Bukayo Saka misses out on Robbie Savage's Premier League Team of 2024, but three of his Arsenal team-mates are included.
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Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a move for an "extraordinary" defender this summer, seeing him as a strong alternative to Marc Guehi.
The Magpies' pursuit of the England and Crystal Palace centre-back has been one of the main transfer sagas of the summer, with the Tyneside club trying so hard to strike a deal for him.
Guehi captained the Eagles in their 2-1 defeat away to Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, and his current club are proving to be extremely stubborn when it comes to keeping hold of arguably their most important player.
Newcastle have now seen four separate bids for Guehi rejected by Palace, including one worth £65m, with the South London side only willing to part ways if another club match their lofty asking price in full.
With the situation ongoing, and time running out in the summer transfer window, it is important that the Magpies also keep an eye on other options, should they eventually end their chase for the England international. Fenerbahce defender Jayden Oosterwolde has been linked with a move to St James' Park, for example, with an offer of £21.3m potentially enough to acquire the 23-year-old's signature this summer.
According to reports in Spain, Newcastle are monitoring Barcelona centre-back Andreas Christensen ahead of a potential move to the club this summer, as they eye up Guehi alternatives. In fact, the Magpies are believed to be showing "strong interest" in the Denmark international, and he has been "on their radar since last season".
Christensen represents a brilliant option for Newcastle in the coming weeks, considering he is a player with so much Premier League experience already, making 93 appearances in the competition during his time at Chelsea.
The 28-year-old also won the Champions League with the Blues, beating Manchester City in the final back in 2021, while former Barcelona manager Xavi has said of him: "Surely the signing of Christensen has been the less highlighted, but he has been extraordinary. I remember when people said that Real Madrid signed Chelsea's starting centre back and we signed the substitute."
At 28, Christensen is at such a sweet spot in his career, with so many years behind him allowing him to mature as a footballer, but his peak is still not likely to drift by for another four or five years.
The £147,000-a-week centre-back is now a 74-cap international for Denmark, proving to be an influential performer at the heart of their defence, and the fact that he is now into the final two years of his contract at Barca means that the La Liga side could be keen to offload him while they have a chance to get a decent fee.
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Guehi still arguably feels like the best option for Newcastle this summer, considering he is younger and could be at St James' for a decade, but Christensen stands out as a fantastic backup choice for Eddie Howe.
After a campaign full of ups and downs last season, it appears as if Tottenham Hotspur fans are in for more of the same this year.
Ange Postecoglou's men have kicked off the Premier League in an unconvincing manner so far, dropping two points away to Leicester City and three to Newcastle United.
The North Londoners were able to utterly dominate Everton, but the Toffees have been exceedingly poor thus far, meaning they are hardly the barometer for measuring this Lilywhites side.
Granted, the club's £65m striker, Dominic Solanke, has missed the last two games, and the £60m Richarlison is also out injured. However, it seems unlikely that the Brazilian ever be the player fans were hoping he'd be in North London, especially when he's being outscored by a former Tottenham flop.
Just over two years ago, Spurs spent around £60m to get Richarlison out of Everton after he had scored 11 goals and provided five assists in just 33 games for the Toffees the season prior, and while he's shown glimpses of quality since then, it would be fair to say that they paid too much.
For example, in his first campaign with the Lilywhites, the former Watford ace could only muster a return of three goals and four assists in 35 appearances, equating to a poor average of a goal involvement every five games.
To his credit, the Brazilian international did improve last season in Harry Kane's absence, scoring 12 goals and providing four assists in just 31 appearances. However, this clearly wasn't enough to convince the club that he could lead the line going forward, as they went out and signed Solanke last month.
In all, Richarlison is a talented player, but he has not been able to establish himself as an essential player for Spurs, and considering he's being outscored by a former flop who left five years ago, it's not looking good for his long-term future in N17.
The former Spurs flop in question is Cameroon international Georges-Kévin N'Koudou, who joined the club from Marseille in September 2016 for a fee of around £11m.
The left-winger made very little impact in N17 and was sold to Beskitas by Mauricio Pochettino for £4.5m just three years later. He left the Lilywhites with just 27 appearances, one goal, and two assists to his name.
After spending a few years in Turkey, the Versailles-born dynamo made the switch to Saudi Pro League side Damac FC last summer, where he has since been playing very well indeed.
In fact, the 29-year-old wideman outscored Richarlison last season, racking up a respectable tally of 15 goals and five assists in 33 matches, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 1.65 games for the Middle Eastern club.
Now the important caveat here is that the quality of opposition is obviously far lower in Saudi Arabia. However, we have seen big names make the move over there and struggle, so it's still impressive from the former Spurs flop.
|
N'Koudou vs Richarlison in 23/24 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
N'Koudou |
Richarlison |
|
Appearances |
33 |
31 |
|
Goals |
15 |
12 |
|
Assists |
5 |
4 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.60 |
0.51 |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
Ultimately, selling N'Koudou in 2019 was the right thing to do for all parties involved, but perhaps his successful departure from the club should give Richarlison some ideas, unless he can dramatically improve his form in the coming months.
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1
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Vinicius Junior can still play in Real Madrid's next match in the Copa del Rey despite seeing red for shoving Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski.
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Carlo Ancelotti has hinted Endrick will not be in Real Madrid's starting XI against Las Palmas despite his goalscoring heroics in the Copa del Rey.
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Sunderland have been dealt a blow with the news that a player could be set for a three-month injury absence, according to manager Regis Le Bris.
The Black Cats could barely have asked for a better opening to their 2024/25 season, sitting top of the Championship table and winning all four matches in the process.
Le Bris has made an imperious start to life as Sunderland manager, beating Cardiff City and Portsmouth away, as well as picking up home wins against Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley.
The Championship outfit return to domestic action on Saturday, following the international break, with a long trip to Plymouth Argyle coming their way. Their opponents are languishing in 22nd place, failing to win in the league so far this season, so another three points could be expected.
A lack of injuries have certainly helped Sunderland of late, allowing Le Bris to largely name his strongest possible starting lineup, but an injury update has now emerged that acts as a blow.
In quotes provided by The Sunderland Echo, Le Bris confirmed that Sunderland youngster Ahmed Abdullahi will miss an extended period of action through injury, having had groin surgery:
"Ahmed is different because he will have surgery. He will probably have ten to 12 weeks off the pitch. It wasn’t so clear when we signed him. We need an expert to understand exactly what the problem was. Now, we know. The diagnosis is clear and it will be solved after this surgery. He had this pain, a soreness in his groin, for a long time. It was not very clear, but now I think it will be solved. All the players who have been away are back with no problems. Otherwise, there's no new injuries."
Admittedly, Abdullahi hasn't yet made an appearance for Sunderland since moving in the summer, so it is hard to describe him as a key man.
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He is an exciting young player, though, and not having him available for such a long time affects the squad depth at Le Bris' disposal. The 20-year-old could miss up to 16 matches, should he be out until three months from now, and his manager outlined his quality after he arrived from Gent last month, saying:
"He's a big boy, quick and strong. He's a good finisher, he's young, 20 – so like Eliezer he will need time to develop for sure and to integrate all the elements we have in the team. But he's a good signing. We know there is always pressure but of course, we understand they need time to develop and to make mistakes so that they can learn. This will be the case with Ahmed for sure."
The hope is that this ongoing groin issue will be solved with the surgery, as Le Bris alludes to, allowing Abdullahi to be an important figure for Sunderland during the second half of the season.
Cristiano Ronaldo is “still in the elite” at almost 40 years of age, says Emmanuel Adebayor, with the Al-Nassr superstar “simply beautiful to watch”.
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Chelsea are in League Cup action for the first time in the 2024/25 campaign as they prepare to welcome League Two leaders Barrow to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night. Enzo Maresca’s side come into this clash off the back of successive wins in the Premier League over Bournemouth and West Ham United, scoring four goals and keeping two clean sheets.
The Italian head coach may target this competition as a trophy that can be won in his first season, after Mauricio Pochettino led the club to the final last term.
This particular clash, however, provides the manager with an opportunity to rotate his squad and offer minutes to some of the fringe players in the group.
According to GIVEMESPORT, Mykhailo Mudryk will be given ‘one more’ chance to prove to Maresca that he has a future at Stamford Bridge in this game against Barrow on Tuesday night. The report claims that the Ukraine international will be handed an opportunity to shine from the start against lower league opposition and that it could be make or break for his career in London.
It states that the Blues ‘seriously’ considered cashing in on the former Shakhtar Donetsk forward during the summer transfer window, and that there is a chance that he could be moved on in January if he cannot establish himself as a regular fixture for the club in the Premier League.
This is why this match against Barrow is a potentially defining moment for the winger, because a poor display in this cup clash may end his chances of breaking into the first-team at league level. Chelsea reportedly splashed out a significant fee of £88.5m to sign the prospect from Ukraine at the start of 2023, and he has yet to live up to the hype.
Despite earning more per week (£100k) than Nicolas Jackson (£60k) and Noni Madueke (£50k), Mudryk has produced little in the way of quality for the Blues. Jackson and Madueke have combined for seven goals and two assists in the Premier League so far this season, with the former having scored four goals in five games so far.
Meanwhile, the Ukraine international has appeared in just two of the club’s five matches, starting once, and failed to provide a goal or an assist in his 62 minutes on the pitch.
|
Mykhailo Mudryk’s Premier League career |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Stats |
22/23 |
23/24 |
24/25 |
|
Appearances |
15 |
31 |
2 |
|
Starts |
7 |
18 |
1 |
|
Goals |
0 |
5 |
0 |
|
Big chances created |
0 |
6 |
1 |
|
Assists |
2 |
2 |
0 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|||
As you can see in the table above, Mudryk has failed to nail down a regular starting berth on the flank since his big-money move to Stamford Bridge at the start of 2023. The 23-year-old winger has not done enough to convince Maresca that he has a long-term future as a starter for Chelsea, so far, with his lack of quality in the final third, particularly in comparison to players like Jackson and Madueke – who earn far less per week in wages.
Tuesday’s clash with Barrow now looks like it could be make or break for his career with the club, as a poor performance could push him further down the pecking order ahead of the January window.
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Crystal Palace reportedly rejected Tottenham Hotspur's mammoth bid for defender Marc Guehi on January transfer deadline day and here is why.
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Arsenal employees have been dispatched to Europe this week, as the Gunners and sporting director Edu Gaspar eye up a potential forward signing.
Mikel Arteta ultimately chose to stick with on-fire centre-forward Kai Havertz after deciding not to bring in a striker before summer transfer deadline day, with the German repaying that show of faith.
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Havertz’s latest heroics in a 2-0 win against PSG – opening the score with a towering header beyond the on-looking Gianluigi Donnarumma – add to his tally of five goals and an assist across nine appearances in all competitions so far.
Since signing from Chelsea last summer, the versatile 25-year-old has gone on to become a key Arsenal player despite early criticism. However, Edu and Arteta did attempt to bring in an alternative to Havertz and Gabriel Jesus over the summer.
|
Arsenal’s next five Premier League games |
Date |
|---|---|
|
Southampton (home) |
October 5 |
|
Bournemouth (away) |
October 19 |
|
Liverpool (home) |
October 27 |
|
Newcastle United (away) |
November 2 |
|
Chelsea (away) |
November 10 |
Arsenal made an offer to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, and were involved in a high-profile Premier League race against Chelsea and Man United for the Slovenian’s signature. However, Sesko decided instead to remain at Leipzig – penning a contract extension with the condition of a “gentleman’s agreement” that he could leave in 2025 or 2026.
Arsenal are believed to be weighing up the possibility of bringing in a new striker next year instead, and Sesko remains on their list alongside a host of other star names.
Reports claim Edu is looking at Marcus Thuram of Inter Milan, with Sporting Lisbon sensation Viktor Gyokeres on Arsenal’s radar as well. The stellar form of Aston Villa star Jhon Duran has led to Arsenal chiefs believing he’d be an even better capture than Gyokeres, according to Football Transfers, but Sesko remains at the forefront of their thinking.
According to The Boot Room, Arsenal scouts were at Leipzig this week to run the rule over Sesko, with the 21-year-old seemingly impressing as he bagged a brace against Juventus in the Champions League.
While the 21-year-old was ultimately on the losing side, Sesko showcased his proficiency yet again – picking up where he left off from last season. The former Salzburg starlet has chalked up six goals and three assists in eight total appearances so far this term, following a 2023/2024 campaign where he netted 18 in all competitions.
“Benjamin Šeško is among the game’s top young talents and has enormous potential to become a top player,” said Leipzig technical director Christopher Vivell.
“He has all the qualities to do that. He’s extremely quick, has a great jump on him and is strong in the air. Benjamin is a real goalscorer, who despite his 1.95m (6’4″) is mobile and technically strong. His abilities make him a special player with a special profile.”
Sesko’s new deal is rumoured to include a £63 million release clause, a mark-up from his previous one in the summer, but it could still represent good value for money.