struggling Manchester City, and the Basque manager has opened up on the crucial Premier League win.
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Arsenal are poised to battle it out for the Premier League title once again, and while Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino have been signed, the frontline needs some work before the day is done.
Emile Smith Rowe has joined Fulham while Eddie Nketiah is closing on a £30m transfer to Crystal Palace; Fabio Vieira has also re-joined Porto on loan. Mikel Arteta boasts one of the most talented teams in Europe, but surely some added depth is needed to fire across all cylinders over the coming campaign.
Arsenal transfer news
As per ESPN, Arsenal are holding internal talks over whether to strengthen their frontline before the transfer deadline this evening, with Chelsea's Raheem Sterling offered Arteta's way.
The England international, as Fabrizio Romano also reports, is at the core of late-stage discussions in north London to determine a possible transfer, but with Manchester United also interested, Arsenal are also weighing up an alternative option.
However, Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman is also an option and could be the perfect alternative, with the German giants hoping to collect a €40m (£34m) fee for the 28-year-old.
Why Arsenal should sign Kingsley Coman
Coman has led a storied career, draped in hordes of silverware, and while he has a lucrative offer from the Saudi Pro League, he might feel that he wishes to try his foot in the Premier League.
Bayern wish to get the versatile winger off the wage bill but that certainly does not mean that he is past his sell-by date, carrying athletic and creative properties that could see him thrive among Arteta's squad.
And while his injury record leaves something to be desired, Coman would not be expected to shoulder a hefty workload, for Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and co all compete for starring spots in the Gunners' starting team.
Sterling might be a decorated Premier League icon, but the 29-year-old has not been brilliant since transferring to Chelsea for £47.5m two years ago, scoring just 19 goals and adding 12 assists across 81 matches. It's not a bad haul but still a regression from his Manchester City days.
His underlying metrics are also not the best, with Coman outperforming him across a sweep of ball-playing and ball-carrying statistics, which suggests that Arteta's dynamic project might find better use of the Frenchman's qualities.
Goals scored
0.31
0.32
Assists
0.21
0.19
Shots total
2.36
2.74
Shot-creating actions
3.51
4.21
Pass completion
73.4%
80.5%
Passes attempted
31.73
50.93
Progressive passes
3.46
5.35
Progressive carries
5.24
5.74
Successful take-ons
1.94
2.74
Ball recoveries
4.03
4.27
As the statistical analysis shows, Coman has outstripped Sterling across every aspect, highlighting the gains that could be found from adding him to the Arsenal accord.
His former coach Patrick Gonfalone has even said: “His reading of the game and his technique stand out and make him formidable." Such traits would go down a treat at the Emirates.
Arteta, having parted with several stars, will need to sign someone before the transfer window concludes, ensuring that the frontline is in a fitting condition to charge across multiple fronts this year.
Arsenal offered last-gasp move for "unplayable" Trossard rival
He’s been offered to Mikel Arteta…
ByAngus Sinclair Aug 30, 2024
MatériaMais Notícias
da betano casino： Com o contrato encerrado com a Portuguesa-RJ, o lateral-esquerdo Sanchez vai seguir a carreira longe da Ilha do Governador. O jogador, que foi escolhido para formar a seleção de melhores jogadores do Carioca de 2022, tem como objetivo jogar na elite do futebol nacional, mas já recebeu propostas da Série B. Sanchez e seu estafe devem decidir o futuro até a próxima semana.
Contratado no fim de 2021, Sanchez foi um dos principais destaques da Lusa na temporada. O lateral-esquerdo foi titular em todas as 11 partidas da Taça Guanabara, onde marcou um gol, contra o Flamengo, na estreia, e deu uma assistência, na goleada por 5 a 3 sobre o Botafogo, que encerrou um jejum de 56 anos que o Rubro-Verde não vencia o Glorioso.
No estadual, o defensor ainda recebeu o prêmio de melhor jogador em campo contra o Audax e concorreu cinco vezes à votação de melhor lateral-esquerdo da rodada – na primeira, segunda, quarta, sétima e décima rodada -, por definição da FERJ.
Pela Copa do Brasil, o jogador protagonizou um dos momentos mais importantes da história do clube, ao marcar o primeiro gol da Lusa na competição, tento que garantiu a classificação sobre o CRB, na primeira fase. A Lusa disputa a Copa do Brasil pela primeira vez em seus 97 anos.
Somando o Campeonato Carioca e a Copa do Brasil, Sanchez jogou 13 dos 15 jogos da Portuguesa, todos como titular, e não foi substituído uma vez sequer. Dentre todos os jogadores inscritos no Carioca, o lateral foi o 2º atleta de linha que mais atuou na Taça Guanabara, com 1.124 minutos, atrás apenas do zagueiro Anderson Conceição, do Vasco, com 1.129.
Four-match tour to Australia won’t go ahead due to NZ not being able to secure MIQ space
Alex Malcolm19-Jan-2022New Zealand’s upcoming limited-overs tour Australia has been postponed due to uncertainty over when the squad could return home due to the managed isolation and quarantine rules.The tour was scheduled to begin in Perth although that would have had to change due to Western Australia’s hard border. That trip included three ODIs, which were due to be part of Ross Taylor’s international farewell, and a one-off T20I in Canberra. New Zealand’s ODI series in Australia in early 2020 was abandoned when the pandemic first arrived and a series last season postponed.Travel into New Zealand is still capped due to Covid-19 and all travellers, including citizens, have to do 10 days of MIQ on arrival. Due to those rules, New Zealand were planning to send a squad to Australia without their Test players who would be preparing to face South Africa.New Zealand Cricket and Cricket Australia drew up a proposal for the tour to be lengthened to allow the team to return to do their MIQ at a manageable time but New Zealand’s government confirmed on Wednesday it had no capacity to meet the request. It’s understood they were also denied an exemption to undertake home quarantine.NZC chief executive David White said the tour was initially scheduled after the New Zealand government signalled its intention to relax MIQ restrictions relating to the Trans-Tasman border.”As we now know, the advent of Omicron prompted a change of strategy from the government, resulting in a hard 10-day mandatory isolation period being imposed on all incoming travellers,” White said.”NZC and CA had explored a proposal to expand the tour and to push out the date on which the squad might return to New Zealand, in the hope that might be more achievable for the government. But we received advice this morning that they could not provide certainty over this, either.”NZC and CA are set to begin discussions on when the tour can be rescheduled.”We are extremely disappointed that we won’t be able to play the scheduled matches against New Zealand as planned, however we will continue to work with New Zealand Cricket to reschedule the series.” CA CEO Nick Hockley said.”We thank NZC, who made every effort to make the series happen, however because they were unable to get certainty over return quarantine arrangements, it is simply just not possible at this time.Australia are still scheduled to head to New Zealand for three T20Is from March 17 to 20 although under the current regulations that would appear unlikely to take place. The upcoming tours to New Zealand that had MIQ already booked – South Africa, India’s Women, Netherlands and the Women’s World Cup – remain on track.
It's an understatement to say that the mood at the Stadium of Light was flat come the end of the last Championship season, with Sunderland looking directionless on and off the pitch.
The doom and gloom that ended up engulfing the Black Cats led to a dire 16th placed finish being served up after the 46-game slog was over, as Regis Le Bris now aims to lead Sunderland into a far more positive campaign to come as the new manager in the pressurised hot-seat.
Alexandre Mendy joining the ranks this summer could give the Black Cats some much-needed firepower, but that statement move seems to have now reached a standstill.
Even though last season was one that many on Wearside will want to forget, there are players from that squad that will be expected to perform under the new French boss away from any incomings joining, like this promising midfielder.
Pierre Ekwah's time at Sunderland
Pierre Ekwah, like many of his colleagues at the Stadium of Light, had an up-and-down season on the whole donning a Sunderland strip last time out, but did still manage to show flashes of immense quality.
Only making 14 appearances during his debut season in the second tier, Ekwah became more of a key first-team presence during the following campaign, with 40 second-tier games under his belt.
The former West Ham United youth product would help himself to five goals and two assists, often regularly lining up in the side next to Dan Neil in the holding midfield spots of the starting XI, with two strikes even coming his way during an early season clash against Russell Martin's Southampton.
He was beginning to live up to his billing as an "outstanding" talent that was handed out to him by football journalist Josh Bunting when he was first starting to make an impression on Wearside, but it hasn't been all smooth sailing for the 22-year-old.
The promising Frenchman has found himself struggling for pre-season minutes as of late, owing to injury issues, whilst the Black Cats number 39 faded in and out of games towards the back-end of the gruelling 23/24 season, with his final day display seeing him be substituted off after offering very little in a 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.
Still, the Championship outfit won't be tempted to sell him on – even with Udinese reportedly being a keen admirer – in the hope he has more in the tank ahead of a potential promotion charge to come, despite his value increasing to above Mendy's £4m price tag.
Ekwah's transfer value in 2024
Ekwah's valuation now stands at a pretty £5m, according to Football Transfers, with that £1m more than Mendy's reported price tag.
That's the case despite the current SM Caen man running away with the Ligue 2 golden boot last season in France, with 22 goals next to his name, which must have then piqued the interest of Le Bris' men.
Player
Value
1. Anthony Patterson
£10.3m
2. Jack Clarke
£7.1m
3. Jobe Bellingham
£6.9m
4. Trai Hume
£5.9m
5. Pierre Ekwah
£5m
Ekwah's bumped-up value means he just sneaks into the top five most profitable assets in Le Bris' camp currently, with the likes of Jack Clarke and Jobe Bellingham above him, who have been touted to move to luxurious new locations in the Premier League and beyond.
If Ekwah ends up coming into his own even more this season to come, that £5m price tag next to his name could go up even further, with his importance to the cause at the Stadium of Light potentially heightened if Clarke or Bellingham do move on.
Sunderland were also once in line to make a swoop for a cheaper striker target in the form of free agent Žan Vipotnik over Mendy, before his move to Swansea City was confirmed, but Le Bris will still go about constructing his new-look side, ahead of the new exciting second-tier campaign.
Jobe Bellingham future decided as Sunderland star blocking big money exit
The Black Cats will be desperate to retain his services.
ByHenry Jackson Jul 30, 2024
New Zealand need their bench strength to come to the fore in a more prominent way in the second T20I
Hemant Brar18-Nov-20212:12
Venkatesh Iyer as India’s sixth bowling option? Should NZ give Todd Astle a run?
Big pictureIt was only last Sunday that New Zealand lost to Australia in the final of the T20 World Cup but so jam-packed is the international calendar at the moment that only five days later, they will be fighting to prevent a series defeat against India in Ranchi. To make things worse, they don’t start as the favourites.In the absence of Kane Williamson, Mark Chapman stepped up with the bat in the first T20I, but Rachin Ravindra and Todd Astle failed to impress. Ravindra was out for 7 off eight balls and didn’t bowl, while Astle leaked 34 from three overs. New Zealand will know they need a complete team performance to level the series.India, on the other hand, began the Rahul Dravid-Rohit Sharma era with a perfect result but their performance was far from perfect. After opting to bowl, they allowed New Zealand to cruise to 106 for 1 in 13 overs. While chasing, they needed 23 from 24 balls with eight wickets in hand but let the game drift before sealing it in the final over.Still, there were a lot of positives for the hosts. Bhuvneshwar Kumar found swing with the new ball and, bowling two overs at the start and two at the death, returned figures of 2 for 24. Suryakumar Yadav continued batting in an uninhibited manner and picked up the Player-of-the-Match award, while Rohit, too, batted freely. India, though, would want more from their middle order.Form guideIndia WWWWL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
New Zealand LLWWWIn the spotlightRishabh Pant’s reputation is of a destructive middle-order batter. But in 2021, he has struck at a middling 124.68 in eight T20I innings. Surprisingly, that is still higher than his overall strike rate (122.62) in the format. With Suryakumar all but cementing his slot, KL Rahul available as an alternative wicketkeeper and Ishan Kishan also being in the squad, Pant’s performances will be under scrutiny.Rishabh Pant has a career strike rate of 122.62 in T20Is•BCCI
In his 33-match-young T20I career, Glenn Phillips has played in New Zealand, India and the UAE. In New Zealand, Phillips has smashed 452 runs at an average of 32.28 and a strike rate of 162.58. Outside New Zealand, those numbers are 159 runs an average of 17.66 and a strike rate of 101.27. In the first T20I, he was lbw to R Ashwin for a three-ball duck. With Williamson not in the side, New Zealand will expect him to play a bigger role in the middle overs.Team newsIt’s difficult to see India making any significant changes to their XI. They could consider bringing in Yuzvendra Chahal for Axar Patel but given they are playing only with six batters, that would further weaken their lower-order batting.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 KL Rahul, 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Venkatesh Iyer, 7 Axar Patel/Yuzvendra Chahal, 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Mohammed SirajWith the series on the line, New Zealand could bring in James Neesham and Ish Sodhi but at the same time, it won’t be a surprise if they want to give Ravindra and Astle another opportunity.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Daryl Mitchell, 3 Mark Chapman, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Tim Seifert (wk), 6 James Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee (capt), 9 Trent Boult, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Ish SodhiPitch and conditionsRanchi has hosted only two T20Is till date, and one of them was a rain-affected contest. That means there is hardly any data to look into. With dew expected to play a major role, the teams may stick to the win-the-toss-and-chase strategy. The forecast for Friday evening is partly cloudy, with the temperature hovering around 17 degrees Celsius.Mark Chapman scored 63 in the opening T20I•Getty Images
Stats and trivia Martin Guptill needs 11 runs to surpass Virat Kohli’s tally of 3227 to become the leading run-scorer in T20Is. Rohit, who is currently third on the list, is 142 away from overtaking Kohli. Since his comeback in T20I cricket, Ashwin has picked up eight wickets in four games at an economy rate of 5.37. Two of those games, however, were against Scotland and Namibia. Phillips has hit 94 sixes in T20s this year, the most by any batter. Against India, Sodhi has taken 19 wickets in 13 T20Is at an economy rate of 7.25.Quotes”Trent Boult…we’ve played a lot of cricket together. He knows my weakness and I know his strength, so yeah, it’s a good fight between the two. I knew [about him bringing fine leg up]. I mean, when I’m captaining him, I always tell him to bluff, and that’s exactly what he did. He put the midwicket back and got the fine leg up, but I knew he was going to bowl a bouncer. I was just trying to put it over his head, there was not much pace on the ball. Unfortunately, got out but yeah, happy with the win.”
“It would have been nice to have added 10-15 runs more but fighting right to the end is something we pride ourselves on in this Black Caps team. Pretty proud of how the guys went and pushed it to the last over.”
Jamie Atkins five-for helps bowl Kent out for 165 before Sussex take 293-run lead
ECB Reporters' Network13-Jul-2021Sussex 181 and 277 for 3 (Orr 119, Haines 94) lead Kent 165 (Podmore 37, Atkins 5-51) by 293 runsAli Orr’s maiden first-class century gave Sussex a commanding, but not conclusive, lead on day three of their LV= Insurance County Championship match with Kent at Canterbury.Orr hit 119, including 19 fours, as Sussex advanced to 277 for 3, but they were stifled for long periods by the hosts, who trail by 293 going into the final day.Orr’s opening partner, Tom Haines, was out for 94 just before stumps to Matt Quinn, who took 2 for 88.Earlier Jamie Atkins took career-best figures of 5 for 51 as Kent were dismissed for 165, Hamid Qadri finishing on 30 not out, his highest first-class score.Kent began day three on 122 for 7 and lost Bailey Wightman in the first over when he was bowled by Atkins, but Quinn hung around for 38 minutes, providing useful support to Qadri, before he was caught behind off Ollie Robinson for 11.By the time Jas Singh was lbw to Sean Hunt for two, Sussex’s lead had been chopped to just 16, but Orr and Haines steered the visitors to 53 for nought at lunch and batted through the afternoon session. Kent never really looked like taking a wicket, but they were tight and disciplined, slowing the run rate to under three and limiting Sussex to 147 for no wicket at tea.Orr reached three figures when he glanced Harry Podmore to third man for four and was finally out when he cut Singh to backward point and was caught by Dan Lincoln, having faced 254 balls over nearly five hours.Harrison Ward made six when he drove Quinn to Heino Kuhn, who took a two-handed catch at point and the scoring rate slowed to 2.8 during the evening session, only nudging back over three when Travis Head hit sixes from successive balls in the 90th over, followed by two fours. Quinn then had Haines lbw in the third last over of the day, ending a painstaking innings of 233 balls and 354 minutes.Head and Oliver Carter were unbeaten on 29 and 15 respectively at stumps, but Sussex face a potentially awkward decision over the timing of any declaration on day four.
Celtic have been handed a boost as one of their transfer targets is keen on a move to Glasgow this summer, it has been reported.
Business slow for Celtic
It has not been quite the summer many Celtic fans hoped for following their Scottish Premiership and Cup double last season, with Brendan Rodgers' side looking largely the same as it did at the end of last season.
They have confirmed the arrival Kasper Schmeichel on a one-year-deal to replace the retired Joe Hart, while Finnish shot-stopper Viljami Sinisalo has also arrived from Aston Villa.
Celtic now open to offers for trio who take home a combined £30,000-a-week
The three players are deemed surplus to requirements at Celtic Park.
2 ByBen Browning Jul 29, 2024
But despite very little action in the window so far, Rodgers was staunch in his belief that the club will kick into gear between now and the end of the transfer window when quizzed on the slow-going summer.
"We know the targets we want to bring in. There's still a long way to go in the window. We know what we want to do and the priority positions we want to improve.
"Whilst the club are getting on with that myself and the coaches are focused on the improvement of the team physically, tactically and technically. By the end of August I would expect us to have the players that we want in.
“I’ll make it clear to the Celtic supporters we want to improve, get better. We don’t want to stand still this season, we know we want to improve the squad and by the end of the window shutting I’d expect us to be that."
Now, they have been handed a boost in pursuit of one of their defensive targets, though a deal may still take some time.
Good news for Celtic in Bueno chase
That comes over Wolves defender Hugo Bueno, who is now "eager" to move to Parkhead on loan. According to Give Me Sport, the defender has "serious doubts" over game time at Molineux, having made just seven Premier League starts across the 2023-24 campaign.
Hugo Bueno's Wolves career to date (Premier League)
Appearances
42
Starts
23
Goals/Assists
1
Yellow Cards
2
Total minutes
2041
As a result, a loan move is "appealing" for the 21-year-old fullback. In even more positive news, Wolves are "becoming more open-minded" to letting him leave for the upcoming campaign, despite having already rejected an offer for Norwich for his services this summer.
A temporary exit would be unlikely to cause too many issues, with Bueno still having four years left to run on his £10,000-a-week deal at Molineux, meaning that Wolves will remain in a strong position over his future even 12 months on.
The defender was hailed as a hard worker by Wolves U23 boss James Collins, something that Celtic fans are sure to appreciate should he move north of the border.
“You talk about hard work, and that boy works harder than anyone I know. After we finish training he grabs a bag of balls and he’s doing little stepovers and jinks.
“Some people think that’s luck or talent, but that’s not talent. That’s him working extremely hard at his craft to become more threatening in the attacking third", Collins explained.
Bueno's arrival could see Celtic look to emulate the success story of Paulo Bernardo. Like Bueno, he was a 21-year-old starved of first team football (he played just 750 minutes of Portuguese top flight football in 2022-23) with others ahead of him in the pecking order.
12 months on, he is set to rejoin Celtic on a permanent deal after a successful loan, something that the Bhoys will almost certainly be keen to emulate with Bueno should he succeed at Parkhead.
Aston Villa will be required to make at least one sale during the summer transfer window, otherwise they could fall foul of the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Douglas Luiz has been earmarked for a move away from Villa Park due to his wonderful displays in the top flight last season – registering 14 goal contributions – and it appears as though Arsenal are keen on luring him to London, although it will cost them around £50m to do so.
The Brazilian may be one of Unai Emery’s most prized assets, yet might the Spaniard move on someone else who has been attracting interest recently?
Due to a stunning 2023/24 campaign which saw the Midlands side secure a spot in the Champions League next season, it is only natural that several first-team players have attracted some interest.
While clubs have shown obvious admiration for someone like Luiz, Matty Cash’s displays weren’t exactly at the same sort of level.
Yes, he may have scored five goals and grabbed three assists for the club last term, but his lack of consistency could give Emery the perfect opportunity to move him on without much of an afterthought.
According to reports in Italy (via Caught Offside), Emery is more than happy to let the English-born Poland international depart the club this summer, looking for a fee of around £17m from any prospective buyer.
AC Milan are the team that appear to be showing the most interest in the right-back, and it could be the perfect time for Villa to cash in – pardon the pun – on the player.
He does have three years left on his contract, but with a point deduction looking possible if Villa don’t raise funds via player sales, a deal to move him on may be welcomed in the coming weeks.
|
Matty Cash's statistics for Aston Villa – 2023/24 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Metric |
Premier League |
Conference League |
|
Goals |
2 |
1 |
|
Assists |
2 |
1 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.4 |
0.7 |
|
Big chances created |
6 |
0 |
|
Pass success rate (%) |
84% |
88% |
|
Tackles per game |
1.9 |
1.1 |
|
Total duels won per game |
3.6 |
2.6 |
|
Via Sofascore |
||
With tougher challenges awaiting the club in Europe’s premier club competition next season, it is clear that the manager must strengthen his team accordingly, which means an improvement on the right side of the defence.
As a result, Emery could target a swoop for a Dutchman who has made 30 appearances in the Champions League during his career.
According to Inter Live last week, Villa are getting ready to make an offer for defender Denzel Dumfries in a bid to bolster their squad this summer.
With his contract expiring next year, the Serie A side could allow him to leave for a fee of around £25.5m, which could turn into a bargain should he replicate his form for Inter in the Premier League.
Dumfries would be a huge step up at right-back compared to Cash, and he is exactly the sort of signing Emery will be keen to make during the transfer window.
At 28 years old, the former PSV Eindhoven dynamo is in the peak years of his career. Having won several trophies with both Inter and PSV, Dumfries could bring an elite mentality to Villa which may just see them end their near 30-year wait for a major trophy during the 2024/25 campaign.
Last season, Inter won their second Serie A title in three years, finishing 19 points ahead of their city rivals AC Milan.
It was a stunning campaign by the club and Dumfries certainly contributed well. In 31 league matches, not only did he score four goals, but the Netherlands international registered five assists, chipping in with vital goal contributions as the club romped to another league crown.
He has played all of his matches on the right side of the midfield, yet he has operated as a right-back over 200 times during his career to date, meaning Emery should have no problem playing him as part of a four-man defence should he join the club.
His main asset is his attacking abilities, which the Spaniard will be keen to utilise at every given opportunity.
When compared to his teammates, Dumfries ranked sixth for successful dribbles per game (0.5) along with ranking eighth for big chances created (six) and for key passes per game (0.8), solid enough stats for a midfielder.
It wasn’t just in his own squad that the player shone, however, also impressing when compared to positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues.
Indeed, the 28-year-old ranked in the top 3% for non-penalty goals (0.18) and touches in the attacking penalty area (3.85) per 90, while also ranking in the top 7% for total shots (1.37) per 90 and for progressive passes received (7.65) per 90, clearly evidence of his regular forays into the final third of the pitch.
According to WhoScored, Dumfries’ main strengths are key passes and aerial duels, which indicate that he can tear open the opposition's defence with a single pass while also being able to hold his own when faced with a one-on-one aerial battle. These strengths will allow him to shine in the physically imposing Premier League, no doubt about that.
Rio Ferdinand praised the defender during the 2022 World Cup, a tournament in which he shone for the Netherlands, saying:
“He’s not putting balls in willy-nilly, he’s picking people out, those cutbacks have been ever so dangerous. He doesn’t mind working at the other end of the pitch, as well. He’s been a breath of fresh air for them and a very important player.”
High praise indeed from a Premier League legend and if Emery could secure his signature for a fee around the £25m mark, then it could be a wonderful piece of transfer business.
With plenty of experience at winning trophies and playing in the Champions League, Dumfries is the ideal signing in order to take Villa to the next level.
First, Emery will need to move on a player or two. With Milan leading the chase for Cash, selling the former Nottingham Forest defender is the first step to making a more concrete effort at luring Dumfries to the Midlands in the next few weeks.
What Aston Villa’s starting XI could look like after £105m spending spree
Aston Villa will be looking to build on their momentous 23/24 campaign, having qualified for the Champions League.
By
Angus Sinclair
Jun 6, 2024
It’s fair to say that since the departure of Michael Carrick, Manchester United’s midfield has been sub-par.
Casemiro and Paul Pogba were big signings that never truly starred, and a Declan Rice-esque player is missing.
The Arsenal midfielder is simply unbelievable; he is the driving force of the team, someone that the Red Devils desperately need.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS target who could become their very own Rice.
Man Utd’s midfield summer plans
It seems as though a midfield overhaul is set to occur at Old Trafford this summer, with Christian Eriksen and Sofyan Amrabat’s futures unclear.
Casemiro is another household name that could be on the move, with Saudi Arabia looking set to be a likely destination for the Brazilian.
As a result, a replacement must be acquired. Well, according to a report from FootballTransfers earlier this week, Man United are interested in signing Leon Goretzka.
Fortunately for United, Goretzka is one of the Bayern Munich players that will be allowed to leave the club this summer.
It’s said that United are keen to sign a partner for Kobbie Mainoo, who has experience; hence, Goretzka is a potential target.
A bid has even been made for the player according to reports in Spain this weekend, with a £34m offer lodged at the request of Ten Hag.
How Leon Goretzka compares to Declan Rice
For over seven years now, Goretzka has been regarded as one of the most talented midfielders in the Bundesliga.
Even though the 29-year-old hasn’t always been the go-to, first-choice player at the heart of Bayern’s midfield, he’s always had a huge impact on the team.
This was certainly the case last season, with Goretzka making 25 starts in the Bundesliga while also featuring ten times in the Champions League.
Throughout quite a few of those games towards the end of the season, the number eight partnered 20-year-old Aleksandar Pavlovic, which proves he can help guide a young-talented midfielder to success.
Nonetheless, according to FBref's 'similar players’ model, Goretzka’s name features alongside Rice’s. Looking at the table below, it's clear to see why,
Goals
0.20
0.24
Assists
0.22
0.28
Touches
74
81
Passes completed
57
62.6
Progressive passes
7.77
7.07
Progressive carries
2.09
2.65
Tackles
2.32
1.65
Interceptions
1.23
1.24
Firstly, the pair are true all-rounders on the field, impacting the game at both boxes while also having the ability to play as a number eight or slightly deeper as a number six.
One of the biggest similarities that separates them from other positional peers is that they’ve both proved to be match-winners, scoring goals and also creating for the dangerous attackers.
Just like Rice, Goretzka is an extremely technical player who serves as a fantastic progressive outlet to the side, whether that be by playing passes through the lines or carrying the ball forward with intent.
Important, they are both extremely solid defensively, meaning that the duo lack any true faults in their game, hence why Goretzka in particular has been labelled a “world-class” player by journalist Stefan Bienkowski.
For just £34m, Man Utd could secure themselves an absolute bargain this summer, and considering he performs even remotely close to Rice, that is a huge green light.
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